Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Harry gets lots of hugs
The next day Harry went for breakfast in a group led by a prefect. Nott and Draco were talking to each other as they walked. Crabbe and Goyle were on their sides. Harry was back in the group, alone. He had his hands in his trousers pockets. His unruly hair was attractively messy. His eyes were cold, staring ahead. As they reached the Slytherin table, Harry took a seat at the farthest end, nearest to the entrance. The others left the adjacent seats empty. As his anger was boiling inside him, Daphne and Tracey sat in front of him and gave him a small smile. The anger disappeared, replaced by confusion.
"Good morning Harry." They said together and started talking with each other, again ignoring him.
'Well, at least they are not avoiding me as if I was a plague.' he pondered and started eating his breakfast. Jasmine and Hermione entered the hall, when their eyes caught his, they waved at him. He waved back as they sat on the Gryffindor table.
'What is worse? Total ignorance or partial ignorance? Most of them are isolating me while some are just smiling at me from a distance, not bothering to talk to me.' he mused as he filled his stomach.
"Potter!" someone sneered at his back. He turned and saw Professor Snape.
"This is your timetable." he said as he handed him a parchment. Without waiting for any response, he left.
'How fun will it be to turn his skin as dark as night with pink thorny horns sticking out from his long ugly nose.' he imagined with a small smirk.
Harry walked to the transfiguration class. He sat at the last bench and waited for the professor to arrive. As a boy with ginger hair ran in the classroom, the cat which was sitting on the desk jumped and turned into Professor McGonagall. Harry peered at her in astonishment. That was brilliant magic. Professor scolded the boy whose name was Ronald Weasley for being late. She then explained that she was a cat animagus. Harry listened in with great interest.
'I will definitely love to be an animagus. I hope it will be a cool animal.'
"Now then," Professor McGonagall spoke to the class. "shall we begin?" She asked but continued before anyone could respond. "Now, transfiguration is one of the more difficult branches of magic that is taught at Hogwarts. It is also one of the more dangerous branches, that means I will not tolerate any fooling around. I will not hesitate to kick out a student if I think you are misbehaving. Is that understood?" She said in a stern voice.
"Yes Professor." The class chorused. Professor McGonagall stared at the students for several moments, as if checking to see that they were all being truthful. Eventually she nodded and continued teaching, after a short while of simply talking about transfiguration along with what it could do and how dangerous it could be if people messed around, she had the students attempt to turn a matchstick into a needle. Harry picked up his wand and looked at it. He hadn't used it even once after buying it. He wasn't really interested in a wand, he didn't need a wand for his magic but now the use of it was inevitable. There was a gentle thrumming coming from it. A warm pleasant sensation flowed in his hand like a soft blanket warming his body on a cold winter night. He waved his wand as instructed by the professor. The matchstick turned into a shiny needle in an instant.
"Brilliant Mr. Potter. 10 points to Slytherin." she said encouragingly. Others stared at the needle in astonishment. Harry continued holding his wand and looking at it in awe. He felt stupid for neglecting his wand. As the class was coming to an end, some more students turned the matchstick into a needle but it was a partial transformation. No one's come close to Harry's needle. Harry smiled at his success. He loved the warm feeling from the wand. As the class ended, he packed his bag and went out of the class, all the while his hand was in pocket, gripping his warm wand.
The charms class also went well with him mastering the Levitation charm in first try. He was proud of himself. If he wanted he could do anything with his method of magic by just wishing it to happen but being able to do the 'normal' magic with wand movements and incantations made him believe that he could do anything without revealing his real powers. It was evening and he was exploring Hogwarts with a bounce in his step. His warm faithful wand was in his pocket. As he was passing by an unused classroom, he heard distressed voices coming from inside. He slowed and stood in front of the door of the classroom. He opened the door and leaned on the doorframe.
"Please don't do this. I am begging you." Tracey pleaded. Her hands were stuck to each other by a sticking charm behind her back. She was wearing only her panties, her clothes resting on a desk beside her. Tears were running down her cheeks. Her hair was disheveled. Standing in front of her was a sixth year male student. He was leering at her naked chest.
"It is tradition, Miss Davis. Every half-blood female first year Slytherin has to pleasure a pureblood student at least once. Don't worry, I will be gentle. I will even obliviate you of this experience so you won't be traumatized." he said. His dark eyes savoured her innocent naked figure. As he raised his hands to touch her naked flesh, Harry cleared his throat.
"How nice of you to consider her mental health." Harry said in an icy tone. The Slytherin sixth year looked at him with fear and anger. Tracey looked up at him with an ember of hope sparking in her moist eyes.
"What are you doing here Potter? Go away, no one needs you." he said. Harry walked towards them and stopped a step away from them. He removed his robe and covered Tracey with it. He rolled up the sleeves of his green shirt and cracked his knuckles. He always wanted to act like he had seen in the movies.
"So is this really tradition or some bullshit?" he asked in an inquisitive voice. The sixth year glared at him and folded his hands on his chest.
"What if it isn't? She will be fucked if not by me then some other student, everyone loves taking the virginity of small innocent girls. The memory charm is helpful in that way. You know what? You also look delicious. Maybe I will have a feast today." he sneered. Harry raised his brow at that.
"Hmm. I will have to decline." he said as he pointed his wand at the boy. The older boy didn't even have a moment to retaliate.
"Wingardium Leviosa." he said in a bored tone. The sixth year student was suddenly yanked up and slammed on the ceiling. Then he was violently yanked down and smashed on the floor. A loud crack echoed in the classroom. His hands and legs were bent at an unnatural angle. His face was covered in blood. He was already unconscious. Harry pocketed his wand and looked at Tracey who was staring at him in awe. She started sobbing and threw herself at him and embraced him. Harry caressed her hair with one hand while his other hand was snaked around her waist. It felt so good, Harry thought. It was his first hug. The warm and soft body pressed against him, the closeness with another human body was great. Harry could get used to having hugs.
"Everything is fine Tracey. Don't cry." he said. She just buried her face in his neck and continued crying. Harry sighed but carried on with caressing her head. After five minutes, Tracey slowly pulled out from the hug and looked at him.
"Thank you so much Harry, for saving me. I was so scared. He had stunned me in the hallway and brought me here." she smiled a teary smile. Harry shrugged.
"I was just passing by when I heard your scream and decided to see what it was." he replied.
"If you want anything from me in future, then ask me. I am in your debt." she said.
"Anything?" he raised his eyebrow. She looked uneasy and afraid but nodded in defeat. He rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on! I am not going to ask that. I am only eleven now and think that is gross." he assured her, meanwhile pinching his nose in disgust. She smiled.
"You know you can pay the debt by giving me hugs regularly. It felt good, who knew hugging felt that good." he said wistfully. She giggled and looked at him if he was stupid.
"Of course Harry, I will hug you whenever you want. I will do that even without the debt but I am glad my debt will not cause me any trouble in future." she said, nodding her head. He grinned and grabbed her in another hug. She laughed and hugged him back. He pulled back from the hug and looked at the downed figure.
"What to do with him? Do you want me to kill him? I have never killed anybody but I think I can do it. I was always curious if it would change me." he said thoughtfully. She looked at him sharply.
"Harry, you don't have to do that. Killing is bad. We will inform the professors, they will take care of that." she said forcefully. He shrugged.
"If that is what you want. He is your prey." he said. She rolled her eyes at him.
"You really don't know how to talk to other people. Do you?" she said jokingly. He tilted his head at his side.
"Now you mention it, it is true. I never had anybody to talk to."
"What about your family?" she asked.
"They aren't people. They are my prey." he said jovially.
'I really need to teach him how to behave properly and not to say things like this in front of others.' she thought. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
"Guard him. I will go and bring a professor." she said as she handed him back his robe and picked up her clothes.
"Turn around and don't peek." she said, covering her chest with her clothes. Harry looked confused.
"Isn't that illogical? I have already seen you naked. Why does it matter if I see or not see you naked again? And also there is nothing to see, your body looks just like a boy's body." he said sincerely. She really wanted to glare at him but knew he wasn't insulting her but was just genuinely confused.
"It is improper to see anybody naked without their consent and I haven't given you my consent to see me. As for me looking like a boy, I am only eleven." she said indignantly, controlling her blush at the stupidity of explaining to a boy why he shouldn't peek at naked girls even if they don't have their assets developed. Harry nodded as if it made sense and turned around. She sighed and quickly dressed herself.
"Be careful Harry. I am going to bring a professor." she said and he nodded. She went out of the class. Harry wore his robe and sat on a chair facing the limp body of the sixth year Slytherin. He was tempted to torture the unconscious body but didn't knew if the healer can detect the symptoms of being tortured so he decided against it. He still stood up and kicked him on his face though. After a few minutes Professor McGonagall came running with Tracey closely following her. She gaped at the sight. Harry wanted to laugh at seeing the composed professor giving that reaction.
"What happened here, Mr. Potter?" she asked sternly as she kneeled beside the sixth year Slytherin.
"He tried to rape me. Harry was passing by when he heard my scream and helped me." Tracey said as she stood by his side.
"He did that!" She said, anger pouring out of her. Harry nodded. She levitated the body and started leading him to the hospital wing.
"Go to your common room. I will inform the Headmaster. Miss Davis, you should come with me to the hospital wing." she said. Harry and Tracey agreed. Tracey hugged Harry as he left for the Slytherin dorms.
Harry entered the Slytherin common room to find Daphne Greengrass pacing back and forth. He went to her.
"Daphne? Are you all right?" he asked. She stopped walking and looked at him. Her lips turned into a small nervous smile.
"I am fine, Harry. I am just worried about Tracey. I don't know where she went. I have been waiting here for her for almost half an hour."
"Oh! She is alright now, I think. She is currently in the hospital wing if you want to go." he said. Her eyes widened and filled with fear.
"Hospital Wing? What happened to her?" she hissed.
"It is better if she tells you that. Now hurry and go to her."
"Thanks Harry." she said distractedly as she left the common room. Harry sat in the corner alone, observing everyone. Some students were studying, some were talking about quidditch, some were flirting with girls and girls flirted back. Draco Malfoy boasted to the first years how he was a brilliant flyer and will prove it in the upcoming flying class. Harry ignored him and thought about what to do. Should he reveal his powers and make everybody bow to him? Should he establish his domination so early or should he wait more? His reverie was interrupted by the opening of the common room door. In came Tracey and Daphne. They both came straight to him.
Daphne's eyes were full of gratitude. Tracey had a small smile on her face.
"Thank you Harry for saving Tracey." she said sitting beside him. Tracey sat beside Daphne.
"Glad to help." Harry replied. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Not knowing what to say.
"Did you really use life debt for hugs?" she asked incredulously, breaking the silence. Tracey snorted at that.
"… Yes," Harry answered, not knowing where it was going. Daphne shook her head in amusement.
"You could have asked for thousands of galleons, you could have asked her to become your mistress but you asked for hugs."
"It seems you are sad that I, a preteen, didn't ask for Tracey's Virginity," he joked.
"Hey!" Tracey glared at him while Daphne laughed.
"No, I am happy actually but your demand is just so… unique." she said. Harry just shrugged.
"Don't worry Daphne. When I will save you from some danger, I will ask for kisses in the payment for the life debt. Okay?" he smirked trying to make her blush. Daphne just stared at him, not taking his bait.
"Then, let's hope I will not find myself in any danger." she smiled smugly. That brought another minute of silence.
"Let's be friends Harry. All of us." Tracey piped up. Harry and Daphne looked at her as if she was a moron.
"What? Why are you both looking at me like that?"
"That's so lame way and straightforward of you to ask us to be friends but I agree. Let's be friends." Harry agreed. Tracey grinning, stood up and pulled him in an embrace. Harry smiled and returned the hug. Daphne watched them with amusement. When they pulled back and looked at her she raised her eyebrow from where she was sitting.
"I am not going to join you in a group hug. As for being friends I was always ready but it was Tracey who didn't want to." she said, pointing her finger at Tracey.
Harry turned to Tracey who was looking sheepish.
"He was scary. I was scared." she murmured with a blush tinting her cheeks. Harry laughed at her as he pulled her in another embrace.
"You know that I will continue scaring everyone." he said, tapping her head.
"But at least now I know you won't harm us." she mumbled burying her face on his chest not wanting to look at him. Daphne cleared her throat.
"I am still here so please stop acting like lovers." Daphne said, her eyes full of mirth. They broke the hug and looked at each other. Tracey whispered something in Harry's ears. He nodded.
"What are you both planning?" Daphne asked suspiciously. Tracey and Harry looked at her innocently.
"Nothing. We just realised we were excluding you." Tracey said in a faux sadness.
"Wha-" she didn't complete her sentence as she was suddenly standing and sandwiched between Harry and Tracey. Harry was hugging her from behind while Tracey from front, her arms looping around Harry's neck.
"What are you doing?" Daphne whined. Tracey and Harry just laughed as they continued hugging her. Daphne sighed dramatically.
"If this is what you want. I will allow you little peasants to embrace me for a little while." she said haughtily, laughter bubbling inside her.
"You bestow us with your generosity, my lady." Tracey played along. Harry was silent, content in remaining in the arms of his first friends.
That night Harry slept with a smile on his face. 'Power: check, Wealth: check, Friends: check. Hmm, I have everything I need. Congratulations little Harry, you get your wish. you have friends now. It seems the world isn't that cruel.'
Harry left his room and entered the common room to find Tracey and Daphne waiting for him.
"Harry!" Tracey smiled and hugged him. 'Wow, I don't even have to ask.' Harry grinned.
"Good morning, Harry." Tracey and Daphne said as Tracey pulled back from the hug.
"Good morning to you too, ladies." Harry smiled and stared at Daphne with his arms open. Daphne rolled her eyes but let him hug her. Tracey meanwhile giggled at her friends' antics. She knew Daphne enjoyed Harry's company, it was a breath of fresh air as she generally steered clear of boys. Saying Harry was unique was like saying the Sun was larger than Earth.
The trio then started for the great hall while talking about their classes. Daphne and Tracey praised Harry for his performance in class.
"Of course, I am the best," he said proudly.
"And modest too." Daphne quipped.
"Why should I be modest and lie that I am not the best when I know I am the best?" Harry asked while shaking his head at their stupidity. Tracey just rolled her eyes, knowing Harry's mind didn't exactly work like normal.
"But if you boast about yourself then people will think you are arrogant and your character will be smeared." she replied. Harry remained silent thinking about her words.
"That's true. I don't really care about other people's opinions but I will reign in my pride." he said.
"That's great. Let your actions speak for you instead of your words." Daphne suggested. Harry nodded, liking the suggestion. They sat together on the Slytherin table and talked among themselves. They were interrupted by the arrival of a magnificent snowy owl. The owl landed in front of him and picked up a piece of bacon and gobbled it down.
"Hedwig! How are you?" Harry asked as he caressed her plumage. Hedwig hooted and leaned into his touch.
"Oh! You were exploring the forest. How was it?"
Hedwig hooted again.
"Interesting, you say. I have to check it out then." Harry replied, patting her head. Hedwig with a final hoot, took off and went away. Finally, Harry registered the flabbergasted looks he was receiving from his friends.
"What?" he asked. Tracey just giggled while Daphne tried to say something but couldn't.
"Forget it. I am going to expect strange occurrences every minute so I won't be surprised again." Daphne sighed. On that instant, Professor Snape came to them.
"Potter! The Headmaster has asked for you after breakfast. Miss Davis you are also to come. Be ready, I will come after breakfast to take you." He said and went to the head table.
"Is he always that grumpy?" Harry asked.
"More or less." Daphne replied. Tracey had gone silent, remembering the incident. A shiver of fear ran through her body. Harry and Daphne noticed that and put their hands on her shoulder.
"Everything is alright. Nothing will happen again to you." Daphne reassured.
"Don't worry, I will protect you and if I wasn't trying to be modest I would have said that nothing in this world could harm you at my side which is true but I won't say it because I am being modest but you must know that it is true." Harry said. Tracey and Daphne laughed at his try at being modest. Harry had intentionally said that to bring some levity in the scene. He smiled at his friends. 'They look nice when they smile and laugh.'
"Thanks Harry. You have my full confidence." Tracey smiled. After breakfast they followed professor Snape. He led them through corridors to the third floor where he stopped in front of a gargoyle and said something gibberish. The gargoyle moved revealing a circular stone staircase. They climbed up the stairs and stood in front of a door.
"Wait here. Come in when I ask you to." professor Snape said as he knocked on the door.
"Come in." Headmaster Dumbledore's voice called out. Snape entered the room and closed the door behind him.
"Be nice to them. Don't talk much. I will take care of this. Did I mention being nice to them?" Tracey asked in a panic mode. Harry rolled his eyes and pulled her in a sideway hug.
"Okay, I will be nice to them but don't panic." Harry said as he squeezed her shoulder. She sighed but nodded.
"Come in." professor Snape said as the door opened. Harry and Tracey went inside and found the Headmaster sitting behind his desk while Snape was standing beside him and glaring at them. Headmaster smiled as his eyes twinkled.
"Take a seat Mr. Potter, Miss Davis." he said pointing to the chairs in front of the desk. Harry and Tracey sat in front of him.
"I want to hear what happened with you Miss Davis and how a sixth year student is still in the hospital wing? And also how Mr. Potter is involved in this." he asked with a grandfatherly smile as if he was asking about her favourite candy.
"I was stunned and taken to an empty classroom. When I woke up I found my hands bound behind me with my clothes….." Tracey continued narrating. Her voice was small and she seemed frightened. Harry had taken up one of her hands and was squeezing it whenever he thought she needed it. "And then I asked Harry to guard him and went to fetch professor McGonagall."
Dumbledore and Snape didn't show any surprise so they must already know.
"I am so sorry you had to go through that Miss Davis. I am very thankful to Mr. Potter that he saved you." Dumbledore said with a sad voice and turned his attention to Harry, "But I must ask, did you really use just the Levitation charm?"
"Yes." Harry replied succinctly. Dumbledore tried using legilimency on Harry but to his surprise he found nothing but an eternal golden light. This didn't go unnoticed by Harry. He wanted to use the red mist but controlled himself for Tracey's sake.
"I see. You are free to go. 100 points to Slytherin for saving a fellow student." Dumbledore said with a smile. Snape was furious. He didn't want the Potter brat to go unpunished but if he went to say something against him he would come out as a supporter of rape. With a great effort he controlled his anger.
"How are you going to punish the boy for what he had done, sir? And what are you doing to prevent these types of things from happening again." Tracey asked after building her courage. Dumbledore seemed troubled.
"I can't punish the boy as nothing really happened between you two. And if I expel him, then all the pureblood families will start a riot. As for preventing such heinous acts, I have posted some of the house elves to patrol the school invisibly." he replied. Tracey wanted to protest but Harry signalled her not to. She nodded at the professors and then left the office with Harry. The walk to the Slytherin dorms was filled with unpleasant silence. Suddenly Tracey turned around and jabbed her finger at Harry.
"Why did you stop me?" she asked angrily.
"They wouldn't have done anything then why waste your energy by protesting." he said.
"But that isn't fair. He was going to rape me and I can't do anything. He will roam these halls with no care while I will have nightmares every night." she said softly as tears started rolling down her cheeks. Harry sighed as he caressed her cheek.
"You just have to say one word. I will kill him. You don't need teachers for that." Harry whispered in her ear as he held her in his arms.
"I don't want him to die. I don't want to be the reason for someone's death, I just want justice." she murmured on his chest.
'You are too good for your own good, Tracey.' Harry thought as he massaged her head. Tracey pulled from the hug and smiled at him tiredly.
"Let's just go to Daphne." she said as she pulled him with her towards their destination.
Daphne was seething with rage. She was pacing back and forth, in front of them.
"He should be punished." she hissed and sat beside Tracey. She rested her head on her shoulder and sighed in defeat. "But I can understand the Headmaster's reasoning. The wizarding world is run by the purebloods and they can get away with anything."
Harry patted Tracey's shoulder.
"'I can't depend on others to do my work or take my revenge. It is upto me to do my work. I am the one and only who has the power to change my life.' That is the saying by which I lead my life. You should follow it too."
Daphne and Tracey looked at him sadly and understood that he must have been lonely and had a bad childhood to be that cynical.
"But if you believe that then you also don't have the power to help Tracey. It is upto Tracey to do something." Daphne said, raising her eyebrow. Harry shook his hand.
"It was true before Tracey asked me to be my friend but now she has me and she has a deal with me so I have the power to help her just so she can continue fulfilling her side of the deal." Harry replied seriously.
"So basically you are saying that you will help her just so you can continue having hugs?" Daphne asked incredulously. Harry shrugged.
"A deal is a deal."
Daphne snorted at that while Tracey laughed softly. She gently pulled Harry into another hug.
"Never change Harry. You must never change." Tracey giggled on his chest.
"Why would I? I am perfect. I don't need to change." Tracey laughed again.
"Harry? Did you forget about modesty?" Daphne asked, trying to suppress her laughter.
"Oops," Harry grinned, "As I am being modest I won't say that I am perfect but you must know and believe that I am perfect."
The three of them started laughing hysterically. They got a few odd looks from other students in the common room but they didn't care. They just held each other and laughed.
"You suck at being modest." Tracey said after finally controlling her laughter.
"I shall do my best at being modest for you, milady." Harry bowed.