Chapter III
"Okay!
Everybody, off to bed! We will sort this out!" Dumbledore said to the students
who had started to come over to where the commotion was. "You three, please
take the Weasleys up to Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said to Harry, Hermione and
Rachel. The trio obeyed Dumbledore's orders and helped the Weasleys through the
castle.
"Oh
my! They've been found! Oh, dear. Look at the state of them all," Madam Pomfrey
muttered, as everybody trudged into the Hospital Wing. "Let's fix you up, now."
With a wave of her wand, all the dirt and twigs had been removed from the
Weasleys' robes and they looked a little healthier. Then she examined them one
at a time and fixed them up.
"Oh,
Ron! We were so worried! I thought that you were…" Hermione didn't finish her
sentence, as tears suddenly poured out of her already red and puffy eyes.
"I'm
okay, just a broken ankle. But Madam Pomfrey fixed it," Ron said walking over
to them.
"I'm
glad you're okay. But I need to introduce you two," Harry said, indicating
Rachel and Ron. "Ron, this is Rachel Hay. Rachel, this is Ron Weasley."
"Hi!
I'm glad that you and your family are okay," Rachel said politely, shaking
Ron's hand.
"Nice to meet you too," Ron
said, smiling. But Harry knew that Ron didn't have a crush on her, he liked
Hermione. And Hermione didn't have a crush on Harry; she liked Ron. Harry
didn't like anybody…
"Yet,"
thought Harry, sneaking a glance at Rachel.
Harry suddenly hated Cho; he was glad that she had disappeared from Harry's
life, since she had graduated the year before. She had been Head Girl.
~*~
"So, do you like Quidditch?"
Harry asked Rachel.
It
was the next day at breakfast, and Harry learned some things about Rachel. She
was English, but had moved to Australia as a baby, and loved being back in
England. She was a good student, and read a lot of books in her spare
time. She loved school, and was popular. She also loved to have friends. She
was already Harry, Ron and Hermiones' best friend. They hung out together just
like the trio did the past years.
"Oh,
yeah! I love the sport. I'm a really good Keeper," Rachel replied, drinking off
her glass of orange juice.
"Maybe
you could try out for the part. You see, our proper Keeper, Oliver Wood, was
the captain of the team in my first 3 years. Well, when he left, we didn't play
Quidditch in our fourth year, because of the Triwizard Tournament, but after
that, we had to use a reserve, Pete Riverson. But we haven't got an actual
player," Harry explained.
"Hey,
cool! I'd really love to. Didn't you get on the Quidditch team in your first
year?" Rachel asked him.
"Er…yeah,"
Harry replied, blushing.
"Well,
congratulations, Potter! Ya Dad would've been proud." Rachel shook Harry's
hand. Harry blushed even more furiously and felt a pang of sadness about his
Dad. Suddenly, there was a rush above them, and the owls came swooping in.
"Geez,
what is this? Why do the owls fly in here so early in the morning?" Rachel
cried.
"What,
don't they come in at breakfast at your old school?" Harry asked her.
"No
way, man! They come into your room and wait for you while you go back upstairs
from dinner!" she answered.
"Oh.
Sorry they scared you," Harry said, watching Hedwig come to him. She landed,
and Harry tore open the letter at once. Before he read his letter, Harry
grinned at Rachel's amazement as Hedwig started eating Rachel's cornflakes.
"Friendly
one, you've got there," Rachel laughed, as Hedwig put her head down to be
tickled on the neck. "She's beautiful too. She's like a ball of snow in the Summer," Rachel murmured, tickling
Hedwig.
Harry
read his letter and gasped.
"What?"
Ron and Hermione asked together. They had been talking together while Harry and
Rachel talked together.
"Look,
read this," Harry showed them the letter.
Dear
Harry,
I'm also glad that I'm a free man. But there's
something I want to ask you. Would you like me to adopt you? I'll understand if
you don't, but it was just a suggestion.
About
your dream, well, all I can say is that it was unusual, but, well, if your scar
didn't hurt, then I don't think that it could be linked to Voldemort, but I
can't be sure.
Please
write back to me, with your answer about the adoption.
Your
Godfather,
Sirius.
P.S.
I heard that the Weasleys are okay. Say hello to Ron for me!
Harry took out a quill, turned
the letter over and wrote:
Sirius,
You know that I want my parents back
so much, but I really don't want you to adopt me. It's not that I don't like
you; I'd risk my life for you! But, well, I don't want to push Dad aside. Or Mum
for that matter. It would be lovely to have a father back again, but I only
want my real Dad back. But don't take this the wrong way. I love you, but I'd
like you to stay as my godfather.
Your
caring godson,
Harry.
"Harry!" gasped Hermione. "What
did you do that for? He'll be so upset now!"
"Like
I said in the letter, I don't want to push Dad aside. Nor Mum. Sirius is like a
father to me, but I'd rather stay as his godson," Harry replied, folding up the
letter and tying it to Hedwig's leg. Hedwig flew off.
"But
this was your one chance to get a dad back," Ron argued. "Forget about your
parents! They're dead and they will never live again!" Ron was nearly yelling.
The whole Great Hall had gone silent and was listening to the argument.
Professor McGonagall had tried to get up and stop the argument, but Dumbledore
had lad a hand on her arm and prevented her from stopping the dispute.
Ron
didn't know how mad he had just made Harry by saying his foolish words. Harry
shook with uncontrollable anger. Every single pair of eyes was on Harry as he
stood up pulled Ron up by the front of the collar of his robes, so that Ron's
face was level with Harry's.
"YOU'RE
PARENTS HAVEN'T BEEN MURDERED! YOU'RE MUM AND DAD DIDN'T DIE TO TRY AND SAVE
YOUR LIFE! YOU STILL HAVE A FAMILY TO LOVE YOU! I DON'T! SO HOW WOULD YOU
FEEL IF YOUR PARENTS WERE DEAD AND SOMEBODY WANTED TO TAKE THEIR PLACE?
NOBODY CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF YOUR REAL PARENTS! IT ISN'T THE SAME!" Harry
yelled those words so loud that the house-elves from the kitchen were peeking
around the wall to the Great Hall to see what was going on. Ron was shaking
with fear and his face was pale. Harry dropped him to the floor and Ron ran
back to his seat and Hermione gave him a hug. Harry suddenly fled from the
Great Hall. Rachel threw Ron an angry look and ran after Harry. They both ran
through the castle and up to the Gryffindor dormitories. Being the Head Boy,
Harry knew what the password was, and Rachel followed him into the Gryffindor
Common room. Harry flung himself into a couch and closed his eyes. Rachel sat
down next to him without saying a word. He wasn't crying and Rachel wondered
why.
"I
know something about his past that his parents and their friends knew about.
But Mum made me swear not to tell him. And being the best friend of Lily
Potter, Mum knows quite a few things that Harry doesn't," Rachel thought to
herself. "But he has a right to know! He needs to know! I've got to
tell him…"
"Er,
Harry?" Rachel spoke up tentatively, putting her hand on Harry's shoulder.
Harry's
eyes flew open and he twisted around to see who had spoken, and when he saw
Rachel, he jumped. Rachel giggled.
"Yeah?"
"There's
something I need to tell you about."
"Wait.
Before you speak, I need to tell you something. The night before I came
to Hogwarts, I had this dream."
"Go
on."
"Well,
I was in Hogsmeade, in a blizzard without my cloak. And – and you appeared, and
you told me that one day, I would meet you, and you would tell me something
important – something I have been longing to hear. Then Voldemort came up
behind you, laughed, there was a flash of green light and then I woke up."
When
Harry had mentioned that Rachel would tell him "something he had been longing
to hear", she had gasped.
"What?"
"Well,
I need to tell you something. My –"
Rachel
was cut off by the portrait of the Fat Lady, which swung open in a bang and
Hermione stormed in.
"I
can't believe that just happened!" Hermione cried. Then she noticed Harry and
Rachel staring at her and realized that she had caught them talking, and Harry
didn't look so angry anymore.
"Did
I interrupt something?" she asked.
"No,"
Rachel said quickly. Suddenly, the portrait opened again with such force that
it fell of and shattered.
"Repario,"
Hermione said, pointing her wand at the portrait. It flew back into its usual
state, and the Fat Lady called out, "thank you!"
Ron
stormed in, but the moment he saw Harry, he stopped dead in his tracks, turned
pale and started to shake. Harry, noticing this, was amused.
"Oh,
where have you been, Ronniekins?" Harry asked, using the name that Ron hated
the most. "Have you been off telling the other Gryffindors that they're better
off with godparents instead of parents?"
"No,
Harry! I – I'm sorry I said that, I guess I just wanted you to be happy. I
mean, I wanted you to have a father and not be an orphan."
"Well…"
Harry said slowly, thinking of whether to accept the apology or not. He hadn't
been expecting Ron to apologize so soon.
"Oh,
Harry! Just accept the apology! I don't want to repeat our fourth year trying
to get you two to be friends!" Hermione snapped.
"Oh,
all right. I'm sorry, too, Ron. I guess that talking about my parents is a
touchy subject," Harry told Ron. They slapped each other on the back as a way
of being friends again. Hermione rolled her eyes. Rachel giggled.
"Okay,
now. Harry, while we are Head Boy and Girl, we need to set a demonstration of
how Gryffindor students should behave…" Hermione started. Harry and Ron
groaned, and Rachel just sat there, wondering why the boys were groaning.
"It's
the first day back, and she's already started," Ron said to Harry. Harry
grinned in reply.
------------~*~------------
Author's Note: Okay, first of all, I'm trying not to put
too many cliffhangers in, and I'm typing these out as fast as I can, so please be
patient! Secondly, somebody pointed out that it was way too soon to start
asking for dates to a ball when it was being held at the end of the year. But I
put it that way because some students were so excited, they started asking and
they set everybody else off! Oh, and I apologize for putting Cho Chang in a
previous chapter, since she's a year older than Harry. Thank you to the people
who point out these mistakes! I'll try and watch out next time! Thirdly, thank
you so much to the people who read and review! You know who you are,
but I'll mention the people that I can remember. Starlight (she hasn't actually
had the time recently to read or review, but she's promised to review soon, so
thank you to her), Caitlyn, Jilliana and Elani Wrapdon. Those are the only
people that I can remember, but if you have read and reviewed, THANK
YOU!!!! J
Next,
PLEASE review!!!! It really makes my day, so please; compliments
and constructive criticism are appreciated! (NO FLAMES!!!)
If
you want some good fics to read, check out my "Favourite Stories" list, or
"Favourite Authors" list. I highly recommend Starlight's "Harry Potter and the
Mirror's Gift" and the sequel to it, "Harry Potter and the Jade Dragon". Also,
check out the stories of the people I mentioned who had reviewed, and the other
people I cannot remember who have also reviewed!
I
encourage people to put a plug in for themselves at the end of their review, so
please do! I don't mind! I'll check out your stories if you do! (If you don't I
will still read your fics anyway, but some people might think that if you don't
ask, you don't want them to read the fics!)
Oh,
and if you think that this is totally rubbish, feel free to throw fruit and
vegetables at me! But make sure you include grapes, because I love 'em!
And
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