Remorse Filled Love

Getting Settled

A week has passed. The days were going on in a better way. Sirius and James’ pranks and bullies were on a hibernating state. They were having their usual classes. Harry had done quite a research about the horcrux. He could relate the murder of Morphine in the shack in Little Hangleton to the Gaunt Ring, as he had seen the ring in the memory of Dumbledore. He already knew about the Riddle’s Diary to be one of the horcruxes; which probably could be in the Malfoy Manor right now, if he trusted the fact that Lucius had the Diary in his own library.

He entered the Great Hall for his breakfast. He instinctively took a few steps towards the Gryffindor Table before he remembered that he was in Slytherin. He pursed his lips and made it to the Slytherin Table. He sat in the far end of the table and served himself with the breakfast. He was eating his breakfast peacefully when a first year Hufflepuff approached him nervously. Harry looked at him in a surprised way, confused as to why he was approaching him. He crouched down so that he was in his eye level.

“Um, you...want something?” Harry asked politely to the boy.

“Uh—I-I j-just wanted t-to give t-this t-to you.” he stuttered and held up his hand. There was a little candy lying on his palm, wrapped in a plastic wrapper.

Harry smiled affectionately. “Then why are you so nervous? Give it to me.” He spread out his hand. The boy timidly put the candy on his palm. “Thank you—uh, sorry, what’s your name?” he asked still smiling.

“Alexander Boot,” the boy replied nervously.

“Thank you Alexander, have a good day.” Harry said getting up on his feet. The boy nodded and ran away.

Harry eyed the candy with suspicious eyes. It looked very familiar; round, pink and had a size of a marble—aha! It was one of the puking pastilles. A smirk appeared on his face. This was definitely not the job of the Hufflepuff. This could only be owned by a prankster; and the most popular prankster of this time was James Potter and Sirius Black. He looked around the Hall, and fixed his eyes on the group of Marauders sitting on the Gryffindor Table. He walked up to them with a polite expression.

“Thanks for the candy, Potter. I know that only one of you could afford this candy.” Harry said smiling.

“What do you mean by that only we can afford them? It merely costs us a Knut.” He said frowning.

“I didn’t mean money, I meant intention. Only a prankster can have an intention of giving away free puking pastilles.” Harry said smiling. He shoved his hands in his pant pockets and walked away.

James and Sirius looked at the retrieving figure with a bewildered expression.

“How did he know about the candy?” Sirius asked.

“This can mean only two things; either he himself is a prankster or he has grown up with pranksters.” Remus said pointing his finger at the back of Harry. “I told you he is intelligent.” He sighed with a slight smile on his face.

“Stop praising him, Remus.” Sirius snapped at him. “James, we need another plan.” He said turning to James again.

James nodded in agreement and turned to his plate. Across the hall Harry was laughing at their disgruntled expressions. When he reached the Slytherin table again Severus Snape approached him.

“What were you talking to that Potter?” Severus asked scowling. He was watching the whole scene play out in front of himself.Firstly he was bewildered by the gentle behaviour he has shown to the Hufflepuff boy, no Slytherin talked to any other houses gently, let alone a Hufflepuff. And then he went to talk to those annoying brats at the Gryffindor table and moreover he was smiling the whole time. What was this boy doing? If he continues like this he will be out casted by the Slytherins.