Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related names and places are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission.  No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers! You guys are awesome! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry spent the next few days avoiding Cho Chang as much as possible.  He was thoroughly embarrassed by the whole situation.  He never told Ron or Hermione what had happened out by the lake.  He simply told them that she had apologized and left it at that.  Ron accepted his story, but Hermione wasn't convinced.  She kept asking why she would need to meet him in private to apologize.

"I don't know how her mind works, Hermione!"  Was Harry's usual comment when she started asking questions.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was beginning to, once again, become Harry's favorite class.  Professor Bombeck was teaching them all sorts of complicated spells and defensive tactics.  Most of the class often left with minor injuries and completely exhausted.  It was like being back in fourth year with the fake Moody.  However, Professor Bombeck had infinite patience with them.  She explained the incantations thoroughly time after time.  Their class had ended up moving from the usual Defense classroom to a larger room.  Professor Bombeck had insisted that they would need room to practice. 

"Alright Harry, now just before Hermione strikes I want you to do this."  Professor Bombeck, (who had stopped wearing her robes during the first week and now donned muggle clothes) said.  Before Harry knew what she was doing, Professor Bombeck had Hermione flat on her back on the floor.  She was standing over Hermione pointing her wand down on her, with Hermione's wand in her other hand.

Hermione looked shocked, but Harry was stunned.  "Er, Professor, could you do that again, a bit more slowly this time?"

Professor Bombeck smiled, helping a shaken Hermione back to her feet.  "Of course.  You aren't hurt are you, Hermione?" 

Hermione smiled and shook her head. 

"Where did you learn all of this?  Did you go through Auror training?" Harry asked, thoroughly amazed at their new professor's skills.

Then a very strange thing happened.  Professor Bombeck's face paled and Hermione quickly changed the subject.

"Well, I think Harry should be the one to wind up on the floor.  Let's see just how good you are at Defense, Potter."  She raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously at him.

He forgot about his prior question and looked at Hermione.  "Alright, Granger, let's see what you can do."

Professor Bombeck showed them the defensive maneuver once again.  They practiced together for nearly an hour.  In the end Hermione had ended up on the floor three times.  As the bell rang Hermione pulled Harry off the floor for the fourth time.

"Getting a little sloppy there, Potter."  Hermione laughed. 

As she and Harry passed Ron and Padma, Harry was surprised to see that Hermione wasn't scowling at them.  Instead, she reached up and pulled her hair down from the clip she had placed in it at the beginning of class. 

Ron caught up to them as they were swinging their bags over their shoulders.  "She has got to be the best teacher we've had!  Something odd about her though." 

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well, she knows all of these things that only Aurors know.  I don't think she was an Auror though."

"Yeah, I know.  I asked her if she had gone to the academy, but she wouldn't answer."  Harry looked thoughtful for a minute.  "I've just thought of who she reminds me of.  It's been irritating me for weeks."

Hermione had stopped to pull her Arithmancy book out of her bag. "Who does she remind you of?"

"Professor Lupin.  She really acts like him, don't you think?  Wonder if they are related.  Hermione, are you okay?"

Hermione had dropped the book in her hand.  "What? Oh, yeah I'm fine. Look, I've got to get to Arithmancy."  She bent down to retrieve the book.  "See you later!"  She waved over her shoulder at them as she tore off down the corridor.

"I've got to go and tell McGonagall that we need the pitch for tryouts on Saturday morning.  I'll meet you back in the common room."  Harry turned in the direction of McGonagall's office.

Just as he had reached the Transfiguration corridor a shout of "Hey there, Ginny!" was followed by gales of laughter.  Harry couldn't imagine why everyone would be laughing.  The oddest thing was that several different people kept calling out Ginny's name and then bursting into laughter. 

Harry rounded the corner to see that the people calling Ginny's name were all Slytherins.   He kept walking until he saw a flash of red hair.  He watched Ginny gathering her things from the floor.  Almost as soon as she had swung her bag over her shoulder Pansy Parkinson yelled out, "Anything wrong, Ginny?"

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Ginny fell, quite unceremoniously, on her backside.  Her face was flushed red, and she looked like she would burst at any moment.  The Slytherins all walked away laughing like fools. 

Harry hurried over to Ginny.  The moment he reached her, she pulled her wand from her bag and pointed it directly at his face.  "If you even think about saying my name, I'll curse you into the next century!"

Harry clamped his mouth shut tightly and held out a hand to her.  She gave a little smile and accepted it, pulling herself up.  "Thanks."

"No problem.  What was that all about anyway?" 

But before she could answer, Malfoy came down the hall and caught sight of them.  "Well, it looks like you finally got your man, Ginny." He turned down a corridor to his left, smirking worse than ever.  As soon as he had said her name, Ginny lost her balance and nearly fell.  Harry grabbed both her arms and steadied her.

"What's this all about?"  Harry asked again, holding on to her in case she tried to fall again.

"That tart, Parkinson, put some sort of charm on me this morning.  I'm not sure what it is, but it makes you fall over every time someone says your name.  The Slytherins all know she's done it, because they've followed me all morning shouting out my name."  She gave a small laugh. "You don't know where Hermione is, do you?  I've been looking for her; I thought maybe she would know how to get rid of this."

"She's in Arithmancy now.  What class do you have next?"  Harry helped her pick up her strewn books.

"Oh, well, I'm on free period right now."  

Harry handed her a quill and a copy of Intermediate Transfiguration.  "Well, maybe you should head back to the common room to wait on her. She'll be back there after class to drop off her things for lunch."

Ginny nodded.  "Thanks Harry, see you later."

She was halfway up the corridor before he remembered.  "Oh, G... I mean..." He winced as she wobbled slightly. "Sorry, I nearly forgot. Anyway, try-outs are going to be Saturday morning.  That is if we can get the pitch; I'm on my way to ask McGonagall now." 

She smiled.  'Okay, well I'll be there!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry wasn't sure if he was prepared to head up the Quidditch team.  He read and re-read the book Hermione had given him for his birthday.  It turned out to be quite useful.  It had an entire section dedicated for captains of teams.  He learned quite a bit about organizing, and even the best way to choose who would fit in perfectly with the team during try-outs.

They had scheduled the pitch for use from after breakfast on Saturday until lunch.  Since there were only three people currently on the team, Professor McGonagall had suggested that she and Madame Hooch help with the decision.

"I would prefer to help you, Potter.  We don't want just anyone on the team after all."

So, Harry gave in.  Saturday morning turned out to be perfect.  The rain that had plagued them for days had finally worn off on Wednesday night, leaving the pitch to dry for two days.  After breakfast, Harry, Ron, and Katie made their way down to the pitch.  They had half an hour before the others showed up and they had decided to do a bit of warming up.

Harry was in a fairly good mood, until he pulled his Firebolt out of the broom shed.  He held it in his hand, staring at it.  "Sirius gave me this for Christmas.  Back when we thought he was out to kill me."  His eyes stung and his throat tightened. "No, I won't do this.  I have to get over it, he's gone."  He shook his head and shut the shed door a little harder than he had meant to.

By the time they had done a few warm up exercises and raced each other up and down the field a few times, the crowd of Gryffindors had gathered below. Harry landed and Katie stood to his left, with Ron on his right. Professor McGonagall and Madame Hooch stood behind him.  Harry surveyed the crowd.  There were a few people he knew and some that he had only ever just seen lounging around the common room.  Ginny stood towards the back, her face was set and her mouth was set in a tight line.  Katie took down all the chaser groups' names, while Ron did the same with the beater group.

"Right, now we are going to need two new chasers and two new beaters. Also, I want to have at least one reserve for each.  I want the ones trying for chaser over here."  He pointed over to where Katie stood. "And I want those out for beater over there."  He pointed to Ron's other side. "We'll be taking the chasers up first.  There are three parts to the try-outs.  First will be speed.  You will each be timed taking laps to the end of the field and back.  Second will be accuracy.  You'll be pitted against Ron here.  You'll be given ten chances to try and get the Quaffle past him.  Third, you will each go one on one with Katie here.  You're going to have to get the Quaffle from her and score as many times in 5 minutes as you can.  And I can tell you that Katie won't have any mercy on you.  You're going to have to take what ever measures you can to beat her."   Harry turned away from the now visibly shaken chaser group to the beater group.

"Alright, you guys will do pretty much the same thing.  Your first trial will be speed.  Second, accuracy.  With a little help from Madame Hooch, you're each going to be given ten targets to hit.  The more targets you get the better your score.  Third, we will take each of you up in turn.  We will turn a bludger loose, and you're going to have to weave between me, Katie, and Ron.  You will be going after the targets once again, but you will be timed.  Alright, does everyone understand?" 

They all nodded. "Alright, chasers you're going to start at this end and race towards the other end and back again.  Go ahead and get up there to do a few warm-up laps."

The chaser group all mounted their brooms and streaked off towards the left end of the pitch.  After a few minutes, Harry joined them in the air.  He lined them up in the order they had given Katie their names.  When he came to Ginny, he gave her an encouraging smile.  "You're going to do great." 

The chaser group was very good.  Harry, Katie, Ron, Hooch, and McGonagall made notes about each player.  The person who surprised them all was Ginny.  She had the fastest time during the time trials.  Only Natalie McDonald had scored better during the accuracy trial.  She scored one more goal than Ginny had, but Harry noticed that Ron was giving Ginny a harder time up there than anyone else.

Finally the end of the chaser try-out had come. They all sat down as the beater group took to the air.  This group wasn't as good.  Several of them ended up being pelted with the bludger and taking off for the hospital wing.  There were a few who shone brightly though. A boy named Noah Stevens turned out to be very good.   He was a fourth year, but was a lot bigger than most of the others.  He stood a head above the crowd, but stooped as though trying to hide his height.  To Harry's utter amazement, Colin Creevey had tried out for beater.  And to make Harry's head really spin, he turned out to be very good.  He wasn't very big and swinging the bat nearly unseated him, but he was dead on in his accuracy.

At last came the time when Harry and the others retreated to the changing room to discuss who would make the team. "You can wait here, we shouldn't be long."  Harry told them.

Once inside the changing room, they compared notes.

"Ron, Ginny is your sister?  She was really great! I guess it's true that Quidditch talent runs in your family!"  Katie called to Ron.

Ron's ears went pink as Professor McGonagall agreed.

"Okay, well we should start with the chasers, I suppose.  On speed, Ginny came in first and Natalie was about three seconds behind her.  The next closest was Shawn Davies, but he was a good fifteen seconds behind Natalie."  Harry said, looking down the list.

Katie looked thoughtful. "Davies...isn't he Roger Davies little brother?"  

"Yes, he is." Professor McGonagall said.  "And I'm afraid he's nothing like his brother.  Quite the trouble maker, he is." She gave Ron a smile.  "Though nowhere near as bad as your brothers."

The decision for chaser had come fairly easily, but the beaters were a problem.

"That Noah kid was pretty good.  Really quiet, though.  I think he'd be pretty good."  Ron said looking down at his notes.

"He's a good lad, I know his father."  Madame Hooch said.

"Okay, so I think Stevens is a good choice.  I was really surprised with Colin.  I never expected him to be beater material.  His speed and accuracy were fairly good.  I'm just not sure how he would fair up against another beater."  Harry said.

Katie nodded.  "Especially those Slytherins.  He could barely swing the club around; I'll bet he'd fall off if he tried to swing at a bludger Goyle sent his way.  That Mason boy was pretty good, he wasn't all that fast but there's a lot of power behind his swing.  If I hadn't ducked once, he would surely have taken my head off!"

Twenty minutes later they trooped back onto the field, their decision made.

Harry stood in front of the group.  He smiled at how nervous they all looked.  "Well firstly, I want to say thanks to everyone who tried out.  You all did a really good job, it was a hard decision.  Okay, the two new beaters will be..."  Harry stopped just to annoy them. "...Noah Stevens and Blaine Mason. Reserve beater will be Colin Creevey.  Come on up and join the team, guys."  

Noah, Blaine, and Colin all stood up with their brooms and stood next to Ron.  The rest of the group clapped.

"Right, now chasers.  Our new chasers will be Natalie McDonald and..."  Harry broke off again and gave Ginny a false look of sympathy.  Her smile faded and she looked down at the ground.  "...Ginny Weasley." 

Ginny's head shot up and stared for a minute.  Harry laughed at her.  "Our reserve is going to be Nathan Long."  Another round of applause followed this.  The three new chasers took up their brooms and stood by Katie. "Okay, thanks again to all of you that tried out.  Lunch is about to start, so I think you can all head back to the castle."  He told the group still seated in front of him.  He then turned to his team.

"Well, congratulations to all of you.  We'll have a team meeting tonight in the common room after dinner.  Now, let's go and have lunch."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Though it was only the second week of school, Harry was exhausted.  And now he would be adding Quidditch practice to his schedule three nights a week.  But with four new team members, there was no way around all the practice. 

Sleep wasn't exactly coming easily to Harry these days.  Nightmares were plaguing him again.  Night after night he dreamed about what had happened at the Ministry.  Every night brought back a memory from that horrible night.  The Deatheaters were advancing on their group, with the intention of torturing Ginny.  Hermione gasped and then fell to the floor, motionless.  Ron struggled with the brain that was wrapping around him.  Sirius fell behind the veil.   Harry would wake up, sitting bolt upright in his bed, shaking.  After each of these dreams, he wouldn't bother trying to sleep anymore.  He would creep down to the Common Room and sit until it was nearly time for his roommates to wake up.  Then he would quietly slip back into bed and pretend he had been there all along.  If Ron or the others ever noticed, they never said anything.

Sunday's nightmare had placed him back in the Atrium at the Ministry.  Voldemort's voice rang through his dream. "If death is nothing, Dumbledore, kill the boy..." At this, Harry had jerked awake.  He leaned over to look at his clock.  It was a little after five in the morning.  He had managed to sleep through most of the night.  It would be a good two and a half hours before anyone else got up.  He put his glasses on and started to head down for his usual early morning seat in front of the fire.  Just as he reached for the door handle, he heard a thud and someone swear outside the door. He looked around the dormitory, but four bodies were visible in their beds. 

Harry pulled the door open and looked outside.  Brown eyes met green and their owners leapt back in surprise.  Ginny clapped a hand to her mouth to muffle her gasp. 

"Ginny, what are you doing?"  Harry was breathing fast.  He suddenly became aware of just who she was, and eyed her suspiciously.  "Wait, this is a boy's room.  Why are you...?"  He stopped as he remembered. He gave her a wicked smile.  "You weren't trying to get in to see Dean were you?"

Ginny looked puzzled.  She pulled him away from the door and closed it behind him.  "Why would I be up here to see Dean?"

"Well, you are dating him.  I don't think it's a good idea to be trying this right under your brother's nose, though." 

"I'm not dating Dean!  Where would you get an idea like that?" 

"Shh! Are you trying to wake up the whole tower?  You said you were dating him on the train ride home in June."

Ginny looked puzzled for a minute, and then covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.  "Merlin, I'd forgotten about that.  I just said that to annoy Ron.  I knew he was furious over the Michael Corner thing, so I wanted to add a little food to the fire."

Harry laughed now.  "I think you mean 'fuel to the fire', don't you?" 

"What's fuel?  Never mind I don't have time.  Look, Harry, you couldn't do a favor for your best friend's sister, could you?"

Harry crossed his arms and looked at her.  "It depends, what's the favor?"

"Well, I've planned a little payback for the Slytherins and I need to borrow your Invisibility Cloak."

"Hmm, so that's why you were sneaking over here.  You were going to wake me up and ask me, hoping I wouldn't really know what you were talking about." 

Ginny looked quite unashamed.  "Actually, I was just going to borrow it and put it back before you realized it was gone, but we'll go with your story if it makes you feel better."

Harry stared.  She was beginning to act a lot like Fred and George.  He had noticed the similarities before, but never as much as now.  Her eyes sparkled with the same mischievous light as her twin brothers.

"C'mon Harry.  You know you want to see the Slytherins get what's coming to them as much as I do.  I promise to be really careful with it, please."  She clasped her hands under her chin, and stared up at him with large eyes.

"Alright, but I'm coming with you.  I can't let my new chaser go wandering around the school by herself."

Ginny smiled and threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks Harry.  Now hurry up; we have to get this done quickly."

Harry ran to his trunk and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak and his eyes fell on the Marauder's Map.  He figured it would be best to take it, too.

Five minutes later, Harry and Ginny lightly pushed the Fat Lady's portrait open, hoping she wouldn't wake.  She gave a soft snore and slept on in her frame.  Harry kept an eye on the map and the only person who was moving, besides themselves, was Professor Dumbledore. 

"Alright, where are we going?"

"The kitchens.  But we have to be quiet, if the elves find out we're there..."  Ginny trailed off as she reached in her pocket and pulled out a bag of vivid blue powder. Harry wanted to ask what it was, but thought it better to keep quiet in the corridors.

The kitchen was bustling with early morning activity.  House elves were setting bowls, pitchers, and plates full of food on the five long tables.

Ginny grabbed Harry's sleeve and pulled him over to the four house tables.  She walked to the farthest one and pointed to the tiny Slytherin house symbol on the end of it. She pulled out the blue powder again and began to pour it in several dishes, making sure to concentrate on the bowls of sliced strawberries.  When she had finished, she gave Harry the thumbs up and they slipped back out the portrait.

When they got close to the seventh floor, Ginny stopped.  "Alright, you stay under the cloak.  I'll give her the password, and you slip in in front of me."

"What are you going to say when she asks where you've been so early?"

"I'll tell her that I felt ill and went to see Madame Pomfrey, but she wasn't awake yet. Since she was asleep she won't know when I left."

To Harry's utter amazement, Ginny's plan worked.  Once inside the Common Room, Ginny told him what she had done.  "That powder is something of the twins'.  I had them send it to me after Parkinson put that curse on me.  About fifteen minutes after the Slytherins eat it, they will all go completely bald."

Harry snorted.  "Ginny, that's brilliant!  What makes you so sure Pansy will get it?  You didn't have enough to put in all the food."

Ginny drew herself up proudly.  "Well, that's why I made sure to get all the strawberries.  Parkinson loves them; she always puts them into her cereal."

"How do you know?"

"Harry, I'm not an amateur.  What's the first rule of Quidditch?"

Harry thought for a moment, then he smiled.  "Always study your opponent."

"Exactly, I've watched her just waiting for my chance.  Now we'd better get back upstairs to bed.  And don't breathe a word of this to anyone, especially Ron.  He'd go and blab about it, and we'd both be expelled."  With a wave, she bounded back up the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry could barely contain himself during breakfast.  He tried to listen to what Ron and Hermione were saying, but he kept glancing over at the Slytherins and then down the table at Ginny.  Ginny looked completely calm and collected.  She talked with her friends and ate as if nothing were about to happen.  Then suddenly, several loud screams broke through the peace of the hall.

"My hair!  What's happening?"

He bit is lip sharply to keep from laughing immediately.  He looked up curiously, like the other students.  Slytherins were jumping up from their seats holding handfuls of hair that used to be on their heads.  Malfoy had been the one to call out first.  His silver blonde hair was now lying all over the floor.

Laughter broke out up and down the Gryffindor table and Harry finally burst.  He looked down at Ginny. She was trying to hold up Colin Creevey, who was practically in tears from laughing.  Ginny must have felt his eyes on her, because she looked at him and gave a small wink.  She mouthed, "Look at Parkinson."  Harry looked back at the Slytherin table.  Pansy Parkinson was running out the door back into the Entrance Hall.  Great clumps of blonde hair were forming a trail behind her. 

That seemed to be all Ginny could handle.  She let go of Colin and collapsed into fits of laughter on the table.

The school was buzzing about what happened at breakfast.  When Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way to their first class, several bald Slytherins ran past.   The trio burst out laughing, just as Ginny rounded the corner.  She was brushing away tears.

"I just heard Malfoy telling someone that Madame Pomfrey is making them all go to class.  She's given them some sort of potion for it, but it won't work for another 24 hours.  Then she told them, that being bald didn't affect their ability to do work, so they had better get to class."  Ginny avoided looking at Harry, and Harry returned the favor.

 In Potions, Harry, Hermione, and Neville did their best to keep straight faces.  They knew that Snape was furious about what had happened.

"I can assure you that whoever is responsible for this will be found and punished..." he looked straight at Harry, "...severely."

Try as they could, the Slytherins couldn't escape the taunting they received.  Many people were turned into Snape, but after a group of about thirty Ravenclaws turned up at his office door, Snape gave up.

"Whoever did this is bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed on their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Well, I have to admit, it is quite amusing.  I saw Pansy crying her eyes out in the girls' lavatory before lunch.  She just kept mumbling about her hair and sobbing."  Hermione burst out laughing.  It was no secret that she and Pansy hated each other.

"It's almost like Fred and George are here again.  This seems like something they would pull.  Snape's going mad to find out who it was.  I'm surprised he hasn't blamed you yet, Harry."

Hermione sniffed.  "Well, he can't Harry was in bed.  You've got four other people to say that you were."

Ron looked suspiciously at Harry.  "Wait a moment; you weren't in bed this morning.  I woke up around five and you weren't there.  I heard talking outside the dormitory door.  I thought I was dreaming so I just went back to sleep."

Harry swallowed and didn't face Ron.

Hermione rounded on Harry now.  "I thought I heard someone sneaking down the stairs this morning.  It was around five..."  Just at that moment, Ginny walked past and waved.  "Harry!"  Hermione yelled as he and Ginny burst into laughter again at the sight of each other. "You and Ginny did it!"  To Harry's surprise, she didn't look angry.

Ron stopped walking and stared at him.  "You mean to tell me that you and my sister pulled a prank...together?"

Harry kept a straight face and looked at his two best friends.  "I have no idea what you're talking about."  He turned into Defense against the Dark Arts and didn't say another word.

Hermione kept badgering him to tell her the truth, but he just ignored her.  Harry had every intention on keeping his word to Ginny.  He wasn't going to tell a single living soul.  Besides the fact that the Slytherins had gotten their come-uppance was too great to spoil. 

The feeling burst when Professor Bombeck asked him to come and see her after dinner.  He worried why she had wanted to see him.  It wasn't until he pushed open the door to her office that he felt dread overtake him.  Professor Dumbledore was sitting next to Professor Bombeck, behind her desk.