A/N: Thanks for the encouragement in the reviews for last chapter, I really appreciate it! I've actually added a new chapter into my original plan, because this one was going to be really long, so I split it up.
Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship - never.*
Disclaimer: There's a person called JK Rowling who would be a little annoyed if I took credit for her stories...and I can't afford the legal fees.
6. Everyone Has A Weakness
Harry entered the Great Hall and ambled over to the Gryffindor table, avoiding the gazes of intrigued students. As he passed the Slytherin table, he heard scoffing and disbelieving voices as they spotted his badge. But Harry was way past the stage when he would have been angered by this, and continued walking. When he reached the Gryffindor table he sat down between Ron and Hermione, who were staring determinedly in opposite directions. Sighing wearily, Harry scanned the staff table.
He saw that Professor McGonagall was sat where Dumbledore should have been, and Professor Flitwick was missing. Evidently the job of greeting the first years had been given to him, now that McGonagall was Headmistress. Harry also noticed a not altogether new face at the table – Tonks! That had to mean…Harry studied the teachers’ table once again, and realised with a leap of joy that Snape was no longer there. This feeling was almost immediately flooded with an irrational amount of hate and anger. Just the thought of Snape made him sick. Dumbledore’s…killer.
Never before had Harry found someone he wanted to kill as much as Voldemort. Yes, it all came back to him. Voldemort had caused the death of his parents, his godfather and his mentor, and now he wanted to kill Harry too.
Harry wrenched himself out of these murderous thoughts as Professor McGonagall rose to speak. The hall fell into an uneasy silence; it was just so odd without Dumbledore.
“Well, enjoy the food everyone!” announced Professor McGonagall in a light-hearted -although not completely convincing voice.
The platters and dishes filled themselves as she spoke, and everyone began eating, for the simple reason that it was the easiest thing to do. Everything was so awkward…it just wasn’t the same. Knowing that Ron and Hermione would want to say something about this, Harry turned expectantly to them, but they had both launched into eating, therefore cutting off any possible conversation. Harry looked between them, and knew that if he didn’t find out what had happened the previous night, the sudden uneasiness between them would never be banished. Well, that was a project for the next day. For now, Harry concentrated on his own interests – food.
After a filling, though uncomfortable meal, Professor McGonagall rose to speak again, but the Great Hall was so quiet anyway, there was barely a change in the noise level.
“Well, as you have all finished,” she began, uncertainly; “we’ll proceed to other matters. As you all know by now, we suffered a terrible loss last year. Professor Dumbledore was taken from us in an awful, unimaginable fashion. Hopefully, we can pick ourselves up and begin again after this. We all know that is what he would have wanted.” She smiled weakly, looking over to where Harry, Ron and Hermione sat. “And now, onto the more trivial things. To all first-years, the Forbidden Forest on the edge of the grounds is out of bounds to all students. Including those in other years!” she lectured, looking in particular at the Gryffindor table. Harry saw Ginny blush, and smile cheekily.
“Even tighter security measures have been placed on the castle, so I do not advise you try and do anything foolish. Any of you! Finally, we have a new staff appointment. Please welcome Nymphadora Tonks, who will be taking the place of Professor Snape this year.” These words were greeted with much clapping and cheering, particularly from the Gryffindor table. Harry looked over to the Slytherins, and saw many glum faces, most refusing to clap. He smiled to himself. Ha. Let's see how well you do now that Snape isn’t here to protect you. After the cheering and clapping had died down, Professor McGonagall ordered them to bed, and everybody happily obliged, the Great Hall now filling with the usual talk.
“She looks much happier than she did last year,” remarked Hermione as they got up from the table. “It should be really good having her teaching us this year!”
“Yeah,” agreed Harry, grinning. “It should.”
*
As he climbed the marble stairs wearily, Harry’s mind wandered to the subject of Horcruxes. After sitting through the feast, everyone’s mind quite obviously on nothing but Dumbledore, the memory of the fake Horcrux had invaded his, until then, relaxed mind. Now, the memories swamping his vision, he once again ran through the list of remaining Horcruxes.
The cup…the locket…the snake…something of Gryffindor’s or Ravenclaw’s…
Quite suddenly, Harry’s thoughts were cruelly interrupted by a disturbing memory. Dumbledore, slumped at the bottom of the wall, wandless and helpless. He saw once again, a man with greasy black hair raising his wand… “AVADA KEDAVRA!”
The words penetrated his mind so powerfully that Harry buckled, and almost fell as he climbed the endless stairs that led to Gryffindor Tower.
“Harry? Harry! Are you ok?” he heard Hermione asking anxiously.
“Fine…fine…” he managed to stutter awkwardly, but an odd buzzing of disbelief filled his head. He couldn’t quite accept it…after a whole year…why now?
He continued up, trying to ignore the stares he was attracting. Finally, he had had enough.
“Er…Ron, Hermione, you go on ahead, I’m just going to…” he pointed vaguely at an empty classroom. They both nodded, although looking a little confused. Ron’s mouth began to open questioningly.
“I’m fine,” Harry insisted firmly, before Ron could speak. “I’ll see you a bit later.”
Harry headed towards a vacant classroom, and hurriedly slipped inside, closing the door soundlessly behind him. He stared around, realising with a jolt of sadness and joy, that it was the very classroom that he had discovered the Mirror of Erised in, in his first year at Hogwarts. It all became too much. The thought of Dumbledore filled his head, and before he knew it, Harry’s eyes were streaming as he slumped at the foot of the door.
No! he thought to himself. You’re beyond this now! You’ve moved on…you’ve accepted it! Why am I slipping back to where I was a month ago?
But these thoughts did nothing but fuel his tears. How long he sat there, even Harry did not know. Finally, he pulled himself together and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, cursing his own weakness.
He could hear the echo of a wise old voice in his head.
“It’s alright to cry Harry, even the best of us have our weaknesses,” he could hear Dumbledore telling him.
With a gasp of horror, Harry felt what he had on the stairs, just a while before. It disturbed him even more this time, for he knew now for certain that it had happened. The thought filled him with dread.
Harry winced as, once more, a white sharp pain shot through his scar, and high-pitched laughter filled his head.
*Charles Caleb Colton