Her lips moved slightly, the only indication of a frown that he was going to receive apparently. "Quite, though I cannot imagine your... parents being present. It does raise the question of how you managed to simply 'show up'."
If it had been his own version of the potion's professor Harry would have been sure the comment concerning his parents was some sort of insult. With this new one he was only half sure. "I am attending with someone else."
Now the frown was obvious, earning one from him as well. What did she care if he was at a party for Slytherins with someone other than his parents?
She looked ready to say something else when another voice interrupted, "Ah Harry, there you are, seems you slipped away from me." Into the hall stepped Grace Riddle, pausing only for a moment to notice the other adult in attendance. "Snape." She greeted, voice losing any hint of fondness.
"Riddle" Snape replied with much the same tone if a bit colder.
"I see you've met my companion for the evening."
Harry was about to interrupt with the fact they were not companions when Snape beat him to it. "How disappointing. I would have thought the Potters to be better judges of character and not allow their son to be in attendance with someone such as yourself."
Grace barely paid the insult any attention, instead taking a moment to examine her fingernails. "Strange, since I was seen as the best option to take on the role of mentor for young Harry here for the foreseeable future."
This comment earned a full-on sneer, accompanied by what Harry almost would have classified as Parseltongue. Harry stepped forward, though to say what he wasn't sure, when a hand fell onto his shoulder from the oldest present.
"Don't mind her Harry, I am sure Snape is just upset that she wasn't even considered for such an honor."
"If his parents are mindless enough to think you are a role model then it only shows how desperate they are for Defense training."
This time Harry's temper gave him the push to speak first. "Even if I had been skilled in Potions, Professor, my parents would not have trusted me with a rapist." His words caused the woman to flinch back for more efficiently than anything Riddle had said. "Yes, they told me all about what happened, about what you did, what you tried to do. Where I come from, I had felt pity towards you. You had been picked on, bullied, and said something awful in the heat of the moment. Here though? Here you're just a villain."
He shook off the hand that had been resting on him and proceeded towards the outdoors, intent on finding somewhere secluded and quiet to spend the rest of his evening.
Serena stared at him as he left, looking as if she were prepared to go after him when Grace cleared her throat. "In case you couldn't tell, he doesn't want to speak with you. I would be remiss if I didn't warn you from seeking him out in private."
Turning, the two professors stared each other down until a small, almost vicious, smile curled up onto the Head of Slytherin's lips. Snape replied with a silent sneer.
****
"What are you doing here?"
Harry wanted to scream in the bitch's face, but just managed not to do so. "Trying to get away from people like you."
Why could he just catch a break? Why couldn't the property have just been empty? Instead, he was stuck looking at the ugly sneer on the face of yet another of his classmates. "You think you're so great, don't you? Walking around like you are just the greatest thing since the creation of Wands. All the professors love you. All the staff loves you, but you know what? We don't. You don't fit in here, not in Slytherin, and not at a place like this. You don't belong with the rich and powerful."
The boy-who-lived stared back at Delphini for a few moments, before snorting, "You know what? You're right, I don't but I'm glad that I don't. I have a family who treats me as more than just an heir to continue a name, I have friends who like me for who I am, not because of my last name or my family's money. As for the professors, well I guess it just proves I'm better than you, doesn't it?"
She went for her Wand, and it would have been impressive, maybe even intimidating, if Harry hadn't dealt with people like her before, if he hadn't stared down a Dark Lord more terrifying then she could ever dream of being.
Delphini Black drew her weapon with the grace of a trained heiress, with one taught formalities and customs.
Harry, on the other hand, drew his with skills he had developed over the course of several years. He drew his with the speed of necessity, of the experience that one developed when facing an enemy intent on murder.
His movement was faster, more practical, and the result was obvious when she took a step back, surprise in her eyes.
"What do we have here?"
The girl turned to face the newcomer, Harry did not. He recognized the voice, and if he hadn't it would result in him shifting around, to put them both on the same side and within sight.
The boy knew better than to take his eyes off a threat.
"Professor! We were just…"
But Riddle didn't seem to have any interest in the other girl's excuses, "Leave, now."
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