only angel- harry potter

Chapter 16

"I know, but like a boyfriend," Riley nudged him playfully.

"I want you to be my girlfriend," he mumbled.

Noah hesitated before finally confessing in a whisper, "I want you to be my girlfriend." 

"What?" Riley asked, not hearing his words. 

"Nothing, I didn't say anything," Noah mumbled, kicking the floor and sitting down.Riley shrugged and plopped down next to him. 

Geez, keep it together Noah! Noah thought as he slapped himself internally. 

Ron, Hermione, and Harry stood in front of the group, tension thick in the air.

"Um, hi," Hermione began hesitantly, addressing the crowd.

"So you all know why we're here. We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who's had experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts," she explained, her voice growing stronger.

"Why?" a Hufflepuff named Zacharias Smith interrupted, his tone condescending.

"Why? Because You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot," Ron snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"So he says," Smith retorted, his eyes narrowed at Ron.

"So Dumbledore says," Amira interjected, her voice calm but firm.

"So Dumbledore says because he says. The point is, where's the proof?" Smith challenged, causing Riley to clench her fists in frustration.

"If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed," Ginny's boyfriend Michael Corner spoke up with a tone of skepticism,

Ginny's eyes narrowed into a fierce glare, making Michael shrink down.

Harry's response was firm and unwavering, "I'm not gonna talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, clear out now."

The room fell silent as Harry's words hung in the air. He let out a weary sigh, feeling the weight of everyone's expectations and scrutiny. "Come on, Hermione," he whispered, "They're here because they think I'm some sort of freak."

But then, a ray of curiosity and hope broke through the tense atmosphere as Luna Lovegood spoke up in her sweet voice, "Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?"

Hermione's response was hesitant but truthful, "Yes. I've seen it."

The group erupted into amazement, with Riley whistling and Dean Thomas exclaiming in disbelief, "Blimey, Harry. I didn't know you could do that!"

Neville chimed in, "And he killed a basilisk with the sword in Dumbledore's office!"

Ginny, not one to be outdone, exclaimed, "It's true!"

Noah jumped in with a sudden recollection, "Oh yeah, I remember that!"

Ron added to the chorus, "Third year, he fought off about a hundred Dementors at once."

And finally, Hermione summed it all up with a simple statement, "Last year, he really did fight off You Know Who in the flesh,"

"Wait a minute," Harry interrupted, his voice wavering. "Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that... but the truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help," he admitted, his face turning red with embarrassment.

Riley shook her head. "Boy is just being modest," she said, trying to reassure him.

"No, Riley, I'm not," Harry insisted, his voice growing more intense. "Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow. But out there... when you're a second away from being murdered... or watching a friend die right before your eyes... You don't know what that's like," he said, his words trailing off as he sat down heavily.