A/N- for the record let me say that I in fact HATE Microsoft Word. I like Microsoft Works 4.0 better. I know it is outdated, I even got it installed onto my new computer because I liked it so much. Anyway I know I left the topic of this chapter sorta unfinished when I first mentioned it back in some other chapters. I don't expect you to understand what I just said until you actually read the chapter so . . .meh.

Chapter 24- Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor

Harry woke up the next Friday Morning groggy. Ron and Ginny still weren't talking to him or Hermione, and Fleur was busy with some work. All the students would be coming home that day. Harry looked over at his clock, it read that it was three in the morning, and he knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep. It was actually very sad, he had read, through the Daily Prophet that Voldemort's Muggle Army was destroying anything and everything it could. Susan Bones, Ernest Millseed, Rachel McMillian and Ida Eyed were all killed. Getting out of bed Harry made his way down to the common room. Ron was already down there; it had been six days since they last spoke. Ron looked up at Harry as he descended the staircase, pausing slightly at the sight of Ron. Harry turned to go back upstairs,

"Wait!" Ron called. Harry stopped but didn't turn around. He knew his best friend well enough to know that Ron was fidgeting in his seat by the ruffles he could hear. Ron continued,

"Harry, I'm sorry for getting mad okay. I was just mad because everyone treats me like I'm a baby. I've been on way more 'adventures' than anyone in my family, and hell I even got a scar from Voldemort!"

"What?" Harry said turning around, he didn't know Ron had a scar.

"Well, it doesn't warn me when he's around, but I got it the day he hit me with the Crutacius Curse."

"You said Voldemort."

"I know, I've been practicing."

* * * * *

Harry dived down toward the ground, speeding faster and faster than he could ever have thought possible. His broom was speeding even faster than a Firebolt. He looked down at it and read the engraving, it said Phoenix Wings. He barely had time to make it out as he was pulled from his wonderful dream.

"Harry, Harry wake up, we have to go add some stuff to the Marauder potion and then you have to go out there for Quidditch, your Ravenclaw match is in a few hours." Ron said all while shaking Harry awake. Harry rocked back and forth and finally woke up. It was Saturday Morning, and all the people who went home for the holidays were back.

"I'm coming, geroff." Harry mumbled as he pushed Ron away and woke up. He made his way to the bathroom and put on fresh clothes and robes. He looked over the bathtub, which was never used anymore thanks to a few chosen words they were taught in second year.

Harry met Ron and Hermione downstairs in the common room, obviously arguing over something,

"I just don't like them Hermione, honestly why would you go and ask Dumbledore for one anyway?" Ron huffed, Hermione scowled slightly,

"Because they're fun, besides Parvati, Lavender and Sara have been begging me to ask for one since I was made prefect."

"Only because you went into Dumbledore's office to trick that little hat." Ron said and turned. Harry saw him smile a little bit; yes Ron did love egging Hermione on.

"It chose me before I talked to it, I just wanted to know why I was put where I was."

"Okay Hermione, but I'm telling you, you should be lucky the sorting hat didn't put you in Slytherin. I personally wouldn't trust anyone who the sorting hat would think to put in Slytherin." Ron said knowingly. Harry didn't quite understand their conversation but he felt the need to make his presence known.

"I was going to be in Slytherin." Harry blurted out, going the rest of the way down the stairs. Ron and Hermione looked up,

"I'll explain on the way to the spot." He said and all three left the common room.

"What now Harry, about you being in Slytherin?"

"Oh yeah, I was going to be in Slytherin, you know how the Sorting Hat talks to you right?" They nodded," Well anyway it was going to put me in Slytherin, but I begged it not to, because on the train Ron had already told me what bad reputations Slytherins had." Harry had forgotten he had never told his friends that little fact,

"You're just telling us now?" Hermione said shocked, Ron and Harry looked taken aback,

"So . ." Harry started, but paused to open the door to moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"I can't believe you never told us, so you could be the heir of the Slytherin!"

"No, because Voldemort is the heir of Slytherin, remember?" Harry shot in a fast pace. He didn't mean to but it just happened.

"And anyway, what were you guys talking about before I came downstairs, you know I could hear the conversation right?"

"Nothing-" Hermione started, but Ron jumped in,

"She asked Dumbledore for a Valentine's day ball!" He exclaimed. Hermione and Ron started siphoning ingredients out of their pockets. Their plans were to become Neo-Zaphods, shapeshifters. If they did everything to the tee then it would work, but they weren't sure when the potion would be ready. They still needed it to sit until it turned green after they had let all the ingredients in it. As Sirius had told them, that certainly wouldn't be that school year.

"Another ball, I The balls." Harry groaned. Ron had a look of triumph as Hermione glared at him.

After an hour of mixing, casting spells, and stirring potions the trio left the bathroom, on their way to the room, and in about fifteen minutes, breakfast would start. Hermione and Harry lagged back a bit behind Ron, who seemed to be preoccupied anyway, she whispered into his ear,

"Have you thought about what I asked?"

"Have I thought about it? You mean when haven't I, why did you have to ask me that Hermione, I can't take my mind off of it."

"Well, do you or don't you?"

"I don't know Hermione, do you love Ron?" He shot. This line of questioning was starting to get on his nerves,

"Don't change the subject Harry."

"Don't start a subject you can't finish Hermione." And with that Harry hurried up to the portrait hole, which were a few feet away.

"Harry, we have a problem." Angelina said to him as he walked into the common room. She tossed his the Daily Prophet. He caught it and opened it up, reading only the headline and immediately understanding,

Hogwarts student Matthew Mitchell Dead.

Matthew was the reserve keeper for Gryffindor, meaning today, they had no keeper.

"What are we going to do?" Angelina asked worriedly,

"Find another keeper." Harry replied quickly

"Get Ron Weasley, he's good."

"Just who I had in mind. See outside after breakfast Angelina." Harry said, running upstairs into the dorm.

Ron was ecstatic about being Gryffindor's new keeper; he practically skipped down to breakfast. Harry sat down at the table next to Ron, and an empty spot. Hermione came in a little later and sat on Ron's other side. Eating in silence, (Or in Harry's case not at all) seemed to be Gryffindor's team strategy. Fred and George weren't cracking jokes, Angelina, Katie, Alicia, and Megan weren't gossiping. Ron was sort of trembling and Harry was looking straight ahead, but not seeing anything. He had a picture in his head, and picture of the amulet that he had bought for Fleur. He was still hanging around her neck. He knew he had seen it somewhere else, he was sure where though.

"Harry." A voice popped up, He spun around and Gabrielle stood behind him.

"Oh hey Gabrielle, what's up." Harry said.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to wish you good luck in trying to beat us today." She smiled,

"Of course."

"Just to let you know, now that I'm a chaser, things are going to be different." She smirked a little this time. Harry grinned,

"Is that a challenge?"

"So now you're challenging younger students to fight Potter?" a strict voice said. Harry looked up in horror only to find Fleur standing over the two.

"Just kidding, Gabrielle, I need to see in you in the hallway for a moment and potter, good luck." She said in an unbiased voice, but gave a reassuring wink as she turned around. Harry smiled as she walked away.

* * * * *

Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were all in the Gryffindor locker room changing. Ron would be riding a Nimbus two thousand; it was the one Matthew rode. The team of seven walked out onto the Quidditch field together, all in a tightly knit group. Looking up at the sea of people in the stands Harry could hardly believe it was just some silly school match. The Ravenclaw team came out from the other end of the pitch, Cho Chang, the new Ravenclaw captain in the lead. It almost looked like the two were leading their gang into a turf war. Harry and Cho stopped in the middle of the pitch, as Madam Hooch stood with the balls.

"Captains shake hands!" She demanded, Harry extended his hand to Cho, who smiled and shook it, mouthing 'I need to talk to you'. Harry nodded and mounted his broom,

"This year the Ravenclaw team has added three new players, but they still the togetherness and strategic alignment of Ravenclaws before them. With Rodney, Givens, Meesh, Herey, Paltrow, Delacour, annnnnnnnnnnd, Chang!" Lee Jordan's commentary started as madam Hooch blew the whistle.

"Gryffindor still has that good 'ol team, the three chasers, Attractive, skilled, and fast, on brooms that is." He added in an undertone, "I present you Spinnet, Johnson and Bell! The two unbeatable beaters, you love them, Weasley, and Weasley. A keeper who has failed to be scored on, surprise, surprise, Weasley and of course the one and only seeker of the century, Harry James Potter!" The Gryffindor team rose up into the air as their names were called. Madam hooch unleashed the balls and the game was on its way.

* * * * *

Gabrielle wasn't lying when she said things would change because she was on the team, things did change. She was an excellent chaser, speedy, strong, and powerful. The score was tied, sixty up, and Gryffindor was having trouble getting through Meesh, the keeper. It didn't actually help Ravenclaw any that Ron was about the best keeper Gryffindor had ever had. Out of about four hundred possible points they only got sixty.

Harry circled around the top of the stadium, searching for the Snitch. Suddenly he felt the need to do something, Cho was tailing him and he wanted to get her off. Thinking quickly he zoomed toward Ravenclaws end of the field and spun around, to see if Cho was following, but she wasn't. She had just started to dive. She had seen the Snitch! Even though Harry had a Firebolt he was still on the opposite end of the pitch. A loud hush went over the stadium as Cho and Harry raced toward the ground. Her face was compiled with concentration, as was Harry's.

She doesn't have a concerned look when she sees the Snitch; it's more a smirk.

A voice in the back of Harry's head said, and it was true, she must be feinting. Harry smiled slightly and looked around, the whole crowd was still quiet. Cho didn't know he knew, so he could use it to his advantage. Taking his time while descending to the ground Harry looked around for the Snitch, it had to be here, around somewhere.

A hint of gold flashed by Angelina's head, all the way on Ravenclaw's end of the stadium. Harry turned quickly in midair and chased after it. Oddly enough it seemed to be running. Harry followed the Snitch around Angelina's head, through Katie's legs, and around the pitch. Cho had pulled out of her dive and was coming toward the Snitch from below, Harry from above. Harry reached out for it and his hand seemed to slip from the broom. He lost contact completely and fell, grabbing the Snitch in midair. As Harry and his broom fell parallel, about three feet apart he felt a gust of wind blow past him as Cho raced in-between the two. Slowly Harry moved over in air, managing to grab his broom. The wind was tearing at his face and he knew he didn't have a lot of time until he hit the ground. He pulled the broom closer to him, and grabbed on, holding on and swooped back up into the air. A loud eruption of cheers rang out and Harry could make out lee's voice,

"There you have it folks, the Potter Plunge!"

A/N- I'm tired.