For Your Love

Chapter 10 - Starting Over

Harry and Hermione trudged into the Great Hall, dropping onto the bench on either side of Ron, who was already helping himself to a second bacon sandwich for lunch.

"How was Potions?" Ron asked, receiving non-committal grunts and shrugs in answer. "Let me guess," he said to Harry. "Malfoy was a foul git, and Snape spent the first half of class insulting you and the second half ignoring you."

"Right in one," Harry said, filling his plate with bangers 'n' mash.

Ron smiled and shook his head. "Better you than me, mate. Did he put you in partners again this year?"

Harry nodded, chewing quickly so he could answer. "I got Ellie Bridgeton. Not so bad, really."

"Who's Ellie Bridgeton?" Ron asked. Harry pointed Ellie out at the Ravenclaw table where she was happily chatting with Padma Patil. "Oh! Her? Wow, Snape must have been feeling generous to put you with a bird like that. How come I never noticed her before?"

Hermione cleared her throat loudly, reminding Ron of her presence. "Because you only had eyes for me, remember?" she said mockingly.

Ron grinned and leaned in to nuzzle her ear. "I remember."

"Besides," Hermione smiled, pushing him away, "she's dating Reed Barton."

"Barton?" Ron asked. "The Ravenclaw Chaser? But I thought he left last year."

"He did, but they're still together. Harry's lucky to have her for a partner. She's sharp; she's in my Arithmancy class."

"So, who's your partner, then?"

"Blaise Zabini," Hermione replied evenly, bringing a spoonful of soup to her mouth.

Ron pulled a face, but before he could expound on the vileness of the Slytherins, Harry interrupted him.

"Where's Ginny? Isn't she coming to lunch?"

Ron looked around. "Dunno. Wouldn't be surprised if she's holed up in the tower. Didn't seem too keen on facing everyone when I talked to her this morning."

"Is she alright though?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged. "She's Ginny. She'll probably get one good hex on you and then she'll be fine."

* * *

Ginny sat on her bed, finishing some sweets she had dug out of her bag for lunch. Her tummy rumbled with hunger, but it was nothing to the ball of tension that had been growing in the pit of her stomach all morning. Her housemates had given her curious glances all through Transfiguration, but when she begged off lunch, saying she wasn't feeling well, they had mercifully left her alone.

She stared unseeingly at the Peppermint Humbug wrapper that she twiddled in her fingers. The anger that she had felt yesterday on the train had dissipated, leaving in its place an overwhelming feeling of sadness. Why did he have to come along and muck everything up again? She had been doing just fine without him. She'd had a steady boyfriend, she was made a prefect, she'd made Chaser for Gryffindor, she was over him. Right? She was happy. Right? And all it had taken was a few lingering glances, a few tender words, and she was right back where she'd started.

You're weak.

The voice resounded in her head loud and clear.

You're weak and childish.

The anger burned in her chest again. She threw the wrapper aside and stood up, resolutely grabbing her schoolbag. How dare he mess with her head like this. Well, she wasn't a Weasley for nothing. She got over him once, she would do it again.

She started for the door when a tapping at the window gave her pause. An old, grey owl with molting feathers perched precariously on the ledge. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"That didn't take long," she muttered, opening the window to let in Errol, the Weasley family owl. Errol promptly collapsed onto the floor. Ginny scooped him up and laid him on her bed, untying the roll of parchment from his leg.

Dear Ginny,

I just had to tell you how pleased I am to hear about you and Harry. I read the news in Witch Weekly this morning. Now, I won't pretend that I wouldn't have liked to hear the news directly from you, but I understand that a mother is often the last to know these things.

Of course, I don't believe just anything printed in Witch Weekly, (this earned another eye-roll from Ginny) but having watched you and Harry together at the Burrow this summer, I knew it was only a matter of time before you two would find each other.

I know you have been waiting so long for this, sweetheart. Hopefully, now that Harry has finally come to his senses, you can be a source of strength and comfort for each other. He needs you now, probably more than he even realizes.

I'm so happy for you.

Love,

Mum

Ginny sank onto her bed, clutching the letter. After a moment, she dropped her head into her hands and allowed herself a good cry.

* * *

Ginny felt a little better after that and made it through her afternoon classes with an air of normalcy. But though Colin kept trying to catch her eye while they repotted sneezewort plants across from each other in Herbology, she couldn't manage to shake the melancholy that had settled over her. She found herself next to Colin at dinner as well and jumped when he poked her in the ribs with his wand.

"If you don't smile, I'll be forced to do a Cheering Charm on you. And you know how good I am at them. You think I was born with this winning personality? No. Cheering Charms."

She laughed in spite of herself.

"That's my girl," he said, pocketing his wand and grinning at her.

Ginny smiled curiously at his choice of words. "Am I your girl now?"

"You've always been my girl. Didn't you know?" She shook her head. "Besides, no one else will put up with me."

Ginny elbowed him good-naturedly. "That's not true."

He took a few bites of his dinner while watching Ginny pick at her plate. "We should do something fun after dinner. Let's go out to the lake and play catch with the giant squid. No rocks this time, I promise."

She chucked half-heartedly and shook her head. "I think I might just go for a walk. I want to be alone for while."

Colin's smile faded and he waited a moment before saying, "Or maybe to meet someone?"

Ginny sighed and looked him straight in the eye. "So, you did believe that article then."

"I'm just asking. You haven't told me otherwise."

"I can't believe you. Does it look like we're a couple?"

"Ginny, you lived with him for half the summer. I know how you feel about him. It's not outside the realm of possibility."

"Believe me, it is."

Colin turned back to his dinner. "Okay. That's all I need to know."

They finished eating in silence, and Ginny stood up to leave.

"See you later," Colin murmured.

She nodded with a small smile. He watched as she left the Great Hall and went out the front doors beyond, into the dusky evening. Then, he watched Harry get up and go out after her.

* * *

Ginny stared out at the lake, her legs dangling over the side of the rocky cliff. She took a deep breath of cool air and closed her eyes. She had glimpsed Harry following her around the side of the castle, but didn't give any sign that she expected him to join her. The rocks crunched beneath his feet as he approached and sat down beside her.

"Hi," Harry began.

"Hi."

She didn't meet his eyes, but continued to stare fixedly at the horizon.

"How are you?" he ventured.

"How do you think?"

"I don't know." He paused. "I've really messed things up, haven't I?"

Ginny acquiesced her cold demeanor with a shrug. "I could say the same to you."

"It's not your fault. You were just trying to stand up for me. I'm sorry I yelled at you. But I think you misunderstood what I said on the train."

"No, I think I understood just fine."

Harry knew that she didn't understand just fine, but he didn't know how to get through to her.

"So, you know that this is about Hermione, then?"

Ginny's head finally jerked toward him, and he saw the look of hurt flash across her eyes.

"Harry, if you wanted Hermione to be your girlfriend, you're a bit late, don't you think?"

"What? No! That's not what I meant." He buried his head in his hands. "I'm awful at this."

"Well, what is it about then?"

Harry rested his forearms on his knees and stared at his open palms. "Do you remember during the Triwizard Tournament when Rita Skeeter wrote that story about Hermione and me being a couple?"

"Yes."

"And do you remember what happened to her after it came out?"

Ginny frowned. "No."

"She was flooded with hate post. Total strangers said awful things about her and even sent her things that could have been really harmful. All because she was linked with me."

Ginny remembered now. "But that was because they thought she was cheating on you with Viktor. I don't have a boyfriend, no one will think that about me."

"But what if you did want to have a boyfriend? Then what would happen?" He straightened up and looked her in the eye. "The reason I don't want people thinking you're my girlfriend is because I couldn't stand it if what happened to Hermione happened to you, too. This is all my bloody fault, and you don't deserve it. Nobody does, but especially not you. You're too important to me to be reduced to a headline. And I hate it that you think I would say something so hurtful to you. I know how you feel about me, and I'm sorry that I can't give that back to you, but I would never throw it in your face like that."

Ginny felt the blood rise in her cheeks. What Harry said made sense, and she had been acting horribly toward him. "I'm sorry. You were so angry... I just assumed it was because of what happened under the tree at the Burrow."

"No. I felt bad about that, but I wasn't angry at you. I was angry at those damned reporters. I thought... I thought maybe you would sense that."

Ginny shook her head. "Anger is anger, no matter where it's coming from. I told you before, I can't read minds. Sometimes, I wish I could. Especially yours."

Harry reached out and took her hand. "You don't need to read my mind. Just ask me and I'll tell you."

She looked into the depths of his eyes, trying to see past them. "What are you thinking now?"

"I still want us to be friends. Friends like we were at the Burrow. Nothing has changed for me. But if this is going to be too hard for you, then you need to tell me now. Because the last thing I want is for you to be miserable because of me."

He held his breath and waited for her answer. The other last thing he wanted was to lose her, to lose the peace he felt when he was around her. He had been on edge all day at the thought of it. But he couldn't tell her that; this had to be her decision.

Ginny dropped his hand and brought her hands to her face, running them over her forehead and cheeks and finally settling them over her mouth. She looked at him sideways. "Can we just pretend this whole episode didn't happen?"

He smiled in relief. "Absolutely."

"I'd like that," she breathed, relieved that the tension was finally broken.

He wanted to hug her but knew that he couldn't. So he settled instead for pushing his shoulder playfully into hers. She grinned and punched him lightly on the leg. They fell into a slight fit of the giggles before recovering themselves.

The sun had just sunk below the horizon, casting the sky in dark purple. "You coming in?" Harry asked.

"In a minute. I like to watch the stars come out."

"Want me to wait with you?"

"No, go ahead. I'll be right in."

Harry looked over the edge of the cliff as he stood up, aware for the first time of how high up they actually were. "Like living dangerously, do you?"

"No, that's your department. I just like being on the edge."

He smirked at her and she smirked back.

"'Night, Gin."

"'Night."

He left her alone and she turned to the sky, watching the first stars begin to twinkle through the haze of night. She breathed deeply again.

You can do this, Ginny. You can do this.

* * *

The remainder of the week passed quickly as the students of Hogwarts settled in to the new year. Hermione, already knee-deep in books and parchments, dove into juggling her NEWT preparation and Head Girl duties (and a boyfriend who was interested in neither) with the eagerness and enthusiasm that she felt at the beginning of every school year. Ginny, relieved that she and Harry were once again on even footing, was grateful for the familiar comforts of school routine and quiet evenings with her friends by the common room fire. And Ron and Harry, satisfied with the state of their lives for the moment, turned their thoughts toward Quidditch.

"Ron, want to come down to Madam Hooch's with me and book the pitch for tryouts?" Harry asked at Friday lunch. "We need to get a new Chaser soon if we're going to train them before the first match."

As they walked out of the front doors into the bright afternoon sun, Harry realized that he hadn't really spent any one-on-one time with Ron lately, away from the girls. It was nice. They chatted about nothing in particular until they saw a tall blonde figure emerging from the Quidditch shed.

When they drew nearer, Harry and Draco exchanged curt nods.

"Potter," said Draco, pointedly ignoring Ron.

"Malfoy," Harry returned. "I assume you're down here for the same reason I am. That must mean they've handed you the undeserved title of Slytherin Captain as well as Head Boy."

"Right, because no one could possibly earn anything or be worthy of some recognition around here except for you," Draco snapped.

"The only thing you've ever earned, Malfoy, is the distinction of being the biggest prat Hogwarts has ever seen," Ron cut in.

Draco looked at him disinterestedly. "I don't remember Granger saying you could speak to me."

Ron admirably didn't take the bait. "We'll see how full of yourself you are when we mop your sorry arse off the Quidditch field."

"Not this year, boys," he said with a malevolent gleam in his eye. "Not this year." He walked away from them and up the hill with a smug confidence.

"What did he mean by that?" Ron wanted to know.

"He didn't mean anything," said Harry, yanking open the door to the shed. "Ignore him. He's got nothing."

* * *

Harry looked down the row of the five Gryffindors who had turned out for the Chaser tryout. Three boys and two girls, all third and fourth years. Harry didn't even know their names, and he had certainly never seen any of them fly. This was going to have to be a gut call.

"Right," he called. "Everyone up. Take three laps around the pitch so I can see you fly, then come back down."

They obeyed instantly and Harry strode over to stand with Ginny and Sean Jacobs, who had come to drill the new recruits.

"You know who that is, don't you?" Ginny asked, pointing to a boy in a red shirt zooming around the pitch.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Tom Wood," she said with a sly smile. "He's Oliver's cousin."

"Really?" Harry said, his interest piqued. "Who's that girl leading the pack?" he asked, pointing to a blonde girl who was fast outstripping the others.

"Sophie Townsend. I think she's a fourth year," Ginny said.

"Hmmm, she's a good flier. Okay, you two get up there and I'll send them up one at a time. Passing first, then let them shoot against Ron."

After all the candidates had a turn to show what they were made of, Harry let them go and gathered the team in the locker room.

"Sean, what do you think?" he began.

"I like Sophie. She's a good flyer," Sean said, and the other boys on the team nodded their agreement.

Harry turned to Ginny, who was sitting next to him. "How about you?"

"I think Tom Wood," she said. "He has a stronger arm."

"No way. Sophie is faster," said Ron, "and her shots were more on target."

Ginny shook her head. "She's faster, but she doesn't look at what's going on around her. Tom is a better passer."

"She can improve that with practice," Harry said. The team waited while he thought silently for a minute. "Wood is a strong choice, but I think I'm going to go with Sophie." Everyone nodded their agreement, accepting his decision as captain. He turned to Ginny. "That okay with you?"

Ginny nodded. "No, it's fine. She's good, she'll be fine."

Harry dismissed the team and they drifted in different directions.

"Can you handle the equipment?" Ron asked, "I want to shower before I have to meet Hermione for dinner."

"I'll help him," Ginny volunteered.

Ron waved and left. They put the gear away quickly and started together up the lawn toward the castle.

"I really did think Sophie was better," Harry said.

"I know. You don't have to justify yourself to me, Harry. She'll be great."

"I mean, I'd love to have Oliver's cousin on the team, but she was really the better flyer," he continued.

Ginny smirked. "And easier on the eyes, too."

Harry shot her a sideways glance. "You know that's not why I picked her."

Ginny raised her chin and gave him a shrewd look. "Mmm hmm."

Harry walked on in silence, but the crease in his brow became more pronounced with each step. "You don't really think that, do you?" he finally said.

She grinned. "No. I almost had you though." She poked him in the ribs, and he caught her hand and tugged at it playfully. She laughed and he smiled.

Ginny noticed the first year Gryffindor girls observing them from where they sat together under a tree by the lake. She waved to them and they all dissolved into giggles.

Harry looked around. "What's that all about?"

"Oh, you've got quite a fan club in the first years' room, let me tell you. See that girl with the ponytail? That's Miranda Hopkirk."

"Hopkirk? You don't mean..."

Ginny nodded. "Mafalda Hopkirk's granddaughter. She knows all about you."

Harry snorted. "Brilliant. I guess it's a good thing I'm not underage anymore."

"Not that that ever stopped you from getting into trouble," Ginny smirked. "Oh, but you should have seen those two little blonde girls. They were so sweet. They didn't even know who you were; they're both Muggle-borns."

"Really? Well, that's refreshing. Too bad it was so short-lived," he said ruefully, casting another glance at the girls whose eyes were still following his every movement.

Ginny stopped walking and frowned. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Harry asked, stopping as well.

"Why are you so bitter toward people who just want show that they like you and admire you? People know who you are, it's not as if you can just ignore them."

"I didn't ask to be famous. I didn't ask for this," he said, pushing up his fringe to reveal his scar.

"Harry, when are you going to stop using that as an excuse?"

"It's not an excuse, it's..."

"Wave to them."

"What?"

"Wave to the girls over there and just watch what happens."

Harry stared into Ginny's eyes, mildly annoyed, but he saw that she wouldn't budge. He forced a smile and waved to the girls. They giggled again, hiding their faces in embarrassment.

"See? You just made their day."

"But I didn't do anything."

"You didn't have to. You make people happy. You make them feel safe. That's quite something, you know. Merlin knows, we could all use a little extra happiness these days."

"Oh, so now it's my job to make sure everyone feels happy and safe, as well?" Harry snapped.

"No. That just happens whether you want it to or not." Ginny smiled softly at his frustration, knowing how much he hated unwanted attention. She moved a step closer to him and raised her hand to brush aside his fringe. Her eyes lingered over his scar. "You are never not going to be Harry Potter. I know you wish it, but it will never happen. Be proud of who you are."

Harry stared at her in silence, and he saw a brief glimpse of himself through her eyes. She dropped her hand and smiled, then turned and walked up the stairs into the castle.

* * *

Two weeks into the start of term, Harry and Hermione sat at a table in the common room working on their Concealment Charms essays for Professor Flitwick. With NEWTs coming up, they were required to know both the theory and execution of some very difficult charms, and Harry needed practice. Curses and defensive hexes were one thing, but Charms work required a slightly different mindset, one of concentration and visualization rather than quick reflexes and raw determination.

Hermione frowned and glanced at the empty chair next to her. Ron had been working with them, but when it became apparent that he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, she had shooed him away for a nap before dinner. She was hoping they could have practiced the charm on each other a bit. Hermione was nothing if not practical, and working on schoolwork together was a perfect way to spend time with him and still get things done, she thought. And Ron always did better with the practical side of things than the theories. Oh well, she sighed, she'd have to catch him after dinner.

"Alright Hermione, I think I've got this now," Harry said, laying aside his quill and picking up his parchment. "The Purloin Charm..."

Hermione tapped her quill on her chin thoughtfully as he read out what he had written. "That sounds more like a Disillusionment Charm."

"Well, yeah, aren't they kind of the same?" Harry's shoulders sagged.

"Not really. The Disillusionment Charm acts like a camouflage, but you can still see the shape of the object or person that it has been cast on. The Purloin Charm is an optical illusion. When another person looks at the object you've charmed, they will only see what they expect to see. You're hiding it in plain sight as it were."

"But isn't that Transfiguration?"

"No, you're not actually turning the object into something else, you're only making it appear to be something else to the viewer. It could appear to be different things to different people I suppose, depending on what they might be expecting to see."

"Oh! Is this like the wards that are up around Hogwarts so that Muggles can't see it? I'm supposed to conceal it by making it appear to be something else that would not arouse suspicion?"

"Exactly! The wards around magical buildings like Hogwarts are more advanced than the Purloin Charm, but it's the same idea. Here, let's try it."

Hermione stood up and motioned for Harry to stand against the wall. She looked around to make sure no one was watching them, then pointed her wand at Harry and softly said, "Purlonius." The air around Harry shimmered and to Hermione, he appeared to be translucent. Satisfied that she had cast the spell correctly, she looked around the common room and spied Ginny coming through the portrait hole into the room.

"Ginny, can you help me for a second?" she asked.

Ginny looked up and walked over to stand beside her. "Sure, what's up?"

"I'm experimenting with something. Can you look at the wall over there and tell me what you see?"

Ginny looked at the space between the large desk and the bay window where Hermione was pointing. She looked back at Hermione, confused.

"What am I supposed to see?"

"Just tell me what you see."

"Uh, I see a chair with a green and blue striped blanket draped over the arm against the wall. Funny, I never noticed that chair before."

Hermione looked to where Harry was still shimmering, standing directly where Ginny had indicated the chair to be. She smiled at him and raised her eyebrows. He looked duly impressed.

Hermione turned to thank Ginny when she noticed a peculiar look on her friend's face. "What is it?"

Ginny smiled. "It's nothing. It's just that Harry has a shirt that's just the same pattern as that blanket. I've always loved it, the way it brings out his eyes."

It was, in fact, the very shirt that Harry was currently wearing. He raised his eyebrows at Hermione, and she quickly understood his discomfort.

"Okay!" she said a bit too loudly. "Thanks, Ginny, that was quite helpful."

Ginny shrugged and said, "Sure," and continued up the stairs to her room.

Hermione waved her wand and said, "Finite Purlonius," and Harry became visible once again. She noted the slight flush in his cheeks, but let it pass without comment.

"That was brilliant!" he smiled.

"Thank you. Alright, now you try."

Hermione worked with him for the next several minutes until he could cast a mildly convincing charm, though his illusions were still a bit fuzzy around the edges.

"Thanks, I understand that much better now."

Hermione patted his arm. "Anytime. I just wish Ron would have been here. He needs more help than you. I guess I'll have to work with him later."

Harry caught her arm and smiled down at her. "I've missed you, you know."

Hermione looked at him with a mixture of amusement and incomprehension. "You see me all the time."

"But you're always with Ron."

Harry circled her playfully with his arms. He had missed being close like this with her since she and Ron had gotten together. She was Ron's now, and he wasn't sure where he fit into the picture. He tickled her and she squealed and wriggled.

"Hands off my girlfriend, Potter," he heard a gruff voice say behind him. They turned to see Ron leaning against the wall at the bottom of the boys' stairs, his arms folded, regarding them with a mischievous grin.

Harry played along. He tightened his grip on Hermione and spun her toward the wall, pinning her against it. "No you can't have her, she's mine."

Hermione laughed and peeked through Harry's arms at Ron. "Oh, honestly," she swatted at Harry. She could feel his body shake as he chuckled.

Ron reached into his robes and took out his wand. "I reckon we'll have to duel for her then," he grinned.

"You're on," said Harry, loosening his grip on Hermione and pulling out his own wand as she grabbed onto his shirt.

"Harry..." she said with a tone of warning.

He turned to her with a glint in his eye. "I'm not going to hurt him."

She narrowed her eyes for a moment before shaking her head and sighing, "Boys," and let go of him.

Everyone in the common room was watching them now, backing up to give them space. They faced each other, raising their wands, doing their best to stare each other down but unable to take themselves seriously.

"Hermione, count down," Ron said without taking his eyes off Harry.

Hermione continued to shake her head in disbelief at their display, but finally said in a resigned voice, "Three-two-one-go."

Harry let fly the Jelly-Legs Jinx first, causing Ron to stumble on wobbly legs but not before he shouted "Rictusempra!" at Harry. The Tickling Charm hit Harry hard in the chest, causing him to suck in his breath before bursting with laughter. Both boys fell to the floor. Harry's laugh was so infectious that Ron started laughing with him, even while his legs wobbled uncontrollably. The others in the room were cheering. Ginny, who had been coming down from her room when the commotion started, watched the exchange from the bottom of the stairs with an amused and interested look on her face. She caught Hermione's eye and shook her head sympathetically.

Hermione let them roll on the floor for half a minute before she gave in to the laughter and pulled out her wand to end the spells on them, shouting, "Oh for heaven's sake, Finite Incantatem, both of you!"

Ron recovered first and offered a hand to help Harry up. The others in the room gradually resumed their activities as the boys clapped each other on the shoulders good-naturedly while Hermione stepped between them, trying to give them a stern look and failing miserably.

"You two are the most..."

Ron silenced her by pulling her tightly to his chest. She snuggled in to him, and they both turned to smile at Harry. "Looks like I've won," said Ron triumphantly.

Harry threw up his hands in mock defeat. "Go on, take her then. I've lost her," he smiled. He wandered back over to the table where they had been working and sat down, still chuckling, pulling his essay toward him again. He didn't see Hermione's thoughtful gaze follow him.

"Fancy a walk around the lake?" asked Ron, turning her attention back to him.

"Oh," she said, biting her lip and looking toward the table. "I was really hoping to finish that essay."

Ron turned her chin toward him and held her eyes, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Can we work on them later?" she asked apologetically.

"Only if you promise not to talk about it until then," Ron smiled.

Hermione pinched his ribs playfully. "Alright, just let me run my things up to my room." She gathered her books and parchments from the table and disappeared up the stairs, reappearing a moment later. She took Ron's hand and walked toward the portrait hole when she suddenly thought better of it and stopped.

"Wait for me just a second, alright?" she whispered to Ron. He nodded and leaned against the wall. Hermione walked purposefully over to Harry's table and sat lightly on the edge, causing him to look up at her. She put her hand over his and stared intently into his eyes.

"You haven't lost me. You know that, right?" she said quietly.

He met her eyes, marveling at how she could always cut right to the heart of the matter. He glanced at Ron, waiting by the wall, before turning back to her with a reassuring smile. "I know. Go on."

She considered him for another moment before squeezing his hand and leaning forward to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. As she walked away, Harry caught Ron's eye. They shared a moment of understanding, as only best friends could, and Harry felt the change between the three of them in a way he hadn't before. As the portrait hole closed behind them, he suddenly felt very alone.

His eyes traveled across the room and unexpectedly met Ginny, who had not moved from her spot on the stairs. He became acutely aware that she had witnessed the exchange between him and Hermione, and half-expected her to cast and angry glare at him. But instead, she was looking at him thoughtfully, as if she knew what he was feeling. In fact, he realized, she probably did know what he was feeling. But instead of coming over to comfort him, which he very much wanted her to do, she gave him a small smile and turned up the stairs, back to her room.

Unable to concentrate any longer, Harry tossed aside his quill, gathered up his books and parchment, and climbed the stairs to his own room. He hoped to find one of his other housemates, wanting to reach out to someone, anyone. But no one was there.