Disclaimer:
No, I do not own any of these characters, except the ones that you don't recognize. That is quite a lot... Please enjoy.

43- Hogsmeade

'And you, little missy,' said Filch in his bored voice, 'Where's your permission form?' Filch looked at Mona expectantly.

'Uhh,' said Mona, not exactly sure of what he meant.

'Well, she's new,' said Harry, 'Remember when Dumbledore introduced her, Mona Abd Allah?' Harry looked up into Filch's scowling face.

'Oh,' said Filch, face clearing, 'Ms. Abd Allah. Well then, Professor Snape has taken care of that. Go on, but mind, 'Filch looked angry again, 'don't by no stink bombs.' With that, he limped off behind the students.

'Snape?' questioned Harry. 'He took care of your form. Weird, why would he even care?' Harry looked at Mona's face. She tried to keep it as blank as possible. 'Probably, Dumbledore told him to. He's the only person the git actually listens to anyway.'

Mona just kept on walking, kicking snow out from under her feet. She listened to the chatter of the excited third years as they left Hogwarts grounds. All of a sudden, the pair of feet walking beside her stopped. Mona looked up at Harry, whose face had gone slack. She looked ahead to see an awful sight.

There was a town in front of them, a quiet town. You could barely see any movement, besides the slight snow falling from the sky. Windows were boarded up and many watchful eyes poked out from around the windows as the group of students passed by.

'Not a very nice town, is it?' asked Mona looking Harry's way.

'This can't be Hogsmeade,' stated Harry, 'It just can't.'

'How about we go inside?' suggested Mona, running her hands up and down her arms to warm them.

'Ya,' said Harry insignificantly as he showed her the Three Broomsticks. Mona thought that it was a quiet place that needed some cheering up. As she and Harry sat in one of the booth's, a very pretty witch came up to them.

'What would you like, my dears?' she said with a pasted smile on her face.

'Madam Rosmerta,' asked Harry, 'what happened to... here, to Hogsmeade, to everything?' said Harry throwing up his hands in question.

'Ahh,' said Madam Rosmerta, her smile melting into a frown that looked foreign on her, 'ever since, well you-know-who,' she whispered, 'nothing's been the same. This is just like when he was around before, it had been my 5th year when he was finally driven out. Thanks to you Harry, dear,' she patted Harry on the shoulder. 'But now he's back, and everyone's hiding away like mice in their holes.' The pretty lady sighed, then asked again, 'So, what would you all like?'

'Two Butterbeers,' said Harry, throwing a few sickles across the counter.

'Thanks,' said Mona, as she sipped on the drink. Instantly, she felt warmed and happier. 'This is great, thanks Harry.' Mona looked at him. It seemed that even the drink couldn't warm the cold look in his eyes.

'Uhh, ok,' she said and finished her drink. Harry seemed to be in deep thought, something, Mona could tell, was bugging him.

'Do you want to take a walk?' she asked him. Harry looked at her and got up.

'Sure, I'll show you... what's left.'

Harry took her around the neighborhood, pointing at empty shops that he had said were once always crowded.

He took her into Honeydukes and Zonko's. Then suddenly as though struck by an excellent idea, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the shop.

'I know a place that will never be empty,' Harry said brightly. One hand holding bags, the other being dragged along, Mona had no choice but to follow. Out of breath, he stopped in front of a brightly colored store that had a very interesting name. 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'.

Mona thought it was familiar, 'Isn't that, Ron's last name?' she asked.

'You bet it is,' said Harry. He pushed to the front of the average crowd and shouted, 'Fred, George!'

Suddenly, two twins with flaming red Weasley hair apparated in front of them, 'At your service,' they recited happily.

'Well,' said Harry, 'show me what you guys came up with.'

'Very well, sir,' said one of the twins.

'Would you like an invisibility hat,' said the other, pulling out a long topped black hat.

'Or would you prefer an extra pair of teeth,' said the first, pulling out chattering teeth.

'Don't use them in Snape's class,' warned the second.

'But if we were you,' said the first.

'We would,' they both said at the same time.

Harry and Mona were both breathless with laughter; Harry holding onto his sides and Mona's eyes threatening to flood with tears of laughter.

'You two haven't changed a bit, have you?' asked Harry, straightening his glasses.

'Not a bit,' repeated one of them, while the other fiddled with something under the table.

'Harry,' said the second, innocently, too innocently, 'maybe you need another pair of glasses,' he said taking out a pair that looked exactly like Harry's. 'Who knows when you just might lose one?'

'Yes,' said the first twin, 'maybe you should try this on.' He handed Harry the glasses he was holding.

'Maybe, I will,' said Harry slowly, 'but just for a minute.' Harry took off his own pair of glasses, and took the one the twin handed him. Mona saw Harry put them on; in less than a moment, his eyes widened, as he looked around and he quickly took them back off, as a blush spread throughout his cheeks. He grabbed his glasses and put them on, safely taking a look around again.

'Naughty, naughty, you guys,' said Harry as he nervously ran a hand through his ruffled hair.

'Yep,' said the twins as they broke into identical grins, 'you can see more, can't you, much more.'

'What do you mean?' asked Mona. Harry looked at her, but just blushed again. Mona grabbed the glasses and looked around. What she saw made her jaw drop. All the people she could see around her were wearing bathing suits. Mona threw the glasses back onto the counter, and promptly slapped both twins across the face.

'Do you actually spend all your time making this sort of stuff?' she questioned.

'Well, not all the time,' said one twin as he winked.

'The other half of the time, we wear them,' said the other grinning.

'and watch chics pass by our shop; the glasses make us look sophisticated,' joined the other twin.

Mona huffed, then broke out grinning as well. 'Well,' she admitted, 'there was this really hot 7th year passing by.'

'Where,' said Harry immediately, turning around.

Mona laughed and looked at the rest of their stuff. Harry explained that she was new, and that the twins were Ron's older brothers. She and Harry left the shop with yet another bag and Mona was wearing blinking earings.

44- Common Room

Harry and Mona made it back to Hogwarts on much happier terms. Ron and Hermione soon joined them, snow in their hair.

'We got back just in time,' said Hermione, taking off her coat. 'It's really started snowing out there, looks like winter's just started.

'Have you seen how different it was out there, though?' asked Harry.

'Ya, mate,' said Ron, 'a whole new town.'

'It used to be so beautiful,' said Hermione sadly.

'It's still nice though,' said Mona, trying to cheer Hermione, 'and the people are pretty nice.'

'Nice!' shouted Ron, shocking Mona, 'this crazy old woman comes out of her house, shrieking that we're you-know-who himself and chases us out of the alley with a broom,' said Ron waving his hands wildly.

'Now Ron,' said Mona, a mischievous smile growing on her face, 'what I'd like to know is what were you and Hermione doing alone in an alley, together?'

Harry grinned, as Ron seemed lost for words and Hermione turned scarlet, 'Ya, I was thinking the exact same thing.'

'Did you guys stop by Fred and George's shop,' said Hermione, quickly changing the subject.

'Yes, we did,' said Mona, putting Hermione out of her misery.

'They had some really cool things out new, if you ever get a chance to stop by, ask them for glasses,' said Harry, grinning madly.

Mona shook her head at the comment, 'But, besides that store, almost everything else is empty.'

'I know,' said Hermione, 'it's Voldemort, that's got everyone all worked up. It all comes back to him. I wish he were gone.'

'Don't we all, Hermione,' said Ron giving her a hug.

But, Mona wasn't watching them. Ever since Hermione said Voldemort, Harry got that cold look in his eyes again. It was as though... he was angry... no, more like miserable... as though, something was his fault.

He looked up and saw her watching him. But, she wasn't going to look away. 'Is there something wrong Harry?' she asked.

'Nothing,' said Harry, turning towards his dorms, 'Nothing.'

45- Dreaming

Mona, Ron, and Hermione were all very aware of Harry's bad mood. Ron thought that it was the killing of muggles or something that everyone would be worked up about, but Mona felt that it was something more. She and Hermione walked up to their dorms and began to put on their pajamas. Mona saw Hermione looking very thoughtful, as though she was figuring out a great mystery of some sort. She plumped down onto the bed, as giggling Parvati and Lavendar came in.

'Like no way!'
'Way!'
'No Way!'
'Way!'
'No Way!'
'Way!'
'No Way!'

'You guys are getting us back, aren't you,' asked Mona from somewhere under her covers.

'Umm,' said Lavendar, putting a carefully manicured finger to her frowning lips, 'Ya.'

'I knew it,' said Hermione as she visibly put her pillow on her face.

Mona slept that night, when Lavendar and Parvati put off their act, but she didn't sleep well. In the middle of the night, she woke to her parents screams and whispering words of the wind. Unable to take it any longer, Mona got up out of bed. Hermione was facing the wall and breathing at a steady pace. Parvati and Lavendar were both on their backs, eyes closed blissfully. Sighing and rubbing her eyes, Mona walked down the stairs to the Common Room.

As she descended the last step, she saw someone else sitting on a comfortable chair by the fire. Someone with very familiar messy black hair.

Harry looked around at her, and then looked back at the fire. Mona came beside him, and then sat on the couch, 'Why are you awake?' she asked.

Harry muttered something incoherently. Mona raised her eyebrows and said, 'What?' with a smile.

Realizing that he hadn't made sense, Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. As he put on his glasses, he said, 'I couldn't sleep.'

'Well, that's obvious,' said Mona, looking to see his reaction. It didn't seem that a joke could hit Harry so late at night. 'I woke up from a dream,' said Mona.

That seemed to catch Harry's attention, 'What sort of dream?' he asked, green eyes fighting to focus.

'Just the usual: horrors, nightmares, things that everyone gets in the magical world,' said Mona with a casual yawn.

'Oh,' said Harry. He sat quietly for a while before continuing, 'I couldn't stop thinking about memories that I had. About things that happened,' Harry stopped then decided to continue, 'About people I had lost. And people yet to be lost.'

'Tell me, Harry,' said Mona, 'You can trust me.'

'The boy who lived,' Harry laughed, 'that's who I am. I wish I had died, along with my family, along with a past I never had.'

'But, Harry,' said Mona, brows furrowed,' look at the good you've done for the world. Look at what would have happened without you.'

'Like what's happening now,' said Harry, his face grim. Mona saw his silhouette outlined by the fire. His head was down, brows low, over short lashes, a well rounded nose, and slightly puckered lips. 'Voldemort is back again, and it's going to be worse than before. I'm guarded like a stupid puppy that can't protect himself, even though I'm the one who's going to have to defeat him in the end.'

'And I want to do it. I want to show him... that I can hate too. And when I hate, I can find the power to destroy.'

'Harry,' said Mona, 'You can't defeat him that way. You can only fight hate with love.'

'Oh, acting like old, smart Dumbledore now are you?' said Harry, a dangerous hate growing in his eyes. 'Well, he makes mistakes too, costly mistakes.'

Mona had no idea what Harry was talking about, but she played along. 'So, doesn't everyone make mistakes, even the most costly?'

'Yes, we all do, don't we. And I made a mistake, on the day Hagrid came to pick me up. I should have stayed.'

'And be ignorant to the truth,' said Mona, disgust settled in her voice, 'when it's shoved right under your noise. To ignore what your parents have done, what Dumbledore's done, what Sirius did?' Harry looked up at Mona quickly, wondering where she had got the information. 'I know Harry, just like you. Instead of ignoring, why don't you just do whatever you're so destined to do and get it over with?' Mona was breathing quickly, anger like heat pulsing from her body. She got up, disturbing Crookshanks and Zara who were sleeping on the pillows of the couch. 'Think about it.'