Harry Woke up on the Saturday morning at 6:00 am. The sun was shining, the
birds were singing, a smooth layer of frost covered the grounds, but there
was no Hedwig. Harry longed to see her again. He missed Sirius, and he
wanted Hedwig back. For all Harry knew, Malfoy had sold her back to the
animal store.
Ron must have woken up earlier than Harry, so Harry got dressed and hurried towards the Great Hall for breakfast, even though his stomach was churning with nerves.
'MMM,' came the muffled noise of Ron in the common room as Harry came down the Dormitory stairs.
'What? Speak up!' Harry was just teasing. Ron had obviously pissed Hermione off again after he had gone to bed.
'MMM' Ron's muffled voice came again.
'Yaya, I heard you the first time, but I don't know if its my place to free you, I mean, on one hand...just kidding.' Harry loved teasing Ron after Hermione had had her fun. It always gave him a good laugh, and a reason for future mocking. 'Pertrificus Mortalis!' Harry cried. Ron's limbs immediately snapped free. He got up off the floor and pulled out his wand.
'I'm gonna kill her!' He managed to squirm out as he climbed through the portrait hole.
'What did you do this time? I mean, it must have been bad for her to leave you there all night.' harry clambered through the portrait hole after Ron, and with some difficulty, his left knee had been bothering him ever since Malfoy had pushed him into Myrtle's toilet.
'Not only did she leave me there all night, but Neville's blasted toad Trevor decided to nosy up to me all night. And I couldn't bat him off! For 3 hours, he just sat on my face. Stupid slimy disgusting thing! And I'm angry at the toad too!' Ron had obviously had a very rough night. Harry thought that it might teach him a lesson; don't piss of Hermione.
'Well, did you learn anything from this?' Harry suddenly realized he sounded like Ron's mother.
'Sod off Harry, I get enough of that from my mother. Speaking of which, I'm supposed to get an owl from her this morning telling me the news about my dad. He's in for a large pay increase. Then maybe next year, I'll be able to get new dress robes. I still have those girlish ones!' Harry cast a sideways glance at Ron, he thought that new robes might be a nice Christmas present from him if he won the money from the quidditch tournament.
'Ok then, well let's head down to the Hall, I'd better eat something or I'll eat the snitch again!' Harry had a flashback to his very first game of quidditch. he fell off his broom and ended up swallowing the golden snitch.
'Good idea, I'm craving some bacon and sausages!' Ron's mouth was already watering.
Down in the Great Hall, Hermione was already doing her weekend homework. It was obvious she never took a break. And that's why she was a prefect. Despite Hermione's A+ on her paper in History of Magic, she wasn't having a good morning. Not only was Hedwig still missing, and a plan not established, she was also fighting with Ron. She assumed that Ron would still be angry and probably a bit stiff after sleeping on the common room floor. The last thing Hermione needed was for Draco Malfoy to shed his light on the situation.
'Oh, it's the girlfriend and boyfriend, Hermione and Neville...how cute...and revolting?' Malfoy sneered, knowing he was protected by his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle.
'Neville is hardly my boyfriend, I don't have one as a matter of fact, but its nice to see that you do. Two of them! Well done.' Hermione turned away from Malfoy and continued reading her book, Gilderoy Lockhart's Amnesia.
'Listen he you filthy little mudblood...' Malfoy liked making himself appear better than anyone different than him.
'Hey, you can't go around calling people that....' Neville stood up to defend Hermione, but sat back down at the first movement of Goyle.
'I will call her whatever I want. Neville, why are you so worried? She's scum, and scum doesn't have feelings, do ya you pathetic little worm.'
'Shut your face Malfoy.' Harry and Ron appeared at the entrance way. Harry hated when people spoke of muggles in a bad way because he used to live as one. Ron was still remaining pretty quiet, he was still mad at Hermione.
'What are you going to do about it Potter?' Harry didn't back down when Malfoy's goons stepped forward to protect him.
'Hmm...well, I could either knock you off your broom tomorrow, or I could knock you out now.' Hermione pulled out her wand and crept behind Malfoy. 'Or I could let Hermione hex you.' Malfoy snapped his head around in the direction of Harry's eyes. Hermione had her wand raised high, ready to give Malfoy a taste of what Ron had had the night before.
'What? This mudblood knows how to perform spells, why that's simply amazing. Ugly mudblood like her! Where dya get her Potter, she'd be worth a lot if ya sold her to the circus.' Malfoy snickered at his own disgustingly low joke.
'That's it. I may be mad at you, but nobody deserves that kind of insult unless they're a Slytherin.' Ron pulled out his wand and cried 'PETRIFICUS TOTALS!' Malfoy ducked and the spell hit Crabbe, who's limbs snapped together and hit the floor with a thud.
'Haha....nice shot Weasley, you must take after your father, you know...hopeless!' Malfoy didn't seem to care that one of his bodyguards was down.
'Eat slugs Malfoy!' And Ron hexed Malfoy properly this time. His wand was no longer broken, and his wand movement had gotten considerably better since second year. The hex hit Malfoy right in the gut, and instantly, he began to burp up slugs.
'What have you *erp* done to me?' Malfoy whimpered. Hermione was chuckling silently under her breath.
'Stop laughing you stupid mudblood.' Malfoy managed to squelch out between sessions of unsightly slug vomiting. Goyle stepped forward as if to protect Malfoy, but Ron raised his wand and frightened him off. The two of them slowly made their way out of the Great Hall. 'Don't think this is over Poor boy and Mudblood. I'll get my revenge. And you Potter, I hope your owl's dead.' And he hurried off towards Slytherin house, constantly burping up slimy slugs.
'Good thing he's gone.' Ron sighed as he put his wand back into his robes. He was acting as if nothing at all had just happened. Everyone remained silent for a while. 'He was making a mess on the floor, poor house elves will have to clean it up!' Hermione and Harry both laughed.
'Ron, that was really sweet of you to stand up for me. Nobody's ever done that for me before. Guys, If I didn't have you tow, where would I be?' Hermione gave Ron and Harry both a hug and a peck on the cheek.
'In a lot less trouble?!' Hermione chuckled again.
'Ron, I'm really sorry I left you in the common room last night. And I'm sorry I used the Pertrificus Totalis hex on you. That was uncalled for. I know we're all just upset over Hedwig.' Hermione sat back down at the Gryffindor table and began putting her books away.
'Ya well, don't be sorry for Ron, be sorry for Neville, cause he's gonna lose a toad! Trevor sat on Ron's face last night for hours!' Harry sat down across from Hermione and helped himself to some eggs.
'I'm glad you find it funny Harry, now that I've mastered the Pertrificus Totalis hex, maybe I should give you a go tonight eh?' Ron cast Harry an evil grin while he reached for some sausages.
'No thanks.' Harry could hear the sound of flapping coming in through the Great Hall, it was the post arriving.
'Oh, maybe I'll get that new Herbology book I've been waiting for' Said Hermione as she cast an upward glance to the enchanted ceiling.
'I'm still waiting for a note from mum to say if Dad got the raise or not.' Ron looked intently for a big, old, barn owl, his mother's post carrier.
'I'm gonna go get my quidditch gear. I'll see you guys at the game.' Harry all of a sudden didn't feel like eating. He didn't even feel like playing quidditch, his most favorite pastime in the world, except for Malfoy hunting that is. There was an empty spot in his heart; Hedwig was all alone too...wherever she was. Harry longed for a note from Sirius, maybe telling him that Hedwig was fine, and that she ended up with him, but no sign of Hedwig or Sirius ever showed up.
'But Harry, you'd better eat something before you play, you won't feel well.' Hermione insisted.
'I'll be fine Hermione, I'll see you guys at the game?' Harry wanted to get ot his dorm so he could just sit and think. If he was going to ever figure out a way to find Hedwig, he would have to outwit Malfoy.
'Ya, all right.' they bluntly responded in unison.
'Bye.' And Harry hurried up to his warm bed to think. What if Hedwig never came back? How could he replace her. There was just no way Harry was going to let Malfoy beat him. He was going to figure out a way to beat Malfoy. But first, he had to clear his mind; Quidditch was the only way to do that.
Ron must have woken up earlier than Harry, so Harry got dressed and hurried towards the Great Hall for breakfast, even though his stomach was churning with nerves.
'MMM,' came the muffled noise of Ron in the common room as Harry came down the Dormitory stairs.
'What? Speak up!' Harry was just teasing. Ron had obviously pissed Hermione off again after he had gone to bed.
'MMM' Ron's muffled voice came again.
'Yaya, I heard you the first time, but I don't know if its my place to free you, I mean, on one hand...just kidding.' Harry loved teasing Ron after Hermione had had her fun. It always gave him a good laugh, and a reason for future mocking. 'Pertrificus Mortalis!' Harry cried. Ron's limbs immediately snapped free. He got up off the floor and pulled out his wand.
'I'm gonna kill her!' He managed to squirm out as he climbed through the portrait hole.
'What did you do this time? I mean, it must have been bad for her to leave you there all night.' harry clambered through the portrait hole after Ron, and with some difficulty, his left knee had been bothering him ever since Malfoy had pushed him into Myrtle's toilet.
'Not only did she leave me there all night, but Neville's blasted toad Trevor decided to nosy up to me all night. And I couldn't bat him off! For 3 hours, he just sat on my face. Stupid slimy disgusting thing! And I'm angry at the toad too!' Ron had obviously had a very rough night. Harry thought that it might teach him a lesson; don't piss of Hermione.
'Well, did you learn anything from this?' Harry suddenly realized he sounded like Ron's mother.
'Sod off Harry, I get enough of that from my mother. Speaking of which, I'm supposed to get an owl from her this morning telling me the news about my dad. He's in for a large pay increase. Then maybe next year, I'll be able to get new dress robes. I still have those girlish ones!' Harry cast a sideways glance at Ron, he thought that new robes might be a nice Christmas present from him if he won the money from the quidditch tournament.
'Ok then, well let's head down to the Hall, I'd better eat something or I'll eat the snitch again!' Harry had a flashback to his very first game of quidditch. he fell off his broom and ended up swallowing the golden snitch.
'Good idea, I'm craving some bacon and sausages!' Ron's mouth was already watering.
Down in the Great Hall, Hermione was already doing her weekend homework. It was obvious she never took a break. And that's why she was a prefect. Despite Hermione's A+ on her paper in History of Magic, she wasn't having a good morning. Not only was Hedwig still missing, and a plan not established, she was also fighting with Ron. She assumed that Ron would still be angry and probably a bit stiff after sleeping on the common room floor. The last thing Hermione needed was for Draco Malfoy to shed his light on the situation.
'Oh, it's the girlfriend and boyfriend, Hermione and Neville...how cute...and revolting?' Malfoy sneered, knowing he was protected by his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle.
'Neville is hardly my boyfriend, I don't have one as a matter of fact, but its nice to see that you do. Two of them! Well done.' Hermione turned away from Malfoy and continued reading her book, Gilderoy Lockhart's Amnesia.
'Listen he you filthy little mudblood...' Malfoy liked making himself appear better than anyone different than him.
'Hey, you can't go around calling people that....' Neville stood up to defend Hermione, but sat back down at the first movement of Goyle.
'I will call her whatever I want. Neville, why are you so worried? She's scum, and scum doesn't have feelings, do ya you pathetic little worm.'
'Shut your face Malfoy.' Harry and Ron appeared at the entrance way. Harry hated when people spoke of muggles in a bad way because he used to live as one. Ron was still remaining pretty quiet, he was still mad at Hermione.
'What are you going to do about it Potter?' Harry didn't back down when Malfoy's goons stepped forward to protect him.
'Hmm...well, I could either knock you off your broom tomorrow, or I could knock you out now.' Hermione pulled out her wand and crept behind Malfoy. 'Or I could let Hermione hex you.' Malfoy snapped his head around in the direction of Harry's eyes. Hermione had her wand raised high, ready to give Malfoy a taste of what Ron had had the night before.
'What? This mudblood knows how to perform spells, why that's simply amazing. Ugly mudblood like her! Where dya get her Potter, she'd be worth a lot if ya sold her to the circus.' Malfoy snickered at his own disgustingly low joke.
'That's it. I may be mad at you, but nobody deserves that kind of insult unless they're a Slytherin.' Ron pulled out his wand and cried 'PETRIFICUS TOTALS!' Malfoy ducked and the spell hit Crabbe, who's limbs snapped together and hit the floor with a thud.
'Haha....nice shot Weasley, you must take after your father, you know...hopeless!' Malfoy didn't seem to care that one of his bodyguards was down.
'Eat slugs Malfoy!' And Ron hexed Malfoy properly this time. His wand was no longer broken, and his wand movement had gotten considerably better since second year. The hex hit Malfoy right in the gut, and instantly, he began to burp up slugs.
'What have you *erp* done to me?' Malfoy whimpered. Hermione was chuckling silently under her breath.
'Stop laughing you stupid mudblood.' Malfoy managed to squelch out between sessions of unsightly slug vomiting. Goyle stepped forward as if to protect Malfoy, but Ron raised his wand and frightened him off. The two of them slowly made their way out of the Great Hall. 'Don't think this is over Poor boy and Mudblood. I'll get my revenge. And you Potter, I hope your owl's dead.' And he hurried off towards Slytherin house, constantly burping up slimy slugs.
'Good thing he's gone.' Ron sighed as he put his wand back into his robes. He was acting as if nothing at all had just happened. Everyone remained silent for a while. 'He was making a mess on the floor, poor house elves will have to clean it up!' Hermione and Harry both laughed.
'Ron, that was really sweet of you to stand up for me. Nobody's ever done that for me before. Guys, If I didn't have you tow, where would I be?' Hermione gave Ron and Harry both a hug and a peck on the cheek.
'In a lot less trouble?!' Hermione chuckled again.
'Ron, I'm really sorry I left you in the common room last night. And I'm sorry I used the Pertrificus Totalis hex on you. That was uncalled for. I know we're all just upset over Hedwig.' Hermione sat back down at the Gryffindor table and began putting her books away.
'Ya well, don't be sorry for Ron, be sorry for Neville, cause he's gonna lose a toad! Trevor sat on Ron's face last night for hours!' Harry sat down across from Hermione and helped himself to some eggs.
'I'm glad you find it funny Harry, now that I've mastered the Pertrificus Totalis hex, maybe I should give you a go tonight eh?' Ron cast Harry an evil grin while he reached for some sausages.
'No thanks.' Harry could hear the sound of flapping coming in through the Great Hall, it was the post arriving.
'Oh, maybe I'll get that new Herbology book I've been waiting for' Said Hermione as she cast an upward glance to the enchanted ceiling.
'I'm still waiting for a note from mum to say if Dad got the raise or not.' Ron looked intently for a big, old, barn owl, his mother's post carrier.
'I'm gonna go get my quidditch gear. I'll see you guys at the game.' Harry all of a sudden didn't feel like eating. He didn't even feel like playing quidditch, his most favorite pastime in the world, except for Malfoy hunting that is. There was an empty spot in his heart; Hedwig was all alone too...wherever she was. Harry longed for a note from Sirius, maybe telling him that Hedwig was fine, and that she ended up with him, but no sign of Hedwig or Sirius ever showed up.
'But Harry, you'd better eat something before you play, you won't feel well.' Hermione insisted.
'I'll be fine Hermione, I'll see you guys at the game?' Harry wanted to get ot his dorm so he could just sit and think. If he was going to ever figure out a way to find Hedwig, he would have to outwit Malfoy.
'Ya, all right.' they bluntly responded in unison.
'Bye.' And Harry hurried up to his warm bed to think. What if Hedwig never came back? How could he replace her. There was just no way Harry was going to let Malfoy beat him. He was going to figure out a way to beat Malfoy. But first, he had to clear his mind; Quidditch was the only way to do that.