"Harry, you've been talking about Draco for about 15 minutes and I wanted to talk about our schedules. You need to stop being the wild conspiracy theorist and start actually paying attention to me. If you fail your N.E. you're going nowhere!" Hermione shouts. I slink backwards, maybe I am talking a bit much about Draco...

"Fine, what did you want to talk to me about."

"I wanted to talk to you and Ron about the fact that you don't have potions on here!"

"Professor Snape said he wouldn't let us in, we got Es." Ron says, shrugging. "Kinda sucks but what are we supposed to do?"

"We have a new potions teacher though, you could ask him."

I think for a moment. "That would be great, but we don't have books or ingredients."

"They always have spares, you two need to talk to Professor McGonagall."

Ron and I get up and walk towards the staff table in the Great Hall. On the way I wave to Ginny, she's sitting at the Ravenclaw table with Luna and a Hufflepuff girl, they seem to be getting yelled at by a Slytherin, detention on the first day sucks. I scan the Slytherin table to find Draco, he's sitting with his girlfriend, Pansy. I almost want to throttle him, tell him that whatever he's planning isn't going to work.

"Hey, Harry." Ron asks. "When are tryouts?"

I want to scream. I'm not sure that I want to ride my Firebolt ever again. I want a different broom that doesn't remind me of Sirius, even if it's a Comet 260. "Uh... maybe Sunday. I just don't really feel like riding that broom right now." He puts a hand on my shoulder, if Hermione's my brain then Ron has to be my heart, even when I can't say what exactly is wrong, he always gives the right kind of support. "It's fine, just, whenever you're ready. I think Hermione would kill us if we put Quidditch before homework anyway so it might be good that you aren't up to it right now."

"Ron, Harry, just the people I was looking for." Professor McGonagall says. "I wanted to ask you why Potions isn't on your schedule."

"Well," I say. "Snape said that we couldn't do N.E.W.T potions if we got lower than an O, but me and Ron got Es so we didn't sign up but if Slughorn is our potions professor now do you think we could sign up."

"Of course. I'll just tell Horace that you're joining. Remember to buy your potions books and ingredients soon."

We walk back to the table but just as we're about to sit down, the bell rings. I take another look at my schedule, it's magically updated to reflect the fact that we're taking potions, the first subject for Monday is double Defence Against the Dark arts with Professor Snape.

"Hermione," I ask. "Why aren't we taking subjects with anyone else?"

"We're taking subjects with everyone else." she answers, opening her book. "Look, page 27 'All students taking N.E.W.T classes will take it with everyone of the same year as them who is also taking that N.E.W.T class.' So that means-"

Ron grimances. "Every single class with the Slytherins."

()

"Protego!" I yell, trying desperately to deflect the jinxes that Hannah Abbott fires at me, who knew that she was a secret master at Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"Harry," Snape says. "You should know better than to speak while practicing non-verbal spells. Even Goyle is doing better than you."

"Goyle isn't even casting any spells!" I protest. "He has about as much magical power as a rock. He's only at Hogwarts because his parents refused to accept that he's a squib."

"This is your last warning Potter, one more talk back and I'll give you detention."

I look back to Hannah and try to block her spells again. It's only Flipendo, nothing too serious, something that should be pretty easy to deflect."

Protego. I think desperately, clenching up my face to my ears pop. I feel the invisible barrier pop up between me and the spell, pushing us both over from the knockback. Hannah walks up to me and pulls me up.

"You deflected it this time, you just need to stand your ground better."

I take a look at Ron and Hermione, he's doing well, shooting spells and deflecting them like... like Sirius. Like how he fought of the Death Eaters, taunting Bellatrix before he fell through the veil.

Before I killed him.

Before my stupidity killed him.

I walk out the room, mummering something about the bathroom. I need to take a walk outside to clear my head, to get Sirius out of my head. I turn the corner and see Ginny, Luna and the Hufflepuff girl laughing in an empty classroom, I think they have free time now. I walk into the classroom to say hello. Maybe they'll make me feel a little better.

But then I see her.

She's tall and has caramel skin and frizzy long hair tied up into a ponytail. She looks fun, someone I'd easily be friends with.

Except for the fact that she's a Slytherin.

Except for the fact that I don't have Slytherin friends.

But Ginny has Slytherin friends. This girl. Her Slytherin Friend.

What Gryffindor has Slytherin Friends?