Author's Note: Hey all! I'm back from my road trip and back to school. Gah, I can't wait until this school year's over! My road trip was great, though I nearly had to pee behind this tumbleweed next to the freeway. Luckily, I convinced everyone I could hold it for about 5 more minutes and we left the tumbleweed for a rundown bathroom at a gas station, where I scared some man by walking into the men's restroom (the women's was out of order!). I started walking in and suddenly this guy starts screaming b/c he's peeing in the urinal. He scared the crap out of me, so of course, I screamed as well, and ran, and just settled for going in the out of order one. Not my finest moment, I must say. Anyways, you'll all be glad to know I spent the parts of the car ride, when I wasn't driving or participating in a Beatles sing-off, working on the fic instead of reading Hamlet like I was supposed to. I, instead, read the entire play in one day, without the help of sparknotes (a major accomplishment for me, since Shakespeare is practically impossible for me to understand) but hey, I think I understood most of it and I actually liked it! Imagine that.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's taking Harry so long?" Ginny wondered aloud.
"Maybe he found our stash of firewhiskey and got distracted," George joked.
"He probably figures if he takes long enough, we won't make him run errands anymore," Ron said, shaking his head.
Fred got to his feet. "I'll go check on the little bugger. Might've gotten lost on the way back."
Fred made his way to the back door and stepped out onto the back porch, squinting into the darkness as his eyes tried to adjust to the sudden lack of light. He pulled out his wand.
"Lumos."
His heart skipped a beat at what the light revealed. Papers were scattered across the grass and in the middle of them all lay Harry's crumpled form.
Fred shouted urgently for his twin and raced across the yard to Harry's side.
"Harry?" he called, turning the raven-haired boy onto his back and shaking the boy's shoulders in an attempt to wake him, but Harry remained unconscious.
The other three Weasleys appeared at the door and were soon running over as well.
"What happened? What's wrong with him?" Ginny asked frantically.
"Harry!" Ron called desperately. The situation gave him a sickening sense of déjà vu. He was relieved to see Harry's chest rising and falling, signaling that he was indeed alive.
A soft moan alerted the Weasleys to Harry's beginning of a return to consciousness.
"Harry, wake up," George instructed him seriously.
Harry's eyes fluttered open and he blinked up at them in confusion.
"What happened?" he asked groggily as Ron and Ginny helped him sit up.
"You don't remember?" Fred asked worriedly. Harry furrowed his eyebrows in concentration.
"Um…I just remember walking toward the house and then there was this pain in my head. And then it's just blank," he said nervously.
Fred and George jumped to their feet and pulled out their wands, pointing their lit tips out into the darkness.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked the twins anxiously. "You don't think Harry was attacked, do you?"
"That's what it sounds like," Fred said grimly, sounding the slightest bit frightened.
"But the wards…" Ron insisted.
"Harry, has this happened before? Have you been having headaches like this?" George asked.
Harry shook his head honestly.
"Was it your scar?" Ron asked, frightened.
"Ron, Voldemort's dead. And besides, that never made me pass out before. And this felt like just a general pain," Harry tried to explain.
"Yeah, it definitely sounds like a curse. We need to get out of here," Fred said.
There was a rustle in the trees to their right and everybody stiffened with fright. They all squinted into the darkness but could only see black.
"Everybody back to the house, now," George ordered urgently.
Harry, Ginny, and Ron scrambled to their feet and started running toward the house, Fred and George following them, watching the trees to make sure somebody didn't pop out of the darkness.
Once inside, the twins locked the door behind them and led the three younger teens to the living room. Fred and George ushered them through the fireplace and followed behind them to the Lighthouse, sealing off the connection behind them just in case.
Fred went on to Floo to Snape Manor where the Order meetings were most often held, while George stayed behind with the other three.
The three Weasleys kept shooting Harry scared looks. Harry knew they were thinking about the same things he was. Somebody had broken the wards around the Burrow. They had cursed Harry, and who knew what might have happened if Fred hadn't come out to check on him when he did. Harry couldn't help but imagine Death Eaters taking him and exacting revenge for destroying their master.
Harry couldn't help but feel a bit guilty as well. If Death Eaters had broken through the Burrow's wards, it was most likely in order to get to Harry, yet the safety of the Weasleys had been put at risk as well. The Burrow had always been a place of complete comfort and security. Harry had never imagined being attacked there and he was sure the Weasley children hadn't either. But now, that image had been shattered.
Harry got up to make tea, but the three Weasleys forced him to sit down as they took care of it themselves. Harry insisted he was fine, but the three redheads seemed doubtful. It seemed he had lost his credibility in determining how he felt.
Finally, they heard the fire roar to life in the living room and ran in to meet the adults that were following Fred through. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked very frightened, while Sirius ran over to Harry and asked him if he was all right.
Snape came through as well, giving Harry a quick health check. Harry explained to the best of his ability what had happened.
"It sounds like a curse. I know of a few dark ones that have this effect," Snape concluded. "But it doesn't make sense that the attacker would just disappear. Are you sure you didn't see anyone?" he asked Harry, purposely avoiding saying his name in front of others. For some reason, he felt uncomfortable with general people knowing he was on a first name basis with the Boy Who Lived.
"No," Harry said, "I guess Fred must've scared them off."
Snape remained doubtful. "I doubt Death Eaters would be afraid of a freshly graduated wizard who doesn't know a stitch of dark magic."
"Maybe they thought my mum and dad were home and that they would come when Fred called," Ginny suggested. "I mean, they don't have You-Know-Who on their side anymore and the remaining Death Eaters are high on the wanted list. Maybe they were afraid of being caught and thrown into Azkaban."
Sirius opted to stay with the four teenagers, uncomfortable with leaving them alone with the idea of what had happened, while Snape Flooed over to the Burrow where the Weasley parents and the rest of the Order currently were.
A couple hours later, after the kids had all gone upstairs, the Weasleys and Snape returned, the latter to use the fireplace, since Snape Manor's Floo system was hooked up to very few fires for protection, the Lighthouse's being one of these few.
"Did you find anything?" Sirius asked worriedly, immediately placing cups of tea in front of the two Weasleys. Snape had already disappeared back to his lair, as Sirius called it.
"No. It's the strangest thing. Not a single ward seems to be out of place. The alarms to signal if any were broken haven't been triggered. And we didn't find anyone," Mr. Weasley said in confusion.
"Dumbledore put up a few more wards and insists it's fine to go back home, but I can't help but worry that he's missed something, since it looks like he missed something the first time," Mrs. Weasley added. "But we've searched the house from top to bottom and there's no indication of an intruder or anything."
"Well, there's not much room, but you all are welcome to stay here any time," Sirius offered.
"Thank you, Sirius, but if we're ever going to feel safe at home, we really need to get back to it tonight. Dumbledore's insisted it's safe and, just in case, he's placed some Order members to be on call and to check on us for the next few nights. And we've set up emergency Portkeys in all the bedrooms that will take us immediately to Hogwarts if activated. I'm not too worried about it," Mr. Weasley said.
"How's Harry doing?" Mrs. Weasley asked in concern. "I just can't believe he was attacked at our house."
"He seems to be doing fine. He says his head doesn't hurt and hasn't from the second he came to," Sirius said, pretty confident that Harry was telling the truth about this one.
"Oh, why can't those nasty people just leave him alone," Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Haven't they put him through enough?"
"Well, he killed their master, so I'm sure they all want him dead," Mr. Weasley said quietly, sipping his tea.
"Even more reason to get them all rounded up and locked away," Sirius said grimly. "Then Harry might actually be able to walk around in public without having to be followed by a legal wizard. He could actually be a regular kid for once instead of having to be worried about people trying to murder him at every turn."
"Harry will be fine. Tonight will be the last time something like that happens to Harry," Mr. Weasley said confidently. "The Lighthouse is ten times as protected as the Burrow and practically no one knows where it is. And from now on, we'll just have to make sure the kids stay inside while we're having meetings or come here or something. There's no way they can get to Harry. You have nothing to worry about, Sirius."
*
The next day, Draco came through the fireplace into the lighthouse with a troubled expression on his face.
Harry stood up to greet him in surprise, but Draco cut him off.
"I need to talk to you," he said anxiously. Harry nodded and the two boys went up to his room. Draco sat down on Harry's bed and put his head in his hands with a sigh.
"Draco, what's the matter?" Harry asked worriedly.
"What do you know about the remaining Death Eaters?" Draco asked bluntly, lifting his head out of his hands. Harry looked at him in surprise but tried to answer the question.
"Er…besides the fact that one cursed me last night, not much. Sirius and Remus don't really talk about the Order stuff. I mean, I figure they're banning together and trying to continue what Voldemort started, but that's all," Harry said, sitting down in his desk chair.
"Well, Sev talked to me last night about it. You're right with the banning together thing, but they've got a new leader," Draco said ominously.
"Professor Trelawney? I knew she wanted me dead!" Harry joked, but Draco didn't even crack a smile.
"My dad," Draco said quietly.
The two sat in silence for a few moments. Harry had actually guessed that if the Death Eaters were to choose a new leader, that Lucius Malfoy would be a probable candidate, but he had never mentioned it to Draco. He knew this situation must be really hard for the blonde. The man that had brought him up was now on a different side of a war than he was.
"Draco, you know that's no reflection on you," Harry said cautiously. Draco just looked away and scowled.
"You know, his first priority is going to be to kill you. He's going to need to show that he can defeat the person that the old Dark Lord could not," he said bitterly. Harry winced and chuckled weakly.
"He won't get to me," he said with more confidence than he felt.
"He wants to kill me too. I'm a traitor and you don't want to know what they do to traitors. It's almost as bad as what they do to people who kill their leader," he teased weakly.
"Oh thanks," Harry murmured.
"I'm not like him, I swear," Draco said quietly.
"Draco," Harry said firmly, "I wouldn't be your friend if I didn't already know that." He smirked slightly and adopted a lighter tone. "But hey, thanks for not wanting me dead. That's the first sign of a strong friendship, you know."
Draco rolled his eyes with a small laugh, but it didn't last. He looked up at Harry with a grim expression.
"Well, everyone else thinks I'm like him. And when the greater public finds out it's my dad who's the new Dark Lord, they're all going to turn on me. It's going to be like being the son of You-Know-Who! I'll never be able to go back to Hogwarts."
"It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks, as long as you have a few people to stand behind you. Trust me, I've been through the whole pariah of the wizarding world thing quite a few times. You get through it. Plus, anyone without mush for brains will realize that you are not on that side. I mean, Voldemort's attack on Hogwarts was all over the news, including what you did. People will probably praise you. Hey, maybe they can start doing articles on you now! Then everyone can read about you in class and tease you in the halls, oh it's such good fun!" Harry joked. Draco glared at him playfully but then couldn't help but laugh.
"Like the wonderful articles on your girlfriend? Miss Chang?"
Harry made gagging sounds and motions. He then straightened up and looked at Draco warily.
"You do know that I never went out with her, right?" he asked.
"Okay, but the question is, did you really fancy her at any point?" Draco asked, climbing out of the depressed mood he'd arrived in.
Harry blushed. "Er…I plead temporary insanity," he muttered. Draco laughed. "Well everyone's had stupid crushes before, right?" he insisted.
"Yeah, no kidding," Draco said absently. He had gotten up to prod the Tornado team members in the poster to start another fight with the Cannons players in the next poster. Harry looked at him curiously.
"Well, who was yours?" he asked. Draco stilled.
"No one," he said, a little too quickly. Harry grinned.
"You have to tell me, that's the rules," he said, matter-of-factly. "Come on, Draco, I won't tell anyone, and I'll bet you've never told anyone before! The best part about dumb crushes is telling people about them."
Draco glared at him and sighed.
"Fine, but you have to swear not to laugh."
"Well, I can't swear that, but I'll try my best not to," Harry compromised.
Draco mumbled something unintelligible.
"What? I can't hear you," Harry said. Draco shot him his best glare and cleared his throat.
"Granger," he snapped.
Harry's jaw dropped.
"Hermione?" he asked incredulously.
Draco groaned and slumped back onto Harry's bed. "It was a stupid little phase at the end of third year that, believe me, I got over very quickly when I came back to my senses. Don't ever tell a soul, especially not the Weasel or Granger."
"I swear I won't tell, but…Hermione? You hate her. You've always been rotten to her. You think she's beneath you," Harry said, flabbergasted.
"She is beneath me and I do hate her. It was a just a flash of a crush. No girl had ever stood up to me before and I was intrigued. But then I remembered that she was a know-it-all mudbl—"
"Draco," Harry warned.
"Sorry," he grumbled.
"So, who else have you fancied?" Harry asked in amusement. Draco looked more confident now that the subject had drifted from such uncomfortable territory.
"Well, not many, really. I have dated quite a few though, most of whom I didn't fancy, but who, of course, fancied me," he said smugly. Harry laughed at the Slytherin's arrogance. Draco began going through a list of all the Slytherins, and a few Ravenclaws that he had gone out with. Of course, Draco had found faults with all of them, but still seemed very proud of his dating record. Harry was amazed at the sheer number of girls Draco had dated, especially when so many seemed to hate him.
"Well you see," the blonde explained, "they're just entranced by my good looks. They really just flock to me."
"Only because they think you might lend them some extra hair gel," Harry retorted. Draco glared at him, but the Gryffindor only laughed.
"Alright, well now it's your turn," Draco said. "And remember, I admitted the Granger thing to you, so you'd better be honest."
"Er…well, there was Cho, of course. And then…alright, you can't tell anyone. If Ron finds out, he might murder me."
Draco's jaw dropped. "You fancy Granger?" he asked incredulously. "What is it with her?"
"No! Hermione has been and always will be just my friend," Harry clarified. Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Then it's the Weaslette, is it?"
"Er…" Harry said, his blush confirming the question.
"Oh Merlin help us. A Weasley. I don't even understand how you could be friends with a Weasley and now you want to date one?" Draco asked with a groan. "Why do you do this to me?"
Harry grinned. "Well the entire goal behind it is to annoy you, of course," he said. "But seriously, you'd like her."
"You know, I think it's good we're friends now. You need my influence to clear up your head. We're going to get you a nice high class girl with no interest toward Muggles," Draco said haughtily.
"You do realize I grew up with Muggles," Harry reminded him.
"An unfortunate mistake."
"And my mum was Muggleborn."
Draco blanched at him. "What? No she wasn't! You're pureblood!" he said seriously. Harry looked at him bizarrely.
"Er…I think I would know. She was my mum. Why do you think her sister's a Muggle?"
Draco looked at him incredulously. "I thought she was a squib. I was always told you were a pureblood. That's what all the Death Eaters think, or at least what they've told us."
"Really? Why would they tell everyone that? I mean, some of them have to know since they went to school with my mum," Harry said confusedly.
"I guess it's to make you look more powerful. That way, the Dark Lord wouldn't have looked as bad failing to kill you and you'd look like a greater threat, more equal to the Dark Lord or something," Draco said thoughtfully.
"But we'd be more equal if they didn't go around telling people that I was pureblood. I mean Voldemort was a half-blood…"
"WHAT?" Draco yelled, looking at Harry with wide eyes. "No way."
"His dad was a Muggle. He told me himself. I think that's one reason he hates Muggles so much, since his dad left when he found out his mum was a witch," Harry said. "I've been to his grave, in a Muggle cemetery."
"You just decided to pop over and say hi to the Dark Lord's Muggle dad?" Draco asked incredulously.
"Well, it wasn't exactly a choice. I'm sure your father told you about what happened at the end of last year," Harry said darkly, pushing away the memory.
"Oh yeah. Sorry," Draco apologized quickly. "But I can't believe this. I'm pretty sure at least most of the Death Eaters think that he was pureblood. Wow, I can't imagine what most of them would do if they found out they were bowing down to a half-blood."
"Hmm…maybe I should send them a letter, you think?" Harry joked. "How about a greeting card saying 'Surprises are fun, aren't they?' on the cover?" Suddenly Harry's face turned serious. "Wait, you're okay with me being part Muggle, right?"
Draco groaned and made a face.
"Are you sure you're not a pureblood?" he asked hopefully.
"Positive."
"Fine then, I guess I'm okay with it," he grumbled. "But you're the only exception. This doesn't mean I'm going to start liking Muggles and mud…er…people with Muggle blood in them in the general sense."
"Oh, I feel so honored," Harry said sarcastically.
Draco looked at him and shook his head. He sighed.
"So, the Dark Lord was defeated by a half-blood and was a half-blood himself. My ex-dad is trying to kill my only friend, and started by attacking him last night. I'm probably number two on the hit list. I'm living with someone who's trying to get me to do Potions homework within the first month of summer holidays, my worst enemy is now my friend and trying to press upon me his Muggle and low-class ways. I've just revealed my darkest secret about my crush on a Muggleborn. Is it sad that the thing that's most forefront in my mind is the fact that I want a grilled cheese sandwich?"
Harry burst out laughing. "Hey, that's the power of the grilled cheese sandwich."
"I tried to make one at home, but I kept burning it. It didn't taste the same," Draco pouted.
"Alright, I'll make you one…"
Draco's face lit up.
"…under one condition"
The blonde's expression turned suspicious.
"What condition?" he asked warily.
"You're helping me wash the dishes."
"WHAT?" Draco yelped. "I don't do dishes, or cleaning of any sort for that matter."
"Well, that's sad that you're just going to have to watch me eat my sandwich without one yourself," Harry said with a shrug, getting up.
"Ugh, fine…but I really hate you for this," he grumbled.
"I'll have to introduce you to Macaroni and Cheese. That way, I can get you to help me on all my chores!" Harry said brightly. Draco chucked a pillow at him.
*
"So, Harry, I keep forgetting to ask you, did you ever have the ferret face over?" Ron asked.
Hermione looked over interestedly.
The three were lying out on a hammock that Harry, Sirius and Remus had constructed between two trees. Harry and Hermione were stretched out next to each other, with Ron lying the opposite way, his head on the other side of the hammock. They were all sipping lemonade, and Harry was doing his best to ignore the fact that Ron and Hermione kept playing footsie every time there was a lull in the conversation.
"Yeah, I did. I've been to his house too," Harry said, taking a sip of his lemonade.
Two pairs of eyebrows shot up.
"His house? Meaning Snape's house?" Ron asked incredulously. "Are you mad?"
"Well, are you going to tell us how it went?" Hermione asked interestedly, ignoring the indignant looks of her boyfriend.
"Actually, it went well. I'd say we're friends now," Harry said. Ron's jaw dropped. Even Hermione looked shocked.
"Friends?" Ron choked.
"He's changed, guys. I don't know if he was ever really that bad. I mean, he had a father who was the Dark Lord's right hand man, and he was brought up to think he was better than everyone. But he's really trying now to change certain things. As long as you don't really take the arrogance thing personally, it's sort of funny," he said with a shrug.
"Harry, come on! This is Malfoy you're talking about! Mr. Spoiled, Rich Kid Brat. You know, the one that calls Hermione a you-know-what and insults my family on a regular basis? Are you just going to ignore that fact?" Ron asked, very annoyed.
"He's trying, Ron. And it's not like I let him insult you guys. If you guys just started over with a clean slate, I think you guys might get along…"
"Harry, I'm with Ron on this one. You might be ready to forget it all, but I don't think we're quite ready to," Hermione said gently.
"That's alright, I'm not going to try to force you all to be best mates or anything. I mean, I would like to keep all my body parts intact. Just, please don't be mad that I'm friends with him."
"You're not going to ditch us for Malfoy, are you?" Ron asked with true worry.
Harry laughed. "Of course not! You guys are my best friends forever! Just because I have someone to hang out with while you guys are playing footsie…"
His two friends blushed crimson and Ron jerked his bare foot away from Hermione's with a guilty grin.
"…doesn't mean we're not best mates anymore."
"Awww…" Hermione cooed with a chuckle, ruffling Harry's hair fondly as he blushed.
"Group hug!" Ron announced. Harry's eyes widened as his two friends pounced on him, laughing heartily.
Then the hammock flipped over, sending them all crashing to the ground.
"Ouch," Ron groaned.
The three dissolved into fits of laughter.
*
"What the hell, Harry? What do you mean you're friends with Malfoy? Are you psychopathic?" Eloise exclaimed. "How could you be friends with someone who says my face looks like a pizza?!"
Neville was gaping at him in shock. "Malfoy, Harry? Malfoy?" he asked incredulously.
"You guys, he's a product of his making, or however that expression goes. He's trying to change. He has no one," Harry explained with a sigh. They were sitting out on the porch steps of the Lighthouse, except for Eloise, who was now pacing wildly in front of them.
"Let somebody else be his friend, Harry, you're not the lonely person rescue committee," Eloise said agitatedly.
"Well, I know what it's like to have no friends and be sitting all alone through the entire summer. His only company is Professor Snape," Harry tried. This seemed to gain their sympathy a little bit, especially Neville's. "He's not horrible like he used to be. He was just a bit…misguided. And if he ever calls you anything like that again, Eloise, I'll punch him myself, okay?"
Eloise plopped down with a huff on the steps.
"How did this all happen so quickly?" Neville asked, bewildered. "A few weeks ago, you were enemies, and now your friends?"
"Well, as I said, he's changed a lot. I think he was sort of in the process of changing all last year and then the thing with his father happened and that did it. I don't know, I guess it was just one of those times, one of those crossroads in life where a bunch of stuff's just happened and a bunch of stuff's just changed drastically, so you might as well add one more change to the bunch before the opening's gone, you know?" Harry tried to explain. "It probably wouldn't have worked at any other time, but his friends have all abandoned him, he's looking to get away from who his father wanted him to be, and I stepped in because after all the stuff from last year, I've realized that I don't want to waste my energy on having him as an enemy, and it everything just sort of…clicked."
"Are you saying it was fate?" Eloise asked, now intrigued. She was a big believer in fate. Her parents had become friends during one fateful detention. The three of them had become friends because of an understanding of potions that Harry wasn't supposed to have. And now her dream guy was owling her, but they only met because Roger's date happened to have a major crush on her date. She had always believed in fate, but her beliefs had really solidified because of the events of the previous year.
"Er…maybe?" Harry said without the slightest clue, but if it would gain Eloise's support, he'd go with it.
"Hmm…maybe you're right then. Who knows, maybe one day something really great will happen, all because of this random friendship," Eloise said with a little more enthusiasm.
Harry and Neville rolled their eyes and chuckled.
"Hey, you'll see," Eloise said matter-of-factly. "Fate works in strange ways."
"Especially in love, right?" Harry teased.
"Of course. Think about how fate let you meet and get close to Ginny," Eloise pointed out. Harry blushed.
"We're just…"
"Shut it, Harry, you're NOT just friends and you're messing up my point. Okay, onwards. If that troll hadn't gotten into the school first year, Ron and Hermione would never have gotten together. If that guy hadn't stood up my mum, my parents would never have gotten together. Fate is everywhere."
Harry put a shocked look on his face, as if he had just had an epiphany. "And if the world didn't turn the sun wouldn't come up and you would never have seen Roger and gotten a crush! Oh my God! Eloise, you're right! It's fate!" Harry exclaimed, standing up and throwing his hands toward the sky. "And because I've even met another human being, it must've been fate!"
"Oh shut it Harry," Eloise said with a playful glare, chucking a dirt clod at him.
"But seriously, Eloise, don't you think people have some choice in the matter? I mean, I probably would have ended up in Slytherin, but I chose to go to Gryffindor. Is that fate, or is that choice?" Harry asked.
"I agree with Harry, I think," said Neville thoughtfully. "I mean, you choose to fall in love with the people you do."
"Neville, Neville. Don't you know? If there's anything you can't control, it's love, otherwise, it would be far too boring."
Neville and Harry exchanged a look, knowing Eloise was on another one of her rants.
"Everyone would love the easiest person to love in their situation and there would be no lovely complications that bring about the greatest love stories of our times! If you had control over the matter, it wouldn't be love it would be…like picking out groceries or something."
"But doesn't who you are affect who you love? And you choose to be the way you are…" Harry interjected, but Eloise cut him off.
"You choose who you are to some extent, but if we were completely who we chose to be, then what is your excuse for Malfoy again?" she said with a smirk, knowing she had turned Harry's words against him.
Harry held up his hands with a chuckle. "I surrender."
"I don't know, Eloise, I mean, if people were fated to love certain people, then why wouldn't everyone just pair off easily. Why would some people get stuck loving a person who already loves someone else?" Neville asked. Harry noticed a slightly sad twinge to his voice, and wondered if he was speaking from personal experience.
"I never said fate was nice. I mean, you just kind of proved my point. Why would you choose to love someone who wouldn't love you in return? You don't. That's fate playing games with you. Of course, I also happen to believe in karma. I think if you're a good person, fate will treat you nicely, and even if it seems like it's dealing out a rotten deal, it'll all work out for the best in the end," Eloise said confidently. "We're all good people, so we don't have to worry. We'll all end up with very happy love lives."
Neville looked away sadly, as if he didn't believe what Eloise had just said. For Neville's sake, Harry hoped what Eloise was saying was true, because if he was right in his guess about who Neville fancied, fate was working in some strange ways.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: Oops, looks like I went a bit overboard with review responses, but oh well. I had a bad day and needed the distraction. A quick note: Voldie is indeed dead. That is your only clue. Please give me reviews! I'm in for a very bad week, which has unfortunately already begun. Please cheer me up with your wonderful reviews!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Wiccan PussyKat: Lol, I see you're trying to be a master sleuth here. Well Sherlock, I'll let you formulate your own opinions about stuff and either prove or disprove them with my chapters. But don't stop! I love it when fun reviewers like you play the guessing game. Lol, yeah, Ginny's clumsy, but so is Harry and so am I! Lol, I can't tell you how many things I've broken in my lifetime out of klutziness. I especially hate breaking other people's things because I feel so guilty. No worries, there will be enough Harry angst for you to fill a swimming pool with in this story. Hmm…swimming in angst, not sure that's such a good idea, but there you go. I am so sorry about your kitty! I have a dog who nearly died (the neighbor boy poisoned him because he was in a fight with my brother) and I know how sad it can be. I honestly have no idea how I managed the 186% error on my science lab. This would demonstrate the reason I am NOT going into science in college. Hopefully Harry's convo with Eloise and Neville cleared up why his friendship with Draco happened so fast. It's just one of those things, I guess. Harry doesn't mention it to Eloise and Neville, but think of how good it must be to finally have somebody who understands a bit of what he went through with his family. Same with Draco. Of course, Draco won't be accepted so easily by everyone else. Draco's so relieved to have an actual friend who he thinks of as an equal that he's latched on as well. Voila. The recipe for seemingly instant friendship, though if you look under the surface a bit, you'll realize that they spent a whole year getting to the point to where they could be friends, so maybe it's not so instant after all.
Leena7: I'm sorry about your aunt. I have been there before. I hope everything works out for her. Most of the stuff in the Order meetings will remain secret, though you can get the main gist from chapter 1 and what Draco tells Harry in this chapter. They're just trying to round up the last of the Death Eaters, though it seems they now are getting reorganized. The Dursleys will be discussed later, never fear!
Serpent of Light: I'm so glad you like how Harry and Draco's friendship is going and super glad you think everything's so realistic! Lol, yeah, it must be a relief for both of them to have someone who understands about crappy families. Sev would definitely be a good person for Harry to go to with problems except their relationship isn't exactly at that point. They are still both getting used to the idea of being something other than enemies, and Harry would not be very comfortable going to him with emotional problems. Of course, Harry doesn't go to anyone with his emotional problems, but I guess I'm saying Snape is not an exception, though perhaps for a different reason. Snape won't pity him. I don't know if I'm making sense, but you'll see a lot of this issue throughout the fic so hopefully everyone will start to get a grasp of what there relationship is like. Lol, you'll see what happens with the Dursleys all in good time. Lol, I've dreamed of being an author since kindergarten so I have thought of publishing something original, though none of my stories have ever made it passed the 10 page mark, besides Recnac and Flawed. You want to hear a weird coincidence though? When I was in the 5th grade, before ever hearing about Harry Potter, I started writing a story about a boy around the age of 12 that finds out he's a wizard and that a dark wizard's after him. Of course it was a bit different, but there were some big parallels with HP. I still think I might finish it one day and try to publish it, though the main idea might be too similar to HP.
Kellie: lol, oops? Okay, well Vernon's not a common name, but honestly, the kid in Love Actually is named Vernon and my brother's friend is called Vernon! All the signs were pointing to it! Lol, oh well, then Eloise is just a bizarre girl who randomly thought of Vernon. I'll try to eventually read your fic, but I'm so busy and have so many people asking me to read theirs that I just don't think I'll have time. Please don't be offended, I swear, I just don't have the time!
LadyAbbeyBartlet: lol, well, just as I ask my readers to trust me with decisions I make in my story, I trust that JK knows what she's doing, even if it is heartbreaking at times. I think there were light moments! I love the D.A. meetings and the stuff with Cho was just adorable! Harry got his first kiss! Plus, I love the thing with Snape and Grawp was just awesome. I loved how she started bringing out Ginny's character and is hinting at a future relationship between the two. At first, I didn't like the fact that Harry was being so snappy with his friends, and am still not sure I'm the biggest fan of that idea, but on the other hand, I'm relieved that she made him seem actually human! It made me able to relate to him more, you know? He's not perfect. He's an angsty teen with so much on his shoulders. I think she had so much angst in this story because she needs to show how Harry temporarily nearly drowns in all the burdens on his shoulders, but will learn how to deal with it and grow from it. Lol, of course, this is just me speculating, but this is what I do. Lol. I am glad you like my fic though and think it's balanced! Great compliment for me! Oh yes, and my favorite aspect of the 5th book: she brings out Neville's character more!! I love Neville! He's one of my favorite characters. I've always wanted to just go and give him a hug. I honestly think if I went to Hogwarts, he'd be the first one I'd befriend. Whew, okay, done with my rant on book five. I will make you see my way with the power thing, LAB, if it's the last thing I do! Muahahaha
bulldogchik05: wow, thank you for the awesome review! I did have fun reading! Lol, yeah, Sirius is trying to be all godfatherly, even though we'll see soon that he doesn't quite have it all down. He has a lot to learn, but hey, he's new at this! Yeah, Sirius knows a bit about Harry and Draco's former enemy status, though he of course was never exposed to the drama between them as Harry's friends have, making it easier for Sirius to accept the Slytherin than it will be for Harry's friends. Lol, what can I say? I was cooking grilled cheese and was inspired for a scene! Lol, you know you loved the cliffie. Otherwise, where would the excitement be? Thanks for the awesome review, by the way. Very helpful and enjoyable for me!
Also thanks to: Nation El-Diablo, dominy (No prob! You're on the list!), Lourdes1 (Italy?? I'm so jealous!! I've always wanted to go there! I hope you had fun!), toppy, obsessedw/hpbutitsok, Becca, Velith (I know! I can't believe that about the 4th movie. I was, and am, so mad! And for Merlin sakes, I hope you're wrong about Rowan Atkinson being Voldie, otherwise, I will give up all hope for the competence of the casting directors. You live in Ireland???? That is so cool! I'm so jealous! How do you like living there? I love Irish accents!), Helen, anjelictiger (lol, what would a story be without the cliffies! Have you ever heard the Garth Brooks song "I've got friends in low places"? It's sooo awesome! I'm glad you like Sev and Dray as goodies, b/c they're going to play a big part in this story.), Elvin-Godess-Riona, Liz, Terry (aww, I hope you're feeling better! Ooh, I've got style? Just like Dumbledore! I think my favorite quote in HP5 is "You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts…but you cannot deny he's got style…" (p.623 in US version) lol, I love it! My toe is indeed on its way to recovery, merci!), Laterose, EriEka127, anirtak, water drifter, shadowsfriend, Lindiel Eryn, Fairy, catiechan (lol, aww, now I'm blushing! Thank you! Lol, Sirius is a funny guy. He's not getting Harry a new broom right now, but we all know what a softie he is. That might not last too long.), shadowarwen (lol, glad to be able to motivate you!), Lauren, Eternally*Mine (lol, well it seems you've pegged Ron, though you'll see more of that tension later in the story. That song is so great! Ooh, good catch! Many seemed to miss that, thinking his scar was hurting. I congratulate you on picking up on it!), fantagal (you got your license? Um…congratulations! *makes sure airbags are working well* lol, my sis is getting her permit soon and my bro got his license last year. It is very frightening. Good luck with the test!), Jay-Jay, lyss33, Istalksiriusonweekends (lol, best username EVER!! I bow down to your wonderful username. It rocks!), rachegrint, alternativelyspliced (what's a story without some cliffies?), Kjkit, janessa, angel74 (lol, tell me about it. My chem teacher didn't find it as cool as I did though. Don't worry, plenty of bonding scenes between Harry and Draco. Hmm…not a vision, just a pain. I love being an evil author. It's just so fun to send people headed straight over cliffs. But on the other hand, so are you! I can't wait for your next chapter so update!), Phoenix Marauder, Musicstarlover, voxenking (lol, thank you! It's definitely okay for you to recommend my story! I'd be very honored. I'm all blushy now), honeyduck, jo0609, hoi456, Kate Potter, MissLilyStar (lol, I can't get enough of the Sirius vs. serious jokes lol. Voldie is definitely dead. That's all I'll say on that matter. I'm glad you like the H/D friendship. Yay for movie 3! Of course, in my mind, Sirius is a sex god, but then again, so are most HP characters. Ella Enchanted movie was not even close to the book. The book would kill the movie in a fight.), Kate (hey no worries! I appreciate your criticism of chapter 3. Without it, how would I ever become a better author? I'm so glad you liked the chapter! Lol, I've read Macbeth before, but this time it was Hamlet. Hamlet is much better, even if I did end up reading the entire play in one day so I could spend my time in the car working on this fic!), Wynjara, lilynjamesAAF, Siri Kat (lol, it seems that way doesn't it, but take a closer look at Recnac. Draco spends a whole year going through subtle, yet major changes. The events with his father at the end were really what changed him the most. He's still the old Draco in many ways, but he has also changed in big ways due to many changes in his life: family and old friends are gone, and whole ideas of his beliefs have changed.), mo, Fair-Faye-Kahlan, procrastinator-99, texasjeanette (I'm glad you've picked up on Harry's ability for communication with different people. I wish I knew how to know what to say like he seems to.), Von, michelle, Arctic Wolf2, athenakitty (lol, though Marge should be eaten alive by her dogs, she's not going to be in this story, though the Dursleys will be discussed later. Snape's surprised about Harry being able to connect with Draco because he was able to do it so quickly, while Snape's been trying to get through to him all summer. Plus, Harry was Draco's enemy while Snape was the blonde's godfather, yet Harry was the one to get through to him.), threetoedsloth (All I'll say is that Draco isn't going to be accepted as easily as he was by Harry for most), kamahpfan (ooh, those issues will come up big time in here, I'm glad you're looking forward to them. You'll just have to see my plans for all my characters as the story slowly unfolds), Wesley (yes I am an evil person who enjoys throwing cliffies out there and watching people walk straight into them, or off of them. Don't worry, there will definitely be much of Sev and Draco in this story), Rocky235 (lol, no poor Harry doesn't get much in the way of breaks from all the stuff he has to deal with, but that's what makes the story!), Agnes, Romm, GrimmyD, Shawn Picket, Earthmom (lol, yeah, I have a tendency of going through periods of updating regularly, on certain days and such, and then going through periods of very random updating. My max between updates is 2 weeks, but I'll update sooner if my reviewers motivate me to do so, or if I have the time, which I don't seem to have much of these days.), Dra, Not a Muggle, Crystal113, ParanoiaIn2005 (lol, I'm glad I caught you unaware! Lol, never fear, much H/D friendship stuff in Flawed. Trust me, I pretty much have everything in this fic planned out, except for perhaps a few scenes I may add in if I think of something.), Savoy Truffle, Fiery Ferret of Doom (you know what? I think you just characterized exactly what their relationship is right now, while I've been trying so hard to explain it to some people. You've got it completely pegged. Wow, you beat me in the horrible at science category! Impressive!), Molly Morrison, Tatshing, bast4 (why thank you! I try. I can't answer your questions, but don't worry, they will be answered), gizachick, SeparatriX (lol, as much as I love H/D slash, this fic won't be one. Maybe one day, but right now I really want to make this an H/G one. I really don't think there are enough good H/G fics out there, so I wanted to put this one out there. Angel74 has a great H/D fic though, if you don't mind a lot of angst. And there's one under my favorites that's awesome as well. But hey, I do delve into their relationship a lot, so you can just pretend it's slash!), biblios, David, kneh13, HG/HrRFan4ever (I love grilled cheese! Anyways, I loved Ella Enchanted the book, but the movie was so different and random that I didn't really like it. The book was so much better!), and HappiGoLucki616