𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 | 𝐡. 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝟏𝟎𝟏 - 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠, a couple of weeks had rolled by since Harry and Dumbledore had their meeting and since then Slughorn was hovering around Harry whenever he had his classes it seemed that Professor Slughorn thought Harry was some prodigal genius, especially with the help of his trusty worn in potions book. The half-blood prince was the best potions teacher he'd ever had and he seemed like he had a good head on his shoulders especially with the spells jotted down in the margins - and she couldn't stand the sight of it, well that and all the hoardes of girls giggling around corners near him.

"Why are they all sticking around for?" asked Harry frowning as he merely glanced over the top of his potions book, he reached for a crossaint with one hand and held the book with the other, Hermione watched him with her nostrils flaring as he chewed on the crossaint idly while pouring over the textbook, six years she had known him and in six years he had never held a textbook this long but upon a sudden he becomes fascinated with a prince.

"It's probably because you're the chosen one." said Hermione harshly as she shot them a glare over her porridge, "And they think they stand a chance especially now Phee is absent and wouldn't you guess that Romilda is all friendly once again."

Harry lifted his eyes from the pages once again to take another look at the girls, and sure enough, Romilda was amongst them smiling at him as though the word snitch wasn't still visible within the many layers of foundation on it, she even waved like nothing she did last year even happened.

His stomach turned and suddenly he lost his appetite for his food, pushing his plate away he watched Ron poke and prod at his food distractedly, Hermione seemed to notice and put a soft hand on his arm and smiled reassuringly at him - Harry thought for a second that it was probably Ron's nerves about getting back on the team this year, especially when Ron gave Hermione a half-hearted smile and then resumed eating though a little more mindful of not being so boorish. But something about their lingering eyes on one another, once the other had turned away from the other, made him feel a little proud.

A moment later owls began to pour in from the open window, Harry barely noticed Hedwig landing beside him with his post between her beak and a parcel beneath her feet which Hermione promptly removed, she stomped her claws a little, letting them scratch a little at the wood of the table in an effort to get an affection head scratch between her feathers - her bright yellow eyes watched him for a couple more moments before dropping his letters and nipping the back of his hand, he yelped and looked at Hedwig angrily who was still waiting for her affectionate payment for her tiring efforts.

"See?" said Hermione, reaching across the table to scratch under Hedwig's beak who cooed thankfully, "I'm not the only one that thinks that you're completely lost in that book."

Harry stroked Hedwig's soft silky feathers before ripping open one of his letters which he was pleased to notice he recognised as his mother's handwriting, he put down his potions book in favour of the letter in his hand, pouring his attention into it hoping for a minuscule update on the Phee situation. He found out that his mum and Gwen were enjoying their time reunited once again without the company of their husbands, they asked how school was (if Slughorn was still scouting people for his "Slug Club") they told him that they hoped that he was doing alright being back at Hogwarts and they reminded him quite thoroughly and harshly that at the first sign of trouble he is to notify them immediately and keep himself planted as far from it as possible or they would cast his firebolt into a cement mixer - and while the image of his beloved broom being destroyed lingered in his brain the sight of Gwen's tin of baked treats made the image a little bit easier to swallow, though the next page of the letter was in Sirius' hand.