A/N: Another chapter here! Okay, question for everyone: are any of you just as excited as I am about the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets? I saw Spy Kids 2 over the weekend (yes, I saw Spy Kids) and they played the HP and the CoS teaser trailer. When it ended, I was screaming and clapping, and my cousins were so embarrassed. I dunno what it is about that movie. It's just that when I saw the trailer, my heart started pounding, and I was getting really excited. Maybe it's just 'cause Daniel Radcliffe is a cutie.

I don't own the Harry Potter characters, and places. They belong to J.K. Rowling. All the unfamiliar characters belong to me. The plot belongs to me. I'm not making money by posting this story. I'm posting it 'cause I want to!

Here's chapter three.





Chapter 3: Discovering the Enemy



Harry and Malfoy sat in Professor McGonagall's office as she paced back and forth before their very eyes. Harry guessed that Professor McGonagall must be very pissed. Harry could smell the scent of food flooding into Professor McGonagall's office from the Great Hall. To his great misfortune, he, and Malfoy, had to miss the beginning of term feast.

Professor McGonagall stopped pacing and finally faced them.

"Fighting on the train? I can't believe it. You haven't even arrived at Hogwarts, and you're already fighting and losing points for your houses. Luckily Johnson was there to stop it. But I'm still greatly disappointed." Professor McGonagall then averted her eyes to Harry. "Potter: you're in my own house! Do you know how guilty I feel knowing that you are in my house? You are a fifth year, and you should know that fighting doesn't solve anything." Malfoy sniggered and mumbled something when Professor McGonagall averted her eyes to him. "And Malfoy: I thought more of you. I will inform Professor Snape about this." Professor McGonagall said, and then Malfoy interrupted her.

"Potter started it!" Malfoy whined, pointing his finger at Harry. If this were Snape, Malfoy would obviously get away with whining. But this was Professor McGonagall. Did she really tolerate whining?

"Whining, Malfoy? For heaven's sake, you're a fifth year and you're whining! How old are you, Malfoy?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Fifteen." Malfoy replied.

"Then act the way a fifteen-year-old should." Professor McGonagall said sharply. She then stopped circling them, as if remembering something. "I almost forgot. I must get back to the feast." She said. Then, with a swish of her wand, sandwiches and two goblets of pumpkin juice appeared on her desk. "I find that you two don't deserve to come to the feast, so you will both eat in here. When you're done, you will head back to your common rooms. I have decided on not giving you two a detention. But if it does happen again, be aware that I will give you a detention so fast that it will make your head spin." With that, Professor McGonagall shut the door and left Harry and Malfoy alone.

Harry had a feeling that Malfoy was having an urge to sock him right then and there, but then he seemed to have thought otherwise with Professor McGonagall's last statement. Harry reached for a sandwich and ate it quietly. Malfoy, on the other hand, was slurping his pumpkin juice loudly.

"This is your bloody fault, Potter." Malfoy said after slamming his cup of pumpkin juice down. He had splattered some of the juice on Professor McGonagall's desk, but this was Malfoy, and he could care less.

"My fault? This is your damn fault, Malfoy. If you hadn't eavesdropped, then this wouldn't have happened." Harry said. He then took a long sip of his pumpkin juice to calm his nerves. You know, just incase he might've had another urge to throw Malfoy down and punch him.

"Eavesdropped? I wasn't eavesdropping. You two idiots left your compartment door open. The whole train could hear your stupid conversation!" Malfoy exclaimed. Harry shook his head.

"We didn't leave the compartment door op- Hermione." Harry suddenly realized that it was Hermione whom had left the compartment before the whole ordeal with Muggles and Malfoy had happened.

"What does that stupid Mudblood have to do with this?" Malfoy asked.

"Well, you calling her 'Mudblood' is part of it. And, she was the one that left our compartment door ajar." Harry started. Malfoy seemed pleased that she did leave the compartment door open. If it weren't for Hermione, he wouldn't have any reason to bother Harry. Well, not that he ever did have a reason to bother anybody.

"Some friend she is. Letting the whole train hear your conversation. But then again, maybe Granger did it on purpose. She did tell Pansy to shove off when she heard Ron talking about his Muggle girlfriend. Maybe the Mudblood-" Malfoy shut up when Harry interrupted him.

"And you calling her that got me angry." Harry said.

"Why do you care if I call her Mudblood? I'm not calling you a Mudblood. You like her or something?" Malfoy said with great distaste. Harry shook his head.

"No Malfoy, I don't like Hermione in that sort of way. She's just my friend. I mean Crabbe and Goyle are your friends. If I just came out and said, 'oh, Crabbe and Goyle are lame excuses for wizards', what would you do about it?" Harry asked challengingly.

"I'd agree with you, for once." Malfoy said, "Crabbe and Goyle are stupid gits who do nothing but annoy me." Malfoy explained. Harry's eyebrows furrowed.

"So you have no friends?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, so?" Malfoy asked.

"How could a person, or at least a person like you, not have friends?" Harry asked.

"Simple: be a Malfoy." Malfoy replied. Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "Look, if you were the son of the infamous Lucius Malfoy, then it's obvious you were born to be hated and have no friends. People warn their children not to get involved with the Dark Arts...and people like me." Malfoy explained.

Harry thought it was weird. If it were him, Harry, saying what Malfoy had just said, he'd be sure that his voice would probably crack or something. He, Harry, would be sad if people hated him, and not because of him, but because of a reputation held by his father. But the way Malfoy had explained it, it seemed like he was used to being hated. It seemed like he was used to having no friends.

"But you've got Pansy." Harry said.

"She's in it for the popularity. And I guess you'd say she's just desperate." Malfoy answered coldly.

"Then why do you put up with her?" Harry suddenly blurted. Malfoy laughed an icy laugh.

"It beats sitting by the fireplace all alone. It beats sitting up in your dormitory all alone. It beats walking down corridors all alone... It beats being unloved." Malfoy said. "I shouldn't have said that. He's really going to have fun telling all his pals." Malfoy thought.

But Harry, on the other hand, never thought about telling Ron. The thought never crossed his mind as to telling Ron and ruining Malfoy for good. Harry had suddenly felt bad...and a bit weird. There he was, sitting in Professor McGonagall's office, eating sandwiches and drinking pumpkin juice with his greatest nemesis: Draco Malfoy as he talked about being hated, lonely, and unloved. And for the first time in his life, Harry had felt a sudden sort of pity wash over him for...Malfoy. He had suddenly felt bad for ever making a snide remark towards him. "If only Ron and Hermione were here to see the real Malfoy. Maybe they'd feel as bad as I do now." Harry thought.

"I...um...I'm sorry." Harry said quietly.

"Well Potter, sorry doesn't cut it! Sorry doesn't take back everyone's animosity towards me! Sorry doesn't take back the fact I have no friends! Sorry doesn't take back the fact I will never have loving parents like you have! What's done is done! It's carved in stone, and it will always be like that! I will never get what I want for Harry Potter will always be in the way." Malfoy said, saying his last statement a bit more quietly than the others.

There was silence again. Malfoy then stood up and turned sharply towards Harry. His stare was cold again.

"Mention this to anyone Potter, and I swear you'll never live to see graduation." Malfoy threatened. He then turned on his heel and headed out of Professor McGonagall's office. Harry sighed and then finished the last drops of his pumpkin juice. He then headed out the door of Professor McGonagall's office.

"BOO!" Harry jumped and saw Ron sniggering from behind a suit of armor.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked after Ron quieted down.

"What does it look like, I'm waiting for you." Ron said.

"It seemed more like you were trying to give me a heart attack. Boy, when we weren't speaking, some of Fred and George must've rubbed off on you." Harry said. Ron half smiled, he had tried to forget about that little incident back from their fourth year. Ron quickly changed the subject.

"Cho was looking for you." Ron said.

"What?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"You heard me." Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Cho Chang was looking for me?" Harry asked. Ron nodded. "How do you know?" Harry asked.

"Before the feast had started, she came up to me at the Gryffindor table. Oh, and she wanted me to tell you that she said she's sorry for being forward." Ron said, "Now, I think you're the one that's got her whipped. What's your secret?" Ron asked.

"Whipped? I didn't do anything to get her on my case." Harry said.

"You did have a crush on her." Ron pointed out.

"But she didn't have one on me." Harry said.

"You may never know." Ron said as he and Harry walked up one of the staircases.

"I guess you've got a point there." Harry said and Ron nodded, "Say, what's up with you and Hermione? Why weren't you two talking on the way to King's Cross or on the Express?" Harry finally decided to ask.

"Look, she was around when I was going to talk to Mila. It was kind of like she was following me. And she was acting mighty strange. I didn't mean to be that mean to her, but she was just in the way, you know. I was going to do the biggest thing in my life and she's there bothering me." Ron explained.

"She has been acting strange." Harry said.

"Spend one summer with a Quidditch superstar and it changes you." Ron said.

"How do you know it had to do with Viktor?" Harry asked.

"She's been perfectly normal all the other times we met with her after the summer." Ron said.

"Well, maybe she thought you were acting strange." Harry said.

"Me? What did I do this whole summer that was strange, Harry? Tell me." Ron said. Harry gave him a "You must be kidding" look. "Oh...that. It wasn't that strange. I was just going out with a girl." Ron explained.

"But she was a Muggle." Harry said, "Think of how you acted while you had something going on with Padma Patil, and then think of how you were acting when you had something going on with Mila." Harry said.

"Padma and I had nothing going on. It's obviously going to be different than with Mila 'cause there was nothing between Padma and I." Ron said, although his face was a bit red.

"But what about when they thought you were so cool after the second task? You two seemed to be a bit close back then." Harry said. Ron's face got even redder.

"So you caught me." Ron said quietly.

"And there was the difference. When you were out with a witch, it was a bit more discreet. Maybe because you knew that going out with her would be nothing, just maybe a little embarrassment. But with Mila, you really wanted to cover everything up, and say that you just admired her from a distance." Harry said. Ron sighed.

"But why is Hermione acting so strange?" Ron asked.

"I have a bit of an idea. Malfoy, of all people, had said she seemed pretty interested when she heard our conversation on the train about Mila." Harry said. Ron just shrugged his shoulders and changed the subject.

"You're lucky McGonagall didn't give you detention. I mean getting detention on your first day back isn't what I would consider such a great welcome. But still, the fact of you having to eat dinner in Professor McGonagall's office, all alone, with Malfoy makes me sick. Did he try to make a lunge for you?" Ron asked as he and Harry had finally caught sight of the Fat Lady. "What do you think I should do about Mila?" Ron asked. And then it hit Harry like a bolt of lightning. (Err...no pun intended.)

"Why don't you send her an owl-" Harry started when Ron interrupted him.

"An owl, now she's really going to tell her parents!" Ron exclaimed.

"No, send her a bewitched letter. Maybe put a mind-altering curse on it or something so she'll forget all about what happened. We could ask Hermione for some help." Harry suggested. But Ron hesitated. Knowing that there was obviously something wrong with Hermione, he didn't exactly want to be near her at the moment...or any time soon. If they did ask Hermione for help, she would ask why, and then Ron would have to give her the news. Well, if she hadn't already heard things by now.

"I don't know about asking Hermione. You know she's been a bit fishy lately. And she's going to be like, 'oh, you shouldn't be doing that to Muggles', and a bunch of other blah, blah, blah. Maybe we should ask Fred and George." Ron suggested.

"Password." The Fat Lady said. Harry looked at Ron. Harry wasn't there when they received the new password. But then again, neither was Ron because he was waiting for Harry back at Professor McGonagall's office. Harry flailed his arms into the air as Ron put a hand over his face.

"Oh great!" Harry exclaimed.

"I guess the thought to get the password first had slipped my mind." Ron said sheepishly. So then the two of them sat outside beside the portrait of the Fat Lady. But they did get some progress. They had decided on asking Fred and George for help, and realized that the two could really care less about whom it was for, just as long as it was doing something...funny to someone. And they also decided on bewitching the letter. I mean the Ministry wouldn't mind, right? They'd be protecting the Wizarding World from Muggles. But then Ron had done the talking first, so he might get some fine. A forgetfulness curse or something like that would do the trick. What better way to make her forget about what Ron said than a mind-altering curse to make her forget it? But there was a slight problem: what if she thought that she and Ron were still dating? After walking out on him after he told her he was a wizard, Ron found that she wasn't much of a girl that he had dreamed of. He wanted more.

Ron was getting used to his "chick phase". Almost every other girl that he could care less about at Hogwarts was now the subject of almost every sentence that escaped Ron's mouth.

"So, we're asking Fred and George, oddly, for help. We're going to send her a bewitched letter with a mind-altering curse on it. The spell will hopefully blow so much of her memory that she'll forget meeting you. And so, that's our plan?" Harry made sure with Ron. Ron nodded and they sat outside the common room, right next to the portrait of the Fat Lady in silence.

"Harry, Ron, what are you two doing outside the common room? Shouldn't you two be inside?" Angelina, the Head Girl quickly walked over to Harry and Ron to get their explanations. She looked at them with one hand on her hip, waiting for an answer.

"We don't know the password." Ron said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I was in Professor McGonagall's office when they gave the password." Harry explained.

"I waited for him." Ron said.

"You shouldn't have done that." Angelina said to Ron.

"Well, I figured that by now. What are you doing out? You out with Fred?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows at Angelina as she looked like she tried not to blush.

"Meeting. All Head Boys and Girls, and Prefects have meetings after dinner on weekends. We just had our first meeting today." Angelina explained, "And what goes on between your brother and I is none of your business." Harry and Ron stood up, Ron trying to hide his sniggers, as they stood up next to Angelina. The Fat Lady then asked Angelina for the password. "Troll bogies." Angelina said and portrait swung open. Angelina then looked at them with one of her eyebrows arched. The two boys shrugged and quickly made their way into the common room.

"Harry, Harry, hi Harry." Harry rolled his eyes at the sound of Colin Creevey's voice.

"Hi Harry! How are you Harry?" that was unmistakably the voice of Dennis Creevey, Colin's little brother. This time, Ron rolled his eyes along with Harry. Harry had just come back from being stuck outside his common room, and the last thing he wanted to do was pose for pictures and sign autographs for the pestering Creevey brothers. Besides, he was tired, too.

He and Ron then brushed past the Creevey brothers and went up the spiral staircase to their dormitory.

"Bye Harry!" they heard Colin call out before he shut the door to the dormitory. Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Neville Longbottom were already dressed and getting into bed.

"What kept you guys?" Dean asked.

"We got stuck outside the common room. We didn't get the password." Ron explained.

"What is the password?" Neville asked. Seamus threw a spare pillow at Neville.

"Troll bogies, stupid!" Seamus exclaimed. Neville then threw a pillow at Seamus. Harry ducked and tried not to get hit as he walked to his four- poster bed. He then got dressed, and into bed.

"G'night guys." Harry said before he shut the curtains and drifted off to sleep.





A/N: Is it just me, or did anybody else feel the urge to hug Draco when he said, "it beats being unloved"? AWW! I'll love you, Draco! Hmm...Cho was looking for Harry. She's a mysterious character. I don't know about her. I really don't know. Oh well, I already have stuff in mind for her. ::evil grin:: REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! I'll probably post the fourth chapter tomorrow. Maybe today. But most likely tomorrow. Thanks again to all of you for reading this story. I hope I get reviews. All those that review will get your individual thank you's! -Gryffindor Heiress