CH 34

Harry was used to being nobody, to being alone within the crowd and invisible in plain sight. He could endure, but it might even be worth going to charms, Professor Flitwick had never held anything against him, just to try and reconnect with Hermione. He'd have to wait for Ron to come to his senses before the stubborn prat ever listened to a word he said.

That's if I ever want to speak to him again, Harry decided darkly

Harry wandered back down in to the common room in the hope of coming across one of the few who hadn't decided to avoid him. He could really use a nice normal conversation about something mindless. No emotionally charged topics and no sarcasm.

Lavender and Parvati were giggling by the fire. They shot him sympathetic glances, but he doubted he wanted to be involved in whatever they were gossiping about, so he slumped down and stared into the fire.

'There you are, Harry,' a hand came down on either of his shoulders. The Weasley twins. He regarded them warily.

'Don't need to look so concerned, we're not against you.' They pulled up two chairs of their own, each sitting on the chair their brother had brought.

'You believe me?' Harry inquired, more careful of being hopeful after Neville's reaction.

'If we couldn't get past the age line, how could an ickle fourth year?' They smiled together and shook their heads. 'That's not it at all.'

'Besides, even if you did then we'd only tip our hat to you for tricking the headmaster himself.'

'The problem we face is far more tricky. Fred and I, we're quite close to Angelina and Alicia, and we don't want to ruin that, so I'm afraid we'll have to be keeping our distance. Ginny too. Ron's already written home some garbled version of events and told her to stay away from you.'

'She didn't look too happy about it, though, did she, George?'

'Indeed not, Fred, she hexed our littlest brother good, but she said she really wants to join the quidditch team next year and you know Angelina will hold a grudge, Alicia too.'

'They haven't forgiven us for swapping on our double date with them yet,' Fred admitted, 'and that was almost a year ago.'

'No pranks, and no hard feelings.' They each patted him on the shoulder before leaving him by the fire.

It was beginning to seem that anyone in his house was either against him or afraid of Angelina. The quidditch captain seemed to have considerably more influence than Harry imagined. He could count the remaining members of his house that might risk speaking with him on one finger.

Hermione better believe me, or I might as well just move in with Salazar.

He went to charms early and slipped into the seat in the back corner of the class. Hermione always got to charms before anyone else so she could ask Professor Flitwick questions about the material she had skipped ahead to look at it.

'Mr Potter,' the tiny professor squeaked upon entering the classroom and seeing him. 'I was under the impression that you were excused from classes.'

'I'm excused from the ones I don't want to attend, sir,' Harry explained dutifully.

'Oh,' the professor's face brightened. 'Your mother always loved charms, it must run in the family. You're almost as early as she used to be. Do you have questions for me? Miss Granger normally comes early with questions.'

'I'm keeping up fine, professor,' Harry told him. 'I've actually gotten a little ahead.'

'The tiny charms teacher beamed widely. 'That's great news, you'll need the time to prepare for the tournament. Where have you managed to get up to?'

Flitiwick's smile and encouragement was the first really positive comment he'd had from anyone but Salazar's snarky painting in weeks and Harry couldn't help but go looking for another.

'I've finished all of it,' he admitted quietly.

'All of it,' the professor's jaw dropped, 'but it's October.'

'I did some reading over the summer,' Harry added half-heartedly.

'Quite a lot of reading by the sound of it,' the teacher corrected.

Flitwick retrieved the cap of an ink bottle from his desk and placed it on Harry's desk. 'Can you demonstrate your banishing charm, Mr Potter? It would certainly ease my worries about you being a champion.'

Harry flicked his wand without saying a word and the cap hissed across the classroom to ricochet off the far wall.

'Excellent,' the professor cried. 'Non-verbal as well. I wonder why you even came to class today, Mr Potter, you are well ahead of all your peers.'

Naturally Hermione chose that precise moment to enter the classroom.

'Miss Granger,' the head of Ravenclaw greeted her enthusiastically. 'Your friend has just been demonstrating his astonishing grasp of the banishing spell.'

'Professor,' Hermione greeted, caught a little off guard. 'I had a question about our essays.'

'It's a bit late now, Miss Granger. I'm collecting them at the start of class.'

'Oh.' Hermione looked quite crestfallen.

'Er, Professor Flitwick,' Harry started nervously. 'I haven't got my essay.'

'Don't worry, Mr Potter,' the tiny teacher beamed again, 'you clearly are in no need of the revision that writing that essay would provide and you've been excused from classes regardless, remember.'

'Thank you, professor,' Harry exhaled.

'You can perform the banishing charm?' Hermione whispered, nonplussed, as the other students filed in looking remarkably under eager.

'I've been doing my best to improve myself, especially now I have to compete in the tournament. I thought it might come in useful.'

'That's very wise of you,' Hermione nodded sagely. 'Is that where you've been disappearing off to then?'

'Yeah,' Harry confessed, eager to keep at least one of his close friends. 'I needed to practise somewhere.'

'How far have you got?' Hermione asked in hushed tones.

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