Imagine a string of the usual author type chit chat.

Chapter VII

The next day, during potions, the last class of the day, Harry, Ron and Hermione were writing a letter to Sirius.

Dear Sirius,

The greatest things happened yesterday! Remember when I told you that some kid had hexed all the Slytherin's Quidditch team's brooms and Professor McGonagall said there'd be no Quidditch this year? The other day, for some reason, they changed their minds and said we would be playing Quidditch! And here's the real surprise: I was elected captain!! (^^) Well, it was all thanks to Ron, you see. He nominated me and came up with this great speech, and everybody was cheering and it was great. Ron and his sister, Ginny are the new beaters and they were great too.

Hello, Sirius! It's Hermione. I'm trying to tell Harry to use another adjective besides great but he won't listen to me. I see he has also neglected to tell you about his even "greater" accomplishment. He got an A+ on his last Transfiguration exam! I was very proud of him even though he probably would not have studied for it if I didn't make him.

Ahoy, Sirius! I keep trying to get Hermione to stop studyin' for once and enjoy life but she won't listen to me! Anyway don't you always catch yourself sayin' "Gees, that Harry! He'd make a fine Quidditch captain, wouldn't he?" Well now he is! Isn't that GREAT? Well, that's all for now, Sirius. We hope you're doing well!

We'll write again when something interesting happens. Oh, I forgot! Something else more interesting than anything we've written so far has happened! Malfoy was turned into a sock-flute by Neville during Transfiguration! Unfortunately he didn't stay like that for long and poor Neville has become apprentice janitor on the account of because he's a squib! Alright, now I think that's all. Have a nice week!

Slipping closer towards oblivion, your loving God-son, Harry

Love from Hermione Don't do anything I wouldn't do! Peace, love and chicken grease, The Quidditch King, Sir Ronald Weasley

After class Harry headed up to the owlery to give Hedwig the letter. He found her chattering with the other owls. Harry tied the letter to her leg and told her to take it to Sirius. She nipped his hand and flew off.

As he was heading down to the Great Hall, Lothlorien stopped to talk to Harry.

"I just heard the news, Harry! Congratulations on becoming captain of the Qudditch team!" she said.

"Oh, heh, heh. Thanks. It was nothing, really..." he blushed in reply. "Did you hear that Ron and his sister are the new beaters?" But before Lothlorien could say anything, Malfoy cut in.

"Oh, yes, very interesting, Potter. Anyway, so Lolo, my team is about to head on down to practice? Wanna come?" He asked, smiling

"Sure," she replied and she left with Malfoy. They chatted on their way downstairs.

"I've been Slytherin's seeker for five years now. And I guess you can also say I'm the team manager, 'cause my Dad and me get new robes and brooms for the team every year. So...uh...do you even like Quidditch?" he asked.

"Yeah. We play it in Rivendell. Only thing is that we don't use brooms." Lothlorien said.

"You don't?" Malfoy asked. They walked onto the field. The sky was gray and it was very windy.

"No." she replied and she began to fly in circles around Malfoy, who was amazed. "Lucky she isn't on the Gryffindor team." he thought.

As Malfoy and the Slytherin team practiced, Lothlorien sat in the stands and watched. Two petite first year girls were the chasers - Cornflower Jones and Angelica Morgendorfer. ( The third chaser, fourth year Francine Wellington, was not in the mood for practice. ) They made good chasers since, being so small, they were difficult to catch. (And difficult to see, for that matter.)

The beaters were none other than Crabbe and Goyle. Even if they weren't the brightest beaters, they made a good team because during games their opponents would be so preoccupied with dodging super powered bludgers that they wouldn't give their all to winning.

Marcus Flint was the keeper and Captain. He was supposed to have graduated in 2000 but he got left back every other year. And then there was Malfoy the seeker. Not a gifted seeker, but not necessarily a bad one, as Lothlorien observed.

After trying to find the snitch while dodging the bludgers that were being beamed at him for forty or so minutes, Malfoy decided to take a break. He sat in the stands next to Lothlorien.

"You're good, Draco. Only thing is that your moves are a bit easy to read." Lothlorien said.

"Yeah...I'll work on that. Gees, that big dope Goyle sure does hit hard. But I think Cornflower and Angelica are doing a great job." he said.

"They certainly are. They haven't even come remotely close to being hit not once." Lothlorien replied.

"Hey, Lolo, I wanted to ask you somethin'. You see every year, well not really until recently...anyway that's not the point. So...right before Christmas vacation there's a Yule ball, you see." Lothlorien's face lighted up.

"A ball? Oh, I love to dance! I never get to though. Papa only allows us to dance during a certain religious festival we have. He's says such rejoicing at any other time is disrespectful to the Valar but I think he just likes making up rules." Malfoy smiled then continued.

"I wanted to ask you to come with me in advance before any of these other fools do, 'cause I figured once they were reminded of it they'd be all over you, you know." he said, with just a hint of difficulty.

"Sure!" she replied.

The Yule Ball was originally only held during the Tri-Wizard Tournaments - a special tournament that was held only once every five years. But during fifth year Lavender Brown started a petition for a ball to be held every year. Being that nearly every single girl, and all the boys who were sixteen and older, signed the petition, Professor Dumbledore allowed there to be an annual ball.

The only difference between it and the official Tri-Wizard Tournament Yule Ball was that it was held before the Christmas vacation and not on Christmas.

"So why don't you practice with us? Just for fun?" Malfoy asked.

"Sorry. I've got to start heading over to Professor Snape's office now. We're trying to make the perfect O.W.L. review book." she said.

"Really? Well, have...eh...fun. I think I'll just stay out here 'till Filch makes us go upstairs." Malfoy replied.

When Lothlorien entered his office, she found Professor Snape sitting at his desk, staring at the ceiling with a biscuit sticking out his mouth.

"Oh, there you are, Ms. Gamgee." he said, dropping the biscuit and jumping out of his seat.

"Hello, Professor. Sorry if I scared you..." Lothlorien said.

"Wha...Oh, no, no, not at all. So...shall we begin?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir. I've brought my outlines...take a look." she said, handing him her notebook. Professor Snape read Lothlorien's notes briefly.

"Alright, then let me just get everything in order..." Professor Snape mumbled, as he magicked his books and things onto his desk.

"Professor, don't you find using magic to do everything boring? Wouldn't you rather work manually?" Lothlorien asked. Snape raised his eyes from the notebook and stared at her blankly.

"No," he replied. Lothlorien smiled.

"What?" Snape asked, annoyed.

"Nothing," she replied. From that Friday on, Lothlorien and Professor Snape

worked on their book every other day after classes.

* * *

Meanwhile Harry, Ron and Hermione were heading over to Hagrid's cabin to pay him a visit. Harry was still angry about the way Malfoy ruined what could have been a nice conversation with Lothlorien.

Ron and Hermione were laughing because during dinner Ron had all of a sudden remembered something funny, and his soda came out his nose as he burst out laughing.

Ron was surprised that Hermione was laughing at all. If it were last year, he thought, she would have smacked him for acting so childishly.

"Oi, Hagrid!" Ron called as he knocked on the door. Hagrid practically ripped the door off its' hinges.

"Hey! I was wonderin' when you lot'd show up! Thought yeh'd forgotten abou' meh." he said as he practically smashed them in a bear hug.

The three friends entered the cabin and sat down at Hagrid's table. Fang the boar hound greeted the three by drooling on each of them.

"So, how've yeh bin? Ain't it amazin': No problems this year! Noffin's tryin' ter kill yeh. None o' that mess! What's with yeh, 'Arry? Yeh miss 'at stuff?" Hagrid asked.

"He's mad because Lothlorien likes Malfoy." Ron said.

"Eh?" Hagrid grunted.

"She does not. It's just that stupid Malfoy...I never get a chance to talk to her and finally when she talks to me he has to come on over and ruin everything." Harry said.

"What do you mean, you never get a chance to talk to her? You've got all day." Hermione said.

"It's not that simple, Hermione. If I were to just spontaneously start yapping to her every time I saw her, I'd look like a desperate loser. I don't want to talk to her unless I have a good reason...then I wouldn't look so...so...'irst." he said.

"'Irst?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"I think he's got a point." Ron said.

"So yeh like the ickle elf princess, eh?" Hagrid asked.

"I miss the old Harry who didn't worry about these types of things. Now he's like a little zombie. The only thing he can talk about is her. And in that horrible slang you picked up from Sirius! You sound like a moron !" Hermione said.

"'S like I said befor'. Now 'at noffin's tryin' ter kill 'im, 'e's got the time to worry about these types o' things. So yeh want an excuse ter talk ter 'er, eh? Well 'ow's abou' this?

I bin plannin' this assignment where a pair of yeh've got ter take care of a baby Crup for a while and hand in a log of yer experiences wit' the thing.

Maybe I'll add an essay in there somewhere...anyway I can pair you two up an' then yeh'll have an excuse ter talk ter her fer a couple o' months!" Hagrid said as Harry's face lighted up.

"How corny-Saturday-morning-teen-tv-show cliche`." Hermione muttered.

"Hagrid, that'd be great!" Harry said jumping out of his seat.

Harry looked forward to being able to casually talk to Lothlorien since they would be raising a crup together. Ron, Hermione and Hagrid chatted well into the night until Hagrid suggested that it was a bit late and sent them off to the castle.