Brave New World

Chapter Five



Harry didn’t know exactly what awakened him exactly that Thursday morning the second week of school. One moment he was in a peaceful sleep and the next he found his eyes drifting open. The room was strangely silent for once, the absence of Ron’s snoring and occasional sleep talk was probably what disturbed his sleep. Despite the blurry view, he could tell it was nearing time to wake for his run. He must have forgotten to close his curtain because he could see the darkness gradually making way for daybreak.



Forgot to close his curtain…



“Shite,” he scrambled up from the blankets tangled around him looking for the book he had fallen asleep reading. “Where is it?” He patted down his bed furiously, feeling his breath catch when the lump beneath was finally discovered.



“Bloody hell.” He was pants at keeping secrets from his best friends and keeping this book from his friends was becoming more difficult by the day. It was different when he hadn’t read it but now he found himself entranced by the damned thing.



Maybe that was the trick, he could hear a voice that sounded like Ron’s say, to keep him preoccupied so that when danger struck he’d be unmindful.



After reading the first chapter on Etiquette, he moved on to Traditions and History then Rituals and Spells which he had just finished looking through last night. What he really appreciated were the references inside, so that when he was dragged to the library for homework by Hermione, he could sneak off to the stacks and quickly search out the book referenced and check it out from the library. Hermione and Ron were usually so focused on each other they never even realized what he was doing. Part of him was upset, and then the part that wasn’t ready for them to know what he was doing would tell the insulted one to be grateful they were distracted.



Monday morning after he read the chapter on Etiquette, he went down to breakfast without his friends. He wanted to observe the houses as the students came in to eat and see how much of the book was accurate and how much was simply a ‘Slytherin thing’. It had earned him several sideways glances from Hermione for uncharacteristic behavior but she remained silent for the time being.



The emergence of the Slytherin house was a mere ten minutes after he had sat down. Not just the 6th years like he might have believed but the entire house lead by the 7th year Prefects. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, it was quite a sight to behold. Each student filed in to wait behind their chair. He immediately noticed they were all neatly groomed, ties straight, sweaters buttoned, pants neatly pressed. It was something he thought solely related to Malfoy, had even joked about it with Ron, but it wasn’t just Malfoy. Even the 1st years were tidy and ready for class.



The sight made him fidget self-consciously, having never taken such care with his own appearance. After years of wearing Dudley’s slovenly rejects, he was used to just taking his clothes out and putting them on regardless to how they looked. It wasn’t just him, however, none of the 6th year Gryffindor boys made a big deal about their clothes. Except Neville, he realized with a frown. Quiet Neville that no one had really paid much attention to until last year during DA meetings or when he was blowing up his caldron during potions class.



After a brief nod by the male 7th year prefect, they were seated and he began reciting the same blessing Harry had read in the night before.



Thank you for the light of a new day begun



I now partake of the Divine and share with my kin



May it lead to health, strength and love



In these gifts we partake



As I will it



So mote it be



The food appeared moments after he was finished and the atmosphere around the table relaxed as everyone began eating and talking.



Gradually over the next hour, the other houses filed in beginning with Ravenclaws then Hufflepuffs and usually in groups. Most were neatly groomed as well but only a few paused before eating signaling perhaps they were performing the same blessing. When Luna arrived she gave him a quick smile before sitting. Her lips moved slowly enough for him to know she was reciting the same words as the Slytherins earlier but that she also knew he was watching. It had stopped surprising him how Luna just seemed to know what he was thinking. He just shrugged and accepted.



Gryffindors began rushing in halfway through the meal, some harried as though they had just awakened. Many were not as neatly groomed as they could be and very few looked as though they were saying any type of blessing. He did notice Neville had, quietly and discretely, before beginning to eat. It was such a pointed difference and he didn’t know how that made him feel exactly. Not that he was envious of Slytherin’s almost militant like behavior, though he found he could respect it. It just seemed like his house was missing out on something but he couldn’t understand what exactly. The fact that Neville felt he had to do so in secret didn’t sit well with Harry at all.



“Meow.”



Harry frowned at the throaty purr that interrupted his reminiscing. “When did Crookshanks,” he muttered grabbing his glasses from the nightstand so he could look for Hermione’s cat that occasionally made his way into their room. Usually to antagonize Ron.



Instead curled up at the foot of his bed, looking for all the world as though she belonged there was Blaise Zabini’s familiar. “Nefertiti?”



The cat made a sound that was accompanied by an expression that clearly said, ‘Well it’s about time you noticed I was sitting here. Peasant.’



“How on earth did you get in here from the dungeons?”



Nefertiti only rolled her eyes and padded forward on the blanket and into his lap. A soft meow and head butt to his fingers indicated she was ready for another rub.



“You’re quite demanding for a cat.” A small pink tongue swiped quickly across his thumb and he chuckled softly, looking around to be sure his talking hadn’t roused anyone. How would he explain Blaise familiar sitting on his bed waiting for him. Ron would be spouting Slytherin conspiracies before he was even fully awake. “Yes your majesty, I’m rubbing, I’m rubbing.”



Maybe all magical felines had the ability to sneak about undetected. He did want to know how she made it pass the fat lady without notice. “You had to have spent the entire night up here. Blaise is probably looking for you.”



Nefertiti’s presence reminded him of the small experiment he had decided to conduct this morning. He glanced over at the front of the dark stained oak armoire where he had hung his uniform the night before. Neville had done the same when no one was watching and Harry figured that’s how the house elves knew which uniforms to press for the next morning. The practice was the same in Slytherin, he just didn’t know if it were the same in Gryffindor. Sure enough the pants and shirt were clean and neatly pressed, sweater and tie clean and wrinkle free. Hermione would kill him if she thought he was giving the house elves extra work.



“So are you staying with me this morning or must you get back to Blaise?”



Nefertiti actually looked like she was considering his question before giving his hand another nuzzle and jumping off his bed. She paused looking solemnly up at him before meowing softly. “It was nice to see you again as well, your majesty. You’re welcome anytime.” He grinned as the elegant feline loped off, slipping through the door someone must have left open the night before.





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FSFSFS





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“Harry this is the fourth time you’ve gone ahead to breakfast without us.” Hermione and Ron arrived at breakfast twenty minutes after him this morning. Usually he made it back to the dorms after his run for a quick shower and caught his best friends in the common room so they could walk down together.



He was still earlier than the other houses, though the Slytherins had obviously been in the Great Hall for a while. When he walked in Blaise had caught his eye, his gaze still as powerful as Harry remembered from the train. He wondered what the other could possibly be thinking because his demeanor revealed nothing.



Harry stood in the door of trapped momentarily as Blaise lifted a brow and looked him over. The prolonged anticipation had something unrecognizable twisting nervously in his stomach. What had began as an experiment had mutated into something else entirely. Then Blaise’s lips curved into a slight approving smile, inclining his head briefly in acknowledgement before moving back to his breakfast.



Tracey and Daphne noticed him next, their reactions very similar to Blaise, though Tracey did give him a small wave of her fingers when no one was looking.



“Harry, are you even listening to me?”



“Breakfast without you,” he answered, blinking quickly to focus on what his annoyed best friend was saying. irritation crinkled her nose. She was definitely starting to wonder about what was going on with him.



“So?”



“Yeah, what’s with that? We usually head down together.” Ron dropped his things on the floor then reached across the table immediately filling his plate.



Harry watched as Ron loaded his plate full of sausage and eggs before adding several slices of bacon and toast. It amazed him how much his friend could eat when he wasn’t even trying. Harry was still suffering through the effects of near starvation from this summer, and he had Leo’s meal plan to consider so his plate had been considerably lighter with only a couple slices of bacon, two pieces of wheat toast, a poached egg, porridge and a small cup of ambrosia fruit salad. If he tried to eat as much as Ron, it would have him sicking up in the bathroom a while later. The milk had made keeping the small breakfast down a near thing.



None of his friends ever commented on his light meals because they had a pretty good idea why he ate this way at the beginning of the school term after first year when he’d made himself ill after overeating.



“Are you having trouble sleeping, then? Is that why you’re coming down early?” Hermione started on her own bowl of porridge after sprinkling a spoonful of berries and cream over it.



“Could at least wait for us in the common room though so at least we’d be able to walk down together.” Ron grumbled around a mouthful of bacon. He drank down half a goblet of pumpkin juice before speaking again. “Are you having night mares about, you-know-who?” Ron paused, anxious, looking around as if the madman in question would suddenly appear and curse Ron for even thinking about him.



“I’m fine.” And that was the truth. He had slept well; his grief for Sirius wasn’t clawing in his chest with a sharp agony that felt never-ending. All things considered, he truly was okay.



“You’ll tell Professor Dumbledore if you get any visions from Vol-Voldemort, won’t you?”



“There were no visions Hermione, there’s nothing to worry about.”



“But-“



“I’m fine.” He bit the words off harder this time. Merlin, it was only breakfast. Yes, last year was a nightmare but it was only the first week of school, nothing had happened and he wanted to enjoy feeling good while it lasted. There was nothing to tell.



That’s not entirely true, a soft voice whispered in his head that had nothing to do with his nemesis. He was keeping something from them but it had nothing to do with Voldemort.



“I’m glad it’s Thursday. The weekend begins soon and we’ll be able to catch up with our work.” Hermione smiled. He knew she was trying to keep the peace and he gave her one in return, ready to accept the peace offering. He didn’t like arguing with his friends, they had been through so much together already.



“We can’t study the entire weekend, ‘Mione. I’m sure by tomorrow McGonagall will be ready to hand out the schedule for Quidditch practice, so we can get some flying in on the pitch.” Ron seemed to realized what he’d said, “I’m sure now that Umbridge is gone your ban will be revoked Harry.”



To be honest, he hadn’t thought much about Quidditch, though he did want his broom back. It was a memento of Sirius after all. Whether or not he played Quidditch again wasn’t important, he had other things to focus on. He would miss the flying, which was his favorite part of the sport. Maybe he could convince McGonagall to give him his broom back if he promised not to fly while the teams were practicing.



“Since those educational decrees were revoked, I’m sure the same will be done for you Harry,” Hermione sympathized.



“That would be bad for Ginny, wouldn’t it? After she played seeker all last year and helped Gryffindor win the House Cup. I’m sure she doesn’t want to just give up her position.”



“Gin’s a great seeker, but come on Harry, she has nothing on you. We all know that.”



“Yeah, I guess,” he murmured. Youngest seeker in a century, another one of his titles he had come to dread. He thought of his three Slytherin traveling companions and wondered if they had made a wager on his return to Quidditch and how much it was worth. It brought a small grin to his face that Hermione instantly noticed.



“So if you’re sleeping well, why did you come down so early?”



The girl was like a terrier when after something. “It wasn’t a big deal really. I woke up early and decided to come down to eat rather than wake anyone.”



After Nefertiti left he went for his run, even extending it past the fifteen minutes to twenty. Then he had showered and dressed, feeling pretty good about his appearance when he looked in the mirror. His hair was still only what could be nicely termed a rat’s nest. A clean and well brushed rat’s nest yes, but his hair would always look like he had a terminal case of bed head no matter what he did to it.



Sitting at the Gryffindor table in his usual spot, he took a deep breath, clearing his thoughts and trying to center himself as the book suggested. Then he spoke the blessing he spent almost thirty minutes the night before memorizing.



Nothing happened. Nothing unusual anyway. First he wondered if he had done it improperly, seeing as magic was about two-thirds intent and one third action. The book hadn’t explained exactly what would happen, only to return after he had performed the blessing for more information. He was prepared to scoff and be happy to go back to sleeping in and heading down to breakfast late with his friends.



That is until his magic finally reacted.



Nothing dramatic, no wild sparks or bright colors. Just warmth unfolding in his stomach that spread gradually through his body. The sensation had him dragging in a quick surprised breath as his magic seemed to shimmer through his pores and the feeling slowly fade away. The effect was stunning nonetheless. He felt aware of his magic pulsating inside his body, connected to it in a way he never had before. Did everyone feel this way? He was both jealous and angry that no one had shown him this side of his magic before. It was a sensation he didn’t want to loose.



“You do look different this morning,” Hermione stared at him again, as if she did it long enough she would finally decipher the mystery. “Relaxed even. Did you comb your hair differently?”



“How can you tell,” Ron swallowed another mouthful of food in a way that made Harry grimace. That had to be painful. It was a wonder Ron didn’t choke. “He looks the same as he does every morning.”



“Maybe it’s just the good night’s sleep.”



“No, you did change your hair. It looks, neater, I guess. And your clothes, they’re different.”



“Hell Hermione let it go. So the bloke took a shower this morning. It’s not a big deal.” Ron’s frustration clear, as he glared down at his almost empty plate. It was a very familiar action, one harry recognized from fourth year just before the Tri-Wizard tournament. Jealousy. What on earth did Ron have to be jealous of now?



He wasn’t going to stick around and find out though. Let the two of them figure it out. He had fifteen minutes before Charms started and wanted to go to library to check out another book referenced from the Traditions sections in the book Tracey gave him about Ancient and Noble Houses. He remembered Sirius telling him about the House of Black and he wanted to know more.



“I forgot my Charms book for class this morning, so I’ll catch up with you guys later in class.”