Chapter 2: The One True Friend

November 1, 1994

Friday

Time: 4:45 p.m.

Harry Potter was still sitting by the shore of the Black Lake, contemplating what was he should do next, when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He sighed deeply and made himself prepare to embrace the impact from the incoming spell.

Since the yesterday, after his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire, students had tried to ambush him and hex him from the back. He had lost the count how many he had dodged a hex just by his pure quidditch reflexes. But some nasty curses caught him and... well, the outcome was not very good.

Even the Weasley twins along with Ginny Weasley decided to stalk and prank him endlessly. At first Harry had tolerated it but when the level of pranks had crossed its limit and started becoming life threatening, he gave them a harsh warning that if they continued harassing him things would turn ugly for them. When the Weasley twins smirked and asked what would he do, then Harry gave them a reminder, "At least one of your family members owes me a life debt." Hearing this, they turned deathly pale and never bothered him again.

Harry had gone to Madame Pomfrey at least thrice a day to get cured of some nasty hex. Every time he went, he was greeted by the medi-witch with a frown and a glare which implied 'this is your fault'. Even the teachers turned a blind eye towards him. He was cursed by a seventh year Hufflepuff (for seizing their glory) openly in front of Professor McGonnagall but she stated as "As I did not see the culprit, I cannot do anything" and left him helplessly.

Harry sighed once more and braced for the impact. But it never came.

Instead, a soft voice spoke, "How are you holding up Harry?"

The said boy snapped his head towards the voice and his eyes widened at whom he saw. A red-haired girl with pale skin and pale blue eyes with curvy body was standing few feet behind him. Susan Bones, Fourth Year Hufflepuff, a classmate, and a long-time secret friend of Harry Potter.

Seeing her beautiful face, Harry was reminded of the first time they met...

Flashback

First Year:

October 31, 1991

Harry Potter was sitting alone on the threshold of the courtyard and was busy in his own thoughts. He sighed.

Halloween.

Everyone was excited for the feast of that night except him.

31st October.

The night when he was orphaned. The night he had lost his parents ten years ago because of a megalomaniac serial killer.

He sighed again.

"Hello" said the melodious voice of a girl.

Harry snapped from his brooding and looked at the pretty red-haired girl with pale blue eyes standing in front of him. She had a bit chubby yet curvy body.

"Hi" Harry replied with a small smile.

"What are you doing?" she asked him with a questioning look at him.

"Nothing, just sitting" he replied back with a sigh.

A small frown appeared on her face which was quickly replaced with a smile filled with... sadness?

She asked, "Since it seems like you have nothing better to do before the feast would you like to come with me for some time?"

Harry agreed as he really had nothing better to do.

She took him to a small dark room in a different section of the castle. She opened her bag and took out two candles and handed one of them to Harry. He gave her a questioning look.

She lit up her candle with her wand and asked him to do so. He did.

"Now follow me what I am doing" she told him.

In the room there was a small alter like structure. The girl moved in that direction and fixed up her candle on a candle-stand. Harry did the same. She joined her hands in a prayer like position and started muttering some sort of prayer.

Realization hit Harry with a huge force. She was honoring the dead! He quickly followed her and started to pray.

After they had completed their prayer, they sat on the cold stone floor near the alter leaning on the wall.

After sitting together in a comfortable silence for some time, Harry said, "Thank you for understanding my pain."

The girl in turn just smiled and said, "You are not the only person in this school who has lost their parents in the wizarding war, Harry."

Harry's eyes widened with realization. "Sorry" he muttered slowly.

"Don't be. You are not the reason why they died." the girl replied sadly. She continued, "I am amazed, that everyone seems to remember that the war against the Dark Lord ended ten years ago but no one seems to remember the fact that one person lost his parents the same night."

Harry was filled with so much emotion that he had no words to describe it. He silently thought, 'At least you remember.'

At last, he settled by saying, "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome" she replied happily.

After some moment Harry spoke again, a bit nervously, "Want to be friends? "

"Sure, why not?" She said with a broad smile.

Harry beamed at her looking straight into the pale blue eyes of the girl, Harry forwarded his hand and said,

"Harry Potter. First year, Gryffindor."

The red-haired girl looked in his intense green eyes and grasped his hand firmly before replying,

"Susan Bones. First year. Hufflepuff."

Flashback ends

Harry came out of his thoughts and replied warily with a gruff tone, "Oh hello Susan, its nice meeting you here."

A frown appeared on Susan's face. She asked again, "How are you holding up Harry?"

Harry gave her a long weary look and then replied in a small voice, "Fine."

Susan's face turned red with anger. "Don't even think of lying to me Harry Potter!" Susan snapped at him angrily.

For the first time in his life, Harry had seen Susan so angry. Sure, sometimes she had snapped at him for being a 'selfless idiot' several times, but never this much angry.

Harry's temper also rose at this.

He snapped at her, "Why do you even care how am I? Why don't you join your fellow housemates who are celebrating in their common rooms after all just like everyone you are also going to betray me in the end!"

The moment he finished uttering those words, he deeply wished he hadn't said those to her.

Tears were freely flowing down from Susan's eyes. She sniffed a bit. She had a look of anger, disappointment, hurt and most prominently, feeling betrayed.

Susan said with tearful eyes, "After all this time, comforted you all the nights you had nightmares, I helped you, stood by you when you needed support; you dare to call me a betrayer Harry James Potter!" She shouted at the top of her voice.

Harry took a sharp breath. He vividly remembered during the whole Chamber of Secrets ordeal, apart from Ron and Hermione (though they were also a bit wary of him for him being a parselmouth) Susan was the one who stood by him defiantly, supported him unconditionally in the second year when everyone thought himself to be the next Dark Lord. She was the one who comforted him after he had killed Quirrell in the first year. She was the one who gave her shoulder to cry upon when he had thought that Sirius Black was responsible for his parent's murder.

Susan Bones was the one who stood beside him all the time.

Even before Harry could make some sort of reply, Susan said, "Even now also I fought against my entire house to make them believe that you did not enter the tournament. Doing so now I am considered an outcast in my house. I had to sleep an entire night in a freaking broom closet with all my belongings because they kicked me out for supporting you!" She stopped to inhale some air.

Again, before Harry could say anything, "Fine then!" She snapped, "If you think I betrayed you after all this time then I will never talk with you ever AGAIN!" She screamed out loud and turned back to return towards the castle.

Harry, deciding that it was now or never, stood up abruptly and made a sprint to catch up to her.

"Susan wait!" Harry screamed but she did not stop her pace.

Finally, he reached her and brought her into a fierce hug.

At first, she resisted and shouted at him to leave her but Harry did not listen. After some moment she finally gave into his hug and sobbed into his chest. Both sat on the ground.

Susan kept on sobbing into his chest until there was no more tears left for her to shed. Harry, this entire time kept on drawing circles on her back and uttering soothing words to comfort her.

Susan, after some time, calmed down a little. She stared at him for some time and then muttered, "Prat!"

Harry feigned an indignant look and said, "Hey I am not a prat!" and then gave a light chuckle. She also in turn gave a small laugh. Then they sat quietly in a comfortable silence, watching the slowly setting sun.

After sometime Harry said, "Its almost dinner time. I guess we should move back to the castle now."

Susan slowly nodded and both headed towards the castle, hand in hand.