Harry rested his forehead on his knees as the chill in the air penetrated his robes. He saw nothing but blackness and felt a sharp pain somewhere in the center of his chest that numbed everything from his toes, to his fingertips, to the hallowed pit in his stomach. He felt as though he could sit here for hours and eventually sink through the floor where he'd never have to look at anyone or feel anything ever again.
"Hello, Harry Potter," said a dreamy voice startling Harry. He sat up and looked around to find Luna Lovegood standing behind him. She wore her large spectrespecs which gave her an owl-like appearance as well as a pair of old leather slippers and her typical radish earrings.
"Hullo Luna."
"That's not where your class is!" She pointed out heartily.
"No?"
"Nuh-uh."
The last thing Harry wanted to do was sit on the floor and have a conversation with Luna Lovegood. He rose and felt himself sway slightly.
"I should probably get going then," he said. "Bye, Luna."
"I could walk with you!"
"Nah, that's okay. I reckon I could find the way alright on my own, thanks." Luna removed her spectrespecs looking slightly hurt.
"You're trying to avoid talking to me."
"What? No... I just—" Harry stuttered as annoyance prickled through the ache in his chest. "Fine, let's walk together."
"Hurray! What class do you have anyway?"
"Er..." The events that had occurred before his encounter with Pansy were fuzzy in the back of his mind. "Transfiguration," he said after a few moments' hesitation.
"Oh, wonderful! Professor McGonagall is very strict. She'll probably be angry with you for being late, so we should walk fast. You already wasted a lot of time sitting on the floor. Professor McGonagall isn't my favorite teacher, but I do prefer her over Professor Snape. He took 20 points from Ravenclaw last week because I accidentally spilled my shrinking solution on Colin Creevy's hands. It made quite a big mess. He's been grumpier than usual lately. Have you noticed?"
Harry let Luna's dreamy voice wash over him as his thoughts spun around Pansy Parkison and what sort of field day the Slytherins must be having right now, coming up with fresh new rumors to spread throughout the school and ways to humiliate Harry. Though it was unlikely they'd come up with anything more humiliating than the fiasco that had just occurred downstairs...
He was so lost in thought that he hadn't even noticed they were now feet away from Professor McGonagall's door. "How nice it is to walk with a friend. Ginny Weasley used to walk with me quite often before she started dating Vincent Crabbe. She still walks with me sometimes when she's not with him, but I usually just walk alone. I don't really like Crabbe, do you?"
"Yeah, whatever you said."
"You're not listening to me!"
"Sorry Luna, it's just— this is my class," Harry explained, relieved at Luna bidding farewell and retreating down the corridor.
"Hello Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said stiffly as he pulled open the door and stepped inside. "I suppose you have a very reasonable excuse for showing up late to my class."
"Not really," Harry replied bluntly, taking his usual seat between Ron and Hermione. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips and said,
"Well, you've already missed out on enough instruction. Today we will be transfiguring teacups into chalices. I expect Miss Granger would be more than willing to assist you if you need." Hermione beamed down at the three sparkling crystal chalices in front of her and gave Harry a concerned look.
