Author's Notes: Okay, I happen to be a very keen skier (and not too shabby
either, if I do say so myself). I got this idea when I was skiing last
weekend, and I am writing this for myself as much as for all you wonderful
readers out there.
A lot of the setting will be written from my own experiences: (heh.) the skifield will probably be loosely based on one of the ones I go to every year. The reason the time setting is the end of the third term of Harry's fifth year is because this story was originally planned for a Christmas time setting, but then I realised that over here (Southern Hemisphere) it would be the middle of summer! I have to write about a New Zealand skifield because I've never skied anywhere else and I don't want to start writing and then have someone come and tell me its not like that at all in Europe, if you see what I mean. (I've heard that skiing is pretty different in the rest of the world.you have TREES in the SNOW? How can you stand it!?)
This story will include magic (as much as I can manage to squeeze in there) flashbacks to Lily/James/pre-Harry's-birth era, and hopefully lots of Sirius (the time is before the end of book five..grrr..). And I will make all attempts to crush Mary-Sues before they can begin (Hi, I'm Marie, Harry's sexy teenage ski-intructor!) so sorry for Mary-Sue fans.
Well, let's get onto it then!
---[]---
End of Term holidays saw Harry, Hermione and Ron taking a much needed break from school (and High Inquisitors), and settling down for a peaceful two weeks at Grimmauld Place. At least, it would have been peaceful if Mrs Weasley hadn't decided to let Ginny and the Twins stay over as well.
"It's just so I know you're all safe, dear," she replied to Ron's loud complaints that Fred and George had put their new Pimple Power Powder on his pillow, and in his underpants. They also stuck invisibility thumb-tacks on all Hermione's school books, ("Well, she studies too hard. We're doing her a favour, really", Fred explained while Hermione searched in vain for her homework), and to top if off Ginny had let Buckbeak into Harry's school bags, which had left them in such a state of disarray even a house-elf may have cringed. She claimed it had been an accident, but he saw her giving George a high-five right afterwards.
Certainly Mrs Weasley was right, there seemed no safer place then the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, with Order members zipping in and out all day long. At least, that was until the Daily Prophet arrived on Saturday morning.
"ESCAPED PRISONERS SPOTTED IN LONDON" the headline read. Ron's teacup shattered on the floor, and Mrs Weasley choked on her pancakes.
So much for 'just so I know you're all safe'. "But you've got to go back to Hogwarts!" Mrs Weasley cried tearfully to a protesting Harry, "it's not safe here!"
Sirius' face could be seen to fall further by the minute. There was really no other choice except for Harry to return to school; even McGonagall, popping in for a muffin, agreed it was best.
"Just two days," begged Harry, who had been looking forward to spending some time out of Umbridge's reach and in the company of his godfather. "Alright, you may stay two days, then," sighed Molly.
---[]---
On Sunday morning, a huge brown owl almost taller then Harry's knees landed in Ginny's toast.
"It's for you," Ginny said, handing the thick, brown paper envelope to Hermione. Hermione took it with a slightly puzzled look and ripped the top off. She pulled out a brightly coloured sheet of paper which screeched "YOU'RE A WINNER!" in a tinny voice.
"Dear Miss Granger," Hermione read aloud, "we are pleased to announce that you are the champion in our monthly travel competition." she scanned through the letter and gasped, "I've won a trip for four to go on a week- long overseas skiing trip!"
Ron sniggered, "oh goodie."
"No, it's really great," said Hermione, glaring at him.
"I thought you didn't like skiing," said Ron.
"Who told you that?" snapped Hermione.
Harry raised his hand, "sorry," he said sheepishly.
"Well, really Ron, it's not all bad," Hermione sniffed, ignoring Ron's sniggering, "I only quit at Christmas because Mum and Dad took me to this appalling ski-field with nothing but nutcrackers-"
"Nothing but what?" Ginny gasped.
"Never mind, the point is, skiing is lots of fun, really Ron," Hermione continued, glaring daggers at the youngest Weasley son, "I bet if you tried it you'd be hooked. Hey!" her face lit up, "that's a great idea! You could come skiing, Ron!"
"Fat chance!" said Ron.
"I have to agree," said Mrs Wealsey, bustling into the room with more toast, "it sounds awfully dangerous, Hermione. I realise Muggles do some pretty odd things sometimes but I don't think it's quite appropriate."
"But the trip is in two days time!" said Hermione frantically, "I can't waste it, it must cost a ton! All gear supplied - overseas ski-field - lessons included - I can't miss something like this! The ski-season is just starting over there," she read the rest of the information in the envelope excitedly, "they reckon there'll be tons of new snow. And it's a Wizarding Travel Agency that's organising the competition, Mrs Weasley, so we'll be in capable hands."
"Why don't you and your parents go?" asked Harry.
"Mum and Dad are visiting my aunt and uncle and their new baby," said Hermione miserably, "they won't be back until next week. Oh, come on Ron, I bet Harry wants to come too, don't you?" she looked appealingly at Harry.
"Er-" said Harry.
"It'll be wonderful! I can teach you guys to ski, and," she added, staring meaningly at Mrs Weasley, "Harry would be away from you-know-who AND the Ministry. He'd be ever so safe, and he wouldn't have to go back to school!"
"But the trip is for four," said Mrs Weasley pointedly, "if you're really sure about this, I'd feel better if an adult came along too, but I don't think we can spare anyone right now."
"Oh yes we can!" said the voice of Sirius, hurrying into the room, "did I hear something about skiing?"
"Yeah, Sirius can come!" said Harry happily.
Hermione frowned, "can you ski?" she asked Sirius suspiciously.
"Me? I've been skiing tons before! Years ago! No, I'm not actually any good at it," he admitted, "but it does sound like fun, Hermione. Could I come, if Molly concedes?"
"I guess so," said Hermione, grinning.
Ginny's face brightened, "does that mean I can.I mean, I have to stay in the house with only Fred and George for company?"
"You can take my place-" Ron began but Ginny glared daggers at him and he shut up.
"Please Mrs Weasley?" Hermione, Harry and Sirius begged.
Mrs Weasley looked thunderous.
But several hours later, she finally agreed.
---[]---
Yay! Skiing! Whoopee! Reviewreviewreview. Are you a skier? Snowboarder? Does the idea of Ron with his face in the snow crack you up? If so, tell me, and I'll continue! *Oh, and if you don't know what Nutcrackers are in relation to skiing: imagine a rope shooting up a mountain at hip level. Now imagine: you have a belt around your waist which is tied to a kind of metal pincer called a Nutcracker (because it looks a lot like a nutcracker). You have to flick the Nutcracker onto the speeding rope, hold it tight and hang on as you are dragged up the slope on your skis. Not the most convenient mode of transportation, I can tell you, especially because you often have to hold onto the rope with your hands before you can flip your nutcracker on. My new gloves were completely mangled on the palms after one day using Nutcracker pulleys! I don't think Nutcrackers are too common these days, but if you ever have to use them: you have my sympathy.
A lot of the setting will be written from my own experiences: (heh.) the skifield will probably be loosely based on one of the ones I go to every year. The reason the time setting is the end of the third term of Harry's fifth year is because this story was originally planned for a Christmas time setting, but then I realised that over here (Southern Hemisphere) it would be the middle of summer! I have to write about a New Zealand skifield because I've never skied anywhere else and I don't want to start writing and then have someone come and tell me its not like that at all in Europe, if you see what I mean. (I've heard that skiing is pretty different in the rest of the world.you have TREES in the SNOW? How can you stand it!?)
This story will include magic (as much as I can manage to squeeze in there) flashbacks to Lily/James/pre-Harry's-birth era, and hopefully lots of Sirius (the time is before the end of book five..grrr..). And I will make all attempts to crush Mary-Sues before they can begin (Hi, I'm Marie, Harry's sexy teenage ski-intructor!) so sorry for Mary-Sue fans.
Well, let's get onto it then!
---[]---
End of Term holidays saw Harry, Hermione and Ron taking a much needed break from school (and High Inquisitors), and settling down for a peaceful two weeks at Grimmauld Place. At least, it would have been peaceful if Mrs Weasley hadn't decided to let Ginny and the Twins stay over as well.
"It's just so I know you're all safe, dear," she replied to Ron's loud complaints that Fred and George had put their new Pimple Power Powder on his pillow, and in his underpants. They also stuck invisibility thumb-tacks on all Hermione's school books, ("Well, she studies too hard. We're doing her a favour, really", Fred explained while Hermione searched in vain for her homework), and to top if off Ginny had let Buckbeak into Harry's school bags, which had left them in such a state of disarray even a house-elf may have cringed. She claimed it had been an accident, but he saw her giving George a high-five right afterwards.
Certainly Mrs Weasley was right, there seemed no safer place then the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, with Order members zipping in and out all day long. At least, that was until the Daily Prophet arrived on Saturday morning.
"ESCAPED PRISONERS SPOTTED IN LONDON" the headline read. Ron's teacup shattered on the floor, and Mrs Weasley choked on her pancakes.
So much for 'just so I know you're all safe'. "But you've got to go back to Hogwarts!" Mrs Weasley cried tearfully to a protesting Harry, "it's not safe here!"
Sirius' face could be seen to fall further by the minute. There was really no other choice except for Harry to return to school; even McGonagall, popping in for a muffin, agreed it was best.
"Just two days," begged Harry, who had been looking forward to spending some time out of Umbridge's reach and in the company of his godfather. "Alright, you may stay two days, then," sighed Molly.
---[]---
On Sunday morning, a huge brown owl almost taller then Harry's knees landed in Ginny's toast.
"It's for you," Ginny said, handing the thick, brown paper envelope to Hermione. Hermione took it with a slightly puzzled look and ripped the top off. She pulled out a brightly coloured sheet of paper which screeched "YOU'RE A WINNER!" in a tinny voice.
"Dear Miss Granger," Hermione read aloud, "we are pleased to announce that you are the champion in our monthly travel competition." she scanned through the letter and gasped, "I've won a trip for four to go on a week- long overseas skiing trip!"
Ron sniggered, "oh goodie."
"No, it's really great," said Hermione, glaring at him.
"I thought you didn't like skiing," said Ron.
"Who told you that?" snapped Hermione.
Harry raised his hand, "sorry," he said sheepishly.
"Well, really Ron, it's not all bad," Hermione sniffed, ignoring Ron's sniggering, "I only quit at Christmas because Mum and Dad took me to this appalling ski-field with nothing but nutcrackers-"
"Nothing but what?" Ginny gasped.
"Never mind, the point is, skiing is lots of fun, really Ron," Hermione continued, glaring daggers at the youngest Weasley son, "I bet if you tried it you'd be hooked. Hey!" her face lit up, "that's a great idea! You could come skiing, Ron!"
"Fat chance!" said Ron.
"I have to agree," said Mrs Wealsey, bustling into the room with more toast, "it sounds awfully dangerous, Hermione. I realise Muggles do some pretty odd things sometimes but I don't think it's quite appropriate."
"But the trip is in two days time!" said Hermione frantically, "I can't waste it, it must cost a ton! All gear supplied - overseas ski-field - lessons included - I can't miss something like this! The ski-season is just starting over there," she read the rest of the information in the envelope excitedly, "they reckon there'll be tons of new snow. And it's a Wizarding Travel Agency that's organising the competition, Mrs Weasley, so we'll be in capable hands."
"Why don't you and your parents go?" asked Harry.
"Mum and Dad are visiting my aunt and uncle and their new baby," said Hermione miserably, "they won't be back until next week. Oh, come on Ron, I bet Harry wants to come too, don't you?" she looked appealingly at Harry.
"Er-" said Harry.
"It'll be wonderful! I can teach you guys to ski, and," she added, staring meaningly at Mrs Weasley, "Harry would be away from you-know-who AND the Ministry. He'd be ever so safe, and he wouldn't have to go back to school!"
"But the trip is for four," said Mrs Weasley pointedly, "if you're really sure about this, I'd feel better if an adult came along too, but I don't think we can spare anyone right now."
"Oh yes we can!" said the voice of Sirius, hurrying into the room, "did I hear something about skiing?"
"Yeah, Sirius can come!" said Harry happily.
Hermione frowned, "can you ski?" she asked Sirius suspiciously.
"Me? I've been skiing tons before! Years ago! No, I'm not actually any good at it," he admitted, "but it does sound like fun, Hermione. Could I come, if Molly concedes?"
"I guess so," said Hermione, grinning.
Ginny's face brightened, "does that mean I can.I mean, I have to stay in the house with only Fred and George for company?"
"You can take my place-" Ron began but Ginny glared daggers at him and he shut up.
"Please Mrs Weasley?" Hermione, Harry and Sirius begged.
Mrs Weasley looked thunderous.
But several hours later, she finally agreed.
---[]---
Yay! Skiing! Whoopee! Reviewreviewreview. Are you a skier? Snowboarder? Does the idea of Ron with his face in the snow crack you up? If so, tell me, and I'll continue! *Oh, and if you don't know what Nutcrackers are in relation to skiing: imagine a rope shooting up a mountain at hip level. Now imagine: you have a belt around your waist which is tied to a kind of metal pincer called a Nutcracker (because it looks a lot like a nutcracker). You have to flick the Nutcracker onto the speeding rope, hold it tight and hang on as you are dragged up the slope on your skis. Not the most convenient mode of transportation, I can tell you, especially because you often have to hold onto the rope with your hands before you can flip your nutcracker on. My new gloves were completely mangled on the palms after one day using Nutcracker pulleys! I don't think Nutcrackers are too common these days, but if you ever have to use them: you have my sympathy.