“The pain of the mind is worse than the pain of the body.”
-Syrus

“Hiya, Hedwig.” Harry took the letter, and walked over to an empty spot in the Common Room, so that he could read it.

Courageous,

Humorous and I think that there is a possibility that you could be right, but the question is: Why did Snape hate your father? I’m sure you’ve already thought that. And how could you, Courageous! Go out in the middle of the night! Do you know how much trouble you would have gotten into if you were caught? You could have been expelled! Do you really want to be kicked out Hogwarts? Humorous and I know that you don’t want to. So, please be careful. Anyway, you saw a three-headed dog named Fluffy? And you saw a lock on the floor? So there must be a trapdoor. That lock and dog must be guarding something. Humorous agrees with me about this. A while ago, I looked through a book at the Library, and at seeing your letter, I went back to look over it yesterday before replying. The book said that the Sorcerer’s Stone is an elixir of life, meaning that it would make you live forever. The creator of the Sorcerer’s Stone is Nicholas Flamel. And since Hagrid took it for Hogwarts business and not for some other business, then its possible that it is here at Hogwarts. Where it is in the castle, would be a good question now.

Cleverly & Humorous

PS-Be careful what you tell Malfoy. I know he’s your friend, but… Just be careful.

Harry folded the parchment back up and put it in his pocket away from prying eyes. He turned around and headed for the dormitory, to write back to Hermione and Ron. Well, I’m glad that what Draco told me about the Sorcerer’s Stone matches to what Hermione and Ron told me. When Harry went into the dormitory he saw Zabini already down there, reading a book.

“Hiya, Zabini,” said Harry, as he headed for his bed. Zabini’s bed was next to his. Harry went to the table beside his bed, opened the box, and took out some parchment.

“You can call me Blaise, Harry.” He was looking at Harry as he sat cross-legged on his bed with a smile on his face. Harry saw Blaise’s shoes on the floor.

“Okay,” said Harry, with a small smile back.

“Okay. Good. If we’re going be living in the same dormitory for seven years, then we might as well call each other by our first names,” said Blaise. He turned back to his book.

Harry decided to write the letter a little later. He pulled himself onto his bed with his feet hanging over the side facing Blaise. “Blaise, were your parents in Slytherin?” Harry placed his parchment beside him.

“Yeah, why?” asked Blaise, now looking up from his book.

“No reason. Just wondering,” said Harry. He shrugged his shoulders pretending it was nothing.

“Were your parents in Slytherin?” asked Blaise, putting his book upside down open on his bed in front of him.

Should I tell him that they weren’t? Well, its not that big a deal, right? He paused for a second. “No, they were in Gryffindor,” said Harry.

“Oh. Someone told me that a child being put into a House different than the rest of the family doesn’t happen very often, but I guess it must happen every so often, right?” said Blaise.

“Yeah,” muttered Harry, looking down at the Blaise’s shoes. He looked up and saw that Blaise had a look upon his face that showed that he was regretting ever saying anything. “Don’t worry, Blaise.”

“No. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry,” mumbled Blaise.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry,” said Harry. He grabbed for his parchment and took the quill out of the box. He heard Blaise turn another page of his book.

Humorous & Cleverly,

I’ll be more careful. I promise. And you’re right; I definitely don’t want to be expelled from Hogwarts. That would be the worst thing that could ever happen to me. That would mean that I would have to go back to the Dursley’s house. They hate me a lot, although that’s an understatement. I don’t know who hates me more Snape or the…

Just then, the dormitory door swung open, and Draco came in. Both Harry and Blaise looked up from what they were doing. “Why are two down here? Everybody else is upstairs,” said Draco, as he walked over to Harry’s bed. “What are you reading, Zabini?”

“Oh…. The Small Town Near a Drowning River by Evelyn Flumen. It’s a murder mystery,” said Blaise, showing Draco the cover of the book.

“Hmmm… dead interesting,” mumbled Draco, sarcastically. Harry saw Draco walking over to him and he quickly put the parchment under his pillow. He didn’t want Draco to see what he was writing. “Harry, whom are you always writing to?” asked Draco. Buggar! He saw the parchment.

“No one. Just a friend,” Harry muttered.

“What’s your friends name?” asked Draco, curiously.

“Why would I tell you? It’s none of your business,” Harry hissed at Draco.

“Fine. Just curious,” Draco blurted. Harry noticed Draco go to his side table and grab a letter.

Harry quickly glanced at Blaise. Blaise was giving him a “what’s wrong with Draco?” look. “Besides, I have a letter of my own to send,” said Draco, slightly sticking his nose up as he walked. It was only after Draco went through the doorway that Harry took out the unfinished letter again.

…the Dursley’s. Anyway, there is probably a trapdoor, although I don’t remember. I was to busy screaming and running for my life to check so closely. But if there’s a lock on the floor then there must be a trapdoor. I just wonder what is under the trapdoor. What has to be guarded? And I also have no idea why Snape hated my father. Your friend,

Courageous

Harry folded the parchment and got up, heading for the door. “Where are you going?” asked Blaise, innocently. His book still in his lap, his fingers still holding the book open.

“Just to send the letter,” said Harry. He put the folded letter and put in a pocket of his robes.

“Alright. See you,” said Blaise, turning back to his book.

Harry walked up to the Common Room and slipped away unknowingly, save for Blaise. Harry slowly walked up to the Owlry. Each step to him seemed to take forever. Almost the whole way was spent staring down at the floor.

Harry finally made it to the Owlry and sent off the letter with Hedwig. He stood standing at the large open window, watching as Hedwig flew away, but continued to stare even after she had disappeared from sight. Harry eventually decided to move because it would be better than standing there all night. Although he would have.

Harry began walking again, but even more slowly than before. Harry just supposed he was in walking state of mind. He didn’t want to be in the dormitory or the Common or the Owlry or back at the Dursley’s. He looked at his watch, it was almost dark, and he would have to go back to the Common Room. But Harry didn’t feel like being around people. Harry stopped short. For some reason he just got a deep down feeling of emptiness; a feeling that he didn’t belong anywhere. He didn’t know where that feeling suddenly came from.

I think I’ll go searching for that room where Ron, Hermione, and I to talk in. No one will probably even notice I’m gone. Maybe Dumbledore’s right; I should have been a Gryffindor. Maybe there I would have had real friends, although Blaise is my friend and I guess Draco is my friend. But why do I feel like I have nowhere to go? Nowhere I belong?

After walking around, dodging professors when he had to, Harry eventually found himself near Dumbledore’s office. Is Dumbledore busy? Right now he’s the only person I could talk to. No maybe later. Walking seems better.

Harry decided to keep walking. After moving around some floors and up some stairs, he eventually found himself on the second floor. Harry almost hit his head on a large wooden door because he had had his head down. Harry opened the door to find a completely empty room. There was a lot of dust, Harry noticed, but he was lost in too much thought to notice what was on the other side of the room. Harry found a couple old chairs and came to the conclusion that it was finally time to sit.

He put the chair against the wall and wiped away the layers of dust. Realizing there was now dust all over his sleeve he instinctually wiped his sleeve on the bottom of his cloak. Harry sat down, his head resting against the wall. Maybe I could start my own House: The Harry Potter House. Only for me. Yeah, I rather like that idea. Too bloody bad that couldn’t actually happen.

Sitting there, he exhaled loudly and closed his eyes. His eyes fought against him, so he opened his them and stared at the ceiling. Well, there’s nothing interesting in this room, I might as well continue.

Harry picked up his head and saw on the other side of the room, the only thing not covered in layers of dust, was a beautiful mirror.