A/N: Ok so Chapter 5 was short this one is a bit longer. I think. Sorry I don't explain Hogsmeade more but then this chapter would be REALLY long so yeah! But I'm sure Hermione's birthday is September 19th cuz J.K. Rowling said that in and interview. So here's Chapter 6. Read, Enjoy, and Review!
Luv,
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Chapter 6
Quidditch Trials
Harry lay awake for hours that night. Now he had stuff from both of his parents; he had his father's old Invisibility cloak and now he had a ring from his mother. Thoughts of his parents and what they were like ran through Harry's head as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next few weeks were really busy for the 5th years. The teacher's seemed to think that they needed to start cramming for the O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Level) tests as soon as possible. Before they knew it they'd already been at Hogwarts for almost 3 weeks.
On the 19th Hermione strolled into the common room with a large smile on her face. "Guess what today is!" she said in a singsong sort of voice.
"What? It's Saturday, nothing special about that," Harry said feigning a look of bewilderment. Hermione's smile faded and her face fell a little bit. "You seriously don't know?" she asked quietly.
Harry's face broke into a grin, "You're too easy!" he said as he pulled a mall box out from behind his back. "Happy Birthday! Hey you're old enough to get your driver's license!" he said.
"Yup, thanks! But a lot of good a driver's license is, I mean I'm here all year and there are so many other interesting ways to travel. I got this one book at the library, From Here to There, it's got all the different ways to travel. I mean there are broomsticks, Floo Powder, Apparition . . ."
"Herm! HERM! Just open your present!" Harry cut in.
"Oh yes!" she replied turning her attention to the small box in her hands. She carefully untied the silver ribbon and tore off the purple paper. She opened the box and gasped. "Oh Harry it's gorgeous!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you!" Hermione gently took the necklace out of the box and put it around her neck. She walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall and examined her reflection. "It looks like someone caught a raindrop and strung it on a necklace," she breathed.
"Hey Hermi!" a voice called from across the room. Harry turned to see Ron walking across the common room to where they were standing. "Happy Birthday!" he said to Hermione as he reached the two of them. Ron handed Hermione a small rectangular package.
"Thanks," she said. Hermione tore the yellow paper off of a book. The title read Magical Mystery, A Book of Poems, in curly silver writing. "Wow! Thanks this is awesome!" she said as she hugged Ron too.
"So Hermi, we've got the day off and since it's your birthday and all we're taking you somewhere," Harry piped up.
"But we're blindfolding you so that you don't know where you're going!" Ron added grinning wickedly.
"No, you guys!" she whined as Ron tied a bandana around her head, "you don't have to blindfold me, please! Oh geez!" Harry ran upstairs and grabbed the Marauder's Map. (A map of Hogwarts and its secret passages, made by Harry's father and friends, and given to Harry by Fred and George.) He rushed back down the stairs and grabbed one of Hermione's hands, and he and Ron dragged Hermione out of the portrait hole and all the way to the third floor. They walked right up to a statue of an old, humped, one-eyed witch. Harry checked the map to make sure no one was in the area, then he tapped the statue of the witch and whispered "Dissendium!" The witch's humped back opened into a hole big enough for a person to fit through. Ron and Harry helped Hermione through and hopped through themselves.
"NO!" said Hermione flatly. She knew where this secret passageway ended up. "Hogsmeade?! We can't! What if we get caught? I'm a prefect I'll be in more trouble then you guys!" she cried.
"We won't!" Ron assured her.
"Miss Hermione Granger, we are treating you to a full day of fun in Hogsmeade, including 2 full meals . . ."
"Plus cake at lunch," Ron interrupted.
"Plus cake at lunch, in the 3 Broomsticks! Whether you like it or not! So deal with the small bout of rule bending okay?" Harry finished.
"Rule bending? Harry we're snapping these rules in half!"
"No," Ron corrected her. Harry and he had this argument planned because they knew exactly what Hermione was gonna say. "Our permission forms say we're allowed to visit Hogsmeade on weekends."
"On certain weekends! It says we can visit on certain weekends!" she retorted.
"Who says this isn't a certain weekend? It's your birthday Hermi, we haven't ever celebrated it in 4 years of being friends so lighten up okay?" Ron answered back.
After much more protesting Hermione finally agreed as long as they came back right after lunch.
At 2:00 Harry, Hermione, and Ron had just climbed out of the statue of the witch when Snape walked by. He took no notice of the three of them and kept walking. Harry started away when Snape's startled cry echoed through the corridor. The three of them turned to see him in a heap on the floor in a puddle from a leak in the wall. Ron started to crack up and Hermione stuffed a hand over his mouth to shut him up as they ran off towards Gryffindor tower.
They clambered back into the common room pink faced and laughing their heads off. "Hey Harry! Quidditch team meeting tonight, in here at 8:30 and what's so funny?" Angelina Johnson asked walking over to the three of them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione told her how they'd just seen Snape slip in a puddle and fall. Within 10 minutes the whole common room knew and was laughing out loud.
At 8:30 Harry was just climbing through the portrait hole from dinner. Angelina and Katie Bell were already there at a table waiting. Seconds later Fred and George flew through the portrait hole at top speed. They screeched to a stop in front of Angelina, Katie, and Harry. "Okay, we're here! Let's start!" Fred said sounding a bit winded, but ignoring the weird looks from his 3 teammates.
"Alright, we've got two matters to discuss at this meeting. 1st we need a new captain seeing how Wood graduated 2 years ago, and 2nd we need a new Keeper and a new Chaser seeing as how Alicia graduated last year! So any captain nominations?" Angelina said.
Harry thought anyone on the team would make a good captain, but after the way Angelina had just taken charge it was obvious, to him who it should be.
"Angelina, it's you! You're obviously qualified!" Katie stated expressing Harry's thoughts perfectly. Fred, George, and Harry nodded in agreement.
"Really? Well ok! And Harry, you'll be captain next year seeing as how the rest of us are graduating after this year. Sounds good!" Angelina said, positively beaming. "Okay onto #2! We should hold trials as soon as possible. How 'bout Friday night, cuz everyone gets the afternoon off?"
"Can't!" George said smirking, "We're gonna have detention! We left Filch a present in his office!"
"I don't even wanna know! So what about Saturday evening then?" The rest of the team nodded in agreement and the meeting ended.
* * *
The week couldn't have gone fast enough for Harry. He loved everything about Hogwarts ('cept maybe Snape), but his favorite thing by far was quidditch. Quidditch is the sport the whole wizarding world followed. It's played on broomsticks 50 feet in the air. Harry was Seeker on the Gryffindor house team. He had been since his first year. Besides being the youngest house player in a century he had also helped the Gryffindor team to win the Quidditch Cup during his 3rd year.
Tuesday morning at breakfast Angelina announced to the Gryffindor table that she was the new team captain. The table applauded for her as she stood beaming. "Also!" she said, "We have two spots open this year, a chaser and a keeper, and we could use a couple of reserves! So we're holding trials this Saturday evening on the quidditch pitch!" A loud babble spread across the table as she sat down. They were all discussing who they thought would make it, or trying to persuade their friends to go for it.
"So, Ron," Harry started, "Gonna come Saturday?"
"Of course! You know me and my quidditch! How 'bout you Hermi? Reckon you could play quidditch?" Ron asked.
Hermione snorted into her porridge and looked up incredulously. "Are you joking? Heck no! I haven't been flying since that one lesson 1st year! And that was no fun, my rear-end hurt for a week afterward!" Hermione stated. "Besides," she said regaining some of her composure, "we take O.W.L.s this year. I don't have time for quidditch! I have to devote myself to my studies."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Ooh goody!" he said sarcastically, "Something new and different for you!"
* * *
Harry woke up Saturday morning to a clear sunny day, perfect weather conditions for quidditch. Harry dressed quietly and walked down to the common room alone. He didn't want to wake Ron just yet. Harry figured that Ron could use all the sleep he could get. Harry plopped down in an armchair and stared into the fire. He got lost in the flames and his thoughts and didn't even notice when Ginny Weasley sat down beside him.
"Harry?" she asked cautiously.
"Oh hey Ginny," Harry replied snapping out of his trance.
"You okay? You looked kinda dazed."
"Yeah I'm fine just a bit out of it, I guess."
"D'you wanna go down to breakfast with me?" she asked.
"Sure," Harry responded. They got up and climbed out of the portrait hole. They sat eating breakfast talking about the evening's quidditch trials, Ginny was asking about Ron's chances of making the team. 20 minutes later Ron moseyed down to breakfast half asleep with Hermione following after him.
"Morning," Harry said cheerfully.
"Morning," Hermione replied. Ron just grunted as he scooped some eggs onto his plate.
They finished breakfast in silence. "Well I've still got that essay to so for Snape so I'm gonna go grab my bag and go sit by the lake. Anyone care to join me?" Harry asked as he stood up. No one responded and Harry took that as a no. So he trudged up to Gryffindor tower alone and grabbed his bag.
Harry spent most of the day outside writing his essay and thinking about where Voldemort was at that time. He was just watching some 1st years playing tag across the lake when Ron came running up to him. "Hey," Ron said stopping next to Harry. "We've gotta be at the pitch in like 5 minutes!"
"Oh, is it really that late?" Harry asked. Ron nodded. "Let's go then." Harry got up and walked with Ron over to the quidditch pitch. The last time Harry had been there it had been covered in 20 foot high hedges for the third task of the Triwizard Tournament. The memory of that night came back to Harry suddenly.
"See ya!" Ron said as he walked over to the other hopefuls. Harry pushed the sad thoughts out of his head, wished Ron luck, and trotted over to where the rest of the team was standing.
"Oh good you're here Harry, now we can start!" Angelina said. "Um why don't we go sit up in like the 4th or 5th row in the stands?"
"K," Fred said. The team climbed into seat and watched as Angelina talked to the people trying out.
"Okay thank you all for your interest in our quidditch team. We unfortunately won't be able to take all of you. We need a Chaser, a Keeper, a reserve Chaser, and a reserve Seeker. Ok? So first can I have your name and the position you're trying out for?"
"Seamus Finnigan, Chaser!" a sandy-haired boy said, his blue eyes flashing nervously.
"Colin Creevy, um, Seeker," Colin smiled up at Harry. Harry groaned. Colin idolized Harry, and it was bad enough having him tag around after him in the hallways, but now there was a chance that quidditch would be Colin-ful too.
"You know we only need a reserve, Harry's our Seeker," Angelina said to Colin.
"I know, I don't care. I wanna be just like Harry!" Colin replied excitedly.
"Okay, moving on," Angelina said surpressing a giggle.
"John Silvers, Keeper," a large 6th year said.
"Ron Weasley, Chaser," Ron smiled up at Harry and his brothers as he answered.
"Kara Allen, Chaser," was a tall redheaded girl who was twisting the sleeves of her robes nervously.
"Meg Barous, Keeper," was a shorter girl with black hair, and was obviously Kara's friend.
"Angelique Brooks, Keeper" was a short blond girl who looked like she wasn't much older than twelve. "Call me Angel though," she added. Harry thought she even kinda looked like an angel. Her blond hair fell in ringlets to her shoulders and she had clear, airy, blue eyes.
"Thomas Becker, Keeper or Seeker," was the last person in the line.
"Okay first let's see if you guys can fly." Angelina said grabbing her broomstick.
The 8 people in line grabbed brooms from a pile and kicked off. Angelina kicked off on her own broomstick. She flew around to pitch in a kind of follow the leader type game. Harry could easily tell who the best flyers were. Ron and Seamus were both really fast, Angelique was quick in her turns, and Thomas was just an all-out good flyer. Colin looked like he was barely staying on his broom.
After the 'follow-the-leader' game they took out the quaffle. Angelina had the people trying out for Chaser try some penalty shots against those trying out for Keeper. Then they preformed some offensive formations trying each one of the Chasers and Keepers in turn. Ron was actually really good. Which, though he'd never admit it, surprised Harry.
By the end of the trials it was obvious who was gonna be on the team. Angelina flew over to where the rest of the team was sitting.
"Um I'm thinking Ron's gonna be the new Chaser and Seamus is the reserve. Any objections there?" Angelina started. The rest of the team shook their heads.
"I think the short blond girl, Angel I think her name is, is our new Keeper. She didn't miss more than 3 shots all evening!" George said. "She's as good as Wood!"
"And that rhymes!" added Katie.
The others nodded in agreement. "Okay then Thomas is the reserve Seeker. Harry you'll have to work with him at a couple of practices, make sure he know what he's doing in case you ever can't play," Angelina finished.
"Okay go announce it to them before they die!" Harry said grinning, he couldn't wait to see the look on Ron's face. Angelina flew back down to the field and stood in front of a line of nervous faces.
"We want to tell you all that you did a great job today. And even if you aren't chosen this year me, Fred, George, and Katie will be graduating at the end of this year so there will be 4 open positions next year. So with that aside, I'd like to announce the new members of the Gryffindor house quidditch team. Our new Keeper is Angel Brooks, our new Chaser is Ron Weasley, and our 2 reserves are Seamus Finnigan and Thomas Becker. Congratulations." Angelina smiled at everyone then walked over and started talking to Katie. Harry rushed over to Ron.
"Congrats man! You were awesome!" Harry said to Ron still smiling.
"Thanks!" Ron replied. He looked like he was about to jump out of his skin. He practically skipped up to the castle with Harry running to catch up.
A/N: Yay! So Ron gets to play quidditch with Harry! How fun! You know what else is fun? Writing reviews! So go on have a ball write one right now! Tank 'oo vewy much!
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