New Beginnings

Chapter 20

Harry made it back into the main castle in time to run into Snape at the main staircase.

"Potter." He drawled. "Do tell why you decided to disobey the explicit orders of the deputy headmistress?"

He stared up at his father, not uttering a single letter and getting an eye roll in return. Glancing away quickly, Harry let himself be swept along by the dower man who looked at him when throwing snide glares. Harry didn't even know if Severus knew that he was Snape's son or if something bad had happened.

The pessimistic part of his brain entertained the notion that Severus had willingly given him to the Potters with Barty's support and even over a decade later, didn't think of him at all. That everything that had happened to Harry was something the pair supported, or just didn't care enough about him to do anything.

The more optimistic part liked the idea that Harry had been stolen from them. That they loved him and had been cursed or charmed to forget him entirely. 

Harry desperately hoped the latter was true, that he hadn't been abandoned and that he was loved.  That he had a family waiting for him. However when the dark lord and some of his closest followers were your godparents, there wasn't much hope left in him.

Snape freed his arm, sweeping away from him gracefully to join Minerva at the dias. 

Noticeably the houses were very segregated. None of them mixed and there were thick lines acting as aisles to make sure there wasn't accidental crossover. 

From their position on the floor - blankets and sleeping bags wrapped around them - the students stared at Harry. Embarrassment and shame washed through him, rationally he knew he'd done nothing wrong but he was so used to the judgement that came with being famous or being a freak, that automatic tears welled.

In that singled moment, Harry wanted to run to Snape and finally have a family again, wanted Luna who understood him and didn't treat him like a novelty.

Instead he ran to Draco.

------

Draco, Theo and Blaise had been loitering in the dungeon corridors, waiting for their next lesson but not going anywhere in particular. Nobody came down to the dungeons voluntarily unless it was a snake and all of them did the same any way.

Conversation had been dull, Theo ignoring them whilst practicing some random spell. Blaise was picking at his nails and muttering away in Italian angrily. And Draco sat on a statue pedestal calmly. The entire scene was normal for them.

News had spread about quidditch being cancelled by Umbridge's order which naturally came from Fudge, something that most students (house aside) was infuriated by. Nevertheless the boys hadn't been too aggravated as quidditch had just been something of a pass time and not something they massively obsessed over.

Except when Pansy came rushing down the hall, all three of them expected her to tell them some gossip about tantrums thrown in other houses. Not the pure panic adorning her features.

"Gryffindor house has been attacked!" She rushed out, fully prepared to continue down the corridor.

"So what do we do?" Blaise yelled after her, third year weighing heavily on their minds.