"Hey uhm, Harry, do you have a second to talk?"
The boy-who-lived glanced up at the other male before giving a nod of confirmation and followed him off to a more private spot in the hallway following their class together. "How are you doing Neville?"
Shuffling his feet awkwardly, the shyer boy shrugged, "Okay I guess, I uh… well I heard about what happened during the summer."
"Oh" Harry wasn't quite sure how to reply to that. It wasn't exactly a surprise, he knew just how quickly rumors could spread, especially those concerning him, and there were several individuals involved that could have been the source of the rumors.
His bet, naturally, was on a certain Animagus godfather that couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut.
An uncomfortable silence fell between the two boys, neither knowing what to say. "I'm happy for you."
Harry blinked in confusion earning a bit of a shuffle from the Longbottom.
"I just… it's hard for some wizards to do anything after graduation, even if they are in an apprenticeship. But you have Professor Riddle as yours and she's famous. You'll have all sorts of opportunities."
Harry knew this, he knew this all too well from speaking with his parents, godparents, and his own, limited, research.
Not to mention his sisters and Hermione.
He still wasn't thrilled, but at least he could appreciate the pros and cons, "Thanks… I guess."
Neville quickly nodded, "My mom… she's hoping that I will be eligible for one too, maybe from Professor Sprout."
"That sounds… good." When the other wizard shrugged Harry could easily see the defeat in his posture, "Doesn't it?"
"I guess, I mean my parents kind of hinted at what would be… expected, and they are already talking about courtships and marriage."
That caused Harry to flinch. It was one thing to be told that you needed extra help and tutoring to be 'good enough' but another entirely to be discussing marriage, especially at such a young age. "Sorry, did they mention to who?"
"There are a few families that have connections to mine," Neville replied morosely. "Guess it doesn't really matter what I want."
The boy-who-lived's gaze focused in on his companion. "What is it that you want Neville?"
A feint blush appeared on his face, "I'm just… not really interested in girls."
Oh
Oh
That was certainly never something that had crossed his mind. Sure, it had sucked having to play the role of 'helpless first year' but to be told you probably couldn't date, definitely not marry, the type of person you were attracted to…
It would be a nightmare.
"I'm sorry, that sounds horrible."
Neville's head snapped up from where he had been staring down at the floor in embarrassment, eyes clear and focused on the boy-who-lived. Seeing the genuine sympathy, the boy managed a small smile of appreciation.
"Thank you."
"If you ever want to talk or anything, I'm a decent listener I hear. I don't know exactly what it's like since I… well like girls but yeah…"
The smile twisted into a laugh and Harry joined his friend moments later.
****
Halloween, despite his previous lifetime's negativity concerning the holiday Harry no longer dreaded it as a harbinger of misfortune and evil.
Instead, it was both wonderful and lonely at the same time. It remained a reminder of what he had left behind, of those long since gone, but at the same time it was a week when he was able to observe happy reunions of parents and their children, along with speak to the James and Lily of this universe.
The two adults in question were speaking to their daughters for the moment, berating Amaryllis on her 'reckless behavior' along with congratulating her on their first victory. Finally, they looked over to where he stood, noticeably separate from their family. "Harry, is everything okay?"
He smiled, "The jury is out for this year, but hopefully." His answer earned tense, forced, smiles from the parents, and notably worried ones from their daughters.
"We were…" James paused, clearly struggling with the correct words for the situation, "hoping you would come home for the winter holidays this year."
The hopeful looks were obvious on all four of their faces, and it made any excuses he could come up with seem even worse in his mind. Sure, he probably should stay and make sure everyone was safe, but with most of the students gone it likely wouldn't matter either way.
Plus, it meant staying as far away from Lockhart as humanly possible.
That, combined with the guilt he remembered from the previous year, caused him to nod without further thought, "Yeah… yeah that sounds nice, if it isn't…"
"Not at all Harry," Lily interrupted, clearly intent on smothering any notion he was intruding. "We want you with us over the break, it wasn't quite the same last year."
****
It was after breakfast, with his next class an hour or so away, that Harry decided to simply take a walk. He had a few destinations in mind, perhaps enjoying the fall weather before it became too cold and loop around the lake, maybe he would see if there was anyone playing Quidditch, or just take some time to wander the halls of Hogwarts to let out some of the stress.
And he was stressed. Sure, classes were still easy, even if the professors had begun slipping him material from fifth- and sixth-year work, and there was no evil lurking around every corner, but he was still anxious.
Not like he didn't have a good reason to be, considering the Philosopher's Stone the previous year he was more than a little on edge, already his sister had been injured at a game in the same method he had been, which did nothing to ease the tension forming in his gut.
But maybe he was wrong, and this thought did help a bit. It didn't sound as if anyone had ever opened the Chamber before, and as far as he knew only the 'Heir of Slytherin' could command the basilisk inside.
Hell, maybe Slytherin hadn't been such a genocidal sociopath in this world, it wasn't as if Muggleborns had been discriminated against and placing a creature specifically to kill off men didn't seem like the brightest idea.
His logic had the desired effect, and he let out a deep breath, some of the anxiety evaporating from his muscles.
That is until he turned the corner and heard the panic in nearby voices, which is until he saw the group of students whispering to themselves in the middle of the hallway, which is until he slipped past them and saw a student, frozen in place on the ground.
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