A Lonely Child

Innocence Avril Lavigne

"I don't know when the interview will appear but it will be in the quibbler at some point." Luna told them airily the next morning.

"That's fine." They Hermione and Harry both replied.

Hermione made her way down to breakfast behind Harry. The both went at slow pace. Once in the great hall they were greeted by Neville long bottom. Hermione drifted off into her own world but could vaguely hear Harry telling Dean Seamus and Neville about the article that was to appear in the Quibbler in the next couple of weeks but wasn't sure when.

"That's so cool." Neville said.

As they finished their meal in the great hall Ron walked in splattered with mud from his early morning Quidditch practice. Cho and her friend Marietta walked in behind him. They ignored Harry.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked.

"The date didn't go well." was all Harry told him.

"Well you didn't go about it the right way when you told her you were going to meet up with me now did you. All you had to do was ask her to go to Three Broom Sticks with you and you didn't." Hermione said speaking for the first time. "Heck you could even told her you thought that I was ugly."

"But you are not." Harry Protested.

Hermione just shook her head.

"You should write a book them maybe guys wouldn't be so stupid around girls." Harry told Hermione with Ron nodding yes right beside him.

"So how was practice?" Hermione asked.

Ron and Ginny's moods both seemed to turn a bit of gloomy after being asked. Ginny had taken over seeker after Harry was banned.

"That bad?" questioned Harry.

"Angelina was in tears by the end of it. I don't know what started it but she was walked off the pitch in tears by Katie and Alicia." Ginny replied before running off to meet Luna.

"The teams still good at least everyone but the betters anyway." Said Fred taking Ginny's now empty seat.

"What I want to know is how Ginny got to be so good." George threw in.

"She's been steeling all your brooms from the shed since she was six just to practice flying." Hermione told them.

"I miss it Quidditch was about the only thing keeping me here I don't know how much longer George and I are going to be here." Fred lamented.

"Mum would murder us if we left early I think but it would be worth it and we don't even need our newts to open a store." George added.

"Well we'll see you gents and ladies later we have business to attend to." Fred said getting up and leaving. George soon followed.

~!~

Their worries about the upcoming Quidditch match were not needed. The Gryffindor team lost but it was still a close game without Fred, George or Harry. Ginny hand grabbed the snitch right out from under the Hufflepuff seeker's nose causing them to lose only by ten pointes instead of a hundred more they could have lost by if the game kept on going.

~!~

The Monday after the match Hermione and everyone else in the great hall where overwhelmed by the flock of owls that flew in, Hermione had figured the article was finally published in the Quibbler. One particular group had delivered letters to Harry and Harry only and another group delivered to Cedric over at the next table over.

"Whoa." Harry said as one owl had dropped three letters on top of an already tall pile.

After reading a few each Hermione, Ron and Harry all came to the conclusion that people either believed him or thought he was off his rocker. It didn't take long for Umbridge to noticed the flurry of activity around Harry. She got up from her seat at the teachers table and made her way down to where Harry sat at the Gryffindor table.

"Well Mister Potter what is the cause of all this post?" Umbridge asked.

"Because I gave an interview." Harry replied.

"An interview and when did you do this?" she asked.

"During the last Hogesmeade visit." Harry told her.

"Detention Potter and No more Hogesmeade visits for you. I keep on telling you lies will not be tolerated in my school." Umbridge replied walking away.

Cedric noticing this quickly shoved all his mail into his back before Umbridge or any one could see all the mail he got. Hermione was even sure that she saw him shove a copy of the Quibbler into his bag. Maybe it was from his mother.

It didn't take long for another educational Decree to appear on the notice boards in the common rooms. But by lunch time everyone knew that it was 'illegal' to have a copy of the Quibbler on them. Harry groaned when he saw this however Hermione was smiling like mad.

"What are you smiling about?" Harry asked.

"Now everyone will want to read the story." Hermione told him. "Plus they won't be able to admit that they've read it."

And true to what Hermione said everyone had read the article even the teachers who would give Harry extra favors. Cho even seemed to forgive Harry. She had kissed Harry and Cedric both telling them that they were brave for telling the truth before running off to her next class.

The trio had been walking to the next class (care of magical creatures) when they passed the library. Harry caught a glimpse of Draco talking with some of his fellow Slytherin's about something and Harry was sure it was the article.

"Don't worry about anything they can't confront or contradict you Harry because if they do they would have to admit to reading the article and they can't do that without risking expulsion." Hermione said calming Harry's worry.

That night Hermione slept in the spare bed in Ginny's dorm not wanting to deal with the craziness that is Lavender and Pavarti. She also wanted to talk to Ginny about her Sirius and how she should go about meeting him as her father and not Harry's godfather. Ginny had told her to write a letter that was all about her and her life including her name and she could hand it to him whenever she visited him next.