Fallen Angel

Chapter Six: Fall By the Wayside

It had been a fortnight since Severus had told Harry what his OWL grade had been for potions, and, in the interim, he found himself continuing to help Hagrid get Hedwig well; spending as much time with Ron and Hermione, plus Draco and Ginny, as possible; and bemoaning the notion that he would have to return to Number 4 Privet Drive that summer. He kept the thoughts on the final matter to himself; he didn't want to place a burden of thought onto Ron, Hermione, or Ginny, and he'd given Draco snippets of information why he didn't wish to return to Surrey, with Ginny considerately filling in the blanks on his behalf, with his full permission.

He awoke on the third Saturday of the month and opened the curtains in his dorm, not at all surprised to see that Neville, Dean, and Seamus had gone, likely wanting to meet up with Luna, Susan, and Lavender respectively. With Seamus living in County Clare in Ireland and Lavender living in the elite area of Chelsea in London, it would likely prove difficult for them to see one another during the summer. As for Neville, he hailed from Yorkshire, and Luna from Devon, reportedly a stone's throw away from the Burrow, so it likely would prove difficult for them to see one another as well. As for Dean, he lived in Hampstead, and Susan in Cornwall, the five-hour journey would prove to be difficult as well.

To his surprise, Ron was not in the dorm either and, upon checking his watch, saw that it was after eight. They'd likely all trooped down to breakfast, so Harry got into the shower and hastily dressed himself, not wanting to miss any opportunities to be with his friends. Although the Dursleys had significantly backed off throughout the last handful of summers, he didn't fancy going back at all. They barely permitted to let Hedwig out, or communicate with anyone outside the family—not that they did so with him overmuch—and, suffice it to say, nutrition didn't really apply to Harry over the summers he'd been forced to return to Surrey.

Harry got out of the shower and dried himself off, pulling on a pair of nondescript slacks and a short-sleeved shirt for the Chudley Cannons. He tied the laces of his trainers before leaving the dorm and pocketed his wand, making his way through the empty common room before leaving by way of the portrait. It was an uneventful walk down the staircase and towards the Great Hall, where the buzzing of various conversations seemed to reach a crescendo as he stepped inside, and all eyes turned to look at him.

Harry was promptly swarmed by Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco, who immediately pulled him to the Gryffindor table before more of a crowd could attempt to surround him. As he was thrown into a seat, Harry barely had time to register what was happening as Hermione tossed that day's copy of The Daily Profit into his waiting hands. Confused, Harry met Hermione's eyes, only for her to impatiently click her tongue and nod for him to read the front page.

Fudge Admits to Dark Lord's Return; Pettigrew Captured.

Harry dropped the paper onto the surface of the table and got to his feet, running out of there as fast as he could. He dashed out the main doors and into the sunshine, which was currently bathing the Hogwarts grounds, and ran all the way down to the lake. He was thankful to see that no one else was about as he reached its banks, and let out a scream then as he fell to his knees. He couldn't believe it; Pettigrew, one of Riddle's closest confidants—although he had admittedly searched for him out of fear, not loyalty—was officially in the hands of the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement where he belonged.

"Harry?"

Harry looked up then, spotting Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco, and was slightly bewildered that they had all followed him. However, he somehow managed to get shakily to his feet, and dragged a hand through his hair. "Sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, mate," Ron said quickly. "It's a lot to take in."

"Harry, it's all right," Ginny said gently, stepping forward and squeezing his arm.