Author's Note: I've corrected a mistake when I first wrote this story and set it in the beginning of Harry's sixth year. I do realize that in the books, things are a bit different, but, for my story, concerning the Patronus and how Harry had used it, I had to have some of JKR's events re-connected in a different sequence. Also, Daphne is facing her own private problems, for which she has to either accept what's coming to her or find her own way to solve them. Here, Harry learns that friends can be found in places where you'd least expect.
Chapter 2: In the meantime . . .
Harry made his way out of the Defense classroom and went in an out of the way meandering path towards the Gryffindor Tower. He did this so he could have time to himself to think. Mooney had taught him how to cast the Patronus Charm. It was difficult for him to master it, in the beginning, mainly because he didn't grasp the main part of just what 'powered' it, and that was the casters' happy memory. He had so few of them that he was surprised that he could even get anything at all when he tried, but, he found a way around that. Anyway, for him, at least it worked. He wasn't sure about anyone else, but for his own purposes, it worked.
Harry stopped walking and just looked out of a window, gathering his thoughts about his conversation with Daphne. He's seen her around the castle, in a few of his classes, in the Great Hall, and some in the Library. In fact, he's seen her mostly in the library. That in itself didn't surprise himself, because she was one of the top students in their year. She and Hermione were the top students, along with a few others' whom he wasn't too familiar with. A couple of Ravenclaws, some Hufflepuffs, his own House and of course, the Slytherin's.
The Slytherin's!
Now THAT was a real puzzle. Of all the students, and staff, that Daphne could have gone to for help, why HIM? She could have gone to Flitwick, or maybe McGonnegall, maybe even her own Head of House that greasy haired, hooked nosed, sallow faced hateful Potions Master: Snape! He's not heard of any student casting the Patronus Charm, not that any others can't, or can, he just wasn't sure. But, even if there were some who could, it just didn't answer his question: Why did she ask HIM for help?
Harry just shook his head, perplexed. She didn't seem like she was trying to trap him somehow. Generally he'd get a feeling that that was what was happening, but, he didn't get that feeling. She seemed different. They both talked seemingly honest in their answers, himself especially, and her. Why he said the things he did, he didn't know. Maybe he felt like he was so hard up for a friend outside of his own House, that he'd do or say anything. Maybe he felt he was too trusting? He'd have to watch himself in the future.
In his many years here at school, he's faced too many problems, not the least of which is a certain 'Dark Wizard', as Umbridge used to refer to him as. He just thought of him as a murderer of his parents, his family and his friends. He knew he was the target of some of the witches here at school, but he just didn't see why. Especially to a pure blood witch who was so attractive, such as Daphne. He's seen Malfoy trying to talk with her, or should he say 'to' her, because she always ignored him, or tried to. The only witch that he could comfortably talk with was Hermione, and she was so much like a sister to him, that he just felt uncomfortable thinking of Hermione in any other way.
Then, there was Ginny. She was a real 'spitfire'. But, he thought of her as somewhat 'pushy'. True, she was attractive, or becoming that way, but for some reason, she just didn't fit into what he wanted. He couldn't put his finger on what it was he wanted in a witch, but, he'd know it when he saw it.
And that was the problem.
Daphne was in Slytherin House.
A House he identified with people like Malfoy, both of the Malfoy's, and, of course, Voldemort! But, what did he do with a Witch that approached him like Daphne did?
'All I did was tell her I wanted to take it slow, get to know one another and maybe help each other with class work,' Harry thought to himself. 'That's innocent enough, even Hermione would put her so called 'stamp of approval' on it. At least he's putting his attention on school work and not having her nag him about it. That really got on his nerves sometimes. 'She means well', Harry thought.
'I'll get with Mooney next class and see if I can't get him to provide me with some cover so I can teach Daphne some. I can just imagine what it'd be like for Ron to find out: 'Harry! She's a SNAKE! You know what they're like!' or something like that.
'I don't need that', Harry thought to himself as he continued walking towards Gryffindor Tower.
'It's been a long day and I'm gonna lay down before the evening meal. Why me? What do I have to offer a good looking Witch such as Daphne? She's well connected and has a lot more going for her than anything I could ever offer her.' Harry thought.
It was shortly before the evening meal was to start when Harry got to the Gryffindor Common Room; Hermione had apparently been there, along with Ron when they'd spotted him coming in.
"Harry, where've you been?" Ron called out to him. Hermione looked up from her books that she was reading for her classes, parchment, quills, ink pots scattered over the table she was at.
"Harry, you've got a lot of homework to do. Have you been working on it?", Hermione asked him.
Harry stopped and looked at them both. 'Seems there's no rest for the weary', he though to himself. 'Why can't I just be able to go for a walk without no one else around? Why do I feel like I have handlers, guardians all around me that I have to report to? It's almost like being back at Privet Drive without the beatings!', Harry thought to himself.
"I just got back from Defense class, Why? What's wrong?", Harry asked, trying to deflect any questions that he knew were coming.
"Harry, class was finished an hour ago. Where've you been?", Ron asked.
"We were worried about you", Hermione asked.
"I was just walking around, thinking. I'd had some business to take care of after class. Nothing to worry about." Harry replied nonchalantly, and kept on walking up to his dorm.
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and kept on with what they were doing: Hermione doing her homework and nagging Ron into doing or at least starting his, and Ron playing a game of chess.
Harry, up in his dorm room, stretched out on his bed. Thinking about a certain tall blonde witch who'd had her attention captured by him. He thought back to what they'd both been talking about. The charm they were all working on was simple enough, straight forward in what had to be done to accomplish it, but they needed to be told more than the mechanics of how it was done. He'd guessed right in that was how he taught a few others in the past when some had asked him for help in the past. Such as in the Defense Association when 'Umbitch' was their Professor. Harry just shook his head; How this school ever got by with some of the so called 'professors' or 'teachers', he never could imagine how. Somehow, if it were ever up to him, he'd make some real changes. A lot of the students here were not prepared to go out in the world and work, let alone find a way to support themselves. The ''Purebloods', they were the worst. Most expected life to just hand them what they wanted and fully expected it to be given to them. And, on top of it all, they thought themselves to be 'above' the rest of their peers. Harry could see that most of the student body here were composed of students who had Muggles in either their immediate family, such as one or both of their parents or grandparents. If it weren't for them, the school would probably have to close down if it only had pureblooded students in it, such as Malfoy and the others in Slytherine House.
Back to Daphne, Harry knew she was intelligent, he'd heard enough of the rumors in general to agree with that. Her beauty was without question. Also, he'd seen her after classes and in Hogsmead on weekends and on the platform either waiting for the train or getting off of it. Her clothes were of the finest, kinda like Malfoy's. That meant that her family had Galleons, plenty of Gold. 'Still, with all her obvious advantages, why me?' Harry thought to himself. He had no gold for even the least of an acceptable change of clothes, thanks to his so called 'family' – the Dursley's. All he had were Dudley's hand me downs. What he'd give for a good change of clothes. Dumbledore had to shove him back there every summer and it seemed him that he didn't even take the time to ask him how he felt about living there. Harry wasn't even asked about the state of his clothes he was seen wearing.
Sometimes, Harry felt the weight of the world pressing down on him and he couldn't figure out why.
Why did all this trouble find him? Why him? Why not someone else who was more capable. He knew about the Prophecy in it's entirety. But still, it just didn't make sense to him. He was raised in the muggle world, not the magical world. So, why did Voldemort feel like he had to take out himself? What did Harry hold that made Voldemort so fearful of 'me'? My parents are dead at his hand and I came here with no knowledge of magic. Feeling frustrated, with so many unanswered questions and seemingly no friends. Even Ron and Hermione he questioned as to 'why' they treated him the way they did. They both seemed so totally different with each other. Ron the slackard and Hermione the workaholic.
Feeling frustrated, with so many unanswered questions and seemingly no friends Harry rolled over and went to sleep.
In the Castle's Library sat a very attractive blonde haired witch who had her own perculiar set of problems that weighted heavily on her mind. Problems that she needed to somehow find a way out of, and, if her plans worked out like she wanted, her future would indeed look much brighter and happier. Not only her future but that of a certain messy haired, dark haired Gryffindor.
Though he didn't know it, Harry had a friend.
