Thank you for your support everyone. I really do want to know how you feel about this chapter, so I am posting it earlier than usual. Enjoy. And yes, a reminder, I am trying not to bash pretty much any character in this story. Well, maybe Umbridge, we'll see...

Ch 13: Friends

Hermione Granger had been called many things in her short life. Most of them were along the lines of 'A know-it-all insufferable bitch'.

When she was a child and her classmates bullied her, calling her names and pushing and pulling on her braids and stealing her precious books, she never took it upon herself. She always knew that it wasn't her fault that she was a brilliant girl and they weren't. Her father had taught her so. When they would push her and she would fall, she would rather bravely pick herself up and promise herself to learn even better the next time, so that she could always take her revenge in the unit tests!

It didn't mean though that she had never longed for friends. For she had cried, not once but several times since she could remember, even when others eventually left her alone to her devices. No one ever came to console her.

With time, she had slowly come to expect that she would always feel lonely and would have to fend for herself if she were to live. She remembered her worst fear being that even her parents would one day leave her, hate her.

All that changed when a sudden letter arrived and Hermione was basked in the sunlight of hope. She wasn't alone. There were others just like her, Professor McGonagall had said. She wasn't a freak! She would just have to start afresh in a brand new world awaiting her since the day she was born.

And Hermione sang and danced and laughed and played and did everything she never had done before because Hermione Granger was happy. Because Hogwarts was waiting for her! She would finally, finally, have friends.

She learnt her lesson soon enough.

A pale boy with blond hair called her a Mudblood on the very first train ride. She had enough sense to know that it was something foul and offensive. Her dorm mates dismissed her as 'not much of friend material' on her third day of school. Soon enough,

she was branded as a 'know-it-all' all over again.

However, it wasn't as bearable this time around. Her worst fear had been partially realized. Her parents weren't with her.

But determined as she was, she persevered.

She did what she did best – she studied. The world was new and the information was rich. There was a huge, really huge, library where she could spend all her time with a smile, if only a tiny one at that, on her face. What if she was alone in this huge castle full of fancy wizards and witches and ghosts and paintings and moving staircases and what not! And what if no one wanted her? She would still be the best witch of her generation. Nobody would ever surpass Hermione Granger as far as academics went.

Everything was surely, albeit slowly, settling into place and she had finally accepted her position in this new world of magic.

And then, Ron happened.

Even now after so many years, Hermione had an intense urge to strangle the boy whenever she thought of that particular Halloween and that particular vicious, smelly, humungous mountain troll.

It wasn't that Hermione hadn't forgiven Ron. Of course, she had forgiven him. He had come by to save her later after all. And he was now one of her best friends.

One of her best friends…

And there was the problem and the reason behind Hermione's inner monologue.

Because someone else too came that day to save her, even when he wasn't responsible for her life and limbs in any way whatsoever.

It was the boy who became her other best friend. It was the boy who was actually able to teach her something: friendship. It was Harry Potter.

A lone tear escaped her eye as she watched him sleeping, broken and bruised, from his very own invisibility cloak.

As Hermione thought about her past four years at Hogwarts and recalled similar instances to her pre-Hogwarts days, her analytical brain was able to divide and compare her lifespan in two clear parts. Before Harry saved her from the troll and After Harry saved her from the troll.

She still felt lonely sometimes but Harry was always there to cheer her up. When Ron would somehow or the other screw something up and Hermione had to fix it, he was always there to help her. When she and Ron fought, he always took the side that he felt was right, which was mostly her. When she sometimes bossed him around, he never rejected her, but complied with her demands with a lazy grin of his own.

Looking back, it was clear that Harry was the most selfless being she could think of.

And Hermione knew on a subconscious level that he would never leave her. Her parents could. Ron could. But not him. Because Harry was just as lonely as her and because Harry valued her, trusted her.

Trust, she had quite obviously, now lost.

Hermione could honestly say that she did not know what devilish part of her had reared its head up when she had decided not to trust Harry that night. She hung her head in shame when she realized that it was just another Halloween and that it was her test this time and that she had failed. It didn't matter that she had come to her senses by the next day but lost her nerve and courage to apologize to Harry. And then, he was gone hanging out with that French girl and it seemed he no longer needed her.

Moreover, Ron was being his usual pathetic self, agonizing over his own stupidity from inside and passing scathing comments on outside but beating whoever else did it in front of him. She remembered Seamus's blue face when he had dared pass a comment about Harry's genealogy in front of Ron, no doubt thinking that he would be clapped on the back. But Ron just liked the Irish boy's face better.

Hermione sighed.

If it weren't for the fact that she knew that Ron would probably drown himself if she left him too, she would have somehow done this much sooner.

As Harry laid there with that same French girl sitting next to him, Hermione thought back to what she had seen that afternoon and covered her mouth to keep from emptying her stomach.

She did not know what happened to Harry today and where he was portkeyed after that horrendous first task. But looking back at their previous three adventures, Harry's tremors every now and then, the worried look on Delacour's face beside him and seeing that it wasn't even the end of the year, he was definitely in some big trouble.

He needed help.

Her help. And she would be there for him this time.

She had to at least try making amends with him. Hopefully, he would acquiesce without making her lick his boots.

Hopefully.

~X~X~X~X~

Ron Weasley was a bit of an arsehole.

Ron Weasley would be the first one to admit the above mentioned fact, if someone were to ask him this tidbit when his head was suitably cool, his stomach was full and he was sleeping.

Come on, he would never admit that he was an arsehole!

Except, maybe this time.

Ron felt like kicking himself in the back, but seeing as even Hermione could not possibly prove this to be anatomically feasible, refrained.

This was all his fault. This was all his fault. This was all his bloody fault.

If only he was there with Harry all this time, maybe he could have helped him somehow. Maybe, he could have helped him prepare better. Maybe, he shouldn't have been a dick after all.

What the hell was he thinking anyway? Why was it so important for his mum and dad to literally put a mean, no, jealous bone in his body? Why was he always so jealous? Why? Why? Why?

For as long as Ron could think back, jealousy had been his defining trait. He was jealous of the success, smartness and looks of his brother Bill, he was jealous of Charlie for he was the best ever Quidditch player in the history of Weasleys, jealous of Percy for being a prefect and then, the head boy, jealous of Fred and George for having each other's backs. Hell, he was jealous of his younger sister, Ginny, because everyone adored her, what with being the only daughter Weasley family has had for generations!

And he was nothing.

He had nothing.

Except his two best friends.

And he had single handedly managed to throw that one precious gift away.

For all intents and purposes, Harry had been another one of his brothers since the day he met him. Just that he was better. Ron had never consciously acknowledged the fact that in spite of being a world famous celebrity, Harry had always treated him as his equal. He had never tried to give him charity but still never shied away from sharing everything he owned with him and expecting the same in return. They were mates from the second Ron had entered that compartment four years ago. Best Friends Forever.

Ron felt like laughing.

He had lost it.

His jealousy had broken whatever they had together, taken one of his brothers from him.

He squeezed Hermione's hand under the cloak as tears suddenly sprang to his eyes and an intense urge to weep in her arms consumed him. He had lost Harry.

Ron had an idea of what Harry had witnessed that night, away from everyone he loved, and utterly, completely alone. He had heard rumors. Hermione obviously hadn't.

"So sorry…" he half whispered, half sobbed but he knew that Harry wasn't listening. He knew that he was probably facing nightmares as he watched him.

Hermione squeezed his hand back.

God, he was thankful to Harry for this too. He would have lost her, never known her, had it not been for him suggesting that they save her from his lethal stupidity.

Not only Hermione, Harry had saved his little sister as well, from Voldemort himself. Ron should have been thankful to him for life…but he had instead chosen to abandon him.

"We'll get him back." Hermione whispered.

It wasn't so easy.

"It wouldn't be easy. He wouldn't take us." he said.

"We'll beg him if we have to."

"If only if it were that simple…"

"What if he doesn't need us? He seems happy enough with Delacour these days."

Ron smiled. "Now, who's being jealous."

"I just think that we ought to be there sitting beside him at this moment."

"We made a mistake Hermione. It's our luck if Harry forgives us or not. Besides, look at her. She cares for him."

"Yes. I can see that. But I have notice, you haven't drooled at her once since we got here."

s

Ron sighed. "I came to a very important realization when I saw Harry fighting for his life today, Hermione. I cannot be carefree without him on my side. He takes away my burdens upon himself so much that I nearly forgot how I always hated being alone before Hogwarts."

Hermione turned to him. "You have changed Ron."

He smiled. "Blimey. I have, haven't I? Seeing a dragon throwing your best mate around would do that to you, I think."

"You love Harry." she said, matter of factly.

"I do. But don't use that word in front of him. He'll never stop laughing."

"He loves us too."

"I hope."

"I have a feeling tomorrow would either make or break our lives."

"I have a feeling Harry would either choose us or I'll just have to punch him."

"What?" Hermione asked, scandalized.

"No, listen. I'll punch him once. Then he'll retaliate by punching me again and again. And I won't stop him. That way, he'll spend all his pent up anger on us in one stroke."

Hermione looked at him with a strange expression.

"I think we should go now."

He understood.

"You don't know how much I want his forgiveness Hermione. I will never forget what happened today. And I am afraid of spiders…bloody Gryffindor I am."

They headed back to their dorms after that, hand in hand.

If not him, Harry could at least forgive Hermione. Only Ron knew how much she had cried over the past weeks.

Hopefully, Harry would be happy enough when they lick his boots, to actually forgive them.

Hopefully.

Ron Weasley was an utter arsehole sometimes.

But he won't be now.

Not for a few days at least.

~X~X~X~X~

Harry yawned heavily as he woke up from his dreamless sleep, though it wasn't as dreamless as he had hoped. Through the night, he had felt something similar to low voltage electricity pass through his body several times, but his mind was so dull that he didn't have any choice but to bear it.

He opened his eyes and looked around himself.

Hospital Wing again! This year's record would be hard to surpass…

He turned his head to the side, only to find a mane of familiar long silver hair greeting him, as Fleur snored lightly.

Harry snorted.

He had never thought of Fleur as the snoring type. Coming to think of it, this was the first time she was actually snoring in front of him. Maybe something to do with sleeping on a stool.

Harry shook his head and watched her. Her face wasn't visible but it was clear that she was in a very deep sleep and was probably looking after him all night. He smiled.

He raised his hand and took a lock of her hair in a couple of his fingers, playing with it as time passed, content to wait for her to come around. Minutes later, he still had the same lock in one of his hands while the other petted Fleur's head lovingly, when an idea came to his mind and he grinned mischievously.

Carefully flipping her hair forward so as to reveal a portion of her neck at the back, Harry sat up. He touched the soft skin with his thumb and traced a circular pattern with his fingers. Taking extra care so as not to make any creaking noise from the bed, he leaned forward and kissed her.

As his lips met her smooth skin, Fleur moaned in her sleep. He waited for her to fall back asleep and when her snoring commenced, he kissed that small patch of skin again. Fleur did not make any fuss this time, so he kissed her again.

Grinning like a loon, he sat back up and lay down.

He took back to his task of playing with her hair and petting her. It was perfect. He was content.

He'll wait for her to come around.

~X~X~X~X~

Fleur yawned lazily as she opened her eyes and rubbed them. Her back was aching. This position wasn't good enough for sleeping. Her head though…her head…someone was petting her head, as if she was some sort of a cat!

She sat up and glared at the offender.

"What were you doing?"

Harry shrugged. "What do you think?"

When Fleur didn't lessen her glare, Harry raised his hands. "All right. I just like your hair and I was getting bored. That's it." He then added. "Plus, I think you meow like a kitten in your sleep, so that was reason enough."

"I do not!" said Fleur incredulously.

"Oh you do," Harry said with a laugh. "You were even saying my name in your sleep."

Fleur huffed. "Az if…"

"You were, I promise." said Harry with conviction, sitting up on his bed.

"Really, what waz I saying then?" she asked, raising a single eyebrow.

"Err…let me think, something along the lines of…I think it started as something like 'No, 'Arry', 'No, 'Arry' and then it went something like 'Oh, 'Arry', 'Oh, 'Arry."

Fleur reddened.

Harry's voice acting wasn't really helping matters.

"I don't actually understand what you were dreaming about, mind you, since I am practically a child, you know. Only fourteen. But then, you went something like 'Oh gosh 'Arry. Yezzz…Yezzz. Like Zat. Never zought it can be soooooooooo…ah, good.' I was like really, what can be so good? I was just about to wake you up but then you started shouting, 'Keep eet up, please 'Arry, pleeeeeeaze Keep it up.' And I thought I should not stop your fun."

Fleur's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Her knuckles whitened as her fingers unconsciously clutched them together in a tight grip.

"But then, you grabbed my hand and…and kissed it. I was horrified. What is she doing? Then you just licked it once and placed it on your head. I don't know whether I was relieved or more frightened. So, I just started petting you."

Fleur was breathing hard by this point and her eyes were smoldering. But Harry was too far gone to stop midway in his narration.

"That would have been okay really. I wouldn't have had any hard feelings for you but when you…when you…when you clutched at my pants, that was it. I finally understood what you were thinking about me and what was the meaning behind those awful noises you were making in your throat. Thank Merlin I had taken some of those classes in primary school. I was like…God, what is she thinking about me? I am fourteen for Merlin's sake. Three years, Fleur. Three years. How could you? You are old enough to be a granny to me…like, say, McGonagall. I thought we were friends and all this time, you were constantly violating my privacy. I can't even begin to describe how I felt when you actually admitted to…admittied to…Merlin, I can't even say it…" Harry lowered his voice. "…watching me bath."

Harry finally stopped to take a breather and noticed Fleur's labored breathing, white fingers, red eyes and pointy teeth.

He smiled innocently. "Did I say something?"

Fleur, obviously, went mad.

"Yikes. Yikes. I was just joking, Fleur." said Harry as he laughed and jumped from the bed, running towards the bathroom. A table blocked his way at the door and his eyes widened as a pot came flying towards him out of nowhere.

He dodged and crawled under a bed. "Sorry, Fleur. I kind of kissed you-"

"What?" she shrieked.

The bed flew up and began falling back on Harry.

"-in my dreams, I mean." he shouted.

Another bed smashed in the nearby window as Harry dodged it narrowly. A row of pots floated near him as he ran around for cover.

"You are-" Pot one smashed as Harry ducked.

"-a disgusting creature-" Pot two smashed as Harry rolled.

"-'Arry Potter." Pot three finally hit Harry's chin and he cried.

"Ow, ow, ow…" he was hopping on one leg now. "Fleur, calm down. Seriously, this is going overboard."

"I zought you were a good boy."

A few potions bottles smashed at his feet. "I am." Harry shouted. "I promise. Stop this now. I am done."

"I am NOT."

Something invisible grabbed Harry from his midsection and threw him into a wall. He stood up on his legs and realized Fleur was really angry.

He had to do something before she killed him.

He jumped aside only to find a scalpel zooming towards his midsection. He froze. He stilled. A sound of a thud echoed just as Harry closed his eyes.

When he felt no pain, he looked down to find the sharp pointy thing exactly where it shouldn't have been. Had it been a millimeter above, it would have surely embedded itself into his groin.

Harry looked up with wide terrified eyes.

Fleur was smirking and he could clearly see vengeance in her eyes. "I did not miss my target, 'Arry Potter."

"Sorry." Harry squeaked.

"For?"

"For my lewd, irresponsible, childish, improper comments. I think I went a little too far."

She showed him her white sparkling teeth. "Eet iz okay. Just keep your tongue in check next time."

Harry just nodded.

"Did you really kiss me?"

"I want to kiss you."

Fleur looked at the blatant proclamation. But before she could say anything…

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY INFIRMARY?"

Harry sighed. His luck.

~X~X~X~X~

Soon enough, Harry was on his way to the Headmaster's office with Fleur by his side. Madam Pomfrey had unceremoniously kicked them out of the Hospital Wing after informing them of the Headmaster's summon.

Fleur wasn't being very talkative.

Before they could reach the end of even the first set of corridors, a snide voice had him rubbing his temples.

"Going for a potty break with your Veela, Potter?"

Crabbe and Goyle laughed as only they did.

Harry eyed Malfoy coolly while keeping an eye on Fleur's wand. He didn't want her to permanently shrink Malfoy's balls or something. Then again, maybe, just a little. "Get lost Malfoy. I am really not in the mood."

"Why? Afraid you'll dirty your pants?"

Crabbe and Goyle laughed again.

"Have you really forgotten what I said last time?" Harry asked.

Malfoy's smirk vanished. "You'll pay for that Potter. The Dark Lord-"

"-just pissed in his pants last night. And your father as well."

Malfoy growled.

"He will make you pay."

"And I will feed you Dobby's shit." laughed Harry.

"Who iz Dobby?" asked Fleur from his side.

"A free elf, Fleur. A free elf who kicked his father's arse two years ago. I bet there's still a mark on his bum."

"You dare…" but Malfoy changed his tracks for once and laughed. "I just remembered. My father told me about the protection your mudblood mother gave you that saved you from the dark lord all those years ago. And it is gone now. Who would you throw now in front of a killing curse to save yourself Potter? This half-breed?"

But before Harry could even think of boxing him into a pulp like he did to Snape, Malfoy went down in a heap.

He turned to Fleur, only to find her looking straight ahead.

Harry too looked at the two faces standing before them and his lips thinned.

His once-upon-a-time best friends were looking at him with wide eyes. And what was that? Guilt. Ah, so they had finally come to their senses.

Malfoy stood up and glared but nobody gave him any notice. "You Weasel, I will…"

"Stop," Harry heard Fleur's voice. "I am not az forgiving as 'arry 'ere. We 'ave 'ad enough of you for one day. Go and play somewhere else. Shooooo."

Malfoy screamed as she banished him away and his henchmen, all with a single wave of her wand.

The three past friends looked at each other for an uncomfortable while. They all realized that they hadn't been together for even a couple of minutes since the tournament had started. All the fun they had had together in those first three years seemed to dwarf in comparison to the silence of these few weeks.

Harry was the one to break the silence, "I could have handled him, you know."

Ron nodded and smiled a little. "…Yeah, I heard what you did. With Snape, I mean."

"You did now, didn't you?" Harry shook his head as his eyes hardened. "No, no, R-Mr. Weasley. I was merely skipping my classes that day. I am after all a Champion of Hogwarts and don't actually need any education. Just like I don't need any friends…"

Ron gulped as he listened to his own words from that day being reflected at him.

"I am-"

"They were the exact same words, I guess." said Harry thoughtfully.

"Look Harry, we are-" attemped Hermione.

"Oh yes, I forgot. Fleur, you see, according to this girl, I shouldn't have insulted Hogwarts with my actions."

Hermione whimpered. "Please. I am sorry."

"We are…" said Ron, looking at him remorsefully. "…sorry. Please, forgive us mate."

Harry looked them both up and down.

"What for?" he asked mercilessly. "And what mate are you talking about Mr. Weasley? Oh that stupid one…what was his name again Mr. Weasley. The-Boy-Who-Lived, right?"

Ron staggered back. "I-I never…"

"YOU NEVER?" roared Harry. "You never thought of me as the-boy-who-lived? NEVER? You were never jealous of my fame, Ron? How dare you say Never? How dare you lie?"

Hermione tried to say something. "L-look Harry, we know that we misjudged you. We know that we were entirely wrong and we can't undo what we did. But we will do anything – anything at all…"

But Harry wasn't listening anymore. "I told you time and again that Ron, I don't want people to follow me. I don't want daily prophet to print my name. I don't want any of this fame. Or money. I would have rather taken your family as mine if I could. I considered you a brother. But NO…I am an idiot, seeking attention, for a thousand bloody galleons." ranted Harry.

"Calm down, Harry."

"Shut up, Fleur. This is not your business."

Fleur clipped her lips.

Harry rubbed his temples. "You let your jealousy take control of you Ron and I am sorry for that. But it can't go back to the way it was."

Ron closed his eyes.

"Harry please-"

"And you. Go and find yourself a time turner that can go back that far. Because that's the only way you can fool me back."

Harry turned away from both of them and took deep heaving breaths.

"I trusted you both. And you both broke it like a shard of glass. I gave you everything I had and you took everything away from me. Namely, my two best friends. I can no longer see them in your faces. Forgive me if I did anything wrong when I was with you…but it just can't…go back. It just…"

Hermione was crying. She could only cry now. She had truly lost him.

"It - it was a spur of the moment reaction Harry. I wanted to talk to you later but I was afraid. Afraid that you will reject me. And Ron was feeling just as bad, believe me. We both were hurt by our own actions."

Ron was crying. This was a new experience for him. Except for the past month or so.

"I know we deserve this Harry." Ron said and Fleur nudged Harry's leg. Harry scowled at her. He wouldn't forgive them so easily. "I know I am a prat. But I-I try Harry. I try very much not to think about these things but sometimes it just, just happens. I am normal Harry. I am not you."

Harry closed his eyes at these words. Ron was apologizing now, but what is the guarantee that he wouldn't hurt him in the future.

"I can't give you any guarantees Harry," Harry's eyes snapped open as Ron reflected his thoughts back at him. "That I will always be perfect in future.

I don't like when they call me your sidekick. I feel sick…I honestly didn't know who you were when I entered your compartment that day. And later, it didn't matter that you were Harry Potter."

Harry thought back to that day and smiled. That was the day his life had flipped upside down. Ron was his first friend.

He gritted his teeth as that stupid feeling of forgiveness arose in him and he tried to clamp his heart shut to avoid further treachery. But unbidden, images since that first day came back to his mind. He remembered that Ron was the one who introduced him to Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and exploding snap and Wizarding chess. He was the one who constantly filled his head with crazy Quidditch facts and techniques. He was the one who rescued him from his relatives in Second Year and took him to his home. He was the one who accompanied him to the Chamber of Secrets and stood beside him when everyone shunned him for being the heir of Slytherin.

"But you are my best friend," Ron was saying and here his voice broke, "and I will always remember you as such even if you don't want us."

And Hermione. She was his scary sister, plain and simple. He had traveled through time with her. How many people were there who could say that?

He looked at Fleur who had a cheeky smirk on her face. She had actually warned him about something like this happening before they had departed the hospital wing and given a lecture on the importance of friendship and how it was important not to let them turn sour, conveniently forgetting about Potato for some reason. Apparently, she had sensed them both in his invisibility cloak last night.

He sighed and turned to them. They both were leaning on each other for comfort as if they were giving a farewell to someone greatly loved, or more appropriately, as if they were mourning that someone.

There eyes were closed.

"I-I wish…" Ron said at last with his eyes closed, "I wish I was different."

And it was at this point that he felt an intense pain in his nose. Same went for Hermione as well.

They both staggered back and fell down completely. A moment or two of disorientation was followed as they covered their noses and then looked up.

Harry was kneeling before both of them.

"If you ever, ever, said something like that again, I will kick your ass so hard…" said a grinning Harry Potter. "Why are you both so bloody melodramatic, you fools? I mean, I am not dying here. At least, not for quite some time."

Ron just looked at him as if petrified and confused.

"And Ron, since when have you started acting like a girl. Crying, sobbing, leaning on Hermione of all people. Honestly, I am not around you both for four weeks and you both go mad. Seriously?"

Hermione was the first to speak, "You punched me! That is…that is…I am a girl."

"Really? I didn't notice. Since when?" he asked and then said, "Besides, it was Fleur who punched you."

Fleur smirked at Hermione who scowled at the taller girl.

Ron was still petrified and looked at Harry as if he would vanish any second.

Hermione started crying again, when the pain subsided somewhat. "You…you…"

"Me…me…"

"You forgive us?" It was Ron's voice this time.

Harry met his eyes.

And opened his arms to both of his friends.

Fleur shook her head as both Ron and Hermione lunged at Harry and tackled him to the ground.

"SORRYYYYYYYYY…" They yelled in unison,

"It's okay…It's okay…yes, it's okay Ron…Ow! Hermione, why are you-"

They were all laughing and crying and hugging all at the same time. Thankfully, Ron wasn't kissing Harry like Hermione, who was slobbering all over his face. But Fleur could see that it wasn't romantic at all and she really wasn't a bitch anyway, so she didn't interrupt the scene.

Much.

"Can I come in too?"

Harry somehow, in spite of being tackled by two dog like humans, managed to pull her down over all three of them and laughed.

It was his laughter, unlike any she had heard from him before, that gave Fleur a strength and lightness that she had seldom experienced before. For a moment, she had actually been convinced that Harry was breaking all ties with his past friends. Until Harry had turned around and a smile had blossomed on his face, and Fleur had realized that his heart was big enough that he could forgive and give his trust again.

She suddenly realized she had two more friends now. Better than Potato for that matter.

It was when all four of them howled like wolves on a full moon that a voice interrupted their raucous get together with a shriek, "What in Merlin's name is this racket going on? This is a school not a pub."

It was Minerva McGonagall and she was angry.

Harry looked at the other three and met their eyes.

And then they all howled again.

An old man with a long white beard heard their laughter as his eyes twinkled and he murmured, "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light. Indeed."

~X~X~X~X~

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