Harry Potter : In the shadow of divinity25.00%

Chapter - 21 : Breaking Traditions part - 2

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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

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"Give them time, they'll learn to tolerate each other. But, onto different matters, now that you've been given the chance to settle in and I've found a way around these wards, I believe we should begin discussing where and when we will be conducting your lessons on how to wield your dagger."

"How about here?" Harry gestured to the forest around him. "Students are forbidden from wandering the forest because there are supposed to be dangerous creatures roaming about, but you could find us a nice spot to work in and put up some wards to keep the creatures out."

"I suppose I could," Loki considered. "I'll have to take a look around, I'll need to know what creatures this forest is home to in order to put up the proper wards but it shouldn't be too much of a task. That will be done after you've returned to the castle. When I visit next, we'll meet here and I'll lead you to wherever I've found."

"You don't want any company while you look?"

Loki shook. "I'm more than capable of handling whatever dangers lurk these woods, but you are not yet ready. I'd feel best if you waited for me to find out just what we're up against."

"All right," Harry sighed. "I suppose I should head back up to the castle then."

"I suppose so." Loki pulled Harry into a tight hug. "Goodnight, Little Trickster. I'll see you again, soon."

Harry murmured his own goodnight in response, then slowly made his way back to the castle where curfew was now in full affect. He made it to his dormitory without being spotted by any of the patrolling staff or their cats and slid into his bed with a grateful sigh.

It had been the first of many long days; his body ached from traversing the winding corridors and steep staircases and his magic had never been used quite so much in one day, and yet he'd never been happier.

It wasn't until several months into the semester that Ron Weasley finally came to the hard earned conclusion that being friends with one Harry Potter was…odd. He'd grown up on stories of the Boy-Who-Lived and all of his magical exploits, but nothing could have ever prepared him for the real thing. It had started when Harry was sorted into Slytherin of all places, but instead of honoring age old tradition by swearing off anything to do with Gryffindor house, Ron and Neville included, Harry risked the scorn of his housemates to, not only keep them on as friends, but sit with them several times a week at meals.

Ron had always known Harry would be talented magically, he had to be considering he'd defeated a dark lord at only fifteen months, but not even he was prepared for the ease with which he picked up spells. If he hadn't already known Harry had been raised among muggles, he would have suspected he'd been learning magic even before Hogwarts as many of the children from the older, pureblood families were wont to do.

One thing the stories had got right was how absolutely fearless he was. Zabini had told him, Neville, and Hermione all about how one of his older housemates, Adrian Pucey, had been openly scornful of Harry being sorted into Slytherin only to be verbally beaten to a pulp by Harry's surprisingly razor tongue, but he hadn't believed it until Fred and George, who seemed to have ears everywhere, confirmed the rumor. He'd been surprised and the slightest intimidated by what his brothers had described to him right up until he'd caught sight of Harry in the Great Hall the next morning stuffing himself with food as he looked to be teasing Malfoy mercilessly about something or the other.

Ron had been a bit hesitant about sharing Harry with the blonde prat, he'd heard nothing but bad things about the family from his oldest brothers and their rough meeting on the train did nothing to change his opinion. But, with them both being friends of Harry, he'd been forced to spend a disgusting amount of time with the Malfoy heir; he still hated almost everything that had to do with him, but, after being in his company for so much time, he'd been able to differentiate Malfoy's moods and pick out when his near constant barrage of insults were serious and when they were bordering on teasing.

Harry didn't seem at all bother by their supposed enmity, he only seemed happy to have them as friends, which made Ron try his best not to intentionally goad Malfoy into a fight. For Harry's sake.

He got along well enough with the others; due to the fact that they were in the same house, he and Neville were closest, but he still found Hermione and her never ending store of knowledge helpful and a bit admirable, and he thought Zabini was all right for a Slytherin, he was civil and often funny even if he didn't mean to be.

All in all, he found the beginning of his first year at Hogwarts to be quite enjoyable; even with that minor incident with the troll wandering into the castle during the Halloween feast.

The whole debacle with the troll had been minor; none of the staff explained how it had managed to get into the castle or even where it had come from, but Blaise had presumed one of the students had left the main doors open when returning from the grounds and the sounds and smells from the Halloween feast had lured the troll from the Forbidden Forest. The creature had been found almost immediately, drinking from the toilet in the girls' loo, where it was subdued and returned to where it was meant to be.

It was fortunate that everyone had been at the feast when the troll wandered in; if it had been in the middle of the school day, the incident may have led to some serious injuries. Because of their serendipity and the quickness with which the staff had taken care of the troll, Blaise hadn't had much to say on that. It was the Cerberus he had a problem with.