Disclaimer: Nope.

Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews! I very much appreciate them.

I got some mixed reactions about changing the summary, so I decided to compromise. I kept some parts of it and changed others. The criticism of it was fair, but I also know I can't please everyone. I'm really sorry to the person who is disappointed. Obviously, you don't have to keep reading - there are plenty of stories I myself have started to read and then stopped because I didn't like the direction they were going. That's what happens when you write fanfic. But I really hope that others stay for the ride, because I just love writing this story so much.

I understand what you mean - there are certainly merits to having only one point of view through the entire story. I've read plenty like that, and some of them are the best fanfics on this site. It honestly depends on the writing and the plot. It's just me, personally, who likes writing the way I do, and I find multiple perspectives fascinating.

That is so incredibly sweet of you to come to my defense like that. Honestly, I don't mind anonymous reviews at all, whether they're positive or negative. The only drawback is that I can't ever respond to them in a PM. It doesn't take much to make an account on this site - it's free, after all, and you don't have to post any stories in order to have one. It's much easier to be able to communicate with a reader if they have an account.

But I'm so incredibly touched by your words. If I ever write anything that's not fanfiction, I'll be sure to let you know. Several fanfic authors have moved onto writing novels, and that is so incredibly cool.

I'm glad you like the idea of the support group, and that you enjoy the Order trying to bridge the gap between the Muggle and magical worlds. I'm absolutely loving writing this part of the story - it's giving me so much to work with!

I'm glad you appreciated Moody's point of view on Muggles fighting in the war. I happen to disagree with him, too, but it's interesting to study his angle on things.

I agree with you about the Statute of Secrecy as well. I do understand why it went into effect - but I see many problems with it as well. Can you imagine the Statute surviving this particular era, what with Facebook, Instagram, and all the other social media platforms? You could just do magic in a video and post it on there! It's said that Muggle technology doesn't mix with magic, but I'm pretty positive that some witches and wizards, chiefly Muggle-borns, would work on ways to remedy that situation. No amount of Obliviators could erase everyone's memories! The wizarding world would be found out in a blink, and the Statute of Secrecy would be demolished. It's fascinating to imagine all the real-world consequences if the magical world was truly real. It's amazing how this series has come to life for me so much.

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this chapter. We're back with Harry for this one, and there's a very important scene in it that I am honestly hoping everyone enjoys! It ends on rather a cliffhanger, and the next chapter will begin where this one ended.

The whole thing about Susan Bones's feelings on animals comes from my own life, and my own guilt over it. This is my way of trying to put it into words. I honestly wish I could understand animals more, but I've never really been able to. Not that I don't love them, especially dogs, but I've never really been able to develop that eternal bond with pets that many others can. I wanted to explore this in this story.

By the way, my plans changed about when I'm mentioning Quidditch. I didn't think I'd be talking about that yet, but I realized that it fits into one of the scenes here.

xxxxxxxxxx

It was now the fourth day of parent-teacher conferences; Saturday had arrived, and for the next two days, Harry would be spending the entire day at Hogwarts. He honestly couldn't be happier about it.

The weather was overcast, but there were still many people walking out on the grounds. Students wanted to take advantage of the mild weather before it began to grow colder. The lake still sparkled with beauty, and even though the weather was dull, the scenery of Hogwarts more than made up for it.

The night before had gone well for Harry. He, Ron, and Hermione had spent much of their time in the common room, where Harry allowed himself to get pummeled in another chess game with Ron. He then had a long discussion with Hermione about what his tutors had been teaching him, and he didn't mind when several other students listened in.

"I'm jealous," Neville had said with a smile. "Sturgis sounds so much more interesting than Binns."

"That's a low bar, Neville," Ginny had laughed. "A fly is probably more interesting than Binns."

"Fair enough," Neville replied, still smiling. "It sounds fascinating, how he's combining it with Defense."

"He really makes me think," Harry agreed. "I've never had a teacher quite like him."

"Maybe, if Binns decides to finally kick the bucket for real ..." Dean joked.

"Dean!" Hermione tried for a scandalized tone, but even she couldn't prevent her expression from cracking. "That's awful!"

Dean just snickered, and Harry relaxed into the common room banter as he and his classmates chatted lightheartedly about a variety of topics.

"Ravenclaw is in first place for Quidditch," Dennis Creevy chirped. "But all isn't lost yet, of course! And once you come back in January, you can be Seeker again!"

Harry smiled at the exuberant boy. Dennis had annoyed him something awful the year before, having followed in Colin's footsteps in his awe and hero worship. However, right now, Harry couldn't find it in himself to be aggravated by him. "Who's Seeker right now?" he asked, honestly curious.

Ginny suddenly looked nervous as she faced Harry. "Er ..." she said hesitantly. "Um, it's me. But ... don't worry," she added hurriedly. "As soon as you come back in January, you'll have the position back."

"You're Seeker? That's great!" Harry exclaimed, meaning it. He hated the worry in her eyes - did she really think he'd be angry about that? Gryffindor needed a Seeker while he wasn't here. Why should he resent her for filling that position? He grinned at her, adding, "Maybe you should stay Seeker even after I come back."

"Don't you dare." Ginny gave him that "quit being such a noble prat" look. "You're miles better at it than me, and I always wanted to play Chaser anyway. I might try out next year for that."

Harry looked back at her with an unsure expression, but Ginny placed her hands on her hips and didn't budge. Harry had to grin at the girl; Ginny had truly changed from the shy little girl who blushed and stammered every time she saw him.

Harry couldn't believe he hadn't even asked about Quidditch before it was brought up. He loved the sport, and he honestly missed playing. He was determined to return to it in January - he still couldn't believe how he had first become a member of the Gryffindor team.

He was really glad that Dennis had brought it up. He wanted to think of the exhilaration and joy he felt when on a broomstick. He didn't want to think about the last time he'd been on the pitch - he'd been bent over sobbing, Cedric's lifeless body clutched to him. He'd been desperate, wanting nothing more than for his touch alone to bring life back into the older champion.

The Quidditch pitch was a place where Cedric, like Harry, had felt so much joy. He'd seen the same rapt expression on Cedric's face that he knew his own held when up in the air. All worries, all doubts, all fears were forgotten as he swooped and dived. There had never been another feeling like it.

And Harry remembered what Cho had said about how she wanted to honor Cedric's memory by being the better person he had taught her to be. Harry had been immensely touched, and understood exactly what Cho meant. Cedric had made Harry a better person as well, even though he'd barely gotten to know him.

But, knowing the kind of person the older boy had been, he would not want Harry to give up Quidditch on his account, or never go to the pitch again. The moment Harry got back on a broom, he would give it his all. Cedric deserved nothing less.

And now, it was Saturday, and he had just found out that the Gryffindor team was holding practice. Several sixth-year parents were on the grounds, it being their turn for parent-teacher conferences. Harry, Ron, and Hermione passed them as they walked towards the Quidditch pitch.

Harry was determined to enjoy himself as he watched his team practice today. Angelina Johnson had been made team captain, and Harry had no doubt that she was going to work her team hard. Ginny had told him that she took no nonsense, and was putting her team through their paces. Angelina would stop at nothing to secure her team's victory.

Harry and Ron knew that Hermione normally didn't bother watching the practices - she had never been a huge fan of the sport, although she had come to Harry's games, which he very much appreciated. But he knew that today, his best friends wanted to spend time with him, and they understood that Harry wanted to be back on the pitch. Everything his best friends were doing for him continued to touch Harry in enormous ways.

"I still can't believe that absolute JERK McLaggen's the Keeper," Ron grumbled. "He's so arrogant and full of himself it's unbelievable. I can't believe there's no one better than him."

Harry had had the distinct ... displeasure of seeing this McLaggen bloke the night before. He had, obviously, always been a Gryffindor, and was well-known for his arrogance. To be completely frank, he was like a Gryffindor version of Draco Malfoy - constantly strutting around, boasting and bragging. However, instead of always using his father's name as a shield like Malfoy did, McLaggen proceeded to brag about his own accomplishments in such a manner that it was often physically painful to listen to him. His addition to the Gryffindor Quidditch team had only allowed his ego to grow, which was very unpleasant to witness.

"Maybe you should have tried out, mate," Harry said lightly. "Take him down a peg or two, you know?"

Harry was surprised when Ron suddenly couldn't meet his eyes. "No way," he said quietly. "I'd be rubbish."

"No, you wouldn't!" Harry said emphatically. He hated when Ron put himself down like this. And why couldn't his best mate look at him? Was he that embarrassed about his own Quidditch skills? Ron had just as much worth as Harry did - and Harry wished fervently that his best friend would realize that. He was eventually able to catch his eye, and he smiled warmly at him. He never, ever wanted Ron to feel like he was somehow less than him.

"Thanks, mate," Ron said quietly as they continued to walk. Harry caught Hermione's eye as well, and she was looking at Ron sadly. Harry knew that she, too, wished her new boyfriend would appreciate himself more.

When they reached the Quidditch pitch, Harry had to stop for a moment and close his eyes. Memories rushed past him - he could hear the screams and sobs of Cedric's loved ones as they learned what had happened. The sounds of Cho's and Mr. Diggory's pain were the worst of all. He remembered the weight of Cedric in his arms, the horrific knowledge that he had lived while Cedric hadn't.

"Harry?" He was brought back to the present by the feel of Ron's and Hermione's hands on his shoulders. Ron was standing on his left, and Hermione was on his right - it was a constant, something that never seemed to change. "Are you all right, mate?" Ron's voice was soft.

"It's okay, Harry." Hermione's gentle tone reached him next.

Harry pushed away the sounds of raw grief that assaulted him. He remembered Cho's words from two days ago. He remembered the feel of Mrs. Diggory's embrace as she awarded Sirius full custody of him. And above all, he remembered Cedric's blissful expression as he flew, the pure joy that radiated from him. Harry owed it to him to enjoy the game again.

Harry let out a deep breath as the breeze blew into his face. "Thanks, guys," he said softly. "I'm all right."

"If you're sure," said Hermione, and Harry nodded. They both continued to shoot him concerned glances as Harry began walking again, but he smiled reassuringly at them as sounds of joy and exhilaration greeted them.

The Gryffindor team was indeed practicing. Fred and George's voices were loudest of all as they bantered back and forth in the normal twin speak that Harry knew so well. Katie, Alicia, and Angelina were on their brooms as well, as was Ginny. She was the first to spot Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and she grinned at them.

Fred and George noticed them a second later. "Hark who heralds us with their presence!" Fred exclaimed melodramatically.

"Indeed, it's our favorite trio!" George crowed. "How simply marvelous!"

Harry saw the scowl that crossed the face of Cormac McLaggen. He was also on his broom, and had been showing off with distinctly dramatic corkscrews and maneuvers. He was not at all happy to not have the attention firmly on him.

Harry laughed at the antics of the twins. He smiled as he, Ron, and Hermione walked to the bleachers and sat down. All remnants of the hedge maze were gone, and as the minutes passed and Harry watched the team fly, he was able to focus on the present rather than the past.

The more time that passed, the more anxious Harry was to get back on a broom. He suddenly couldn't wait to use his Firebolt again, and he grinned as a surge of warmth and love for his godfather filled him up. He remembered the pure awe he had felt on first seeing the shining new broomstick. He could still vividly recall the speed at which it could go, and how enraptured he felt by it.

Angelina Johnson was indeed a strong, fiesty team captain. She was honestly the famale equivalent of Oliver Wood, but Harry could understand why she was so stern with the team. Sometimes, it took that to get them into shape.

But Harry would draw the line at being mean, and thankfully, Angelina never crossed it. The only person she came close to crossing that line with was Cormac McLaggen, but Harry honestly couldn't find it in himself to blame her. McLaggen spent much of his time showing off, boasting about how good he was at this and that maneuver. He was good, but not THAT good. Harry was not that impressed with him at all.

"For Merlin's sake, McLaggen!" Angelina shouted at the twit. "Quit showing off and actually block the goals, would you? Do you want our team to lose because of you?" she hissed, glaring at him.

"We're not going to lose," McLaggen said easily, smirking. "Take it easy, Johnson."

Angelina snorted derisively, her glare going up a few notches. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to for her meaning to be clear.

Fred stared at her admiringly. "Good going," he told her approvingly. "If you'd like, we could teach him a thing or two."

Angelina turned her glare on Fred, but Harry couldn't help but notice that it was not at all as severe. "No, Fred. That is not what I want. I want you to concentrate on the Bludgers, please," she stated.

"Aye, aye, Captain." Fred winked cheekily at her and saluted. As he flew off, he yelled, "Oh, and just so you know, I'm George!"

Harry and Ron snickered, while Hermione rolled her eyes, as did Angelina. Harry relaxed further into the scene, letting himself be swept away by the pure euphoria of the team as Angelina worked them hard. By the time practice was over, the entire team was sweaty and tired, but they looked fulfilled, and Harry was glad for it. He felt even more excited to return to Quidditch full-time in January.

The entire team came walking over to the trio afterwards - that was, the entire team except for Cormac McLaggen, who sullenly flounced off to the locker room. "Wanker," Harry heard George mutter in his direction.

"Oh, don't mind him. We've got much better things to focus on," Alicia smiled as the rest of the team reached the trio. "Well?" she asked with a grin. "What do you think?"

"Gryffindor is going to win the Quidditch Cup for sure," Harry beamed, basking in the glow. The sky had gotten a little brighter as practice had progressed, and the sun was struggling to come out.

Ginny grinned at him. "Yep, because you'll be back on the team come January."

Harry flushed. "That's not what I ..." he started.

"Oh, c'mon, Harry. You have the right to brag about your talents. No need to be McLaggen's complete antithesis all the time," Katie Bell quipped.

Harry ducked his head, but the Quidditch team was grinning at him, as were Ron and Hermione. "Honestly, that was a brilliant practice," he said quietly.

"Why, thank you for the vote of confidence," George beamed. "Glad to hear you approve."

"Are you sure there's no one better than McLaggen?" Ron asked, a disgusted expression coming over his face.

Angelina scowled. "Loathe as I am to admit it, no," she said, very displeased by that fact.

The Quidditch team continued to talk with the trio for a while longer, and then they all headed back to the castle. Harry looked back at the pitch as they left, and he once again thought of Cedric's face as he flew up into the sky. A sense of accomplishment washed over Harry; he hoped Cedric was proud of him.

xxx

After a sumptuous lunch in the Great Hall, Harry was still feeling wonderful. He'd had a lively discussion with the people sitting around him as he ate, which mostly revolved around Quidditch. It seemed to be one of those topics that could really grab people's attention. Conversations always became so animated whenever it was talked about, whether it was Hogwarts' teams or the professional ones.

The parents who were sitting at the tables that were provided for them were also in animated conversation. Harry saw the same expressions on their faces that he had been seeing since Wednesday. There was the same mixture of joy, apprehension, concern, and fear, and Harry thought back to the Order's discussion the night before regarding a support group. He absolutely loved the idea, and thought that Hestia and Dedalus would do a fantastic job tackling it.

It was a very noisy lunch, and after the inhabitants of Hogwarts Castle had eaten their fill, Harry was in need of some reflective quiet time. In past years, he honestly hadn't needed this, but after everything that had happened in the last few days, he needed some space to process it all in his head.

Plus, he wanted to give Ron and Hermione some time to themselves. He and Sirius had had a conversation two days ago when Harry had told his godfather that his two best friends had become a couple.

Sirius had grinned upon hearing the news. "Of course," he'd said warmly. "After everything you've told me, that doesn't surprise me at all." He looked at Harry with a concerned gaze. "How do you feel about it, kiddo?"

Harry had smiled. "I'm happy for them," he said, every word full of honesty.

"You're not the least bit jealous?" Sirius asked, and for some reason there was pride in his voice.

"No." Harry shook his head. "I think it's great. I really hope it works out for them."

Sirius smiled, and there was a note of self-recrimination in his words when he next spoke. "I wasn't so selfless," he said softly. "I loved James, and I loved Lily. But when they got together ..." He paused in reflection. "I was afraid your dad wouldn't want to spend time with me anymore," he confessed. "I didn't say anything to James because I didn't want us to get into an argument. I knew I should be happy for them both, and James had been waiting for so long for Lily to give him the time of day.

"But they knew," he continued, his eyes filled with memories. "Lily cornered me one day and spoke to me about it. Apparently James put her up to it - he wanted Lily to reassure me that I wasn't about to lose him because they were together. I distinctly remember her words - "For Merlin's sake, Black, you two have always been joined at the hip. Do you honestly think I have any power over your friendship?"

"I remember being shocked that she just got right to the heart of the matter, but in retrospect, I shouldn't have been. That was Lily all over - she didn't beat around the bush with difficult conversations. That was the day when my love and respect for her truly climbed. And ... even though I know she didn't mean to make me feel this way at all, I felt like the world's most selfish prat after talking to her. But neither Lily nor James ever held my petty jealousy against me, and I grew even closer to them after that. I daresay that Lily was my sister in all but blood," he said quietly, his eyes full of wistfulness, and Harry's heart ached for him.

"That's how I feel about Ron and Hermione, too," Harry said quietly. "They're like my brother and sister. I've never ... er ... had feelings for Hermione in ... erm ... any other way."

Sirius smiled. "I didn't think so. I, too, never felt that way about Lily," he said. "But I was worried that the dynamic would change between us because she was suddenly in the picture."

"I can understand that," Harry said comfortingly. "Ron and Hermione ... they reassured me that it changed nothing about how they fel about me. They've done so much for me that there's no way I can doubt them. And they promised that they wouldn't drag me into the middle if they row or anything."

"When they row," Sirius said gently. "All couples fight, Harry. I watched Lily and James go at it a time or two." He smiled reminiscently. "But they always made up even after screaming themselves hoarse at each other. In a strange way, their arguments showed how strong they were as a couple, because they were able to come out of them still loving each other."

This made sense to Harry. "What do I do when they fight?" he asked seriously.

"Just be there for both of them if they need an ear," Sirius advised. "There may be times when you will hear the story from both of them, and agree with one side of the argument more. Thankfully, James and Lily never attempted to bring me into the middle either, so I tried to lend my support to both of them. I knew it wasn't up to me to say who was right and who was wrong, which could be a hard balance to strike." He gently touched Harry's shoulder. "Whenever it happens, you know you can always talk to me," he added warmly.

"I know." Harry smiled at him, touched once again by Sirius's words.

Sirius smiled back. "Another thing I can advise you to do is to give them private time for one another, even if they don't ask for it," he said. "Especially right now, with it being brand new, they'll want time to wander around the castle to find places to snog."

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed, laughing as his cheeks went red with embarrassment.

Sirius laughed too. "You know as well as I do that that's exactly what they want to do," he grinned. His expression grew more serious as he added, "Honestly, though, that's what you need to do for them. Even if they try to tell you that you don't have to do that, insist on it. They'll be very grateful."

Harry took Sirius's words to heart. He couldn't help but tease his godfather, though, as he asked, "Did my dad tell you all the places he went in the castle to snog my mum?"

Sirius burst out laughing, and ruffled Harry's hair. His laughter was contagious, and Harry joined in. The next few minutes were spent partaking in lighthearted banter as godfather and godson relished their eternal bond.

Now, as lunch at Hogwarts came to a close, Harry was going to put what he'd learned from that enlightening conversation into practice. "Erm ..." he started, hoping to frame this in the right way. "I'd like to walk around the castle a bit. I need some time to think."

Ron and Hermione instantly looked concerned. "Are you okay, Harry?" Hermione asked, her brown eyes worried.

Harry realized he'd done this wrong; his intent was not to worry them at all - far from it. He smiled at them reassuringly. "I'm fine," he told them truthfully. He attempted to give them a meaningful look, but wasn't sure whether he'd succeeded in what he was trying to tell them through his eyes.

"Oh." Hermione spoke the single word in realization. "Are you sure? You don't have to," she said, her cheeks flushing in a very endearing way.

Harry smiled at her. "I'll be safe here. There are Aurors and Order members everywhere, even if they don't say anything, and I'd really like to just walk around the castle for a while."

Hermione smiled at Harry, her expression incredibly appreciative. "Er ..." she stammered, her cheeks still red. Harry tried very hard not to laugh - the sight of an embarrassed Hermione who, for once, couldn't think of what to say, was rather amusing.

"What?" Ron asked, confused. It was clear that he had no idea what was going on. "What are you two talking about?"

Hermione only smiled at Ron. "I'll explain in a minute," she said, her brown eyes twinkling.

"I'll be back in about an hour or so. Promise," Harry said, turning to walk off. He wasn't about to leave Ron in suspense for too long, although the temptation to tease his best mates something awful was very clear.

As he walked out of the Great Hall, leaving a smiling Hermione with a still utterly-confused Ron, his heart filled with warmth. Maybe, if this had happened last year, he might have felt the same as Sirius had felt of his parents at first - worried about how his best friends' new relationship was going to change their dynamic. But as he walked away from them, he knew that some changes just might work out for the better.

Harry walked out of the entrance hall and onto the castle grounds. The sun was properly out now, and as was normal, students were taking advantage of the weather. Several greeted him as they passed, while others still continued to give him a wide berth. He also passed several parents that were wandering the grounds with their children. Harry saw the Creevy brothers talking with a man who he assumed was their father. Second-year parents were here right now, so they must be here for Dennis. The night before had been fourth-years, so they had been here for Colin as well.

Harry took a long, leisurely walk around the grounds, breathing in the fresh air and soaking in the beauty of Hogwarts Castle. He made friendly conversation with several people, and didn't bother those who avoided him. It made him sad, but he understood. He could only be glad that he had been able to get through to Jeff on Thursday night. He desperately hoped that the older boy could find some hope and healing.

Eventually, Harry decided to head back into the castle and visit the owlery. Obviously, Hedwig was not there - she was back at Grimmauld Place. But Harry felt an incredible amount of sympathy for the owls that were in there. Due to the owl dilemma, no students were allowed to send their owls out of the castle. They were permitted to fly around the grounds to get their exercise, of course, but Harry couldn't imagine that this was at all the same. He wanted to pay them a visit.

The owlery never smelled very nice, but Harry had never much cared about that. He wondered how those creatures felt, to constantly be at the whim of humans. Harry's cupboard at the Dursleys sure hadn't smelled very nice either, had it? Especially when he hadn't been let out to use the bathroom ... he shuddered. Those memories were best left forgotten.

But he realized that this must be why he had never commented on the smell of the owlery. It wasn't the owls' fault that ... erm ... stuff came out of their bodies, was it? It was perfectly normal, and he didn't understand why others made such a big deal about it. Every single owl in there was to be cherished and treasured.

As soon as he stepped into the owlery, he realized he wasn't alone. A girl wearing a Hufflepuff robe was simply standing there, staring fixedly at the many owls contained within. She had long red hair which she wore in a plait down her back.

"Oh," Harry said softly. "Er ... I'm sorry."

Susan Bones snapped her head around, looking like she'd come out of a trance. "What?" she asked in bewilderment, and then her eyes cleared. "Oh ... I'm sorry," she said as well.

In the next second, she realized she had spoken the exact same words as Harry, and she flushed. "It's all right," she said. "You startled me, that's all." She smiled warmly. "Hello, Harry."

"Hi, Susan. I didn't mean to startle you. And I ... uh ... didn't mean to intrude. I can go, if you want."

"No." Susan shook her head. "Not at all. It's really good to see you, Harry." She looked at him, her expression curious. "I guess you're here to see the owls?" she asked.

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "I ... er ... feel really bad that they can't do anything except fly around the grounds right now," he said quietly. "I suppose that's why you're here, too, or do you have an owl you're visiting?"

Susan suddenly bore an expression that was a mixture between shame and confusion. "No," she said. "I came here because I'm trying to understand. Er ... to understand animals, I mean."

Harry looked at her in interest, and after a few seconds, Susan continued, attempting to put what she was thinking into words. "I've never been an animal person," she admitted. "For years, I've heard everyone go on about their pets and I just don't understand. I've been able to become dear friends with humans, but I never understood the ... the animal thing. It sounds really stupid, doesn't it?"

Harry was surprised by the honest shame he heard in her tone. "That's not stupid," he said. "It's how you feel."

"The summer before fourth year, over the holidays, Hannah and I were going to get together one day," Susan said softly. "Only a few minutes before it was scheduled to happen, she canceled. Her owl died very suddenly."

Harry felt instant sadness. He thought of how he felt about Hedwig, and felt his heart hurt for Hannah. That must have been devastating.

"Of course, I understood," Susan continued. "That was horrible for Hannah, and I knew without question that she was grieving. I promised to give her all the time and space she needed, and I told her I'd be there for her whenever she needed me."

Harry couldn't understand why Susan still looked ashamed of herself. He couldn't think of anything she'd said or done in the situation that was wrong.

"The problem was, I just don't understand that pain at all," Susan confessed. "To me, an owl is ... an owl. Of course, it's horrible if something happens to them, and I couldn't imagine ever mistreating one or wishing ill on one. But ... I just couldn't understand what Hannah was going through. I was so afraid I'd put my foot in my mouth and say the wrong thing. When I saw her again, which was two days later, she shared memories of her owl with me, and I was there for her. But ... I just couldn't feel that emotion. On the day her owl died, I had to stop myself from even thinking thoughts like how much I was going to miss Hannah and how the day was supposed to be so wonderful. She didn't need to be hearing things like that, and I knew that if it was a human being she'd lost, I wouldn't even be thinking them. I knew I had to do better."

"And so that's why you come here?" Harry asked. "Because you feel guilty that you didn't understand what she went through at that time?"

"Yeah." Susan nodded. "She doesn't even know I come here. I can't tell her."

"Has it helped?" Harry wondered, honestly curious.

Susan shook her head dejectedly. "I still don't understand at all," she whispered ashamedly.

"Well," said Harry logically, "you can't force yourself to understand something you don't. You did what was most important, though - you were there for Hannah when she needed you. Sometimes, you can't fully understand what another person's going through, but it doesn't mean that you can't be there for them."

Susan smiled at Harry's simple words. "Yeah," she said. "I bet Hannah would think I was being silly if she knew."

Harry smiled back, rather surprised at the ease he felt in talking to her. It occurred to him that she'd had no trouble talking to him, either. "Do you want to get out of here and walk around a bit?" he asked, suddenly hesitant and nervous.

But Susan was still smiling. "Sure. I'd like to talk to you anyway."

And so, in a turn of events that Harry certainly hadn't banked on, he and Susan headed out of the owlery. He had the sudden feeling that this was going to be a very interesting conversation.