“Meow!” Missus Norris said and Filch jumped.

“What do you mean it's past curfew?” Filch asked in surprise.

“Meow.” Missus Norris responded and licked her paw, then rubbed the side of her face with it.

“Let's go, Potter!” Filch said and almost like an old circus strong man, he picked up the huge bucket of water with one hand and grabbed the back of Harry's robes with the other.

Then he ran.

Harry was shaken like a washing machine as he was carried all the way back down the hallway, carried up a single set of stairs, ducked behind a tapestry of a goblin war, up another stairway, and he was suddenly at Griffindor Tower that was seven floors up from ground level.

We were just in the dungeons! Harry thought in shock as he was dropped onto his feet again.

“I'll take those and keep them safe in my office.” Filch said and took Harry's mop, large broom, and duster. “I expect to see you again tomorrow night.” He said, his face stern.

“Meow!” Missus Norris said.

“I'm off at the same time tomorrow.” Harry said and saw Filch's face soften. “I have a flying class on Wednesday, though.” He took out his schedule to show Filch. “Oh, no. I have astronomy at midnight, too?” He asked rhetorically and sighed. “Wednesday is going to suck.”

“Meow.” Missus Norris responded.

Filch just stood there and wasn't sure what to say.

“I better get to bed.” Harry said and looked at the Fat Lady. “Caput Draconis.”

“I'm sorry. It's well past curfew and you are out of bed.” The Fat Lady said.

“I was in detention.” Harry said and pointed. “Mister Filch and Missus Norris are right there.”

“I'm sorry. You don't have a teacher's permission to be out late.” The Fat Lady said.

“You stupid portrait!” Filch barked loudly and made a fist.

“Miss Fat Lady.” Harry said as he put a hand on Filch's arm. “As the caretaker, Mister Filch has to clean the castle.”

“Yes, what of it?” The Fat Lady said.

“You are a portrait that is inside the castle.” Harry said. “What if he decides it's time to clean you?”

The Fat Lady gasped, Missus Norris let out a loud purr, and Filch let out a satisfied grunt.

“I... well...” The Fat Lady blushed and looked slightly ashamed. “You may enter and go to bed.” She said and swung open to reveal the door to the Griffindor common room.

“I think you should tell the other portraits the same thing, Mister Filch.” Harry said.

“Don't you worry, lad.” Filch said. “Gossip spreads through the castle like lightning.” He grinned. “I bet by the time I get back down to my office, the whole castle will know.”

Harry smiled and nodded. “Goodnight.” He said and looked down. “Goodnight, Missus Norris.”

“Meow.” Missus Norris said and wiggled her whiskers, then she led Filch back down the hallway.

Harry went inside the tower and went up the stairs, then cast the silencing spell on himself. He had used it countless times to stay quiet and went into the room with the other four Griffindor boys. He climbed onto his bed and took out his pyjamas, changed out of his robes, then used the basic cleaning spells on himself. He wasn't sure when he was going to find the time for a bath, so he needed to stay on top of his cleanliness.

Harry took out the book Hermione wanted and went to the window. Almost as if he called her, Hedwig flew around the side of the castle and landed on the window sill. He cancelled the silencing spell on himself, cast that large curtain to cut him, his bed, and the window off from the rest of the room, then he cast the silencing spell on the curtain.

“Give this to Hermione.” Harry said. “She's just on the other side of the tower.”

Hedwig gave a soft hoot and almost shrugged.

“I know it's late, so just leave it on the pillow next to her.” Harry said. “I'll get the window for you, too.” He leaned out and cast Alohamora and the window popped open. “I also need cat treats from the Magical Menagerie, so I'll write out a note and give you some money when you come back.”

Hedwig took the book and jumped out, flapped her wings once, then swooped into the other window.

Harry took out what he needed from his trunk, wrote out the note and asked for the best treats, then asked for the bill. He was tempted to pay the same amount that he did for the owl treats, so he waited for Hedwig. She landed on the window sill again and he gave her the note, the money for the treats, and then two owl treats.

“Thanks a lot, Hedwig.” Harry whispered and pet her. “I've got Herbology on Wednesday afternoon, then flying, then Astronomy at midnight. Can you come over with me? They are all outside and I miss having you around.”

Hedwig gave a soft hoot and used the tip of her wing to stroke his cheek, then she jumped off the sill. Harry stuck his head out the window to watch Hedwig fall all the way down the tower and then she spread her wings out to catch herself, zoom out of the dive, and she soared up and into the sky.

“That was cool!” Harry exclaimed and watched her disappear from sight, then he closed the window. He used the warming charm on himself and banished the curtain he had conjured, then he climbed onto his bed and moved his trunk down to the end. He settled down into his nest and tucked himself under the blanket.

Before he knew it, he was asleep and had slept until morning. He checked his timepiece and he was up just before the alarm went off, so he turned it off and changed for school. He applied the cream to cover the scar on his forehead and combed his hair. He didn't have to leave early to try and find the classrooms, since he had done that yesterday, and he got up with everyone else.

“H-Harry?” Neville asked, tentatively. “How was detention?”

“I didn't get back until an hour after curfew.” Harry said.

“Blimey.” Dean Thomas said. “Did you get any sleep?”

“I think so.” Harry responded and both Ron and Seamus laughed.

“You're going to need lots of pumpkin juice.” Ron said. “It's the best pick-me-up you can get!”

Harry silently cast the energize spell on himself and his tiredness evaporated. He knew he was going to need the spell a few times during the day. The five boys left their dorm room and went down the stairs, chatting about different things. Seamus and Ron discussed Quiddich, Neville was quiet, and Dean was telling Harry about how great his parents were for letting him come to a magic school and didn't force him to go to normal school.

I wish my parents hadn't been killed. Harry thought as Dean relayed his home life. Maybe I would have been raised normally.

As they left the Griffindor common room, Harry's thoughts went to a scenario where the bad guy hadn't hunted his parents down and killed them. Of course, he knew that if it hadn't happened, then the bad guy would still be around, too. Or he assumed so. Once he thought that, he wondered what the world would have been like if the bad guy hadn't killed himself while trying to kill Harry.

A lot worse than it is now, I think. Harry thought as they went down several staircases and moved down all the floors to get to the Entrance Hall. The five boys went into the Great Hall for breakfast and sat together. They kept talking and then breakfast was served as all the platters were filled with food. They ate as the girls joined them, then Hermione walked into the Great Hall all alone and she clutched the book Harry had loaned her to her chest.

Harry stopped talking to Dean and turned to look at her. “Hermione, what's wrong?”

“N-nothing.” Hermione said and walked by him and the other girls, then sat at the end of the table.

Harry got up with his plate of food and walked to the end of the table and sat down beside her.

“You shouldn't be talking to her, Harry.” Lavender Brown said. “Little Miss Know-It-All will tell you all about what you're doing wrong.”

“Is she being as mean as you are when she does it?” Harry asked.

“Wh-what?” Lavender asked, her face flushing red. “I'm not being mean!”

Harry looked at the guys. “I heard her say mean things. Didn't you?”

Seamus and Ron looked away, Neville ducked his head, and Dean nodded.

“I wasn't!” Lavender exclaimed.

“You called her a name and told me not to talk to her. That's mean.” Harry said. “You should be nice and tell her thank you. She's only trying to help.”

“H-Harry...” Hermione whispered with a blush. “It's all right.”

“No it isn't, Hermione.” Harry said. “No one bullies my friend.”

“I wasn't...”

“I could understand it if the Slytherins did it...” Harry started to say and saw Hermione's face get redder. “...but, they're bullies because everyone expects them to be. It's still not right.”

“What are you going to do about it, Potter?” A young boy's voice cut across the room from the Slytherin table.

“I'll complain to the Heads of our Houses.” Harry said and nearly everyone laughed. “So, that won't work?”

“Hardly.” One of the tall redheaded twins said and Harry didn't know which one it was. “The Head of Slytherin House is Professor Snape.”

Harry didn't have to ask which one, because the man in question was staring at him. “Hermione.”

“Yes, Harry?”

“Please keep caring enough about me to help me as much as you can, just like you've been trying to do to help them.” Harry said, to everyone's surprise.

Hermione blushed and nodded her head without saying anything.

Everyone went back to eating and then the mail was delivered. Harry accepted the giant bag of premium cat treats and gave Hedwig some of his sausages and his pumpkin juice. He shrunk the bag and put it into his pocket, then found the box of sandwiches that he had put there the day before.

I forgot I had that. Harry thought. I might get a chance to eat it tonight.

When breakfast ended, the first year Griffindors and Hufflepuffs went to the Charms classroom and continued their work on successfully casting the Lumos spell. In fact, they were going to be working on it all four days that they had classes. It was pretty much a dead class for both Harry and Hermione, so Hermione plucked up the courage and asked to see his spell book.

Of course, Hermione's eyes nearly bulged out of her head when she saw all the household spells and their descriptions, wand movements, variants, and uses. She hadn't seen the spells before.

“You have got to teach them to me.” Hermione whispered, almost in desperation. “Please.”

Harry nodded and chose the very first spell for them to work on.