Harry Potter and Gaining Momentum

For the first time in the last six years, Petunia Dursley could be found seeing her nephew off to school at platform nine and three quarters. Though some would think that was the oddest thing seen, it was not. The fact that Petunia Dursley was actually letting a tear roll down her face as he got onto the train was obviously the weirdest thing many would have seen that day, given of course, that they knew about Harry's home life while living with the Dursley's.

Truth be told, Petunia had actually grown fond of the boy, no, young man over the last couple of months. It really hit her after just a day in Grimmauld Place with him. It was here that she realized that she had actually raised this young man. She nagged at him endlessly, making him a perfectionist unintentionally. She and her husband were constantly calling him names, which gave him strength later in life, but the one thing she hated most about herself now, and the one thing she would always regret, is that she betrayed her only sister Lily by not showing the boy love when it was due. Instead she waited until he had lost absolutely everyone in his life, godfather and uncle included, before she broke down. The ironic thing to her was that when she finally broke down, it wasn't that she was there for him, no, it was that he was there for her. He held her in the court room that day and just let her cry. After they had arrived back at Grimmauld Place, she realized that Harry, Dudley, and Albus were the only actual people there that she knew, but even as everyone knew how awful the Dursley's treated Harry, they still welcomed her with open arms.

The most amazing thing to her was that Harry knew exactly when and what was needed at a time like this, and did exactly what was needed. She had asked Albus why he knew what she wanted without asking, it was then when he told her about the losses in Harry's life, which only added a log onto the fire of depression she felt at the time.

Right now as she saw the Red Locomotive leaving the station, she realized that all this time Harry had been living with her, all the time she and Vernon had wasted their energy on scolding him, he was the one person that could probably relate to her the best and unbeknownst to her, it made her feel warm and fuzzy, she had no idea why.

***

"Harry does he have to be in here?" Ron complained for the first time, and they had only been in their compartment for five minutes.

"Yes," Harry answered simply, never taking his eyes from his book.

"Why?" Ron, very uncharacteristically, whined.

"Because I say so," he said bluntly, again never tearing his eyes from his book.

"Well, what if I said I didn't want him in here," Ron said heatedly.

"Then I'd say go sit in another compartment," Harry again answered offhandedly.

"You wouldn't dare. Harry, you hardly know him and you're going to ask me to leave just so he can stay. Don't you find that kind of like backstabbing?" Ron asked rudely.

"Not in the least, but if it makes you feel better, we can both leave, though I'd like to sit with all my friends if that okay with you," he finally said looking up to meet Ron's eyes.

"Whatever," Ron huffed leaning back and staring out the window.

"Thanks mate," Harry said gratefully going back to his book.

"What do you have your nose buried in this time Harry," Draco finally piped up rolling his eyes.

"Auror's guide to duelling. I'm hoping to get some tactics," Harry answered.

"Isn't that a bit advanced for you?" Hermione asked confused. Harry looked up at her.

"Since when am I not allowed to read advanced material?" Harry asked furrowing his brow.

"Oh, that's not what I meant, it just odd seeing you reading voluntarily for once. And usually when you read, it's about Quidditch or homework that can't be avoided," Hermione added a matter-of-factly. Draco snorted.

"I think you'll find Harry reads more than you do now Granger. He knows more curses than I do, and I've had training in Dark Art since I was nine by my father," Draco said scowling at the memory.

"Still aren't telling anyone where he is Malfoy?" Ron inquired still looking out the window. The tension in the train rose ten-fold.

"No Weasley, I have no idea where he is and yes I do wish I knew," at this Harry looked up at him rather quickly again, "Because if I did, he would be back in the hands of the Ministry."

"Could you imagine what he'd do if he found out that I was occupying my time in the company of Harry Potter, the Dark Lord's arch-enemy?" Draco asked. Ron just snorted in disbelief.

Draco, being tired due to all the excitement lately, lay down on the seat he and Harry were occupying and put his head in Harry lap and closed his eyes. Harry didn't look away from his book, or he would have seen Ron, Hermione and Ginny look at him like he'd gone mad. But Harry just continued in his naivety and read to himself silently.

It was quite awhile later when Hermione finally rose from her seat.

"We'd better get changed into our robes. I don't think it's much longer till we arrive," she said making her way out the door to change in another compartment with Ginny.

Harry (still having not looked up from his book) and Draco (still having not awakened) ignored her words until Ron finally blew his top.

"What are you doing!" he yelled, face burning red. Harry looked up at him confused.

"I'm reading Ron," he said slowly as if making sure Ron understood.

"Duh, Harry, it's all you've been doing for the last four hours. You haven't said a word to us in that time," Ron said.

"Perhaps if I was sure I could say something without you biting off my head, I'd be fonder of conversation. But seeing as every time I speak of my summer, you go into defence mode and I automatically get blamed for you having a bad summer, I'd rather not. Sorry Ron, but I'm more interested in my book, than what else I could have done to make your summer holiday horrible," Harry said looking back down to his book. Draco had woken up at the conversation, or well, Ron's yelling and just simply stared at the boy.

"What are you looking at Ferret?" Ron spat, Harry said nothing.

"I was wondering how someone from a family like yours could be so ignorant and cold hearted Weasel," Draco said closing his eyes once again, so he didn't see Ron whip out his wand.

"Diffindo!" Ron yelled standing only feet away from Draco. The red light hit Draco hard until he started writhing in pain and screaming bloody murder. Harry jumped up and grabbed Ron's wand breaking it in half and throwing it at him. He squatted down beside Draco and started looking him over for injuries. Draco had tears coming out of his eyes and Harry immediately stripped off his shirt looking for the splits. The curse was a splitting curse, and was barely legal to use on humans. It was actually taught in third year, but was highly looked down upon as a defensive curse. Draco had developed small two inch cuts all over his body. They weren't bleeding, but they were deep for such small cuts.

"Get out!" He yelled at Ron. Ron didn't move just kept looking at his broken wand. "I SAID GET OUT!" Harry yelled at the top of his lungs bringing Ron out of his dazed. He scowled at Harry before storming out of the compartment.

He stood and started casting healing charms on him, but very few were working. He never really read up on healing charms, he was usually more worried about defensive charms. He walked quickly over to the door and slid it open.

"Hermione!" he yelled into the hall of the carriage they were on. She stuck her head out of one of the doors about five doors down and looked at him confused for a second.

"What?" she said kind of impatiently.

"I need your help quickly," he said in slight panic. Seeing the urgency, she ducked back in, grabbed her school robes and strode back into the hall. She was in her bra, but was wearing pants. Harry didn't even seem to take notice as she slipped robes over her head while walking. He ushered her in and shut the compartment door. He put an advance locking spell on it and a silencing charm on it, before turning back to Hermione.

"Ron hit him with a Diffindo for complementing his family and calling him cold hearted," Harry said in rush. Hermione's eyes went wide as she looked at the now shirtless boy laying on the set with silent tears streaming down the sides of his face.

"What have you tried so far?" she asked stuffing her hair down the back of her robes and bending over him and looking at the damage.

"Just basic healing charms and one pain reducing charm. They don't seem to be doing any good," he said. He wasn't really panicked, just worried about Draco's pain. He wasn't bleeding, just crying.

"We need to get his clothes off, they have to be healed one by one, and they have to be sterilized beforehand, then they have to be bandaged afterwards," she said briskly taking Draco's shoes off. Harry began unbuttoning his pants and taking them off along with his boxers. Hermione removed his socks.

"What's the sterilizing spell?" he asked. Hermione raised her wand to a cut on Draco's foot.

"Puro," she said, then followed it up with, "Forte Fissare," then lastly using, "Ferula."

Harry started mimicking her as he started at Draco's face, and Hermione started at his feet. They would first sterilize, then heal, then bandage. They had almost finished, at his mid-section, when a knock came at the door. Lost in their work, they had not noticed that the train stopped about fifteen minutes ago.

"Go away!" Harry half yelled at the door, the person knocked again. This time Hermione yelled.

"Leave!" she bellowed annoyed at being interrupted.

"I would hope a Hogwarts Professor would get a little more respect than that," the stern voice of McGonagall said. While Hermione looked horrified, Harry just rolled his eyes.

"We'll be out in about ten minutes," Harry yelled.

"I'm afraid I'm not here to negotiate with you Mr. Potter, now unlock this door," she demanded.

"No, now leave you're being distracting," he said turning back to Draco and beginning again.

"Harry we can't just disobey her," Hermione hissed.

"I'm not letting her in. Don't worry, she won't get past the locking charm, and if she asks, I'll tell her you were under the Imperius, besides, I'm not allowing anyone to see Draco like this. I don't like that Ron did this, but he'd be expelled if they found out," Harry said getting back to work again.

"Harry Potter, I demand you open this door at once," the professor screeched in her scornful voice.

"We're almost done, stop being so rude!" he yelled back. It was then that he heard a small chuckle from the other side of the door.

"Quite a locking charm if I do say so myself Minerva," Dumbledore said amused.

"Albus," she abashed before hammering on the door once more.

Since Harry took down the silencing charm to talk back to her he decided to put one on the door specifically, from his side so she couldn't remove it. She would just know it was there because no sound would be made when she knocked. He waved his hand at the door making it silent. He could feel the vibrations from her pounding, but simply rolled his eyes at her persistence and carried on, as did Hermione. They could now hear nothing being said between the two out side, but could feel some attempts to get through the door, but to no avail.

It was another ten minutes before they were done, had Draco's clothes scourgified, him dressed again. Draco had long since fallen asleep; though Harry was sure his sleeping charm helped. Harry conjured a stretcher and finally unlocked the door to see three Hogwarts Professors boring eyes into him. Clearly feeling like he didn't have the time for them, he simply brushed by them, stretcher in tow and began walking down the path that led to Hogwarts. Hermione, to his great surprise, was right behind him also not giving the professors any excuse.

"Potter, what are you doing with one of my students on a stretcher?! Give it here!" Snape said trying to take control of the stretcher, but Harry, being as stubborn as he can be sometimes, simply shot him a look and made his magical hold on the stretcher stronger, before turning away from Snape and marching on. "Potter I mean it, now, or you're loosing fifty house points!" he said. Harry ignored him.

"Fine, that will be fifty points from Gryffindor for insubordination," he spat. "Now, give me control of the stretcher," he said again in a deadly quite tone. Again Harry ignored him as he could feel Snape magically pulling with all his strength. "Another fifty!" Snape shouted.

"Severus, that's quite enough," Dumbledore said from behind.

"You can't be serious Headmaster," McGonagall now protested, "They are both defying us to our faces!" she said almost boiling.

"I'm sure they have the situation under control, or we would be told what happened Professor. From the looks of it, it seems as if they've already taken care of the problem," the Headmaster said lightly, in a carefree tone.

"What! They've hexed him so bad that they've had to stay on the train for half an hour trying to cover up their work, which I might add it exceptionally bad," Snape spat looking at the two Gryffindor's. Neither one said a word.

"Severus that is quite enough. I'm sure you've noticed that the third of the dream team, as you so fondly call them," Dumbledore said with a chuckle, "is not present. Perhaps they were not covering up their own work, but someone else's?" Dumbledore said in a knowing voice, though not really expecting an answer.

"Perhaps house points should be awarded for their very skilful attempt at healing also. What do you think Minerva, fifty points each?" Dumbledore said briskly.

"As long as Mr. Malfoy is taken straight up to Poppy, I see no reason why not," the Transfiguration teacher said in a sullen tone.

"Deal," Dumbledore answered for the other two.

"What curse did the little brat use?" Snape asked Hermione who just barely flinched, but ignored him. "Do you want me to take more house points?" he asked threateningly.

"Severus I said enough. If you are meant to know, you will be told. Judging from the cold shoulder you've gotten so far, I'm assuming that it is none of your concern," Albus Dumbledore said in his commanding tone making Snape back down without a second though. He walked briskly ahead of everyone else and into the castle doors, robes trade-mark billowing behind him.

"Now that he is gone, do either of you wish to tell us what is going on?" Minerva asked obviously straining to keep her voice even. She was again ignored. "Fine," she huffed also before taking off into the Great Hall and leaving the Headmaster with the two students as an escort to the hospital wing.

"Is it safe now for me to ask?" Dumbledore said looking at Harry.

"Ron hit him with a Diffindo for no reason. It took a half an hour to heal him correctly. Please don't expel him, I think it was my fault," Harry said looking at Dumbledore expectantly.

"May I ask what Mr. Malfoy said to provoke him?" the Headmaster inquired politely.

"Ron was being rude to me for befriending Draco, and Draco told him he didn't understand how, with a family like the Weasley's, Ron could be so cold hearted. I don't see the offence in the statement, but Ron cursed him. Granted, I hope Ron gets detention all year for this, and has his prefect badge taken away, but I don't want him expelled," Harry said as he put Draco on a bed and took the chair beside it.

"Harry, this is usually the very thing students are expelled for. As much as I don't want to expel Mr. Weasley, I will have to have a talk with his parents. There will also be a fine for any medical attention Draco needs why in Poppy's care. Its one thing for a student to get hurt during class, or on the Quidditch pitch, but to be purposely hurt by another peer is completely unacceptable. Due to how serious this was, I can only see justice done if the Weasleys pay for the medical care," Dumbledore said gravely.

"No, I'll take care of the medical bills. I want his prefect badge taken away. That's what means the most to him right now and I don't think he deserves it," Harry said somewhat hostile. Hermione, who was standing next to him listening to the conversation, but looking at Draco with pity, absently nodded her head in agreement.

"Harry, his prefect status would have been revoked anyway. He would also have detentions for the first term, but that is nothing short of being expelled. If you can think of anything from now till tomorrow before I speak with his parents, let me know and I'll consider it before expulsion. I'm very sorry, you really need all the friends you have at a time like this, it's a shame one can't accept the other," Dumbledore said getting up and walking toward the door of the wing. "Poppy will be up shortly after the feast. Afterward you may both go down to the kitchens and have a bite to eat before retiring to your dorms. If any of the Professors ask, tell them, as prefects, I have given you permission," he said before walking out.

"So, I guess this means you got Ron's spot as prefect?" Hermione said pondering out loud, "Well, suits you both right. I for one think you should have gotten the status to begin with, I think Dumbledore didn't want you to have more responsibility than you already had, but that's just my opinion," Hermione mused.

"Your opinion would be correct. He told me at the end of last year that he wanted to make me a prefect, but he didn't know if I could handle it with everything else. He actually cried because he felt he was taking something away from me that I earned," Harry said barely above a whisper. He felt almost guilty now that he had told the Headmaster what happened.

"Harry," Hermione said in her reprimanding tone, "you have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Ron did it to himself. I for one would have started a petition if Dumbledore hadn't taken his prefect badge away. Yes I love the boy dearly, but he has the brain of a deranged elephant," she said plopping down in a chair next to Draco's bed to wait for Madam Pomfrey.

***

Harry woke up in his dorm; the sun was barely in the sky.

"Tempus," he said casually waving his hand, "Bloody hell, seven o'clock. What the hell woke me?" he said sitting up on the side of his bed. He looked around to Ron, Dean, Neville, and Seamus' beds to see them all sleeping soundly. Must be nice, he mused silently.

Figuring he had nothing else to do, he got up showered and got dressed before grabbing a book out of his trunk and heading down to the common room. Potions for the Advance Brewer: by Nathan Mugwart, this ought to have something worth seeing in it. He'd always been put off from Potions by Snape, but now that he'd actually read a couple of potion books, he found he was rather partial to the subject. It almost reminded him of cooking, of course, minus the accidental explosions.

Sitting down in front of the fire he began his mind games before his mind was sharp and focused. He opened his book and started reading. The book wasn't really something he would have expected from Dumbledore; usually books he picked out had some kind of lesson to be learned in them, or just seemed to fit his odd sense of humour. He had almost given up on getting anything useful out of the book until he came to a heritage potion.

'The Heritage Potion: Reason for Brewing: To gain information on which or whose Heritage you are derived from, by use of family crests. The potion is not commonly used due to its insecure nature. After making the potion, the individual must drink half a goblet to attain results.'

'Conclusion: Results vary, very much. Family crest will be tattooed upon the skin of the drinker. A muggleborn will receive none, while a pureblood will receive several most likely. Half-bloods or muggleborns with squib backgrounds often use this potion to find relatives in the wizarding world. The biggest gamble with this potion is where the family crest(s) will show up at. While they usually show up on the arms or back of an individual, there have been rare cases where they have shown up on the face or other, personal parts of a witch or wizard. If this happens, the process will be painful, but will create no lasting effects, such as infertility.'

Harry made a mental note to speak to Albus about this and see if it was possible for him to make the potion. He really didn't know what the Potter's crest looked like, but the potion would certainly answer a lot of questions he had about his mother's side of the family. He always wanted to know if there was more to that side of the family than they led on. After all, his Aunt made a few comments over the summer that suggested he and his mother were not the first 'Freaks' the Evans family dealt with.

He brought himself out of his mind games and made his way down to breakfast. He had not made it up early enough last night to give his speech to the population of the Gryffindor house, though he could guess that Ron had already tried the whole 'defamentation' act. He was usually the first to discredit anyone that even conversed with Slytherin's.

"Morning Nick," Harry said making his way down the last flight of steps that led to the ground floor.

"Morning young Potter. What has you up at this hour?" Nick the resident ghost of Gryffindor inquired.

"I tend to wake at a cat's step these days. Sharing a dorm with four other boys does not help that in the least," Harry said sarcastically. Nick gave a quiet but hearty laugh at him.

"Going to breakfast then?" Nick asked trying to be nonchalant about prying into Harry business.

"Yes, but tell me, is Draco Malfoy still in the Hospital wing?" Harry asked.

"Oh, no, he's in the Great Hall. He was released this morning after quite a spat with Poppy. Very ungrateful child, that boy," Nick huffed.

"Oh, he's just been raised to be independent. I've been known to try to sneak out of the infirmary myself. Poppy always seems to know as soon as I wake up," Harry said with an annoyed note in his voice. Nick again laughed at the young mans antics.

"Yes, well, whether he means it or not, it would not kill him to be more couth with those around him, we are after all, human," He said looking in Malfoy's direction now that they were in the Great Hall.

"Sir Nicholas, you're not human, you're a ghost," Harry said as if he were breaking the news to the ghost for the misty apparition for the first time.

"It was a metaphor my lad," he said exasperated before dashing off through the wall behind the teacher's table. He looked uncharacteristically like Moaning Myrtle dashing away like that. If there had been a toilet near, it wouldn't have surprised Harry to see water flood the floor. Shaking his head slightly, he made his way to the Slytherin table where Draco was speaking with a rather small, Harry guessed, first year due to his size.

"Corrupting a young mind Draco, such the Slytherin thing to do, wouldn't you agree?" Harry said borrowing the Malfoy smirk.

"Quite," Draco said standing. "Potter, Beth," he said introducing the girl to Harry. Harry smiled a warm smile and gave a curt nod. "Beth, the one, the only, Boy-Who-Lived, Saviour of the Wizarding World, Richest wizard in London, Ever so Gryffindor, Harry Potter," Draco said bowing with one arm still motioning to Harry. Harry was scowling at the smirking Draco that was in stitches trying to hold back his laughter.

"You may call me Harry, it will suite fine. Call me anything other than that, points will be deducted from your house for disrespect towards a prefect," Harry said raising an eyebrow at Draco who immediately stiffened and stood at the word prefect.

"Really?" he asked in a stunned stance.

"Yes, turns out Ron will be lucky if he's not expelled. I have to find a commendable punishment for him, or Dumbledore's going to have to cart him off," Harry said.

"Why do you get to choose the punishment?" Draco asked furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Because it was my recommendation that he not be expelled but has his prefect's badge revoked for such a serious act. He will, of course, be in detention for the first term of the year, and I'm thinking about having him booted from the Quidditch team also," Harry revealed to a smirking Malfoy.

"You know, you'll never make it through the season without a whole team. You've already got three people you have replace for chaser positions, take Weasel out and you'll have a keeper position to fill also. And if I were you, I'd try to find a replacement for the beaters, they are the bottom of the barrel," Draco said.

"You're telling me nothing new Draco; in fact, I'm gong to suggest to McGonagall that we have tryout for a whole new team. Ginny really is a good seeker, though I think she'd do well as a chaser also," he said in a pondering tone.

"Well people are starting to fill in, meet me later?" Draco said with the excitement of a small child in a candy store.

"Of course, where?" Harry asked reverting to a whisper to not to be over heard.

"How about Astronomy tower?" the beautiful blonde boy suggested.

"Used to often, sure way to get caught," Harry retorted looking around at the crowd that was starting to flow in. "Meet me in the third floor corridor. Be in the girl's lavatory at about ten tonight, just tell Moaning Myrtle that you're waiting for me and she won't rat you out," Harry whispered hoarsely to a very affronted Draco. Girls Lavatory indeed!

Harry made his way over to the Gryffindor table which at the moment was holding red faced irate looking boys, and very confused and batty-eyed looking girls. Harry took a seat by Hermione who glanced around nervously as if someone was going to hex her also for sitting next to him.

"'Mione we're both prefects. They so much as raise a wand, give them detention. I have every intention of doing so," Harry whispered in her ear after seeing her shy away a bit. She nodded nervously still looking around at the red-faced crowd.

"Oh, so now you're trying to whisper sweet nothings into Hermione's ear, what's next, you're going to tell us you the heir of Gryffindor?" Ron mocked.

"Shut it! You're lucky to even be here. If Harry hadn't asked Dumbledore not to expel you, you would have been gone last night! And he's only prolonging it now. Do you know what the school Governor's would say if they found out that Dumbledore was stretching the rules for you because your best friend needs all the support he can get right now? Dumbledore doesn't know what to do with you; he's very disappointed and upset that you couldn't keep your bigot ways out of your friendship," Hermione spat not being able to take the tension any longer.

"No one who is that close to a Slytherin is a friend of mine," Ron spat.

"What?!" Harry yelled this time. "Are you so naive to think that all Slytherin's are bad? Just because Voldemort came out of the Slytherin house does not mean that all wizards and witches that come from the house are manic power driven-lunatics that strive for world domination!" Harry said, he was yelling now. "And furthermore, he is the only reason that I made it through the summer. If it hadn't been for him, I would have been consumed by depression. He gave me a reason to get up every morning. I taught him Occlumency, along with other skills that I'd acquired over the last four months!" Harry all but screamed at the red headed and red faced boy. Ron rose, wand out, and brandished it towards Harry. Harry rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers making the wand appear in his own hand.

"Give it back!" Ron yelled. Harry shook his head no. "Now!" Ron tried to say in a commanding dangerous tone. Again Harry shook his head. So, logically, having no other resort, Ron launched himself over the table and through the air, only to be frozen half way there, with a stupid expression on his face.

"I do hope someone knows the counter to the spell Ron, because I refuse to take it off!" Harry said taking Ron's spell-o-taped wand and tossing it in fig pudding before storming out of the Great Hall. He stopped short though when Dumbledore started speaking.

"May I have your attention on this beautiful morning? After much debate, each teacher on the Hogwarts staff has decided to take on a student aide teacher. They will take on some of the responsibilities of the professor he or she is aiding. The applications are due tomorrow. Please list why you would like to aide this teacher, what you hope to receive out of it, and your current schedule. The opportunity is open to all sixth and seventh year students. Thank you," he said sitting down once again. Conversation in the Great Hall exploded with the news. All arguments between Ron and Harry were forgotten as Lavender and Parvati began to argue over who was going to be the aide for Firenze and who was going to be the aide for Trelawney. Hermione was gushing about being able to learn under McGonagall or Flitwick. McGonagall is her favourite teacher, but charms have always been her favourite subject.

"Are you going to want to learn under someone?" Hermione asked Harry excitedly. He had still yet not sat down, and Ron was still hovering in the air above the table. It seemed everyone was now acting as if he were a regular fixture.

"I would only settle with Dumbledore, but I don't think 'Professors' included 'Headmaster'," Harry stressed.

"You could always study under McGonagall and get training for an Animagus, you've always wanted to do that," Hermione said brightly.

"I've somewhat fallen off that," he said trying to hide the lie in his voice.

"How about Defence against the Dark Arts, you've always been the best at that. You could probably learn something to put towards your new credits," she said.

"Now offence to the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, but I'm pretty sure I've surpassed anything a Professor for Defence against the Dark Arts could teach me," Harry said confidently.

"Seem awfully sure of yourself," Hermione said suspiciously.

"Well I did say I trained Malfoy this summer. It included duelling also. I've read several very prominent Dark Arts books and Defence against the Dark Arts books, and plan to start my own library. It's the only way I'll know what can be used against the light side in this war. Whether or not anyone likes the fact that I have so much knowledge of the Dark Arts or not, they're going to have to deal with it, I'm not dabbling, only making myself well informed. Hell, I had to Obliviate the book store clerk to even let me buy the books," he said in a frustrated tone. "I had to casually run my hand through my hair so he'd see my scar. Bloody idiot I swear," Harry said finally walking off.

"He's changed a lot," Seamus said to those around him. Hermione nodded.

"At least we know he's not going to just lie down and let You-Know-Who have him," Dean said.

"I've never seen him so confident and determined," Neville said.

"He has the gift of empathy, he could sense your mood when he first arrived," Luna from Ravenclaw said as she approached the table and put her hands on Neville's shoulders affectionately.

"How do you know?" Hermione said narrowing her eyes at her.

"I just do. The same way I know that his relationship with the Slytherin in question is much more than it seems. Draco makes him happy and I for one think that anything that makes him happy is a good thing. He's lost so much, it's time he's gained something. Who knows, maybe if he really falls in love he'll be unstoppable. Look at him now, just after a month of finding someone is affectionate towards him," Luna shrugged and sat next to Neville who along with everyone else was shocked.

"Bloody Hell," Hermione swore gaining incredulous looks from those around her, excluding Luna.