Heri didn't understand the appeal. Sure, he was story-book dashing, but there didn't appear to be much substance underneath. Really, just look at how he titled his books! Wandering with Werewolves? Voyages with Vampires? Was he writing autobiographies or a fantasy series? Not only that, but the underlying feel of the books irked her as well. Heri had no problem with people that had an incurable affliction, but she didn't see the point of actively searching them out. It was like discrimination; sure he was hanging out with them, but he was doing that because they were werewolves and vampires, not for who they were as people. And now she had been pulled in by the same insubstantial blow-hard to pose for pictures for The Daily Prophet. Lockhart had caught sight of Heri when Ron made a disparaging remark loud enough to catch the sparkly blond's attention. He had leapt to his feet like the chair had burned his arse and shouted, "It can't be Heri Potter!" Oh, she couldn't, could she? Then why had he dragged her forward for the crowd to gap at? She had pasted a bewildered but amicable smile on her face and waved to the excited audience. Lockhart took her free hand and bent to place a gallant kiss on it as the photographer, the one Ron had snarked about, hopped about like mad, clicking away like his job was on the line. The herd of excitable females swooned and sighed at Lockharts 'chivalry.' Lockhart straightened as the photographer motioned for them to stand together. "Nice big smile, Heri," he said through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page." So that was his game. Well, she supposed if he was trying to amp up his reputation as some monster-hunter/adventurer, being seen on friendly terms with a national hero who's been celebrated for over ten years would only do him favours. Not one to make public scenes, Heri smiled sweetly as requested, blinking cutely up at the man shoving a camera in her face. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!" Lockhart went on to present Heri with the stupid autobiography that he was doing book-signings for that day and expounded how he was going to blah blah blah. Heri put on a face of avid attention, but really she had tuned him out the moment he had oped his mouth. Something about being a teacher? Somehow, Heri doubted he had the proper amount of N.E.W.T.s for that. Well, she got the entire book-list for DADA off of him for free during his speech so she guessed it wasn't all bad. He eventually freed her and she rejoined the Weasleys where they stood off to the side near the middle of the crowd. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled wryly for the waiting redheads, sharing a commiserating eye-roll with the boys. She had most of her books now and all she had to do was see one of the clerks at the counter to get the rest, then she could find the books on the Greco-Roman mythology she wanted. The side-stop with the grinning goon was an annoyance but now there was nothing standing in her way. Then Malfoy showed up with his father in tow. The situation went as well as could be expected. Heri stood amidst the exclaiming crowd families and students waiting for the last call to sound. She had excused herself from the Weasleys by claiming to go look for her other friends. After dashing off a goodly distance to where the Weasleys could no longer spot her, Heri very purposefully slipped behind a pillar and threw her invisibility cloak over herself. Now unseen, she took in the cheerful atmosphere with the same melancholy she had the year before. "Did you hear about —?" "Tildy, over here!" "Watch your mouth, young man!" "— and then I said —" "Mum, look, look!" They were all so bright. They shone so intensely under Heri's unnatural sight. Was it because she quite literally saw with different eyes? It was at times like this that she wished she was as half-blind as she had been before her vision was corrected and improved. Then she wouldn't be able to see the contentment written so clearly on others' faces, their expressions shining in a way Heri knew she had never shined. Was she just being a pessimist? She'd been prone to dreary moods in private for months now, maybe she was just depressing herself. "— Heri yet?" Heri looked up at the sound of her name. A few paces off, halfway between the train and her, were Hannah and Sally-Anne, her two unofficial lieutenants; if Hufflepuffs were cutthroat enough for cliques, the two other girls would be her second and third in command respectively. They were scanning the crowd and looking anxious. "Haven't seen her," said Sally-Anne, idly twirling the end of her long braid through her fingers. Hannah huffed and crossed her arms. "It's almost eleven! Much longer and she'll miss the train!" "She has to be here already," Sally-Anne consoled. "Didn't she say she was coming with the Weasleys? They're right over there so Heri has to be somewhere around here." Before Hannah could go question the family of redheads, Heri pulled the invisibility cloak off and stepped out from behind the pillar. "There you are!" Heri chirped. "I was just looking for you!" "Heri!" they exclaimed in unison. They bounded over to her and pulled her into a group hug. The three girls bustled off to the train to find a compartment before all the good ones were taken. As Hannah chattered Heri's ear off about the latest news, a flicker out of the corner of her eye caught Heri's attention. Stepping up on the train, Heri sent a grateful smile at her guardian apparition.
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