Harry Potter and the Sect of the Serpent

CHAPTER SEVEN -- Fame's Fickle Friend

A few days later, Harry looked longingly at the large banks of public telephones as he passed on the way through King's Cross Station thinking of the crumpled piece of paper he had stowed in his trunk. Even if Moody had consented to a break in the schedule -- which was about as likely as Harry spontaneously combusting -- he had no Muggle money to use in the phone. Gwyn had probably already forgotten about him anyway, he mused grumpily.

"You and I will go first, Harry," Moody growled from under the ridiculous bowler hat he wore to conceal his frightfully revolving magical eye. Harry nodded and aimed his luggage trolley at the barrier that separated platforms nine and ten. In a moment, he found himself standing on the magical platform 9 and ¾, the crimson Hogwarts Express belching steam and blowing last call.

"Geroff Mum!" Ron yelped as his mother clamped him into a bone crushing hug. Mrs. Weasley had been oddly quiet since their trip to Diagon Alley, and Harry didn't think she was particularly keen on sending her last two children off to Hogwarts. When Ron finally peeled her off of him, she rounded on Ginny.

"Harry!" Lupin pulled him aside. "Listen, I know you're probably sick of hearing it," he said with a kind smile, "but do be careful this year. It's vital that we keep you safe, so don't let the Marauders get you into any trouble." Harry smiled back and nodded, feeling the weight of the amulet against his chest. He wanted to tell Lupin not to worry about him, but he wasn't sure how to begin.

"Remus..." he said awkwardly, "I..." Lupin leaned forward and lowered his voice.

"I'm working on a way for us to be able to talk without fear of our owls getting intercepted," he said softly. "I'll let you know as soon as it's ready, but if you need me for anything before then, don't be afraid to ask!" Harry nodded solemnly.

"Save us a seat, will you Harry?" Hermione called as she and Ron and Ginny finally extricated themselves from Mrs. Weasley's iron grasp and headed for the front of the train for their prefects meeting.

He said goodbye to the Weasleys (receiving his own rib-shattering hugs), Mad-Eye, and Tonks as the train blew its final whistle. Trying to hurry, he lugged his trunk up the steps into the nearest car. Just then, the door to the next car opened, and a girl with curly blonde hair with a pink streak in it walked in. He stopped dead in his tracks. She looked up, and her amazed expression mirrored his.

"Harry?" she exclaimed, a look of absolute shock plastered across her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing!" he cried. "You're a witch?" She nodded vigorously.

"And you're a--" he nodded back.

"Oh my gosh!" someone shouted behind him. "I'm a wizard too! Neville, are you a wizard?" Harry turned to see Dean with a mocking look of surprise on his face. Neville smiled sheepishly. "Wow!" Dean cried. "Let's all stand around and block the corridor and see who else on this magic train is a wizard!"

"Shut up Dean!" Harry said. He frowned wondering if it was just his imagination, or if Gwyn really didn't look terribly pleased to see him.

"Do you want to find a compartment?" he asked her, motioning to the door behind her which led to the next car. She nodded her head slowly, still staring at him in an odd way.

"In here, Harry," Neville called motioning to a compartment behind him. Harry and Gwyn followed him in to the compartment.

Harry shoved his own trunk and Hedwig's cage up into the luggage compartment and then helped Gwyn with her trunk. She was also carrying a sleek black tote bag which she held in her lap carefully as she took a seat by the window. Just then, the compartment door slid open and Luna Lovegood stuck her head in.

"Hullo Harry, Neville," she said with a vague smile. "Mind if I...?" Neville shook his head, and Luna entered the compartment, taking the seat across from Gwyn by the window.

"I don't know you," she said plainly, staring at Gwyn.

"Oh!" Harry said, realizing he should make the introductions. "Guys, this is Gwyn. This is Neville. He's in Gryffindor with me, and this is Luna. She's in Ravenclaw." Neville smiled shyly and Luna just stared with her huge luminous gray eyes.

"Is Ron going to be sitting with us?" she asked dreamily, turning to Harry. Harry frowned at her.

"Er... Yeah, I expect so?" She nodded and then dug her ubiquitous copy of The Quibbler magazine out of her bag. Gwyn smiled, looking a bit confused. Harry plopped down into the seat next to her.

"So you're a wizard," she said, staring at Harry in a slightly odd way. "I thought you were just a normal guy." Neville gave a little laugh, and then looked embarrassed. Harry wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Yeah," he said, "I thought you were a Muggle too."

"A what?"

"A Muggle, you know, a non-magical person." Comprehension dawned on Gwyn's face.

"Oh. A Drab. Right."

"You're American," Luna said suddenly, looking up at them and tilting her head slightly to one side.

"Um... Yeah," Gwyn replied. "I'm a transfer student."

"That's cool!" Neville said, blushing up to his ears.

"Have you ever seen Big Foot?" Luna asked. Gwyn looked rather surprised.

"Actually, you know, I haven't."

"Oh. That's a pity." Luna turned back and started looking out the window. Gwyn gave Harry a strange look, but he just rolled his eyes.

"Did you say you were in Ravenclaw house?" Gwyn asked politely.

"Oh no," Luna replied without looking away from the window. "Harry did."

"Oh," Gwyn said, obviously a little wrong footed. "Well, I'm going to be in Ravenclaw too."

"You are?" Harry asked. "How do you know?"

"It was in my letter," she replied, "with the booklists. It said they were going to put me in Ravenclaw." Harry's face fell. He had been hoping that she would be in Gryffindor.

"That's good," Neville said blushing even more as Gwyn turned to look at him. "I mean all the smart people get into Ravenclaw." He glanced over at Luna and then blushed even deeper.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" a kindly looking fat witch asked from the doorway. Harry jumped up and practically bought her out. He heaped the bounty onto the seat next to him and offered Gwyn a Chocolate Frog.

"I owe you for the ice cream," he said and she smiled weakly. Neville grabbed a cauldron cake and a bottle of pumpkin juice. Harry glanced over at Gwyn who was staring at her Chocolate Frog card with an odd look on her face.

"They're famous witches and wizards," Neville offered. "You can collect them and trade them and stuff." Gwyn still did not look up.

"Who did you get?" Harry asked, trying to get her attention. She looked up at him, her face contorted in a strange expression.

"I got... you!" she said in a strained voice. She held up the card and Harry saw a picture of himself smiling back at him. Harry Potter the card read drove back the Dark Lord at the age of one year old. Rescued the Sorcerer's Stone from the Dark Lord's followers at the age of eleven. Located Hogwarts' Chamber of Secrets at the age of twelve. Winner of the 117^th Tri-Wizard Tournament at age fourteen. Harry felt sick. He snatched it away from her, and his image waved up at him cheekily.

"Wow, Harry!" Neville breathed in awe. "I didn't know you had your own Chocolate Frog card!"

"Neither did I," Harry said bitterly.

"Is it true?" Gwyn asked.

"Of course it is," Luna said suddenly. "But it's not up to date. He also fought the Dark Lord again last year and assisted the Ministry in catching a bunch of Death Eaters. Neville and I helped." Harry found himself wishing that Luna would go back to reading her magazine.

"But Harry," Gwyn said suddenly, "this is so weird!" Harry was a bit surprised. Of all the things he'd expected her to say, "weird" was not one of them. "You're the reason I'm here! Or, the reason my dad's here at any rate. He's here as a special envoy to write a report on this Voldemort character for our government." Luna and Neville both shuddered slightly as she said the name, but she didn't seem perturbed. "I thought I'd heard your name somewhere before," she said to herself.

"He's writing a report?" Harry repeated, feeling like he was missing something. Gwyn nodded, a frown creasing her face.

"Yeah. The Warlock Senate sent him over to determine whether or not Voldemort poses as much of a threat as everyone over here seems to think he does."

"How could anyone not think he poses a threat?" Harry asked a little more vehemently than he intended. Gwyn shrugged defensively.

"Well, I mean, he's only one wizard. How much harm could he do?" Harry and Neville stared at her. Luna laughed, but she was reading her magazine again and not paying attention to the conversation any more.

"Well, he killed my parents for one," Harry said hotly.

"You said your parents were killed in a car crash."

"I thought you were a Muggle! What was I supposed to say?" Harry retorted. Gwyn began to look even more uncomfortable.

"Well, that's terrible, Harry. I mean, it really is, but just because some wacko gets a few other crazies to follow him doesn't mean he's an international menace."

"One of the crazies that followed him tortured my parents until they went insane," Neville said quietly. Gwyn stared at him, and for the first time, Neville didn't blush.

An awkward silence fell over the cabin as no one quite knew what to say. Harry stared from Gwyn, who was studying the bag in her lap intently, to the horrible image of himself on the Chocolate Frog card, a disgruntled feeling rising within him. A million thoughts were running through his mind at top speed: had she really not known who he was? Why was she acting like he'd betrayed her somehow? And worst of all, why was her father writing a report on Voldemort? The stupidity of it was overwhelming.

The compartment door slid noisily open. "Who knew being a prefect was so bloody dull?" Ron asked, sweeping into the room and tossing Pigwidgeon's cage up into the rack next to Hedwig. "I mean, Percy always made out like it was some big deal." He grabbed several things from Harry's stash and sat down next to Neville.

"Hello Ron," Luna said, her eyes wide.

"Er, hi Luna," Ron replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Hello!" Hermione said sliding into the compartment with Crookshanks clutched in her arms. Ginny came in after her, but there were no more seats.

"No room!" Ron said dismissively as he opened a Chocolate Frog. Ginny pulled a face at him.

"Fine! I'll just go sit with Dean." Ron choked on his chocolate as she turned and walked away. He turned as if to say something to Harry and noticed Gwyn for the first time.

"Who are you?" he asked unabashedly. Harry rolled his eyes.

"This is Gwyn," he said darkly. "This is Hermione and the prat sitting by the door is Ron."

"But, you're supposed to be a Muggle!" Ron said.

"Yeah," Gwyn replied coolly, "we've already been through that." Crookshanks seemed very interested in the bag Gwyn was holding. He was slowly making his way across Hermione's lap into Harry's, his eyes always on the black bag.

"We've heard lots about you," Hermione said with a smile as she grabbed Crookshanks by the scruff of the neck and pulled him back into her lap, but Gwyn wasn't really listening. She was again staring at the Chocolate Frog card in Harry's hand.

"Who did you get?" Ron asked standing up to sneak a look. "Blimey! Harry! Is that you?" Hermione had a look and rolled her eyes.

"Oh honestly," she sighed.

"What?" Ron asked indignantly.

"Well, it's obviously more of Fudge's campaign to deify Harry," she replied, taking a bottle of pumpkin juice. "He's been feeding stuff to the Daily Prophet all summer about how Harry is the world's only hope and so on." She took a large swig. "It's just a load of propaganda to make up for the exceedingly large oversight he made saying that You-Know-Who wasn't back." Harry mentally thanked her for playing it all down as though it were nothing.

"Wicked," Ron exclaimed, snatching the card from him to have a better look. "It'd be so cool to be asked to be on a Chocolate Frog card!" He passed it back to Harry.

"Well nobody asked me about it," Harry said defensively.

"I'm sure nobody thinks that you asked to be put on a Chocolate Frog card, Harry," Hermione replied kindly. There was silence in the cabin. Crookshanks was edging across Harry's lap towards the bag again. He gave him a shove and the cat jumped onto the cabin floor.

"I'll have my card back if it's all the same to you," Gwyn said suddenly, looking at Harry with her big blue eyes. They seemed to be pleading with him, and he felt his consternation melting away as he handed it back to her. Crookshanks suddenly leaped back into Harry's lap quite close to Gwyn's bag, and the bag gave out a loud hiss. Crookshanks yowled as Hermione grabbed him again. All the fur on his tail stood out like a bottle brush. Gwyn clutched the bag and started making shushing noises.

"What have you got in there?" Ron asked interestedly. "A snake?" Gwyn laughed uneasily.

"No, it's my cat, Cleopatra. She's not very good with other cats..." Harry studied the bag closely for the first time and realized that the sides were a thin mesh material. He could just make out the outline of a pair of ears, and the slightest hint of two glinting golden eyes.

"Hush Crookshanks!" Hermione scolded as the cat continued to yammer. "Oh for goodness sakes! I'm going to have to put him back in his basket. Ron could you --" In the end it took them both the better part of five minutes to wrestle Crookshanks into his basket, but once in, he quieted down, letting out only the occasional indignant meow.

The remainder of the train ride passed slowly. At one point, Malfoy and his cronies held one of Harry's Chocolate Frog cards up to the window of the compartment. The picture had been magically modified with black ink to include a noose that was slowly strangling him, a large quantity of hair sprouting from his ears, and x's over both of Harry's eyes. It looked for a moment as though Malfoy wanted to open the door and taunt Harry in person, but the sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville all pulling out their wands must have forced him to recall a similar incident on the train home the previous summer, as he quickly moved on. It was certainly not the way Harry would have chosen to introduce Gwyn to his friends, but he supposed it could have been worse.

Once they reached Hogwarts, Harry had completely forgotten that he had been annoyed with Gwyn. Her reaction to the castle was palpable as she stared up at the many towers and turrets in awe. When Harry caught his first glimpse, he felt something begin to ease within himself. It felt good to be home.

"This is so much cooler than my school!" Gwyn said with wonder in her voice as the Thestral drawn coaches carried them up the hill towards the castle. "Ours is pretty much like a regular college, but this..." Harry found himself exceedingly glad that she didn't have to go with Hagrid to cross the lake with the first years, even if he did secretly believe that given a chance to be properly sorted, she would have been in Gryffindor.

As they made their way into the Great Hall, Ron and Hermione went ahead and took their regular seats. Harry made to sit down, and Gwyn dropped onto the bench next to him, staring at the enchanted ceiling that currently danced with millions of tiny stars.

"Ahem!" Ron said loudly. She looked around at him.

"You can't sit there!" he shouted over the din.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because Ravenclaws sit over there!" Ron retorted pointing a finger at the Ravenclaw table. "Everybody sits with his own house."

"Oh," Gwyn replied. She looked at Harry, and he shrugged. "I guess I'll see you later then, Harry," she said, a slightly hurt look on her face. He watched her as she made her way over to the Ravenclaw table and sat down next to Luna near the end.

Harry rounded on Ron with a glare. "What?" Ron asked, innocently. Before Harry could answer, Professor McGonagall strode into the Great Hall leading a line of terrified looking first years up to the front of the hall where the school's ancient Sorting Hat sat on a stool. Harry watched the first years in wonder at how tiny and young they seemed. Had he really ever been that little?

During the sorting, Harry kept shooting glances over his shoulder at Gwyn, who was watching the ceremony with rapt attention. She and Luna were sitting all alone at the end of the Ravenclaw table, and Harry felt bad that the only person that Gwyn knew was "Looney" Luna Lovegood.

When the last student had been sorted into her house, Professor Dumbledore stood up to address the students. Harry nervously averted his gaze and stared instead down at his empty plate.

"I have a few start of term announcements that I wish to make. First, as I am sure you all know, we are living in dangerous and uncertain times." Harry felt his stomach clench, but he continued to stare resolutely at the table. "Lord Voldemort and his followers have become more active in the last few months," a shudder and a few gasps echoed around the hall, "and many of your parents have written to me, questioning the logic of sending their children away at such a volatile time. I will tell you now the same thing that I have told all of them: there is no safer place for you to be than at Hogwarts." Harry glanced up at Ron and Hermione who were watching Dumbledore attentively.

"That being said," Dumbledore continued, "I must encourage you not to take any foolish risks. No one is allowed to go unsupervised off school grounds, which, I'm afraid I must reiterate, includes the Dark Forest. No students are allowed out of their dormitories past curfew, and no student has any reason to be outside in the grounds after dark. These are rules for your own protection, and your professors and I expect them to be followed." Harry smiled slightly to himself, wondering how much of that speech was directed at him and Ron and Hermione.

"On a lighter note, I am pleased to announce that we have several new faces at Hogwarts this year. First, we have accepted two transfer students, both in their sixth year. I would like you to please help me welcome Gwendolyn Griffith from the Roswell Conservatory for the Magical Arts, and Philippe Fontaine from Beauxbatons Academy." Harry's head whipped up from studying the cracks in the table and snapped around as Gwyn stood up, her cheeks very red, but a bright smile on her face. He applauded her loudly and then looked around the room and spotted a tall boy with sandy blonde hair also standing up at the Hufflepuff table. Professor Dumbledore waited for the interested applause to die before continuing.

"I know that you will all make them feel at home here. I would also like you to help me welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lindell." For the first time, Harry glanced up at the staff table. Sitting next to Professor McGonagall was a young woman with a pale face and delicate oval glasses. She had dark auburn hair that was wound neatly in a complex twist at the back of her head. Her expression was dark, and her lips were set in such a thin line that Harry wondered if she might be related to the stern Transfiguration master sitting next to her. The students again clapped politely for their new professor, but no one looked terribly thrilled.

"And now, I think I've kept you from your dinners long enough!" Dumbledore announced with a smile in his voice, and inadvertently, Harry found himself looking up at the kind old face and the knowing aged eyes. "Bon appetite!" As he said this, huge platters of food appeared all along the house tables, greeted by an appreciative rumble from the student body. Harry thought he saw Dumbledore smile at him slightly before taking his seat and asking Professor Sprout to pass him the salt.

Harry turned to stare at the monstrous pile of chops sitting before him, but found suddenly that he was no longer hungry. He wished he could feel properly angry at the old wizard sitting at the head table, but he just couldn't muster up the venom for it. When Dumbledore had brought him back to Hogwarts that fateful night, he had wanted to rage and fight, and had succeeded in destroying much of the headmaster's office, but he'd never been able to summon the same kind of rage to be directed at Dumbledore himself. It was his fault that so much of what had happened last year had happened. If he'd told Harry the truth from the beginning...

But even now, wishing he could hate the man, Harry found he couldn't. Dumbledore had spent the last five years doing everything in his power to keep Harry happy and safe, and however much he resented the time he'd spent in the dark, Harry found he wasn't much fonder of the light.

"Aren't you going to eat anything, Harry?" Hermione asked, concern etched across her face.

"Yesh ez ecc-lent," Ron sputtered around a huge mouthful of roast potatoes. Harry nodded and grabbed a chop.

"Hey Harry!" Dean slid into an empty space next to Harry with a plate full of food, followed closely by Ginny. Ron gave them both a glowering look. "Was that the new girl you were talking to on the train earlier?" Seamus and Neville turned towards Harry as well.

"Oh, yeah," Harry replied. "That's Gwyn. We met over the summer."

"She's hot!" Seamus said with a grin.

"Yeah she is!" Dean agreed. Ginny punched him in the arm.

"I'm sitting right here!" she reminded him playfully. Ron made an odd growling noise as he chewed.

"Hey," Seamus said, his eyes widening, "didn't Dumbledore say she was from Roswell?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, "that's where her school is."

"Wonder if she's seen any aliens!" Seamus gave them all a knowing look.

"Oh surely you don't believe that rubbish, Seamus!" Hermione scoffed.

"What rubbish?" Ron asked, between bites. Hermione sighed.

"An urban legend that aliens crash landed in Roswell almost fifty years ago," she said dismissively. "No one with any scientific knowledge could possibly believe it."

"Hermione," Seamus retorted, "did you believe in magic before you got your first Hogwarts letter?" Hermione's smug look slid off her face, and everyone laughed, even Harry.

When the last crumbs of pudding had disappeared from the golden plates, Ginny hopped up and started shouting "First years! Follow me please!" A little way down the table, Collin Creevy jumped up to follow her a bit belatedly, a shiny new prefect's badge pinned to his robes.

"Glad we don't have to do that this year," Ron said leaning back dangerously from the table. After his fourth helping of dinner and third helping of pudding he had finally declared himself full. Hermione had declared him a bottomless pit.

As they lazily got up and began filing out of the Great Hall, Harry's mind was already wandering up the spiral staircase to his familiar four poster bed in the dormitory. Suddenly, Harry felt a hand catch his arm, and he looked over at Gwyn, who, he thought, looked very pretty in Ravenclaw blue.

"Hi," she said softly, so that only Harry could hear.

"Listen," Harry said, "I'm sorry about Ron, he's just --" She smiled.

"It's fine," she said. "It's a good idea for me to get to know my house-mates anyway. I just wanted to say goodnight." Harry felt a pleasantly warm sensation filling him.

"OK," he said stupidly, "goodnight." Gwyn grinned at him as though he'd said something funny, and hurried off to follow Luna and the other Ravenclaws towards the west wing. Harry was quite glad that his feet knew the way to Gryffindor tower and carried him there although his mind was far away. He had almost forgotten what a wonderful place Hogwarts could be. He smiled benevolently at the familiar landmarks around him: the portraits chattering animatedly at the students, Peeves hiding inside a suit of armor making rude noises as people passed, the gargoyles that marked the entrance to Dumbledore's office...

Harry's smile melted off his face. He looked at the gargoyles long and hard as he passed and tried to shake the memories from his head.

"Harry?" Hermione said quietly, putting out a hand to stop him. "Are you ok?" Ron turned back to look at him and paused.

"What is it, mate?" he asked. Harry looked at them both and wished he could tell them, but he marshaled his resolve and shook his head.

"It's nothing..." he replied vaguely.

When he and Ron and Hermione reached the portrait of the fat lady, Harry realized he didn't know the new password.

"It's transcendental transmogrification," Hermione said as the portrait swung out towards them revealing the entrance to Gryffindor tower.

"Oh no," Neville groaned, "I can't even pronounce all that!"

In the warm, familiar light of the common room, a knot of students had gathered around the notice board. Harry glanced at Hermione, wondering what the excitement was about, but she only shrugged.

"Oy! Harry!" Katie Bell came crashing over to him and swept him into a huge hug. "Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"Tell you what?" Harry asked, confused. Katie gave him a look of deep disgust.

"That you made Quiddich Captain you idiot!" she shrieked, jumping up and down. "I didn't even know they'd let you back on the team!"

"Oh," Harry said with a grin, "yeah, I didn't find out until I got the letter." He paused nervously. "You're not mad are you?" Katie gave him a strange look.

"Of course not! I don't want all that responsibility -- I'm not stupid! Do Fred and George know?" she asked, glancing over at Ron. Harry nodded.

"Those bastards!" Katie exclaimed. Hermione stared at her, a little shocked. "I spent all that time with them and they didn't see fit to tell me?"

"Hang on!" Ron said. "When did you see Fred and George?" Katie shrugged.

"They had a big party last night at the shop," she said with a smile. "Everybody was there: Alicia and Angelina, and even Oliver showed up for a bit. It was a sort of celebration that we were going back to school -- and they weren't." Ron looked dumbfounded.

"How come we weren't invited?" he demanded. Katie ignored him. She looked at Harry, suddenly quite serious.

"It's my last year, Potter," she said, wagging a finger at him, "so you'd better make sure we win!" With that veiled threat hanging in the air, she turned and headed for her dormitory, muttering "Oh, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!"

"So is that what everybody's gawking at?" Ron asked pointing vaguely at the cluster of first years still staring up at the notice board. He and Harry moved in for a closer look. Indeed, the Quiddich roster had been posted on the notice board, with Harry listed as team captain, but next to it was a large article that had been clipped from the front page of the Daily Prophet.

"Oh no," Hermione groaned.

Harry Potter's

Top Ten Tips for Elementary Safety

The headline read. Below it, in an old picture, a much younger looking Harry was valiantly trying to hide behind the frame. Harry rushed forward, startling a few first years still gaping at the article, and tore the paper down.

"Number 10:" he read aloud, "always sleep with your wand under your pillow. Number 9: don't let strangers into your home. Are they bloody serious?" He crumpled up the paper and crammed it deep into a nearby bin. "When are they going to let up about this?" he shouted. The few remaining first years who had been watching him in awe jumped. Hermione gave them a warning look and they quickly filed off towards their dormitories.

"Isn't there something I can do about this?" Harry asked feeling frustrated. "Couldn't I write them a letter and tell them to just shut up about me?" Ron gave a little laugh.

"They'd probably publish the letter and make you out to be all noble and modest -- which we all know you aren't."

"I could sue," Harry suggested, looking over at Hermione. She gave him a sympathetic look.

"I don't think you'd have much of a libel case, Harry, considering they're only saying nice things about you now." Harry rolled his eyes. Hermione came over and patted his hand in a friendly way. "Don't worry. It'll all blow over, just like it always does." She yawned.

"Well, I'm for bed. See you guys at breakfast." She gave a little half wave and headed up the spiral stairs that led to the girls' dormitory. Harry shook his head.

"I'm going to head up to bed too," he said. "You coming?" Ron was frowning at the girls' staircase.

"Oh... Yeah..."

Harry and Ron climbed the stairs to their familiar dormitory, the door of which now said "Sixth Years." Harry was hoping to just collapse into bed, but as soon as he opened the door he knew it was not to be.

"Oy! Harry!" Seamus shouted. "How come you didn't tell us you had your own Chocolate Frog card?" Harry groaned, but Ron laughed.

"Fame is a fickle friend Harry, remember that," Ron said in a frighteningly good imitation of their erstwhile Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockheart. Harry glowered as he shoved Ron into the room.