leeemur's curated hp universe

Hermione was so distracted leaving the staff room that she nearly crashed into a gaggle of second-year Ravenclaws.

"Sorry!" She called out, powering away from them. As soon as she reached Ron and Neville, she breezed past them, jerking her head at them to follow.

"What did she say?" Ron asked.

"Well, the thing is, she already knew!" Hermione stopped in the Herbology wing, putting her back to the wall and stared blankly at some spot in the middle distance. "I don't see how she could have, though!"

"Maybe Umbridge told her," Neville suggested. "I bet she brags about that sort of thing."

"But punishing students for accidental magic is explicitly against the rules - the unassailable rules. It's in the Hogwarts Charter, signed by all four Founders! Even she can't -"

A few older students turned their heads curiously as they passed by.

Hermione lowered her voice to a whisper. "Anyway, Professor McGonagall said she was already planning to take care of it. I don't know what that means for Harry, but hopefully something good."

Ron and Neville exchanged a look. Despite the good news, Hermione still looked worried.

"What else is wrong?" Neville asked quietly. "Did she say something?"

Hermione tapped her fingers against her mouth. "No, but I...I just can't figure out who would have already gone to her. She said it was another prefect."

Ron recoiled, "A prefect?"

Hermione frowned. "Maybe - was it Alicia? Did you tell Fred and George, and did they tell her?"

"Hermione, we've been together since class ended," Ron reminded her. "I haven't seen any of them."

Neville lifted his eyebrows. "Could it have been Malfoy?"

Ron opened his mouth to rail against the very idea that Malfoy would ever intervene on Harry's behalf for anything, but then he caught sight of the conflict warring on Hermione's face.

"I think it...was," she whispered disbelievingly. "Why else would Professor McGonagall keep it a secret? I asked her who it was and she told me it didn't matter, but...he would have had to have gone to her right after class to beat me there."

"No way," Ron said, because one of them had to say it. "Why would ferret-face help Harry?"

Hermione looked horrified. "Because...I think they might be friends."

The three of them shared a grim moment of silence.

"I'm going to find No - er, Theo," Ron decided. "I bet he twisted Malfoy's arm to do it."

Hermione looked relieved. "You think so? That makes more sense."

"Yeah, definitely," Ron assured her, pretending not to see Neville's doubtful expression. "I think I saw him heading to the library."

"Alright, I'm going to go look for Harry. Want to come with me, Neville?"

Neville nodded, shooting one last glance at Ron. "You sure you don't want us to come with you, Ron?"

"I'll be fine," he waved his hand dismissively. "I can handle one snake."

Theo's searing blue eyes glared at him between his tattooed fingers.

Ron gulped. He was seriously beginning to regret not taking Neville up on his offer. He was beginning to regret even looking in any of the classrooms around the library when his search there turned up empty. He was especially beginning to regret closing the classroom door when he found the one that Theo was in.

"So, uh, you don't know who told McGonagall?" Ron clarified weakly. "You don't even know if it was Malfoy?"

"No." Theo dropped one of his hands from his face. Ron thought he was just stretching his fingers until a flash of orange on his finger caught the light from the setting sun. A spark of violet lit up his eyes. "Go away, Weasley."

"Ron," he corrected, swallowing dryly when Theo's fingers twitched. It was slowly dawning on him what a stupid tactical error he'd made. Theo hadn't had a pleasant time in defense either, and really, Harry wouldn't have gotten into trouble at all if Theo had played along with Umbridge. Ron wasn't a complete idiot, he could see he'd walked in on the Slytherin in the middle of a self-loathing session.

"Look, uhm, one last question. Do you know were Harry is?"

Theo narrowed his eyes. "Don't you think I'd be where he is right now if I knew where he was?" He said, lowering his voice to a snarl. "Get out of here, Ron."

"Okay, okay, I'm going!" Ron backed up toward the door, too wary to turn his back. "You know -"

The door opened suddenly, driving the handle into his lower back.

"Fuck!" Ron cried out, staggering to the side.

"Lord and Ladies, Weasley, I thought you were your sister," Blaise Zabini snarked as he swanned inside with pointy-faced Malfoy at his heels.

"Hey! Malfoy, did you um," Ron rubbed his back, hissing between his teeth. He could feel that he was already bruising. "Look, were you the one who told McGonagall about how Umbridge gave Harry detention for accidental magic? Hermione went to tell her so she could get the detention rescinded, but she already knew."

Zabini stopped and turned around, staring at Malfoy with a dozen emotions flashing over his face.

Malfoy hunched his shoulders sulkily. "Should have known she wouldn't keep her mouth shut."

"Draco Malfoy," Zabini breathed, grabbing Malfoy's chin. "By all the stars in the heavens, did you do a good deed?"

"Fuck off!" Malfoy snarled, slapping Zabini's hand away. "It probably won't help! She can still give him detention for a dozen other reasons. If you remember, he called her class a 'fucking joke' to her face, and then stormed out before it even ended, so -"

"She sent him away early," Theo's dry drawl interrupted.

"He's right," Ron agreed. "And cursing only carries a maximum punishment of one day of detention."

"For us, you mean," Malfoy sneered at him. "Professors can give one to three days, depending on the severity of the interruption and the language used."

Ron rolled his eyes. He didn't need the rules quoted at him by fucking Malfoy.

"She'll end up rewriting the charter at this rate," Zabini observed, swiveling to watch Malfoy cross the room to join Theo by the window. "I'm touched to see you grow like this, Draco, but by telling her what she can't do, she's only going to institute a new educational decree making it so she can punish us for accidental magic."

"Even High Inquisitors can't change the charter," Malfoy countered. Ron was struck dumb by how reasonable he sounded when he wasn't trying to be a total prick. "It takes an act voted on by the Board of Governors, the Headmaster, and a representative board of students to ratify a change. And in the end, the school still has to accept it. That's why it's never been done, the measure is too high."

"You heard her today," Theo piped up, crossing his arms. "The point is to build a brand new society where all magic is controlled, down to the individual spell. If Fudge and Umbridge have it their way, there won't be a Hogwarts for much longer."

Malfoy scoffed. "A politician and his toady can't get rid of the bloody school, Theo, get real."

Zabini cupped his ear, "Did my ears deceive me, or do you almost sound sad, Theo? I thought you hated this place."

"I do, but I hate the Ministry more," Theo sulked.

Oh my god, Ron thought, watching this all play out in front of him in disbelief. They really are just normal people.

"Be careful, boys, you never know who might be eavesdropping on your seditious conversations," a fourth voice interrupted.

Daphne Greengrass pushed the door open, her pale green eyes fixing on Ron immediately. His mouth went dry as she searched him over from top to bottom, her pink lips pursing slightly. For a terrifying moment, he wondered if his fly was down.

"Did someone invite him?" Greengrass asked the other three boys. When she finally stopped looking at him, Ron felt like he could breathe again.

"No," Zabini winked, "but I sort of like the idea of keeping him around purely so I can see how many shades of red he can go."

Ron's blushed deepened even more. Theo sighed.

"Ron, I told you to -"

"I know, I know!" He snapped. "Excuse me for coming to you about our mutual friend!"

"He's so passionate," Greengrass commented, sidling up to Zabini. "Perhaps that's the secret to the colors." Standing next to him, they looked sickeningly haughty, physical reminders that they had had all the opportunities and experiences to become the way they were, and Ron would never be able to be part of their world, no matter what he accomplished with his life.

"If you were passionate about something, what color would you turn?" Zabini said to her.

Ron and Malfoy made the same disgusted noise.

"Get a room," Pansy Parkinson jeered, making a rude gesture at Zabini and Greengrass as she also trailed inside, closely followed by Millicent Bulstrode. Parkinson outrightly sneered at him. "What the hell are you doing here, Weasel?"

"Merlin, I can't believe Harry hangs out with you people," Ron sighed, throwing his hands up. "I'm going to go find him now!" He called out, looking challengingly to Theo.

Theo stared him down coldly. "No, you won't."

Ca-thunk.

Remembering how skittish Potter had been, Theo forced himself to keep working, showing no reaction as the door creaked open.

After a few seconds, Theo risked a glance up. Potter stiffened. His face was thin, with none of the baby fat that Theo expected.

Theo looked away to hide his frown. "Mundo vulnus." The blood on his hand vanished.

Potter gasped. "What was that?"

"Magic, to clean my cuts," Theo answered in his smoothest tone. Daphne said he could be 'prickly.' He wasn't sure what she meant by that, so he thought that by channeling the opposite of prickly, he could keep Potter at ease. "It's not that bad. Just needs a bandage."

He cast about for something to transfigure, but Potter pulled out a clean white rag from the closet.

"You can use that until you find one." Potter said, sounding unnaturally somber.

"Thanks." He nodded at the spot of wall next to him. "You can sit with me, if you like. Better than being in the dark."

Potter shifted uncertainly. His shoes were full of holes. After a second he sat down, folding his skinny arms around his skinny legs, hardly taking up any room.

"Did you say...magic?"

Theo raised his eyebrows. Potter's green gaze searched around, trying to focus on his face. Theo felt a twinge of guilt. Bad enough to get de-aged in your Transfiguration class, only to also lose your glasses and sprint around a magical castle half-way blind.

"Yes, I did magic," he said. "I'm a wizard, like you."

"No!" Potter gasped.

"Yes," Theo's mouth twitched. Potter was far more expressive at eight than fifteen. He could see every little thought running through his head.

"Is that why they - they -" Potter paused precipitously. "Were my parents wizards, too?"

Something cold settled in his chest. "Yes, they were."

Potter let his hands fall limply to his lap. Theo could tell by the trembling in his shoulders that he was angry.

"Where am I?" Potter asked finally.

"The school we attend to learn magic. It's called Hogwarts."

"Do my Aunt and Uncle know I'm here?"

Theo hesitated. Just as he was trying to decipher the tremor in Potter's voice, his hand absently touched his bare arm.

His bare arm littered with bruises.

Theo froze, staring at the unmistakable halo of fingers wrapped around his biceps. They were so large that they disappeared under the tent of his ill-fitting sleeve.

Suddenly, the way Potter had sprinted from the classroom when Ron Weasley tried to hold him back made sense.

"No," Theo said impulsively, "You're safe here."

Potter squinted at him suspiciously.

Theo raised his wand, not allowing himself even a second to question what he was about to do.

"I swear to you, Harry Potter, that I will keep you safe until you're big enough to protect yourself again."

A flash of light sealed his promise.

"Was that a spell?" Potter whispered, awestruck.

"Yes." He shrugged his cloak off and shrank it down. "Put this on. It'll keep you -"

"Safe?" Potter interrupted excitedly. "Is it magic?"

"It is. And with it, I can always find you. This way you'll never be lost in the castle."

"Whoa..."

Theo smiled a little, taking care to fasten it with the fine silver raven pin it so it wouldn't fall down.

"What's your name?"

"Theodore Nott. But you can call me Theo."

Potter's jaw dropped. "Like from the Chipmunks...!" He gasped reverently.

"What?"

Potter pointed at Theo's tie. "You're wearing green! Just like he does!"

Theo looked around desperately, praying that nobody had overheard an eight year old compare him to a wood rat.

"Theodore's my favorite!" Potter added, grinning for the first time. "Do you like to cook? Can you sing?"

"Um...I don't know how and, uh..." Magic help him, he couldn't lie to that earnest face. "I can sing."

"Like Alvin and the Chipmunks!" Potter yelped. "Do you know their songs?"

Theo had no idea what he was talking about. "I know...uh, Greensleeves?" He said weakly.

Potter tipped his head. "I don't know that one."

"Nevermind." Theo got to his feet. "Let's go to the hospital wing."

"For your hand?"

Theo hesitated. "Yeah. And you were hit by a spell earlier. Do you remember?"

Potter shook his head.

"Well, it's nothing to worry about. We'll get it fixed up. Come on, it's not far."

"Um..."

"What is it?"

Potter looked nervously at his feet. In a flash, Theo realized how stupid he was. He couldn't see.

"Here," Theo held out his uninjured hand. "Sometimes the stairs like to vanish. Hold my hand until we get there."

Potter worried his lip.

"Remember, I promised to keep you safe, Harry," Theo encouraged, using his given name like they were friends. "I have to make sure you don't trip and fall."

Harry tentatively took his hand.

Theo kept his grip light. It was Harry who squeezed him when Weasley and Granger came rushing around the corner.

"It's okay," Theo murmured.

"You're nice like Theodore, too," Harry whispered nervously.

"Nott! Let go of him!" Weasley snapped.

"Harry! Harry, come over here!" Granger panted, grabbing at him.

Theo stepped in front of Harry.