65 Won't You Be Gone

Things between Harry and I hit a breaking point on the most unexpected of days.

Valentine's.

It starts off normally, as my days usually do. Wake up, check on Arianna, make sure that Pansy didn't set up any pranks to ruin my morning, disarm the toad-foot curse attached to a trip-wire, etc.

Turnabout's fair play, so after setting something up for Pansy and getting dressed along with Tracy, we make our way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Do you think it's odd how Hogwarts decorated so lavishly for Halloween and Christmas, but has barely acknowledged the fact that it's Valentine's Day?"

She shrugs. "I overheard some of the upperclassmen talking about that. Apparently it depends entirely on how the staff is feeling. Sometimes they'll turn it into an event, sometimes they won't. It basically depends on if any of them want to be in charge of setting something up. You can still send valentines via owls at breakfast though!"

Huh. That seems kind of lazy. Maybe the Headmaster just doesn't care about Valentine Day? He seemed to be super into Christmas and Halloween, so that's the only thing I can think of. And since he's the Headmaster, all the other teachers tend to follow his lead…

"They probably don't do a big celebration for Valentine's Day since the Headmaster is super old and will probably die alone."

She chokes on her juice at that, and after some thumping to her chest and clearing her airways, she looks at me with an amused expression. "Didn't think of it like that, but you're probably right! If we want a big celebration like the other holidays, maybe we should find someone to play matchmaker for him."

I raise an eyebrow while taking a bite of my whip cream and strawberries lathered pancake. "Nmt us?"

She rolls her eyes. "Swallow before you talk. And no, not us. We're eleven, what do we know about relationships!"

I glare over at the Gryffindor table as I swallow my food. "Enough that you shouldn't listen to little ginger prats."

She follows my gaze to the objects of my irritation. Harry and Weasley, chummy as can be. Hopefully one falls down and gains some brains. At this point, I'm open to it happening to either of them.

On a side note, Hermione told me that they'd figured out who Nicholas Flamel is. As well as the fact that he put his apparently super important rock under the Headmaster's protection. Because it's apparently much safer at a school full of curious children than at the most secure bank in the world.

That's another thing- what was up with the abysmal protections! All that was needed to get into the vault was dragging your finger down the center! Sure, I guess most people wouldn't think of it for unlocking a vault. But needing an actual key and verifying that you're the owner would have been way more secure!

No… there's something else going on with the stone. And the fact that Harry just so happened to get the clue before even getting to the school? And then again when they'd been struggling to find anything about them?

Whatever is going on with the stone is connected to Harry. And the only thing that could be connecting them…

My eyes glance at the teachers' table where Headmaster Dumbledore is talking with Professor Snape.

'The stone belongs to Nicholas Flamel, Dumbledore's friend. Dumbledore sent Hagrid, along with Harry and I, to get the stone from where it was poorly defended in Gringotts. It was a Dumbledore card that gave Harry his hint as to who Flamel was.'

Everything connects back to Dumbledore. And thinking back to Halloween, Quirrell said that the troll was in the dungeons. Despite that, and hopefully knowing the layout of his own school, he'd told the Slytherin students to return to their dorms- located in the dungeons.

'As if he knew that the troll wasn't really there…'

Pair that with the fact there was no reason for us to be present for Hagrid getting the stone, and it doesn't paint the Headmaster in a pretty light.

I'm pulled from my thoughts by Tracy's snort. "Just ignore them." She straightens her back and adopts a snooty tone. "If they wish to deprive themselves from the exultant being known as Misha Potter, then that is their loss. It simply means that we can plot our rise to power in peace."

That causes me to crack a smile, one that grows deeper hearing another voice behind me. "Oh? I do hope that you aren't plotting without me? Why, using my father's connections, I am quite certain that it would be no trouble at all securing our base of operations!"

That has me smirking as I turn to Draco. "Now, now, Draco. We can't let the old generation of power know where the new generation will rule from. They might get ideas!"

The three of us manage to hold our arrogant and haughty expressions for a full minute before we break into laughter.

"Thanks guys, you always manage to cheer me up." 'Not as much as watching Weasley suffer, but it's close.'

"Of course."

"Anytime!"

A flurry of activity above announces the morning mail arriving, and I overhear a few students wheedling each other about whether or not they'll get a valentine. It doesn't really matter to me though. Sure, I'm friendly with most people, but that isn't enough to get a valentine!

Apparently, it's actually worth a lot.

I easily count a dozen envelopes landing on my breakfast, and I just blink at them in surprise for a moment. I can tell that they're valentines due to each one of them being sealed with a little heart. Though a quick check with my magic sensing weirdness tells me that two are enspelled, and I shoot a smirk at Fred and George. I know their games, and retribution will follow even a failed attempt.

But some people seem to take offense to my smugness.

"Oh, sod off! It's not like anyone who sent those actually like you! They probably just want to get close to you in the hopes that they can be friends with Harry!"

My smirk at the twins quickly transitions into a sneer when I shift my gaze back to Weasley.

"Oh, really?" I say. "Or could it be that you're just jealous that people do like me and not you? I do see a distinct lack of envelopes in front of you today."

I shake my head in mock sadness. "Poor little Ron, stuck in last behind all his brothers." I glare at him. "Last in sports. Last in decorum. Last creativity. Last in intelligence. Last in individuality." I pause to let my words sink in before finishing. "And now, last in romance."

The more I speak, the more his face matches his hair. Finally, he stands up.

Along with Harry.

"What does a Slytherin know about relationships anyhow? You just end up betraying them at the drop of a hat!"

My eyes widen at the look of anger on Harry's face, but rapidly narrow at the absolute bull shit he's spewing!

"I betray relationships!? You started ignoring me because we didn't see the same thing in some creepy magic mirror hidden in some random room! I think that it's you who can't maintain a relationship!"

Tracy is trying to calm me, along with Daphne- when did she get here?- while Hermione does the same on Harry's side. At the Hufflepuff table, Clarity looks back and forth between us with a worried expression. We've never really fought before, and I understand that she doesn't want problems between the three of us, but enough is enough!

"You don't care about people!"

"You're obsessed with the past!"

"You're crazy!"

"I'm exciting!"

"You're a horrible sister!"

The entire Hall seems to freeze at Harry's latest shout, and I feel something in my chest crack." I look down, not wanting to see his face. My lowered voice seems to echo around the room.

"You. Have become an arrogant bastard that thinks the world of himself. It doesn't revolve around you, but you act like it does. I've tried to talk to you, to fix things between us. But you've refused at every turn!"

I raise my head and glare at him, tears pooling in the corners of my eyes. His own widen and he opens his mouth, but I'm done! "I've tried, but you are the one who insists on being a prat! So if you think I'm a horrible sister, then I won't be your sister!"

With one final huff, I gather up the letters and leave the silent Hall, quickly followed by Tracey, Daphne, and Draco, who sneers at Harry before going through the door. After a moment of hesitation and one last glance at Harry, Clarity follows suit.

Hermione stands to accompany her, her support having never wavered. But not before she slaps Harry. She glares. "I hope you're happy now." She turns and speedwalks along with Clarity to catch up with us.

Leaving the rest of the population of the Great Hall to stare at Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived. The one with a look of profound guilt on his face.

Who's friend, unnoticed, has a look of victory on his face.