Hannah Abbott
Wrapping her scarf tightly around her neck, to help shield from the onslaught of the bitter winter winds, Hannah Abbott made her way towards the black lake. Careful not to disturb the lone flower that had managed to sprout from the icy earth she settled herself in the tiny alcove that lay hidden among the grounds south of the Hogwarts castle.
She smiled as she remembered why, quite a few years ago that had marked this place as one her favourites.
She had surprised Neville with an impromptu picnic, and afterwards they had lounged upon an old blanket gazing up at the stars, engaged in the most blissful silence.
Two days later, Neville had brought her back to this very spot and carved their initials upon an old beech tree before taking her hand and asking that she be his for as long as trees continued to grow and water flow.
It all seemed to be part of a different lifetime now. Now that they had watched their children grow, and have children of their own. And yet, Hogwarts continued to be the most pivotal places.
It had been the place that she had first truly experienced the magic of the wizarding world, and where she had watched it all be saved by Harry Potter in the most horrific of battles.
A smile danced across her lips, Harry Potter. They had grown together as children, and today she had watched as her eldest granddaughter had taken his family name. Potter.
So perhaps it was not so weird that today, she was reminded of all the emotions that name had once evoked.
The first time she ever saw him clearly was from her seat at the Hufflepuff table. She watched as he walked nervously towards the stool and let the sorting hat be placed upon his head. She had always imagined he would be bigger. He seemed so small and vulnerable, and she was in awe that this boy was the reason she had been allowed a childhood. This tiny little boy, was the reason that she could be both muggle and witch alike, and hold her head up high without fear of persecution.
The first time she ever doubted him was in her second year. Gripped by panic, and the revelation of his ability to commune with snakes she had joined in the whispers that had plagued the school. After all, what better than one powerful dark wizard to finish another. Hannah learned two things at the end of that year, the first, that fear in the wrong hands could a most powerful of weapons. The second, that Harry Potter was the most forgiving of Wizards.
The first time she ever resented him was when his name had been called out of that Goblet. Harry Potter and Gryffindor had enough reason to be celebrated without trying to share in what little fame Hufflepuff received. She had even worn one of those infamous badges in the beginning, until Neville Longbottom had stood up in Herbology in defiance of the majority, and furiously defended him. Neville was usually so quiet and serene, if he was convinced enough of Harry's innocence to cause such a scene Hannah reckoned that there was probably something to it.
The first time she ever truly understood what drove him was in her sixth year, when she was taken aside and told that her mother had been killed by death eaters. She finally realised why he had never given up no matter how much doubt he had faced. Surrender wasn't an option. It was in this instance, she realised that some things were worth dying for.
The first time she was ever jealous of Harry Potter was in the direct aftermath of the Battle at Hogwarts. Not because she wished for his fame or wanted to be celebrated, but because he had gotten the one thing she had been denied, revenge on the person responsible for killing his parents.
The last time she ever felt jealous of Harry Potter was a few seconds later, when she looked into his eyes and realised that vengeance didn't make the loss any more bearable.
She wasn't sure how long she had been there reminiscing; she hadn't noticed it getting dark. She smirked knowingly, time always seemed to pass quicker when one wasn't looking. Hannah was just about to leave when she heard footsteps approaching. A few moments later, Harry Potter emerged from behind the sprawling shrubbery. He seemed surprised at seeing her, but quickly recovered.
"I didn't know anybody else liked to come here", he grinned.
"I guess you should never presume to be the only one that knows the greatest secrets of Hogwarts" she replied, eliciting a loud snort and an amused nod from Harry.
It was a few moments before either of them spoke again.
"Funny isn't it, how a place that once represented such sadness can suddenly become the very place that reminds you of how happy you are". Harry paused before turning towards her and speaking again "Can I tell you a secret?"
Hannah nodded solemnly and waited for him to continue.
"This was the place I used to come when I couldn't bare the loneliness any more, the only place I could ever voice my greatest fears."
Hannah was surprised "I would never have thought you to feel lonely; you were always surrounded by your friends and those who admired you".
"Yes, and I count my blessings everyday for my friends. Still", he inhaled slowly before turning so his eyes bore into hers "I'm sure you know as well as me, the subtle difference that lies between feeling lonely and being alone".
"And now?" she asked.
"Now, now it's the place I come to remind me of how lucky I have been, and how I haven't been lonely in such a long time".
That was the first time Hannah Abbott ever shared a secret with Harry Potter, and just like that little spot had never repeated a thing, neither had she.