CHAPTER XIII

Author's Note: well, short chapter guys sorry I've just had a ton of stuff to do and not enough time to do it in. I also thought that this chapter was best left where it is. Let me know what you think, more to come!

Miss Zonko

During breakfast several weeks later, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry all sat at the table, no one saying much. Nothing had really be resolved since the night when Ginny had not-so-quietly informed Ron and Hermione about what they were doing wrong. This isn't to say that Hermione at least, had not tried to make things better. Harry was simply not interested in talking. He was quietly irritated with both of them for leaving him "in the dark" about their relationship. They hadn't actually told Harry about their new relationship until almost a week after he had stumbled on them confessing their feelings for each other. Where Harry would have liked nothing better than to speak with his two best friends about his problems a few weeks ago, he found himself wishing they would sometimes leave him alone. He looked up, hearing the familiar flutter of wings that signaled the arrival of the post. His eyes searched the chaos for Hedwig's white feathers. Sure enough, she came swooping in, carrying a newspaper. She dropped the paper in his lap and landed on his shoulder, rubbing her head affectionately with her cheek. Harry smiled in brief moment of contentment and fed her a piece of sausage. She dipped her bill in his glass of pumpkin juice then hooted and took off again. Harry turned his attention the Daily Prophet, removing the piece of twine and unfolding it to the front page.

AZKABAN ATTACKED

Harry read this first headline and cast the paper aside. He already new what the article would say. He was impressed that some reporter had managed to wrestle it out of the ministry. Hermione picked up the paper, and the color slowly drained from her face.

"Harry?" she asked faintly.

"I already know Hermione," Harry told her.

"How"

"That's where I was on Halloween. At a meeting with the Order," he said quietly, so that no one else could hear but the four of them.

They all looked at him in surprise.

"The Order?" asked Ron a little loudly.

Ginny shushed him.

"The Order? Wait," said Hermione, "Halloween?? You mean this happened three weeks ago?" she asked him incredulously.

Harry nodded.

"But why" she began, but Ron got their first.

"How come you didn't tell us?" asked Ron.

Harry raised an eyebrow at him and said nothing, turning back to his porridge. Ron's ears went pink. Ginny glared, Hermione looked worried.

"This is bad, that means all the prisoners are out and everything. It means Voldemort has a nearly impenetrable fortress."

Harry nodded still looking at his bowl.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked at each other worriedly.

"Wait, so you were at a meeting?" whispered Ron.

"Yea, I followed Dumbledore and Kingsley Shacklebolt their in the invisibility cloak, but Dumbledore knew I was there and he told me I was welcome if I took off the cloak," Harry told them.

"He knew?" asked Ron wide-eyed.

"Yea," Harry said, smiling slightly. "Sly old man is Dumbledore."

"So what did they say?" asked Ginny.

Harry shrugged,

"Just talked about it, I took pictures for them," he saw their confused faces and elaborated. " I apparated above Azkaban and used a fictorpix, they needed some images to work with."

The image of something sickly green and evil filled his mind. It oozed over his brain consuming his senses. Harry felt like he could taste it. He gave a huge shudder. I need a pensieve, he though to himself. It didn't seem like such a bad idea. He'd have to look into it.

"I'm going to go," said Harry, standing up quickly.

Ginny, Ron and Hermione watched him get up, with hunched shoulders, head down, and hands shoved moodily in his pockets. Ginny shook her head.

"Harry don't go just yet," she said.

Harry stopped.

"I thought I'd just go do some more research on those animagus potions, it's about time for the second stage."

Hermione shook her head,

"Stop changing the subject Harry, obviously things have been bothering you and well"

"Ohhhh, poor little Potty, something's bothering you?" came Malfoy's familiar drawl in a fake baby voice.

Harry shut his eyes, turning slowly. He really didn't want to have to deal with Malfoy today.

"Did that news in the paper bother you Potter? Are you scared?" Malfoy laughed, but it didn't sound much like a laugh. "You should be scared. One day, your mudblood and her friends are all going to die," Harry's fist twitched. The truth was, this was one of his worst fears. His eyes flicked to Ginny involuntarily. Malfoy saw it. By this time most of the hall was watching

"Oh, I see. Potty knows what I'm talking about. Well, once the Dark Lord finds out who you fancy, she'll be the first to go..."

The blood drained out of Harry's face.

" and then, lets see" said Malfoy's voice in the background.

This was exactly what he'd been thinking, but he wasn't about to let Malfoy get away with the threat.

"Granger'll be next because she looks like a squirrel. Oh, no its because she as Mudblood."

The blood pounded heavily in Harry's ears, he was having trouble keeping calm.

"You dare," he growled, " to stand in front of everyone, saying things like that, you filthy little brat. You don't even understand what you speak of," by this time, everyone was listening, and Harry's voice was shaking. "I bet you hear daddy talking about it don't you Malfoy?"

Malfoy was getting red in the face.

"I bet your excuse for a father comes home all proud after his nights escapades', but do you have any idea what its like to see someone die, someone innocent? Anyone?"

Many people gasped, both from the tone of Harry's voice, and his expression. Malfoy's eyes widened for a few seconds, but then they narrowed considerably.

"I dare what I want Potter, how dare you speak about my parents like that!"

"Like what?" asked Harry, loosing control, "Like what they are? Murderers" Harry didn't have much of a chance to finish, because Malfoy had thrown himself at Harry furiously. Unfortunately for Malfoy, Harry knew exactly what he was going to do, before he did it. Harry pivoted around once, getting up a little momentum, before snapping out his foot, catching Malfoy in the stomach, sending him sliding across the polished wooden floors. Malfoy struggled to his feet, and doubled over slightly, threw himself at Harry. Harry bent low, flipping the other boy over his shoulder simultaneously hitting several pressure points, but not letting go of his arm. There was a crack as it dislocated. Harry jerked his knee up and to the side, calmly breaking Malfoy's nose before jerking him to his knees and twisting the good arm behind his back. Malfoy, obviously having a little knowledge of the martial arts himself, used a basic trick to try and escape Harry's grasp. Harry grinned.

"Nice try, but it'll take a little more than that," he said. He had done all this with barely any loss as breath, where as Malfoy was panting furiously. Harry twisted his arm painfully, and bent low, whispering in Malfoy's ear.

"If you ever, ever, mouth off about my friends like that again, I swear I'll kill you," Harry's voice was deadly serious.

Malfoy collapsed, still being held up by his collar, crying like a small child.

"Mr. Potter! What on earth is all this!?" Professor McGonagall was making her way swiftly towards them, an outraged expression on her face. The hall began to whisper with the sounds of many voices. Harry looked up, dropping Malfoy with disgust.

"I was relieving stress Professor," Harry said jerkily, wiping a small about of Malfoy's blood from his arm.

Professor's McGonagalls eyes bulged slightly.

"Stress?"

"Professor, I really do not feel that I should have to explain my actions towards Draco Malfoy. You are no doubt very intelligent, I am sure you have already formed an educated guess as to why I would feel the need to rip him into tiny little pieces," enunciated Harry carefully.

"You two!" snapped McGonagall at Crabbe and Goyle, "take Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wingNOW!" she said loudly when they failed to react. Turning to Harry, she looked as though she was controlling several emotions at once. Ginny noticed she almost looked sympathetic. Harry looked miserable.

"Just give me detention or something," he said harshly. Turning, he walked out of the hall, amidst the stares and the whispers of the other students. At the staff table, Dumbledore had raised himself from his chair and was watching the scene with concern.

Harry sprinted to the doors that led to the Hogwarts grounds. Banging one open he ran out onto the grounds, where the morning was cold and brisk. His breath rose as a vapor into the air. There were footsteps behind him.

"Nice work on Malfoy," said Ron, coming to stand beside him.

Harry snorted.

"Felt good," he admitted.

Ron chuckled, but then his face grew serious.

"Look mate I'm really sorry about all that with Hermione and I."

Harry shook his head, "It's fine."

"Nah," said Ron. "It's not really fine at all."

He kicked a stone.

" I wish things could be like they used to," he said wistfully.

Harry sighed and agreed heartily. Ron watched him.

"You spend too much time thinking Harry," Ron told him.

Harry snorted again.

"Okay so I know I really can't understand how your feeling," Ron admitted, " but you need to stop beating yourself up about everything. Malfoy deserved what he got"

Harry opened his mouth to interrupt, but Ron ploughed on.

" No I know that look in your eyes. It's the one that says it was wrong of you to hurt Malfoy, because that makes you no better than him."

Harry was slightly impressed. Ron didn't often show his intuitive side.

"But just shut up okay?" Ron asked him. "Malfoy is in now way shape or form anything like you, just because you beat him up"

Harry chuckled.

" Yea, just because you beat him up, doesn't make you're like him. Malfoy wouldn't have hesitated to do something like that to anyone smaller than him. I saw you, you were trying to keep your temper. Sometimes, you've just got to throw a few punches."

Ron slung an arm around Harry's shoulders, smiling slightly.

"Just don't tell Hermione I said that."

Harry grinned.

"You know Ron, it makes sense," he said.

Ron nodded, gazing out onto the lake.

CRACK!

Harry's fist connected with his jaw loudly. Ron staggered back, gripping his chin.

"Oy! What the HELL was that for?!" He asked, outraged.

Harry laughed.

"That's for not telling me about you and Hermione!" he said.

Ron shook himself and stared. Then he grinned broadly too.

"I told you! Doesn't it help?"

Harry nodded, chuckling.

CRACK!

Ron's fist this time connected stolidly with Harry's left cheek. Harry didn't stagger, he was too well trained but it hurt.

"Oww!" he complained.

Ron was laughing, wiping a small amount of blood from where his lip had cracked.

"That's for telling us about the Order and all that. And pretty much everything else."

Harry flopped down on the ground still rubbing his cheek.

"Fair enough," he said.

Ron flopped down beside him.

"Feel better?"

"Yea."

***

Ginny and Hermione watched in horror from the foot of the Hogwarts steps as Harry and Ron both socked each other.

"Why are they laughing?" asked Ginny wonderingly.

They both seemed to be in a perfectly good mood.

"Oh gosh theirs is absolutely no use in understanding those two Ginny," Hermione told her, shaking her head.

Ginny laughed.

They both continued to stare, slightly amazed.

"Must be a guy thing," said Ginny.