CHAPTER 13
That evening, in the Great Hall, Katie Bell came whizzing over to him. "Harry! I'm captain! For the quidditch team!"
"Er good," said Harry smiling at her.
"You've got to come to the quidditch tryouts!" She said excitedly.
"I thought you were banned from playing quidditch Potter," Came a voice from behind him. He turned to see Malfoy stood next to Piers Polkiss.
"Well you thought wrong!" Snapped Katie. "Now that Umbridge has left - "
"I think you'll find it won't make much difference." Said Malfoy scathingly.
"I don't think we will!" Snapped Katie. "I'll be speaking to McGonnagal about this! It's Malfoy isn't it? Who's this?" She glared at Piers.
"His sidekick." Said Ron who had just arrived.
"Sidekick am I?" Said Piers, spiking up his hair, "I - "
"What's going on over here?" Said Professor McGonnagal hurrying over. "Back to your table Malfoy and Polkiss isn't it?"
Malfoy and Piers stood their ground however. "Bell says-" Malfoy began.
"Yes," said Katie glaring at Malfoy. "I say that Harry is allowed to rejoin the quidditch team now that the Umbridge woman's left!"
"Yes of course Potter, I've got your broomstick by the way."
Malfoy's jaw dropped open. "I'll be speaking to my father about this!" He said sulkily. "Potter attacked me! He can't just rejoin like that!"
"I'm sorry Malfoy, but now that Dolores has left," she sniffed upon saying Umbridge's name, "that Harry no longer has a ban."
"But the degrees..." Said Malfoy looking stunned.
"They have been destroyed." Said Professor McGonnagal coldly. Now please return to you table"
Malfoy and Piers did not go quietly. They stomped back to the Slytherin table casting infuriated looks back at the Gryffindors as they went. "I've got my detention tonight." Said Harry gloomily when they had gone.
"Ah well," said Ron "Ginny will be with you at least."
The amount of homework continued to pile up during the day. They were given more by Professor Sprout and Grubbly Plank in the morning and by the evening, had enough to last a month, let alone one evening. Harry and Ron were sitting it the common room battling through a nasty essay on how to distinguish a manticore when Ginny's face appeared over his roll of parchment. "Come on Harry!" She hissed, "we'll be late!" She dragged Harry to his feet and together they hurried to Professor McGonnagal's office. They knocked and waited.
"Oh there you are," said Professor McGonnagal opening the door. "Yes, you will both be helping Professor Lovegood sort out his documents. Come with me." Harry and Ginny followed her down to Professor Lovegood's office and knocked on the door. Professor Lovegood opened it and looked at Harry and Ginny in surprise.
"Oh yes!" He said smiling. "I remember, thank you Minerva." Professor McGonnagal left Harry and Ginny to gaze round the room. It was a very dark blue with enchanted stars on the ceiling like those of the great hall. It also had pictured of white splodges that vibrated every so often. "Sit down then, here you go." He handed them a stack of letters. "You can sort through these. Would you put the junk mail in the bin and anything else on my desk, thank you." He sat down and continued writing a letter. Harry made a start on his stack of letters.
About twenty minutes later, Professor Lovegood looked up. "You're Ginny Weasley." He said to Ginny. "You went to the ministry last term didn't you?"
"Er, yes." Said Ginny nervously.
"How do you know that?" Harry blurted out, throwing another piece of junk mail into the bin.
"I have my sources." Said Professor Lovegood smiling at them.
"Well is one of your sources Luna, because - "
"Oh no," said Professor Lovegood calmly. "Not at all. Please continue with the letters."
At last, Harry and Ginny left the office and progressed slowly back to the common room. "It's got to be Luna!" Said Ginny, climbing another flight of stairs. "How would he know otherwise?"
"I don't know." Said Harry. "Well he's got to be a bit weird hasn't he? Or where would Luna have got it from?"
"Yeah, I suppose." Said Ginny and hurried off, leaving Harry standing alone. He wandered off in no particular direction and suddenly felt himself collide with something. Yet there was nothing there.
"Who's there?" He asked, getting to his feet. He could hear breathing. Fast heavy breathing. Someone was there, invisible. "Who's there?" He asked again. Still no reply. He could still hear hushed breaths though. It was coming from right in front of him. Whatever it was, Harry thought he'd better make a run for it. He hurried down several flights of stairs and stopped. He listened again. Someone was there! They had been following him. "GO AWAY!" Harry yelled. The breathing quietened. The door behind Harry opened and Professor McGonnagal hurried out.
"What's all this unnecessary noise Potter!" She snapped. "And what are you doing up so late?"
"Professor, there's something here, it's invisible."
"Don't be ridiculous! There's nothing here!" Said Professor McGonnagal.
"Yes there is!" Insisted Harry. "It's invisible! I heard it breathing."
"I'll be right back." Said Professor McGonnagal and hurried into her office again. She returned with a small torch, which she turned on. At once, illuminated in the darkness was a small figure under a cloak. She had long dark hair and was looking at Professor McGonnagal and Harry. "What on earth are you doing up this late Anna!" Snapped Professor McGonnagal still keeping the torch fixed on the girl. Harry had never seen her before. She must be a first year. She didn't reply. "You'd better get back to bed." Said Professor McGonnagal. "And take off that cloak, goodness knows where you got it." The girl pulled off her invisibility cloak and tucked it safely under her arm still staring at Harry and McGonnagal. At last she turned and began walking back upstairs. Professor McGonnagal returned to her office muttering about 'unnecessary disturbances.'
Harry ran after the girl who was half way up the stone stairs. "Who are you?" He asked her.
He hadn't expected a reply, but she turned to face him, long black hair sweeping her face. "I'm Anna Chang." She said. "I'm in Hufflepuff." She continued walking.
"Wait," said Harry, "you're not related to Cho Chang are you?" Chang wasn't a very common name. Maybe this girl was a cousin or something.
"I'm her sister." Said Anna shortly. "This is my first week at Hogwarts."
"Why were you following me?" Harry asked, still trying to take in all this information.
Anna merely shrugged and ran off to the Hufflepuff common room, Harry still staring after her.
That evening, in the Great Hall, Katie Bell came whizzing over to him. "Harry! I'm captain! For the quidditch team!"
"Er good," said Harry smiling at her.
"You've got to come to the quidditch tryouts!" She said excitedly.
"I thought you were banned from playing quidditch Potter," Came a voice from behind him. He turned to see Malfoy stood next to Piers Polkiss.
"Well you thought wrong!" Snapped Katie. "Now that Umbridge has left - "
"I think you'll find it won't make much difference." Said Malfoy scathingly.
"I don't think we will!" Snapped Katie. "I'll be speaking to McGonnagal about this! It's Malfoy isn't it? Who's this?" She glared at Piers.
"His sidekick." Said Ron who had just arrived.
"Sidekick am I?" Said Piers, spiking up his hair, "I - "
"What's going on over here?" Said Professor McGonnagal hurrying over. "Back to your table Malfoy and Polkiss isn't it?"
Malfoy and Piers stood their ground however. "Bell says-" Malfoy began.
"Yes," said Katie glaring at Malfoy. "I say that Harry is allowed to rejoin the quidditch team now that the Umbridge woman's left!"
"Yes of course Potter, I've got your broomstick by the way."
Malfoy's jaw dropped open. "I'll be speaking to my father about this!" He said sulkily. "Potter attacked me! He can't just rejoin like that!"
"I'm sorry Malfoy, but now that Dolores has left," she sniffed upon saying Umbridge's name, "that Harry no longer has a ban."
"But the degrees..." Said Malfoy looking stunned.
"They have been destroyed." Said Professor McGonnagal coldly. Now please return to you table"
Malfoy and Piers did not go quietly. They stomped back to the Slytherin table casting infuriated looks back at the Gryffindors as they went. "I've got my detention tonight." Said Harry gloomily when they had gone.
"Ah well," said Ron "Ginny will be with you at least."
The amount of homework continued to pile up during the day. They were given more by Professor Sprout and Grubbly Plank in the morning and by the evening, had enough to last a month, let alone one evening. Harry and Ron were sitting it the common room battling through a nasty essay on how to distinguish a manticore when Ginny's face appeared over his roll of parchment. "Come on Harry!" She hissed, "we'll be late!" She dragged Harry to his feet and together they hurried to Professor McGonnagal's office. They knocked and waited.
"Oh there you are," said Professor McGonnagal opening the door. "Yes, you will both be helping Professor Lovegood sort out his documents. Come with me." Harry and Ginny followed her down to Professor Lovegood's office and knocked on the door. Professor Lovegood opened it and looked at Harry and Ginny in surprise.
"Oh yes!" He said smiling. "I remember, thank you Minerva." Professor McGonnagal left Harry and Ginny to gaze round the room. It was a very dark blue with enchanted stars on the ceiling like those of the great hall. It also had pictured of white splodges that vibrated every so often. "Sit down then, here you go." He handed them a stack of letters. "You can sort through these. Would you put the junk mail in the bin and anything else on my desk, thank you." He sat down and continued writing a letter. Harry made a start on his stack of letters.
About twenty minutes later, Professor Lovegood looked up. "You're Ginny Weasley." He said to Ginny. "You went to the ministry last term didn't you?"
"Er, yes." Said Ginny nervously.
"How do you know that?" Harry blurted out, throwing another piece of junk mail into the bin.
"I have my sources." Said Professor Lovegood smiling at them.
"Well is one of your sources Luna, because - "
"Oh no," said Professor Lovegood calmly. "Not at all. Please continue with the letters."
At last, Harry and Ginny left the office and progressed slowly back to the common room. "It's got to be Luna!" Said Ginny, climbing another flight of stairs. "How would he know otherwise?"
"I don't know." Said Harry. "Well he's got to be a bit weird hasn't he? Or where would Luna have got it from?"
"Yeah, I suppose." Said Ginny and hurried off, leaving Harry standing alone. He wandered off in no particular direction and suddenly felt himself collide with something. Yet there was nothing there.
"Who's there?" He asked, getting to his feet. He could hear breathing. Fast heavy breathing. Someone was there, invisible. "Who's there?" He asked again. Still no reply. He could still hear hushed breaths though. It was coming from right in front of him. Whatever it was, Harry thought he'd better make a run for it. He hurried down several flights of stairs and stopped. He listened again. Someone was there! They had been following him. "GO AWAY!" Harry yelled. The breathing quietened. The door behind Harry opened and Professor McGonnagal hurried out.
"What's all this unnecessary noise Potter!" She snapped. "And what are you doing up so late?"
"Professor, there's something here, it's invisible."
"Don't be ridiculous! There's nothing here!" Said Professor McGonnagal.
"Yes there is!" Insisted Harry. "It's invisible! I heard it breathing."
"I'll be right back." Said Professor McGonnagal and hurried into her office again. She returned with a small torch, which she turned on. At once, illuminated in the darkness was a small figure under a cloak. She had long dark hair and was looking at Professor McGonnagal and Harry. "What on earth are you doing up this late Anna!" Snapped Professor McGonnagal still keeping the torch fixed on the girl. Harry had never seen her before. She must be a first year. She didn't reply. "You'd better get back to bed." Said Professor McGonnagal. "And take off that cloak, goodness knows where you got it." The girl pulled off her invisibility cloak and tucked it safely under her arm still staring at Harry and McGonnagal. At last she turned and began walking back upstairs. Professor McGonnagal returned to her office muttering about 'unnecessary disturbances.'
Harry ran after the girl who was half way up the stone stairs. "Who are you?" He asked her.
He hadn't expected a reply, but she turned to face him, long black hair sweeping her face. "I'm Anna Chang." She said. "I'm in Hufflepuff." She continued walking.
"Wait," said Harry, "you're not related to Cho Chang are you?" Chang wasn't a very common name. Maybe this girl was a cousin or something.
"I'm her sister." Said Anna shortly. "This is my first week at Hogwarts."
"Why were you following me?" Harry asked, still trying to take in all this information.
Anna merely shrugged and ran off to the Hufflepuff common room, Harry still staring after her.