Better Be Slytherin!

through me, but I didn't do anything to him.' He wasn't about to tell them about the time he'd lost or how he had no idea how he'd gotten all beat to crap and run through; he wasn't stupid.

'Ewww.' Millicent wrinkled up her nose. 'He flew through you? What did it feel like?'

'It was kinda weird. Cold, but . . .' He shook his head, not sure how to explain.

'Maybe he stabbed you.'

'Don't be dense, Millie,' Teddy said with a sneer. 'Ghosts can't interact like that with corporeal beings. They have no ability to physically manifest.'

At her blank look, Harry offered, 'He couldn't have hit me with anything, 'cause he can't hold a weapon,' and she nodded in understanding.

Teddy gave him a shrewd look. 'And you have no idea what happened.'

Harry sighed. 'No . . . I think I got knocked out by something.'

'Maybe the Baron gave you his wound!' Millicent said, 'When he passed through you. I mean, everyone knows he's got a chest wound, too, like from a long knife or sword or something.'

'Bullstrode,' Teddy started testily, 'Remember the part about ghosts being non-corporeal?'

'Yeah, but—'

'There's just no way. Besides, why would he do that to a Slytherin? He's our ghost.'

'Well, why would anyone . . .' Millicent cut herself off and looked away.

'What?' Harry asked, but Millicent just shrugged. 'What . . . Do you mean, why would anyone want to kill me? I dunno.'

'Are you kidding me?' Teddy asked. 'There's plenty of people who are probably hostile about your return to the Wizarding World, now, after what you did to You Know Who.'

'Which I don't even remember, being I was only a year old. And he tried to kill me first.'

'Hell, I know that. And there's not like to be anyone stupid enough in Slytherin to try to take you down, at least not at school. Their families would suffer, for one thing. Even Malfoy's not that dim.'

'He doesn't like me, though.'

'Yeah, well . . . he might've found out you made the Quidditch team, without even trying out for it.' Teddy gave Millicent a pointed look.

The large girl flushed. 'I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret! I thought it was great that one of us Firsties had made the team. No one as young as you has made it in a hundred years. I heard Snape had to get the rules bent for you, and everything.' Harry frowned, not liking the idea of Snape doing that for him, and she sighed. 'And Malfoy was being a jerk. Again. And going on about how he was guaranteed a spot, likely as Seeker, and so I told him off.' She grimaced and hitched up one shoulder. 'Sorry, Harry. He might have got a bit annoyed by the news.'

Harry made himself smile. 'Hey, it's okay, Millie, really. He was going to find out sooner or later anyway, right?'

'Yeah, I guess.'

'So, it was a bit sooner. Maybe he'll even make the team anyway. We still need another Chaser, from what Flint said.' Harry was almost hoping he would; it would take some of the pressure off him, for one thing.

'Oh, hey! Did you know your dad played Quidditch?'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah, I saw a plaque in the trophy room. He played for Gryffindor, obviously, but I guess he was pretty good. They won a lot, then.'

'You'll have to show me.' Harry's interest was piqued; he knew so little about his parents that any tidbit of information was worth its weight in galleons. He licked his lips nervously, but made himself ask, 'Was there a picture?'

Millie shook her head. 'There's a couple team pictures from back that far, but not one with your father in it.'

Harry swallowed his disappointment, but it felt like ground glass going down. The Dursleys had been so close mouthed about Lily and James Potter while he was growing up, except when they were telling him lies, like about how they'd died, that he knew next to nothing about them. He didn't even have any idea what they looked like, as the only photos in the Dursley home had been of his aunt and uncle and Dudley, so a picture of even just his father would have eased some of that empty ache he always carried with him. 'Oh, well,' he said lightly. 'It'd be great to see the plaque and stuff anyway.'

'Yeah, soon as you're up and around, I'll show you.'

'Thanks, Millie.' Harry rubbed a hand over his face, feeling suddenly exhausted, so of course Madam Pomfrey had to arrive at that moment and shoo his friends away.

'You can come back briefly, after dinner,' she told them when Millicent asked. 'But he needs rest more than anything.'

'All right. Seeya, Harry,' Millie said and waved as they headed for the door.

'Seeya. Thanks for coming by.'

Teddy smirked. 'See that you quit your whinging, and maybe I'll bring you a nice treat from dinner.'

'Well, okay. Just 'cause you asked so nicely. Prat.'