Harry Potter and the Seer's Stones

Chapter 4

Soft

Hermione stared at the other four with them in the room.

"Dumbledore told us about-" Fred started. He was staring at his hands.

'About- about what?" Harry asked, but he had a feeling that he already knew what Fred meant. George hesitated. He was also staring at the floor.

"The prophecy."

"How could you not tell us, Harry?" Ron was the first to look Harry in the eye. "This is big. It's not just a vision or anything. This is bad." For the first time since Harry had met him, Ron was serious. Very serious.

"Ron! Stop yelling at him. God knows it's the last thing he needs right now," Ginny yelled angrily. He frowned but didn't say anything. Hermione sniffed and sobbed in the corner of the room.

"Look, I didn't tell you guys, and that's probably my fault, but I guess- it just slipped my mind- to tell you," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Come on, Harry. Slipped your mind? How could it slip your mind? The darkest wizard with an army out to get you and our future is in your hands. Yes, I see how that could've just slipped your mind," Fred seemed angry. Not at Harry, but at the whole situation. Harry sighed helplessly and sat on a chair near the bed.

"Why did Dumbledore have to tell you, anyway? Couldn't he keep it to himself?" he asked, more to himself than to anyone else.

"He figured that he told you too late and he didn't want to waste any more time. The Order needed to find more ways to keep you alive. So he told us. They let us in this year; mainly because they couldn't keep us out. We're old enough to make our own decisions. Mum wasn't too pleased though," George, said, his tone emotionless.

"Are we in the Order?" Harry asked, looking at Ron and Hermione.

"Well, only when they think there's something that we really need to know or they need our help or something like that."

For the next few hours, everyone seemed to forget all their worries, or pretended to anyway. They sat together in the room and talked to each other about everything from Quidditch to music to books. Fred and George cracked jokes every once in a while but they weren't exactly like they used to be. Ginny was pretty much the same. She just grew a bit taller and seemed to be talking much more than she used to. She even talked to Harry normally, which was something he hadn't quite gotten used to.

"Hey Harry, up for a little quidditch?" Ron asked. Just when Harry was about to say yes, memories of his last quidditch match rushed back into his mind. He sat back at his seat.

"I can't. I've got a life-long ban, remember?"

"Oh! No one told him?" Ginny asked to no-one in particular.

"Tell me? Tell me what?" Harry asked, his heart leaping.

"As soon as Dumbledore came back to school, he got rid of everything that had anything to do with Umbridge. Degrees, ban, frills, bows- everything is gone!" Ron smiled. Harry stood up so fast, his head spun. He turned in a full circle as if expecting the broom to show itself.

"My broom. Where's my broom?" he asked hurriedly. Everyone laughed as Ron pulled out Harry's Firebolt from a closet.

"Yes!" Harry gasped. He took the broom from Ron gently and stroked it carefully to make sure that there were no cracks and that the bristles were in order.

"What is it with boys and brooms?" Hermione groaned and rolled her eyes at Ginny.

"Not just boys 'Mione. This is a Firebolt, this is," Ginny sighed.

"Exactly! Hermione, why can't you be more like Ginny."

That night was no exception for Harry's nightmares. The only difference was that Harry awoke and found three pairs of eyes gazing at him worried. Ron, Hermione and Ginny had apparently heard his yelling and come to see what had happened.

"Are you OK? You were yelling at the top of your lungs," Ginny frowned.

"I'm fine," said Harry quickly. His scar was tingling painfully. "Sorry I woke you."

Hermione opened her mouth. Harry knew she was going to start fussing over him.

"'Mione, it's just a nightmare," Harry said. The worry on their faces, the unwilling tears in Hermione's eyes, and the anxious looks that shot through the air were all marks of the friendships that had developed between two relatively normal kids with a big family, a small Muggle-born girl with so much knowledge, and an orphaned boy. A rush of love swept through Harry; and with it an odd feeling. It was as if a part of him was being stabbed but in an odd detached way, as if only one side of him was being tortured. And then, as suddenly as the pain on his scar had burned, it had disappeared leaving nothing but slightly red blotches around the scar. Harry sat up in bed.

'Nightmare?" asked Hermione.

"The usual. But yesterday night was different," Harry told them everything about his nightmare and potential vision.

"Tell Dumbledore," said Hermione immediately. Harry felt his blood boil.

"Is that your answer to everything?" Ron eyes shot to Harry.

"She's just trying to help, Harry. Lay off." The annoyance seemed to course through everyone because Ginny suddenly spoke up.

"He's kind of right, guys. Harry wants to talk to us not Dumbledore. I mean-"

"Get out of it, Ginny! Since when were you involved in Harry's life? It's always been Ron and I," Hermione yelled. Her bushy hair was flying everywhere.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled back. Soon, a loud fight had erupted between Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny. It took one sentence from Hermione to hush the whole argument.

"The only reason you're defending him is because you're in love with him," she yelled at Ginny. But as soon as she had said it, her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes shot nervously to everyone. Harry, Ron and Ginny were frozen in their positions. The boys were looking at Ginny, whose eyes were slowly filling with tears. Her jaw shook and her voice was shaky when she spoke again.

"I can't believe you said that," she said softly. Her hands shook slightly as she wrapped her robe closer around her protectively. Ginny opened the door and left. The room was motionless but the air was full of fury.

"That was a long time ago, Hermione. You've got nerve bringing it up now," Harry said. He followed Ginny out the room, leaving his two best friends silent.

When he was outside the room, he listened carefully. Harry heard thundering footsteps going downstairs and followed them. Then, he saw a petite shadow pass through the right; towards the basement kitchen. The kitchen lights were turned on when he entered it. Ginny had her back to the door, and her shoulders were shaking as she cried. She was unaware that Harry had entered the kitchen. He had stood at the doorway and stared at her. He didn't have the nerve to enter anymore than that.

"Gin, are you OK?" he asked sheepishly.

"It's not true," she said softly.

"Sorry?"

"What Hermione said? It's not true." She didn't turn around. Harry felt an odd feeling take over him. One that he couldn't describe as good. He suddenly felt like he was going to vomit.

"'Course!" Ginny's shoulders stopped shaking. Harry walked slowly and sat next to her silently. It was a very awkward situation and all he could do was curse Hermione silently for putting Ginny in it. So they sat, side by side, for what was probably hours. When Harry finally looked up at the window, it was getting light outside. Any minute now, the Weasleys would be coming downstairs for breakfast. Ginny had apparently thought the same thing, for she wiped her face quickly and retied her long red hair back. Finally, she turned to Harry and gave him a watery smile. He smiled back. And that was it: The subtle end to a very tense situation.

Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen minutes later and found it the same way it had been for the past hours. Her daughter and Harry Potter were sitting silently at the table. Both had their backs to the kitchen door and didn't know she was there. She turned around to leave but accidentally hit the stove. Harry and Ginny turned around.

"Oh hello, dears! Did I walk- walk in on- um- something," she asked apprehensive. Harry laughed shortly before answering.

"No. No, Mrs. Weasley. We just-"

"-woke up early. And we were hungry, you know," finished Ginny.

Only an hour later, all the Weasleys and Hermione had sat down around Harry and Ginny. The table in the dining room was laden with food. Ron and Hermione had taken to sitting as far away as possible from Harry and Ginny and avoided eye contact with either of them. This made breakfast even less enjoyable. People had noticed, apparently, because everyone was oddly quiet except Percy, who seemed to love the situation.

"Well, Harry, don't you think Hermione's hair is smashing today?" Percy smirked. Eyes flickered between him and Harry as Hermione choked on her toast. Harry dropped his spoon with a clatter and rolled his eyes.

"Why? Did it change, Percy? Hmm. And you noticed? Just like my Aunt Petunia. She notices her girlfriends' hair styles too," Harry replied coldly, "and just so there's no confusion; I-don't-like-you," he added slowly. Before Percy could reply, three barn owls entered the dining room. A deafening yell echoed through the room.

"AHHHHHHHHH! OWL RESULTS! RON! HARRY! OWLS!" Hermione had gone hysterical and forgotten about the fight. By now, the portraits on the wall had woken up and were yelling loudly. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had rushed off to quieten them as the three terrified students opened three envelopes.

"Mine's heavy. Uh-oh! Mine's heavy! They're kicking me out because I did so bad. There's an expulsion letter in that thing. Uh NO! I'll never get a job. I'll go broke. Uh No! Now, I've done it," Harry paced the room, holding his results at arm's length like a bomb.

"Harry, calm down. Want me to read it to you? Want me to read it? Yeah? Okay," Ginny asked slowly as if she was negotiating with a two-year-old. She took the letter from him carefully and read it. Ginny smiled slightly.

"Dear Mr. Potter-"

"Skip to the grades," said Harry, biting his nails nervously.

"Ready?" she asked, pulling Harry's hand into hers. He nodded as the nausea returned to his stomach. "Transfiguration: E-"

"That's good, okay! Continue," said Harry.

"Charms: E, Herbology: A," she paused as Harry winced. "History of Magic: D, Care of Magical Creatures: Hmm, A. Hagrid will be pleased," Ginny smiled.

"Whatever, come on," Harry grinned.

"Divination; T! T!" she snickered. A few seconds later, her eyes were shining with laughter.

"Don't laugh!" Harry said, but he too was smiling. It was an expected grade; he was never good at divination.

"OK, OK. Astronomy: A, Potions: E," Ginny said as Harry groaned.

"E! But I worked so hard," Harry wined. "There goes my chance of being an Auror." But he was interrupted by Ginny's gasp.

"Harry! Oh wow! Harry!"

"What? WHAT?!" he yelled in surprise. Ginny had just pushed his results into his hands and there at the bottom of the list of his subjects were the words: Defence Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding.

Ginny swung her arms around Harry. That only increased Harry's nausea for he now had a bitter taste at the back of his throat. He was going to be sick. Harry leapt over on of the dining room chairs and plummeted into the bathroom. When he emerged from it five minutes later, he found Ron and Hermione hugging each other. They both quickly let go, blushing but it was obvious from the joyous air of the room that they had all done well. Harry didn't want to ask. Hermione had surely forgotten about the fight because as soon as she let go of Ron, she turned to him.

"Hey, Harry, how'd you do?" she asked. Well, if she forgot, Harry was going to remind her.

"Erm, I don't know. I'll check with Dumbledore, make sure I got the right results, and then I'll get back to you on that one," Harry smirked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. Hermione's face had become stony and she muttered," Grow up." Harry ignored her.

Harry spent most of the next two days in Ginny's company. He started to realize more and more how much she had grown in the past 4 years. Not just physically but mentally. The small shy girl with a school-crush and too much trust in a book seemed in another life-time. The only things to remind Harry of that Ginny were the same brown eyes, which still remained as they always were: shining soft. He started trusting her more and more. She was becoming his best friend as Ron and Hermione were still silent. Ginny and Harry talked about everything for two days until there was nothing but one topic left. Sirius.

"Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Mmhm?" They were sitting in the attic, which was now their hang-out. Ron and Hermione had taken over Ginny's room and Harry's room had become Fred and George's "joke" lab.

"How are you? Really," Ginny said, sounding worried.

"Oh, not this again. FINE! Honestly, I'm fine," she stared at him disbelieving. She got off the old bed she was lying on and sat down in front of him on the dusty floor.

"Would you stop lying to me, you prat?" Ginny grinned. She tapped his head and asked nonchalantly, "How're you in there?"

"In here," replied Harry, tapping his own head and grinning, "I'm great." Ginny frowned.

"Then," she paused. Slowly, she lifted her hand from the dirty floor and placed it on Harry's chest, right over where his heart was. "Are you great here?"