Gleaming Heart

With half an hour of the game gone, Gryffindor was leading sixty points to zero, Ron having made some truly spectacular saves, some by the very tips of his gloves, and Ginny having scored four of Gryffindor's six goals. This effectively stopped Zacharias wondering loudly whether the two Weasleys were only there because Harry liked them, and he started on Colin and Coote instead.

"Of course, Creevy isn't really the usual build for a Beater," said Zacharias loftily, "they've generally got a bit more muscle —"

"I will jinx him," said Chris angrily. "I swear."

"No need, Colin just proved him wrong," said Luna smiling proudly as she pointed at Colin, who chose to aim the next Bludger at Harper, a Slytherin Chaser.

It seemed as though Gryffindor could do no wrong. Again and again, they scored, and again and again, at the other end of the pitch, Ron saved goals with apparent ease. He was actually smiling now, and when the crowd greeted a particularly good save with a rousing chorus of the old favourite "Weasley Is Our King," he pretended to conduct them from on high.

"That's an awful song," laughed Adrian.

"I know," Chris grinned but clapped with the song to cheer Ron. "But you have to admit, the Weasleys are great."

"You are talking about your best friend, aren't you?" asked Adrian raising his one eyebrow.

"Maybe," Chris laughed.

It was a great match. In the end, Harry caught the snitch under Malfoy's nose and Ginny sped right on until, with an almighty crash, she collided with the commentator's podium. As the crowd shrieked and laughed, Chris ran towards them, Zacharias was feebly stirring under the wreckage of wood; Chris heard Ginny saying blithely to an irate Professor McGonagall, "Forgot to brake, Professor, sorry."

Laughing she hugged her.

"Party at Gryffindor tower," shouted Dean after kissing Ginny.

Someone pushed Chris in the crowd and stormed out, Chris looked back and saw Draco Malfoy. 

"Must be upset about the match," laughed Ron.

Chris shrugged and hugged Colin, who was interrogated by Dennis and his friends, they wanted a blow-by-blow match analysis. Colin invited Luna to celebrate with them as usual and they all started to follow Ron, Ginny and Dean with the rest of Gryffindors to Gryffindor tower when someone pulled Harry aside. It was Padma. 

"You guys go on, I will join you," said Harry as Chris turned to look at him.

"Oh, yeah, sure," said Chris hastily and started walking fast.

In the common room, there was a different story this year, some young girls (first, second, third and fourth-year girls) were congratulating Colin enthusiastically. Ron was a hero and Lavender Brown kissed him full on the face when he walked in. McLaggen and some other boys tried to talk to Chris and even Hermione. 

Almost half an hour later, Colin and Luna were sitting in a corner away from those little girls, Ron was wrapped with Lavender in another corner, Hermione had excused herself to get some butterbeer and Chris was still stuck with an irritating sixth-year boy and McLaggen; when Harry entered the common room. He looked really bumped out but the admiring crowd, who grabbed him immediately, didn't notice a thing. Hermione finally came back with Butterbeer and asked Chris to come with her.

"I think, Harry needs a little bit rescue," whispered Hermione handing Chris a butterbeer.

"You noticed that too?" asked Chris as they made their way through the crowd.

"We are his friends, we need to be blind not to notice," smiled Hermione.

Romilda Vane and her girls' group were fawning over Harry, surrounding him when Chris and Hermione reached him. Romilda Vane was giggling and saying something holding Harry's arm, for some reason Chris suddenly felt really weird and before she knew it, she found herself muttering, "Aren't they in fourth year? Don't they have study or something else to do other than harassing Harry every chance they get?"

Hermione snorted in her butterbeer, which finally caught those girls' attention. Harry also looked up and he looked relieved to see Chris and Hermione.

"Butterbeer Harry?" Chris asked holding her mug forward.

"Yeah, thanks," Harry quickly took it, freeing his arms from Romilda Vane, who looked really pissed off and glared at Chris.

Seeing Romilda's face Chris gave a fake smile and turned to Harry.

"I will grab some more, want to join us?" she asked casually.

"Sure, I also need something to eat. I am starving," said Harry hurrying away.

Chris and Hermione followed him grinning. 

"So what's going on with you?" Hermione asked as they started eating some cake (specially made by Dobby for their victory).

"Well — er — Padma and I —" Harry looked at Ron, who was still eating Lavender's face. "We broke up."

"Oh! That's bad. I'm sorry, Harry," said Hermione sadly.

"O!" Chris' mouth just formed an 'O' and that's all came out of her mouth. For reasons unknown her, she wasn't feeling very sad about it, in fact, her heartfelt light as feather and all fluttery. But a reasonable part of her brain reminded her that she was supposed to be sad just like Hermione because she was also a good friend like Hermione. Friend. So she gulped the last bit of her Butterbeer and said, "That's terrible, Harry. Sorry to hear that."

Harry shrugged eating some more fried potatoes and Hermione suddenly looked at Chris with a speculative look. Chris quickly looked away and saw Heavenleigh sitting near her foot. She picked her up and started scuffing her fur.

"So what happened? Suddenly breakup?" Chris asked casually and pointedly looking at Heavenleigh.

"Nothing new," Harry shrugged again. "She said she was tired of being with the 'Chosen One'. She said I have changed."

"Oh, that's rough," replied Chris, eyes still at Heavenleigh, who was now purring happily.

"Yes, it is," said Hermione finally turning away from Chris. "But she is not completely wrong, is she? Anyway, it's tough at her house. Parvati was telling me the other day, how mad her parents were when they found out Padma was dating you, Harry. Maybe she finally gave in. I just hope their parents don't call them back home again."

Chris nodded, this was really sad.

Late at night, Chris was working in the Room of Requirement, which Chris had noticed, was unoccupied after half-past nine every night. 

After stirring the cauldron three times and adding some fluxweed, Chris had to wait for a while for the green vapour, so she lay back on her hands, watching the high ceiling, thinking who was coming to the Room of Requirement so frequently like her. After a moment, she pulled out the box, in which she put the Golden Keys and opened it. There were four golden keys now, from the four founders. The last one, the one with a Badger was very recent — well — she noticed that one recently, a few weeks ago. But Chris was sure it wasn't there when she started her Hogwarts this year.

Chris put the four Golden Keys down.

What you all are supposed to do? What are your powers?

Chris thought as she stared at the keys. It may be the millionth time she had thought about it. She then pulled out the broken locket of Slytherin —

Suddenly, the green vapour was fogging Chris' view. She dropped the locket and scrambled to put some shredded skin of a boomslang, which she had got from Slughorn's personal potion ingredients' collection. Chris then put off the fire and sighed. A distraction for a few seconds could have ruined her hours' effort.

But when Chris turned to put the keys and locket back into her extended locket, she gasped. The keys were tangled with the chain of Slytherin's locket and the locket was glowing.

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To be continued. . .