“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
-Ernest Hemmingway

Dumbledore closed the door, and the room was drowned in darkness. Harry breathed again. It had been an instinctual thing to stop breathing, as if his lungs had stopped taking in oxygen on their own, without his consent.

Harry lit his wand, after he heard Dumbledore move further away from the door. Harry turned and saw just wall behind him. He realized then that he had come into the room by the coin he had found. He took out the coin from his robes, and, once again, the words formed on the surface. Harry spoke the words quietly, so that Dumbledore wouldn’t hear him. He was instantly brought back into the other room, and with a sigh of relief from Harry, as well.

He put the coin back in his pocket, so that he would be able to go back into the small room full of boxes. Harry wondered whether he needed to be in this room for the coin to work or whether it would work in other parts of Hogwarts, and maybe even outside it. He pushed the thought out of his mind as he walked out of the room, and followed the tunnel back to the stones that he had come through earlier.

Harry saw the stone that stuck out more than the others with the “x” on it. He wasn’t exactly sure what he had to do to get back onto the stairs that led to his dormitory, so he touched the stone, but nothing happened. Obviously just touching the stone didn’t work, so Harry decided to push against it. He put both hands against the stone that stuck out, and pushed it.

Surprisingly, Harry pushed the stone with ease. Once he did, the stones that made up the wall began to fly away, creating an opening to the stairs. Harry peaked out to see that no one was there, and quickly stepped onto the nearest step. He went down a couple steps, and turned to look at the hole in the wall, but it wasn’t there anymore.

Harry awoke the next day, remembering that he had not met Ron and Hermione in the library. He knew that they were going to be mad at him for ditching them. Harry also remembered how Draco and him had become friends again. Maybe I should tell Draco or Blaise. Since Ron and Hermione won’t be able to see the tunnels.

But Harry wanted to explore the tunnels on his own first, just incase there was something he didn’t want Draco to see, like the room inside Dumbledore’s office. Harry realized he didn’t want Ron or Hermione to know about that room either. He wanted to keep it to himself. If, in the future, he wanted to tell Draco, Blaise, Ron, and Hermione, then he would, but not now. He wanted to keep it his own secret.

Harry looked around the dormitory. Blaise, Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle were still asleep. Harry saw Draco’s bed empty. Harry got out of bed and changed into his robes.

He felt one side droop lower than the other. Harry put his hand in one of the pockets and pulled out the golden box. He hadn’t realized he had put it in his pocket. He must have done it before running behind the boxes. He put the box in his trunk, all the way at the bottom, and covered it with some of his other robes.

Since it was Sunday, he wouldn’t need any books, so he made his way to the Common Room, his hands free. Harry got to the Common Room and saw that Draco wasn’t there. The banners were still hanging around the room, but the various empty mugs of Butterbeer were gone.

Harry was hungry, and decided it was a good a time as any to go to the Great Hall. It was about eight in the morning, which wasn’t so early or late on a Sunday. Harry knew that there would be some amount of people in the Great Hall. Harry found Draco sitting near the end of the table with a box next to his plate.

“Morning,” Harry muttered, as he sat down across from Draco.

“Morning,” said Draco.

Harry grabbed some food for his plate and began to eat contentedly. “What’s in the box?” asked Harry, before he stuffed some bacon into his mouth.

“Some sweets from my mum. There are some candies wrapped in gold foil, you can have those. I never liked those,” said Draco unemotionally. Harry opened the box, and picked up one of the candies.

“What’s in ‘em?” asked Harry.

“Some sort of chocolate filling. I prefer vanilla, myself,” said Draco. Out of nowhere he asked, “Are you staying here for the holiday or going home?”

“I’m staying here. I’d be off my trolley to actually want to go to my Uncle’s house,” said Harry. He unwrapped one of the candies and put it in his mouth.

“Why? What’s wrong with your Uncle’s house?” asked Draco.

Harry swallowed the rest of the candy to speak. “What’s wrong? It’s my Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Cousin Dudley that are wrong. They’ve been cruel to me ever since I was given to them. Sometimes, I wish I was put into an orphanage rather than stay with them,” said Harry.

“What exactly did they do to you? Did they abuse you?” whispered Draco, moving closer to the table to talk to Harry.

“No…well, not really, anyway. They just ignored me all the time, except for when they needed me. Its just horrible being there,” said Harry.

“Oh. I didn’t know,” said Draco sympathetically.

Harry was a bit surprised at his show of sincerity, but continued, “Well, I’m going to stay at Hogwarts as much I can, so that I don’t have to be there.”

“Summer break is far off, but you can come to my house for part of the summer,” said Draco. “I’d have to ask my father, of course. But I’m sure he’d let you stay.”

Harry’s face lit up at the thought of spending less time at the Dursley’s. “Yeah, okay! Thanks,” said Harry with a smile.

“No problem.”

“So, what are you going to do over the holidays?” asked Harry.

“My father, my mum, and I are traveling to Europe for the holiday. We’re going to see Vienna and some other cities.”

“Lucky. I’ve never even been out of the country.”

“Well, when you get older you can travel anywhere you want. Especially when you can Apparate,” said Draco.

“What’s Apparate?” asked Harry.

“Apparating is when you go from one place to another by thinking about it. But you have to pass a test after you turn seventeen to Apparate,” said Draco. “My father Apparates all the time. I wish I could. It would be so much easier to get places. Pop and you’re where you want to be.”

“We have to wait until we’re seventeen? Can’t we learn how to do it on our own and then Apparate whenever we want?” asked Harry.

“I wish we could. But the Ministry of Magic would know if one of us were to Apparate before we passed the test,” said Draco glumly.

“How do they know?”

Draco shrugged. “I don’t know, they just somehow know that sort of stuff. Never really thought about it.”

“Well, that idea is out,” said Harry. He looked at the High Table. Dumbledore wasn’t there, but Snape was. Luckily, he wasn’t looking over at them. Harry moved closer to Draco. “Have you ever thought about that three-headed dog we found in that room on the third floor?”

“Yeah, sometimes,” said Draco. “Why? Have you gone back to that room?”

“Are you mad? I would never go back to that room. Its practically a death sentence,” said Harry.

Draco chuckled. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“What’s a death sentence?” asked Nott, as he sat down next to Harry.

Harry and Draco looked at each other, giving each other a look that said, “Don’t tell!”

“Nothing,” said Harry quickly.

“Okay,” said Nott, not really interested. He had just been trying to create some conversation. He filled his plate, and began to eat. “So, are you, mates, staying or leaving for the holiday?”

Draco answered first, “Leaving.”

“Staying,” said Harry.

“I’m leaving. This is a much needed break from classes, if you ask me,” said Nott. Just then, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle entered the Great Hall and joined in the conversation when they sat down.

Crabbe and Goyle were also leaving Hogwarts for the holiday. “Well, I’m staying,” said Blaise. Harry was relieved because he didn’t want to be at Hogwarts by himself for the whole holiday. Harry realized he hadn’t asked Ron or Hermione if they were staying or not.

Harry turned toward the Gryffindor table hoping that Draco wasn’t watching, and saw Ron and Hermione sitting. Harry looked to the High Table, and saw Snape looking at him closely. Snape turned away when Professor McGonagall called him. Harry then looked at Professor Quirrel. He was sitting talking to another teacher whom Harry didn’t know.

After eating and more talking, Harry and the others went to the Common Room. The rest of the day was spent playing chess, more talking of the holidays, and doing some work for tomorrow’s classes. At some point while doing work, a letter was brought to him by Hedwig.

Courageous,

What happened to you? We were going to meet at the library, remember? Well, when you didn’t show, Humorous and I left to go to some other work. We can go back to the library later, preferably, with you there. Write back,

Cleverly & Humorous

Harry got some parchment. He began to write back to them, knowing that he would have to lie, since he didn’t want anyone to know that he had found tunnels.

Humorous & Cleverly,

Sorry. I couldn’t meet you at the Library. The other Slytherin’s just wouldn’t let me leave. They kept giving me Butterbeers and sitting around me. Hopefully we can find another time to go to the Library. And I will go next time, promise.

Courageous

He sent the letter off. In less than five minutes they sent a reply, saying that hopefully during the week they could make time to go to the Library. He put the letter in his pocket, and continued his work. But soon another letter came. It was from Ron, saying that he wanted to explore Hogwarts sometime during the holiday break. Harry liked that idea, and said so in the reply letter back to Ron. Harry was somewhat glad when the day was over. It hadn’t been the most interesting day. Hopefully, the days before the holiday would be better.

Just so you know, there aren't really going to be any relationships in this story. Starting in 4th year, I'll probably put Draco and Pansy together. I'll probably make Harry have a crush or date someone, but I'm not sure who. It won't be Hermione or Cho. Not Cho since he's a Slytherin, and Hermione will be with Ron. Sorry if thats disappointing. REVIEW!!!