Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A NOTE TO ALL THE READERS: I revised this chapter because people didn't like it before. I thought that the previous idea was good, but I guess other people didn't find it interesting and believable, so I made changes. Big changes, but still saved some stuff. I did it because I want people to like my story and not to stop reading it, and if they found it boring and very bad planned, I'd make sure it will be good until they'll like it. So here you go, the revised version, and please review if you liked it better than before (if you can't review again because of problem because you reviewed it before, please, please review anonymously, but with you pen name, so I'll know who you are).

There's something you must all remember: This is an alternative universe fanfic, and most of the stuff that we read in the books didn't happen here. Sirius and Harry's parents are alive, and Harry's a Slytherin, and Voldemort is dead, and so on and so forth...

On another subject, this story won't change because of HBP events, it has its own universe and I've got it all planned out, and of course there won't be any spoilers. If some things might remind you of scenes from HBP, please note that I thought of them before I read the book, and not after.

Revan00: Don't worry, I'm not abandoning this story. I quite like writing it :)

badger-dude: When did I said that? I remember saying that: "this story might have a romance for Harry in later chapters", though if you meant this: "it won't take a big part from the plot" than I guess I was wrong. Writing the scenes with Ginny has been fun and it did take a lot of the plot, but other than that, there's more to come and to expect.

To Nimbirosa and the rest of you who were confused:Some of you asked how come Harry was defeated so easily and quickly by Dean. The thing is that it's not he didn't know how to fight, he just didn't want to. But now he realized his mistake. He won't stay quiet and he will go and fix it. More to know about this subject in this chapter and next.

Thanks for everyone else who reviewed and read! Have a fun reading, and do not forget to review.

Chapter 10 – The Explained and the Unexplained:

Harry watched his reflection in the mirror. His face was a bit pale, but nothing more serious than that. He was alone in the boys' loo back at Hogwarts, as he needed some time by himself, just to think about some things that bothered him.

What just happened? his voice echoed in his head. I let Dean Thomas take me down without even trying to fight him back. What kind of a sissy am I?

He held on the sink's sides tightly, and his knuckles went white from the grip, like he was afraid to fall, and this was his only way to support himself. Without taking his eyes off the mirror, he reached for the tap, turned it on and allowed the water flow down in the sink. He cupped his hand to fill it with water. He closed his eyes as he splashed the water on his face. He felt the cold drops slowly dripping down on his cheeks and forehead, caressing and tickling him, and distracting him for a short moment, before he went back to reality.

He was quite dazed from the whole scene back in Hogsmeade. He was knocked down by Dean Thomas, a Gryffindor, a Mudblood (he will say it to him right in the face if he has the chance, no matter how many times he will hear Sirius yelling at him to shut up. Dean deserved this title, after what he did to him). He felt nothing but hatred towards him right then, and he loathed him more than ever before. Not only he had Ginny, but also because the treated her like trash.

Harry touched his cheeks, in try to see if the whole thing was real. What is happening to me? Am I losing it? Ginny was right, I am a coward. Coward for not defending myself and my honor. For god's sake, I'm a Slytherin! I should have found my courage and fight him like a winner, like a real Slytherin would have done, and not depend myself because Ginny Weasley was there!

'That girl is nothing but trouble,' said a voice in Harry's head.

I know, I'm trying to stay away from her, but still... there's something about her I can't get away from. It's like a magnet, which draws me to her every time I'm near her, Harry defended.

'You have to pull yourself together! She will only cause you more pain! Isn't it enough what she's done to you thus far? No good will come out of it. But you know this is fixable, so go on and fix it!'

But I –

'Coward...' the voice called, whispering inside his head and mocking him.

"I am not a coward!" Harry wasn't aware he shouted at the mirror. Since the room was empty, he could hear the word 'coward' playing over and over again in a series of echoes.

'Then prove it,' the voice dared.

Harry let out a long sigh and for a short moment considered hitting the mirror with his fist, but he kept his temper down. With a last look at his reflection, he caught the look in his eyes. They were dark green from anger, not their usual emerald green. "Fine," he said, as he left the room. "I will."

He walked to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast and found it decorated as it always was on Halloween: there were pumpkins floating in the air, scary faces craved on them and candles placed inside of them, illuminating the House tables underneath with soft dimmed light. The House tables were filled with all kinds of sweets and special meals for the feast, served on the festive golden plates. Screeches could be heard from up above the crowd of students and teachers, and when Harry looked up, he saw a pack of bats flying close to the enchanted ceiling of the Hall.

"There you are!" Blaise said when Harry sat down next to him and helped himself to his first dish. "I thought you were going to miss it."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," said Harry, trying his best to smile. The thoughts of the Hogsmeade trip were still floating in his head, but soon those thoughts were replaced by the Halloween spirit, and they cheered him up. "This Halloween will be the one this school will remember for ages! Is everything set up?"

Blaise nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "Yep, just like you told me." He checked his watch and added, "Let's see if it will be right on time, shall we? Oh, it should start in 4... 3... 2... 1 –" and he ended with clicking his fingers.

Right then, a few sharp whistles came out of nowhere, those were soon enough joined with tails of smoke in many shapes and colors. Sparks of dust sprinkled on the crowd of the onlookers, and some of them 'oohed' with awe, as at least 15 fireworks zoomed in the air and over their heads. Everyone was hypnotized at the marvelous display. A few minutes later, everything went quiet after each of the fireworks exploded with a loud CRACK and produced all kinds of shapes and forms; they spattered the remaining dust around the Hall. As soon as everyone was sure it was over, every student in the Hall broke into applause. Even a few teachers seemed to enjoy it, Dumbledore was one of them, and he seemed to enjoy it the most.

When Harry looked around the staff table, he was sure Dumbledore nodded to him with a small smile. Harry never had talked to the Headmaster more than a student should have, but his parents were in good terms with him. How did he know I was up to it? I hope I won't get in trouble for it...

Despite that, Harry couldn't help but laugh along with Blaise after it all ended. It was planned that most of the dust will fall right above the Gryffindor table. Sneaking a look at Ron Weasley, Harry saw him coughing out a small cloud of glittering dust from his mouth and he laughed harder.

Blaise sighed with satisfaction. "Ahh... thanks Harry, for convincing me to do it. Merlin knows how boring this school can get sometimes, even around the holidays. We all need a bit of action and a laugh or two from time to time."

"Say, how many were there?" Harry asked. "It seemed like there were less then than fifteen."

"Fourteen, you're right. I counted twice. I think I lost one when I dropped the bag. Sorry."

"You dropped the bag? You klutz!"

"I know, sorry, but I think someone ran into me while I was talking with Pansy, and caused me to drop the bag. It was weird, though, I didn't see anyone around but Pansy."

"Well, maybe you were just nervous around her, so you imagined it. You still haven't told me what exactly happened with her. Anyway, you still lost one, so you owe me 10 Sickles for it."

"Fine, I'll pay you back later."

"Oh, look," Harry said suddenly, pointing in the direction of the staff table, where, on the right end sat Filch, looking very furious at the filth the fireworks left around the Hall. "I reckon he won't sleep for days just because of it," he sniggered.

"Gosh, too bad Draco wasn't here to see it," Blaise said with another sigh. "He would have loved it!"

Harry looked around and realized Draco was indeed missing. "Where is he?"

Blaise shrugged indifferently. "In the common room, I guess."

"What is he doing there?" Harry asked confusedly, frowning.

"Avoiding being here, of course." When that didn't seem to make any sense whatsoever or answer Harry's question, Blaise went on, "He's doing it every year on Halloween. Haven't you ever noticed?"

Harry was shocked hearing this news. Every year? How is it that Draco had managed to avoid Halloween for the past six years without Harry noticing it? How come he never talked about it? And what did that make of Harry, who supposed to be Draco's best friend? He never knew about it, nor did he ever notice Draco's reaction to Halloween like Blaise had. Was Harry so self-centered that he didn't pay attention to his best friend?

"Are you serious?" he asked. Blaise nodded. "But why?"

"I dunno. I guess he doesn't like Halloween that much. That's why I didn't ask him this morning to come to Hogsmeade with us."

"He's been a bit funny lately, don't you think?"

"I suppose," Blaise shrugged again.

Harry got from his seat, not feeling hungry anymore or in the mood for the feast. "Come on."

"What? Where to?" Blaise was taken aback by this.

"To see if he's all right. Come on, we'll grab something from the kitchens later," he said.

Reluctant to leave the feast (or his plate of apple pie), Blaise joined Harry and they left the Hall. For some reason, Harry could feel someone was watching him leave, but he didn't really care about that right now. At the moment, the only thing that occupied his mind was whatever was going on with Draco. Harry's mind was so busy in trying to think and figure out what would make Draco escape the Halloween feast every year, that he didn't even notice (or cared) that the Head Boy just ran into him on his way to the Great Hall from the grounds. Harry and Blaise just hurried themselves down to the dungeons.

The Slytherin common room was almost empty, there were only two second years talking by the fireplace. Harry didn't even care why they were there and not at the Great Hall, enjoying the feast, like everyone. Everyone, except Draco, who, they found in their dormitory.

There was something fishy going on, Harry could sense it. They caught Draco in a very odd situation. Draco was leaning over an open window by his bed. The cold night air of the season blew into the room and a few candles went out. Draco looked like he was about to sneak out of the room. At the sound of the door opening, he froze, and slowly backed away from the window, but did not turn around.

He reached forward again and closed the window, letting the room fill with heat again. Then, he quietly spoke. "What are you doing here?" he asked, he bowed his head and his back still turned to them. It was like he knew it was them, even though their eyes did not meet.

"Shouldn't we ask you that?" Harry asked, taking a look around the room. "What's going on? Why weren't you at the feast? Why are you trying to sneak out of the window? And why is my trunk open?" he said once he noticed his trunk was pulled from under his four-poster bed and it was open. He hurried to see what happened.

His clothes and books and other personal belongings were all messed up inside. It wasn't the usual mess Harry left behind, but worse. Bottles of ink were broken and had stained a pair of socks and a few pairs of underwear; a few pages from his Transfiguration book were torn out, and some clothes were poured out of the trunk to the floor, like it exploded, among them was the most personal and important object of all, his father's old Invisibility Cloak, which he nicked just before returning to school. "You went through my stuff?" Harry felt his face flush as his temper started to rise. "Did you take my Invisibility Cloak, Draco?"

"No! Whoa, hold on with the questions, will you? I can explain," Draco said, now finally looking back at Harry.

"Than let's hear it," Harry demanded. "You had no right to use that cloak! It's not even mine! My father will kill me if he finds out I took it. I haven't used it yet, so what gives you the right to go through my stuff and take whatever you want? I didn't show it to you so you could use it without asking me! I never even said you could use it!"

"Harry! Let him talk!" Blaise interrupted, attempting to cool him down.

"Fine. Go on, Draco, talk."

Draco lay down on his bed and adjusted the pillows behind his head to look better at Harry. "I wasn't trying to sneak out. I just opened the window to get some fresh air," he said calmly.

"And my trunk? What were you looking for?"

"Just a quill and a bottle of ink. I desperately needed to write a letter, and I just ran out of ink, and my quill broke, I couldn't find my spare one. I didn't think you would mind if I borrow one from you."

"No, of course I don't mind," Harry said, calming down a bit, but he was still curious and missed some answers. "Who was that letter you wrote for?"

"My mother, if you must know. She owled me and said she felt a bit sick this past week and I got worried, so I owled back. I'm sorry for trashing your trunk. Here, let me fix it." He pulled out his wand and said the spell. The contents of Harry's trunk flew back inside and everything was clean and fixed again.

"So you didn't use my cloak?" Harry went on, after he had slid the trunk back under his bed.

"No. What for? What would I do with it? Walk aroundthe school and scare first years to death?"

"That could have been one great Halloween joke!" Blaise said excitedly. "You should've seen what we did in the Great Hall earlier!"

"I thought I heard some explosions," Draco said softly. "You didn't bomb the Hall, did you? Because if you did, at least I hope a few Gryffindors were scarred."

Draco didn't sound like he was joking. Even when he talked or joked about hurting Gryffindors like he always did, his tone was different. Harry thought he was being weird. This calm manner didn't suit Draco. He never talked like that; there was always something that bugged him and made him irritated, but not now. Harry thought he would ask about his behavior later, after he will get all the answers to his questions.

"Draco, why weren't you at the feast?" He continued to investigate.

Draco shrugged. "Didn't feel like it."

"Oh, so you didn't feel like coming to the Halloween feast for the last six years?"

Draco blinked once, looking confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked with the new quiet tone in his voice.

Harry was feeling angry again. He was tired of Draco's mind games. "You know damn well what I'm talking about! Don't lie to me, Draco! Blaise said you've always been avoiding the Halloween feasts, all right? So I think it's about time you'll tell us what's bothering you."

"Yeah, what's going on?" Blaise added.

For a minute, no one spoke. Harry waited for a respond, but Draco just glared at them. He started to doubt Draco wasn't even listening to them. Then, Draco sighed heavily and buried his face in his hands.

He raised his head to look at them and whispered, "All right, I'll tell you." He motioned them to sit, and they sat down on the closest bed and waited for him to speak again.

"It's been fifteen years..." he started, but added no more. Harry was about to open his mouth and urge him to continue, but Draco held up a hand and went on, "Since my father swore he will revenge the Dark Lord's death. How silly is this, hua? It is fifteen years exactly today. It may sound a bit lame, but every year on Halloween, I sit down and pray that he wouldn't do anything to fulfill this promise, which means he's after your parents and godfather," he said to Harry. "Now, I don't know when he will act, but I'm sure he will eventually. And since the Dark Lord was killed on October 31st, I think that's when my father will strike. When exactly? Again, I really don't know. That's why I shut myself out, because I'm concerned about the actions he might take, and I wish he would stay low. Not because I care for his safety, but for you parents'. I care for their lives, Harry, and I don't want you to suffer from losing them. I sent letters to Mother telling her to convince him not to do anything, but nothing is definite. She says he starts to gather power, to rally more unconvicted Death Eaters to join him on his mission. He's certain that's what the Dark Lord would've wanted them to do."

Harry had no chance to respond to that. The door to their room burst open again and two people stood at the entrance. The first, a short boy, Harry saw earlier in the common room. The second was none other than Professor Snape, and he looked livid. Harry never saw him looking more menacing than now.

"Here he is, Professor!" squeaked the second year boy.

"Thank you, McNeil, I can see him perfectly by myself," Snape said coldly. "Potter, come with me to the Headmaster's office this instant!" he ordered.

"Wh... what did I do?" Harry stuttered.

"Like you don't know," the Professor said. Harry exchanged looks with Blaise, who looked as frightened as he was. "Now, Potter! I haven't got all night for you!"

Harry gulped with fear. All he did was trying to put some fun in the school. He got up from the bed and followed Snape up to Dumbledore's office, where he only visited once before, in his first year, when his parents tried to convince him to take a second sorting, to no avail.

"Your parents have been notified, and soon will join us there."

"But, sir, I don't understand," Harry said, confused. "Why do I need to go to the Headmaster's office? I only did it for the laugh."

"Did it for the laugh! I wonder what your parents say when they'll discover their son is a Death Eater. A son of two Aurors, what an outrage..."

"What?" Harry yelled. "How dare y –"

"Fizzing Whizbee," said Snape right then. They reached the stone gargoyle on the second floor. "I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, Potter; you're already got yourself in enough trouble."

He walked up the spiral staircase, now revealed behind the wall after the gargoyle sprang aside. Harry followed quietly, but was furious inside. How dare Snape call him a Death Eater?

Snape didn't knock on the oak door of Dumbledore's office, but burst in without an invitation. Harry walked in sheepishly.

"Thank you, Severus for kindly bringing here Mr. Potter. Sit down, Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, gesturing one of the chairs in front of his desk. There were three chairs there. Harry guessed the other two will soon be taken by his parents. He sat himself in the middle one.

"Professor, why am I here?" Harry dared to ask Dumbledore.

"Harry, I'm afraid a grave thing happened not long ago, but I cannot tell you more than that, not until your parents will join us. It was difficult and almost impossible to contact them" – Harry's heart skipped a beat at that – "but we found them at the Ministry, after they had received an emergency call from work. They should be here shortly." Harry relaxed again when he knew Lucius Malfoy didn't hurt them and that they were all right. Even though they didn't get along sometimes, he still cared for their safety.

Harry, Dumbledore and Snape waited until his parents will arrive. Neither of them said anything while they waited. Snape stood in the back of the room, looking at Dumbledore's silver instruments. Harry bowed his head, trying not to look at anything particular, and sensing Dumbledore's gaze upon him. Dumbledore looked very amused and he was tapping his fingers on his desk as a distraction, or if it was to get Harry's attention, Harry didn't know. Other than the sound of Dumbledore's fingers tapping on the desk in the same rhythm, there was an owl outside, in the cold night air, and it hooted sleepily.

Professor McGonagall quietly entered the room about five minutes later, accompanied by James and Lily Potter, who looked very concerned. Unsure why, Harry was afraid to look at their eyes, so he kept his head bowed.

"Professor Dumbledore," called McGonagall, causing Dumbledore to look up, as though he haven't notice them come in. He got up from his seat and went to greet Harry's parents with a handshake.

"Albus," James greeted, shaking the old Professor's hand, as did Lily.

From the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Snape wore an ugly sneering look on his face when his parents entered the room. It was no secret he despised them and Sirius ever since their Hogwarts years.

"James, Lily, please sit down," Dumbledore requested.

James and Lily took the vacant seats on either side of Harry's chair. Harry now felt that enough courage was built inside of him to finally look at them. He looked first at his father, sitting on his left, but James did not look back at him, but stared pointedly at Dumbledore. Harry turned to look at his mother, but she now bowed her head and was wringing her hands uncomfortably in her lap. He felt disappointed. His parents weren't even trying to look at him. He wondered what Dumbledore could have possibly told them about him that made them act so uneasy around him.

He couldn't take it anymore. The words just burst out of his mouth. "I'm not a Death Eater!" he cried.

Lily gasped, placing her hand to her mouth and she and James turned to look at him questioningly at once.

"Well, no one said you are, Harry," Dumbledore said.

"He did," Harry said, looking around at Snape. He felt a bit weird talking like that about his Head of House, but Snape started it.

James got up from his seat and walked slowly to Snape, who straightened up. "Here we go again, Snape. One thousand students in this school and you got the nerve to go straight to my son and accuse him without any proof whatsoever. Are we back to being twelve, then? I thought since you became a respectable Professor in this school, you would grow up, but accusing your own House student of being a Death Eater? My son? You got yourself really low this time."

Snape looked like he was about to pull out his wand and hex James right then and there, but before he could manage it, Dumbledore called. "Gentlemen, please, there is no need to fight. We're here because there's something we all need to solve. No one here is accusing young Harry of anything." James turned around and sat back down.

"Of course not!" said Lily furiously, unconsciously putting her hand on Harry's in a comforting way. The small gesture made him smile. "There is no way in the world my Harry –"

"Lily, dear, I haven't explained anything yet. May I please do it now?" Dumbledore interrupted. Lily nodded. "But first, Severus, Minerva, could you please leave the four of us alone?"

"Certainly," said McGonagall, and she and Snape left the office.

Dumbledore turned to look at the Potters and got straight to the point. "Around the end of the great Halloween feast we had tonight, a spectacular display of fireworks had been made by none other than our Harry. Even if it was without permission, he will not get punished for raising the school spirits. Everyone enjoyed it. It was well planned and I thank Harry for doing so, even if he thought it was meant to be a prank.

"But a few minutes later, Harry and his friend left the feast. Why? I don't know –" Harry was about to explain where he and Blaise went off to, but Dumbledore held up a hand and he went on. "The Head Boy came to me right then, looking utterly horrified and said the Dark Mark had appeared over the castle –" The three Potters all gasped at the sudden news "– So we tried to stay calm, in order not to alert the entire school. The staff of teachers and I went outside, and there it was, glittering in green, but it wasn't the usual Dark Mark, it looked a bit different. Professor Flitwick suggested it was another firework, and we indeed saw it disappeared a few seconds later. And that's why we're here right now."

"But I didn't do it. I went back to my dormitory, you can ask –" Harry hurried to explain.

"Harry, I do not think you are responsible for this," Dumbledore said calmly. "Though that's not the reason I called you all here tonight, I do think the firework that was set outside used to belong to you."

Right then, something made sense. "I lost one, in Hogsmeade. Somebody must have taken it. It must have been a student. And it's easy to change the shape it creates, it's says so on the sticker placed on it."

"I agree," said Dumbledore. "A student did it, but whom exactly? This person must be someone who wanted to scare, to warn from something, but my guess is that because this person might be too young to join the Death Eaters, he faked the Mark. Was it on his or hers own accord or under someone's orders, I hope we will soon find out."

"Okay. Then why are we here if Harry isn't guilty? You said there's another issue," said James

"Well, it does link with this incident. I assume that was a sign that something is about to happen, and since we all know what happened fifteen years ago, we should prepare you for the worst."

Harry didn't know if he should mention what Draco just told him about his father. Would Draco want him to tell that? It was quite personal, wasn't it? And it will put his father in Azkaban, and Draco might get in trouble. But then again, it's all his parents ever wanted to do, lock Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban, and if he will not say anything, something unexpected might happen to them.

So what will it be? His parents? Or his best friend?

Thankfully, when Dumbledore spoke again, Harry wasn't in dilemma anymore.

"It is rumored the Death Eaters out there starting to gather power again. I want you two to be careful. If you feel like you have to, go back into hiding," he said to James and Lily. "And of course, Harry is safe here, that is until the holidays, when Remus will look after him until they will join you."

Of course, Harry thought. I'm also in danger. Voldemort was about to kill me fifteen years ago, and if Lucius Malfoy want to revenge his death, that means, not only Sirius and my parents are in danger, but so am I.

After Dumbledore ended the discussion, Harry once again said goodbye to his parents and returned to his dormitory.

It was way past curfew and everyone was already asleep, and he didn't want to disturb them. He would tell them tomorrow what happened, if they'd ask, and they probably will.

He had troubles sleeping that night. His mind was swirling with images of Lucius Malfoy pointing a wand at his heart and from its tip a streak of green light exploded. He woke up several times that night and checked around the room to make sure the only Malfoy there was his best friend.

When his mind wasn't thinking about his death, dreams of Ginny Weasley occupied it. Sometimes they met in an empty corridor, and she looked at him with disgust or horror, just when he realized he had the Dark Mark tattooed on his hand. And sometimes he was back in Hogsmeade's Main Street and she was bending over him again, but she was laughing at him for giving up a fight for Dean and chickening out.

"I'm not a coward," Harry mumbled in his sleep, when he finally managed to get some.

November finally entered the next day. Harry woke up that morning with puffy eyes, caused from lack of sleep.

He dressed quickly and left the room before any of his roommates could get the chance to ask him what happened last night. He would tell Blaise and Draco when they asked him, but not now, and he was sure to not bring the subject up himself.

When he stepped into the common room, a group of students gathered around the notice board. A new sign has been pinned there, and it said:

How to Prove You're Not A Coward?

Easily! Just join us on this Saturday, November 6th
for the new and improved Dueling Club!

All sixth and seventh year students are welcome to
come and join!

First to fifth year students are allowed to come and watch.

See you there!

That sign was teasing him. It was like the teachers all knew how he felt at the moment and decided to taunt him. He stayed in his place, staring at the flier, and reading the title a few more times. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't delusional.

He decided to depart the common room quickly before people flooded him with unwanted questions.

"Uh, uh, uh. Not so fast, Potter," said someone from behind, before Harry had managed to escape.

He turned around to see Theodore Nott standing on the other side of the common room with folded arms and raised eyebrows.

"Hurrying somewhere?" Nott asked, sounding interested.

"Just breakfast," Harry replied with a smile. He knew what he wanted, but he was not going to tell him. "I didn't eat much at the feast last night."

"So I've heard. I also heard that –"

"You know Nott, if I cared, I would really want to hear that, but I don't, so go gossip with the rest of the girls, will you?"

And he left, feeling quite satisfied with his answer.

But Theodore didn't let it drop. When he arrived to the Great Hall for breakfast, he seated himself next to Harry. "You know, rumor has is that you, good old Harry Potter finally came around and joined the Dark side," he whispered.

Right then, four other people came to sit in the table around Harry. Draco and Blaise sat across from him, both looking very smug, and Crabbe and Goyle sniggered to themselves as the sat next to them.

"Only in your wet dreams, Nott," replied Harry, smiling despite himself.

"Come on, Harry, what was that scene about last night when Snape came and took you to see Dumbledore?" Blaise asked. "People said something about you conjuring the Dark Mark, perhaps you'd like to go into detail on the subject?"

"Erm – Not right now, I won't."

"Come on, look around, Harry. Everyone knows by now; they're all looking at you."

Harry looked around the Hall. People were indeed casting him suspicious looks, while whispering among themselves, like he didn't see.

"Blaise, I was with you all day yesterday. When could I possibly find time to go outside and conjure the Dark Mark?"

"Technically, you weren't with me all day yesterday," Blaise corrected.

"Oh, yeah? Well, if I joined the Dark side, then so did you," Harry said, leaning back in his seat and folding his arms.

"What's that suppose to mean? You know I don't –"

Harry didn't care anymore that Nott, Crabbe and Goyle, and probably the whole Slytherin House and all the people around would hear it; he had to say it.

"Relax, Blaise. All I mean is that the Mark was only a firework someone, who's not me, set off; it wasn't the real Mark. That's why I was sent to see Dumbledore. He thought – No, Snape thought I owned it. That's why you are just as bad as I am."

"I – hua –" Blaise stuttered, perplexed.

"I know," Harry smiled. "Now, pass me that coffee pot, will you? I don't want to fall asleep in class."

"I had no idea, okay? Now, leave me alone, Ron, or I'll Bat-Bogey hex you!" Ginny shouted, storming out of Gryffindor Tower. She tried to slam the portrait of the Fat Lady on Ron as he managed to get out. The Fat Lady cried out, but Ginny did not care. Ron, however, tried to apologize for his sister's behavior, and then set off again and ran after her, not paying much attention to Ginny's threats.

"I swear Ginny, if I catch you around this guy one more time, I'll owl Mum and you'll be back at the Burrow, weeping, when Errol will be the only one who will listen to you sob! – And that is when he's not passed out!"

"I said okay, didn't I?" she said angrily. "The last thing I need right now is a Death Eater in my life!"

"Good. Because you won't talk to him, or mention his name again, and if I catch you even trying to look at his direction – I mean, that's it! It's over!"

"All right, I got it! Now shove off!"

She quickly snuck into the girls' bathroom, somewhere she could stay away from Ron. And Ron, without any choices left, had to stay outside and wait for her to come out, so he could keep nagging her about that topic.

Hermione then came over. "Well?" she asked. Ron shrugged helplessly. "You know, I don't really think he's done it..."

"Don't you take his side, Hermione!"

"I'm not. I'm just saying it's not something he would likely do."

"Oh, that right, I forgot. You know him so well!" Ron said sarcastically, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "That Slytherin – Death Eater – bastard – GIT!" Ron suddenly bellowed, and made a group of girls, who just left the bathroom, to scream. "Sorry," he said, embarrassed.

"Ron, don't work yourself up like that. She's fine. She told you she's fine hundreds of times this morning. You're too protective over her. She can protect herself very well. She's a very strong witch."

Ron ignored her and slightly pushed open the bathroom door and peeked inside. There was no sign for Ginny, and the room was silence. If she was crying, he would hear her.

"I can't see her," Ron whined

"Oh, I'm sure nothing happened to her. What will she do, drown herself in the toilet? Jump out of the window? She's too short, Ron. And besides, she's sane," Hermione said.

"She's definitely not sane when she's around that Potter bloke!" Ron argued, peeking inside the bathroom again.

"If you really want to know, she already left."

"What? When?" Ron looked surprised.

"Around the time you yelled 'git'. I saw her leave with all the girls."

"Great, then why am I here, peeking inside the girls' bathroom and missing breakfast? I'm starving!" Ron said, striding to the Great Hall.

"Well, it was quite funny when people shot you weird glances and thought that the Gryffindor Prefect is a pervert!" she giggled.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled, and that made her only laugh harder.

But unfortunately for him, Ron couldn't find his appetite once he arrived to the Great Hall. No matter how loudly his stomach grumbled, he kept stabbing his toast with his fork, but did not eat it. He couldn't take his eyes of Harry Potter, who was sitting over at the Slytherin table, laughing with his friends.

"All right, STOP!" Hermione said, taking away his fork. "You'll make a hole in the plate eventually!"

"Look at him! What's so funny? When was it said that serving an evil deadwizard can be a hoot?"

"Stop thinking about it, Ron, you're driving me crazy with all these rambling."

"No, see what bugs me, even when people found out what he is, he wasn't expelled from school. I bet just from the grin on his face he didn't even receive detention! And look at him; he always has to be the centre of attention! Thinking he has such influence on people. Maybe he Imperioused Snape and Dumbledore, or Obliviated them, so he came out of this innocent. I bet there isn't one innocent thought in his mind," he complained.

"Ron!" Ginny barked. "Come of it, will you? Hermione, I don't know how you can stand him!"

"Shut it, Ginny! You stay out of it," warned Ron. "Why are you all pissed off today, anyway?"

"Didn't Hermione tell you?" She looked expectedly at Hermione. Ron followed her gaze and looked at Hermione confused.

"Oh, right. Sorry, it slipped my mind!" Hermione said and banged her hand to her forehead. "Umm, Ginny and Dean broke up yesterday."

"You did?" Ron asked, looking back at his sister.

"Yep. We had this huge fight and it wasn't working anyway, and he was so irritating, so I broke it off."

"Thank god!" Ron sighed and leaned back in his chair. He caught Ginny and Hermione's confused and furious looks and quickly added, "Er – I mean, he wasn't good for you. I told you from the very beginning not to go out with him. I know the bloke and he didn't seem serious with you. I told you I'm not approving –"

"You're not approving anybody," Ginny snapped, standing up from her seat and getting ready to leave.

"Well – that's... that's because I care for you!"

"Sure Ron. You care for me, so you decided to run my life for me. You tell me where to go, what to do, who to date – Sorry, I meant who not to date, and who I can't talk about or look at! Well, you know what? I'm sick of it! I'm only one year younger than you! I'm a Prefect and I'm a grown up person! Mum doesn't even tell me what to do anymore, so why are you?"

"Because someone has to put some discipline in you!" Ron retorted.

"You say it like I'm a rebel, like I don't listen to anything you or other people say to me, and that's not true! I don't need you to make my decisions, Ron! If you really care for me, how about the next time I'll date someone, you won't say anything and just accept my choice?"

"No way!" he protested, but just then Hermione hit his stomach with her elbow under the table. "Oww! What the hell was that for?" He looked at Hermione and she just raised her eyebrows at him, hinting something. "Oh, all right, fine," he finally told Ginny, while rubbing the side of his stomach.

The anger on Ginny's face was replaced by a smile. "Really?" she asked, half believing what she heard was true.

"Yes, but as long as it's not that Death Eater Potter!"

Ginny seemed to consider it for a second before she smiled again. "Fine," she said and she took off.

"She'll find a loophole in this agreement, I know it," muttered Ron, taking a bite off his toast without even noticing. Harry disappeared from the Hall and it was time he will eat something.

"Maybe," Hermione said. "But remember, you promised you will stay out of her love life. Let her be. If she was to make a mistake, let her suffer alone, don't make that mistake for her. She needs to learn how to deal with life. Now come on, grab a last bite of toast because we have Transfiguration now."

Harry remembered he forgot his Transfiguration book back in his dormitory. Once he got it, he left the dungeons without hurry, even though the bell just rang, and he knew McGonagall would take points from him even if he was being late by one minute because she always was there before the bell rang. So he took his time.

There were a few people around him who hurried to get in time for their lesson, probably with Snape, as they turned the corner leading to the Potions classroom. Soon, the corridor was deserted again; the only person walking there was him, though not a minute later, he heard footsteps again.

As he was about to take the stairs leading back to the entrance hall, the girl who just descended them was now standing in front of him. He took a quick look at her. Her red hair was resting on her shoulders, and her slim hands holding her books securely to the front of her body. He couldn't believe how odd these coincidences had become.

"Excuse me," she said, trying to move past him, not even registering who he was, as she was in hurry.

Harry instinctively grabbed her arm to stop her from going any further. Her books fell to her feet and she stiffened at his touch. "Hold on," he said.

Her legs froze, her breath choked and her heart beats seemed to stop when she heard his voice. She gulped with difficulty, and all she wanted right then was to dash away from him as fast as possible. She tried to jerk her arm from his hand, but he held her tight, so she gave up, but did not turn to look at him. "I – Um..." she began, trying to find the right thing to say, but her mouth was dry and she couldn't form whole words.

Still holding her arm so she won't run away, which he knew she would the second he will let her go, he said, "Tell him I'll meet him on Saturday at the Dueling Club."

"Tell who?" she asked, still not making eye-contact with him.

"Your git of a boyfriend, Mr. Thomas. Tell him to come if he's not afraid," he said coldly, reminding himself of the way Snape usually talked. Must be a Slytherin thing, he thought.

"I'm sorry, I cannot do that," she said with a hoarse voice.

"And why's that?" He finally tilted his head to the side to get a glimpse of her red hair.

"Can you please let me go?" she said, obviously wishing to change the subject. "The bell rang five minutes ago; I'm really late for Potions."

"So? You're a Prefect –"

"That doesn't mean I'm allowed to be late for class. And besides, I want to be there on time, but because of you –"

She tried again to get away from his grip, but did not succeed. "Please let me go," she begged, her voice a bit shaky. "Please!"

She finally looked up at him. Her look in her eyes was pleading, scared. Here they were in an empty corridor, alone, just like in his dream. She looked at him fearfully because he was a... but he wasn't a Death Eater.

"You're not afraid of me, are you?" he asked with a frown, though he knew she really was. There was no other way to look at this situation differently. As he understood what he's done, he quickly let go of her arm, and just like he predicted, she quickly bent down to gather her books. "I'm not what you think I am."

She slowly rose from the floor and looked at his eyes again. She didn't have to say anything, he already knew.

Nodding once to her, be backed away from her and went up the stairs, thinking all the way to class, that somehow he must prove her he wasn't guilty.

A/N: Okay, so what do you think? I'm still not sure about how long it'll take for them to stay like this, but I reckon not too long. You all must remember: Patience is the key word!

Now, don't be lazy and shy. Please review this chapter. It's the longest one yet, and it was difficult to write (and revise, since I needed to think of something different then the one I had before). I hope you like this more. Thank you for reading and for your patience.