Disclaimer: I do not and have not ever owned Harry Potter or the song "He Is Not One of Us" from Lion King 2 with that said I also do not nor have I ever owned the movie Lion King 2...that belongs to Disney…With that done I will now say please review... I have no idea where I'm going with this.

"He Is Not One of Us"

He heard all the murmurs, all the accusations, as he went along the corridors. They didn't even seem to lower their voices anymore when he came close, and it was always the same. He was a cheater. He was finally showing his true colors, dark. He was lower than scum. It's all he heard as he clenched his fists and unknowingly morphing his face into a cold glare and sneer as good as any of the Slytherin's Head of House. A group of First years innocently came around the corner just as he reached it. The three small girls were sprawled on the cold stone floor while Harry only stumbled back a few paces. He snapped his head down at the sound of echoing squeaks that came from them. He watched a mixture of fear and anxiousness go through their faces before they instantly began to scramble to get their things and apologizing at the same time. He rolled his eyes before flicking his wand violently sending all the books together and parchment to roll up and slide into place in front of the girls. He said nothing only stepped aside to go around them. He had more important problems to deal with then to worry about a few Firsties. The girls were quickly surrounded by a group of people who had watched everything.

"Are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?" one of the older girls wearing the same black and yellow uniform asked as she double checked them for injuries.

"No, he just gathered everything together and went around us," one of the young girls said while another stared after the retreating form as he disappeared into the dark confines of the dungeons.

"He did it all wordlessly…I mean silently. He never said a word," she muttered, amazement clear in her voice.

"What else would you expect from a dark wizard? We better take you to see Madam Pompfrey just to make sure he didn't put some curse on you," one of the other Hufflpuffs added.

"But he's the Boy-Who-Lived! He couldn't be dark! He…he defeated You-Know-Who," the enamored girl cried but slowly fading.

"He's a Parselmouth, who knows what really happened to our DADA professor his first year. He just disappeared then the Headmaster announces that he has died and he's in the Medical Wing. Then there's last year, he's spotted helping Sirius Black escape off grounds. The man's a known Death Eater and the man who betrayed Lily and James Potter to You-Know-Who in the first place. Harry Potter is no Light wizard," another student wearing Ravenclaw's blue and silver stated. The young Firstie looked back to see her once hero figure completely disappear into the shadows.

He finally reached his destination unfortunately he could see the bat-like visage of his least favorite professor, Severus Snape, billowing down the corridor towards him. They ignored each other thankfully as Harry slipped inside to have every eye on him as he made his way through the rows of tables equal for once in one goal, the hatred of him. There was thankfully one bright spot in his dismal life. He reached the last table, avoiding all the trip jinxes and feet sticking out with an old ease from his years before Hogwarts. He lifted his head to lock his green eyes with a pair of warm, caring brown eyes. It never mattered to her if he was the pariah in his "home" once more. Hermione was always on his side. There was still some good in the world after all.

"There you are I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't make it. Where have you been since lunch?" she asked quietly as he lifted his book from his bag.

"Research," he managed just as Snape burst into the classroom, shutting everyone up instantly.

"You have two hours to somehow manage a Blood Boiler's antidote. Begin," he snapped with a flick of his wand the mundane recipe began writing itself on the board. Harry let out a quiet breath of air, and began to get started. For once he actually knew of the Blood Boiler poison being as he had just read about it in the book he had found in his search of the Restricted Section. If there was one good thing about being a "champion" it was that he had literal free reign of the Library including that particular section. Oddly enough it became his sanctuary away from everyone else. Ignoring everyone around him he began to steadily julienne his portion of Devil Snare vine, none of the muttered venom reached him as he lost himself in his secret hobby. He may not like Snape but that didn't mean it had to ruin the class, well at least the potion making.

Snape watched inwardly mystified that none of the vile insults reached his most hated wizard's son. Some of them even catching him off guard, such as the idea of the Golden Boy turning dark. Severus suddenly spotted a small pebble flying towards Potter cauldron, from the Gryffindors no less, but before he could stop it from blowing everyone up Potter's hand snatched it from the air with the reflexes Minerva was always going on about. He then watched the twerp slowly raise his head sending a cold glare at the exact imbecile who had threw it.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor and two weeks detention with me, Mr. Weasley, for stupidity and trying to kill us all!" Snape snapped causing everyone to jump.

"What! I wasn't going to kill everyone!" Ron yelled.

"You imbecilic howler offspring if that pebble had went into Potter's potion then this entire classroom and Professor Flitwick's above us would have blown apart leaving no one alive!" Severus retorted with venom dripping from his voice. Everyone froze before turning back to stare at the black haired boy to see that he was still working, the small rock sitting in the corner of his table mocking everyone. The whispered words from Hermione next to him seemed to echo in the room.

"Thank you, Harry," the only response she got was a small nod and a quick flick of his eyes to hers and a miniscule up tilt of his lips in a smile. He never stopped his work or jumped like the rest of the class when the professor suddenly ordered them back to work. It seemed the weighted silence was too good to last; the room was soon filled once more with whispers against Harry as they began to call him dark just for keeping the pebble so close to his potion. Severus hid his sneer at the stupidity of students. He continued his rounds finally coming to look at Potter's to be shocked. The brat's potion was the perfect color with just a hint of mint in the fumes. He searched the table for vials to see if he had cheated but only say his open bag at his feet to be surprised once more, there sitting innocently hid to all but those that looked directly into it were three books he knew to be of the darker verity from the Restricted Section. There specialty being in dismemberment, torture, and combining potions with curses and hexes. He was instantly sent back to his school years, being tormented by the Marauders and his other Slytherins. He could escape into his potions. He mentally shook his head to take a second glance to see more advanced DADA books mixed in and another potions book that he told his Slytherins about.

"Sir?" the voice that normally brought on annoyance and loathing snapped him back once more. The same green eyes that his only friend had trapped him but these held a world weary dullness that veiled a spark of something darker, an anger that he had seen many times before in a pair of red eyes.

"Stay after, Potter," he ordered going back to his rounds. Harry shrugged his shoulder at the questioning look Hermione gave him. She leaned closer to him as they both stepped back after removing their cauldrons from their fires to rest.

"So, you going to tell me about this research, not to mention what Hagrid wanted the other night?" she whispered.

"Later, meet me on the 7th floor after dinner. Dobby showed me a room where I can practice in," Harry whispered. Hermione watched her friend as he took his cauldron to the back where vials where stationed and he began filling them with his potion then cleaning his cauldron. Her worry was steadily growing as she watched him pull himself farther away from everyone including her, and that was something she was not going to take at all.

"Clean up, and put a vial on my desk as you leave," Snape suddenly ordered. The room was quickly abuzz with noise.

"Silently!" Snape exclaimed silencing them instantly once more.

Harry returned to his table sliding his Potions text back into his bag then slung the strap over his head letting it cross over his chest. He then turned to help Hermione clean up and vial her potion. A hot slash of pain from his leg caused him to stumble forward into their table, glancing down he watched as his dark red blood ran down his leg just below his knee from a deep slash. He simply shook his head as he looked up to see the Slytherins snickering.

"Pathetic," Harry stated simply to the shock of everyone.

"What's pathetic, Potter; that you can't go any length of time without getting hurt?" Malfoy sneered.

"No, that you think you can only come up trying to rip my bag in an attempt to bully me, only to miss," Harry answered causing the blonds' temper to flare.

"Potter!" Everyone quickly made a line and left at the sound of their Potions professor, leaving Harry and Hermione to be left alone.

"I'll be outside," Hermione muttered turning away before Harry could say different.

Severus flicked his wand closing and putting a silencing ward up before turning to look at the teenager before him. He now took a closer look seeing the dark circles under the boy's eyes and the guarded stance he was in. The distinct smell of blood hitting his nose, leading his gaze to see the red serum soaking the teenager's pants leg.

"Yes, sir?"

"When was the last you slept?" Severus asked before he could say anything else. He watched the stoic mask slip at the abrupt and out of character question; he gave the boy a small bit of his respect at the very Slytherin trick.

"Last night, Sir," Harry answered putting his mask in a firm grip.

"The truth, Potter," Snape sneered watching the old fire return to those familiar green orbs.

"What do you care?" the teen snapped back.

"I am not an idiot, Potter; I see the dark circles under your eyes. I have seen the books," Snape once more watched the fire be veiled by the mask of dullness.

"I study, sir, it requires books," Harry barely kept the sneer from entering his voice.

"Just because you study doesn't make what you study right; are you prepared for the fall out?" Snape added seeing the boy tilt his head slightly while arching an eyebrow slightly before shaking his head.

"I don't care anymore, Sir. The only one I worry about will know soon enough. As for the rest, they can go swim in the hot fires of Hell," Harry sighed in a spur of the moment decision to say something worthwhile to the man in front of him.

"You'd allow the Dark Lord to take over?" Snape asked, a tiny bit of fear entering the pit of his stomach.

"I didn't say that, Sir. I'll kill him for no other reason than that he was the one who killed my parents. After that, I don't care,"

"Some advice, if you take it, keep some humanity within you, it is easy to lose yourself to the seductive allure that the Arts have,"

"She's outside the door, Sir," Harry said simply.

"Then keep her close," Snape returned flicking his wand at the door letting it open with a click. Harry took that as his hint to leave only to reach the door and pause as Snape spoke up.

"Ten points for a perfect antidote," Harry looked back giving a nod to his professor then tensed slightly at the sight the man pointing his wand at him. His eyebrows rose into his hair line at the tingle in his leg telling him that the gash was healed. He gave the Potions Master a nod of gratitude before closing the door. A strange feeling came over him, one that told him he had one more person on his side that he would have never thought possible.

"Alright, Harry?" the soft voice pulled him from his musings. He looked up to see a worried Hermione biting her lower lip.

"Yeah, just wanted to know how I cheated. You know the usual," he answered with a shrug and a crooked grin that he only had for her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, come on I'm hungry," he returned as he headed up the corridor.

"Oh you, so any plans for the weekend?" Hermione asked as she came up next to him, gently nudging her shoulder into his.

"Not really, why? Want to ask me out?" he smirked as he watched her cheeks become a cute pink color as she punched his arm.

"No, you prat! I just wanted to spend some time with my friend for once. I'm worried about you, Harry. You're getting so distant from me lately, and I'm not the only one who is worried, Professor Lupin and Padfoot are too. You know I'll never turn from you, don't you?" she asked placing a hand on his arm stopping him as they reached the Great Hall.

"I'm so tired of it all, Mione," he muttered bowing his head slightly as his shoulders slumped, "I could've lost Hedwig, my album, Dad's cloak, everything if it wasn't for Neville. The two of you seem to be the only ones on my side."

"Oh Harry, the twins are with you and the rest of the Quidditch team, and the professors,"

"The team maybe, but the professors no, maybe one of them, the rest don't want to show favoritism. Bunch of hippogriff shit, Karkaroff is always whispering things to Krum, Maxime and Delacour are twittering away in French and Sprout's had Diggory in her office so much that if it weren't for this damn tournament I'd think something was going on there, but I've not had one scrap of advice from Dumbledore or McGonagall. Hagrid's been the only real help I've gotten, of the adults persuasion any way. I'm in Primary all over again, Mi," he interrupted looking over at her with dull eyes. He instantly had his chest engulfed with his bushy haired best friend; his arms came up involuntarily to return the hug.

"I'm not all that hungry, why don't you show me the room you were talking about? You can tell me about this research that you've been doing without me," Hermione announced abruptly breaking the hug and taking a hold of his hand.

"Sure," Harry muttered as a slow warmth crept into his stomach.