"Harry, you're quite popular with the bullies," Padma said quietly.
Harry smiled and spoke in an equally quiet voice. "That's because I hate people who think they are all talk and no bark. Neville thinks because he's famous he can do anything. I'd hate to be the Boy-Who-Lived. It's too troublesome."
"You're not jealous of his title, are you Harry?" Susan inquired with a smirk.
You have no idea what I went through when I was The Boy Who Lived, Harry thought. "Yeah, right. Like I'd want that target on my back."
Hermione and Padma giggled as Harry struck an aristocratic pose with his nose in the air. After a few seconds, Harry's composure cracked and he smiled as well.
Hermione said, "Susan, Harry's not jealous of his title, he's just doesn't like Neville period. Don't you hate the way he acts when he keeps saying I'm The Boy Who Live this, I'm The Boy Who Live that. It's annoying. Not to mention the way he tries to push people around. Neville has tried to do that to Harry since the first day. You should have seen what he did to him in Gryffindor the first week. I don't think Longbottom has gotten over the idea that someone doesn't' like him or at least wants to be around him."
"You know, if Harry was the Boy-Who-Lived, it wouldn't be so bad. Harry for some reason fits perfectly for what everyone thinks that person should be. He's everything you would think of the guy. Smart, confident, kind, cool, handsome, popular, kind of like a prince," Padma said while reading a book she pulled out.
"Padma, you trying to ask me for a date like Hermione?" Harry said in a Neville-like voice and pose again. Padma grinned a little bit and pinched his cheeks causing him to wince in pain.
"Ask me that again when we're older and you just may get a different answer, Mr. Potter."
...
A half hour after Longbottom's entrance, the doors opened again. It was time for another ruffian and his goons. Only, this time the ruffian in question wasn't quite so obtuse in his dealings with people.
"Mr. Potter," Malfoy greeted, scanning the room. "I see this is where you're keeping yourself, Blaise."
Blaise looked at him and said nothing, her gaze conveying all that he needed to know. She had aligned herself to someone powerful enough to provide some protection, even in Slytherin. Looks like the rumors about Eldrad might be true after all.
"Mr. Malfoy," Harry greeted back, waiting for him to say anything else. As usual, the two flanking goons grunted in some weird language only they understood. Harry restrained from picking up a Chocolate Frog and waving it back and forth in front of them to see if their eyes followed it like a pendulum.
Harry could tell that he had something on his mind but was having trouble formulating the question, so decided to help out. "Pleasant weather don't you say?" Harry asked.
Malfoy was about to sneer but he stopped himself. "Yes, pleasant weather," Malfoy replied in a clear voice.
There was another moment of awkward silence. Padma and Hermione were both looking above their books watching both Harry and Malfoy. They knew of Malfoy all right. He was a right pain when he wanted to be.
Blaise continued to watch Draco, Vincent, and Gregory with a shrewd glance and tight, pensive lips. What did they want?
Harry was patient; he was going to let Malfoy talk.
"Do you need something, Malfoy?" Susan finally asked. Pureblooded or not, if you weren't kowtowing to the Slytherin, he really didn't want anything to do with you. And even if you were, he treated people poorly. Or so she'd heard.
Malfoy ignored her and looked at Harry and spoke. "Why aren't you in Slytherin?" Malfoy asked getting to the point.
Harry looked up at him surprise, but recovered it just as quickly. Of all the things Malfoy could do, he asked Harry a simple question.
"I do spend time in Slytherin," Harry pointed out.
"No, you're an apprentice. That means all houses. But why aren't you in Slytherin only? Why do you spend the rest of your time with the other houses?"
"Why do you ask?" Harry asked.
"Every time we see the Bloody Baron, he goes on an on about how we should respect you and at the same time by wary of the shadow that walks - whatever that means. Why? What have you done that's impressed the Bloody Baron of all people?" Malfoy said.
That was a surprise. The Baron telling everyone in Slytherin that he was a true Slytherin and to show him respect? Thinking quick, Harry replied, "Not really sure, Draco. Keep in mind, Slytherin isn't the house of the bigoted brainless morons. It's the house of the ambitious."
Malfoy smirked. "And you're ambitious?"
Harry smirked back, "More than you know."
"Then I reiterate: why aren't you in Slytherin full time?"
"Maybe because I'm not prejudiced like many other people; or maybe because I treat all people with respect. That is, unless you're Neville Longbottom, then we've got problems."
Draco knew what he was talking about. Malfoy and Longbottom would never be friends.
"Very well, till we meet again," Malfoy said closing the door.
Seconds after the door was closed, Pam rounded on Harry. "Harry… why does the Bloody Baron act that way?"
Hermione and Padma were looking just as curious.
Harry shrugged. He was going to have a talk with the Bloody Baron when he returned to Hogwarts. Harry was just as curious. More on how he knew of his heritage vs. why he hadn't said anything.
Or had he said anything to the professors? He really needed to talk to that Bloody ghost.
"Truthfully… I don't know." Harry said not sure. What was the Bloody Baron up to?
....
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