It had just been a simple shoving hex, Harry told himself. He'd got wet, that was all. And he wasn't even wet for long, what with the drying charm Hermione cast over him as soon as she got close enough.
But still, the incident had unnerved Harry a little.
He was just glad he wasn't Draco, who had to go back to live among the snakes.
------------------------------------------------------
"So when can we expect your brother back in classes?" asked Hermione brightly that night at dinner.
Harry put down his milk and wiped his mouth with his sleeve before he answered. "No idea. The governors have to meet first." He wondered if he should go ask Dumbledore if he'd managed to arrange anything yet, then decided it was way too soon to expect as much.
"Brother," muttered Ron. He caught the look Hermione threw him. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But still."
"I'm more worried about how Slytherin will treat him than anything else," admitted Harry. "And don't say again that he's going to bribe them to like him again, Ron. I think this has gone beyond that."
Ron closed his mouth, but the look in his eyes spoke for him.
Harry almost sighed. "Do I have to give you the same lecture I gave him? The one about how a person can have more than one friend?"
"Nah." Ron finished chewing his chicken leg. "Sorry. I'll just think of him as your Percy."
------------------------------------------------------
"I sure hope we don't have to use the waddlepaters today," said Hermione the next afternoon as she pushed open the door to the Potions classroom. "When I plucked mine from the water, they just looked up at me so helplessly. Like they knew they were going to end up being boiled alive!"
"Potions class is no place for sentimentality," drawled Draco from a work table a short distance away. "I'd have thought you'd know that by now, Hermione." He inclined his head as the other Gryffindors trailed in. "Ron."
"Mal... Draco," Ron said, gritting his teeth slightly. He made as though to move on by, but Harry stopped by Draco, which made Ron stop as well.
"What are you doing here?" asked Harry.
Draco leaned on one hand, his posture laconic. A pose, Harry recognised. "Governors met this morning. Granted, they didn't apologise the way they should have for their appalling lack of judgment, but they did vote me back in."
"Why didn't you come join us for lunch?"
"Oh, Severus and I had to get my new wand registered." When Draco brandished it slightly, Harry saw it wasn't actually a new wand. That phrasing was probably just for the other Slytherins to hear. Severus had let his grandfather's wand be registered to Draco. That was nice.
Harry lowered his voice. "Did Lucius have to return the other one? I mean, I know you couldn't use it any longer now that your name has changed, but..."
Draco's hand clenched on his wand, which made Harry sorry he'd asked. "I'm sure he has it, still. That would be like him. Anyway, I've got this one officially, so I'm all set. So, how about you partner with me today?"
Harry glanced sideways at Ron. "Well, with Nott gone I sort of thought I'd work with Ron."
"Severus wants inter-House pairs today. He told me so."
Ron snorted. "Harry can work with me then, or have you forgotten he's in Slytherin?"
"Is he more Slytherin than Gryffindor?" Draco raised an eyebrow. "You aren't going to answer?"
"Listen, if you think you can just sail back in here and take over, you've got another think coming--"
Draco turned to Harry, and in that instant, Harry saw something he hadn't expected to see. Nervousness, lurking in those silver eyes. It came to Harry then that the last time Draco had been inside this particular room, Pansy had loosed a snake on him. He was probably worried that his remaining Housemates didn't want him back and would try something. Clearly, he'd feel better with Harry by his side.
"I'll work with Draco," Harry said. "It's his first day back, and he's my brother. All right, Ron?"
"Yeah, all right."
Ignoring what Draco had said about Snape's wishes, Ron went to the table behind Harry, where Hermione was already setting up her cauldron.
When Snape strode in from his adjoining office, the door clanging behind him, he put an end to that. "Inter-House pairs today, ladies and gentlemen," he barked out. "Mr. Zabini, has Miss Greengrass been re-sorted into Gryffindor? I thought not. Find yourself a partner!"
Once the students were paired to his satisfaction, Snape resumed speaking. "You will not have read this in the Prophet yet, but Draco Snape has been reinstated into Hogwarts as a student in good standing. I am sure he will do Slytherin credit."
Harry noticed then, that Draco's cloak once more boasted a snake crest. He told himself he wouldn't look at it if they had to do any charmed potions; he was going to get used to focussing on the snake etched into his glasses lens.
Snape waved his wand toward the blackboard to reveal instructions. "Avail yourselves of the student supplies as needed."
"Oh, this'll be a snap," whispered Draco when Snape turned his back.
Harry didn't think so; the potion had about a hundred and twelve steps. Or seemed like, anyway. At least this particular potion didn't have to be charmed. That was good. It was never very fun having to figure out new spells, though by now he was used to it.
"I'll just go get the live leeches," said Draco as he glanced over the dried and bottled ingredients Harry had lain out from his sixth year potions kit.
He stumbled on the way, which was so unlike him that when he got back, six fat leeches in his mortar, Harry quietly asked, "Everything all right?"
"Oh yes, certainly," said Draco brightly. A lie if Harry had ever heard one. He thought then that somebody must have cast a sneaky tripping hex that Draco hadn't quite managed to avoid. It struck him then that Draco was keeping his wand out, most often in hand, just like he was ready to defend himself if it came to that.
Harry hoped it didn't. Draco's idea of self-defence, after all, was what had got him kicked out of classes in the first place.
"Would you like to pulp the leeches or shall I?" Draco asked, still in that same over-bright tone.
"Ugh. You."
"Very well. You make the base. Mind you don't overheat it."
Harry could have done without being bossed around quite so much, but since Draco was already enough on edge, he didn't mention that. And really, it wasn't as though his brother was being completely overbearing. He'd practically volunteered to mash the leeches.
Snape began walking up and down the rows, commenting on the potions in progress. "More oil-of-clove, Mr. Longbottom," he said in a level tone as he passed a few rows behind Harry. "Miss Greengrass, your base is about to scorch."
Harry was pretty impressed that none of Snape's comments were laced with insults. He was less impressed when he realised that Snape was merely saving up his ire.
For Hermione.
His deep voice came closer, a dark undertone in it when he spoke next. "Miss Granger. Your own base is decidedly too subfusc. Almost caliginous, in fact. Correct it at once."
Uh-oh. Harry could tell from the silence behind him that Hermione hadn't understood. And no wonder. Subfusc? Caliginous? He wasn't sure those were really words. Though goodness knew, Snape had an impressive enough vocabulary that he didn't need to make words up.
"How do I correct it, sir?" asked Hermione in a low voice.
"I'm surprised you have to ask, being as it's so very obvious. Surely you of all people can come up with the answer, Miss Granger."
When Hermione remained silent, Snape gave a loud sigh. "To correct it you must adjust your brewing technique to effect a more lambent appearance." His tone that would sound reasonable to anyone else, but Harry could still hear an angry edge in it. This was about Snape getting even for what had happened in Hogsmeade. He hadn't forgotten that Harry had been attacked while Ron and Hermione had been busy kissing.