The day for the Quidditch tryouts finally came and all we had to do is wait for the lessons to end. As usual, Snape criticised every Gryffindor he came across and ended up making Harry's unsuccessful potion disappear. Harry looked up indignantly and muttered under his breath. Ron smirked and raised an eyebrow, I frowned at the unjust. As the bell rang for the end of lessons, I scurried out of the class, Ron and Harry followed. Harry was still muttering about Snape and Ron found this very amusing. Neville caught up with us halfway down to the Common room.

'Harry! Hey can I tryout for the Quidditch team this year' Neville panted, his hands on his knees.

'Yeah, sure. I'm sure Katie will give you a chance' said Harry.

'I don't have a broom though'

'Umm... you can borrow mine'

Neville's eyed were round as galleons as he said 'you'd let me borrow the Firebolt?'

'Sure'

'Thanks!' Neville said, as he climbed through the portrait hole.

Katie walked past us as we climbed in.

'See you at the pitch, good luck Hermione. Harry told me you were trying out' she said, nodding at us.

'He did, did he?' I said, looking pointedly at Harry.

He smiled apologetically but still looked as though it was his duty.

'And Ron, can you thank Ginny from me' said Katie, calling as she walked off.

'Thank her for what?' Ron asked me.

'Just something she did for her... it had to do with the thing and this guy at the place' I said, thoroughly enjoying messing with Ron's head.

Ron frowned, looking extremely confused but then brightened up as he smiled at someone over my shoulder. I turned and saw, Ginny walking in as well. She looked annoyed and worried.

'What's up?' Ron asked.

'I overslept and missed all my lessons before lunch. I got detention for the whole week' she said, shaking her head.

'Oh' Ron, Harry and I said simultaneously.

'Why didn't you wake me up?' she said, angrily to me.

'Because I very well remember the last time I woke you up. You punched me and kicked Ron... all in your sleep band yet it knocked me out cold' I said, grimacing at the memory.

'Yeah, well. I'm sorry about that' said Ginny, blushing.

'Okay, Quidditch practice' said Ron.

'I'll get my broom!' said Ginny, running to the dormitories.

'When did she get a broom?' Harry asked.

'Oh she helped Fred and George make new stuff for their joke shop and they paid her quite a lot. She got a Nimbus 3000 before school started... and she still had enough money to renew her wardrobe' said Ron, smiling somewhat proudly.

'What is it with girls as clothes?' Harry asked.

I giggled and put a hand on Harry's cheek. He turned slightly pink but put his hand on mine.

'Maybe because that's one of the few things you notice about us...' I said, softly.

'Maybe...' Harry said, a low growling noise came from his throat. I smirked.

'Oh, puh-lease...' said Ron, he looked disgusted and hurt.

'Why? Haven't you seen anyone act smitten before?' I kidded, as Harry placed an arm over my shoulder and kissed my cheek.

Ron sighed and rolled his eyes, just then Ginny came down with a wonderfully detailed broom in her hand.

'Ready to go?' she asked, smiling eagerly.

'Yup' said Ron, messing up Ginny's hair is a brotherly fashion.

As we walked down the marble staircase, we saw Blaise Zabini leaning casually against the railing. He smiled affectionately as he saw Ginny, Ron and Harry both stiffened but didn't ay anything. Blaise acknowledged us with a polite nod and Ginny walked off with him. We could hear Blaise talk seductively to Ginny and her laugh. Ron frowned and clenched his fists.

'Ginny!' he called, unable to control himself anymore.

Ginny turned around, Blaise held her hand which unusually caught Ron's attention before he realised she was looking at him.

'What is he doing her?' he snapped, glaring at Blaise who looked slightly amused.

'"He" is here to see if I do well in Quidditch. He didn't know me till the end of last year as I am Lisa Zabini's friend and we met last year, he didn't know if I was good or not' she said, as a matter of factly.

'How do you know he isn't spying on our Quidditch team?' said Ron, accusingly.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something but as she didn't want another fight she looked pleadingly at me. I nodded and mouthed 'Go ahead... I'll see to it'. She looked relieved as she saw me pull Ron and Harry to a side.

'Well, I suppose you are fantasizing about Zabini too' Ron said loudly.

'What! No... Ron. Give him a chance will you! Ginny likes him and if he's good enough for her why do you have a problem with him? What is it about him that gives you such a problem?' I said, desperately.

Ron looked as though he was thinking very hard then said 'He's well- he... he's a Slytherin!' said Ron as though the only thing he wanted was for me to understand.

'I know you have your doubts... so do I, but you can't let that interfere between Ginny and him. He hasn't harmed her... don't judge him until he has done something to offend you' I said, I looked at Harry for help and he sighed.

'Dude... Ginny isn't a little girl anymore. She can handle him by herself... remember when she knocked you and Hermione out cold... well that was in her sleep. If Zabini tries anything on her, you'll find his organs lying 5 feet from his body' said Harry, smiling at the thought.

I grinned and looked at Ron.

'I just don't want her to get hurt...' he said softly. He stood still for a moment then put his arms around me and gave me a tight enough hug to puncture my lungs but there was something about this hug that I didn't notice before. It wasn't friendly... it was more, much more.

Harry noticed and frowned; he clucked his tongue impatiently and said 'We have tryouts to attend'

'Oh yeah' I said, blood rising to my face.

'Yeah' said Ron, his ears the same colour as his hair.

By the time we reached Ginny and Katie were already in the air. Blaise was on the bleachers, he wasn't very interested in the tryouts so he sat by the bleacher's reading a thick book. There was a long row of Gryffindors sitting on the Ravenclaw side of the bleachers. They included Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, two 7th yrs; three other 5th yrs called Ginger McKenzie, Harvey Sky and Theodore Moran respectively, beside them sat a timid looking 2nd year whom Hermione said to be Felicity Carlton. Blaise was given some company as Parvati and Padma Patil sat whispering to each other and bursting out laughing every now and then which highly annoyed Blaise by the look on his face.

'You're late!' yelled Katie, fifty feet in the air.

'Sorry, we had a little problem' Harry said, loudly. Lifting into the air, followed by Ron.

'What happened to Sloper?' I shouted, at the rate the wind was blowing, I could barely hear myself.

'He moved schools... poor wimp's mother made him move to a school closer to their home' yelled Ginny, looking distinctly disgusted.

I shrugged as I sat down beside Felicity Carlton, who squirmed nervously.

Soon enough I saw everyone in the line fly and act as chasers and beaters. Lavender was good, but she was very abrupt and fell of her broom as she landed. Dean wasn't at all good as his broom stopped all of a sudden in mid air and he slid down to the tail and fell of as well, stopped by Ginny who levitated him a few inches above the ground. By the time Ginger McKenzie flew off in the wrong direction on her broom Neville scurried to the bleachers and sat down beside me. I talked to him till Katie called down at us.

'You two are going to have to have tryouts together. We are out of time'

I nodded and Neville stood up, looking nervous. Harry flew down and handed me his broom.

'Thanks' I muttered as I realised how nervous I was.

'Anytime... honey' he said, blushing slightly.

Neville who was watching sniggered. I turned red but walked down to the centre of the Quiddditch pitch and took of. I felt the cold breeze, which felt colder every minute. I thought it was because the sun was setting or because of the speed of the Firebolt but when I saw that Harry was still higher than any of us but he looked as though he sensed trouble. Everyone was now looking at Harry who now wore the expression of pain and horror; his eyes were turning red and looked like the ones that belonged to cats. He suddenly clutched his scar and fell of his broom. Katie screamed and Ron was staring as though he couldn't believe what was happening. I stared to, I didn't know what to do, he was to far to catch but suddenly a red blur zoomed by me and Harry fell with a soft thud onto the blur, which slowed down revealing Ginny who looked scared and worried on her broom, Harry was trying to climb it as Ginny pulled onto his hand with both of hers and was trying to pull him onto her broom before he fell from another 30 feet in the air. Ron swooped down upon Harry and Ginny and helped his sister pull Harry up.

'Harry, you alright mate?' Ron asked, his voice was hoarse and dry.

'Yeah! Ron... tell everyone to head back to the castle, Dementors... and Death Eater's. In the forest. Tell Dumbledore!' said Harry, gasping for breath.

'I'll get Dumbledore' said Katie, who had come along with Neville to see if Harry was okay.

'I'll tell everyone to go. Ron, you coming?' said Neville, obviously alarmed at the news.

Ron nodded and followed Neville to the stands, shouting at everyone to head back to the castle.

I settled the Firebolt on level with Ginny's broom so Harry could lean onto another support.

'We'd better head back too' said Ginny, gravely.

Harry nodded numbly but before we could turn our brooms, everything around turned abnormally cold. Harry paled as he weakly sat up on Ginny's broom.

'Harry! Hermione! Ginny!' Neville's voice yelled from the ground.

'Watch out Hermione!' Ron yelled, he looked so pale that he barely stood out from the snow behind him.

Ginny turned around and with seeker instincts pulled her own and my broom down by 5 feet. I looked up and saw a hooded black creature swoop over us. Ron yelled and launched into the air, I suddenly felt a cold hand on my back and felt myself being pulled of my broom. I struggled wildly as Ginny had tears pouring down her face, she pulled onto my hand, so did Harry. He had one of his hands around my wrist and another around his wand as he created a patronus which galloped on air and charged at the dementor. I continued struggling but the dementor was just too strong. Before the stag could charge at the dementor which was slowly pulling me away, an electric blue wall formed between the dementor and the stag. Harry looked down and gasped 'Malfoy ...' he growled as the stag slowly disappeared.

'Expelliarmus' Harry yelled, pointing his wand at Lucius Malfoy.

I felt everything fade in front of me, the lights and the snow turned into nothingness as I felt myself hit the ground with a low thud. I landed softer than I thought, someone had caught me and I fell upon them as I felt strong arms under my shoulder.

I opened my eyes to listen to low voices and moans of pain. I rubbed my eyes and looked up to see Professor McGonagall looking down at me with worried eyes.

'She's alright Albus, she will be fine after a little cleaning up' she said.

Professor Dumbledore walked up to me and said 'Are you feeling alright Ms. Granger? Are you feeling well enough to get up or would you like to go to sleep again?' he asked, his voice sounded warm and concerned.

'I'm fine, thanks Professor. How are the others?' I said, getting up.

'I suppose I should tell you what happened as you fainted before any real danger. Firstly let me say that Mr. Potter will be alright with a few days rest and another dose of Skele- gro. Mr. Weasley is alright but he has a slight head injury as he landed on his head when he caught you. Ms. Weasley on the other hand was trying her best to keep Harry on her broom as she came down to rescue you as well but was thrown off her broom by a death eater and she unfortunately fell from thirty feet in the air onto the wooden bleachers' said Dumbledore, sadly.

I whimpered and felt the air drain out of me... Ron had rescued me and Ginny almost got killed to rescue me. I felt tears running down my cheeks and I couldn't even control them.

'There there, Ms. Granger. You friends shall be in perfect shape once Madam Pomfrey deals with them. Don't worry now, everything is going to be fine' said Professor McGonagall, putting a hand on my shoulder. I cried softly as Dumbledore looked down at me.

'I think I should tell you the whole story' said Dumbledore.

I nodded, breathing deeply.

'Madame Pomfrey? Could I borrow your office for a minute or two?' asked Dumbledore.

'Of Course' said Madam Pomfrey, who was soaking a cold compress by a bed where Blaise Zabini sat staring at Ginny who lay in her bed, blood slowly dripping down her forehead and cheek.

I sat down on a chair and Dumbledore looked at me sadly for a moment.

'You were attacked by five death eaters and three dementors. You must know what happened till you fainted. You were being pulled away from safety by two of the dementors. Harry tried to get rid of the dementors by creating a patronus but Lucius Malfoy. Neville Longbottom attacked him, unsuccessfully but yet it worked. Lucius Malfoy is arrested and sent to Ireland where the prison is guarded by more faithful creatures than dementors. He cannot escape from there unless... well I wouldn't be telling you that. But then as you fell down, Ms. Weasley flew down to help you but se and Mr. Potter and her were thrown of the broom and both of them fell onto the bleachers and Bellatrix Lestrange levitated he other four sets of bleachers and... ahem... threw them onto Ginny and Harry. Well then Ms. Bell called me over to the pitch and Professor McGonagall. We got Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy put into prison. The dementors were killed, or should I say dissolved and you were got here'

I sighed as I took all this in... I gasped for air... I couldn't breathe and I gave an odd hiccup and passed out again.