The Darkening of Your Soul

Chapter 8

Throughout the day Harry tried with all his might to pretend he was in a play, as per Voldemort’s advice. It didn’t take him very long to realize he’d already been doing something like it when creating his new persona that he’d adopted since coming to Hogwarts. So far, though, he’d been focusing on what he showed others. Now he needed to focus on what he showed himself. Once four o’clock rolled around Harry had to be convinced he was a student who had never been betrayed by Dumbledore.

Classes were simple, thankfully, which allowed Harry plenty of time to compartmentalize his thoughts as best as he could, using some of the techniques he’d read about in his books on the Mind Arts.

They had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs in the morning, and Harry used that time to reconnect with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot. The class consisted of a tour of greenhouse one, a demonstration by Professor Sprout and some theory, so Harry had plenty of opportunities to exchange some friendly words with Susan and Hannah, and also to introduce himself to Ernie and Justin.

In the afternoon they had double Charms with the Gryffindors and since it was all theory Harry already knew he had time to focus on his own mind. He remembered from his first life that it would be some weeks until they were allowed to use magic in Charms, Transfiguration and Defence. Once again he briefly questioned his decision to go back all the way to his first year, until he realized that if he’d come back later he’d have been stuck in Gryffindor with Ron and Hermione and Harry knew he’d never be able to pull that off again. He imagined returning in his fourth or fifth year when both Ron and Hermione had already been friends with him for years and would’ve expected him to act a certain way. If Harry suddenly called their friendship quits and started acting largely like a Slytherin, questions would be asked by everyone. His friends, his teachers, Sirius, Mr and Mrs Weasley and probably Dumbledore himself who might just decide that Harry was possessed by Voldemort’s soul piece and lost his usefulness and needed to be finished off a little early.

No, when considering all those things, sitting through a few weeks of first-year magical theory was well worth it. Harry now had the opportunity to shape himself and the world around him in ways that suited his more mature self without setting off alarm bells in everyone who had ever known him.

After Charms Harry had time for one cup of tea in the Great Hall before he had to leave for the headmaster’s tower. Blaise and Theo didn’t ask where he was going when he excused himself. Harry privately marvelled at the difference between Gryffindor, where Ron and Hermione would have expected and demanded to be told where he was going, and Slytherin, where Blaise and Theo were definitely curious about Harry’s destination but would never expect to be told unless Harry decided to volunteer that information.

As he walked to the headmaster’s office, Harry repeated the role he was playing in his head. A first-year, smart, enthusiastic, slightly ignorant about the magical world. He never had friends before, and he definitely had never been betrayed by any of them, and he’d never personally met Dumbledore before either, and he had no clue the old man wanted him dead.

Once Harry stood in front of the gargoyle he realized Dumbledore hadn’t told him the password like he’d always done in his previous life. Did that mean Dumbledore didn’t want to give the password to a Slytherin or was Harry reading too much into this? Looking around as though he was confused for few moments, Harry eventually held up his letter and addressed the gargoyle.

“Excuse me? Headmaster Dumbledore sent me a letter inviting me to meet with him. Is this the right place? Can you talk like a portrait? Because the portraits here can talk.”