Later that day, as Harry and Ron were sitting down to lunch, Hermione
walked in the doors of the Great Hall and hurried straight towards them, a
big smile on her face.
"How were your morning classes?" she asked brightly, flinging down her heavy book bag.
"Awful," said Ron, despondently tipping iced pumpkin juice down his throat.
"That's too bad," said Hermione sympathetically. "Mine were lovely, I'm learning so much."
Harry sighed. "Imagine how terrible Potions will be!"
"Don't remind me," groaned Ron.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
Harry looked up, and had the sudden dizzying sensation of looking into a living mirror. The first-year who looked almost just like him was standing by an empty chair, looking at them.
"Sorry?" said Ron, staring at the first-year.
"Could- could I sit with you?" the first-year asked nervously.
"Yeah, go ahead," said Harry.
The clone immediately plopped himself down beside Hermione and grinned across at Harry, who smiled uncomfortably back.
"Wow! Harry Potter! Just like in all my books!"
"Erm," was all Harry could say.
"You're my hero, Harry," the first-year said breathlessly. "I really idolize you."
"Is that so."
"I can't believe I'm sitting with Harry Potter!" the first-year gasped, clutching his chest in amazement. "Wild!"
"A fan of Harry's, are you?" said Ron, struggling not to explode with laughter.
"What's your name?" asked Hermione.
"Marcus," said the clone. "Marcus McCabe, I'm really delighted to meet you, Harry, and your great friends."
"Ah, well, yes, hi Marcus."
"Wow, Harry Potter said my name! What's your name?" Marcus continued, looking at Hermione.
"I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Ron Weasley," said Hermione.
"Are all of you prefects?" Marcus asked eagerly, eyeing Hermione's badge.
"No, only Hermione." Hermione went pink.
"Harry's not a prefect?" exclaimed Marcus incredulously. "Why not?"
"Many, many reasons," said Harry wearily. "Too many reasons to explain."
"I can get up a campaign so everyone'll petition for you to become a prefect," suggested Marcus.
"No," said Harry hastily, "I don't really want to be a prefect. It's fine, Marcus, really."
"And anyways," added Ron, "you probably wouldn't get much success if you started lobbying for Harry's canonisation."
"I'm not very popular right now," admitted Harry.
"Why not?" asked Marcus.
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "There was a bit of an incident last year-" began Harry.
"Oh, I know all about that," interrupted Marcus. "That's where people thought you killed that boy, Cedric Diggory, right?"
"Marcus!" Hermione and Ron looked horrified. Their eyes darted to Harry, who was stunned though not terribly angry.
"Well it's obvious he didn't do it, isn't it?" Marcus was practical. "I mean, Harry couldn't kill somebody."
The other three were still taken aback. Few people ever talked about what had happened last year, and never with such blunt words, and especially never right in front of Harry.
Marcus didn't seem to notice their shock. He continued to chat on, unconcerned.
"But really, I think it would be great for Harry to be a prefect, right? He's excellent for the job. He's smart, and brave, and courageous, and nonchalant, and-"
"I think your opinion might be a trifle biased in Harry's favour, considering that you're probably the president of the Harry Potter fan club," commented Ron.
Marcus' eyes lit up, but Harry quickly jumped in. "No, Marcus, there's really no such thing, and I would rather you didn't start one."
"Oh." Marcus appeared disappointed that he did not to have Harry's endorsement. "Well, I'd better get going, anyways." He consulted his timetable and brightened. "Oh, I don't want to miss Herbology, it sounds so interesting! Yes, the, ah, study of magical, ah, plants, and the, ah." He paused. "Well actually, I don't seem to know where the greenhouses are."
Hermione pointed Marcus in the right direction. When he had finally gone, Ron burst out laughing.
"You'd better pray he doesn't meet Ginny and the Creeveys," he gasped through his laughter. "They'll all be lynched for trying to start a real Harry Potter fan club."
Hermione looked disapprovingly at Ron. "It's nice he thinks he has a hero."
"But why me," groaned Harry, "why me?"
"How were your morning classes?" she asked brightly, flinging down her heavy book bag.
"Awful," said Ron, despondently tipping iced pumpkin juice down his throat.
"That's too bad," said Hermione sympathetically. "Mine were lovely, I'm learning so much."
Harry sighed. "Imagine how terrible Potions will be!"
"Don't remind me," groaned Ron.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
Harry looked up, and had the sudden dizzying sensation of looking into a living mirror. The first-year who looked almost just like him was standing by an empty chair, looking at them.
"Sorry?" said Ron, staring at the first-year.
"Could- could I sit with you?" the first-year asked nervously.
"Yeah, go ahead," said Harry.
The clone immediately plopped himself down beside Hermione and grinned across at Harry, who smiled uncomfortably back.
"Wow! Harry Potter! Just like in all my books!"
"Erm," was all Harry could say.
"You're my hero, Harry," the first-year said breathlessly. "I really idolize you."
"Is that so."
"I can't believe I'm sitting with Harry Potter!" the first-year gasped, clutching his chest in amazement. "Wild!"
"A fan of Harry's, are you?" said Ron, struggling not to explode with laughter.
"What's your name?" asked Hermione.
"Marcus," said the clone. "Marcus McCabe, I'm really delighted to meet you, Harry, and your great friends."
"Ah, well, yes, hi Marcus."
"Wow, Harry Potter said my name! What's your name?" Marcus continued, looking at Hermione.
"I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Ron Weasley," said Hermione.
"Are all of you prefects?" Marcus asked eagerly, eyeing Hermione's badge.
"No, only Hermione." Hermione went pink.
"Harry's not a prefect?" exclaimed Marcus incredulously. "Why not?"
"Many, many reasons," said Harry wearily. "Too many reasons to explain."
"I can get up a campaign so everyone'll petition for you to become a prefect," suggested Marcus.
"No," said Harry hastily, "I don't really want to be a prefect. It's fine, Marcus, really."
"And anyways," added Ron, "you probably wouldn't get much success if you started lobbying for Harry's canonisation."
"I'm not very popular right now," admitted Harry.
"Why not?" asked Marcus.
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. "There was a bit of an incident last year-" began Harry.
"Oh, I know all about that," interrupted Marcus. "That's where people thought you killed that boy, Cedric Diggory, right?"
"Marcus!" Hermione and Ron looked horrified. Their eyes darted to Harry, who was stunned though not terribly angry.
"Well it's obvious he didn't do it, isn't it?" Marcus was practical. "I mean, Harry couldn't kill somebody."
The other three were still taken aback. Few people ever talked about what had happened last year, and never with such blunt words, and especially never right in front of Harry.
Marcus didn't seem to notice their shock. He continued to chat on, unconcerned.
"But really, I think it would be great for Harry to be a prefect, right? He's excellent for the job. He's smart, and brave, and courageous, and nonchalant, and-"
"I think your opinion might be a trifle biased in Harry's favour, considering that you're probably the president of the Harry Potter fan club," commented Ron.
Marcus' eyes lit up, but Harry quickly jumped in. "No, Marcus, there's really no such thing, and I would rather you didn't start one."
"Oh." Marcus appeared disappointed that he did not to have Harry's endorsement. "Well, I'd better get going, anyways." He consulted his timetable and brightened. "Oh, I don't want to miss Herbology, it sounds so interesting! Yes, the, ah, study of magical, ah, plants, and the, ah." He paused. "Well actually, I don't seem to know where the greenhouses are."
Hermione pointed Marcus in the right direction. When he had finally gone, Ron burst out laughing.
"You'd better pray he doesn't meet Ginny and the Creeveys," he gasped through his laughter. "They'll all be lynched for trying to start a real Harry Potter fan club."
Hermione looked disapprovingly at Ron. "It's nice he thinks he has a hero."
"But why me," groaned Harry, "why me?"
