RAVENCLAW!

3. The Howler

The rest of the schoolday was not quite eventful. Harry spent lunchtime with Ron and his brothers, Fred and George, introduced him to Lee Jordan, the guy who was said to have a giant tarantula on the train.
Apparently they were the chaos-trio of the school. Pulling pranks day and night on everyone crossing their way.

After Harry's first History of Magic lesson the same afternoon he could totally see why.
One would think having a ghost-teacher is fun. Professor Binns looked like he'd never heard of the word 'fun' at all (let alone laughed).
Some pranks would be great in this class. Just to get rid of this boredom and fatigue. There was probably a good chance that the dead teacher wouldn't even notice.
When Harry left the classroom he was half asleep and if someone asked him about the topic of this class he'd have to make a guess. Luckily it had been their last one for this day. Though he was pretty exhausted after his first day of wizarding school, he found that it was far better than muggle school.
Especially without Dudley making sure that it was going to be terrible.

Yawning he made his way back and entered the Ravenclaw common room behind his classmates. Most of them stayed down there until dinner but Harry just grabbed an interesting looking book and then headed straight for the dorm.
He wanted to have some silence. Something very rare at the Dursleys, if not impossible.
Well, the first years boy's dorm was definitely not silent at the moment.

When he reached the door, he could hear a loud and strict man's voice resounding through the door.
Curious Harry walked in and froze as he saw a letter floating mid-air and raging at a completely shocked and helpless-looking Draco Malfoy.

"I trusted - I relied on you. How dare you sullying our name like that. I thought you were my son-"

"Lucius!"

A woman's voice interrupted the rage but it didn't last for more than a second and the cold, emotionless voice carried on.

"You're the heir of the Malfoy fortune and you always seemed to be eager for it. I'm deeply disappointed! You're lucky it's Ravenclaw. I wouldn't tolerate a Gryffindor in my house. And a weak Hufflepuff would be inherited in an instant. -"

"Lucius, this is our son you're talking about. Don't you dare say something like this again."

This time the silence lasted longer. Harry heard a sob ripping through the loaded air and his eyes wandered from the floating letter to Malfoy.
He looked small and desperate sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall next to his suitcase.
His hands had destroyed his slicked back hair and were now hiding his pointy face. As Harry made a few steps towards him he could hear him whisper something over and over again.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I'm so sorry."

"One last thing to say!"

Draco and Harry both jumped when the letter raised its voice again.

"I warn you to not step out of line again. You're lucky your mother convinced me not to punish you. I expect best grades from you and don't make friends with people from unworthy families."

Suddenly the letter just ripped itself and tiny pieces of expensive and official looking paper sank to the floor. Harry felt at least as shocked as Malfoy looked like. When he found his voice again, Harry cleared his throat and asked:

"Are you alright?"

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Draco looked up. All this time he hadn't realized that someone else was in the dorm.

"How long are you here?"

His eyes were full of panic.

"I think I heard almost everything."

And then:

"Let me help you. I know how..."

Draco's head burst.
Who did Potter think he was to eavesdrop to this conversation (If you could call a Howler a conversation...).
He had no right! This was private!

"Leave me alone. You don't know anything. Of course, perfect Potter had to be nosy. No, keep your mouth shut. I don't need your opinion. And don't follow me!"

With these words he ran downstairs and right through the door out of the common room. He ran and ran until he couldn't feel his feet anymore, hoping everything would fall behind like the stairs and doors and hallways he passed.
But he didn't stop moving until he reached a locked door.
His veins were still pumping in anger.
Anger against Potter was better than guilt or hurt.
Curious, he took a look around.
There weren't many locked doors in Hogwarts.
Suddenly it came to him.
This door lead into the forbidden corridor.

Forbidden, hah!

He was a Malfoy. Who was Dumbledore to tell him where to go and where not.
A stupid door couldn't keep him from going his way.
He searched his brain to the last corner but he didn't know any spells to enable him to open this door. In another wave of anger he just kicked against it with a loud 'thump'.

Nothing happened.

He kicked again. And again.
He punched it.
He threw himself against it, just to let this anger out.
He didn't decide to be a Ravenclaw!
Kick!
He didn't want to disappoint his family! Kick!
He wanted to be with his friends!
Kick!
His mother shouldn't need to stand up for him!
Punch!
He shouldn't like this Potter boy even though he was so nosy!
Kick!
And rejected him!
Punch!
And -

There was a deep growl on the other side of the door. Draco froze.
Then there were barks. Deep, loud barks. He took a step back and started to run again.
And again he hadn't got a destination. This time he just ran for his life. His feet carried him all the way down to the dungeons. He ran and ran until he heard a familiar voice.

"Draco, is that you?"

It was Severus.
Thank god. He was so relieved to see his godfather that he hugged him. He knew, Malfoy's shouldn't show their feelings like that but he couldn't help it. This time it was all just too much. The sorting, his fathers anger, Potter and on top of everything this monster or whatever this thing had been.
The potions professor returned his embrace and placed a caressing hand on his head. And Draco just blurted out everything while Severus listened patiently.