Chapter Two: Meeting the Old Friends
When Harry found himself outside the door of yet another hospital, he was quite hesitant to let
himself be wheeled through. Dumbledore assured him he was in good hands, and told him his leg
could but fixed in ways here that the muggle doctors couldn't.
After helping Harry onto one of the beds, Dumbledore called out for, "Madam Pomfrey."
A strict looking woman came out of the nearby office and her eyes lit up when they fell on Harry.
He wasn't quite sure if she was happy, relieved, or scared, but they all seemed to unnerve him.
Her face went back to that of a calm and collected woman. "Mr. Potter, good to have you back."
She pulled up to his bed and began to examine his knee. She took out a piece of wood (Harry was
all too sure it was a wand) and began to mutter spells under her breathe. Dumbledore stood close
by, giving Harry a reassuring nod. After a few seconds Madam Pomfrey stood and announced to
the two, "It doesn't look too good. I'm not sure what I can do."
Dumbledore lost his grin, "What? What are you talking about?"
"His leg has already started to heal, but not in the way I'd prefer. He could most likely develop a
limp, or need a cane or..." Harry noticed she was almost quivered under Dumbledore's stare. "I
could try another approach."
"That would be a good idea," And Dumbledore went back to his calm and collected self.
Well, thought Harry, That was odd.
"This may feel a bit weird," said Madam Pomfrey. After a few more mumbled words from her, he
felt his knee jolt-not pleasantly-and he couldn't stop himself from shrieking. "Terribly sorry... only
way..." She apologized, and went back to checking his knee again. "Well, like I said, there wasn't
much I could do, it was already almost healed, but I did align it properly. He'll need crutches, or
perhaps a wheelchair for a few days though, to keep pressure off."
Dumbledore seemed to like this report a little more then the first, and smiled at her. "Thank you
Poppy. Can I take him away to the Gryffindor common room?"
It was obvious she did mind, but she said, "Of course, but I wouldn't recommend him walking the
whole way."
Dumbledore helped Harry back into his wheelchair. "Yes, and thank you again."
Harry found the voice he'd lost since he'd first got there, "Yeah, thanks."
"You're very welcome Mr. Potter."
When the two reached a set of stairs, Harry tried to remember exactly how he had been brought
up them the first time, until the answer came to him. Dumbledore mumbled a little, much like
Madam Pomfrey, and Harry felt himself levitate with his wheelchair. He was lifted down the stairs
behind Dumbledore, and was settled on the floor at the bottom.
The way to where ever they where going was a quiet journey, and Harry was left to inspect his
surroundings. The castle was quite a sight indoors as it was outdoors, to say the least. Shining
suits of armor, trophies, and swords; gold painted walls, marble door archways... the works.
A few times Dumbledore would point out a door saying "That's only there on Fridays," or a stair,
"Step on that one and you can be stuck there until someone finds you."
The ceiling in one of the halls met the walls in grand arcs, and the walls themselves where
covered with gorgeous shining Oakwood, with a random picture seen here and there. He was sure
he had never seen this hallway, unlike when he reached the next room. He could almost hear
some sort of opera music in the back of his mind when the double doors to the Great Hall opened
to him. It's sure 'Great'! Harry was in awe at it's inner glow. And the ceiling was... missing.
Dumbledore looked up with him, "Oh, It's enchanted to look like the outside sky."
Soon, Harry found himself in front of a familiar Portrait of a fat lady. "Oh, You've found him then?"
Oh boy, I'm going crazy. A picture is talking to me. Harry was even more worried when the man
spoke back.
"Yes, he finally used magic and we where able to locate him with the charm. Wigglesbooth."
The portrait swung forth to reveal another familiar room. Harry barely had time to look around
before Dumbledore said, "The Gryffindor common room. This is your house tower. Your dormitory
is this way."
He was lead into a room where five beds were arranged. "Your new school supplies are already
here, and your other things have been brought as well." He waved his wand and a pair of
crutches appeared. "I'll leave you to change," And he left the room.
Harry finally noticed that he was, in fact, still in hospital scrubs. Why didn't anyone remind me?
He took his time getting dressed though, and gingerly rubbed his knee a few moments when it
started to bother him again. He had left Angela's necklace on the bed while doing this-the first
time he had let it go- and now that he was in simple jeans and a t-shirt, he dangled it in front of
his face for inspection. He lifted his hand to trace one of the circles. He missed her already.
When he had finally made it down the stairs (it took him quite a while) with the new crutches, he
found the old man waiting for him there in one of the armchairs. Harry fell himself into one, and
waited a moment before saying, "What about Angela?"
"What about her?" asked Dumbledore, without looking away from the orange flames of the fire.
"Am I just supposed to forget about her? I get a little knee problem fixed, while her, and all my
other friends there, have to sit around and die away?"
The old man breathed deep, and whispered almost to himself, "I was afraid of this." Not quiet
enough apparently, because Harry heard.
"Afraid of what? That I'd notice there was suffering in the world, and that I'd wanna start to stop
it?" He was kind of surprised that he'd started to raise his voice to the almost-stranger.
"Afraid," rose Dumbledore's own voice, "That your head would be filled with nonsense! We cannot
go around helping everyone!"
"We?!"
"Yes 'we'."
"You mean wizards," shouted Harry, "us who have magic powers but only use it for ourselves?"
Dumbledore turned away from fire gazing."We are not God, Harry!" boomed the old man. "We are
human beings put on this earth with magical powers, but we're not here to change the way of life!
People are born and people die! That's how it goes!"
They both suddenly seemed to realize they were screaming at the other, and shut-up,
starring-but not looking-at the fire.
"I'm sorry, Harry."
"No, I... I think I understand." He figured the necklace again, much like Angela did when she
didn't know what to do with her hands. "But can't you make one exception? Just one, and I'll
never ask again." The man seemed to consider this. "Please, I'll do anything."
"I wish I could say yes Harry..." Harry got up to go, "no wait, let me finish." He turned away from
the flames to look Harry in the eye. "I spoke to the woman I met before I went to get you. She
was speaking on the telephone..."
"Megs."
"Yes. Well, I spoke to Megs after I left you to ask about your friend. She is suffering from
something called Osteosarcoma, is she not?"
"Yeah."
"Well Harry, like I said, we're not God. We cannot cure everything. There are some things in life
that aren't meant to be tampered with. If we saved everyone from everything... no one would
die. They'd just live on and on and on."
Harry felt that living on and on and on would be better then sentenced to death, but he didn't
mention this.
"I know you must think of me as the bad guy, but I looked up Osteosarcoma, and it is one of the
many, many diseases which we are unable to take from the human body without causing more
damage then the disease itself."
There was another quite moment. Finally, Dumbledore spoke up, "The Hogwarts Express is
coming tomorrow. Would you like to travel on it to catch up with your friends? I can get someone
to take you to Kings Cross tomorrow morning."
Harry let go of the pendant, it's imprint in his palm from holding it so hard. "Actually sir, I'd like
that."
"Good. I'll must leave you now. Being Headmaster does come with responsibilities. See you
Harry."
He mumbled out, "See you, too," before Dumbledore disappeared behind the portrait.
That night, while lying in his grand four-poster canopy bed, he couldn't stop himself from thinking
of Angela. It had only been hours before that she was in his arms, but so much had happened
since then. His entire life came back into focus. However, he knew there was no way he'd be
sleeping until he mailed her, so he got up out of bed.
A spare piece of parchment and quill were conveniently nearby, so he started with his letter. He
decided to try and keep it friendly, and not to go mention how he was as good as new, while
Angela...
Hey Angela,
This is Harry. Hopefully you don't already forget me. If you do, I'm that annoying nerd that used to sleep
right next to you. You know, the wizard?
Harry could actually hear her laugh which made him laugh too.
But seriously, I hope you're good. I'm not even sure if this letter will find you, so I'll keep it short... kinda
like a test letter.
Hoping to hear from you soon. Say, 'hey' to everyone else for me.
Harry
Harry was imagining of how in the world he was supposed to send this to her, especially without
even hearing about his pet, when none other then his faithful owl Hedwig began to tap on his
window with her talons. Harry practically dove to open it with delight, and she came through.
"Jee's Hedwig, are you physic or something?" He actually did really want to know. You can never
be too sure around here.
She hooted at him and held out her leg. "Are you sure you're up to it? I don't even know where
she is..." she hooted again and he tied the letter to her leg. Hedwig ruffled her feathers and took
off into the night. He watched her go until she became just another blur in the sky.
Feeling suddenly very tired, Harry closed the window, took off his glasses again, and got into bed.
No matter how happy his letter sounded as he re-read it in his head, he was feeling quite the
opposite. Here he was, living like a King, while Angela and the others on their death beds with no
family out there to care. He had been there with them, had known the same feeling of loneliness,
worry, and helplessness.
And he still felt it now.
The next day, Professor McGonagall arrived in the common room to escort Harry to Kings Cross.
She kept turning to him, as if she wanted to say something-or maybe thinking he was about to
disappear- but whatever the reason she kept her thoughts to herself. Together they entered the
roaring Gryffindor fire (they were traveling by floo powder, much to Harry's distaste,) and
reached the station fairly quickly.
Professor McGonagall took Harry aside before he made his way to the train. "Now Harry,
Dumbledore recommend that you try to not attract too much attention to yourself. Go to an
empty compartment and stay there. The magical community was in quite a bustle when you were
discovered missing, and it wouldn't be a very peaceful ride if anyone other then your close friends
where around you. I think It's best to just trust him on this."
And Harry couldn't do much else then trust the headmaster, so he promised to shut himself in one
of the back compartments. McGonagall had helped Harry up the stairs of the train-his knee was
better, but still not back to normal.
"We'll meet again soon," she said. Harry turned to say good-bye, but was met with just air.
It was still early, so finding an empty room wasn't too hard. He was left to his thoughts while
gazing out the window, waiting for his friends he didn't even remember.
The crowd outside started to grow as time ticked by. A few faces, or names Harry heard called
out, he noted as familiar, but never both. Finally a huge group of redheads came onto the
platform, and those he defiantly recognized. The Weasleys. The tallest of the lot seemed to be
searching for something or someone on the platform.
It was Ron, Harry's best friend.
Harry opened the window-It was so noisy outside of the quiet solitude of the compartment!- and
called out to him, "Ron!, Ron Weasley!" Luckily, no one other then the Weasleys turned to him. All
their faces split open into huge grins. Harry closed the window when four of them hurried over to
the train entrance.
A few minutes later, the compartment door slid open and Ron ran through. "Harry! You're
alright!" He smacked Harry on the back, maybe a little too hard. The few memories Harry had of
Ron, where nothing like the teen in front of him. He had probably put muggle gel in his hair,
because it was spiked each way, and he was even taller then before, (well over 6 feet!) But that's
not what surprised Harry the most. If Harry's memory was correct, Ron had always been tall and
gangly, but this Ron must've buffed up over the summer! The nerve of him!
Ron waved in front of his face, "Hello? Earth to Harry?"
"Sorry," he snapped out of his trance, "Just thinking how I might not have a chance--walking
around next to you all year."
The two laughed, "How long I have been waiting to hear you say that." Ron showed off one of his
biceps. "I haven't had much to do all summer-what with you missing and Fred and George
refusing to come out of their rooms- so I started working out. Good to know something I do pays
off."
The door slid open again to reveal another redhead, but a girl. Harry was sure again that he knew
her, but unlike Ron, he couldn't place a name. "Harry! Oh Thank goodness you're alright!" She
flung herself on him, in a hug he was sure was more then friendly. And for a second he didn't
mind, she had quite nice curves that he couldn't stop but notice with her so close..."I was so
worried when I heard you'd gone missing!" she almost whimpered.
"Well I'm back now." They stood there for a moment, Harry's hand rubbing her back soothingly.
He snapped back when Ron cleared his throat, "Well, now that you've been reunited, Gin, can I
talk to Harry? Alone?"
They pulled apart, and her face shaded a bright red before she turned out of the compartment.
She muttered, "Sorry," when she bumped into one of the twins. Yet more redheads.
"Harry, good to see ya mate," said one.
"Yeah, you gave us quite a fright there," said the other.
Ron was starting to look a bit impatient, "Guy's, I need to talk to Harry."
They reverted their attention to Ron, "Awe, does Ronnikens need to talk about his widdle cwush?"
He advanced on them, "Alright, alright!" said one, "We'll be with Lee if you need us."
"Good to see you're safe Harry," said the other, before the two where shut out by Ron.
He turned to Harry, "So Harry... how've you been?"
Harry briefly told him about how he barley remembered anything or anyone before Ron
interrupted. "What?" He put a hand on his chest, "Well, I'm Ron Weasley..."
"I know you Ron. I just didn't start to remember anything about you though until you came on
the platform."
"Hmm.. That's weird. I'm sure Hermione would know why though.."
Who's that? "Hermione?"
"You forgot Herm too?" Ron staggered.
"Well Dumbledore told me she was a friend of mine, but I can't say I really remember her."
Something seemed to light up in Ron's head. "Oh yeah, I should probably tell you. You know how
she's going out with Krum..."
"No."
"Oh, well..." He looked like he thought he was about to explain the universe to a two year old.
"She's going out with this guy named Krum, who's way too old for her... but that's beside the
point..."
Outside of the corridor, a familiar voice could be head asking, "Did you see Harry?"
"To cut to the chase, she gained a little weight..." Muttered Ron, before the door slid open again.
They both turned to she Hermione standing there. Immediately, memories of her came back to
Harry and he was shocked to she her... so big. She's not that big. Just a few extra pounds. But
Hermione had gained enough for her to need a new wardrobe of robes at least. Her face was
prettier then he remembered it though, where he forced himself to pay attention to. Her hair was
permed and tamed into little ringlets, and the only makeup she needed to wear on her face (in
Harry's opinion) was the shiny lip gloss she had.
"Oh Harry!" she rushed off to greet him, and flung her arms around his waist, though more of a
friendly way then Ginny. She pulled back to plant a kiss on his check. "I've been worried sick
since each and every wizard paper I had subscribed to was going on and on about how you'd gone
missing and I couldn't get a hold of you and I was thinking of the worst..."
"It's good to see you Herm," Harry smiled at her, "And I don't think I remember you to be a
babbler."
"W-what?"
"He's become a bit forgetful."
No, that's not what I meant, Harry wanted to say, but Hermione stopped him.
She turned to him hopefully, "but you remember me right? And hey Ron, I never was a babbler
before anyway..."
Harry butted in before he lost the two to another bicker he could all-too-well remember, "How
could I forget you."
She looked really touched, "Oh good. If not, I probably would've just scared the daylight out of
you..." she started to mumble to herself but Harry caught, "a stranger flinging herself at you...'
"Oh Herm, don't you wanna tell Harry the good news?" suggested Ron.
Her eyes lit up and she rummaged through her pockets. "Harry! You won't believe what I've been
made!" He was quite sure he would believe it, but he didn't tell her. "Prefect!" she flashed her
badge at him.
"Oh that's great, Hermione!" exclaimed Harry. He gave her another hug.
"I know! I'm so happy! I thought maybe because I'd gotten myself into so much trouble over the
years with you two-" she gave them both a disapproving glare.
"Hey! You we didn't make you do anything," defended Ron.
She chose to ignore him, "-that I wouldn't be allowed to be one by some ancient rule or
something. But then I opened my letter for Hogwarts and there it was!" she pinned it over her
robes which Harry noticed were new. "Now if you guys get out of line I can threaten you with
taking away points... maybe that'll finally work..."
"Oh goody," announced Ron, with an all too sarcastic punch to the air.
"I didn't say I would idiot," she snapped at him. "Well I'd love to stay guys, but prefects have to
be in the first two compartments that are just for us. So, I guess I'll see you later then. It's great
to see you're safe Harry," and with that, she gave the two hugs goodbye and hurried out the
door.
As the whistle to the train sounded, Ron and Harry took a seat. Harry was kind of sad he himself
wasn't a prefect, but then again he didn't know how he'd handle all the annoying responsibility of
being a prefect at a wizard school, if he didn't even know he was a wizard just two days ago. "It
seems longer then that." And his hand found the necklace again.
"What's that?"
"Hmm?"
"What seems longer?"
He kicked himself for spilling out his thoughts about Angela again, but Ron already knew
something was up. So he went into a brief story of the past few weeks. He was kinda glad Herm
was gone at the moment-It somehow ended up into a little bit of 'guy stuff'.
When he was finished with his own story (and Ron was finished congratulating him for finding a
good 'friend' as Harry put it) Ron went into his own story of the summer. Like he said before, he
told Harry of how he had nothing better to do then work out all vacation. He also let slip that he'd
met a girl. Of course, Harry probed him for information until he found that it was a girl named
Bridgette in Hufflepuff. Even though Harry's memory was getting quite a bit better, he didn't
recall a Bridgette and told Ron this. "Yeah well, she's kinda quite at school." He looked around
nervously.
"And..." coached Harry.
"Well... she's sorta..." he sighed, "a bit younger. She's one of Ginny's friends."
"Ron!" Harry scolded.
"Hey don't you talk to me about checking out younger girls!"
"What do you..." Harry felt his checks flush, "Well, It was kinda hard not too. I mean did you see
her..."
He held up a hand and cringed, "Don't Harry. Just don't. That's my sister incase you've
forgotten."
"Right."
More silence. "So, you were talking about Bridgette."
"Right." Apparently Bridgette and Ron where quite a couple, and Ron really liked her. He had
described her as a short, thin blond, with, "blue eyes like the ocean, ones you could drown in..." A
few times he trailed off into LaLaLand, and Harry could just picture his best friend and the
unknown fourth year skipping along through a field of daisies together.
It was a really weird picture.
Something dawned on Harry, "But I thought you said you had nothing to do all summer."
"Oh, I didn't. I only saw her when she came to visit Ginny near the very beginning, but then she
went on vacation. We've been sending owls to each other ever since."
Somehow the topic eventually switched to Quidditch instead of girls, which Harry was grateful for.
But he couldn't help notice that from the talk of Bridgette on, Ron had a somewhat glazed look
about him.
With the rules of Quidditch explained by Ron, more and more delightful (and not-so-delightful)
memories resurfaced in Harry's mind. The two spent a little while talking about the teams, the
last Quidditch Championship ('For some reason it was hosted in Romania this year, and Charlie
got to go!' exclaimed Ron), new players, and finally to Krum. Harry remembered from last year
that Ron had been really jealous of Hermione and Krum, but he sure wasn't now. Harry would've
punched him had he found out it was because she'd gained weight, but he was assured by Ron
that last year was only overprotective big brother instincts kicking in. Harry wasn't so sure, but he
decided to drop it.
He found that Hermione had visited Krum in Bulgaria over the summer, and when she got back
she'd already gained a little. Apparently, Krum's parents liked a 'good sized girl', and she'd been
given second, third, and fourth helpings of everything. Ron said that when she came and stayed
with him, she didn't seem to care about her figure much, and didn't do anything to shrink it. The
subject started to get a little harsh for the both, and they made an unspoken promise not to
mention anything about her weight to her.
Unfortunately, a train ride to Hogwarts with just your best friend was too much to ask by Harry,
and through the door of his compartment strut none other then Draco Malfoy. "Damn, you mean
you're still alive?" Crabbe and Goyle sniggered in the background.
"Sorry to disappoint you." Harry stood and Ron followed suit. Harry felt like laughing out loud
when his friend proved to be much taller and looking more fit then his enemies' 'bodyguards'.
The three seemed to mentally back off. "What ever," snickered Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle
following. "We'll see you around then." When the door shut, Ron and Harry didn't even look at
each other before breaking out into a laughing fit.
The train pulled to a stop and the students poured out. Harry shielded his face as best as possible
from the crowd but a few of his close friends noticed him, like fellow Quidditch players, Gryffindor
fifth years, and a few others. They all told him how happy they were that he was alright, and he
was greeted by so many more when he took a seat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. The
pats on his back-from all but the Slytherins- and kisses on the check by some girls (which he had
to admit he didn't really mind) didn't stop until the sorting. Even then he saw out of the corner of
his eye the occasional student trying to get a better look at him.
Harry could remember his own sorting, and how terrified he'd been. It didn't help by hearing from
Ron that the Weasley twins said he had to wrestle a troll.
Sure enough, the first years came in looking as terrified as he had felt. The sorting itself was just
the same as usual, other then the fact Slytherin had received fifteen new students, while
Gryffindor had only taken in eight.
Dumbledore's speech was quite normal too. He greeted everyone, reminded that the forbidden
Forrest was called that for a reason, and for everyone to be careful because of Voldermort's
return. This new end to his speech was gasped at, but no one other then the first years said
they'd tell their parents he'd said such a thing. Everyone else was at Hogwarts last year...
The feast itself was-if possible-better then before. Harry, Ron, and Hermione enjoyed the truly
delicious meal made by the house elves. Harry couldn't help but wonder if Hermione had
completely forgot the house elf part, seeing her scoop helping after helping on her plate.
He also couldn't help but notice Ron barely paying attention to their conversation once he'd locked
gazes with (who could only be) Bridgette. Harry had to admit, she did look really attractive, and
as cursed with the lovebug over Ron as Ron was with her. At first Harry was really happy for his
friend, but after a few minutes of it, he was worried he'd loose the amazing feast all over the
floor.
Instead, Harry left Ron to his goggly eye state, and started a conversation with Hermione. He told
her (almost) all about his vacation after much prodding on her part. She seemed to think along
the same lines with Ron, and didn't believe Harry when he said he and Angela didn't kiss good-bye.
"Oh, well. It's even more romantic in a way."
"Romantic? Did you just hear me though, when I said we were just friends?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and finished chewing her broccoli. "Yeah, sure."
"We are!"
She waved her hand carelessly. "Oh I believe you Harry. Didn't you just hear me?"
He wanted to fling some of his peas at her but instead turned scarlet. She seemed to find this
funny.
"Oh Harry," she laughed. "Don't get so worked up. I'm sure you actually are just friends. I've just
been reading a bunch of sappy..." Hermione trailed off and covered her mouth.
"Sappy what?" asked Harry.
"Nothing. So, did Dumbledore tell you what happened? Why you were missing?" Ron's attention
seemed to linger away from Bridgette for a second at these words, joining Hermione and Harry's
conversation.
"No, why?"
"Oh, I don't know-yet- that's why I asked. As far as I know, one day the protective charms, and
anti-darkwizard stuff Dumbledore has protecting you with went all haywire. He sent a few Aurors
over to the Dursley's to check but you had supposedly just... vanished."
"I wrote Herm about it when I saw it on the front page of the Daily Prophet one day..."
"But I didn't need to hear it from him to know that."
"Well no. I mean, obviously..."
"The entire wizarding world was going a little nuts," continued Hermione. "That's the only thing
the front pages where going on about for days."
"There was of course a lot more after that, but there wasn't actually any progress with finding
you, so there wasn't much to write about." Ron took a swing of pumpkin juice. "Dad said the
entire ministry was in a huge mess."
"Well I'd think so," interrupted Hermione. "Rumors of You-Know-Who's rising flying around, and
then the most protected person on the face of this earth goes missing without a trace. Everyone
was saying 'If he wasn't safe, who is?' "
"And worse, the most protected person was the Harry Potter." Ron's voice didn't seem to hold any
kind of bitter tone, much unlike it would've last year. "Most thought you were a goner..."
"And there were those who thought you'd actually joined You-Know-Who."
"Joined Voldermort?" exlcaimed Harry. Everyone within earshot dropped their forks, flasks, or
(unfortunate in some cases) mouths. "Er-- sorry."
"Anyways," said Hermione quietly, as everyone else continued eating, "The point's that
everything was all crazy. Then just the other day 'Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lives!' was on
every newspaper and magazine."
"Mum said all the owls soaring around the sky was kinda like when You-Know-Who fell and
everyone was mailing everyone else."
"Why where they that happy about little ol' me?" Asked Harry astonished.
Ron and Hermione both stared at him. "Haven't you been listening? Or do we need to repeat
ourselves all over again?"
"Oh no, I just meant... never mind."
When Dumbledore waved his wand to clear the tables, everyone in the Great Hall began their way
slowly off to their separate dormitories. Stuffed to the brim, the trio moved along the halls
towards the Gryffindor tower without conversation, Hermione occasionally snapping at a first year
walking too far behind the rest. The common room emptied as soon as it filled when the
Gryffindors went straight up to their dormitories and into bed.
Ron barley reached his bed before passing out from exhaustion of the day. He looked a little
depressing to Harry, with half of him of the four-poster, and half laying on the floor-much like a
passed out drunk. Harry picked up his legs and flung them in with the rest of Ron, muttering,
"You're welcome."
He himself nearly let sleep enveloped him when he came close to his bed, but something else kept
him from it. His thought drifted, yet again, back to Angela, and had an urge to write her another
letter. He hastily took out a piece of parchment, quill, and began to write over his pillow, propped
up on his elbows.
Dearest friend,
Friend?
Angela,
No.
Dear... dear... dear... Since when has writing a letter been so hard?
He crumbled up the parchment and threw it off onto the floor. He grabbed another one as quietly
as he could (the rest of the dormitory had long since fallen asleep) and started again.
Dear Angela,
How are you holding up?
I've been starting to remember a whole lot since I met up with Ron. He's my best friend.
Damn, a screw up already?
Here. He's my best friend here. You're my best friend...
Is she though? asked an annoying voice in his head. It sounded strangely like Hermione. shut up!
Harry took a moment to think, before writing again.
Truthfully, Angela, I don't really know what to say to you. Something's seriously wrong with me. I can't
even write to you like the great friend you are without writing something stupid. My other friend,
Hermione, doesn't believe a guy and a girl can be friends (bit rich coming from her!). And now I can't even
write you a stupid letter without wondering what it is I actually feel towards you. Damn her! She's
screwing me all up! But it's not just her, there's girls all over here! I've never really realized how many
there are here at Hogwarts. I knew there was a lot of course, but never really... noticed. And today they
were all flinging themselves at me a kissing me and...
A few coughs escaped from a nearby bed and snapped Harry out of his little rant he'd lost himself
in.
Well, there's no way I'm sending this. He threw away his letter (making sure to rip it a few times)
took off his glasses, and ly on his bed spread eagle. Hedwig wasn't even back yet anyway.
Great, Angela used to be the one I'd talk to about stuff like this, but now I'm talking to myself.
Maybe I should get a journal or something...
Other then the snores of Neville, the room was completely silent. Harry turned his head to Ron's
bed, the curtains wide open. Ron was his best friend. There was no doubt. Hermione was too.
He did his best to push the thoughts of Angela and the others to the back of his mind. He felt for
them, but was glad to no longer be in their situation.
What Angela was, he didn't know. I'll think about it tomorrow he told himself, finally letting sleep
come.
A small but definite smile made it's way onto Harry's face. He wasn't alone like he thought. He
wasn't lost either.
He was at Hogwarts. He was home.
End of Chapter Two
*coughreviewcough*
A/N: so, Hermione being a prefect is sorta normal in the land of fanfic... but is there anyone out
there who honestly believes she won't be made one? I think I made up for it though with not
making her a knock out like every other story.
To the h/h shippers (you go!) I wouldn't mind a little H/H action either, but I've got a plan
brewing, so keep reading. :)
I don't think I can emphasize this enough, but I have this really twisted plan brewing...
