Where Will You Go
Chapter 1 - Too Important
By Celestial
Author's Notes: The main and chapter titles are from Evanescence's "Where Will You Go?" as well as the lyrics at the beginning of each chapter.
Where Will You Go
Chapter 1 - Too Important
By Celestial
You’re too important for anyone,
There’s something wrong with everything you see.
But I, I know who you really are,
You’re the one who cries when you’re alone.
“Potter, can you inform me of when the meaning of ‘slice your beetles’ was changed into ‘mash your beetles to a bloody pulp’? Because it seems that we are on differing wavelengths. Five points from Gryffindor for Mr. Potter’s translation of my instructions.”
The Gryffindors moaned despairingly. Professor Snape was in a delightful mood during his Monday Slytherin/Gryffindor Potions lesson. Hermione looked at Harry sympathetically. The dark haired boy thumped his head on the table in front of him. From across the room, the incorrigible Draco Malfoy snickered with the rest of his cohorts.
Harry groaned into the table. By his 6th year he figured maybe, just maybe, people would have matured. His mistake was clearly defined as a piece of chopped mandrake root sailed across the room and smacked him in the ear. More laughter from the Slytherins ensued. Definitely wrong, he thought to himself.
“I think Snape hexes the clocks before that class. It seems longer by the day,” complained Ron, who had his fair share of Snape commentary during the lesson.
The trio walked wearily out of Potions. Harry rolled his eyes as the whole lot of Slytherins passed, sniggering and pointing at a little piece of mandrake root that had manage to attach itself to Harry’s hair. Hermione quickly picked it out, and flicked it at Pansy’s retreating back, managing to get it right in the hood of her robes. The trio smiled to themselves and headed to the Great Hall for dinner.
Harry’s spirits lifted as they ate. He watched his friends with great admiration. Hermoine crammed for her Arithmancy test, as if she didn’t know everything by heart already. Ron bore a look of determination as he flicked peas into Seamus’s open mouth. Neville searched his pockets for Trevor. Dean worked on drawing the gold lion he had promised McGonagall months ago. Parvati predicted Ginny’s future in her tea. Lavender turned and whined at Ron (who put on his best “I’m innocent” face) for hitting her in the eye with a pea.
Harry knew he was lucky to have almost everyone he cared about in one piece after the previous year’s war against Voldemort. Others were not so lucky. His heart fell as he looked to the Ravenclaw table. Cho’s regular spot had been taken up by a first year boy. Hufflepuff had lost Cedric, the first casualty, and about five other boys. Some Slytherins were in Azkaban for leaking information to their Death Eater parents. Gryffindor had their share of losses too. Katie Bell had been killed in a raid, Percy in an attack on the Ministry.
His eyes wandered across the room to where Draco sat arguing with Blaise Zabini. Pansy flitted over his shoulder like a worried mother. The argument heated up, and soon most of the school was watching them. Blaise was obviously confused and getting very defensive. The more confused he got, the angrier Draco became. Harry figured out that Draco was complaining about something he had found to be imperfect…again.
Pansy started to tug on his robes. He turned and screamed in Pansy’s face, causing her to sit down in shock. Frustrated, Draco broke and leapt up from the table, knocking food everywhere. He pulled Blaise up from his seat by his hair, and knocked him to the ground. The professors jumped up and yelled for Draco to stop, but he was past that already. Harry watched as madness began to take hold. The Slytherins tried unsuccessfully to pull the two apart.
Harry looked around the room and jumped to his feet. He worked his way through the crowd towards Blaise and Draco. Harry grabbed Draco by the neck and hauled him off of Blaise, who groaned and rubbed at his bruised cheek.
Green eyes bore into grey, as Harry slammed Draco’s body into the wall as if he were a rag doll. The Gryffindor held him there by his throat, and the whole hall stared at the two, waiting for one or the other to move. For what seemed like forever they watched each others’ eyes, each waiting for a hint of submission. Finally Draco laughed; a cruel harsh laugh. Harry looked at him in disgust and dropped him. Draco rubbed at his neck, encouraging circulation to return. He whispered to Harry, “I’m always right about you,” before storming off to the dungeons with a smug look on his face.
Everyone looked at Harry, worry marking their faces. The dark haired boy watched Draco’s retreating back, confusion etched in his features. How did Draco know he would come to the rescue?