Susan read through what she had written one more time then handed it to Neville to proof.
First Years, you are invited to an all house mixer and study session Sunday afternoon. Planned topics are study skills, defense and potions. There will be snacks and a chance to get to know your year mates only a couple things are required the desire to learn and a willingness to look beyond House and blood status. It will start at one and run till half five. Come for some or all of it and be welcome. It will be in the room opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy on the seventh floor. Anyone who doesn't drop prejudice at the door will be asked to leave.
After Neville proofed it, a thought occurred to him, "Guys do you think we ought to get permission?"
"Probably." Harry said. "Nev, how about you Susan and Hannah take it to the Deputy Headmistress. If she okays it ask her to duplicate the notices for all the houses. I need to talk with Draco for a moment."
"Sure thing, Harry." Susan said seeing the slight deer in headlights look Neville was wearing at the thought of seeking out McGonagall. "Come on, Neville."
After the other three left, Harry's face grew more serious and he gestured to the Slytherins to take a seat. "So what's up?"
Draco sudden felt like a whiney child, but he wasn't in the position of being able to use his father's name for protection. But he didn't want Harry to think him weak either. "It's the other Slytherins. The ones from Deatheater families-" his voice died away.
Millicent Bullstrode looked hard at the Boy-Who-Lived. She knew Blaise wouldn't say anything, Tracey might, and Daphne wouldn't say anything at all. Most people mistook her shyness as aloofness but the fact was if her cousin, Daphne, didn't know you she wouldn't talk. She and Millicent had known each other from the cradle and Millicent had long ago taken on the role of Daphne's protector.
Millicent spoke. "Things here in Britain have changed a ton in the last year. My family has been dark, my father served the Dark Lord. But he did it because that was the way the wind was blowing. The wind has changed and according to Draco here,you and your godfather are shaping the future. I'm under orders from my father to move in your direction. What I want to know, is are you like Dumbledore, who if you're Slytherin, dark or not, he'll leave you flapping in a breeze if it suits his notion of the greater good, or do you honestly give a shit?"
Harry's lips twitched. He wished everyone was this plainspoken. "I give a shit. The Dark Lord took steps towards immortality and he intends to come back, but he screwed up. I and my godfather have been working to counter those steps. Dumbledore's ideas for the future are as messed up as he is. I thought I announced my opinion of him at the Sorting Feast. The future Sirius and I are working towards is more egalitarian, power evenly distributed between magicals. Blood doesn't matter to us, muggleborn or pureblood, human or non it doesn't matter. We want for magical society here in Britain to grow not stagnate, which is what it has done under Dumbledore. We live in the 1990's but under Dumbledore's idea of leadership, life in magical Britain is like life in the 1940's or earlier.
"I'm not House prejudiced. We all breathe, and if we get pricked, we bleed red blood. Has Draco told you what I said about Slytherin on the train?"
The Slytherins all nodded.
"There is room for all the houses in the society Sirius and I would like to see. I'm half surprised given that is the goal we're working toward that the hat didn't put me in Slytherin. The Hat said although I had cunning enough for Slytherin my lack of ambition on a personal level would be an affront to the members of that house."
The Slytherins all smirked.
"I told you. You're a Gryffindor,"Draco almost crowed. "but right now I… no we, need that Gryffindor streak of yours to give us some protection."
"Okay, what's happening?"
The Slytherins outlined the situation. Harry listened closely and then sat quietly for several minutes.
"Okay. Are you willing to dish out a little humiliation to the ones getting into your stuff?" At their nods he continued. "I think retaliation in stages. Do all of you know a basic locking charm or what about a blood based protection ward?"
They shook their heads. They said, "We've heard of them of course. But we have no clue how to do them."
...
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