Chapter Five: Dreams and the Quidditch Team
At the end of the day, the three of them found their way up to the Gryffindor tower through a haze of questions. They found a place in their common room and began to talk it all over. All their questions came out like, Why was Snape yelling at Malfoy? What was Malfoy doing to Professor Smith? How did Professor Smith know that they had over heard the conversation? "You know what I think about people who say they can see the future," said Hermione in a know-it-all tone. "I just do think that it is possible."
"Well, then how do you explain how she knew that we where outside the room listening to the conversation?" asked Ron with a puzzled look on his face.
"She might have seen someone just outside the door, and we were the first ones who came into the class. We don't know where in the classroom she was before we came into the room. Anyway, if she could really see the future, then why didn't she stop us from listening to the conversation? She would have known that we would be there before we heard anything." Added Hermione.
"I don't care if she can or not. The woman just gives me the creeps." Said Ron loudly as Fred and George walked up to them.
"Are you talking about Professor Smith?" asked Fred. They both sat down in seats near the whispering three. Ron nodded and the two boys smiled at each other.
"What?" said Ron with a suspicious look.
"We like her. We heard that she is a vampire or something like that." Said George. Harry, Ron and Hermione smiled at each and then at Fred and George.
"Oh please you guys. She can't be a vampire." Hermione piped in. "We don't care if she is or not. I just like how she can scare people just by looking at them." Said George. "Those eyes are just so creepy..." He was interrupted by a loud sounds coming from the fireplace. All of them turned to look, and saw one of the first years, which have tried to enchant something, had soot covering his face. Not waiting to miss a opportunity to be the center of attention, Fred and George got up and ran over to the crowd that was building around the unfortunate first year, but before the three of them could get up and come to the rescue of the first year, the portrait hole flew open and Lee Jordan came flying in whispered something to the Weasley twins. The three of them left all with evil grins on their faces. Harry knew that he should go and find out what they were up to but he really didn't care right then.
Harry began to play with the ring just under his clothes again. Hermione watched Harry anxiously. "Harry why don't you let me look up that ring to see if it really has some protective powers?" asked Hermione. Harry looked at her nodded and taking off the chain gave it to Hermione.
The weeks rolled on, and Harry wasn't thinking about anything but his class work until one week in the beginning of October. When, one morning at breakfast, Fred and George Weasley told him about a meeting for the Quidditch team that was going to take place that night, just after dinner. Harry went through the whole day thinking of nothing else and when the meeting finally came he was so excited he couldn't sit still. The six player of the Gryffindor team were all piled into Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration classroom when Fred stood up to speak.
"There are two very important thing that we must consider before we start the season this year." This was the most serious Harry had every seen Fred. "First we must all vote on who will be the next captain of the team and then we must find another Keeper to take the place of Olive." As the serious Fred spoke George was passing out little pieces of parchment a quills, to everyone. "You will write the name of the person you want to be captain on the parchment and then place in it this cap. Then we will count the votes." Both Fred and George sat down and started to write the name of the person they wanted to be captain on the paper, but Harry just sat their for a moment. He hadn't really thought about who he wanted to be captain. He glanced from person to person trying to pick, but he still couldn't think of one person. They were all good. How could he pick just one? It wasn't until he noticed that everyone else had made their decisions, put the piece of parchment into the cap and where now staring at him, at he quickly wrote the first name that came to him down on the parchment. "Angelina Johnson."
He placed the piece of parchment into the cap and Fred got it with one hand. Then started pulling the names out of the hat and read them aloud. "Harry Potter... Harry Potter... Harry Potter..." Harry sat there shocked as his name was read more than once. "Harry Potter... Harry Potter... Angelina Johnson." Both Harry's and Angelina's face went bright red has the last name was read.
"Thanks Harry." She said with a giggle.
"Well then Harry it looks like it is almost unanimous. Well except for Harry voting for Angelina." Fred broke out in laughter and the serious look on his face was gone. "So captain my captain, what are we going to do about finding a Keeper?" Harry still in shock that he had just been voted captain of the Gryffindor team sat staring at the rest of his teammates not knowing what to say. "Harry... Are you in there, Harry."
"Oh yes... Thanks first of all. I would have never thought that I would be the captain." And he still couldn't. "Well about the Keeper I think we should hold tryouts. Starting on Friday after lessons and ending on Sunday before dinner, so that we can get started with practices as soon as possible." Everyone smiled at him as they all agreed with their new captain. Harry talked a bit longer before they all went back to the Gryffindor common room to find it almost full. Harry placed the sign-up sheet that they had made during the meeting, up on the bulletin board. When he stepped away from it a swarm of he hurried over to look at what it was. Harry made his way to where the rest of the Quidditch team was sitting before turning around to notice that people were franticly trying to write their name down.
A couple moment later Harry notice Ron, who was now fighting his way out of the crowd and over to him. "Ron are you going to tryout for Keeper?" asked Fred. Ron walked towards them and nodded with a smile. Then he turned to Harry.
"I heard that you are the new captain Harry congratulations. I hope I get to be the new Keeper." Said Ron with and excited voice.
Harry opened his mouth to say something, but there came a suddenly pain shooting through his scar, and he fell to the ground. Images passed through his mind, he saw the figure of Voldemort surrounded by his Death Eaters, and they were all laughing with cruel, cold laugh. Then Harry saw the small figure of a young girl laying on the found at Voldemort's feet, shaking in the pain of the Cruciatus Cruse. A moment later the curse ended and the girl got up slowly and stood face to face with Voldemort. Harry noticed that she was just as tall as Voldemort was.
"Are you ready to stop now and obey me?" said Voldemort in his high, cold voice. A cruel smile stretched across his face as he stared as the girl.
"Never!" Said the girl as she straighten up to stand tall and proud. Harry realized that the girl that stood face to face with Voldemort was Cassandra. "You will have to do better than that!" said Cassandra as she swayed a little as through she was trying every hard just to stand.
"Fine!" said Voldemort and the smile disappeared as an expression of pure fury replaced it. "If that is what you want, but I will break you, my dear. You will be one of my faithful servants before long." Voldemort raised his wand and then. "Cruico!" Cassandra was on the ground once again twitching in pain.
The images of Voldemort, the Death Eaters, and Cassandra faded away as the pain in his scar faded as well. He found himself in the hospital wing; it was dark in the wing, which told Harry that he had been out for a long time. How long had it been? Harry reached to his bedside table and grabbed his glassed. Putting them on he looked around and found Sirius, in human form, sitting in a chair next to Harry's bed with his head on the bed, sleeping. Harry reached out and touched Sirius' hand, and as he did Sirius shot straight up with a shock expression.
"Harry!" Sirius yelled so loudly it made Harry's sore head ache a little more. "You are alright." Sirius hugged Harry so tightly that Harry couldn't breath, but Harry loved it. He had never really been hugged in that way before, as thought someone really cared if he was alive, it was worth the pain that he had felt earlier.
"Harry." Said the voice of Dumbledore as he walked up the wing towards them, he was walking to quietly that Harry didn't even hear him come into the hospital wing. There was an expression of great worry on his face that melted quickly into the same smiling expression that Harry had always seen, the warm smile and the sparkling blue eyes made Harry feel a little better somehow. "We are glad to see that you are feeling better my dear boy."
"Yes we certainly are!" said Sirius quickly.
"You had us worrying for hours about you." Said Dumbledore. " In fact Madam Pomfrey had to chase Ron, Hermione and your teammates out of the wing a few hours ago so that she could work. She was getting tiered of tripping over all of them. You have been unconscious for five hours Harry."
"What?" Harry felt has though someone had just hit him in the stomach and he couldn't breath. "But before when my scar hurt like that I was only out for a couple of minutes. Why would I been out for five hour?" He looked from Dumbledore to Sirius and back again, but it seemed that neither of them knew the answer to that. Harry could see it in their expressions. Harry left suddenly dizzy so he lay back down, closing his eyes, Sirius noticed this and the worried look came back over his face making him look darker and older.
"Alright there Harry?" asked Sirius. He didn't wait for an answer; he got up and rushed to get Madam Pomfrey from her small office at the other end of the wing. As Sirius disappeared into the office Dumbledore walked up to the bed and sat down in the chair where Sirius had been. He reached out and touched Harry's hand lightly, then smiled. Harry opened his eyes, seeing Dumbledore, smiled back.
"Harry?" Dumbledore lowered his voice. "Did you have a vision of Voldemort this time?" Asked Dumbledore, as he knew about the other times when Harry's scar had hurt him, and the other visions that he had had before. Harry nodded slightly and Dumbledore's face became grave.
"Cassandra." Harry whispered hoarsely. "He was torturing her. He wanted to on his side to do his work, but what I don't understand is how. If she didn't go to a wizarding school then she doesn't know any magic, so why?"
"Just because someone doesn't go to a school, doesn't mean that they don't know magic Harry, it is just that they can't get a wizard job in the wizarding world, except with dark wizards." said Dumbledore with an odd expression that Harry couldn't quite read. "The fact is Harry that there is something so important about Cassandra that Voldemort would kidnap her." Dumbledore stood up and headed for the door, but turned quickly and said. "Harry if you want to talk to me about anything you just come to my office. It will always be open." He finished talking just as Sirius and Madam Pomfrey came out of the office and rushed up to him. Harry watched Dumbledore leave the hospital wing just as quietly as he had entered. Madam Pomfrey made a big fuse over Harry for about a half an hour before leaving him and returning to her office. Harry fell back to sleep with Sirius watching over him until the sun rose.
When Harry woke up in the day it was already mid-morning and Ron and Hermione had already taken their places next to Harry's bed waiting for him to wake up. They were whispering between each other trying not to wake him in fear of what Madam Pomfrey would do to them, but when they notice that Harry was awake there came a cry of relief from the both of them and they talking very loudly and very quickly. Harry could hardly keep up with the two of them, when one stopped talking the other would pick up where they had left off. When they both had stopped talking Harry was dizzy with information and having to turn his head between the two of them when they switched speakers. They had told Harry how everyone watched as Harry grabbed his scar and fell to the floor in pain. Then the other prefects of the house ran out and got Professor McGonagall. They had taken him to the hospital wing. The whole house wanted to come with them, but Professor McGonagall told everyone to go to bed, but Ron, Hermione and the Quidditch team had sneaked out to the Hospital wing and by the time Professor McGonagall had noticed, she told them that they could stay for a while. They watched Harry for a couple of hour as he lay there on the bed still grabbing at his scar. After a while Madam Pomfrey had kicked them out. They returned to the commons room to find everyone still up and in the commons room really worried about him.
"But you should see the sign-up list for tryouts Harry!" said Ron in an excited tone. "It is completely full. It looks like everyone wants to tryout for the team. Even a few first years signed up before Fred and George told them that first years couldn't be on the house team, except for special circumstances." Ron smiled at Harry. Harry had been just a first year student when he started playing on the Gryffindor's House team as its seeker. He had been the youngest seeker in a century and had helped his team win the Quidditch cup in the last championship two years before (last year the Quidditch games were canceled because of the Triwizard Tournament). Harry noticed that Hermione was looking a Ron with a flash of anger. Ron must of noticed too because his face had gone bright red, and he stopped talking.
"So Harry how are you doing?" asked Hermione with a smile. Harry told them about the vision, but he left out what Dumbledore said to him, for some reason he had a strong feeling that he shouldn't say anything about it. The two of them sat silently in their chairs thinking about what Harry told them, but they couldn't say anything in return. They too had the same question burning in their heads, the same question Harry had.
When Harry returned to classes the next day the rumor of what had happened in the Gryffindor tower had spread over the whole school and everyone was treating Harry as if he were made of glass. Everyone that is except Malfoy, who had found it funny that Harry, was in pain. Every time Harry would see Malfoy he would be in the middle of a crowd of Slytherins, grabbing his forehead and twitching a little, as thought he was Harry. The days went by; by the time Friday came most of the kids had forgot about Harry's little incident and went on his their schoolwork.
Harry was looking forward to the tryouts, which would start just after dinner, but he still had to go through the days classes and the thing that he was not looking forward to was the double potions class after lunch. The day seemed to go by pretty quickly thought Harry as he, Ron and Hermione talked into the Great Hall for lunch.
"I just can't wait for tryouts!" cried Ron as he piled four sandwiches on his plate.
"What day did you sign up for Ron?" asked Harry.
"Sunday. I wanted to be the last person to tryout." Said Ron. "I won't be so nervous if I am the last person, that way I can see how good the others are and try to do better than them." Ron had a nervous smile as he looked at Harry, as thought he was already nervous two days before.
"That is a very good idea, Ron." Said Hermione as she took a bite of her sandwich. The three of them talked about their classes they had had that day and the potions class which they were about to go to. Trying to delay the agony of potions as long as they could so they waited for the last minute before heading down to the dungeons where their potions classroom was. When they stepped into the room a little later, they were excepting Snape to start yelling at them and at least five points taken away from the Gryffindor House, but when they looked up Snape was nowhere in sight, to their surprise Professor Smith stood behind Snape's desk and seemed to be saying something to the class.
"Professor Snape has been called away from the school for a couple of days so I will be conducting his classes until he returns." Professor Smith turned her head quickly and glared at Malfoy, who was whispering to his two goons, and said. "Don't even think about it." Her cold voice was full of anger. The three boys looked shocked, and Harry smiled. "Just because Professor Snape is gone doesn't mean that you are on vacation. The Professor's rules stand. Every rule!" She gave the three Slytherin boy a threaten look as thought to warn them off trying to do anything. The room became silent. Harry could left an aura of power coming from Alexandra that reminded himself of Dumbledore, only at Alexandra's power felt so cold almost evil. "I have Professor Snape's lesson plans and they go up to Christmas break."
The class went by slowly but amazingly without anything going wrong, even Neville did everything right. When it was finally over everyone wandered out of the classroom in a haze and it wasn't until Harry had reached the Gryffindor tower that he remembered that the keeper tryouts were due to start just after dinner. Harry entered the common room and there was a nervous air as everyone was running to and fro trying to get ready for his or her tryout. People would come up to him every now and then to ask him for some tips about the tryouts. Finally after having over half of the people in Gryffindor house ask him question he escape the nervous students and slipped out of the common room heading for the Great Hall to find the rest of the team. When he entered the Great Hall he found the rest of the team at their table talking excitedly to one another about the tryouts. Fred and George were taking bets on who would actually get the position and to Harry's surprise most of them thought that Ron was going to be a shoe in. "It runs in the family." Said Fred to the rest of the team, but Harry wasn't going to bet. He tried to keep an open mind about the other people, even though secretly he hoped that Ron would be as good as everyone had thought.
After everyone had finished dinner the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team rushed to their tower grabbing their Quidditch stuff they rushed out to the field to find everyone from Gryffindor had showed up to watch the tryouts, but what really surprised the team is that some people from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were also there to watch the tryouts. This was the first time Harry had noticed Cho Chang, she was sitting with a group of Ravenclaws talking happily. Suddenly she looked up and saw Harry standing there looking at her, so she stood up and walked towards him.
"Hello Harry." Said Cho with a slightly sad tone. "I am glad that you are the new captain for the Gryffindor team." She smiled at him but it was a melancholy smile. She was still upset over Cedric's death as Harry was, but it seemed to Harry that the sight of him caused her to be even more upset, and that hurt Harry greater than anything Malfoy could say to him.
"Thanks." Said Harry with a sad tone now as well. They stood together in an odd silence before Harry spoke up. "Well Cho I have to go and do the tryouts I hope you have fun watching." He smiled and encouraging smiled at her and she smiled back at him. Harry quickly joined the rest of the team as they began to start the first of the tryouts.
"Okay everyone this is how it is going to go." Said Harry, talking loudly to that everyone could hear him. "First the Chasers and going to start shooting the Quaffle and you will have to stop it. Then you will move on to having the Beaters will come out and we will let out the Bludgers. After everyone has had a chance to tryout then we will announce the new Keeper on Sunday after dinner." They started the tryouts with Colin Creevey. He did rather well with just the Chasers shooting the Quaffle, but when the Bludgers were let out Colin seemed to be to busy tried to get away from a stray Bludger that he didn't pay attention to the Quaffle and when he final was back on the ground Harry noticed that Colin was shaking with shock. For the rest of the day and the next they watched the others tryout for Keeper and they all went something like Colin's tryout.
Finally Sunday came and the crowds at the Quidditch field had lessened slowly over the last day as people finished their tryouts. Harry was happy that it was Sunday because it was the last day of tryouts and Ron turn was coming up. There had been a couple of promising people on Saturday, among them was Dean Thomas and today they had already seen a couple of six years that were pretty good as well.
When it was Ron's turn the team was excited to see what he could do, but Ron was so nervous that he was becoming sick, as he past the team to get one of the brooms that were out for the people trying out for the team, they could see that he was turning almost green. Fred shouted something encouraging to Ron but it didn't seem to help. Which the Chasers started to throw the Quaffle it seemed to them that Ron was never going to make the team. He really could block Quaffle any of the times that the Chaser threw them and on the ground Harry look at Fred and George. They had looks of disappointment on their faces; the three of them couldn't believe what they were seeing. They all knew that Ron was a lot better than this, all the times that Ron had practiced with them. Why wasn't he playing like he had many times at the Burrow. Harry stopped the Chasers and let out the Bludgers reluctantly, but when he did Ron seemed to come to life. The Bludgers took Ron's mind off his nervousness just long enough for him to block every single attempt to get the Quaffle through the goals. Harry smiled there was the Ron that he knew.
When they all went to dinner that night everyone was busy talking about who would be Keeper for Gryffindor that no one, but Harry noticed that Professor Snape was still not there, and that there was a worried look on Professor Smith's face. When was Snape supposed to be back and what was he doing? Thought Harry. He was still thinking about the question when George nudged Harry so hard that he almost fell over.
"Come on Professor McGonagall is letting us use her classroom to make a decision about who is going to be Keeper." Said George and motioned for Harry. They were the first people to leave the Great Hall and as they did a wave of excited whispers seemed to go from table to table. They walked to Professor McGonagall's Transfigurations classroom in totally silence. Everyone was thinking about whom he or she wanted to be Keeper. Harry was torn between a couple of people and started to feel guilty because his first choice wasn't Ron it was Dean Thomas. Harry didn't think Ron was as good at Dean in the first part, but Ron was a little better than Dean in the second. Harry was glad that they were going to talk about it before they had a vote.
"I maintain my first opinion." Said Fred. "I think that Ron should be the Keeper."
"You are only saying that because he is your brother and you are play favorites." Said Angelina loudly. "Did you even see how he did in the first part?" The rest of the Chasers agreed with Angelina.
"No I am not playing favorites." Said Fred angrily. "And did you see him when the Bludgers were released? He started to play very well, and that is a lot more than I can say with the others. Right George?"
"Yup." Said George just as loud as his brother.
Fred's word made the three girls stop and think about what Fred was saying and slowly they agreed with Fred. Then they all looked at Harry. "What do you think Harry?" Fred's voice came through Harry's thoughts as he was going over Ron's tryout in his mind.
"I don't know. I agree with both of the arguments. I am still thinking." Said Harry.
"Oh come on Harry. You are his best friend. You can't honestly be thinking of anyone else." Said George that made Harry mad. Of course Harry was Ron's best friend how could anyone claim that he was anything else.
"Yes I am his best friend, but I am also the captain of this team and how would it look if Ron was picked with his best friend as captain and he wasn't the best for the position. Do you want that over Ron's head? People saying he only got the position because his best friend and two brothers were on the team." Fred and George looked at Harry with odd expressions.
"We didn't even think about that." Said George. "But he did really good with the Bludgers out. Better than anyone else, and that is what we need. We don't need someone who can't concentrate when the Bludgers are out."
"Okay. Lets all just think about everything for about five minutes and then we will put it to a vote." Said Harry and everyone was silent think. While Harry was thinking he came to the conclusion that George was right. Ron did do the best with the Bludgers and that is what counts. He turned to start the vote when he notice that the door was open a crack and someone was standing just outside the door staring at him. He was just about to say something when he notice that it was Professor Smith, she looked as though she wanted to talk to Harry.
"Harry are you ready?" Asked Angelina. Harry turned quickly to them and noticed that they were all staring at him.
"Yes I am ready." Said Harry as he turned back to look at the door but Professor Smith was gone. "Okay lets just take a vote of hands. Who is voting for Ron?" Just as he said this everyone's hand flew into the air. "Well I guess we have a new Keeper." Harry smiled and everyone stood up talking excitedly about the year ahead. "Well then I guess we shall start practices this week." They were leaving the classroom when Harry notice that Professor Smith was standing at the other end of the corridor watching them leave. The rest of the team started towards the Gryffindor tower but Harry stay behind watching Professor Smith standing that the other end of the corridor. When Harry noticed that they others were nowhere in sight he headed towards Professor Smith and as he did Professor Smith turned and walked down another corridor. She stayed just ahead of Harry so that he could see which way she was going. Finally after walking what seemed forever Harry began to hear voices just ahead of him. Harry recognized Professor Smith's cold voice and the other voice was... Malfoy.
"Professor Snape is no longer here to protect you Alex." Said Malfoy and to Harry's surprise he seemed to be talking to her if he knew her before. "I would have never believed that you of all people to go to the other side."
"Well my young Malfoy I guess you and your father don't know me as well as you thought. No matter how close your father thinks he is to the middle he as no idea. You and your father has never really know what was going on, and I am not going to take anything form you little punk." Said Professor Smith with her cold voice.
"What if I tell Dumbledore about own friend and how you were one of his greatest supporters before he disappeared. About how you were secret and didn't get a mark on your arm, because of your special relationship with him and his family." Threaten Malfoy. Family... Harry thought. If he was really talking about Voldemort then what family did he have? "Should I go to Dumbledore?" There was a sudden burst of cold laughter from Professor Smith.
"You don't honestly think that Dumbledore doesn't know about everything that is happening or has happened, you silly little boy. You are so arrogant that you can't see things that are right in front of your face." Said Professor Smith as Harry peaked around the corner to see the Professor towering over Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle with the same powerful aura as she had in the potions class. Malfoy's face was twisted in anger.
"Fine, but I don't think that the precious Harry Potter knows anything about all of this. What if I tell him about it and exactly who Cassandra is, I don't think he well be to happy about that." The smiled disappeared from her face and a very serious look replaced it.
"Listen to me boy. I don't like being threatened by a little twit like you and if you do anything I will make it my personal goal to see that your life is a living hell. And you know that I can do it." A cold chill went though the corridor and there was a dark look to Smith. The three boys shrank back form the Professor. "Do you understand me?" The three boys nodded. "Good now leave." The three boys rushed down the corridor and out of sight. Smith turned to walk up the corridor when she noticed Harry was peaking around the corner.
"What are you doing here Harry." Said Smith with a note of surprise in her voice.
"I was following you down the corridor. I thought you wanted to talk to me." Said Harry.
"What are you talking about Harry? I didn't come from that way." They both looked at each other with questioning looks. "Harry? When you were following me did I talk to you at all?"
"No, you were always just ahead of me, no matter how much I tried to catch up to you." Said Harry and there suddenly appear a shocked and worried expression on her face. "What is the matter Professor?"
"Nothing... err... Harry you need to get back to you dormitory before people start to worry about you. Anyways do you have an announcement to make?" She forced a smile and then walked on down the corridor.
At the end of the day, the three of them found their way up to the Gryffindor tower through a haze of questions. They found a place in their common room and began to talk it all over. All their questions came out like, Why was Snape yelling at Malfoy? What was Malfoy doing to Professor Smith? How did Professor Smith know that they had over heard the conversation? "You know what I think about people who say they can see the future," said Hermione in a know-it-all tone. "I just do think that it is possible."
"Well, then how do you explain how she knew that we where outside the room listening to the conversation?" asked Ron with a puzzled look on his face.
"She might have seen someone just outside the door, and we were the first ones who came into the class. We don't know where in the classroom she was before we came into the room. Anyway, if she could really see the future, then why didn't she stop us from listening to the conversation? She would have known that we would be there before we heard anything." Added Hermione.
"I don't care if she can or not. The woman just gives me the creeps." Said Ron loudly as Fred and George walked up to them.
"Are you talking about Professor Smith?" asked Fred. They both sat down in seats near the whispering three. Ron nodded and the two boys smiled at each other.
"What?" said Ron with a suspicious look.
"We like her. We heard that she is a vampire or something like that." Said George. Harry, Ron and Hermione smiled at each and then at Fred and George.
"Oh please you guys. She can't be a vampire." Hermione piped in. "We don't care if she is or not. I just like how she can scare people just by looking at them." Said George. "Those eyes are just so creepy..." He was interrupted by a loud sounds coming from the fireplace. All of them turned to look, and saw one of the first years, which have tried to enchant something, had soot covering his face. Not waiting to miss a opportunity to be the center of attention, Fred and George got up and ran over to the crowd that was building around the unfortunate first year, but before the three of them could get up and come to the rescue of the first year, the portrait hole flew open and Lee Jordan came flying in whispered something to the Weasley twins. The three of them left all with evil grins on their faces. Harry knew that he should go and find out what they were up to but he really didn't care right then.
Harry began to play with the ring just under his clothes again. Hermione watched Harry anxiously. "Harry why don't you let me look up that ring to see if it really has some protective powers?" asked Hermione. Harry looked at her nodded and taking off the chain gave it to Hermione.
The weeks rolled on, and Harry wasn't thinking about anything but his class work until one week in the beginning of October. When, one morning at breakfast, Fred and George Weasley told him about a meeting for the Quidditch team that was going to take place that night, just after dinner. Harry went through the whole day thinking of nothing else and when the meeting finally came he was so excited he couldn't sit still. The six player of the Gryffindor team were all piled into Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration classroom when Fred stood up to speak.
"There are two very important thing that we must consider before we start the season this year." This was the most serious Harry had every seen Fred. "First we must all vote on who will be the next captain of the team and then we must find another Keeper to take the place of Olive." As the serious Fred spoke George was passing out little pieces of parchment a quills, to everyone. "You will write the name of the person you want to be captain on the parchment and then place in it this cap. Then we will count the votes." Both Fred and George sat down and started to write the name of the person they wanted to be captain on the paper, but Harry just sat their for a moment. He hadn't really thought about who he wanted to be captain. He glanced from person to person trying to pick, but he still couldn't think of one person. They were all good. How could he pick just one? It wasn't until he noticed that everyone else had made their decisions, put the piece of parchment into the cap and where now staring at him, at he quickly wrote the first name that came to him down on the parchment. "Angelina Johnson."
He placed the piece of parchment into the cap and Fred got it with one hand. Then started pulling the names out of the hat and read them aloud. "Harry Potter... Harry Potter... Harry Potter..." Harry sat there shocked as his name was read more than once. "Harry Potter... Harry Potter... Angelina Johnson." Both Harry's and Angelina's face went bright red has the last name was read.
"Thanks Harry." She said with a giggle.
"Well then Harry it looks like it is almost unanimous. Well except for Harry voting for Angelina." Fred broke out in laughter and the serious look on his face was gone. "So captain my captain, what are we going to do about finding a Keeper?" Harry still in shock that he had just been voted captain of the Gryffindor team sat staring at the rest of his teammates not knowing what to say. "Harry... Are you in there, Harry."
"Oh yes... Thanks first of all. I would have never thought that I would be the captain." And he still couldn't. "Well about the Keeper I think we should hold tryouts. Starting on Friday after lessons and ending on Sunday before dinner, so that we can get started with practices as soon as possible." Everyone smiled at him as they all agreed with their new captain. Harry talked a bit longer before they all went back to the Gryffindor common room to find it almost full. Harry placed the sign-up sheet that they had made during the meeting, up on the bulletin board. When he stepped away from it a swarm of he hurried over to look at what it was. Harry made his way to where the rest of the Quidditch team was sitting before turning around to notice that people were franticly trying to write their name down.
A couple moment later Harry notice Ron, who was now fighting his way out of the crowd and over to him. "Ron are you going to tryout for Keeper?" asked Fred. Ron walked towards them and nodded with a smile. Then he turned to Harry.
"I heard that you are the new captain Harry congratulations. I hope I get to be the new Keeper." Said Ron with and excited voice.
Harry opened his mouth to say something, but there came a suddenly pain shooting through his scar, and he fell to the ground. Images passed through his mind, he saw the figure of Voldemort surrounded by his Death Eaters, and they were all laughing with cruel, cold laugh. Then Harry saw the small figure of a young girl laying on the found at Voldemort's feet, shaking in the pain of the Cruciatus Cruse. A moment later the curse ended and the girl got up slowly and stood face to face with Voldemort. Harry noticed that she was just as tall as Voldemort was.
"Are you ready to stop now and obey me?" said Voldemort in his high, cold voice. A cruel smile stretched across his face as he stared as the girl.
"Never!" Said the girl as she straighten up to stand tall and proud. Harry realized that the girl that stood face to face with Voldemort was Cassandra. "You will have to do better than that!" said Cassandra as she swayed a little as through she was trying every hard just to stand.
"Fine!" said Voldemort and the smile disappeared as an expression of pure fury replaced it. "If that is what you want, but I will break you, my dear. You will be one of my faithful servants before long." Voldemort raised his wand and then. "Cruico!" Cassandra was on the ground once again twitching in pain.
The images of Voldemort, the Death Eaters, and Cassandra faded away as the pain in his scar faded as well. He found himself in the hospital wing; it was dark in the wing, which told Harry that he had been out for a long time. How long had it been? Harry reached to his bedside table and grabbed his glassed. Putting them on he looked around and found Sirius, in human form, sitting in a chair next to Harry's bed with his head on the bed, sleeping. Harry reached out and touched Sirius' hand, and as he did Sirius shot straight up with a shock expression.
"Harry!" Sirius yelled so loudly it made Harry's sore head ache a little more. "You are alright." Sirius hugged Harry so tightly that Harry couldn't breath, but Harry loved it. He had never really been hugged in that way before, as thought someone really cared if he was alive, it was worth the pain that he had felt earlier.
"Harry." Said the voice of Dumbledore as he walked up the wing towards them, he was walking to quietly that Harry didn't even hear him come into the hospital wing. There was an expression of great worry on his face that melted quickly into the same smiling expression that Harry had always seen, the warm smile and the sparkling blue eyes made Harry feel a little better somehow. "We are glad to see that you are feeling better my dear boy."
"Yes we certainly are!" said Sirius quickly.
"You had us worrying for hours about you." Said Dumbledore. " In fact Madam Pomfrey had to chase Ron, Hermione and your teammates out of the wing a few hours ago so that she could work. She was getting tiered of tripping over all of them. You have been unconscious for five hours Harry."
"What?" Harry felt has though someone had just hit him in the stomach and he couldn't breath. "But before when my scar hurt like that I was only out for a couple of minutes. Why would I been out for five hour?" He looked from Dumbledore to Sirius and back again, but it seemed that neither of them knew the answer to that. Harry could see it in their expressions. Harry left suddenly dizzy so he lay back down, closing his eyes, Sirius noticed this and the worried look came back over his face making him look darker and older.
"Alright there Harry?" asked Sirius. He didn't wait for an answer; he got up and rushed to get Madam Pomfrey from her small office at the other end of the wing. As Sirius disappeared into the office Dumbledore walked up to the bed and sat down in the chair where Sirius had been. He reached out and touched Harry's hand lightly, then smiled. Harry opened his eyes, seeing Dumbledore, smiled back.
"Harry?" Dumbledore lowered his voice. "Did you have a vision of Voldemort this time?" Asked Dumbledore, as he knew about the other times when Harry's scar had hurt him, and the other visions that he had had before. Harry nodded slightly and Dumbledore's face became grave.
"Cassandra." Harry whispered hoarsely. "He was torturing her. He wanted to on his side to do his work, but what I don't understand is how. If she didn't go to a wizarding school then she doesn't know any magic, so why?"
"Just because someone doesn't go to a school, doesn't mean that they don't know magic Harry, it is just that they can't get a wizard job in the wizarding world, except with dark wizards." said Dumbledore with an odd expression that Harry couldn't quite read. "The fact is Harry that there is something so important about Cassandra that Voldemort would kidnap her." Dumbledore stood up and headed for the door, but turned quickly and said. "Harry if you want to talk to me about anything you just come to my office. It will always be open." He finished talking just as Sirius and Madam Pomfrey came out of the office and rushed up to him. Harry watched Dumbledore leave the hospital wing just as quietly as he had entered. Madam Pomfrey made a big fuse over Harry for about a half an hour before leaving him and returning to her office. Harry fell back to sleep with Sirius watching over him until the sun rose.
When Harry woke up in the day it was already mid-morning and Ron and Hermione had already taken their places next to Harry's bed waiting for him to wake up. They were whispering between each other trying not to wake him in fear of what Madam Pomfrey would do to them, but when they notice that Harry was awake there came a cry of relief from the both of them and they talking very loudly and very quickly. Harry could hardly keep up with the two of them, when one stopped talking the other would pick up where they had left off. When they both had stopped talking Harry was dizzy with information and having to turn his head between the two of them when they switched speakers. They had told Harry how everyone watched as Harry grabbed his scar and fell to the floor in pain. Then the other prefects of the house ran out and got Professor McGonagall. They had taken him to the hospital wing. The whole house wanted to come with them, but Professor McGonagall told everyone to go to bed, but Ron, Hermione and the Quidditch team had sneaked out to the Hospital wing and by the time Professor McGonagall had noticed, she told them that they could stay for a while. They watched Harry for a couple of hour as he lay there on the bed still grabbing at his scar. After a while Madam Pomfrey had kicked them out. They returned to the commons room to find everyone still up and in the commons room really worried about him.
"But you should see the sign-up list for tryouts Harry!" said Ron in an excited tone. "It is completely full. It looks like everyone wants to tryout for the team. Even a few first years signed up before Fred and George told them that first years couldn't be on the house team, except for special circumstances." Ron smiled at Harry. Harry had been just a first year student when he started playing on the Gryffindor's House team as its seeker. He had been the youngest seeker in a century and had helped his team win the Quidditch cup in the last championship two years before (last year the Quidditch games were canceled because of the Triwizard Tournament). Harry noticed that Hermione was looking a Ron with a flash of anger. Ron must of noticed too because his face had gone bright red, and he stopped talking.
"So Harry how are you doing?" asked Hermione with a smile. Harry told them about the vision, but he left out what Dumbledore said to him, for some reason he had a strong feeling that he shouldn't say anything about it. The two of them sat silently in their chairs thinking about what Harry told them, but they couldn't say anything in return. They too had the same question burning in their heads, the same question Harry had.
When Harry returned to classes the next day the rumor of what had happened in the Gryffindor tower had spread over the whole school and everyone was treating Harry as if he were made of glass. Everyone that is except Malfoy, who had found it funny that Harry, was in pain. Every time Harry would see Malfoy he would be in the middle of a crowd of Slytherins, grabbing his forehead and twitching a little, as thought he was Harry. The days went by; by the time Friday came most of the kids had forgot about Harry's little incident and went on his their schoolwork.
Harry was looking forward to the tryouts, which would start just after dinner, but he still had to go through the days classes and the thing that he was not looking forward to was the double potions class after lunch. The day seemed to go by pretty quickly thought Harry as he, Ron and Hermione talked into the Great Hall for lunch.
"I just can't wait for tryouts!" cried Ron as he piled four sandwiches on his plate.
"What day did you sign up for Ron?" asked Harry.
"Sunday. I wanted to be the last person to tryout." Said Ron. "I won't be so nervous if I am the last person, that way I can see how good the others are and try to do better than them." Ron had a nervous smile as he looked at Harry, as thought he was already nervous two days before.
"That is a very good idea, Ron." Said Hermione as she took a bite of her sandwich. The three of them talked about their classes they had had that day and the potions class which they were about to go to. Trying to delay the agony of potions as long as they could so they waited for the last minute before heading down to the dungeons where their potions classroom was. When they stepped into the room a little later, they were excepting Snape to start yelling at them and at least five points taken away from the Gryffindor House, but when they looked up Snape was nowhere in sight, to their surprise Professor Smith stood behind Snape's desk and seemed to be saying something to the class.
"Professor Snape has been called away from the school for a couple of days so I will be conducting his classes until he returns." Professor Smith turned her head quickly and glared at Malfoy, who was whispering to his two goons, and said. "Don't even think about it." Her cold voice was full of anger. The three boys looked shocked, and Harry smiled. "Just because Professor Snape is gone doesn't mean that you are on vacation. The Professor's rules stand. Every rule!" She gave the three Slytherin boy a threaten look as thought to warn them off trying to do anything. The room became silent. Harry could left an aura of power coming from Alexandra that reminded himself of Dumbledore, only at Alexandra's power felt so cold almost evil. "I have Professor Snape's lesson plans and they go up to Christmas break."
The class went by slowly but amazingly without anything going wrong, even Neville did everything right. When it was finally over everyone wandered out of the classroom in a haze and it wasn't until Harry had reached the Gryffindor tower that he remembered that the keeper tryouts were due to start just after dinner. Harry entered the common room and there was a nervous air as everyone was running to and fro trying to get ready for his or her tryout. People would come up to him every now and then to ask him for some tips about the tryouts. Finally after having over half of the people in Gryffindor house ask him question he escape the nervous students and slipped out of the common room heading for the Great Hall to find the rest of the team. When he entered the Great Hall he found the rest of the team at their table talking excitedly to one another about the tryouts. Fred and George were taking bets on who would actually get the position and to Harry's surprise most of them thought that Ron was going to be a shoe in. "It runs in the family." Said Fred to the rest of the team, but Harry wasn't going to bet. He tried to keep an open mind about the other people, even though secretly he hoped that Ron would be as good as everyone had thought.
After everyone had finished dinner the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team rushed to their tower grabbing their Quidditch stuff they rushed out to the field to find everyone from Gryffindor had showed up to watch the tryouts, but what really surprised the team is that some people from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were also there to watch the tryouts. This was the first time Harry had noticed Cho Chang, she was sitting with a group of Ravenclaws talking happily. Suddenly she looked up and saw Harry standing there looking at her, so she stood up and walked towards him.
"Hello Harry." Said Cho with a slightly sad tone. "I am glad that you are the new captain for the Gryffindor team." She smiled at him but it was a melancholy smile. She was still upset over Cedric's death as Harry was, but it seemed to Harry that the sight of him caused her to be even more upset, and that hurt Harry greater than anything Malfoy could say to him.
"Thanks." Said Harry with a sad tone now as well. They stood together in an odd silence before Harry spoke up. "Well Cho I have to go and do the tryouts I hope you have fun watching." He smiled and encouraging smiled at her and she smiled back at him. Harry quickly joined the rest of the team as they began to start the first of the tryouts.
"Okay everyone this is how it is going to go." Said Harry, talking loudly to that everyone could hear him. "First the Chasers and going to start shooting the Quaffle and you will have to stop it. Then you will move on to having the Beaters will come out and we will let out the Bludgers. After everyone has had a chance to tryout then we will announce the new Keeper on Sunday after dinner." They started the tryouts with Colin Creevey. He did rather well with just the Chasers shooting the Quaffle, but when the Bludgers were let out Colin seemed to be to busy tried to get away from a stray Bludger that he didn't pay attention to the Quaffle and when he final was back on the ground Harry noticed that Colin was shaking with shock. For the rest of the day and the next they watched the others tryout for Keeper and they all went something like Colin's tryout.
Finally Sunday came and the crowds at the Quidditch field had lessened slowly over the last day as people finished their tryouts. Harry was happy that it was Sunday because it was the last day of tryouts and Ron turn was coming up. There had been a couple of promising people on Saturday, among them was Dean Thomas and today they had already seen a couple of six years that were pretty good as well.
When it was Ron's turn the team was excited to see what he could do, but Ron was so nervous that he was becoming sick, as he past the team to get one of the brooms that were out for the people trying out for the team, they could see that he was turning almost green. Fred shouted something encouraging to Ron but it didn't seem to help. Which the Chasers started to throw the Quaffle it seemed to them that Ron was never going to make the team. He really could block Quaffle any of the times that the Chaser threw them and on the ground Harry look at Fred and George. They had looks of disappointment on their faces; the three of them couldn't believe what they were seeing. They all knew that Ron was a lot better than this, all the times that Ron had practiced with them. Why wasn't he playing like he had many times at the Burrow. Harry stopped the Chasers and let out the Bludgers reluctantly, but when he did Ron seemed to come to life. The Bludgers took Ron's mind off his nervousness just long enough for him to block every single attempt to get the Quaffle through the goals. Harry smiled there was the Ron that he knew.
When they all went to dinner that night everyone was busy talking about who would be Keeper for Gryffindor that no one, but Harry noticed that Professor Snape was still not there, and that there was a worried look on Professor Smith's face. When was Snape supposed to be back and what was he doing? Thought Harry. He was still thinking about the question when George nudged Harry so hard that he almost fell over.
"Come on Professor McGonagall is letting us use her classroom to make a decision about who is going to be Keeper." Said George and motioned for Harry. They were the first people to leave the Great Hall and as they did a wave of excited whispers seemed to go from table to table. They walked to Professor McGonagall's Transfigurations classroom in totally silence. Everyone was thinking about whom he or she wanted to be Keeper. Harry was torn between a couple of people and started to feel guilty because his first choice wasn't Ron it was Dean Thomas. Harry didn't think Ron was as good at Dean in the first part, but Ron was a little better than Dean in the second. Harry was glad that they were going to talk about it before they had a vote.
"I maintain my first opinion." Said Fred. "I think that Ron should be the Keeper."
"You are only saying that because he is your brother and you are play favorites." Said Angelina loudly. "Did you even see how he did in the first part?" The rest of the Chasers agreed with Angelina.
"No I am not playing favorites." Said Fred angrily. "And did you see him when the Bludgers were released? He started to play very well, and that is a lot more than I can say with the others. Right George?"
"Yup." Said George just as loud as his brother.
Fred's word made the three girls stop and think about what Fred was saying and slowly they agreed with Fred. Then they all looked at Harry. "What do you think Harry?" Fred's voice came through Harry's thoughts as he was going over Ron's tryout in his mind.
"I don't know. I agree with both of the arguments. I am still thinking." Said Harry.
"Oh come on Harry. You are his best friend. You can't honestly be thinking of anyone else." Said George that made Harry mad. Of course Harry was Ron's best friend how could anyone claim that he was anything else.
"Yes I am his best friend, but I am also the captain of this team and how would it look if Ron was picked with his best friend as captain and he wasn't the best for the position. Do you want that over Ron's head? People saying he only got the position because his best friend and two brothers were on the team." Fred and George looked at Harry with odd expressions.
"We didn't even think about that." Said George. "But he did really good with the Bludgers out. Better than anyone else, and that is what we need. We don't need someone who can't concentrate when the Bludgers are out."
"Okay. Lets all just think about everything for about five minutes and then we will put it to a vote." Said Harry and everyone was silent think. While Harry was thinking he came to the conclusion that George was right. Ron did do the best with the Bludgers and that is what counts. He turned to start the vote when he notice that the door was open a crack and someone was standing just outside the door staring at him. He was just about to say something when he notice that it was Professor Smith, she looked as though she wanted to talk to Harry.
"Harry are you ready?" Asked Angelina. Harry turned quickly to them and noticed that they were all staring at him.
"Yes I am ready." Said Harry as he turned back to look at the door but Professor Smith was gone. "Okay lets just take a vote of hands. Who is voting for Ron?" Just as he said this everyone's hand flew into the air. "Well I guess we have a new Keeper." Harry smiled and everyone stood up talking excitedly about the year ahead. "Well then I guess we shall start practices this week." They were leaving the classroom when Harry notice that Professor Smith was standing at the other end of the corridor watching them leave. The rest of the team started towards the Gryffindor tower but Harry stay behind watching Professor Smith standing that the other end of the corridor. When Harry noticed that they others were nowhere in sight he headed towards Professor Smith and as he did Professor Smith turned and walked down another corridor. She stayed just ahead of Harry so that he could see which way she was going. Finally after walking what seemed forever Harry began to hear voices just ahead of him. Harry recognized Professor Smith's cold voice and the other voice was... Malfoy.
"Professor Snape is no longer here to protect you Alex." Said Malfoy and to Harry's surprise he seemed to be talking to her if he knew her before. "I would have never believed that you of all people to go to the other side."
"Well my young Malfoy I guess you and your father don't know me as well as you thought. No matter how close your father thinks he is to the middle he as no idea. You and your father has never really know what was going on, and I am not going to take anything form you little punk." Said Professor Smith with her cold voice.
"What if I tell Dumbledore about own friend and how you were one of his greatest supporters before he disappeared. About how you were secret and didn't get a mark on your arm, because of your special relationship with him and his family." Threaten Malfoy. Family... Harry thought. If he was really talking about Voldemort then what family did he have? "Should I go to Dumbledore?" There was a sudden burst of cold laughter from Professor Smith.
"You don't honestly think that Dumbledore doesn't know about everything that is happening or has happened, you silly little boy. You are so arrogant that you can't see things that are right in front of your face." Said Professor Smith as Harry peaked around the corner to see the Professor towering over Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle with the same powerful aura as she had in the potions class. Malfoy's face was twisted in anger.
"Fine, but I don't think that the precious Harry Potter knows anything about all of this. What if I tell him about it and exactly who Cassandra is, I don't think he well be to happy about that." The smiled disappeared from her face and a very serious look replaced it.
"Listen to me boy. I don't like being threatened by a little twit like you and if you do anything I will make it my personal goal to see that your life is a living hell. And you know that I can do it." A cold chill went though the corridor and there was a dark look to Smith. The three boys shrank back form the Professor. "Do you understand me?" The three boys nodded. "Good now leave." The three boys rushed down the corridor and out of sight. Smith turned to walk up the corridor when she noticed Harry was peaking around the corner.
"What are you doing here Harry." Said Smith with a note of surprise in her voice.
"I was following you down the corridor. I thought you wanted to talk to me." Said Harry.
"What are you talking about Harry? I didn't come from that way." They both looked at each other with questioning looks. "Harry? When you were following me did I talk to you at all?"
"No, you were always just ahead of me, no matter how much I tried to catch up to you." Said Harry and there suddenly appear a shocked and worried expression on her face. "What is the matter Professor?"
"Nothing... err... Harry you need to get back to you dormitory before people start to worry about you. Anyways do you have an announcement to make?" She forced a smile and then walked on down the corridor.