The common room was very loud that night. Fred and George had nicked food
and had started up a party. Everyone seemed to be in a fit of pre-match
excitement, even Hermione, who had, finally, abandoned her books.
"I'm so nervous!" she squealed as Harry neared she and Ron, who were sitting in a corner.
"Me too," said Ron.
"The match isn't for a week! Can't we put it out of our minds, please?" said Harry in exasperation. The Quidditch match was the last thing he wanted to think about.
"I suppose. I don't really fancy thinking about it," said Ron.
"Neither do I," said Hermione. "I'll get you a butterbeer, Harry,"
She stood up and crossed the room slowly, since there were a lot of people in her way. Ron was looking after her with a strange expression of puzzlement on his face.
"What's up?" asked Harry.
Ron hesitated, then said, "Does Hermione look different to you?"
"What?" Harry stared.
"Different. You know, like not the same,"
"I understand the definition of different, but I think she looks the same as she always does."
"Right," said Ron, sipping his butterbeer again and going slightly pink.
There was a pause. Harry looked at Hermione, trying to see if she looked any different, but he didn't see what Ron had meant. She had stopped to talk to Ginny. As far as Harry could see, she looked the same as always.
"Are you sure? Because there's definitely something different there," Ron blurted out.
"Ron, I told you I don't see a difference,"
"Right," said Ron again.
Hermione rejoined them. Harry still couldn't see anything different about her. She handed him a butterbeer and looked at Ron, who was rather red.
"Ron? Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," he mumbled, not looking up.
Harry shrugged at Hermione and drank his butterbeer in silence.
She looked at Ron, then Harry. After a moment, she leaned forward slightly.
"I overheard something in the library," she said softly, and the boys had to lean forward as well to hear her.
"What?" asked Harry.
"McGonagall - she said something about an old crowd to Snape. I don't know why they were in the library. But McGonagall said something like, 'the old crowd has been assembled' or something," she said, puzzled.
"The old crowd? That sounds familiar." said Harry thoughtfully, straining to think.
"It sounded like she was talking about a club, but.I don't know. She sounded quite nervous. And clubs don't usually make people nervous, do they?" said Hermione.
"Well, that old Duelling Club made me nervous," said Ron,
smiling.
Harry and Hermione both laughed. Ron finished his butterbeer and stood up. "Anyone want a Chocolate Frog? I'm off to get some."
"Sure," Hermione said, smiling. Ron went pink and hurried off.
"That really is a good theory, Hermione, but I don't think it's exactly a club," said Harry.
But Hermione wasn't listening to him. She was looking at Ron picking up some Chocolate Frogs.
"Hermione?" Harry said. She didn't seem to hear him.
He tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped. She turned furiously red and looked down at her hands in her lap.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Fine. I'm fine."
"You're not a very good liar, Hermione," Harry said, looking at her sternly.
She hesitated and looked up fleetingly. "I know," she whispered.
"So, what's wrong?" Harry felt a bit worried.
"Well-" she began, but at that moment, Ron came over.
"Try and get anything past this lot! It's mad in here. Here's your Frogs, you two," Ron said, passing them each a few Frogs.
Harry opened his and glanced briefly at the card (Uric the Oddball). Hermione was still red. He didn't understand what was going on with her and Ron. He ate his chocolate in silence while Hermione and Ron read the backs of their cards to each other. After a few minutes, he stood up.
"I'm going to bed. I'm really tired. 'Night, Hermione, Ron," he said, yawning as he strode off up the staircase.
Harry slept very soundly that night. He had little wisps of dreams, dreams of catching the Snitch and dreams of winning the Quidditch Cup for the second time. He was in the middle of a very good one, in which he was raising the Cup high above his head while the crowd screamed and clapped, when he was prodded awake.
"I'm so nervous!" she squealed as Harry neared she and Ron, who were sitting in a corner.
"Me too," said Ron.
"The match isn't for a week! Can't we put it out of our minds, please?" said Harry in exasperation. The Quidditch match was the last thing he wanted to think about.
"I suppose. I don't really fancy thinking about it," said Ron.
"Neither do I," said Hermione. "I'll get you a butterbeer, Harry,"
She stood up and crossed the room slowly, since there were a lot of people in her way. Ron was looking after her with a strange expression of puzzlement on his face.
"What's up?" asked Harry.
Ron hesitated, then said, "Does Hermione look different to you?"
"What?" Harry stared.
"Different. You know, like not the same,"
"I understand the definition of different, but I think she looks the same as she always does."
"Right," said Ron, sipping his butterbeer again and going slightly pink.
There was a pause. Harry looked at Hermione, trying to see if she looked any different, but he didn't see what Ron had meant. She had stopped to talk to Ginny. As far as Harry could see, she looked the same as always.
"Are you sure? Because there's definitely something different there," Ron blurted out.
"Ron, I told you I don't see a difference,"
"Right," said Ron again.
Hermione rejoined them. Harry still couldn't see anything different about her. She handed him a butterbeer and looked at Ron, who was rather red.
"Ron? Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," he mumbled, not looking up.
Harry shrugged at Hermione and drank his butterbeer in silence.
She looked at Ron, then Harry. After a moment, she leaned forward slightly.
"I overheard something in the library," she said softly, and the boys had to lean forward as well to hear her.
"What?" asked Harry.
"McGonagall - she said something about an old crowd to Snape. I don't know why they were in the library. But McGonagall said something like, 'the old crowd has been assembled' or something," she said, puzzled.
"The old crowd? That sounds familiar." said Harry thoughtfully, straining to think.
"It sounded like she was talking about a club, but.I don't know. She sounded quite nervous. And clubs don't usually make people nervous, do they?" said Hermione.
"Well, that old Duelling Club made me nervous," said Ron,
smiling.
Harry and Hermione both laughed. Ron finished his butterbeer and stood up. "Anyone want a Chocolate Frog? I'm off to get some."
"Sure," Hermione said, smiling. Ron went pink and hurried off.
"That really is a good theory, Hermione, but I don't think it's exactly a club," said Harry.
But Hermione wasn't listening to him. She was looking at Ron picking up some Chocolate Frogs.
"Hermione?" Harry said. She didn't seem to hear him.
He tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped. She turned furiously red and looked down at her hands in her lap.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Fine. I'm fine."
"You're not a very good liar, Hermione," Harry said, looking at her sternly.
She hesitated and looked up fleetingly. "I know," she whispered.
"So, what's wrong?" Harry felt a bit worried.
"Well-" she began, but at that moment, Ron came over.
"Try and get anything past this lot! It's mad in here. Here's your Frogs, you two," Ron said, passing them each a few Frogs.
Harry opened his and glanced briefly at the card (Uric the Oddball). Hermione was still red. He didn't understand what was going on with her and Ron. He ate his chocolate in silence while Hermione and Ron read the backs of their cards to each other. After a few minutes, he stood up.
"I'm going to bed. I'm really tired. 'Night, Hermione, Ron," he said, yawning as he strode off up the staircase.
Harry slept very soundly that night. He had little wisps of dreams, dreams of catching the Snitch and dreams of winning the Quidditch Cup for the second time. He was in the middle of a very good one, in which he was raising the Cup high above his head while the crowd screamed and clapped, when he was prodded awake.