Sir Harry J Potter GCOM

### 8TH YEAR TOWER ###

Whilst the two were playing, Harry collected all the medallions as he had been asked. He returned them to Minerva and, at the end of the Chess match, persuaded Draco that he needed to go to bed.

Draco was subdued as they climbed the stairs to the top. He went straight into their room. Harry decided to give his room-mate a little time to himself, partly prompted by Harry’s curiosity about the top floor. He climbed another spiral and a quarter and pushed open a narrow door at the head of the stairs. It opened right back against the stairs-wall. It was a good thing too, because there were only a few feet before the slates sloped steeply downwards to form the roof over their rooms. Harry was glad there was a handrail behind him on the capping for the stairs. He turned round carefully and looked upwards. The capping formed a truncated cone on top of which was the multi-channel chimney which served the tower’s many fireplaces.

Harry now realised why the two top rooms were narrower than the ones down below. They were within the steeply sloping roof of the tower. He decided there were plusses and minuses. The big plus was that there were no castle walls between them and the stupendous view – the rooms further down were more obstructed. The big minus was having to share a bed with Malfoy – He consoled himself by remembering that he had shared with Ronald at the Burrow – and a much narrower bed to boot.

Harry had a good head for heights, but this was one of the tallest towers in Hogwarts and there was no barrier between him and a fall of about a hundred feet before hitting the sharp rocks on the side of the lake; so he still gripped the handrail. He then realised he was still wearing a medallion and took it off. Once he had let go of it, the inside of the surrounding framework that held the tower’s slates became visible all around him, only pierced by four owl sized apertures facing towards the points of the compass. He patted the frame and found it quite solid.

There was a fluttering and Hedwig [2nd] came in. After alighting on Harry’s shoulder and nibbling his ear to obtain treats she flapped a few feet on to one of the roosts sticking out from the cone.

“I think you’ll be warmer here in winter, Hedwig, why don’t you invite the other of my friends’ owls to roost here as well?”

She looked at him, seeming to understand, and then she squeezed through an owl hole. Within minutes an assortment of owls were appearing through all four apertures each one landing on Harry’s shoulder in turn and expecting a few owl treats. He was beginning to run out when Hermione appeared.

“Harry; don’t you feel afraid up here with no railings? What are you doing with all those owls?”

“Running out of owl treats for them. Have you got any, please?”

“Of course!” Hermione produced a large handful out of her beaded bag and handed them over. All the time she stuck close to the stair-wall and hung on to the handrail.

Harry realised what had happened: “Hermione, take off your medallion. This place looks much safer then.”

“Okay --- That’s better --- Is it solid or just an illusion?” Hermione gingerly pushed her hand against a beam, still hanging on to the rail with her other hand. She found the beam very solid and knocked on it. “Some illusion isn’t it?”

“George and Percy know how to do them, too. D’you see that niche just above the door, I think that’s where the vase is supposed to fit.” There was a clink as Harry put it down.

As they looked at the grey slate vase, it glowed golden and disappeared.

“Stand back Harry there’s someone coming in.” Hermione pointed at Harry’s feet.

Harry looked down and a pair of golden foot-marks appeared where he was standing, so he quickly stood away.

Pop: Kreacher appeared holding the facsimile vase.

“Hello Kreacher, has something happened at Grimmauld Place?”

“No, Harry. I was just testing the system for Minerva; bye.”

Pop: and he was gone. A few seconds later a clink marked the return of the original vase.

“Fancy trying it out, Hermione?”

“No! I fancy going to bed and so ought you – remember we have that staff breakfast early in the morning.”

“Spoilsport!”

Nevertheless Harry followed Hermione downstairs.

He gently pushed the bedroom door open, Draco was sitting up in bed reading a big tome.

“Sorry, did I keep you up, Malfoy?”

“Not really, I sometimes read before I go to sleep. By the time I’ve finished this chapter, you will have had your shower and cleaned your teeth, won’t you?”

“Yes Auntie Molly.”

“What?”

“You sounded just like Auntie Molly when she tells us to go to bed at the Burrow.”

“I hope I don’t look like her, Potter.”

“Well …” Harry teased: “Different coloured hair perhaps. Oh! And she sticks out here and here a little more than you do.” Harry indicated his chest area and hips; then he giggled. Next he had to duck as Draco threw a pillow at him.

“Go and get ready, Joker.” Draco grinned and reapplied himself to the book.

Harry replaced the pillow and started to undress; carefully placing his folded clothes on the bed-shelf.

Draco looked up and smiled: “That’s a relief; I like things neat and tidy too. I used to get thrashed if I didn’t fold-up my clothes.”

“Something else in common, then?” Harry remarked, as he dropped his boxers.

Draco’s eye-contact dipped to inspect Harry’s accomplishments. He then rolled down the sheet: “Much the same down there, too. Different coloration, but nothing for either to be jealous of the other.”

Harry inspected what Draco had on show and nodded in agreement. Without lingering, he turned and went to the bathroom.

When Harry returned Draco said: “One more sentence.”

Just as Harry climbed in beside Draco he snapped the book shut. “I see we have something else in common – sleeping au nature.”

“Um … yes; my pyjamas used to strangle me when I had nightmares.”

“Same here, I still have them sometimes.”

“Maybe that’s why we’ve been given a double.”

“Eh?”

“So one of us can comfort the other; Ron used to cuddle me when it was bad.”

“Right … Hmm … Greg hugged me too when I got the heebie-jeebies.”

“So that’s settled then. Goodnight, Malfoy.”

“So it is! Goodnight, Potter.”

Both of them were so tired that neither had any bad dreams that night.

### MORNING ###

Harry awoke to surreptitious movements next door: “Mumph?”

“Sorry if I woke you, Potter.”

“What time is it?”

“Nearly seven.”

“I’m glad you did. Now that I’m a tutor I have a working breakfast in the staff room. Why were you sneaking?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing – urgent loo call.”

“I’m much the same – ‘stiff with impending water’ Neville calls it.”

“Nicely put. I was going to climb over of the foot of the bed so’s not to disturb you, but now there’s no need.” Draco shoved the sheets down, revealing two pink erections: “I see we match yet again.”

“Okay! Do we share the shower as well?”

“After the lavatory, why not? The shower’s big enough.”

They stood either side of the loo concentrating on ridding themselves of the overnight accumulation of liquid. Afterwards Draco set the shower regulator whilst Harry found two big fluffy towels. Then they climbed in and closed the shower door.

Both had lived in dorms with other boys and though nothing of inspecting each other whilst showering.

“How’s my back? Any fluff in my crack?” Draco asked, bending slightly

“Give me the sponge and I’ll make sure.” Harry ran the sponge down Draco’s back and between his bum-cheeks a couple of times.

Draco then performed the same service for Harry.

They switched off the water, stepped out and dried themselves. Draco then got his hairbrush out, whilst Harry used his magishaver. Dressing was next. Once they had finished Draco told Harry to sit and applied his brush and comb to Harry’s unruly mop. Harry enjoyed the sensation, but both of them had to agree there was little difference at the end of quarter of an hour’s preening.

Giggling, they descended to the Common room where Draco attached himself to Seamus and Dean as escorts. The four tutors went off to their working breakfast whilst the remaining eighth-years went en bloc to eat their meal in the main hall.

### STAFF ROOM ###

“Welcome to your first staff meeting,” Minerva indicated some spare chairs at the table: “We normally have one every week to discuss problem students.” She smiled enigmatically at Harry: “Glad to see that one of them has joined us. Are the arrangements in the Guest Tower suiting you?”

Harry nodded dumbly and Hermione replied positively, with Neville and Ronald nodding also. Everyone started to sip their orange juice.

“Good! May we briefly go through our teaching schedules for this week, please?”

Flitwick did a quick résumé and Sprout had just started on hers when a peculiar warbling sound filled the air. Minerva looked up to a plan sited over the door. Harry followed her eyes. There was what looked like the Marauders Map stuck to the wall and a lot of agitated dots in the great hall.

“To the great hall, follow me!” Minerva wrenched the door open and, with wands drawn, they followed her out; running down the hallways.

### GREAT HALL ###

When they reached the great hall there was a scuffle going on around the new side door. Justin, Seamus and Lee had their wands drawn. Through the doorway Harry could see an angry Draco and a furious Blaise being held back by some of the other eighth-years.

“Harry, take your knights round and help them retreat to the tower. We’ll contain the rest of the students.” As she said this, Minerva let off three loud bang hexes.

The four tutors went through the dais door and round to the side door.

“Tell us what happened when we get safely back to our tower. Meanwhile move.” Harry commanded, waving his wand and shooing the three Gryffs back through the doorway to substitute himself.

“Protego Portum Maxima Consollidare!” Harry’s shield blocked all the hexes coming his way as well as stopping anyone using the doorway. He knew it wouldn’t last very long but it would give them enough time to run back to the tower. There, he had another problem. A crowd of eighth years was blocking the passageway.

Leaving the other three as rearguards Harry pushed through the throng.

“What’s the problem?”

“The drawbridge won’t come down.”

“Did you use ‘Albus’?”

“Quite a few times.”

“Oh … Um …”

“Try ‘Percival’.”

As Draco said the word there was a whoosh and the bridge came down.

### 8TH YEAR TOWER ###

They clattered over the drawbridge which instantly rose as Lee, the last one in, closed the inner door. Harry saw Huppert as he entered the common room.

“Continued breakfast is in the study room, Master.”

“Thanks! Okay everyone, Huppert says there’s breakfast in the other half. Let’s go there and you can tell us what happened.”

The long oval table was heaped with the usual breakfast items, so they sat and tucked in.

“Sorry, Potter. It was my fault …”

“… Nonsense Draco! It was just as much mine,” interrupted Blaise.

“If anyone had called my parents such horrible names I would have done the same as you two did,” added Seamus.

“SO WOULD WE!” came from a number of other voices.

“It’s probably a good thing my wand is bewitched against curses, Bole Junior would still be curling up in pain.” Draco shook his baton and stared at it.

“Right! We get the idea. Things got a bit out of hand whilst there was no-one to supervise you all. Is that it?” Harry asked.

“I think it was orchestrated by the present seventh-year Slyths, but a few people from the other houses joined in.”

“Did any of you use hexes or curses?”

“Sorry Harry, I tried but Ernie deflected my hand.” Blaise looked very contrite: “I know you said we shouldn’t, but the things they said were totally untrue. My parents were not cowards.”

“My folks wanted to keep me safe too,” said Zacharias.

“It’s okay, Blaise, I know what it feels like, as well. Just try and keep a lid on it next time. At least we weren’t the aggressors.”

“Your rigorous DA training kicked in automatically, Harry. Most of us just defended without thinking,” put in Anthony: “What happens now?”

“Um … No idea … Only us tutors have anything on our schedules. Perhaps you all had better stay here until we’re due to have lessons after tea. Maybe mug up on what we did two years ago.

“Draco, would you take some of us through some potions revision, please?” asked Michael: “I know I’m very rusty.” A number of others agreed with him.

Draco looked at Harry: “Can I?”

“Do you want to?”

“Yes. It’s ages since I handled any decent ingredients, and that well-stocked lab below us has been calling out to me ever since we woke up.”

“So that’s settled then.” Harry rubbed his hands together: “I’m free after coffee so shall I do some DADA revision in the practice room until lunch?”

“Just like old times again, Harry,” remarked Susan: “That’d be great; my Patronus is still very shaky.”

There were two whooshes and Minerva strode in: “May I join you?”

A number of gallants offered her a chair.

“Bole Junior and his cronies will be doing detentions for some time now, and so will a few from other houses. I’m sorry this had to happen; I had hoped things were settling down. I must commend you all on your Protegos and the way you used them. I think that you should all eat here for this week, and then we’ll try a couple of combined dinners, slowly expanding the idea until full reintegration is reached. Now what are we going to do with you today?”

“Draco’s going to do potions revision with us, Headmistress,” Michael offered.

“Then Harry’s doing some DADA,” added Susan eagerly.

“I’m free after lunch,” said Hermione: “Can I use you all as guinea-pigs for my Transfiguration teaching, please?”

“As long as we get some practical, and no books,” suggested Dean and the others laughed.

“Herbology’s our first real lesson; I’m looking forward to that.”

“You would! How’s your mimbulus, Neville?”

“It died during the battle, but I’m getting another one.”

Much banter took place as they climbed down from their ‘battle-high’.

At the end of the meal Minerva stood: “I see you have it well organised. Well done. Tutor Weasley has already booked the Quidditch pitch for tomorrow morning for you; you have it whilst everyone else is in class.”

She left and the bridge whooshed closed after her.

### POTIONS LAB ###

The first class Harry had to take was just after lunch so he went with Draco down to the lab. Draco chatted to each person asking what their worst potions had been and then had them attempt another go. Meanwhile he wandered around helping with ingredients, and advising on methods. Having deliberately quelled his snarkiness Draco seemed to have an endless fountain of patience. In the relaxed atmosphere even Neville turned in a passable potion. Hermione and Harry were partnered and watched Draco covertly.

“He’d make a good teacher,” muttered Hermione: “Nev’s practically glowing,”

“Shall I ask him on our Magical Tutoring course?”

“Why not? You could say he has to go with the four of us to ensure his safety.”

“You’re being Slytherin, Hermione.”

“There’s a bit of Slyth in all of us, Harry. Only we don’t let it show. You should know; you were nearly one yourself.”

“Point taken!”

Michael’s was the only spoilt potion.

“I’m not going to do a Snape on you, Michael. Just try and remember the difference between widdershins and turnwise stirring, I think that’s where you went wrong towards the end.”

“Yes, I started the wrong way and then reversed, but it was already spoiled.”

### UPSTAIRS ###

When the house-elf served coffee and biscuits in the study-room, Harry asked her: “Why are you here, Huppert? Should you not be tied to Grimmauld Place?”

“Two reasons Master. Firstly you are here and we are your house-elves. Secondly we still have some residual pull for our previous house. Master Draco is here and so are all the books for which we were responsible. That means we can come and go without you summoning us. Why, do you not want us here?” Huppert looked worried and slightly tearful.

“I’m very happy you are here, thank you. I’m not really used to having house-elves, as you already know. So I was just finding out what was possible. You’re very welcome to come and go as your consciences see fit.”

“Thank you Master. Grouchy is tidying your rooms; then we’ll go and dust some more books. It’s so nice to have a pleasant Master.”

### PRACTICE ROOM ###

As Draco had done so Harry asked people what they needed to practice. He partnered Draco with Hermione and Ronald with Neville, so that he could wander round and help people. At the end, Susan was overjoyed because she had managed to produce her first full grown Patronus, an owl.

The food system at lunch was not quite the same as in the great hall. There was a long curved sideboard where numerous tureens and platters were placed where people could help themselves. The elves replenished that. There was also a smaller end sideboard where finished items were placed. At the other end was a small bar with glasses and Butterbeer as well as pumpkin juice available.

In her transfiguration revision class, Hermione followed the same pattern as the other two; with Harry and Draco as partners when Harry came back from giving his first lesson. That revision took them until teatime.