Inter-house Relations

Chapter 1:

Ginny Weasley didn't know what was worse: waiting six years for Ron and Hermione to finally admit their feelings for each other, or having to put up with the daily litany of fights which merely seemed to add fuel to their passion.

At present, they were sitting next to each other on the Hogwarts train, sharing a compartment with Ginny and Harry. The latter was currently consumed with mapping out quiditch strategies on parchment, a pastime Ron would have also been indulging in, had not a thoughtless remark on his part regarding the irrelevance of N.E.W.T.'s strayed from his lips and set Hermione off.

Ginny's current situation allowed her ample time to reminisce about the good old days when their attraction to one another was still in the closet and Ginny was free to poke fun at them mercilessly. She had thoroughly abused her privileges as a younger sister to make certain 'innocent' comments about a certain professional quiditch player whose name caused Ron's face to go purple. Watching his romantic fumblings and various 'methods' of courtship, had provided entertainment on many a dreary night for Harry and herself.

"Ronald Weasley, after your less than stellar scores on the O.W.L.'s, I would think that it would be especially important for you to perform well on the N.E.W.T.'s."

Ron sighed and rolled his eyes, "Hermione, it really won't matter will it. Everyone is so preoccupied about the defeat of He who must not be named that no one will care what I scored on my N.E.W.T.'s., especially if the defeat happens at the end of the term. How's about it Harry? Think you could arrange that?"

"I'll be sure to do my best Ron", replied Harry, not bothering to look up from his parchment. "I shall owl Voldemort when we return to school and let him know."

This comment was met with an amused snort coming from Ginny's corner of the compartment.

"I'd love to see that letter Harry," she remarked. "How do you think it would go? Dear Voldy, Do you mind that I call you that? Voldemort seems so stuffy and what with you having tried to kill me six times, it's just a tad too formal. And arch nemesis or evil dark lord both sound far too pretentious. Anyway, my friend Ron was hoping that you could arrange to try to kill me for a seventh time towards the end of the term nearing N.E.W.T.'s. You remember those right? I wonder if they were as big a bitch in your day as they are now. But I digress, Ron was hoping we could set up a proper time so that when he sits to take the exam, everyone will be preoccupied and won't notice how shitty he does" 'Hey!' "ahem, how shitty he performs on the exams. So that would be great. Be sure to owl me back ASAP. Take care, Harry"

The end of the letter was met with indignation from Ron, a smirk from Harry, and some mutterings from Hermione, 'see if I let him borrow any of my notes'. Any further conversation was silenced by the arrival of the food cart, and the group spent the rest of the ride stuffing their faces with chocolate.

After arriving at Hogwarts, Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to the Great Hall. Ginny's stomach grumbled quietly and she was anxious for the feast to begin.

Ahead of her and Harry walked Ron and Hermione, still bickering. "You'd think that at some point they would cease with all the foreplay and just get down to business," she observed to an amused Harry. Ron and Hermione, having heard this comment, ceased talking, blushing violently all the while. 'Finally, some peace' Ginny thought as she sat down at the Gryffindor table. 'I hope they get this sorting over with fast'. She scanned the room briefly, waved to her friend Emma in Ravenclaw, and looked up to the head table. 'Is that a new professor?' she wondered as she saw an extremely attractive young man sitting in a chair next to Professor McGonnegal. 'Well, well, well,' she mused, 'looks like there will be something to look forward to this year'. She was interrupted from her thoughts, when Dumbledore sat up to speak to the students.

"Welcome again to another year at Hogwarts. I'd like to wish all the first years the best of luck for the upcoming term. There are several announcements, I would like to make, the first being that third years and up may attend the local village of Hogsmeade starting the third weekend in September. The Forbidden Forest is of course still forbidden. But now on to news which I am sure promises much excitement for the future. There will be no inter-house quiditch tournament this year."

He was immediately overwhelmed with shouts of indignation, surprise, and protest. The students looked at each other. The last time this had happened had been during the Tri-wizard Tournament.

"If I may proceed, my colleagues at Beaubaxtons, Durmstrang, and a few others on the continent have decided that we will be forming an inter-school league. Each school will create one quiditch team which will compete with teams from other school. Each school will have try-outs to choose its team. At Hogwarts, this means that we will be having a team composed of members from all houses. Everyone who wishes to participate must audition. And this brings me to my last bit of news, and that is we have a new professor who be in charge of this new team. I assure you that Madam Hooch will still be instrumental; however, I believe our newest addition will play an integral role. Please join me in welcoming Hogwarts newest Professor, the star seeker from Puddlemere United, and Hogwarts Alumnus, Professor David Crowe."

The students clapped enthusiastically, while several hoots and shouts could be heard from the Puddlemere fans. Professor Crowe stood quickly, smiled and waved. Several female students could be heard sighing and staring at their dreamy new professor.

"Harry, you have to try out mate. You'll get a spot for sure, and David Crowe was one of the best seekers that Puddlemere's ever had" stated Ron.

"It'll be brilliant," Harry replied excitedly, "imagine playing against other players from different schools."

Harry looked over at Ginny and smiled, "Will you be trying out too then?" he asked, knowing that she wouldn't miss a chance to compete with other students for one of the star chasers spots.

While she had taken over briefly for Harry as seeker in her fourth year, it was the position of chaser that really interested her. She made an extremely agile chaser as she was on the tall side for a girl at 5'8, and her long arms seemed to be designed for catching and passing quaffles. Since she was young, Ginny had spent much time flying, and there were few who could argue with the fact that Ginny was one of the best chasers Hogwarts had seen in years. She had a true eye for the game, and having played with six brothers, she quickly learned to look for strategic advantages in a game where her brothers undoubtedly had the size advantage.

Ginny smiled back with a glint in her eye, "I wouldn't miss it for anything. What about you Ron? Will you be trying out for the keeper position then?"

He scratched his neck and looked up hopefully. "It's the whole school trying out for each of the spots, isn't it? Dunno, 'spose I'll have to see who'll show up at the try-outs. There'll be all the keepers from the other trying out as well."

"Honestly, its N.E.W.T. year for you two Harry and Ron. The last thing you need is bludgers flying at your heads and removing what few brain cells the two of you have left," Hermione sniffed, still a little disgruntled from the train ride. "Bloody boring game if you ask me."

"You look hungry Hermione, eat up," stated Ron as he proceeded to stuff a roll in Hermione's mouth. Indignant, she threw the roll on her plate, opened her book, and spent the rest of dinner trying to ignore the excited voices of her three friends.

Ginny was walking back from breakfast in the Great Hall the next morning with her friend Emma when she saw Colin Creevy running towards her.

"Ginny, have you heard? They've announced when try-outs are being held for the new team!" he exclaimed. He grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the corridor where a white flier was visible.

"They're this afternoon," Ginny read, "at 4 o'clock. I'll just be coming out of double potions just then. Are you trying out Colin?"

He shrugged. "I reckon I will. No harm in showing up."

Emma spoke up, "Won't it be weird for all of you though? You've spent the last several years playing against people from other houses, and now you'll have to be playing with them."

"I don't much mind playing with other Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs," stated Ginny. "It's the Slytherin's I'd be worried about. No doubt they'll come up with something to make the team hell for the rest of us."

"At least we know for sure Harry will get the seeker position. No one else in the school is nearly as good," pointed out Colin.

"That won't stop Malfoy from trying out as well," Ginny said darkly. "That little ferret wouldn't miss the chance to go out for something if it meant he'd get to piss Harry off in the process."

"Oh come on Gin, he hasn't been nearly as bad lately. He seems to leave you alone," reasoned Emma.

"You're just saying that because he's your cousin's fellow. And you've had a civilized conversation with him the odd time or two. That doesn't mean he's changed. Besides, he wouldn't know what a decent human being looks like if it farted in his face."

Emma winced, "Lovely image, Gin."

"Yes, well, we should be off or we'll be late for Herbology," Ginny stated crisply.

"Heaven forbid," muttered Emma as she remembered her run in last year with an ink squirting Wizget. It had sprayed her in the face and the stains had taken a week to come out.

With that the girls parted ways with Colin and made their way out of the castle. 'Looks like sixth year has something interesting to offer after all,' Ginny thought.

A/N: I'm not sure how this turned out since it's just an idea I had in my head but let me know what you all think.

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