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Chapter Eight: Letters "So who's our study captain?" Ron was asking Hermione on the way to Care of Magical creatures. Hermione, in a typical move, had spent the entire day gathering all the specifics on the tournament as she could and Ron followed at her heels like a disciple. "Professor McGonagall. First meeting is tonight in the library-seven o clock sharp." "Who are the others?" "I believe that Professor Flitwick is Hufflepuff's Captain, Slytherin has Professor Trelawney, and Ravenclaw's is. . . " "Warwick," finished Ron, sadness in his voice. "Oh, why can't she be a Gryffindor?" "Actually," came the voice of Professor Gray walking up behind them, "there's been a change of plans. Professor Warwick is going to be hosting the event. I am going to fill in for her, coaching the Ravenclaw team. "Professor Gray," Harry repeated incredulously, "you are really?" "Don't sound so surprised," he smiled. "Ah, so you're a turncoat, are you?" Ron teased. "Hardly, Mr. Weasley. But I must admit that I am quite chuffed that I'm to be coaching the smartest lot in the school. It'll make my job a lot easier!" Hermione smirked. "Ha! We'll see about them being the smartest lot in the school." "Miss Granger, even as a Gryffindor, I must admit that is the truth." "Ah, but we have Hermione." Ron pat her on the back. "Yes," he said glumly. "Listen Miss Granger: best watch what you eat--they really want you off the team." "WHAT?" She looked faint. He laughed and shook his head. "See you in class, you three." The three smiled at his disappearing figure, Harry especially. "Great bloke, Sirius. Isn't he?" He smiled at Ron and Hermione, expecting an immediate concurrence. . . but he was instead met with two faces completely drained of color. And Harry realized he'd made a big mistake. Ron grabbed Harry's arm forcefully, his voice in a loud whisper. "Sirius? Are you tellin' us that Professor Gray is Sirius Black?" Harry wished the ground would have just swallowed him whole. "How long have you known?," Hermione demanded. "Er . . . since the first day of class." "And you never told us?!" Ron looked disgusted. "Dumbledore specifically told me not to tell anyone-- not even you two!" "But we're your best friends! And we love Sirius as well--" "Even Sirius wanted me to keep it secret from you! He trusts you, but, well-- this is a big deal here, you know? One accidental slip and--" "You mean an accidental slip like the one you just made?" Hermione's arms were folded in triumph. Harry grimaced. "Just. . . be extra careful, all right? I mean. . . remember how people reacted when they found out Professor Lupin was a werewolf? Imagine how they'd act if they found out that Sirius Black is teaching their students." * "So how did the first study session go?" Harry asked. Hermione simply gushed about how wonderful it was for about ten minutes straight. Ron did look excited, but perhaps decided to leave it to Hermione to do all the explaining. "It's going to be fantastic, Harry. See, each week we focus on one of the featured subjects-- this week it's History, right Ron? So she gives us a study parchment with key dates and we break up into independent groups and research what we've been assigned and then talk about them for the rest of the study period-- it's lots of interaction. Just brilliant, really." "It's a lot," Ron managed to get in. "I dunno how I'm going to get all of it done plus my normal work." "Oh, I'll help you Ron, you know that." It was a good thing Hermione offered it, because Ron really did need it. Ron had never been an excellent student, so the added workload really threw him off his balance. Ron did have determination. . . though Harry was a bit worried when only two weeks into the Pennant sessions, Ron looked like he was ready to drop: it wasn't even Halloween yet and the Pennant wasn't until just before Christmas! "I've been starin' at the same paragraph for the last ten minutes," he said as Harry took a seat beside him in the library. Harry had to laugh. Arithmancy was probably Harry's least favorite subject as well-- of course, with the exception of Divination. Hermione walked into the common room, barely visible from behind her books. "Sorry I'm late," she said, dropping her books down with a heavy thud. "Never seen the library so crowded before!" "Hey-- Herm," Ron started. "Did you . . . do something . . . different? "To what?" "I dunno -- to your hair, maybe?" Harry looked back up at Hermione. Ron was right. There was most definitely something . . . different about her. Her brown mane of hair wasn't unruly and bushy. . . but tame. Her hair swept into very pretty, soft waves, reaching down her back. And . . . well, it was just her entire appearance altogether! Her soft, charcoal gray turtleneck sweater seemed to contrast with pallor of her face and the rosiness in her cheeks. Hermione was the sister that Harry never had and . . . well, he felt awkward admitting it, but the truth was that Hermione looked . . .pretty Of course she'd never exactly been ugly, but then again she wasn't the type of girl a guy would generally loose his head over. . . or was she? Viktor Krum liked her, after all, and he could have had any girl he wanted. She'd taken several of the Gryffindors by shock last year when she showed up at the Yule Ball-- was it possible that Harry had been best friends with this very same knockout standing in front of them all this time? Ron and Harry were gawking at her unabashedly. She sat down, a visible flush to her. "It's rude to stare, you two." Harry shook himself out of it, though Ron's eyes were still stuck on her. He had to kick Ron's shins under the table. "Right, so I'm bloody lost here. My number chart's all wrong, I know it." "Mine too," said Harry, pulling out his and handing it to Hermione who studied them both most intently. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ron beginning to gaze at her again and once again, Harry had to kick him to snap him out of it. By the end of the evening, Harry was hoping that Ron wouldn't be black and blue in the morning from the amount of times he had to nudge him. But Ron simply couldn't seem to help himself. And then it hit Harry! Ron fancied Hermione! Harry knew all too well whenever his dear friend Ron had flipped over a girl-and he most certainly had that same distant sparkle in his eye with Hermione. Now Harry wasn't an expert when it came to things like relationships, so just to make sure that he wasn't jumping to conclusions, he didn't say anything to Ron about it that night, but made a special point of watching Ron's every move while Hermione was around. He wrote Sophie, of course, excited to share his discovery with someone. "Sophie! I think that Ron fancies Hermione! He can't seem to concentrate on anything else while she's in the room! In Defense Against the Dark Arts class yesterday, Professor Gray asked him to read from the textbook TWICE before Ron snapped out of his trance! You write to Hermione all the time-- has she ever mentioned anything about Ron?" Harry couldn't believe it when Sophie wrote back: "Wow! Wonderful news, that! Hermione's never admitted to me in direct terms, but I really do think that she may fancy Ron as well! Whenever she mentions him, there's always an almost bitterness to it. She loves to call him names, dwells on his shortcomings, you know, all the things that girls do when they fancy someone and are trying to convince themselves they don't." Harry hadn't been aware of that. "But that doesn't make sense! If deep down inside they like someone, why would they try to appear as though they don't to the guys they like? That would only confuse they guy, and then he wouldn't know what to do, and then no one would ever get anywhere!" Harry could almost hear the laughter in Sophie's response. "Oh dear. Are you sure you're fifteen years old, Harry? I'm sure you would have caught on by now! That's how we are! Sure, there are girls who have no problem showing their affection, but a lot of times we spend hours upon hours going down all the reasons why we shouldn't like someone, all the reasons why they're wrong for us and why our lives will be better without them. We're just fooling ourselves, of course, and sooner or later we end up throwing that caution to the wind anyway." Harry could barely write back fast enough. "But wouldn't it make so much more sense to just SKIP THAT ENTIRE STEP, and just admit that you like the guy? From what I see, it would save everyone involved a lot of time and sanity!" Harry laughed at Sophie's reply. "Of course it would. But that's why we're women." ** According to Ron and Hermione, the Gryffindor Team was going to be stellar. They were all incredibly serious about it-- even at lunchtime, Hermione, Lavender, Katie, Lars and Ron throwing out questions at each other. It was an ordinary day in Potions when Professor McGonagall came in suddenly. "I need to speak with Mr. Weasley please, Professor Warwick." "Of Course." Harry turned, curiously following Ron with his eyes-Ron looked bewildered as well. His eye fell on Draco who was smiling. Upon seeing Harry, however, he quickly looked back down at his parchment. As soon as class let out, Harry and Hermione bolted off to find Ron. Ron's face was fuming as he left McGonagall's office. "Ron, what happened?" "I can't believe it, I just can't bloody believe it! The bastards who did this-" "Did what?" "The store! Fred and George's store! Someone torched it last night." Harry was speechless. Hermione gasped. "Ron," she breathed, "oh no. . ." "Oh yes. It's all over the Daily Prophet! " He thrust a copy of the days paper into Harry's hands and he opened it up frantically, Hermione peering over his shoulder: "Hogsmeade Fire-Arson Suspected.
At least one structure in the popular holiday village of Hogsmeade was destroyed when a fire broke out late yesterday evening. Thankfully, the Ministry department of responded quickly to squelch the inferno, but not before one building on the main High street had been damaged beyond immediate repair. The Mayor of Hogsmeade is quoted as 'cooperating to the best of his ability with Ministry of Magic Investigators to catch whomever the culprits may be.' The burned building had been recently sold to new owners, but was as of the time of the fire, still vacant. There was no damage to the neighboring Dervish and Banges. Harry couldn't believe his eyes. "How are Fred and George?" Harry finally asked. "How do you think. They're mad as hell-- I saw George flippin' get teary eyed for the first time in my life! So many years they've dreamed of it, it was finally starting to become a reality and now this." "But Ron, it just doesn't make sense," said Hermione. "I mean. . why would anyone do that?" "How should I know?" "And who would do that?" It was really almost like clockwork. No sooner had the words left his lips that they heard the teasing, taunting voice that never failed to make the hair on the back of Harry's neck stand on edge. "So sorry to hear about the store, Weasley. Guess you're right back to being a nobody again." Malfoy! They turned and found Draco bearing a Cheshire cat grin. Ron threw his books down onto the floor with a loud thud that echoed throughout the hall. He marched to Draco and put his face into his, forcing him to take a couple steps backward. "If I find out that you had anything to do with this, Malfoy, anything at all, I am going to make sure that you regret the day you were born." Draco matched his stare happily. "Regret being born? Only if I were a Weasley." He looked past Ron at Hermione. "Or a mudblood." Harry could feel Hermione snap at those words. Draco had gone too far-- not only cutting at Ron but Hermione as well. Draco should have remembered what had happened the last time he'd crossed the line with Hermione Granger: she'd landed him with a sock in the kisser. And before Harry could stop her, Hermione was running full speed ahead for Draco Malfoy. She jumped and threw her weight onto him, the both of them crashing to the ground. "Hermione!" Harry and Ron shouted. They ran to try and pull her off, but Crabbe and Goyle had appeared ant pulled them both into headlocks. "FIGHT!" Yelled Seamus and at once, the entire hallway filled with students. From inside Goyle's headlock, Harry could see Hermione rolling around on the floor, screaming and punching Draco in the stomach. Draco was pulling at her hair and shouting "Don't-make-me-hurt-you-Granger!" "Go on, do it! If you can set fire to a store, then what's hitting a girl?" "I didn't-" "STOP LYING!" "HERMIONE! STOP!" Harry shouted again, and with a great heave, he threw Goyle from off him. Goyle blinked, surprised that Harry had thrown him off-as was Harry! He ran to pull Hermione off of Draco when a voice ripped the hall. "ENOUGH OF THIS!" Professor Dumbledore had appeared in the hall. With a flick of his wand, Hermione and Draco were lifted to their feet and Ron was released from Crabbe. Dumbledore did not appear pleased and ordered for them to follow. "You six. Now." They all entered Dumbledore's office and he stared at them overtop his spectacles, not a hint of amusement about him at all. No, he was most definitely upset. "And the reason for that deplorable display was?" All six started talking at once, much to Dumbledore's distaste. He held up one hand and the voices ceased immediately. "Granger. What were you doing?" "It was Malfoy, Professor Sir! He said some really horrible things about Ron and myself! He's always badgering us and I finally just got sick of it. I know I shouldn't have done so, and I am sorry about it, but. . . I just got so angry. I wasn't thinking clearly." Dumbledore was an infinitely understanding man, never the sort to make a decision without thinking it through clearly, but in this case his mind was most definitely made up. He kept his frown upon Hermione and Draco, his voice stern. "Miss Granger, such actions are strictly forbidden in the Hogwarts code of conduct. You understand that as such, I have no choice but to revoke your position in the Pennant race." Harry saw Hermione's lip tremble-- she certainly hadn't expected that. The race meant everything to her. Kicking her off the team was just as bad as telling her she'd been expelled. "Professor Dumbledore, Hermione--" Ron tried to speak up, but Dumbledore simply spoke over him. "And Mr. Malfoy? Well, you may think that the faculty and myself aren't aware of the pet names you have for many of the students here, particularly Miss Granger, but we have been most aware of it. This, however, is the first time we have actually been able to catch you in the act and will not hesitate to show you exactly how the faculty views such behavior. You will relinquish your spot on the Slytherin team as well. And give up ten points from Slytherin." Dumbledore gave them one last final, disappointed look, before walking off with Professor McGonagall close at his side. Malfoy stormed off and Hermione was left, looking as though she were mere moments from collapsing on the spot. Thankfully she didn't, but Hermione dealt with the blow about as terribly as she could. She barely touched her dinner that night, or the rest of the week for that matter, hardly spoke a word to anyone and went to bed hours before anyone would even think about it. Harry tried his best to cheer her up, but it wasn't exactly easy, and now he had Ron to deal with! Hermione's removal meant Ron was not officially on the team. And he was on the edge. "Harry, I never really expected to play! I can't take Hermione's place, no way! I mean, it's Hermione!" "You have to Ron. Have Herm help you--" "What?" "You know-- tutor you. Maybe during lunch or something." "Wha-- alone?" Harry raised his brow. "Er. . . well, I'm not the one who needs the studying, you are." "Yeah, but . . . what'll people think?" "Huh? Ron, it's Herm-i-o-ne. You've done that countless times before! Why is it so different now?" Ron was tongue-tied. "Well . . . nothing. Never mind." Harry smiled. "Ron," he said slowly, delicately, "you fancy her, don't you." Ron rolled his eyes and went for the door. Harry wasn't about to let the subject do and closed the door back shut. "Go on then-- why don't you ask her out?" "Off the top of my head? Because I don't like her!" Ron grimaced at Harry. "And stop smiling at me like that!" Harry put his hands up. "All right, Ron. Fine. If you say so." Ron left the room quickly-- Harry still grinning from ear to ear. It was true! That night he sent Hedwig to Sophie's with a message: Sophie:
We need to think of something! Ron and Hermione are both being stubborn mules about the whole situation! Hedwig returned two days later with this reply: I have just the thing. My birthday is on December 24th and my family usually throws me a Christmas/Birthday Bash. This year I was thinking instead of inviting kids from my school that I would invite the Hogwarts crowd-- all you Gryffindors especially. What I'll do is have Mum conjure up some great invitations and put on there that an escort is required-- that's what muggles sometime call a 'date'. Your job, Harry, will be to make sure that Ron asks Hermione!
~Sophie
p.s.-- Who should my guest list include? Harry wrote back eagerly: I'm right on top of it, Sophie! ** "Cor, Harry, you've been gettin' lots of letters lately, mate!" It was lunchtime and Seamus Finnegan was staring at Harry as he took the envelope out of Hedwig's beak and ruffled her fur before she flew away. "Pen-pal," said Harry plainly, focusing on the envelope. It was a crisp white envelope simply addressed with the words "Harry Potter" in frilly, glowing purple script-- infact, the lettering kept changing from purple to pink to blue and back again. He opened it and pulled out what turned out to be the much anticipated invitation to Sophie's Christmas party: to Mr. Harry Potter
You are cordially invited to attend a Christmas Celebration
on Saturday, December 24th at precisely 6:00pm,
at
the residence of Sophie Helene Banbury
3 Privet Drive, Little Whinding, Surrey
Formal dress is requested. All guests are to be accompanied by an escort. Harry beamed. "Oy!" Came Hermione's voice from across the table, "Harry! I got an invitation from Sophie! It seems that she's throwing another party!" "Yeah, I got one too!" It was Ron, examining the invitation. There were several more similar shouts of exclamation from the other Gryffindors including Dean, Seamus and Neville-- all delighted at the prospect of being invited to a party where not only were you expected to dress to impress, but an escort was required! "What does she mean by 'escort.'" "She means a date," Harry explained-- perhaps a bit too eagerly, because it caused Ron to raise his brow. "I . . . heard Dudley talking about it once. . . " "Well, it should be bloody wicked," Ron said finally, "Her last party was brilliant!" The Gryffindors chattered excitedly on the way to their next classes, showing each other their invitations, getting quiestions from the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. But even the excitement of an upcoming Christmas bash couldn't keep the class awake during Professor Binn's history of magic class.Once again Harry was fighting to keep his eyelids open as the unbearably boring Professor Binns droned on monotonously-- on and on he went, unaware that the students were in a state of comatose. It was about some famous confrontation between Morgan Le Fay and Merlin the Great, and it probably would have been rather exciting, if Professor Binns didn't have the habit of turning the affair into nothing more than an endless list of dates and vocabulary words. The class was emerging from their state of sleepy stupor as the last moments wined down. After assigning their homework, he added, "and I have a surprise for you all." For Binns to bring up the word 'surprise' it must have been quite an important thing! "It has long been a tradition here for fifth years to embark on a weeklong excursion every spring term. It is known as the History of Magic Class Trip and for the week, students are brought to various places of historical magical interest. This year, we will be traveling to New Orleans, Louisiana in the southern United States, The Calefonian Forest and . . . " Professor Binns gave a dramatic pause, "the Bermuda Triangle." A wave of delighted "ooohs" and "aaahhhs" swept over the students. "However this year, the format will change. Instead of the entire fifth year class journeying together, the faculty decided it. . . best to break up the class. Take out your quills and note these dates: Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws will be traveling 25 April - 1 May and Gryffindor and Slytherin will be traveling 20 May - 26 May." He handed out a sheaf of parchment to each student with the details of the trip, along with an attatched permission slip. Then news was unbelievable! Harry would have been boucing off the walls, had it not been for that one, small problem . . . Can you bloody believe our rotten luck," Ron was muttering as they marched towards the dorms. "We get stucke with the Slytherins! I've a right mind to not even go!" "You have to," said Hermione. "Besides, have you read about these places? The Caledonian Forest? That's where Merlin was born, you know! And in New Orleans they have the worlds only all-wizarding amusement park! Oh, and I've always wanted to see--" "Yeah, yeah, I know. But with the Slytherins? No thank you." Harry felt every bit as disappointed as Ron. How were they possibly supposed to enjoy themselves with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle breathing down their necks! "Can you believe it," Dean Thomas was cooing as they threw there bags down in the common room. "We're actually going to go to the states! And not only that, but Bermuda as well!" "I can't bloody wait," said Seamus Finnegan. "I know," said Parvati, "incredible! I only wish we were going with the Ravenclaws for the week instead of you-know-who." "What's incredible?" asked George and Fred who joined them all in the common room at that very moment. "The fifth year class trip," Ron gushed. "It's gonna be wicked!" "Ohhhh," George breathed, "that!" Fred shook his head. "Dunno, Ron. You might be better off staying at home. I mean, you do know that the trip is spooked, don't you?" Ron scoweled. "Spooked?" "Yeah-- cursed. Every year something happens. Last year, for instance, remember that Ravenclaw fifth-year Pamela Birchtree? Ever wonder why she never came back to school? It was because when they went to New Orleans she had a run in with a dark witch and wound up getting slammed with a memory charm-- still hasn't a clue as to who she is." "You're full of it," Ron muttered. "And the year before that," George piped up, "there was a Hufflepuff fifth-year named Eugene Smartley. Nice guy-- bit of a bookworm, though-- and had a strange hobby of collecting rocks. So when the class went to the Caledonian Forest, he said he went off to pick up some interesting ones he'd seen and was never seen again." There was silence at the table for several moments. It was Seamus Finnegan who finally spoke. "Lads?" "Yeah?" said Fred and Geroge. "Piss off, eh?" All the Gryffindors started laughing-- Fred and George howling the loudest.