Chapter 3
Things Get Personal
A/N: Things are about to get very interesting...
"So," Hermione started at breakfast the next morning, "I heard there was some excitement on the walk?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't understand your friend. She just attacked Lavender."
"I'm sure she did it for a reason," Hermione replied. "Why didn't anyone tell a professor? A violence outbreak is serious."
Harry shrugged just as they heard a voice from behind them. "Mr. Potter, may I see you in my office, please." It was Professor McGonigal.
Harry slowly stood up. He couldn't be punished could he? Not only is he twenty-six years old, but he stopped the fight.
Professor McGonigal said she was going to fetch Lavender, and Harry was to go to her office immediately. He didn't disobey.
Harry entered her office seeing that Summers was already there. She turned to see who came in, then with out a word turned back. She sat in the chair across from McGonigal desk with her arms crossed looking peeved.
"You do know this is all your fault, right?" Harry asked coldly leaning onto the wall.
"I was sort of thinking it was more blondie's fault than mine."
"Her name is Lavender," Harry replied. "And you started it."
"Oh, God, you sound like a kindergartener."
"Shut up. You hit first. From where I'm standing that makes it all your fault."
"Luckily, Potter, where I'm standing is a far more interesting place than where your standing."
"What could possibly give you reason to hit her?"
"It's personal."
"How could she say something personal when you've never met before?"
"That's none of your business!" she yelled suddenly.
"I'm making it my business!" he yelled back.
"She was talking about my family, okay!"
Harry was suddenly silent. "Oh." he said this quietly.
"Yeah. 'Oh.'"
"That's no reason to hit her."
"Like you wouldn't do it if your mom was dead, and she was talking about it."
"My mum is dead," he gritted through his teeth.
She blinked in surprise. "So is mine."
At that exact moment, Professor McGonigal entered with Lavender right behind her. The Professor wasted no time in walking to the other side of her desk and facing the other three.
"I have become aware of a violence outbreak last night. You are all adults, so I will not punish you. But let me make myself perfectly clear, I will not have violence during the next few months." She looked directly at Summers, and Harry smiled to himself secretly. "You are dismissed. Miss. Summers, the Headmaster would like to see you."
Summers nodded and followed the Professor out. Harry couldn't help but admire her. She didn't seem to be shaken at all about going to see Professor Dumbledore. Harry sighed, and went outside to assist Hagrid in Care of Magical Creatures.
He didn't realize, that he was hoping Dawn would finish with Dumbledore soon, so he could see her again in class.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dawn's legs were shaking. Her hands were trembling. Her heart was racing. She had just heard Professor McGonigal tell the Gargoyle the password, and now they were walking up the stairs.
Professor McGonigal had said she wouldn't punish her. She didn't say that Dumbledore wouldn't. The Professor opened the door to Dumbledore's office, and motioned for Dawn to go in before closing the door.
"Have a seat?" said the gentile voice from the corner. It was Professor Dumbledore. Dawn sat down.
"Look, if this is about the fighti-"
"Now, this is not about the fighting, Miss Summers. This is actually about you. Am I correct in assuming you are not, shall we say, a normal muggle?"
"You are correct, sir. I'm the key."
He nodded. "So my hat told me." He gestured toward the sorting hat that was sitting on a shelf high in Dumbledore's office. "I was wondering if had any questions about it. It may seem like a silly thing to ask, but I've researched the history of the key and such, and if you needed any answers I would be more than happy to assist you."
"I've done some research too. The books keep on saying I'm magical. But I can't do a single spell."
"That would be because, you are what we call pure magic. The most ancient magic. Love. If sometimes skills just come to you, it's because you need them too. Your have a sub-conscious magic. You can protect someone with love. But you can only affect yourself."
"So, if I want someone to live, I can only make myself able to do things to save them?"
"Exactly."
"This is so weird."
He smiled. "You should go down to your first class.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hagrid did thestrals on the first day for the watcher trainees. Harry was somewhat helpful because he could see them. Only two other aurors could. You can see how inexperienced they were.
He didn't think any of the trainees would be able to see them, and he was right. That is until Summers came down from the castle. Hagrid immediately asked if she could see them.
She looked very confused for a moment. "Why wouldn't I be able to?"
Hagrid smiled. "Only people that have seen death can see them."
Dawn nodded slightly, and stepped forward to pet one as Harry was doing.
The rest of the lesson was uneventful, unless you count the part when Draco accidentally walked headlong into a thestral because he couldn't see it.
After the lesson, the group of us started on the way back up to the castle for divination. Harry approached Dawn.
"So who'd you see die? Was it your mum?" Harry asked.
"No."
"Than who?"
"Like I'm going to tell you," she retorted picking up her speed as if to walk ahead of him, but he matched her speed.
"I'm just curious," he replied.
"Why are you suddenly being nice to me?" Dawn asked stopping and looking at him.
He shrugged. "Maybe I've taken a liking to you."
"A liking to me? You've know me for less than twenty-four hours."
He shrugged again. And Dawn left very quickly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dawn paced during break in the library while Hermione sat at he table barley looking up from her books. Dawn suddenly burst out, "Your best friend is nuts!"
"Insane, but still nice," Hermione agreed.
"Last night he was threatening me, and today he wants to be my friend. 'I've taken a liking to you.' Bull shit."
Hermione shrugged. "Maybe he does like you."
"He decided this when? Between our first conversation when we were yelling, and our third when he was telling me this? He's got some other goal."
"If your saying he's trying to sleep with you, think again. Harry's not like that."
"That wasn't what I thought," Dawn replied. "I don't like the guy, but he's certainty hasn't done anything to make me judge his morals. And he defiantly doesn't like me."
"What other excuse do you have?"
"I already gave it. Remember?" Dawn collapsed into the chair across from her friend. "He's nuts."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry couldn't explain it. Yesterday he'd been ready to kill her, and today, he was being friendly with her. He had originally summed it all up to respect, but when she was walking away from him, he felt...disappointed?
This was really weird.
He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, but soon he found himself outside the room where Fluffy used to stay. Harry suddenly wondered what it looked like if there was no three headed dog inside..
He slowly opened the door. The door didn't make a sound as it opened, and Harry froze as he looked into the room. Draco Malfoy was sitting by a fireplace, not facing him. And in the fireplace was Lucius Malfoy.
"I still don't understand why you put me on this mission, father." Malfoy was saying. Lucius Malfoy had gotten out of jail two years ago, when the ministry lost control of the dementors.
"We've been over this, son. You are to act as a connection between myself and Dumbledore. As an auror you are permitted to certain information. You will tell me all of this. That which the aurors are doing, and that which Dumbledore is doing."
Draco was nodding his head. "I will do my best father."
Harry closed the door just as silently as before and started down the hall lost in thought.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hey, Dawn, sorry I'm late." Draco slid into the chair across from her.
"That's okay, I caught up on my reading Did you know that a certain kind of magical dog is used in law enforcement?" Dawn asked excitedly.
Draco smiled. "What my job again?"
"Oh, right," Dawn replied sheepishly.
"What'd you want to talk to me about?"
"Well, it really wasn't that important, just a curiosity thing..."
"No problem. What's up?"
"The other night, when I was fighting with Potter, I said something about him playing the hero and not doing a good job. Everyone gasped like I said something horrible. What's up with that?"
He smiled. "Sometimes I forget your not a witch. Potter's famous."
Dawn looked confused. "What'd he do?"
"Something he probably can't remember. You've heard about Lord Voldemort, right?" Dawn nodded. "When Potter was one, Voldemort killed his parents, and tried to kill Potter. But somehow Potter turned the curse around on him, and he was without a body for thirteen years."
"He came back?"
Draco nodded. "When I was fourteen. Potter was there when it happened and got away. He does that a lot. The thing is, everyone expected him to kill Voldemort right away. But he hasn't. He's faced him lots of times, but only just manages to escape. When you said he wasn't doing a good job being a hero, they all thought you were talking about that."
Dawn felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Was this... guilt? "Oh."
"I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
Dawn smiled. "Duh." Draco grabbed his bag and went out of the library.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After Malfoy left, Dawn continued to read, but only for about two more minuets. She then grabbed her books, and started to walk toward the exit.
They hadn't known Harry was watching them from behind a bookshelf. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was obviously a friendly thing. And then the strangest thing happened, he felt jealous.
He quickly followed Dawn out the exit without her noticing him until he tapped her arm from behind her in the hallway.
"Why are you talking to Malfoy?" Harry asked immediately.
Looking confused Dawn replied, "Why shouldn't I be talking to him?"
"You're obviously new here. He's a total git!"
"He and I get along just fine. Thank you for your concern, Potter. But at the current moment. I think I like Draco a lot better than you. Catch you later."
He grabbed her arm. "Wait!" She spun around to face him. "Look," he tried again, "I know him. There's no way he'd be friendly with someone outside of Slytherin. He's obviously using you." He let go of her arm and looked down muttering more to himself than her. "But what could they possibly want with you..."
"Look, Potter, I don't know what the hell your problem is with him. But he understands me. There aren't many people who can say that. You defiantly don't understand me. And I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. If you don't like it that's just tough, okay?" With that she turned around and stormed away.
"Well, she's right about one thing," he said to himself after she'd left. "I don't understand her."
A/N: Please review and tell me what you think. Reviews are my inspiration.