Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Love For What You Believe In ❯ A Drastic Change ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Steam filled the air as the Hogwarts express pulled into platform nine and three quarters for yet another year. Harry stood alone, bags already loaded. He stared at the magnificent engine appreciating its craftsmanship. He glared into the window and eyes stared back at him, but they weren’t his; a group of first years stood against the window looking at him. They looked from his scar to his face, obviously muttering among themselves. It was becoming tedious for Harry, he had no privacy, he couldn’t go anywhere without a stare or a whisper. The constant attention was starting to badly affect him, over the summer he had lost whatever possible weight it was that he had to lose and he had become paler than before. His hair was not short any longer and vaguely kempt any more, it was long down to his shoulders and extremely untidy. Continued night terrors had left him lethargic and he now had to come back the attention that so turned him into the shadow of the person he once was.Hermione and Ron walked past him, deeply engrossed in conversation. He didn’t bother to stop them he just put his hands in his pockets and walked towards the less busy end of the train.“Well look who it isn’t” Sneered Harry’s blonde haired rival, walking towards him with his gang of imbecilic Slytherin followers. Pansy let out a shrill squeal which, Harry supposed, was meant to be a laugh.“You’re so right Draco, he isn’t anything - what happened to our hair Potter, lose control a bit have we?” she laughed manically to herself.“You could say so. And to answer your ingenious quip Malfoy, I wish I wasn’t who I am at this moment in time.”Malfoy’s eyes widened in surprise, usually Harry would have a warning fist or wand in his face by now, but yet he stood there pale and weak looking. The whistle blew and the Slytherin gang departed and boarded the train. Draco stood still until Harry started to move, he followed. Harry boarded the very last door of the train and seated himself in the empty last carriage.“Stalking me are we now Malfoy” Harry said opening the door with his foot and staring out into the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy.“I …” Draco trailed off“Look don’t just stand there, come in if your going to do anything” Harry scolded letting the door go, only for Malfoy to catch it; he entered. He sat opposite Harry, arms folded across his chest, staring out the window in silence for what seemed like hours.“You’re pathetic Potter” Malfoy eventually stated matter-of-factly.“Thanks for the boost - don’t you think I know that”“What’s happened to you, you cannot continue being my rival if you are to appear so weak”“I don’t APPEAR anything, I am weak.” Malfoy caught Harry’s eye and his eyebrows curved in quizzically.“The chosen one, the boy who lived - I’m not Harry to anyone and I think it’s finally got to me.” Malfoy look stunned.“Erm, don’t you have Weasel and Granger to help you with these sorts of … problems?”“I do but they’re no help. They don’t understand - nobody does. Do you think they would have been my friends had I not been Harry Potter? Do you think anyone would care whoe I was if I didn’t have this scar” he lifed his hair showing the lightening bolt scar that he’d been famous for. Malfoy pondered these questions a moment and shrugged.“Look, I know we hate each other and everything, but really, why do you care so much what people think of you? Just ignore the inferior and get on with whatever you want to do. If you don’t want people to matter to you they won’t, you just have to have control of your situation.” Harry gave the blonde a gloomy look and sighed.“That’s just it though, I have no control of my situation”“Bullshit. If it’s your life - you control it.” this shocked Harry. Malfoy all of a sudden was full of useful wisdom, without all the snide remarks.“How come your being so understanding , you should want me to have a break down - were on opposite sides in the ensuing war.”“No, we’re on whatever side we choose, if we choose one. I’ve been roped into this war due to the failures of my father - but if the final outcome is not what I want then I won’t be part of it; I’ll die standing by my decisions” leaving it at that he left the compartment - leaving Harry just sat there: bewildered.“I never knew he was so understanding. He doesn’t think of me as anything different than the real me, what happened to him over the summer? I wonder if I’ll ever talk to him like that again…”Days passed and Harry didn’t see Malfoy apart from the odd glance in the corridor and Potions class. For some reason Harry couldn’t stop thinking about him, was it just because of the words he spoke to him that day?Harry sat alone in the library, trying to accomplish what seemed the impossible task of completing the potions essay which he had been set. Hermione and Ron were off doing prefect duties which left him to fend for himself. He sighed pushing his chair out and going off in search of a book that would tell him all the properties of dragon blood as he turned into an isle he halted. He could see three people surrounding another. The largest were Crabbe and Goyle and the third seemed to be Pansy, who was growling at a being they were isolating. Harry saw a flash of blonde and realised that it was Draco.“What id the meaning of that remark Draco! It is completely false!”“Actually it’s quite true Pansy dear, pure bloods are not superior to anyone anymore. And how can we believe all the purity discrimintation from a man who himself is only half-blood? Blood means nothing.”“That’s blasphemy! You are supposed to have the beliefs of the dark lord as the rest of us do”“I don’t see how he can have views concerning pure bloods when he himself isn’t one and I therefore will not follow a hypocrite!” the three Slytherins gasped“This is treachery Draco, the dark lord will swiftly be hearing of this.”“Well it’s not like my family can fail much more in his eyes anyway.”Pansy scowled at the platinum haired boy snapping her fingers, Draco’s once followers continued to punch him ruthlessly smacking his head against the book shelves, knocking him to the ground and leaving him bleeding.Harry watched the scene, mortified. He rushed over to Malfoy, blood rushing from his nose whilst he was in a dazed state, they had not quite knocked him out but had come exceedingly close. Harry knelt. He looked at the bloody face of his once rival and actually pitied him. He lifted the boys head onto his lap and cleaned the blood away with a simple wave of his wand. Harry placed his icy hand against the raging forehead of Draco causing him to awaken with a start, his nose still dribbling blood.“What, Potter?” Malfoy inquired puzzled “don’t look at me like this…” wrenching himself off the brunette’s lap.
I’m weak he thought to himself.“No your not, you standing up for your beliefs could never be weak Draco.” Harry’s hand casually reached up and ran through the blonde tussles of Slytherin hair.“I never said I’m weak Potter”“Yes you did I heard you”“No I didn’t”“But I heard you and it’s o.k”Malfoy’s eyes widen in shock and he rose staggering off as quickly as possibleHarry read my mind, Harry heard my thoughst, oh Merlin I hope this isn’t what I think it is…”