Over the next month, Harry thought endlessly about Benton and her parents, but he had no idea what to say to her. He didn't really feel like going into all the gory details of his encounters with Voldemort, which he might have to do if he wanted to find out about Benton's fear of the color green. Harry was pretty sure that Benton was a Muggle, as he had never seen her do any magic, and Cecelia had almost said she was a Muggle on September 1st, so he didn't think she would know about the Aveda Kedavra curse, or Voldemort, or the Boy Who Lived. Harry also wanted to ask Benton about her feelings of isolation, but he didn't know how to put that feeling or question into words.
"Hey, P-Harry," said Malfoy, as they stood outside potions class on October 1st. He looked pained about something. "Benton's birthday is October 19th. I'm thinking…let's give her a party." Benton had been hanging around the Slytherin table at mealtimes, and she had been seen most everywhere with Draco Malfoy. Harry couldn't help being a little concerned.
"All right," said Harry slowly.
"You know, anyone who wants to can come…I'll ask Professor Snape if we can use some classroom one evening."
"Maybe we could ask Dumbledore to mention her at dinner."
"No, that'd be like inviting the whole school to her birthday party. I only want people who like her coming. And, anyway, no one else ever gets their birthday mentioned."
"Oh, yeah. I bet Dumbledore wouldn't want to show favoritism."
"Are you kidding? He does it all the time." Malfoy looked really angry for a moment. "I mean…."
"Nevermind it," said Harry firmly. "I'll tell Hermione and the others, shall I?"
"Yeah. And see if there's anyone else who wants to come. I'll ask around too…." Draco suddenly seemed embarrassed about something. He wandered off with a vague expression on his face, and they entered the classroom.
Harry sat down at a table at the very back with Ron and Hermione. Then Cecelia came in. Harry moved to make room for her, but she went to sit with Draco. Hermione noticed Harry's look of surprise.
"Remember, last year they were very close. I think they might even have been boyfriend and girlfriend."
"They were?"
"Oh, Harry, sometimes you are so dense."
"But, they're not boyfriend and girlfriend anymore, are they?"
"I don't know. Why?"
"Well, I had kind of thought…that Malfoy might be interested in Benton."
"What! Benton's just a little kid."
"She's thirteen."
"Malfoy's 17." Harry didn't see Hermione's point, but he decided not to pursue the subject any further.
"Listen, Malfoy wants to have a birthday party for Benton. It's on the 19th. You and Ron are invited."
"Malfoy invited us to something?" asked Ron, looking amazed.
"Only because we're friends with Benton."
Harry now noticed that the room was very quiet. Everyone was concentrating on their potions. Without another word, Harry turned to his own potion, Ron and Hermione following suit, and they didn't speak again for the rest of the class.
At dinner, on October 19th, Malfoy and Cecelia were seen passing out pieces of paper. Cecelia came over to the Gryffindor table, and gave pieces of paper to Neville, Ginny, Luna, Dean, Seamus, Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Then Draco came over. They whispered to eachother for a minute, and then Cecelia took a pile of the papers over to Benton, who was up at the teacher's table, talking to Dumbledore.
Harry looked at the paper. It was light lavender in color, and it was folded in half like a birthday card.
"Oh!" It almost was a birthday card; it was an invitation to a birthday party. "They've made formal invitations."
"Lavender is Cecelia's favorite color," said Hermione, wonderingly.
"So, we'll be going to Benton's party after dinner?" Ginny asked Ron.
"I guess so. I don't know why I'm invited, though."
"You're invited for the same reason we are," said Seamus.
"We were in her room on the first day," explained Dean, "To her, I suppose, that's enough to make us friends."
"Hello, Harry." Harry looked up in surprise. Cho Chang was standing behind him. "You're—having a party?"
"It isn't us. It's for—well, just have a look at the invitation, if you want." He handed her the invitation, and she took it. She opened it, and tried not to look upset.
"Benton!" she called, turning toward the teacher's table and dropping the invitation, letting it flutter to the floor, and she walked towards Benton, who walked towards her. Harry heard her ask Benton if she could come to her party. Benton very obviously said she could.
"I've heard that fear is the only enemy," said Harry, to whoever would listen, "But what about ignorance? I feel like there's so much I don't know. So much, I don't even know what questions to ask." Harry looked up and saw all his friends nodding agreement.
After dinner, the students began to file out of the Great Hall. A surprisingly large number of people were heading into a small chamber to the left of the Great Hall. It wasn't so much a party as a bunch of people milling around aimlessly. Harry saw Benton, and moved near her. Not knowing what to say, he stayed about 10 feet away from her. He watched her talking very amiably with each of the students in turn. She no longer had that vague look in her eyes. He watched Malfoy come up to her and talk to her like a brother. He realized that the relationship he had witnessed between them was like that of a brother and sister (maybe a brother and sister who had just found eachother, because Ron and Ginny didn't often act like that).
"Hi, Harry," said Benton, looking nervously happy. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't seen her coming.
"Harry. Remember when I said that sometimes I feel disconnected from the world?" Harry nodded. "Well—" Benton looked over at Malfoy. "I don't feel like that anymore. Ever! Ever since I've been hanging around Draco … I've felt more alive, for lack of a better way to put it." Benton looked at Harry and saw that he had the same vague look she had often had. "What's wrong, Harry?" Harry looked into Benton's eyes, and felt disconnected from the world. He forced himself to speak, to say anything.
"Green." Benton's happiness faltered.
"What?"
"Green," said Harry, gathering his strength, "You fear the color green." Benton looked like she might cry.
"Yeah?" Harry thought of all he would have to say, so that Benton would have any idea what was going on. He couldn't, not now, not at her birthday party. When in doubt, go to the library. That was how Cecelia had found out about Harry's strange past last year. She had read only about 100 books in the library.
"Library," said Harry, "Tomorrow. Morning. I'll wake you." And he stalked away, unwilling to pollute Benton's happy day anymore than he already had, yet unable to get into the right mood for a party. Harry walked up to his dormitory, his head clouded with something completely unlike thoughts.
Ron wasn't in the common room, which was a bit of a relief to Harry. He couldn't think right now. He didn't even feel sentient. But he was conscious enough to realize that, when Ron wasn't in the dormitory either, he was at Benton's birthday party, along with the other Gryffindor boys. Ah, to feel, and laugh, and play.
