C H A P T E R S I X
T H E
C O N T R O V E R S Y
Another day brought another surprise. Actually, it was four surprises. For Rachel, that is. The next day, November 29th, at lunch, a boy walked over to Rachel. He had short light brown hair, brown eyes, and was of average height and weight.
"Hey! Rachel!" He yelled. "I was looking all over for you! I can't believe we've completely missed each other for three months!"
"Oh, hi! How you doing?" She greeted once he arrived at her seat. They hugged and, to everyone's surprise, kissed. "Don't worry." Rachel reassured a dumbfounded crew, "We're cousins."
"Okay. Hey, Jake!" Rachel's attention turned back to her cousin, who was obviously named Jake. "I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Jill, Ron, and Hermione." They all said their hellos.
"Um, what about me?" Harry asked. He poked his head out from behind Ron, gave Rachel a small smile, and waved. "You know, me. Harry Potter. Your ex- boyfriend."
"Oh, yeah." Rachel didn't seem too excited. "That's--"
"Harry Potter? You went out with Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?" Jake asked wildly. "Why'd you break up with him? I wouldn't if I went out with him." He received very strange looks from everyone. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."
"Yeah. Great. So, do you know where, um, the others are going to school? P. A. A. M.?"
"Phoenix Academy of Advanced Magic? No, they're all here."
"Here? Really? Why didn't any of you tell me? I was sure," She looked nervously around. "Cassidy would."
"Who? Oh, yeah! Cass-" Rachel slapped her hand to his mouth.
"Watch it!" She whispered.
"Sorry. Just kinda slipped."
"What 'just kinda slipped'?" Harry asked with suspicion.
"Nothing! Nothing!" Rachel replied nervously. "Now I must go meet up with the others. See you around!" She ran over to the Ravenclaw table, sat next to a kid with blonde hair laying wildly on his head, and hazel eyes. He looked kind of out of place. He kept looking up at the ceiling that now showed a clear blue sky with no clouds and a breeze. The kid had a look in his eyes that showed he wanted to be out there. Rachel gave him a comforting hug and cuddled up to him.
"Who's that?" Harry asked. "I've never seen him before."
"Oh, don't you know?" Jake answered. "That's her boyfriend."
"Okay."
"Whatever." Jake said. Just then, a girl with short black hair and light brown skin and eyes walked up to Jake.
"Come on, Jake. We're having a quote-unquote 'reunion' over here."
"Okay. Be right there." He walked over to where Harry was sitting. "So, Harry. Went out with my cousin, huh?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Nothing. I just mean I feel your pain."
"You mean you've gone out with your cousin?"
"No, I mean… Never mind. It's just that she can be fickle."
"Tell me about it."
"Okay. Gotta go. Cassie — I mean Cassidy is waiting."
"Okay. Go."
"Just one more thing."
"What?"
"Can I have your autograph?"
"Okay. Whatever." Harry took out a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Thanks. This'll be worth money someday."
"Yeah. Money." Harry finished and gave the parchment to Jake.
"Thanks again. Bye."
"Wait. One more thing. What's going on?" Jake looked puzzled. "With you and Rachel. It's like you're hiding something."
"Um," Jake didn't know what to do. "Tell you later. At Care of Magical Creatures. Now I have to go. See you!"
"Bye. Have fun." Jake left and Harry went back to eating with Ron and Hermione.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked.
"I'll tell you later." Harry answered.
"And me too?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"Yeah. Like they say, a boyfriend has to be true and loyal to his girlfriend and tell her everything."
"Yeah, like they say."
` $ % ^
Later that day, at Care of Magical Creatures, Jake told Harry about him, Rachel and the others.
"So you, Rachel, and these other people are wanted omnimagi?"
"Yup."
"Why?"
"I don't know. We just are."
"Okay. Whatever."
"Yeah. Go figure."
"Who are these 'others' you've been talking about?"
"Well, their 'new' names are Cassidy, Toby, and Mark."
"And their real names?"
"You just won't stop, will you?"
"You never said I couldn't ask questions."
"True. They're really Cassie Newton, Tobias Winger, and Marco Garcia."
"Do you and Rachel have hidden identities?"
"No. We're just Jake Rawling and Rachel Witt. We're more open to the whole television thing."
"Oh."
"No more questions?"
"Yeah. Just one. Do you guys happen to be the Animorphs?"
"Well, we were the Animorphs."
"But I thought you were wanted. By the Yeerks."
Jake laughed. "We're not that kind of wanted. We're wanted to be on other shows."
"Television shows?"
"Of course television shows! What else!"
"Well, don't expect to make a big hit here. Magical people don't watch TV."
"Yeah, I know, but Muggles are into it."
"Oh, okay. What shows?"
"Well, as far as I know, I'm the only one that got in a show."
"Really? Cool. I'll watch for you. I got a TV when Dudley's old one broke. I fixed it."
"Cool. Well, gotta go. My woog is looking for me."
"Okay."
Harry hated the rest of Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid wouldn't let him switch groups. "Yer the woog's parents. Yeh both need ter be there for 'im." He had said when Harry asked him. So he and Rachel sat on the grass, backs facing each other, with Fluffy running back and forth between them.
Fluffy ran up and nudged Rachel's back. She pivoted around and brushed him away. "Leave me alone."
Fluffy was stunned for a while from Rachel, his own mommy, pushed him away. Oh, well. There was always daddy. He stumbled over to where Harry was sitting. "Woog, woog!" He squealed.
"Oh, hi, Fluffy. How are you doing?" Harry knew Fluffy couldn't understand him, but at least he was doing something. Fluffy looked sad. "What's the matter?" He glanced over toward Rachel. She was staring over to where Seann was working with Cassie. "Mommy not playing with you?"
Fluffy stared up at Harry. The look in his eyes plaintively said, "Yes."
"I'll play with you. How about learning some tricks?"
Rachel glanced over her shoulder. She saw Harry and Fluffy playing together. Harry was laughing and Fluffy was squealing "Woog!" in high pitches. They looked like they were having fun.
"Oh, why did I ever get on Harry's bad side?" Rachel thought. "I wish things would be better. Just like how it was before school." Just then, Fluffy tumbled over toward Rachel. He stopped on her hand. Harry crawled over to pick him up. Just as Harry's hand reached out to grab Fluffy, he jumped aside. Harry's hand fell on Rachel's. Harry looked up at Rachel. His gaze met hers. A long, awkward silence fell over the two.
"Um… Sorry." Harry mumbled as he hurriedly pulled his hand away.
"No, you don't have to be sorry. I should. I was being a real jerk. I don't know what came over me. I mean, why would I go against you? You're the greatest, the sweetest, the most fun loving, and overall the best guy I've ever met. I'm really sorry."
"Yeah, well it was kinda my fault, too. I should have just come out and apologized rather than wait for you."
"You were waiting for me? I was waiting for you!"
"Well, I'm just glad this is all smoothed over."
"Me too. I'm really, really sorry about the Ball. I did all that stuff to make you jealous."
"Yeah. But you do know that I love Hermione now, don't you?"
"Yeah. I didn't want you to love me again, I just wanted to be friends."
"Really good friends."
"Yeah. Really, really good friends."
"Really, really, really good friends."
"Exactly."
"So I guess you're all alone now, right?"
"Huh? No. I do have a boyfriend. Toby Winger. You know, that kid in Ravenclaw."
"Tobias? Oh, yeah."
"Wait. How'd you know his name?"
"Jake told me."
"Oh, okay."
"I really missed you."
"Me too." They hugged each other for a few moments. "I'm glad we're back."
"Yeah." Harry looked over Rachel's shoulder and saw Ron and Jill with their woog. Ron and Jill were playing around with their woog. But wait, wasn't there another?
"So I guess you two are back together. The greatest couple of all time is back in town, huh?" Came a cold voice from behind Harry. "It's like they always say, happily ever after, right?" It was Hermione, but she was speaking in a totally different tone than how she usually speaks. She sounded angry. "So I guess you'll dump me and go back to her again, huh, Harry? Then I bet you'll go with Lavender. Then you'll steal Jill away from Ron. And before you know it, you'll go through every girl in Gryffindor. Is that right, Harry? Is that your plan?"
"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Rachel asked defensively.
"Is just the facts, Rachel. He goes out with someone, dumps her and pretends to hate her, then picks her up again and moves on. You mean you haven't figured it out yet?"
"Stop, Hermione." Harry ordered.
"Harry James Potter, you stay out of this." She snapped. Harry looked taken aback.
"We were just making up." Rachel said.
"Making out is more like it."
"What are you talking about?!" Harry practically screamed. "We were just hugging!"
"Not the way I saw it."
"Hermione Helen Granger, I do not know what you saw or who was doing it, but me and Harry just hugged. That's all." Rachel said with extreme anger and disbelief.
"Well, fine, don't believe me. You can just ask Ron and Jill. They saw the whole thing too."
"How?" Harry asked. "I saw them playing with your woog!" He looked over to Hermione's work area. Ron and Jill were sitting there, staring at them and nodding their heads slowly.
"I don't believe this!" Rachel yelled. At that, she got up and stormed back to the castle. Harry got up and followed her. Hermione turned and joined Ron and Jill in training their woog.
` $ % ^
"I don't know what got into Hermione back there." Harry told Rachel later at Herbology. Hermione, Ron, and Jill were all working at another table.
"Or Ron and Jill." Rachel added.
"What?" Came Jake's voice. "What happened? We all heard you guys yelling. He sat at their table. Tobias, Marco, and Cassie joined them.
"I don't know. I just don't know." Harry moaned. He put his head in his hands and looked down at the table.
"It's like someone took over them and was controlling them." Rachel said.
"Like Yeerks." Tobias replied.
"Yeah. Or they were just acting to prove something to you." Jake suggested.
"Uh-huh. Or maybe they aren't really them. They were enslaved by some alien beings from another dimension and they didn't know what making up or making out was and they don't know who Hermione is and they were just being plain mean." Harry rambled.
"That's something I'd expect from Marco." Cassie said.
"Yeah, it is." Harry said, his excitement not wavering at all.
"And that's something I'd really want to say." Marco cut in, getting weird looks.
"All I know is that we have to find out why they were acting like they were." Jake concluded.
"We'll start Mission G. B. W today at noon." Marco said. They all gave him puzzled looks. "Granger. Broomscuttle. Weasley."
"Oh, right." Harry said. He didn't like that his best friends were turning on him so harshly. He was very confused.
"That sounds like a good idea." Cassie spoke up. "We'll ask them so many questions, they won't know what hit them."
"Let's do it." Rachel said.
` $ % ^
All that day, Harry was trying to spring an unexpected question at Hermione, Ron, or Jill. All they did in reply was turn away. And from what the others told him, they weren't having much luck either.
"Man, this is totally getting out of hand." Harry complained to Rachel in Care of Magical Creatures. As they were a pair with their woog, it was one of the very few classes in which Harry could talk to her freely.
"Yeah. Now they won't even look at us." Rachel glanced behind her shoulder at Hermione, Ron, and Jill. They were working with their heads down, not even looking up.
Harry sighed heavily. "Well, I hope this'll wear itself out, just like our little thing between us."
"Yeah. I hope."
"Hey, Potter!" Draco called from a few feet away. "Now what's going on? You back to Rachel now?"
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked back.
"Oh yeah, I forgot. You already used her up."
"Keep it up and you'll go through all the girls in Gryffindor!" Parvati exclaimed. "I've got a cousin in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina over in America that's looking. If you're interested."
"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." Harry answered flatly. He turned back to Fluffy, who was learning how to roll over. Rachel gave the Slytherins one last glare and joined Harry. He let out a huge sigh and said exasperatingly, "Slytherins."
Just then, Jake walked over. "Hey. Get anything good on G. B. W.?"
"Nah." Harry and Rachel answered without expression.
"Oh, okay. Just checking." Jake walked back over to his partner, Seamus Finnegan.
"Rach, you don't know how bad I want them back on our side. Especially Hermione."
"Yeah, I think I do."
` $ % ^
That night, Harry lay awake in bed. He kept telling himself that Neville's snores were keeping him up, but he knew it was because of his best friends' relationships with him. He stared up at the ceiling of his four-poster and thinking of why they turned on him and how he can repair it.
Finally, his eyelids started drooping, and he fell asleep.
He had a very vivid dream. He was up in the air; playing Quidditch. He looked to his left and saw Alicia Spinnet pass the Quaffle to a girl he didn't know. He scanned the faces of all the players, but Alicia was the only person he knew.
He also noticed that the robes he was wearing were not the scarlet of his Gryffindor Team robes. They were a deep navy. There also wasn't a castle that could be Hogwarts in sight. They were playing in the middle of a vast field, with no trees in sight.
Glancing back to Alicia, who's back was facing him, he noticed yet another difference. On the back of her robes, written in gold, was:
W e a s l e y
1 6
He was confused for a moment. Then he realized that this dream must be happening in the future – after Alicia and George got married.
Now he knew what was going on. He was on the Quidditch team for England; playing as Seeker obviously, as everyone else was busy at other positions. He glanced over at the scoreboard, raised high above the crowd. It read:
ENGLAND: 50 FRANCE: 120
"How could we be losing so badly?" Harry thought. He looked down at the ground. The medics were nursing three English players. "So that's why." He looked out at the field. There were only four English players: Alicia, another Chaser, a Beater, and himself. "I have to find the Snitch." He thought. At that, his eyes automatically started darting around the pitch for some sign of gold, a flutter of wings.
Suddenly, Harry saw the French Seeker shoot toward the ground. He had obviously seen the Snitch. Harry rocketed off after him.
Harry looked to the spot of ground the Seeker was flying toward. He didn't see the Snitch. The Seeker was performing the Wronski Feint, a dangerous Seeker diversion in which a Seeker pretends to see the Snitch and shoots off to the ground, attracting the other Seeker and making him follow him. Then, an inch away from the ground, the performing Seeker pulls away, and the other Seeker crashes into the ground.
"I'm not falling for that!" Harry thought to himself. He quickly stopped and shot back up into the air. The French Seeker looked up to see where Harry had gone, and crashed into the ground himself.
Harry was flying straight back up when he saw it. A flash of gold darted the opposite way, toward the ground. He spun quickly in place again, and blasted off back down.
He could hear the announcer's magically amplified voice booming in the stadium. "What does young Potter think he's doing?" It echoed. "Down, up, down. It's very confusing. But I think he's seen the Snitch! Yes! This is no Wronski Feint, folks!"
But Harry didn't hear the rest of the commentary. Blood was pounding in his ears. He didn't know how important this game was; all he knew was that he had to get the Snitch.
He could see it clearly. It was hovering an inch above the ground. He would never catch it head on; he would crash. So he swooped down a yard away from the Snitch, flying level with the ground. He dropped his hand down, his fingers skimming the dirt.
He was getting closer. A foot away… ten inches… eight… six… four… two…
Harry shot up into the sky, his fingers wrapped tightly around the small gold ball that was the Snitch. As soon as the crowd knew what happened, it erupted with noise. The team swarmed around him, chanting his name. He could hear the announcer now.
"Yes! Potter catches the Snitch! He just led the English Quidditch team into their first finals in seven hundred years!"
"We hate you, English pig-dogs!" Harry could hear the French Seeker saying as he was getting carried away on a stretcher. "Go boil your bottoms under a silly person! I hate you Harry Potter, and your English Quidditch knnnnnnigits!"
"Oh, shut up!" Alicia snapped at him irritatingly. "French people. Who needs 'em?"
"Yeah." Harry answered vaguely.
"Nice catch, by the way. You really saved our skins. Thanks." She bent down and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. Then, she turned, joined George Weasley, and left.
The crowd was going wild, their chants rising into the air. "Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry!"
` $ % ^
"Harry! Harry! Harry!" Harry's eyes fluttered open. Someone had woken him up. He glanced over to the window. They sky was just starting to get light. "Harry! Harry!" The voice called again, quiet, but urgent. "Harry! Wake up!"
Harry rose up in bed. He looked around the room. "Harry, come on, wake up! It's important!" Now that he was back to his senses, he could hear the voice clearly. It was feminine. He continued scanning the room. His eyes fell on a dark figure. Then, once his eyes got used to the darkness that was still lingering in the room, he recognized the person.
"Jill? What are you doing here?" He asked quickly. "You're not supposed to be here!"
"I know, but it will only take a minute!"
"It better."
"How about you give me two minutes. I'll be a minute faster."
"How about I give you ten seconds. You'll be fifty seconds late, and I'll wake up the dorm."
"You just made that up?"
"Uh, yeah." Harry said with a smile.
Jill chuckled silently. She had always admired Harry's weird sense of humor. "Okay. A minute, that's all. I promise."
"Okay. Go."
"I just wanted to clear things up. About Hermione--"
Harry raised his eyebrows and looked away.
"Just listen. The reason Hermione's acting the way she is…"
"Yeah?"
"Well… Let's just say she's not mad at you."
"I still can't see why she'd be mad in the first place."
"Yeah, well. Ron and I were just playing along. We had now idea what she was getting at."
Harry just nodded in silence.
"Yeah, well, just mention it to her, okay? Oh, and you didn't hear it from me."
"Okay."
Jill turned to leave. Halfway on her way out, she stopped by Ron's bed. She opened the curtains slightly, bent over him, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "He's so cute when he's sleeping." She whispered to Harry with a small smile. Harry just smiled back. Jill left the boys' dorm.
Harry sighed and flopped on his back on his bed, staring out of the window. Suddenly Hedwig arrived outside and rapped her beak on the pane. Harry rose and let her in. She glided over to his bed, smoothed herself out, and stared at Harry.
"You want something to do, don't you?" Harry asked Hedwig. She blinked and tilted her head as if to say "Yes." Harry walked over to his bedside table and sat down. He picked up his quill, laid out a piece of parchment, and stared at it. He couldn't think of anyone to write to. "Ah, Sirius!" He got settled and started writing.
Sirius,
How are you and Beaky? I felt like writing to someone, and I haven't written to you in a while, so here I am. I'm using Hedwig because she hasn't had a job in a while and she's getting really antsy.
I don't know if you know, but George Weasley and Alicia Spinnet are getting married here in a week. I might think of a way to smuggle you in, if you wanted to come. They've been really busy.
We haven't got to play Quidditch yet. I'm Captain! Hermione and Ron are on the team too. You have to meet this new girl, Rachel Witt. She's really nice. She's on the team. We have a Hogsmeade visit this Saturday, so you can meet her then.
Nothing strange has happened yet, except my scar on the first day. You know what? I think I'm actually going to have a normal year for once! Though now that I said that, I bet something really bad is going to happen. Oh well. See you soon.
Harry
Harry finished the letter, rolled it up, and gave it to Hedwig. He opened the window and Hedwig soared out, riding the wind in the direction of Hogsmeade. Harry watched her until she was out of sight.
He closed the window and sat down on the bed, waiting for Ron to wake up. He thought of him, Ron, and especially Hermione. He was glad they were back together.
T H E
C O N T R O V E R S Y
Another day brought another surprise. Actually, it was four surprises. For Rachel, that is. The next day, November 29th, at lunch, a boy walked over to Rachel. He had short light brown hair, brown eyes, and was of average height and weight.
"Hey! Rachel!" He yelled. "I was looking all over for you! I can't believe we've completely missed each other for three months!"
"Oh, hi! How you doing?" She greeted once he arrived at her seat. They hugged and, to everyone's surprise, kissed. "Don't worry." Rachel reassured a dumbfounded crew, "We're cousins."
"Okay. Hey, Jake!" Rachel's attention turned back to her cousin, who was obviously named Jake. "I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Jill, Ron, and Hermione." They all said their hellos.
"Um, what about me?" Harry asked. He poked his head out from behind Ron, gave Rachel a small smile, and waved. "You know, me. Harry Potter. Your ex- boyfriend."
"Oh, yeah." Rachel didn't seem too excited. "That's--"
"Harry Potter? You went out with Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?" Jake asked wildly. "Why'd you break up with him? I wouldn't if I went out with him." He received very strange looks from everyone. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."
"Yeah. Great. So, do you know where, um, the others are going to school? P. A. A. M.?"
"Phoenix Academy of Advanced Magic? No, they're all here."
"Here? Really? Why didn't any of you tell me? I was sure," She looked nervously around. "Cassidy would."
"Who? Oh, yeah! Cass-" Rachel slapped her hand to his mouth.
"Watch it!" She whispered.
"Sorry. Just kinda slipped."
"What 'just kinda slipped'?" Harry asked with suspicion.
"Nothing! Nothing!" Rachel replied nervously. "Now I must go meet up with the others. See you around!" She ran over to the Ravenclaw table, sat next to a kid with blonde hair laying wildly on his head, and hazel eyes. He looked kind of out of place. He kept looking up at the ceiling that now showed a clear blue sky with no clouds and a breeze. The kid had a look in his eyes that showed he wanted to be out there. Rachel gave him a comforting hug and cuddled up to him.
"Who's that?" Harry asked. "I've never seen him before."
"Oh, don't you know?" Jake answered. "That's her boyfriend."
"Okay."
"Whatever." Jake said. Just then, a girl with short black hair and light brown skin and eyes walked up to Jake.
"Come on, Jake. We're having a quote-unquote 'reunion' over here."
"Okay. Be right there." He walked over to where Harry was sitting. "So, Harry. Went out with my cousin, huh?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Nothing. I just mean I feel your pain."
"You mean you've gone out with your cousin?"
"No, I mean… Never mind. It's just that she can be fickle."
"Tell me about it."
"Okay. Gotta go. Cassie — I mean Cassidy is waiting."
"Okay. Go."
"Just one more thing."
"What?"
"Can I have your autograph?"
"Okay. Whatever." Harry took out a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Thanks. This'll be worth money someday."
"Yeah. Money." Harry finished and gave the parchment to Jake.
"Thanks again. Bye."
"Wait. One more thing. What's going on?" Jake looked puzzled. "With you and Rachel. It's like you're hiding something."
"Um," Jake didn't know what to do. "Tell you later. At Care of Magical Creatures. Now I have to go. See you!"
"Bye. Have fun." Jake left and Harry went back to eating with Ron and Hermione.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked.
"I'll tell you later." Harry answered.
"And me too?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"Yeah. Like they say, a boyfriend has to be true and loyal to his girlfriend and tell her everything."
"Yeah, like they say."
` $ % ^
Later that day, at Care of Magical Creatures, Jake told Harry about him, Rachel and the others.
"So you, Rachel, and these other people are wanted omnimagi?"
"Yup."
"Why?"
"I don't know. We just are."
"Okay. Whatever."
"Yeah. Go figure."
"Who are these 'others' you've been talking about?"
"Well, their 'new' names are Cassidy, Toby, and Mark."
"And their real names?"
"You just won't stop, will you?"
"You never said I couldn't ask questions."
"True. They're really Cassie Newton, Tobias Winger, and Marco Garcia."
"Do you and Rachel have hidden identities?"
"No. We're just Jake Rawling and Rachel Witt. We're more open to the whole television thing."
"Oh."
"No more questions?"
"Yeah. Just one. Do you guys happen to be the Animorphs?"
"Well, we were the Animorphs."
"But I thought you were wanted. By the Yeerks."
Jake laughed. "We're not that kind of wanted. We're wanted to be on other shows."
"Television shows?"
"Of course television shows! What else!"
"Well, don't expect to make a big hit here. Magical people don't watch TV."
"Yeah, I know, but Muggles are into it."
"Oh, okay. What shows?"
"Well, as far as I know, I'm the only one that got in a show."
"Really? Cool. I'll watch for you. I got a TV when Dudley's old one broke. I fixed it."
"Cool. Well, gotta go. My woog is looking for me."
"Okay."
Harry hated the rest of Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid wouldn't let him switch groups. "Yer the woog's parents. Yeh both need ter be there for 'im." He had said when Harry asked him. So he and Rachel sat on the grass, backs facing each other, with Fluffy running back and forth between them.
Fluffy ran up and nudged Rachel's back. She pivoted around and brushed him away. "Leave me alone."
Fluffy was stunned for a while from Rachel, his own mommy, pushed him away. Oh, well. There was always daddy. He stumbled over to where Harry was sitting. "Woog, woog!" He squealed.
"Oh, hi, Fluffy. How are you doing?" Harry knew Fluffy couldn't understand him, but at least he was doing something. Fluffy looked sad. "What's the matter?" He glanced over toward Rachel. She was staring over to where Seann was working with Cassie. "Mommy not playing with you?"
Fluffy stared up at Harry. The look in his eyes plaintively said, "Yes."
"I'll play with you. How about learning some tricks?"
Rachel glanced over her shoulder. She saw Harry and Fluffy playing together. Harry was laughing and Fluffy was squealing "Woog!" in high pitches. They looked like they were having fun.
"Oh, why did I ever get on Harry's bad side?" Rachel thought. "I wish things would be better. Just like how it was before school." Just then, Fluffy tumbled over toward Rachel. He stopped on her hand. Harry crawled over to pick him up. Just as Harry's hand reached out to grab Fluffy, he jumped aside. Harry's hand fell on Rachel's. Harry looked up at Rachel. His gaze met hers. A long, awkward silence fell over the two.
"Um… Sorry." Harry mumbled as he hurriedly pulled his hand away.
"No, you don't have to be sorry. I should. I was being a real jerk. I don't know what came over me. I mean, why would I go against you? You're the greatest, the sweetest, the most fun loving, and overall the best guy I've ever met. I'm really sorry."
"Yeah, well it was kinda my fault, too. I should have just come out and apologized rather than wait for you."
"You were waiting for me? I was waiting for you!"
"Well, I'm just glad this is all smoothed over."
"Me too. I'm really, really sorry about the Ball. I did all that stuff to make you jealous."
"Yeah. But you do know that I love Hermione now, don't you?"
"Yeah. I didn't want you to love me again, I just wanted to be friends."
"Really good friends."
"Yeah. Really, really good friends."
"Really, really, really good friends."
"Exactly."
"So I guess you're all alone now, right?"
"Huh? No. I do have a boyfriend. Toby Winger. You know, that kid in Ravenclaw."
"Tobias? Oh, yeah."
"Wait. How'd you know his name?"
"Jake told me."
"Oh, okay."
"I really missed you."
"Me too." They hugged each other for a few moments. "I'm glad we're back."
"Yeah." Harry looked over Rachel's shoulder and saw Ron and Jill with their woog. Ron and Jill were playing around with their woog. But wait, wasn't there another?
"So I guess you two are back together. The greatest couple of all time is back in town, huh?" Came a cold voice from behind Harry. "It's like they always say, happily ever after, right?" It was Hermione, but she was speaking in a totally different tone than how she usually speaks. She sounded angry. "So I guess you'll dump me and go back to her again, huh, Harry? Then I bet you'll go with Lavender. Then you'll steal Jill away from Ron. And before you know it, you'll go through every girl in Gryffindor. Is that right, Harry? Is that your plan?"
"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Rachel asked defensively.
"Is just the facts, Rachel. He goes out with someone, dumps her and pretends to hate her, then picks her up again and moves on. You mean you haven't figured it out yet?"
"Stop, Hermione." Harry ordered.
"Harry James Potter, you stay out of this." She snapped. Harry looked taken aback.
"We were just making up." Rachel said.
"Making out is more like it."
"What are you talking about?!" Harry practically screamed. "We were just hugging!"
"Not the way I saw it."
"Hermione Helen Granger, I do not know what you saw or who was doing it, but me and Harry just hugged. That's all." Rachel said with extreme anger and disbelief.
"Well, fine, don't believe me. You can just ask Ron and Jill. They saw the whole thing too."
"How?" Harry asked. "I saw them playing with your woog!" He looked over to Hermione's work area. Ron and Jill were sitting there, staring at them and nodding their heads slowly.
"I don't believe this!" Rachel yelled. At that, she got up and stormed back to the castle. Harry got up and followed her. Hermione turned and joined Ron and Jill in training their woog.
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"I don't know what got into Hermione back there." Harry told Rachel later at Herbology. Hermione, Ron, and Jill were all working at another table.
"Or Ron and Jill." Rachel added.
"What?" Came Jake's voice. "What happened? We all heard you guys yelling. He sat at their table. Tobias, Marco, and Cassie joined them.
"I don't know. I just don't know." Harry moaned. He put his head in his hands and looked down at the table.
"It's like someone took over them and was controlling them." Rachel said.
"Like Yeerks." Tobias replied.
"Yeah. Or they were just acting to prove something to you." Jake suggested.
"Uh-huh. Or maybe they aren't really them. They were enslaved by some alien beings from another dimension and they didn't know what making up or making out was and they don't know who Hermione is and they were just being plain mean." Harry rambled.
"That's something I'd expect from Marco." Cassie said.
"Yeah, it is." Harry said, his excitement not wavering at all.
"And that's something I'd really want to say." Marco cut in, getting weird looks.
"All I know is that we have to find out why they were acting like they were." Jake concluded.
"We'll start Mission G. B. W today at noon." Marco said. They all gave him puzzled looks. "Granger. Broomscuttle. Weasley."
"Oh, right." Harry said. He didn't like that his best friends were turning on him so harshly. He was very confused.
"That sounds like a good idea." Cassie spoke up. "We'll ask them so many questions, they won't know what hit them."
"Let's do it." Rachel said.
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All that day, Harry was trying to spring an unexpected question at Hermione, Ron, or Jill. All they did in reply was turn away. And from what the others told him, they weren't having much luck either.
"Man, this is totally getting out of hand." Harry complained to Rachel in Care of Magical Creatures. As they were a pair with their woog, it was one of the very few classes in which Harry could talk to her freely.
"Yeah. Now they won't even look at us." Rachel glanced behind her shoulder at Hermione, Ron, and Jill. They were working with their heads down, not even looking up.
Harry sighed heavily. "Well, I hope this'll wear itself out, just like our little thing between us."
"Yeah. I hope."
"Hey, Potter!" Draco called from a few feet away. "Now what's going on? You back to Rachel now?"
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked back.
"Oh yeah, I forgot. You already used her up."
"Keep it up and you'll go through all the girls in Gryffindor!" Parvati exclaimed. "I've got a cousin in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina over in America that's looking. If you're interested."
"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." Harry answered flatly. He turned back to Fluffy, who was learning how to roll over. Rachel gave the Slytherins one last glare and joined Harry. He let out a huge sigh and said exasperatingly, "Slytherins."
Just then, Jake walked over. "Hey. Get anything good on G. B. W.?"
"Nah." Harry and Rachel answered without expression.
"Oh, okay. Just checking." Jake walked back over to his partner, Seamus Finnegan.
"Rach, you don't know how bad I want them back on our side. Especially Hermione."
"Yeah, I think I do."
` $ % ^
That night, Harry lay awake in bed. He kept telling himself that Neville's snores were keeping him up, but he knew it was because of his best friends' relationships with him. He stared up at the ceiling of his four-poster and thinking of why they turned on him and how he can repair it.
Finally, his eyelids started drooping, and he fell asleep.
He had a very vivid dream. He was up in the air; playing Quidditch. He looked to his left and saw Alicia Spinnet pass the Quaffle to a girl he didn't know. He scanned the faces of all the players, but Alicia was the only person he knew.
He also noticed that the robes he was wearing were not the scarlet of his Gryffindor Team robes. They were a deep navy. There also wasn't a castle that could be Hogwarts in sight. They were playing in the middle of a vast field, with no trees in sight.
Glancing back to Alicia, who's back was facing him, he noticed yet another difference. On the back of her robes, written in gold, was:
W e a s l e y
1 6
He was confused for a moment. Then he realized that this dream must be happening in the future – after Alicia and George got married.
Now he knew what was going on. He was on the Quidditch team for England; playing as Seeker obviously, as everyone else was busy at other positions. He glanced over at the scoreboard, raised high above the crowd. It read:
ENGLAND: 50 FRANCE: 120
"How could we be losing so badly?" Harry thought. He looked down at the ground. The medics were nursing three English players. "So that's why." He looked out at the field. There were only four English players: Alicia, another Chaser, a Beater, and himself. "I have to find the Snitch." He thought. At that, his eyes automatically started darting around the pitch for some sign of gold, a flutter of wings.
Suddenly, Harry saw the French Seeker shoot toward the ground. He had obviously seen the Snitch. Harry rocketed off after him.
Harry looked to the spot of ground the Seeker was flying toward. He didn't see the Snitch. The Seeker was performing the Wronski Feint, a dangerous Seeker diversion in which a Seeker pretends to see the Snitch and shoots off to the ground, attracting the other Seeker and making him follow him. Then, an inch away from the ground, the performing Seeker pulls away, and the other Seeker crashes into the ground.
"I'm not falling for that!" Harry thought to himself. He quickly stopped and shot back up into the air. The French Seeker looked up to see where Harry had gone, and crashed into the ground himself.
Harry was flying straight back up when he saw it. A flash of gold darted the opposite way, toward the ground. He spun quickly in place again, and blasted off back down.
He could hear the announcer's magically amplified voice booming in the stadium. "What does young Potter think he's doing?" It echoed. "Down, up, down. It's very confusing. But I think he's seen the Snitch! Yes! This is no Wronski Feint, folks!"
But Harry didn't hear the rest of the commentary. Blood was pounding in his ears. He didn't know how important this game was; all he knew was that he had to get the Snitch.
He could see it clearly. It was hovering an inch above the ground. He would never catch it head on; he would crash. So he swooped down a yard away from the Snitch, flying level with the ground. He dropped his hand down, his fingers skimming the dirt.
He was getting closer. A foot away… ten inches… eight… six… four… two…
Harry shot up into the sky, his fingers wrapped tightly around the small gold ball that was the Snitch. As soon as the crowd knew what happened, it erupted with noise. The team swarmed around him, chanting his name. He could hear the announcer now.
"Yes! Potter catches the Snitch! He just led the English Quidditch team into their first finals in seven hundred years!"
"We hate you, English pig-dogs!" Harry could hear the French Seeker saying as he was getting carried away on a stretcher. "Go boil your bottoms under a silly person! I hate you Harry Potter, and your English Quidditch knnnnnnigits!"
"Oh, shut up!" Alicia snapped at him irritatingly. "French people. Who needs 'em?"
"Yeah." Harry answered vaguely.
"Nice catch, by the way. You really saved our skins. Thanks." She bent down and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. Then, she turned, joined George Weasley, and left.
The crowd was going wild, their chants rising into the air. "Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry! Harry!"
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"Harry! Harry! Harry!" Harry's eyes fluttered open. Someone had woken him up. He glanced over to the window. They sky was just starting to get light. "Harry! Harry!" The voice called again, quiet, but urgent. "Harry! Wake up!"
Harry rose up in bed. He looked around the room. "Harry, come on, wake up! It's important!" Now that he was back to his senses, he could hear the voice clearly. It was feminine. He continued scanning the room. His eyes fell on a dark figure. Then, once his eyes got used to the darkness that was still lingering in the room, he recognized the person.
"Jill? What are you doing here?" He asked quickly. "You're not supposed to be here!"
"I know, but it will only take a minute!"
"It better."
"How about you give me two minutes. I'll be a minute faster."
"How about I give you ten seconds. You'll be fifty seconds late, and I'll wake up the dorm."
"You just made that up?"
"Uh, yeah." Harry said with a smile.
Jill chuckled silently. She had always admired Harry's weird sense of humor. "Okay. A minute, that's all. I promise."
"Okay. Go."
"I just wanted to clear things up. About Hermione--"
Harry raised his eyebrows and looked away.
"Just listen. The reason Hermione's acting the way she is…"
"Yeah?"
"Well… Let's just say she's not mad at you."
"I still can't see why she'd be mad in the first place."
"Yeah, well. Ron and I were just playing along. We had now idea what she was getting at."
Harry just nodded in silence.
"Yeah, well, just mention it to her, okay? Oh, and you didn't hear it from me."
"Okay."
Jill turned to leave. Halfway on her way out, she stopped by Ron's bed. She opened the curtains slightly, bent over him, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "He's so cute when he's sleeping." She whispered to Harry with a small smile. Harry just smiled back. Jill left the boys' dorm.
Harry sighed and flopped on his back on his bed, staring out of the window. Suddenly Hedwig arrived outside and rapped her beak on the pane. Harry rose and let her in. She glided over to his bed, smoothed herself out, and stared at Harry.
"You want something to do, don't you?" Harry asked Hedwig. She blinked and tilted her head as if to say "Yes." Harry walked over to his bedside table and sat down. He picked up his quill, laid out a piece of parchment, and stared at it. He couldn't think of anyone to write to. "Ah, Sirius!" He got settled and started writing.
Sirius,
How are you and Beaky? I felt like writing to someone, and I haven't written to you in a while, so here I am. I'm using Hedwig because she hasn't had a job in a while and she's getting really antsy.
I don't know if you know, but George Weasley and Alicia Spinnet are getting married here in a week. I might think of a way to smuggle you in, if you wanted to come. They've been really busy.
We haven't got to play Quidditch yet. I'm Captain! Hermione and Ron are on the team too. You have to meet this new girl, Rachel Witt. She's really nice. She's on the team. We have a Hogsmeade visit this Saturday, so you can meet her then.
Nothing strange has happened yet, except my scar on the first day. You know what? I think I'm actually going to have a normal year for once! Though now that I said that, I bet something really bad is going to happen. Oh well. See you soon.
Harry
Harry finished the letter, rolled it up, and gave it to Hedwig. He opened the window and Hedwig soared out, riding the wind in the direction of Hogsmeade. Harry watched her until she was out of sight.
He closed the window and sat down on the bed, waiting for Ron to wake up. He thought of him, Ron, and especially Hermione. He was glad they were back together.