Harry Potter & the Dark Lord – Chapter 12
Disclaimer: The characters and setting belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling.
A/N: Wow, Chapter 12 already. Well, I left you at sort of a cliffhanger last time, so I'll get right back to the story. Oh, one thing, for Megan T, I really did feel bad for the Mets, my dad is a huge fan. And the Mets were the best team they've played in the World Series in the last few years. Well, you all know the drill – Enjoy, Read, and Review!!!
Everyone stood in silence a moment after Ginny had left. Finally, Ron, with the color rising in his face, turned to Neville and offered him his hand. Neville stared at him a moment as if he weren't sure if Ron were going to hit him again, finally taking the extended hand. Once Neville was on his feet again, Ron patted his back.
"Er, I'm really sorry about that Neville. I don't know what got into me. I, I guess I'm a bit overprotective of my family lately. I hope you won't hold it against me," Ron said contritely, looking Neville in the eye.
"S'okay," Neville mumbled, trying to wipe the blood away from his nose. Hannah gave him a handkerchief, glowering at Ron as she helped Neville clean his face. Ron looked down at Hannah's glare, ashamed. Hannah then led Neville away from the Great Hall, presumably to see Madam Pomfrey.
Ginny actually likes me, Harry thought. He kept on repeating it to himself, not quite believing it. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron, unsure what he would say next. Harry was particularly tense, seeing how protective Ron had become of Ginny. Hermione seemed to share Harry's uneasiness, glancing nervously at Ron, who appeared to be lost in his thoughts. He finally looked over at Harry.
"Wow," Ron said with a bewildered expression on his face. "I guess I was right. Ginny still fancies you after all."
Harry gulped. Now that the truth had come out, there was nothing to do but to come clean. "Er, Ron, about me and Ginny…" Harry began, startling Ron out of his contemplation.
"What?" Ron's eyes widened. "Oh…look, Harry, don't worry about Ginny. I know you're with Cho, and so does she. She'll get over it." Ron seemed content now, and headed back to the table to get his things. Hermione watched his back with a look of utter astonishment on her face.
"Can he be that daft??" she said half to herself. Harry was wondering the same thing himself. He was fairly certain that Hermione was aware of his budding feelings for Ginny, although they had never discussed it, but Ron still seemed completely oblivious. Considering what had just happened to Neville, Harry wasn't entirely sure that that was such a bad thing.
Once Ron returned, they headed back up to the common room. When they arrived, Ginny was nowhere to be seen. Hermione decided to go check in on Ginny in her dormitory to make sure she was all right. Harry and Ron settled into their usual spot by the fire, and Harry sat looking uncomfortably at Ron. Ron must have noticed Harry's uneasiness as he smiled and said, "Aw, come on, Harry, stop worrying about it. I mean, Ginny's matured a bit in the last few years. I don't think she'll be mooning over you in the halls or anything."
"But…" Harry wasn't sure how to tell Ron the truth, or even if he should tell him.
Ron misinterpreted his apprehension, adding, "Look, if it'll make you feel any better, I'll talk to her. Explain about you and Cho and all."
Harry looked panicked at this. "No, you don't have to do that," he said quickly. That was the last thing he needed, Harry thought. Now that he had finally found out that Ginny still liked him, he desperately didn't want Ron to do anything that would make her stop. But he didn't know how to tell this to Ron.
Ron smiled at him, "It's the least I can do Harry. Don't give it another thought." And with that, Ron changed the conversation to Quidditch, leaving Harry to worry about Ginny on his own. Hermione soon returned, and Harry searched her face for any information.
"She's asleep," Hermione said quietly to Harry, as she pulled out her homework. Raising her voice, Hermione asked Ron pointedly, "Are you planning on doing any homework tonight, or are you under the impression that being on the Quidditch team will earn you bonus marks?"
"I was just about to start," Ron grumbled, pulling out his own books. After working diligently for an hour, Ron and Harry grew restless. Ron began levitating crumpled up bits of parchment and silently shooting them across at Harry. Harry pulled out his wand and stopped them before they hit him. The parchment floated between them, slightly swaying one way or the other as it was caught between Ron and Harry's spells. Finally, it broke free, flying straight at Hermione, who had been engrossed in her Arithmancy homework. The parchment hit Hermione in the face, and she sat frozen for a second, not looking up. Ron and Harry looked at each other and gulped. When Hermione finally lifted her head she had a sly grin on her face.
"All right, who shot that at me?" she asked, deliberately looking directly at Ron. Ron tried to look innocent, but Hermione was already reaching for her wand. Before Ron could defend himself, Hermione had thrown a tickling charm at him, and he was rolling on the floor laughing hysterically. Ron struggled to reach for his wand, but Hermione shouted "Accio wand" and got to it first. Forced to fend for himself without his wand, Ron, still laughing, crawled over to Hermione. She shrieked and tried to get away, but Ron got the corner of her robes and pulled her down to the floor. Soon he was tickling Hermione and both were bursting into fits of laughter.
Harry, though he was enjoying himself immensely watching the scene before him, eventually felt guilty and performed the counter spell to the tickling charm. Ron stopped mid-tickle, towering over Hermione on the floor, gasping for air as spurts of giggles continued to escape. As they slowly calmed down, Ron let his arm fall on top of Hermione, and they lay that way for a few minutes, bursts of laughter reemerging occasionally.
Ron turned his face to Hermione, his breath still ragged. "Thanks, I really needed a good laugh."
Ron sat staring at her a moment, his expression growing more serious. Hermione returned his gaze, her lips still curled into a slight smile. Harry could see their faces drawing closer together, and his jaw dropped as their lips finally met. The kiss lasted only an instant, but that was enough for Harry to witness.
Harry pretended to gag, although his face betrayed his amusement. "Aw, did you have to do that in front of me? I only just ate an hour ago."
Ron and Hermione's heads turned towards Harry, their faces matching shades of crimson. With all their laughter, they had momentarily forgotten Harry's presence. Ron sat up immediately and started gathering his books, mumbling incoherent excuses. Harry just laughed.
"Was that the first…" Harry began, but stopped at the glare of death he had just received from his best friend. Smirking, he added, "It's all right Ron. I guess I'll have to get used to this from now on." Harry smiled at the thought, wondering if they were ever going to have to get used to him acting that way with Ginny. He blushed at the notion and turned his attention to gathering his own books.
"Well, I guess I'll head up to bed now," Hermione added, her face still flushed. She turned on her heel and rushed up to her dormitory, not looking back.
Potions class was particularly horrible that week. Snape began the class by informing them that Fletcher would be taking over again next week, as he would be returning to his special project for the time being. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged curious glances at this announcement, even more eager to speak to Sirius. Harry noticed Snape flinch as he mentioned this, apparently not very pleased to let Fletcher at his class. Unfortunately for them, though, Snape chose to take his displeasure at the circumstances out on his least favorite people.
"Weasley," Snape said with a sneer, "The rest of the class would be delighted to see you demonstrate the potion scheduled for today. Up to the front, if you please."
Ron's ears were bright red as he carried his cauldron to the front of the class. Harry knew that Ron had read the chapter for today's class – they always made sure they kept up with the lessons in Snape's class, so as not to give him an excuse to take points from them – but having read the book and being able to correctly demonstrate the potion on the spot were two different things altogether. Ron hesitated over the list of ingredients, beginning to count out 20 beetle eyes when he saw Hermione shake her head, trying to give him instructions. To Snape's great pleasure, he noticed this too.
"Miss Granger, I don't recall asking you to help Mr. Weasley," he said, his black eyes boring into Hermione. He turned towards Ron, "You surprise me Mr. Weasley. I would have thought that with the events of the past weekend, you might have taken your studies more seriously. Apparently you aren't too concerned with building your skills in an effort to help your father." Snape smiled maliciously, "Twenty points from Gryffindor. Each."
"That's not fair!" Harry exclaimed, ignoring the alarmed expression on Hermione's face. "You can't expect Ron to know the potion before you've even taught it."
Snape's smile stayed plastered on his face, but Harry could tell he had, once again, gone too far. "Well, if you feel that way Mr. Potter, perhaps the three of you would enjoy a detention together. Then I'll be able to give you a personal lesson." Harry felt his anger swell at the sound of muffled laughter coming from the Slytherins. Malfoy had mostly ignored him since the episode with Ginny at the beginning of the week, but apparently he felt safe enough to go back to his old self in Snape's class.
The rest of the class passed quickly, with Snape reminding Harry, Ron, and Hermione to report to his office Monday evening. As they left the dungeons, Ron turned to Harry, "Nice going! You knew Snape wouldn't just let that go. What, are you deliberately trying to get us detention?"
Seeing Harry's expression, Ron was shocked, "You were, weren't you? What the bloody hell for?"
Hermione picked up on Harry's reasoning, "Oh, that was brilliant Harry! Why didn't I think of it? You just got us a way into Snape's office!!"
Ron was still disgruntled, "Well, I'm sure we could have found some other way in without having to serve a detention."
Harry ignored Ron's complaints, searching the corridors for any sign of Ginny as they headed to Defense Against Dark Arts. He hadn't spoken to her at all since the Neville incident, and Harry was anxious to see her. She was evidently avoiding him, having her meals at odd times and shunning the common room. Harry had seen her in the library once, but Colin Creevey had stopped him, talking about the upcoming Quidditch match, giving Ginny a chance to escape. Hermione had spoken to her though, and Ginny had agreed to go through with the meeting with Sirius. At least that was something, Harry thought. Neville, on the other hand, had quickly forgiven Ron for his outburst. Madam Pomfrey had completely healed Neville's nose, and with Hannah by his side nearly every free moment, Neville was apparently too happy to nurse a grudge.
Harry sat through Defense Against Dark Arts with his mind preoccupied. He noticed that Ron was paying much closer attention than usual, taking very detailed notes. Interesting as the subject matter was – Professor Figg was showing the class how to deflect curses that were thrown at someone else; it worked well for minor curses, but with more serious Dark curses, there was the risk that the curse could rebound onto you – Harry just couldn't concentrate. As they were about to leave the class, Professor Figg stopped him and Ron. Hermione hung back, waiting.
"Harry, I know you and Ron are very close. I hope you remember what we discussed, about you not putting yourself in danger," Professor Figg began.
Ron interrupted. "I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing while my dad is missing, if that's what you're implying," Ron said firmly, somewhat surprising Harry as he admitted this in front of a teacher. Professor Figg looked at Ron with concern in her eyes.
"Rest assured, we are not sitting idly by," her eyes scanned the now empty classroom to make sure no one else remained. "I understand you are meeting with Sirius soon. I hope he can talk some sense into you."
Ron opened his mouth to protest, but Professor Figg continued, her eyes kind, "I know what it's like to have a family member in danger. But think of your mother and your brothers and sister; how would they feel if you were taken too?" Harry and Ron looked away guiltily, hoping Professor Figg wouldn't figure out that Ron had most of his family in on the plan. She continued, "I know whatever I say is not going to have much affect on you. You remind me of James and his friends when they were your age. But I have to at least let my voice be heard." With that, professor Figg let the three go, and they walked away feeling slightly guilty, but still determined to help Mr. Weasley.
The day of the Quidditch match finally arrived, and Harry couldn't help but be excited at finally going out on the field again, before a crowd of supporters. He and Ron had just changed into their Quidditch robes and were waiting for Fred and George to give them their pep talk. Harry was standing in the doorway looking anxiously at the crowd for the familiar Weasley hair. He saw Hermione sitting by the rest of the Gryffindors, but Ginny was nowhere to be seen. Harry's heart dropped – he had been sure she would show up for the Quidditch match, if only to see her brothers play.
"Oi, Harry, are you planning on joining the rest of us?" Fred asked. Harry turned, noticing the rest of the Quidditch team – Alicia, Angelina, Katie Bell, and Ron – were waiting for him to join them. Fred and George started their speech, taking turns speaking.
"Well, we haven't played in a match for over a year now, but we've practiced really hard, so I'm sure that we'll get right back into it," Fred began.
"And of course, we've got another Weasley on the team now," George grinned at Ron, "So we'll be harder to beat than ever!" Ron smiled appreciatively.
"But I hope we all remember were our loyalties lie," Fred continued seriously, eyeing Harry.
"Remember, no girl should come between a team and its rightful place as winners." Harry was a little offended at this – he wouldn't treat Cho any different that any other Seeker, he thought indignantly.
"Now, let's get out there and show them we can defend our Quidditch Championship!!"
"By the way, we'll be having a celebration afterwards in the common room regardless of the outcome. And this isn't a threat or anything, but if we don't win, I'd be very careful about what you eat later on," George finished with a mischievous grin. The team then completed a new handshake the twins had come up with, which included some peculiar dance steps that made Harry feel rather silly.
Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team entered the field wearing their scarlet robes, and immediately flew into the air. The Ravenclaw team followed them shortly, and Harry could hear the roar of the crowd as the whistle blew for the start of play. Lee Jordan, a friend of the twins, was again acting as commentator.
"Well, it's good to be back here, folks, on the Quidditch field where we belong. The Gryffindor team is seeking to defend the Championship they won two years ago under the leadership of our old friend Oliver Wood. This year, they are led by Fred and George Weasley, and if you ask me, two better Beaters couldn't be found anywhere."
"Stay objective, Mr. Jordan," McGonagall's voice broke in.
"Right, well, this year another Weasley, young Ronald, is making his debut as Keeper! He's been kept under wraps, but the rumor is he can give Oliver Wood a run for his money. And of course, who can forget the three lovely returning Chasers, here for their last year, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and of course, the fairest of them all, the gorgeous, talented, incomparable, Miss Katie Bell."
"THE GAME, JORDAN!!"
"Yes, and Gryffindor has the Quaffle. Alicia passes it to Katie, who shoots it to Angelina – Nice throw, Katie! Now Angelina is headed for the Ravenclaw goal, she's gaining speed, and SHE SCORES!!! Gryffindor is up 10-0!!!" Half the crowd jumped up and cheered. Harry used the stop in play to search for the Golden Snitch. He noticed Cho keeping her eye on him; he had played her before and knew her strategy was to shadow him. That he could handle, he thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of red hair entering the stands. Looking over, he saw Ginny join Hermione and his heart jumped to his throat. So she had come after all! He turned his attention back to the game, and just in time, as he saw Cho speeding towards the Gryffindor goal post, where Harry caught a glint of gold.
"And the Ravenclaw seeker has seen the Snitch!" Jordan continued, "Potter is right on her tail though. Let's hope he doesn't act like too much of a gentleman, the game is at stake here!"
Harry shut out everything else and concentrated on getting to the goal post first, leaning forward on his Firebolt and holding onto it tightly. He was quickly gaining ground on Cho, who glanced back at him and gave him a smile. Harry ignored this, speeding on. In a moment, he had drawn even with Cho and cut in front of her, forcing her to swerve out of her path. But in that one second, the Snitch had disappeared.
"That was close!! Potter manages to keep Chang away from the Snitch, but we've lost sight of it once again, and our attention turns back to the rest of the game. Ouch!! That Bludger had to have hurt! But Fred, or was it George, managed to keep it away from his younger brother. Talk about a family looking out for each other. And now Ravenclaw has the Quaffle – oh, Angelina just missed stealing it – and they're heading towards Gryffindor's Keeper. There's no way he can stop this one, it's coming too fast – YES!!! WEASLEY MAKES HIS FIRST SAVE AS KEEPER!!!! And what an incredible save it was!! Well, if you had any doubts, you can wipe them all away now! Gryffindor's team is just unstoppable now! I don't even know why they bother to play the games, they might as well just hand them the cup right now."
"JORDAN!"
"And the beautiful Katie Bell has the Quaffle once again. She passes it to Angelina, and YES!!! 20-NOTHING GRYFFINDOR!!!! Is this a dominant team or what!! And Ravenclaw has the Quaffle, but Alicia manages to steal it and she's speeding to the goal post, 30-NOTHING GRYFFINDOR!!! My, it's good to be back!! But wait, the Ravenclaw Chaser is heading to the Gryffindor goal post –the Ravenclaw Beater is tossing the Bludger at young Weasley. Where's Fred?? NOOO!!! Weasley manages to duck the Bludger, but Ravenclaw scores its first goal! 30-10 Gryffindor. Fred and George were apparently tied up protecting Angelina, who was nearly knocked off her broom by the other Bludger! Well, we still have the lead. But wait, Ravenclaw has the Quaffle again – could they be staging a comeback?? They shoot towards the goal, ANOTHER SPECTACULAR SAVE BY WEASLEY!!! Did you see that, he practically caught it upside down!! And Katie has the Quaffle, and could it be, YES!! 40-10 Gryffindor!!!"
Harry, circling over the rest of the players, noticed the Snitch floating a few feet above the ground over at the other end of the field. He glanced at Cho – she hadn't seen it yet. Harry started speeding in the opposite direction, and sure enough, Cho followed him.
"And Potter must have spotted the Snitch! Chang is in hot pursuit, but she's no match for Potter and his amazing Firebolt. What?? – Potter just changed directions – Cho is having a harder time stopping, she was going too fast and can't regain control of her broom that quickly. Now Potter is zooming towards the ground! HE'S GOING TO CRASH! NO, he pulls up at the last minute, and, wait a second, wait a second, what is that in his hand?? THE GOLDEN SNITCH!!! POTTER HAS THE GOLDEN SNITCH!!!! GRYFFINDOR WINS 190 TO 10!!!!!!!"
The roar from the crowd was deafening. Harry was soon surrounded by a blur of scarlet robes as his team gathered about him. He noticed Ron's face filled with joy, and the Weasley twins were equally exuberant. Harry, though very happy, was trying to look through the crowd to see if Ginny was still there. Hermione fought her way through the crowd and was soon wrapped in Ron's embrace, both their faces beaming. Harry disentangled himself from the masses and headed to the locker room. The rest of the team joined him a short time later, changing out of their robes and reliving the game excitedly. Harry noticed that Ron's earlier enthusiasm had faded, and he was standing off quietly by himself.
"Ron, are you all right?" Harry asked his friend, concerned at the change in mood. Ron looked over at him, jolted out of his thoughts.
"Oh, hi Harry, great game, eh?" Ron tried to be cheerful but Harry wasn't fooled.
"Yeah, you made some spectacular saves!!" Harry waited for his friend to answer.
"Yeah, I did well, didn't I? Only," Ron paused for a moment, "After the game I had the urge to go write my dad and tell him all about it, except, you know…" Ron sat dejectedly.
Harry sat by his friend, "Look, Ron, you will have a chance to tell your dad about the game. We're not giving up, remember?? As a matter of fact, we're just getting started." Ron nodded his head, but didn't seem any more cheerful, so Harry continued. "Come on, try to remember everything about today so when you do see your dad again, and you will, you can tell him every little detail."
Ron still seemed discouraged, but looked over at Harry gratefully, "Did I ever tell you I'm glad we're friends?" He hadn't really, but Harry knew all the same. They both smiled and rejoined the rest of the team for the celebration.
Back in Gryffindor tower, Harry and Ron let everyone congratulate them for a while, and piled food taken by Fred and George from the kitchens onto their plates. Harry again didn't see Ginny anywhere, and soon it was time for them to sneak out. Harry and Ron walked down to the Entrance Hall, where they had arranged to meet the girls. A short time later, Hermione and Ginny appeared, out of breath and flustered.
"Goodness, I never thought I'd get away from Parvati!! She was just gushing about the game and how she had seen the victory in the stars!" Hermione explained.
"Hi, Ginny," Harry said anxiously. Ginny had hung back behind Hermione and was avoiding looking at Harry.
"Hello," she responded quietly, still not stepping forward. Harry tried to catch her eye, to let her know he wasn't upset with her, but she wouldn't look up.
"Well, let's go, shall we?" Ron said. He took Hermione's hand, causing Harry to snigger. "What?" Ron asked, "We're supposed to be on a romantic walk, remember?"
They were about to head off, when Ron turned to Ginny. "You and Harry had better get under his invisibility cloak while there's no one around."
Ginny nodded, her face beyond red, and readjusted the bag flung over her shoulder holding the library book from the restricted section. Taking a deep breath, she headed towards Harry. Harry pulled out his father's invisibility cloak and began to drape it over the two of them. "Er, I think you have to get a little closer, Ginny." Ginny had been standing an arms-length from Harry and now unwillingly stepped closer. Harry managed to get the cloak around the both of them and they headed out towards the Whomping Willow. Harry and Ginny walked in silence. He felt her stiffen as he put his hand on her back to make sure they both stayed covered. Ron, on the other hand, was taking full advantage of the pretense and was acting out his part with great relish.
"Oh what a beautiful night to go for a walk with my Golden Snitch!" he said loudly, pulling Hermione closer to his side. "How better to celebrate my brilliant victory tonight?" Hermione was looking at Ron as if he had two heads, but he was enjoying himself too much to pay any heed. Before long, they had reached the tree and Ron set his cloak on the ground, motioning for Hermione to sit down. He sat next to her, putting his arm around her waist and conjuring up a bouquet of flowers with a flourish. It reminded Harry of the Muggle magicians he had seen on television as a child.
Harry chuckled to himself as he caused the Whomping Willow's branches to freeze. He helped Ginny into the opening and followed after her, putting his cloak away once they were safely in. He and Ginny whispered "Lumos" at the same moment, lighting their wands. Ginny started walking ahead, so Harry called after her, "Ginny, wait up, I want to talk to you."
Ginny stopped, but didn't turn around to face Harry. "Ginny, about the other day," Harry began.
"Harry, it's okay. Ron explained everything to me," Ginny said succinctly, starting to walk again. "I know you're with Cho."
"No, let me explain," Harry tried. Ginny continued walking, picking up her pace.
"Really, Harry, it was incredibly stupid of me to say anything. I'm very sorry. It, it just came out. I didn't mean anything by it."
Harry felt his insides freeze briefly. She didn't mean anything by it? What did she mean by that? "Ginny, if we can just talk about this…"
Ginny shook her head, and when she spoke, her voice was trembling. "Look, Harry, I told you, you don't have to worry about it. I won't be sending you any stupid singing Valentines or giggling when you pass me in the halls. I get it, okay?"
What exactly had Ron told her? Harry wondered. She had to know the truth, he thought. She couldn't possibly believe that he still wanted Cho, not after the ball. Hadn't she felt it too? At that point they reached the stairs leading up to the Shrieking Shack. Harry grabbed Ginny's shoulder as she started to climb, forcing her to face him. He could see the hurt in her eyes, but she held her head high as he began to speak, "Ginny, listen to me…Ron doesn't understand…"
Harry was startled by a noise from up ahead. He and Ginny squinted as a light emerged from the opening door, shining right in their faces.
"Oh, Harry, we were wondering what was taking you so long. Come on up."
As soon as they adjusted to the light, Harry's eyes widened in shock. "Professor Lupin!"
A/N: You knew I had to bring Remus back!!! I just love him! Well, hope you liked this. It's kind of long – I hope you made it all the way through (Of course you wouldn't be reading this if you hadn't, I guess). Please review!!!!! And many thanks to those of you who always do!!