37.
ANGELINA
Dumbledore was rather surprised when Angelina Johnson burst onto the playground
from nowhere. She still had her Quidditch robes on.
"Why,Miss Johnson," he said. "This is unexpected."
"Headmaster-" She seemed to be out of breath. "I-Harry-"
"Catch your breath, my dear."
She took several deep breaths. She looked up at the sky, as if
surprised that she was outside.
"Weird," she said.
"What's that?"
"It's sunny at Hogwarts and overcast here."
By that time, there were others around her.
"You guys...Neville Longbottom," said Angelina. "He...he beat Slytherin. Single-
handedly."
"Do you mean that he played all the positions himself?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"No,he-he subbed for you,Harry. He was here for a little while,right?"
"Yes,but then he remembered the match," Dumbledore said.
"I remembered," said Professor McGonagall.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Of course."
"-this other kid took Ron's place,but he didn't have to do anything...Neville...
I've never seen flying like that, not even from you, Harry. He was all over the
place, scoring goals, blocking shots, and he caught the Snitch-it was like he just
willed it into his hand."
"Good for him," Harry said. "It's about time he had his day."
"I quite agree," Professor McGonagall said.
"Harry,there's...something else I wanted to-"
Dumbledore held up a hand. "If you'll excuse us, we'll be over there-" he pointed
in some vague direction. "Looking for, er,..." he mumbled the last word, and
led away Ron, Hermione and Professor McGonagall.
"I don't know how to say this," Angelina said.
"Just say it," Harry said.
"We're friends, right?"
"Yeah," said Harry, without even thinking. He had tried to distance himself from
everyone this year and so far it just wasn't working. He just wanted everyone to
be out of harm's way, but they pushed through every defense he had. They wanted to
be near him because they cared, and nothing he could do would ever make them stop.
"I've been thinking," Angelina said.
"About what?"
"About...you know..."
"Oh," Harry said,blushing. "Yeah."
"You've been thinking, too?"
"Mm-hmm."
"In that case, would you like to-"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
Harry sat on one of the swings.
"You'd be in danger."
"Oh, come on."
"You think I'm kidding?"
"You went out with Cho Chang last year."
"I don't think what we did could be called going out."
"Is it me?"
"What?"
"Do you just not like me?"
"I'd go out with you in a second. I just-"
"All my life, I grew up hearing about The-Boy-Who-Lived. And then I wound up going
to school with you and found out that not only were you as regular as I was, but
that you were really nice and kicking arse alongside you in Quidditch has been
great fun for me. So has DA. Even if we just go on a date as good friends,
that's good enough for me."
Harry thought about that.
"You know, there's a cinema in this town."
Angelina smiled. "I love movies."
"What's your favorite?"
"Can't pick just one. There's this one called THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE."
Harry grinned. "Is there a slumber party in it?"
"A slumber party as well as a massacre."
"Sounds great," Harry said. "I don't know what they're showing here,though.
Professor Dumbledore and I saw JAWS yesterday."
"JAWS. I wish I'd been there."
"Want to go Saturday?"
"Yeah," she said. "Listen, I must get back to Hogwarts. There's a huge party going
on in Neville's honor in the common room. Want to come?"
"Give Neville my best," Harry said. "Oh...hey...by the way,do you know anyone
or anything with the initials GEC? I thought I'd go back to Hogwarts and look,
but the answer could be here."
"No," she said,after a moment. "See you later."
She ran away, leaving Harry floating on the swings.
ANGELINA
Dumbledore was rather surprised when Angelina Johnson burst onto the playground
from nowhere. She still had her Quidditch robes on.
"Why,Miss Johnson," he said. "This is unexpected."
"Headmaster-" She seemed to be out of breath. "I-Harry-"
"Catch your breath, my dear."
She took several deep breaths. She looked up at the sky, as if
surprised that she was outside.
"Weird," she said.
"What's that?"
"It's sunny at Hogwarts and overcast here."
By that time, there were others around her.
"You guys...Neville Longbottom," said Angelina. "He...he beat Slytherin. Single-
handedly."
"Do you mean that he played all the positions himself?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"No,he-he subbed for you,Harry. He was here for a little while,right?"
"Yes,but then he remembered the match," Dumbledore said.
"I remembered," said Professor McGonagall.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Of course."
"-this other kid took Ron's place,but he didn't have to do anything...Neville...
I've never seen flying like that, not even from you, Harry. He was all over the
place, scoring goals, blocking shots, and he caught the Snitch-it was like he just
willed it into his hand."
"Good for him," Harry said. "It's about time he had his day."
"I quite agree," Professor McGonagall said.
"Harry,there's...something else I wanted to-"
Dumbledore held up a hand. "If you'll excuse us, we'll be over there-" he pointed
in some vague direction. "Looking for, er,..." he mumbled the last word, and
led away Ron, Hermione and Professor McGonagall.
"I don't know how to say this," Angelina said.
"Just say it," Harry said.
"We're friends, right?"
"Yeah," said Harry, without even thinking. He had tried to distance himself from
everyone this year and so far it just wasn't working. He just wanted everyone to
be out of harm's way, but they pushed through every defense he had. They wanted to
be near him because they cared, and nothing he could do would ever make them stop.
"I've been thinking," Angelina said.
"About what?"
"About...you know..."
"Oh," Harry said,blushing. "Yeah."
"You've been thinking, too?"
"Mm-hmm."
"In that case, would you like to-"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
Harry sat on one of the swings.
"You'd be in danger."
"Oh, come on."
"You think I'm kidding?"
"You went out with Cho Chang last year."
"I don't think what we did could be called going out."
"Is it me?"
"What?"
"Do you just not like me?"
"I'd go out with you in a second. I just-"
"All my life, I grew up hearing about The-Boy-Who-Lived. And then I wound up going
to school with you and found out that not only were you as regular as I was, but
that you were really nice and kicking arse alongside you in Quidditch has been
great fun for me. So has DA. Even if we just go on a date as good friends,
that's good enough for me."
Harry thought about that.
"You know, there's a cinema in this town."
Angelina smiled. "I love movies."
"What's your favorite?"
"Can't pick just one. There's this one called THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE."
Harry grinned. "Is there a slumber party in it?"
"A slumber party as well as a massacre."
"Sounds great," Harry said. "I don't know what they're showing here,though.
Professor Dumbledore and I saw JAWS yesterday."
"JAWS. I wish I'd been there."
"Want to go Saturday?"
"Yeah," she said. "Listen, I must get back to Hogwarts. There's a huge party going
on in Neville's honor in the common room. Want to come?"
"Give Neville my best," Harry said. "Oh...hey...by the way,do you know anyone
or anything with the initials GEC? I thought I'd go back to Hogwarts and look,
but the answer could be here."
"No," she said,after a moment. "See you later."
She ran away, leaving Harry floating on the swings.
