A Chilling Revelation

"Mr. Potter?"

The boy looked up to see a rather downcast Gryffindor standing in front of the table he was working at, "Yes Ms. Granger?"

"I… just wanted to say congratulations… on being first and all."

"Oh, well I appreciate it thank you. I hear you were second, certainly nothing to scoff at considering our competition."

The compliment seemed to brighten the girl's face a bit, before they overheard some snickering from a sixth year Slytherin nearby. "Told you the Mudblood would come seeking a compliment, she is so pathetic…"

The girl fled seconds later, earning more than a few laughs from the other members of the 'House of Cunning'.

Slowly, deliberately, Harry rose from his seat before walking over to where the older boy sat.

"Something you want to say Pott…"

Any further conversation was halted, by the younger boy's hand wrapped around the larger student's throat. "I do not like the term 'Mudblood'. My mother was a Muggleborn and I find your use of that word offensive." the boy calmly explained, while the older thrashed about trying to free himself and breathe once more.

"I am going to make this as simple as possible, for you and everyone else in our House. If you use that word again I will cut off the oxygen to whatever brain cells you might have until your parents find it difficult to tell the difference between you and a rock. Do you understand?"

The choked reply was, apparently, not to the younger child's liking, who promptly tightened his grip, earning a whimper of pain.

"I said, do you understand ?"

This time the shaky nod was accepted, and the boy dropped to the ground.

"Good, consider this your first and only warning."

...

Ronald Weasley was furious. Grades had just been posted and he had ended up in the bottom five of the class. Clearly Granger wasn't helping as much as he thought she would be. The redhead figured that by giving up some of his precious free time to hang around with her she would take the hint and do his homework for him, let him cheat off of her tests, and generally just get him by at school. In return she would actually have a social standing in Gryffindor, besides being an annoying know-it-all.

Seemed as though he was wrong on both ideas. Not only had he continued nearly failing several of his classes, but Hermione had been getting picked on even more than previously. Perhaps it was time to let her know that their 'friendship' wasn't working and that she should seek companionship elsewhere. At least when they weren't in a class he could copy off of her during.

However, this train of thought raised another problem, Neville Longbottom. Sure the boy was another 'failure' at being a Gryffindor in every sense of the word. He was cowardly, weak, poor at magic, and lacked any family to fall back on. Still though he was a Pureblood, and had been sorted into their House, which mean he could have turned his luck around and joined the rest of the 'men'. If only he had enjoyed other masculine topics, like Quidditch. Rather the Longbottom heir was into 'feminine' activities like gardening. What kind of self-respectful boy liked gardening?

Of course both of these 'issues' were dwarfed by the largest problem that Ronald Weasley was raging about. Harry Bloody Potter. He was supposed to have been a Gryffindor like the Weasleys and his own parents. He was supposed to have been Ron's best friend, sharing adventures, fame, glory, girls, and gold. They were supposed to have ruled Hogwarts together.

Instead he went and got himself sorted into the snake pit, and then had done the ultimate betrayal by befriending a Malfoy. Who in their right mind would want to be friends with one of those greasy haired gits?

Ron continued to seethe, ignoring disappointed look from his Head of House and brothers who were well aware of his academic situation.

...

"Ah Harry my boy, thank you for meeting with us on such short notice."

"Of course sir, you asked to see me concerning the summer?"

"Yes, I wish to apologize to you Harry. I have not been able to check up on your living conditions outside of Hogwarts and I deeply regret that. How have the Dursleys been treating you?"

The boy cocked his head to the side, and Severus Snape felt an odd feeling of unease settle in his stomach, "Dursleys sir?"

"Yes my boy… the Dursleys. Your guardians?"

"Headmaster I have no idea who the 'Dursleys' are but I assure you that they are not my guardians."

"Then where do you live my boy?" Dumbledore's tone sounded almost… desperate. As if he was trying to convince himself that everything was fine regardless of the new facts.

"All Saint's Boy's Orphanage"

The room fell eerily silent as Dumbledore's expression paled. "I… I see. I am very sorry to hear that Harry, you were supposed to be in a loving home, to be taken care of…"

"Well I am taken care of I suppose. I have my own room and everything."

"Yes… yes of course. And you are treated well there?"

"As well as anywhere I suppose. I don't have experience living anywhere besides that and Hogwarts though."

"I see, my most sincere apologies Harry. I will try and remove you from that place as soon as I am able but… you were placed with your Muggle relatives due to the confusion of the war. We did not know who to trust with your life, and little has changed since then. Until we are sure of a place where you can be happy I am afraid I must ask you to…"

"Return to the orphanage? Quite alright Headmaster, I was planning on doing so anyway. If that is all? I need to continue packing for the trip back."

"Of course Harry, I will be in touch I promise."

After the Potter heir departed the old man sagged in his chair, looking as if he had aged another decade or two.

"An orphanage…" Snape whispered in horror several minutes later, both knowing full well the connection that the boy now shared with a former student.

"It does not mean he will follow that path Severus… others have been raised in such environments and turned out perfectly normal."

"Yes, but others were not Parselmouths. Others were not present when not only a student, but a professor were brutally killed. Others were not…"

"ENOUGH!"

Snape fell silent instantly, shocked by the rage in the elder Wizard's eyes. "I have told you several times already that we are not going to start this persecution of the boy without any evidence save for coincidence and your own hatreds. I have not seen any signs of darkness in the boy and neither have you except that which you force yourself to see. Let this hatred go Severus, otherwise it will consume you."

....

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