Chapter 143: Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter here

Hogwarts had a weird system in which the students always arrived on the 1st of September, regardless of whether the 1st of September happened to fall on a Friday, which meant that they often just hung around with their friends until classes actually started on Monday.

The year 1992 was not such a lucky year, and the students arrived on a Tuesday instead, which meant classes would start immediately the next morning.

“It’s such a drag,” Cedric commented in the train compartment they were sharing on the way to Hogwarts.

The night was falling, which meant they were close.

Harry leaned on the glass and looked at the landscape passing him by. “It’s just classes,” he commented eventually. Kids never knew how good they had it, magical or Muggle. Once you graduated from school, you’d look back fondly on the amount of free time you’d had.

“I’ve been getting really into flying this summer, and barely scraped together the homework last week,” Cedric complained.

“C’mon,” Penny said with a smile. “Even if you had a weekend, would you actually revise, or just go play more Quidditch?” she asked.

Cedric paused thoughtfully before begrudgingly shaking his head. “You’re right,” he said with a sigh. He dramatically banged his head on the glass opposite Harry. “You’re right.”

One funny change that had happened because Cedric had been surrounded by more ambitious friends was that he’d gone more all out on Quidditch. With no Harry Potter to win the Quidditch cup last year, Hufflepuff was now on a two-year winning streak.

The boy might actually go pro, even if, in Harry’s opinion, he was more suited to being a chaser than a seeker.

“You got invited to spectate a training session by a professional team, right?” Harry asked curiously.

The brown-haired boy puffed up. “Yeah, Wimbourne Wasps. It was great. Probably I’ll attend their summer camp next year, the coach seemed to like me, and it helps that he knew my dad. Their seeker’s gonna be a bit too old in a few years, and their replacement recently retired to learn exorcism in Japan. Might be an opportunity!”

“Well, they’re no Wigtown Wanderers, but I guess you’ll at least get to keep the colour scheme,” Penny sniffed disdainfully. 

The Wimbourne Wasps were indeed black and yellow, although with angrier lines to designate the danger of a sting.

“The Hufflepuff team captain is graduating this year,” Harry remarked. “From my observations, the team captains of each house all have fairly good chances of going pro. Especially if they win the cup at least once.”

Cedric went cross-eyed as he considered it. “William has seniority, but he’ll be a seventh year next year. Might not be much of a point having a captain for just one year before needing another.”

“Also, he might not want to be captain,” Penny interjected. “Seventh year is supposed to be really difficult. Some team captains even quit at the end of the sixth just to focus on schoolwork.”

“Keep practising, be team captain for at least two years, win at least one cup while leading, attend the training invitationals of the pro teams,” Harry mused. “Pretty high chances, I’d say.”

Cedric blushed and mumbled something about nothing being set in stone.

“They’ll probably offer you prefect next year,” Harry suddenly said. “Better reject it and focus on Quidditch if you’re serious about it. Team captain is honour enough.”

If Cedric went all in on Quidditch, he might not be the Hogwarts champion in the Triwizard tournament. Worth thinking about.

“Well, they usually pick a boy and a girl,” Cedric replied. “I think I’m safe.”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked, Cedric had good grades, was personable, and never got into trouble.

Cedric threw him a confused side-eye. “Mate, do you really think they’ll offer me the badge when they have the next Dumbledore sitting at the table?” he asked.

Harry blinked. “If they send me that bloody thing, I’m mailing it back,” he eventually said. “The average prefect wastes one hour per day answering stupid questions, leading around first-years and patrolling after curfew.”

“It would look good on your resume,” Cedric teased. “After all, you won’t be the team captain of the Quidditch team like me.”

“Over my dead body!” Harry protested vehemently.

“I’d take it,” Penny suddenly piped up. “Firsties need all the help they can get. And if I don’t take it, well, I don’t think my classmates will be of much use.”

Other than Penny, Harry and Cedric, the rest of the Hufflepuff fourth years were struggling to even keep up with their classwork, let alone any extracurricular duties.

There was probably a reason why Hufflepuff was sometimes affectionately called Dufflepuff, and it wasn’t because of their academic prowess. The fact that they’d won the house cup because of Harry and the Quidditch cup because of Cedric already made these last years the most successful the house had ever had since its inception.

Which was just sad when you thought about it.

Harry didn’t think it was that sad, at least Hufflepuffs lead the game in emotional intelligence. At the end of the day, that had to count for something.

Also, everyone knew that all the real Slytherins went to Hufflepuff.

-/-

Whispers assaulted Harry as he got off the train and quickly made his way past the thestrals into a carriage alongside his two friends.

“Don’t they have anything better to talk about?” Cedric scoffed as the wooden carriage lurched and took them towards the castle.

“Considering we’re miles off any civilisation in the middle of the wilderness?” Harry asked rhetorically, a tired lilt in his voice. “Honestly, probably not.”

“Any idea who the new defence professor might be?” Penny said, changing the topic.

Harry furrowed his brows. “I think I might have an idea.” 

-/-

“Were we ever this small?” Cedric asked curiously as him, Harry and Penny huddled together at the Hufflepuff table. As an unspoken rule, the older years moved further and further towards the door, the seating arrangement being somewhat segregated by year.

The only exception was the sorting, when they left the space next to the hat and the staff table empty so that the first years wouldn’t have to walk too far.

Harry looked at the newborn calves being sent into their first year of Hogwarts.

Incredibly tiny was the first thing that came to mind.

A flash of red, he cringed as he glimpsed Ginny Weasley.

The diary had already been neutralised in this world, so the girl wouldn’t have to suffer, but the fact that she had in the books and that he now saw her, all sopping eleven years old, really drove the point home.

He looked to the left, at Neville, who was sitting together with Harley, as always, whispering about something.

The boy also hadn’t had an easy first year at Hogwarts, what with the Quirrell nonsense. They exchanged a nod before the blonde boy went back to whispering.

Going by the furtive glances at the staff table, it wasn’t hard to guess what they were talking about.

Snape loomed in his ever-present black robes next to McGonaggall and Dumbledore, glaring at anyone who dared meet his eyes.

He’d finally gotten his hands on his desired position teaching DADA, hadn’t even had to waste more than a decade teaching Potions first this time. Slughorn was still hale and hearty, although one did have to worry about his heart sometimes. Harry wondered if the old man was a stress-eater, which would explain why he looked bigger every time Harry saw him.

Harry briefly met Snape’s eyes at the staff table, but both of them pretended that they didn’t know each other.

There was no need to mention their deal. Everything had already been discussed.

Exchanging a somewhat stiff nod with Flitwick, Harry returned his attention to the sorting just in time to see a small waifish blonde girl go to the Ravenclaw table and sit down next to the somewhat isolated Hermione. 

The two of them immediately started up a conversation, although Hermione looked more confused than anything. 

Considering Hermione had also had negative experiences with bullying, Harry hoped that the two could get along.

The last person to be sorted was Ginny Weasley, who joined her brothers in Gryffindor.

The hat was carried off again, and Dumbledore stood up from his high chair and gently tapped a fork onto his crystal goblet.

“Welcome back to another year of Hogwarts,” the old man announced happily. “I am sure your heads have once again been properly emptied, which means that we professors have something to do. Helping us in this task this year will be Professor Severus Snape,” he nodded towards the hook-nosed man, “who will be taking over the Defence against the Dark Arts position.” Dumbledore paused. “Dig in!” he announced, before sitting back down.

“That was an oddly short speech,” Harry commented idly as he stacked food on his plate. He’d miss this all-you-can-eat buffet in the future.

“He looks tired,” Penny noted, looking at the grey-haired wizard rocking a lime-green robe. The man was whispering something to Slughorn and did indeed look somewhat drained.

Harry refrained from commenting that he was likely one of the reasons the old man was out of energy. Dumbledore had helped him this summer after all, a debt that Harry wouldn’t forget any time soon… Although arguably, by having revealed to the man the locations of all the Horcruxes, it was rather Dumbledore that owed him. So maybe they were quits, in fact. He just hoped the old man had enough energy to help him with the pensieve as he’d promised once Harry presented his enchantment project. The Book of Eibon was progressing nicely. If he could just calibrate the copying enchantment… A few months and he’d be done, he could feel it.

“Another new defence professor,” Cedric said with a sigh, switching topics. “Hope this one lasts, although he does look a bit dour.”

“It’s curious,” Penny commented. “I would have thought he’d be teaching Potions, but I guess Slughorn isn’t planning on retiring anytime soon.”

“He’s as good at defence as he is at Potions from what I heard,” Harry remarked, not bothering to look at the man.

“He doesn’t look like he wants to be here,” Cedric observed before shrugging and starting on his own food.

“Maybe he’s doing the headmaster a favour. It must be getting hard to fill the position,” Penny said before pausing. “Although my dad did tell me that Gilderoy Lockhart applied. Maybe this has been the only year with two actually good professors wanting the post.”

“Lockhart will have his opportunity next year, I’ll say,” Cedric grunted through bites of food. “It's not like a professor has lasted more than a year for decades now.”

Snape was indeed planning on leaving after this year. After all, the deal he and Harry had made was limited in scope.

Harry just really hoped the man wouldn’t be replaced by Lockhart next year, after all, without Sirius Black in Azkaban, there wouldn’t be a reason for Lupin to take the job.

“I just hope it's not Lockhart,” Harry muttered.

“He’s an accomplished wizard,” Penny chastised Harry. “My grandma took me to his book-signing this year. He’s done a lot for smaller communities that don’t have the resources to resolve more complex issues with dark creatures or curses.”

“You shouldn’t believe everything you read,” Harry responded after a bit.

Although, to be fair, this was an alternate universe, perhaps Lockhart was actually a real adventurer this time around.

Cedric snorted from Harry’s left, splattering what he’d been chewing all over his plate. “Says the guy whose head is always stuck in a book,” the boy chortled. 

“First of all,” Harry started. “Picking the right book is almost as important as knowing how to read it. Second of all,” he threw his friend a grossed-out look. “That’s disgusting.”

“Sorry,” Cedric mumbled and idly waved his wand to clean his mess.

“You’re forgiven,” Harry said magnanimously and refocused on his own meal and thoughts.

This was an alternative universe, but Lockhart being competent…? No, that was simply too weird.

-/-

Dinner finished an hour or so later, at which point Harry was approached by his head of house, who bustled over to him in her bright yellow robe with a letter in her hand.

“Harry, so proud of you for your results this summer,” Professor Sprout said happily as the other students stood up and started absconding to their dormitories. “Although I’m still waiting for an O+ in Herbology,” she joked.

“Thank you, Professor,” Harry replied as he waved Penny and Cedric off to go with the rest of the house. It wasn’t even curfew yet, and he could find his own way later. “As for the O+, I think that might be a bit hard to arrange in Herbology, considering that it is an actually challenging class, unlike the other ones in which one simply has to foolishly wave one’s wand and chant Latin gibberish,” he joked.

The older woman laughed, her second and third chins wobbling at the gesture. “You are funny, Harry, I’ll give you that. I’d also like to say that I’m really happy that you’ve managed to improve your Potions grade; it was getting a bit worrying there for a second.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I came to give you this,” she said and handed him the letter. “Your timetable for the year. You and Miss Haywood certainly managed to give us a headache!” she exclaimed, but didn’t seem to be bothered with it. “Fifth-year potions for Miss Haywood. For you, sixth year Arithmancy and Transfiguration, fifth year Charms. Slughorn, Flitwick and McGonagall were seething with jealousy, I’ll tell you that.” Her eyes glinted. “I think the students from the other houses will be getting a bit of a telling off this year.”

Harry listened idly and cracked open the letter. What came out was a timetable that was obviously very personalised. After all, there were now three entire classes that he didn’t share with his yearmates. 

“Additionally,” Sprout continued. “Tomorrow after breakfast you won’t be receiving your timetable, as you did so now, but instead going directly to the headmaster’s office to discuss the,” she paused and winked at him, “other thing.”

“Thank you, Professor,” Harry said genuinely. “I really cherish this opportunity.”

“Of course you do,” the professor said, patted him on the cheek and walked past him. “I must be off, however, I have to talk to the first years, poor dears, away from home for the first time!”

Harry watched her go, wondering if she would use some hidden passages to arrive in the dormitories before the Hufflepuff procession. He looked around the suddenly empty Great Hall.

He rolled his shoulders.

The looks he’d been getting… They’d increased in weight again. 

Maybe…

Maybe tonight he could sleep in the Room of Requirement.

Just once.

To avoid having to talk to anyone.

Penny and Cedric had shielded him on the train and during dinner, one sitting on each side of him. But the dorms would be a different story since he shared them with six other boys.

Just once, he told himself and slipped out of the great hall.

“Just once.”

-/-

AN: the years starts, can't believe we're all the way in year four now. Crazy how long I've been writing this story. After year four ends we will technically be about half-way done with the plot I’ve written out, although I have the suspicion that the years will be getting longer and longer as the complexity of Harry’s situation increases.

Did I spoil that his future won’t be an easy ride? Ups…

On my original, another 100 follower milestone reached, chapters synchronised. If you like my writing, check my new RoyalRoad story: Re: Villain (to Hero)