Suspicious Newcomer

Chapter 3

Harry doubted it had ever been more quiet in the Gryffindor common room. The team sat dejectedly near the fireplace, both Matsuda and Boyle sporting head wounds, and Ginny clutching an ice pack to her swollen fingers. Naomi had a bad bruise from where the bludger had hit her, but was otherwise fine. Harry hadn't even bothered to go to Madam Pomfrey's, he was too upset with himself. The fire popped and crackled as they sat in silence, the only sound heard was the occasional mutterings from the other Gryffindors occupying the common room, occasionally casting dark looks at Harry.

"Well, you only lost by ten points," pointed out Hermione. "So-"

"Don't." was Harry's only response. He remembered how the game ended, with a resounding cheer from the green and silver crowd. As he landed on the ground, he noticed Yagami's smug face, and his knuckles clenched with an urge to hit something. The green-clad team ran back to the castle, cheering Slytherin! Slytherin! all the way.

"Hey, Gryffindor!" shouted a sudden voice. Harry turned to the source of noise to find Mello striding into the common room as if he owned it, followed by most of the Slytherin team along with a few other students.

Harry leapt to his feet, along with most of the other Gryffindors in the common room. Mello surveyed them warily, as if it was just occurring to him that bursting unexpectedly into the Gryffindor common room with a troupe of Slytherins after their recent defeat was a bad idea.

"Whoa, there." he said, grinning. "It's tradition for the houses to party after a Quidditch game, right?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. That tradition usually only applied to the house that won, surely Mello had to know that. Was this just an excuse to get inside the Gryffindor house?

"How did you even get in here?" he blurted. Mello grinned.

"Hey, it's not too difficult to guess a one-word password, especially when you've got friends on the inside," he said, winking at Matsuda.

Matsuda groaned and covered his face with his hands. "I gave you that password so you could get my books for me during Charms, not so you could barge in at anytime."

"That may be, but we're here now." Mello finished. The common room remained silent, staring at the trespassers with unease.

"We brought firewhisky!" offered Misa Amane, holding up a wooden case filled to the brim with dusty bottles.

Two hours later, three of the bottles were polished off, with the rest of the case distributed generously to the room. Ron had claimed one for himself and sat in the corner, listening to Matt, a Hufflepuff student who wore strange eye appendages bicker with Mello about the proper way to take a shot. A few students had crowded in the center of the common room to dance and sing along to a Twisted Wizards song.

At around midnight, Ron, feeling considerably better after watching Mello and Matt get into a fistfight, decided to sneak some food from the kitchens and invited Harry to join him.

"They're not half bad I suppose," Ron conceded as they stood outside the fruit tapestry that led to the kitchens. "I just wish they were...worse at Quidditch."

Harry nodded absentmindedly. Although the Gryffindor loss was a crippling blow, he couldn't even find solace in hating the other team. However, there was still something...off about Yagami and Lawliet.

"Harry Potter!" squeaked a voice. Harry looked down and saw Dobby, as usual, wearing an assortment of hats and mismatched socks that would make anyone cringe, along with a long, patched tie that dragged behind him as he trotted towards them.

"'Lo, Dobby! How you been?" asked Ron. He enjoyed visiting the kitchen ever since he learned of the way in from his older brothers, Fred and George. The house elves were always more than willing to offer up an abundance of pastries and sweets that envied even the "Slug Club" meetings.

"Very good, sir!" he squeaked. "Will Ron Wheezee like the same pastries from before?"

Ron blushed, as he always did when referred to as "Wheezee", but they collected their sweets and pastries all the same, along with a few vials of pumpkin juice, as unfortunately, the house elves refused to give anything stronger.

As they reached the Gryffindor common room, a familiar figure waited outside the doorway patiently.

"Oh, hello," Yagami said as he turned around to greet Harry and Ron. "I came to join the party, but I guess I got locked out."

"Right," said Harry. "I think Mello has the password, but it won't do you much good if he's inside. We'll let you in." Yagami nodded gratefully.

As Ron told the Fat Lady the regular password, Harry surveyed Yagami uneasily. He hadn't come face to face with him since that morning, and yet, something had still changed in his perception. His grin before the game probably was just a typical intimidation tactic, yet Harry now felt the urge to draw his wand as Yagami walked by him and into the common room.

"Are you alright?" asked Ron.

"Yeah," said Harry dimly. He twitched the thought away like an irksome fly, and followed Light into the common room to rejoin the party.

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"Harry. Harry! HARRY!!" whispered a sharp voice above him. Harry opened his eyes slightly, and instantly regretted it, raising a hand to his eyes as if it could ward off the pounding headache.

"Whuzza..?"

"Wake up!" Something hard prodded into his stomach and he complied, opening his eyes and blinking against the bright lights streaming into the Gryffindor common room.

Wait.

The Gryffindor COMMON ROOM?

"Merlin's pants!" Harry gasped, jerking upright. His stomach groaned in protest, but he ignored it. Surveying the common room, Harry was dismayed to see a collection of bodies draped across the furniture and on the floor, with clear Firewhisky bottles clutched in their hands.

"Oh, thank god." breathed Hermione. "I had even worse luck getting him to wake." she gestured at a sleeping Ron, drooling with his mouth half open.

Harry raised his hands to his head and curled into fetal position trying to calm his breathing. His stomach, grossly unhappy with his recent beverage choices, had decided to rebel against him and was currently leading an army up into his throat. He pushed the nausea down and looked up at Hermione shakily.

"...What-er-what exactly happened, Hermione?"

"How should I know?" she angrily whispered, gesturing around her. "I went to bed at around midnight, and came down this morning to find...this!!"

If Filch had found out, or McGonogall, we'd be dead.

"Where did the Slytherins go?" he asked, looking up again. Hermione shrugged.

"They were gone when I came down. They must have snuck back to their common room."

"Right," he said, struggling to his feet despite his body's protestations. "We have to get it cleaned up, and wake everyone up before-"

"Oh, Harry, it's not just that. We've got a Slug Club meeting in half an hour."