Chapter 10 The Discussion

Harry turned and looked the redheaded boy and thought about how to handle this. He could be a complete arse, or he could let it all slide. After a minute he decided to go with something in between. From what little he knew about the boy, he was very jealous of everyone, which was understandable being the youngest male of six. However, that didn't get him off for abandoning a friend. The messy-haired teen smiled and said, "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Very funny, ha, ha, ha, I'm not falling for that, Potter," Ron said snidely as he folded his arms in disbelief. This was just like something the twins would pull. Speaking of his lookalike brothers, he checked to see if they were laughing, which would be a sure indication they were behind Potter's lying. The twins were sidling away from them, and making their way to the other side of the room. He turned back to his ex-friend and smirked, the boy was alone now, and Ron felt that he would back down like he had so many times in the past. Harry had only ever stood up for others and never himself. This year and their second was proof of that.

"No really, who are you? Are you important?" our hero asked as honestly as he could, his eyes never leaving the redhead's, as if he were trying very hard to remember something. That penetrating stare was making the other boy squirm.

"How can you ask that? We've been mates for years," the youngest male Weasley asked as his face turned red as he stepped forward as well, not one to back down from an argument. Merlin knows he had enough practice at home. If this was a prank, he was going to smack Harry down for embarrassing him in front of almost all of Gryffindor.

Everyone in the common room was hanging on every word. Rumor had it that Potter was different, and that he was throwing defensive magic around like Merlin. They wanted to see how this turned out. Maybe they could take advantage of this opportunity to finally become friends with Harry, like many wanted to do in the past, but were always thwarted by his other friends. They never knew if they were being protective or possessive. Given what the boy had been through the last three years, it could go either way. However, if the Golden Trio was no more, then it might just be time to try again.

"Be that as it may, I'm all muddled in the head, didn't you know? I truly have no clue as to who you are," Harry said as he made wiggling motions with his fingers near his temple.

"You're just trying to get out of the tournament, ruddy coward," his 'best mate' stated, still squirming under that intense gaze.

"Do you always accuse your friends like that?" Harry's eyes narrowed as his glare increased.

"Yeah, when they're being glory seeking gits," Ron sneered again, this time taking a step back and looking at Harry in disgust.

"Ah, you must be Ron," he declared, dropping the charade. "I heard so much about you," he said as the smile fell from his face.

"What've you heard?" the ginger asked, worried that someone was feeding the other boy with bad gossip. That would never do, if Harry knew just how much he relied on him and Hermione, then the other boy could use it against him. He quickly peeked at Hermione, who was standing off to the side ready to jump in if this went further than words. 'No help there then.'

"Well, Hermione and the twins tell me that we were best mates right up until about a week ago," the amnesiac deadpanned not giving anything away.

"We were, until you put your name in the cup and didn't tell me," huffed Ron, still not believing that Harry was all 'muddled in the head'.

"That's right, she told me that you believed that," Harry nodded, disregarding the ignorance and taking a step forward, until he was right in the ginger's face, his eyes full of curiosity and a bit of anger. "Now, my question to you is, in all our years of friendship can you name one time that I used my fame to get anything? Take in mind that I don't have these memories, so you're going to need witnesses."

"You got on the Quidditch team in first year," was the triumphant answer as he took a few steps back.

"Who's your witness? And what's Quidditch?" Harry asked, looking around at all the people listening.

A tall stocky seventh year boy stepped forward and said, "Actually, Ron, McGonagall sort of forced it all on him. He didn't even know how to play. By the way, I'm Oliver Wood, I am the captain of the Quidditch team, you're the seeker," the older teen said to Harry, holding out his hand.

"I'm told my name is Harry Potter, and thanks for confirming that. Not that I know what a seeker is," the younger boy stated, shaking the young man's hand.

"I'll tell you all about the team and Quidditch, when you're done here," Oliver offered with a smile, like he would love to do so. Many people groaned, or chuckled, at that statement. Everyone knew Wood was a fanatic when it came to the game.

"I have a few other plans for the next few days, but I might take you up on that later, yeah?" Harry smiled at the overenthusiastic teen. He could see the guy really like the game.

"Great."

"Now, back to you," the messy-haired boy turned back to the embarrassed redhead. "Anything else?" he inquired, folding his arm in a 'I know you don't' way.

Ron rubbed his nose and thought real hard for about three minutes and then sighed in defeat. There was nothing he could use that he could prove. Anything he said would be the opposite of Harry being a glory hound. So he just shook his head and stepped back. There was a flash of guilt in his eyes, and he opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut, and shook his head again.

"Right, that's what I've been told so far. That I didn't like my fame, and would hide when people gossiped about me," he stated as he spread his piercing look around the room, making many bow their heads in shame, "and generally tried to stay out of the limelight. Right?" he asked his ex-mate, who mutedly nodded.

There were many that wanted to step forward, but the icy glare made them stop.

"Well let me tell all of you right now, this new me won't put up with your bullshit. If you want to talk about me, expect to do it to my face and we'll… discuss it. If you think I'm going to hide my head and play good boy, think again. Now, some of you might say I'm an arsehole, but I really, really don't care. Fred, George, Hermione, I need one of you to show me where my stuff is," he finished, looking at the twins and Hermione.

"Right you are, Harry, my lad," George said as he jumped up from the couch where he and Fred sat and watched. Fred got up too and they made their way to Harry. Hermione came as well, and the four of them went to the stairs.

Right when they would've gone out of sight, Harry turned and addressed the entire House, making the whispers stop immediately. "Oh and one more thing, those of you that thought we were friends in the past will have to… remake being friends with me now. I wasn't lying when I said I can't remember, so your telling me we're friends isn't going to cut it. Besides, there is a good chance that I might not stay here at Hogwarts. Who knows?" he shrugged at the gasps. "What I'm trying to say is that it's all a clean slate for me. I can only go on what I know now. However, negative people need not apply," he finished as he purposely looked at Ron, and then he whirled around and followed Fred.

"Harry, are you sure you should have done that? You might have burned some bridges," Hermione asked as they ascended the stairs.

"Or I might have opened some doors," he rebutted. "I mean, come on, I've lived in this castle for three years and I only have two friends my age. Just how big of an arsehole was I?" he threw his hands up as Fred made it to the door of the forth-years' room.

"You were just shy," she said, patting his arm and then following the twins, who were making a beeline to Harry's trunk, which was standing open and looked like it had been rummaged through.

"That's not right," Fred said as he looked inside. There were only clothes and books showing.

"What are we looking for?" Harry said, trying to hold his temper that people went through his things.

"Well, your Cloak for one," George said, picking out the clothes and laying them on the bed.

"Bring me my Invisibility Cloak," Harry demanded the air as he lifted his wand and held out his other hand to catch it.

"That's not how…" Hermione started only to stop and stare when the Cloak flew to his hand from Ron's trunk. "How…? What…?" she stuttered as she sat on the bed in complete shock. She was going to question him, but the look on his stony face said to leave it for now.

"Right," our hero stated. "Whose trunk is that?" he asked, pointing to where his family heirloom came from.

"That would be ickle Ronniekins," George snarled, very upset with his brother.

"Well, there went all chances of him being my friend again," the young wizard growled, not that it was much of an opportunity to begin with, but now...

"He might have been keeping it safe," Hermione hedged carefully, not wanting to believe that Ron would take something so valuable.

Harry nodded, conceding the point; he would have to ask the other boy. Later. When he cooled off. If he confronted the redhead now, well the coppers might get called.

George stomped over to his younger brother's trunk and looked through it, and pulled out the map and some of Harry's other trinkets. He looked under the bed and pulled out Harry's Firebolt. He exchanged looks with his twin and they nodded. There was going to be a family meeting soon, this could not go unpunished.

"Right, questions later," Harry said as George handed him his things. He then turned and put most of it back in his trunk and locked it with a thought. "Tell me what this is, and how it works." He opened the parchment and saw it was blank, so he sent a questioning eyebrow to the three around him.

So the twins and Hermione showed him the map, how to activate and deactivate it, and pointed out how to get out of the school. They made sure he knew how to get in the tunnels, and discussed the best ways to go. Harry was still thinking sci-fi, and wondered if he could set up some sort of magical radar that would work like the map. That way he'd have one wherever he went. That would be so wicked.

"Well, I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to make my escape," Harry sighed, after looking out the window and seeing nothing but stars.

"Why?" Fred asked.

"The bank is closed, isn't it?"

"Harry, Harry, Harry, you live in the world of magic, which has sentient creatures that are not welcome to, or just can't, roam about during daylight hours. Do you really thing beings as greedy as goblins would pass up on such a market?" George asked with a sad shake of his head.

"Really? They're open? Great, let's plan my escape," he said, leaning forward about to layout his idea.

"Harry, you can't," Hermione said with a shake of her head.

"Why?" the amnesiac asked confused.

"It's after curfew, you'll be expelled," she answered at his muddled look.

"Your point?" he asked with lifting of his eyebrow.

"Right, I forgot, you really don't want to be here," she said biting her lip. This was a big step away from her comfort zone. But in her thinking earlier, she realized that she really didn't want to throw away three years of friendship simply because Harry gained a mind of his own. It was after all something she had been nagging him to do for years.

"Are you going to tell the teachers?" he asked, wondering what she was going to do.

"No. But, I won't lie, not for you or anyone," she said defiantly, remembering the horrible feeling the one time she lied to the teachers, but she couldn't put that at Harry's, or Ron's, feet since they didn't ask her to. That and she was so horrible at it, that she was surprised that they believed her.

"That's fine, I wouldn't ask you to," he said with a shrug. He would never ask a friend to break their morals. That's not what friends did, as long as she held her tongue then it was fine.

"Oh, right, well then, I'd better go, so I don't know your plan," she said hastily as she got up and headed for the door.

"Goodnight," the male voices said as one, making their owners chuckle. Then the boys planned.

Meanwhile in the headmaster's office, Dumbledore's POV

McGonagall, Snape and Sprout were sitting in the headmaster's office going over what they learned from the shopkeepers near the Leaky Cauldron. Albus had given them a list of who to talk to, so it was much easier then investigating the entire neighborhood.

"There really isn't much to report," Pomona said as she handed the written version of the questions she asked and who she had asked them to. The answers were on separate parchments. "The man at the coin shop said he exchanged some Sickles and Knuts for poor Mr. Potter, so he could get some food and shoes. He seemed right pleased that the lad was back at school."

"The man at Regale's Appliances said he chased Harry out of the store many times for loitering," Minerva reported, also handing in her written version.

"The lady at the library confirms that he was there many times reading fiction and fantasy novels, and comic books," Snape sneered as he all but threw his report on to the desk. He knew even without his memory that the brat was too stupid to research.

"Very well, thank you all for doing this much," the Headmaster said politely as he shuffled the parchments into order. "I am sure that Bartemius will accept these. If not then he can do his own 'legwork', I believe is the word."

"Yes, well, I have classes to prepare for tomorrow," Snape said, standing and shaking out his robe. He then turned and left the room without looking back.

"I do as well," Sprout said as she too moved to leave, though she did stop at the door to say goodnight.

"Thank you again for your reports," Dumbledore said as they left, and then he looked at his transfiguration teacher, who remained in her seat, glaring at him.

"Did you speak to Severus and the Bloody Baron?" she asked primly, looking over her glasses, much like Albus liked to do.

"Yes, Damien says that he saw a young man in Gryffindor robes that night, but did not report it because…" the old man explained, giving her a rundown on what their stories were for the night in question.

"Do you believe them?" was her next question when he had finished.

"I am not sure, to be honest. If this had happened any other year, I would have stood by both of them unequivocally. Now, with Harry's name entered the tournament, his running away and his story to you…" he trailed off, lost in thoughts of conspiracies.

"I will keep my eye on Severus," she stated firmly. "I suggest you do the same for the Baron." She then nodded her head and stood from her seat indicating the meeting was over and left.

Dumbledore sighed, popped a lemon drop in his mouth and wondered when he had lost control of his school.