The Raven

Think Like A Slytherin, Test Them

Harry sat on his bed in the Gryffindor dorms with the curtains closed tightly around him. He cast a privacy charm for good measure before taking out the red journal. His black raven pendant swung back and forth from where it hung on his neck as he bent over the book.

He picked up his self inking quill and held the tip just above the empty page, unsure of what he really wanted to ask the mystery writer.

After several minutes of hovering over the page, he clenched his jaw and wrote,

'I need to know who you are and why you are helping me?'

Harry was supposed to meet Draco and some of the other Slytherins the next day so they could plan out how he would defeat the hidebehind in the upcoming tournament.

Since the day Draco and Blaise took him into the forbidden forest, Harry had asked himself a thousand times why they of all people were helping him. He was confused and he needed answers before he went any further. The only person he could think to ask was the person who reached out to him immediately after his name came out of the cup. The mystery writer.

Harry waited, and waited. An hour went by without a response and Harry was close to falling asleep.

He flopped back onto his pillows and picked up the journal again, hoping to finally see a response written on the page.

He opened the leather cover and sat up straight when he saw the mystery writer had finally written back.

'You will know in time. You must be patient.'

Harry's excitement faded as he read the note. Once again, he had nothing. No answers. He stifled a frustrated groan as he once again felt the full weight of how alone he was.

He rubbed his eyes and picked up his quill.

'Can you tell me anything else? Anything at all?'

'Trust the Slytherins. They will protect you.'

Harry quickly scribbled back, 'Why? What reason do they have?'

There was a slight pause before more words began to appear, 'You are not ready to know everything. There are many things you need to learn on your own. You must discover the truth for yourself. Be patient and trust the Slytherins. Trust your instincts.'

Harry shook his head, 'Why should I trust them? They are the least trustworthy people in the whole school.'

'You already trust them,' the mystery writer wrote. 'And you are wrong. Slytherins protect one another, unlike Gryffindors.'

That one stung, and Harry closed the journal for a minute as he considered it. The more he thought about it, the more he realized the mystery writer was probably right. Never before had he seen the Slytherins bully one another. They were inseparable as far as he could tell.

He frowned as he wrote, 'But how do I know they aren't just trying to get me killed? How do I know you aren't trying to get me killed?'

'Actions speak louder than words.' The mystery writer replied. 'Trust your instincts. Only you can decide who to trust. If you are worried, test them.'

'Test them? How?'

'That is for you to decide. Think like a Slytherin.'

'That isn't easy when you are a Gryffindor.' Harry wrote with a sigh.

'I believe you will find it easier than most.'

Harry just shook his head and put the journal back under his pillow. He would just have to figure it out on his own.