The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 3: Further Disquiet

Harry was thinking as he made his way back to Gryffindor tower.

Part of him was truly happy.  Flying was wonderful, so freeing.  When he was in the air on his broomstick he felt like he could leave his problems behind.  Things that happened to him when both feet were on the ground did not seem to apply while he was airborne.  He could fly faster than his problems, outrace his thoughts.  He could act on, what he found to be surprising, instinct.  He could do something physical that he was actually good at it.

He knew he was not the best.  It was the first time he played properly after all and it was still practice, not against another team.  He could get better, learn more, become even more comfortable.

His shoulders curled a little and his stomach churned some.  He was still embarrassed with how he acted around Angelina.  He was so elated from flying, from catching the Snitch, that he was not aware she had approached him.  She was very light on her feet and quiet.  In his experience the boys that were that tall or even bigger were not that graceful.

In hindsight she had not struck him, not like Dudley Dursley or his friends.  Normally when they attacked him from behind, he would go flying and his whole body would ache, the part they hit would be temporarily numb.

It was never numb for long though.

His reaction was deep set and literally beaten into him from years of being hurt by Dursleys and Dudley's friends.  He tried to make himself as small of a target as possible and not fight back.  He tried to apologize for whatever slight he had made, whatever problem he had caused.  Sometimes it meant he would get off lightly.

Sometimes it did not matter at all.

He did feel bad though, not physically, when he saw Angelina's expression.  It was one he was not used to.  She looked shocked.  She looked ashamed.  There was no pride, no cruelty, no malice.  No sneer.  No harsh words or harsher actions.  She had looked as shocked as he felt.  She was as confused as he was.

His steps scraped on the stone floors.  He felt glum.  He imagined he would get kicked off the team soon, for making her feel bad.  It was his fault after all and she was older and had been on the team longer.  The others were her friends.  The rest barely knew him.  Fred and George were Ron's brothers and Harry was friends with Ron, but he knew they would stick with Angelina over him.

It was only right.  He was the newest, the youngest, the least experienced.  He only made the team out of luck.

I might as well enjoy it while it lasts, he thought.  He sighed to himself.

The sigh made the empty corridor feel colder than it should have.

-0-

Fred slowed as they approached the entrance to Gryffindor tower.  George automatically slowed as well, staying in step with his twin.

George did not need to ask Fred why he slowed.  Nor did he need to ask why Fred looked unusually solemn.  As much as the twins liked to trick others by claiming some kind of magical bond between them, the main reason they usually knew what the other was thinking was because it was usually a reflection of what they personally were thinking.

"You as bothered as me?" George asked softly.

"Probably not more than you at least, but yes, probably bothered just as much."

"You reckon she's right?"

Fred shook his head.  He was not disputing that Katie was potentially right.  More than he did not want to entertain what it meant if Katie was right.  "I don't know honestly."