The next day, at breakfast, the letters from families started arriving, owl hoots filling the hall.
As Scotland was quite far from London, even with the owls' pace, it took a day or two for the letters to be received, and another day or two for them the reply to arrive to Hogwarts.
Harry saw his pitch black owl, Cato, meaning 'all-knowing', fly to him, and smiled sadly.
He missed Hedwig, and he would have liked to once again have her, but she attracted too much attention.
So, instead, Rose had bought Hedwig, naming her Morgana, and although the now Morgana didn't quite like her, she still obeyed her.
Harry held out his hand, and Cato softly landed on it, dropping his letter to the table, then hooting and nuzzling his cheek, making him chuckle softly.
"Hello, Cato." he greeted, and the owl practically smiled, nuzzling the hand he had held out to let him.
Anthony Goldstein 'whoa'ed.
"Wow, Harry, your owl seems quite taken with you."
Harry chuckled.
"Yes, he seems to adore me for some reason. As soon as I laid my eyes on him, he rammed into his cage door, trying to reach me."
Boot whistled.
"I wish mine was like that." he said with a sigh, pointing at the barn owl glaring at him while perched on the table, nibbling some bacon.
Harry took a strap of bacon, and handed it to Cato, who took it happily. Then, he picked up another one, and offered it to the barn owl.
Boot gaped.
"Mate, don't do that! He'll bite you!" He stood up, trying to reach out, but the owl had already leaned in towards Harry's finger.
Contrary to their expectations, the owl just hooted, and nipping his finger slightly, grabbed the strap, happily chewing on it.
Both Boot and Goldstein gaped at Harry.
"That's amazing, Harry!" Boot cried out. "How did you do that."
Harry smiled politely.
"I've always been likeable to animals, I guess." he told them.
Both boys sighed.
"Man, you're really amazing: with your knowledge in Charms and now this, I could believe it of you were the Chosen One instead!" exclaimed Goldstein, leaning backwards in defeat. "Seriously, I don't have any other explanation as to how you're so bloody perfect!"
A slam was heard from the Gryffindor table, and Rose stood up, fuming, with Ronald Weasley supporting her, equally red.
"How dare you! I'm the Girl-Who-Lived, I'm the Defeater of Voldemort!" Gasps filled the Great Hall at the uttered name of the feared Dark Lord. "That bloody insect did nothing!"
Ron also shouted.
"Yeah, apologize to Rose!" he cried out, making Harry scoff.
"Sycophant." he mumbled under his breath, but visibly, he smiled politely.
"I apologize if we came of as rude. Anthony and Terry were just surprised that I got along well with a horribly tempered owl, is all! We didn't mean to offend you, my dear sister, or your follower."
The Weasley turned brighter than his hair.
"How dare you! I'm not her follower, I'm her best friend! Unlike you Junior Death Eaters, we don't do followers at the Light Side!"
The Great Hall was filled with silence, many shocked still at the insult. Calling someone a follower of a Dark Lord like that, was that boy insane?
Harry's lips pursed.
"You are acting irrationally. Please sit down, and I shall ignore what you have just told."
Weasley scoffed.
"I'm right, aren't I? What, can't to attack me now that your Lord is dead? Are you scared?" he taunted, and Harry sighed.
"Please cease your foolish accusations." he told the boy, voice firm. "If you are accusing me of siding with the man who attacked my family, you are much more foolish than I have thought. Mind your words, Mr. Weasley."
The redhead seemed to have realized what he had said, and shut his mouth, flushing in embarrassment.
After a few minutes, the Hall turned back to the way it was, and Harry turned to the two boys who had unwillingly started the fight.
"It seems that there are quite rash people in our year." he said, so unbothered by the heavy accusation that even the 6th year Prefect cried out in anger.
"Is he insane? He just- he just accuse you of joining the person who attempted to murder your parents!" he exclaimed, but Harry just smiled at the boy.
"Thank you for defending me, but it's alright." he said, and the Ravenclaw gaped at the boy who had just acted like being accuse of something so farce was nothing at all.
Many felt their respect for the Potter Heir rise after the argument. Although they didn't know much about the boy, he had always been left under his sister's shadow.
Instead of becoming a jealous person, he was a kind and forgiving boy mature beyond his years.
Penelope Clearwater sighed in exhaustion.
"I'll tell Percy to keep a tighter leash on his brother." she told the table, and many nodded in agreement if the decision.
Harry beamed up at the girl.
"Thank you for helping me! I'm really glad we're members of the same House!" he said cheerfully, and at the innocent expression on his face, many melted.
An angel?, some thought hallucinating and seeing a halo on his head, while others just marvelled at the boy's forgiveness.
Harry internally smirked. Hook, line and sinker.
They didn't need to know that he had expected the argument happening when he had decided to show his talent with handling animals.
A slight smirk appeared on his face, but he hid it by sipping his tea, chatting happily with his year mates, and the occasional senior student.
Severus Snape stared calculatively at the boy who had once again turned the tides to his favour.
Cunning indeed, he thought. His speculations had been confirmed.
Harry Potter was an enigma. An enigma with excellent social skills, and a knack for manipulation.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore fumed. The boy had once again won an argument with his sister, and from the looks of it, people were starting to get suspicious of the two's relationship.
He needed to prevent the truth from being uncovered, that Young Rose wasn't the perfect Light Saviour she had envisioned to be.
But before he could act upon his plans, the Hogwarts rumour mill did its job.
A few hours after the argument, a rumour ran within the students that Rose Potter bullied Harry Potter since young, trying to oppress him.
Nobody knew who had started the rumour, but the effect was instantaneous: everyone started paying special attention to the interactions between the twins.
Meanwhile, the perpetrator smirked, humming happily while ignoring the eyes on him, his green jewels hid behind his eyelids in satisfaction.
