Chapter 25 Harry groaned and rolled over in his bed as the first rays of sunlight snuck in between his bedcurtains. He had not gotten back to his own bed until nearly 4 AM, but he had classes today and he knew that he was still expected to attend. He pulled his pillow over his head as he felt someone poke him in his side. "Harry mate, wake up, we're going to be late for Potions!" Ron said frantically, running across the room to look for his other shoe. This news woke Harry up fairly quickly; the idea of an angry Snape on a day that was already destined to be bad was not a positive thought. Mustering all the willpower he possessed, he drug himself out of bed and pulled on some clean robes. Grabbing his backpack with one hand and running the other through his hair, he looked into the mirror's reflection: his hair was wild, as usual, and his eyes were bloodshot. He did not notice, as had those around him, his gradual increase in height and his broadened shoulders. "Earth to Harry!" Ron yelled. "Potions starts in five minutes!" The pair took off running; they managed to make it to the dungeons in four and a half minutes. Harry had a stitch in his side; he held his hand up to his chest, panting heavily. The boys went to the table where Hermione was sitting and collapsed into chairs. "I thought you were going to skip Potions!" she whispered. "You didn't come to breakfast, where were you??" "Overslept," Harry grunted, rubbing his eyes. Hermione sighed. "How late were you up, Harry? After all that, anyone would be tired. Then you go talk to your girlfriend?" Ron asked teasingly. A sudden rap on the desk snapped them all to attention. Professor Snape gave them all a loathing glance. "Although I'm sure your love lives are fascinating, class has begun. Fifteen points from Gryffindor," he said, emotionless. Harry noticed that Snape was looking extra pale today, if that was even possible, and that his eyes also looked bloodshot and tired. He was there, he realized suddenly. He was one of the Death Eaters last night, and he didn't even try to help me.... His mind no longer fully functioning because of lack of sleep, Harry became angry. He would have just let me be killed by Voldemort, he wasn't even going to stop him, he thought. "....Every Memory Potion requires Jobberknoll feathers... carefully prepared and placed into the cauldron AFTER the boomslang skin..." Harry tried to focus on his potion but knew he was doing it wrong. His cauldron was now hissing loudly and several other students had turned to see what the noise was. The Slytherins two tables down were giggling madly; Rachel shot Harry a sympathetic look from across the room. Snape strode over to where Harry sat and shook his head, staring into the cauldron. "Mr. Potter," he said loudly; the whole room's attention was focused on this specific event. "How many times must a Memory Potion be stirred and in what direction?" Harry was so tired that all he could think about was his anger at Snape. He blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Three... counter-clockwise," he guessed, completely unconcerned about whether it was the right answer. Professor Snape's eyes narrowed. "Two, clockwise," he snapped. "Detention, Mr. Potter, for not paying attention in class. Please see me when the lesson is over." He swished his wand above the cauldron and the potion disappeared. Professor Snape turned back to face the class. "For those who have been listening, now is the time to add the rat spleen...." Harry was enraged. His anger continued building until the bell rang; the rest of the class put away their belongings and scurried out of the classroom. Ron gave Harry a sympathetic look before leaving along with the rest of them; he didn't want to get on Snape's bad side. As slowly as possible, Harry gathered his things and walked over to Professor Snape's desk. He looked up. "As you know, Mr. Potter, an exception was made to have you put in this class. If you are finding it too difficult to follow even simple instructions-" "I'M TIRED," Harry burst out. Snape looked at him harshly. "As am I, Potter, but that's no reason for your dismal preformance today!" "Of course you'd be tired, you were there last night too, but you didn't even do anything! I could have been dead right now and you wouldn't even have tried to stop him! Voldemort would have-" "Don't say the Dark Lord's name," Snape hissed, anger burning in his eyes as he glanced around the room to make sure that it was empty. "For your information, Potter, I saved your life last night-" "Saved my life??" Harry roared, losing all sense of dignity. "The hell you did! You probably just stood there laughing with the rest of them-" "That's enough foul language for today and that will cost you another detention, Mr. Potter. I did indeed save your life last night. Do you really think that you were powerful enough to preform the Portus charm? No sixth year could do that! Most adult wizards can't!" Harry was at a loss for words. "I - I did it," he mumbled lamely. "No, I did it," Snape replied, the look in his eyes clearly demonstrating that he relished the idea that Harry was wrong. "You think you're so powerful Potter, but you're wrong." He shuffled the papers on his desk. "Detention will start next week, because I am aware that you have one tonight with Professor McGonagall. You are dismissed." Clamping his mouth shut so he would refrain from saying anything else stupid, Harry hurried off to Herbology. Professor Sprout was not happy. "Mr. Potter, you're late - ten points from Gryffindor," she told him. Hermione was quite angry with him since she had just answered a question correctly and gotten ten points only moments before. She was still holding her grudge as the trio left Herbology to go to lunch. "Hermione, come on. I'm sorry. I'm having a bad enough day without having people mad at me too," he pleaded. She sighed, rolling her eyes. "All right, I suppose. But really, Harry, that temper of yours..." "I know, I know," he muttered, as the person who had confronted him about his temper earlier that year rushed up to him. "Harry!" Rachel cried. "I thought Snape was gonna eat you alive or something, he looked furious," she joked. He shook his head. "It's been a bad day, Rach..." he mumbled, laying his forehead on the table as he sat down. "I'm sorry," she whispered, placing her hands on his shoulders as she stood behind him. Harry stiffened at first but slowly relaxed as her hands began to rub his upper back, working out the knots and tension. "Wow, you're really stressed!" she said, amazed. "You have no idea," he told her, closing his eyes and sighing happily as he relaxed after what seemed to be years of tension. ****************** After a short but revitalizing nap, Harry headed to his detention that night with Professor McGonagall. He sat quietly at his desk and copied the Prefect Handbook word for word; the room was silent except for the scratching of his pen. McGonagall sat sternly at her desk, grading homework. A sudden bang in the hallway startled them both. McGonagall got up hastily and hurried into the hallway. After a moment, Harry too got out of his chair and glanced out the door. He was amazed at the sight. Bursts of light and color were whizzing by the door and popping loudly. It reminded Harry of Fred and George's fireworks display the year before. Two Ravenclaw boys were huddled behind a statue to the left, pointing excitedly and laughing. McGonagall saw them immediately and her anger flared up. "Ackerly! Bradley!" She screamed, her normally tidy hair falling out of its neat bun. Her face was red and furious. "Detentions, both of you! Up to the Headmaster's office, immediately!" she cried, grabbing their arms. She turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter, you are dismissed." She pulled the two boys into a standing position and dragged them down the hall towards Dumbledore's office. Harry could hear her voice echoing off the walls as she went. "...was a better place, a safer place without those Weasleys! Now, with people trying to replace those twins, well I don't know what you two have gotten yourselves into..."Harry grinned. No one could ever replace Fred and George Weasley. They were living legends. ****************** His detention having been cancelled, Harry was in slightly better spirits. Although McGonagall was a fair teacher and she had made his detention quite bearable, he still loved to see her when she got angry - especially when it was with someone from outside his house. Maybe they'll make up for all the points I lost today, he thought happily. He headed back towards the common room, taking a slight detour so he could walk past the Hufflepuff common room. As he did, he saw Rachel just outside the entrance, talking with a girl from Ravenclaw. "Well, I'm not sure about number 34... but I guess we'll see at next week's study session..." She waved goodbye to the girl and her eyes lit upon Harry. "Hi!" she said happily, hugging him. "I thought you had a detention tonight with McGonagall?" He grinned. "I did, but I managed to get out of it... some Ravenclaw guys set off fireworks in the hallway..." She laughed. "oh, I bet old McGonagall loved that," she said grinning. "Wish I could have been there." "So how did Quidditch try-outs go today?" Harry asked her. Rachel's smile faded a bit. "Oh, they were okay," she said in an off-handed manner. "Although I don't think I'm much of a sportsy person. I'm not sure I'll go back tomorrow." "What?" Harry asked, incredulous. "Why not?" "It just... didn't go very well," Rachel replied, carefully examining the sleeve of her robe as she stared downwards. She looked up. "You're first practice is tonight, isn't it?" Harry nodded. "Well, good luck with that. I'd better get started on my homework... See you around, Harry," she said, waving as she walked through the entrance to the common room. Harry stood outside, a bit confused at the sudden change of subject and at Rachel's abrupt disappearance. "Girls," he muttered to himself, wandering back towards his own common room. ********************* Quidditch practice that night was a disaster. The team had played wonderfully at try-outs, but the new members were just a little too exhuberant for Harry's liking; stray Bludgers were flying across the pitch and the Quaffle was thrown several times just a little too hard. He ended up spending most of the evening trying to hold back Ron as he attempted to attack Jack Sloper for hitting Ginny in the head with a Bludger. With a chaser in the hospital wing, a beater running for his life, and a keeper who was threatening to kill the other teammates, Harry called the practice off a bit early. Defeatedly, he walked back to the dormitories with Ron. "That bloody little... why, I'm gonna..." Ron muttered angrily as they trudged through the brittle, brown grass. "It wasn't too bad, for a first practice," Harry said aloud as they entered the castle, trying to convince himself of the fact. He heard laughter behind him. "Not too bad, Potter? Looked like circus gone wrong to me," Draco Malfoy snickered, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, who guffawed loudly. "Shut it, Malfoy," Harry replied, rolling his eyes and ignoring the comment. "Potter, I have a feeling your mud-blood girlfriend isn't going to make the Quidditch team! What a pity," he said, laughing again. Harry froze. "What did you just say, Malfoy?" he asked dangerously. The group of Slytherins continued laughing. "Sorry, Potter, didn't know you lost your hearing when that last Bludger hit you! I said your MUD-BLOOD GIRLFRIEND isn't going to make the QUIDDITCH TEAM! Not with the broom she had today, anyway." Harry opened his mouth to respond but found himself being pulled away from the scene. He looked down, surprised, and saw Rachel tugging at his sleeve. "Rachel, did you hear what they just said? I'm not going to let them get away with that-" "Oh, Harry, it doesn't matter anyway. I know they're all a bunch of pure-blood freaks. You don't need to cause another scene, I think you've got enough detentions for this week." "Don't tell me what to do!" he roared, breaking away from her grip. She looked up at him in shock. "Fine," she snapped. "I won't. Come and find me when you've come to your senses." Harry watched her stalk away angrily. "Why," he moaned to himself. Ron stood next to him, shaking his head. "Harry, that was thick, even for you..." he said. Harry looked at him, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. Ron looked surprised. "You mean you didn't hear? She didn't tell you?" he asked. "Tell me what?" Harry asked indignantly. "The Slytherins, well, sort of played a trick on her today... jinxed her broom not to fly, she couldn't even get off the ground during try-outs." "Why didn't you tell me that before?" Harry demanded fiercely. "Mate, it's all over school... I thought everyone'd heard already." Harry smacked his hand across his face. "I AM thick, Ron... thanks for tellling me..." "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll forgive you," he replied comfortingly. "I hope so," Harry muttered. *************************** Another chapter up! Thanks for all of you that are reading!
