Harry Potter And The Teenage Witch

Part 16

Harry was again in detention. Harry didn't know how professor Snape managed to find another batch of records, this time the records included that of his father, Lupin, and Sirius....

Sirius. Harry's heart started aching the moment he saw the name. It was as if something had transported him to that night in the ministry, for the thousandths time since last year.

Sirius is fighting, Sirius is dodging attacks, Sirius is laughing like a maniac.

Harry counters an attack with a spell erupted from his wand.

"Nice one James!" he calls out.

And then, something strikes him. Sirius looks at him, startled. Then he tripped over that veil.

That dammed veil.

And, then, his godfather too, like his parents, left him alone.

Harry couldn't think straight. Everytime he saw Sirius's name, or somebody mentioned him, he couldn't but think about that day and all the wrong decisions that he had made.

What if I were contented with informing Snape only?

What if I used that mirror?

What if I fought harder?

What if....there weren't any veils?

Harry's stomach gave a jolt. Sirius is okay, sirius is okay, sirius is okay, he reminded him.

Harry raced back from Snape's office once it was finished, only allowed himself to pant after he was in a safe distance from his office.

He looked at the sky. It became dark.

"Another detention?" Pansy asked. She was leaning against the wall and chewing an apple.

Not Pansy again, Harry thought bitterly.

"Hello, Pansy. Enjoying yourself?"

"I think so. What about you?"

"Feeling what one should feel after copying off three hundred records without using magic. Extremely exalted and euphoric."

"Oh Harry," she smiled jovially. "No one can beat you in sarcasm."

"Well, no one can beat me in many other areas, but let's not mention them."

"Such as?" she asked. "Obviously not DADA because I do remember binding up your hands."

Harry remembered. He also remembered how that earned him another detention with Snape.

"There are days when one just gets lucky, and there are days when one's fate just gets worst. That's when impossible happen. It's rare, but not an impossible phenomenon."

"I don't think your fate will ever stop being the worst while dueling with me."

"Just because we didn't win the match today just not mean we're worthless." Harry said, because suddenly he figured out why Pansy was gloating, why she was even waiting for him in the first place.

"We could've easily win if Katie didn't get hexed, or Snape didn't put me in detention at the time of matches."

At the mention of Katie, Pansy flinched. From that fleeting moment, Harry knew he was right, that it was Malfoy's doing all along. There could be no other explanation.

"You deserved the detention, Harry." she said quietly. "You nearly killed Draco."

"And I'm remorseful for that. But does Malfoy feel the same? He hexed Katie, who also nearly got killed. And unlike me, he didn't earn a detention."

"He didn't do it. Why would he earn a detention?"

"Yeah, and I weren't present at the bathroom that day." he snickered. "Honestly, how could you live knowing your boyfriend cursed one of his schoolmate? Don't you ever feel guilty? That you know what he is doing and you're not telling anyone about it? You could help us, you know, but no you want to be a brat like him and lie everywhere, all the time."

"Look, Harry." she said with a concerned tone. "I know you're upset. But don't talk about things you don't know about."

"Oh yeah?" he snorted. "Tell me what I don't know about. I'm a very enthusiastic student, you see."

It was her time to snort. "Yeah, I know about that. I hear you're very passionate, especially in Potion."

Harry blushed. He heard Professor Slughorn appraising him several times, but it never occurred to him that Slughorn might boast about him in front of other students, too. The worst part of it was Harry didn't deserve any of it.

"So, Potter, what you say we sit somewhere? I can't stand any longer.My leg hurts."

"You sit if you want to. I'm going to my common room."

"But they haven't returned yet."

"Returned?"

"They went to Hogsmeade."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. "To celebrate?" he half whispered, half shouted.

"Pfft." She waved her hand, as if to indicate you wish. "You are an overly-optimistic young man." she said.

"They...they didn't win, then?" Harry asked skeptically.

"What do you think? What were your odds of winning the game?"

Harry sulked. He knew the answer. Yet, he hoped...A tiny bit of him hoped...

"Let's sit down." she announced. And, then she retreated on the steps.

Harry followed. Because what could he do? His team lost, and he failed to prove his worth as a captain. And there's no one in Gryffindor common room so he could share the grief. The only option available to him was sitting with his enemy on steps.

So be it, he thought.

"You know, I knew Draco from childhood. True, we didn't visit each other often, but I could make out his character just fine with the little time I got to spend with him."

"And?" he asked.

"You see, I'm good at reading people. Like I know how you feel, or why the way you feel the way you do."

"I bet you don't."

"I bet I do." she said with a challenging tone. "Anyway, I was saying, Draco grew up amidst cuddling and coddling."

Harry didn't say anything.

"As a result, he became this pretentious, irritating guy who only like to boast about his wealth, status and family."

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry demanded.

Pansy didn't answer. Instead, she went on, "He never had to make hard choices, unlike you."

Harry made sure he heard the right thing. "Unlike me?"

"Your life wasn't practically a rainbow, was it?" she asked. "You had to make all the hard choices. You had to fight the Dark Lord the year you came here. You could easily choose his side and be safe. But you didn't. You chose to live through the struggle."

"Voldemort killed my parents. There's no way I'm gonna go to his side." he said sternly. "I didn't as a kid, I am not going to, and I will not ever."

"And what if your parents served him?"

#May 5,2021,4:42 pm