Love and Hate

"I feel the same way," Ginny said. "But we have to move on. we can't let this run our lives."
"He was my best friend!" Ron exclaimed.
"I loved him DAMN IT!" said Ginny a little too loudly. Loud enough that the rest of the Gryffindors looked up and stared.
The next morning the whole school assembled in the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore was sitting in his usual seat at the Staff Table. Professor McGonagall was stationed at the door of the Great Hall. She was crying silently, not the loud kind of cry but the silent cry that doesn't go away for a long long time.
One by one, the Slytherins entered the Great Hall and not in a very mournful way. As Malfoy and his gang passed Professor McGonagall, Malfoy said, "Hey Professor, I'm sorry about Harry's death and I hope that you will feel better soon. If you need anything, like, to talk to anybody, you can come to me. Any day, any hour, any time I will be there." Professor McGonagall smiled not knowing how to feel.
"Should I feel happy, sad, or relieved that I have someone to talk to anytime?" she thought. "Harry Potter's enemy is going to talk to me about his death, is he feeling alright?" Then she snapped out of it and started looking for more Gryffindors. She was making sure that no one strayed off; she couldn't bear to loose anyone else.
"Dude! You just talked to a teacher!" Crabbe said as they took their usual seats at the Slytherin table.
"Not just ANY teacher, but the HEAD OF GRYFFINDOR! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!" Goyle said as he helped himself to bacon.
"I don't know, it just felt right. She just looked so pitiful. Something inside told me to say something, so I did," Draco said. "Do you have a problem with that?" Draco looked over at Crabbe and Goyle, they were looking at him with astonishment. Their mouths were open and you could see bacon grease dripping out of their mouths. "Close your mouths you stupid gits!"
As all the other Houses came in and took their seats, the Gryffindors came in looking very teary-eyed and pitiful. Professor Dumbledore stood up and everyone did the same as the Gryffindors, lead by Professor McGonagall entered pair by pair. Even the Gryffindor alumni who knew Harry were there.
As Hermione entered, paired with Ron, she looked over at the Ravenclaw Table and saw Cho crying. Then she thought, "What have I done?" As she took her usual seat in between Harry and Ron, she looked over and saw an empty chair and realized that Harry was gone...FOREVER!!
Dumbledore stood up and everyone got quiet. He looked troubled and then looked at the new table where the Gryffindor Alumni were sitting. He said, "As you all may have heard, there was a death in our school last night. A death of a very beloved person, a person who we could never forget, the Boy Who Lived, Harry James Potter."
He looked over the faces of the students they all looked mournful and scared. Then he continued, "We don't know how or why it happened, it just happened. There was writing on the wall above him, saying that the Chamber of Secrets is opened again..."
"Maybe the Chamber is opened again and the thing...the Basilisk wants revenge or something and killed H-H-Harry" Collin Creevey interrupted.
"We're not sure about that because in Harry's 2nd year it was said that he killed it but we don't know, maybe Collin is right, no one will ever know." Dumbledore said calmly as tears started welling up in his eyes. It seemed that his eyes might never twinkle the same way again. "Everyone is welcome to give speeches about Harry right now, just stand up."
Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's former Quidditch Captain and Harry's teammate stood up and said, "Harry was one of the best people I ever knew. He did his best in every game, but not just Quidditch, in life. He wasn't my BEST friend but I will never forget him. He changed my life forever." Then he dug in his bag and brought out the Quidditch cup they won in their 3rd year and continued, "I offer this in memory of Harry James Potter. One of the best Seekers and friends a person could have." He broke into tears and sat down.
Then, Fred and George stood up and said, "We met Harry at Kings Cross Station his 1st year. 'Poor dear' our mum said." said Fred
"Yea, as we went through Platform 9 3/4 we were wondering who mum was helping, we didn't realize it was Harry Potter,” explained George.
"At first we liked him because... well... he was Harry Potter but later we forgot that he was famous and started liking him because he was him," said Fred.
"He was also a good friend to our brother since he couldn't make any other friends and put up with or little sister who loves him." said George. Ginny was blushing as red as her hair and everyone in the Great Hall looked at her, including Cho Chang.
"He was like a brother to us, he spent every summer at the Burrow with us and didn't even mind that our house was so small and cramped." said Fred.
Then George said, "I remember we used to fight over who would get to ride his Firebolt and play Quidditch in the back yard. I remember when we gave his cousin Dudley and Ton-Tongue-Toffee, that really made his day." he said smiling as if it was yesterday.
"He would always help us with our Weasley Wizard Wheezes. He also gave us his prize money from the Triwizard Tournaments," then looking at his mother, her expression was like If-Harry-wasn't-dead-right-now-I'd-kill-you!! Then Fred gave his mother a grin.

"That is all we have to say except that I am honored to have met him and I will never forget him, he will hold a special place in all of our hearts," George said as they both sat down.
Ron and Hermione stood up and Hermione said, "I met Harry on the Hogwarts Express. I acted like a bitch to him the first time we met. I acted like a snob to him until he rescued me from a giant troll on Halloween, and Ron helped him. That's how the 3 of us became best friends. He always said that I was the best in the class, the best witch but everyone knew that he was the best. He might not have been the top of the class in Charms or getting his Eye of Newt to measure right but he was still the best. He always had patience with me. I was always stubborn and bossy. He never complained. I will never forget the adventures we had together these 6 years. I would have never thought I would break that many school rules and not be expelled. Harry also had way of talking people in to doing things, like talking me into going past Fluffy and down the trapdoor in our 1st year. I would never trade what I had with Harry these 6 years even if I knew he was going to die. He was my best friend," she said. Tears in her eyes, she said sitting down. "Oh yea...I will always have a special place in my heart for him." As she was sitting down, she thought, "Now no one will suspect that I killed him."
Ron started, "Harry was my first, true best friend at Hogwarts. I remember I envied him but in spite of that I admired him, and now he will never know that." Ron said as he broke into tears and started crying and didn't continue because it was too painful. Hermione gave Ron a hug to make him feel better.
The Great Hall was quiet for a few moments then Professor McGonagall stood up and said, "Mister Potter was neither my best nor my brightest student. He was definitely my bravest." Tears started to run down her wrinkled cheek. "We experienced his bravery from the moment he walked into Hogwarts. He was a spitting-image of his father, he reminded me of James. He looks and acts like him. Both were troublemakers but they both turned into heroes. I will surely miss him and I know he's in a better place and I hope he's happy." Professor McGonagall sat down and started crying again. Professor Dumbledore gave her a sympathetic pat.
Again the Great Hall was filled with silence. Then, Hagrid stood up. The gentle giant controlled his tears and said, "'arry Potter, eh, wha' can I say? I was the one who found him in his destroyed house after he-who-must-not-be-named attacked. Professor Dumbledore asked me to get him when his parents died and to deliver him to his Muggle relatives. When I arrived at number 4 Privet Drive, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were there. I remembered I cried when I left him. After 11 years, I saw him again. He was a young boy. I knew he wasn't happy with his Muggle relatives, they don't even celebrate his birthday. I could see the joy in his eyes when I have him his first birthday cake. He didn't even mind that I sat on it. So I took him to the Leaky Cauldron and we stayed there until September 1st. I took him to Kings Cross Station and we met here at Hogwarts. Harry was a curious lad. He did everything to know what was hidden under the trapdoor that was guarded by Fluffy and what had attacked the students and Mrs. Norris. He was humble and modest, he didn't even consider himself famous like other witches or wizards did. 'Arry will hold a special place in my heart and in everyone else's." He couldn't continue any longer, he started to cry and sat down.
All the faces in the Great Hall had a mournful look, even some of the Slytherins and Professor Snape.
The silence was broken by Professor Trelawney's mystical voice, she said, "I only had Mister Potter for almost 3 years, I think he had a special gift of Divination. Even though I know that he didn't pay attention. I always warned him that he would die an early death, but he didn't listen to me and..."
Professor Dumbledore interrupted, "Sybil, I think you should stop, it's not helping any..."
Professor Trelawney insisted, "I know who killed him! I have information..."
"Sybil, no one knows who killed our dear Harry Potter but whoever it was I think it might be wandering in another place," Dumbledore said calmly.
"But Professor," said Professor Snape "I think we should listen to what Sybil has to say." Snape looked at Professor Trelawney and smiled in the sweetest way he knew how. Professor Trelawney smiled back.
"Thank you Severus," Professor Trelawney said. "As I was saying Professor, I think that Harry the person who killed Harry is at Hogwarts. Who knows? That person could be in this hall, it could be the person sitting next to you..." all the students started looking around the hall. Their eyes wandered from one table to another, from one corner to another, from one person to another. Professor Trelawney continued, "I saw an image of that person in my crystal ball while I was crystal gazing, it looked as if that person had bushy hair and..."
"Sybil I think that we should really stop," Professor Dumbledore demanded, "You are scaring the students!"
Professor Trelawney stopped and took her seat.
Hermione was feeling uncomfortable about Professor Trelawney's warning. 'She might not be an old crack pot like she thought.' she said to herself.
"Now, now students, we shouldn't worry about this." Dumbledore declared. Now let's get settled. This day will be remember and written in history. This day will be known as 'Harry Potter's Day' in commemoration of his death. We will continue classes tomorrow."
One by one, they all left the Great Hall. Everyone was talking about what Professor Trelawney said. "I don't think anyone in this school could or would kill Harry," Collin Creevey said. "I think the Chamber is open and the Basilisk has come back to get it's revenge."
"DUDE! Shut your freakin' trap!" Ron shouted. "I know for a fact that Harry killed that creature you son of a bitch."
Collin could not answer Ron; he was scared that Ron might hurt him if he said anything else. He just walked faster with his friends to prevent Ron's eyes.
Ron and Hermione went back to the Great Hall to meet Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Percy and the twins. As they passed Gryffindor table, they stopped to talk to Oliver Wood.
"It was so thoughtful of you to offer the Quidditch Cup to Harry," Hermione said.
"It was nothing," Oliver replied. "It was his all along, he was the only reason we won. The only reason I got to keep it was because I was the Captain. He is a good seeker, the best as far as we all know. So sad that this has to happen."
"Thank you Oliver, we appreciate this, Thank you again and we'll see you later," Ron said.
Oliver went back to Gryffindor Common Room together with his former teammates, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and Angelina Johnson.
Mrs. Weasley gave Ron a tight hug then she did the same to Hermione. "Why does this have to happen?"
"Oh mum we know how you feel," Bill said.
"He was like a son to me, I would've given my life for him," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Oh mum don't say that," said Charlie.
As Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall approached the Weasley family, Professor Dumbledore said, "We are sorry, we know how Harry was apart of your family and how you loved him."
Ron said, "Professor McGonagall, could I ask you one favor?"
"It depends on the favor, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall replied.
"Do you remember the time turner you gave Hermione in our 3rd year?" he asked.
"Yes..." Professor McGonagall said trying guess what Ron was getting at.
"Do you think you could get the Ministry of Magic to lend it to us?" Ron explained.
"Well... Mr. Weasley that's not a bad idea, I will go and owl them right now," she said.
Then, Dumbledore said, "We can't change the past, you all know that. Especially you Minerva."
"Yes, I suppose you're right, plus, if I remember correctly, Cornelius destroyed it when you gave it back Minerva," said Mr. Weasley.
"Oh well, we'll just find out for ourselves who killed him. Oh! I have a great idea! We can ask Professor Trelawney!" said Ron.
"NO! NO! NO!" yelled Hermione. "Don't you think it's one of her tricks?"
"I suppose so, she might just be saying that for attention," said Ron.
Then Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny left the Weasleys and went back to their Common Room.
While Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore were walking, they decided to have a ball in remembrance of Harry. That way, some people might cheer up. As they discussed this, Professor McGonagall announced, "I am going back to Gryffindor Tower and tell them that we are having a ball tomorrow evening."
"Yes, that would be wonderful," he replied, "I will go and inform Professor Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout and they will inform their houses. I will also inform the house elves, especially the grief-stricken house elf, Dobby." he said as he went off.
Professor McGonagall entered the common room and everyone was there. She announced, "In remembrance of our dear Mr. Potter, we are going to have a ball tomorrow night. You can pick your partner from any house and be in the Great Hall tomorrow evening at 7 o'clock if you wish to come." Then, she turned and left.

a/n: what will happen at the ball? will one of our precious Hogwarts students die? will a new romance blossom? Read and Find Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!