Beyond The Breaking Point

CHAPTER 8

NOTES: Some of the upper year Slytherins are OCs. I searched out as many canon characters as I could and I've filled the rest in on my own. They won't be major characters.

Also, I know the description of the Slytherin common room isn't canon to the books, but I decided to exercise my creative license on this and make it more like we see in the movies.

WORD COUNT: 8170

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The last month before school started was nearly the best of Henry’s life, and considering that he and Harrison had once spent almost a month touring the muggle amusement parks of the world, that was really saying something.  The best part, of course, was Henry’s friends.  Real friends!  After that first sleepover, Neville visited every weekend, as did Hermione, though she was usually only allowed to stay from breakfast through before dinner and then Harrison had to take her home.

Henry taught them some of the most basic wandless magic and Harrison gave them preparatory lessons in all of the subjects they would study this year.  Henry and Neville both spent a lot of time answering Hermione’s unending questions about Hogwarts and magic in general.  Neville and Hermione got along great.  Her exuberance for knowledge offset Neville’s shy personality well and she was great at getting him to relax just by being fascinated with everything he could tell her about the magical world.

Neville graduated to a modified Nimbus, which Harrison had slowed down so that Neville could get used to it, and Hermione took her turn on the training broom.  She was about as nervous as Neville had been, but even she was soon giggling and trying simple stunts – though none very far above the ground.  They spent a lot of time in the library where Henry took to tutoring them both in some of the magical theory that they’d be learning this year.  Hermione was terrified of being the worst in the class because she was muggleborn, and Neville still didn’t have much confidence in himself, so they were both happy to have something of a head start.

Harrison worked with them on brewing a few simple potions and warned them about Professor Snape’s personality and teaching methods, particularly if any of them turned out to be Gryffindors – he also seemed to suspect Neville would be, though Hermione was clearly a Ravenclaw.

Harrison was amazing, like he always was.  He let Hermione and Neville spend as much time at the manor as their guardians would allow and he gave a lot of his own time to helping them out even though Henry knew that his uncle had been busy with a lot of orders to fill and whatever else he was doing that put a crinkle in his forehead every time he drifted off in thought.

It had been a bit awkward when Hermione had figured out who he was.  He’d managed to make it through the entire first dinner without being connected to anything Potter, but the next time she’d come, Neville had been there, and he’d mentioned something about Henry being the Boy-Who-Lived.  Of course, Hermione had dutifully learned all about the Boy-Who-Lived by that point.

“Wait, what?” she frowned.  “He’s not…”  She shook her head and looked at Henry.  “You’re not.”

Henry just sighed.  “My uncle – my dad’s brother – is Lord Potter.  My name is Henry Potter.  Heir of House Potter.”

There were a few long seconds while she’d just gaped at him.  Then, “But…  But you hate Harry Potter!”

He nodded emphatically, “I absolutely do.  I hate what everyone thinks that they know about me.  I hate it that they think I killed a Dark Lord, when I didn’t.  I’m Henry Potter.  Harry Potter – the Boy-Who-Lived – is just a stupid symbol.”