he opened the book steadily so they never noticed him turn the pages. There were dates; he flicked through the book but still slowly from the fear of being noticed. In his steadiness he caught a few words and phrases like 'friends', 'laughing', 'best days' and every word that didn't seem to describe the girl that he knew, there were even some boys names in the book, he hadn't read any of it properly just caught some words of it, he looked up to the date, 'August 31st', 'September 1st' Harry scanned the pages quickly, there was nothing about sleeping draft there though he saw his name mentioned, that was it, he couldn't resist anymore, with a surge of feeling of an impending doom he read the paragraph:
"I met Harry Potter after dinner, worse luck ever; he has the worst of friends, one of the girls who laughed at me at Dinner and a complete idiot, who obviously thinks he's funny. But hey! The situation has some up-sides too
1) Harry's hotter than I imagined, sure I've only seen pictures of him as a baby but still
2) He gave me a chance, the famous wizard gave me a chance, even though his friends don't like me, could that mean anything?"
Harry stopped reading, she thinks he's hot, she's wondering if he likes her, he definitely doesn't like her more than a friend, if that, and worst of all, the whole world has seen his baby pictures!
He flicked over the page and scanned it quickly, words stood out at him 'Harry', 'he tried to talk to me again', 'Pansy Parkinson', 'Hermione Granger', 'mudblood', 'muggle studies', 'chat rooms', 'Hermione', 'argument', 'Hermione', 'ignorant', 'Hermione'. Hermione was definitely starting to be mentioned more, but there was no mention of sleeping draft.
The next page, in the first sentence his name appeared and he read again, against his better judgement:
"OMG Harry was in my dream last night! I can't believe this, I think I'm starting to like him, I keep trying to tell myself he doesn't like me, but I can't get over it, he keeps trying to talk to me. He makes it so damn hard! In my dream I had a plan, but I can barely remember it now. I gave that granger girl sleeping draft"
Harry looked at the book shocked, no way! It could NOT really be her! He looked up at the pitch again, they were still playing and they weren't looking his way. He looked back down at the book:
"in the dream it worked like a charm, she was out of our way for days, Harry's other mate was with his brother and sisters, I don't know why, but at least he was out of our way. I got to know Harry loads; maybe I should try this out for real?"
Harry looked up again, damn he was starting to believe it. How could she be doing this to get to him? He saw no-name perform her graceful feint again, fooling even Oliver. And slowly turned the page in his lap.
"I can't believe I actually went through with it, I had the sleeping draft ready but Granger went to bed too late for it to be effective, one friend is as good as another right? I gave it to the ginger boy. That would hopefully be one friend out of the way; I'll have to see if it takes effect fast enough for him not to wake up in the morning.
4th September
Okay, it worked, but not for long enough. I so regret this now they sat next to me in charms this afternoon and the ginger boy is actually quite friendly, okay his jokes are still terrible, but hey! He knows his quidditch, Harry has his flaws I suppose he's a rookie like the boy said. At least Harry's friend is okay. I wish I had a chance to get to know Harry though, I never saw him almost all day. I should've known this would happen Harry Potter was friendly to me when I wasn't being at all friendly, of course he'd be at his friend's side all day if they had been given sleeping draft.
I'll have to find another way to get to know him."
Harry looked up again, Wood and no-name were landing. He shoved the book back into the bag and zipped it up; he made his way down to the pitch with it and gave it to her innocently as she was talking to Oliver. She left immediately after he was done talking.
'She's not bad' Oliver said to Harry as he grabbed his stuff and watched no-name leave
'I know' Harry said 'so what've you told her?'
'That we have our team but I'll definitely be looking for her if we need some help with chasers'
'Okay cool' Harry agreed, they started walking back to the common room and Harry let his mind wonder into the gap that the silence left.
All he could think of was the diary; he tried to pull his mind out of it, but with Wood not saying anything and with Harry having nothing to say it was close to impossible. Harry for certain couldn't do it. The words were fixed in his mind 'could that mean anything?', 'Harry was in my dream last night', 'I think I'm starting to like him', 'maybe I should try this out for real?', 'I can't believe I actually went through with it', 'I'll have to find another way to get to know him'. Harry didn't want to get to know her in the way she wanted to know him, but what could he do if he wanted to find out something about her by the end of the week?
Harry's mind wondered over it until he was in the common room again, he barely heard wood say bye to him but as Ron, Hermione and Ginny leapt on him it snapped him away from the thoughts, though they still swung in the back of his mind.
'What happened Harry?' Ginny asked quietly as they sat down again 'did she have her bag with her?' Harry nodded in a bit of a daze still from the thoughts spinning in his mind
'So did you read it?' Hermione asked anxious
'Did I win my bet?' Ron asked eagerly, Harry nodded again
'What bet Ronald?' Hermione asked him sternly
'Um… Tell us what it said Harry!' Ron changed the subject quickly, Hermione gave him a stern stare but encouraged Harry to speak
'Never read a girl's diary' Harry said decisively to Ron 'seriously' he added, Ron looked at him as if he was going mental, Ginny stifled a giggle.
'Okay Harry, what did you see in it?' Ginny asked amused, Harry shuddered at the thoughts but stayed quiet
'Okay, no more messing around guys, we agreed not to look at any more, and if Harry did shame on him, but he shouldn't tell us what he's seen. Harry, was Malfoy right? About any of it?'
'All of it' Harry said looking shocked at his own words, Ginny giggled again but Harry never heard it. Hermione sat back and stared into the flames of the fireplace surprisingly shocked. Ginny looked at Hermione and started talking to Harry, but he couldn't hear her. He just watched her lips move wordlessly.
'Harry I need you to pay proper attention!' Ginny said after a while, Harry heard her again and forced himself out of the trance again
'Did it say if she was going to try it again? On Hermione?' Ginny asked nervously
'It said she'd find another way to -' he stopped again and shuddered falling back into the trance
'TO WHAT!' Ginny shouted into his ear, that time it really worked
'She's not going to try it on Hermione, okay?' Harry whispered rubbing his ear and looking at the staring faces nearby 'she's going to try to find another way to do what she was trying to achieve' Hermione smiled again and sat forward more light-heartedly
'Harry, you look so ill' Ginny said now she was reassured, she felt his forehead like a mother would 'do you want to go to Madame Pomfrey?'
'No' Harry said, he got up and went up the boys staircase
'Ron go make sure, he's okay.' Ginny ordered, Ron went but not intending to check on Harry he went into their dormitory and closed the door behind him
'So I won the bet?' Ron confirmed Harry nodded. 'What did you find out?' he continued
'Something I should never have found out about' Harry said, completely out of his trance since Ginny shouted in his ear.