Hi! For all of you who read my story earlier, I changed some stuff. I took out the stuff about Ron and Hermione...I kinda thought it was stupid (and irrelevant, 2); and I also made it the beginning of the sixth year instead of the end of the fifth. I hope u like my story! All criticism, good or bad, is welcome. So tell me honestly what you think, and I hope you enjoy chapter one!!!!!!!!!!
Harry gazed dreamily out across the lake. The sun's reflection rippled as someone jumped into the water. There were more shouts from the other side. All those happy people, he thought gloomily. Happy to be back at Hogwarts... happy to be back with their friends. They seemed so distant in contrast to the grief and pain he felt inside. Everything had felt so dull and depressing since...since...
Harry felt a sharp pang in his chest. He gulped and continued to muse in the cool shade of the beech tree. Harry turned around and got to his feet. He patted the smooth white bark of the trunk; it seemed to gleam in the dazzling sunlight.
Tears stung Harry's eyes as he remembered. He clenched his fists, angry at himself. He knew he had to get over it; he had to move on. Harry's eyes softened and his fists loosened their grip as he sunk down into the fresh green grass. He did not want to move on. He stared intently at the clear sky. A voice behind him made Harry jump. "Hi, Harry!"
Harry wheeled around, then heaved a great sigh. "Oh...hi, Neville." Neville was smiling brightly. He felt a searing burn of hatred. How could he just stand there and smile like that? He probably had a great summer... Harry thought. Mine was completely miserable. And the Dursleys didn't make it much better...
"Wanna come back to the common room? Seamus is throwing a huge party and--"
"No, thanks." Harry interrupted. Neville's smile faded.
"Are you okay, Harry?"
"I'm fine." Harry replied curtly, avoiding Neville's eye. He turned and pretended to be very interested in a maple tree on the opposite bank of the lake. He could feel Neville's heavy stare on the back of his head, wishing he would leave. Neville gazed for a moment, then walked away.
Harry sighed again as soon as he was out of sight. None of his friends seemed as comforting as they used to be. Or maybe it was just him. And now he would have to go back to school. He usually loved school at Hogwarts, but now he was completely dreading it. Harry didn't know how he would survive another year at Hogwarts. He shook his head and sat back down into the cool emerald grass. He didn't care. He just wanted his godfather, just wanted to see him again...
It seemed so hopeless. He was the only family Harry had left. He reminisced for a little longer under the sheltering shadow of the large tree. Ron and Hermione, who were watching him by the castle doors, turned to each other.
"I hope he'll be all right..." Said Hermione, looking concerned. "He hasn't spoken much all week."
"He'll be fine." Ron answered indifferently, waving aside the issue. He took a package of chocolate frogs out of his pocket, and removed one. "He's bound to snap out of it soon." The frog struggled in his grip, and nearly got away.
"I just hope you're right." Hermione began to walk swiftly with Ron towards the lake.
"Twush mre" Ron said reassuringly as he stuffed the chocolate frog into his mouth. Hermione sighed. Just then, the huge doors swung open as Draco Malfoy and his crew stepped out into the sunlight. There seemed to be an atmosphere of power surrounding them as they walked confidently towards the beech tree. People sprinted out of the way as they approached Harry, who was completely oblivious to the whole thing. Ron leaned over to Hermione. "That can't be good..." he whispered. Hermione just froze and stared. Malfoy was grinning; Pansy Parkinson was squealing with pleasure; Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly.
"So, Potter," Malfoy sneered. Harry quickly turned around.
"Still sitting under that bloody tree?" Harry scowled, but looked away again. "I'm still a prefect, you know." Malfoy snarled. "I could give you detention if I wanted to. If you don't treat me with enough respect."
Harry ignored him. His thoughts wandered to different things. "What's the matter, Potter?" Malfoy spat. "Were you scared that you would lose that flea-bitten old half-breed, Hagrid?" Pansy Parkinson screamed with delight; Crabbe and Goyle grunted with laughter.
"Shut up." Harry said through gritted teeth. He didn't care so much that he was insulting Hagrid. Harry just wished he would leave him alone for once. This wasn't what he needed right now.
"No, I'm just getting started!" Malfoy said eagerly. He felt a flutter of excitement. He wanted to cause Harry misery... enough so that no one would suspect..."Do you, maybe, miss your dear old friend? The outlaw?" A couple of Slytherin onlookers laughed heartily.
"Shut UP!" Harry got to his feet. Now he was angry.
"Or, perhaps, you were afraid that Harry Potter wouldn't be there to save the world again?" Malfoy jeered.
"Shut the fuck up!" Harry roared. He pushed Malfoy so that he fell back onto the ground. Harry stepped closer.
Malfoy covered his face with his hands as Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward, their pudgy fists held up at the ready. Harry walked fearlessly right through to Malfoy, pushing them aside. There was fire burning in his eyes that made Malfoy shudder. Too much misery, Malfoy thought. Harry pulled him up by his shirt. He had never been so intensly angry at him."Put me down! Put me DOWN!" He thrashed his legs violently in the air. Harry raised his other fist, and flung it forward into Malfoy's face. Several girl onlookers let out a simultaneous squeal. Harry felt the warm blood from Malfoy's lip come gushing out. He raised his fist again as Malfoy struggled in his grip.
"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" A voice shouted from behind them, full of rage. The crowd parted, making a path for a furious looking Mrs. McGonagall. Harry dropped Malfoy onto the ground, and turned to face her.
Harry gazed dreamily out across the lake. The sun's reflection rippled as someone jumped into the water. There were more shouts from the other side. All those happy people, he thought gloomily. Happy to be back at Hogwarts... happy to be back with their friends. They seemed so distant in contrast to the grief and pain he felt inside. Everything had felt so dull and depressing since...since...
Harry felt a sharp pang in his chest. He gulped and continued to muse in the cool shade of the beech tree. Harry turned around and got to his feet. He patted the smooth white bark of the trunk; it seemed to gleam in the dazzling sunlight.
Tears stung Harry's eyes as he remembered. He clenched his fists, angry at himself. He knew he had to get over it; he had to move on. Harry's eyes softened and his fists loosened their grip as he sunk down into the fresh green grass. He did not want to move on. He stared intently at the clear sky. A voice behind him made Harry jump. "Hi, Harry!"
Harry wheeled around, then heaved a great sigh. "Oh...hi, Neville." Neville was smiling brightly. He felt a searing burn of hatred. How could he just stand there and smile like that? He probably had a great summer... Harry thought. Mine was completely miserable. And the Dursleys didn't make it much better...
"Wanna come back to the common room? Seamus is throwing a huge party and--"
"No, thanks." Harry interrupted. Neville's smile faded.
"Are you okay, Harry?"
"I'm fine." Harry replied curtly, avoiding Neville's eye. He turned and pretended to be very interested in a maple tree on the opposite bank of the lake. He could feel Neville's heavy stare on the back of his head, wishing he would leave. Neville gazed for a moment, then walked away.
Harry sighed again as soon as he was out of sight. None of his friends seemed as comforting as they used to be. Or maybe it was just him. And now he would have to go back to school. He usually loved school at Hogwarts, but now he was completely dreading it. Harry didn't know how he would survive another year at Hogwarts. He shook his head and sat back down into the cool emerald grass. He didn't care. He just wanted his godfather, just wanted to see him again...
It seemed so hopeless. He was the only family Harry had left. He reminisced for a little longer under the sheltering shadow of the large tree. Ron and Hermione, who were watching him by the castle doors, turned to each other.
"I hope he'll be all right..." Said Hermione, looking concerned. "He hasn't spoken much all week."
"He'll be fine." Ron answered indifferently, waving aside the issue. He took a package of chocolate frogs out of his pocket, and removed one. "He's bound to snap out of it soon." The frog struggled in his grip, and nearly got away.
"I just hope you're right." Hermione began to walk swiftly with Ron towards the lake.
"Twush mre" Ron said reassuringly as he stuffed the chocolate frog into his mouth. Hermione sighed. Just then, the huge doors swung open as Draco Malfoy and his crew stepped out into the sunlight. There seemed to be an atmosphere of power surrounding them as they walked confidently towards the beech tree. People sprinted out of the way as they approached Harry, who was completely oblivious to the whole thing. Ron leaned over to Hermione. "That can't be good..." he whispered. Hermione just froze and stared. Malfoy was grinning; Pansy Parkinson was squealing with pleasure; Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly.
"So, Potter," Malfoy sneered. Harry quickly turned around.
"Still sitting under that bloody tree?" Harry scowled, but looked away again. "I'm still a prefect, you know." Malfoy snarled. "I could give you detention if I wanted to. If you don't treat me with enough respect."
Harry ignored him. His thoughts wandered to different things. "What's the matter, Potter?" Malfoy spat. "Were you scared that you would lose that flea-bitten old half-breed, Hagrid?" Pansy Parkinson screamed with delight; Crabbe and Goyle grunted with laughter.
"Shut up." Harry said through gritted teeth. He didn't care so much that he was insulting Hagrid. Harry just wished he would leave him alone for once. This wasn't what he needed right now.
"No, I'm just getting started!" Malfoy said eagerly. He felt a flutter of excitement. He wanted to cause Harry misery... enough so that no one would suspect..."Do you, maybe, miss your dear old friend? The outlaw?" A couple of Slytherin onlookers laughed heartily.
"Shut UP!" Harry got to his feet. Now he was angry.
"Or, perhaps, you were afraid that Harry Potter wouldn't be there to save the world again?" Malfoy jeered.
"Shut the fuck up!" Harry roared. He pushed Malfoy so that he fell back onto the ground. Harry stepped closer.
Malfoy covered his face with his hands as Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward, their pudgy fists held up at the ready. Harry walked fearlessly right through to Malfoy, pushing them aside. There was fire burning in his eyes that made Malfoy shudder. Too much misery, Malfoy thought. Harry pulled him up by his shirt. He had never been so intensly angry at him."Put me down! Put me DOWN!" He thrashed his legs violently in the air. Harry raised his other fist, and flung it forward into Malfoy's face. Several girl onlookers let out a simultaneous squeal. Harry felt the warm blood from Malfoy's lip come gushing out. He raised his fist again as Malfoy struggled in his grip.
"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" A voice shouted from behind them, full of rage. The crowd parted, making a path for a furious looking Mrs. McGonagall. Harry dropped Malfoy onto the ground, and turned to face her.