Chapter 3
It felt strange.
For the first time in weeks, perhaps months or years, Henry began to feel what it is like to be alone.
In another world, he had a family. Here? He had Sol. But how come the hat had put him into Slytherin? And where is Podrick that bastard when you need him?
He didn't really care about the houses, he just wanted to hang out more with his best friend and Pod.
Looking around, Henry felt lost.
His table was celebrating, food filled the table aplenty and everyone was happy on the surface.
He lifted his pumpkin juice to distract himself and took a swig, gagging immediately.
"What is this horror?" He commented with a pale face and vomited juice sliding down his chin. Yet perhaps he did so a little too loud as he caught unwanted attention.
"You don't fancy your cuppa pumpkin juice?" Someone asked him and silly Henry jumped, not thinking people could hear and react to him.
When he took a look to the right at his seating partner, there was an older boy. His hair was orange and he wore a mischievous grin on his lips. Henry squinted his eyes at him and tried to remember where he knew that face from.
"I feel like the last time I saw you, you were younger."
"You mean Ron?"
"Yeah, you're a Weasley too?"
"Absolutely." Said the guy and grinned proudly.
"Couldn't be anything else if we tried," said someone else. Suddenly, another orange head poked out from beside the guy and Henry had to rub his eyes.
Why are there now two of them? Fuck, he should have rewatched the damn movies. It feels like ten years have gone by since he last saw them, apart from some memes.
"I got some kind of face blindness, why the hell are there two of you?"
"We're twins." "Usually we get confused, but not with Ron."
They laughed and then said at the same time, "You're wicked."
Henry smiled with raised eyebrows.
"Thanks, I guess."
"What's your name?" "Where are you from?" The two shot out their questions one after the other, extremely in sync and it was also magnificent to watch. Henry saluted jokingly.
"Henry, at your service! Just a normal dude from 'Merica."
Immediately they were in his face, two rather ugly teenage grimaces full of excitement and craters.
"Woah, how did you get here?" "You got any cool stuff on you from there?" If he said yes, would he be robbed?
"Magic." He shook his hands dramatically and they snorted and laughed at his answer.
"You're telling porkies!" Exclaimed the first twin and raised his hands high in a dramatic flair. The other shook his head in a disappointed manner.
"Porkies? What the helly?" Henry laughed and they laughed at him.
He felt it was a nice exchange.
"What do you usually do here? Sneak around for snacks and learn in some library?"
"Library?" Repeated the first twin with a disgusted expression and the second added, "We dillydally, we prank, and most importantly, we most often are busy with other things!"
"Yes, but the snacks thingy we do too."
Henry laughed.
"What kind of pranks? What do you usually do?" He asked and they immediately grabbed him by the shoulders and almost lifted him up - suddenly, he found himself sitting between them.
"So you know, we usually start by discussing our ideas privately in a very hidden place away from prying eyes, if you're interested, we could offer you a deal…"
As Henry got an earful of all the past successful pranks the Weasley twins had performed, others who knew these two were never up to any good looked worriedly at the innocent little child who was about to be converted to the dark side.
Feeling full and satisfied, each house was sent to their dorms after the big feast.
Headmaster Dumbledore said some last words, something about not entering the third floor (which the twins interpreted as something they just had to adventure, and as far as Henry is concerned, he might be in on it too now).
As the firsties were called to gather around by the prefects, who were older housemates, Henry lost sight of the two twins.
He was sure they were up to no good and would do great without him.
The common room of the Gryffindors was located in the south wing of the Gryffindor Tower. It wasn't far away. He walked with the others, a small group of about ten first years. There were more boys than girls, all very snotty, annoying and so he naturally had ample time alone while walking to check out his new housemates.
For one, there was Harry Potter. He couldn't really see the scar underneath his fringe, which is a bummer. Beside him walked the small Weasley version named Ron, talking animatedly about some fruit beans.
The others? He didn't recognise them. Had he even watched all the movies? Henry began to doubt himself.
The small group stopped in front of the portrait of a fat lady. Once the prefect revealed the password was just a random word they had to say and one could enter, they all followed inside. It was a large open room with a fireplace burning in the middle all the way in the back, the red and golden colours looked homely. There were seats to sit and chill, random owls stationed here and there and lots of other pets running around freely. Older students were still up and about, most of them just talking. On the left and right were stairs that lead up to the dormitories.
Henry dreaded his time here already.
Just as he had thought: Dormitories are a true nightmare.
Sleeping with four other eleven year old boys, when you wake up from the slightest sound, is a very, very bad idea.
It's like a sleepover in the monkey cage in a zoo.
He remembered why he loved Podrick as a roommate. The man actually knows how to shut his damn trap. Next time they get to Hogsmeade, they need to buy a bunch of earplugs.
The aftermath of having to stay with snotty children who kept themselves awake for hours when Henry just wanted to knock himself out so he could get just a few more minutes of sleep, yeah, the next morning was horrible.
Wearing something resembling the uniform of Hogwarts, he prepared himself for the day. By brushing his teeth and shitting. Hopefully he didn't miss.
Down in the common room, lesson plans were given out to each firstie and he just went straight for it. A grab for the paper and gone he was.
Next thing Henry knew, he was in the great hall where he'd been sorted just yesterday, standing next to Sol who looked like someone spat into his face.
Maybe someone did. Why does he look wet?
And surprisingly, Podrick was nowhere to be seen.
They looked at each other.
"...Bro…"
"Yeah. I hate children."
"Yeah." Not thinking about it, they both walked up to the Gryffindor table and sat down without any second thoughts.
Though something needs to be said about such a thing - no one ever, it's said since the founding of Hogwarts itself, had ever seen a Slytherin so openly join hands with a Gryffindor.
While the few snakes who got wind of it immediately snarled and wrote Sol off as a useless dimwit to be outcast immediately in their head, the Gryffindors were no better.
To let a snake, a filthy Slytherin, join their sacred table… the audacity! Who is that idiot who lets a Slytherin sit at their table?!
"What?! How dare a snake…!" Called out Ron Weasley, who sat directly opposite the two, and slammed his hands onto the table. He looked like an idiot with the food still sticking to his face.
Harry Potter seemed flustered, as did several other Muggleborn children. Children who came from normal, non wizardry families who didn't know of the blood feud between the two houses.
But Henry and Sol ignored the more than loud whispers and began eating. Sol pulled over some milk in a little can with a bowl and of course, pumpkin juice.
"Whats that?" Sol asked. Henry groggily raised his head.
"What?"
"That paper?"
"Can't remember."
"Gimme."
Henry handed it over while reaching for some marmalade and fresh toast.
Sol shook another folded parchment out of his pocket and held both up. They were both lesson plans.
"What time is it again? My clock's broken. Pod said it's because it's human technology and we're inside a magical castle. How do we know where to be and when to be where?" Sol asked and Henry blinked at him, head empty.
Sol raised his eyebrows. "Did someone run you over? You look worse than a dead fish."
"Nah."
"Don't nah me, brother. Wait-"
Sol noticed too late how Henry stuffed the toast into his cheek and not the mouth.
So before classes started, they searched for the nearest bathroom to clean the big manchild. As they followed random student number 53's directions, Sol had to hold onto his sleep deprived friend.
"You're gonna tell me today or tomorrow?"
"Dormitories. Try sleeping when they torch fire outta their mouths and can't calm down because they ate too many chocolate frogs. One fuggin jumped on my ass..."
Sol nodded, understanding on his face.
Henry loves his beauty sleep.
"How about you sleep with me? I got a room for myself."
Not noticing the gay connotation - as did the author while writing this - Henry immediately grabbed onto Sol's black and green robes and fell onto his knees, pulling his friend down with him.
"Yesss, pleasee!!"
The first class of this beautiful Monday morning was Charms for Henry. Later its Herbology, and double history. Tomorrow its potions, more history and transfiguration. The latter double. Wednesday it's twice herbology, and twice defense against the dark arts. Late in the evening it's astronomy until eleven pm. Thursday it's transfiguration again, defense against the dark arts, charms and then flying! Short in front of the weekend, its double potions. Everyday, except Friday, would keep them up and about from nine am until four forty pm. It wasn't that bad, actually.
At university, it often was worse.
The first class of this beautiful, wonderful, so sunny Monday on the second of September was Charms. But due to that, Sol parted ways with him to go to herbology with the Slytherins homies instead, but not before dropping a cleaned Henry in front of the charms classroom.
The room was classy, all dark wooden and full of books. To the sides were benches, each one on a higher step. It reminded somewhat of a typical lecture hall, but smaller and way more whimsical. Some students were already seated. A little man sat on top of books at the end of the room, his beard white and his hat pointy. He was no more than a gnome in size.
Just like Henry learned from university, he flopped down next to someone who was also alone. Which usually makes good ground for conversation, but Henry did it unconsciously.
Next to him was a boy with messy brown hair, blue eyes and a nervous vibe. His front teeth were showing. The boy looked worried, maybe because of his new and collapsed seating partner.
"H-Hey, are you alright?"
Henry groggily raised his head and turned towards the boy.
"No."
He went back to lay his head onto his arms. It was quiet for a minute.
"D-Do you need a pepperup?" A what?
Henry's face seemed to spill: he didn't know what that was.
"It makes you hot, but it can also wake you up. I, uhm, I got here somewhere…," the boy chuckled awkwardly and went through his bag. As Henry watched, a realisation struck him like lightning. He totally forgot his bag. What did Sol do? Did he forget too?
"Uwah! I forgot my books! Everything!" As Henry finally woke up with a face of panic, the boy pulled out a little flask out of his bag and looked overwhelmed.
"W-Wait-" He said, holding the flask shakily.
"Can you help me?! I'm sorry! Just for today!" Henry grabbed the boy by the shoulders.
"Uh, uhm, yeah," but as he answered, full of nerves and overwhelmed, the flask slipped from his fingers.
"Ouch!"
Both looked towards the noise. There sat a girl just one step beneath.
She glared at them, snarling with buck teeth and her dark brown eyes narrowed.
She bowed down, lifted the flask and slammed it onto their table as she stood up. Her poofy wild hair bounced with gravity. With an angry glare, she sat back down.
Henry took a long breath in and out.
"Sorry, man. I'm a bugger when I'm this tired," sighed Henry, took the potion and gulped it down with zero hesitation. Next he knew, hot steam came out of every open hole in his face and he could only see red.
"It's, its alright. I'm sorry too…," replied the boy.
A red faced Henry turned towards him.
"I'm Henry, and you?"
"Um, my name's Neville. Usually I'm the one who forgets everything."
Henry took one look at the brown haired boy before him.
"I feel like I heard your name somewhere before."
"Oh, are you pureblood too?" When Henry shook his head, Nevilles puppy eyes vanished.
"Maybe that's better, but I don't think my name is common." He mumbled, when suddenly, the professor atop his blooktower clapped his hands. Then he jumped up onto his feet, with the tower shaking only shortly.
"Attention, please! Class will start now!" He harrumphed, then smiled and let his eyes roam the room.
"I am Professor Flitwick, your Charms professor and also the head of house Ravenclaw," introduced the small man himself, "Open the first few pages in your book. Today, we will learn your very first charm! Aren't you all exited!" Flitwick again clapped his hands, a jovially smile on his lips.
Some students cheered.
"Maybe you have heard of it before. 'Wingardium leviosa', a spell that you invoke with precise spell pronunciation and a controlled flick of your wand. Now, can someone tell me what uses you can think of to let something float?"
One after the other, students raised their arms and let one useless idea after the other roam. It was fun, just a little boring.
Finally, after some more theory taught, Flitwick deemed it a ripe time to let the students explore their wands and magics themselves.
Neville and Henry sat cuddled in front of one book, reading the spell out loud.
"Hey, whats your wand made of?" Asked Henry curiously and Neville blinked.
"I- I dont know, I got it from my father…," he said, looking down emotionally and with his head.
"Dawg, you good?-"
"Wingardium leviosa!" Cried out Ron Weasley from across the room, fully intent on casting the spell with a funny pronunciation. The room broke out laughing and even the professor looked amused.
Henry grabbed his wand, smiling, but fully intent on not being as bad as Ron at least. This was the start of his magnificent career as a wizard!
But realisation quickly struck him.
"Of course I don't know how to do this! I fucking watch jelly bean documentaries in my free time!"
After Charms and also Herbology, it was lunch time.
Henry and Neville sat down next to each other at the Gryffindor table, just talking about the classes with the former trying to cheer the other up. It didn't take long before Sol joined them at the table to every one elses dismay, gliding into the conversation as smoothly as an inflatable flamingo on the slide into the poolparty.
After Henry vividly retold what had happened to him in Charms class, how he was helped by Neville and that Ron's idiotic outcry was really funny, they talked about herbology. The whole time, Neville had a smile on his face and loved to also just listen, but was happy he could talk so much to his housemates (minus Sol).
As they ate, Henry scrunched up his face as he once again stood opposite his worst opponent yet - pumpkin juice.
"Don't they have any elderberry soda here?" He cried, falling onto the table. Sol chuckled and Nevile looked confused.
"What are you, a girl? Drink it up, manchild!" In front of both boys Sol took the pumpkin juice and exed it with two gulps. Neville politely clapped.
"Whats soda?" Asked Neville finally and both boys looked shell shocked.
"We need a revolution!" Cried Henry, standing up with one foot on the table.
Immediately, not far away, the two Weasely twins Fred and George too jumped onto the table, not hesistating a moment to support their newest hire to cry out to the world: "Revolution!" "It's time for a revolution!"
Sol laughed out loud and Neville looked taken aback.
"That's what I call true men!" Grinned Henry happily as he pointed at the thirteen year old twins who struck silly poses.
"Now, with me, my soldiers! Today is the day we will be freed of the same old routine! Today, we will gain freedom over our choices!" Then, with a deeper and yet still childish voice he called out, "I have a dream!"
With a serious expression Henry stormed off and Sol helped Neville pack his things and not forget anything before running after him. The twins too jumped off the table and laughed merrily as they followed behind.
And up at the teachers table, Dumbledore looked down at his pumpkin juice.
Atop his armrest sat Podrick, feathers fluffed.
"What does that boy want to free from a routine when he's only been here for less than a day?" Then, quiter, the old man mumbled, "and what's wrong with pumpkin juice?"
Podrick laughed again, his whole feathery body shaking. 'Everything, Dumbledore. Its just plain disgusting!'
Later that evening, Henry found himself with Neville back before the common room.
The brown haired boy had totally forgotten the password as did Henry, so they had to wait in front of the portrait of the fat lady until someone came. But as luck had it, up and about came Harry Potter and that tangerine Ron Weasley. Who absolutely loathed Henry.
"You!" Snarled the tangerine evilly and Harry looked flustered.
"Stop, Ron! You can't just-"
"Great!" Grinned Henry, rubbing his eyes before yawning as big as he could with Neville staring astounded. It even brought Ron out of his rage, he could barely keep his own yawn in. Harry gave in quickly, yawning too.
"Now that you two are here, we can get in! You'll help us, surely?"
Ron blinked, Harry blinked and Neville smiled.
"No!" "Yes!"
"What is it, gents?" Asked Henry, amused.
Grumbling, Ron said the password and in all four went.
Henry said goodbye to all three and went to his dorm to the unfamiliar faces of eleven year old boys he had spent just one night with.
"Hey guys," he caught their attention. "I'm gonna sleep over at my friends room."
"What? Where?" Asked one, whose name might be Sean, and Henry pursed his lips.
"At Slytherin? Well, bye!" He grabbed his suitcase and hopped off out the door.
His former roommates looked positively horrified.
___
[AN: Because i love my nonexistent dear readers so much, here's an omake about what the Pod do?]
Podrick sat in the headmaster's office on the chair's armrest and ruffled his feathers, making himself comfortable. It was late in the evening, as the sorting and feast had just ended.
His eyes, incapable of moving in their sockets, always sought out the flaming bird sitting old and crooked over its old ashes.
Who would have thought he would see a phoenix this often?
Finally, after a while, the door to the room opened and in came Dumbledore himself. He was still dressed in the white robe and hat from a while back, his beard long and segmented with hair ties. The man closed the door behind him and then looked around.
"Podrick, are you there?" Dumbledore asked and Podrick allowed himself to make an owl sound with his body. Hopping up onto the headrest, he made himself visible in all his glory. Dumbledore smiled.
"I see you're doing alright. Thank you for coming to visit me, young man."
'Yeah, no problem.' Dumbledore approached his chair on the other side of the desk.
"I trust you had fun at our little feast?"
'Yep, did. What about you? Isn't being the headmaster exhausting?'
Dumbledore chuckled as he let himself fall onto his cushioned seat.
"Never. Now, where did we leave our last conversation?"
Podrick tucked in his legs into his featherdress.
'I think I told you about Muggles. But there is something important, Dumbledore, that you need to know.'
"That again?" Before he could say more, Podrick jumped onto the table and cut in with a sharp tone, 'Yes, that again. You're the greatest wizard of this age. Everyone knows this school is one of the safest in the entire world, because you are here. But why are you luring in Voldesnot here? Because of a grand prophecy?'
Dumbledore sighed, taking one of his lemon drops from his bowl and opening it carefully. He didn't seem phased from the strange nickname.
"You know a lot, Podrick. But you should also know that the philosphers stone was a carefully thought out plan. No one will be badly hurt, I promise you."
'You will die, Dumbledore!' Retorted Podrick, looking angry. The old man didn't looked shocked, not at all. He shook his wand and without casting, a tea pot, two cups and sugar came flying over.
"As we all do one day, young Podrick."
Podrick huffed. 'You're joking. I meant you will be killed.'
Dumbledore took a spoon and put in one, two, then three spoonful of sugar into his tea.
Pod nodded when Dumbledore waved his wand and hot water surged into the second cup, too.
"You called your knowledge an alternate reality, right? You and your two friends were never meant to be here, right?" Asked Dumbledore and Pod laid his head sideways, blinking with his blood red eyes.
'Sure, I did. Are you trying to say that what I know might happen anymore because of us?'
"I am. So don't fret over tomorrow, young Podrick. You have more than once now reminded me of what awful things could happen. I will heed your advice, so how about we talk about something else? There is this idea I've had for a while now…"
___
End of chapter 3
I loathe pumpkins in general.