Chapter 7
The weekend had gone by rather fast. Harry and Ginny were aloud to spend fours hours together alone on Saturday and Sunday. They spent their time together sitting, holding each other, on some blankets, on the floor in Hagrid's hut. They talked and laughed and kissed. Harry was sad to have to say goodnight on Sunday, but knew he had to go into teacher mode. He gave Ginny one last kiss and walked her back to the castle.
Monday morning Harry went to breakfast early and then to the classroom. He was pretty confident about his first class, seeing as how they were just first years, and they would only be reading then discussing the chapters they read. He decided that rather than have everyone sit in rows, he would have them sit in a circle. As he was finishing the circle a student had come in. She appeared to be wearing used robes and she was rather pale.
Harry approached the young student, "Excuse me, are you feeling well?" he asked a little concerned. The young child looked up at him. She had big blue eyes, that appeared to be shadowed. A few freckles on her face (No where near as many as any of the Weasley's). And she had, almost white, blonde hair. Harry wasn't sure why, but he felt as if for some reason he knew this child. She stated blankly, "Yes, sir. I am fine. Just didn't sleep well last night." Harry nodded, he understood sleepless nights all too well. "What is your name?" he asked.
She looked down at her shoes and started rubbing her thumb and middle finger together, this made Harry feel awkward he then said, "It is okay." She looked up at him and he saw that she had tears in her eyes. He motioned her to a desk and the two sat down. Class didn't start for twenty minutes, so he knew he had time to talk with her. He asked her, "Okay well how about instead of starting with you name, maybe you could tell me what house you belong to?" She didn't look up but said, "G–G– Gryffindor." Harry made a box of tissues appear and handed her one.
Harry thought that he should try to make her comfortable before any further questions. He decided on common ground. "Gryffindor huh, That was the house I was in when I was a student here. How do you like it?" he asked, not sure if he would get an answer. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes, "I know you were in Gryffindor, everyone knows. Your pictures are all over the walls in the common room," she looked a little embarrassed at this and the said, "sir." Harry laughed,"Oh really? You don't happen to know who put them there do you?" She looked as if she might know but shook her head. "Well," he said, "Maybe I could get you to take them down for me. I just cannot stand my pictures, they always come out looking horrible, and my hair is always standing on end." he said with a slight grin, hoping that this would help.
It did because a small smile quickly crossed her face then disappeared. It was getting close to time for class to start. Harry said, "You know, you don't have to tell me your name, but I will find out when I take attendance. Maybe if I let you be my assistant this class you could tell me your name." He knew that this probably could be considered a bribe, but something made him want to reach out to this child. Again the child looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Oh man," he thought, "what has she been through that makes her so sad?"She took a deep breath, wiped away any trace off tears, straightened in her chair and started, "My name is Elizabeth, sir."