For a couple of weeks, Harry's life seemed to be going well. Harry's past was unhappy and his future looked as bleak as ever, but for the present, he was happy. Unfortunately, happiness for anyone is only a temporary thing and this was especially true for Harry. His happiness was short-lived.
Within two weeks of Luna's crying in front of Harry, things started to go sour.
First, was Quiditch. With only a week left until the game, one of the Chasers broke his wrist during practice. Then the two Beaters (idiots that they were) collided with each other and didn't come out in very good shape. They lost the game against Ravenclaw.
Next, Professor McGonagall gave the class a pop quiz. They'd walked in to find the test parchments waiting on their desks. Harry (as well as nearly everybody else) failed. It didn't help that it wasn't even really McGonagall, for some reason or other she wasn't there that day and Snape was subbing for her.
Hermione confronted Muriel at the most recent D.A. meeting to accuse her of not properly doing her job. Hermione had said that Muriel hadn't brought in any substantial Death Eater rooms since she'd been forced to join. Muriel's angry reply had been that there was nothing to report. After all, she was just a first year, the snotty 6th years (Harry and his friends had been particularly hoping to discover something about Malfoy) didn't talk to lowly first years such as herself. Hermione had then accused her of not trying hard enough. It was only just barely that Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Marcus together had managed to prevent a duel from starting between the two girls then and there and allow everyone to getting back to learning about the tripping jinx.
Just about the only thing that was going right were Harry's Legilimency lessons (and his Occlumency lessons), but even those weren't enough to calm his nerves, which were already stretched to the breaking point. Harry found himself on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Days were endless and nights were restless. He found himself lying awake, pondering the day's events and wondering what would come of tomorrow. Where was Voldemort? What was he doing? What was the Order doing to stop him? What had his parents written in their journals that they didn't want their son to see? All these thoughts tumbled through Harry's edgy mind, as he tossed and turned.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Harry had just come into the common room from another Legilimency lesson. He saw Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Parvati, Colin, Dennis, and Marcus huddled together talking to one another. Harry walked nearer, quietly so as not to be heard. He wondered what they were all talking about that they looked so worried. He listened.
"I've noticed it too, Hermione. He's really strained. I think you're right. WE've got to find some way to help," said Neville.
"But what are we going to do? If he realizes we're trying to help, he'll just pull away from us," said Colin.
Harry had a pretty good idea about just who they were discussing and why he had been so carefully excluded from the conversation. Harry watched them talk and noticed that Ginny was sitting between Neville and Colin. He wasn't sure when it happened but seeing Ginny and Colin sitting there he realized that Colin wasn't an annoying little second year anymore than Ginny was just Ron's baby sister. If they were talking about who Harry was sure they were talking about, then Colin was rather insightful. Gosh, it seemed like only yesterday he was running up to Harry in the corridor saying, "Hiya, Harry!" But Colin wasn't the same anymore. Harry tried not to grin when he noticed that Colin kept glancing at Ginny. The two of them might have made a cute couple if Ginny wasn't already dating Neville.
Hermione sighed, "You're right about that, Colin. But we've got to do I something /I He's killing himself."
"Where is he" asked Lavender. Her back was toward Harry and he remained unnoticed. He was only standing a few feet behind her.
Hermione replied easily, "Tutoring."
"What subject? My grades could use some work."
"Oh, he's not tutoring someone, someone else is tutoring him. You don't take that class."
"Oh. Well why aren't you the one helping him study? You're the smartest person in our year. Top marks."
Hermione grimaced-Luna being able to help Harry when she herself couldn't was still something of a sore spot-but Ginny quickly responded, "The person tutoring him isn't in your year, Lavender. He had to go for outside help." She leaned closer to Lavender and Parvati and added in a confidential whisper, "It's a Ravenclaw."
Lavender and Parvati nodded sympathetically thinking it must be hard for Hermione to have to admit that somebody else was smarter and able to help when she couldn't.
Harry had to admire Ginny and Hermione's word skill. They'd made it sound as though Harry was being tutored by an older student and they hadn't actually lied once. Luna wasn't in their grade, she was a Ravenclaw, and Lavender wasn't taking Occlumency.
Ron spoke, "He'll be back anytime now."
"You're right, we better-Harry!" Hermione suddenly noticed him.
"Oh, hi, Hermione. I just got here. What's everybody talking about? You're all huddled together like it's a secret meeting or something. Anything I should know?"
"Of course not," said Hermione. "We were, er-"
"We were just talking about the D.A. Wondering why You-Know-Who has been so quiet," said Neville, helpfully.
Harry saw Hermione give Neville a tiny smile of gratitude, but Harry ignored it. "Yeah. Really quiet. Probably planning something. Deadly." With those ominous words, Harry left the rest of them.