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Warning: I don't have any rights to Harry Potter. Unfortunately. Also, I'm not a native English speaker. I'm still learning, so sorry for any mistakes.

CHAPTER FIVE

Harry Potter was tired. It was two weeks since he saved Neville Longbottom's life and three-quarters of the students' body changed their opinion about him. Suddenly, most of those who bullied him now tried to be friendly with him, despite his comfort. Only a few of them had courage to speak to him and apologised. Not that young Potter really cared about it. This whole situation was just another lesson for him. Wizards were changing their opinions more often than Dudley his socks.

It didn't truly matter. Harry had his goal; one day he would be free and independent from anyone. Especially from Dursleys. Revenge would taste sweet, but it wasn't time to do it. Wizards' world was still new for him and he had to find more before he would even think about doing anything. If Harry learnt anything from his so-called family, it was that powerful allies could change everything. He wasn't ready to forgive his school bullies yet, and definitely the worst of them one day would pay, but he was ready to consider some of them as allies. If they could help him, he could ignore their part in his humiliation. And maybe, if they would be useful, their punishment would have been light and limited to innocent pranks.

The boy sighed and smiled, remanding his first revenge. The Weasley git paid for laughing at him and spreading rumours by losing 100 points from Gryffindor and two weeks detention. Harry couldn't believe how stupid Weasley was. Redhead boy challenged him to a duel:

'Potter, I know you did something to Neville. It was probably you, who cursed his broom, you'll pay for it!'

While Harry wasn't able to find much information about wizards' culture and traditions in the school library - Madam Prince mentioned that they were removed due to maintenance - he found a very old book about duels. Madam Prince allowed him to borrow it after he promised he wouldn't use it without good reason. From this book Harry knew that wizards' duels were something really important. Once both participants agreed for a duel and chose their seconds, their magic could force them to complete the duel's conditions. If they didn't, they would lose their magic.

Fortunately, Weasley hadn't challenged him in the right way, so Harry didn't have to fight. Instead, he decided to use the occasion. As the challenged side, he could decide about time and place.

'We'll fight at midnight, in the empty room near the forbidden corridor. Better don't be late, Weasley,' he smirked and went back to his common room.

An hour before curfew, he knocked on professor McGonagall's doors.

'Come in!' she called.

Harry took a deep breath and tried to put on his best mask of a worried classmate. He had to play his role well, if he wanted to convince his transfiguration teacher. He took another breath and entered the room.

'Good evening, professor,' he said with a small, worried smile.

McGonagall raised her eyebrows, surprised.

'Mr Potter, I didn't expect you here at this time. How can I help you?' she asked slowly, looking him up and down.

'I wasn't sure if I should come with it to you…' Harry started allowing his voice to tremble. 'But I thought that you're the right person to inform you about something like that,' he looked at her shyly.

'About what, Mr Potter?' she asked suspiciously.

Harry lowered his eyes, trying not to smile. 'Okay, Harry, you can do it!', he repeated himself.

'Professor, I heard from other students that Ronald Weasley kept telling him about his plans for tonight,' he answered hesitatingly.

'And why should I be interested in my student plans?'

'He… He wants to go to the forbidden corridor at midnight, to prove that… that…' Harry started stammering.

'To prove what, Mr Potter?' McGonagall asked seriously.

'You know about our animosities, Ma'am, yes?'

'Yes, Mr Potter, the whole staff know you and Mr Weasley dislike each other. However, I cannot understand what this fact has in common with Mr Weasley's plans.'

Harry sighed and stared at his shoes.

'He wants to prove everyone that he's braver than me. He already challenged me for a duel and I didn't agree, so he wants to prove that I'm a coward, Ma'am,' he mumbled. He could almost feel McGonagall's fury. It took all his efforts to not smile. He tried something else. 'I'm sorry, Ma'am, I should know better than to hassle you about it but I thought the forbidden corridor had to be forbidden for a reason and I…'

'Mr Potter, Harry,' McGonagall interrupted him. 'You did well. What's more, you probably saved Mr Weasley's life. I will take care about Ronald. You can go back to your common room,' she said with a smile.

'Yes, Ma'am.'

'And Harry?' She stopped him in the doors.

'Ma'am?'

'20 points to Slytherin for saving other student's life. Your parents' would be proud,' she said and waved a wand to close doors.

Harry kept his face straight the whole way to Slytherin's common room. He allowed himself to laugh only when he was safe and alone in his room. The next day he found out that Wesley not only came for a duel but also attacked professor McGonagall taking her for him.

And now, a week after the first part of his revenge on Weasley was done, he was sitting on the top of Astronomy Tower, tired and blue. Another nightmare about green light and a woman's screams. About his mother's screams, he was sure about it. Few days before, he discovered how his parents were murdered. Green curse, killing curse. The curse which had been haunting him in every single nightmare. The curse which failed after being used on him. Harry didn't understand how it would happen, but he knew one thing. It wasn't him; it had to be his parents who somehow saved his life. But how? The boy was so bound up in his thoughts; he didn't notice someone was standing behind.

'You really must hate your parents, Potter,' said the cold, girlish voice suddenly.

Harry blinked and leaped up. In front of him stood Daphne Greengrass, a fellow first year Slytherin. She was taller than he, a slim girl with huge blue eyes and chestnut-red hair. Her clothes were almost screaming about her wealth, and the way she was behaving reminded Harry about one of Vernon's clients, Lord Acton. She looked and acted like a noble lady. She might have thought she was better, but Harry would never let get away anyone who dared to say he was hating his parents. They died for him and he was trying to do everything to honour their memory.

'How dare you say things like that, Greengrass!' he growled low.

'How I dare to say the truth?' she asked, squinting her eyes. 'I would rather ask you if you really think that by acting like that you're not bringing shame to your family. I'm pretty sure they're rolling over in their graves,' the girl snapped, coldly.

Harry's vision became red. He clenched his fist, trembling.

'What?!' he bawled. 'I'm doing everything to make them proud! To honour their memory! How dare you?' he repeated, feeling how tears were bringing in his eyes.

'By wearing clothes like that?' she snorted, pointing at him. 'Or maybe by acting like you're better than anyone else and ignoring tradition?'

First time since he found out about wizards' world, Harry wanted to hurt another human. Sure, he wanted to make Dursley pay for what they did to him, but he would not hurt them. Bring justice, not destruction. Daphne Greengrass was different. She came and insulted him, humiliated. She brought a memory of his parents, pointed out his poverty and expected him to answer her. In Harry's eyes, she was worse than Dursley. They at least had 'reason'; crazy, invalid and wrong, but when he was younger, he thought this "reason" was valid. However, Greengrass didn't even speak to him before. She knew nothing about him.

'First of all, I have no idea what you are talking about. I was trying to be nice and polite to everyone, but you all ignored me!' he hissed. ' Second, not everyone is rich enough to buy new clothes, thank you very much! Not to mention, that not everyone has a family who loves them and takes care of their finances! LEAVE ME ALONE, GREENGRASS.' Blinded by rage, Harry didn't even notice he said too much.

Daphne grasped, looking at the boy who turned his back and was going to stairs. His reaction was… unexpected. She was sent by other Slytherins to talk about Potter's behaviour. The boy was acting like he thought tradition is nothing. He didn't pay respect to others and didn't follow rules. One could say that he was raised up by muggles. However, the whole magic world knew that the boy who lived was living with the wizards' family who didn't want to be known by others to avoid attention. At least that was what Dumbledore said ten years ago. Now, Daphne wasn't sure if it was right. Potter's foster family could be poor - she doubted it - but he was heir to The Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, one of the eldest families in the wizards' world. As the heir's guardians, they could easily afford to buy the boy everything he would need. 'So what do Potter's words mean?' she asked herself and decided to react.

'Potter, wait!' she called him.

'PISS OFF, GREENGRASS!'

The boy didn't stop, but Daphne could feel how angry he was. His magic was detectable and almost visible. Such a power Potter had! She ran after him, and she grabbed his arms.

'Potter, wait! What do you mean by saying that you cannot afford new clothes?' she asked, still shocked.

The boy finally stopped. He looked at her with fury in his eyes, and Daphne for a moment wanted to back out. She didn't.

'Why would you ask?' he growled. 'To make more fun of me? I may not be as rich as you, but I will not allow anyone to bully me again!'

'He was bullied before? Who would bully the boy who lived?' Daphne thought shocked but decided to not mention it for now. She had to find out more. And what in the hell he meant by saying he wasn't as rich as her family? Potters were well known because of their wealth.

'I'm not here to make fun of you, Potter,' she said carefully. 'And what do you mean that you're not as rich as I? Your family is one of the wealthier families in the Wizards' United Kingdom,' she added.

'What?!' the boy exclaimed, shocked, and Daphne knew that something was wrong. 'I am wealthy? But Hagrid said… He said that I have to save because I don't have too much… and that I would have to work straight after Hogwarts… And…'

Potter didn't pay attention to Daphne's presence anymore, lost in thoughts. Listening to his words made her even more suspicious than before. Did he really know nothing about his wealth? And why would the Hogwarts' gatekeeper tell him something like that about Potters' fortune? It was weird.

'Potter, why the hell would you listen to the gatekeeper? And why are you thinking he knows anything about your family fortune?' she asked him finally, interrupting his monologue.

Still shocked, the boy replied.

'Well, he was the one who informed me I am a wizard. And he took me to the Diagon Alley, and to my trust vault. And when I asked him about wizards' money, he explained everything to me and said that I have to save money or otherwise I would have nothing to start after school, so I assumed he had to be right…'

Daphne Greengrass was speechless. She didn't expect something like THAT when she agreed to speak to Potter.

'Potter, why… What do you mean by saying that Hagrid was the one who informed you about being a wizard? Surely, your foster family had to mention it before?' she asked.

The boy shrugged.

'They're muggles. And they hate magic, so nope,' he said and started at his shoes.

His foster family was muggles? But that was meaning… That meant that Dumbledore lied to the entire magic world, not to mention to the Wizengamot, about where the boy who lived was living. And… What if Potter wasn't behaving like an arrogant jerk by ignoring wizards's culture but was trying to translate muggles' culture into this world? Daphne gasped.

'Potter, did anyone tell you who you are?' she asked slowly.

'I already told you, Hagrid did it,' she answered, avoiding her eyes.

'I didn't mean you being wizard. What I mean was, did anyone tell you anything about who you are?' Seeing his puzzled face, she sighed and added, 'Okay, I'll ask you directly. Did anyone tell you about you being the hair of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter?'

'I am what?' Potter cried out.

Daphne blinked. It wasn't good at all.

'Oh gods…' she whispered. 'You know nothing…'

A/N: Ta da dam. So chapter 5. What do you think? Your comments are motivating me to writing, so you know what to do. :D

A little spoiler. In the next chapter will be Draco and Neville interacting with Harry. And more about Potters. :D