Never have I been more apprehensive than I am right now as I slowly walk into the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast. I can only imagine how my friends are going to treat me this year. It's not going to be easy, ha. Easy doesn't even come close. I draw in a slow breath and slowly approach Ron and Hermione as they quietly talk to one another at the Gryffindor table. If the looks I'm getting from the other Houses are to mean anything, I'm going to be friendless all year.

"Mind if I sit here?" I quietly say glancing at my two best friends.

Ron's blue eyes angrily dart towards me before he grumbles and moves his bag from the bench. He seems rather subdued right now. Hermione flashes me an apologetic smile before she glances back down at her plate. Well, they're not snarling at me yet if I've lost my mind. Though, I have to admit that I'm not sure how I'd answer that at this moment.

"Good evening," Dumbledore says walking to the podium.

I immediately tune him out, though. I couldn't care less what the man has to say this year. I mean, somewhere over at the Ravenclaw table is my accuser. One would think it would be relatively easy to find her in the sea of blue crests, but I can't. She has to be there, though. She just has to be. I then close my eyes. Even if I did find her, then what happens? It's not as if I can call her an outright liar. I mean, since I chose this path, Snape and I have been talking about it. We need to figure out why she's saying this before I take any action. Snape seems to the think there's more to the story than what we've seen thus far. I tend to agree.

I glance down the length of the table trying to find Ginny. She's not there, though, which makes me close my eyes and sigh. I wouldn't blame her at all if the situations were in reverse. It's horribly awkward between us. After all, nearly all of Gryffindor knows that Ginny and I are dating. Now, with these horrible accusations of me cheating on her are swimming around, well, I don't blame her.

"Hey, you," a soft voice says behind me. Slender arms then wrap around my torso.

"Ginny?" I reply before glancing towards the sixth-year girl.

"You didn't really expect me to believe that you slept with a Ravenclaw, did you?"

I smile back at the familiar lop-sided grin on her face. I should've guessed. I then sigh heavily before putting my ear against the top of her head. I want to tell her how badly I missed her, but I can't form the words. For now, this is going to have to do.

"You'd think Potter would have more decorum, considering he got Lizzie pregnant," someone whispers from the Hufflepuff table.

"Don't you remember? He's the bloody Boy-Who-Lived. He could probably kill the Headmaster and get away with it."

"Typical, least Professor Snape sees him for who he is."

"Ignore them, Harry," Ginny softly says grabbing my hand. "So did you hear about the Burrow?"

"Yeah," I reply sighing. "I'm so sorry, Ginny." The one downside about my girlfriend is that she gets a bit overly excited, but that seems to be a trait from her mother. I cast a wandless Muffliato spell so no one can overhear us.

"It's all right. We all made it out okay. The only people who got hurt were Professor Sinistra and Tonks." Her eyes then lit up as she just remembered something. "Did you know she was in the Order?"

When I shake my head, Ginny starts to retell the story about the attack on the Burrow. I can't help but think it's my fault. After all, if all of Hogwarts knows that I'm dating Ginny, then why wouldn't Voldemort? I've put her and her family in terrible danger. My heart then lurches before my eyes glance towards the Ravenclaw table. I so have to find this Lizzie Burke and soon. I don't even know why she's lying like this to the Wizarding World, but if Voldemort finds out, he'll kill her and her family. I can't have any more blood on my hands. I just can't.

"Well, I guess during one of the meetings, Professor Dumbledore told Mum and Dad that someone thought that the Death Eaters would try to go after us so the Headmaster had some of the members watch us. The day of the attack, Professor Sinistra and Tonks were with us. It got really dark out, and Professor Sinistra told us to go inside the house. Harry, she's like amazing dueling. I don't even know how to describe it. It was as if she was doing some sort of hypnotic dance when she was blocking and casting." Ginny then laughs softly. "I guess maybe it's because she's a Slytherin. Did you know she and Professor Snape duel frequently?" Once more, I shake my head. "One of the Death Eaters sent some fierce spell towards Mum, and she just waved it away as if it was nothing. If she wouldn't have been there, I'm pretty sure Mum would have died. The spell hit our old oak tree. It split it right in half." Ginny then suppresses a shudder before leaning further into me. "I can't be certain, but I think that Snape was there on their side. I'm pretty sure that he and Sinistra dueled at least once." She sighs softly. "His curse hit the side of her face, and she mumbled something under her breath that strangely sounded like 'Dammit, Severus.' I don't know, though. I could have imagined it. However, the scariest thing came when someone sent a really powerful hex towards Tonks. It hit her in the chest, and... She fell to the ground like a ragdoll, Harry. It was really scary."

"She's fine, Ginny," I quietly reply. "Tonks is all right." She smiles at me before sighing.

"So you were at Grimmauld this summer?"

"No. I was elsewhere, but I was safe, though." Drawing in a slow breath of strawberries, I sigh contently. I could stay like this forever. "Gin, I have to tell—"

"I already know, Harry," she replies glancing up at me. "It's all right. I know." Her eyes then briefly dart towards the High Table. "You don't need to explain. Let's get back to the feast. All right, Harry?" she says with a soft smile before pulling back from me.

I end my spell and eat my dinner. It helps slightly to know that she understands, but it mostly makes me feel like crap. How can I do this to her? I can only imagine what the idiots are going to say to her. After all, when we first started dating, some of the bastards in Slytherin, not to name names but Draco and his bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle, asked her if her goal was to sleep with all of Gryffindor before she graduated. I, of course, being the idiot I was, hexed the little sod, only to have two months detention. However, Ginny thought it was sweet, so it was worth a few detentions with Snape in the end.

It's odd how quickly things change in my life. I mean, the only person I don't have to worry about is Draco, which is because we came to a truce during our stay with Professor Snape. Plus, well, he knows that I've seen that his true loyalties lie with defeating the Dark Lord. He really isn't a Malfoy at heart. He is truly his own self. And like Snape, he has certain expectations thrust upon him by others and the need to act a certain way around people. It's rather sad actually, but I've grown close enough to both Slytherins to call them my friends. Yeah, I'm sure they'd be thrilled to know that.

Distantly, I hear Dumbledore dismiss us, which makes me sigh. First night in Gryffindor is definitely going to be my worst night. I draw in a breath. I've faced down DADA professors who have tried to kill me. I've faced a basilisk, werewolf, and dragons. I've had numerous encounters with Voldemort and lived to tell the tale. I can surely survive one night in Gryffindor with my peers.

I push myself up off the table before walking towards the doors. However, a loud voice yells across the room towards me. My head whips towards the voice, and I stare at the gang of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs heading my way. My eyes, however, narrow on the long dark-haired Ravenclaw girl staring at me with sad blue eyes. When I notice her hands in a slight protective embrace around herself, I know immediately who she is, Lizzie Burke. Showtime, I think glumly. However, her friends don't even let me get a word in to show how well I can act.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Boy-Who-Lived, come to apologize for what you did to Lizzie, you little creep?" sneers an unfamiliar Hufflepuff. "Thought you could get away with it, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry?" I ask somewhat confused. "Just what am I trying to get away with?"

"Ignore them, Harry. Come on," Ginny says yanking me with her.

"Gonna knock her up and run, too, Potter?" a Ravenclaw growls glaring at me.

"Mr. Corner and Mr. Finch-Fletchley, kindly return to your tables," a stern voice announces.

"I thought you were different, Harry," the young Ravenclaw girl with long dark hair says staring at me. "I thought you loved me." Her deep cerulean eyes then glance towards Ginny. She raises herself up before speaking. "Just remember that Weasleys give birth to litters," she sneers towards Ginny.

Two things happen then. I step forward to defend Ginny, only to have her whip her wand out and send a powerful hex towards the Ravenclaw girl. I just stand there dumbfounded watching the duel. I so didn't expect that to happen. The duel quickly ends when the professors show up, though.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Weasley, and Ms. Burke, if you could so kindly follow me," Snape drawls.

Ah, crap, I think before sighing heavily. This should be interesting.