A/N: And now for something completely different…

In Which the Reader Sees What's Happening on the Other Side

     "And there's the Snitch!  Chang chases it down, following it's every swerve.  Chang is most well-known for her turning down Harry Potter to go to the Yule Ball, instead going with Ce-"

     "Jordan!"

     "Yes, Professor.  As Chang pursues the Snitch, Potter  - Wait, where's Potter?"

     A waves of whispers washed through the stands as the Quidditch game was brought to a temporary standstill.

     "Time out!" the new Gryffindor Quidditch captain, Angelina Johnson, shouted.  "Where's Harry?" she asked urgently after all the players were on the ground.

     "No idea, Angelina," Fred said.

     "Maybe he got eaten," George suggested.

     "What could possibly eat Harry while he's in the air?" Katie asked.

     "A chimera, I reckon," said Fred.

     Angelina rolled her eyes.  "Look, you two, this is no time to be joking.  If we lose this game, we'll have to beat Hufflepuff by more than a hundred points!"

     "Aw, why are you worrying, Angelina?" George asked.

     "Hufflepuff's just a bunch of pushovers, especially now that they don't have Cedric anymore," Fred agreed, earning himself several heated glares.  "Hey, I was just joking around!  It's what I do."

     "What do we do?" the new Keeper, Ward Lisle, pressed.

     "What can we do?" Angelina replied.  "We'll have to play without him and hope we get enough points to win without catching the Snitch!"

     "I guess that'll work," George said.

     "We'll make sure to distract Cho," Fred promised.

     "You mean, the game's not canceled if we misplace our Seeker?" Ward said blankly.

     "Ward, Gryffindor was without a Seeker for quite some time before Harry came to Hogwarts," Alicia reminded him.

     "Oh, right."

     "Alright then, we ready?"

     "Ready!"

     Despite the supreme efforts of the Gryffindor team, they lost to Ravenclaw, one hundred seventy to forty.  However, this was not the topic which Ron, Hermione, and Ginny discussed over lunch.

     "What do you think happened to him?" Ginny fretted, clearly very worried about Harry.  "No one should have been playing in that sort of weather anyway!"

     "Ginny, think logically," said Hermione.  "The windstorm didn't start until everyone was up in the air, and then it just…stopped," she finished awkwardly.

     "How can I think logically when it's not logical?" Ginny exclaimed.

     Hermione, in an attempt to calm Ginny down, though she was concerned herself, said, "Look, Ginny.  I'm sure that wherever Harry is now, he's fine.  He can take care of himself."

     "Hermione!  Don't talk about what you don't know.  Harry could be dangling off a cliff, thousands of feet above a hundred sharp rocks, or in the clutches of You-Know-Who!  You said yourself, that windstorm was not normal.  You-Know-Who could have caused it," said Ron.

     "Ah, but it wasn't," said a voice behind them before Hermione could reprimand Ron.  The three turned around to find Dumbledore standing behind them, and, as always, he looked as if he knew everything.  He could have, for all anyone knew about him.

     "Then who was it?" Ginny whispered, scared for Harry's safety.

     "It was not Voldemort," Dumbledore said, making all three of them wince, "but a force not of this world."

     "Not of this world?" Hermione repeated, and the aged Headmaster nodded.

     "We have to find him then!" Ron declared, getting to his feet.  "Professor, sir, we should have a search party go out and find Harry!"

     "But where would we look, Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.

     "In – uh…" Ron's voice trailed off in confusion.

     "Exactly," said Dumbledore, smiling apologetically at Ron.  "Where could we look?  Harry is in a place that no one with selfish purposes can find it."

      "But, Professor, our purposes wouldn't be selfish, would they?" Hermione inquired.  "We'd be looking for Harry!"

      "Where would you begin to look, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore replied.  "If you can think of a place to search for Harry, then inform Professor McGonagall, and we will be sure to arrange a search party."  Leaving that tidbit for them to ponder on, Dumbledore joined the staff up at the teacher's table.

     "He does bring up a good point," said Hermione, causing Ron to regard her in disbelief.

     "What do you mean, 'a good point'?" Ron asked angrily.  "Are you going to give up on Harry just like that?"

     Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.  "Ron, I would never give up on Harry if there was still hope," she snapped, and Ginny glanced back and forth between the two.  Deciding that she'd rather not be an "interpreter" today, Ginny hastily gathered up her things and went to sit down with her peers.

     "Oh, so there is a possibility of you giving up on him?!"

     "Stop twisting my words around, Ronald Weasley!"
     "I'm not, Hermione Granger!  I'm saying it like it is."

     "You are not 'saying it like it is'!" Hermione exploded, making a handful of other students who hadn't got used to their fights stare at them.  "I simply said that I wouldn't give up on him as long as hope still remains, and there's always hope.  Honestly, Ron!"

     "What do you mean, 'Honestly, Ron!'  That's not what you meant, and you know it.  You don't really care about Harry at all!"

     SMACK!

     Ron fell to the ground from the force of the slap, a cherry-red imprint of a hand pulsating on his face.  He opened his mouth to say, "What'd you do that for," but quailed under the infuriated gaze of the fuming Hermione.

     "Don't you ever say that again, Ron," she hissed, her whole body shaking with rage.  "I have tried to be patient with you, but you went too far this time.  Good-bye."  Hermione spun about on her foot, but, before she went, she looked over her shoulder with a glare that could boil water.  "And don't you dare come near me again!"  With that, she stormed off, heading in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

     "Oh, Ronniekins, she got you good that time!" Fred crowed.

     "Shut up, Fred," snapped Ron.  He rubbed his cheek and stared, stunned, at the spot where Hermione had just been.  Her words rang harshly in his ears: "And don't you dare come near me again!"  He shook his head to clear it, but to no avail.  "What do I do now?" he moaned, cradling his head in his hands.  "I've really messed up this time, haven't I, Ginny?"

     Ginny jumped, having been unaware that her brother knew she was there.

     "I don't know, Ron.  I really don't know."

     Though nearly every class Ron had was with Hermione, he wasn't able to speak with her at all.  He really did want to apologize, but she wouldn't even look at Ron, let alone let him speak to her.  All throughout Care of Magical Creatures she wouldn't come near him, and in Double Potions she ignored his every plea for help on concocting  .  Even after class was over and they were getting ready to go to bed, Hermione was nowhere to be seen.

     "I'm getting sick of this, Gin!" Ron shouted, slamming his fist down on his homework and startling his sister.  "I can't even apologize – don't know what I was thinking – I can't believe I said that – she could at least be a little nicer – honestly, she didn't have to hit me - "

     "Ron, did it ever occur to you," Ginny interrupted, "that she might not have meant it either?  You both are really stressed out over Harry, and I have to admit, I am slightly worried, too…"  She blushed as her voice trailed off.  "Okay, so I'm really worried, but I know he doesn't like it when people worry over him, so I try not to.  But, really, Ron, you should probably just back off for a while and give her some time to cool down.  Don't avoid her, though, or else she'll think you really do hate her, but don't follow her around either, or she'll just become even madder."

     Ron shook his head.  "Girls are so confusing," he complained loudly.  "What a big help you are, Ginny.  Thanks."

     "I see you've got yourself into a spot of trouble, eh, Ronniekins?" said Fred, coming up on Ron's right as he traversed to his dormitory.

     "No," Ron mumbled, glaring at Fred.  He tried to step away from his brother, but was intercepted by George.

     "Come on, Ron!  We're kin, aren't we?" George asked, his eyes twinkling.  "You can tell us."

     "No, I can't," the youngest brother replied, pushing George away from him.  "Just leave me be."  He then climbed the stairs to his dormitory and flopped onto his bed miserably.

     "Seems to me Ronniekins has girl problems," Fred whispered to George.

     "Seems to me he needs help fixing them," George whispered back.

     "Ah, but who's the lucky girl?" Fred wondered.

     "Don't be daft, Fred!" George exclaimed.  "It's obviously Her-"

     However, he was stopped short as Hermione entered the common room.  She gave the twins a suspicious glance, who were whistling innocently.  "What did you say?" she inquired.

     "Uh, her…um," George faltered and looked to Fred helplessly.

     "It's obviously her left, George!" said Fred after a hesitation spanning a split-second.  "Not her right!  Didn't you notice how the Quaffle veered that way?"  Having made a successful recovery, the twins walked away, leaving Hermione alone in the common room with Ginny.

     "Where have you been all this time?" Ginny asked, her tone sympathetic.

     "Ugh," Hermione groaned, dropping her forehead into her hands.  "I was in the library."

     Ginny laughed.  "Should have known!  Silly question, huh?"

     Hermione gave her friend a small smile.  "Yeah.  Silly question."

     "Oh, Hermione, cheer up!" said Ginny, elbowing Hermione gently in the ribs.

     "How can you say that?" Hermione asked, her pitch raising a note.  "Cheer up?  Are you mad?"

     "You know, Ron's not really mad at you," Ginny said suddenly, throwing Hermione off.

     "What?" said Hermione, momentarily confused.  Her face hardened as she realized what Ginny was talking about.  "Of course he's mad, Gin," she said.  "Who wouldn't be?  And who wouldn't be mad back?  Honestly, actually believing that I would really give up on Harry!  The nerve of that boy!  He makes me so frustrated!"

     "All boys frustrate everyone," Ginny reminded her.

     "Well, Ron really frustrates me," Hermione retorted, fiddling with a scrap of paper then flicking it across the room.  "He won't even apologize!"  Ginny gaped at Hermione, who gave her an odd look in return.  "What?"

     The younger girl shook her head.  "Hermione, this is getting silly.  Ron has been trying to apologize, but you aren't letting him near you."

     "Ron would never willingly apologize," said Hermione disbelievingly.  Though there was that time in their third year…Hermione shook her head.  This was different.

     "But he wants to Hermione!  You just have to let him," Ginny replied, placing an imploring hand on her friend's shoulder.

     Hermione sighed.  "Alright, I'll give him a chance.  Maybe," she added quickly.

     Ginny smiled.  "He won't disappoint you, Hermione."

     "You had better be right, Ginny."

     "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Ron yelled into the pillow, banging his head against it.  Not satisfied with this, he turned around and started hitting his head against the wall.

     "Don't do that!" said a voice from the doorway.  Ron looked up from inflicting pain on himself to regard Seamus, and he didn't even notice that there was a bump swiftly forming on his forehead.

     "Why not?" asked Ron, burying his head in his hands.

     "You could lose brain cells," the other boy joked.  Ron just glared at him.  "Hey, what's wrong, Ron?" 

     "None of your business," Ron growled.

     "Ookay – Whoa!"  Seamus shouted as he was pushed aside by Hermione.  Taking a hint, Seamus quickly left, but not before winking at Ron.

     "Ron?" Hermione asked meekly.

     "Go away."

     The girl's cheeks pinked.  "I will not."

     "You won't?" asked Ron, looking up from his hands.

     "No.  Not until you apologize."

     "WHAT?" Ron bellowed, leaping to his feet, his hands balled into fists.  Hermione took a step back, slightly startled.  "Why do I have to be the one to apologize?"

     "What in the world do you mean, Ron?  You're the one who accused me for not caring for Harry!" Hermione shot back.

     "Well, you hit me!"

     "Only because of what you said!"

     "But you still hit me!" the boy insisted.

     Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out.  She closed it and focused her eyes on the ground for a minute.  Ron stared at her, confused.  After a long minute, Hermione looked back up at him.  "You're right, Ron," she admitted.

     "Wha-wha-what?"

     "You're right," Hermione repeated, her tone ashamed.  "I was wrong to hit you, and I'm sorry."

     What was this?  Hermione admitting she was wrong?  Ron shook his head (A/N: A lot of shaking of heads, ne?) in bewilderment.

     "Now, apologize," she ordered.

     Ron pressed his lips together.

     "Now," she hissed, and Ron cringed.

     "I'm…I'm sorry," he choked out, and winced.

     Hermione smiled, and Ron sighed in relief.  "You're forgiven," she said, the smile lingering sensuously on her lips. 

     She has such a pretty smile, Ron thought, then swallowed hard.  Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

     The girl's brow furrowed in concern.  "Ron?" she inquired, stepping closer.

     "Ah… I have to go to the bathroom!" he exclaimed, panicking.  And he dashed out the door, causing Hermione's hair to fly up as he zipped past.

     She watched his retreating back, puzzled.  "Now, what was that all about?" she wondered.

*%*%*%*

Next Chapter: In Which Harry Performs a Spot of Magic

Ah, pathetic ending.^^"  It could've been better.  As you may have noticed, I'm ba-a-ack!  I had a lot of fun in Iowa^^  I got to meet three cousins I've never met before, and I got to go to the Iowa State Fair and ride the gigantic slide and the double ferris wheel and I got a caricature done!  If you're lucky, I might even scan it in and put it in my profile.  It's really nifty!^^

Anyway, review thank-you's!:

Jeselmium (first to review new chapter!  *gives Jeselmium a lemon drop*), Firefox (I loved the poem, Firefox!  Write more^^), HiBob, DumbOldDork, Lady Cinnibar (thanks for reviewing all my other stories, too!  I really appreciate it), Milkmaid, Elenrihil (I would've, but this story is only on my computer), Giesbrecht, and Jass (I'll keep that in mind…hm…).

Thank you all for reviewing, and review this chapter, too!  And you newcomers, it's not that hard.  Simply click on the pretty button at the bottom of the screen and fill out the box that pops up ever so nicely.  If this doesn't work, The button is calling you.  It is calling you.  You feel drawn to the button.  Your mouse feels drawn to the button.  You want to click on the button and review.  You want to review, review, review, review…