Harry's life was getting more complicated than ever. He had much to do and he even thought about asking for a time-turner. He had to do his homework, more research for better marks and of course quidditch training (first game of the season against Ravenclaw). He had to spend some time with Hermione, too. In fact these quiet hours were the most enjoyable times he had and he wanted to spend as much time as he could with her.

But it was just time expiring, not exhausting. Quidditch training was quite okay, he just had to catch the snitch and nothing more. Racing his broom was not as bad as running for yourself, like muggle sports. And research in the library or homework in the common room were quite okay, too. Sometimes it was boring but most times Harry found interesting facts and things he never had heard of before.

Doing research for class contained being prepared for the topic. Harry made fun of some teachers saying everything important right at the start, making the lesson useless. He was competing with Hermione, both of them trying to catch the attention of the teacher first. The others were just shaking their heads knowingly. His extra lessons were improving, too. After a few lessons he was dueling with Professor Flitwick himself and even Dumbledore was impressed with Harry's fast progress: Harry could do basic spells with a single point of his finger. Dumbledore assured him that he was the fastest ever to learn this, Dumbledore needed a few years to learn it.

But even though Harry was already busy he had to do even more. Hermione's birthday was in a few days and he wanted to organize the party together with Ron. Everything was set and everyone was waiting for Hermione who was still in the library working on an assignment for Binns ("describe the first and second world war out of the wizard's point of view") . Harry had some Gryffindors patrol the corridors so he knew when Hermione would come back. Ron was leading the decoration preparations and soon the common room was looking like a big party hall. Fred and George had nicked some food from the kitchens and every Gryffindor had made his own party hat. Ron was holding a bright red present and was shivering slightly. Harry grinned, he was feeling nervous, too. But Harry hoped more than anything that Hermione would like his present. It was well hidden and he would give it to her later, no one should see it. Maybe she will wear it to the Yule Ball.

Neville came running like a madman in the common room, stuttering "Her-Hermione comes!" Ron and some other Gryffindors were steading him and soon after the portrait hole opened again, quickly followed by a loud "Happy Birthday!".

Hermione was so shocked she nearly fell backwards but Harry and Ron were dragging her into through the common room, people patting her back and hugging her while she crossed the whole common rom. Hermione only could repeat "thanks" a thousand times, she was hadn't recovered. After everyone had settled down Ron was the first to give her a present. She unwrapped it hastily and found a book inside. She thanked him with a hug, but Harry nearly choked at his pumpkin juice as he saw the cover - he saw his face. The Harry on the book was looking around sheepishly and kept shooting glances at Hermione, reddening a great deal.

Fortunately the book was put away and Hermione continued unwrapping boxes and packages. Harry never imagined that Hermione knew so many people, he never even knew how many Gryffindors were living here but the sheer number of presents she had received were overwhelming. But she eventually finished unwrapping and the party begun. Harry needn't go to Flitwicks lesson (he was now equal to Flitwick, maybe even better) and was dancing happily with Hermione, and after that with a blushing Parvati, then Angelina and finally Katie. He saw the queue of girls waiting for a dance with him and hurried himself to sit beside Hermione. He knew that he somewhat improved his appearance but he never thought that even the Seventh-Year girls were fancying him. He declined all offers to dance for the rest of the evening.

Hermione was drinking butterbeer in silence while Harry leaned forward to whisper something in her ear.

"You'll get your present when we're alone." He said cryptically.

She grinned knowingly and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I maybe will take a bath in half an hour in the prefect's bathroom, then." She said mischievously.

Harry nodded. Her behaviour was still odd to him, how lascivious and mature the new Hermione was. That wouldn't have happened a year ago. Well, a year ago we weren't a couple. Everything's changed a lot. A year ago Fleur wouldn't look at Ron if he was dancing tango naked right in front of her. Ad today they are a couple, too.

He wanted to sit in silence but his plans were crushed by Fred and George, who were dragging him off to some Sixth and Seventh Years. Hermione had shown around her book about 'The Boy Who Lived' and Harry had to endure questions over questions. He glared at Fred and George, but they were grinning merrily back at him, obviously happy with the mischief they had managed again.

Harry eventually fled from them and quickly ran into his dormitory, grabbing his invisibility cloak and the present. He threw the cloak around himself and cautiosly leaved Gryffindor Tower. He succeeded and hurried down the corridors and up the stairs, finally reaching the portrait of Boris the Bewildered. He gave the password and scrambled through.

Just as the portrait was about to close another person stopped it from closing and climbed through, too. Harry could immediately see that it was Hermione, cheeks flushed from running so fast. He smiled at her and sealed the hole so that it could only be opened from the inside.

She sighed and threw herself around him.

"I wasn't sure when you wanted to come so I hid behind an armour and waited. When I heard your voice I knew that you must be under your cloak and I hurried to get to the portrait." She kissed his lips softly, standing on tiptoe. He was taller than her even though he never was considered 'tall'. He was just taller than her (they were usually the same height, but the good food at Hogwarts and his training finally had some results).

He finished the kiss and handed her the present. She unwrapped it quickly.

Inside was of course the silk light blue dress and Harry saw her eyes go wide. She looked intently at the dress and then again up to him but she waited only a second to kiss him again. Harry was grinning, she was thrilled! He usually was pretty bad picking presents for his friends.

"Oh, Harry! It is wonderful! Who told you that light blue is my favourite colour? I have to see myself in it, wait a sec…"

She suddenly undressed, down to her underwear and Harry gasped. Looking at her made him feel like he was going through a waterfall and the cold water was running down his body (in a good way). She tried on the dress and it fitted her immediately, emphasizing her curved body in a way making Harry gasp again.

She turned around for him a few times, the hem was behaving like a real wave, slowly drifting after the rest of the dress. Harry had to smile at his girlfriend, she was so pretty, he never thought it possible for her to be even more attractive than she already was, but there she was standing in front of him, making him shudder in happyness.

"I hoped you would like it. Maybe you want to wear it when we go to the Yule Ball."

She twirled around the room some more and finally stopped right in front of him. She slid her arms around him and her lips brushed his. Harry liked this, he would never stop kissing her, but there was the small issue of breathing making him stop.

After they parted she was grinning at him, it was one of those grins.

"Well, I told you I wanted to take a bath, do you want to join me?"

She undressed completely, standing in front him stark naked. Harry couldn't breathe, he was marveling her splendour. If there was a perfect body, then it was standing right in front of him. Hermione now was searching her clothes, the way she was arching her back and the muscles in her legs were stiffening or relaxing at some point were driving him crazy. Finally she was facing him again, her wand in her hands. Harry frowned, what does she need her wand for? The bath was ready, the water was already in the tube and foam was all over the surface. But she was neither looking at Harry or the tube, but merely at the ground, pointing her wand at it and whispering some words. Harry was still confused but then he began to understand and she grinned at him. She again pointed her wand but this time right at him. Harry was caught off-guard but he could have evaded the charm if he wanted to, but he knew Hermione never would do anything bad to him. He did not remember the words she had muttered but he knew it anyway because his clothes were getting slippery and in a moment his clothes, including shirt and sweater were lying at his feet. First he was blushing furiously because he was now completely revealed and Hermione now could see that she had affected him rather strong with her beauty. But she seemed not to mind, told him to hurry or the water would cool down and hopped into the tube. Harry, still blushing, kicked his clothes away (how did she get off the sweater and shirt?) and walked slowly towards the tube. The floor was giving away ever so slightly and he remembered the cushioning charm. It was a pretty advanced charm (not because he was very diffiult to do but because it was mostly used for, ahem, other things) and he did not know the incantation but remembered it after Hermione did the spell. She knew so much more than him and he wasn't jealous at all.

He jumped into the small pool and soon they were lieing in each others arms, caressing and kissing. They were already pretty intimate and Harry was anxious when they would had their 'first night' but at the same time he felt like he could wait for her all his life if he had to.


***


Harry stormed the stairs of Dumbledore's office. It was Friday and the week was almost boring (even though exhausting). Flitwick told nearly everyone from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Seventh-Years to duel with Harry during his extra lessons. Harry never lost one. But it was never easy because Seventh-Years of course had far more expierience than a Fifth-Year had. Granted, Harry wasn't the average Fifth-Year but still the duels were very difficult to win. After a particular nasty duel against a rather severe-looking Ravenclaw Harry ached all over, the Ravenclaw had used pain curses a great deal (he actually seemed to like the idea of dealing pain to others). Harry had once read about a method to block pain, not feeling it. This would be a great skill, but he sincerely doubted to learn it. Sure, he was very good dueler and all, but the pain blocking was something even more advanced than animagus. But if he would learn it, he could stand the cruciatus, and that would be a great thing. Harry tried to find information about it, whether he would do it or not. He wouldn't admit it, but he was getting downright nerdy. He would say 'just curious'.

He had read of the technique and even tried it, still not what you'd call successive. The one who wanted to block the pain just had to tell himself repeatly that the pain wasn't that bad. He had to believe it. Eventually the pain would subside. Still, most people weren't that good with magic and needed help from other things as well. One thing was the same as the Patronus charm, think of a happy memory. This was in fact the strongest method to make sure the pain was blocked, the nerve endings would be occupied with other things and wouldn't send the pain to the brain. The other one was quite hard and no one really used this one because the former was so much easier. You had to believe that the pain was just a thing triggered by your nerve endings, a message send to your brain so you would stop the pain. Of course, it was a unpleasant feeling (if you could call the pain suffered from a Cruciatus unpleasant) but it was still a feeling and could be surpressed. Really, the pain blocking business was rather complicated and Harry still tried.

Harry rehearsed the last lesson he had together with Dumbledore and knew what today's lesson would be. Wandless magic. It was rather exciting and Harry already could manage to do small spells and charms, but not for long and he had to concentrate very, very hard on them. Harry felt something like a barrier but Dumbledore was even more cheerful than his usual self. He told Harry many times what a great sorcerer he would become one day.

Today Harry was told to try the alohomora spell. He focussed on the door and his mind was ready. He was confident, the constant training was increasing his abilities and skills very fast. The inner calmness he was now feeling wasn't there last week, he was sure of it.

He pointed his palm towards the doorknob, concentrating. Then he spoke:

"Alohomora!"

It has worked was his first thought - but was that right? He had heard a clicking sound. Unmistakably from the door, but there were more clicks, not just one. He turned around, surely there must be something that is making the sound. He checked if Dumbledore was wearing high heels (he was not) and then saw that Albus was as clueless as Harry was. Dumbledore searched his office and after he finished searching sat down, sighing gravely. But as their gazes met Harry saw something he never saw before in this eyes: Grudging respect.

"Harry, you just opened every door in my office. And two of them were heavily charmed and normally an alohomora spell wouldn't open them, but yours did."

Harry just shrugged. He had felt the magic coming out of him, but he never imagined doing so good. Dumbledore recovered quickly from this shock and was standing again.

"Okay, let's try something else. I am going to magically lock this door again, and the alohomora spell should be unable to open it. But I want you to try it again. Say the incantation and point your hand at it. I want you to concentrate at this door only!"

Again Harry examined the doorknob, more closely then last time. It was copper and it was polished, Harry almost could see himself. He raised his hand again and after muttering the incantation, it happened.

This time the magical essence was maybe even more manifested. The door sprang open, swayed open very fast, smashed against the wall and swayed back, but instead of closing again it was now broken, it hinges bent in an unnatural way.

Harry was delighted, he was very good at wandless magic! Maybe he just needed some training. After training some more he could open every door in Dumbledores office with a single thought, even the magical sealed ones. Dumbledore was even more delighted then Harry was (although Harry thought he should be angry because Harry had broken every charm).

"Harry! I have never seen anyone doing magic that well, and you're wandless! I am not able to break the sealed doors, just with the appropriate spell I am."

He awarded Gryffindor 20 points and Harry allowed to go. He opened every door with the alohomora spell, feeling very smug. He was almost disappointed that he couldn't alohomora the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"plenum lunam." The password was changed. Harry climbed inside and saw Hermione at their usual spot.

"Where's Ron?" Harry asked irritated. He wouldn't learn with Hermione and him, would he? Maybe Hermione was just waiting for Harry so they could join him.

"You should worry where you are! Quidditch practice, tomorrow match against Ravenclaw, remember?" Harry groaned, thanked her with a light kiss on the lips, got his things and runned down the corridors and stairs, down to the Quidditch pitch.


***


Fred was repeating the today's tactic again with George's help, and to Harrys delight, he could say that their tactics were as good as Wood's were. And added to that, they weren't boring at all. Harry was quite comfortable with his new captain, Fred had more brains than George, who was braver. But both had the same sense of humour and that made them special. Harry joyfully remembered many of their pranks (many of them included Percy as their victim).

The next morning Harry wasn't eating, he was way to nervous to take a bite at his breakfast. He wasn't even sure if he could trust his legs, but he had to. After breackfast Fred ordered them on the Quidditch pitch. Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and turned, but before he could take a breath Hermione was over him, covering his face with kisses. He relaxed slightly and kissed her back. After they parted he grinned at her before they sliently marched to the exit of the Great Hall, towards the pitch. George patted him on the back, maybe to reassure him, or maybe to reassure himself.

The tribunes were overcrowded with pupils and teachers, Gryffindors cheering for Gryffindor. The other houses were torn between cheering for Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, both fine houses and still able to beat Slytherin (that was the most important thing for every non-Slytherin student). Slytherin was of course cheering on Ravenclaw, showing their hatred against Gryffindor very clear.

Harry went together with his team into the dressing cabins and put on his Quidditch robes, red and with a golden lion. The new pep talk was was almost familiar, maybe the twins copied some stuff from Wood's pep talk? Wouldn't surprise Harry, they new Woods pep talk by heart.

Then they solemny walked out of the cabins and onto the Quidditch field, and after a handshake Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the game had started.

"And they're off! Gryffindor's in possession of the Quaffle and it's Alicia Spinnet! A wonderful girl, I mean Head Girl, maybe I should ask her to-" and as expected McGonagall interrupted and lectured him, but Harry had other things to worry. He was narrowing his eyes, keeping a lookout for the snitch. He turned around to scan the other side of the field, but he looked right into the eyes of Cho Chang, looking shyly at him.

Harry flew away quickly, he wasn't able to face her. He was linking her face with Cedric, who was dead. Killed by Wormtail, the servant of Voldemort. Maybe he could distract himself so he wouldn't think of that. Think of Hermione. Yeah, that'll help…

Slowly soaring through the air he was nearly beheaded by a swirling bludger, forcing him to concentrate. Cho was following him (she did the same at their last game). But the Gryffindors were having all the advantages - Ron was keeping like a god and the twins were hurling their bats like mad, sending bludgers in every direction. The Slytherins were hit more than once. Harry tried to get rid of Cho, flying like a bullet through the air. He saw a glint of gold once, but he was so fast he would break his neck stopping, so he decided to do another round around the pitch and try to catch it then. He did it, he flew a whole round before Cho could reach the snitch. Harry was 300 metres away now and saw the snitch hovering right over him. He shot straight upwards like a cannonball and was attempting to grab the snitch, but he saw something that was making him lose his breath and stop dead in his tracks. Was he sure? He looked again. He saw it, an animal, sitting on the top of the tribunes like Sirius once had sat there. But it was impossible! He saw a stag! Harry knew only one Animagus who had a stag as his animagus form. The stag was looking right at him, but then it looked at something over Harrys head. Harry looked up, too and saw the glittering snitch hovering there. Harry closed his fist around it but his gaze never left the stag. The stag seemed to nod and leaped from the tribune. Leaped from the tribune? But Harry wasn't able to worry what would happen to it, because he was hugged tightly by his teammates and Lee Jordan was still yelling the score: 230 to zero for Gryffindor! Fred and George and Ron were thumbing his back, Alicia and Angelina and Katie were pecking his cheek and when Hermione finally arrived it was a show for everyone around them. Harry pracitically carried her and together the team and the other Gryffindors made their way to the Gryffindor common room. But Harry's mind was elsewhere. Was it his father? His dad was dead, Harry knew for sure. But maybe he did the same like Pettigrew, faking his death? Or maybe he had a brother? Harry was clueless, but he would solve this mystery.

Please don't scream at me, I know this chapter took a long long time. But as I already said somewhere else, I'm awfully busy and this is not the only fanfic I'm writing/translating. So please be patient! And to your benefit, the chapters will be betaedited pretty soon, so many mistakes will be corrected! No one's perfect, especially me :-)