Harry awoke the next morning with a very bad headache. He got out of bed
and dressed quickly, avoiding speaking to anyone else in the dormitory,
then went down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
The Great Hall was empty except for a few people sat on the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables. He sat down and stared at the stack of toast in front of him. He didn't intend to eat anything; he just wanted to be alone for a while, to think about what he should say to Hermione, and to work out a way of controlling his anger when around Malfoy. He hated thinking about Malfoy, and about what he had said about Sirius, but he kept popping into his head and dancing around his mind.
After about half an hour, Harry decided he needed the toilet. He left the Great Hall and hastily walked over to the boy's bathroom beside the tapestry of Boris the Bewildered. As he walked across the bathroom, he caught his reflection in the mirror, and turned to look. His hair stood as messy as it always was, and jet-black upon his head. His eyes were emerald green and as the light caught them, they twinkled slightly. He leaned closer to the mirror and noticed with surprise that they looked slightly worn, and faded.
He knew why. Ever since he had seen Lord Voldemort rise from a large stone cauldron in a haze of white mist almost two years ago, they had looked that way. But since the death of Sirius, the lines under his eyes had grown darker, and more prominent. He had grown taller since he had last seen his reflection, and thinner, but that was hardly surprising. He was sixteen years old after all.
As he crossed the Entrance Hall he noticed a girl with bushy brown hair walking in front of him.
"Hermione!" he called, and, running, he caught up with her. She turned to look at him and Harry saw that her eyes were red and there were lines of tiredness under them too. She stared at him, as though she couldn't work out whether to hit him or break down and cry.
"Hermione, I just want to say -" Harry began, but he was cut off by a voice calling his name. He looked around and saw a nervous, fifth-year Ravenclaw, who looked very out of breath.
"Harry Potter?" the fifth-year asked Harry. Harry nodded, puzzled. The boy smiled timidly.
"You have to come with me." He said in a nervous voice. Harry frowned.
"Wha -" he began.
"Professor Dumbledore want's to see you." He explained. Harry wondered why Dumbledore wanted to see him, and looked at the boy and then at Hermione. He still hadn't apologized.
"Look, I just wanted to say I'm really sorry." He said to Hermione in a low voice. He couldn't read the expression on her face.
"What I said was really mean, and I really didn't mean it. I'm just really sorry." He finished looking at the floor. Without warning, Hermione dropped her bag and flung her arms around Harry's neck, sobbing. Harry patted her on the back awkwardly and then she pulled away.
"I'm sorry, Harry, you know what Malfoy's like. I just didn't want you getting into trouble. Th-that's all." She wiped her eyes. And Harry grinned at her apologetically.
"I know. It's just Malfoy mentioned Siri - it doesn't matter." Harry broke off quickly. Hermione's eyes filled with fresh tears.
"Oh, Harry!" she said angrily, but with sadness too.
"You can talk about him you know! Why do you keep avoiding the subject? I know you miss him so much, so why don't you talk to us about him?" She looked at Harry through glazed eyes with a mixture of desperation and sympathy. Harry didn't know what to say. He could feel the burning sensation returning to his throat and he avoided Hermione's eyes.
He looked up at the fifth-year boy, who looked startled by Hermione's crying, and nodded at him. He looked at Hermione and muttered a quick goodbye, and started walking with the boy. Harry noticed the boy shooting him nervous glances but ignored him. When they arrived at the stone gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office, the boy gave the password and murmured 'good luck' to Harry, then walked back down the corridor and out of sight. Harry took a deep breath and made his way up to Dumbledore's office.
The Great Hall was empty except for a few people sat on the Slytherin and Hufflepuff tables. He sat down and stared at the stack of toast in front of him. He didn't intend to eat anything; he just wanted to be alone for a while, to think about what he should say to Hermione, and to work out a way of controlling his anger when around Malfoy. He hated thinking about Malfoy, and about what he had said about Sirius, but he kept popping into his head and dancing around his mind.
After about half an hour, Harry decided he needed the toilet. He left the Great Hall and hastily walked over to the boy's bathroom beside the tapestry of Boris the Bewildered. As he walked across the bathroom, he caught his reflection in the mirror, and turned to look. His hair stood as messy as it always was, and jet-black upon his head. His eyes were emerald green and as the light caught them, they twinkled slightly. He leaned closer to the mirror and noticed with surprise that they looked slightly worn, and faded.
He knew why. Ever since he had seen Lord Voldemort rise from a large stone cauldron in a haze of white mist almost two years ago, they had looked that way. But since the death of Sirius, the lines under his eyes had grown darker, and more prominent. He had grown taller since he had last seen his reflection, and thinner, but that was hardly surprising. He was sixteen years old after all.
As he crossed the Entrance Hall he noticed a girl with bushy brown hair walking in front of him.
"Hermione!" he called, and, running, he caught up with her. She turned to look at him and Harry saw that her eyes were red and there were lines of tiredness under them too. She stared at him, as though she couldn't work out whether to hit him or break down and cry.
"Hermione, I just want to say -" Harry began, but he was cut off by a voice calling his name. He looked around and saw a nervous, fifth-year Ravenclaw, who looked very out of breath.
"Harry Potter?" the fifth-year asked Harry. Harry nodded, puzzled. The boy smiled timidly.
"You have to come with me." He said in a nervous voice. Harry frowned.
"Wha -" he began.
"Professor Dumbledore want's to see you." He explained. Harry wondered why Dumbledore wanted to see him, and looked at the boy and then at Hermione. He still hadn't apologized.
"Look, I just wanted to say I'm really sorry." He said to Hermione in a low voice. He couldn't read the expression on her face.
"What I said was really mean, and I really didn't mean it. I'm just really sorry." He finished looking at the floor. Without warning, Hermione dropped her bag and flung her arms around Harry's neck, sobbing. Harry patted her on the back awkwardly and then she pulled away.
"I'm sorry, Harry, you know what Malfoy's like. I just didn't want you getting into trouble. Th-that's all." She wiped her eyes. And Harry grinned at her apologetically.
"I know. It's just Malfoy mentioned Siri - it doesn't matter." Harry broke off quickly. Hermione's eyes filled with fresh tears.
"Oh, Harry!" she said angrily, but with sadness too.
"You can talk about him you know! Why do you keep avoiding the subject? I know you miss him so much, so why don't you talk to us about him?" She looked at Harry through glazed eyes with a mixture of desperation and sympathy. Harry didn't know what to say. He could feel the burning sensation returning to his throat and he avoided Hermione's eyes.
He looked up at the fifth-year boy, who looked startled by Hermione's crying, and nodded at him. He looked at Hermione and muttered a quick goodbye, and started walking with the boy. Harry noticed the boy shooting him nervous glances but ignored him. When they arrived at the stone gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office, the boy gave the password and murmured 'good luck' to Harry, then walked back down the corridor and out of sight. Harry took a deep breath and made his way up to Dumbledore's office.
