"Why can't I go back to Hogwarts?!" I splutter at me mam.

"Because Harry Potter is a liar and Dumbledore is an old fool!"

"Harry might be a little mad, but he's no liar, Mam."

"Oh really? Then if what Harry and Dumbledore are saying is true, and You-Know-Who really is back, then why is the Daily Prophet printing headlines like this?" She waves today's copy in my face where Harry Potter's face is blinking at me beneath the headline, 'The Boy Who Lies?'.

"But Mam, I want to go back to Hogwarts." I plead, thinking at how awful it would be if I didn't get to see Dean everyday.

"A student was killed, and Dumbledore is trying to cover up the school's liability by placing all the blame on a dead terrorist!" Mam splutters. "What kind of mother would I be if I let you go back there? And especially with that Harry Potter boy running around and spreading lies at the drop of a Sorting Hat."

I frown. On the surface, I am glad that me mam thinks that Voldemort coming back is load of tosh. But deep down, I'm not entirely certain that this would be something that Harry would lie about.

But maybe witnessing Cedric's death has done something to his brain? I mean, it must have been a pretty traumatizing experience, and it would make sense that he is suffering from some sort of post traumatic stress - what with everything that happened to his parents when he was a baby too.

I gently try and explain this to me mam, who grudgingly agrees that maybe Harry is not a total liar.

"But Dumbledore is still an unstable crackpot," she insists. "The Prophet has even reported that he's been sacked from the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards. What more proof do you need?"

I nod. That's true. Newspapers never lie.

In the end, with Dad's help, I persuade Mam to let me go back to Hogwarts, on the condition that I stay clear of both Harry and Dumbledore and not to listen to any rumours surrounding Voldemort.

"It was just a tragic accident," Mam reminds me as she hugs me goodbye at the train station. "Nothing more, nothing less."

I find Dean in our usual compartment and we excitedly swap stories about how our summers have been.

"Did you hear?" Dean says, eyes alight, "Ron and Hermione are prefects!"

"What?!" I splutter. "Dumbledore made Ron Weasley a prefect?!"

Well, that cements it. Dumbledore really has lost his marbles.

"I know! I saw Harry earlier and he was pretty mad about it. Reckon he thinks Dumbledore should have picked him over Ron."

I frown. "So Harry's expecting favours now?"

"Why would you say it like that?"

"Me mam didn't want me to come back because of him and Dumbledore. She's adamant there's something fishy going on with them what with the lies they've been spreading."

Dean raises his eyebrows. "You still don't believe it's true about You-Know-Who being back then?"

I shake my head. "Me mam is pretty certain it can't be true. As she said, it's what the Daily Prophet have stated."

"I wouldn't know," Dean shrugs, "we don't get anything like that in our Muggle household. And I sort of forgot about it all if I'm to be honest. Too busy catching up on all the football my dad recorded for me."

I didn't need reminding. I wish I hadn't asked him to write to me every day as his letters were just football commentary of the matches he had watched.

I sigh, leaning back in my seat and watch out of the window as the landscape flies by. I wonder how I am supposed to stick to my promise and avoid Harry when we are literally in the same house and year.

The door slides open, and to my utter dismay, Harry himself enters.

"Hey Dean, Shae," he says nodding to us both, "just thought I'd pop my head in. It's pretty boring in my compartment without Ron and Hermione."

"Aren't you sitting with Ginny?" Dean frowns as Harry makes himself comfortable in the seat next to him.

"Yeah but she's talking to this crazy girl who wears corks around her neck. And Neville's got this weird, pulsating cactus thing which is making me feel sick to look at."

"Sound cool," Dean shrugs. "Might go check it out later."

Harry turns to me, smiling. "Did you have a good summer, Shae? Better than mine, I expect. I nearly got expelled."

"That's funny," Dean jumps in, "Shae was just telling me that she almost wasn't allowed back to Hogwarts either-"

His face quickly falls, realising too late his mistake. I glare at him

"What?" Harry says, looking from Dean to me.

"Me mam didn't want me to come back to Hogwarts." I mumble, refusing to meet his eye.

"But - why?"

"Well, I suppose... because of you."

"What d'you mean?" Harry says quickly.

"Well," I tug awkwardly at my sleeve, "she... er... well, it's not just you, it's Dumbledore, too..."

"She believes the Daily Prophet? She thinks I'm a liar and Dumbledore's an old fool?"

"Yeah." I nod, glad he is finally getting it. "Her exact words, actually. Look... what did happen that night when... you know, when... with Cedric Diggory and all?"

"What are you asking me for?" Harry says haughtily, flouncing to his feet. "Just read the Daily Prophet like your stupid mother, why don't you? That'll tell you all you need to know."

"Don't you have a go at my mother." I snarl, glaring up at him.

"I'll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar. Why don't you ask McGonagall to let you move houses - stop your mammy worrying."

I jump up. "Don't talk to me like that!"

The door slides open and Ron Weasley steps in, frowning. "What's going on here?"

"Shae is calling me a liar." Harry whines.

"That's bang out of order, that is," Ron says, his ears glowing red. "For that, Shae, you can have a detention."

"What?!" I splutter just as Dean jumps up to defend me: "You can't do that!"

"Unfortunately for you, pal, I'm a prefect," Ron says, jabbing his finger in my chest. "And I'll give anyone else who calls Harry a liar the exact same punishment."

"Well, unfortunately for you, Weasley," says a cold drawling voice, "I'm a prefect, too."

We all look up to see Draco Malfoy smirking in the open doorway, his arms folded across his chest as he stares in amusement at the scene before him.

"You!" Harry spits, gesturing wildly at the Slytherin. "I told you to stay out of my way from now on."

"I'm not here to pester you, Potter," Draco drawls, "although I'm surprised the Ministry is letting you walk around free. Better enjoy it while you can. I expect there's a cell in Azkaban with your name on it."

Harry goes to lunge at Draco but is held back by Ron.

"JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Harry screams as he struggles against Ron's restraints.

"Leave it, Harry," Ron grits, "it's just Malfoy."

"Just Malfoy who is about to issue you with a detention for harassment," Draco says, his glittering eyes exposing the fact that he's enjoying the show too much. "Finnigan is only speaking what everyone else is thinking, after all. You're clearly a nutter who lies, and so is that crackpot of a headmaster."

"You stay out of this, Malfoy!" Ron hollars. "This has nothing to do with you!"

"Oh it is if the little four-eyed liar keeps dragging my father's name into it."

"YOUR FATHER IS A PIECE OF SCUM WHO NEEDS TO BE LOCKED UP!" Harry shouts, spit flying out of his mouth.

"The only person who needs locking up right now is you!" Draco scoffs. "You're a complete nut job. Even Dumbledore thought Weasley was a better option as prefect over you. How embarrassing, Potter."

Ron lets go of Harry and lunges at the door. Dean jumps up just in time to pull him back, preventing him from killing Draco.

But Draco just snickers, stepping back out of reach. "Oh dear, I seem to have hit a sore point. Well, I must get going, detentions won't hand out themselves."

And with that, Draco saunters away up the corridor, chuckling to himself.

Ron and Harry choose that moment to leave, both of them glaring darkly at me as they do.

Twats.

*****