Dawn Rivera

Book 6: An Excess of Phlegm

The door bursts open. Harry and Danny sit bolt upright. I hear the rasp of the curtains being pulled back: the dazzling sunlight seems to poke me hard in both eyes. Harry and Danny seem to feel it too, for they shield theirs with one hand. Still shielding his eyes, Harry gropes for his glasses with his other hand.

"Wuzzgoinon?" Danny says.

"We didn't know you were here already!" says a loud and excited voice, and Harry receives a sharp blow to the top of the head.

"Ron, don't hit him!" I say reproachfully. Then I launch myself into Harry's arms and kiss him passionately. Two weeks, only two weeks. That's how long I had to be away from him. I can hardly believe it. I saw him briefly with Danny very early this morning, but we'd all been too tired to do much, Danny and I having arrived at the Burrow merely half an hour before Harry showed up. I am exhausted, but the joy of seeing Harry again gave me a restless night.

Harry's hand finds his glasses and he shoves them on, though the light is so bright I doubt he can hardly see anyway. I certainly can't. That's why I don't see the figure who pushes me aside. I am forced to fall on Danny's legs, and he yelps in surprise. Picking myself up off my brother's bed, I blink and Ron Weasley comes into focus, grinning down at Harry. I rub the back of my head painfully.

"All right?"

"Never better," says Harry, rubbing the top of his head and slumping back on his pillows. "You?"

"Not bad," says Ron, pulling over a cardboard box and sitting on it. "When did you get here? Mum's only just told us!"

"About one o'clock this morning," says Danny.

"Were the Muggles all right? Did they treat you OK?"

"Same as usual," says Harry, as Hermione and I perch ourselves on the edge of his bed. "They didn't talk to me much, but I like it better that way. How're you, Hermione and Dawn?"

"Oh, we're fine," says Hermione, who is scrutinising Harry, Danny and I as though we are sickening for something. Then she sits beside Danny and kisses him tenderly, as if scared he will shatter into a million pieces like glass.

I think I know what is behind this and, as I have no wish to discuss my Uncle Surius's death or any other miserable subject at the moment, I am glad when Danny says, "Whats the time? Have we missed breakfast?"

"Don't worry about that, Mum's bringing you up a tray; she reckons you look underfed," says Ron, rolling his eyes. "So, what's been going on?"

"Nothing much, we've just been stuck at our aunt and uncle's, haven't we?" Danny says.

"Come off it!" says Ron. "Harry's been off with Dumbledore!"

"It wasn't that exciting," says Harry. "He just wanted me to help him persuade this old teacher to come out of retirement. His name's Horace Slughorn."

"Oh," says Ron, looking disappointed. "We thought - "

Hermione and I flash warning looks at Ron and Rom changes tack at top speed.

" - we thought it'd be something like that."

"You did?" says Danny, amused.

"Yeah...yeah, now Umbridge has left, obviously we need a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, don't we? So, er, what's he like?"

"He looks a bit like a walrus and he used to be Head of Slytherin," says Harry. "Something wrong, Hermione?"

She is watching him, Danny and I as though expecting strange symptoms to manifest themselves at any moment. She rearranges her features hastily into an unconvincing smile. Though she has been slightly annoying me all morning, she is still my best friend, and I won't let my boyfriend mock her like that.