When Harry, Ron and Hermione enter the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they see is Draco Malfoy, who seems to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story.
As they pass, Malfoy does a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there is a roar of laughter.
"Ignore him," says Hermione, who is right behind Harry. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it ..."
"Hey, Potter!" shrieks Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. "Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooo!"
"Hey Pansy, can you not be a bitch for five minutes? It's giving me a migraine." says Polaris, who is sitting nearby reading a book.
"I'm just pointing out that Potter has a defect." Pansy argues, giving Polaris a death glare.
"Since you like pointing out 'defects', why don't you point out the fact that you look like a pug with rabies?" says Polaris, who smirks at Pansy while their fellow Slytherins laugh.
Harry smiles to himself and walks towards the Gryffindor table, and sits next to George.
"New third-year timetables," says George, passing them over. "What's up with you, Harry?"
"Malfoy," says Ron, sitting down on George's other side and glaring over at the Slytherin table.
George looks up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror again. Then he spots Polaris saying something to him, which makes his pale face go pink.
"That little git," George says calmly. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"
"Nearly wet himself," sats Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.
"I wasn't too happy myself," says George. "They're horrible things, those Dementors ..."
"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" says Fred.
"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" says Harry in a low voice.
"Forget it, Harry," says George bracingly, "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been. He came back all weak and shaking ... They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there. I can't imagine how Pol felt about being forced to visit his mother."
"Anyways, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," says Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"
The only time Harry and Malfoy faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy definitely came off worse. Feeling slightly more cheerful, Harry helps himself to sausages and fried tomatoes.
Hermione is examining her new timetable. "Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," she says happily.
"Hermione," says Ron, frowning as he looks over her shoulder, "they've messed up your timetable. Look - they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."
"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."
"But look," says Ron, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And -" Ron leans closer to the timetable, disbelieving, "look - underneath that, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"
YOU ARE READING
The Mysterious Heir
Fanfiction2 Years before Harry Potter is born, Voldemort conceives a son to take his place if he died before he reached immortality. After he is born, Voldemort enchants him to be more powerful than himself. This is the story of Polaris Cygnus Lestrange, The...
