A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating for awhile but life has just got in the way. I have exams coming up and had to make sure that I was revising well. However, I have know found the time to write and as I move towards the end of school I think updates will become more common. I would like to thank everyone who has stuck with this story even during sizeable gaps between updates. With that over, sit back and enjoy chapter 8.
Chapter Eight The Blazing Sun
Harry closed his eyes and winced as the cold September sun blazed down in his eyes, causing even Harry Potter to close his eyes in subservience. It had been a good day for Harry, he had made good time from Inverness and he had expected to reach Hogwarts in the next hour, just as the sun went down. However, as his eyes adjusted to the burning light he could see the glittering towers of Hogwarts shining in the distance and suddenly a new feeling swept over Harry. It reminded him of a heatwave back in 1989 when he was ten. It had been dry for two months but then one day in August a cold front swept in and Harry had felt like things could finally get better. He had that same feeling now, despite the fact that Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore would all be there, he knew he was where he belonged. He was home.
The walk around the black lake was longer than Harry had expected and as such he found himself coming close to the entrance hall just as the first carriages came into sight. Harry slowed, allowing the carriages to arrive at their destination before coming out of shadows and joining the general crowd of students. To any bystander, it would have looked as if Harry had always been there, and that was exactly what Harry wanted.
While Harry's plan to get into the hall had gone off without a hitch once he was in the hall he realised the flaw in his plan. Because he was one of the first Gryffindor's here he was extremely noticeable to any other people who came into the hall. And noticed he was. To Harry it felt like every single person who entered the hall was staring at him and if not staring, they were glaring. Harry, however, was thankful that Ron and Hermione were not in the number of people arriving fast. Hopefully, his presence would be obscured by the time they turned up, however it was shown that Harry was being exceedingly optimistic.
He was avoided like the plague. Gryffindor's who came to sit down at their table would cast a suspicious glance at him before making sure to sit the furthest they could from him. Unfortunately for them, Harry had made sure to sit in the middle of the table, where he had thought he would be the most obscured. So as a consequence his housemates found themselves squashed right at the front and right at the back of the hall, in places that the 'popular' wizards and witches would never have dreamed of sitting.
And so it continued. Soon enough the places at the very front and very back were filled and the new arrivals were using some very interesting and creative methods to ensure that they came no closer than about 20 metres to Harry. He noticed that some students were even considering sitting on the floor to avoid being contaminated by Harry and his supposed 'mental condition'. When Harry had first seen the Prophet article written by a brain therapist at St. Mungo's hospital that theorised that Harry was suffering from a severe brain condition whose name was (unsurprisingly) unknown. What a load of hippogriff standard bull. Like a wizard could tell a non-magical neurological condition from a cuckoo clock. This was just another way for the ministry to 'prove' that Harry was mentally disturbed and was clearly lying about the return of Voldemort.
"You alright, Harry?" A new voice jolted Harry out of his internal rant about the Ministry. He looked up and saw the dark-skinned face of Dean Thomas, a fellow Gryffindor 5th year and nodded in response, before saying, in a tone which Harry realised later sounded defensive and guilty "why shouldn't I be?"
"Well, given the fact that no one is sitting within 20 metres of you I'd say that you're not alright"
"How extraordinarily clever of you" Harry replied dryly
"Aww shuddup, Potter"
Harry couldn't help smiling. It felt good to finally talk to a friend, especially after what had happened with them. "So Harry, how was your summer?" Dean asked, "speaking of which why aren't you with Ron and Hermione?"
Harry felt his throat close up. How to ad lib? How to ad lib? Harry thought quickly and desperately trying to find something to say that Dean would believe. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Thankfully, Harry noticed Neville over in the corner coming towards them and called to him in relief. Neville nodded in greeting and hurried over to them. Harry noticed that Dean had a quizzical look on his face but the dark-skinned boy let the matter drop.
Neville yawned as he sat down opposite Dean and Harry. Smiling, Neville looked up at the other two and asked them collectively "So, how was your summer?" Harry cursed. He knew Dean wouldn't give up now, Thomas was a man on a mission and Harry knew that eventually he was going to crack. "Yes Harry, I've been wondering that too," Dean spoke slowly and deliberately in a way which reminded Harry creepily of Henrik "What are you hiding?"
Harry closed his eyes, slowly collecting his thoughts, trying to find the right way to phrase his answer. Harry looked down, placed his head in his hands and began to talk. Neville and Dean were good listeners, Harry knew that some of the other Gryffindors were listening but for some reason that didn't bother him. He talked of the fight against Voldemort and the aftermath, and he was almost up to the betrayal when Dumbledore interrupted him. The sorting, Harry found was a boring affair, and he was dead tired. So tired in fact he didn't care if he had his graveyard dream, the sleep would be worth it. As the sorting went on and on, Harry found his head lolling and just as Dumbledore commanded for food to appear Harry fell forward into a plate of mashed potatoes and began to sleep.
Thankfully for Harry, Dean knew to let him sleep. According to the boy, Neville had wanted to wake him but Dean had insisted Harry be given sleep. Though Harry wasn't sure if that was for Harry's benefit or Dean's amusement. Probably both. But Harry didn't mind. As the three boys walked to Gryffindor tower, laughing and chatting together Harry realised how much he needed friends. Even if their names weren't Ron or Hermione.
A/N: And cut. So another chapter finished and Harry is back at Hogwarts. Feel free to review or pm with any questions or ideas about where the story should go next. I hope for the next update to be out by the start of December. Until then, have fun :)
