A/N: Hi everyone! New illustration alert. To view: www.snapfish.com, User: HPFanFicPicsyahoo.com, Pword: greatdivide. Next entry might be a little while...gotta do some research. Thanks for the great feedback, and enjoy!

Chapter Eight

Harry arrived in the Great Hall, quickly scanned for Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, and flung his bags onto the bench in a high dudgeon.

"Oi!" shouted Ginny, "Mind where you chuck that, will you?"

"Sorry," Harry grumbled, "Snape."

"Ah," she said sympathetically, "Say no more. These two aren't much better."

Hermione was wolfing down food across the table from them. Ron was angrily jabbing at his sausage and stealing ugly glances at her.

"Err...you know, we have time, Hermione...or are you off to the library already?" Harry asked, eyeing the food rapidly disappearing from her plate.

"You have time," she said, after a particularly painful swallow, "No lunch for me this year."

"What d'you call this, then?" Ron said sarcastically.

"See you in Defense," Hermione said coldly, staring at him much like Professor McGonagall.

"Oi! Where are you off to then? Just going to storm off in a huff, like usual?"

"Taking extra electives this year, aren't I? I'm going to Ancient Runes now, then NEWT level History of Magic" she said to Ron, as though this were painfully obvious. He turned back to his plate, scowling, and took a large bite of mashed potatoes.

"McGonagall told me I'd have to give up my lunch period, but it's fine," Hermione explained, "I can eat between classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Professor Demwick told me I could eat in Muggle Studies, so that's alright."

"Don't you think you might be pushing it a bit?" Harry asked, giving Ron a meaningful look. Unless she had changed greatly since third year, Hermione had a tendency to "overmanage" her time, and she got particularly stressed when she and Ron were rowing...

"Don't worry about me," she said, "Ron – I thought we should go over the Potions lesson tonight."

"But—" Ron stammered angrily.

"Do you want to make Auror or not?" she snapped, "Seven o clock? Common room?"

"But—!"

"Fine. See you in Defense!" and she flounced out of the room.

"She sure is...efficient," Ginny remarked, diplomatically.

"Oh, perfect. Don't look now," Ron said, turning red, for Luna Lovegood was walking over, with Neville and Ernie MacMillan in tow.

"Hello!" Luna said dreamily, "Sounds like you were fighting again. Everything okay?"

"Fine," Ron said through his teeth.

"You should buy her some flowers," Luna said thoughtfully, "A nice bouquet of honking daffodils, maybe."

"Exactly why are you here?" Ron said, trying hard to sound as though he were merely curious and not thoroughly annoyed.

"Well, we thought we might sit with you," Luna said, sitting down.

"Yes," Ernie intoned, nodding seriously as he stood a bit taller, "Striving for a little inter-house unity. Sets an example for the first years, especially on the first day." Harry was strongly reminded of Percy.

Ginny smirked. "If you're striving for unity, you'll notice we're all sitting?"

Caught preaching, Ernie abruptly abdicated the floor and plunked himself down.

"Hullo, Harry," Neville said smiling shyly.

Harry smiled back, "Alright, Neville?" He was struck by the unusual bond they now shared, now that Neville was his Secret Keeper.

He shrugged happily, "No more Potions! So it's the best first day I've ever had, I guess!"

"Hear, hear!" Ron said darkly, "Wish I could say the same."

Harry's expression darkened a bit, as he remembered his first day so far...Binns singling him out...he [I]had[/I] to bring up Sirius...

"Oh, go on, Harry," Ginny said bumping his shoulder, "Couldn't've been that bad – it's only Snape, after all."

"Hmm? Yeah. Git," but his heart wasn't in it. Ginny seemed about to ask him what was bothering him, but Ron gave her a warning look, and she dug into her peas instead.

"So," Ernie said, putting his arm over Luna's shoulders to lean across the table conspiratorially, (at which Neville dropped his spoon, attempted to retrieve it, and knocked his pumpkin juice all over the table), "When are we starting up?"

Harry had automatically lifted his plate like the rest of them, and was now creating a dam with his napkin. "Starting up?"

"You know," Ernie said, flashing his eyebrows, and winking while nodding knowingly.

"Ernie," said Ron, "Unless you're having a stroke, do tell us in plain English what you are talking about?"

Seeming quite put out, Ernie dropped his airs, reached into his pocket, and slapped a gold Galleon on the table.

Harry's breath caught in his chest – he hadn't even thought about the D.A. since he'd gotten there. He looked to Ron, and was horrified to find that Ron, and all the rest of them, were looking at him with carefully disguised eagerness.

"Are...Are you [I]serious,[/I] Ernie?" Harry whispered quietly, "We're through."

"Through?" he said, scowling.

"[I]Yes![/I]" Harry said in a strong whisper, "Through! You weren't there, you don't know what it was like, alright? I'm not putting you or anyone else in danger again."

"The Headmaster has confirmed for us," Ernie said, some of his swagger returning, "that we [I]are[/I] in danger."

"We still need you, Harry," Ginny said.

"No you don't!" Harry said, "We've got Lupin now! We're going to see him right after Divination!"

"Well, even if we are!" Ginny said, "It's going to be pitiful! We haven't had a real Defense course since he was here three years ago, and he knows it! We'll be covering basics again, no doubt! We won't even cover Patronuses until seventh year!"

Harry was horrified to see them all nodding sternly.

"Ginny's got a point, Harry," Ron said, earning another scowl from Harry, "Besides, he can't even teach us all of the jinxes – they're not part of the curriculum. You remember third year - I don't exactly think Hinkypunks are what we need to be focusing on right now."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Luna said, arching her eyebrows, "The Ministry is conducting illegal cross-breeding experiments between Hinkypunks and Red Caps...They're going to amass an army and—"

"[I]Anyway,[/I]" Harry interrupted, "Don't you think Lupin will have thought of this? I'm sure he's going to tell us exactly what to do." None of them looked very satisfied by this, so Harry went on, "And it doesn't matter anyway, because I'm not doing it! So if you still want to risk your necks, find somebody else. Because I just can't do it anymore!" and Harry realized with horror that a lump was returning to his throat, "I can't watch any more of my friends die because I did something stupid!"

There was a pregnant pause at the table.

"Oh!" Luna said suddenly, as though she'd just solved a particularly difficult crossword answer, "This is about Sirius, then?"

The pause seemed to intensify. Ron and Ginny, knowing a violent outburst was imminent were subtly recoiling in their seats, while Neville had gone white.

In a surprise move, however, Luna reached across the table, took Harry's hand, and turned it palm up. She placed her long fingers in his, and seemed to think for a moment before speaking.

"Harry," she said softly, "It's time for you to stop now."

Harry felt like his head was going to explode. "Stop what, exactly?" he hissed, gritting his jaw to stop the welling of his eyes, "Stop [I]caring[/I]? Stop trying to [I]protect[/I] the people I care about? Sirius is [I]GONE[/I] Luna – and while that might not mean anything to you—"

"He's not gone, Harry," she said, and something about her voice made his anger dissipate slightly, or maybe it was the way she was resting her hand casually in his, "You remember...the voices behind the veil. He's still there, Harry. He's still Sirius. He's just somewhere else for the time being."

Everyone tried not to look at each other as Luna continued to stare calmly at Harry, who was now mortified to have gotten so emotional. He wished somebody would just change the subject.

"It's like the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, Harry," she said simply, and Harry heard Ron groan quietly, "It digs itself into the carcass of a heliopath each winter to hibernate, and then claws its way free in the Spring. You're missing Sirius, Harry, but instead of just letting it dig out, you're holding it in, and that's what's clawing in your rib cage. If you just let it out, it'll do a lot less damage to your insides."

"Ew!" interjected Ron, and Ginny kicked him under the table. "Come on," Ron retorted, "That was revolting. Listen Harry, nothing's clawing at your insides. It was [I]rude[/I]" Ron said pointedly, "To...to bring it all up like that."

But in spite of himself, Harry was actually feeling a little bit better. It rather irked him, to be honest – what right did she have to make him feel better about Sirius? "I'm [I]supposed[/I] to be miserable," Harry reminded himself sternly, but the way Luna gave him a knowing smile, and the way Neville had surreptitiously slipped his hand into his robes pocket and was smoothing a Droobles wrapper with his thumb made Harry feel a bit better.

"We just wanted to know what to expect with the D.A. and all," Ernie continued, sounding quite human, "But if you think it's a bad idea, we'll...just have to think about it some more," he finished definitively, standing up, "Well, I think I better get back to the Hufflepuff table. You know, Prefect and all...got to make sure the first years make it to class."

Indeed, everyone seemed to be standing and repacking their schoolbooks. Harry reflected that Ron and Hermione didn't need to make sure the new Gryffindors got to class, but he wasn't about to call Ernie MacMillan back over to tell him so. Just as Harry was standing, Katie Bell, Jack Sloper, and Andrew Kirke came hurrying over.

"Ah, good!" said Katie, "Glad we finally cornered you!"

"Errr," said Harry, "If you're wondering about Team Captain, I—"

"Don't be ridiculous," Katie said, waving her hand dismissively, "It's you. We just wanted to know when practice was."

"Well, I don't know if I—"

"Harry – it's you," Ron said smiling, and Sloper and Kirke nodded eagerly, "No question."

"Only question is," Ginny said, elbowing him, "Am I still on the team?"

"Of course," Harry said, smiling.

"Us too?" Jack said, as he and Andrew muscled forward. Harry paused awkwardly. Ginny was a replacement player last year and he had just promised her she could return, without even seeing her fly...now he would be forced to take Sloper and Kirke, just to be fair. Katie was giving him a warning look, but he smiled, and said, "Of course. I'll...uh, talk to Madame Hooch about booking the Quidditch field, and I'll get a slip signed from McGonagall in Transfiguration tomorrow. When [I]are[/I] Quidditch tryouts anyway?" Harry asked Katie.

"Don't ask me," Katie said, clearly annoyed about Sloper and Kirke, "You're the Captain."

"Heh...Right. Well, I'll post it on the common board, then!" Harry said, trying to sound official to combat the small burst of panic he felt, "Better get to class."

"Neville," said Luna dreamily, "Walk me to class?"

"Don't you know your way by now?" Ginny said dryly.

"Afraid not. This place has a funny way of looping around itself..."

"So do you," Ginny muttered under her breath, and Ron snorted as he shouldered his bookbag.