The Disadvantages of Portus
The air was crisp and cool, and the sun emitted a warm sheen of light through the sheer curtains of the Gryffindor dormitory. It was mid- Autumn, at seven o' clock, and the Gryffindors were having the first match of the new school year with Slytherin.
Harry got up and yawned. He was always anticipating a new Quidditch match, but first, of course, they had to go to charms. He changed quickly and went downstairs, where Ron and Hermione were waiting.
Ron didn't look up from drizzling ketchup on his hot sausages.
"Harry!" Hermione said breathlessly, hurrying up behind him. "I've just asked Professor Flitwick today, and we're going to be making portkeys! Look," she turned a page in her book, "I've already been studying them. I do hope we get to make one, I do. The incantation is-"
"Oy, come off it already, Hermione!" He said through a mouthful of sausage and egg. "There's a quidditch match today, who cares about studies?"
Hermione looked cross, and Harry could barely conceal a grin. As much as he liked quidditch, today would be an exciting day: It would be the first year that Hogwarts decided to teach the fourth- year students portkeys, after all, they were all fourteen. Wasn't that old enough?
"It's half an hour to nine," Harry said, getting up. "We'd best get going- visit Hagrid. I bet he hasn't had much company over the summer."
Ron and Hermione agreed, of course, and the three of them started walking outside, putting on their cloaks and holding their wands.
Picking up her book from her bag, Hermione read loudly. "Portkeys are a very intricate branch of magic," she announced, sounding somewhat bossy as always. "They require an incantation, which is-" She stopped suddenly, and ducked as something came flying over her head.
A small stone, the size of- oh. "Bet you thought that was snitch, Potter," Draco Malfoy yelled.
"Come off it, Malfoy," Ron retorted, but Hermione was still reading when the stone almost hit her.
Her wand jerked in a waving motion, just as she was reading from the book. "-Portus."
All three of them, who were touching the book, vanished.