Chapter 1
The students in the Great Hall went quiet when Harry entered and slowly made his way to the Gryffindor table. He took his time, carefully measuring each step. As Harry heard the whispers that started everywhere he stopped walking. His face suddenly went a dark crimson shade and he tried to walk a bit faster than before.
He saw the Hufflepuff first years watching him with worry in their eyes as if they feared he would drop dead any moment. Harry felt even more embarrassed than he already was, considering the cause for the state he was in.
He really shouldn't have risen to the bait. But being a Gryffindor he had once again acted before thinking about it.
Fortunately he had reached his table by now, which only led to another problem. How was he supposed to sit down on those uncomfortable benches? Harry stared at them for a few seconds before he stepped over the bench and slowly lowered himself on it. He flinched as he made contact with the hard wood. It felt like his whole body was aching. Ron and Hermione stared at him like all the other students in the hall.
„Just don't ever ask!“, Harry growled. Ron shot him confused glances over his plate. „But Harry…“ Hermione started just like always. „I really don’t want to talk about it now.“ He looked at her pleadingly. Hermione seemed to consider asking him again, but obviously decided on waiting until they were alone. Harry made a mental note to evade the common room for the evening. He really needed some time alone to sort out what had happened before he was ready to face Hermione’s questions.
Harry felt a shudder course through his body as his mind drifted off to the events right before he arrived at the Great Hall for dinner. A strange kind of warmth spread inside of him starting somewhere in his stomach and reaching out until his fingers and toes tingled with it.
„Poor Potter, did you fall from your broom? I thought you got better at flying since third year?“, someone at the Slytherin table shouted. Harry snapped out of his daze just as Malfoy drawled
„Maybe he's messing with stuff thats too big for him, if you get my drift.“
„He’ll be the death of me!“ Harry mumbled to himself over and over as his mind drifted back to the scenes in the abandoned classroom he had experienced half an hour before.
Quote from „Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix“, Chapter 13:
Draco says meaningly: "Maybe he's messing with stuff that's too big for him, if you get my drift" (13.98).