Time Changes Everything
A fan fiction by Pottergirl
Everything belongs to J.K.Rowling, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter six: Quidditch Again
It was one week past term, and Harry rushed down the Potions corridor alone. Snape had held him back to question him about his Potions homework essay. It had been alright, not as good as Hermione's but very well written. But to Snape, the only thing that ever mattered was Harry; and how to get him a punishment or to throw some bad remarks his way.
Harry did not have time to get angry with Snape for rejecting his essay and demanding another one. Potions was the last class that day, and he was supposed to be at the Quidditch pitch for the try out and selection of new players. The election for the Quidditch captain was also to be held that same day, and since, over the days, Harry had finally decided that he did want to become Captain, he was quite excited. But at the moment he was late.
Madam Hooch was already there, along with the Gryffindors who had come for the tryouts for their house Quidditch team. Harry rushed onto the pitch, smoothing his Quidditch robes. A large group of people were gathered to try out for the Keeper, and Harry was surprised how many people had turned up for just once position on the team.
'Good, you're finally here,' said Madam Hooch when Harry ran up to them. Harry stopped by her to catch his breath, standing beside the rest of the team- Fred, George, Angelina, Katie and Alicia. Ron, who was standing nearby, grinned at him. He was very anxious to join the team as Keeper, and he had trained hard over the summer for it, dragging Harry off for Quidditch almost every day. The practice was good for Harry, even if he had not had a real Snitch.
Harry grinned back at Ron, as Madam Hooch began speaking.
'The tryouts for Keeper will be held after the selection for Captain. While the existing team and I hold a discussion to select the Captain, I suggest the rest of you mount your brooms, and fly a few laps around the field to warm up,' she said.
As Harry watched Ron, and others including Dennis Creevey, Dean Thomas, etc. mount their brooms and lift off into the afternoon sky in their black school robes, his own excitement rose to a peak. He looked around, finding a lot of people, other than the people hopeful to make it on the team, had come up, and were sitting in the stands. Even Hermione had come. With Ginny. Madam Hooch's voice shook him out of his reverie.
'Okay now, I would like each of you to give his or her point of view on whom you'd like as Captain, other than yourself. Ladies first,' she said cheerfully, and team came around in a circle with Madam Hooch to discuss. Alicia flashed Harry a smile, and he wondered if Fred and George had persuaded even the girls to vouch for him. It seemed to be true.
'I think,' said Katie, quite seriously, 'that since neither of us will return next year except Harry, and he will be staying on for two more years, this captaincy should go over to him. He needs all the experience he can get.' Madam Hooch nodded. 'And you, Spinnet?'
'I agree with Katie really. And I think he's the only person who even listened to Oliver's game strategies, well, compared to us at least, he learned a lot from Wood in his early morning practices,' said Katie, grinning. Harry felt himself go red. It did look all planned, and rather unfair but that was if he didn't know his team mates. He knew them. They knew him. And if they thought of him that way, he wouldn't have to feel it was unfair.
'What about the rest of you? Any comments on what Spinnet and Bell said?' asked Madam Hooch, her eye brows knitted.
'Well,' said Fred, looking quite stern. 'I've got to say just one thing… you deserve this captaincy Harry! You're a ruddy good player!!'
Harry went redder than ever, trying to cover up his grin by looking at his hands. He could feel everyone's eyes on him.
'And what about you Potter?' asked Madam Hooch, smiling at Harry. 'Who do you think should become captain?'
Harry looked up. 'I thought that-'
'It doesn't even matter what you think now, you're Captain!!' George interrupted, loudly. 'Anyone against that?'
'No,' said the rest of the team loudly, and Madam Hooch nodded.
'Well, that's it then, Potter, you're the new Captain. Do well for your team, and keep these two Weasleys in shape, even if you are younger!' Madam Hooch said, looking at Harry, smiling.
'Thanks a lot, I mean, I thought Fred and George should have become Captains together,' said Harry, looking up at the rest of the team to find them grinning at him.
'Aww, no! We couldn't! The trauma of becoming Captains-' said Fred, covering his eyes with his arm, and turning his face to the shy tragically.
'I know, it's too difficult for you to bear! Now stop over acting!' said Angelina, and pulled his hand down from his eyes, giggling.
'Have you decided?' came a stern voice from behind them. Professor Mc Gonagall was there too, covering her eyes with her hand from the bright afternoon sunlight.
'Yes, they've all decided unanimously for Potter,' said Madam Hooch. Professor Mc Gonagall smiled, quite pleased and not very surprised.
'That's good. Do good for your team Potter, and I want to see some tough training sessions in order. We have to begin practice before Slytherin do. They have yet to choose their new captain,' she said, and then turned to Madam Hooch.
'The tryouts then. I want to get started on this to size them all up. Hopefully we'll get a Keeper like Wood,' she said, and Madam Hooch blew her whistle, signaling for the people on broom sticks to come down. Ron zoomed down, landing right next to Harry.
'Good descend and landing, Weasley,' Professor Mc Gonagall commented, with a bit of a smile at Ron. The words were big praise coming from her. Ron turned as red as a beet root, and Harry flashed him a grin.
'Behold our new Captain,' said Fred, waving his hand towards Harry, as the two teachers moved off. Harry grinned. Ron grinned back at him, walking over to him. He surprised Harry by giving him a quick bear hug.
'Congratulations Harry! I knew it would be you. You really deserve it, with all those broken bones and everything!' he said, happily.
'Thanks Ron, good luck for your tryouts! You have to make it on to the team with me,' said Harry, happy but still surprised to see this rather rare, impulsive side of his friend.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle once again, calling the people for the try outs.
'As there is only one position to try out for, I suggest all of you divide into two. Yes, the team too. Potter, Weasley and Spinnet, over to my right, and Bell, Johnson and Weasley, to my left,' Madam Hooch commanded, diving the team into two, as well as the rest of the people and making each half of the team join one half of the people. Ron, incidentally, was not on Harry's side.
'Now,' said Madam Hooch, loudly, 'You will play as two opposing teams, and Professor Mc Gonagall and I will be watching you. The Keeper position will be occupied by all the people trying out, which means that you will be Keepers for your teams in turn. The existing team players will play alongside to add for the Chasers. There will be no beaters or Seekers. Understood?'
Everyone nodded.
'Like Hockey?' asked Dean Thomas. Madam Hooch looked over at him.
'That's a Muggle sport?' she asked, rather confusedly. Dean Thomas nodded.
'Well, if you think so,' said Madam Hooch, and then turned to the two temporary teams.
'Mount your brooms, get up there, and start playing. At every blow of my whistle, Keepers will switch in each team,' she said, and blew her whistle to signal the beginning of the game.
More than half an hour later, Madam Hooch blew her whistle three times in quick succession. She and Professor Mc Gonagall were sitting in the topmost row of the stands, weary and tired after considering each and every hopeful, coming to a difficult decision in the end. It was difficult to choose one Keeper from among ten people.
The players rushed to the ground, eager to hear of the result. One of all the players except the existing team was to become Keeper.
Hermione rushed to Ron when he came down, sweating. He had practiced vigorously, and saved as many Quaffles from going through the large loops as only one other person, and that was Dean Thomas who did seem to do well too. And that was probably because he knew some Hockey or had played it.
'Ron, you were wonderful!' Hermione exclaimed, conjuring up large glasses of water for him and Harry.
'You should get it, really!' said Ginny, smiling proudly at Ron who seemed to possess the same Quidditch talents as three of his older brothers did.
'Dunno, Dean was good too, he made that spectacular save,' said Ron, gulping down the water, and panting.
'Well, Mc Gonagall likes your flying,' said Harry, grinning, and sitting down on the grass. 'That's going to count for you.' Hermione and Ginny smiled at Ron.
'If that's true Ron, you'll surely get on the team!' said Ginny, hugging her brother tightly. Ron, surprised a little, grinned at her.
'Thanks Gin!' he said beginning to blush.
Later-
'I am aware all of you are eager to know of the result, and I, on Madam Hooch's advice, have come to a very tough decision indeed. I appreciate all of your coming up for the try outs today, but as well all know, we can have only one Keeper, and thus, only one will be chosen of all of you.'
Professor Mc Gonagall looked around at the eager faces. Madam Hooch spoke up.
'Older hopefuls were found to be better, we noticed today. Dennis Creevey, Jill Taylor, Gregory Hart, Peter Kolson, Anne West, Lillian Parker, Oliver Johnson and Heather Stevenson, you have all done very well. But the best performances were put up by Dean Thomas and Ronald Weasley who managed to stop equal number of Quaffles. However…' she paused, taking a deep breath.
'…Professor Mc Gonagall and I have come to the rather difficult decision, that on the basis of his speediness, and good, well trained flying skills, the Keeper position should be awarded to Ronald Weasley.'
There was an eruption of cheers from Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Alicia, Katie and Angelina as they rounded on an open-mouthed, shocked, pale-faced Ron. His brothers and the older girls thumped his back, everyone congratulating him.
'M-me?' he croaked, finally.
'Yes, you Weasley,' said Professor Mc Gonagall. 'Work hard. No lapses in practice sessions, and no favoritism Potter!' She was stern, yet smiling at the eager faces.
'Congratulations Ron!' said Dean, shaking Ron's hand. 'It's football for me I guess!' He was not hurt, or sad. In fact, he seemed to have known Ron was going to get the position for Keeper.
Hermione hugged Ron.
'I'm so glad for you Ron!' she whispered to him, and stepped back to kiss his cheek. Both she and Ron turned red as they saw Fred and George gazing at them, dreamily.
Ginny grabbed Ron in a hug quickly.
'You're going to win for us, Ron!' she said, excited. She stepped back, and turned to Harry,
'Good luck with your team, Harry,' she said, trying not to become self consciousness. Harry grinned at her.
'Thanks, though I really can't compare to Oliver,' said Harry, smiling at her.
'I'm sure you could one day,' said Ginny, honestly, knowing that one day, he would.
The next few days flew past in a daze. Beginning of term was definitely not the same as it used to be. The teachers were already piling the fifth years with colossal amounts of homework, with only one reason, that was the approach of their O.W.L.s. The increased homework and weekly tests meant that Harry found it difficult to Quidditch practices. Slytherin had chosen their new captains and two new players. Both the new players were big and burly, and they were beaters. Even when Fred and George reminded Harry they were nothing but 'lumps of flesh', Harry was still quite worried. The captain of the Slytherins was, of course, Draco Malfoy who had once again managed to use the power of his father's wealth to get his way. Gryffindor were supposed to have their first match against Slytherin in a month's time, and Harry was worried since they hadn't even had a single practice session yet.
Therefore, one night, in the Common room, after finishing his load of homework, he announced for their first practice to be held the next morning.
'What? Five o' clock? Harry, we've got a month!' was George's reaction, as he and Fred sat poring over a parchment. Harry as quite anxious, and George's attitude did not soothe him in the least.
'A month, just a month,' he said, worried. 'We haven't even had team practices for ages, not one in the past year!'
'Stuff them, Harry,' Ron muttered, sitting in an armchair, completing his Potions essay. He was eager to begin practice. 'They've got to do what you say anyway.'
Therefore, the next morning, Ron was shook in his sleep by Harry. He muttered something, and turned over.
'Practice!' Harry hissed, and Ron got up quickly at the single word.
Harry went downstairs to find the rest of the team- the seventh years, Fred, George, Angelina, Katie and Alicia, waiting in the common room sleepily.
'Hermione? Ginny?' Harry said, surprised to find the two of them there too. Hermione, as usual had a large book with her, and both she and Ginny were in their black school robes.
'What are you two doing here?' Ron asked.
'I had a test to revise, and Ginny was going to get up anyway, so she woke me up too. We'll be watching your first practice,' said Hermione, both she and Ginny looking more fresher and awake than any of the others.
'Watch us?' asked Ron, bewildered.
'Yes, Ron, watch you, as in through the eyes?' said Hermione.
'Why're you up Ginny? Here to watch Harry?' asked Ron slyly. Ginny turned quite pink.
'I wanted to watch your first practice, Weasley!' she retorted, wanting desperately for the blush to vanish, but Fred and George's snickers were quite hard to block out. Ron grinned at her, and she glared back at him.
'Er, practice then? Let's go,' said Harry, not wanting to spend all of their precious early morning time in jokes.
'Nice studying going on,' said Ginny. She and Hermione were sitting on the cool grass on the Quidditch pitch. Hermione had her book open in her lap, but her concentration was nil. She was looking up at the figures, clad in their Quidditch robes, flying around on their broomsticks. She turned to Ginny.
'Hmm?' she asked, with a bit of a smile on her face.
'I meant that since when has my brother gained more priority than revising for a test?'
Hermione blushed.
'I could say the same thing about you. Surely your brother is not the only person you have come to watch on the Quidditch pitch at five in the morning?' Hermione said, shutting her book knowing it was of no use at the moment.
'No, I came to watch the rest of the team too,' said Ginny, looking up at the players. Her eyes followed only Harry as he zoomed on his Firebolt, giving tips to Ron as he protected the goal posts from the Chasers. She smiled.
Harry's scar gave a twinge. He frowned into his porridge. Voldemort was definitely up to something again. His scar had not been bothering him for the past few days, and he was glad that nothing was actually going on. At least yet. But since he had returned from practice, it had been hurting off and on, and his cheerful mood from the fact that the team was still doing very good, even after no practice for a year had quickly faded away.
Harry rubbed his scar thoughtfully. It always worried him when his scar hurt but he did not want to tell anyone about it. His scar hurt quite a lot, and though there was nothing new about it that would have to be told to anybody, he felt like relieving his worries somewhere.
'Something wrong, Ginny?' Hermione's voice suddenly said. Harry looked up. Ginny's eye brows were knitted.
'Don't know, slight head ache. I don't feel like breakfast at all,' said Ginny.
'Early morning air not good for you, eh Gin?' asked Ron, grinning.
'Shut up, Ron,' Ginny muttered.
'Why don't you check with Madam Pomfrey?' Harry suggested. 'You could be ill or something.'
'I'll do that if it gets worse,' said Ginny, and picked up her bag to check for her books.
'Ron, what is your Potions essay doing in my bag?' she asked, holding up to rolled parchment. Ron gasped, and took them from her. He heaved a sigh of relief.
'I didn't even know they were gone…Snape would have murdered me, really.'
'That's not an understatement,' said Ginny, grinning, and left.
Snape regarded the Gryffindor part of his class with loathing. He went between the rows of desks, appearing out of the mist of fumes billowing from the cauldrons. He went about, hissing his usual remarks.
'The Freezing potion is supposed to be transparent, Longbottom, not that thick mass of red you have managed to brew,' he hissed at a cowering Neville.
Harry watched Snape with narrowed eyes, knowing very well his turn would come soon.
'How in the world does Dumbledore trust him?' Ron hissed to him, as Snape snapped at Parvati Patil. Hermione sighed from beside him.
'Just because he hates Gryffindor doesn't mean he's not trustworthy,' she said, keeping her voice as low as possible.
'I wouldn't put it past me like that. Just because he's a teacher-' Ron retorted, when Harry shushed him quickly. Snape was coming up to them.
'What is going on here? Reading magazines under the table again?' Snape asked loudly, as he stopped by Harry, who knew well it was no use replying. Ron cleared his throat, and Hermione looked up from her mint cubes.
'Perhaps detention will curb your enthusiasm, Weasley? And you, Granger…now if I see the both of you talking, I will make sure both of you serve detention for the rest of the week. Come to me after class…we have to arrange today's detention.' Snape finished with them, rather pleased himself, and went over to the Slytherins, in a good mood, awarding occasional points to Slytherin.
'That-' Ron hissed, and said something that made Hermione look up at him in horror.
'Ron! He'll hear you!' she hissed through clenched teeth.
'Strange I didn't get detention,' said Harry, quietly. Ron looked at Snape. He never tired of awarding detentions to the Slytherins.
'How's it going, Potter?' Malfoy's voice floated over to their side, right from the other side of the room. It seemed that Snape had gone temporarily deaf, and he didn't even bat an eye lid as he passed down the rows of the Slytherins.
Harry didn't look at Malfoy, but continued at his work silently, measuring the right amount of Spirit Ice in his cup.
'Detention again, Weasel, Gringy? Poor Prefect,' Malfoy taunted.
'Shut up Malfoy,' Ron growled. Snape turned around, strode over to Ron, and looked down at him, his black eyes flashing.
'Quiet, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Potter…see me after class,' he hissed. Harry looked over at Malfoy, who was snickering, and whispering something to Crabbe and Goyle.
After class, Harry, Ron and Hermione approached Snape, something they definitely did not want to do. He looked at them coldly.
'Weasley, Granger you'll be here right after dinner to clean up the old cauldrons in the back room-without magic! Go now!' Snape growled.
Ron and Hermione picked up their cauldrons and bags, and left, Ron just on the verge of shouting out angrily. Harry looked everywhere other than at Snape, waiting for his sentence to be passed.
'As for you Potter…I have to inform you, you will not be using the Quidditch pitch this week…Mr. Malfoy and his team have already booked it for the week,' Snape said, clearly wanting to enjoy Harry's reaction himself.
Harry looked up at him at this.
'What?! We need it for practice as much as Slytherin, we have got a match in a little over a week!'
'Keep quiet. I was merely informing you. And if that kind of attitude is repeated, I will make sure you serve detention too like Weasley and Granger!'
Harry was really angry now, and he felt as if any moment he'd burst out shouting at Snape. They needed practice before the match. Ron needed it, and with the match only days away, giving up the pitch for a whole week was an unthinkable idea.
'We'll use it in the mornings,' Harry said, even when he did not want to even look at Snape.
'Slytherin will have practices twice a days, before breakfast, and after classes. There is no other time left for any one else. Now, go before it gets worse.' Snape looked down at Harry, and then turned around.
Harry dropped his bag into his cauldron. He turned on his heels, and strode out of the dungeon as calmly as possible.
'He what?!!' Ron shouted, not able to believe his ears.
'It's true. Guess Malfoy must be glad,' said Harry, watching Ron's shocked expression.
'But-but we can go to Professor Mc Gonagall!' Ron said.
'I already went to her. She was just as upset but she can't do anything about it. Seems we're going to have a long rest before the match,' Harry said resignedly. Ron made a growling sort of noise.
'This is one time too many!' he said. Hermione sighed.
'Come on, we're going to be late for detention…and I want to get it done with as soon as possible,' she said, getting up from her place. Ron got up, muttering incoherently.
Harry felt like kicking something as he remained sitting at the Gryffindor table after Ron and Hermione left. His scar was throbbing slightly too to make matters worse. Snape's attitude that day seemed the worst ever, and being robbed of Quidditch practice was very, very bad. He looked up from his plate. Sitting opposite him, were two Gryffindor sixth years, and Ginny.
Ginny wasn't eating. She had her head in her hands, and was staring at her plate, which contained untouched food. Harry frowned.
'Ginny?' he asked. She looked up immediately. Her eyes seemed quite red.
'You okay?' he asked, quickly. Ginny pushed her plate of food away.
'Don't know…I don't feel so good,' she said.
'Headache?' Harry asked.
'No,' Ginny said, looking quite pale. 'I just don't feel like eating anything…I think I need sleep. See you.'
Ginny got up, and left the table. Harry, wanting to get way from his throbbing scar too, decided to go up to bed early that day.
As promised earlier, Chp7 will be up day after tomorrow!
Review please!
Bye!