Diana hated many, many things. Among the top of the list was her absolute hatred for doing charitable things for others with no personal gain. She believed strongly that if she were to do something, it was either because she wanted to or she was getting something out of it.

So, when Minerva McGonagall approached her at breakfast the day of the big Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor, she was incredibly miffed.

"I need you to be the announcer. The one I had in place is in the hospital wing, and I need a replacement."

The piece of bacon that she had been munching dropped out of her mouth as she peered at the woman like she had grown an extra head.

"That sounds like a you problem," she muttered, picking the bacon back up and tossing it in her mouth. "No can do, friend. That means that I'm doing something charitable, and we can't have that."

McGonagall groaned slightly then narrowed her eyes at the girl. "What's got you in such a chipper mood?" she asked her.

"For the first time in forever, I had a decent, dreamless sleep," she beamed.

"Diana, I really need you to do this," McGonagall all but begged. After eliciting no response, she huffed. "I'll give you five galleons."

Diana's interest piqued and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Ten," she bargained.

"Fine," McGongall growled. "I'll bring it to you afterward. Just get to the commentator's podium." She stalked off and Diana grinned, picking up another handful of bacon and making her way outside and all the way to the Quidditch pitch. She ate the bacon idly, and the closer she got to the pitch, the warier she felt. Even after all this time, she still couldn't seem to shake what she saw the first night.

She made her way up the podium until she reached the top, which had a perfect view of the entire field before her. Soon, students started trickling into the stands until it had become a roaring mass of teenagers. The podium next to hers held the teachers, and she gave McGonagall a sarcastic thumps up.

She grabbed her wand, and muttering, "Sonorus," her voice was now amplified for everyone to hear.

"'Sup everyone," she said nonchalantly, and every single head turned to the podium. As everyone whispered about her to each other, she kicked her feet up onto the ledge casually. "I'm getting paid to do this, so if we could hurry it up, that would be great."

To a mixture of deafening cheers and boos, the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams emerged from their respective dressing rooms. The majority of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had chosen to cheer for Gryffindor, and Diana could not distinguish one body from another in the massive sea of red and gold.

"We've got Harry Potter leading the Gryffindor team," she announced. She decided that if she was going to do this, she would at least make it fun. "He's a real cool dude, pretty eyes and whatnot. And leading the Slytherin team is some guy I've never seen before--"

"Urquhart!" McGonagall hissed.

"Oh, apparently his name's Urquhart. Didn't know that," she added. Everyone seemed to be eyeing her with amusement. "Oh, look at that, they're shaking hands," she cooed as they captains stepped forward.

The whistle blew, and the players soared into the air and the crowds cheered wildly. Diana couldn't figure out which player she was supposed to look at, so she decided to wait until the crowds cheered and something happened.

"Off they go," she announced lazily. She ate another piece of bacon hungrily. "Wow, there's so much movement, I don't even know what's going on."

"Oh my god, here comes Slytherin's first attempt on goal, wow he's going so fast. Ronald, if you don't catch this, I'm disowning you."

"Diana!"

"Sorry Minerva, just speaking the truth. AND WEASLEY SAVES IT!" she yelled excitedly and the Gryffindor fans cheered so loudly Diana was inclined to cover her ears.

After nearly half an hour and countless scoldings by McGonagall, Gryffindor was leading sixty points to zero. Ron had made some incredible saves, and Ginny scored four out of six of the goals.

"Look at Ginny Weasley, he hair whipping magnificently in the wind. That girl's awesome, she's like the little sister I never wanted."

"Ronald, you're doing great buddy, keep it up," she added after a particularly incredible save.

Gryffindor was on fire, scoring goal after goal with precise accuracy and top-notch defense. It seemed as if the Slytherin's had no chance, and the Gryffindor team held them off with surprising ease. The Gryffindor fans began singing "Weasley Is Our King," in praise of a spectacular save by Ron Weasley, and he pretended to conduct them.

"Ron, I'm telling you what buddy, if I could sing, I would be singing with them."

"You're supposed to be unbiased!"

"Unbiased! Why would I be unbiased?"

A Slytherin player named Harper came barreling from the other side of the field and knocked Harry harshly in the shoulder.

"Foul!" yelled Diana along with every Gryffindor supporter fan. "That isn't allowed!"

Unfortunately, by the time Madame Hooch turned around, Harper was long gone. Then, as fast as lightning, Harry was speeding after him, speeding closer to him with every second.

"Looks like they've seen the snitch!" said Diana, and the crowd cheered madly for their respective seeker. They two seekers were speeding upward, both eyeing something ahead that held their gaze. They were both close, but Harper was closer, and Diana heard Harry yell something to him. In response, Harper fumbled the snitch between his fingers just enough to let Harry swoop in and snatch it right under his nose.

"Holy shi--Holy crap! Gryffindor wins the game by a landslide!" she yelled over the mad roaring of the crowd. "Harry, I'll give you half of my payment from this if you'd like."

She watched Harry laugh at her and all of the players land on the ground as the crowd stormed the field. Diana ran off the podium as well and ran toward the team.

"Guys, that was actually not horrible to watch!" she yelled and flung herself at Harry, all but tackling him to the ground. His face was so bright with the joy of winning and he laughed into her hair. They pulled back and playfully punched his shoulder. "I didn't know you could play dirty, tricking Harper like that! I'm so proud!"

He beamed at her, and then she was the one almost tackled by a blur of long, orange hair. "You're like the sister I never wanted too!" Ginny yelled as she squeezed Diana with more strength than could possibly exist in a tiny body. Diana laughed and they pulled apart.

"Ronald!" she yelled, catching his attention. He was ecstatic with pride, and he grinned as he walked to her. "I'm so glad you didn't have to make me disown you!"

"That was amazing!" he yelled.

And then, remembering a vital piece of information, Diana abruptly turned around, her eyes quickly gazing at the various faces.

"Minerva! Where's my money?"

++

After many attempts at declining and much physical forcing, Ginny managed to drag Diana to the party in the Gryffindor common room. Not even the loud chattering and the crowded room could diminish Diana's mood. And, better yet, she was ten galleons richer.

Diana had stayed at Ginny's side for the most part, wary of straying too far because she didn't know anyone else. Hermione was nowhere in sight, but Ron was in the midst of a large, ecstatic crowd, obviously very pleased with himself. She smiled lightly at at; he looked happy, and it made her happy.

She sipped on a butterbeer idly as Ginny talked with a friend, Arnold the Pygmy Puff perching on her shoulder. A few boys had attempted to engage Diana in a conversation, but her strong glare sent them scurrying away every time. She looked over once more, and she nearly spit out her drink at the sight. Ron had his arms wrapped tightly around Lavender Brown, and they seemed to be eating each other's faces.

"What's wrong with you?" Ginny asked her as she thumped the girl's back. She looked where Diana was looking and scowled deeply. "He's angry with Hermione for kissing Krum, but look at him now. Bloody hypocrite."

Harry entered the common room to a mass of cheering and hollering, and he quickly made his way over to the two. Diana was still coughing from choking on her drink.

"Oh, it's okay, don't worry guys, I'm just dying over here," she spluttered.

"If you're looking for Ron," said Ginny, glaring toward her brother and Lavender, "he's over there, the filthy bastard."

Harry looked toward Ron and crinkled his nose slightly.

"Do you know where Hermione is?" Diana asked him. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she thought deeply for a moment. "I'm worried about her."

"So am I. Shall we go look for her?" he asked, and they two shoved their way through the throng of students and toward the portrait hole, where they exited into the cool and quiet corridor.

"You were in a good mood today," commented Harry. They opened all the unlocked classrooms, but Hermione wasn't in any. They moved forward.

"Yeah, I was, wasn't I?" she said with a smile. "I don't know if it'll last, but I'm trying to savor it for as long as I can."

He opened another classroom. It was vacant. "It's good to see you like that," he said with a sheepish smile. "Happy, I mean."

Behind the next door they stumbled upon, they heard muffled cries on the other side. Harry opened it slowly, as if not to startle her, and they walked inside. Around her, a throng of yellow birds haloed her head, and it was obvious that she had conjured them.

"Hermione?" said Diana gently when her eyes landed on the huddled, crying figure of the girl. She strode to her and sat next to her, wrapping her arm around Hermione. Harry sat in front of the two, and Harry looked incredibly anxious and unprepared.

"Oh, hello Diana, Harry," she said stiffly, attempting to make it sound like she hadn't been crying. Hermione leaned her head on Diana's shoulder and the birds chirped above them brightly. "I was just practicing."

"Yeah...they're--er--really good..." attempted Harry, but Diana gave him a look that meant, smooth, idiot.

"This is really good spellwork, Hermione," Diana said quietly. Diana watched the birds circle them for a few silent moments before Hermione spoke.

"Ron seems to be enjoying the celebrations," she said shakily. Diana could hear her breathing was shallow and ragged from sobs.

"Er...does he?" said Harry in a pathetic attempt to stay casual.

Oh, my god, Diana thought, and had the intense urge to roll her eyes.

"Don't pretend you didn't see him," said Hermione. "He wasn't exactly hiding it, was--?"

The door that they had come through burst open, and a giggling Lavender was pulled inside by the hand by Ron.

"Oh," Ron said, his eyes first taking in the crying Hermione, the comforting Diana, and the uncomfortable Harry.

"Oops!" Lavender giggled, and Diana felt a burning anger inside. She felt protective, which isn't something she's ever really felt before. Hermione was one of her greatest friends, and she was extremely conscious of her well-being. Lavender backed out of the room and closed the door behind her, and the four were left in a very tense and painful silence.

"Hi, Harry" said Ron in a feeble cheery voice. He looked everywhere but Hermione. "Wondered where you'd got to!"

Hermione took a determined, shaky breath beside Diana and stood slowly. The birds continued to circle her head like a model of a strange solar system.

"You shouldn't leave Lavender waiting outside," she said quietly. "She'll wonder where you've gone."

Ron, who looked relieved that she had not yelled at him, stood for a moment too long.

"Oppugno!" she yelled, and her wand was pointed at the ginger-haired boy. The flock of yellow birds soared through the air toward him like little bullets, and they began to attack and claw and Ron yelled. He disappeared through the doorway with a look of fury toward Hermione, and shut the door with a slam. Hermione all but collapsed back onto the ground, and Diana wrapped her arms around her again.

"Harry," muttered Diana, "I've got this. You don't have to stay."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she shot him a heavy glare and he gave up.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said, and he left the classroom quietly and closed the door behind him.

"I see the way you look at him," said Diana quietly through the silence. "Ron, I mean. I know you like it him."

"Well, it's no use now, is it?" she said heavily in between sobs.

"I see the way he looks at you, too, Hermione," she whispered and stroked the girl's bushy hair. "He likes you, too; he's just a huge git and doesn't know what to do."

Hermione gave a shaky laugh and looked up at Diana.

"I see the way Harry looks at you," she said with a feeble smile. "He likes you, a lot."

Diana looked at the ground and a tear streamed down her cheek. Her stomach clenched and she felt like she wanted to throw up, and she clenched her jaw to keep from sobbing.

"I can't think about that," she whispered to Hermione. She clenched here eyes shut to keep the tears in. "I can't let him in like that. Between me, Voldemort, and Harry, only one of us is going to live, and I'm determined to make sure that's Harry. I don't want him to lose me like that."

Hermione watched her gently and sat up. They sat cross-legged on the floor across from each other and they both wiped their eyes. Diana realized that she had never told Hermione of her plan to die for Harry; she realized, in fact, that she had only talked about it with Dumbledore and Severus. Hermione watched her with sad eyes.

"You're planning on dying for Harry, aren't you?" Hermione asked gently, her eyes welling with a new batch of tears. Diana hesitated but nodded toward the floor.

"I always knew it was what I was going to have to do," she whispered. "And I'm okay with it, as long as it allows Harry to live."

It was silent as the lump in Diana's throat grew until she could no longer hold it back, and a single, loud, rattling sob escaped her lips. Hermione scooted to her at once and wrapped her arms around the girl, just as Diana had done to her moments ago.

"You care about him," said Hermione quietly. "I know you do."

"I care about all of you," said Diana heavily. "That's why I have to do this."

Diana had never had a friend like this before. Her life had always been lived solely in her own company, and she had gotten used to it. It had been that way her whole life, and she never thought she needed comfort like this until now.

The two girls cried on the floor of the quiet classroom as they held each other. Neither spoke. Diana knew that if she stayed here all night, she wouldn't mind.

She had a friend who cared, and it made her feel slightly less lonely.