Chapter Five
A Fated Relationship
As the train entered Hogsmeade Station, people started leaving their compartments and queued up to get off. By this time, everyone had changed into their robes. Harry noticed Angela was beginning to look nervous. Very nervous.
"Harry, what if I'm not in your house? I have to be sorted, don't I?"
Harry understood her anxiety, and felt himself grow tenser too. "I'm not sure. What house were you in at Gizellda?"
"We didn't have houses, exactly… we changed every year." She had a definite note of panic in her voice now.
"Let's talk to Professor McGonagall. She has to know about the exchange program. We'll sort this all out. It'll be fine." Harry grasped Angela's hand tightly as he said this. He hoped she wouldn't have to be sorted. He liked her too much to run the risk she'd be sorted somewhere else. As he thought about the kissing (which, in his opinion, was the most wonderful feeling in the world) and Ginny walking in (the worst possible feeling), he realized that he hadn't yet told Ron and Ginny about his feelings for Angela, as he had promised Hermione in Diagon Alley. He wanted to keep their relationship a secret, but felt that he was obliged to tell them, for fear that if he broke his promise, they would no longer be his friends, and Hermione would never forgive him.
As the two of them stepped off of the train, he and Angela searched around for Ron and Hermione, but they were nowhere to be seen. Harry told Angela to stay with Hagrid, the eleven-foot tall gamekeeper at Hogwarts, while he went back to look on the train. Angela was in temporary shock as she looked at Hagrid, nearly fainting when he introduced himself and asked her how she was doing.
"Fine, thanks," she squeaked, and as they began to walk toward the gates, she walked alongside him, careful to avoid his swinging arms.
Harry got back on the train and walked down to the Prefects' compartments. As he passed the last one, he saw something extremely unsettling. There, leaned up against the side of the compartment, were Ron and Hermione, kissing. He then understood exactly how Ginny felt. He didn't have feelings for Hermione, at least not of that sort, but he felt queasy about his two best friends going out, if this could be called going out. What if they broke up? Would they all still be friends? Harry was yet again completely bewildered. But he had to get the two off the train before all of the carriages were taken. He knocked on the door and ran as fast as he could for the doors, hoping they had stopped kissing and started getting off the train. He wouldn't dare tell them what he had seen.
Harry found Angela at the gates of the school, as Hagrid had already left to guide the first years across the lake. They found a carriage, and as Harry looked up, he saw the gleaming black eyes of the Thestrals that took them up to the castle. He was sure that Angela couldn't see them, as she had merely stepped into the carriage and begun chatting to its occupants cheerily. Harry entered the carriage, startled to find that inside it was Cho Chang and her friend, Marietta. Cho ignored Harry, continuing to talk to Angela. Marietta, on the other hand, stared at Harry, a look of disgust and loathing on her face. Harry kept quiet for the whole ride up to the castle.
When their carriage reached the oak front doors, Harry took Angela's hand and pulled her out of the carriage rather ungracefully, wanting to get out of there as soon as he could. Angela seemed rather irked.
"Gee, thanks!" she said sardonically. "I feel like such a princess!"
"Sorry," said Harry, slowing down and guiding Angela up the stone steps to the large oak doors that led into the entrance hall. They could hear a great deal of noise coming from the Great Hall, where the Welcoming Feast would take place. He led her in. She gasped as she looked up at the tremendous ceiling, enchanted to look like the sky, which was now cloudy and dark, but otherwise calm. Shortly after showing her to the Gryffindor table, the two of them sitting between Ron and Hermione, Professor McGonagall approached Harry and Angela.
"Will you two come with me, please?" asked Professor McGonagall sternly. Harry suddenly felt something much like a lead weight had been dropped into the pit of his stomach. Angela stood up, looking unimpressed at the Professor's rather terse instruction. Harry didn't know what the teachers at Gizellda were like, but he had a feeling that Angela was already familiar with the concept of discipline.
Professor McGonagall led the two down the main corridor leading to the headmaster's, now headmistress's, office. As they reached the large stone gargoyle, she gave it the password ('Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans'), and a spiral staircase appeared, now very familiar to Harry. On the way up, he found himself worrying about how Angela felt about Ginny. He could only wonder how long it would take her to realize that they had gone out together the previous year. His relationship with Angela had only just started, and he didn't want it to deteriorate based on a past, albeit brief, relationship.
As they entered the large circular office, Harry noticed the enormous contrast compared to how it had looked prior to Dumbledore's death. The spindly-legged tables, once filled with small silver instruments, now held ordinary things such as spare quills, parchment, and the occasional peculiar object which Harry thought may have been kept as a reminder of the departed headmaster whom Professor McGonagall admired so much.
As Professor McGonagall rounded the desk, which was now extremely organized, Angela stood, with her hands behind her back as if waiting for orders. Then McGonagall sat down.
"Sit down, please," she said rather sternly. As they sat down in the chairs opposite her, McGonagall's eyes fell upon Angela.
"Miss Petersen, I expect you are aware of the conditions under which you are allowed to stay here at Hogwarts?"
"Of course, Professor. I was informed of most of the conditions before I left for London." Angela had a wavering note in her voice as though she was unsure of what to say.
Professor McGonagall looked skeptical, but she continued. "Since you are Mr. Potter's guest, you will be accompanying him in Gryffindor house," Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "You will be staying in the girls' dormitory, naturally. Hermione Granger will be there for you if you have any questions about the school."
"Thank you, Professor." By this time, Angela was positively beaming.
"You will be given a guided tour of the school courtesy of Miss Granger after the Welcoming Feast. I trust she's introduced herself by now?"
"Yes, Professor McGonagall, she has," said Angela. Her face had fallen slightly, and Harry hoped she felt the same disappointment he did that he would not be able to accompany her on the tour. "May I ask how long the tour will take?"
"As long as Ms. Granger sees fit," said McGonagall, looking slightly suspicious. "We should be heading down to the Great Hall. The first years are to be sorted into their Houses and I'm sure the other students are getting hungry."
Harry nodded. He hoped that the feast and Angela's tour would be over as quickly as possible; he really wanted to speak to Angela in private about what happened between them on the train. He wanted to tell her that although he liked her, he thought she was right in saying that they should go a little more slowly.
By this time, Harry and Angela had followed Professor McGonagall back down the spiral staircase, down the main corridor, and to the entrance of the Great Hall, where McGonagall left them to greet the first years. The two resumed their seats between Ron and Hermione. Harry thought Angela and Hermione got on fairly well, talking about the advanced classes available at Hogwarts and Gizellda and whether the American N.E.W.T.S. were equivalent to the British ones. Harry smiled in spite of himself.
The Sorting went well, the Hat giving its now usual speech about uniting in the face of danger. Ron talked to Angela about her Quidditch skills and how she felt about Harry being captain of the Gryffindor team.
"I don't mind at all. Why should I?" she asked, smiling as she quietly placed her hand in Harry's under the table, but Ron saw what she was doing and turned away, looking somewhat discomfited. "Harry's an excellent leader and I'm completely confident in his captaining abilities."
Harry felt himself grinning sheepishly at this. "Thanks," he said quietly. "Uh, Angela, you should probably be starting your tour with Hermione in a few minutes." Harry added this last part as he looked up at the staff table at the head of the Great Hall, where McGonagall looked at him and then pointed to her pocket watch impatiently.
Angela smiled slyly. "Trying to get rid of me already, are you, Harry?"
Harry flushed. "Of course not," he muttered. "Professor McGonagall would want you to know your way around."
"Right," said Angela, giggling. She and Hermione stood up, and Hermione started reciting Hogwarts, A History verbatim as they walked away from the table, pointing at things such as the enchanted ceiling and the ghosts that floated through the tables, talking to unsuspecting students casually as if floating in the middle of a table was completely normal. Once the girls were out of earshot, Ron turned to Harry.
"I'm going to ask her out."
Harry choked on his pumpkin juice. He knew who Ron was talking about, but he wasn't about to admit to his best friend that he saw him snogging his other best friend on the train. "Who?" he asked questioningly, trying to sound as casually as possible.
Ron's voice dropped to a dead whisper. "Hermione," he murmured excitedly. "I dunno. It just feels right."
Harry had known this would happen. It was obvious that Hermione and Ron would end up together; it was just a matter of when. Judging by what Harry had witnessed on the train, that time had come. During the summer, the two had been very casual, talking with Harry, not at all embarrassed. But Harry feared that they would be if he told them that he knew about them giving each other a facial cavity search on the train. In his heart he knew, though, that his friends' relationship was beyond physical. They were truly in love, as Harry was truly in love with Angela. Despite his relationship with Ginny the previous year, Harry was ready to commit once more, and Angela was almost too perfect. She understood Harry. She enjoyed his company. They had kissed, which could have strengthened or destroyed their standing friendship. But Harry was ready, and though Ginny would always be close to him, he felt that the burning passion in the core of his body was yearning for someone else.
