Sorry it took so long for me to update but I just came back from a luxurious vacation. I was really tempted to bring my laptop to the BEACH! but somehow I controlled myself. Anyway, hope you like the chapter and since I'm starting school soon, yes I cannot stop the inevitable, there will a lot more chapters that take more time than you're used to.

Chapter Eleven:

Wicked Sixteen

Ron and Hermione had more or less made up. They still sometimes gave each other looks but they were of such an improvement that Harry didn't notice. Perhaps there was another reason why Harry had failed to notice.

Team practices were going horribly. Jack and Will were the best flyers by far but Harry suspected that they needed to have their eyes checked for whenever they threw the Quaffle it wouldn't go anywhere near the goalposts.

Ginny had the best aim; however, due to her relative inexperience with the twins as chasers, she was the least able flyer When she did manage to get to the goalposts she almost always scored but she was the most likely to be unseated by a Bludger.

The Creevey brothers were fair flyers and as Harry had said before amazing hitters. Their problem was that when they did hit a Bludger they would tend to get over-excited and in the process miss several other good Bludger-hitting opportunities. For example on Friday Colin had managed to make a superb hit and began whooping, making circles in the air as Harry, playing defense shot the Bludger right back by him.

"Good job, Colin! That was a good hit," Dennis had said.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" stated Colin.

And by that time they had started a full-fledged conversation.

Harry was felt like there was no way they could possibly win against Slytherin. They simply didn't have enough time to come together as a team. Even when Harry had moved to daily practices at first there appeared to be no change. Harry was beginning to give up when finally light dawned. Everyone was beginning to see what Harry could and they strived to correct their bad-habits and fix their trouble-spots.

It was the day before the match against Slytherin and the day of their first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Harry was reminded brutally of Hermione's scheduled birthday party when he discovered that all the girls and most of the boys of sixth year Gryffindors were going. Harry looked worriedly at Ron and was surprised to discover that he looked completely confident,

"Managed to get her a present, I did."

"You did? When did you have time for that?" asked Harry incredulously.

Ron looked at Harry grinning superiorly and replied, "Harry, I took care of it."

Harry didn't have time to argue the point for they were standing in queue being checked off a list by Filch. When he had checked both boy's names off they trudged along towards the small village of Hogsmeade.

When they arrived the first thing that Harry noticed was that the sign over Zonko's Joke Shop was gone and in its place was another announcing the grand opening of another Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Harry and Ron looked at each other in surprised delight and made their way into the shop.

It was a mirror image of the shop in Diagon Alley. There was even a long line of people like in the other store. The twins were at the front both demonstrating something. When Fred saw the two of them he separated himself from George and made his way over.

"Business is booming! Lee is watching the other store while we supervise the opening of this one," stated Fred and then he added, "We've also introduced a new item as a celebration for the opening. It's called Cosmo's Curious Concoction. Nasty thing it can be. We're demonstrating it up front but I can't remember if we told them it was the Concoction or free lemonade… hmm."

Harry laughed nervously, knowing that it was probably the latter. He was on a desperate search for Hermione's gift so he was about to leave when he saw Jack and Will fill a flask with some of the so-called lemonade. Harry ignored this and left.

He finally managed to buy a copy of Famous Muggle Playwrights in Boris' Bookshop for the Boring and arrived in Madam Puddifoot's just in time. He frowned as he entered the shop. Harry had had bad things happen to him here. It was here that Cho had gotten angry at Harry and cried but as Harry remembered it she always cried around him.

That had been on Valentine's Day last year. The store had been decorated for the occasion and then there were many different people. This time, however Harry noticed that the whole place had been decorated for the party and everyone inside had come for the same party.

Instead of small circular tables littered around the room, there was a long thin table that stretched from one wall to the other. Upon this table were mountains of food and drink. Ginny stood there with a checklist and she was checking the table to make sure they had everything ready.

"All right, everybody hide. I'm going to bring Hermione in now," whispered Ginny.

Harry didn't know how any of them could hide unless it was under the table but only so many people could fit there. Some people were, indeed headed under the table, but others were hiding most peculiarly.

The Patil Sisters both vanished behind the wall and Cho sank into a Grandfather Clock in the corner of the room. Harry stood there transfixed wondering if he should head for the table or for some the wall.

He decided on hiding with Ron behind the wall. Harry didn't ask why they were able to do this but Ron seemed to see Harry's puzzlement and answered most efficiently,

"I guess Ginny managed to use a Concealing Charm on things while preparing."

Harry smiled just as the sound of the door opening penetrated through the wall.

Hermione's voice rang through the wall and asked, "Why is it so empty?"

Ginny's voice answered with, "Because…"

Harry took this as his cue and so did everyone else for everyone popped out of their hiding places and exclaimed,

"Surprise! Happy Birthday!"

Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. Then when the words had registered she blushed deeply and whispered,

"Thank you…"

Harry did not see Viktor and obviously neither did Hermione for she looked rather down. Harry ran over to her and handed her his present,

"Happy Birthday, Hermione."

"Thank you, Harry," replied Hermione suppressing a small sliver of a tear.

Ron muttered something about wanting to give her his present in person and set off for the food table. Harry went over as well but only stayed there awhile for Ron was surgically attaching himself to the table and refused to move.

Music began to play from an indefinite source and Harry was debating whether or not this song was played by the Weird Sisters or the Dark Children when everyone began crowding around Hermione's table to witness the blowing out of the candles and the opening of the presents.

A white cake with blue icing bedecked with sixteen silver candles was brought to the table. Harry joined the rest in singing "She's A Jolly Good Fellow" and Hermione blew out the candles.

When everyone had finished cake Hermione began opening presents. Harry wasn't really watching but thinking of other things like Agapanthus and Voldemort. Something did grab his full attention though and it was Ron's gift.

"I can't believe you!" roared Hermione.

Ron raised his arms and shielded himself before saying, "I thought you liked things like that!"

It was then that Harry saw what Ron's gift was. It was an enlarged autographed photograph of him. Harry thought this rather funny and was distracted from his dark thoughts until Hermione took out her wand and whirled on Ron.

"Expelliarmus!" said Harry tersely flicking his own wand out to block Hermione.

Hermione's wand shot out of her hand and flew into Harry's. Hermione stared daggers at him but then realizing what she was doing she apologized to everyone and it wasn't until she solemnly promised that she wouldn't curse Ron that Harry gave her the wand back.

And so the party continued. Someone had brought out Pumpkin Punch and it was spreading like wildfire. Harry took a glass for himself and after draining it he realized that it was the best Pumpkin Punch that he had ever tasted.

Suddenly it appeared to Harry as if everything was spinning. Harry looked around and found a place to sit down. When the spinning ceased he saw Luna and strode over to her ignoring the fact that he couldn't quite seem to walk in a straight line.

"Hello," greeted Luna calmly.

"Hi," Harry slurred, "Why are you here?"

"I came here to thank Hermione for joining the Pep Squad lots of people joined once she did," explained Luna.

Harry missed some of this reply because he suddenly noticed that Luna's lips were awfully close. It was like being trapped in a tractor beam. Even if he had wanted to resist, or in his current state was capable of it, he couldn't have.

Harry stopped for a second as a part of his mind seized control again, "Why didn't you have any Pumpkin Punch?"

Luna looked mildly surprisingly at him and answered with, "I'm a member of the Society Against the Cruelty to Pumpkin Squash. Are you aware that every year pumpkins are kidnapped from their patches, gutted and cut into grotesque shapes?"

None of these words registered with Harry for there was commotion going around. Harry wheeled around and was brought to his senses fully at the strange sight that greeted him. Everyone had paired up and where quite busy.

Harry abandoned Luna and began desperately searching for Ron to tell this to him but he was nowhere to be found. Then the strangest thing happened. Hermione and Ron appeared from out of the wall interlocked in a passionate embrace.

Harry just stood there watching in shock. Hermione and Ron had never made up this quickly before and they certainly had never kissed. Then Jack and Will Abersum popped out from under the table. Will was holding a magic-camera and both wore impish grins. Ron and Hermione didn't seem to notice and Jack whispered in Harry's ear,

"Just a drop of Cosmo's Curious Concoction in the Pumpkin Punch."

Harry laughed but he couldn't help asking, "So is it them or is it the Concoction?"

"I think Lord Fred Weasley said that it magnified actual desires," answered Will.

Harry smiled at the thought and Ron and Hermione were brought back to reality from a loud bang from Will's Magic Camera. They both looked at one another in complete amazement.

The bang had seemed to have done the trick for everyone else too for everyone was beginning to crowd around Ron and Hermione. Ron and Hermione looked anywhere but at each other and said nothing. The party then seemed to start up again without a single word.