Disclaimer: I own nothing. If you sue me, you will get a bright orange floppy disk, a ChocoCat notebook, and a pen. Don't bother.
Harry Potter and the Elements of Magic
Summery: OotP SPOILERS!!! A 6th year fic. Voldemort's quest for the weapon, which is being protected by the order, continues. Strange events start happening at Hogwarts and the students all suspect the new exchange students are to blame but Harry, Ron, and Hermione know better... (H/Hr, R/OC)
A/N: ok, this time I'm starting the chapter as soon as I posted the last one. I have a lot to say and not long to get it written so time is not on my side. I'll try to keep the quality decent but if I make any mistakes, please let me know. I will try to fix them and repost the chapter afterwards. Don't bug me about schedules and dates, I had it all figured out before but I screwed them up last chapter and don't have the will power to redo them yet.
Chapter Six
Something's Not Right, Part I
The first several weeks of school passed rather quickly and with little event. Snape ridiculed the Gryffindors, who did well out of spite, they started learning spells in Defense Against the Dark Arts, abandoned memory charms and moved on to encoding charms in Flitwick's class, and Animagi class was still taking extensive notes. It wasn't until the end of October that anything interesting happened.
"Quidditch tryouts on the twenty-fifth," Ron announced to the common room one night as he was pinning the notice to the board, "we need three chasers, two beaters, and a seeker."
"Hey, you have two beaters!" said Jack Sloper outraged.
"Oh yeah, I forgot. You two are fired."
The ex-beaters got rather red in the face but said nothing more as the huffily went back to their homework.
"So as I was saying, all the positions are open besides keeper, I want everyone who is even vaguely interested in joining the team to show up," finished Ron.
"It's going to be a very different team this year, isn't it," commented Harry.
"That's an understatement. All I know is that I'm keeper, you're seeker, and Ginny's one of the chasers," said Ron.
"So no ideas on beaters?" asked Kelly who wasn't as bored by their Quidditch talk as Hermione.
"None whatsoever. I'm hoping there'll be some good second years, maybe an exchange student. You were going to try out for a chaser, weren't you?" replied Ron.
"Yeah, I don't see why not. I'll try but I'm not guaranteeing anything. I've never played Quidditch before but I really want to fly again," said Kelly.
"You played Quodpot, you have to be a good chaser," said Harry.
"Probably but I don't want to get all your hopes up."
Upon further inspection of the notice board, they discovered an announcement for their first Hogsmeade visit on October twenty-ninth.
"I was wondering when they'd let us go. I need to pick up a few new quills," said Hermione.
"Yeah, me too. Well, sugar quills is actually what I had in mind but it's the same concept," replied Ron.
Hermione shook her head disapprovingly and Harry decided to change the subject to avoid an argument from breaking out.
"Why don't we figure out some Quidditch strategies?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," replied Ron earning an eye roll from Hermione but she didn't say anything.
Although Ron had constantly reassured him that the seeker position was his, Harry was still extremely nervous when the twenty-fifth came around. It may have been because of this that his fire in a bottle potion exploded halfway through class.
"POTTER!" Snape screeched immediately after the liquid turned to flames on various classroom surfaces and students, "DETENTION! AND FORTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR! GRANGER AND CARAWAY I DID NOT INSTRUCT YOU TO DO ANYTHING!" he added as he spotted the two additional Gryffindors attempting to extinguish the flames on themselves as well as other students. "TWENTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR EACH AND DETENTION AS WELL! If the potion hit you, line up here. It will go quickly so do not, I repeat do not attempt to put out the flames yourself."
It took the rest of the period to get everything under control, though certainly not back to normal. Everyone left with their robes a little singed and the tables had certainly seen better days. Harry, Hermione and Kelly were trying to sneak out the door unnoticed but their efforts were futile.
"And I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave," taunted Snape as he spotted them causing them to stop in their tracks. "You will serve your detentions with me on Halloween. I have some things that need to be taken care of and although you three aren't the best of help, it will be better than nothing. Be here then at six o'clock sharp. Don't be late or it will be another detention."
At this they became mobile again and glumly walked back to the great hall for lunch.
"Eighty points in one class, I think that's a record," commented Harry as he saw several Gryffindors gawking at the hourglasses.
"I'm sure Fred and George have managed more. I don't think Snape knew Quidditch tryouts are tonight because if he did I'm sure the detentions would have been," said Hermione.
"Yes but Halloween," Kelly groaned, "that's my favorite holiday."
Just then Ron met up with them and seemed as amazed at the hourglass as the other students.
"Hey guys did you see? Eighty points in one period! It's hard to believe isn't…" he spotted the gloomy looks on their faces and dilapidated robes, "what did you do?"
"Oh just explode some fire in a bottle and try to put it out. No big deal," Hermione answered calmly.
"Ah… well… I'm sure worse things have been done… no one got said substance down their throats did they?" he asked hopefully as the others shook their heads. "Such a pity… oh well, there'll be more opportunities to finish off Malfoy."
Harry nodded vaguely as he took a seat at the Gryffindor table. The recent fiasco in Potions was working it's way to the back of his mind while tryouts persistently worked it's way to the foreground again. He just picked at his plate for a while almost completely unaware of Hermione's efforts to cheer him up. Lunch ended far too quickly for his liking and the rest of the day proceeded in a similar manner. Before he could say "Sahara desert", Ron was dragging him out to the pitch.
Harry couldn't recall ever meeting the large expanse of green with such dread as he did that afternoon. Well, maybe before the third task of the Triwizard Tournament but it had then been a giant hedge maze filled with various magical obstacles well above his level so that was understandable.
"Alright then first thing's first, we need a seeker. I think I know who it's going to be but let's just see who came to tryout first," greeted Ron when it seemed that everyone who was going to come had arrived. When Harry was the only person to venture out to the center of the pitch he continued. "Well alright then, Potter, let's see if you've still got it."
The captain released the snitch and Harry immediately took to the air. Almost as soon as he did, he spotted the glittering golden snitch by the near middle goalpost and he dove at it capturing it in less than thirty seconds.
"Ok, I'm glad the only person to try out for seeker wasn't a complete dud," Ron said winking as Harry contentedly touched down on the emerald field. "Ok, well he's obviously on the team. Next let's do chaser—"
"Wait a minute, how do we know that wasn't a fluke?" interrupted a burly fourth year in the third row. Harry didn't know him very well and only recognized him from the sorting this year.
"And you are…?" asked Ron annoyed.
"Phil Buckman, Australia," he replied.
"Well, Phil, you better hope it wasn't a fluke since he's the only one to try out. Besides, I know it wasn't a fluke because I've seen him fly on this team since his first year here but since this is YOU'RE first year here I don't blame you for not knowing. Just to prove he's better than our only hope, we can have him try a few more, would you like that?" reasoned Ron in a tone implying he was dealing with a three year old.
Phil looked annoyed now as well but he held his tongue and nodded instead.
"Alright then. Harry, back on your broom," ordered Ron.
Harry did as he was told and Ron released the snitch again. Harry caught it even more quickly hovering above the stands and did equally as well on the other twelve tries before the red head allowed him to stop.
"Are you happy now, Phil?" Ron asked as Harry touched the ground again and he nodded reluctantly. "Right then. Chasers, out on the field now if you will."
Ginny and Kelly walked out to the field as did several younger students Harry didn't know by name.
"Ok, now you're going to toss around the quaffle for a while and I'll make my decision based on both how well you execute your passes and if you're able to catch it well and I'll have you throw it from the penalty line and try to score against me."
Ron tossed up the quaffle and the group of want to be chasers started immediately. Harry was soon bored by their progress and searched the stands for a place to sit. He was delighted when he saw that Hermione had come to see the tryouts but his heart sank when he saw she had brought her homework with her.
"Hey Hermione," he said hoping that he sounded casual.
"Oh, hello Harry, I didn't see you coming," she greeted cheerfully shutting her Ancient Runes textbook.
"I'm not surprised. If I had my nose stuck in such a huge book I wouldn't be able to see anything either," he replied and cursed himself for sounding as disappointed as he had.
Hermione smiled and said, "well I wasn't reading it when you were going, you know. I did come here for a reason."
Harry smiled too. "So… how did I do?" he asked.
"You were brilliant. As always. I don't know what that Buckman jerk was playing." She replied matter-of-factly.
She's defending me, Harry thought happily, well, she IS your best friend… it should be expected… but still…
Harry blinked. "Yeah, he's an annoying little prick, that's for sure. I hope he doesn't make it."
Hermione nodded and was about to say something else but they were interrupted by some loud banter down n the pitch.
"Oh, you are going to get it, darling brother Ronnikins," called Ginny from the penalty line.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, baby sister, I don't think I can ever forget the time when you had that unfortunate run-in with the tree last time you attempted scoring," the red headed keeper called back.
"I was seven! Besides, I don't think they were referring to ME in Weasley is Our King," she retorted.
Ron's ears went red, "just throw the quaffle, you're wasting our time."
"Whatever you say, King Ronnikins."
She quickly swerved to the left and threw the quaffle unexpectedly at her right hoop, successfully scoring.
"YES!" she punched the air and Ron looked both bad-tempered and happy at his sister's success and his first failure to block the shot.
"Alright, I'll think about it," he said. "Who's next?"
"That'd be me," called Kelly.
"Don't try mind-games like she did, they won't work," the keeper warned.
"Oh, I don't need mind games," she called and shot the quaffle swiftly through the center of the left hoop.
Ron blinked several times in disbelief before he replied. "Well then… so you don't… good job… who's next?"
A scrawny looking second year went up to the line next and failed miserably at his attempt before Harry got back into conversation with Hermione.
"That was pretty good, wasn't it?" Hermione asked.
"That's an understatement…" Harry replied, "I'm hoping she didn't just catch him off guard."
The rest of tryouts went uneventfully, only two other people had managed to score against Ron and the beaters were all pretty successful in defending the bewitched pile of cushions on a broom. As much as Harry hated to admit it, Phil was by far the best out of all of the beaters.
"Alright," Ron called at about five-thirty, "that's everything. I'll post the results on the notice board on Friday. You may all… go…" he said even though several people had already started leaving when he said it.
"Well that went alright," Ginny said when Harry and Hermione joined her, Kelly, and Ron. "Do you have any ideas on who made it?"
"Well, you three did and I think that Buckman guy too. I just hope he's more agreeable on the team than at tryouts."
"You know, I think that the Quidditch team will be a very good thing for him," said Kelly earning inquisitive looks from the group. "Quidditch is a very dangerous sport after all."
A/N: I'm SO sorry I had to break this chapter up! I'm leaving on a cruise tomorrow and I think it'll pretty much impossible to post from the middle of the ocean… they have internet access but I don't think they'd appreciate me bringing my floppy and uploading from their comps. I wanted to give you guys something though before I left, even if it's a pathetically short and for the most part pointless mess. At least we know Harry's back on the Quidditch team, as are Ginny and Kelly as well as that Buckman jerk. That should be interesting later… right? And of course we can't forget our Halloween detention with Snape, which actually DOES tie into the plot for once. That's something to keep you guys wondering too. Heh.
Argh it would have been SO nice to have put "as Harry contentedly touched down on the emerald earth" instead of "emerald field" in but that just would have been corny since its my pen name and all… *sigh* one of the few times I can think up good imagery I had to have gone and already used it… *grumbles*
Oh one more thing… is dove the past tense of dive? Because I really don't think dived sounds right but dove is that stupid little white bird… I mean… lovely little white bird… so yeah… I should probably get a beta besides spell check shouldn't I…?
Argh the godamn computer froze when I was doing responses and I REALLY don't feel like re-doing them all now so I shall do a blanket statement:
No, Ron's author theory will not come back as far as I know. Kelly is not meant to be a Mary-Sue but if you want to think she is, be my guest. Snape was a teensy bit OOC I admit but I think it all worked out in the end and… yeah… I LOVE YOU ALL =) !!!
Ok I shall talk to all of you people soonish as long my boat doesn't sink *shudder* and the next chapter will be better I PROMISE!!!
Begging for forgiveness,
Emerald Earth
P.S. review! You know you want to…