Disclaimer: I own nothing. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters, settings, etc. Except for any I make up, but you get the idea....

Chapter Eleven

Harry and Ron (who was still trying to piece together what happened) landed in the stands and left their brooms in Neville's care. Together, they carried Hermione to the hospital wing, flanked by a crowd of professors and Gryffindors.

"What's wrong – oh, my word!" Madam Pomfrey flung open the double doors into the infirmary and directed Harry and Ron to a bed so they could lay Hermione down. It then took Pomfrey a quarter of an hour to get all of the bystanders out into the hall and the hospital wing locked up. Dumbledore insisted on placing a silencing charm on the walls as well.

"– and her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she was shaking," Harry was trying to explain what happened to Hermione to the panicky mediwitch.

She abruptly drew away from Hermione, "Sounds like a seizure."

"And then she passed out?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes. She should be fine, but I must ask – has this ever happened before?" Madam Pomfrey inquired, looking to Harry and Ron.

"No," they said, shaking their hands.

"Unusual...." Madam Pomfrey trailed off, "Well, I must ask that you all leave my infirmary. This young lady needs an examination and some rest! She'll be back in classes with the others on Monday."

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"That is unusual," Tonks concluded.

Harry and Ron had immediately gone to her room, where she had locked herself in to work on stuff for the Order, to tell her what had happened at the quidditch game and to Hermione.

"I'm sure she'll be all right," Tonks assured, returning to her mound of leather bound books.

"We decoded some more of Malfoy's stuff the other night," Harry informed her, "It's still in the Room of Requirement."

"Have you noticed anything important so far?" Tonks asked, eagerly scooting to the edge of her chair.

"Yeah," Harry said uncomfortably, "Hermione thought – thinks! – Hermione thinks that I should ask you what a Natural is."

"A Natural?" Tonks repeated dubiously, "I don't think I've ever heard of that before. Why?"

"That's what Harry is evidently," Ron said.

"Lucius wrote in his journal that Voldemort shouldn't try to kill me because I'm a Natural," Harry elaborated.

"Uh-huh," Tonks responded, chewing her bottom lip, "I'll see if Dumbledore knows."

"Okay, but don't make it into a big deal," Harry pleaded.

"Now, we really need to discuss Monday's class," Tonks said, "Ron – would you

mind —."

"You want me to leave?"Ron asked.

"Please."

Ron grumbled under his breath but headed for the door nonetheless.

"Bye, love!" Tonks called.

Ron's head snapped around, his face flaming, "er...bye to you too."

Once the door was safely shut, Harry shook his head authoritively, "Shame, shame..."

"Yes, I know," Tonks retorted, "I'm a horrible person. I deserve to be — ."

"Dunked in a vat of peanut butter?" Harry offered.

"Enough with the peanut butter!" Tonks snapped, the corners of her mouth twitching.

Harry threw his hands up in surrender.

"I need you to teach your class on Monday," Tonks said, handing Harry a folder of notes.

"But, I'm not any good at – ."

"Harry, shut up," Tonks interjected, "You are a better teacher than you may think you are. Now, these notes are only if you can't think of anything to teach on, but I'm sure you can come up with something creative."

Harry glared at Tonks, "And where will you be?"

"I have some Auror business I must attend to," Tonks replied loftily.

The fireplace in Tonks's room began to crackle and the flames turned a vivid green. Dumbledore's head soon appeared, floating about in the fire.

"May I speak to Harry for a moment, Tonks?"

"Certainly," Tonks gestured for Harry to come closer to the grate.

"Yes, Professor?"

Dumbledore seemed solemn like he was bearing heavy news, which was making Harry anxious, "Is anything wrong, Professor?"

"No, Harry, but I understand that you received a letter this morning from the Ministry requesting you to attend another Wizengamot trial?"

"Yes, sir."

"The minister and I have discussed your summons and have decided it would not be necessary for you to attend this particular trial," Dumbledore said carefully.

"And why not?" Harry replied heatedly.

Dumbledore sighed, "If you must know, the Aurors happened to capture the traitor, Peter Pettigrew, and due to the situation, I believe that it would be advisable that you do not attend. You may, of course, review the case beforehand and place a vote, but it is not necessary that you be at the actual trial."

"You got him!" Harry clamored closer to the fire, "They caught him? Has he confessed? What will they do with him! I want to go!"

"Harry — ."

"In fact, I demand to go!"

Dumbledore eyed Harry warily, "I'm afraid that I cannot permit that. Although you have the right to attend as a member of the Wizengamot, I'm afraid that my power as your headmaster supercedes that right. I need to return to some business now, Harry. Thank-you, Tonks, for allowing me to interrupt."

And before Harry could argue, Dumbledore's head disappeared from the fire.

Harry was angry. It would be his chance to pull the truth out of his father and godfather's traitor, to make him known for the rat that he was, to know the pleasure of seeing the dementors cart him off to life imprisonment in Azkaban. But Dumbledore wasn't going to let him go because he thought Harry would throw a fit at the trial. Harry was disgusted with Dumbledore's logic, and his disgust fed his fury.

"Um...Harry," Tonks said fearfully.

"What?" Harry sneered.

"I - I think you broke my vase."

Harry looked at the floor around him. There were shards of the vase that normally sat on Tonks's fireplace mantle scattered around him.

"Sorry about that," Harry mumbled, "Little angry, I guess."

"Harry, don't be angry with Dumbledore for not letting you go. It's for the best really. And it's not just because it's you."

"Easy for you to say," Harry spat.

"Yes, it is because it's the truth. All of the Order members have been restricted in what they can be involved in. Remus hasn't been allowed to see Pettigrew either, even though other Order members have. Dumbledore doesn't want him to do anything rash. Last year, I was detained from a mission because an enemy of mine was involved. Dumbledore does it for the best. Ever wander why Snape has never been given the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? It's because Dumbledore doesn't want him to become 'addicted' to the practice of dark arts again."

Harry looked defiantly away.

"Listen to me, Harry," Tonks stood up and walked over to lay a hand on his shoulder, "You are a very strong wizard. Your presence has the same effect on some people as Dumbledore's or Snape's. And you're a wonderful person. But you will be even stronger and more wonderful and more dominating if you learn when to control your temper and what is the best way to go about all situations. Being rash is very dangerous. And you and I both know that if you had the chance to be in the same room as Pettigrew today, you would try to kill him and you wouldn't be able to refrain yourself. So, Dumbledore is helping you to refrain yourself by not attending. You can still place your vote to have him executed or imprisoned or whatnot. You can do your bit."

"Yeah," Harry heaved a sigh, "You're right."

Tonks smiled, "I know, isn't it great?"

Harry laughed half-heartedly, "I'll go start working on Monday's lesson. I promise they'll learn something productive."

"And if not productive, something entertaining at least?" Tonks called as Harry left her room.

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It was very odd. Very odd. It was midnight, and not one fifth-year boy had returned to the common room or could be found in the dormitory. Suspicious, Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map to locate them. Dean and Neville were down in the kitchens, and according to the map – Ron and Seamus were hanging outside the window. Harry leaned out the window, craning his neck to the right and the left. He heard a whistle above him. Looking up, he saw Ron and Seamus hovering over a window to the far right – the girl's dormitory. Cursing under his breath, Harry threw on a heavy cloak and grabbed his Firebolt to join them.

"What do you think you're doing?" Harry asked as he flew out to them.

"SHHHH!" Ron and Seamus swatted at them.

Ron inched his broom closer to Harry, "The girls are having a slumber party," he said, ecstatic.

"Is that supposed to explain why you're out here in the freezing cold, fawning over their window?"

"Evidently, Hermione has never let them have one in peace, so their doing it tonight while she's in the hospital wing!"

Ron extracted three pairs of Extendable Ears from his pocket and handed one to each Harry and Seamus, "Make mental notes. Everything goes on the board."

Seamus gratefully accepted one, cramming it into his ear and listening intently. Harry snatched his from Ron's hand and tried to muster his best reproachful look. He thought it was horrible that Ron could be so involved with the other girls while Hermione was lying in the hospital after an unexplainable seizure. However, the girls' conversation soon distracted him.

"– yeah, but I hate it when she makes her hair pink. The purple can be cute, but the pink is too bubblegummy," Parvati said.

"You know who has it bad for Professor Tonks?" giggled Lavender.

"Who?"asked Ginny (Harry was rather taken aback that Ginny would be involved in this ridiculous powwow.)

"Ron Weasley."

Ron nearly fell of his broom. He grabbed a gargoyle for support, whimpering. Seamus raised his eyebrows, as if asking if it was true. Ron shook his head furiously and whispered, "I prefer blondes."

This apparently okayed it with Seamus, who nodded in agreement, "Me too, mate."

"Hear that Parvati? Ron Weasley seems to like a girl like Tonks. Maybe you should learn to morph your facial features."

There was a round of giggles. Ron was now helplessly clinging to the gargoyle.

"What kind of girl do you think Harry Potter goes for?" asked a girl who's voice Harry couldn't make out.

Ron and Seamus gave Harry questioning looks.

"Ooh," one of the girls cooed, "that's a hard one."

"Well, he and Cho had a thing for a while," Lavender said, "But that ended pretty nasty, and from what I hear, he broke up with her."

Harry rolled his eyes. Girls were worthless.

"I bet he likes girls that can duel," Parvati whispered conspiratorially.

"What do you think, Ginny? You're around him a lot."

There was silence, and Harry was trying his best to mentally keep Ginny from saying anything.

"I wouldn't know really," Ginny said quietly, "It's Harry. He doesn't really share stuff like that."

"What does he talk about?"

Harry could hear Ginny stammering a bit.

"School and you know, about other pressing things — ."

One of the girls sighed, "She means about Death Eaters and mortal peril."

They was a round of collective sighs. Ron's body was racking with laughter, and Seamus was pretending to faint at the sight of Harry. Harry knocked Ron's broom with the end of the Firebolt, and for a brief moment Ron dangled dangerously from his gargoyle.

"I'm going to kill your sister," Harry mouthed.

"He saved me from a basilisk once, you know," Ginny said excitedly, gathering confidence from the other girls' rapt attention, "Killed it with a sword."

More sighing and groaning. Harry couldn't listen to much more.

"Call me if they collect their wits about them," Harry muttered, turning his Firebolt to fly off.

Ron grabbed onto his cloak though, "I'm sure it'll be over soon. Stay."

Harry scowled but inched against the building again, angrily jamming the Extendable Ear back into his ear just in time to hear —

"Hermione!"

"Hey guys," Hermione's voice said wearily.

"I thought you were in the hospital wing," Parvati said, obviously disappointed to see her.

"Missed you too," Hermione grumbled, "Listen guys, I'm really sorry, but I desperately need sleep, so if you could carry on in the fifth year dorms —."

"We're quite comfy here, thanks."

"Are you feeling better, Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, thanks, Gin. Although, it's a bit hot in here, don't you think? We usually keep a window open — ."

"You usually keep a window open," Lavender corrected, "If you wouldn't wear that huge dressing gown then you wouldn't get so hot — ."

"I prefer not to traipse around half clothed," Hermione retorted.

Her voice was getting progressively louder Harry noticed.

"Crap," Ron muttered, "She's walking to the window."

Seamus's eyes grew fearfully.

"She won't see us," Ron said, trying to convince himself more than the other two.

"So, Hermione," one of the girls said, "we were just talking about Harry."

Hermione grunted.

"You know, about what kind of girl he'd like. What's your opinion?"

"That'd Harry stupefy the lot of you if he ever knew you were discussing that."

"Good girl," Harry whispered, beaming with pride.

They could hear her fiddling with the window latch.

"Oh, come on," Parvati pressed, "It's innocent chit-chat. You must have some idea — ."

The window swung open, and not four feet below them they could see Hermione stick her head out the window, breathing in the night air. Then she looked to the roof below her, frowning. Harry anxiously looked around and realized that their shadows were dancing against the lower roof. Ron and Seamus had noticed too because neither was daring to breathe.

"I mean," Parvati continued, "Does he like sweet girls or sarcastic girls or — ."

Inevitably, Hermione looked above her, taking in Harry, Ron, and Seamus stock still on their brooms, cloaks billowing about them, their Extendable Ears swinging in the cold night wind. They could see her roll her eyes, which were glinting treacherously.

"Well," Hermione drawled, as if beginning a juicy story, "maybe Harry does have some standards."

She pulled her body back into the room.

"No, no, no, no, no," Harry grumbled softly.

"He likes a girl that's persistent. If you like him, you just go up to him and tell him, and then never leave him alone. He loves that."

Harry could almost hear the dangerous smile in Hermione's voice.

"Seriously?" one of the girls asked dubiously.

"Yeah," Hermione said, "Harry's a little quirky like that. But I mean, what do you expect? He's been fighting dark wizards since his first year. That makes a guy a little more mysterious and mature, you know."

There were murmurs of agreement.

"You -- mysterious and mature?" Ron repeated, baffled.

Harry kicked the wall in frustration, forgetting he was in his socked feet.

"Have you ever seen him fight a dark wizard?" Lavender asked excitedly.

"Of course," Hermione answered, amiably, "He's fearless — ."

Harry bit down hard on his lip.

"— he'll taunt them for a bit, figure out what they want with him, then he'll just start attacking, an endless volley of advanced spells — ."

"I swear...." Harry growled through clenched teeth.

Ron cast him a deeply sympathetic look. Seamus, however, was staring in amazement, "Is that true?" he croaked.

"No!" Harry snapped.

Seamus recoiled in fright.

"I wish I could see him duel...." a girl moaned.

"Oh, it's amazing," Hermione said, the mockery dripping from her voice, "although it's kind of hard to tell what's going on you know. He's dodging spells and rolling out of the way so fast."

There was a chorus of "ohs."

Harry was a deep shade of scarlet and trembling from rage.

"So..." Parvati approached her question carefully, "he doesn't have a new...crush, does he?"

"Oh," Hermione replied cautiously, "I - I don't know if I should tell you who it is...."

"You mean, there is someone?" a girl prompted.

"It's all right, 'Mione, you can tell us," Parvati said, soothingly, "It's not like we're going to let Harry know. That'd be silly of us."

"Well," Hermione sighed in mock defeat, "all right — ."

Harry shook his fists at the window below him, "I ought to go in there and — ."

Ron covered his mouth, "Shh...I want to hear...."

Harry snapped his head around to face Ron, intensifying his glare, "Finish that sentence," he challenged.

Hermione continued speaking, "Now you have to promise not to tell — ."

"We promise!"

"– but he has this mad crush on...you, Lavender."

There was an earth shaking squeal and then lots of squeals and finally a coherent, "Oh my! OH MY! IT'S ME!"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Harry confirmed his own earlier suspicion that girls were worthless.

"The surprise is nothing compared to Ron's crush though," Hermione continued, evily.

Ron was applying so much angry pressure to the gargoyle that Harry was sure he'd rip its head off.

"Do tell!" Parvati shrieked.

"Do tell!" Ron mimicked wrathfully in a high-pitched voice.

"Eloise Midgen," Hermione disclosed.

Harry and Seamus had to grab Ron around the middle and hold him and his broom against the wall to keep him from hurtling into the girls' dormitory.

"I would never had guessed," Lavender said as if it was a shame.

Ron's broom made a sudden lurch and broke free of Harry and Seamus's grasp. Harry tried to block Ron from going down, but in his anger Ron tried to swerve around Harry and ran into Seamus, who grabbed him by the ankle. He held Ron just long enough for Harry to barrel into his midriff and get a good hold on his cloak. But no one, no one accused Ron of liking Eloise Midgen, and Ron wriggled out of their hold and made a dive, which Harry and Seamus pursued. A miscalculated swerve of Seamus's broom, and Ron, Harry, and he were tangled in a mass. They tried to rip free but in their attempt noisily rammed into the side of the tower as they fell downward. The noise aroused the girls who ran to the window. After spinning in a collective ball, angrily pounding against each other, the boys fell in a heap on the lower roof.

"Quick, pull your hoods up," Harry ordered.

They stood, brushing themselves off and inspecting their brooms, their black hoods pulled tight around them.

"Death Eaters! DEATH EATERS!" were the screams from the girls' room.

Harry could hear the pounding of feet and more screams of, "Get Harry! HARRY, HELP! THE DEATH EATERS!"

Then they vanished, and Ron, Harry, and Seamus looked up to the window from where they stood, bruised and cold on the roof. Hermione and Ginny were hanging out the window, waving fervently.

"G'night, boys!" Hermione called, blowing a kiss.

"Don't stay up too long!" Ginny added, winking.

"Oh, and Harry," Hermione simpered, "would you get rid of the Death Eaters before the girls get back? Thanks!"

"They die in their sleep!" Ron roared, waving his broom above him threateningly.

They returned to their dormitory to find Dean and Neville eating on a pile of food they brought back from the kitchens.

"Er, hey..." Dean said as they flew in the window.

"Don't ask," Harry said, shoving his Extendable Ears back at Ron.

"Um, Harry," Neville said nervously, "why did Lavender just run in here yelling for you and saying she was being attacked by Death Eaters?"

"Hermione," Harry, Ron, and Seamus bellowed, throwing themselves on their beds and ripping the curtains closed.

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Hermione dragged Harry and Ron to the Room of Requirement on Sunday morning.

"Can't believe how much time we lost while I was in the hospital wing...."

It didn't seem to occur to her that they might be a little peeved after the previous night. She bustled into their study, talking as she straightened some papers and lit a fire. Then quite abruptly, she sighed and turned to them, "You're not still mad about last night, are you?"

"Well, I don't know," Harry said, "Perhaps you should ask Lavender...she's been with me constantly since you revealed my harbored love for her."

"I haven't had time to reflect on my feelings," Ron commented, "Eloise Midgen waits for no man."

"It's your own fault for hovering outside our window, really," Hermione said, exasperated.

Harry, still repeating Tonks's words from the day before in his head, calmly suggested they forget about it and move on with their decoding for the Order. Hermione and Ron gazed at him, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, I guess we should ---," Ron finally conceded.

"But first," Harry interrupted, "I want to ask you, Hermione, what happened yesterday."

"Yes, I need to tell you about that...."

They all took seats next to the fire, the boys hanging on Hermione's every word.

"Nothing happened before the seizure or whatever it was. They don't really know. I think that's the only thing they can relate it to really. I just started shaking, and there were pinpoints of bright light in my eyes, and my head hurt. But...something very interesting happened while I was out."

"What?" Ron asked.

"It was like a dream, I guess. And that may have been all that it was, but..."

"You can tell us," Harry reassured.

"I know. Um, well it was like I was swimming in this powerful...dense water...and I saw Bellatrix Lestrange's face for a moment, and then it just got dark."

Harry and Ron remained silent, trying to make something of Hermione's vision.

"Harry," Hermione addressed him nervously, scooting closer to him, "do you think it could have been V-Voldemort..again? Like before."

"But you saw Lestrange — ."

"I know, but if he's trying to open up my mind or something...he could have been trying to plant a memory. Imagine if I woke up in the hospital wing saying that Bellatrix Lestrange had tried to attack me at the quidditch match. Everyone would know I was crazy, but I would have this fake memory, so...it would be all confusing and I would feel as if I was going mad."

"Why would Voldemort want to do that to you though?" Harry asked.

"To drive you crazy."

"I don't — ."

"Lestrange killed Sirius. You hate her. Voldemort knows this, and he knows that you'd try to believe me, try to help me. He could use other memories. He might plant a memory in Ron of seeing Scabbers in the castle again or something. He would get you all worked up for nothing."

"Like he did with Sirius last year," Harry reasoned.

"Yes," Hermione confirmed hesitantly.

"Well, it didn't seem to work this time. You must have a strong mind," Harry smiled.

"We should be on our guard though. Especially since he's already tried to taunt you by attacking Godric's Hollow and killing Madeleine McGonagall."

"We will be."

They worked for a couple of hours on decoding parchments. Harry would tell each parchment to "reveal yourself" and then Ron and Hermione would start reading from the stacks of letters and journal entries, dividing them into categories : For/From Death Eaters, For Voldemort, Personal, Dark Arts Instructions, Maps, etc. It wasn't until nearly lunch that Harry suddenly realized that he hadn't told Hermione about Pettigrew's capture. He quickly relayed it to her, and she, unsurprisingly, supported Dumbledore's decision of forbidding Harry to go to the trial. Then Harry told both Ron and Hermione that he would be teaching their Defense class the following day.

"Oooh, what will we be doing?" Hermione prodded.

"Um...not going to tell you," Harry grinned.

"Harry!"

"That's right, mate. Make her crazy," Ron mumbled from his position bent over Lucius Malfoy's journal, "The bloke gels his hair eight times a day! Says so right here!"

Hermione brushed aside Ron's comment and continued to hound Harry, "Just tell me if it'll be a spell or a creature or — ."

"No, you'll just have to wait and see."

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In truth, Harry had no idea what he was going to teach the next day. He spent Sunday afternoon finishing his Transfiguration and Potions homework, knowing he wasn't putting an acceptable amount of time into it. And Sunday night he sat on his bed, the curtains drawn around him, willing an idea to come to him. He even flipped through Tonks's notes, but he didn't want to show them shielding spells, which was her suggestion. His meditation was interrupted when he heard the door creak open. He remained silent, figuring that one of the guys was going to bed. But then he heard his trunk being eased open as well. He very gradually inched to the edge of the bed and peered out of the curtains, his wand ready. He saw no one, but he felt as if someone else was in the room with him and seeing his trunk still open, an idea occurred to him.

"Reveal yourself," Harry muttered, pointing his wand a bit to the left of the trunk.

The invisibility cloak materialized, as well as a trembling Ginny.

"Ginny?" Harry breathed.

"I'm sorry, Harry, really. I was going to ask you, but I couldn't find you — ."

Harry held up his hand to silence her, "It's – it's okay, Gin."

Ginny let the cloak fall off her shoulders, and she held it out for Harry to take.

"You take it," Harry said.

"Thanks."

"But out of curiosity, what did you need it for?" Harry asked.

"Malfoy had to go off duty because a man came to discuss some family business matters with him, but I just know that it's a Death Eater, Harry."

"What did he look like?"

"He's pale and tall. He has a little mustache and talks in a very deep voice."

"Seems vaguely familiar....where are they?"

"They went towards the dungeons."

"I'll go with you," Harry said, reaching for his shoes under the bed.

"You don't have to do that — ."

"Let me put it this way – I'm going with you."

Ginny smiled, "Thanks, Harry."

Harry grabbed the Marauder's Map and told Ginny to throw the cloak over both of them.

"Man, this is weird," Ginny said has they huddled under the cloak.

"It used to fit Ron, Hermione, and me under here. Ron's way too tall now."

"What about you!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Thankfully, my growth has always been stunted."

They slithered through the common room, avoiding an awkward pass through a row Hermione and Ron were having:

"Honestly, Ron! It's like you don't care about the Goblin Wars of 1367!"

"I'll clear it up for you right now, Hermione — ." Ron cleared it up in a string of swear words.

"RON! LANGUAGE!"

"YOU DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE ABOUT THE SWEARING WHEN BINNS WAS QUOTING THAT BLASTED GOBLIN LEADER — ."

"It's a famous quote!"

"YOU WROTE IT DOWN!"

"Your point?"

"You swore in writing!"

Hermione gasped in indignation.

Harry nudged open the portrait hole.

"Are they always like that?" Ginny asked once they were in the corridor.

"Only when Ron's not busy eating."

"It must be awful listening to that everyday."

"You get used to it."

Harry consulted the map.

"Looks like Malfoy and a man named Kismer are in a room near Snape's office."

"Ever heard of him?"

"No."

They walked to the room in silence.

"This is it," Harry pointed out the door."

"Great," Ginny whispered, fishing around in her robes. She withdrew a pair of Extendable Ears, "These things are terrific, aren't they?"

Harry winced. He still carried painful memories of being idolized then falling on a roof.

"We'll have to share," she said, passing him one fleshy cord.

They could hear a deep voice reading off a long list of numbers, "— and finally, Mister Malfoy, you are bequeathed a secondary vault located at Gringotts. The estimated value of its contents is 5457 galleons. However, in his will, your father requests that you not enter nor withdraw from this vault."

"And why not?" Malfoy drawled.

"He does not say why but these are his wishes. Now, I must be running. If you would just sign here, your father's estate will be turned over to you."

There was a scratching of a pen. Ginny pulled Harry over as the door swung open.

"Thank you for your time, Mister Malfoy. I am terribly sorry for your loss."

"No loss of mine," Malfoy commented coldly.

"Yes, of course," the man laughed bitterly, "quite the gain, I'd say."

They departed in different directions. Once both sets of footsteps were well out of earshot, Harry looked down at Ginny.

"I had no idea," Ginny muttered, "Why wouldn't he tell me that his father died?"

"Why wouldn't there be anything about it in the Prophet is what I'd like to know," Harry said.

Ginny slumped against the wall, pulling out of the concealment of the cloak. Harry, fearing Snape would walk by any moment, joined her on the floor, wrapping the cloak around her again.

"I thought that he trusted me," Ginny said hollowly.

Harry bit his lip. He was beginning to realize where this was going.

"I'm sorry, Ginny."

"I guess there really is nothing else to him, is there?" she said, sighing.

"Truthfully," Harry mused, "I don't think so. Not yet."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Malfoy has a lot of choices to make, and we won't know what kind of person he is until he makes those choices. You don't have to hate him or think him evil, but don't put all your trust in him. Don't waste time on him until you know for sure what person he chooses to be. You get what I'm saying?" Harry wavered.

Ginny thoughtfully drew her knees up to her chin and rested her head on them, looking at Harry, "I hope he chooses to be like you."

Harry laughed, "You obviously don't have all the facts."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "So modest..."

"Now, you're just going on like Hermione."

Harry pulled Ginny to her feet, securing the cloak around them.

"Lavender can't wait until she can see you in class tomorrow,"Ginny teased.

Harry groaned, "Another reason to indulge in a Skiving Snackbox in the morning."

They passed through the Entrance Hall.

"What's the other reason?" Ginny asked.

"I have to teach sixth year Defense."

"Really? What are you going to do?"

"I – don't – know," Harry confessed, "Although...I sort of had an idea...but I don't know if it would work."

"What is it?" Ginny asked, tugging on Harry's arm like an inquisitive child.

"How would you like to be a test subject?"

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Breakfast the following day was overall the worst in all of Harry's years at Hogwarts. Hermione and Ron weren't speaking to each other, Harry was sick with worry over his Defense lesson, the Daily Prophet remarked on Pettigrew's trial, which made Harry even more ill – only with fury, and Lavender was being insufferable.

"Hello, Harry!" she squealed, squeezing into the little space separating him and Hermione.

"Hey," Harry grunted.

"So...when's the first DA meeting? We are still doing it, right? I so loved learning from you —."

Hermione had a sudden coughing fit followed by several strong hacks from Ron.

"Oh, I do hope your friends are all right," Lavender cooed, inching as far away from Hermione as possible.

"They'll be fine."

Lavender continued to cling to Harry through breakfast until she was able to approach the thing most weighing on her mind, "So...Harry...there's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up soon. I was wondering if you'd like to make the trip with me?"

Harry had a fleeting image of the tearoom and the confetti and the cherubs. He had to get rid of Lavender.

"Can't. Hermione already asked me."

Hermione spewed out her pumpkin juice on the Daily Prophet owl that had just delivered her paper. Lavender detached herself from Harry and turned to Hermione, looking her up and down.

"He likes me, huh?" she whispered, throwing her legs over the bench and stomping off.

"Harry!" Hermione seethed, "What possessed you to —."

"You give me a mad crush, I give you a mad crush."

Hermione glared.

"Now, I must get ready for my Defense lesson. It should be quite interesting."

Harry got up and slung his bag on his shoulder.

"Bye, hun," he smiled as he walked away.

Somewhere behind him Ron snickered, dribbling syrup down his chin.

A/N: I wrote this chapter more for fun than substance, but the next chapter starts with the Defense lesson! And some more with the helfdare. And maybe they'll actually DO something about Hermione's seizure. Please Review! God Bless!

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