What the Devil Wants

After stopping by his dorm to pick up his cloak and some money Harry headed for Hogsmeade on his own. There were a few student groups already making their way down to the town after breakfast but Harry kept out of their way as he negotiated the courtyard full of wistful looking 1st and 2nd year students who were yet to experience the privilege of weekend freedom.

“Trouble in paradise Potty?” Harry had just made it out of the gates of the castle when a familiar blonde haired Slytherin and his group of hangers on came striding past him.

“Fuck off ferret features.” Harry growled as he tucked his cloak tighter about himself as Draco gave him the finger before jogging away in order to catch up with the rest of his group. Harry trailed Draco’s gang down into the town before the Slytherin’s disappeared into the pub for butterbeers. Harry weaved his way through the main street until he found the newly acquired shop. Harry shook the snow off his boots as he pushed open the door of the shop and stepped inside.

”Harry!” Fred waved at Harry over the heads of the crowd of students already sampling the new wares in the Weasley Twin’s joke shop. Pushing his way through the giggling, laughing crowd Harry made it over to where Fred was standing, a purple and green stripped apron the only sign that he differed from the customers.

“Where’s George?” Harry greeted Fred with a friendly hug as he negotiated the end of the counter.

“Out the back unpacking more stock.” Fred laughed as he gestured to the till, where another young wizard dressed in a purple and green apron was working. “Come on, Patrick will be okay on his own.” Grabbing Harry’s arm Fred dragged his friend through the back of the shop and into the stock room. Harry smiled widely as he stepped over some empty packing boxes and saw George sitting amongst the chaos of stock, carefully unwrapping their merchandise.

“Hey, Potter where’s our little brother?” George inquired as he stood up and pushed a large box full of Weasley’s Patented Fantasy Bubbles aside so that Harry could sit down on another crate. The room was in chaos but Harry knew that before long the twins would have the ceiling to floor high shelves in the room stocked and organized just like their first shop in Diagon Alley. Harry shrugged his shoulders and gratefully accepted the cup of hot chocolate Fred offered him.

“Studying with Hermione.” Harry grumbled and watched as both Fred and George exchanged a silent message before both twins burst out laughing. Harry couldn’t help himself and laughed too, knowing that it was at Ron’s expense that they gained their amusement.

“Our little brother studying? Perhaps Hermione’s got to him after all.” Sighing heavily Harry put aside his chocolate and quietly began helping Fred and George continue unpacking stock. Out in the shop they could still hear the shrill clank of the bell as customers came and went, the ringing of the till a sure sign they were pulling a profit. The three of them sat quietly discussing the coming and goings of the business and what each of them were doing, as they continued to sip hot chocolate and unpack stock. It was lunchtime before the rush outside in the shop died down, and Patrick the stranger Harry had seen behind the till poked his head into the back.

“I’m going to lunch guys.” Fred nodded his thanks as the young wizard hung up his apron on a hook by the door before disappearing. The trio who had until now been unpacking stock moved their conversation back out into the front of the shop. Harry had been toying with the idea of asking Fred and George about the late night movements of his best friends; there wasn’t much about Hogwart’s the Weasley twins’ didn’t know about. However Harry had to tread carefully not wanting to get Ron in trouble with his brothers and consequently Mrs. Weasley.

“Can I ask you something?” Harry queried as he held the ladder while Fred began to restock some of the now empty shelves around the store.

“Sure, Anything for a co-conspirator of Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes.” George chuckled from over at the till where he was assessing the mornings takings. Harry smiled coyly at the pair before continuing.

“Is there a club or something at Hogwart’s that requires students to sneak about at all times of the night?” Harry muttered watching carefully the exchange of looks between the two Weasley’s.

“It’s not a club Harry, it’s a conscious lifestyle choice as Fred and I are testament to.” Fred laughed as he reached down to grab another box of Weasley Hot Radish Bubblegum. Harry rolled his eyes as he crushed an empty box with his foot before sliding it across the floor for George to put in the bin.

“That’s not what I meant.” Harry sighed heavily not really seeing anyway of explaining his situation without being explicit. “Ron, Hermione, Dean and Seamus are all in this club or whatever. They disappear at odd times of the night and never come back to the dorm, it’s never the same night and sometimes they can go weeks without disappearing and then all of a sudden disappear every night for a week. I don’t know where they’re going and they haven’t invited me but you can’t say anything because I don’t want them getting in trouble.” Harry grumbled as he remembered how sharp Ron had been with him that morning at breakfast over a stupid book. Harry didn’t miss the knowing glance that Fred and George shared before both twins looked back at Harry awkwardly.

“It’s not a club Harry…” Fred paused and thought hard for a moment before continuing. “It’s more of an extra credit class.” Fred concluded as he glanced at his brother for a little support.

“Yeah, kind of like remission potions.” George offered by way of explanation. Harry frowned and leant against the ladder.

“Extra credit? So I’m too stupid to be offered extra credit? Well that explains the fact Neville’s not invited as well.” Harry growled as he folded his arms defensively across his chest. George and Fred shared another silent conversation over the boy’s head.

“It’s not about stupidity Harry, and its not really academic credit like that, it’s more skills and experience based.” George stepped out from behind the counter and handed Fred another box of their jokes to fill the shelves. Harry wasn’t happy in the least and knew the twins were being deliberately obtuse with their answers.

“Well how do I get in?” Harry mumbled angrily as he watched the twins share another sideways glance at each other.

“You don’t get in like that Harry, you have to be selected then offered a place. I wouldn’t worry about it too much Harry, you probably just don’t meet the selection criteria.” George shrugged his shoulders in sympathy as he moved back out into the stock room returning a moment later with a carton of new jokes to fill a space on the shelves.

“Okay so I don’t meet the selection criteria, the least you can do is tell me what it is they study or don’t you know either?” Harry accused pointedly his arms folded defensively across his chest.

“Oh we know what they study.” Fred muttered a strange simile quirking the sides of his lips like he had intimate knowledge of the ‘class’ he was describing. Harry was getting irritated and went to give Fred a mouthful but George cut him off with a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Listen Harry, Fred and I were selected at school to join and we know what you’re talking about but it’s a condition of the class that you don’t ever discuss it outside the allotted teaching times so we can’t tell you what it’s about. Just forget about it, it’s not important and unless they offer you a position you’re not going to find out what it’s all about.” Harry was more than disappointed as he stared into George’s concerned gaze. Before Harry could say anymore however the bell to the shop jangled and another familiar red head bounced into the shop.

“Fred, George it worked, the git was right she sucked …..” Ron trailed off almost instantly as his gaze fixed on Harry standing beside George. Misinterpreting Ron’s wide fearful gaze as shock, Harry huffed in contempt.

“What? Don’t look at me like I shouldn’t be here Ron, where else was I going to go on my own in Hogsmeade?” Harry snapped angrily as he pushed past George and grabbed his cloak from the back of the shop before striding out of the shop leaving three bewildered Weasley’s looking on after him. Harry was mad, and having stopped to buy an overly large supply of sweets from Honeydukes stormed off back to the castle.

***********************************

February the 14th another date Harry preferred didn’t exist as he sat watching the couples circle the dance floor staring lovingly into one another’s eyes. The Valentine’s Day dance wasn’t a specific wizarding occasion traditionally celebrated but for the sake of the muggle born Dumbledore had organized a dance. Harry had been planning to go with Ginny but when that relationship had fallen apart Harry had no other choice but to go stag. Everyone it seemed had a date in one shape or form, even Neville was doing a fine job of dancing with Luna Lovegood. Harry felt out of place and awkward as he stood up and wove his way through the couples to the buffet table to get another bowl of ice cream. Just like the Yuel ball back in fifth year no one had asked him to go as their date, and no one had made any effort to ask him to dance. Harry retreated to a spare chair beside the entrance to the staff room, and slumped down with his bowl of ice cream. The only other person standing alone in the entire hall was predictably Professor Snape. As a chaperone he stood stiffly by the exit looking as if he didn’t want to be here as much as Harry didn’t. As if sensing he was being watched Snape looked up and directly over to Harry who hastily look away. The last thing Harry needed was to draw attention to himself. Harry’s eyes sought out Hermione and Ron on the dance floor. The couple in question was locked in a tight embrace, swaying gently to the music, Hermione’s arms wrapped tightly around Ron’s neck and their noses practically touching as they gazed at one another. Harry sneered in disgust. After the incident with the Weasley’s in the joke shop his friends hadn’t been to their so called ‘extra credit class’ since and Harry had pushed it aside. Thinking about it only made him angry and more irritated that he somehow didn’t fit the unknown criteria.

“Desperate and dateless Potter?” Harry groaned inwardly as he looked up from his bowl of ice cream to see Draco hovering near the drinks table, one Pansy Parkinson practically draped over him like a throw rug. The young Slytherin girl was nibbling at Draco’s ear as the blonde sipped from his glass of punch. It was a sickening display and Harry shuddered as he watched Pansy’s hand slip beneath Draco’s robes.

“Get a room Malfoy.” Harry muttered as he discarded his half eaten bowl of ice cream and decided to call it a night. Striding his way through the center of the dance floor Harry made it to the exit quickly but before he could step through the doors and out into the quiet corridor a strong hand caught his arm.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Snape’s gaze narrowed suspiciously at Harry who stared up at him with an irritated frown.

“To the toilet.” Harry lied sharply as he pulled his arm free of Snape’s grasp.

“No one leaves the hall without a chaperone.” Snape put simply his characteristic glare falling easily into place as he folded his arms into the sleeves of his billowing robes.

“What are you suggesting?” Harry accused pointedly as he cocked his head to the side in query. “That I’ve got some girl waiting for me in the toilet?” Snape didn’t answer the rhetorical question but his darkening gaze told Harry he was pushing his luck. “What gave it away? The fact I turned up without a date or maybe the fact that no one’s asked me to dance all night? Hmmm?” Harry wasn’t in the mood to watch his mouth and before he knew what was happening he was in over his head. “But I suppose if you don’t trust me you better come hold my hand while I take a piss.” Harry wasn’t prepared as Snape grabbed his collar and dragged him out of the hall and into foyer.

“Fifty points for disrespect Mr. Potter, and a further ten for use of foul language.” Harry straightened his collar as Snape let go and pushed him firmly towards the stairs leading up from the foyer. “And as punishment for disobeying a direct rule regarding this fiasco called a ‘dance’ you will spend tomorrow evening with me in detention!” Harry sighed heavily as he nodded obediently, his angry gaze betraying his passive submission. Snape growled as he spun and headed back into the hall, briefly pausing to glance over his shoulder at Harry. “I suggest you return to your dorm Mr. Potter, your evening is finished.” With a sharp snap the doors to the great hall closed, effectively cutting off the couples that were trying to escape for some privacy. In the silence of the castle Harry headed back to his dorm and having taken a long bath crawled into bed, with a book and his bag of sweets.

It was passed curfew and way passed midnight when Harry heard the familiar scurry of feet on the dorm floor, followed by the creak of the dorm door opening and closing. Harry sighed heavily and stuck his head out of his curtains. Sure enough Ron, Seamus and Dean’s beds were empty. The trio had returned to the dorm after the dance but had once again disappeared.

“Neville?” Harry questioned as he stared at the closed curtains of Neville’s bed. There was no response and Harry growled at the boy’s ability to sleep through anything. “Neville!” Harry growled trying not to sound too loud. Again there was no reply and with a sigh Harry threw back his covers and trudged over to the plump boy’s bed. “Neville?” Harry muttered as he pulled aside the curtains gingerly and glanced in to see if the boy was still asleep or just deliberately ignoring him. What Harry saw however shocked him. Just like his best friends bed, Neville’s had been abandoned in a hurry the sheets still warm where the boy had been lying only moments before. Harry stood back in shock and glanced towards the door where his friends had left through a few minutes ago.

“Fuck this.” Harry growled now realizing that they’d accepted Neville into their ‘extra credit class’. Angry Harry lunged for Neville’s pillow determined to tear it to shreds. When he lifted the pillow however a small folded piece of parchment hidden beneath it caught his attention. Tossing the pillow carelessly to the floor Harry snatched up the parchment and flicked it open so he could read it.

‘2.30 Class 101’ The instant Harry read the scrawling handwritten note it burst into flames. Hissing in pain Harry dropped the note onto Neville’s bed watching as the flames scorched a large hole in the boy’s sheet and blanket. Harry smiled in satisfaction of having burnt a hole in Neville’s things before he turned his focus on what he’d read on the note. 2.30, was obviously a time and Harry glanced at the clock on Seamus bedside table. It was just gone 2.30am. Class 101, was a puzzle. As far as Harry knew there was no classroom 101 nor was there an actual subject called 101. Confused and angry Harry padded back to bed and turned his back on the room before spelling his curtains closed with an irritated flurry. If Neville Longbottom could make the cut for extra credit, Harry didn’t want to even know what sort of stupid class it was anyway….

******************************


TBC>>>>>>>>