Loving Dawn {ON HOLD}

Chapter 3

When Harry, Ron, Hermione and I entered the Great Hall for breakfast, the first thing we saw was Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining quite a large group of Slytherins with a funny story. As we passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.

With one glare from me, though, they shut up.

"Ignore him," said Hermione, who was right behind Harry. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it..."

I rolled my eyes.

"Ignoring it isn't gonna do anything, now is it, Hermione?"

She glared at me.

"Hey, Potter!" shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. "Potter! The dementors are coming! Potter! Woooooooo!"

I walked straight over, but Harry and Hermione held me back.

And then Ron had to push me back. I growled, baring my teeth like a dog.

Ron jumped back.

Good boy.

Harry dropped into a seat at the Gryffindor table, next to George Weasley. I sat down next to George, too.

"New third-year course schedules," said George, passing them over to Harry and I, "What's up with him?" asked George.

"Malfoy," Ron answered for me, sitting down in front of George and glaring at the Slytherin table.

George looked up in time to see Malfoy pretending to faint with terror. Again.

This boy is a real prat, isn't he?

You have no idea, Snuffles. No idea.

"That little git," George and I said calmly, in sync, "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," said Fred, with a contemptuous glance at Malfoy.

"I wasn't too happy myself," said George, "They're horrible things, those dementors...."

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred.

"You didn't pass out though, did you?" said Harry in a low voice.

"Forget it, Harry," said 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."

"Then how did Dawn fight them off?" asked Harry.

The twins turned to me in surprise.

"You fought off a dementor?"

"Easy," I shrugged turning to my food.

They gave me another surprised stare before turning back to Harry.

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"

I was a chaser on the team, and a pretty good one, too.

The only time Harry and Malfoy had faced each other in a Quidditch match, Malfoy had definitely come off worse. Looking slightly more cheerful, Harry helped himself to sausages and fried tomatoes. I looked down a bit and saw Hermione examining her new schedule.

"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," she said happily.

I shook my head in mock disappointment.