A true friend forgotten

Chapter 2

Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking to their next class after a dread lesson with Umbridge. "We totally have to do something about this!" Hermione said angrily.

"If I could just get my hands 'round her neck. . .!" Ron said threateningly.

"She's not teaching us defence! She's teaching us to be trained dogs!" Harry said angrily.

"Hello!" said Luna who was passing them in the corridor. Hermione and Ron ignored her and kept walking, but Harry stopped.

"Hi, Luna." Harry said smiling.

"I'm off to my lesson with Umbridge. She's completely off the curriculum. My dad says we should've started learning about nargles last week!" Luna said.

"Whatever." Harry laughed noticing Hermione and Ron standing a few metres away beckoning him to hurry up.

"It's OK Harry. Go with your friends. We don't want to be late for class." Luna said smiling and skipping off.

Harry walked up to Hermione and Ron and walked with them.

A few weeks later, Hermione managed to persuade Harry to hold a meeting for those who wanted to learn real defence against the dark arts. People kept asking about Cedric and Harry was fuming. "Look, if you just want to know about the night Cedric died, you can clear off!" Harry said angrily.

"I'm more interested in your amazing wizardry." Luna said from her corner.

"It was always just luck!" Harry said.

"He's just being modest! Is it true you can do the patronus charm?" Luna asked.

"Yes." Hermione answered. "I've seen it. It's magnificent."

After a successful meeting Luna ran up to Harry and said, "I always believed you! Right from the start. So did my father. I believe in you Harry!" Luna skipped off.

Harry smiled and watched her skip away. Hermione snapped him into shape. "What is up with you lately?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, you're hanging out with loony an awful lot!" Ron said.

"She's quite nice- correction- very nice. You should try talking to her." Harry suggested.

"Yes. And maybe I'll go on an nargle hunt while I'm at it." Hermione said mockingly.

"I'm serious!" Harry said.

"We know." Ron said. "We just think you're weird for wanting to talk to her."

After a few weeks of successful DA (Dumbledore's army)lessons, it was time for the Christmas holidays. "See you around, Harry!" Fred and George said, ruffling Harry's hair as they left.

"Bye mate!" Ron said as he left.

"Goodbye, Harry!" Hermione said smiling at Harry.

Only Cho Chang was left in the room of requirement. Harry walked up to her.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked noticing a tear falling down Cho's cheek as she looked at the notice board containing pictures of Cedric.

"Ye- no. I miss Cedric." Cho said tearfully.

"We all do. If he saw you now, he'd probably be thinking how lucky he was to have you." Harry said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Course he would!" Harry said smiling.

Then, they kissed.

Luna, who had been waiting to tell Harry about her latest clue to finding the location of the nargles, but after what she saw, she thought it wasn't worth it. People like Harry don't have time for people like me. They're too busy with their real friends. So he was nice to you and stuck up for you, looking at his display of affection for Cho, he obviously just does that to everyone! Damn me for being so naïve and stupid! Luna thought.

Just as Luna was leaving, Harry had pushed Cho away and left the room. . .

Harry sat with Luna in the clearing where the thestrals were. Luna sat there miserably thinking of how unlucky she was to be living a lie. "Hey Luna, what's up?" Harry asked. Just then, Cho stormed into the clearing. "How could you! I kiss you in my moment of need and you push me away! Is it that Granger girl because my bra size is like two times bigger than hers! Anyway, I use straighteners! You don't want to date me, fine, but there will be hell to pay!" Cho stormed off in a rage of dripping mascara (not to mention poundland mascara).

Luna smiled. "Hey Harry, lets go on a nargle hunt!"

In the common room later that day

Ron and Hermione sat in the common room doing nothing. "I'm so sick of Harry being friends with Luna. It's like he's forgotten about us." Hermione said looking at the photograph of herself, Ron and Harry all smiling and laughing together.

"I don't mind. It is a bit annoying though. He promised me we could hang out yesterday, but he had to go and send a letter to Sirius, Luna went with him, but he didn't invite me to go with him." Ron said.

Ginny walked up smiling. "I'm so glad Luna's got a friend. She's finally stopped bugging me."

"Yeah, but we never see Harry." Hermione said.

"Look, Harry doesn't belong to you, you don't own him, so just leave him to get on with his life."Ginny said calmly.

"I guess." Ron said.

"But Loony!" Hermione groaned.

Harry sat in the entrance hall alone just generally feeling sorry for himself. "Hello Harry." said Luna with a bag full of air. "I didn't find any nargles. Did you have any luck?"

"Didn't know what to look for." Harry mumbled.

"Oh. I just talked to Seamus. I heard he's angry at you because he thinks you're a liar." Luna said.

"I know." Harry sighed.

"I believe you though. If you saw you saw he-who-must-not-be-named return, your word is good enough for me. . .and my father." Luna said. "I've got to dash, apparently some of the big Ravenclaw girls have a gift for me!"

"No offence, but I think they mean a beating." Harry said.

"Oh I know, but thank you for warning me and being so sweet in doing so." Luna said smiling. She gave Harry a small peck on the cheek and skipped off.

Harry, startled, just sat there until Professor McGonagall swept him up and took him to the common room. "I suggest you get yourself to bed, Potter." she said.

"Hi, Harry!" Ginny said as she walked up to the girl's dormitory in pink pyjamas and bunny slippers.

"Goodnight." Harry said shuffling over to the place Hermione and Ron were sitting.

"Hi Harry!" said Hermione.

"Hermione, you've. . . changed." Harry said, startled after noticing a whole new Hermione. She was wearing radish earrings and an 'anti-nargle' charm. She was acting very weird and was skipping everywhere, just like Luna.

"Have I? I never noticed." Hermione said grabbing a book and sitting down. She started reading the book upside-down. In fact, it wasn't a book, it was the Quibbler.

"She's gone nuts!" Ron whispered.

"I can tell." Harry said.

"OH OK!" Hermione said. "I can't do it! I can't read this rubbish!" Hermione pulled off the 'anti-nargle' charm, took off the earrings and threw the Quibbler into the fire.

"We've got the old Hermione back!" Ron said smiling.

"Oh, Harry, please stop hanging out with Luna!" Hermione begged.

"No." Harry said. "I'm going to bed."

The next day, Harry and Ron were packing, getting ready to return to Grimauld place. Hermione entered the dormitory. "Hi guys. I can't believe it's Christmas already." Hermione said. It snowed today. Want to come and celebrate the snow?" Hermione asked.

"OK." Harry and Ron agreed, nodding. They dropped what they were doing and ran outside.

"Hi guys!" Luna said skipping up. "Can I join you?"

"Yes." Harry said. Hermione frowned.

"We could have teams! Harry and Luna against me and you." Ron suggested.

"Yeah." Harry said.

As the time went by the snowball fight raged. Luna was a killer flinger. Hermione kept aiming for Luna's face. As Hermione ran, she slipped and fell face first in the snow. She screamed as the cold made it's way into her mittens, into her hood and into her hat. Harry and Ron just laughed. Luna went over and helped Hermione up. Hermione flung a gigantic snowball into Luna's face which knocked her off her feet. Harry and Ron rushed to pick Luna up off the ground, but Hermione stood and laughed. Hermione was so angry! They picked Luna up, but not her!

"You can do what you want when it doesn't involve me, but you can't steal my friends! They're my friends, not yours, so why don't you go and play with your nargles!" Hermione said.

Luna just stood there. Hermione expected her to cry. Luna didn't cry. Instead Luna picked up her fist and punched Hermione in the face, hard!