Harry Potter and The Cursed Friend

Ginny looked up from where her head had been on Harry's shoulder and suddenly blushed as she realized she'd been crying all over him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she made to turn away. Harry laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be," Harry told her. "We've known each other long enough that you don't need to be embarrassed in front of me."

Ginny sniffled, and nodded.

Dumbledore, the school's headmaster stood up, looking quite grave. "Ladies and Gentlemen, before we all begin eating, I think it only appropriate that we take a moment to remember in silence those who have fallen in the fight against Voldemort."

The hall fell quiet, broken only by sobs coming from around the table. Harry had managed to hold in tears until they reached the Great Hall and neither Hagrid nor McGonagall were there. Instead, Charlie sat in the seat that Hagrid had held while some unknown person sat in McGonagall's old chair. Harry was having trouble not hating whoever it was that was sitting in his head of house's old seat. They'd be rubbish as Gryffindor head, of course.

"Now," Dumbledore said continued, "eat."

As soon as he instructed them to eat, dishes on the table that had previously been empty became filled with all sorts of wonderful things. Harry put food on his plate, unmindful of what he was doing until he felt Ron's hand on his.

"You don't even like those, mate," Ron said. Sure enough, Harry had been going for the asparagus casserole, a dish he hated with a singular passion.

Harry blinked in surprise. "You're right. I don't like that." He sighed. "Thank you, Ron."

Ron smiled. "You're welcome." They grew quiet again.

"So, Harry," Ginny asked a little while later, "who do you imagine Terry Boot will be dating this week?"

"Um...excuse me?" Harry asked, nearly spooning some potatoes into his nose.

"Terry Boot," Ginny repeated, grinning impishly. Harry saw something off, though and suddenly suspected she was trying not to burst into tears again. "He's in Ravenclaw. Your year. He seems to be dating a new girl every other day. Smart, but always making really cruel remarks."

"He makes me so mad," Neville agreed.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Don't you remember when Natalie MacDonald came in to the common room last year in tears?" Neville asked.

Harry cast his mind back but could not for the life of him recall the moment. "No," he finally said.

"Well, she did, and it was because Terry had been dating her for a week and then quite unceremoniously dumped her when Lisa Turpin started flirting with him," Ginny explained. "Of course, Snape caught them the two days later in the Astronomy Tower and Terry started telling everyone that of course he'd been up there with Lisa when Natalie wouldn't go even when he insisted."

"Insisted? But that's horrible!" Harry exclaimed. "She was only twelve last year!"

"Well, of course it is," Hermione agreed, with Neville nodding furiously behind her. "That's what makes it so awful."

"Why does anyone bother dating him, then?" Ron asked curiously.

"A whole host of reasons," Ginny sighed. "Anyway, we haven't addressed the question. Who will he be dating this week?"

"He's in Ravenclaw?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Neville affirmed with distaste.

Harry thought for a moment. "Cho Chang, hopefully," he said before clapping a hand to his mouth. "I didn't mean to say that!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Harry blushed. "I meant, I suppose it doesn't matter as long as it isn't Luna."

They all grinned and returned to eating. Harry glanced over at Cho Chang, who immediately looked in another direction. She had turned and walked away from him earlier. He supposed he deserved it. Then again, she hadn't exactly made things easy on him, either.

Finally, after desserts had been cleared and people were leaning back, Dumbledore stood to address the group.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, before I send you to your common rooms, there are, as always, a few start of term notices for me to give out," he said. Harry almost rolled his eyes fondly. Dumbledore always had a speech.

"The 'Forbidden Forest,'" the headmaster continued, "as it has been aptly named, is indeed forbidden to any student without the accompaniment and supervision of a teacher. And given that there is now a rather angry giant living there who is at war with the centaur clan that also lives there, I should not need to threaten you with punishments. Giants and centaurs are not to be crossed."

Harry found himself nodding along with some of the other Gryffindors. Neither of these creatures was a joke.

"Second, as many of you know, the dark wizard known as Voldemort has resurfaced, and is now killing whenever he is able. For this reason, trips to Hogsmeade have been severely cut down and the teachers will supervise those that are scheduled. Additional security measures have been taken to secure Quidditch matches and the Hogwarts grounds as well. So, do not take to breaking rules or wandering out of the grounds. Because the threats to your lives are harsh, the security we have installed is also quite harsh."

"I wonder what they're doing for security?" Ron mouthed.

Hermione shrugged.

"Finally, I must introduce the new teachers. As your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Liam McNiadh." The man sitting in McGonagall's old seat stood up, and polite applause went through the room. He was quite tall and broad-shouldered. He also looked like the sort of person who could be a best friend or a worst enemy. Harry got the feeling that those brown eyes of his were older than his face let on. Harry also found it interesting that Snape seemed wary of displaying open animosity towards this particular teacher as well. The last time that had happened, the teacher had turned out to be a werewolf (and a wonderful person, but that was another story).

"As the Head of Gryffindor House, and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Charles Weasley."

The Gryffindor table burst into stunning cheers. The other tables clapped a little (as did the Gryffindor first years, who all seemed confused), but the rest of the Gryffindors were all standing on their feet screaming. Everyone had heard of Charlie Weasley. Everyone knew his younger siblings. Everyone knew he was as good as family to Harry Potter. Dumbledore himself had handpicked Charlie for the job. He could come with no higher recommendations.

As the Gryffindor table finally ordered itself, Dumbledore continued. "As for Transfiguration, I myself will be teaching. I shall endeavor to do as excellent a job as my predecessor."

This time the cheering was thunderous from everywhere but the Slytherin table. No one but Dumbledore could have taken up where McGonagall had left off.

"With that said, I feel it is time to send you off to bed for your classes tomorrow. First years, follow your prefects."

The hall rose and began heading towards the door. Ginny suddenly stopped cold in her tracks.

"Gin?" Neville asked.

"Malfoy left us alone the whole train ride!" she exclaimed. "He didn't bother us once!"

That stopped all of them.

"I never noticed," Ron said.

"Have you lot forgotten how to walk over the summer?" came the cold drawl from behind them. There was Draco Malfoy, in all his disdainful glory, looking rather putout with them. Or maybe he was putout because he'd lost Crabbe and Goyle as his guard-persons. Neither of them had made it to NEWT classes, and neither would be returning to Hogwarts again.

"So much for a change of heart," Hermione sighed. They all began walking again.

"Dumbledore teaching Transfiguration," Ron mused. "I wonder how that will be."

"Maybe it will do to get you to pay attention," Hermione replied, as they turned along a new corridor with Gryffindor house trailing behind them.

Ron looked as he was about to protest when Harry broke in, "Well, that was what he taught before he was Headmaster, so it isn't as if it will be all new."

"It is?" Ron asked.

"How do you know that?" Hermione added.

"Second year," Harry replied.

"Ugh." Ron actually shuddered. "I think that was the year I liked least."

"Me too," Ginny agreed.

They had arrived at the portrait hole and Hermione and Ron turned to wait for the rest of Gryffindor to catch up to them. When they were all finally assembled Hermione turned back to the Fat Lady and said, "Westminster Abbey."

The group entered happily into the Common Room. The first years looked around curiously at the round room, but Harry was quite used to it. The squashy armchairs and the roaring fire beneath a Gryffindor Coat-Of-Arms quite possibly the most wonderful sight in the world for him right then. He was feeling better than he had earlier, but it had finally hit him. Hagrid and McGongagall were gone. They were not coming back. Ever. Like Sirius. Like his parents. Gone.

His rather depressing inner monologue was interrupted when someone bumped into him.

"Hey, sorry," said the voice of the boy who'd run into him. "It's awfully crowded in he-- You're Harry Potter!"

Harry took in the first year who'd run into him by mistake. It was the same boy who'd fallen down earlier. He was about the average size for eleven, with brown hair and eyes and was now blushing furiously.

"I mean, of course you're Harry Potter, who else would you be?" the boy said, and then blushed harder. "Er, that is, I knew of course that..." The boy seemed to consider his options, his face growing more and more red. At this point Harry took pity on him.

"It's all right," Harry laughed. "What's your name?"

"David Baker," answered the first year. "How red is my face?"

"Like a tomato," Harry grinned. David looked down. "It really is okay, you know? I'm not mad. Welcome to Gryffindor, by the way."

"Oh, thank you. What's it like?" David asked.

"Well, I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I've enjoyed it," Harry told him.

David seemed to be about to say something else when a voice from across the room yelled, "Oy, David! Stop bothering poor Potter and come see this!"

David looked over at his friends as if lost.

"Go on," Harry told him. "Come talk to me again sometime."

David wandered off.

"Getting to know the first years?" Ginny asked from beside him.

"Ginny! I didn't see you come up--how much of that did you see?" Harry blurted, blushing some.

"Enough. You did very well," she told him.

"It wasn't quite what I expected," he sighed.

"Harry! Bed already! We don't want to keep the lights on!" Dean yelled at him.

Harry sighed. "I must go, I suppose."

Ginny giggled. "See you tomorrow."