Chapter 8
Having Hermione and Ally as friends was awesome, Harry had decided and he was sure that Ron agreed because not only was Hermione a little more lenient with breaking the rules and checking their homework, they got to see Ally's infamous smile up close and often. Well that was more for Harry than Ron, not that he'd ever admit.
The four were sitting together outside in the freezing courtyard the day before Harry's first Quidditch match, huddled around a jar of blue flames Hermione had conjured up, when they saw Snape limping over. They quickly moved closer together to block the jar, not being sure whether it was allowed or not, though with Snape, he'd probably say it wasn't.
His eyes narrowed on Harry, "What's that you've got there, Potter?"
Luckily for Harry, Ally had checked out Quidditch Through The Ages for him to read before the match, and he showed it to the sneering Snape.
"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," he said, "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."
As he twirled away, his robes swooshing rather dramatically around his ankles, Ally pulled a face at the prospect of having to face Madam Pince -or Wince as she referred to the librarian in secret- once again about late library books. This was probably the fifth time she would be bringing in her books late, and now she had to explain why one of them was no longer in her possession. It was a crime that anyone should be so stingy with library books, especially since Ally made sure to care for them as her own.
Harry turned to her apologetically, "Sorry Ally." She shrugged carelessly
"S'alright, you didn't mean to get it taken away." Her pink lips quirked up a bit, "Knowing Madam Wince she'll probably squawk a bit about taking better care of library books and then ban me for a couple of weeks. Might even get a detention this time." Hermione looked slightly affronted with Ally's blatant disregard for propriety.
Harry and Ron had been shocked to find Ally not nearly as uptight as Hermione, or as studious. Ally, refused to study on such a regular basis, only doing so a few minutes before each class, and yet managing to do well and even rival Hermione in Potions and Charms. Only nearly, though, because who could ever be smarter than Hermione? During Herbology, as they all now sat much closer to each other than before, Harry noticed that Ally seemed to be failing in the practical parts of the class. Quite often it happened that she was bit by some plant they were studying and had to go to the Hospital Wing or fed it too much fertilizer or gave it too much water. Ally's distaste for the class seemed even more heightened whenever she received a Poor or a Troll on their class assignments, and she had many times loudly resolved to drop the class at the soonest possible moment. Harry was sure Madam Sprout would have no problem conforming to keeping her away from her beloved plants. Ally had taken to reading a novel during class instead of participating in the practical element, only bothering to do the theoretical work.
"Still, he just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily, "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"
"Dunno, but I hope it's hurting him," said Ron.
"Don't worry about it Harry," Ally reassured him, "Maybe Madame Wince -I mean Pince, had another copy," she quickly corrected at the look Hermione shot her.
"Yeah," he looked at her unconvinced, "I guess,"
It was very noisy in the common room that evening. The four of them were gathered by a window as Hermione checked Harry and Ron's homework for them. She never let them copy, but if she checked through their work, they felt like they got the right answers anyways. Ally was reading a book with a red cover and gold lettering, only stopping to answer Hermione's questions and occasionally pointing things out she had missed ("Hey, Charms is my best class.")
Harry felt restless. He wanted to get Quidditch Through the Ages back, it would help take his mind off the game tomorrow and he couldn't bear to think of Ally getting in trouble because of him. Even if she had reassured him, "Harry, it's okay," he couldn't help but feel guilty. Standing up, he told the three of them he was going to ask Snape if he could have it back.
"Rather you than me," Hermione and Ron said together, Ally furrowing her brows at him before shooting him a grateful smile. She went back to reading as he made his way out the door. Not long after, Hermione just finishing checking the boys' homework (and her's for the third time, for that matter) when Harry ran in breathless and eyes wide.
"What happened, Harry?" wondered Ally, making room for him to sit beside her.
"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them beside Ally, "What's the matter?"
In a low whisper, Harry told them about Snape's leg and his injuries and the three-headed beast comment he had made as he bandaged it up.
"Do you know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past the three-headed dog at Halloween! That's whatever its guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let the troll in, to make a diversion!"
Hermione's eyes were wide and Ally glanced at Harry uncertainly, wondering if what he was saying was true. After all, she had never picked Harry as someone to lie.
"No - he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe." Ally nodded, her pony tail bouncing up and down.
"Hermione's right, Harry - just because he's a mean old frump (Ron mouthed 'frumps' questioningly) doesn't mean he's out to get you or set a troll loose in the school." she rolled her bright eyes. "Some mean old frumps are just that - mean old frumps."
"Honestly, Hermione, you two think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. But what's he after? And what's the dog guarding?"
Ally couldn't care less either way: the first ghost was visiting Scrooge, and she was determined to continue her tradition of reading three times A Christmas Carol before Christmas holidays.
The next morning Ally awoke to a freezing dormitory, someone had left the window open and cold gusts of air were blowing into the room, and she was nearly positive she could see some frost developing on her toes. Moaning, she pulled her pillow over her head as she heard Hermione exiting the bathroom, probably dressed warmly for the match.
"Ally, wake up!" Hermione called over to her, her voice slightly muffled through the barrier her pillow was imposing so its sounded like, "Marflly, mork arp!"
"Noooooo..." she dragged out, rolling to the other side of the bed before promptly falling to the cold, hard wooden floor of the girl's dormitory. The other first year girls rolled their eyes at Ally's silly antics, by the end of the year there was sure to be dent in the floor from her falling out of her blanket cocoon. Soon enough, soft snores were emitting from the pile of sheets of the floor, a talent of Ally's to be able to fall asleep anywhere.
Thinking for a second, Hermione took out her wand and pointed it at Ally's sleeping form. "Aguamenti!" A gush of water hit Ally and she jumped up like a flash, rushing into the bathroom before Hermione could soak her with anymore water.
She came out not twenty minutes later, brushing out her damp hair before stuffing a bright red Gryffindor beanie, a scarf and gloves to match and walked to where Hermione was waiting for her on her bed, rereading for what seemed the thousandth time their Potions textbook. Standing up, they both looked each other up and down and then laughed: they had worn the exact same thing. The only different was that Hermione's jacket was a nice light blue that brought out her eyes and Ally's was a fuzzy white thing with stars printed onto the fabric. With one last glance in the mirror, the girls hooked arms and went bounding down the stairs where a sickly looking Harry was unsuccessfully being comforted by Ron, both wearing apparel much like the girls'.
The four headed to the Great Hall for breakfast, the three friends shooting Harry encouraging comments every now and then. The smell of breakfast filled their nostrils and Ally almost moaned at the thought of stuffing her mouth with Hogwart's pancakes and bacon. They plopped onto their table, a little ways from Dean and Seamus, who was piling ketchup onto his sausages like it was the bloody tower of Pisa, and both Ron and Ally began towering food onto their plate, Hermione looking at them both a little disgusted.
Between forkfuls of pancakes, Ally turned to Harry, who was looking sicker by the second as he stared at his empty plate, "Harry, you've got eat something."
"C'mon, Harry, just a bit of toast." pressed Hermione who was helping herself to some herself.
"I'm not hungry," said Harry, looking at his plate glumly, probably still a bag of nerves.
"Please Harry, you need your strength," pleaded Ally, looking up at him with worried eyes. He finally reached over to pick up a bit of buttered toast when Seamus opened his big ugly mug.
"Yeah Harry, Seekers are always the one who get clobbered by the other teams." Ally shot him a hard glare, picking up a bit of bacon and throwing it at his head, missing and hitting poor Neville in the face instead.
Letting his bit of toast fall to the table, Harry mumbled, "Thanks Seamus." Ally still apologizing to a flustered Neville, passing him napkins to help him mop up the pumpkin juice he had spilled when the fried pig fat hit him in the eye.
"Slytherin in possesion - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherin's score, oh no..."
Ally was following the game to the best of her abilities, quickly getting lost in whizzing figures and Lee Jordan's quick witted commentary, cheering whenever the rest of the crimson stand erupted and booing with them when it was the one filled with green. At one point she saw Dray looking particularly happy, so when they made eye contact she stuck out her tongue at him playfully, him smirking back at her.
She was standing surrounded by fellow Gryffindors, smushed up next to Ron and Hagrid - who was wearing an overcoat the size of England - when she heard Dean mumble, "Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing." looking through his binoculars at the field, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom...but he can't have..."
Hermione snatched Dean's binocular's out of his hands, instantly locating Harry, who was suddenly jerked off his broom and was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand. Ally let out a terrified shriek, bringing her hands to her face, eyes glued to Harry's struggling figure while Hermione began to scan the crowd with Dean's binoculars, zeroing in on the Professor's stand.
"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape - he's doing something, jinxing the broom."
Ally furrowed her brows, "What should we do?"
"Leave it to me," Hermione said, speeding away while Ally stared at Harry and prayed to every god and Merlin she had ever heard of and barely believed in. It seemed as if her silent mind signals had worked, because a few minutes later Harry was swinging his leg over the side of his broom and was fine once more. Ally let out a shout of glee, turning and finding a winded Hermione who waved off her excited questions with a, "I'll tell you later."
Turning back to the match, they both looked just in time to see Harry speed towards the ground, tumble down onto all fours, and clap his mouth like he was going to sick all over the field. Watching with bated breath, Ally saw Harry cough one, two, three times before choking up what seemed to be something gold into his hand - it was the Snitch. They had won the match!
Harry looked at the Snitch fluttering just above his hand and grabbing it, held it up in the air and shouted, "I've got the Snitch!" All the stands erupted at once, like a great clap of thunder, they all came running towards the field at once, Ally and Hermione a bit ahead of the flock.
Running faster than Ally had ever thought possible, she flung herself onto Harry, tackling him to the ground with the sheer force of it all and they both rolled together on the grass a bit until Harry ended up on top of Ally. Staring into the emeralds that were Harry's eyes Ally found herself a little breathless, but quickly recovered, pushing them both up and hugging Harry softly now and letting him go, she whispered, "Well done, Harry." Getting up, she brushed the grass stains on her jeans and didn't notice the slight blush Harry was sporting when Hermione caught up with them. Ron was a now approaching and they all laughed at the sheer incredibility of it all. Laughing, Ally spared one last glance at Harry - his flushed face, messy hair, and his bright eyes - and shaking her head, turned back to Hermione's account of Snape's evil deeds.
A/N:
HEEEEEEyyyyYY! What's up my readers! Soosososososoos sorry I haven't but updating since FOREVER! I... honestly have no excuse.. just.. life
I know I know I'm a horrible human being! please don't stone me! *raises arms protectively* But well, I just couldn't give up! After some self guilt trips I finally came around and with a support of my bestie (yeah thats you babes ;) ) I finished this chappie! I had actually had most of it done since a while ago and just had to do the match, but y'know... laziness hehe and well Geometry is being a little poop so I've been stressing over that too..
And of course high school and decisions and other stuffs too... idek sometimes (lol all the time)
So yeah, big shout out to Autumn Brease for being, y'know, my best friend
to channsan for being my bae ;)
and you my lovelies, for actually taking the time read my silly little story 3 you guys are the best and I always love going through the reviews and reading all the comments you guys leave me. It's mostly because you guys that I actually lugged my fat self to the computer and willed my self to finish this chapter, so free internet brownies for all of you! (homemade ;) ;) )
Luv all of you dorks and fear not! This is not the end of Ally and her adventures with the Potty Gang! (We still have like seven more years to go, man)
Your reviews are golden,
Vera White
