"Harry!! Run!" Hermione shouted, as she and Ron tore through the hallways of Hogwarts, a giant mountain troll right behind them. Harry had been behind them and the troll hadn't seen him. He tried to distract it, but he was too late; it had crushed Hermione and Ron under its massive legs.
Harry woke up with a start. Sunlight pore through the window of the boys' dormitories, and everyone was just getting out of bed. Harry put on his glasses and glanced over at a still-snoring Ron Weasley. Harry dressed and waited for Ron to finally finish getting ready. They headed to the common room to wait for Hermione, who came down the steps from the girls' dormitory a few minutes later.
The Great Hall was full of people when the three friends arrived. It was their first week back at school, and classes hadn't started yet. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in their sixth year now. It seemed like nothing had changed. For the most part, nothing had- a new first-year class, and a few changes to the staff were the only things different.
"What do you mean you're not taking Runes?" Hermione asked Ron as she sat down. Ron rolled his eyes.
"It's just not that interesting to me, Hermione," he explained. "But I'm taking Anceint Magic, if that'll make you feel better."
"Anceint Magic?" Ginny asked, as she sat down across from Hermione.
"Oh, it's a sixth year course option, Ginny. Don't worry about it," Ron explained. Hermione smiled.
"You'd probably like it, Gin. It deals with all the anceint wizards... Druids and stuff... It's a more specific History of Magic, in a way," she said.
"Oh, okay. Thanks Hermione," Ginny said, pointedly ignoring her brother. Ron glanced at Harry.
"You're awfully quiet this morning... What, moping over being stuck with Divination? Again?"
"Strangely enough, that class is growing on me... Like a fungus!"
"Ew, Harry!" Hermione laughed. "It can't be that bad... Why are you taking it?"
"Ever since they got rid of Trelawney last year, it's been kinda worthwhile."
"I don't know... Prof. Lewis is nice enough, but I don't really care for her," Ginny said. "Must just be me though." As the conversation turned more towards sixth-year topics, Ginny excused herself from the table and headed for the library. She was actually excited about classes starting, but wouldn't tell even Hermione that. Of course, she never really told Hermione much of anything, not that it mattered.
The library was practically Ginny's favourite place in the school. She didn't really have one favourite place, as she was always discovering new things about the building, but the library was her solace. It was big enough that Hermione, Harry, and Ron could be in there and not know she was, too.
"Oh, Ginny, how nice to see you, as always," Mme Pince said from the desk in front. No one seemed to like Mme Pince, but Ginny thought she was sweet. As she headed for her usual dark corner, she ran into a girl from her class.
"Ginny! Hey, how've you been?" The green-eyed raven-haired Gryffindor said, shyly. Ginny smiled.
"Not too bad, Morgan, thanks. You?"
"Eh, it's another school year, what's not to be happy about?" They laughed. "So what're you doing here? Classes haven't started yet, don't tell me you're already studying! You're going to get a reputation worse than Hermione Granger if you keep living in the library like this!" Ginny looked down.
"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to do some reading for fun... Actually, Hermione was telling me about a class you can take sixth year that sounded really interesting and I wanted to look into it," Gin explained.
"Really? Which one?"
"Anceint Magic."
"Oh! My brother took that last year... He's a seventh year now. He really liked it. Maybe I can get his old books for you?"
"Oh, would you?! Morgan, that'd be so great! Thanks a lot!"
"Hey, no problem, I'll ask him at lunchtime. He's in Gryffindor with us. I'm sure you know him, Dominic Benigno?" Ginny smacked her forehead.
"Oh right! Morgan Benigno, Dominic Benigno. Duh!" Morgan laughed.
"Eh, it's okay. Hey, I've got to go, but I'll talk to Nic at lunch, okay? Ciao!" Ginny continued to the dustier shelves in back as Morgan left. ~*~
"Honestly, I don't know you managed to become captain!" Harry exclaimed to Fred. He and his twin brother were Gryffindor's Quidditch team co-captains. They, Angelina, and Harry were the only players left from Harry's first year. Try-outs were to be held the next afternoon for the remaining positions: Two chasers and a keeper.
"Now, Harry. We aren't that bad," George said. "Besides, we can hit you with our clubs if you don't listen." Harry groaned.
"Well, who's trying out? Anyone decent?" He asked the twins. Fred grabbed a list.
"Lessee, we got Amber Porchen, third year. Alex Baker, fifth year. Morgan Benigno, fifth year. Grace Laurent, fourth year. Michael Rodriguez, third year. Tom Rowley, fourth year. I know Baker's good, so's Laurent, but the rest of them I'm not sure about." ~*~
"Ginny, aren't you going to watch the try-outs with us?" Hermione was standing at the entrance to the common room, with Ron at her side. Ginny glanced up from her book.
"Oh, thanks for reminding me, I'm coming," she said, and put away her book. The three of them made their way out to the Quidditch pitch, were all of Gryffindor house was assembled, and a few from other houses. All of the applicants were good, and no one could predict the outcome. There was general unrest as George and Fred conferred. Finally, they looked up, serious expression on their normally smiling faces. George cleared his throat and the crowd settled.
"Okay, this was really tough, but... We've made our decisions. Chasers: Alex Baker, Grace Laurent. Keeper: Morgan Benigno. Thanks to everybody for trying out, hopefully we'll see you back next year, remember, keep practicing. New team members, please pick up a copy of the practice schedule from Fred," he said. ~*~
"Oh come on, Hermione! Even Prefects need a little fun!"
"Ron Weasley, I will not help you prank anyone!"
"Not even Malfoy?!"
"No!"
"Fine, Harry and I will just have to go ask Fred and George for their help then."
"Oh, really, Ron. You're getting as bad as they are!"
"Who, me? Never!"
"No, of course not." Hermione made a face at Ron. She loved him and Harry, but sometimes, they tried even her limits. They needed their fun, she supposed, but she just wished it wasn't so precarious for their enrollment at Hogwarts sometimes. ~*~
"But, but-"
"No buts, Goyle, just leave me alone for once!" Malfoy shouted. Crabbe and Goyle were trying to convince Malfoy that they should break into the broom closet and go for a ride, but Malfoy wouldn't hear it. It was a common misconception that Draco Malfoy was the brains of the outfit, and while, he generally was, it was his two hulking sidekicks that came up with the more devious undertakings. Malfoy himself was more of a solitary person. Not that anyone ever bothered to find that out. Not that Crabbe and Goyle ever left him alone. ~*~
Dumbledore sat in his office, smiling into his Penseive. Another year, another set of adventures. Classes would begin on Monday, and he was interested what would develop this year. The aged wizard could tell something was in the air- there always was at the beginning of a year- but what, even he couldn't predict.
Harry woke up with a start. Sunlight pore through the window of the boys' dormitories, and everyone was just getting out of bed. Harry put on his glasses and glanced over at a still-snoring Ron Weasley. Harry dressed and waited for Ron to finally finish getting ready. They headed to the common room to wait for Hermione, who came down the steps from the girls' dormitory a few minutes later.
The Great Hall was full of people when the three friends arrived. It was their first week back at school, and classes hadn't started yet. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in their sixth year now. It seemed like nothing had changed. For the most part, nothing had- a new first-year class, and a few changes to the staff were the only things different.
"What do you mean you're not taking Runes?" Hermione asked Ron as she sat down. Ron rolled his eyes.
"It's just not that interesting to me, Hermione," he explained. "But I'm taking Anceint Magic, if that'll make you feel better."
"Anceint Magic?" Ginny asked, as she sat down across from Hermione.
"Oh, it's a sixth year course option, Ginny. Don't worry about it," Ron explained. Hermione smiled.
"You'd probably like it, Gin. It deals with all the anceint wizards... Druids and stuff... It's a more specific History of Magic, in a way," she said.
"Oh, okay. Thanks Hermione," Ginny said, pointedly ignoring her brother. Ron glanced at Harry.
"You're awfully quiet this morning... What, moping over being stuck with Divination? Again?"
"Strangely enough, that class is growing on me... Like a fungus!"
"Ew, Harry!" Hermione laughed. "It can't be that bad... Why are you taking it?"
"Ever since they got rid of Trelawney last year, it's been kinda worthwhile."
"I don't know... Prof. Lewis is nice enough, but I don't really care for her," Ginny said. "Must just be me though." As the conversation turned more towards sixth-year topics, Ginny excused herself from the table and headed for the library. She was actually excited about classes starting, but wouldn't tell even Hermione that. Of course, she never really told Hermione much of anything, not that it mattered.
The library was practically Ginny's favourite place in the school. She didn't really have one favourite place, as she was always discovering new things about the building, but the library was her solace. It was big enough that Hermione, Harry, and Ron could be in there and not know she was, too.
"Oh, Ginny, how nice to see you, as always," Mme Pince said from the desk in front. No one seemed to like Mme Pince, but Ginny thought she was sweet. As she headed for her usual dark corner, she ran into a girl from her class.
"Ginny! Hey, how've you been?" The green-eyed raven-haired Gryffindor said, shyly. Ginny smiled.
"Not too bad, Morgan, thanks. You?"
"Eh, it's another school year, what's not to be happy about?" They laughed. "So what're you doing here? Classes haven't started yet, don't tell me you're already studying! You're going to get a reputation worse than Hermione Granger if you keep living in the library like this!" Ginny looked down.
"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to do some reading for fun... Actually, Hermione was telling me about a class you can take sixth year that sounded really interesting and I wanted to look into it," Gin explained.
"Really? Which one?"
"Anceint Magic."
"Oh! My brother took that last year... He's a seventh year now. He really liked it. Maybe I can get his old books for you?"
"Oh, would you?! Morgan, that'd be so great! Thanks a lot!"
"Hey, no problem, I'll ask him at lunchtime. He's in Gryffindor with us. I'm sure you know him, Dominic Benigno?" Ginny smacked her forehead.
"Oh right! Morgan Benigno, Dominic Benigno. Duh!" Morgan laughed.
"Eh, it's okay. Hey, I've got to go, but I'll talk to Nic at lunch, okay? Ciao!" Ginny continued to the dustier shelves in back as Morgan left. ~*~
"Honestly, I don't know you managed to become captain!" Harry exclaimed to Fred. He and his twin brother were Gryffindor's Quidditch team co-captains. They, Angelina, and Harry were the only players left from Harry's first year. Try-outs were to be held the next afternoon for the remaining positions: Two chasers and a keeper.
"Now, Harry. We aren't that bad," George said. "Besides, we can hit you with our clubs if you don't listen." Harry groaned.
"Well, who's trying out? Anyone decent?" He asked the twins. Fred grabbed a list.
"Lessee, we got Amber Porchen, third year. Alex Baker, fifth year. Morgan Benigno, fifth year. Grace Laurent, fourth year. Michael Rodriguez, third year. Tom Rowley, fourth year. I know Baker's good, so's Laurent, but the rest of them I'm not sure about." ~*~
"Ginny, aren't you going to watch the try-outs with us?" Hermione was standing at the entrance to the common room, with Ron at her side. Ginny glanced up from her book.
"Oh, thanks for reminding me, I'm coming," she said, and put away her book. The three of them made their way out to the Quidditch pitch, were all of Gryffindor house was assembled, and a few from other houses. All of the applicants were good, and no one could predict the outcome. There was general unrest as George and Fred conferred. Finally, they looked up, serious expression on their normally smiling faces. George cleared his throat and the crowd settled.
"Okay, this was really tough, but... We've made our decisions. Chasers: Alex Baker, Grace Laurent. Keeper: Morgan Benigno. Thanks to everybody for trying out, hopefully we'll see you back next year, remember, keep practicing. New team members, please pick up a copy of the practice schedule from Fred," he said. ~*~
"Oh come on, Hermione! Even Prefects need a little fun!"
"Ron Weasley, I will not help you prank anyone!"
"Not even Malfoy?!"
"No!"
"Fine, Harry and I will just have to go ask Fred and George for their help then."
"Oh, really, Ron. You're getting as bad as they are!"
"Who, me? Never!"
"No, of course not." Hermione made a face at Ron. She loved him and Harry, but sometimes, they tried even her limits. They needed their fun, she supposed, but she just wished it wasn't so precarious for their enrollment at Hogwarts sometimes. ~*~
"But, but-"
"No buts, Goyle, just leave me alone for once!" Malfoy shouted. Crabbe and Goyle were trying to convince Malfoy that they should break into the broom closet and go for a ride, but Malfoy wouldn't hear it. It was a common misconception that Draco Malfoy was the brains of the outfit, and while, he generally was, it was his two hulking sidekicks that came up with the more devious undertakings. Malfoy himself was more of a solitary person. Not that anyone ever bothered to find that out. Not that Crabbe and Goyle ever left him alone. ~*~
Dumbledore sat in his office, smiling into his Penseive. Another year, another set of adventures. Classes would begin on Monday, and he was interested what would develop this year. The aged wizard could tell something was in the air- there always was at the beginning of a year- but what, even he couldn't predict.