Chapter 13
~ Similarities ~
Harry was lost in the world of darkness. The black mist formed clouds; they swirled and danced around him. Green light flashed above and below him. The world lost all depth; an object nearby could very well be miles in a direction. He floated in a blank realm.
A red cloud was swirling in front of him, with every rotation it appeared to become larger. A hand appeared breaking the cloud. The thin arm was connected to a body of a man, frail looking, despite the hardness and anger showing in his red orbs. He grinned mercilessly at Harry, his hand reaching for a pocket on his robes. He raised his wand to shoulder height, the tip glimmering.
"Crucio!" He roared, his voice powerful, shaking the surrounding darkness.
Harry felt pain shot through him, stretching and stinging the tips of his toes to his navel. His fingers crackled with electrifying pain, the shock shooting up his arms. It felt so very real.
Voldemort laughed. He lifted his wand, breaking the curse.
"Again, for the second time this year we meet. And again, you are left helpless at my mercy. Not a nice place to be left at. Many people in your position have died, many more will."
Harry struggled to bring himself upright, then pain still tingling in his body. "You are not real. This is just a dream."
"Yes, you are right, this is just a dream, a different plain, a different form of reality. But you see, I can touch you here, I am very much real."
Voldemort raised his hand, waving it in front of him. The air became diluted, shiny waves appeared out of his hand. Harry's forehead exploded, splitting down the center of his body. His hands felt as if they had been placed in a fire, the burning sensation ran through him, making his ears ring with the pain.
"You see Harry Potter, we have many similarities."
***
A white world surrounded Harry as he awoke from his unconscious state. He was lying on a bed, quite comfortable. Under his head was a mountain of white, fluffy pillows, on top, a soft comforter, pulled up to his chin. He moved his hands slowly, shaking himself out of his numb state. He moved his head slowly, but as soon as he shifted the tiniest bit, a sharp pain rocketed through him, making him halt all movements.
He slowly brought his hands out from beneath the covers, holding them in front of his face. They were raw. It looked as though his hands have been placed in fire. They were red and swollen, the skin peeling. He stared at them, trying to remember how this had happened.
He lay there for quite a while, falling quietly into a gentle stupor. The kind that made him numb to the surrounding world. A piece of fluttering paper shook him out of his phase, brining him crashing back to this reality. It read:
As we play this game, the game of cat and mouse, it doesn't matter if you come from either house.
Harry, stressed from the million different things at the moment, just groaned at the sight of the letter. He had enough problems at the present moment to take up his time, then having to deal with some kind of rhyming bloke who found it immensely funny to bother him with such fluff.
He noticed a vial next to him, the liquid bluish-green in colour. He grimaced, hoping that he wouldn't have to swallow the murky stuff. As the year seemed so far, unlucky was a mild word to describe it. Harry, being a person who seemed to have bad luck thrown upon him, would probably have to drink two of the vials, not just one.
Madam Pomfrey must have noticed that Harry had awoken, and she came bustling in, a ball of magical energy. She swooped down upon him, feeling his head, and checking for any apparent damage. She then, when Harry had told her repeatedly that he was fine, handed him the vial with the murky blue-green slime inside it. Nodding wearily, he drank the horrid liquid, shuddering as it slipped down his throat, the ice-like fluid freezing his insides. As fast as the feeling came, it vanished, replaced with a warm, energizing sensation racing through his body, the pain disappeared.
"Can I leave now?" he asked, anxious to get out of the hospital wing and find his friends.
Madame Pomfrey sighed, inspecting him as if she was inspecting a piece of fine, silver china for dirt, or a smudged fingerprint. "Alright, you may leave, but if you have another flash like before, I want you to report back here on the double."
Harry nodded his understanding, and then ran out so fast; he almost missed the youngest Weasley, and the center of his attention for the past few months, sitting by the exit. He stopped, glancing at her. She was huddled there, her arms circling her knees, with her head resting upon her arms as if using them for a pillow. When Harry crouched in front of her, sitting on his heels, she didn't bother to look up. Realizing that she was sleeping, he reached a hand out to gently brush a piece of fallen hair behind her ear, marveling in her beauty.
She moved slightly, groaning as she was brought out of sleep. Harry reached out and gently, not to scare her, caressed her cheek. The next thing that happened scared the both of them more then they have ever been in their lives.
* BOOM *
Harry jumped back, falling onto his backside. Ginny, being startled out of her snooze, stood up fast. Peeves, finding it hilarious to scare both Harry and Ginny out of their wits, came singing down the corridor, smashing purposely into suits of armor while doing so.
"Wittle Harry Potter, looks like he finally caught her! / Ran around for many years, trampling the hearts of many little dears. / But this little girl, she stood out fine, think its because of the singing Valentine?"
Peeves, finding himself unusually funny, swooped down upon them. Laughing like a crazed maniac, which wouldn't be far from the normal truth, he rattled another suit of amour for good effect, then moved down the halls, scaring the pictures out of their frames.
"Oh god," Ginny gasped, "That is not one way I like to be woken up."
Harry smiled innocently. "I was planning on waking you up another way, but I never got around to it."
When the two parties realized what had just been said, they both looked rather uncomfortable. Harry's one main though was that if Ron ever heard what he just said, he would be without the use of his eyes, for they would have been swollen from Ron's fist from talking to his baby sister like that. Harry grinned uneasily, wondering what Ginny's reaction would be, for at the current moment, she was just looking down at her feet, he face the same colour as her hair.
"Umm, yeah." Ginny mumbled, reaching a hand up to brush her hair back out of her face. "How are you feeling?"
"Putting aside the fact that I feel like a steamroller has been run over me twelve times, pretty good?" Harry grimaced, rubbing his aching head.
"Steamroller?" Ginny asked, puzzled.
"A big, heavy device muggles used to flatten things."
Ginny, getting the gist of what he meant, winced, picturing the thought in her mind. "So what happened?"
Harry sighed, now rubbing his head with both hands, leaning against the nearby wall for support. He moved down, sitting on his ankles. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes, recalling the dream he had, then the pain that followed. He sighed again, leaning against the hand that appeared on his left cheek.
"It'll be okay." Ginny said reassuringly.
"No it won't, he's back." Harry said bitterly, "It's all my fault, people are going to die, and it'll be my fault."
Ginny looked shocked at the bitterness in his voice, her hand still caressing his face softly. Then she smiled slightly, she leaned forward and kissed his right cheek.
"I'm going to help you."
Harry looked at Ginny, feeling touched by the determination in her voice. "I don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't. Neither will you. That is my promise to you." She smiled vaguely.
As she leaned forward, the necklace that Harry gave her at the beginning of the year fell out of her shirt, hanging by her neck. It was an emerald green; despite the multi-colours it was when Harry gave her the token. Harry reached up and looked at it carefully. It seemed to sparkle, shimmer in the light. When he touched it with careful fingers, it brightened to a scarlet. Startled, he left go of it.
Ginny leaned forward, holding the trinket in her hands delicately. "Why did it do that?"
Harry gulped, recalling how Ron said his eyes had flashed, then remember how Malfoy's had done the same thing before, startling him. "I actually don't know." A thought struck him, creating a scene in his head.
"Similarities."
Ginny lifted her head, glancing around. "Did you hear that?"
Harry, wondering if she just heard him say the word aloud thought nothing of it. "Hear what?"
"Similarities, the word. It seemed to fly past here, like it was spoken by wind."
Relief flooded Harry, if Ginny heard what he was thinking, and then it probably meant that he said it aloud. "Yeah, I said that. I was just thinking of something."
Ginny frowned, despite the reassurances from Harry, something was wrong. She was just about to say so, when a voice overhead caught their attention.
"Harry!" Hermione's excited squeal could be heard. The next thing either of the two crouching people knew was the bone-crushing hug that they both received from her. "We were so worried, we though you were hurt-" She continued to jabber on for quite a while, and Harry could feel his shirt become suspiciously wet.
When Hermione had recomposed herself enough, she released them, and the now two squashed people leaning against the wall for support were now about to breath. Behind her stood Ron, he just nodded at Harry, but relief was written across his features.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked.
"I'm fine, just tired, a little sore-" His stomach rumbled, "And hungry."
Ginny laughed nervously, the prospect of being seen by her older brother in such close proximity of Harry, unnerved her a little. As far as she could tell, there was nothing between them except for a bit of harmless flirting, but knowing Ron like she did, he would probably take it out of hand. She just sighed, and followed her friends out towards the Great Hall.
***
The boom of the crowd echoed inside the Gryffindor changing room, as Harry stood before his team. It was the first official game of the Quidditch season. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. On the outside, Harry looked the picture of a perfect Quidditch captain, he stood tall, and his back straight with confidence, his emerald eyes sparkling with excitement. On the inside, he couldn't help the nervous tingle that always came before a game.
He surveyed the team before him, Fred and George, leaning on each other for support, Katie, Angelina, and Alicia stood in a group gossiping, and Ron stood beside him, looking towards the doors that lead to the pitch. Harry clapped his hands once, and everyone's attention turned to him.
"Alright team, we can do this-" He started, planning to give a pep talk to his teammates. Fred interrupted him with a groan.
"George, we have to help him-"
"I fear we do, but he might be contagious-"
"Look! He's starting to become purple-"
"Uh oh."
The twins stared at Harry, somber expressions on their faces.
"Umm. what is it?" Harry asked, afraid of what they would say.
"You're. you're."
"Turning. into. Oliver." George sank down to his knees, grasping Harry robes in mock hysterics, sobbing dramatically. Harry moved back slowly, prying George off his robes.
"I am not turning into Oliver. I only make you practice twice a week. He was a fanatic."
George continued to sob into his hands, Fred patting him consolingly on the back. Fred looked at Harry, grinning.
"Please, never, ever start a speech like that." He put a hand to his left breast, over his heart, and said solemnly. "It hurts deep."
George jumped to his feet, grabbing Katie's hand, swinging her into a circle. Kissed her cheek quickly, and turned to Harry.
"Let us play."
Harry grinned, grabbing his Firebolt. "Let's."
***
When they finally stepped through the gates onto the pitch, the bright sun met their eyes, making them shield them, squinting. The crowd screamed wildly around them, waving flags, and banners, flapping them in the wind. Harry took in a deep breath, relishing in the fact that he could finally play a decent game of Quidditch. Despite the interesting times that he had last year with the TriWizard Tournament, he missed just playing Quidditch. Harry led his follow teammates to the center of the pitch, facing their opposition.
Cho Chang smiled at Harry, raising her hand to shake his. He grinned back, firmly grasping hers, marveling over the concept, and that a year ago, he would have given anything to be in this position, but now, it was nothing worth mooning over.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle, signaling the start of the game, releasing the Snitch. Harry pushed off the ground, rising fast in the air, above the rest of the game.
This seemed to be his favourite tactic, to hover above the initial playing, just searching with his eyes for the Snitch. He absently listened to Lee's commentary, while admiring the teams' efforts.
"As it is the first match of the season, we are welcomed with two new captions on either side. One is the lovely Cho Chang, quite a beautiful girl she is. And the other is the well known, mostly well liked, Harry Potter. It seems that this year Harry has gotten himself a girlfriend. Listen people, this is insider information, it is heard that Harry Potter is going out with-"
"Jordan." Professor McGonagall said warningly.
"Ginny Weasley, who happens to be the sister of three of the Gryffindor players. She is also-"
"Jordan! This is not a gossip column! If you can't announce the game properly, your position will be revoked."
"Okay, anyways, Gryffindor in possession! Katie Bell passes it to Angelina - who flies past Seymour Fyne - shoots- SCORES! Ten- Zero Gryffindor!"
Harry grinned as he floated above the game. His eyes scanned the playing field, trying to catch a glimpse of sparkling gold. He moved lower, intertwining him self in the confusion. He looked to one side, blinding the other. In a spilt second, the inevitable happened. Cho banged into him, being hit by a Bludger herself. Harry teetered slightly, grabbing the handle of his broom tightly to keep himself from falling. Cho, on the other hand, did not seem to have as quick of reflexes as him. She lost her grip on her broom, getting the full impact of the Bludger.
"- it seems that Cho Chang has been hit quite harshly by a Bludger, and by a domino effect, smashed into Harry. While it appears that Harry has stabled himself, Cho may be finding getting back on to her broom a problem- "
Harry glanced over at Cho, reaching over to quickly bring her up. He pulled her up, grasping her right forearm tightly, locking his other hand behind her left elbow. Madam Hooch blew her whistle below them, causing a halt to the game momentarily. When Harry was sure that Cho wouldn't fall, he let go of her arms, but until then, he had her closely to him, supporting her.
Cho smiled thankfully at Harry when he released her, moving away slowly, and despite his best efforts, a tingle went through his stomach, and Harry gulped.
"Thanks." Cho said gratefully, rubbing where the Bludger knocked into her.
"No problem, really it was okay, anytime." Harry blabbed, rushing his words. Madam Hooch flew to them.
"Is everyone fine?" She asked.
The two captains nodded, both eager to leave the awkward position and play the game. Madam Hooch nodded once, and then blew her silver whistle, re- staring the game.
"After the somewhat amusing domino effect, the game is back in swing. Seymour Fyne has the Quaffle, and he passes it to Ryan Iver- he shoots - SCORES! " Lee's voice soared over the booming crowd, as the Ravenclaws cheered enthusiastically for their team.
Harry flew around the game, circling it. Now searching desperately for the Snitch to end the once pleasant game that had turned to awkward glances between him and Cho. Even though he didn't care for her anymore, he couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"With the score at eighty to sixty for Gryffindor, the game could end up being on either side."
Suddenly, a sparkle to the left of him caught his eyes. He turned his head swiftly, searching for the glint of gold. He saw it below him, just under the Keeper's place on the field. He dived, Cho coming out just in from of him, racing towards the Snitch as well. They leveled off, matching each other's speed despite the favour of Harry's broom over hers. It seemed that in the past year, Cho had improved as a flyer.
They dove towards the ground, making everyone in the stands stand and hold their breath, waiting for someone to make an impact in the dirt. But, the hopeful ones in the crowd were disappointed, for both Seekers managed to pull there broom up, soaring an even two feet above the green earth. The Snitch was about ten yards in front of them. As the Seekers pushed themselves to the ultimate speed, the Snitch started moving itself towards them, right in the middle of the players. Harry, noticing the movements a second before Cho, pulled back, raising a hand above him, catching the golden Snitch as it flew into his hands, Cho a second behind him. Harry was thrown back from the whip like movement from the Snitch.
The crowd roared, clapping and jumping, the Gryffindor section making the most noise, cheering for their team. Harry landed his broom, holding the Snitch high above him in one hand. He grinned, taking the winning of the game as a good omen. The Gryffindor team landed around him, grinning and clapping him on the back.
"Great play Harry!" Fred said, grinning, moving to hug Angelina.
"Calls for celebration." George stated, as if it was a well-known fact.
"Indeed it does my dear brother." Fred said, grinning in anticipation of a party.
A laugh to the left of him brought Harry out of Fred and George's conversation, and he looked to find the culprit of such happy noise, willing to find out what caused the sudden outburst. When he did turn and find the person of laughter, he grinned, somewhat uncomfortably, but still happy for the couple of Ron and Hermione. Ron had her held by the waist, his forehead pressed to hers, just talking and smiling.
A hand grabbed his arm, pulling him in one direction. He turned to the person pulling him, a smile on his face.
"Harry, that was brilliant!" Ginny's excited face beamed up at him. Harry smiled in response, leaning down to kiss her nose. Ginny smiled, tilting her head more, so that the kiss landed, willingly, on her lips. Harry, with no objections to the placement of his mouth, kissed her sweetly, bringing his arm around her back to press her closer to him.
"Harry, if you're going to snog with my sister, try to do it in a less obvious place."
TBC..
Angelis: Yes, people have a tendency to write cliffhangers, and unfortunately, I may be among them. I hope this ending is not as much so.
Cyqnus Crux: Thank you for not picking the chapter horribly apart. I'm sorry that it took so long for me to update. I will try to update as soon as possible next time.
Tigerlily: Okay. it seems that I'm confusing you more and more each time. But, I promise all will be sorted out as soon as possible (also since I have to be done before the real Harry Potter book comes out). Thank you, and I will update quicker next time. Also, on a side note. there will be more letters to come.
Maroswellian: No, you're not reading it wrong. I plan to make something between Ron and Hermione. They just seem to fit together. Also (since the coupling on the description says so) you can tell that the friendship between Harry and Ginny may lead to something more. Thanks so much for reviewing!
I don't have a friken pen nam: Do you think something may be going on between Ron and Hermione. I tend to lean towards that coupling as well as Harry and Ginny.
morgan: Well.. I didn't update so soon, but I did update. Thanks so much for reviewing.
Harry was lost in the world of darkness. The black mist formed clouds; they swirled and danced around him. Green light flashed above and below him. The world lost all depth; an object nearby could very well be miles in a direction. He floated in a blank realm.
A red cloud was swirling in front of him, with every rotation it appeared to become larger. A hand appeared breaking the cloud. The thin arm was connected to a body of a man, frail looking, despite the hardness and anger showing in his red orbs. He grinned mercilessly at Harry, his hand reaching for a pocket on his robes. He raised his wand to shoulder height, the tip glimmering.
"Crucio!" He roared, his voice powerful, shaking the surrounding darkness.
Harry felt pain shot through him, stretching and stinging the tips of his toes to his navel. His fingers crackled with electrifying pain, the shock shooting up his arms. It felt so very real.
Voldemort laughed. He lifted his wand, breaking the curse.
"Again, for the second time this year we meet. And again, you are left helpless at my mercy. Not a nice place to be left at. Many people in your position have died, many more will."
Harry struggled to bring himself upright, then pain still tingling in his body. "You are not real. This is just a dream."
"Yes, you are right, this is just a dream, a different plain, a different form of reality. But you see, I can touch you here, I am very much real."
Voldemort raised his hand, waving it in front of him. The air became diluted, shiny waves appeared out of his hand. Harry's forehead exploded, splitting down the center of his body. His hands felt as if they had been placed in a fire, the burning sensation ran through him, making his ears ring with the pain.
"You see Harry Potter, we have many similarities."
***
A white world surrounded Harry as he awoke from his unconscious state. He was lying on a bed, quite comfortable. Under his head was a mountain of white, fluffy pillows, on top, a soft comforter, pulled up to his chin. He moved his hands slowly, shaking himself out of his numb state. He moved his head slowly, but as soon as he shifted the tiniest bit, a sharp pain rocketed through him, making him halt all movements.
He slowly brought his hands out from beneath the covers, holding them in front of his face. They were raw. It looked as though his hands have been placed in fire. They were red and swollen, the skin peeling. He stared at them, trying to remember how this had happened.
He lay there for quite a while, falling quietly into a gentle stupor. The kind that made him numb to the surrounding world. A piece of fluttering paper shook him out of his phase, brining him crashing back to this reality. It read:
As we play this game, the game of cat and mouse, it doesn't matter if you come from either house.
Harry, stressed from the million different things at the moment, just groaned at the sight of the letter. He had enough problems at the present moment to take up his time, then having to deal with some kind of rhyming bloke who found it immensely funny to bother him with such fluff.
He noticed a vial next to him, the liquid bluish-green in colour. He grimaced, hoping that he wouldn't have to swallow the murky stuff. As the year seemed so far, unlucky was a mild word to describe it. Harry, being a person who seemed to have bad luck thrown upon him, would probably have to drink two of the vials, not just one.
Madam Pomfrey must have noticed that Harry had awoken, and she came bustling in, a ball of magical energy. She swooped down upon him, feeling his head, and checking for any apparent damage. She then, when Harry had told her repeatedly that he was fine, handed him the vial with the murky blue-green slime inside it. Nodding wearily, he drank the horrid liquid, shuddering as it slipped down his throat, the ice-like fluid freezing his insides. As fast as the feeling came, it vanished, replaced with a warm, energizing sensation racing through his body, the pain disappeared.
"Can I leave now?" he asked, anxious to get out of the hospital wing and find his friends.
Madame Pomfrey sighed, inspecting him as if she was inspecting a piece of fine, silver china for dirt, or a smudged fingerprint. "Alright, you may leave, but if you have another flash like before, I want you to report back here on the double."
Harry nodded his understanding, and then ran out so fast; he almost missed the youngest Weasley, and the center of his attention for the past few months, sitting by the exit. He stopped, glancing at her. She was huddled there, her arms circling her knees, with her head resting upon her arms as if using them for a pillow. When Harry crouched in front of her, sitting on his heels, she didn't bother to look up. Realizing that she was sleeping, he reached a hand out to gently brush a piece of fallen hair behind her ear, marveling in her beauty.
She moved slightly, groaning as she was brought out of sleep. Harry reached out and gently, not to scare her, caressed her cheek. The next thing that happened scared the both of them more then they have ever been in their lives.
* BOOM *
Harry jumped back, falling onto his backside. Ginny, being startled out of her snooze, stood up fast. Peeves, finding it hilarious to scare both Harry and Ginny out of their wits, came singing down the corridor, smashing purposely into suits of armor while doing so.
"Wittle Harry Potter, looks like he finally caught her! / Ran around for many years, trampling the hearts of many little dears. / But this little girl, she stood out fine, think its because of the singing Valentine?"
Peeves, finding himself unusually funny, swooped down upon them. Laughing like a crazed maniac, which wouldn't be far from the normal truth, he rattled another suit of amour for good effect, then moved down the halls, scaring the pictures out of their frames.
"Oh god," Ginny gasped, "That is not one way I like to be woken up."
Harry smiled innocently. "I was planning on waking you up another way, but I never got around to it."
When the two parties realized what had just been said, they both looked rather uncomfortable. Harry's one main though was that if Ron ever heard what he just said, he would be without the use of his eyes, for they would have been swollen from Ron's fist from talking to his baby sister like that. Harry grinned uneasily, wondering what Ginny's reaction would be, for at the current moment, she was just looking down at her feet, he face the same colour as her hair.
"Umm, yeah." Ginny mumbled, reaching a hand up to brush her hair back out of her face. "How are you feeling?"
"Putting aside the fact that I feel like a steamroller has been run over me twelve times, pretty good?" Harry grimaced, rubbing his aching head.
"Steamroller?" Ginny asked, puzzled.
"A big, heavy device muggles used to flatten things."
Ginny, getting the gist of what he meant, winced, picturing the thought in her mind. "So what happened?"
Harry sighed, now rubbing his head with both hands, leaning against the nearby wall for support. He moved down, sitting on his ankles. He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes, recalling the dream he had, then the pain that followed. He sighed again, leaning against the hand that appeared on his left cheek.
"It'll be okay." Ginny said reassuringly.
"No it won't, he's back." Harry said bitterly, "It's all my fault, people are going to die, and it'll be my fault."
Ginny looked shocked at the bitterness in his voice, her hand still caressing his face softly. Then she smiled slightly, she leaned forward and kissed his right cheek.
"I'm going to help you."
Harry looked at Ginny, feeling touched by the determination in her voice. "I don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't. Neither will you. That is my promise to you." She smiled vaguely.
As she leaned forward, the necklace that Harry gave her at the beginning of the year fell out of her shirt, hanging by her neck. It was an emerald green; despite the multi-colours it was when Harry gave her the token. Harry reached up and looked at it carefully. It seemed to sparkle, shimmer in the light. When he touched it with careful fingers, it brightened to a scarlet. Startled, he left go of it.
Ginny leaned forward, holding the trinket in her hands delicately. "Why did it do that?"
Harry gulped, recalling how Ron said his eyes had flashed, then remember how Malfoy's had done the same thing before, startling him. "I actually don't know." A thought struck him, creating a scene in his head.
"Similarities."
Ginny lifted her head, glancing around. "Did you hear that?"
Harry, wondering if she just heard him say the word aloud thought nothing of it. "Hear what?"
"Similarities, the word. It seemed to fly past here, like it was spoken by wind."
Relief flooded Harry, if Ginny heard what he was thinking, and then it probably meant that he said it aloud. "Yeah, I said that. I was just thinking of something."
Ginny frowned, despite the reassurances from Harry, something was wrong. She was just about to say so, when a voice overhead caught their attention.
"Harry!" Hermione's excited squeal could be heard. The next thing either of the two crouching people knew was the bone-crushing hug that they both received from her. "We were so worried, we though you were hurt-" She continued to jabber on for quite a while, and Harry could feel his shirt become suspiciously wet.
When Hermione had recomposed herself enough, she released them, and the now two squashed people leaning against the wall for support were now about to breath. Behind her stood Ron, he just nodded at Harry, but relief was written across his features.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked.
"I'm fine, just tired, a little sore-" His stomach rumbled, "And hungry."
Ginny laughed nervously, the prospect of being seen by her older brother in such close proximity of Harry, unnerved her a little. As far as she could tell, there was nothing between them except for a bit of harmless flirting, but knowing Ron like she did, he would probably take it out of hand. She just sighed, and followed her friends out towards the Great Hall.
***
The boom of the crowd echoed inside the Gryffindor changing room, as Harry stood before his team. It was the first official game of the Quidditch season. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. On the outside, Harry looked the picture of a perfect Quidditch captain, he stood tall, and his back straight with confidence, his emerald eyes sparkling with excitement. On the inside, he couldn't help the nervous tingle that always came before a game.
He surveyed the team before him, Fred and George, leaning on each other for support, Katie, Angelina, and Alicia stood in a group gossiping, and Ron stood beside him, looking towards the doors that lead to the pitch. Harry clapped his hands once, and everyone's attention turned to him.
"Alright team, we can do this-" He started, planning to give a pep talk to his teammates. Fred interrupted him with a groan.
"George, we have to help him-"
"I fear we do, but he might be contagious-"
"Look! He's starting to become purple-"
"Uh oh."
The twins stared at Harry, somber expressions on their faces.
"Umm. what is it?" Harry asked, afraid of what they would say.
"You're. you're."
"Turning. into. Oliver." George sank down to his knees, grasping Harry robes in mock hysterics, sobbing dramatically. Harry moved back slowly, prying George off his robes.
"I am not turning into Oliver. I only make you practice twice a week. He was a fanatic."
George continued to sob into his hands, Fred patting him consolingly on the back. Fred looked at Harry, grinning.
"Please, never, ever start a speech like that." He put a hand to his left breast, over his heart, and said solemnly. "It hurts deep."
George jumped to his feet, grabbing Katie's hand, swinging her into a circle. Kissed her cheek quickly, and turned to Harry.
"Let us play."
Harry grinned, grabbing his Firebolt. "Let's."
***
When they finally stepped through the gates onto the pitch, the bright sun met their eyes, making them shield them, squinting. The crowd screamed wildly around them, waving flags, and banners, flapping them in the wind. Harry took in a deep breath, relishing in the fact that he could finally play a decent game of Quidditch. Despite the interesting times that he had last year with the TriWizard Tournament, he missed just playing Quidditch. Harry led his follow teammates to the center of the pitch, facing their opposition.
Cho Chang smiled at Harry, raising her hand to shake his. He grinned back, firmly grasping hers, marveling over the concept, and that a year ago, he would have given anything to be in this position, but now, it was nothing worth mooning over.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle, signaling the start of the game, releasing the Snitch. Harry pushed off the ground, rising fast in the air, above the rest of the game.
This seemed to be his favourite tactic, to hover above the initial playing, just searching with his eyes for the Snitch. He absently listened to Lee's commentary, while admiring the teams' efforts.
"As it is the first match of the season, we are welcomed with two new captions on either side. One is the lovely Cho Chang, quite a beautiful girl she is. And the other is the well known, mostly well liked, Harry Potter. It seems that this year Harry has gotten himself a girlfriend. Listen people, this is insider information, it is heard that Harry Potter is going out with-"
"Jordan." Professor McGonagall said warningly.
"Ginny Weasley, who happens to be the sister of three of the Gryffindor players. She is also-"
"Jordan! This is not a gossip column! If you can't announce the game properly, your position will be revoked."
"Okay, anyways, Gryffindor in possession! Katie Bell passes it to Angelina - who flies past Seymour Fyne - shoots- SCORES! Ten- Zero Gryffindor!"
Harry grinned as he floated above the game. His eyes scanned the playing field, trying to catch a glimpse of sparkling gold. He moved lower, intertwining him self in the confusion. He looked to one side, blinding the other. In a spilt second, the inevitable happened. Cho banged into him, being hit by a Bludger herself. Harry teetered slightly, grabbing the handle of his broom tightly to keep himself from falling. Cho, on the other hand, did not seem to have as quick of reflexes as him. She lost her grip on her broom, getting the full impact of the Bludger.
"- it seems that Cho Chang has been hit quite harshly by a Bludger, and by a domino effect, smashed into Harry. While it appears that Harry has stabled himself, Cho may be finding getting back on to her broom a problem- "
Harry glanced over at Cho, reaching over to quickly bring her up. He pulled her up, grasping her right forearm tightly, locking his other hand behind her left elbow. Madam Hooch blew her whistle below them, causing a halt to the game momentarily. When Harry was sure that Cho wouldn't fall, he let go of her arms, but until then, he had her closely to him, supporting her.
Cho smiled thankfully at Harry when he released her, moving away slowly, and despite his best efforts, a tingle went through his stomach, and Harry gulped.
"Thanks." Cho said gratefully, rubbing where the Bludger knocked into her.
"No problem, really it was okay, anytime." Harry blabbed, rushing his words. Madam Hooch flew to them.
"Is everyone fine?" She asked.
The two captains nodded, both eager to leave the awkward position and play the game. Madam Hooch nodded once, and then blew her silver whistle, re- staring the game.
"After the somewhat amusing domino effect, the game is back in swing. Seymour Fyne has the Quaffle, and he passes it to Ryan Iver- he shoots - SCORES! " Lee's voice soared over the booming crowd, as the Ravenclaws cheered enthusiastically for their team.
Harry flew around the game, circling it. Now searching desperately for the Snitch to end the once pleasant game that had turned to awkward glances between him and Cho. Even though he didn't care for her anymore, he couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"With the score at eighty to sixty for Gryffindor, the game could end up being on either side."
Suddenly, a sparkle to the left of him caught his eyes. He turned his head swiftly, searching for the glint of gold. He saw it below him, just under the Keeper's place on the field. He dived, Cho coming out just in from of him, racing towards the Snitch as well. They leveled off, matching each other's speed despite the favour of Harry's broom over hers. It seemed that in the past year, Cho had improved as a flyer.
They dove towards the ground, making everyone in the stands stand and hold their breath, waiting for someone to make an impact in the dirt. But, the hopeful ones in the crowd were disappointed, for both Seekers managed to pull there broom up, soaring an even two feet above the green earth. The Snitch was about ten yards in front of them. As the Seekers pushed themselves to the ultimate speed, the Snitch started moving itself towards them, right in the middle of the players. Harry, noticing the movements a second before Cho, pulled back, raising a hand above him, catching the golden Snitch as it flew into his hands, Cho a second behind him. Harry was thrown back from the whip like movement from the Snitch.
The crowd roared, clapping and jumping, the Gryffindor section making the most noise, cheering for their team. Harry landed his broom, holding the Snitch high above him in one hand. He grinned, taking the winning of the game as a good omen. The Gryffindor team landed around him, grinning and clapping him on the back.
"Great play Harry!" Fred said, grinning, moving to hug Angelina.
"Calls for celebration." George stated, as if it was a well-known fact.
"Indeed it does my dear brother." Fred said, grinning in anticipation of a party.
A laugh to the left of him brought Harry out of Fred and George's conversation, and he looked to find the culprit of such happy noise, willing to find out what caused the sudden outburst. When he did turn and find the person of laughter, he grinned, somewhat uncomfortably, but still happy for the couple of Ron and Hermione. Ron had her held by the waist, his forehead pressed to hers, just talking and smiling.
A hand grabbed his arm, pulling him in one direction. He turned to the person pulling him, a smile on his face.
"Harry, that was brilliant!" Ginny's excited face beamed up at him. Harry smiled in response, leaning down to kiss her nose. Ginny smiled, tilting her head more, so that the kiss landed, willingly, on her lips. Harry, with no objections to the placement of his mouth, kissed her sweetly, bringing his arm around her back to press her closer to him.
"Harry, if you're going to snog with my sister, try to do it in a less obvious place."
TBC..
Angelis: Yes, people have a tendency to write cliffhangers, and unfortunately, I may be among them. I hope this ending is not as much so.
Cyqnus Crux: Thank you for not picking the chapter horribly apart. I'm sorry that it took so long for me to update. I will try to update as soon as possible next time.
Tigerlily: Okay. it seems that I'm confusing you more and more each time. But, I promise all will be sorted out as soon as possible (also since I have to be done before the real Harry Potter book comes out). Thank you, and I will update quicker next time. Also, on a side note. there will be more letters to come.
Maroswellian: No, you're not reading it wrong. I plan to make something between Ron and Hermione. They just seem to fit together. Also (since the coupling on the description says so) you can tell that the friendship between Harry and Ginny may lead to something more. Thanks so much for reviewing!
I don't have a friken pen nam: Do you think something may be going on between Ron and Hermione. I tend to lean towards that coupling as well as Harry and Ginny.
morgan: Well.. I didn't update so soon, but I did update. Thanks so much for reviewing.