"No, please! What have you done?" Suddenly Harry Potter woke up, still screaming.
"Ron, Ron wake up!"
"Wha....... Go back to bed, Harry," Ron said.
"But Ron! I had the dream again! Come on Ron, don't tell me you're not scared!"
"What dream? Harry, can we talk about this in the morning, I'm tired. Tell Hermione."
"But Hermione's a girl! I can't tell her!"
"Just lemme sleep, please," Ron said. A loud snore indicated that he had indeed fallen back asleep.
"Real caring friend you have there," Seamus said.
"Seamus! What are you doing up?"
"Don't want to sleep, you could say. I've been having, erm, recurring nightmares. You know, the one where Voldemort kills us all. I suppose that's the one you just had, right?" Harry looked at Seamus in awe.
"But you just said......... Only Dumbledore and I ever........"
"What, surprised that I said Voldemort? I suppose it does seem odd, but really, it's just a name. How odd I find it that everyone is afraid of it, I myself used to be, but since I started having these nightmares my opinion has changed."
"Ahh. I see. So, about the dream. You know, it's really weird that you and I have been having the same one, and it's really quite scary, if you ask me."
"Yeah. I hope it doesn't really happen, that would be awful."
"I bet it does," Harry whispered, afraid.
"Unfortunately, you're probably right. Hey, you should get back to sleep, the last Quidditch Match before Christmas is tomorrow. You and me both."
"Yes, I suppose you're right."
"G'night."
"Night."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry woke up very early the next morning. It was still dark. He doubted that anyone else was awake, but knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. So he went into the common room and sat by the fire. He was joined first by Seamus, who was the team Keeper, then by Caroline and Katherine Luna, the (twin 5th year) girls that played the positions of Beater, then by the three Chasers, Lavender, Parvati, and Jill Mills (7th year, Neville's girlfriend). They all sat nervously by the fire, waiting for the sun to rise. They were the first ones to arrive in the Great Hall that morning.
The next to arrive was the Ravenclaw Team. Chasers Samantha Hall, Molly Overmyer, and Farrell Huntley Seeker, Erin Jennings, Beaters, Jack and Jim Hughes, and Keeper, Michelle Piper, greeted the Gryffindor's weakly. Finally the Ravenclaws sat down as people started streaming into the Great Hall.
"Good luck, guys," Hermione said to the team.
"I just hope we don't have to use any reserves in this game," Seamus said.
"And why is that?" asked Ginny, looking angry as she and Colin sat down opposite Caroline and Katherine.
"Yeah!" piped up Colin.
"Oh dear," Harry said. He knew perfectly well why Seamus didn't want to use any reserves: Ginny was a reserve Chaser, and so was Colin.
"Never mind," Seamus said, "it's going to be a tough game, the Ravenclaws are pretty good. We can't afford to lose our first string players."
"So you're saying we're not good?"
"Not really, but you're not as good as Lavender, Parvati, and Jill," Harry said.
"Actually, that is what I meant," Seamus said.
"Seamus!" Harry said. Seamus nodded.
"Let's go, team," Harry said. The whole team followed Harry. Jill, Lavender, and Parvati all nervously waited for Harry's pep talk, but it didn't come. Even Katherine and Caroline were silent, which was a first.
"Play your best," is all Harry could croak out. They walked out onto the field. Ever since Lee Jordan had left Hogwarts, Ron had been commentating, so as they walked onto the field, Ron yelped, "And here are the Gryffindors, Potter, Luna, Luna, Patil, Brown, Finnigan, and Mills. Just as good as the team before 'em, if not better. Former team captains Wood and Bell would have been proud of the way Potter's kept this team in shape. Best team around." Boos from the Ravenclaws.
"And here are the Ravenclaws, Piper, Jennings, Hughes, Hughes, Overmyer, Hall, and Huntley. Okay now, let the game begin." Madam Hooch blew her whistle as Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor's pushed off the ground. "And they're off! Quaffle goes to Mills of Gryffindor, she's going.... Shoots and it's blocked by Keeper Piper, superb play there, Ravenclaw in posession, and it's Hall for the shot." Harry was scanning the sky for the snitch.
"Excellent Bludger work by the Lunas, Quaffle intercepted by Patil, down to the goal posts, she shoots, passes Piper..... She scores!!!!!" Meanwhile, Harry had spotted the Snitch. He went into a dive for it, he was going.......
"And Potter's hit by the Ravenclaw Beater, Jack or Jim, I can never tell with them." In the audience, Harry heard someone yell back (most likely Draco Malfoy) "Hey, Weasley, you're a poet and you don't even know it! Maybe you can make a few knuts, your family could sure use it!" Ron's face went a deep red.
"Gryffindor in posession, it's Brown.... SCORE! That's my girl, Lavender! And the score is 20 to zip, Gryffindor in the lead!" Harry scanned the field for the Snitch. He didn't see it, but Seamus did.
"HARRY, THE SNITCH!" He pointed at Erin, who was diving for it.
"Go," he hissed at his broom, "faster." As if obeying his every command, his Firebolt 2 went faster. He was catching up to Erin.... He pulled even..... He pushed his hand out..............
"I don't believe it! Potter's caught the Snitch!" The Gryffindor team sank back down to the earth, all yelling. All the Ravenclaw's were looking pretty sour, with the exception of Michelle Piper.
"Congratulations," she said, "great Bluddger work Caroline, Katherine. Way to handle that Quaffle, Lavender, Parvati, Jill. And excellent catch, Harry, superb, superb."
"Thanks Michelle. That was some save you made," Parvati said.
"Harry! Party, common room!!!!!!!" Ron yelled.
"Coming," the whole team yelled back. They said good-bye to Michelle (again) and headed up to the tower. Music was blasting (everything you could think of was played during the party, Blink182, Savage Garden, N'Sync, Destiny's Child, 702, TLC, Britney Spears, 98 Degrees, Jessica Simpson, Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Faith Hill, Ricky Martin, Mandy Moore, Marc Anthony....... "Ahem. We get the point, Angelina.") and most people were dancing. (Colin/Ginny, Dean/Parvati, Neville/Jill, a 6th year named Emily/ a 6th year named Adam "Hey, you forgot to say remember those two names, you'll hear them again later on!" "Ahem, as I was saying...." Ron/Lavender..... "Again, we get the point." "Okay, okay.") Harry noticed Hermione sitting alone in the corner. She looked like she was asleep, so Harry went to wake her up. He shook her lightly. She wouldn't wake. He shook her again. She still didn't wake.
"Hey, Harry, what's up my man?" Ron asked.
"Herm's asleep." "Oh. I'll wake her." He shook her furiously and yelled in her ear, but she still wouldn't wake up. Finally they decided to panic.
"Should we get help?"
"Yes." Harry began trying to drag Hermione to the hospital wing.
"Uh, Harry?"
"What?"
"I don't think that's going to work so well."
"Oh."
"I'm gonna have to help you." Harry rolled his eyes, but shoved Hermione's feet towards Ron. He grabbed them. They hoisted her up.
"Man, she's heavy," Ron said.
"Need some help? Did she pass out or something?" Seamus asked. They nodded. For a moment Ron forgot his hatred towards Seamus in his concern for Hermione. Seamus helped them drag her to the hospital wing.
"What is going on?" Madam Pomfrey shrieked.
"She passed out," Harry said, pointing at Hermione.
"Well, let me examine her. You three may wait." So Madam Pomfrey checked over Hermione.
"I've got to go," Seamus said, and he walked back to Gryffindor Tower.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley?"
"Yes, Madam?"
"She is very ill. It may take several weeks for her to recover. She may never recover. She may die." This was followed by a silence.