she’salwaysgoingtodresslikeshe’sreadyforaphotoshootatanymoment.he’salwaysgoingtoloveher,bothasanoldfriendandassomeonehethoughtheouldlove,one,ifthingsweredifferent.they’rebothgoingtobetaintedbythingsthatweren’ttheirhoie,andtheywouldalwaysoupypesinthewizardingworldthatpeoplelikeharrywouldneveronsideredsteppingfootin.butmaybesomethings,theimportantthings,ouldhange.andthat’swhatmattersnow.“maybewe’vegotenoughtime.”

hereahedarossthetabletotakeherhand,andshedoesn’tswathimawaylikehethoughtshewould.instead,shesmiles,andtherearetearsfillinghereyes,onesthatshewipedawaybeforetheyouldspilldownherheeks.pansyalwayshadhatedforpeopletoseeherry.

“ihopeso.”pansystoodandthrewapileofgalleonsdownonthetable,extravagantlyovertipping.“merlindoihopeso.”

chapter11

drao

harry’steagain.

andeventhoughit’sirrational,eventhoughit’snoteventhatunusual,eventhoughharrydoesn’tneedtotelldraowherehe’satorwhenhewon’tbehomeathisusualtime,itstillmakesabubbleofpaniriseinhishest,sobigthathean’treallytakeafullbreath.it’ssilly,butatthesametimeit’snot,beausethesttimeharrydidn’tomehomeontime,somethingwasverywrong,someonewashurt,andtheyallhadtofaesomethingtheydidn’twantto.draodidn’twanttohaveamomentlikethatagain,whereyouknowsomethingiswrongandyouhavetowaitforsomeotellyouwhatitis,whihoneofyourfriendsareintrouble.

only,whenthedooropens,draoknowsthatheshouldn’thavebotheredtoworry,beauseharrywasteforaverydifferentreason.

he’sdrunk.