CHAPTER TWELVE
a Heart of stonE
"What do you think that was about?" Ginny asked Harry after Ron and Hermione had left for bed.
"I think that was the continuation of what happened in Hawaii," he replied. "And just in time too. If I had to take one more night of Ron muttering about Hermione, I think I'd die. I need a good night's sleep for tomorrow."
"Well, now he'll probably talk about her nonstop," Ginny said. "That will be a whole new experience."
"I suppose you're right." He smiled, and it was enough to make Ginny's heart melt. Why couldn't he see that it was the natural choice for him to fall for her? If her brother and Hermione were together, she and Harry would complete the group. It would be so perfect.
"Did you find anything out about Malfoy?" she asked. "Or the Sorting Hat?"
Harry shook his head. "Not much. Just that it's impossible for the Sorting Hat to make a mistake. Even though the Hat did say that there's someone sorted wrong."
Ginny chewed on her lower lip. Ever since the feast, she'd been replaying the scene with Cho Chang in the bathroom. All of those things she said. Everybody thought she was gorgeous and graceful and kind. Ginny was the only one who really knew that she was a conniving bitch. Maybe Cho was sorted wrong – maybe she belonged in Slytherin with Draco.
Draco. She shivered, remembering the way he'd looked at her. He wasn't just staring at her tan. That bastard… she thought.
"Ginny?"
She shook her head. Harry was calling her back down to earth. "Yes, Harry?"
"I think I'm going to go to bed now." He yawned. "Big day tomorrow."
She smiled. "I swear, Harry, all you ever think about is Quidditch."
He grinned. Ginny loved the way his smile looked when he was tired. Sly and devious, yet calm and comfortable. Intoxicated from a rough first day back.
"Oh, I find a few spare moments to think about other things," he said, and winked at her. Then he stood and headed up the stairs to the boys' sixth year dorms.
Ginny's heart nearly missed a beat. As she skipped out of the common room and to her own dormitory, all she could think was He winked! Harry Potter winked at me!
Now this was progress.
As Harry swooped around the Quidditch field, sweat dripping from his brow and his hands sore from gripping his broom, he had never felt more at home. He soared high into the air, overlooking the grounds, and he had to admit that he would really miss the school once he graduated. He'd probably miss Quidditch even more, though.
His future looked bleak. Everything was up in the air. What would he do once he graduated next year? Would he try to lead a normal life, get a normal wizarding job? Or would he be forced to hide out at the Dursleys' forever?
That was one of the reasons why he decided to study the Dark Arts. If he could arm himself with as much knowledge and experience as possible, then maybe he could go on the offensive against Voldemort. Maybe he could beat the wizard at his own game. Perhaps Harry was arrogant, but he couldn't stand a life where he was just waiting around like a sitting duck.
He wondered where Sirius was. Dumbledore said that he'd tracked Voldemort south. South where? South America? Australia? Did it even matter? He wasn't here, where Harry wanted him. Needed him. He'd give anything to be able to talk to Sirius like a father. He wanted advice on so many things – but advice seemed like a petty thing to ask for when Sirius was out trying to fight Harry's battles for him.
"Heads up, Harry!" Ron called from the atmosphere below him. Harry ducked as a bludger sped towards his head. Ron was a having a great time on his broom. He was no beater, but he did have some chaser skills. He'd been in such a happy mood all morning that he was playing almost well as the veterans on the house team.
He guessed that was Hermione's doing. She was sitting loyally on the ground below them, reading a book and glancing up occasionally. But on those occasions he could see a certain spark in her eyes that hadn't been there the day before.
Honestly, the two of them made him sick to his stomach sometimes.
When he thought of their perfect romance, he was bitter. He was jealous. Words like unfair and envious sped through his mind. He tried to concentrate on his studies, concentrate on Quidditch, concentrate on chess, but inside of him was a pang of emptiness. He wanted what Ron and Hermione had.
The worst part was that he knew Ginny wanted it too, probably even more badly than himself.
He wasn't blind. He could see that she had feelings for him. But Harry just couldn't bring himself to reciprocate. Ginny was Ron's little sister and that was all she could be. He wouldn't let himself think of Ginny as anything more than a young girl. That would be crossing a line, and he knew that once he crossed it there would be nothing but heartbreak and pain for little Ginny Weasley.
And so it was easier for Harry to crush on those girls who were out of his reach – like Cho Chang, like Fleur Delacour – because he couldn't hurt them if he didn't have a chance in hell with them.
But with Kana, it was as if he'd thrown the entire rule book out the window. He allowed himself to kiss her. And the direct consequence from kissing her was putting her life in danger and leaving without saying goodbye. Hurting her.
He wouldn't let himself do the same thing to another girl, whether it was Ginny or Cho or even Moaning Myrtle. He would turn his own heart into stone before hurting someone else.
McGonagall didn't go easy on him during the tryouts. She and Madam Hooch were also in the air, running the Gryffindors through excruciating drills. Harry didn't know how he would be able to attend all his classes after the tryouts. He was exhausted already.
"How's it going, Harry?" Ron asked, pulling up next to him.
"I think I'm a bit rusty," Harry replied. "It's great to be playing again, though."
"If you can call this playing," Ron muttered as McGonagall called for another painful drill. "Here we go again."
After another grueling half-hour, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and all of the students who tried out flew down to the center of the field and crowded around McGonagall. "Thank you to everyone for trying out for the Gryffindor House team. I assure you that I have some very difficult decisions to make, as you all were outstanding. All of the houses will be posting their team rosters after dinner tonight, outside the Great Hall." She took one last look at the circle of Gryffindors around her. "Thank you. You're all dismissed."
Ron let out a sigh of relief. "Whew. Glad that's over." He lifted his broom over his shoulder and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "How do you think you did?"
"I don't know. There's some pretty stiff competition." He shrugged. "Wait until I tell Fred and George I tried out. Even if I make the team, my getting the guts to tryout will be even bigger news."
"Potter!" McGonagall called, whistling and waving over to Harry. "Can I see you for a moment please?"
"Uh-oh," Ron said. "Now that you're captain, McGonagall's really going to be on your case all the time." He chuckled. "I'm going to go shower. Me and Hermione'll meet you in Potions."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Can't wait." Ron grinned and ran over to Hermione. He watched jealously as the two of them clasped hands and headed towards the castle.
He hurried over to McGonagall. "Yes, professor?"
"Good job out there today. You showed some real leadership," she said. "I know that you'll do a great job as captain of the house team."
"Ah… thanks, professor."
Her dark eyes sparkled mischievously. "No doubts now. This is the time to be confident."
"Yes, professor." Again, Harry got the eerie feeling that there something going on he wasn't aware of. But he didn't have time to ask McGonagall about it. He didn't want to be late for his first Potions class, as much as Snape would love to punish him.
"No worries, no distractions. Absolutely no distractions."
Harry was about to ask what sort of distractions she was talking about when she shooed him away. "You may go now," McGonagall said.
Harry turned on his heel and headed towards the castle. He checked his watch. The Great Hall would be just about done with breakfast. He would have to go to Potions on an empty stomach. Just what he needed – a distraction from his studies. Since McGonagall had kept him behind to give him the odd lecture, he didn't even know if he had time to take a shower. He was tempted to fly up to Gryffindor Tower to get there faster. Harry was sure Snape would be delighted if he showed up starving and smelling like Dobby's snotty tea cozy.
He slung his broomstick over his shoulder. Harry sprinted into the entranceway and up the stairs to the Great Hall. He could still hear some chatter inside. Maybe he wasn't too late for breakfast after all. The door swung open and a crowd of Slytherin girls, including a teary Pansy Parkinson, nearly ran him over. Harry didn't even want to know what she was crying over, but he was sure it had something to do with Malfoy. They seemed to be an item these days.
The door opened again, and this time Harry stopped in his tracks to avoid colliding with the girl leaving the Great Hall. She had her dark arms crossed over her chest and seemed to be troubled, deep in thought. Her long hair was sun-kissed blonde and hid her face. She swerved at the last possible second, but rammed straight into Harry's Firebolt.
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
Harry felt his knees grow weak. He recognized that voice. He recognized that hair. That body. As her face turned upward to meet him, he recognized her lips and he could barely control his desire to kiss them. Again.
"Kana?"