NO TALKING, ONLY INFORMING, IN THIS CHAPTER.

It was months later. The school year had almost ended, and Harry still was unable to speak.

Though he was mute, Harry and Lyra 'spoke' daily. Sometimes they talked about Lyra's homework (Harry, being a fifth year, knew answers to some of her questions. He was no Hermione), other times about rumors that were flying, and also about Harry's future.

Harry, of course, wanted to know everything, but Lyra didn't let him to know too much. So, once every few days she told him some un-cared for details. Most of them set them laughing, but some were serious. Like the day Ginny was arrested, and Harry played a part in it.

And because Harry was spending so much time with Lyra, someone had started a rumor that something was going on between the two. Even though he had barely any visitors, it shrank to one the by next day — Lyra. He was surprised when even Ron and Hermione stopped coming by.

Of course, Lyra was Harry's only source to the world outside his hospital bed, and she took great care to inform him of every rumor for some odd reason. Maybe it was because she had had a vision about rumors. Harry didn't really know.

But he did know that he didn't like rumors. Some involved people he knew, like the one about Seamus and Ginny. The ones of people he didn't know always ended up worse. Maybe it was because the people of the Gryffindor house took great care to maintain their reputations.

The end of his fifth year seemed abrupt to Harry. Perhaps it was because of all the new people he had ended up meeting during the year. It did render odd to him that Year 5 of his Hogwarts was the year that so many new faces did appear to him. In a way, it scared him.

Why did it scare him? Because of who these people were actually related to and how he had gotten to know them. First of all, there was Lauren and Brian. They had moved from America in the beginning of the year. Then, there was Lyra, Draco Malfoy's unknown younger sister. He had met her during his endless muteness — which still hadn't ended. They were, if possible, starting to grow on each other. Unbelievably.

Harry had gone classes for the last few months of the year. Snape had field day after field day, calling upon Harry to answer a question and seeing him act like he was kissing air. Only Trelawny had something decent to say about it: "The answer is near, Harry! You will not die!" Of course, she said that everyday at the beginning of class and every day it still made everyone crack up with gales of laughter. McGonagall was not at all lenient, but that was no less than what he expected from possibly one of the strictest teachers and house leaders.

He had also attended the End of Year feast. He sat with all his old Gryffindor friends — but made sure Lyra was next to him. All in all, it was kind of boring, seeing as he was the only one who didn't say anything. Except for the fact that Lyra would hear him muttering and say it out loud, pretending she had just thought of it. It was sort of a way that Harry could reveal his opinion. He was grateful that at least one person could understand him.

At the last second, just before Harry was leaving the school for the year, Madam Pomfrey called after him and told him that she had found the item that would rid him of his muteness. All he had to do was eat a Muggle breathmint. She gave him one called a Tic-Tac. Immediately, he could talk again. All through the train ride he talked and talked. He shared a compartment with Hermione, Ron, Dean Thomas, and Lyra. She seemed a lttile happier than usual, if possible. It sort of made Harry grin as he walked through the barrier to Platforms 9 and 10. Dudley told him to stop grinning — he picked up Harry on the other side of the barrier since he had recieved his Driver's License, which Harry would try to get this summer because he had been at school when he turned fifteen and a half.
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omg, this has got to be the un-fluffiest and un-shortest chapters of the whole story. just like me to invent new words.