C H A P T E R T H R E E
T H E
A R R I V A L
On the Hogwarts Express, Harry, Rachel, Ron, Hermione, and Parvati found their own empty compartment. Ginny ran off to find Colin Creevey and her other fourth-year friends. Almost immediately, Parvati drifted off to sleep. Hermione fell to teaching Ron about the Internet. Soon, Draco came striding into the car. He had already found his thugs, Crabbe and Goyle.
"Watch out, Weasley! They're trying to draw you into the Muggle world! I told you to get some decent friends. Oh, yeah, I forgot, you can't even afford junky friends! Ha! Poor wittle Weasley. Poor, poor Weasley!" Draco teased.
"Hey, how you doing, Mudblood?" He said to Hermione, who gave him a what- are-you-getting-at look. "Have a good Muggle school to go to? Because when we Malfoys take control, you Mudbloods are the first to go!" Hermione looked like she was going to hurt Draco very badly.
"Hey, Potter!" Draco continued. "I've been telling you since we first met, get decent friends. Come with us!" Draco gestured to himself, Crabbe, and Goyle. "Wait, now that I think of it, don't come, because then she'd tag along." He scowled at Rachel. Harry drew Rachel closer to him. "Must be very annoying, having her following you wherever you go."
"Actually, it's not. I enjoy her company, a lot. She's very nice."
"Ooooo! Ha ha! Potter and Rachel, sitting in a tree." Draco began to sing. Parvati had woken up. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
"Actually," Parvati stated. "They did kiss. This morning. But it wasn't in a tree, it was in…"
SLAP!
Hermione, who was closest to Parvati, had slapped her across the face.
"What was that? They did kiss? Woo hoo!" Draco yelled. He started to walk out of the compartment, when…
"Stupefy!" Harry screamed, Stunning Draco and making him an easy target.
SLAP!
Rachel whipped her hand around and left a red mark on Draco's cheek.
SLAP!
Her hand came around for another pass.
SLAP!
She brought her hand back and hit him once again.
SLAP!
Her hand rounded home base for one more final smack.
Crabbe and Goyle turned around and started running.
"Stupefy!"
"Stupefy!"
Ron and Hermione Stunned the two goons in their tracks.
Parvati ran over to where Draco was laying. "Oh, honey, are you all right?" She picked up Draco's head. "You… you'll be sorry!" She threateningly pointed at Harry and Rachel. She dragged Draco into another compartment. A few minutes later she came back, and, with help from Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, managed to haul Crabbe and Goyle away.
"Fine! Take them!" Ron shouted after them. "Didn't add much to the décor, anyway." At that, everyone burst out laughing. "And you all might as well stay in there!"
Suddenly, a fat little witch came in, pushing a cart full of food. "Anything off the cart, dearies?" She asked in a shaky voice.
"Sure," Ron answered, fumbling for his money sack in his robes.
"Uh, Ron?" a scared Hermione said, nudging him. "Ron?"
"What? I'm trying to get my money out… Oh, God." He looked up at the plump little witch.
She had curly, short, white hair. She was old, around sixty-five. She had legs that were too long for her body. Her triple chin quivered under her head as she waited for Ron's order.
It never came. Ron had fainted.
"Anyone else?" The little witch looked around.
"No. We, um… just lost our appetite." Hermione replied. Harry and Rachel nodded their heads vigorously in agreement.
"Okay, then. Your loss."
She turned to leave. Everyone noticed a big clam on the back of her purple robes as she waddled away. They all looked at each other, not believing what they had just seen.
"Was it her?" Hermione asked.
"Definitely." Ron answered; he had woken up. "I'd recognize her ugly mug anywhere."
"But how could she be here?" Harry asked.
"Beats me, but we're almost there, so let's change into our school robes." Rachel said. They were approaching Hogwarts Station. The train gave a big lurch as it stopped. Ron flew out of his seat and sprawled out on the floor. Rachel had fallen into Harry's lap.
Suddenly, Dumbledore walked into the car. He was very tall, and very old. He had a long silver beard that touched the ground. Half-moon spectacles rested on his long crooked nose.
"Hello, everybody." Dumbledore greeted. "So, Harry, I see you have a girlfriend." Harry and Rachel both blushed a bright shade of crimson.
"Uh… no, Professor Dumbledore. Rachel just fell when the train stopped."
"Ah, yes, I see. Then that would explain why Mr. Weasley is on the floor with his head under Miss Granger's feet. Unless, Hermione, he is your new footrest?" Ron blushed brighter than his hair. He got up and brushed himself off.
"I see that you've all changed into your school robes, so see you at the Feast!" Dumbledore turned to leave. "Oh, and Rachel, come up to my office as soon as you depart off the train. Harry, you come too." Harry and Rachel looked at each other. Were they in trouble? Had Dumbledore found out about their feelings toward each other somehow?
The train had finally pulled into Hogwarts Station. Harry and Rachel ran out of the train and to Hagrid, who was gathering all the first years on the shore of the Great Lake.
Hagrid was a huge man. Twice as tall as an average man, and three times as big, he was humungous. The reason for his size was because he was a half- giant. His beetle-black eyes sparkled under his shaggy black beard.
"Hiya, Harry!" Hagrid yelled.
"Hi, Hagrid. Do you mind if we borrow one of the boats? Dumbledore said to meet him up at the castle before the Feast."
"Well, these here boats are for the firs' years on'y, but since Dumbledore sent ya, I guess ya can borrow one."
"Thanks." Harry and Rachel climbed into a boat.
Harry started rowing them across the Lake. Half way across, the boat got caught in a current. It pushed the boat towards the castle, so Harry didn't have to row anymore. Harry and Rachel looked around. It was dark, and they couldn't see anyone back at the Station. They noticed something splash in the water. Probably just the Giant Squid. Something was flying overhead. Had to be only a bat.
Harry looked at Rachel, and Rachel looked at Harry, the same look in their eyes.
They moved closer to each other, their faces barely an inch apart. His lips touched hers, and her lips touched his.
They drew apart again, and looked at each other dreamily.
"You don't know how much I love you." Rachel whispered in Harry's ear.
"Oh yes I do."
They kissed again. Out here on the dark Lake, where no one could see them, they could kiss all they want. They did that, too, all the way to the hidden dock. Their lips touched for the fourth time that evening, and they stepped out of the boat onto the wet gravel path leading up to the castle.
They walked up to the gigantic castle, Harry's arm around Rachel, and Rachel's arm around Harry. When they reached the huge wooden doors, Rachel performed an Alohomora spell. The door swung open, and Harry led her up to Dumbledore's office.
"Ah, hello!" Dumbledore greeted when Harry and Rachel arrived at his office. "Come."
They walked up he flight of stairs that led to Dumbledore's office.
"You are probably wondering why I asked you here." Dumbledore started. "No, you are not in trouble. Miss Witt, you must get Sorted."
"But don't new students get Sorted at the Feast?" Harry asked.
"Yes, they do, but they are only first years. I wanted to save Miss Witt a whole year of humiliation and Sort her up here, before the Feast." As he said this, he pulled out a three-legged stool and a battered old wizard's hat.
"Just put it on and it'll tell you where you should go." Harry explained.
Rachel, feeling silly, placed the hat on her head. Suddenly, a tiny voice spoke in her head.
"Why, hello, Ms. Witt." The voice said. "It's been a while since we've had a student enter Hogwarts halfway through. Well, let's get down to business, where shall I place you?"
"Not Slytherin, not Slytherin!" Rachel thought. Harry had told her that Slytherin was the worst House to go in.
"Not Slytherin?" the voice asked. "You don't have the stuff to go there, anyway. You've got the smarts, so you'd be good in Ravenclaw. Oh, what's this? My, my, hard work and intelligence isn't a good combination for Ravenclaws. Perhaps Hufflepuff. Wait! Bravery! Hmm. You are a tricky one. I don't know where you'd do well. I guess it better be GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted out that last word so Harry and Dumbledore could hear it.
Rachel took off the hat and looked around at the room. Harry was beaming.
"Another Gryffindor!" He shouted. Rachel didn't know if he was happy because another student was in his House, or that this means he would be able to spend more time with her.
"Well, now that you've been Sorted, why don't you run along down to the Feast? Hurry before you miss it!" Dumbledore said.
Rachel and Harry ran out of the office. Harry picked up Rachel and twirled her around, pure happiness flowing through him. They ran, hand in hand, all the way to the Great Hall.
"Where've you been?" Ron asked after Harry and Rachel sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"Dumbledore wanted to see us." Harry explained.
"Well, you missed the Sorting." Hermione said. "Parvati transferred to Slytherin. Traitor."
Harry and Rachel traded looks of extreme dread. Even after they modified Draco's memory on the Hogwarts Express, Parvati was probably telling the whole Slytherin table about them kissing.
Rachel and Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table. Everyone seated there was laughing at something Parvati had just said. Draco looked over at Harry and Rachel and pretended to kiss an invisible person. The whole table erupted in laughter.
Harry and Rachel sank farther under the table and groaned. Their life as they knew it was over.
"Do you see the look on Parvati's face?" Ron said.
"Yeah, she's telling every Slytherin about you-know-what." Harry replied. He didn't want the whole Gryffindor table knowing about them, too.
"No, look!" Ron pointed at Parvati. Rachel and Harry glanced behind them. Parvati had stopped talking and was now cuddling up to Draco. She ran one of her hands through his blonde hair and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"At least you two do it right." Hermione said to Harry and Rachel. "Look at that! You call that a kiss? Pathetic! Harry, Rachel, show 'em how it's done."
"Maybe some other time." Rachel said.
By now, food had appeared on the tables. Hermione dug in, scooping everything onto her plate.
"What about spew?" Ron asked.
"S.P.E.W.? Oh, that stupid thing. I gave that up ages ago. The house-elves like being enslaved."
Harry and Ron looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Yeah, we tried to tell you that all last year." Ron said.
"Shut up!" Hermione snapped, her face full of mashed potatoes.
After the Feast, Dumbledore called Harry, Rachel, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Parvati outside.
"I know your secret." He confessed once they had all gotten outside.
Harry, Rachel, Ron, and Hermione all looked at each other.
"No, not that secret. I know that, too, but it's safe with me."
"Yeah, it's not safe with them, though." Ron snapped, jabbing a finger at Parvati and Draco. "The whole Slytherin House knows about it thanks to them."
"I command you to stop that rumor right now." Dumbledore ordered Parvati and Draco.
"But it's not a rumor." Parvati said. "I saw them. All five times."
"What? You saw us?" Harry screamed.
"Yeah, in the boats back there. Nice one, Harry, a four-run homer!" Draco commented.
"You too?!" Rachel exclaimed. "How?!"
"Enough of this." Dumbledore commanded. "Put a stop to this right now, Miss Patil and Mr. Malfoy."
"How?" Draco asked.
"Say that Harry and Rachel broke up, or something."
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear it. A teacher, let alone the Headmaster, is actually telling us to spread a rumor. Okay, we'll do it." They crossed their fingers behind their backs. Unfortunately, no one saw them.
"Yes, you can call it a rumor if you like. But we have more important issues to attend to. As I said I know your other secret. I know who all of you really are, and where you all are really from. I also know that you are all animagi since birth. Except you, Rachel."
Everyone except Rachel gave bewildered looks to Dumbledore. "She is something more." He said. A long, awkward silence followed Dumbledore's words.
"We knew that we were animagi. Right, Parvati?" Draco blurted out. "That's how we saw them smoochin' on the boat."
"Yes, I could have guessed. I believe all of you received strange books for Christmas? Well, those books were from me. They showed all of you as you are, or were, and all of you in your animal form."
"Whoa, cool!" Ron exclaimed. "We really are the next group of Animorphs!"
"Now, I want all of you to know that I have only told the professors this information, and they all have sworn to secrecy."
"But Snape told us." Parvati confessed.
"I will see to it that Professor Snape be punished for this. None of the teachers were supposed to tell any of you until I had already spoke to you."
"Um, excuse me, Professor?" Harry asked meekly. "You didn't tell them about, you-know-what, did you?"
"No, I have kept that secret to myself, like I told you once before, to protect you another whole year of humiliation." Dumbledore winked at Rachel. "Now back to the Feast, I have some announcements to make."
Everyone walked back inside, out of the cold September air. Dumbledore strode up to the Head Table and cleared his throat.
"Ahem, may I have all of your attention, please." He announced. "I am pleased to announce that there has been a romance going on at Hogwarts for quite some time. May I be pleased to say that our own fellow Gryffindors and champion Quidditch players, Miss Alicia Spinnet, and Mr. George Weasley, are getting married right here at Hogwarts in December." The whole Hall erupted in cheers.
"I didn't know George was getting married here." Ron complained. He let out a long sigh. "They never tell me these things. His own brother. I'm ashamed."
"Oh, quit it." Hermione whined.
"Therefore," Dumbledore continued. "They will be excused from Quidditch practices and matches while they make arrangements. That means there will be two openings on the Gryffindor House Team. Also, the Gryffindor Keeper and Captain, Oliver Wood, graduated two years ago. Because of the Triwizard Tournament last year, no one was selected to fill in this position. Since Captains have to have been on the team for at least five years, students can only try out for Keeper. Miss Angelina Johnson also graduated last year, so there is another opening for Chaser. Remember, first years are not allowed to play Quidditch. If anyone from Gryffindor would like to try out for the team as Beater, Keeper, or Chaser, please see Miss Katie Bell on the pitch tomorrow at noon. Thank you. Now have a wonderful evening, and be ready for your first classes tomorrow. Good night."
` $ % ^
Up in the Gryffindor Common Room, Rachel, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the only ones awake.
"I can't believe Parvati would transfer to Slytherin, she's been a Gryffindor since we first came here!" Ron exclaimed.
"But did you see the look on her face when she sat next to Malfoy? Woo hoo! I smell love!" Harry yelled.
"You sure it's not you two?" Hermione said.
"Five times in one day! That's, like, a world record! Man, Harry, you're on fih-ya! How'd ya do it?" Ron cheered, giving Harry a punch on the shoulder.
Harry didn't say anything; he just pulled Rachel closer to him and smiled lovingly at her.
"I think it's time for bed, Ron." Hermione said, pushing him towards the entrance to the boys' dormitory.
"But I'm not tired." Ron whined.
"It's time for bed." Hermione stressed, glancing over at the couple.
"Oh, yeah." Ron said, faking a yawn. "Man, I'm beat. See you tomorrow Har…" Hermione elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a leave-them-alone look. They both went up to their dorms.
Harry and Rachel looked at each other and smiled at Hermione's thoughtfulness. "Good night, Rachel." Harry softly spoke, giving Rachel a kiss.
"Night, Harry." Rachel said back, and returned the kiss.
They both stood there for a while, staring into the fire. Finally, they gave each other a last hug, parted, and walked up to bed.
"How'd it go?" Ron asked as soon as Harry entered the dorm.
"Two more."
"Oh, yeah! Seven-half a point, you guys." Harry gave Ron a bewildered look. "You two versus Parvati and Malfoy. I'm keeping score. That peck Parvati gave Malfoy at dinner didn't count as a full-fledged kiss."
Harry expressed a small smile. "Only you would do that."
"Yeah."
Ron and Harry exchanged double high-fives. They both lay in bed, talking. Harry was giving Ron tips on how to get a girlfriend. They talked until late into the night. Then, at around 1:00 am, they fell asleep.
T H E
A R R I V A L
On the Hogwarts Express, Harry, Rachel, Ron, Hermione, and Parvati found their own empty compartment. Ginny ran off to find Colin Creevey and her other fourth-year friends. Almost immediately, Parvati drifted off to sleep. Hermione fell to teaching Ron about the Internet. Soon, Draco came striding into the car. He had already found his thugs, Crabbe and Goyle.
"Watch out, Weasley! They're trying to draw you into the Muggle world! I told you to get some decent friends. Oh, yeah, I forgot, you can't even afford junky friends! Ha! Poor wittle Weasley. Poor, poor Weasley!" Draco teased.
"Hey, how you doing, Mudblood?" He said to Hermione, who gave him a what- are-you-getting-at look. "Have a good Muggle school to go to? Because when we Malfoys take control, you Mudbloods are the first to go!" Hermione looked like she was going to hurt Draco very badly.
"Hey, Potter!" Draco continued. "I've been telling you since we first met, get decent friends. Come with us!" Draco gestured to himself, Crabbe, and Goyle. "Wait, now that I think of it, don't come, because then she'd tag along." He scowled at Rachel. Harry drew Rachel closer to him. "Must be very annoying, having her following you wherever you go."
"Actually, it's not. I enjoy her company, a lot. She's very nice."
"Ooooo! Ha ha! Potter and Rachel, sitting in a tree." Draco began to sing. Parvati had woken up. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
"Actually," Parvati stated. "They did kiss. This morning. But it wasn't in a tree, it was in…"
SLAP!
Hermione, who was closest to Parvati, had slapped her across the face.
"What was that? They did kiss? Woo hoo!" Draco yelled. He started to walk out of the compartment, when…
"Stupefy!" Harry screamed, Stunning Draco and making him an easy target.
SLAP!
Rachel whipped her hand around and left a red mark on Draco's cheek.
SLAP!
Her hand came around for another pass.
SLAP!
She brought her hand back and hit him once again.
SLAP!
Her hand rounded home base for one more final smack.
Crabbe and Goyle turned around and started running.
"Stupefy!"
"Stupefy!"
Ron and Hermione Stunned the two goons in their tracks.
Parvati ran over to where Draco was laying. "Oh, honey, are you all right?" She picked up Draco's head. "You… you'll be sorry!" She threateningly pointed at Harry and Rachel. She dragged Draco into another compartment. A few minutes later she came back, and, with help from Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, managed to haul Crabbe and Goyle away.
"Fine! Take them!" Ron shouted after them. "Didn't add much to the décor, anyway." At that, everyone burst out laughing. "And you all might as well stay in there!"
Suddenly, a fat little witch came in, pushing a cart full of food. "Anything off the cart, dearies?" She asked in a shaky voice.
"Sure," Ron answered, fumbling for his money sack in his robes.
"Uh, Ron?" a scared Hermione said, nudging him. "Ron?"
"What? I'm trying to get my money out… Oh, God." He looked up at the plump little witch.
She had curly, short, white hair. She was old, around sixty-five. She had legs that were too long for her body. Her triple chin quivered under her head as she waited for Ron's order.
It never came. Ron had fainted.
"Anyone else?" The little witch looked around.
"No. We, um… just lost our appetite." Hermione replied. Harry and Rachel nodded their heads vigorously in agreement.
"Okay, then. Your loss."
She turned to leave. Everyone noticed a big clam on the back of her purple robes as she waddled away. They all looked at each other, not believing what they had just seen.
"Was it her?" Hermione asked.
"Definitely." Ron answered; he had woken up. "I'd recognize her ugly mug anywhere."
"But how could she be here?" Harry asked.
"Beats me, but we're almost there, so let's change into our school robes." Rachel said. They were approaching Hogwarts Station. The train gave a big lurch as it stopped. Ron flew out of his seat and sprawled out on the floor. Rachel had fallen into Harry's lap.
Suddenly, Dumbledore walked into the car. He was very tall, and very old. He had a long silver beard that touched the ground. Half-moon spectacles rested on his long crooked nose.
"Hello, everybody." Dumbledore greeted. "So, Harry, I see you have a girlfriend." Harry and Rachel both blushed a bright shade of crimson.
"Uh… no, Professor Dumbledore. Rachel just fell when the train stopped."
"Ah, yes, I see. Then that would explain why Mr. Weasley is on the floor with his head under Miss Granger's feet. Unless, Hermione, he is your new footrest?" Ron blushed brighter than his hair. He got up and brushed himself off.
"I see that you've all changed into your school robes, so see you at the Feast!" Dumbledore turned to leave. "Oh, and Rachel, come up to my office as soon as you depart off the train. Harry, you come too." Harry and Rachel looked at each other. Were they in trouble? Had Dumbledore found out about their feelings toward each other somehow?
The train had finally pulled into Hogwarts Station. Harry and Rachel ran out of the train and to Hagrid, who was gathering all the first years on the shore of the Great Lake.
Hagrid was a huge man. Twice as tall as an average man, and three times as big, he was humungous. The reason for his size was because he was a half- giant. His beetle-black eyes sparkled under his shaggy black beard.
"Hiya, Harry!" Hagrid yelled.
"Hi, Hagrid. Do you mind if we borrow one of the boats? Dumbledore said to meet him up at the castle before the Feast."
"Well, these here boats are for the firs' years on'y, but since Dumbledore sent ya, I guess ya can borrow one."
"Thanks." Harry and Rachel climbed into a boat.
Harry started rowing them across the Lake. Half way across, the boat got caught in a current. It pushed the boat towards the castle, so Harry didn't have to row anymore. Harry and Rachel looked around. It was dark, and they couldn't see anyone back at the Station. They noticed something splash in the water. Probably just the Giant Squid. Something was flying overhead. Had to be only a bat.
Harry looked at Rachel, and Rachel looked at Harry, the same look in their eyes.
They moved closer to each other, their faces barely an inch apart. His lips touched hers, and her lips touched his.
They drew apart again, and looked at each other dreamily.
"You don't know how much I love you." Rachel whispered in Harry's ear.
"Oh yes I do."
They kissed again. Out here on the dark Lake, where no one could see them, they could kiss all they want. They did that, too, all the way to the hidden dock. Their lips touched for the fourth time that evening, and they stepped out of the boat onto the wet gravel path leading up to the castle.
They walked up to the gigantic castle, Harry's arm around Rachel, and Rachel's arm around Harry. When they reached the huge wooden doors, Rachel performed an Alohomora spell. The door swung open, and Harry led her up to Dumbledore's office.
"Ah, hello!" Dumbledore greeted when Harry and Rachel arrived at his office. "Come."
They walked up he flight of stairs that led to Dumbledore's office.
"You are probably wondering why I asked you here." Dumbledore started. "No, you are not in trouble. Miss Witt, you must get Sorted."
"But don't new students get Sorted at the Feast?" Harry asked.
"Yes, they do, but they are only first years. I wanted to save Miss Witt a whole year of humiliation and Sort her up here, before the Feast." As he said this, he pulled out a three-legged stool and a battered old wizard's hat.
"Just put it on and it'll tell you where you should go." Harry explained.
Rachel, feeling silly, placed the hat on her head. Suddenly, a tiny voice spoke in her head.
"Why, hello, Ms. Witt." The voice said. "It's been a while since we've had a student enter Hogwarts halfway through. Well, let's get down to business, where shall I place you?"
"Not Slytherin, not Slytherin!" Rachel thought. Harry had told her that Slytherin was the worst House to go in.
"Not Slytherin?" the voice asked. "You don't have the stuff to go there, anyway. You've got the smarts, so you'd be good in Ravenclaw. Oh, what's this? My, my, hard work and intelligence isn't a good combination for Ravenclaws. Perhaps Hufflepuff. Wait! Bravery! Hmm. You are a tricky one. I don't know where you'd do well. I guess it better be GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted out that last word so Harry and Dumbledore could hear it.
Rachel took off the hat and looked around at the room. Harry was beaming.
"Another Gryffindor!" He shouted. Rachel didn't know if he was happy because another student was in his House, or that this means he would be able to spend more time with her.
"Well, now that you've been Sorted, why don't you run along down to the Feast? Hurry before you miss it!" Dumbledore said.
Rachel and Harry ran out of the office. Harry picked up Rachel and twirled her around, pure happiness flowing through him. They ran, hand in hand, all the way to the Great Hall.
"Where've you been?" Ron asked after Harry and Rachel sat down at the Gryffindor table.
"Dumbledore wanted to see us." Harry explained.
"Well, you missed the Sorting." Hermione said. "Parvati transferred to Slytherin. Traitor."
Harry and Rachel traded looks of extreme dread. Even after they modified Draco's memory on the Hogwarts Express, Parvati was probably telling the whole Slytherin table about them kissing.
Rachel and Harry glanced over at the Slytherin table. Everyone seated there was laughing at something Parvati had just said. Draco looked over at Harry and Rachel and pretended to kiss an invisible person. The whole table erupted in laughter.
Harry and Rachel sank farther under the table and groaned. Their life as they knew it was over.
"Do you see the look on Parvati's face?" Ron said.
"Yeah, she's telling every Slytherin about you-know-what." Harry replied. He didn't want the whole Gryffindor table knowing about them, too.
"No, look!" Ron pointed at Parvati. Rachel and Harry glanced behind them. Parvati had stopped talking and was now cuddling up to Draco. She ran one of her hands through his blonde hair and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"At least you two do it right." Hermione said to Harry and Rachel. "Look at that! You call that a kiss? Pathetic! Harry, Rachel, show 'em how it's done."
"Maybe some other time." Rachel said.
By now, food had appeared on the tables. Hermione dug in, scooping everything onto her plate.
"What about spew?" Ron asked.
"S.P.E.W.? Oh, that stupid thing. I gave that up ages ago. The house-elves like being enslaved."
Harry and Ron looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "Yeah, we tried to tell you that all last year." Ron said.
"Shut up!" Hermione snapped, her face full of mashed potatoes.
After the Feast, Dumbledore called Harry, Rachel, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Parvati outside.
"I know your secret." He confessed once they had all gotten outside.
Harry, Rachel, Ron, and Hermione all looked at each other.
"No, not that secret. I know that, too, but it's safe with me."
"Yeah, it's not safe with them, though." Ron snapped, jabbing a finger at Parvati and Draco. "The whole Slytherin House knows about it thanks to them."
"I command you to stop that rumor right now." Dumbledore ordered Parvati and Draco.
"But it's not a rumor." Parvati said. "I saw them. All five times."
"What? You saw us?" Harry screamed.
"Yeah, in the boats back there. Nice one, Harry, a four-run homer!" Draco commented.
"You too?!" Rachel exclaimed. "How?!"
"Enough of this." Dumbledore commanded. "Put a stop to this right now, Miss Patil and Mr. Malfoy."
"How?" Draco asked.
"Say that Harry and Rachel broke up, or something."
"Wow, I never thought I'd hear it. A teacher, let alone the Headmaster, is actually telling us to spread a rumor. Okay, we'll do it." They crossed their fingers behind their backs. Unfortunately, no one saw them.
"Yes, you can call it a rumor if you like. But we have more important issues to attend to. As I said I know your other secret. I know who all of you really are, and where you all are really from. I also know that you are all animagi since birth. Except you, Rachel."
Everyone except Rachel gave bewildered looks to Dumbledore. "She is something more." He said. A long, awkward silence followed Dumbledore's words.
"We knew that we were animagi. Right, Parvati?" Draco blurted out. "That's how we saw them smoochin' on the boat."
"Yes, I could have guessed. I believe all of you received strange books for Christmas? Well, those books were from me. They showed all of you as you are, or were, and all of you in your animal form."
"Whoa, cool!" Ron exclaimed. "We really are the next group of Animorphs!"
"Now, I want all of you to know that I have only told the professors this information, and they all have sworn to secrecy."
"But Snape told us." Parvati confessed.
"I will see to it that Professor Snape be punished for this. None of the teachers were supposed to tell any of you until I had already spoke to you."
"Um, excuse me, Professor?" Harry asked meekly. "You didn't tell them about, you-know-what, did you?"
"No, I have kept that secret to myself, like I told you once before, to protect you another whole year of humiliation." Dumbledore winked at Rachel. "Now back to the Feast, I have some announcements to make."
Everyone walked back inside, out of the cold September air. Dumbledore strode up to the Head Table and cleared his throat.
"Ahem, may I have all of your attention, please." He announced. "I am pleased to announce that there has been a romance going on at Hogwarts for quite some time. May I be pleased to say that our own fellow Gryffindors and champion Quidditch players, Miss Alicia Spinnet, and Mr. George Weasley, are getting married right here at Hogwarts in December." The whole Hall erupted in cheers.
"I didn't know George was getting married here." Ron complained. He let out a long sigh. "They never tell me these things. His own brother. I'm ashamed."
"Oh, quit it." Hermione whined.
"Therefore," Dumbledore continued. "They will be excused from Quidditch practices and matches while they make arrangements. That means there will be two openings on the Gryffindor House Team. Also, the Gryffindor Keeper and Captain, Oliver Wood, graduated two years ago. Because of the Triwizard Tournament last year, no one was selected to fill in this position. Since Captains have to have been on the team for at least five years, students can only try out for Keeper. Miss Angelina Johnson also graduated last year, so there is another opening for Chaser. Remember, first years are not allowed to play Quidditch. If anyone from Gryffindor would like to try out for the team as Beater, Keeper, or Chaser, please see Miss Katie Bell on the pitch tomorrow at noon. Thank you. Now have a wonderful evening, and be ready for your first classes tomorrow. Good night."
` $ % ^
Up in the Gryffindor Common Room, Rachel, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the only ones awake.
"I can't believe Parvati would transfer to Slytherin, she's been a Gryffindor since we first came here!" Ron exclaimed.
"But did you see the look on her face when she sat next to Malfoy? Woo hoo! I smell love!" Harry yelled.
"You sure it's not you two?" Hermione said.
"Five times in one day! That's, like, a world record! Man, Harry, you're on fih-ya! How'd ya do it?" Ron cheered, giving Harry a punch on the shoulder.
Harry didn't say anything; he just pulled Rachel closer to him and smiled lovingly at her.
"I think it's time for bed, Ron." Hermione said, pushing him towards the entrance to the boys' dormitory.
"But I'm not tired." Ron whined.
"It's time for bed." Hermione stressed, glancing over at the couple.
"Oh, yeah." Ron said, faking a yawn. "Man, I'm beat. See you tomorrow Har…" Hermione elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a leave-them-alone look. They both went up to their dorms.
Harry and Rachel looked at each other and smiled at Hermione's thoughtfulness. "Good night, Rachel." Harry softly spoke, giving Rachel a kiss.
"Night, Harry." Rachel said back, and returned the kiss.
They both stood there for a while, staring into the fire. Finally, they gave each other a last hug, parted, and walked up to bed.
"How'd it go?" Ron asked as soon as Harry entered the dorm.
"Two more."
"Oh, yeah! Seven-half a point, you guys." Harry gave Ron a bewildered look. "You two versus Parvati and Malfoy. I'm keeping score. That peck Parvati gave Malfoy at dinner didn't count as a full-fledged kiss."
Harry expressed a small smile. "Only you would do that."
"Yeah."
Ron and Harry exchanged double high-fives. They both lay in bed, talking. Harry was giving Ron tips on how to get a girlfriend. They talked until late into the night. Then, at around 1:00 am, they fell asleep.