Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: Hey y'all! Thanks so much for the reviews, I appreciate them greatly, and love getting feedback! Now onto the chapter!
The Little Child to Lead Him
Chapter Seven
"HARRY!" Ron's voice echoed down the hall.
"What?" Harry winced, wondering what he wanted now. It was August thirty-first, and they were all packing for school. Ron of course, couldn't find anything, and was continually asking everyone for help.
"I can't find my broom!" He stopped in Harry's doorway, looking panicked. Harry on the other hand, was completely packed, and playing with Rose on the bed.
"Check behind your door," Harry sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes. "Or just accio it."
"Thanks mate!" Ron called down a minute later.
"You know, as nice as it is to be part of the family now, I'm glad I haven't had to live with them full-time," Harry chuckled, waving a brightly coloured rattle made of crinkly material in front of Rose. She let out a happy gurgle, watching the toy. "It would be crazy with that many people all the time. Though I suppose that's what love's for; so you learn to tolerate craziness. You'll never have to lack for love though, I can promise you that. Or anything else for that matter. Your papa's well off."
At that moment, Hedwig flew screeching into the room, Duchess slithering fast right behind her.
"Stop it you two, or I petrify you both," he threatened, and they stopped immediately.
"Sorry," Duchess hissed immediately, though she continued to eye Hedwig, who was ruffling her feathers more than was necessary. Harry knew she was moving around even more on purpose.
"And Hedwig, stop teasing Duchess," he scolded. "If she manages to bite you it'll serve you right for taunting her in the first place."
"MUM, I CAN'T FIND MY PANTS!" Ron yelled as he thumped down the steps.
"On second thought Duchess, why don't you just go bite Ron?" Harry sighed and scooped Rose up on his chest as he laid down on the bed for a nap; Ron's yelling had given him a headache.
"Oh how cute," a giggling voice drifted into his subconscious, followed by a flash.
"Huh?" Harry slowly woke, his arms encircling Rose tighter to keep her from falling.
"You and Rose looked so peaceful, so I grabbed your camera and snapped a picture of you two," Tonks sat down on the edge of the bed, ruffling his hair. "You can add it to your ever growing album. You know, if you keep taking pictures every day, you're going to have a million albums of her first year alone."
"Oh well, there could be worse things," he chuckled sleepily as he sat up, putting his glasses on. "Everyone packed yet?"
"I think Ron's still trying to find some clothes, and Hermione's fretting over which books to bring with her on the train," Tonks laughed, a quirky sort of laugh that suited her personality, and made Harry laugh in turn. "Speaking of the train, I've been talking with Dumbledore."
"What'd he want?"
"We've decided we're going to have you portkey over at eight in the morning so you can get there early before anyone else, and you can grab a compartment for you and Rose. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny will be along whenever, and they've all got their patrolling to do and what not, so they'll be in the prefect or heads compartment anyways. Dumbledore figured that would give you more time alone with Rose with no one knowing just yet, for safety and all."
"Works for me," Harry shrugged as Tonks stood and headed for the door. "Thanks for telling me."
"Oh!" Tonks turned towards him just as she was about to walk out. "I almost forgot. You're going to be able to get off the train first and into a carriage which'll take you up to the school immediately so that Nearly-Headless Nick can show you to your room."
"Good, I had needed to talk to him about that," Harry nodded, sighing with relief. One more thing was taken care of. "Thanks Tonks."
"Anytime Harry!" Tonks gave him a salute and whirled about on her feet to face the door, tripping herself in the process. She grabbed on the doorframe to keep from falling, and grinned back at him. "I'm all right!"
Harry laughed. He liked Tonks, and thought she was good for Remus with her upbeat quirkiness. He hoped Remus would get up enough nerve to propose someday. Though of course, knowing Tonks, she might get tired of waiting and propose herself. Either way, he hoped they would. And kids too. He'd like Rose to have some playmates growing up. And some brothers and sisters too, someday. But of course, he'd have to get married first, and that likely wouldn't happen for several years yet.
"Have a good term Harry," Molly hugged him as he prepared to activate his portkey. "Do write in a few days and let us know how things are going."
"Of course Mum," he grinned as she kissed his cheek, then Rose's. "See you for Christmas!"
And with a last wave to Remus, Tonks, Molly, and Arthur, Harry activated the portkey, landing just outside the station in an alleyway behind a dumpster. He adjusted Rose in the sling; she was happily holding a small stuffed wolf from Remus, and sucking on a pacifier. Grabbing their trunks, he walked out of the alley and into the station. Hedwig had already flown ahead to the owlery, and Duchess had gone ahead and just flashed to his new room. How she knew where it was, he didn't know, but he was glad to not have to fiddle with invisibility charms for her.
"Bloody platform doesn't exist!" A harsh voice startled Harry out of his thinking, and he realised with some surprise that he was already at platforms nine and ten.
"I'm sorry sir," a very small looking girl looked around in fright, struggling with a small trunk. She met Harry's eyes for a brief moment before turning back to the thin man beside her.
"I'm sorry sir," he mimicked, and backhanded her across the face, much to Harry's shock and anger. "Bad enough I have to deal with your…oddity…but now I have to waste time bringing you to a place that doesn't exist."
"But that man Hagrid said it did," she whispered.
"Don't talk back to me!" He raised his hand again, and Harry quickly stepped over and grabbed his arm, effectively stopping him.
"You never hit a child, and you never hit a girl," he threw the man's hand down, looking at him in disgust. "Please, for the love of Merlin, tell me she is not your daughter."
"This disgusting wench?" He looked at Harry in disbelief. "No, thank the Lord! She's just a worthless brat at the orphanage I work at. And she's a freak, with all the oddities that happen around her."
"Magic you mean," Harry cast a notice-me-not charm on them. "And she's not a freak. She's a witch."
"Oh hell, you're one of her kind, aren't you?" The man sneered, and Harry was reminded very much of his Uncle.
"Yes, and I refuse to let you treat her that way. If she's an orphan, then she must be up for adoption."
"Yeah, you want her? Take her!"
"Listen to me," Harry knelt in front of the girl, ignoring the man next to him. "I know we don't know each other, but I won't hurt you intentionally, and I will never raise my hand against you. If you agree to my adopting you, you'll live with me and my daughter, and some of my friends and their family at times too. I can't promise we won't argue or never get mad at each other, but that's part of being family. But above all I can promise you that you'll be safe."
"Please," she nodded, stepping towards him, hugging him around the waist as he stood, burying her face against him. He could feel her tears wetting the fabric of his shirt.
"All right," Harry waved his wand and summoned the adoption papers to the man's astonishment. "Sign."
"Now? Gladly," he scribbled his name, filling out the appropriate places. "Sign here, here, and here."
"Done," Harry nodded decisively, and with a flick of his wand, it disappeared. "I've sent it to my bank for safe keeping. Now get out of my sight and be glad I didn't curse you for your treatment of her. You never treat a child like that, and I'm disgusted at the thought you work at an orphanage."
"Not much you can do about that," he sneered at Harry, and Harry felt his blood boil. He waved his wand, and a blue beam of light hit the man.
"What'd you do!?"
"Nothing, you're fine aren't you?"
"Yes…" the man said slowly, checking himself over.
"Well you'll stay that way…as long as you don't hurt anyone. Anytime you hit, strike, or beat a child, you will feel that pain…doubled. So I recommend keeping your hands to yourself," Harry smirked as the man paled, glared at him, and then stalked away. Harry looked at the girl holding on to him, still crying. "Come on. Let's get onto the platform."
She nodded, and Harry reached down and gently took her hand in his, looking her over. He was angry as how small and underweight she seemed to be. Using his free hand to grab his trunk, he walked through the barrier, onto platform nine and three quarters, and onto the train, taking a compartment at the end.
"I'm Harry Potter," he introduced himself, setting her down on the seat near the window. He turned back to the door, locking it and casting a charm so no one could see in, as well as a silencing charm.
"I've heard of you," she said softly, wiping her face with the sleeve of her slightly too-large jumper. "Hagrid talked about you, and how you're a hero."
"I guess I am, though not really by choice," Harry handed her a handkerchief as he stowed their trunks above them. "We're at a distinct disadvantage now. You know my name, but I don't know yours."
"Allyn Louise Williams," she answered. "My mum named me Allyn after her Grand-Da, except she changed the spelling. Louise was her name."
"Well I think it's a lovely name," he smiled at her, and was happy to see her give him one back, even if it was a nervous one.
"Is that your daughter?" She tilted her head towards Rose, who was still awake, and looking at Allyn.
"Yes, Rhosymedre Elizabeth Potter. And your new sister I suppose."
"Thank you," she looked down. "For adopting me. You didn't have to. Most people wouldn't, having just met someone, 'specially with not knowing anything about them."
"I know you're going to Hogwarts, and I know he was a cruel man," Harry reached a hand out to pat her hand, smiling sadly when she flinched slightly. "And I know you're in the same situation I was when I was a kid."
"Really?" She looked up, her eyes wide.
"Really," he nodded, and went on to tell her his story, not even noticing when the train began to move.
She grew more animated as he continued to tell her of his younger years, and the trouble he got into because of magic. He continued to make her laugh and lose some of her shyness as he told her of all his, Ron, and Hermione's adventures at Hogwarts. She begged him to tell her more about the school and teachers, and of course, the houses. Unsurprisingly, she hoped to be in Gryffindor with him, though Hufflepuff didn't sound bad to her either.
Harry watched her come out of her shell a bit with delight. He also found himself fighting a laugh when he imagined what Remus' reaction would be to his latest 'stray' he had picked up. He also found himself wondering what everyone else's reactions would be, not that he cared too much. He had impulsively done this, true, but he wasn't going to feel sorry for doing it. He wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if he had left her there. That man had been killing her in a sense, taking away her fiery nature and spirit.
Some time later, she and Rose were both sleeping soundly; the movement of the train, as well as the excitement of the day, had tired them both out. Harry took the time to study his newest 'daughter', though he didn't really consider her that. He knew she was technically, but really, being six years older than her and her 'father' seemed funny to him, though he did feel fatherly, what with taking care of Rose and all.
Not for the first time since he had signed those papers, he wondered if he was going crazy. He had no experience raising children except for the crash course from Lacey, and that hardly counted. For that matter, he had no experience with kids period. Sure he was around younger kids at school, but like at any school, the older kids tended to ignore the younger ones. And she was a girl! An almost teenage girl, which meant she would be dealing with…feminine problems…in the next couple of years. Not to mention bra shopping! How was he supposed to deal with that?!
"Guess that's what Hermione and Ginny and Mrs. Weasley are for," he muttered to himself. "I don't even want to think about what happens when she starts getting interested in boys."
She was rather pretty, he thought, taking a moment to study her. She had dark auburn curls, with red highlights that glistened in the afternoon sun. Her eyes were the palest green he'd ever seen, though he'd noticed they changed colour a bit, depending on her mood; when she was happy they were light green, but when she was upset or angry, they flashed a much darker green. She had no freckles to speak of, and clear, pale skin. She was small for her age, and Harry had no doubt it was from the abuse she had suffered at the orphanage.
"Don't even go there Harry," he told himself, knowing it would only make him angry to think of it. Instead, hearing the speaker overheard announce they were fifteen minutes away, he quietly pulled his trunk down, and pulled out his school robe and tie, as well as a robe for Rose. He pulled his on, and then dressed Rose in hers; she slept the entire time he did.
"What should I call you?" Allyn's voice came from behind him, slightly groggy with sleep. "I mean, you're my Papa now aren't you? That's what getting adopted means."
"I guess technically I am," he nodded, pulling her trunk down. She grabbed a robe out of it, and he put it back up for her. "But I'm only six years older than you, maybe only closer to five, depending on your birthday."
"February twentieth."
"Yeah, closer to six then," Harry shrugged. "I guess it's up to you. If you want to call me Papa, then that's fine, or you can just call me Harry."
"I think I'll call you Papa," she blushed prettily. "I've always wanted one, cause mine died when I was a baby. Mum died when I was six."
"Papa it is then, though if you ever just want to use Harry, that's fine too. Now we're almost to the station," he told her. "You can get off with me; I have to get off early to be shown to my room, since I've got Rose, and my familiar living with me. You'll go down to where Hagrid will be waiting, along with the other first years, once everyone else is allowed to get off."
"Will I see you at dinner?"
"Yeah. You'll have to be sorted into a house first though, and I may not be there for that," he gave her an apologetic grin. "I suspect I'll be a few minutes late, and try to sneak in during announcements. So I'll see you during dinner. If you're in Gryffindor, we'll see each other after the feast. If you're in another house, you can come find me during dessert to let me know."
"I hope I'm not in another house, cause then I won't get to see you," she looked down.
"Sure you will. You'd see me at meals, and we'd have the weekends, and evenings to see each other too," he lifted her chin. "No worries. Everything's going to be fine, though I'm going to ask you to not tell anyone about our relationship just yet. If they find out, it's not a big deal, but I'd rather you have a chance to settle in and get used to things without dealing with being my kid."
"I understand," Allyn gave him a smile.
"All right, come along then," he undid all the charms, and walked out of the compartment, smiling when she slipped her hand is his much bigger one.
He sent her down the platform to where a smiling and waving Hagrid stood, and climbed into the first carriage which took off once he had sat down. He was amazed at how, like with Rose, he already felt so protective over Allyn, even after only a few hours. Hermione was right; he did have a 'saving-people thing'. And he wouldn't change that, even if he could.
"Hello Mister Potter!" Nicholas greeted him as he climbed out of the carriage.
"Hello Sir Nick," Harry nodded to the ghost.
"If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your rooms," Nick floated into the castle, Harry following him.
"Uh, sorry, but did you say rooms?"
"Yes. You're being given the Head Boy suite in Gryffindor tower, as this year's head boy is a…Mr. Boot, I believe, of Ravenclaw. It consists of a small sitting room and study, and two bedrooms this year. The headmaster added on an extra room, which I'm assuming is for the child you carry in the sling."
"Yeah, my daughter, Rhosymedre," Harry nodded.
"Ah, a fine name for a fine lass," he stated as they reached the portrait. "Password is honour."
"Welcome back Mister Potter," the fat lady's eyes were wide as she saw the baby, and Harry saw her rush out of the portrait, no doubt to go talk to Violet.
"At the top of the stairs Mister Potter, is where your rooms lie," Nick gave a bow. "I must leave you now; the sorting will begin in a few minutes."
"Thanks!" Harry called as Nick floated down through the floor.
He turned and headed up the stairs to his new quarters, and pushed open the door. Walking in, he saw he was in the sitting room, which consisted of a small couch and two armchairs around a coffee table. The chairs were a deep red, and looked rather squishy and comfortable. At the right of the room was an alcove with a window, where a large desk sat next to a small bookcase built into the wall. To his left there was a door, and opening he found his bedroom, which looked much like his dormitory had in past years, except there was only one bed. To the right of his bed was another door, and this opened on the nursery, which was decorated in white, with red trim. What caught his attention, besides the fact her things were already there and set up, was a waist high sink that resembled a small bathtub.
"Dumbledore remembers everything," Harry grinned, seeing the bathing area for Rose. "This is nice. Though I think I'll leave the door open at night so I can hear you."
"Oh lovely, you're here finally," Duchess appeared behind him with a flash.
"Why, miss me? Now, just to let you know, I kind of adopted a girl. Her name's Allyn, and she's being sorted as we speak," Harry informed her. "So if you'll excuse me, I need to get down there."
"Fine. Call me if you need me; I'll stay here tonight so all the little ones don't freak out."
"Whatever happened to not leaving me alone?"
"Please," she scoffed, a funny hissing-type of sound. "I need my personal time as much as you do. Besides, Hogwarts is safe enough, and will protect you. You'll be fine."
"And that's why I've had an attempt on my life every year I've been here," he chuckled, and then focused his attention on Rose.
Harry changed Rose's diaper quickly, and settled her back in the sling, sticking a bottle in his pocket for when she woke up. That done, Harry left his quarters and quickly made his way to the great hall. He poked his head around the edge of the doorway just in time to hear Williams, Allyn be sorted into Gryffindor. Seeing everyone's attention focused on the last boy being sorted, Harry made his way up the aisle to where he saw Ron's red hair, and quickly slid in beside Hermione.
"There you are, where were you?" Hermione whispered.
"Sir Nick was showing me my rooms," he whispered back. "I'll be living in the Head boy quarters in Gryffindor tower. Dumbledore added a nursery on for me."
"That's nice of him," she smiled, laughing at Ron as he dug into the food which had just appeared on the tables.
"Hiya Harry," Ron greeted through a bite of turkey.
"Finish chewing Ron," Hermione wrinkled her nose at her boyfriend's table manners.
"Hey Harry," Neville greeted from a few seats up. "Where were you?"
"Yeah, we didn't see you on the train," Seamus added.
"I was in a compartment at the end," he shrugged, eating a bite of stuffing. Just as he moved his fork for another bite, Rose woke up with a loud cry, drawing the attention of everyone in the nearby vicinity.
"Hey, was that a baby crying?" Lavender perked up, looking around for the source of the noise.
"Yeah, sorry, she's hungry," Harry stated nonchalantly, pulling out the bottle and casting a mild heating charm on it before setting it on the table in front of him. Harry decided it was easiest to just be blunt about everything and blasé, and hopefully people would get over their shock quicker.
"She?" Parvati also perked up, and looked towards him, as did Neville, Seamus, Dean, and several others.
"Rhosymedre Elizabeth," he nodded, lifting her out of the sling to better hold her while feeding her.
"Oh she's so cute!" The two exclaimed, rushing over to Harry to get a better look at her.
"Thank you," he nodded, giving Rose the bottle.
"Who is she?" Dean asked, and Harry knew he was really asking 'what is a baby doing here' instead.
"My daughter," Harry replied mildly, taking a sip of pumpkin juice.
"DAUGHTER!" They all exclaimed, and of course, the word began to spread down the table, and over to the others, that Harry Potter had a daughter. Everyone was soon standing up and trying to get a look at Harry and Rose, and some were even walking over. Deciding it would be best to just show everyone, he got out of his seat and walked up to the dais.
"Professor Dumbledore, might I interrupt dinner for a few minutes to introduce Rose?" Harry asked. "I don't think I'll get a chance to eat otherwise."
"Of course my boy," he nodded, eyes twinkling.
"All right, listen up," Harry sonorused his voice before speaking. "This is Rhosymedre Elizabeth Potter, Rose for short. And YES, she is my daughter, you didn't mishear things for once. Now that you've seen her, please let us eat in peace. There'll be plenty of other times during the year to see her. Thanks."
"That was smart Harry," Hermione nodded approvingly as he sat back down with a sigh. "Though I still don't think you'll get much peace."
"Yeah well, it'll help," he glared mildly at his year mates. "I know you're full of questions. Hermione and Ron were when they found out. But do you mind waiting till we get back to the common room?"
"Sorry Harry," Neville spoke for everyone. "We'll wait."
"Thanks," Harry gave him a grateful smile, then asked no one in particular, "So how'd your summer go?"
This set off a flurry of conversation, as everyone began sharing what happened over their break. There was still lots of gossiping and speculation, and even more staring from the other tables, but Harry knew, just like everything else, that would fade in time. Dinner finally wound down, and after Dumbledore made his announcements, the fifth year prefects stood to lead the first years to the common room.
"What is this world coming to?" Draco's drawling voice stopped Harry at the end of the table. "Potter's got a child."
"Don't insult my daughter Malfoy," Harry's voice was like ice. Draco may have been on the light side, but that didn't mean he wasn't still a bastard most of the time.
"What are you gonna do, throw a rattle at me?" Draco smirked, and Harry glared, though he didn't do anything.
"Say what you like, but I'm not going to fight you, not when she could get hurt," Harry glanced down at Rose, who was awake in the sling. She was quiet though, as if sensing her papa was tense.
"Scared Potter?" Draco sneered, and Harry got a vague sense of déjà vu, remembering second year.
"Only that she'll get hurt," he repeated firmly, staring him down, and finally Draco shook his head.
"Whatever Potter," he turned around and stalked off towards the dungeons. Daphne gave him a slight nod as she passed, which he returned as he and his year mates headed for Gryffindor tower.
"Honour," Hermione stated for everyone to hear, and the portrait swung open.
Once in the common room, after the prefects had finished explaining things to the first years, Harry walked over to the corner his friends had staked out. He sat down on the love seat, and looked expectantly at his friends.
"Now, what do you want to know?" Harry asked after casting a silencing charm around their group.
"Where's Rose's mother?" Seamus asked. "For that matter, who's Rose's mother?"
"She was a squib, and she's dead," Harry ducked his head a bit, hoping they wouldn't ask any more about that if he appeared to be upset. He was right, and Dean quickly asked the next question.
"How old is she?"
"Two months today," Harry grinned down at her. "Aren't you sweetheart?"
"May I hold her?" Parvati asked. "If you don't mind?"
"Sure," he agreed, and lifted Rose out of the sling and put her in Parvati's arms. He didn't mind his friends here holding her, but he knew he wouldn't let many others do the same. He just didn't like passing her around for others to gawk at. He preferred to keep her close so he knew she was safe.
"What are you doing for classes? About Rose I mean?"
"She'll come to some of my classes," Harry looked at Neville as he answered his question. "Transfiguration, and Charms I think. Those are two classes she should be fine in, though I'll set up strong shields around her anyways. As for the others, I'm going to see if I can leave her with Poppy, or have Duchess keep an eye on her."
"Duchess?" Lavender's forehead wrinkled in confusion at the name. "I don't know anyone by that name."
"She's my familiar." Harry called out to her via their mind link, and she flashed into the middle of the group, bringing startled exclamations.
"I get the stray comment Ron made earlier," Seamus laughed as the snake nodded a greeting to the group, and then flashed back to Harry's room. "Where is she going to stay? I mean, there's not enough room in the dormitory for her really."
"I've got the head boy quarters here," he waved a hand towards the stairs. "There's a sitting room with a study area, then my room, and a nursery for Rose. Dumbledore set everything up. So don't worry, you won't be woken up at two in the morning by her fussing."
"No, but we still have to deal with Ron's snoring," Dean grinned, and everyone laughed as Ron gave a mock-indignant huff.
"Poor you," Harry chuckled, but stopped when two of the first years approached the edge of their group.
"Can we help you?" Hermione asked them kindly, being head girl.
"Allyn and Marie fell asleep in the chairs, and we can't wake them up to get them up to bed," one of them, a chubby blonde, spoke.
"Well I'll help you," Harry offered, standing up.
"But boys can't go up the girl's stairs," Hermione was quick to remind him as he walked over to where the two girls were sound asleep in chairs.
"I think I can get by that," was all he said, and after scooping up Marie, he walked to the stairs hoping his plan would work.
He reached the bottom of the steps and sent out a mental plea to the castle asking for admittance to the girl's tower to put Marie, and then Allyn to bed. He knew some would call him crazy for trying to 'talk' to the castle, but he knew it had to be 'alive' in a sense. He had given this issue a good deal of though over the past several months. After all, how else would staircases move, and doors act like walls, and the room of requirement exist? Or how would the Headmaster know what was going on everywhere, and be able to turn up at choice, opportune moments? And Duchess' comment about Hogwarts protecting him was also a giveaway. Feeling something like a sigh of consent tickle his mind, he put his foot on the step, and slowly made his way up to the first landing, the two girls ahead of him to open the door..
"Thanks," he gave them smiles as they held the door for him.
"That's her bed," the chubby blonde who had spoken downstairs pointed to the bed across from the door. There were five beds total in the room.
"Let me help," one of the others, a tall black girl offered, and hopped off her bed to pull down the covers for Harry.
"What're your names?" He asked, setting Marie down on the bed. He pulled off her shoes, and pulled the covers up over her.
"I'm Shonda," the black girl introduced herself.
"Jennifer," the chubby blonde smiled tiredly at him, stifling a yawn.
"Ariella," the third girl, a brunette, said with a nod.
"I'll be back in a second," he let them know, and climbed downstairs, ignoring the surprised looks he was getting as he scooped up Allyn and took her upstairs, putting her in the other empty bed that had the covers pulled down. Again he took off her shoes, and pulled the covers up over her. "Good night."
"Night, and thanks," Shonda smiled at him, a bit star-struck.
"How did you do that!?" Ron stared at Harry in amazement as he sat back down with them. "I mean, I know you could use a broom or something, or maybe a levitation charm, but you obviously didn't use your broom, and your wand's been here on the table this whole time."
"That's for me to know, and you to find out," Harry laughed.
"Oh c'mon Harry, no keeping all the good secrets to yourself," Seamus cajoled.
"You'll figure it out someday," Harry shook his head as he took Rose back from Lavender who'd been holding her. "But not from me."
"Oh why not?"
"Cause I promised the lovely lady who told me that I wouldn't," Harry fibbed slightly, smiling when he felt a pleased murmur from the castle. "Now if that's everything, I need to get this girl to bed, as well as myself. I'll see you guys in the morning."
"Harry, you're not really going to leave without telling us, are you?" Ron called as he started to head for the stairs. "Harry? HARRY?!" Harry's only reply was to laugh and twiddle his fingers at an annoyed Ron as he disappeared from sight up the stairs.
A/N: All right everyone, that's it for this chapter. I know, I know, more OC. But it's my story, so there. I do what I want :-D So review and let me know what you thought, if you're so inclined.
