This time though it wasn't Harry, but rather his redheaded sister who answered the call. "Don't flatter yourself Malfoy, you barely got off the ground without almost falling off your broom, even if you acted like no one noticed."
Said blonde scowled but refused to back down. At least, Harry noted, Neville wasn't in danger of losing a family artifact this time around. A thought struck him about asking the other boy about his parents. He knew that they had been tortured into insanity in his own timeline, did that mean they were perfectly fine in this one?
He hoped so.
Meanwhile, other Slytherins and Gryffindors had begun to gather on opposing sides, glaring at each other with a rivalry only surpassed by what Harry remembered from his own world.
"If you somehow forgot, Slytherin is in the lead for House Points." Bliss taunted.
"Only because Snape is so blatantly favored towards her old House." Lavendar countered.
The argument escalated until the professor intervened, breaking the groups up and telling them to save it for the Quidditch field.
****
Half of the week was already finished, and Harry was beyond bored with most of his classes. He had been sitting through lectures he vaguely remembered covering topics that were almost common sense to him at that point.
The only bright side thus far, apart from Snape not being a complete wanker, was McGonagall.
And speaking of which, "Mr. Potter, please stay behind for a moment after class."
He did so, earning a few hushed whispers from other students as the room vacated, leaving them alone. Moments later the woman smiled down at him with warmth he remembered from his own world.
"I was your parents' Head of House when they were in Hogwarts, I'm not sure if they told you this."
He wasn't sure either but figured it logically would have come up. "I think one of them mentioned it."
She nodded, a hesitant look in her eye as if she wanted to step closer but was held back for some reason. "I don't know what possibly could have possessed them to do what they did Mr. Potter, but I assure you that when I see them next there will be more than a slight scolding."
Harry was confused for a moment, before he remembered their cover story. "Oh, uhm thank you but don't be too harsh on them. I… don't want to cause trouble." At least it wasn't a complete lie and served to earn a snort of disagreement from the woman, "I damn well taught them better than this, abandoning their own bloody child. James is bad enough even if he has the excuse of being raised in a Magical family, but Lily has no excuse."
He wanted to defend them, knowing that her ire was unjustified, but couldn't see a way to do so without raising further suspicions. So he went with the next best tactic, changing the topic.
"Were you close to them when they were in school, professor?"
This earned him a pause, and if he wasn't mistaken a faint blush from the woman. "I was their Head of House," she reiterated, "and while I was very close to your mother in terms of certain ideologies, I shared a certain bond with your father as well. I'm not sure if they mentioned this but he was a prodigy in my own subject, Transfiguration, and so I tutored him."
Such a thing didn't sound familiar from his own time, save for Remus helping him in his third year, and Harry was more than a little curious, "Is that normal? For teachers to give students private lessons?"
"Some extra help is far from uncommon, when a student needs additional assistance or excels a bit in a certain class, but private tutoring is generally reserved for those who show above average promise in certain areas. Skill of that level tends to only appear once a decade or less. It is also common for some of the older families." Harry remained silent, earning a soft sigh, "Try not to worry about things like that Mr. Potter. Just focus on your own studies. You are still only in your first year, and a week in at that."
He nodded in acceptance, earning another warm smile before being dismissed.
****
"Mister Potter"
He waited as the girl who had spoken to him approached, eying her up in curiosity. She was a bit older than him with the pale complexion that was so common among the 'upper class'. Her hair was dark, eyes as well. She was Slytherin in sorting, appearance, and personality, but for the life of him Harry didn't understand what she wanted, or why she seemed oddly familiar.
"Uh, hi"
She waited for a few moments, before coming to some sort of conclusion, "You were not informed about me, were you?"
Nothing came to his mind, either from his parents, professors, or sisters, and so he shook his head.
A soft sigh escaped her lips, "My name is Marie Rosier, I am Sirius' daughter."
The boy's eyes immediately widened in surprise. Sirius was married? More importantly, he had a daughter!? "Nice uhm, to meet you."
Her nod was short and curt, "You as well, I am something akin to a cousin to your sisters, and thus you as well."
Well, now he had a cousin, hopefully one better than Dudley. "Sounds… good."
If his uncertainty and confusion were obvious then she made no reaction to them. Instead giving him another nod before departing, leaving him even more bewildered than before.
____________________
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