Slytherin Adoption

Help Me

        Harry sighed in frustration as he tried to sound out another word. Three weeks had passed since Halloween and he was at his breaking point. Every day, it got harder and harder to make it through class. His stuttering was getting better, so his spells were finally working, if only a little bit. But the reading...that was tough.

          Harry threw the book across the room, narrowly missing Draco who had just stepped into the dorm room, before turning onto his stomach and burying his head into his pillow. Draco bent and picked up the book before sitting on the bed and, hesitantly, reaching forward and setting a hand on his friend’s back. Harry tensed automatically before relaxing and turning on his side to face the blonde.

          Draco’s heart clenched at the look of utter despair on the raven-haired boy’s face. He set the book he was still holding on the side table and, removing his hand from Harry’s back, he gently wiped the tear that had fallen down the other Slytherin’s cheek. Harry blinked rapidly, trying to keep more tears from falling.

          “I can’t do it,” Harry whispered, unconsciously leaning into Draco’s touch. No one had ever wiped away his tears before and he had to admit, it felt really nice.

          “Yes you can, Harry.” Draco’s voice was so determined and his eyes so earnest that Harry couldn’t help the slight smile. Draco smiled back and wiped away another tear that had fallen. “I believe in you, Harry.” He picked up the book again and set it in Harry’s lap. “Uncle Severus and Father believe in you.” He took his free hand and set it on Harry’s other cheek. “Now all you need to do is believe in you.” Harry took a deep breath and slowly opened the book to the page he had left off. He looked back at Draco and gave a determined nod. Draco grinned and sat back. For the rest of the afternoon, Harry continued sounding out words with Draco gently correcting him when needed.

Dream

          “Help me…” Harry looked around, the walls seeming to close in on him as he tried to locate the owner of the voice. “Please…help…” Harry desperately searched the room until finally, in the far corner, he saw a young man. He was in a cell of some sort. Harry looked around and realized they were no longer in the room from before but in a dungeon of some sort. He looked back at the man and slowly approached.

          “Hello,” he said softly. The man smiled at him.

          “Hello,” he replied. Before he could say anything more, Harry felt himself being pulled away. “Please, help me Harry!” Harry reached out towards the man and grabbed his hand, trying to stop whatever it was that was pulling him away. As soon as their hands touched, a bright light filled the room, blinding Harry. When the light disappeared, both the man and the cell were gone. “Harry…please…you’re the only one who can help…” Harry looked around but nobody was there and the voice faded as Harry felt himself waking up.

End Dream

          “I know!” Draco exclaimed, jumping up and startling Harry, Blaise, and Pansy. The four Slytherins were studying in their common room. For the past fifteen minutes, they had been taking a break, trying to figure out what to do the next day as it was Saturday so they had no classes. They had just returned to their homework when Draco had jumped up.

          “What do you know?” Pansy asked, not even looking up at the excited blonde. Apparently she was used to his antics.

          “Remember how you and I used to explore the abandoned parts of the Manor?” Pansy finally set her quill down and looked up at him, her eyes twinkling mischievously as she slowly nodded. 

          “Let’s explore Hogwarts!” He looked around at his friends. “This castle is so huge and old; we’re bound to find something exciting!” Blaise and Pansy both agreed and went back to their homework. Harry, on the other hand, looked a little unsure. But one look at the pleading on Draco’s face and he couldn’t help but agree. The smile he got from Draco was worth it as he turned back to his book and started copying the ‘R’ the way it was being shown.

          The next morning, after breakfast, the group of four gathered in the Entrance Hall, trying to decide which part of the castle they wanted to explore first. As they were talking it over, Hermione came out of the Great Hall and, noticing them just standing there, approached them.

          “Hey guys,” she greeted. “What’s up?” Draco quickly explained his idea. “So what area of the castle are we going to explore today?” Draco raised an eyebrow.

          “We?” She smiled.

          “Of course,” she said, shifting her bag from one shoulder to the other. “You didn’t think I’d let you have all the fun, did you?” They all laughed as they followed her to Ravenclaw Tower so she could put her bag away. When she came back out, she repeated her question. “What area are we exploring today?”

          “How about the dungeons?” Harry’s voice was quiet but they all heard him anyways and turned to look at him in surprise.

          “The dungeons?” Hermione asked. “Don’t you live in the dungeons?” Harry shrugged and looked away, wishing he hadn’t spoken. Draco stepped forward and placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

          “I think it’s a great idea,” he said softly. Harry turned to him and Draco gave him a warm smile. Then he turned to the others. “We haven’t actually seen that much of the dungeons.” Blaise and Pansy nodded in agreement. Hermione sighed but finally nodded as well.

          “Alright,” she said as the group headed downstairs again. “It’s not dark, is it? I…I don’t really like the dark.” Harry shyly put his hand in hers and she smiled at him.

          “Not really,” he assured her. “And if it is, didn’t we just learn that spell that lights up your wand?” Hermione’s smiled widened and the worry started to disappear from her eyes.

          Two hours later, the group of four Slytherins and one Ravenclaw were getting tired as they explored the last dusty, unused classroom.

          “Well, this was a big waste of time,” Pansy grumbled as they left the room and started towards the stairs to take them up to the main part of the castle.

          “Yeah,” Blaise piped up. “The next time you come up with something to do for fun, Draco, make sure it’s actually fun.” Draco just shrugged and turned to ask Harry a question when he realized that neither Harry nor Hermione were with them. He turned back to face the way they had come and saw both of them at the end of the corridor, staring at something.

          “Uh, guys, I think Harry and Hermione found something.” Blaise and Pansy looked where Draco was pointing. Slowly, the three children backtracked until they came to a stop next to the other two.

          “Harry?” Pansy questioned but Harry just shook his head and pointed down a corridor that they hadn’t noticed before. Slowly, they walked down the hall, the light getting dimmer the further they walked. Unable to see anymore, Hermione lit up her wand and held it up. Their eyes widened as they all froze in shock.

          “What is this place?” Hermione whispered as they looked down the corridor. Cells lined both sides, all of them seemingly empty. And then Harry heard it, a voice he’d only heard in his dreams.

          “Help me…”