𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 ☽ Harry Potter

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

THE BOGGART

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

     "Harry, you're staring."

      Nearly spilling his porridge in his lap, Harry Potter was startled out of what he thought was an inconspicuous observation of Iphigenia. She sat at the Hufflepuff table in between a fourth year girl with sandy blonde hair and a fifth year boy with light brown hair. The two Hufflepuff's looked similar in their chiseled features and good looks, with the same freckles and dimples, making Harry think them to be siblings.

     Throughout breakfast that Thursday morning, Harry had found Iphigenia with the pair, a beautiful smile on her lips as she laughed in whatever discussion she was sharing with the Hufflepuffs. 

     Harry had taken sharp focus whenever Iphigenia would lean on the brown haired boy anytime he'd say something particularly funny. Making the Gryffindor boy watch with an odd tightness in his chest. 

     "Who is Effie sitting with?" Harry asked Hermione, who had pointed out his staring.

     Chancing a look behind her, Hermione found Iphigenia and smiled, enjoying seeing the joy on her friend's face.

     "Cedric and Maeve Diggory," Hermione answered casually. "She has her fourth year classes with Maeve."

     "Then how does she know her brother?" challenged Harry, not quite understanding the bite in his voice but not bothering to care.

     "Because she's friends with his sister..." Hermione said slowly and then looked to Ron who was giving his friend a curious look. "Is everything okay, Harry?"

     "Fine," said Harry, not convincing his friends.

     "Really? Because you've never had a problem with Effie sitting with the other houses before." Ron said, eying Harry as if he was about to explode. "Although I personally don't like when she sits with the Slytherin's."

     Harry didn't respond, not quite knowing why it bothered him so much to see Iphigenia with other friends. The thought that it was because he'd only ever seen her around other girls flittered across his mind, but he pushed it aside. He'd seen her plenty of times glare at a fourth year Gryffindor named Cormac McLaggen and she'd joke around with the Wesley twins whenever she had free time. Certainly this good looking Hufflepuff boy two years older than her wasn't the reason behind Harry's irritation.

     Choosing to change the subject, Harry removed his eyes from the Metamorphmagus and looked down the Slytherin table. Pansy Parkinson was hovering over Draco Malfoy who now had his arm in a sling.

     "Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" simpered Parkinson.

     "It comes and goes," said Malfoy dramatically. "Still, I consider myself lucky. According to Madam Pomfrey, another minute or two. and I could've lost the arm."

     "The little git. He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?" Ron grumbled, having caught what Harry was now staring at.

     "At least Hagrid didn't get sacked." Harry said.

     "Yes, but Effie said Draco's father's furious. I don't think we've heard the end of this." Hermione worried.

     Harry watched as Effie hissed something to Draco from the Hufflepuff table, earning her a glare from the Slytherin's surrounding him. But before any of her friends could move to remove her from another fight, Seamus Finnigan yelled out through the Great Hall.