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- 11 -
Letter after letter dropped onto the plate in front of Harry during breakfast that morning. Drawing the eyes of all those around, though I suspect that a few are because of the recently released article. My eyes flicker towards the Hufflepuff table, catching Jamies eyes awkwardly. Nearly a week and a half had passed since hers and Tommy's break up. She'd been avoiding me, and the rest of my boys, including her brother ever since. Occasionally I catch her glaring at me, while it told me she was definitely mad at me about something, I couldn't quite figure out what that something actually was. Instead of dealing with the glares, I sat with the Gryffindors. It seemed to lessen the looks.
"It's good, isn't it?" Luna's dreamy voice woke me from my thoughts, helping me pull my gaze away from Jamie who had returned to her breakfast. I lean across Fred, snagging the newspaper from in front of Harry.
HARRY POTTER SPEAKS OUT AT LAST: THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN.
My throat tightened at Cedric's name clearly written in the article. His death so blatantly reported. I'm not sure whether knowing the exact events that had unfolded that night was better or worse than the scenarios that often played on a loop in my mind. Either way, I felt sick. Fred's hand on my knee was the only thing preventing me from throwing up the piece of toast I'd had for breakfast.
Fred reaches across, snagging a letter from the pile in front of Harry. He rips the letter open excitedly. I copy him, grabbing my own letter to read.
"This one's in two minds," Fred says just as I finish reading, "Says you don't come across as a mad person, but he doesn't want to believe You-Know-Who's back so he doesn't know what to think now... Blimey, what a waste of parchment..."
"I mean it's understandable though. I doubt the generation that lived through the first war are probably gonna deny it as long as they possibly can." Fred sends me an odd look, which I return not understanding what he's confused at.
"You said first war." He whispers under his breath, the others ignoring our quiet exchange. Had it really gotten to that point? Had I somehow just accepted the fact we were rushing full speed towards a war. I blink at Fred, shocked.
"Here's one you've convinced," I say, attempting to mask my shock with excitement. I push the fear down in my stomach and read out a portion of the letter in front of me. "Having read your side of the story I am forced to the conclusion that the Daily Prophet has treated you very unfairly... Little though I want to think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, I am forced to accept that you are telling the truth..." I pause as I scan over the rest of the letter, "This is great Harry, people are finally seeing the truth. And it's all thanks to you." I smile warmly at the boy, his cheeks flaming in embarrassment.
