Chapter 26: Chapter 25 The Quidditch Match
Notes:
Triple update!!!!
Sorry, I couldn't resist. The domapine rush I get from posting a chapter and seeing your guys's reactions is too great to resist. This chapter follows canon pretty closely for the most part, so you may recongnize sections from the book.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
As they entered November, the weather transitioned from the cool fall to the biting chill of the oncoming winter. The mountains around the school became icy gray, and the lake was like chilled steel. Every morning, the ground was covered in frost, and Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaver-skin boots.
The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Hadrian would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship. If Slytherin won, then they would remain in first place and Gryffindor would remain in third. Hadrian didn't plan on losing.
Hardly anyone had seen Hadrian play because Flint had decided that, as their secret weapon, Hadrian should be kept, well, secret. The only people who knew he was playing were his friends, the Slytherin team, the Tonkses, and Professor Snape.
Terrence Higgs was conveniently in the hospital wing, having been dosed by a befuddlement draught, all fingers pointing at the Weasley twins, who denied it vehemently. Little did the rest of the school know, Higgs brewed the potion himself as a review for his NEWTs and took it to ensure that Hadrian would be able to take his place as the 'official' reserve seeker. Higgs said it was either the befuddlement draught or the laxative potion, but Higgs didn't feel like the second option protected his dignity as much as the first; he was a Slytherin after all.
It was really lucky that Hadrian had Hermione as a friend. He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, Daphne, and Theo, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Flint was making them do. She also lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.
Hadrian learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and the fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.
Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Hadrian and Co. had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. The day before Hadrian's first Quidditch match the eight of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard.
Everyone moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He strode over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.
"What's that you've got there, Weasley?"
It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Ron showed him, holding the book from where Hadrian had been pointing out a particularly nasty fowl involving a flock of birds, several pieces of rope, and a clever use of the engorgement charm.
"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."
Ron looked enraged and like he was about to say something when Hadrian stepped on his foot and nodded to the professor, who sneered at the group before walking away.
"What was that for?" Ron yelled, whirling on Hadrian.
"Did you want to lose any more points? Snape was in a mood, there was no arguing with him."
"But he made that rule up; that's not very fair," Hannah said, frowning.
"It wasn't, but arguing with him wasn't going to make him any nicer, it was just liable to get Ron a detention," Hadrian responded, shrugging. "Something was off with him, I wonder what," he muttered quietly. The Slytherins shared a look.
We'll look into that later, Hadrian said without words.
Daphne, Blaise, and Theo nodded.
We understand, they replied.
The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.
"You've got to eat some breakfast," Blaise said, pouring syrup on his waffles, his braids magically colored to look green and silver.
"I don't want anything."
"Hadrian, you've got to eat something," said Theo, taking a bite from a sausage.
"I'm not hungry.
"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Daphne.
"No, thank you."
Hadrian felt nothing but anticipation, adrenaline rushing through his veins. In an hour's time, he'd be walking onto the field. He'd stand in front of the entire school as they watched him take to the skies and show them all what he could do. Not his name or his status, but his skill alone.
"Hadrian, you need your strength," said Miles Bletchley. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."
"Thanks, Bletchley," said Hadrian flatly, watching him pile ketchup on his sausages.
By eleven o'clock, the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.
Meanwhile, in the locker room, Hadrian and the rest of the team were changing into their green Quidditch robes (Gryffindor would be playing in red).
"Alright, men!" Flint clapped, getting everybody's attention.
"Here we go," Cassius Warrington groaned, earning a flat look from Flint.
"It's the same speech every year," Graham Montague whispered to Hadrian. "We have it memorized." And sure enough, Hadrian could see the rest of the team mouthing along with the captain.
"We have practiced and trained for this. This is the big one."
Hadrian wondered how the first match could be considered the 'big one,' but wisely kept his mouth shut.
Warrington and Montague were parroting behind him, causing Adrian Pucey and Lucian Bole to break character, laughing so hard that Flint stopped his speech and just stared at them, blinking until they stopped. It took a minute.
When they finally got their act together, Flint continued. "In all seriousness, we are a well-oiled machine at this point, and Gryffindor doesn't know that we are using a new seeker, even better, it is one they have never even seen fly." He turned to Hadrian. "They will try and contest this, just remember what Snape told you to say." Hadrian nodded.
"Slytherins! Let's fly!" Flint yelled, leading the team out onto the pitch to the sounds of the screaming fans. It was exhilarating. Hadrian looked around the stadium full of shouting students, and a grin spread across his face. One that morphed into a smirk when he met the shocked gaze of the Weasley twins.
"What is he doing here? He can't be here. You can't be here!" Wood shouted, pointing at Hadrian before turning to look at Madam Hooch, who had a pinched expression on her face.
"First-years aren't allowed on the teams," she told Captain Flint, looking at Hadrian smugly.
Wow, you think you got one over on an eleven-year-old. Congratulations!
"Actually, they are. Hadrian is our reserve seeker, and we have to use him because somebody," he said pointedly, looking at the Weasley twins, who dropped their mouths in offense.
"We had nothing to do with that!" They say in unison.
"Right," Flint drawls, looking back at Madam Hooch. "Somebody poisoned our seeker, and Higgs is in the hospital wing, so we need to use Potter."
"First-years can't have their own brooms," Hooch said.
"I don't. This is Flint's, I'm just borrowing it."
"You're saying that Flint has a Nimbus Two Thousand? And he uses it as a spare?"
Hadrian shrugged. "Slytherins are known for their opulence and extravagance. Now that everything is sorted, are we ready to play?" Madam Hooch looked like she swallowed a lemon, but she nodded reluctantly.
Lee Jordan, who was commentating, noticed that they all broke up and got into position and riled up the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like the game is about to start! Is that first-year Hadrian Potter? It is!"
Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field, waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.
"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Hadrian noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint.
"Mount your broomsticks, please."
Hadrian clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.
"It looks like Potter is playing despite being a first-year. I wouldn't be surprised if Slytherin found a loophole of some kind; what a cunning lot," Jordan says.
Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.
Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too –"
"JORDAN!"
"Sorry, Professor."
Lee Jordan was a close friend of the Weasley twins and was being closely watched by Professor McGonagall as he commentated.
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve – back to Johnson and – no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes – Flint flying like an eagle up there – he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle – that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and – OUCH – that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger – Quaffle taken by the Slytherins – that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger – sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which – nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes – she's really flying – dodges a speeding Bludger – the goal posts are ahead – come on, now, Angelina – Keeper Bletchley dives – misses – GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"
Gryffindor's cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.
"Budge up there, move along."
"Hagrid!"
Ron, Hermione, and Neville squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.
"Hadrian is playing!" Ron said in shock.
"What?"
"Look!"
"Blimey, he is! He sure looks tiny up there, with all those upper years, don' he?"
Theo, Blaise, and Daphne all bundle together in the Slytherin stand, watching their leader take to the skies.
"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"
"Nope," said Ron. "Cormac and Hadrian haven't had much to do yet."
"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Hadrian.
Way up above them, Hadrian was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Flint's game plan.
"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Flint had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."
When Angelina had scored, Hadrian had done a couple of barrel rolls to let off his feelings of frustration. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches, and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Hadrian dodged it, and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.
"All right there, Hadrian?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint who passed the Quaffle to Pucey as he dodged.
"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the – wait a moment – was that the Snitch?"
A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.
Hadrian saw it. In a great rush of excitement, he dived downward after the streak of gold. Gryffindor Seeker Cormac McLaggen had seen it, too. Neck and neck, they hurtled toward the Snitch – all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.
Hadrian was faster than McLaggen – he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead – he put on an extra spurt of speed –
WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below – Flint had blocked McLaggen on purpose, and Hadrian's broom spun off course when the three collided, Hadrian holding on for dear life.
"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.
Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.
Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.
"So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating –"
"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul –"
"Jordan, I'm warning you –"
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, inadvertently blocking his own Seeker, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue to play. Gryffindor is still in possession."
It was as Hadrian dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.
It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But a Nimbus Two Thousand does not suddenly decide to buck its rider off. Hadrian tried to turn back toward the Slytherin goalposts – he had half a mind to ask Flint to call a timeout – and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then, making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him.
Lee was still commentating.
"Slytherin in possession – Flint with the Quaffle – passes Spinnet – passes Bell – hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose – only joking, Professor – Slytherins score – oh no…"
The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Hadrian's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as he went.
"Dunno what Hadrian thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom…but he can't have…."
Suddenly, people were pointing up at Hadrian all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Hadrian's broom had given a wild jerk, and Hadrian swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.
Mother fucking shit! This is not good! He thought wildly, doing his best not to panic. How far is it of a drop? I could let go and tuck and roll.
He looked down, and his eyes widened considerably at the distance between him and the ground.
I will not be letting go, he decided. He clung tenaciously to the handle, a grim expression on his face.
"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him and McLaggen?" Seamus whispered.
"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic – no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."
"Why would he curse his own seeker?" Ron asked.
At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.
"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray-faced.
"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape – look."
Ron grabbed the binoculars from her. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Hadrian and was muttering nonstop under his breath.
"He's doing something – jinxing the broom," said Hermione.
"What should we do?" Ron asked.
"Leave it to me."
Before Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Hadrian, worried for his new friend. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Hadrian safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good – every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing. Puce and Bole were circling underneath the Weasley twins in case Hadrian jumped, and they missed him.
"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.
Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.
It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row – Snape would never know what had happened.
Meanwhile, Daphne had her binoculars held to her chest as she processed what she saw. Namely, Hermione setting Snape on fire, the professor who was countering the jinx that Quirrell was putting on Hadrian's broom.
It was enough. Up in the air, Hadrian was suddenly able to clamber back onto his broom.
"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.
Hadrian was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hands to his mouth as though he was about to be sick – he hit the field on all fours, coughed, and something gold fell into his hand.
"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.
"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it." Wood was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference – Hadrian hadn't broken any rules, and Lee Jordan was still shouting the results – Slytherin had won by two hundred and ten points to twenty. Hadrian heard none of this, though. He was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron, Hermione, Neville, and his Hufflepuff and Slytherin friends.
"I thought you'd never in a million years come here?" He whispered to the Slytherins, getting a smack to the back of the head in response.
"You nearly dying changes things!" Daphne whispered back harshly. Theo nodded silently, while Blaise tugged nervously on one of his braids.
"What are we doing in Hagrid's hut? I don't really remember much after catching the snitch," he leaned over and quietly whispered to Theo.
He leaned back and said, "Hagrid wanted to check on you after your near-death experience." Hadrian nodded before sitting up,
"I can't believe that you didn't tell us you were on the team!" Hannah accused, poking him in the ribs sharply.
"Well, that would defeat the point of it being a secret, wouldn't it?" He teased, smiling when she sent him an amused grin. He tuned back into the conversation that the rest of the students were having with Hagrid.
"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."
"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"
"It wasn't Professor Snape, it was Quirrell. I saw him also staring at Hadrian, and his broom stopped trying to buck him off the second that Hermione knocked him over. That was before she intervened with Snape," Daphne said, disagreeing with the Gryffindors.
"Exactly," Hagrid agreed before pausing. "Wait, you aren' sayin' that Quirrell was cursing Hadrian? Why would he do a thing like that?"
They all looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Hadrian decided on the truth.
"I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He went to the third-floor corridor with the three-headed dog on Halloween. So did Snape. Ron and Hermione think Snape was trying to steal whatever it's guarding, but I still say we should keep an eye on Quirrell; his stutter is fake."
Hagrid dropped the teapot.
"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.
What the fuck? Hadrian blinked. Why is that what you take away, not that a professor is faking a speech impediment and might have tried to kill me?
"Fluffy?" the rest of the kids chorus in horror or shock.
"Yeah – he's mine – bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year- I leant him to Dumbledore to guard the –"
"Yes?" said Hermione eagerly. Hadrian stomped on her foot, but it was too late.
"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."
Can't be that top secret if a bunch of eleven-year-olds have nearly figured it out, Hadrian thought with an eye roll.
"But Snape's trying to steal it," Ron insisted, and the Slytherins made a noise of protest.
"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."
"I agree that Snape isn't trying to steal the package, but I disagree that a staff member wouldn't try," Hadrian said, and he could see Hannah nod in agreement after considering his words.
"So why did he just try an' kill Harry?" cried Hermione.
"He didn't!" Daphne argued. "That was Quirrell! Snape was performing the counter-course. He was trying to keep Hadrian safe before you set him on fire!"
Hadrian looked between the girls in surprise. "What?"
"Nothing!" Hermione said, brushing past the fact that she lit a teacher on fire in defense of his life.
I have such great friends, he thought fondly.
The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed Hermione's mind about Snape.
"I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"
"Neither was Quirrell! And like I said, Hadrian's broom stopped being out of control after you knocked over Quirrell and before you lit our Head of house on fire," Daphne said, crossing her arms, looking firmly at her friend.
"Are we sure that anyone tried to kill Hadrian, and it wasn't just a freak broom malfunction?" Susan suggested. Everyone turned to look at her, and she held up her arms in defense. "It was just an idea, and we need to consider all possibilities – that is what my aunt always says." Hannah looked like she wanted to support her closest friend but didn't have anything to say, so she just patted her shoulder consolingly.
"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Hadrian's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all of yeh – yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel –"
"Aha!" said Hadrian, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"
Hagrid looked furious with himself.
Hadrian smirked as the group was promptly kicked out of the hut, feeling very proud of himself. He managed to win his first Quidditch match, survive another murder attempt, and found out that the package in the third-floor corridor had something to do with Nicolas Flamel and was guarded by a Cerberus named Fluffy.
All in all, today was a productive day, and it is barely past noon.
"Guys, I think it is important that we carefully consider our options here. I am not intentionally trying to figure out what is going on with the mysterious package on the third floor, and so far, I have had an attempt on my life by a teacher, been attacked by a troll, and nearly eaten by a Cerberus named Fluffy," Hadrian said, stopping the group before they entered the castle.
"I don't think that whatever this mysterious package is worth my life, and I am not about to go and risk killing myself for an adventure. Is this something that you guys are set on pursuing?" He asked, looking around at his friends' faces as the seriousness of the situation hit them. Hermione frowned.
"Generally, I would say that figuring out the puzzle was more important, but I have never been involved in something so dangerous before," she said, biting her lip.
Susan nodded. "Maybe we should take a step back for a while. It's not like the third floor is going anywhere." Blaise and Hannah nod in agreement with her.
"I have been against this from the start," Daphne said.
"Me too," Neville agreed.
"But Snape is after the package!" Ron insisted.
"No, he is not," Hadrian denied. "He told me not to get involved because it was dangerous, and he secured the door so it wouldn't be able to be opened by a first-year anymore."
"Maybe he was just trying to throw you off the scent!" Hadrian looks at him.
"I don't think that his evil master plans involve cleverly fooling an eleven-year-old. Besides, he was right; it is dangerous, and I don't need to know or protect whatever the teachers are hiding that badly. We are kids, let the adults handle these things. That is what you guys have been telling me, right?" He asked Daphne, Blaise, and Theo, who all flashed him smiles and encouraging thumbs-up.
"You're learning, good boy," Daphne teased, ruffling his hair. He playfully pushed her away.
"So, we are agreed? We will stay away from anything involving the third-floor mess?" He asked his friends, ensuring that they were all on the same page.
"But Snape-" Ron whined.
"Has been actively working to save my life," Hadrian finished pointedly, raising his eyebrows at the redhead.
"If you are really that concerned, you can go to the headmaster." Hannah naively suggested, flinching when the four Slytherins started to collapse into each other at how hard they started to laugh.
Hadrian wiped tears from his eyes, looking at the Hufflepuff. "What a funny joke, Hannah." He slowly sobered when he realized she wasn't laughing. "Oh, you were serious? Hannah, he is the one who brought the package to Hogwarts, and he is actively putting students at risk by having a Cerberus in the school. He doesn't care." Hannah frowned, and Susan rubbed her arm while Neville stood next to her awkwardly, unsure of what to do.
"Dumbledore isn't the good man he pretends to be," Blaise said, elegantly lifting one shoulder. "And knowingly bringing this mysterious package and all of the dangers that come with it is hardly the least of his crimes."
"Then who do we tell about Snape?" Ron asked.
"No one, we aren't getting involved. That means no going to the third floor, no looking into the break-in at Gringotts, and no researching Nicolas Flamel," Hadrian told them. "Now, let's go to the kitchens and celebrate. I am thinking some treacle tart is in order to celebrate Slytherin's win!" Ron, Hermione, and Neville all groaned at the reminder of their loss, but they gamely joined the rest of the group walking to the kitchens, teasing Hadrian for not telling them about being the youngest seeker in a century while he repeated that the point of secrets was to be kept a secret.
Notes:I've gotten a comment or two about the relationships and friendships that Harry has (which is totally fine, I love hearing what y'all have to say) so I wanted to explain my thought process a little bit.
Hardrian is best friends with Theo and Blaise. Daphne is like his sister and Neville is his godbrother. These are the people he is closest to. (No romantic relationships for the kids in first year).
Hermione is moving her way up from friend to best friend. She is closest to Neville and Harry.
Then there are his friends, Susan and Hannah from Hufflepuff. He likes these girls and studies with them but they aren't as close just yet.
And then there is Ron Weasley. He is on the outer skirts of the friend group and is there because he is friends with Hermione now and because he was willing to face down a troll to protect her, Hadrian is content to let him tag along, and they will grow closer over time. He may not like Slytherins, but he wants to be closer to his hero, and after the troll incident, he has started to see the snakes in a different light, especially since Hadrian is making Draco and his group straighten up.
I mainly use the word friends as a loose term to bind everyone together, so I don't have to say the group or Theo, Blaise, Daphne, Neville, Susan, Hannah, and Ron every time. Not that they are all equally close to each other, there are parts of the group that are closer to Hadrian or closer to each other, but they all hang out and can get along.
Let me know if this doesn't make sense!