This one happens at the start of fifth-year.


Harriet normally was used to the glancing looks that followed her. But the start of this year, the glances seemed a little odd. It was like people were actually scared of her. Well she guessed that she had the wonderful Daily Prophet to thank for it. And if the fools wanted to believe what was printed in the paper - well she didn't care. She knew the truth, it was all that mattered. What she cared more for was her bed, and thankfully Neville had gotten the password, and even luckier it was one he would remember thanks to his love of plants.

The Gryffindor common room was a welcoming as ever, on the other side of the room she spotted Fred and George pinning up something on the noticeboard. Harriet however was in no mood for talking so she headed towards the dorms. Neville following behind her.

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan had approached the landing that separated the boys dorms to the girls'.

"Hi." Harriet greeted.

"Hey, Harriet," Dean said, "Good holiday?"

"Turned out alright in the end." Harriet said, which was true, she just didn't want to go into details. "You?"

"Yeah, was OK, better then Seamus's, anyway."

"Why, what happened?" said Neville.

Seamus did not answer immediately, he was looking every where but directly at Harriet. Then he said very softly, "Me mam didn't want me to come back."

"What?" Harriet said.

"She didn't want me to come back to Hogwarts."

"How comes," Harriet was astonished. She knew Seamus's mother was a witch, she failed to understand why his mother would do something so Dursleyish.

"Well," he said, " I suppose ... because of you."

"What do you mean because of Harriet?" Neville said

"Well," Seamus said, "er - she just ... well it's not just you, it's Dumbledore too ...'

'She believes the Daily Prophet," Harriet said, "She thinks I'm a liar and Dumbledore's an old fool?"

"Yeah something like that." Seamus replied.

Harriet said nothing, she shook her head, turned intent on making her way up to the girls' dorms.

"Look ... what did happen that night when ... you know ... with Cedric Diggory?"

Seamus's nervous and eager tone, made Harriet stop in her tracks.

"Read the Daily Prophet," Harriet answered, "it will tell you all you need to know."

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"I'll talk to anyone who doesn't believe me how I want to!"

"What's going on?" Ron said coming up the stairs.

"Seamus and his mother believe the Daily Prophet." Harriet said at the top of her voice. She suspected their voices had been the reason Ron had come up the staircase.

"Oh," Ron said comprehension dawning across his face. "Oh ... right."

"You know, I don't know how the girls' put up with you," Seamus said speaking directly to Harriet. "You're mad."

"That's out of order."

"Out of order, am I?" Seamus shouted. "You believe all the rubbish she's come out with about You-Know-Who, do you, you reckon she's telling the truth?"

"That's right, we do." A voice said. Harriet turned her attention fully on the person that had spoken; George Weasley's usually beaming, cheeky grinning face had completely darkened. Seamus paled, then stormed up the stairs to the boys' dorms.


Breakfast the next morning was enlightening. Harriet was in a foul mood, not only had Seamus not believed her, her own dorm mate Lavender had not either, though Lavender was not as out spoken about it as Seamus had been. However within moments of them both sitting down someone set of a firework directly into a bowl of porridge that spluttered all over Lavender and Seamus.

The rest of the day had been exhausting, she hated Snape too. When a foul smell caught her attention, Seamus stormed right passed, Harriet, Ron, Neville and Hermione, straight up the stairs.

"What happened to him?" Harriet said.

"Someone's been setting off sink pellets around Seamus all day." Neville said, "It first happened after potions."

Harriet laughed, completely amused, and she wondered, who would do such a thing. She happened to catch George, talking amatively from across the room with his brother Fred and their friend Lee Jorden, laughing about something. George turned, caught her attention and winked.

She suddenly had a strong inclination as in who had set the stink pellets off all day and the firework that morning. Harriet couldn't help herself. She bloody loved George Weasley right now.