Harry sat with everyone at dinner. Susan, Hermione, and Neville were at the Slytherin table more than they were at their own nowadays. He kept his mind on the task he would be doing tonight and kept from glancing up at the Head Table out of sheer willpower.
Which apparently Ron did not share.
"For gods sake Weasley, could you look any more suspicious?" Blaise hissed after Ron shot yet another guilty glance towards the Professors.
"I'm nervous!" Ron hissed back.
"Why?" Nott drawled. "You've been down there before."
"Yeah, so I know what's down there!" Ron defended himself.
Harry interrupted their argument with a snort.
"Nobody's goin' with me this time, got it? 'M goin' alone and you guys are followin' the plan."
Susan and Draco both huffed and crossed their arms at the exact same time, which made Harry smirk in amusement.
"I don't like it," Susan muttered. "If you get hurt how will we know?"
"I won't," Harry said simply.
"What if they changed the potion bottles?" Draco fretted.
"They didn't."
"What if You-Know-Who really is down there?" Hermione whispered.
Harry shrugged and gave her a sharp smile, "Then 'm gonna kill him, ain't I?"
The rest of the kids stared at Harry wide eyed before Neville, oddly enough, smiled back.
"If anyone could do it, it'd b-be you," he said.
"Thanks Nev, fingers crossed, yeah?"
Susan glared at him before abruptly grinning.
"If you live I have something exciting to talk to you about after!" She said brightly.
"Don't say that!" Hermione scolded her, pale faced. "This is a really dangerous idea!"
"More dangerous than Voldemort comin' back and bein' able to live forever?" Harry asked her.
"I still think it's rather suspicious that Dumbledore said all that right where you could hear him," Blaise said. "I mean, you put up privacy charms to discuss homework sometimes but the Headmaster just talked about an invaluable Stone and the return of a vengeful dark lord right in the open?"
Susan nodded in agreement, "Thank you! It's like he wanted someone to hear him!"
Harry shrugged, Dumbledore's lack of secrecy wasn't really his problem, was it?
Nott, who had been rather quiet up until now, chimed in thoughtfully.
"I think he knew Harry was there, and he wants him to try and stop the Dark Lord."
And that... that made Harry pause. Because wasn't he just thinking a couple weeks ago that maybe Dumbledore kept a close eye on him just so he could use him to stop Voldemort again?
Susan apparently came to the same conclusion because she shot a dark look up to the Head Table.
"Theo's right, Harry. You already have the stone, there's no reason to go down there!"
Harry stared at her incredulously.
"No reason to go?" He asked softly. "Are you serious? The man killed my parents Susan, and tried to kill me, didn't he? 'M not gonna pass just cause it's a little scary to you guys. 'M goin' and that's that and anyone who wants to fight me about it should say so now cause 'm not wastin' time after dinner."
He glanced around at all the other kids who, aside from Susan, dropped their gazes to the table and shook their heads.
"Susan," he sighed. "C'mon, I don't wanna fight ya."
"I'm not going to fight you," she said, "Just take me with you instead, please?"
Harry stared at her for a few seconds, considering, before nodding.
"'Kay, meet me outside your common room at 9:30, alright?"
"I'll c-come too," Neville offered softly.
Harry just shook his head.
"No, you just wait in your common room, kay? Ron's gonna come tell ya if 'm not back by midnight."
Ron, who wasn't a big fan of Harry's plan, groaned.
"I still say if I get caught outside Gryffindor Tower at midnight I'm a dead man."
"Your brothers are Gryffindors right?" Hermione asked. "Just say that you were homesick and wanted to talk with them."
All the boys at the table looked at Hermione, shocked.
"What?" She asked defensively. "Just because I don't like breaking the rules doesn't mean I don't know how."
Harry grinned at the Ravenclaw girl and let himself laugh for a moment.
"Brill Mione, it's a good idea."
Hermione smiled back at him, although she seemed to be more nervous now that he praised her than she was before.
Weird.
***
"All set?" Harry asked his dorm mates later that evening. "Ya remember the plan?"
"It's a bad plan," Ron grumbled.
"It will be fine Weasley," Draco drawled. "Harry is going under the cloak, if he is not back by midnight then one of us is to go inform Professor Snape immediately," he recited dutifully.
"Then Ronald goes to let Neville know, and I go inform Granger," Blaise added.
"And Nott should go tell Susan too," Harry informed them with a small smirk.
Draco groaned aloud at that and pinched the bridge of his nose in a way that reminded Harry quite a bit of Professor Snape.
"You aren't taking her with you, are you?"
"Nope," he said cheerfully. "And if anyone wants to fight me bout it ya should do it now."
None of the boys said anything so Harry clapped his hands together.
"'Kay, ta then."
Harry pocketed the red rock he transfigured, pulled his invisibility cloak on, and made his way out to the dungeons.
***
"We're getting Professor Snape now, right?" Theo asked.
"We are a part of the gang," Blaise said carefully. "We cannot go against Harry's plan because as his allies we agreed to support him. So Draco, Ronald, and myself cannot go get Snape until at least midnight."
Ron stared hard at Theo until the other boy rolled his eyes.
"Fine," he sighed. "But if Potter tries to kill me for doing this then I expect one of you to have my back."
After Theo left the common room, Blaise chuckled and shared an amused look with the other two boys.
"He can expect what he wants," he drawled. "But I'm certainly not going to side against Potter."
Draco and Ron agreed. Harry was terrifying when he was angry.
***
Harry felt a little stab of guilt when he saw Susan waiting patiently outside her common room entrance.
But he couldn't risk her getting hurt. He also couldn't risk getting distracted watching over her and risking himself getting hurt.
Put her to sleep, he thought with his eyes squeezed shut.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Susan was slumped over on the ground, sound asleep. He didn't think he was imagining the look of betrayal on her face.
He continued up to the third floor hoping she would forgive him when she woke up.
***
Harry smirked when he opened the corridor door and saw that the giant dog was already asleep. There was a harp playing itself to the side of the room. Apparently the old Headmaster wasn't wrong in thinking someone was going to try and steal the stone tonight.
At least I don't have to sing, he thought happily as he opened the trapdoor.
He peered down into the hole but couldn't make anything out.
Here goes nothin'.
Harry gave a sharp tug on his magic and sent half a dozen floating Lumos lights down to clear the plant away before he jumped.
Which, in hindsight, was a bloody stupid idea because instead of landing on a soft plant Harry hit a stone floor.
"Fuck," he wheezed.
He sat on the floor where he landed, surrounded by his floating lights, and quickly checked himself over. Once he was satisfied that he was just generously bruised, he got up slowly and made his way to the next door.
Harry entered the room with the flying keys and immediately summoned on of the brooms. He kicked off in to the air and smiled for a moment.
Flying really was brilliant.
He carefully swerved around the different keys, eyes open for the large silver one they used last time. After a minute of carefully searching, he grinned when he saw it. The blue wings on the key were bent, as if someone had recently used it rather roughly.
Catching it this time was almost easy compared to the first time.
Harry kept the broom in his hand as he eyed the chess board in the next room. The white pieces were in front of the door, Harry certainly wouldn't be able to walk past them without being blocked.
But... could he just fly past them?
He let himself actually laugh out loud when he realized that, yes, he could just fly right over and past the white pieces.
Dumbledore was an idiot.
He shrunk the broom and stuck it in his robe pocket with his cloak, he'd need it to get back out later.
Harry pulled open the next door and almost decided to turn back immediately.
What the fuck.
He had nearly thrown up from the stench inside the troll room. He'd been around dead bodies before, and they never smelled great, but he had never been near a dead creature that had been left to rot in a room for over a month. He covered his nose and ran as quickly as he could through to the next room.
He took a few deep breaths of the clean air inside the potion room before he approached the table. He pocketed the purple potion that would get him back through to the trapdoor and checked his pockets one last time before he drank the other.
Wand? Useless but here.
Cloak? Check.
Broomstick? Got it.
Knife? Yep.
Red rock? Here.
Harry took a deep breath, swallowed down the potion, and stepped through the flames.
***
~~ POV SWAP~~
In another part of the castle, Severus Snape was dutifully grading the students' end of year exams.
He was pleased that his NEWT students had all seemed to have passed the written exam and considered sending congratulatory notes to them all.
He was jerked out of his grading by a frantic knock on his office door.
"Enter," he called, curiously wondering what student would need him at nearly ten o'clock at night.
"Mister Nott," he said evenly, spotting Theodore entering the room. "Your test scores will not be available until the morning of the end of term."
Nott shook his head, approaching his desk slowly.
"That's not why I'm here sir, I need to tell you something..."
Severus listened to what Theodore told him, hardly noticing that he had crushed his favorite quill in his hand.
"Go to your dorm immediately," he hissed. "Tell nobody what you have told me, do you understand?"
Theodore, smart boy that he is, looked terrified and quickly left.
Severus was going to kill Albus Dumbledore and possibly Harry Potter and definitely Quirinus Quirrell.
What the fuck is wrong with these people? he thought irritably as he fled to the third floor. The whole damn castle has lost the plot.
***
~~POV RETURN~~
"You!" Harry gasped. "But- I thought it would be Voldemort?"
Quirrell smiled at Harry and his eyes flashed a dark red.
"I assume this was your doing?" he asked calmly, gesturing to the broken glass that covered the floor.
Harry shrugged and gave the man a small and sharp grin, "No sir, I have no idea how that happened."
Quirrell stared hard in to Harry's eyes, until he began to feel uncomfortable, then scowled.
"You lie," he said coolly. "Give me the stone Potter."
"Nope," Harry popped the 'p' in an effort to annoy the man. It usually worked on Professor Snape.
Quirrell's left eye twitched before he snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves around Harry tightly.
"Do you have the stone or not?" He asked, stepping closer to Harry.
"That's not now this works, is it? Ya gotta answer my questions if ya want me to answer yours."
"I AM NOT PLAYING GAMES WITH YOU BOY!"
"'M not playin' games either," Harry said simply, letting his magic dissolve the ropes around him. "And don't call me boy."
He tried to send his own ropes around Quirrell but the Professor quickly dispelled them.
"You're very interesting, Harry Potter," he murmured softly, giving Harry a thoughtful look. "Do you have the stone?"
"D'ya know where Voldemort is?" Harry asked back, quickly dodging out of the way of a red curse Quirrell sent towards him.
"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. "I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it... Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the Stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me... decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me..."
Harry eyed Quirrell with interest. This wasn't how he pictured his night going but he could roll with it.
"How'd ya like to change sides?" he asked.
Quirrell laughed, "I would never follow that fool Albus."
Harry shot a bolt of lightning at him, that Quirrell easily dissolved.
"Didn't say Dumbledore, did I? You're pretty smart, sly too if ya managed to trick him, right? We could be a team," he offered.
Quirrell paused and Harry thought he looked almost interested for a moment before he scoffed and sent another curse towards him.
"I already serve a Master, I have no need for another."
A high voice, that seemed to come from Quirrell himself, spoke suddenly; "Let me speak with him... face-to-face."
"Master, are you sure you're strong enough?" Quirrell asked hesitantly.
"I am strong enough for this."
Harry watched as Quirrell unwrapped the turban on his head.
"What the fuck?" He whispered.
The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.
Harry might have screamed in surprise, but he couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.
"Harry Potter..." it whispered.
"See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor... I have form only when I can share another's body... but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds... once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own... Now, why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"
So he knew. He stepped backwards and held out the fake rock.
"Oh, this?" He taunted the face. "What'll ya give me for it?"
"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better to save your own life and join me..."
Harry tilted his head and thought about it.
"Would we be partners?"
The face huffed out a high pitched noise that Harry thought may have been a laugh.
"Lord Voldemort has no equal, boy."
Harry shot a cutting curse off towards the face.
"My names Harry," he said lightly.
"SEIZE HIM!" the voice roared.
Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Harry's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled out, struggling with all his might, and to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him. The pain in his head lessened — he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers — they were blistering before his eyes.
"Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet, landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck — Harry's scar was almost blinding him with pain, yet he could see Quirrell howling in agony.
"Don't- fuckin- touch- me" Harry gasped as loudly as he could.
"Master, I cannot hold him — my hands — my hands!"
And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms — Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.
"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.
"Fuck off," Harry snarled.
Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face, planning to swipe at him with his knife —
"AAAARGH!"
Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, and then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn't touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain — he wondered if someone could actually die from blisters?
He hoped he'd get to find out.
Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off — the pain in Harry's head was building — he couldn't see — he could only hear Quirrell's annoying shrieks and Voldemort's yells of, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" and other voices, maybe in Harry's own head, crying, "Potter! Harry!"
He felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from his grasp and fell into blackness, down... down... down...
***
Something gold was right in front of him. He tried to bat it out of his face but his arms were too heavy.
"Potter, wake up now brat," a familiar voice murmured.
Harry blinked and then blinked again, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
"Here."
Someone handed Harry his glasses and as he adjusted to the faces in front of him he flinched backwards in surprise.
"P-Professor D-Dumbledore..." he shot an uneasy look at Professor Snape who was seated in a chair beside him. "What's goin on?"
Harry swallowed and looked around him. He realized he must be in the hospital wing. He was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to him was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.
"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows."
Snape snorted, obviously unimpressed.
"I don't... I don't understand," Harry said quietly. "How'd I get here? Where's Quirrell?"
"You're a little behind on times my dear boy," Dumbledore smiled gently at him.
Harry tried not to bristle at the placating way he called him 'my dear boy'.
Pathetic orphan, a voice that sounded a bit like Snape reminded him in his head.
"You have been in the Hospital Wing for three days," Snape told him.
"B-but... where's Quirrell?"
Dumbledore sighed but smiled at Harry with his blue eyes twinkling.
"I see you will not be distracted from your question. Very well. Professor Snape managed to make his way in to the chamber not far behind you. He prevented Quirinus from taking the stone. Although, you had done very well before his arrival."
Harry noticed that he still didn't answer where Quirrell was. So he was probably dead then.
He nodded at Harry with approval.
"So, where's the stone now?" Harry asked carefully, staring down at his blanket.
"It has been destroyed," Dumbledore said solemnly. "I destroyed it as soon as I arrived, which admittedly was not nearly soon enough. Severus was nearly too late as well, if he had not been as quick as he was you likely would have died."
Harry kept his face as blank and impassive as he could.
"But Voldemort's not gone, is he?"
He peeked up at Dumbledore and saw he was still smiling down at him.
"No, Harry. I believe he will find another way of returning. Nevertheless, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time — and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."
So he does want you to be a Voldemort shield...
Harry nodded, but stopped quickly, because it made his head hurt.
"I am surprised though, that he did not attempt to sway you to his side." Dumbledore fixed Harry with a stare that made him stare back down at his lap. "He has always sought out those with power. Which," he chuckled lightly, "we must admit that you appear to have."
Harry scoffed mentally, 'appear to have,' what a thing to say when he probably just killed a man with his bare hands.
Harry shrugged and glanced towards Snape, who was staring at him just as intently as Dumbledore.
"He tried but I told him I didn't wanna be his follower," Harry said.
It wasn't a lie. He didn't want to be a follower. Equals? Maybe. Having a 'Master', as Quirrell had called him? Never.
Dumbledore beamed at Harry and patted his knee cheerfully.
"Those of us with kindness in our hearts and light in our minds will never understand the depravity of those like Voldemort."
He's not even a little subtle is he?
Harry leaned back on his pillow and feigned a small yawn.
"Yes sir," he said agreeably.
"Very well, I shall leave Professor Snape to lecture you on the importance of staying out of forbidden corridors and then you can get some more rest." Dumbledore winked at Harry then left the hospital wing, humming an odd little tune as he went.
"You are an absolute moron, Potter," Snape said coolly the moment the hospital door closed. "I cannot imagine what sort of arrogance was fueling your fantasy of facing, and killing, the Dark Lord alone."
Harry looked at Snape and curled one side of his mouth up in a parody of a smile. Even if it was probably a little too sharp to be considered friendly.
"Quirrell's dead, ain't he? That's why Dumbledore wouldn't tell me where he is?"
"He is," Snape replied simply.
Harry gave a more genuine smile to the Professor. "Guess I wasn't so arrogant then, huh?"
Snape rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You almost died you moronic child."
"Oh yeah, thanks for savin' me. Guess I owe ya now?"
He didn't really want to be in anyone's debt but Snape probably wouldn't want anything horrible from him.
Probably.
"No, you do not. We are even."
Harry glanced over at him, surprised.
"I never saved your life?"
The Professor snorted, which Harry never fails to find amusing coming from such a stoic man.
"Your father once did. I owed him a life debt that I was unable to repay. So now-" he gestured between himself and Harry, "-we are even."
"Huh." Harry thought about it and all he knew about Wixen culture and figured it made sense that life debts could be generational. "'Kay then."
"I suggest you rest Potter, your friends have been irritating me hourly for updates. I am sure they will be along shortly to shower you in praise for being an absolute imbecile."
Harry grinned and leaned back against his pillow.
"Can I ask ya one question first?"
Snape smirked at him and inclined his head slightly. "The usual terms?"
Harry nodded. "When I touched Quirrell, it made 'em burn. But I wasn't usin' my magic to do it, was I? How'd it happen? Do ya know?"
Snape studied his steepled fingers while he thought through his answer. Harry was nearly about to give up on receiving a response when he finally spoke up.
"The only response I have for you is Albus' theory. He believes that when your mother died, she was not simply murdered. She sacrificed herself. She stepped in front of a killing curse to save your life. It is a rare type of sacrificial magic, that she must have planned for in advance, that allows you to carry that sacrifice in your very blood. As long as Lily's sacrifice is in your blood, and no others, then the man she defied at the end is unable to touch you."
Harry stared at Snape until he lifted his dark eyes. "D'ya believe that?"
"I do," he said. "Your mother was a genius. She knew that your family was being targeted. I do not doubt that she spent as much time as possible researching ways to keep her chaotic demon of a child alive."
Harry nodded, ignoring the insult, and slumped back again. "Why'd he wanna kill my family anyway?"
Harry saw Snape roll his shoulders once, in agitation or nerves?
"I believe our deal was for a single question each."
Harry narrowed his eyes but nodded. He was right. Maybe Draco would have an answer for him soon.
"'Kay, go ahead then."
Snape, who previously looked almost nervous, got a sharp look in his eyes as he leant close to Harry.
"Where is the true stone?" he whispered.
Snape's bloody brilliant, Harry thought with no small amount of admiration.
"Destroyed, ain't it? That's what Dumbledore said," Harry said innocently.
Snape huffed and continued staring at him.
"Here is what I believe happened," he said slowly. "I believe you took off to attempt to avenge your parents deaths based on a conversation that was staged for your benefit. I believe you brought a false stone with you. I also believe if the Dark Lord had offered you a partnership instead of a place as a follower, you would have joined. I also believe that the true stone is hidden somewhere in your possession. Are any of these beliefs incorrect?"
Harry positively beamed. It was nice to be understood by someone.
"Sir, I don't got any idea what ya mean," he said innocently. "I figured the conversation was too loud to be private, 'm not stupid, ya know? But as far as anyone knows, I told Voldemort no, and Dumbledore said he destroyed the stone himself."
"You are a hurricane of chaos, Potter," Snape groaned. "I should retire."
Harry laughed. "Ya ain't old enough yet, plus, who knows what'll happen next year?"
Snape, for some reason, just groaned louder at that.
***
"Harry!!"
Harry looked up from a photo book Dumbledore left him, filled with photos of his parents, and smiled when he saw Hermione rushing towards him.
"Mione, hey guys!"
The rest of his group circled his bed and he smiled at them all, pleased to see them in person.
"You absolute- complete- utter- bloody- moron!" Susan shrieked. "How could you?!"
Harry didn't pretend to misunderstand her so he just shrugged and offered her a small smile.
"Was easy, wasn't it? Just didn't want ya gettin' hurt."
Susan glared at him and Harry felt himself shrinking back against his pillows. Maybe he wouldn't get his friend back after all?
Susan leaned right up in his face, ignoring his desperate scramble backwards.
"If you ever do that again I will kill you," she swore quietly.
... Which actually made Harry laugh quite a bit.
"Ya can try but 'm startin' to think 'm hard to kill, ain't I?" He asked, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
Ron, Theo, and Blaise laughed but Harry thought Draco, Neville, and Hermione looked as unimpressed as Susan.
"W-we were really worried," Neville said softly.
"Professor Snape hasn't left your side since you came to the hospital," Draco told him. "We thought you might die."
Harry didn't miss the slight tremor in Draco's voice. He squirmed, uncomfortable with all of them staring at him and seeming so... worried?
"Well 'm not dead, so... ta." He wiggled his fingers for dramatic effect.
Ron snorted but Susan looked like she was a moment away from smacking him.
Which, best friend or not, would absolutely end badly for the witch.
"Everyone's talking about what happened," Blaise whispered, "but nobody knows for sure. Will you tell us?"
Harry met their eager eyes gave them a tentative smile.
"Alright, so listen..."
Harry told them about his trip down the trapdoor and his encounter with Quirrell and Voldemort, sparing no detail. The other kids were a brilliant audience, they gasped in all the right places and Harry even heard Mione whisper, "fuck," which made him laugh.
"You told the Dark Lord to fuck off?" Draco whispered, horrified.
"Yep."
"Dumbledore doesn't know about the real stone?" Ron said quietly.
"Nope."
"What are you going to do with it?" Nott asked.
Harry shrugged, he had an idea but he wouldn't be sharing it would he?
"Dunno yet."
"And you told Voldemort you'd only join him if you could be equals?" Blaise asked.
"Yep. But I was gonna kill 'em anyway, wasn't I? Still am. He killed my Mum and Dad."
Ron nodded approvingly, "Good strategy."
"I-I wanna join you," Neville said quietly, immediately drawing all eyes to him.
"Yeah? In the gang?" Harry asked. "Why now?"
Neville looked down at the ground and shrugged. "I wanna help k-kill V-Voldemort."
"Way to go Nev," Ron clapped him on the shoulder.
"Alright," Harry said easily. "Neville's in, don't forget the rules," he added harshly. "I don't owe any favors and ya don't tell any secrets." He glanced at Hermione and Nott and raised his brows, "Anyone else?"
They looked at each other briefly before scowling nearly identical scowls at Harry.
"I'll be your friend, but I'm not joining a gang," Hermione said prissily.
Nott shrugged, "And my father wants me to wait until I'm older to make any formal alliances. Although," he gave Harry a tentative smile, "you can call me Theo, since we're friends, if you want."
"'Kay, Theo it is, if ya change your mind just owl me at Blaises."
"You're going to Italy?!" Hermione shrieked. "That's amazing! I've always wanted to go!" She started rambling off questions about Wixen culture in other countries but Blaise cut her off with a laugh.
"We aren't going sightseeing," he drawled with a grin. "Harry and I will be spending as much time as humanly possible doing absolutely nothing."
Harry saw Draco was fidgeting, looking like he was bursting to speak.
"What's up Draco?" Harry asked in a light voice. "Somethin' wrong?"
"No," Draco said stubbornly, glaring at the floor.
Harry smirked in his direction, knowing that he was probably dying to tell Harry about wanting him to come over during the summer.
Dramatic prat, he thought fondly.
"When are you coming back from Blaise's?" Susan asked him.
Harry knew he'd be going to Draco's on his birthday, thanks to Professor Snape, but he shrugged. "Dunno, couple weeks I 'spose, why?"
"Because my Auntie Amelia said you could come over this summer, that's what I wanted to tell you."
Harry already knew it, and figured that's what she wanted to talk to him about, but was pleased that the offer was still open.
"Yeah? That'd be brill. Just let me know when."
Susan smiled and grabbed one of his hands, squeezing it tightly.
"I'm glad you didn't die," she said softly.
"Me too," Harry grinned at her.
"We're all glad you're alive," Ron assured him before glancing at his table. "Especially so you can share your candy with your friends." He waggled his brows at Harry, making him laugh.
Harry threw out candy boxes to the other kids- his friends- and laughed along with them as they tried out the different flavors of Bertie's Every Flavor Beans.