Title: When a Slytherin Walks on the Fence

Summary: AU If Vernon taught him anything he taught Harry to find the best so that's what he does. Sitting with one leg on either side of the fence, keeping the coin in the air, is he good or bad? No one knows.

Rating: K

Status: 6 chapters written, 6 chapters posted

Review count: 76 (From 67 to 76, lol, turnabout is fair play)

Ban-Chan - Did you like any of my Naruto fics? Lol, not much Draco/Ron rivalry in this chapter but hey and I'm glad you came back :D

Onpwis - I get a flag? I'm touched.

peppymint - I could be really arrogant and say...I know people will review because everyone loves a good Harry is good bad boy story...but I won't. It's just that I hadn't updated in like...a year...so all the people that were following this story had probably moved on or forgotten what already happened.

Aqua Mage - Thanks...I mean lets face it, their eleven, there outlook on the world won't change over night

Pandora of Ithilien - He doesn't know about Tonks as Andromeda was disowned before he was born and 'Aunty Bella' never had kids as she was locked up in Azkaban. I may bring Tonks in later...no immediate plans though.

Erinamation-limited2-nothing - Thanks...fairly?

Serpent91 - Yay

animeflunky - I'm still not sure how to get from one year to the other...I don't think I could write entire books like the Lighting on the Wave series thing. Honestly that story is too long to be allowed

Barranca - Occlumency...hmm...maybe

Pairings: I may write two version HD and HHr because I don't ship HG.

Notes: Well...hope you enjoyed my little twist on that scene :D

"Headmaster," Severus acknowledged as he stepped through the door into the office. Lately the potion's master had found himself to be of two separate minds the cause of which had been Harry be-damned-Potter. On the one hand Severus hated the boy for the simple fact that apart from his eyes the boy was the embodiment of his father and it was that face that Severus had spent cultivating a hatred for. The second was malevolent glee that the ever-so-Gryffindor-James Potter's son was in the house he had hated in his Hogwarts days. Of course there was always the matter of the boys eyes, the same shape, the same colour and containing that same emerald fire that had plagued his memories for most of his life.

"Severus my boy, come sit down, lemon drop?" the aged man asked offering the dark man one of the little yellow sweets.

"I don't like sweets headmaster," Severus replied but he did sit down. Despite Severus' carefully constructed occulmency shields within his mind Snape felt the soft prodding that indicated the presence of the headmaster. A fact that Severus had begun to suspect was a natural habit of the other man's that been developed over years of meddling.

"Come now Severus, you can call me Albus here," the elder chided.

"I need to talk to you about the Potter boy Albus, I think he can read minds."

"Oh," Albus paused and laced his fingers together thoughtfully, "and what brought you to this conclusion Severus?"

"During potions yesterday he knew all the answers to my questions."

Albus smiled, "That isn't a crime Severus."

"But you don't understand headmaster, he was in a trance, he gave me test book answers, answers I had in my head. I even tested my theory, I wouldn't meet his eyes for the second question and then he looked at that Granger girl and they were both looking glazed and then he got the answer right again," Severus explained. He wasn't going to let this go, if that brat was going to wonder around probing his mind he wasn't going to let him get away with it, if he was anything like his father…he didn't want to think about it.

"Perhaps he just needed reassurance, you do tend to intimidate children when you try Severus," Albus said with a little chuckle. Severus' frown depended and his ears turned a little red, even now after all he'd been through it was still easy for the old man before him to embarrass him and make him feel like a schoolboy. In all honesty, this was exactly the approach he had expected the headmaster to take, the same leniency with the rules regarding certain individuals as he had shown all those years ago. Despite having nearly sent Severus to his death or serious bodily on more than one occasion the Marauders had remained blissfully above confines of school rules.

"No, later in the lesson he dragged Draco Malfoy under their potion's desk just before a handful of porcupine quills went into it, like he knew they were coming," Severus explained. This time Albus' expression did change and take on a more serious tone.

"I see," Albus leaned back in his chair and heaved a sigh, "I don't think we should take immediate action."

"But sir, if this boy goes unchecked who knows what he'll do," Severus protested.

"Severus, you forget, Harry is not his father and you are not a young schoolboy anymore." Albus' tone was still cheerful but there was a warning there, a warning that had already been issued to Severus before the year even started but still. The boy was a carbon copy of his father…except for his eyes he had her eyes.

"I understand headmaster," Severus said stiffly and stood to leave. His temper had flared and was raging inside his head but ever the Slytherin, he wouldn't let it show. The fiery anger melting into a liquid pool in his mind he resolved that if the headmaster would not take action against the boy, he, Severus, would. Best to nip any rule breaking in the bud.

"Severus," Albus said kindly and almost sadly, "I'm sorry."

Severus did not reply, he simply turned to the door and left the old headmaster to his duties.

---Slytherin Common Room---

Up, showered and dressed and bright and eager Harry found himself accompanied by a not so exuberant Draco. Obviously not a morning person the blonde had rolled out of bed that morning and given Harry a distinctly sour look before insisting on taking a full hour to make himself presentable before he even thought about leaving the dormitory. Of course that meant that Harry was forbidden from leaving as well for the volatile blonde was as possessive as he was grumpy when woken before suitable hours it seemed.

This of course had ruined Harry's up and out strategy and once again had had to duck behind a bed to avoid a barrage of what he suspected had been rather nasty curses. The bed had in fact been Theodore Nott's and taken most of the beating for Harry, the other victim had been the wall, which suffered much less than the bed. Ripped and stained with a nasty looking orange goo Harry and Draco had made there escape when an argument had flared between Theodore and Blaise.

Now in the common room Harry bore witness to another of Draco's mood swings when the blonde noticed the notice pinned to the notice board.

"Flying lessons," Harry read.

"Not that I need them of course," Draco bragged, his grey eyes alight with excitement that Harry had never seen in the boy, "I've been flying since I was three."

"Weren't you almost picked to play in the junior Quittich championships?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's Quidditch Harry, honestly, what do you muggles play if it's not Quidditch?" Draco drawled looking rather exasperated at the raven-haired boy.

"Football, rugby, tennis, boxing?" the green-eyed boy offered resulting in a rather insulting look from Draco. If the blonde had been taller than Harry the scarred boy would say Draco was looking down his nose at him. Right now the expression consisted of tight lips, raised eyebrows and half-lidded eyes. If he was being honest Harry thought Draco looked half-asleep and laughed.

His pride hurt and his ego deflated Draco had sulked all the way to breakfast, arms crossed and bottom lip pushed into a pout, if Harry didn't know better he'd think Draco was a girl. Arriving in the Great Hall they found that they were not the first ones to arrive. Most of the older students were already there and as Harry quickly noticed so were some of the younger Ravenclaw students. All of who seemed to be giving a certain brunette a rather hard time via isolation and rather horrid looks.

No stranger to bullying Harry recognised the signs immediately and began walking over. "Harry what are you doing?" Draco asked with a scowl. So far through their Hogwarts experience the two had sat at the Slytherin table where the Slytherins were too afraid of Draco's father's influence to give them any trouble but such open defiance of tradition by Harry wouldn't be so easy to prevent.

"Going to sit with Hermione," Harry said with a shrug as though this was the most normal thing in the world.

"Harry," Draco drawled, "you're in Slytherin, there are house tables for a reason, you sit at your house table."

"But all the other houses sit at each other's tables all the time," Harry replied. He wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what Draco was getting at and to be honest he wasn't all too sure if his intended action was too bold but he wasn't going to live his life being dictated to by other people just because they thought they were better than him. Not that Harry thought himself higher than them; they just had yet to prove they were any better.

"Harry, you're in Slytherin," Draco hissed, the blonde was getting irritated with Harry, was he being deliberately stupid? Every morning that Harry didn't get out of the dorm before the rest woke up he found himself victim to a volley of spells, it would be stupid to arise their anger further. Plus if Harry were to openly sit at the Ravenclaw table it would attract the attention of the rest of Slytherin house and although Draco could hide behind his father Harry could not and Draco was too intrigued by the other boy to give him up yet.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Fine," Harry conceded and went to sit with Draco at the Slytherin table. He didn't stop glancing at Hermione though, her eyes were wet and he could tell she was holding back tears; eventually she stood up and strode out of the hall too stiffly. Sensing that several sets of eyes were on him Harry remained where he was, he'd find her later.

Harry's train of thought was interrupted by the arrival of the post. Apart from Hagrid's note Harry hadn't had any mail and Hedwig certainly wasn't happy with him. Draco on the other hand received something every day, little parcels of sweets from his mother. Harry was only vaguely aware of Draco's boasting about the wizarding sweets when something far more interesting caught his attention.

The boy who had lost his toad on the train and shared a boat ride with Draco, Hermione, Ron and he was just received a rather odd looking orb that had clouded over to a nasty red colour. Flushed the boy seemed to get very nervous very quickly, especially when Blaise Zabini snatched the orb right out of the boy's hands.

Ron had jumped to his feet, his ears going red and looking very angry. Seamus and Dean had also stood up but before Harry could go over to find out what had gone wrong Professor McGonagall, who seemed to have a sensor in head telling her when trouble was near, arrived on the scene.

"Draco," Harry nudged the blonde boy who had abandoned his breakfast in favour of stuffing his face with sweets, "what's that Nev-whatever-his-name-is got?"

Draco looked over as Blaise was forced to hand back the orb to Neville, which, on contact with the Gryffindor boy, turned a cloudy red. "A remembrall," Draco said nonchalantly and went back to eating his sweets.

Harry groaned, honestly the blonde could be so unhelpful sometimes, "A what?"

"A remembrall," Draco said again and at Harry's semi-annoyed expression went on, "it tells if you if you've forgotten something. Normally just an orb it clouds over and goes red if you've forgotten something."

"How?" Harry asked.

Draco shrugged.

The day came and went and after lunch Harry, Draco and the rest of Slytherin house found themselves walking outside the castle to meet the Gryffindors for their first flying lesson. The day was chilly and a grey, a particularly dark cloud had decided it liked being over the first years and Harry had a sneaking suspicion that it couldn't wait for them to start flying before letting loose on them all.

The Gryffindors were already there and he could see the Neville boy standing a little apart from the group and casting the 20 or so brooms that were laid out in two rows rather furtive glances. Harry blinked down at the brooms, how were they supposed to be comfortable? Sitting on a stick of wood was not something Harry imagined any boy enjoying.

"Harry," Ron waved him over, frowning slightly when Draco followed behind. The blonde gave equally menacingly looks to the group of Gryffindors. "We were just talking about Quidditch."

"Yeh," Seamus drawled in his Irish accent, "been playing locally for years," he bragged.

"I nearly flew into one of those muggle hand gliders on Charlie's old broom," Ron said. "I've played Keeper for my brother's at home too."

"My Gran's never let me on a broom let alone play Quidditch," Neville said rather dejectedly.

"I'd be playing professionally but mother was too worried about it interfering with my education," Draco bragged.

"This lot have lost me," Harry said to Dean with a shrug.

The Gryffindor boy, who had been eyeing Harry rather warily seemed to lighten up slightly when he realised he wasn't the only one out of the loop. Muggle born and raised Dean too was a stranger to surprisingly illustrious sport that was Quidditch. "More of a football fan myself," Dean replied.

"We used to play that during games at my old school, you play?" Harry asked Dean. The Gryffindor shrugged but Harry could feel the confidence radiating of the boy, not only was Dean a fan but probably a fierce competitor and Harry couldn't resist a challenge. "How about a little one on one some time?"

"Deal," Dean grinned and shook Harry's hand.

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked looking a little hurt that Harry was leaving him out. Dean and Harry looked at each other and grinned but didn't have time to reply properly. A woman with short grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawked appeared, her name was Madam Hooch she announced to them and she was to be their flying instructor.

"Well what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

A little cold but definitely excited the majority of the first years gathered rushed to whatever they thought was the best looking broom. Harry found himself looking down at a splintering, slightly battered looking broom but, he thought, beggars can't be choosers.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say UP!"

"UP!" everyone shouted with varying degrees of success. Harry's broom had jumped into his hand whereas those of Hermione and Neville hadn't even moved. Perhaps, like the remembrall, brooms could feel what you feel.

After a demonstration on the proper way to mount one's broom that Harry found very amusing and everyone had managed to get there brooms to hover Madame Hooch continued, "Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle-"

The words had barely left her mouth when a boy who appeared to be a sixth year Hufflepuff ran over to say there had been an accident on the quidditch pitch. Flustered and annoyed she had commanded that the first years do absolutely nothing until she returned or they'd be expelled before they could say Quidditch. Alone and shocked by the threat most of those present dismounted and formed little groups.

"Hey look what I found," Blaise called as he twirled a familiar orb in his fingers.

"Th-that's mine," Neville stammered and looking a little worried at the delighted smirk on Blaise's dark face.

"Is it now," Blaise looked even more pleased with himself, "can you prove that?"

"Oh give it back Zabini," snapped one of the Gryffindor girls, she looked vaguely Indian with her hair tied back in a braid. Harry frowned, wasn't she in Ravenclaw? He could have sworn he saw her decked in blue and grey earlier?

"Sticking up for Longbottom, never thought you'd like the fat ones Parvati?" Pansy jeered making Parvati fume and Neville blush to the tips of his ears.

"Give it here Zabini," Ron snapped, shouldering past the other Gryffindors and holding out his hand expectantly.

"No, I think I rather fancy a game of go fetch eh Weasel? You fetch don't you?" Zabini smirked from ear to ear as Ron's anger rose and his face flushed.

"Why you!" Ron lunged but was caught by Seamus and Dean who fought to restrain the impulsive red head.

Meanwhile Blaise had mounted his broom and prepared to kick off. "Give it back Zabini," Harry snapped but Blaise had already kicked off and was well out of earshot. Running to his broom Harry swung one leg over and kicked off.

"Harry what are you doing?" Draco called after him but Harry didn't listen. The wind whistled in his ears, his robes billowed behind him and in a rush of adrenalin Harry realised he'd found something he could do without being taught. No textbook description he could ever have read would ever describe the elated feeling he got from being up in the air.

Pulling his broom back and tucking his legs under him he went higher and accompanied by appreciative cries from the girls below, turned to face Blaise. "Give me the remembrall or I'll knock you off your broom," Harry said coolly.

Blaise sneered at him and before he could reply Harry had pressed himself flat against his broom and shot himself like an arrow straight at Blaise. The other boy barrel rolled out of the way, still clutching the remembrall as Harry shot past him only to make a sharp turn to face Blaise once again. Harry narrowed his eyes, "What the hell is your problem?" he demanded.

"My problem," Blaise spat, "is you. You're a filthy half blooded disgrace and a smear on the honour of Slytherin house. Even Snape doesn't like you and he loves Slytherins."

"That's it?" Harry raised an eyebrow but was cut short as Blaise shot forward and kicked at Harry.

The black haired boy lunged to the right to avoid a nasty kick to the ribs but ended up slipping upside down on his broom. Held by his hands and legs twisted round the broom and battling against Gravity Harry performed a rather impressive half loop-de-loop in order to right himself. More oohs and aahs were heard from below but both boys ignored them.

"So you have some talent after all?" Blaise sneered, then he smirked as a thought struck him, "you want this thing so bad, go fetch Potter." With that Blaise chucked the remembrall as hard as he could and sped back towards the ground laughing all the way.

Harry had eyes only for the remembrall; it seemed to fall in slow motion, plummeting towards the dark, infinite depths of the lake. Flat to his broom again he angled it down and made a beeline for the remembrall. This time, with gravity on his side, he picked up speed and rocketed towards the falling orb. Reaching out with one hand, oblivious to the water rising up to meet him, Harry felt his fingers close around the cool exterior of the orb.

Pulling back on his broom with the other he swung it round to the left slightly. The momentum of his fall combined with the turn sent him skidding sideways, his toes brushing the water surface and leaving a trail of spray in his wake. But Harry was only holding the broom with one hand and air resistance could only hold him up for so long.

With a splash and several screams from students gathered at the shoreline Harry fell into the lake. The cold hit him like a slap in the face with a wet fish. His robes suddenly felt heavy and he found himself sinking despite his fervent struggles to reach the surface.

"What is going on here?" Madam Hooch snapped as she returned to find all her students gathered at the lake edge and large ripples spreading across the surface. "Is that a student?" she gasped.

"It was Harry Potter professor," Blaise said quickly, "he tried to show off on his broom and fell off into the lake, he took Longbottom's remembrall with him." Parvati Patil and Ron protested immediately and in the confusion of a student potentially drowning and an argument about to break out Madam Hooch couldn't stop one Draco Malfoy from mounting a broom of his own and taking off across the lake.

"Mr Malfoy get back here at once," she cried in outrage, one endangered student was enough she didn't need two. But Draco didn't listen; either that or he couldn't hear her.

"He can't swim, what's he playing at?" Blaise muttered to Theodore Nott who shrugged. They soon knew.

Stopping above the point where Harry fell Draco took a deep breath and, angling his broom vertically down shot into the lake. The cold of the water stung and Draco couldn't keep his eyes open very long but he pressed on downwards. The broom was bucking beneath him and begging to get out of the water, flying things couldn't abide water, it dragged them down and they tended to get rather volatile the closer they got.

He could just make out Harry, a dark shape descending slowly. Pressing forward Draco was becoming more and more aware of his lungs desperate cry for air. The steady stream of bubbles that lead his way had stopped now and Draco realised with a pang that Harry didn't have any air left in him. Reaching out Draco took a firm grip of a handful of Harry's robes and pulled the other boy to him.

Holding the unconscious raven to his chest Draco turned the broom back up towards the glittering surface. It rippled and Draco realised it was raining, holding Harry closer Draco urged the broom up and it was all too happy to oblige. Suddenly finding themselves no longer bound by the water the broom shot out of the lake almost too fast for Draco.

The sudden onslaught of Harry's full weight nearly caused Draco to fall backwards off his broom but the blonde held firm and slowly the tired old broom carried the two first years back to a relieved but very, very angry Madam Hooch. What nobody noticed was that the remembrall, still clutched tightly in Harry's very pale left hand, was a cloudy red.

Well...Harry is out for the count, at least for a little while. What will happen in his unconscious absence? And what has he forgotten? My enthusiasm does not stop here, once again I find myself continuing into the next chapter already. Feel privileged people, the fire came back :D

One thing is bugging me, I feel that some of the scenes lack passion of one sort of another, they lack any real emotion. Any tips?