Chapter Eight: Preparations
Harry had awakened from visions of red into a wonderful dawn. Noticing that everyone was asleep, he decided to visit the Quidditch Pitch.
"Now, now, Harry," came the quiet voice of Professor Dumbledore as Harry walked down the dining hall, "Quidditch isn't the same without an opponent."
"But Cho's asleep."
"No, she isn't," interrupted Dumbledore, and, as if on cue, Cho stepped out from the door behind him.
"Oh, hi Harry. Hi Professor. Just wanted to have an early breakfast."
"Ah, Cho, save that for later. Don't Seekers have to have a good exercise once in a while?" Cho stared at Dumbledore, wondering what he was talking about.
"I will be training you in Quidditch, as Madam Hooch is currently busy." Harry and Cho asked at the same time, "Why?"
"Because there are few people who have your kind of talent. That, combined with your bravery, Harry, and your intelligence, Cho, could bring out more than you have ever known, aside from your inner magic." Dumbledore chuckled.
Harry and Cho discovered that Professor Dumbledore was not only a master in dueling, he was also an expert at Quidditch. Using his own broom, a Silver Arrow, he not only caught the Snitch in a short time, he could do the tricks Harry and Cho did in their last game. By the time he descended, the two of them found a hard time closing their mouths in shock. "Now, let's see.we have breakfast after an hour's practice, then we have more fighting and magic practice after that." Dumbledore muttered to no one in particular, apparently deep in thought, "Oh yes! Harry, Cho, let's get started, shall we?"
He had not been expecting this, Harry thought, as Professor Dumbledore led them for the nth time through the motions of feints that would have made Viktor Krum proud. Only twenty minutes had passed and Harry and Cho were already exhausted from the intensive training they had received.
"Professor Dumbledore really is something, isn't he?" asked Cho as they were given a five minute break.
Harry said, through gritted teeth (his arms were sore from gripping the broom), "Yeah, I didn't know he could play that good."
"Surprised, aren't you?" came a voice from behind them. Lupin and Madam Hooch were striding towards them from the Hogwarts castle. Harry was surprised to see that Madam Hooch was wearing the same thunderstruck expression used by the other students the other day.
Suddenly, she yelled, "HARRY POTTER! CHO CHANG! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"
"What the." Harry and Cho gasped. They had never seen Madam Hooch this livid before.
"YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT YOU COULD DO THOSE AMAZING STUNTS! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU ALL PLAYING AT? HOW COME YOU NEVER DID THOSE DURING THE LAST QUIDDITCH MATCHES? WELL?" Her voice reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley's Howler that she had sent Ron on their second year, only this time, Madam Hooch was in tears, laughed hysterically, and had the two in a bone-crushing hug.
"You two are going to be the stuff of Quidditch legends! Charlie Weasley would be proud of you!"
Then, turning to Professor Dumbledore, she screeched once again, "AND YOU, ALBUS! I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT YOU COULD PLAY A DAMN GOOD SEEKER!" Even as she screamed, her expression became happier.
Dumbledore replied, "Now, now Madam Hooch. you don't have to throw a temper tantrum. Anyway, it feels good to stretch these old muscles again. Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Harry, Cho, we'll have to continue practicing. We have fifteen minutes left."
"Whoa, Harry! Dumbledore was a Seeker before?" breathed Ron, as Harry, Cho, Professor Dumbledore and Lupin stepped through the portal back to the Grimmauld Place to eat breakfast with the others.
"Yeah." said a very tired Harry, who wished very much that he could go to sleep.
"Ow! My muscles are aching! Professor Dumbledore could give Madam Hooch a run for her money!" said Cho to Hermione, Ginny and Luna.
"That Dumbledore really is something, eh Ronald? Maybe you should get some Keeper practice." Luna said to Ron, who immediately blushed on seeing her smile.
Dumbledore immediately took the time to reply, "Capital idea! Why not? Ron, you will also have practice tomorrow morning. Ms. Lovegood, would you be so kind as to pass the bacon?" Ron opened and closed his mouth a couple of times like a fish, and stuttered, "I-I.I would be honored to be trained by you, sir."
Weeks passed by, and by that time, it was nearly the start of their return back to Hogwarts. And by that time, the D.A. had already mastered several jinxes and defensive spells, wizard dueling and hand-to-hand combat. In Quidditch, each of the three House teams' mastery of the game was improving so fast that by the end of the month, they could already play in the Quidditch World Cup. Ron had received so much training that he could predict a player's movement and make a save.
Lupin said, "Alright, that covers most of our topics. Now, we are going to Diagon Alley to buy our school supplies. To prevent any.incidents, Kingsley, Tonks, Moody and I are going to escort you. Because you all need."
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" yelled Moody, and everyone in the room, including Dumbledore, jumped in surprise. At this, Moody laughed heartily at their shocked faces.
Harry had awakened from visions of red into a wonderful dawn. Noticing that everyone was asleep, he decided to visit the Quidditch Pitch.
"Now, now, Harry," came the quiet voice of Professor Dumbledore as Harry walked down the dining hall, "Quidditch isn't the same without an opponent."
"But Cho's asleep."
"No, she isn't," interrupted Dumbledore, and, as if on cue, Cho stepped out from the door behind him.
"Oh, hi Harry. Hi Professor. Just wanted to have an early breakfast."
"Ah, Cho, save that for later. Don't Seekers have to have a good exercise once in a while?" Cho stared at Dumbledore, wondering what he was talking about.
"I will be training you in Quidditch, as Madam Hooch is currently busy." Harry and Cho asked at the same time, "Why?"
"Because there are few people who have your kind of talent. That, combined with your bravery, Harry, and your intelligence, Cho, could bring out more than you have ever known, aside from your inner magic." Dumbledore chuckled.
Harry and Cho discovered that Professor Dumbledore was not only a master in dueling, he was also an expert at Quidditch. Using his own broom, a Silver Arrow, he not only caught the Snitch in a short time, he could do the tricks Harry and Cho did in their last game. By the time he descended, the two of them found a hard time closing their mouths in shock. "Now, let's see.we have breakfast after an hour's practice, then we have more fighting and magic practice after that." Dumbledore muttered to no one in particular, apparently deep in thought, "Oh yes! Harry, Cho, let's get started, shall we?"
He had not been expecting this, Harry thought, as Professor Dumbledore led them for the nth time through the motions of feints that would have made Viktor Krum proud. Only twenty minutes had passed and Harry and Cho were already exhausted from the intensive training they had received.
"Professor Dumbledore really is something, isn't he?" asked Cho as they were given a five minute break.
Harry said, through gritted teeth (his arms were sore from gripping the broom), "Yeah, I didn't know he could play that good."
"Surprised, aren't you?" came a voice from behind them. Lupin and Madam Hooch were striding towards them from the Hogwarts castle. Harry was surprised to see that Madam Hooch was wearing the same thunderstruck expression used by the other students the other day.
Suddenly, she yelled, "HARRY POTTER! CHO CHANG! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"
"What the." Harry and Cho gasped. They had never seen Madam Hooch this livid before.
"YOU NEVER TOLD ME THAT YOU COULD DO THOSE AMAZING STUNTS! WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU ALL PLAYING AT? HOW COME YOU NEVER DID THOSE DURING THE LAST QUIDDITCH MATCHES? WELL?" Her voice reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley's Howler that she had sent Ron on their second year, only this time, Madam Hooch was in tears, laughed hysterically, and had the two in a bone-crushing hug.
"You two are going to be the stuff of Quidditch legends! Charlie Weasley would be proud of you!"
Then, turning to Professor Dumbledore, she screeched once again, "AND YOU, ALBUS! I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT YOU COULD PLAY A DAMN GOOD SEEKER!" Even as she screamed, her expression became happier.
Dumbledore replied, "Now, now Madam Hooch. you don't have to throw a temper tantrum. Anyway, it feels good to stretch these old muscles again. Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Harry, Cho, we'll have to continue practicing. We have fifteen minutes left."
"Whoa, Harry! Dumbledore was a Seeker before?" breathed Ron, as Harry, Cho, Professor Dumbledore and Lupin stepped through the portal back to the Grimmauld Place to eat breakfast with the others.
"Yeah." said a very tired Harry, who wished very much that he could go to sleep.
"Ow! My muscles are aching! Professor Dumbledore could give Madam Hooch a run for her money!" said Cho to Hermione, Ginny and Luna.
"That Dumbledore really is something, eh Ronald? Maybe you should get some Keeper practice." Luna said to Ron, who immediately blushed on seeing her smile.
Dumbledore immediately took the time to reply, "Capital idea! Why not? Ron, you will also have practice tomorrow morning. Ms. Lovegood, would you be so kind as to pass the bacon?" Ron opened and closed his mouth a couple of times like a fish, and stuttered, "I-I.I would be honored to be trained by you, sir."
Weeks passed by, and by that time, it was nearly the start of their return back to Hogwarts. And by that time, the D.A. had already mastered several jinxes and defensive spells, wizard dueling and hand-to-hand combat. In Quidditch, each of the three House teams' mastery of the game was improving so fast that by the end of the month, they could already play in the Quidditch World Cup. Ron had received so much training that he could predict a player's movement and make a save.
Lupin said, "Alright, that covers most of our topics. Now, we are going to Diagon Alley to buy our school supplies. To prevent any.incidents, Kingsley, Tonks, Moody and I are going to escort you. Because you all need."
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" yelled Moody, and everyone in the room, including Dumbledore, jumped in surprise. At this, Moody laughed heartily at their shocked faces.
