But at that moment Draco decided to show up. “Harry! What are you doing?� asked Draco. All three of them got up when Draco walked over.

“Nothing. I was just talking to Ron and Hermione,� said Harry, innocently.

“You don’t want to be caught talking to a Weasley and a Mudblood!� said Draco. Hermione started crying and ran off. Ron followed her, glaring at Draco.

Harry was about to follow them to see if Hermione was okay, but he turned to Draco, “What wrong with you?�

“Nothing. You don’t want to be caught talking to them. I was helping you,� said Draco, pleased with himself.

Draco was now walking back toward the castle. Harry stayed where he was at first, but then followed Draco. “What’s a Mudblood?� asked Harry.

“Hermione Granger,� said Draco laughing. Harry wasn’t.

“No really. What’s a Mudblood?� asked Harry. Draco stopped walking.

“A Mudblood is a person that is has Muggle parents. Non-wizard parents. It means they have dirty blood,� said Draco. “Only wizards born into wizarding families belong at Hogwarts, Harry. Only the purebloods, like you and me,� said Draco. They started walking again.

Why would only purebloods deserve to be at Hogwarts. Hermione is a very nice and caring girl. She deserves to be here just as much as anyone else. No one can say who’s allowed and who’s not allowed to be at Hogwarts. But Harry knew it would only lead to bad things if he brought that up.

Hermione was right. He should go see Dumbledore with his problems, thought Harry, as him and Draco walked toward the Great Hall. Dumbledore might be able to help. But isn’t Dumbledore busy? I don’t want to intrude on anything when I visit him. When could I go though? Harry thought over his schedule and realized that he had Friday afternoon free. He decided he would go then.

Harry felt a lot better knowing that he was going to see Dumbledore on Friday, but of course he had to get through the rest of the week first.

After dinner, Harry and Draco went to the Common Room to start on homework. It’s the second day of school and he’s got homework to do. Harry decided to start on his Transfiguration homework. He had to read about how to change a pencil into a worm, and then actually do it the next time they had class. Draco started on Potions homework, which was to read about some potion. He couldn’t even remember the name. Draco finished before him and went to talk to Crabbe and Goyle.

When Harry finished, he went down to the dormitory to put some books away. Once he entered, Harry saw that Hedwig was sitting on his bed with a letter.

“Hiya, Hedwig,� said Harry as he took the letter off Hedwig’s leg. He unfolded the parchment. It was probably from Hagrid. As he opened it he saw that he didn’t recognize the handwriting. It was very organized and smooth.

Harry,

I thought that maybe we could be able to contact each other by using owls, if you don’t want Malfoy to know that you’re talking to us. Ron and I know that you’re a good person and that you never meant to hurt us. Anyway, using owls would be the easiest way to talk when we can’t in person. But make sure that you hide the letters we give you. I’ll find a spell to somehow change the look of the letters, if you want. Ron suggests that we should find a place to talk with you privately, like a room, since we obviously can’t talk in public. Think on it,

Hermione & Ron

Using owls would be the easiest way to communicate and the safest from others right now. I will have to hide the letters. But maybe we could hide the letters differently just in case someone does find them? Changing our names! My name could be… Sly One. No, I don’t want to remind them I’m in Slytherin. Err… Courageous. Yeah, that will do. And a place we could talk? There is the room that Draco showed me, but he knows about it, so that contradicts the whole point of trying to find a place to talk. I’ll have to explore the castle a bit more and not with Draco. But how can I explore with no one knowing? I guess I’ll just have to explore at night and be very watchful and listen carefully for footsteps. Snape would murder me if he found me outside the Slytherin walls after dark. Maybe there’s a spell to enhance hearing that Hermione could teach me? I better write back.

Harry went to his trunk and took out a bit of parchment and ink and a quill.

Hermione & Ron,

On the night we arrived, Draco showed me a room that would be perfect to talk in because its hidden, but I immediately threw out that idea because he knows about that room. I could show it to you two sometime anyway. It’s an amazing room. And I thought about what you said about hiding the letters. What about disguising ourselves are with different names? Just in case someone does find these letters they won’t know to whom they were for or where they came from. I thought I could be “Courageous.� Send me back what your names will be. And by the way, thanks for saying I’m a good person. I think that you two are very caring people and I’m glad that we’re now friends,

Courageous

Harry folded the parchment and tied it to Hedwig’s leg, and Hedwig flew off towards the door. Harry knew that it would get to Ron and Hermione in a few minutes. Harry took off his shoes and glasses and lay down on his bed with his arm over his eyes. He needed to relax while he waited for Ron and Hermione to respond.

Harry must have fallen asleep because he awoke to Hedwig nibbling on his fingers.

“Ouch,� said Harry, sitting up. He had only been asleep for ten minutes at most, but it seemed to have helped. Harry felt a bit more refreshed. He took off the letter that had been attached to Hedwig’s leg, and put his glasses back on to read it.

Courageous,

That’s a brilliant idea! I wonder how the thought hadn’t come to me. My name will be “Cleverly� and he will be “Humorous.� I’m sure you know whom I mean. Humorous said that he’d like to see this room, and as much as I’d like to see this room too, I just don’t know when you could show it to us. The corridors would have to be deserted for them to be safe for us all to talk. For now letters will have to do, but talking in person would be better and more efficient. Plus, if your owl is constantly seen going back from where we are to where you are, then it might look suspicious. And thanks for your compliment. Being cautious,

Cleverly & Humorous

Maybe a little too cautious. I mean, really, what are we going to talk about? Homework? Teachers? Well, whatever we do talk about in the future, I doubt it would be very secretive.

Harry practically snorted while he was laughing at the idea that they were going to talk about secretive things that people would actually want to read about.

Harry decided that later this week he would have to go exploring in the night for that room that they can talk in away from interested ears. Harry wasn’t going to write back because he didn’t have any more brilliant ideas. He’ll write back later with news of whether he was able to find a room.

Harry took the two letters, folded them, and put them in a pocket in his trunk. That pocket was now the place where he would keep all his letters from Ron and Hermione, and from anyone else if he were ever to get any, Harry thought.

Harry looked up to see that Hedwig had gone. She had probably gone to the Owlry. Harry turned back to his trunk to see what he could put on the table next to his bed that was currently bare, except for a green lamp. If he’s going to be constantly writing Hermione and Ron, then he should be prepared. Harry emptied a small wooden box from his trunk and put in bits of parchment as well as an extra quill and an extra bottle of ink. Harry closed his trunk and got up to see that Hedwig was back with another letter.

What now Hermione? But to Harry’s pleasant surprise, it wasn’t from Hermione or Ron. It was a letter from Hagrid. Harry saw Hagrid’s scratchy handwriting instantly, not Hermione’s smooth writing.

Harry,

I thought we could have a talk about how school has been for you so far. The only time I see you are when we eat, but, of course, I sit at the High Table. This week I have a lot of stuff to do for Dumbledore. Maybe next week we could talk. Hope school’s not too bad,

Hagrid

Harry took out a piece of parchment from the box and began to write back.

Hagrid,

Next week will be good. I have Friday afternoons free of classes. I’d like to talk to you about some things that have been on my mind since coming here. I’ve talked to Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger about my thoughts. They’ve definitely helped me a bit, but I’d like to talk to you, as well. Tell me when you’re not busy,/p>

Harry

After watching Hedwig fly away down the corridor, Harry put the box on his bedside table next to his lamp, put his shoes back on, and began walking back toward the Common Room.

“Harry, where have you been?� asked Nott, curiously.

“Just putting some books away,� said Harry, taking a seat.

“I thought you went looking around the school without me,� said Draco, sitting down on the chair across from him.

“No, I was just downstairs. Plus, you’re the one who knows all the rooms,� said Harry. He said the last part only to Draco, in a whisper.

“True, true,� said Draco, in a whisper, as well. Harry knew that Draco was thinking too highly of himself now.

“Don’t be a prat, Draco,� said Harry, with a smile on his face.

“Oh, like you could find a better room?� said Draco.

“Maybe I could. There have got to be tons of rooms in Hogwarts. I’m bound to find a better room than yours,� said Harry, arrogantly.

“Yeah, I bet,� said Draco sarcastically, but he knew that Harry was probably right. Harry could see that Draco was thinking this, since it was written all over his face.

“Well, Harry, since you think that you could find a better room, do you want to go looking around?� asked Draco.

“Not tonight. I’m knackered,� said Harry.

“Fine, then we’ll go during the weekend. Saturday night. Got it?�

“Alright,� Harry replied.

Harry looked around the Common Room after Draco got up, and saw that younger students and some older students were looking at him. Can’t they get sick of looking at me, already? I’m not that interesting. Harry turned back, but then Zabini, came up to him.

“Hey, Potter. I was wondering if you wanted to play a game of Wizard Chess,� said Zabini.

“I don’t know how to play regular chess,� said Harry, a bit embarrassed. “No one ever taught me.�

“Do you want me to teach you?� Zabini asked.

“Yeah, alright,� said Harry, excited. “And by the way you can call me Harry.�

After teaching Harry about each figurine on the board, they played, if you could call it playing, since Zabini always beat him in about a minute flat. But this game was different, and Harry now understood why it was called Wizard Chess. The figurines on the board broke the other figurines when they had to take their spot, instead of Harry moving them off the board. After a while, Harry got a bit better, but he still hadn’t beat Zabini.

“Hey, Harry!� said Zabini.

“What you told me I could do that move!� said Harry.

“No, it’s not that. Is that your owl? She’s on the back of your chair,� Zabini told Harry. Harry looked around to see Hedwig with yet another letter.

“Oh, yeah it is. Thanks,� said Harry taking the letter.

“Who’s it from?� asked Zabini. He was leaning forward to look at the letter, but Harry moved it closer to himself.

“A friend,� said Harry, reluctant to let Zabini look at it. “This will just take a minute. Sorry.� Harry walked over to a table in the corner that had extra parchment and a quill.

Harry,

I’m curious as to what problems you already have. Next Friday would be fine. Lets say one in the afternoon right after lunch. See you then,

Hagrid

Harry folded the parchment and put it in his pocket. He ripped a piece of parchment on the table and wrote back to Hagrid that he would see him at one next Friday. Harry walked back to the table with Zabini and Hedwig waiting. As Hedwig flew off, Harry began to play chess again.