AN- I know this isn't what I usually write at all, and I'm not sure if you'll like it or not. It's random, and parts of it don't make sense, and I'm not sure if even I like it or not. I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me know what you think. This is a one-shot friendship fic.
Tessa sighed and slammed another pointless and boring reference book on old, dead witches and wizards shut. She had been in the library for hours, and had yet to find one book that told her more about Harry Potter than the things she had already known, like his defeat of the dark lord Voldemort nearly thirty years ago.
All the textbooks could tell her about Potter was about the battles he had won and the awards he had received. Her chocolate frog card told her that much, and it didn't help with the assignment Granger had given them in History of Magic. They weren't supposed to write about just the accomplishments of the wizard or witch they had been assigned; they were supposed to write about their personal lives as well.
The students had been allowed to choose who they wanted to write about, but Tessa's favorite teacher, Professor Granger, had suggested that she research Harry Potter instead of Gilderoy Lockheart, the famous writer she had wanted to do her research paper on.
Not wanting to disappoint her teacher, Tessa had reluctantly agreed, and was now regretting it. Potter had disappeared from the magical world just after his defeat of the dark lord, and had only reappeared at memorials set up to honor those who died in the war of Voldemort out of respect. It was rare that he spoke to the public, and nobody knew what had become of him after the war.
This combined with the lack of information about Potter's personal life at Hogwarts left Tessa with very little to write about. The only interesting things she could write about Potter's personal life so far from the library was that he had been the protégé of Albus Dumbledore, one of the most legendary wizards to head Hogwarts.
Potter had gone to Hogwarts for seven years, and yet not one book in the library spoke of his personal life. This was incredible to Tessa, who spent most of her time in the library reading the books the school had to offer. Not even the restricted section could tell her something she didn't already know about Harry Potter.
It didn't make any sense. How could someone so famous be so private? Potter hadn't been seen in public for several years now. Was he even still alive?
What if he had settled down somewhere in the muggle world, changed his name, married a muggle woman and never planned to return to the magical world? How boring would that be to write about?
Sighing, Tessa ran a hand through her fine hair. Why had Professor Granger given her such a difficult assignment?
The only other place Tessa could think to look was the Hogwarts catalogues. The catalogues were quite a bit like scrapbooks, created at the beginning of the year and written in and decorated all year by the students, until it was stored in the library at the end of the year. Hopefully she would find something useful in there.
Noticing that the library was closing, she had the librarian, check the books out for her and slung her bag over her shoulder as she headed up for Gryffindor tower, absently cursing the sorting hat and the founders of the school; the former for placing her in the house whose dorms were the farthest away from the library, and the latter for placing the library so far from the Gryffindor dorms.
How had she ended up in that house anyways, she wondered absently. It wasn't the first time she had questioned the hat's decision. She was the only one in her house who loved to learn, and the only Gryffindor Granger, the head of Ravenclaw house, favored. She'd often been teased for her bookish tendencies and because of this she kept to herself.
This was why she was so grateful to see the common room of Gryffindor almost empty as she set her heavy bag down by one of the study tables near the fire. This was her favorite place to work in the tower, even though the table was the oldest and was nearly never used.
Sighing again, she opened her yearbook and began searching through the mess of names for the one she was looking for. When it didn't appear that Harry Potter was in there, she frowned and pulled out the book that would have had Harry Potter in his sixth year.
There his name was, right where it should be in the Gryffindor section. The page the followed showed many pictures of the students in Gryffindor that year, and Tessa began to scan the page for any pictures of a boy with black hair and a scarred forehead.
She noted that he was in quite a few of the photos, including the ones of the Gryffindor house team. The book said that he had been seeker since his first year, which finally gave her something to write in the report. Picking up her essay, she began to include this to her research.
She ran her eyes over the page that was covered with notes to other Gryffindors in that year, and read several interesting messages.
Albus Dumbledore- we remain loyal, you remain with us. You are here as long as those who are loyal remain.
Lavander-good luck in catching the keeper we all know you're after.
Dean and Ginny 4-ever!
Malfoy SUCKS!
Many of these notes were personal, written in the middle of the year, and didn't make any sense, but there was one group of notes that kept catching Tessa's attention. The notes were written in three completely different styles of handwriting; neat and precise, sloppy and barely legible, and blocky and big.
In blocky letters at the top of the corner were the words Golden Trio; best friends, comrades, and Gryffindors forever. Under these words was a picture of Harry Potter and two people she didn't recognize. The first was a boy that seemed to be the same age with bright red hair, a mess of freckles, and a boyish smile that seemed to light up his face. Every once in a while, he would glance at the girl in the middle of him and Harry, who had bushy brown hair, chocolate eyes, and a book clutched in her hands. Harry, who had one arm around the girl, occasionally ran his free hand through his hair, or waved at the camera. He too often was sneaking glance at the girl, who would stare at his when he wasn't paying attention.
The redhead would make faces and the camera, and when he did the girl would roll her eyes while Harry Potter would laugh and shake his head. In the picture behind them the fire burned as they were gathered together around a small, book-covered coffee table.
With wide eyes, Tessa studied the table they were gathered at. RW, HP, HG, BFF. This was her table these people were gathered around. She was sure of it. Looking up the initials, Tessa found that RW was Ronald Weasley, the Gryffindor quidditch keeper and Harry Potter's best friend. HP was obviously Harry Potter, and HG…
Hermione Granger. She studied the notes in the catalogues from Potter's first, second, third, fourth, and fifth years, and found that every year, the trio of best friends had claimed the lower right-hand corner for themselves. In Potter's seventh year, the corner was left empty, save for someone's small but elegant script; The Golden Trio- brave, smart, loyal, cunning, and best friends. You taught us more about life than any class ever could. Good luck! Gryffindor
It seemed that the entire Gryffindor house had left that corner open out of respect, and Tessa felt her own respect for Harry Potter, Professor Granger, and the third member of this group growing. It was a shame, she thought, that the three were no longer best friends. She had never even heard Professor Granger mention a Ronald Weasley, and wondered if the trio had lost contact because of Potter's disappearance.
Even after Tessa had handed in her essay, she couldn't forget about the trio, or how they had ended. Finally, her desire to know more about Harry Potter made her want to ask the question that had been burning in her mind for several days now; what had ever happened to Harry Potter?
When Tessa saw her teacher at Hogsmeade weeks later, she was about to leave the table she and her friends were sitting at to ask about Potter. The only thing that kept her from approaching the table was the balding older man sitting across the table from the professor, in deep conversation with her. A moment later, another older man entered the pub and joined them at their table, ordering a butterbeer and taking off his heavy winter cloak. Just over the din and chatter of the other customers at the Three Broomsticks, Tessa heard Granger greet the gray-haired man.
"Hello, Harry."
"'Lo `Mione, Ron. How've you been?"
Tessa smiled, her question answered. Forever indeed. They hadn't been lying.
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