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Chapter 27 - Chapter 26

After the confrontation with the Weasleys, the group had mostly avoided the other families. Harry did notice some of the others, even if they kept their distance.

Malfoy was practically preening at the attention of her 'superior' parents. Nearby her older sister spoke to them cordially, but without much interest.

Hermione's were looking around in amazement.

A few of his other Slytherin classmates' mothers, and occasionally fathers, were stuck between disdain and fond remembrance.

Most importantly he caught a glimpse of Neville with two adults looking close to the age of his own parents. That meant they were still healthy, still sane, and it brought a smile to the raven-haired boy's face.

****

Near the end of the night Harry recalled yet another question he had for the older individuals. "James, did you play Quidditch at Hogwarts?"

The man blinked, before smiling down at the boy-who-lived, "Not as part of a team or anything official, but Sirius and I did go flying around the pitch when we could. I do miss those days."

His slight shift brought the man from his memories and earned a curious look from his wife. "Is something wrong Harry?"

"No, no I just… was curious why boys aren't allowed to play."

James and Lily shared a glance, before the woman gave him a slight nudge to answer, "Well it's… a bit complicated really. Nothing stops us from the sport, at least not anymore."

"Anymore?"

This time the redhead answered, "Wizards used to be banned from participating entirely, but that was before we attended Hogwarts. Things have changed since then but some of the old biases still exist. Many of the older families, and even some of the others, insist upon maintaining that control over their sons, to ensure they aren't hurt or 'exposed to time wasting activities' as I've heard it called in newspaper articles."

Her husband huffed, clearly upset at the 'glorious sport' being referred to in such a negative way. Regardless, the woman continued. "But apart from the permissions slips nothing else really prevents you from joining the team… well except for tryouts."

"And the locker room situation." The man muttered, shifting Harry's attention.

"What situation?"

The man flushed slightly at being overheard but cleared his voice and replied regardless. "Wizards rarely participate, even those that convince their parents and Head of House are usually not selected for one reason or another. Because of this the school never built separate locker rooms for boys and girls, there was never any reason to spend the money or use the space required…"

Harry stared for a moment before he realized exactly what was being said. "O-oh…"

"Yeah… not a very good way of encouraging participation huh? I heard there were a few over the years that still played. They ended up having to change in their dorms instead of with their teams for obvious reasons."

There was no response, and in Harry's mind it merely confirmed his decision to stay away from the activity.

****

November passed much as the previous month had. Classes continued in normal ways and Harry continued building not just his knowledge and skill but also the relationships he had begun to cultivate. Every Quidditch game that Gryffindor was a part of had the boy, Amaryllis, and Ron sitting in the stands cheering or critiquing depending on what was happening.

Other times he would be sitting in the library, most often with Harriet and Hermione, going over notes, books, and texts. For the first time he felt useful in that area, that he could keep up with what would have been two vastly more intelligent individuals. When he would joke about this, they would scold him, telling him that even when they caught up with his year at Hogwarts, he would be welcomed with them, that one didn't need to memorize books and get perfect grades in every class to be valuable.

Even the Slytherins had, for the most part, come to accept his presence and occasionally even ask for bits of advice. The older students, naturally, still ignored him or even whispered behind his back but it was becoming more and more rare as the days turned into weeks.

Despite this he could still feel his movements being watched, even if he often did not see his observer. Was it Riddle or someone else? He knew the woman was guilty of paying him far more attention than necessary, her focus on him during class was an obvious example, but there were also times in which he swore someone else was studying him, examining him at times when no one else would be.

It was disconcerting, especially for a boy who had been through enough in his life that being stalked often led to life-or-death situations.

****

It was an unasked question, one he had never truly thought about, aside from a few secret thoughts and prayers. This wasn't something that mattered to him, wasn't something he could have ever received even if his wishes were granted.

So, it didn't matter. If he was given something, wonderful, if not then it was no different than the decade spent at the Dursleys. Still, it appeared as though an answer was desired, and so he shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I don't know, nothing really."

His two 'sisters' stared back in silence. Apparently, he had given the wrong answer. For some reason anger burned in his veins. What did they want from him? Why couldn't they understand that he wasn't normal that he didn't have a family growing up, didn't have relatives who cared about him? Why couldn't they just take a bloody hint and stop prying when it was obvious that he didn't want them to?

"Have you… ever been given a Christmas gift?"

His eyes narrowed at his 'twin'. "Yes Harriet, I did have friends and a godfather remember?" She flinched back but he wasn't going to apologize this time, not this time.

The redhead shifted a bit, clearly uncomfortable but choosing to respond anyway, "We just, want you to have a good Christmas Harry, that's all. We know you don't like to talk about it but Harriet and me, mom and dad too, we know you aren't really happy in Slytherin."

A sigh escaped his lips as his hand was dragged over his face. Despite his thoughts, he was going to end up feel bad for snapping at them. "I know, I just… never really asked for anything for the holidays. My friends, and later Sirius, would get me things but it wasn't important to me."

Still, he made a promise to think about it in the meantime.

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