A Change of Feeling

Jormungandr, the Huge Monster

Harry felt broken. He was going back to Hogwarts tomorrow. Normally he would be relieved, now his stomach ached from the tension. With some gloom, Harry remembered the conversation he had with his friends yesterday. He had talked about the possibility of being sorted again. Hermione had immediately searched Hogwarts' charter - apparently, the girl has a copy of everything - and indeed found Section 115C that stated that a student should be re-sorted upon returning from expulsion.

Ron thought it a joke: Harry was such a daredevil that he would definitely return to Gryffindor. Ginny was also convinced of his true (red) colors: Harry had saved her in the Chamber of Secrets, so it was impossible that Harry would end up anywhere else. Hermione was mostly looking for precedent and didn't have to search long for it. In 1963 a student had been re-sorted because he had come back from a long vacation. This student returned to his previous House. Hermione also found the reason to sort a student again: Hogwarts' founders believed that an absence - long or short period of time - could cause a change of personality, aspiration, or feeling so that a particular House might be better suited to the new situation. In Harry's case, this meant that even though he was re-registered at Hogwarts within a few hours, he was still signed out for a while. A re-sorting is therefore inevitable.

Harry had resigned himself to this fact, he really did. But he was not sure he would return to Gryffindor. He had thought about this for a long time and came to the conclusion that he is not very brave. Sure he did what was necessary, but many times he'd been put in that position by third parties. Dangerous situations seemed to find him, not the other way round.

No, Harry was convinced that the Hat was finally getting its way. Harry was ambitious: he was determined to make his 'Happy Blankets' a success, he already had a marketing strategy in mind. Besides, he was sure there was nothing like it on the market. He was also a natural leader, where Ron and Hermione often came up with things, he was the one who eventually had to fix it. He was the one who ultimately had to lead them to the right outcome. Most of all, he was resourceful, he took what he could get and wasn't afraid to cheat a little bit to get it.

'Fuck, I'm cunning, resourceful, and ambitious ... I'm a mini-Malfoy! One positive point: he could, most likely, speak with all the ornaments in the common room.' Harry thought with a grin.

With this existential crisis averted, Harry was able to focus on his other, bigger problems. One of them was his tattoo. He had decided he would discuss it with Sirius and Remus tonight. He was sure they would support him through thick and thin. His other big secret was R. Lestrange and his father Corvus. Harry had a certain sense of loyalty to the men and was not going to give up on them. He knew they were a Dark family, but he couldn't bear to condemn them for that. He cared about them, wanted to protect them.

Harry heard a knock on his door. Opening the door, he was greeted by Sirius. "Harry, sorry to bother you, but I'd like to speak to you. Alone. Will you walk with me for a second?" Sirius led the way and entered an office. He offered Harry a chair and closed the door. He also added several silencing spells around the room.

"Harry, the reason I still wanted to talk to you is because I wanted to warn you. I've been watching you for the last few weeks and I saw a young, smart and ambitious man who is not fully supported by his friends. I'm not the only one who saw this, Remus saw it too." Sirius looked seriously at Harry.

"Harry, you still have three years to go to Hogwarts and they are certainly not the easiest. You will soon be getting your OWLs and preparing for the rest of your future. Be aware of this. Sometimes friends stay yours forever, but sometimes you outgrow them. And you don't have to be ashamed of that."

Harry felt their eyes burn with unshed tears and walked over to Sirius.

"I was so afraid that everyone would let me down. That no one would love me anymore if I were myself. I want people to find it interesting that I can talk to snakes, or that they would like to know my opinion, without imposing their own opinion on me, that they see Harry and not the boy-who-lived or the Golden Gryffindor."