The Dating Game
"Hello Hagrid!" Harry shouted ecstatically.
"O 'ello 'Arry."
"Em, Hagrid I was wondering if you are still going to be our Care of Magical Creatures teacher? Cause you are the only reason I took it."
"I'm glad t' say I will be," Hagrid beamed, "well I'd bet'r be off, first years can't make it there on their own now can they?"
Harry looked happily round for his two best friends, and found them walking sleepily toward him.
"Great news! Hagrid's still going to be our Care of Magical Creatures teacher"
"Great!" Ron yelled.
"Oh, eh, yeah, great," Hermione said unconvincingly.
"If you've got something to say Hermione then just spit it out." Harry angrily accused.
"Let's go and get, er, and get a carriage, yes, a carriage, before they are all gone." Hermione quickly changed the subject.
They made their way to the nearest dark, eerie carriage. The shadows of the Thestral's, horse-like creatures that can only be seen by people who had witnessed someone that had died, were luminous in the twinkling starlight. Harry made to take a steep step onto the carriage after Ron, but was dragged quickly to one side. Harry was on the brink of letting out a burst of built-up rage, but then he realised who it was that had dragged him aside.
"Hello, er Cho." Harry said uncomfortably, but managed to produce a fake smile.
"Come on Harry, get in this carriage with me"
Before Harry had even had time to process the situation he was following Cho into the next carriage. When Harry got in the carriage he made sure that he sat as far away from Cho as possible. Cho immediately crossed the carriage and sat next to the nervous Harry.
"I've missed you Harry," Cho said as Harry shuffled hurriedly into the must corner.
"Have you missed me?"
Harry thought he should be careful with what he said so as not to put Cho in tears again
"Yeeeessss." From the wide smile that rose happily in Cho's pretty face, Harry knew that he had said the right thing.
"I have thought a lot about you," Cho said as she sneakily crept a centimetre closer to Harry.
"I'm so sorry I flew off the handle last year," another centimetre.
"I've been regretting it for ages," another centimetre. Everything went quiet and Harry knew he should say something but just as he had built up the needed courage he decided against it. Harry started to feel like he was sitting in a sauna, sweat was threatening to drip down onto his nose when suddenly Cho reached out for the brass handle.
"Em, goodbye Harry.
"Yeah, er, goodbye Cho." Harry stalked Cho with his eyes as she climbed the stone steps into Hogwarts castle.
"What happened there mate?."
"Wha?" Harry said dreamily.
"What happened there, you know, with Cho?"
"I don't really know? But you know I thought I was totally over her, now I'm not so sure." Harry told Ron and Hermione everything that had happened as they too climbed the sparkling steps that lead up to the castle.
When Harry, Ron and Hermione reached the bright doors of the hall they had to re-adjust their ears to the noise coming out. They spotted three empty seats at the long Gryffindor table and made their way over. After a couple of paces Harry looked over his heavy shoulder and spotted Draco Malfoy, Harry's hated enemy, sitting between his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. Harry despised Malfoy. Harry had hated Malfoy ever since he had laid his green eyes on him. After surveying Malfoy for a moment he felt like there was definitely something odd looking about him.
"Well, are you going to sit down then?" Ron asked as he took up the left seat.
"Huh, eh, yeah," Harry said as he looked down into Ron's fiery red hair.
"Wonder who is going to be joining Gryffindor this year," Ron said, "oh, and here they come now." Ron gestured towards the hall door that was now littered with pale faced first years. Looking down the line of new-comers Harry noticed one little rather pointed faced boy. There was a strange connection between Harry and this boy somehow. Harry tried to look away but his mind was telling him not to. Without warning a vicious whisper sounded in Harry's mind……..