So I can prove I've met you," said Colin Creevey eagerly, edging further forward. "Everyone's told me so much about you. About how you survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead." His eyes raked Heri's hairline. "A boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures'll move." Colin drew a great shuddering breath of excitement and said, "It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it'd be really good if I had one of you" — he looked imploringly at Heri — "maybe one of your friends could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, could you sign it?" "Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Potter?" Loud and scathing, Malfoy's voice echoed through the courtyard. He had stopped right behind Colin, flanked by his large and thuggish cronies as he always was. "Everyone line up!" Malfoy roared to the crowd. "Heri Potter's giving out signed photos!" "You're just jealous!" piped up Colin, whose entire body was about as thick as Crabbe's neck. "Jealous?" said Malfoy, who didn't need to shout anymore; half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself." Apparently, the summer holiday had built back up Malfoy's bravado. He hadn't done more than glare at her after the dragon thing the year before, but it appeared that returning to his spoiling parents hiked up his courage again. Heri's smile turned bland at the sight of Malfoy. "Whoever said it did? Was there something you wanted, Malfoy?" The boy glared at her. "What I want is for you to know how pathetic you are." Heri's smile did not waver even as her friends bristled. "Ah, is that so? Well, thank you for informing me. Feel free to be on your way." "Don't think you can dismiss me! I'll stay as long as I please!" "Oh, I'm sorry, Malfoy, did you want a photo too? Maybe if you ask nicely, Colin will give you a copy." "But if you want it signed, it'll cost you!" Hannah added snidely. The entourage of Hufflepuffs snickered. Heri ignored the blond boy as he made to say something in retaliation. Hannah had the situation well in hand and it was easy for Heri to let the other girl take the reigns of the confrontation. Hannah had Malfoy stalking away in a snit quicker than blinking. "You mind taking the photo, Wayne?" Heri asked the only brunet in their group as she beckoned Colin toward her. As Wayne took the camera from the younger boy, Colin beamed. Colin ended up getting the signed photo he just as he wanted, though he decidedly did not end up giving one to Malfoy. Unfortunately, he took Heri's agreement to a photo as permission to pop up and click photos of them whenever he felt like, effectively becoming Heri's paparazzi. Luna Lovegood blinked her wide, baby-blue eyes in slight disorientation. Between the few seconds it took for a couple of the girls from her dorm to snatch her bag and make a few snide comments, the time-line distorted and shifted. Wherein she was supposed to be friendless and suffer through mild bullying until her fourth year, now she would be part of a group and have her dorm-mates suck up to her. She didn't understand how such a change could occur until she spotted Heri Potter standing stock still at the turn of the corridor, her group of friends pulling to a stop around her. Heri's pleasant expression didn't waver, but Luna discerned a tightening along her jaw and a thinning of her lips. "Luna!" said Heri brightly, seeming to not notice the other two Ravenclaw first-years standing there as well. She stepped forward and pulled Luna toward the other Hufflepuffs. "I was just thinking about you! Have you met my other friends yet? Come have breakfast with us!" Luna blinked languidly. I would like that very much. I'll need to get my school bag back of course as I was hoping to read ahead before class." Heri's eyes turned into merry crescents. "What a good idea! I think I'll do the same today. So," here she turned to the dumbstruck Ravenclaws still holding Luna's bag. "Were you holding Luna's bag for her? How nice of you! Thank you for going through the trouble!" Heri plucked the satchel from their limp grasps and returned it to Luna. She then turned her back on them and beamed at the remaining group. "I believe I've told you about Sally-Anne . . ." As they walked away, Luna wondered what sort of being Heri Potter was that she could alter the reality of the time-line so suddenly and significantly. Heri wasn't sure why she had thought she might not have made it onto the Quidditch team. If the fact that a spot was basically reserved for her from the year before wasn't enough, the moment she accidentally spiked a Bludger into a Snitch and made the golden ball explode took away any doubt. It should be known that she hadn't meant to hit the Snitch; she had been aiming for the Seeker. Well, no, that didn't sound much better. Heri meant to distract the Seeker from the Snitch by hitting the Bludger close enough that they were forced to veer off lest they be hit; Snitch explosion was not part of the plan. She didn't even know that she had hit the Bludger that hard! Well, at least the Seeker had retreated as she wanted, though she wasn't sure if she like the horror-struck look in his eyes as if he had narrowly escaped death. "I'm so sorry!" Heri had said, her eyes as wide as her almost-victim's. In any case, she was on the team, both to her own delight and the Captain's. It was the damnedest thing: when that Snitch went up into dust, the Captain, Odric Winslow, lit up like his insides were on fire; he was all but singing Hallelujah.
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