[Hello! This is my lovely Harry Potter Fic, I'm glad you're interested in reading it. I tried to stay as close to the books as possible though I do know that I've strayed many times; please forgive me for that. Anyway, first is the prologue and then you hit the first chapter. Don't forget to read and review please!] Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except my original characters, everything belongs to JK Rowling
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-Prologue-
In a full life, you are suppose to exprience everything. Love, pain, deaths; there is a whole list of things that you should go through. I've been threw everything imaginable in only seven years. I've been close to death, seen death; loved and been loved. My name is Harry James Potter and this is my story of my last year at Hogwarts. The year that I was loved and loved back and how my love wasn't who she said she was. She had told me once, "Life isn't easy and people aren't what they seem; but love, love is what keeps people together." and I believed her.
I always will.
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-Chapter One-
'I'll be gone soon. Not too long now...' Harry kept telling himself as he ripped his bedroom apart trying to find his wand. He could hear clear as day, his cousin, Dudley, just outside the door snickering while Harry spat uncivil words around the room. Ever since the Wizard had returned from his sixth year at Hogwarts, he guarded his wand like it was the only gold he would hold untill he turn Seventeen; the age he could do magic. The age that would save any sanity Harry retained from the Dursleys' torment. He just wanted to curse his cousin one time, just once and he'd feel pleasure beyond pleasure. He planned on cursing Dudley in his sleep on Harry's birthday, but as Midnight inched closer, his dearest wand was no where in sight.
Suddenly, Harry's bedroom door burst open and Dudley leaned against the door frame grinning his cheeks to a piercing red like a fool. "Are you looking for something, dear cousin?"
The Wizard straightened his back from hunting in the deepest pits of his trunk; still facing the window whose ledge was occupied by a snow white owl, "Yes Dudley. I am in fact looking for the very thing that will cause you to gain all that weight back." He turned on his heel to face the muscular, unrecognizable teenager. If you knew Dudley when he was younger, it's impossible to imagine him this way; black muscle shirts, short, spikey hair. His Aunt Petunia beams everytime she sees her son and always makes sure that the neighbours hear about his miraculous weight loss in the past year. Harry figured some girl his cousin fancied turned him down because he was fat and Dudley was heartbroken sending him into the opposite effect of when he was bored; he'd quit eating... Bringing you back to Number Four, Privet Drive; up the stairs and slightly to the left we watch Dudley stare at Harry in fright.
"You'll never get it back after this!" Dudley threatened, his eyes wide in terror and his slender fingers balled into fists of self-protection.
Harry smirked in the boy's direction, his eyes checking the clock on his bedside table quickly. Eleven Fifty P.M., ten minutes untill Harry could legally escape his imprisonment of sixteen years. "You know how when we are seventeen, we are legally adults, Dudley."
"But you're only sixteen! You can't do anything without getting in trouble!" the stubborn boy indicated as if proving the guiltiest criminal innocent.
"Has your ego cause your little mind to forget my birthday?"
Dudley's eyes scrambled around the room for a calendar, notebook or anything that would hint his answer but then when his eyes settle back on Harry, he already knew. "Tomorrow?"
Harry grinned running a hand threw his hair, a feeble attempt of calming down the mess, "Yes, Diddykins, my birthday is in seven minutes from now." The boy spun on his heel and walked back to his twin sized bed and sat down on it, pushing the covers off the other side so he could lounge back on the pillow. "You know I can do wandless magic. So if my wand doesn't appear in my room by Midnight, you might swell as large as our dearest Aunt Marge."
Sure enough only seconds later you could hear Dudley clambering down the stairs; Harry muffled his laughter at the thought of his cousin trying to sneak the wand back into his room. But instead of hearing the footsteps of the thinned boy running back up the steps, Harry caught the soft click of a door opening and then a heavy set of footsteps trampled down the hall. "Great.." Harry muttered and rolled onto his side to heave himself on his feet just as his large Uncle clogged the doorway.
"Harry, how come you are not asleep yet!? And what have you done to Dudley?!" He hollered at the rising boy; his cheeks were a fierce red. 'Probably from walking down the hall,' Harry thought sorely to himself.
"I'm waiting for my wand to magically appear in my room so I can leave when I am seventeen."
Mr. Dursley gaped in horror at Harry, "How dare you speak those words under my roof! I have been patient--"
"I didn't know that word was in your vocabulary," Harry snapped, his eyes darting to the clock. Five minutes...
"DON'T YOU DISRUPT ME, BOY! I CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL--"
"Congradulations, you've already accomplished that."
The bulgy man only had slits for eyes as he glared at Harry. Mrs. Dursley had joined the whale in the doorway (or wherever she could fit) looking back and forth between the two men fuming with anger. "I WANT YOU OUT!"
"Once my wand is found, I'll be out of your site in an instant, never to return to his hellhold again," Harry said curtly keeping his stance strong in the middle of the room.
"AFTER ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE--"
"Don't start that shit," Harry growled from the back of his throat and took a step forward; the lights flickered suddenly. "You didn't do anything for me the moment you opened that door with me on the front step. You never cared, you still don't care." Mr. Dursley tripped on Mrs. Dursley's foot who screamed in pain as he tried to keep a safe distance between himself and Harry. "So if you even try to make me mad before midnight, you'll regret it when I find my wand."
Loud footsteps came trailing down the hallway from the stairwell, Harry grinned as Dudley pushed his way past his speechless Father and awed Mother, holding a large, rolled towel. "Here!" He toosed the towel at Harry's feet and then backed away as if it was a bomb. The boy dropped to his knees and unrolled the towel to find his wand tucked neatly in it; Harry grinned and snatched it off the ground, rising to his feet. The Dursley Family had not moved from their positions in the doorway, their faces were pale and they looked frail and afraid as Harry watched the clock tick down till Midnight. And when those beautiful green number flashed 12:00, Harry raised his wand and the Dursley's scrambled out of the hallway faster than they had every ran in their lives. The Wizard started laughing; his sides were aching before long and he had to balance himself on the post of his bed so he wouldn't fall to the ground.
Harry eventually kept his balance and started to pack his trunk the muggle way, for he alone knew the clock was wrong. He wondered how long it would take the Dursley's to figure out that he had set his clock an hour ahead to scare them. Harry's grinned stayed strong as he packed away everything that he would need for his seventh year at Hogwarts, and for the rest of his life; this was one boy who never planned on returning to his 'home' after Hogwarts. Once his final year ended, he would stay in the wizarding world, hopefully be able to stay at the Grimmauld Place untill he could find his own apartment. Maybe Ron would move in with him so he could afford it better; his savings that his parents left him indeed lasted threw his Hogwarts years, but it was slimming down quite a bit since he had gone wild on his Quidditch purchases not too long before his sixth year ended.
Suddenly, something collided with Harry's temple sending his vison glimmering gold lights. The boy shook his head to rid of the undesired lights and shot his eyes around the room to spot a miniature owl speeding around the room with a piece of parchment tied to it's ankle. He noticed Hedwig still gave Pig the small, 'I'll always be better', look as she ruffled her feathers at the pipsqueak. Harry kidnapped the owl from his flight and untied the letter and unrolled it as Pig streaked across the room in laps. There were only two words scribbled down in familiar smooth cursive; We're here.
Harry wadded the parchment and chucked it out the window to watch it get zapped by white light; he grinned broadly and sprinted to the window leaning out of it. He squinted his eyes to his two best friends waving and sharing the same grin below.
"Let's get out of here!" Ron yelled in a hushed voice as Lupin, Ms. Figg and Mundungus kept a look out; in all their hands were brooms, easily seen. Harry nodded and disappeared back inside his room to collect his things. Eventually, the boy had tossed his trunk out the window and pocketed his wand. He mounted his Firebolt and before long, Harry was on his way to The Grimmauld Place with his best friends on what he knows is his best birthday yet.
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Harry's birthday past with much happiness even with being back in Sirius's house didn't bring any sad thoughts to the boy's mind. He celebrated his seventeenth birthday with all his friends and family as he consitered him; Harry passed his Apparation test ("You're so lucky you're seventeen now, I have to wait until I get out of school!" Ron had exclaimed.) but this boy wasn't like the Twins, he'd only Apparate when he needed to.
Excitement never faded at The Grimmauld Place; the trio always found something to do around the Kreacher-Free home. Harry would charm railings to be extra slippery so they could slide down them (To Mrs. Weasley's great distaste) at alarming rates. The friends created their own Quidditch Pitch and own version of Quidditch to take up their time during the summer.
"Hogwarts Letters!" Mrs. Weasley's voice rang thru the basement kitchen as she waved them at the sleepy children around the table. She announced their names as the woman passed them out and Harry noted that Hermione's was a tad bit thicker than the rest.
Ron groaned when he read over the classes that he was signed up for, "Perfect, I made the advance Transfiguration and Potions."
"Congradulations, Ron," Hermione said without thinking; her brown eyes were zipping over a long piece of parchment.
Mrs. Weasley stepped in, taking the list from her son's hands, "Oh my gosh! Ron, that's wonderful! That's better than Bill or Charlie!"
"Really?" Ron glowed knowing that his mother finally took notice of his work.
Harry grinned to his friend and then glanced at his own list to find that he had also, made the required classes for an Auror. Suddenly, Hemione gave a loud shriek and leaped out of her chair. "I DID IT! I MADE HEAD GIRL!" She screamed, something fell over above them and they could hear Mrs. Black's portrait screaming as loud as Hermione.
The door whipped open and Tonks came stumbling in, hastily slamming the door and prying plant stems out of her dark blue hair, "Sorry, Molly, I heard a scream and I tripped in surprize. I was being quiet, before... Who screamed anyway?" She asked looking quizzidly over at the celebrating Hermione and Ginny.
"Hermione made Head Girl," Ron said nonchalantly as he tossed his book list across the table so his mother could get it.
"Well you could at lease be happy for me!" Hermione exclaimed right in his ear, Ron fell out of his chair and stared up at her.
"I am happy for you, congradulations!" he yelled with feigned happiness, but Hermione didn't take it any further than that. Ron climbed back into his chair only to almost fly out again to the thanks of one of Harry's punches. The redhead turned and glared at Harry who looked to have never of hit him in the first place; the boy noticed Hermione's Head Girl badge lying next to the open envelope near her plate and he could feel his mother's eyes burning into the top of his head. He sighed and turned to the brunet, "Hermione, I'm--"
His stream of words was cut off by the ear-splitting noise of Hermione's fork being slammed into her plate, shattering the china right in half. She leapt up from the table and turned onto Ron, "What do I do that's makes me not good enough for you, Ron!? Do you want me to quit being smart just so you can level higher than me to like me?!" Her words swarmed around the room as she stormed out, her brown eyes brimmed with tears of rage.
The kitchen was only silent for seconds before Ginny pushed away from the table and walked quickly over to catch her friend but Ron grabbed her forearm to halt her. "What was that about?"
Ginny glared at him with disgust and yanked her arm out of his grip, "She's fancied you for the longest time, Ron." Was all that came out of her mouth before leaving the kitchen like Hermione had; her presence still lingering and left a mark in everyone's mind.
Minutes passed before Tonks finally took a seat next to Ron, her eyes held sympathy towards the boy as she spoke, "Give her time to breathe. Maybe another twelve hours to a day before even trying to speak to her again. Oh, and get her something good."
Ron didn't look at her the whole time she gave advice, instead after she was finished, he pushed his plate away from him and stood, "I'm not hungry."
The day was quiet, Hermione and Ginny kept their distance from Ron, they didn't mind Harry's presence but being near Ron sent them off. So Harry stayed with Ron all day; they went to Diagon Alley with Mrs. Weasley to help her with all the supplies for the girls and themselves and the sun fell behind mountains quickly.
"I don't understand her sometimes," Ron said with his voice hushed in the blackness of the boys' room. Harry layed on his back with his hands behind his head, listening to his friend talk. "I mean, if she fancies me, why didn't she ever say something?"
"Well you fancied her and never said anything," Harry pointed out, grinning in the darkness.
"But's that's different."
"How?"
Ron didn't respond. Harry expected him to be thinking it over, or else falling asleep really fast; he again grinned at the ceiling before rolling onto his side and closing his eyes, praying that sleep would come easily tonight. As usual, it wouldn't; but tonight it wasn't his fault.
Mrs. Black's protrait's screams woke the whole house from their slumber. The screams bounced off the walls and made their way threw all the bedrooms in the house and the kids just rolled over, plugging their ears with the pillows and prayed that she would shut up soon. It was common for Mrs. Black to be awoken in the dead of the night so no one thought different, untill they heard Mrs. Weasley's shouts.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU FORGOT, MUNDUNGUS?! YOU'VE PROBABLY WOKEN THE CHILDREN NOW! SHUT UP YOU WRETCHED WOMAN!!" Ron and Harry were now sitting up in their beds staring at each other with confusion. They crawled out of their beds and left the room quietly, descending the stairs as smoothly as possible.
They halted at the top of the last staircase and looked over the balconey and into the entrance hall to find Mad-Eye Moody, Mundungus, Lupin and Mrs. Weasley standing there; with the portrait still screaming. But there was a figure in the arms of Lupin's, a girl in a black cloak with long, cherry hair. The girl's eyes were tightly shut as if she was having a bad nightmare.
"You remember her, correct, Molly?" Lupin called loudly trying to be heard over the ongoing shouts (now Mad-Eye was working on shutting her up).
Mrs. Weasley nodded and stared at the figure in his arms, "We should get her to a bed and--" Mrs. Black's screaming ceased, "and look her over."
"Who do you think she is?" Hermione's voice floated over to the boys, her and Ginny were leaning on the railing as the boys were. They turned around to see Hermione still giving Ron the 'don't-mess-with-me' glare.
Ron shrugged, "A muggle perhaps."
"But if Mrs. Weasley remembers her, she might have something to do with The Order," Ginny suggested as all four pairs of eyes followed the adults carry the mysterious girl out of the entrance hall.
Harry shook his head, "She looked our age, maybe younger. You can't be in The Order untill you're seventeen."
Hermione suddenly started to descend the staircase into the entrance hall, "Well, let's go find out."
The four teenagers snuck down to the basement kitchen (Hermione said that they might have gone in there) and creaked open the door slowly. Upon hearing voices, they left the door cracked open and listened.
"Do you know what happened to her, Remus?" Mrs. Weasley's voice was shaking, frightened.
Lupin gave an audible sigh, "We think that she might have been ambushed on her way here. We found her in that park not too far away."
"I knew it was wrong to let her in The Order at such a young age," Mrs. Weasley whispered and the squeaking of a chair was heard. "I can't believe Dumbledore insisted."
"She's an amazing spy, for being where she is," Lupin pointed out and another chair squeak echoed in the kitchen.
"She was only fourteen-years-old when she joined, Remus! It was rediculous to allow her in at such an age! I mean, we wouldn't even let Harry in when he was fifteen."
Hermione, Ron and Ginny all glanced at Harry who was just leaning against the wall listening; it seemed that he wasn't affected by what he was hearing, but he was. Harry felt an incurable rage boil inside him; he had been wanting to help The Order since he first learned of it, but they never allowed him. The boy's hands inched with anger, he wanted to bust in there and demand an explaination.
Lupin had sighed once again, "Molly, it's different with Harry. We might not even let him in now that he's seventeen."
Mrs. Weasley gasped, "Remus, that boy has been wanting to be in The Order since he knew it exsisted, we can't turn him down like that!"
"What would he be able to do for us? He is still in danger of Voldemort tracing him down and killing him. He wouldn't be able to do much anyway, not like we can," Lupin's voice was full of sadness. "He's going to be very upset."
"More than that, I'll be enraged," Harry stated loudly from his spot. The other three teenagers stared at him in shock as they begin to scramble away from the door that Mrs. Weasley opened quickly with a wave of her wand.
"What are you four doing awake!?" Mrs. Weasley shrieked and jumped up from her seat rushing to the open door. "I want you all in bed, this instant!"
"No," Harry said recklessly, still watching the wall across from him. "I want an explaination."
Mrs. Weasley glared down at the top of his head, "You will get no such thing tonight!"
Lupin stood from his seat, "Molly let him in, the others too, it wouldn't hurt."
"They don't need to know!"
"They should," he said firmly and the firey woman just stared, yet she stepped aside allowing the teenagers to enter the kitchen. Three of them took a seat timidly at the table, but Harry ket his stance near the back of the kitchen, glowering at Lupin and Mrs. Weasley.
Before anyone could begin questioning, Mundungus came threw the doorway on the ohter side of the kitchen with Mad-Eye, "Remus, she got a couple of bad hexes that we got rid of and it looks like she was hit with the Cruciatous... Curse." He glanced around at the site and then looked back at Lupin confused.
"Thank you, Mundungus, Alastor," Lupin said softly still watching Harry for any type of movement. "Harry?"
Harry crossed his arms over his chest and stared straight ahead. He knew it was ridiculous to be jelious but he couldn't help it. He was jelious of the girl who had been in The Order since she was fourteen, and angry that Lupin was talking of him not being in it in the first place. "How old is she?" He asked quietly after he finished sulking.
"She turned seventeen in June," Lupin answered without hesitation. "Devyne has been in The Order for three years now."
"Three years. Since Voldemort came back, right?" Harry snapped.
Lupin nodded, "She went to Dumbledore when she found out."
"Three years," Harry said again as if they were curse words. "What could she be doing for The Order for that long?" His voice begin to rise in anger.
Lupin's eyes flickered away from Harry's for just a moment before returning his stare and he sighed, "I'm afraid I can't tell you that."
Harry laughed, "Right. A girl our age is doing something so secret for The Order that we aren't allowed to know?" His voice was bitter and full of jeliousy, but you have to put yourself in his shoes, it's frustrating no doubt. "She is the same age as me."
Lupin squirmed in his seat uncomfortably, "Harry, you can't do the things--"
"WHAT COULD SHE BE DOING THAT IS SO DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE ELSE HER AGE?!" Harry shouted suddenly, stepping away from the wall and glaring right at Lupin. Everyone stayed quiet, even Mrs. Weasley didn't have the heart to halt Harry in his fit of rage. Mad-Eye and Mundungus kept their tongues as the whole room watched Lupin for an answer, but when an answer came, it wasn't from him.
"I do missions that no other member of The Order could accomplish without accompanied by death," a weary yet gentle voice met Harry's ears. He glanced up from Lupin towards the doorway that Mundungus and Mad-Eye had come out of earlier to find a tall, redheaded beauty holding her balance against the doorway. She wore torn black robes that flowed right past her feet almost two feet too long yet fitted her figure just right. The girl's redhair wasn't firey like the Weasleys', but more darker, a deep cherry red that streamed past her shoulders, half of it in the front and half behind her. Her eyes sparkled a dark blue and her skin was tanned and on her left cheek was a noticable scar just below her left eye that reached to the corner of her lips which were tainted a deep red from lipstick.
Lupin leaped up from the table and took quick strides over to the girl as if she was falling to the ground, "Devyne, you shouldn't be out here!"
Devyne ran a hand threw her slightly frizzy hair and stepped into the kitchen, "I'm fine, Remus. Just a few curses; the others left worse than I am." She sighed and let her hand drop from the doorway causing her steps to be unbalanced like she had just exited a rollarcoaster. Lupin dived forward to help her but she just pushed him away, "Thank you, but no thanks. I've had worse."
After Harry regained his speech, he returned to the glowering state and kept his stance strong as Devyne made her way over to him. She stopped right in front of the boy, only about in inch shorter and smiled, "You wish to take my missions, by all means, please do. I'm not proud of doing this line of work."
"Surprizing, you sure act like you are," Harry muttered sorely, his arms still crossed.
Devyne stared at him wide-eyed and then she laughed, "You don't know me, Harry Potter. So don't judge me like that," she turned around and headed for the table to sit. "Just because I can take care of myself and I don't like others to help me, does not mean that I'm proud and stuck-up. I hate the touch of others because of what I've been threw."
Harry snorted but couldn't find any other words to reply with so he kept quiet while the girl introduced herself to Hermione, Ron and Ginny.
"Devyne Rose," she nodded to Ginny, the last one. "You guys are Weasleys, so you're related to the Twins, right? Fred and George?" Ron and Ginny nodded and Devyne laughed with exhaustion, "That's awesome! It must be cool to grow up with guys like them."
Ginny shrugged, "I guess. You get tired of the jokes after a while--"
"That's enough," Mrs. Weasley broke in suddenly, everyone looked over at her. "Devyne, dear, you must be tired beyond belief and you need your rest. As for the rest of you, you all need to get to bed, now."
"Molly, I'm--"
"Don't you start, Devyne! Get in bed!" Mrs. Weasley demanded and she rushed all the kids out of the kitchen for the night.
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Harry didn't want to open his eyes as he listened to Ron waking up and leaving the room. He refused to make any acknowledgement to the people who came in a checked on him throughout the morning; he did not want to face Devyne again.
"He doesn't sleep well," Ron whispered to Hermione at the doorway (they apparently made up). "Maybe his sleep is finally catching up to him.
He heard Hermione sigh and the creaking of the door shutting softly as she replied, "I think he's just avoiding Devyne. I do hope he gets over it. Devyne thinks..." And her voice faded away as the door clicked shut. Harry rolled on to his back and stared at the familiar ceiling. 'What could she possible think about me?' He asked himself, yanking the blanket to the floor so he could climb out of bed without getting tangled in it.
Suddenly, there was two loud pops and Harry felt hands shove him off his bed and he crashed to the floor in a heep of pain.
"Oh look, he was getting up."
"So I guess that shove was unnecessary?"
"Highly unnecessary."
Harry hoisted himself off the ground and turned around to face to identical grinning, redhaired twins, "Hey."
Fred (or at lease he thought it was Fred) stepped forward and jumped over the bed, "Hiya, Harry!"
George followed his brother's suit, "Have a nice rest?"
"Everyone is worried about you," Fred said solemnly.
"Yeah, they want to make sure you're--"
"Still alive."
"So Apparate with us!" George grabbed Harry's forearm and Fred snatched the boy's glasses off the table. "To the Kitchen!" They yelled at the same time and Harry went ahead to apparate into the kitchen. He pictured the basement kitchen in his mind and in a split second he felt himself thrown forward and he appeared standing perfectly straight in the middle of the kitchen. Fred shoved his glasses onto his head and Harry glanced around to see everyone seated and standing around the Kitchen table watching him. Devyne was laughing.
"I think you pushed him off the wrong side of the bed," she grinned and Harry noticed her blue eyes staring at his hair. But he didn't make a move to correct it, he met her eyes and shrugged.
"Kinda hard to get anything done when twins appear in your room and make you apparate to the kitchen still in your night clothes."
Devyne shrugged, "Well that would be your fault wouldn't it? Trying to keep from facing me until they pried you out of bed is one hell of a stupid move."
"DEVYNE ROSE!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked at her language and her plate of food zoomed off the table smacking Devyne right in the face.
The redhead caught the plate and settled it back on the table before giving a wave of her wand to clear her face of the lunch food, "I'm sorry, Molly," she muttered and then grinned at the laughter the twins and others gave her.
Harry and the Twins took seats at the table and Mrs. Weasley served them their food within seconds and Harry's hunger took over. After a few minutes of silence and the clashing of silverware against the plates, Fred and George stood from the table and cleared their throats loudly as if no one saw them.
"Okay, Devyne," Fred started.
"We've got questions--"
"About you being in The Order so young."
George walked around the table and stood next to her as if he was going to interrogate her for a hideous crime, "You go to Durmstrang, correct?"
Devyne nodded; if she thought any of this was suppose to be fun and games, she hid it well. But then again, no one knew if Fred and George were playing around.
"You joined The Order at fourteen," Fred sat on the corner of the long table and set his chin on his fist.
Devyne switched her gaze to him and nodded defiantly.
"And you fancy Harry," George pretending to be cleaning glasses and examing her threw them.
Her eyes begin to laugh, but the girl still gave a clear shake of her head, no.
"So you don't fancy Harry, but you are going to Hogwarts this year because your parents...?" Fred slid off the table and walked on her other side.
Another nod.
Fred and George looked at each other and shrugged, "Whelp, we're done." And they disappeared, just like that.
Devyne suddenly bursted out laughing with Ginny, Ron and Hermione; Harry failed to see the humour, "You were right, Ginny, they are strange." The redhead laughed harder and Harry just continued to eat, ignoring the others.
"Oh come on, mate," Ron said from across the table. "Lighten up."
Devyne grinned and joined in, "I agree with him. You seem really sore since I met you."
"I wonder why," Harry murmured.
"Enlighten us."
Harry looked up from his lunch and stared at Devyne as if daring her to push him off the edge. She just grinned and tilted her head at him to egg him on and even started to tap the table impatiently, though she didn't seem impatient.
"I'm going back upstairs," Harry said and pushed away from the table ignoring the objections from Mrs. Weasley and Remus. He walked out into the hallway of Mrs. Black's portrait and was quietly walking when he felt a tap on his shoulder; that's when he realized that he should've apparated.
Devyne wasn't grinning anymore when he came face to face with her, in fact it looked as if she wanted to have a serious talk with him, "Look, Harry. I know you're jelious but I have a really good reason to be in The Order and I'd love to tell you but it would screw up everything I've worked for," she whispered, slipping her redhair behind her ear subconsciously.
The boy just stared at her and rolled his eyes desperate to apparate but the sound would wake the portrait, "I'm not jelious. I'm mad because Lupin said that they probably wouldn't let me in The Order."
"Are you kidding me!?" Devyne said and grabbed Harry's forearm to keep him from heading upstairs. "You are Lily and James's son! They are not going to deny you into The Order!"
Something snapped in Harry's mind when she mentioned his parents; he stepped up into her face angry, "What would you know about my parents?"
"Plenty, I grew up with stories about them. If you'll forgive me for being more mature than you to be in The Order, I'll tell you a few."
"You're lying!" he voice started rising a bit but the glare that came from Devyne caused him to calm down a bit.
"Believe me or not, I want to be your friend."
Harry snorted, "Please, you're probably like the other girls. Only want to be my friend to be popular because of last year."
That sent Devyne off the cliff. Her eyes sparked with rage and she stepped back from Harry as if someone invisible was restraining her from tackling him down; her blue eyes traveled to the ceiling and Harry turned to head up the stairs when Devyne gave a sudden scream that echoed in the hallway.
"YOU ARE JUST A SELFISH LITTLE BOY, POTTER! I DON'T KNOW WHY I'VE EVEN TRIED TO BE FRIENDS WITH YOU!" Devyne shouted returning to Harry to invade his space as he winced at Mrs. Black's screams. The curtains around the portrait had flew apart and she glared at the back of Harry's head shrieking.
"FLITHY HALF-BLOODS THAT HAVE SOILED MY HOUSE!!" and so on. But after hearing what Devyne had to say, Harry didn't even hear Mrs. Black.
"I'M SELFISH!? YOU WERE IN THERE ATTRACTING ATTENTION AT EVERY CHANCE YOU GOT! AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WANTED TO BE MY FRIEND THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!"
"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO, POTTER?! RETURN TO MY DUTIES FOR THE ORDER? AT LEASE I'M MATURE ENOUGH TO TRY AND PATCH THINGS UP--"
"NOW YOU'RE CALLING ME IMMATURE!? I'VE BEEN THROUGH MORE SITUATIONS THAT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH MATURATY--"
"THERE YOU GO JUDGING ME AGAIN! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!" Devyne's flushed face returned it's normal colour as she took a deep breath and then pushed Harry aside. "SHUT UP, YOU DAMN PORTRAIT!" At those words, Mrs. Black's eyes widened and she ceased her screaming, staring transfixated on Devyne as the redhead slammed the curtains close. Then she whipped around on Harry who was still fuming and was about to get in a few more words when Devyne shoved him into the wall. "I hope you die and burn in hell."
With that, Harry was left against the wall in shock at her malice as the girl pushed her way passed the group that had formed in the hallway and he heard a door shut in the distance.
Suddenly, two soft awes came from Harry's right. The Weasley's twins were leaning against each other as if in a dreamy state, "The beginning of a beautiful relationship!"
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Harry and Devyne kept low for the rest of the summer (which wasn't long). They didn't look at each other during the times they were forced together and never talked. Devyne continued her normal happy and joking way while Harry sulked around glaring every now and then at the girl. The time finally arrived for all the seventh years to return to Hogwarts for their last year.
"I can't believe we've gone through six years of Hogwarts already!" Hermione explained in the compartment of the train. She was sitting next to Ron who was the closest to the door and next to her was Harry, staring out the window watching the scenery flash by. Across from him was Ginny and then Neville and Devyne next to the door; they all were in their Hogwarts uniforms and everyone except Harry conversed of everything.
Ginny leaned on the tip of her seat towards Hermione, "Lucky you! I've got another year ahead of me."
"Oh, it will go by fast," Devyne spoke up waving her hands in the air to make everyone laugh. "You won't even remember that you had seven years of school."
Ginny smiled at the redhead and shook her own firey hair, "I wouldn't ever forget Hogwarts."
Devyne leaned back in the chair now looking at Ginny from behind Neville's head, "Is Hogwarts really that... Exciting, or something?"
Hermione nodded along with Ron, Ginny and Neville (Harry wasn't really listening), "It's wonderful! I'm sure you'll like it."
"I'm sure I will, from all the stories I hear about it, it sounds perfect," the compartment settled down a few moments. No one knew what to talk about and Harry sighed audibly before Devyne finally spoke up again, "You know, we've never brought up one subject that I'm surprized it hasn't come up in someone's conversation."
Harry seemed to jolt to life and felt like listening when the redhead said this; he situated himself in his seat making it look like he was trying to get comfortable again.
Ron raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"Quidditch anyone?"
As many times before, the teenager erupted in chatter and debates of their sides on Quidditch, even Hermione tending to get in a few good points. The conversation carried on for a while when the doors of the compartment opened suddenly, revealing three all too familiar Slytherins.
"Oh look, everyone is-- Devyne!?"
"Draco!" Devyne leaped up from her seat and tackled Malfoy in a hug landing against the wall in the hallway. Her action startled everyone and even Harry stood up to see them better. "I thought you were going to head to Durmstrang!"
Malfoy, a first that any of the friends had seen before, was truely smiling as he was still holding Devyne by her waist and her arms still strung around his shoulders, "My mother put up a really good fight with my dad."
"How is Narcissa?" The contents of the compartment launched out of their chairs in shock.
"How do you know him--"
"Are you two dating--"
"How many more secrets are you going to keep from us--"
"What the hell is going on--"
"Slow down!" Devyne shouted, broken away from Malfoy's grip. "Rewind." She stepped forward and stepped up into Harry's face who had pushed his way to the front. "Repeat what you just said."
"How many more secrets are you going to keep from us?" Harry repeated slowly and defiantly, not ready to back down from her.
She grinned at him and squeesed her eyes shut and then open to control her anger, "Excuse me, but I don't ever remember Draco being on our topics. If you had mentioned him, I would've said something."
"Right. Did you know his dad is a Death Eater and he is most likely a future one?" Harry said threw gritted teeth.
Devyne's smile folded into a smirk as she kept her gaze strong, "Did you know that whenever Voldemort destroyed my parents when I was about one in a half, they took me in? Did you know I've known that my whole life and I don't care -- Goyle put your god damn wand down!" She snapped whipping her head over her shoulder to glare at the bulky figure. Harry's own hand fell into his pocket to hold his wand in case a riot broke out but the redhead had sharp eyes. "You too, Harry. There's no reason for any wands to be held here. I'm leaving," she snapped the last two words and gave one last glare at Harry before turning around and swinging her arm around Malfoy's shoulder with her regular smile.
Crabbe and Goyle also gave their last smirks before slowly closing the doors but not before Harry could shout, "Have fun in Slytherin!" To Devyne, he was pretty sure the girl had responsed with a, "Oh I will."
"You know she wanted to be in Gryffindor," Hermione said quietly before returning to her seat. Harry couldn't help but feel a tad bit guilty.
The train came to a halt at the Hogsmeade Station soon enough and Harry was grinning from ear to ear when he heard the all too familiar, booming voice, "Firs' years this way!"
"Hagrid!" Harry, Hermione and Ron walked over to greet him and in return Hagrid gave them each a rib breaking hug.
"It's good ter see yeh three. I see yer doin' fine," he nodded to each of them. They each voiced a short summary of their summers while Hagrid continued to call the first years over, they even mentioned Devyne; who Hagrid knew. "Devyne? Devyne Rose is here at Hogwarts? I would've ne'er o' thought..."
The trio (yes, minus Neville and Ginny), headed towards the carriages with the other stragglers when they found Devyne and Malfoy as two of them, "No way! Lucius did that?!" Her voice echoed across the station. Malfoy gave her his reply and the two stayed in their conversation untill Ron decided to say something.
"Look, Hermione," he emitted his voice loud enough to make people's heads turn, even Devyne's and Malfoy's. "I don't see how you think Chasers do anything! Keepers are the ones that--"
"Ron! You know Chasers are so much better than stupid Keepers!" The redhead shouted across the way. She bide her last words to Malfoy and ran over to Ron, playfully shoving him. "That is not fair, you don't even give them a chance to defend themselves."
The last of the carriages emerged from the top of the small hill as Ron and Devyne argued homourously about Quidditch and Harry could see the black, anorexic thestrals beaming their empty sockets around. A couple of them pawed the ground softly as if eager to begin trudging the carriages up to the school and all their heads snapped towards Harry, Hermione, Ron and Devyne when the redheaded girl gave a loud gasp. "Thestrals! Hogwarts has Thestrals?!" The girl scrambled over to the winged horse-like creatures and cautiously spoke to one, asking if she could pet it.
"You're insane, Devyne," Harry called out to her. "They don't understand english very well."
"Obviously well enough!" she called back as Harry was about to load onto the carriage; he leaned out and saw the thestrals shoving their heads into her hands to be petted. The boy shook his head and boarded the carriage without a second thought.
The carriages rumbled up to Hogwarts slowly as they had the last four (Minus the first and second year, remember?) years; nothing changing except for Devyne's company.
"Oh my god! Look --" she pointed out the window at the lake, "-- at how the sunset reflects off it, it's beautiful!"
Harry, sitting across from her, couldn't help but follow Devyne's gaze out the window. Just as she said, the many colours of the sunset were bouncing off the ripples of the lake, giving it the most blissful look. Even as the squid flowed over the surface, showing off for the First Years that crossed it, everything appeared at peace.
The carriages came to halt and everyone exited it, Harry being last. When he jumped of the carriages, he bumped right into the back of Devyne who stood unfazed, gawking at the castle. "You could at lease move so people can get off!" he snapped to her, but she didn't move or snap back with anything.
"It's so beautiful," she whispered as if she would disturb a sleeping baby. Her eyes were scanning over the whole castle quickly as if trying to remember every window and crevice. "I think I'll stay here for a while, you guys go ahead."
Harry shrugged and walked past her not caring if she came or not, but her loud protests caused him to turn around. He watched with an eyebrow raised as Ron and Hermione had grabbed her arms and was dragging her up to the castle. He reluctantly led the way into the Great Hall with Devyne's voice echoing in his head; her angry voice grew louder when they entered Hogwarts, but eventually quieted down when she spotted the hall. Harry guessed that she was amazed by the Great Hall as she was of the castle so he didn't bother to turn around and find out why she quit shouting.
He continued up to the Gryffindor Table and took a seat with Ron and Hermione sitting across from him; but no Devyne. Harry glanced around, wondering why she wasn't with his friends when they answered his question, "Professor McGonagall took her aside."
"Harry!" the boy directed his glanced down the table to see Dean Thomas waving at him. Harry grinned and waved back as Dean walked over to sit next to him. "Hey, Ron, Hermione," he acknowledged them in turn. "Did you guys hear that Dumbledore is letting Durmstrang students come here now?"
Hermione nodded and Ron tilted his head and Harry was about to answer, but students being plural confused him. Dean took his silence for a no and continued with his explanation, "Yeah, apparently a handful of them got too scared to stay at their school because of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I personally would have never of let them come here. I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking."
Harry was about to reply when the doors to the Great Hall creaked open and First Years came spilling in with Professor McGonagall in the lead. The sorting went by quickly with a short song from the hat and not very many first years attended Hogwarts this year. Once all the little kids had taken their seats at the tables, Professor Dumbledore took his stand and the whole Hall quieted for his speech.
"Another year a Hogwarts has arrived," he begin, his eyes beaming at all the students over the moon-spectecles, "and this year will be the most different yet. First I must welcome all of you to a new year. The Forbidden Forest is still forbidden and Mr. Flitch as a list of items that are not allowed in the corridors of Hogwarts. And now for the news," his eyes swept the whole hall for a moment and landed on Harry before continuing. "This year I have allowed a handful of students from Durmstrang to join us." The Great Hall suddenly rippled to life as everyone talked about this news, many disgusted and many Slytherins excited.
"Please calm down, everyone," Dumbledore's voice boomed and everyone transfixed their eyes back on him. "These students will now be sorted into houses instead of them getting their own rooms in Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall," Dumbledore handed it over to her and she nodded to Flitch who was back beside the Great Hall's doors. He opened them and just a small group of Durmstrang students entered.
There were about twelve in all, not very many for Durmstrang being a large school. Most of the students looked to be around their seventh year and were looking around scowling at the students; others were in awe and about two of them were excited. Devyne being one of them.
"Jacob Abbs, going into the seventh year please come forward," Professor McGonagall called and one of the boys from the group that was scowling walked up the stairs and sat on the school, but before the Sorting Hat even touched his head, it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"
The sorting of the twelve students continued like this, most being in their seventh year and ended up in Slytherin. Only one girl was a sixth year and was sorted into Ravenclaw.
"Devyne Rose, going into the seventh year," came last and Devyne grinned practically skipping up the steps and sat down on the stool. But unlike all the others, the hat didn't automatically call out a house; it fact it was a good five minutes before any noise came from it's brim. But even then it only spoke in a whisper that no one in the hall could make out; except for probably Professor McGonagall who was standing right next to the redhead. Harry took a quick glance around the hall and saw the Durmstrang students at the Slytherin table watching anxiously including Draco and his goons.
"She seems to be popular at Durmstrang," Hermione said, she was also looking around the hall.
Harry sighed and leaned backwards to streatch his back, "She'll probably end up in Slytherin."
"Not if she doesn't want too," Ron added and kept his gaze on Devyne.
Another couple of minutes later, the sorting hat's voice echoed through the hall and what it said didn't get many cheers except for a handful at her house table. "GRYFFINDOR!"
Devyne grinned and jumped off the stool, handing the hat back to Professor McGonagall who smiled and congradulated her before the redhead bounced her way over to the table and took a seat next to Hermione.
"Congradulations!" Hermione gave her a hug, smiling and for once not listening to what Dumbledore said afterwards.
Harry was ignoring Devyne untill he felt a sharp kick in the table hit him in the shin; he reached down and rubbed it looking up realize that Hermione was glaring at him. "Congrades," he muttered to Devyne without making eye contact.
Something cold slipped under Harry's chin and lifted his head up; he wrenched his head away but not in time to ignore the redhead across the table. She was smiling at him while holding a spoon that Harry figured was what she used to lift his head, "Cheer up, Potter. You get to deal with me for your last year, isn't that wonderful?"
A voice in the back of Harry's head told him the year was going to be hell.