Harry Potter and the girl he loved

part three - chapter 3

After dinner, we return to the common room. Harry and I linger behind as we immerse in conversation.
As soon as we enter the common room, the mood immediately changes. Everyone goes quiet and turns to stare at Harry as he enters the room.

They glare at him, eyes filled with hatred and I can tell how unsettled he feels. I walk close behind him, suddenly feeling very overprotective over him.
We walk to the front and spot Seamus Finigan sitting in a chair, looking at Harry angrily as he holds an issue of the daily prophet.

"Dean, Seamus," Harry greets, ignoring the fact that everyone is watching him right now, "good summer?"
"Alright," Dean answers, looking back at Seamus, "better than Seamus' anyway."

Seamus slaps the newspaper he's holding down on the coffee table and stands up.
"Me mam didn't want me to come back this year," he says.
"Why not?" Harry grumbles, already knowing the answer.
"Let me see, urh because of you," Seamus snaps, "the daily prophet's been saying a lot of things about you, Harry and about Dumbledore as well."
"What, your mum believes them?" Harry retorts.

"Well, nobody was there the night Cedric died," he scoffs.
A stab of hurt enters my heart at the mention of Cedric's name. Harry must notice the change of expression on my face because he shouts, "well, I guess you should read the prophet then, like your stupid mother. It'll tell you everything you need."
"Don't you dare talk about my mother like that!" Seamus shouts back.
"I'll have a go at anyone calling me a liar," Harry snarls.

"What's going on?" Ron asks, entering the common room and striding over to Harry and I.
"He's mad, is what's going on!" Seamus accuses pointing at Harry, "do you believe the rubbish he's coming out with about You-Know-Who?"
"Yeah, I do," Ron states with confidence.
"Me too," I add, before asking, "Has anyone else got a problem with Harry?"

The room goes quiet, everyone is scared to speak up.
"Good," Ron says.
Harry turns and walks upstairs and Ron and I follow him.

He storms into the boy's dorm and Ron and I follow him in. He kicks his trunk out the way and attempts to loosen his tie.
"You alright?" Ron asks.
"Fine," Harry replies.

Ron pauses and we exchange a worried look before he continued, "Seamus was bang out of order, mate. But he'll come through, you'll see."
"I said, I'm fine, Ron!" Harry yells suddenly. He discards his robe on the floor in an angry manner.

Ron and I stood there, shocked by Harry's sudden outburst. I looked at Ron and for the first time in my life, I could see genuine hurt in his expression.
"Right. I'll just leave you to your thoughts, then," he mutters before he leaves.

I watch as he goes, wondering whether I should stay here or follow him out. Harry sits down on his bed staring down at the floor, a look of guilt on his face. He shifts his neck again the same way he did on the train. I sit down beside him on the bed.
"Wanna talk?" I ask softly, "if not I can go--"
"Don't," he says suddenly.

I take his hands in mine but he still doesn't look at me.
"I can't help it," he whispers.
"I know."

We don't say much, but there isn't much that needs to be said.

~time skip~

The next day, we have our first class of the year which just so happens to be Defence Against the Dark Arts.
I sit next to Hermione, chatting with her. Well, I say 'chatting' but she's the one doing most of the talking. My eyes linger back to where Harry is sitting.
He seems happier than he was last night, more relaxed but that could just be fake.

A small paper bird flutters over my head and around the classroom. Seamus attempts at hitting it down with his book but the bird is persistent and stays airborne. It flies all the way up above the lamp and as it begins to glide down, Crabbe takes it as an opportunity to shoot something at it with a slingshot, and yet the bird still stays in the air.

That is until a certain someone waves her wands and the paper bird catches alight and crumples in a pile of ashes on Padma and Parvati's shared desk.

"Good morning children."

We all look back to find Professor Umbridge, once again dressed from head to toe in bright pink, standing there smiling widely.

"Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations," she says walking down the aisle of desks. She waves her wand and the chalk writes on the whiteboard exactly as she says, "O-W-Ls. More commonly known as owls! Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe."

She smiles again, reaches her wand over her shoulder and points it at a pile of books. They immediately float forward from behind her and hand themselves out to each student.
"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven," she continues and I pick up the book set on the desk for me, "but you'll be pleased to know you'll be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?"

I pick up the book and make a face at the child-like cover. Hermione's hand instantly shoots in the air.
"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells?" she questions.
"Using spells?" Umbridge squeaks and then makes a shrieking noise that I assume is a laugh, "well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."

She walks towards Hermione and I's desk, still smiling.
"We're not gonna use magic?" Ron asks, scepticism laced in his voice.
"You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way," Umbridge tries to explain.

"What use is that?" I ask.
"If we're gonna be attacked, it won't be 'risk-free'," Harry adds.

"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class," Umbridge's tone drops and Harry and I exchange a look, "it is the view of the Ministry, that a theoretical knowledge will be enough to get you through your examinations which, after all, is what school is all about."

"And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" Harry retorts.
"There is nothing out there, dear," Umbridge says with almost a warning tone, "who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourself?"
If Harry notices this tone he chooses to ignore it.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe Lord Voldemort?" Harry says sarcastically.

The class goes quiet. I watch some people look down at their desks, and shift uncomfortably at the sound of the name. Others simply roll their eyes.
Umbridge has this strange look on her face as if she swallowed something sour. I can see her visibly search for words.
"Now let me make this quite plain," she manages walking forward once again, "you have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"It's not a lie, I saw him. I fought him!" Harry yells angrily.
"Detention, Mr Potter" she snaps, storming back to the front of the classroom.
"So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?"

I flinch at his name as if it were a slap to the face. I know it wasn't Harry's intention but it still hurt.
"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," Umbridge says.

Now that hurts even more.
"It wasn't an accident, he was murdered!"I yell, "Voldemort killed him."

"Do you want a detention too, Miss Lupin?" Umbridge says.
"But she's right-"

But Harry doesn't get to finish his sentence because he's cut off by Umbridge screaming, "enough!"

The class is silent.
"Enough," she utters again forcing herself back into character, "see me later, Mr Potter. My office."

1258 words ~ 3/6/22

June already, wtf?
HAPPY PRIDE MONTH TO MY FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY I LOVE U ALL SO MUCH AND YOU DESERVE LOTS OF PRESENTS AND HUGS.