A/N: I know it has been a while since I last updated, life has gotten extremely busy, but I have decided that I need some time for me for once so I have chained myself to the computer to write this right now. now to thank my reviewers:
Xylem: thank you so much for reviewing my story still after all this time
Chips challenge: yea, he probably will tell her first, she is trusting and all. Thanks so much for the review
Muffinlover: thanks, I did have a lot of fun on my band trip. There will probably be more conflict introduced, thanks for the review!
Zou-chang: I love quidditch so I had to start it up soon in the story lol
Lost In A World Of Pain: that review wasn't harsh at all, I understand totally about life being busy, thanks so much for squeezing in time to review my story
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter.
Chapter 13:
Harry sat at a table in the common room with parchment scattered about the table as he sat concentrating on the chart he had made. On it he had listed all of the quidditch positions, and then filled in where the existing players were. So far he had, Katie Bell as their only Chaser, no Beaters, Ron as the Keeper, and himself as the seeker. He knew one boy Andrew Kirk played a beater when Fred and George were kicked off, and he knew Ginny had an interest in also playing Beater. So that left two open positions for Chasers, and whoever else wanted to also try-out for Beater. He grabbed a blank piece of parchment and started to write in bold letters "EMPTY POSITIONS STILL LEFT FOR THE GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH TEAM" he listed the four spots and posted the flyer on the Common Room Bulletin Board.
Hermione came up behind Harry and said, "I am glad to see you are taking this seriously, it shows that you can do things if you really want to." Harry didn't know whether or not to take that as a compliment, but he just smiled unsurely anyway.
"We have quite a few openings this year, two beaters and two chasers, I hope to make this team be the best it can be, and I wouldn't mind winning the cup this year." replied Harry.
"I'll be in the crowd alone this year, with you playing again, Ron on the team, and most likely having Ginny play too, I will have to be all of your support" said Hermione smiling.
Harry then looked at his watch and realized how soon their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson was starting; he quickly started gathering his things, as Hermione left to grab a bite to eat. As Harry was getting his things Ron came down the stairs from the boy's dormitories looking rather disheveled. "H-Hey Mate," said Ron stifling a yawn, "you ready to start heading to class?"
Harry nodded and they left to get to their lesson. Lately, Harry had been really trying to keep up with his work load, and keep his marks up; he figured if he could at least keep up before Quidditch started up then it would be easier to try to stay ahead, with all the practices and games. He realized his future was creeping faster and faster around the corner and if he did want to become an auror he needed to have high marks.
When they got to their lesson they saw Hermione was already there, quickly they took their seats near her, for Professor Bugiardo to start. Harry tried as hard as he could to concentrate, but his mind kept wandering to other things, he even caught himself dozing off at time during her lecture, then about half-way through the lesson there was a knock at the door. Professor McGonagall came in the doorway and said, "May I please have Mr. Weasley right now," Harry and Hermione immediately looked at McGonagall trying to see what it is she wanted, she must have noticed, "on second thought, it might be better to have Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger also."
Nervously, Harry, Hermione and Ron nervously got all of their things together; they wondered what it was that McGonagall wanted, and why it was just Ron she wanted at first. They all followed McGonagall down the hallway into her office and as they walked in they saw that they were not the only ones in there, Ginny was sitting there waiting too, looking just as nervous as all of them.
Slowly Harry, Ron and Hermione took a seat, Harry next to Ginny, and Ron next to Hermione. McGonagall looked at all of them and she looked extremely sad, and had no glint in her eye or anything.
"I hate that I have to be the one to tell you all this, but there has been a recent attack in Hogsmeade," she looked up at them.
"I-Is everyone okay?" asked Ginny meekly.
"Well, there was one death," replied McGonagall, now not even looking up at them.
"Who was it?" asked Hermione in a shaky voice.
"George Weasley."
The room was silent, Ron put his head in his hands, Hermione was blinking back tears, Ginny was in shock, and Harry didn't know what to think.
"Mr. and Ms. Weasley you are allowed to go home to be with your family, and as for Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger, if the Weasley's would like you there, you may go."
"They are coming with," replied Ginny in a rather dead voice, "we wouldn't have it any other way, and they practically are family."
"I am extremely sorry for your loss, and I know he will be missed" said McGonagall, as she stood up to let them out, slowly as if in a trance they all got up, Ginny, Hermione and Ron left the room, but Harry stayed behind.
"Professor," said Harry, "do we know who it was who…who k-killed him, or how it happened?"
"Well, it was a large group of death-eaters, and their shop was pretty much destroyed, since Fred was not there, he is okay, well physically anyway, but anyone who would have been in the store would not be here today, unfortunately George was."
Harry left her office and slowly started heading towards the common room, he had forgotten about Fred. He must be devastated. George was his twin brother, they had been through everything together, and now, he was gone. As Harry approached the common room he wasn't sure if he really wanted to go in there, sure George wasn't his brother, but the Weasley's were the first real family Harry every had, and now with George gone he just didn't want to accept it. He turned around and just started wandering the hallways, it was better than being in the common room.
Dragging his feet, looking at the ground he walked for about a half-hour, until he realized how selfish he was being, he should be in the common room with Ron, Ginny and Hermione, they probably needed more company. Slowly he started heading back towards the common room, he walked in to see Ron sitting staring at the fire, much like he, himself had done when a lot was running through his mind. Harry went and sat next to him without saying a word and stared into the fire with him, he couldn't find words to say what he wanted.
"'Mione's upstairs with Ginny" mumbled Ron not looking away from the fire. Harry just nodded in response, he wasn't really sure what to do, he never had a friend loose someone, it was usually himself loosing someone close, he hoped that just sitting there with him would show his condolences. They sat there for a long time finally Ron mumbled something about going upstairs and left, Harry knew he just wanted to be alone, so he stayed there and stared into the fire.
A little bit later Hermione came downstairs looking rather disheveled, her eyes were bloodshot and her hair was frizzier than normal, she went and sat down near the fire.
"I definitely didn't even think of him of all people to die in this war, I was more worried about Tonks and Mad Eye" said Hermione and she sniffed.
"Yea I think that is how we all feel Hermione" agreed Harry.
"I think I am just going to go to bed, it has been a long day," sighed Hermione, "oh and by the way, McGonagall came and said that tomorrow morning we would all be leaving to go to the Weasley's."
"Alright, thanks, night" replied Harry.
Harry knew he should probably go to bed, but he just had too much running through his mind to even think about sleeping right now. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to go to the Weasley's tomorrow, he knew that they probably just wanted to be a family, did they really want to be inconvienced with having Harry and Hermione around, or did they consider them close enough to be family? Maybe if he worked on some school-work he could keep his mind off this for now, Harry pulled out his charms book and started reading.
The art of performing charms is a very peculiar one indeed, you must put all effort and thoughts into the charm you are about to perform for it to be successful…
"Harry, Harry! Wake up, we have to get going soon and I don't think you have gotten your things together yet!" croaked a very tired looking Hermione, as she shook Harry awake. Apparently he had fallen asleep at the table in the common room.
"Wha-? Oh sorry about that Hermione, I-I'll go get my things together" mumbled a half-awake Harry.
Harry went upstairs and opened his trunk, slowly he started grabbing some clothes and stuffing them in a bag. He looked over to the next bed and saw Ron, sleeping, you could tell by the way he was that it wasn't a relaxing sleep, but more of a sleep you need from exhaustion. Harry sighed, he couldn't believe all of this was happening, why did people he always knew die? Why was their death always linked to Voldemort? Harry knew now for sure that when it was time he needed to defeat Voldemort, he just couldn't stand all of these deaths anymore.
Suddenly, Harry looked over and Ron was awake, he looked awful. Harry was unsure whether or not to say anything to him, before he even could someone came upstairs, it was Hermione and Ginny.
"McGonagall came in and told us that we are leaving in a half-hour" said Hermione, "do you guys need help with anything?"
Ron just grumbled something and shook his head now, and Harry said he was fine. Ginny and Hermione left and Harry kept on packing in an awkward silence with Ron.
Harry knew that this was going to be a hard week.
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A/N: ahh I know that some people will probably be mad at me for 2 reasons….
I killed a character =( it took me 89743894723 million years to updatewell I am extremely sorry for both of those, but as for a character death, it needed to happen in my story, and trust me, I feel bad because George Weasley was one of my all time favorite characters, I hope you will understand that it just needed to happen, and sometimes much like life, things happen that you really don't want to.