Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Harry Potter. They are the property of J. K. Rowling.
As the holidays rolled by, Harry felt that, for once, everything was going right in his life. He actually understood everything in his classes - even Potions -, he had a wonderful girlfriend, and lastly, it was time for quidditch to begin. He was also glad that no one except Ron and Lavender knew about the little incident between him and Hermione. Harry could just imagine what would happen if people found out that they'd fallen asleep on the couch together. Before long, it would be blown completely out of control!
"Hey Potter!"
'Damn, why now?' Harry had been having an excellent day and was just about to head to quidditch practice when who decides to show up…
"What do you want, Malfoy?" The blonde-haired young man smiled evilly. His lackeys Crab and Goyle were not more than two feet behind him.
"Oh nothing, just wanted to know how good she was?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on, Potter, it's no big secret. So tell me, was the Mugblood any good?" The hairs on the back of Harry's neck snapped to attention.
"You better not be talking about Hermione," he growled. Malfoy just laughed sadistically.
"So, it is true isn't it? You did knock her up. So when was it, the night of the ball when neither of you showed up?"
"No! Nothing happened between us. And I swear, if you don't shut-up about this…" Harry's knuckles were turning white as he clenched them together.
"Oh please, don't make me laugh, Potter. You can't touch me, and you know it." Crab and Goyle moved closer to Malfoy.
"Leave Hermione and I alone!"
"Or what, you'll go whining to Dumbledore about it? Please, that old geezer can't see two feet in front of him."
Harry was ready to explode. Not only had this jerk insulted his girlfriend, he was also insulting Harry's mentor. Taking a deep breath, Harry tried to calm himself down. He grabbed his broomstick, turned around, and walked off. He was not going to play Malfoy's game today.
As the week progressed, things just got worse. Harry was bombarded with questions about his relationship with Hermione. Everyone knew that they were at least dating, and the two of them didn't mind that, but this was too much. Harry remembered being asked what Hermione looked like naked, and he nearly decked the seventh-year who'd asked.
As much as Harry was annoyed, Hermione was asked twice as much. It seemed like every girl at Hogwarts wanted to ask her about Harry. They asked how good he was, how many times they did it, someone even asked her how big he was.
Hermione managed to keep her cool and kept telling Harry that it would just blow over, but the young man was slowly reaching his limit.
By dinnertime Thursday, Harry seemed to be cooling down. Hermione had been right. The questions had slowly stopped being asked. He sat down at the Gryffindor table, and Hermione took a seat beside him. The two could hear whispering from every direction and somehow knew that it was about them.
"Hey, you two!" Ron sat down across from Harry, and Lavender took a seat beside him.
"Hi Ron." Ron could tell that Harry was trying to restrain himself. The past week had been murder for him and Hermione.
"Harry, relax, this can't last too much longer. You and Hermione keep admitting that nothing happened and sooner or later people will stop bugging you two," Lavender piped up.
"She's right; you know how the rumors change from week to week," Ron added. Hermione placed her hand on top of Harry's and smiled at him.
"Don't worry, we'll get through this; we've gone through worse." Harry gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand.
"Yeah, I know, I guess that I've been on edge lately. Sorry guys."
"Nothing to apologize for," Ron answered. That settled, the four of them dug into their meal.
Dinner was halfway through, and it seemed like things were going to remain calm.
Until…
"I'm serious! He told me so." A fifth-year Hufflepuff turned around toward the Slytherin table. "Isn't it true, Malfoy?"
"Absolutely, wherever it's convenient for them? But don't ask me, why don't we ask the man himself?" Harry stopped eating but didn't turn around.
"Hey Potter! I hear that the Mugblood puts out for you whenever you want? So tell me, what's she good for - three, four, five times a day?" He said it loud enough for the entire Great Hall to hear him, and several snickers could be heard.
"Mr. Malfoy, that is enough." It was Professor McGonagall, and she looked quite agitated at his question.
Meanwhile, Harry was ready to spit nails. Ron actually gulped as he saw the rage burning in his best friend's eyes.
"Malfoy, why don't you just shut your big mouth?" Hermione yelled as her eyes burned with anger.
"Well…well…well…tell me, Potter, is she that sassy in bed?"
WHAM!!!
Malfoy was slammed back against the wall so hard that his back nearly broke. No one was laughing anymore as they merely watched in utter shock.
"I warned you, Malfoy!" Harry was floating in midair above the Gryffindor table, and his eyes held a glaze of pure hatred. He levitated across the room until he was above the Slytherin table. Crab and Goyle stood up to get between him and Malfoy.
"If you two know what's good for you, you'll move right now!" Harry roared.
No one had ever seen Harry Potter so angry. Not even the professors could believe it. Hermione watched in silent shock. What surprised her the most was that Harry wasn't even using his wand to do this. It was still sitting by his plate on the table.
Harry's eyes burned with a fiery fury, and the two Slytherins backed away under his deadly gaze.
Malfoy was frozen in shock. He was trying to pull himself off the wall but to no avail. He could only watch as Harry floated right up to him.
"This is the last time I will say this, Malfoy. Nothing happened between Hermione and I. I will not have you or anyone else talking about her like she's a cheap two-dollar hoar. You want to mess with me - fine, but don't you dare touch someone that I care about? Is that clear?" His green eyes bore into Malfoy's head.
"You just wait, Potter, when my father hears about this…"
"That's just like you, Draco. Go running off to daddy when you're not happy. What's the matter can't fend for yourself? If you're a man, you'll fight your own battles." Harry moved forward until his nose was almost touching Malfoy's.
"I give you one last warning. If you ever insult Hermione again in any way - that includes calling her Mugblood - I swear, I'll transfigure you into a mouse and feed you to Filch's cat!"
Filch, who had been standing in the back of the hall watching, raised an eyebrow at Harry's statement, and Mrs. Norris hissed happily and raised her claw toward Malfoy.
At the professors' table, McGonagall had gotten over her initial shock and was now trying to counteract Harry's spell, but she couldn't. Not even Snape could counteract the magical power that Harry Potter was putting out.
"Harry!" It was Dumbledore's voice. "Put him down." At first, Harry didn't move, but his eyes twitched slightly.
"I said put him down," Dumbledore said a little more forcibly. Harry still didn't move; his eyes merely burned a hole into Malfoy's face.
Ron looked at Hermione, and she nodded as she stood to her feet.
"Harry," she said trying to soothe his anger. "Put him down, please. You've made you're point; you don't have to do anymore."
Harry Potter turned to face his girlfriend, and her smile made his rage drain away. He backed away from Malfoy and lowered his head towards the floor. The blonde young man hit the floor with thud, and Harry levitated back over to the Gryffindor table. He returned to the ground, but everyone was still staring at him.
Looking at Hermione beside him, Harry drew her close and put her head on his shoulder. She understood was he was doing; he was saying that he would protect her no matter who tried to harm her. Harry finally realized what he'd just done, and he felt slightly ashamed.
Looking up at Professor Dumbledore, he could see concern in the older man's eyes, but what surprised him was the look of wonderment in the other professors' eyes. McGonagall was looking at him in shear astonishment as was Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, and even Hagrid was in shock. Snape was just scowling at him angrily.
"Harry, I want to see you in my office first thing tomorrow morning," Dumbledore said firmly. Harry merely nodded and looked down at the young woman in his arms.
Hermione looked up at him worriedly. What would happen to him? He'd used magic in a threatening fashion towards another student. What would his punishment be?
"All right, everyone, return to your dormitories," Dumbledore ordered.
"Albus, what just happened here?" McGonagall asked as the older man sat back in his chair. "I've never seen Harry wield such power."
"He should be expelled!" Snape hissed.
"You forget, Severus, that Draco Malfoy has been going around Hogwarts the past week telling everyone lies about Harry and Hermione. If someone treated your wife like a prostitute, wouldn't you be angry?"
"But the boy nearly killed Malfoy."
"I highly doubt that Harry would've killed him; it is not in him to kill another human being. I believe that he was merely trying to scare Malfoy into leaving Miss Granger alone."
"Albus, he needs to learn to control his power, or someone could get hurt."
"I know, Minerva, that is why I asked to speak with him." Dumbledore gazed at the young couple that still hadn't let go of one another.
Harry was stroking Hermione's hair gently, and she was crying softly on his shoulder.
"Go on, Herm, I'll meet up with you and Ron later on in the common room, okay?"
"You sure?" she blurted out. Harry gave her a soft smile and wiped her eyes.
"Don't worry, sweetheart, everything will be fine," he whispered. "Now go on, I'll see you in a little while."
Hermione gave him a quick peck on the lips, grabbed her things, and headed out. Harry turned to see Crab and Goyle helping Malfoy out of the Great Hall.
"I'll get you for this, Potter," Malfoy sneered.
"Try it and see what I do!" Harry fired back. He smirked as he saw a hint of fear appear in Malfoy's eyes.
"Go on, you three, " Professor McGonagall stated as she approached them from behind.
"As for you, Mr. Potter, you will accompany me to Professor Dumbledore's office first thing tomorrow morning."
"Yes ma'am."
The following morning, Harry woke up with a slight headache. He hadn't slept well at all. When he'd returned to the Gryffindor common room last night, no one, with the exception of Ron and Hermione, would talk to him. They all seemed to be afraid of him. Harry dressed quickly and headed out of the portrait hole, heading for McGonagall's classroom.
As he walked through the hallways, almost every student stopped to stare at him. Harry felt like he was standing on a stage with a spotlight pointing right at him. His mind was so preoccupied that he didn't bother to look in front of him.
Harry bumped into someone, and they both fell onto the floor. He quickly got up and noticed that the person he'd knocked over was a young girl. She was quite small even for a first-year student. She had strawberry blond hair and light blue-green eyes.
"Oh my…" she gasped, and her face went white with fear. By now, the entire hallway had stopped movement, and their eyes were glued to the little altercation.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked. The little girl scrambled up and tried to pick up her books that she'd dropped.
"I'm…I'm sorry Mr. Potter; I didn't mean to be so clumsy," she almost cried.
"Here…" Harry knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder, "…let me help you." He picked up the girl's books and handed them to her.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter." She still had her face down and put her things back in her bag.
"Just call me Harry, and may I ask who you are?" he asked with a warm smile. The little girl stopped shaking and lifted her head.
"I…I'm Carissa…Carissa Martin, but my friends call me Carrie."
"You're a first year aren't you?"
"Y-yes, I'm the first member of my family to come to Hogwarts."
"Well then, I'm sure your parents are very proud," Harry said with a smile of admiration.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter…um…I mean, Harry."
"Wait a minute…Carrie…why does that sound familiar. Do you know Ginny Weasley?" At the mention of Ron's sister's name, the young girl's face lit up.
"Ginny, yes, I do. She's my tutor in Transfiguration; I'm not very good at it," Carrie answered and turned slightly pink. Harry just grinned. He remembered Ginny mentioning a younger student that she'd been helping get through her first year.
"I'll tell you a secret, Carrie; I wasn't very good at it either."
"Really!" A smile appeared on her face, and Harry chuckled softly. He noticed the emblem on her robe.
"So, you're a Gryffindor too, huh?"
"Yes, I felt really nervous when Professor McGonagall put that dirty, old hat on my head, but it went quickly so I was okay."
"Yeah, I still remember my sorting ceremony; everyone was staring at me, almost begging for me to be in their house."
"Well, you are the famous Harry Potter," Carrie piped up.
"I'm no different than anybody else; I'm just as normal as you or any other student at Hogwarts. To be honest, I wish that I wasn't famous; it's more of a curse than a blessing." Harry noticed that girl was intrigued by his words, but he needed to see Dumbledore so he had to cut the conversation short.
"So which class do you have now?"
"Elementary Wizardry with Professor Flitwick." Carrie finished repacking her bag, and Harry held out his hand.
"I'll see you around, okay? If you need help, just come find me." Her eyes shone brightly, and she smiled cheekily.
"Thank you!" she nearly shouted.
"Bye Carrie, it was nice to meet you."
"You to, Harry, bye."
Harry watched her disappear down the hallway and finally noticed that everyone was staring at him in shock. He snapped his fingers and like an alarm clock, everyone snapped out of the trance. Harry couldn't help it and chuckled. He turned around and headed down towards McGonagall's room.
Harry sat in a plush chair in front of Dumbledore's desk, anxiously waiting for the headmaster to arrive. He could hear the gargoyle slide out of its spot, and voices coming up the stairs.
"Where is he?" one voice almost demanded. Harry snapped around; he knew that voice!
Professor Dumbledore entered his office; his glasses hanging down the front of his nose as usual. What made Harry surprised were the two people with him. One, he recognized as Cornelius Fudge, the minister of magic, and the second was none other than Lucius Malfoy himself.
"You!" Lucius nearly hissed and glared at Harry. The young man glared right back. "How dare you attack my son?"
"He deserved everything he got!" Harry fired back.
"All right, that's enough you two!" Fudge ordered. Lucius Malfoy grudgingly complied, but he still glared daggers at Harry.
"Harry, I asked to see you today to discuss what happened yesterday in the Great Hall. You should not have done that." Dumbledore's eyes were quite solemn, and his voice was stern.
"But professor, I couldn't just stand by and listen to him degrade Hermione. I won't let someone talk about her like she's a tramp."
"That doesn't matter, Harry, you cannot take matters into your own hands," Fudge stated. "If you have a problem with a fellow student, you should have told your house professor."
"Sir, with all due respect, that wouldn't have done a thing. Malfoy knows that as much as I do. Nobody would disbelieve him; they're too scared of him. I've spent six years of my life listening to his bullshit, watching him put people down, and using fear as a way to get what he wants. I don't care if it wasn't convenient for everybody, but someone had put him in his place."
Dumbledore tried hard not to grin; he was almost laughing on the inside. Harry had grown into a fine man. He stared down one of the most influential wizards and the minister of magic without a blink.
"You, boy, are nothing more than a trumped up heroine. Your parents weren't even that good of wizards; no wonder you associate with Mugbloods," Lucius sneered.
"Harry!" Dumbledore said firmly, noting the fire burning in the young man's eyes. Lucius Malfoy just laughed sadistically.
"Don't stop him, Albus, let the boy speak. He can't dig his grave any deeper anyway."
"I warn you, Mr. Potter, what you say will effect the consequences of your actions," Fudge stated.
"Minister Fudge, if I may, I want to know why you are stuck on the 'pure-blood' issue?"
"Excuse me?"
"Sir, I want to know why you and the Ministry refuse to accept the fact that not all wizards have to come from wizarding families. Why can't you accept those that show they have gifts even if their parents are muggles?"
"Because boy, the only true wizards are those who come from pure-blood families!" Lucius Malfoy nearly shouted. Harry did not back down.
"If that is true, Mr. Malfoy, then you are not a true wizard - neither am I, or Minister, or any wizard or witch anywhere. Even your family, Mr. Malfoy began with a muggle who discovered they had magical powers. Now without that patriarch, your entire line would have been non-existent, isn't that right?"
Lucius Malfoy was speechless; for once, he didn't know what say. Even Minister Fudge was quite astounded with Harry's words. Again, Dumbledore suppressed a grin from popping up on his face.
"Enough of this babbling, Potter, we're not here to discuss history. We've come here to see that you are punished for what you did!" Malfoy said angrily.
"Punished for what? Defending someone that I care about?"
"No, Harry, for using magic in a threatening way against another student. It is one of the oldest rules at Hogwarts; no student may use magic in a life-threatening way against another student."
"I wasn't going to kill him," Harry said in his defense. Fudge shook his head.
"It does not matter; you still used powerful magic against a fellow Hogwarts student. Furthermore, magic that you are not even allowed to use yet. I'm surprised that you could even do such a thing," Fudge stated looking at Dumbledore out of the corner of his eye. He got a very solemn look on his face.
"In light of recent events and your history of breaking the ministry's rules of magic, we have no choice but to expel you from Hogwarts - effective immediately."
Harry was dumbfounded, and Dumbledore quickly stood up.
"Cornelius, isn't that a bit much? Everything that Harry has done in the past has turned out to be the best move. He acts according to his instincts."
"I'm sorry, Albus, but rules are rules. Harry Potter, you will have three days to leave Hogwarts. If you have not left by then, you will be arrested and detained." Fudge almost looked like he hated having the ability to talk at that moment. Lucius, on the other hand, was smiling quite widely.
"You see, boy, it doesn't matter what you thought was right; you're gone!"
Harry did not respond but merely looked down at the carpet. He…he was expelled… from Hogwarts…the only home that he ever had.
"I'm sorry, Harry, I know that this is hard to take, but the rules must be upheld," Fudge stated.
"No Minister, I…I understand," Harry replied. "May I be excused Professor?" Dumbledore's eyes were filled with sadness, and he merely nodded.