“Harry?” a voice asked uncertainly. “Harry? Is that you?”

Dread spread through Harry, like a disease. He knew that voice. It was one that he had hoped never to hear again, if he could help it. With a heavy heart, Harry glanced up to see the concerned hazel eyes of Grace Warrant staring back at him. 

“It’s okay to be scared, you know,” Grace whispered in his ear, tracing small circles on his neck with her finger. Harry nodded and smiled for the first time in weeks. 

“Thank you.” 

“He’s lost it, I’m telling you,” said Grace who was sitting in between Harry and Katie, looking at Liam as if he was an insane patient from a psychiatric ward.

“Grace, he’s always been that way,” replied Katie, her sapphire coloured eyes twinkling.

Katie seemed to have hit a nerve with the Weasleys as each one of them turned to her with a look of horror upon their faces.

Some say that being away from your family and friends brings sadness and depression. For Harry Potter, however, it brought relief and happiness being away from the Weasleys and Hermione. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he was now free.

Harry groaned loudly, “Ugh, well, can’t we take a break or something?”

John beamed brightly, “Good idea, Harry! I think we’ll go for a lovely, relaxing run around the grounds now, come on, up you get!”

Harry looked at the man with wide, disbelieving eyes, “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Mr. Potter, there are rumours that at the age of fourteen, you defended yourself against You-Know-Who with the Muggle appliance called a ‘hairdryer’. Is that a fact or a fable?”

“Well, Harry, uh… has ballet lessons! With… Clare!”

Harry stared at Liam, mortified.

Here lies a creature so deathly frightening and beautiful, it may just take your breath away.

“You kissed Ginny Weasley!?” Grace squealed, shocked and a little jealous. 

“‘Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,’” Liam repeated incredulously as he sat down next to Clare, “What sort of ‘advice’ is that?”
 
Harry pretended to look hurt, “Very good advice, I should think.”

Harry quirked an eyebrow at Katie who stared back at him rather fiercely.

“Well, he was very persuasive, there was nothing I could do but say yes!” she retorted defensively.

“The Chamber of Secrets,” Harry breathed, his emerald-green eyes twinkling with an adventurous glint, “You’re a genius, Liam! C’mon!”

Eventually, the wand light flickered and went out, casting the shadows of three unmoving humans into complete darkness. Fortunately, this change in atmosphere seemed to cause a reaction from one of the two females, whose groan of slight pain and discomfort broke sharply through the unnerving silence.