Harry Potter and the Year of Searching
Chapter Four: Return to Hogwarts
The next month passed quickly, marked only by a few important events. Not long after Harry's birthday, the school owls arrived, and their school letters were accompanied by a Prefect's badge for Ginny. Mrs. Weasley nearly fell over herself in excitement, preparing for a party that night. During the gathering, Harry found out that when Ginny told Ron that she was going out with Dean Thomas, she had only said that to get a reaction from him. For some reason, this made harry a bit happier, and he couldn't figure out why.
The next week, they all made a trip to Diagon Alley to pick up their school supplies. Outside Madam Malkins', they ran into none other than Draco Malfoy.
"Well, well," sneered Draco upon seeing the group. "Here we have two weasely red-heads and their friends, the Mudblood and the hero. Everyone loves Harry Potter, don't they?" Malfoy laughed coldly as Hermione held the back of Ron's robes. "The brave Harry Potter, who went running to the Ministry because of a nightmare. I see you've found yourself a girlfriend, Potter. It seems the only girl you could get is through charity, isn't it? Well-"
"And you, Malfoy," snarled Harry back at him, "it seems the only girl you could get is Pansy Parkinson, isn't it? That fat cow is the only one who'd take a great git like you!"
"I would watch what I say if I were you, Potter. These are dangerous times. Words like that, to the wrong person, could get you in a lot of trouble. You and your Muggle-loving friends." With that, Malfoy walked off, leaving Ron and Harry fuming.
After that encounter, no one really felt like eating, so instead of going back to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, they just went back to the Burrow.
The rest of the month passed without incident, and suddenly it was September first. They enjoyed a peaceful ride on the train to Hogwarts, without even encountering Malfoy and his lackeys. When they arrived in the Great hall, they all glanced up at the head table. They new Defense teacher was none other than Kingsley Shacklebolt. After the Sorting and the feast, they all worked their way back to the common room. Harry was in first, and he waited for the rest. When Ginny came in, she tripped over the threshold and landing in Harry's arms. He had never been this close to her before, and he looked into her dark eyes, studied the shape of her face, for what seemed to be an hour. A second after tripping, she blushed and walked quickly off to the girls' dormitories. Harry looked up, bewildered, and saw Ron and Hermione staring at him, not far off. Ron was staring as though Harry had an extra eye, and Hermione was almost giggling and was casting knowing glances in his direction. Harry shrugged and made his way to his dorm, where he quickly fell asleep.
Life went as normal as life could go at Hogwarts for his first day, with no more encounters with Malfoy or Ginny. On the second day, after the rush of owls, Harry heard Malfoy's voice ring out. "Hey Potter, have you seen this?" Harry turned and saw Draco and Pansy approaching, carrying a magazine. Pansy threw it at Ginny, saying, "Here, read this. Not pregnant yet, are you?" Laughing, she and Draco strutted back to their table.
"What's she talking about?" Ron asked in bewilderment.
Ginny looked at the cover and blushed, then tried to hide the magazine. "Oh, it's nothing, just something stupid." Before she could tuck it away, Harry snatched it from her and scanned the cover, and turned red himself in anger.
"They-they-I can't believe this! How can they do this?!" He threw the magazine, Witch Weekly, at Hermione, who read the cover and handed it to Ron.
"Here," Ron said, handing it back to Harry. "Read it to us, quickly. What's it say?"
The cover featured a photo of Harry and Ginny in Diagon Alley, and the headline read, "Harry Potter's New Love." Harry flipped the magazine open and turned to the article. He read it in a whisper to the other three. It was all about his secret love life with Ginny Weasley, and included comments from other students-mostly Slytherins-in the school. It talked about how Harry and Ginny had be caught, numerous times, in highly suspicious circumstances, how Ginny had been chasing after Harry since his first year at Hogwarts, about the rumours of Ginny's pregnancy that were circulating through the school. Harry, outraged, read the entire thing to his friends. Hermione snatched the magazine when he was finished and ripped it up.
"Well, that's a complete load of rubbish! Let's go, we don't want to be late for our classes." She and Ron walked off, and Harry stole a glance at Ginny, who was staring at the remains of the magazine.
She turned and saw him looking at her, and she said, "Like Hermione said, it's rubbish." They got up and went off to their classes, tossing the magazine in a trash can on the way.
AN: Sorry, I know it's another short chapter. Here are replies to reviews I got-I was amazed, three reviews in one day is incredible for me.
dishant: Of course I will.
Grand Lyoko Master: Yup.
Loupylou: Sorry about that. Like I said, writing at 10 PM without editing later doesn't always have the best results. About the RWHG ship, that's really just a side thing in this fanfic. I'm mainly concentrating on the perfect pair, Harry/Ginny. But don't worry, Ron and Hermione will get some mention. Oh, and I read your fic-it's great, write more!
ShaneXvga: Thanks!
Chapter Four: Return to Hogwarts
The next month passed quickly, marked only by a few important events. Not long after Harry's birthday, the school owls arrived, and their school letters were accompanied by a Prefect's badge for Ginny. Mrs. Weasley nearly fell over herself in excitement, preparing for a party that night. During the gathering, Harry found out that when Ginny told Ron that she was going out with Dean Thomas, she had only said that to get a reaction from him. For some reason, this made harry a bit happier, and he couldn't figure out why.
The next week, they all made a trip to Diagon Alley to pick up their school supplies. Outside Madam Malkins', they ran into none other than Draco Malfoy.
"Well, well," sneered Draco upon seeing the group. "Here we have two weasely red-heads and their friends, the Mudblood and the hero. Everyone loves Harry Potter, don't they?" Malfoy laughed coldly as Hermione held the back of Ron's robes. "The brave Harry Potter, who went running to the Ministry because of a nightmare. I see you've found yourself a girlfriend, Potter. It seems the only girl you could get is through charity, isn't it? Well-"
"And you, Malfoy," snarled Harry back at him, "it seems the only girl you could get is Pansy Parkinson, isn't it? That fat cow is the only one who'd take a great git like you!"
"I would watch what I say if I were you, Potter. These are dangerous times. Words like that, to the wrong person, could get you in a lot of trouble. You and your Muggle-loving friends." With that, Malfoy walked off, leaving Ron and Harry fuming.
After that encounter, no one really felt like eating, so instead of going back to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, they just went back to the Burrow.
The rest of the month passed without incident, and suddenly it was September first. They enjoyed a peaceful ride on the train to Hogwarts, without even encountering Malfoy and his lackeys. When they arrived in the Great hall, they all glanced up at the head table. They new Defense teacher was none other than Kingsley Shacklebolt. After the Sorting and the feast, they all worked their way back to the common room. Harry was in first, and he waited for the rest. When Ginny came in, she tripped over the threshold and landing in Harry's arms. He had never been this close to her before, and he looked into her dark eyes, studied the shape of her face, for what seemed to be an hour. A second after tripping, she blushed and walked quickly off to the girls' dormitories. Harry looked up, bewildered, and saw Ron and Hermione staring at him, not far off. Ron was staring as though Harry had an extra eye, and Hermione was almost giggling and was casting knowing glances in his direction. Harry shrugged and made his way to his dorm, where he quickly fell asleep.
Life went as normal as life could go at Hogwarts for his first day, with no more encounters with Malfoy or Ginny. On the second day, after the rush of owls, Harry heard Malfoy's voice ring out. "Hey Potter, have you seen this?" Harry turned and saw Draco and Pansy approaching, carrying a magazine. Pansy threw it at Ginny, saying, "Here, read this. Not pregnant yet, are you?" Laughing, she and Draco strutted back to their table.
"What's she talking about?" Ron asked in bewilderment.
Ginny looked at the cover and blushed, then tried to hide the magazine. "Oh, it's nothing, just something stupid." Before she could tuck it away, Harry snatched it from her and scanned the cover, and turned red himself in anger.
"They-they-I can't believe this! How can they do this?!" He threw the magazine, Witch Weekly, at Hermione, who read the cover and handed it to Ron.
"Here," Ron said, handing it back to Harry. "Read it to us, quickly. What's it say?"
The cover featured a photo of Harry and Ginny in Diagon Alley, and the headline read, "Harry Potter's New Love." Harry flipped the magazine open and turned to the article. He read it in a whisper to the other three. It was all about his secret love life with Ginny Weasley, and included comments from other students-mostly Slytherins-in the school. It talked about how Harry and Ginny had be caught, numerous times, in highly suspicious circumstances, how Ginny had been chasing after Harry since his first year at Hogwarts, about the rumours of Ginny's pregnancy that were circulating through the school. Harry, outraged, read the entire thing to his friends. Hermione snatched the magazine when he was finished and ripped it up.
"Well, that's a complete load of rubbish! Let's go, we don't want to be late for our classes." She and Ron walked off, and Harry stole a glance at Ginny, who was staring at the remains of the magazine.
She turned and saw him looking at her, and she said, "Like Hermione said, it's rubbish." They got up and went off to their classes, tossing the magazine in a trash can on the way.
AN: Sorry, I know it's another short chapter. Here are replies to reviews I got-I was amazed, three reviews in one day is incredible for me.
dishant: Of course I will.
Grand Lyoko Master: Yup.
Loupylou: Sorry about that. Like I said, writing at 10 PM without editing later doesn't always have the best results. About the RWHG ship, that's really just a side thing in this fanfic. I'm mainly concentrating on the perfect pair, Harry/Ginny. But don't worry, Ron and Hermione will get some mention. Oh, and I read your fic-it's great, write more!
ShaneXvga: Thanks!