The Bravest Snake

CHAPTER 20

Harry knew that they were in deep trouble.

That was, in a way, uncharted territory for him. Harry was a relatively good student, almost never getting called to the principal. It was almost instinctual to not want to get on any teacher's bad side. 

He, so confident in his ability to lie, could sense that there wasn't an easy way out of this mess. And he could feel the others thinking the same things. The only comfort he had was that at least Ron wouldn't get in trouble, but the self - preserving instincts he possessed yelled at him for that information not helping. 

Professor McGonagall and Snape were waiting for them in McGonagall's study, and Harry groaned inwardly. With Snape there, there would be no chance of getting off easy or manipulation. He would see right through it. Dread coiled through Harry, squeezing his insides painfully. He expected everyone to feel the same way.

What he wasn't expecting, though, was Daphne Greengrass and Neville Longbottom in the study as well, the former venomously glaring at the latter. ''What are you two doing here?'' Harry couldn't help asking.

''Well, we both noticed you and these Gryffindors get out of the dorms, so we followed you to the Astronomy tower. We would have made it, if this kid didn't get cold feet halfway through and make us bump into McGonagall,'' Daphne said, jerking her head in Neville's direction.

''Hey, don't blame me!'' Neville said in a wounded voice. ''I was just trying to do what was right, I don't know if you would understand that.''

Daphne jerked back at Neville's last comment. That was definitely about her House. ''I think it's a little too late for the right thing, which you weren't doing, so don't pretend you were.''

''This is madness!'' McGonagall shrieked. ''SIX students out of bed, three of them following allegations about the other three!'' She shook her head angrily, looking more likely to breathe fire than Norbert would. ''Potter - Granger - Malfoy - explain yourselves.'' 

They each stared at each other, not knowing what to say, but daring each other to tell first. Hermione, taking a deep breath, opened her mouth, but Snape beat her to it. He had been oddly quiet about the proceedings. 'I think I've got a good idea about what's going on. It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Pansy Parkinson some foolish story about a dragon, trying to get her out of bed and into trouble, but we've already caught her. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom and Greengrass here heard the story and believed it, too?''

Daphne turned her icy gaze on Harry, making him say it wasn't true. Daring him. Harry averted his gaze, focusing on the bigger problem. How am I not going to get expelled?  Harboring Norbert, sneaking onto a forbidden tower at night past curfew, and the invisibility cloak? Oh, he was definitely going to be packing his bags after this. Well, not if I can help it.

''I'm disgusted,'' said McGonagall. ''Six students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter, Ms. Greengrass, I thought you had more sense. The rest of you, I thought your House meant more to you than this. All of you will receive detentions - yes, you too, Ms. Greengrass, nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous - and fifty points will be taken from your Houses .''

No... how would we win the House cup now? ''Fifty?'' Harry gasped. 

''Fifty points each,'' Snape growled. Panic spread through Harry. Gryffindor would be worse off, but Slytherin had lost one hundred fifty points. A staggering loss.

Harry and Daphne stumbled back to their dorms, dreading the dawn. What were the other Slytherins going to say when they learned it was his fault they lost one hundred fifty points? He could practically hear Crabbe and Goyle's insults. ''Of course. Half bloods always bring trouble.'' He could practically hear Pansy's new rumors. ''Did you know Harry Potter had a dragon? Hagrid brought an illegal one!''

Growling, Harry kicked the wall in a fit of rage. His chances were ruined. His future was ruined. His life at Hogwarts was ruined. Was he going to go back to the Dursley's, live as a Muggle, pretend he was never a wizard, pretend he had never met Draco, Daphne, and Hermione?

Harry felt his breath come out in short gasps. It felt even harder to breathe, his lungs twisted up. He collapsed on the ground, gripping his head. His head pounded painfully. Daphne patiently helped him up, her hair brushing on his shoulder. Their fingers intertwined the whole way to the dorms. 

The story spread faster than melted butter, with Pansy helping. The Quidditch star, the Boy Who Lived, the most popular and admired person, lost them all those points. Him and a couple of other stupid first years. 

Nobody talked to him anymore, turning their heads away when he walked down the hallway. His study group seemed distant, and Blaise and Theo were speaking to him less than normal. It was just like his experience in muggle school, but this time it felt more like a punch to the gut. Maybe it was because they were all wizards, but he minded much more this time.

At least, Ron, Hermione, Daphne, and Neville stood by him. ''They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them,'' Ron tried to encourage.

''They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?'' said Harry miserably.

''Well - no,'' Ron admitted. Thought so.

From now, Harry resolved to stay in his lane. He didn't want to attract anymore attention or meddle in things that weren't his business. Maybe what Ron said had some truth to it. If he didn't do anything anymore, stuck only to his lonesome, and let people forget about him, in seven years maybe they'd be open to talking to him again.

Oh, who was he kidding? Harry was doomed.