Harry awoke on a Monday to something digging its claws into his stomach. “Ouch!� Harry sat up suddenly, instinctively pushed whatever that was on him off. He saw that Hedwig was near the edge of his bed.

“Oh, sorry, Hedwig. But next time you need to wake me you can just hoot.� Harry grabbed his glasses with one hand while was rubbing his stomach with the other, and looked at his t-shirt to see that there were some holes in it. Oh, bloody hell. Hedwig came up to him, raising her foot to Harry. He took off the letter, but looked around the room before reading it.

Every one was still asleep in their beds. Harry yawned and looked at his watch to see that it was 7:06. Because everyone was asleep, the letter seemed safe to open and read without others questioning him.

Courageous,

You haven’t sent any letters in two weeks, so Humorous and I were just wondering if everything’s okay. I’ve been going to the Library a lot to see if I could find anything that has been guarded here at Hogwarts, but came up with nothing. I’ll see what else I can do. We just want to know if you’re doing okay, because we saw you in a couple classes looking very grim. If there’s anything on your mind, you can let us know. For now,

Cleverly & Humorous

Harry took out some parchment and began writing his return letter. He yawned again.

Humorous & Cleverly,

I’m doing okay. I just have a lot of things on my mind. If you can’t find anything, it’s all right. Remember how we wanted a place where we could talk? Well, I was thinking that maybe we could meet at Hagrid’s. We won’t have to do any sneaking around the castle, which I’m sure you appreciate, Cleverly. It would be a lot easier and a lot more comfortable, as well. I have something else that I don’t think I told you. It’s been happening every so often, and so far only in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but my scar keeps stinging. My scar never hurt me before I came to Hogwarts. I can’t figure out why its been happening. I told Dumbledore a while back, but he didn’t know either. That’s probably why I’ve been looking so “grim.� That’s what’s been on my mind,

Courageous

Harry looked it over, nodded to himself, and sent it away with Hedwig. Harry got out of bed and searched for a new shirt to put on. He grabbed the books for that days classes and his bag because he knew he would have to get up soon anyway. Harry quietly slipped out of the dormitory and made his way past the engravings of snakes to the Common Room. He didn’t know if there would be food in the Great Hall yet, but decided to check anyway. Harry seemed to have woken up hungry.

Dragging his bag, as well as his feet, Harry went to the Great Hall, and was pleased to see that there was food this early in the morning. While he made his way to the Slytherin table, Harry saw a girl sitting at the Hufflepuff table eating some scrambled eggs. He looked toward the High Table and saw Dumbledore reading the Daily Prophet.

Harry put his bag on the floor and sat down, instantly grabbing various foods that would keep him going throughout the day. After a while of stuffing his face, he heard someone stomping toward the Great Hall. Eventually he saw Hermione enter and sit at the Gryffindor table, her back to him.

Just then Hedwig came in carrying yet another letter. After taking off the letter, he gave some bread to Hedwig and saw that the handwriting was big and unorganized.

Courageous,

Its just me, Humorous, answering because Cleverly thinks she knows everything. While I have to admit her knowledge is pretty close to everything, she still doesn’t have to brag about what she knows! She just stormed off and didn’t have a chance to read what you wrote. I guess I’ll have to tell her later, unfortunately. Sorry your scar has been hurting you. In Defense class I’ll watch out for anything suspicious that could be causing your scar to sting. I’ll tell Cleverly to look out, too. I like the idea of going to Hagrid’s. I haven’t been in his house, but it seems like it would be really cozy in there. I thought you were going to be looking for a room for us? I mean, its fine you haven’t found one, but it would be better for the three of us to talk. I was thinking that maybe you and me could go looking around one night. We can arrange this later. Best not tell Cleverly though,

Humorous

Harry turned to his bag and pulled out some parchment and a quill and wrote back to Ron.

Humorous,

Sorry you had a fight with Cleverly. And she does seem to know a lot though I don’t spend as much time with her as you do. I wish I spent more time with you two. I really like the idea of you and me exploring the school. With another pair of eyes, it’ll be easier to find a room. And two more eyes looking out for me in Defense class would be great, too! I really have no idea why my scar has been hurting. Oh, and sorry I didn’t find the room on my own, I’ve just been very busy with schoolwork. As I’m sure you have been, as well. And I won’t tell Cleverly. See you in class,

Courageous

Harry tied the letter to Hedwig’s leg and she flew off. Hermione looked at Hedwig fly away and then turned around to look at Harry. Harry saw her eyes were a red. She turned back to her plate. Harry looked to the High Table and saw Dumbledore looking at him over the top of his newspaper. He wanted to know what thoughts were lurking behind those light blue eyes. Harry quickly looked back toward his plate very intently. He saw that the quill was still on the table, so he put it back into his bag among his books.

“Harry, if you please.� Harry heard Dumbledore’s voice and immediately got up and walked until he stood in front of him. “I just want you to go talk to Miss Granger. I can see her sobbing away and I must say, it’s a depressing sight. Would you talk to her? People don’t usually come in for another half hour.�

“Yes, of course. I already know that it’s about Ron. They had a fight earlier,� said Harry.

“Did he send you a letter?� asked Dumbledore, looking at him over his glasses that shined in the light.

“Yeah, just now. I’ll go talk to her,� said Harry. He turned away to walked to the Gryffindor table. Harry sat beside Hermione. She wasn’t crying anymore, but she looked incredibly sad. “Are you okay, Hermione?�

“Um… yeah,� said Hermione, sadly. There was silence between them for a couple seconds before Hermione burst. “I don’t understand how he can be so mean! I was just trying to explain something! He called me a know-it-all and that sometimes he hated being around me because I knew too much.� She started silently crying, the tears coming down her face. Harry leaned over and gave her a hug, which she gave back.

“You do know a lot,� said Harry jokingly, trying to cheer Hermione up. “But Ron was definitely wrong to say that. I’ll talk to him, okay?� He now spoke more seriously.

“Alright,� muttered Hermione, as she moved away from Harry. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve. “I’m going to go wash my face. I’ll see you in class. Thanks, Harry, it means a lot.� Harry watched her walk out of the Great Hall. As he walked back to the Slytherin table to finish his breakfast, he noticed that Dumbledore wasn’t sitting at the High Table anymore.

As the time began to near 7:40, more students as well as teachers began to come in for breakfast. After breakfast, Harry made his way to his classes. Mondays classes were always boring.

Double Transfiguration had just ended, and Harry saw that him and Ron were the only ones left in the class. Professor McGonagall was sitting at her desk writing, not paying attention to either of them.

“Ron, I need to talk to you,� said Harry in an almost whisper.

“Alright. If we’re going to discuss a time when we can go exploring, we should do it outside where Professor McGonagall can’t hear us,� whispered Ron.

“Its not about that. Its about Hermione,� muttered Harry. “This morning she was crying, Ron. Crying. And she told me what you said.�

“You talked to her in the Great Hall? Was Malfoy there?�

“Yes, I talked to her. And I wouldn’t talk to her if Draco were there, you know that. She told me what you said to her. You shouldn’t have said that. I mean, I know that you were mad, but still,� said Harry. He looked over his shoulder and Professor McGonagall was still sitting at her desk.

“Are you defending her?� said Ron, clearly offended.

“I’m just trying to tell you, that what you said was wrong. You should say sorry to her, Ron, but what you do now is up to you. I can’t force you. I’ll see you later. I hope we can still go exploring,� said Harry.

Harry started walking away from Ron, who had his head down, when Ron turned and called after him, “Yeah. We still can.�

Harry nodded and walked until he reached his dormitory. He put down his bag in his trunk and walked back up to the Common Room. He dropped onto the couch near the fire, putting his head against one of the small green pillows.

“Long day?� asked Draco, who was lying on the couch across from him. He, too, looked drained of all energy, but also looked extremely bored.

“You could say that,� said Harry. “What happened to you? You look like you just died of boredom.� Harry took off his glasses and put them on the table next to the couch.

“I think I did. I hate going to those classes,� said Draco.

“Don’t we all?� muttered Harry.

“Especially Defense Against the Dark Arts. That class is a joke, and so is Professor Quirrel. ‘T-today, c-class, we will b-be…’ doing nothing important,� said Draco jokingly. “I thought we would actually learn about the Dark Arts, like the things my father knows about.�

“What kinds of things?� asked Harry, curiously.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?� asked Draco, as if to himself. “Well, actually, he wouldn’t tell me. Says I’m too young, but I know it’s none of the stupid stuff we’re learning here.�

“Well, we are only first years, you never know what we’re going to learn in the next couple years,� said Harry.

“True, but I want to learn things now, not later. Learning the good stuff in a ‘couple of years’ won’t do us any good now,� said Draco. “I want to learn the real stuff, Harry.�

Harry could just make out a smirk on Draco’s face, as he wasn’t wearing his glasses. “I don’t know about you, but I want to learn better spells than what we are taught here. My father knows those kinds of spells,� said Draco.

“What kind of spells do you mean?� asked Harry inquiringly. He grabbed his glasses and sat up looking at Draco, who was still laying down.

“He never really told me. Always saying I’m too young to know,� said Draco bitterly.

For some reason, Harry got the impression that the kind of spells Draco were talking about, were spells that he was sure would never be taught at Hogwarts. “Are—are they dangerous spells, Draco?�

“Perhaps.�

“Then that’s the reason why we wouldn’t learn them,� said Harry. “They’re dangerous.�

“I think we need to learn dangerous spells to protect ourselves.�

Maybe Draco is right. If we don’t learn at least some dangerous spells then we wouldn’t be able to protect ourselves from those that do know them.

Draco sat up, looking at Harry. “You’d learn interesting spells if someone were to teach you, right?� asked Draco to Harry. When Harry nodded he went on. “What if those interesting spells would protect you, but give the other person pain?�

“Well, I guess, that depends on what kind of pain you are talking about. Do you mean serious physical pain that I would be causing? Well… no… I don’t think I could do that to someone.�

“My father told me that he said the same thing when he was a first year at Hogwarts. But then, he said, things began to change for him,� said Draco.

“How?� asked Harry.

“He never told me exactly what happened during his school years in detail, but he told me he started to gain power. He hasn’t told me what he meant. But don’t you want power, Harry? I know I do,� said Draco, as he smiled to himself.

“Yeah, I guess,� said Harry absent mindedly . He was now thinking back to the person he saw in the mirror. The older him that made Harry want to kneel. The thought of being able to make people do that was, surprisingly, satisfying to Harry. But Harry wasn’t sure he liked thinking like that.

“You guess? Well, I know! Hey, you okay?’ asked Draco.

“Yeah. I was just thinking,� said Harry. He lay his back against the couch.

“You know, Harry, you think too much,� said Draco.

“Yeah, I know. It’s kind of hard not to. If you know what I mean,� said Harry. He was surprised that he was having a real conversation with Draco. He had had one conversation like this with Draco more than two weeks ago about the Sorcerer’s Stone, Fluffy, and Hogwarts. It had been a conversation that wasn’t filled with competitiveness and distance. But in between then, they seemed to become very cold towards each other. Harry hoped that would now change because he rather liked being able to talk to someone without having to keep it secret. And the fact that it was someone of his own house made him feel like he belonged.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,� said Draco. Harry saw him look around. There were less people than before. “Oh, people have started to leave for dinner, come on.�

They both got up from the chairs because they were both starving and headed for the Great Hall.