Chapter 2 – 5 years later

1st September 2003

I am about to leave the house, so I will have to be quick! I am about to go back, for my sixth year at Hogwarts. I am so excited, although this year I start my NEWTs. I did pass my OWLs fairly well, so I shouldn't be that bad! Oh, I had better go, I'm rambling! Off to Hogwarts we go!

Noelle stepped onto Platform 9¾. She breathed in deeply. She was home! Well, she supposed she should be worried, what with all the panic about Voldemort. And him returning. She was horrified about what Harry had gone through, in the years since they had started Hogwarts. She just hoped he would be strong, and survive through it.

She looked around and saw Ron and Hermione. They obviously thought no-one could see them, they were wrong. They were stood making out in one corner of the station. Noelle rolled her eyes, they had been like this for half of last year too! Hermione had grown into a beautiful girl since 1st year, with her honeyed curls brushing her shoulders, and her body curvy but not overly so. Ron too had grown a lot, Noelle could have sworn that he had gained inches, in just that summer. His hair was longer, and he was really tall, having to dip his head considerably to reach Hermione. Noelle chuckled to herself, they really were a peculiar, but perfect, couple.

Someone tapped her shoulder, she turned around, still smiling, and came face to face with Harry. He also, she noticed, had changed over the years that she had known him. He had always been a handsome boy, but with his hair longer, and his body broader, not quite so skinny, she had to admit, he was gorgeous. She was momentarily silenced, as she smiled at him. She wasn't aware that she had changed over the summer too. Her dark hair, now black, fell into loose glossy curls, layered and cut just above her shoulders, and her big eyes, surrounded by dark makeup, were stunning. She was still very slim, but curvy on her hips and chest. Her pale cheeks, rosy along her cheekbones, were spot free, and her forehead only had a few to go.

"Hi!" Harry said eventually, giving her a hug

"Oh yeah! Hi!" Noelle grinned at him as he let go of her, feeling embarrassed that she had just stood and stared for a minute. She shook her head. "Have you seen the lovebirds?" she laughed, gesturing at Ron and Hermione.

Harry grimaced "Yes, it's quite disgusting actually!"

Noelle smirked "You're just jealous of him, 'cause he's got a girlfriend, and you haven't!"

Harry flicked her in retaliation, and it turned into an all scale 'flick war'

"Well that was very mature of us!" Noelle laughed, as Harry gave up the fight, and started to heave his trunk towards the train. She then joined him, pulling her trunk into the compartment that Harry had found.

"Do you reckon they'll sit with us?" Noelle asked Harry

"Well, if they do, and carry on eating each others faces the way they are now... I will eject them from the compartment, we are going to have a snogging ban!" Harry said, trying and failing to sound serious.

"OK, that sounds like a good idea to me!" Noelle agreed

"Speak of the devils" Harry remarked as Ron and Hermione entered the compartment.

"What?" Ron asked, looking confused

"Oh, nothing," Harry said, trying to sound innocent "we just decided there's going to be a snogging ban all the way to school"

Ron looked horrified

"But if you really have to," Noelle intervened, "then go somewhere else"

Hermione looked uncomfortable "Well, I don't... I don't think it would be a great idea for Ron and I to leave you alone together" she blurted out.

"What!" Harry and Noelle exclaimed "Why?"

"Well, oh please, you can't not know... it's everywhere, everyone's saying it..."

"What 'Mione?" Noelle asked, looking annoyed

"That you and Harry are... y'know... going out..." Hermione finished, bracing herself against the outburst that would surely come from both concerned, "or that you are going to be going out soon..."

Harry went red. Noelle went redder.

"What?" she whispered, "How long have people been saying that?"

"Since this came out" Hermione said, regaining confidence now that she was sure she wasn't about to be slaughtered, and holding out a glossy magazine.

"Oh no..." Harry said, with a sense of foreboding, "Not again"

He unfolded the magazine, it was on the front page, of 'Witch Weekly'

Harry Potter spotted! Does he have a secret girlfriend?

Harry Potter, 16, was spotted by our photographer as he left a

party at a friends house, he was holding hands with a girl, Noelle

James, 16, could she be the elusive Harry Potter's girlfriend?

Bruce Jenkins, the photographer in question, decided to find out.

He followed the couple until they reached Miss James' house,

where Mr Potter kissed her goodbye on the cheek. Many of Mr

Potter's fans, I am sure, will be very disappointed, but we are

sure that there is romance in the air for the Boy Who Lived...

Continued on page 3

Harry gaped at the picture of him hugging Noelle.

"I don't believe it" he said finally "She's at it again"

Noelle looked very embarrassed.

"So now... everyone thinks we're a couple?" she suggested meekly.

Harry smiled at her in a defeated manner "Apparently so."

Ron looked surprised "No, not apparently," he said "They definitely think so! I mean, you two do always hang around together, and I'm sorry but if you were holding hands..."

Harry and Noelle were gob smacked.

"Harry" Noelle said uncomfortably "Why would people think that about us? We've always been friends... and I mean... it's not as if either of us do... there's no chance of that..."

Harry sat in silence for a minute then said,

"C'mon, let's get changed into our uniforms, we must be nearly there by now."

Noelle nodded, glad for the change in conversation.

Neither of them noticed that Ron and Hermione had left the compartment.

Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione raced down the train, looking into compartments, finally, they found what they were looking for, and burst in, shutting the door behine themselves.

"Neville, Ginny, Luna, we just... who are you?"

Ron's question was directed at a dark haired boy, sat next to Ginny.

"I'm David McKechnie," the boy answered in a gentle Scots accent, "You wouldn't know me, I'm in 5th year Ravenclaw, but you're Ginny's brother aren't you?"

Ron gave him a stern look and said, seemingly restraining himself,

"Yes... well you wouldn't mind leaving us for a while would you? Good..."

Ron hurried David out of the compartment, turned around, and fixed his gaze on Ginny

"I hope he isn't-"

But Ginny cut him off

"Yes! Ron, he bloody well is! Why shouldn't I have a boyfriend? I AM FIFTEEN!"

The siblings squared up to each other, but Hermione cut them off,

"as we were about to tell you..."

Ron's face brightened instantly,

"Oh yeah! We told Harry and Noelle about the rumours and the newspaper article, and they reacted perfectly!"

Hermione laughed,

"They certainly did, They stared at each other for ages, Noelle blushed really badly, and Harry couldn't think of anything to say at all! We just left them like that. We have got to get them together this year..."

As they all got off the train, they met up with Harry and Noelle, both of whom looked extremely irritated.

"There you are!" snapped Noelle when she spotted Hermione's honeyed curls, and Ron's red hair,

"You have no idea what we've had to put up with all the way here!" Harry fumed, "Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati found us, sat in our compartment dropping HUGE hints, then Lavender topped the whole thing off by asking what we were planning on calling our first born!"

Ron and Hermione attempted to stifle their laughter.

Noelle glared at them,

"I DON'T SEE WHAT'S SO FUNNY!" she thundered.

"You two have had to put up with worse than that before , and you just laughed it off, why are you reacting so strongly now?"

Hermione's speech left Harry and Noelle without a clue what to say, Hermione and Ron laughed as they climbed into a horseless carriage.

As she sat in the carriage, Noelle felt that she was now, truly, in a place where people cared for her. At home she still felt ignored and unimportant to her parents, who were always too busy working to bother with her much. Now she was back with Harry, Ron and Hermione, she felt wanted, and secure.

They wandered into the Great Hall, and took their places at the Gryffindor table. After the sorting, Noelle leant closer to Harry's ear and said,

"I can't believe that we're only ever going to see that once again."

"I know," he replied "After this year, we've only got one to go... scary isn't it!"

"Mmmm..." Noelle nodded "Ooh! Food!"

For the golden plates had filled themselves with food.

Ron was stuffing his face, Hermione was scoffing at him, Harry was watching them in bemusement, and Noelle was laughing at the look on Harry's face.

"You look disgusted!" she giggled

"I am!" came the reply.

"Why don't you eat something?"

"I have been put off my food!" he laughed, turning to face her,

"Oh no!" Noelle feigned shock, "Harry no, don't do this to yourself!"

They both collapsed with laughter. Eventually, Harry spluttered,

"I don't think we're the 'cool' sixth years that they expected, do you?" he gestured at the first years, who were watching, not sure whether to join in laughing, or look scared.

"Apparently not!" Noelle sniggered.

Noelle staggered up to her dormitory, still smiling about dinner. It had been, despite the news of the rumour, and lots of people staring at them, and whispering, a good night back.

It was almost 2 o'clock in the morning before she and the other girls (and the boys, but they were in their dorm) went to sleep.

Of course they regretted it in the morning.