Gryffindor won the Quiditch game 260 to 50.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry chewed worriedly on his quill, unable to concentrate on his assignment. They were almost midway through February. For the last 3 weeks now, there'd been rumors of attacks. One to two a week. Harry couldn't find anything in the Prophet about the attacks but Hermione had talked to McGonagall and Harry had talked to Dumbledore. The rumors were true (to some extent).
Most had been attacks against random Muggles or Muggle-borns, and a couple against Dumbledore's supporters. There was one case where the Imperius curse had been placed on or attempted to place on someone.
Harry tried to district himself. Come on, you've got to finish this test! But he didn't want to. It didn't seem important.
He put down the quill.
"Potter!" hissed Snape. "Get back to work. If you do not at least attempt every question, you fail."
Harry wrenched his mind away from thoughts of Deatheaters, Voldemort, pain, misery, and Luna Lovegood. What was the last ingredient for a pink talking rubber duck potion again? Right! Seaweed. He wondered briefly why anyone would want to turn anyone into a talking, pink rubber duck. Didn't matter. He scribbled answers to the last 3 questions.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry was just through with his Legilimency lesson that night when he decided to bring up the attacks to Luna. "Why do you think they're happening?"
"What?" she asked in her far-off voice that she usually used when other people were talking to her; not the voice she used during their lessons.
He bit his lip with impatience and stared her in the eye, determined to get a straight answer. "Why do you think the attacks are happening now? What are the motivations behind them? Other than the lack of being pureblooded there's no connection. What do you think?"
"Why do you need to know what I think?"
"Bloody h-" he started. Why did he need to know what she thought? He didn't know. He just knew that more important than finding out what Ron or Hermione thought, was finding out what Luna thought. Her view was always different, always unique. "You were one of the first people to believe me last year. You're loyal. You've got a good head on your shoulders. I don't know. I just know I need to know."
"Fair enough. I think it's because somebody is getting more powerful. I don't know if it's them or us. But for better or for worse, somebody is. It'll be all right in the end. You'll see." She squeezed his hand and jumped off of McGonagall's desk.
Harry was walking back from his lesson with Luna when he heard lowered voices speaking in the hall.
He peeked around the corner and saw Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Dumbledore standing there.
"Recruitment has begun," said Snape softly.
McGonagall's eyes happened to fall on Harry before anymore could be said. "Potter! What are you doing in the halls at this time of night?"
"I was at my Legilimency lesson, Professor."
"Were you eavesdropping on us, Harry?" asked Dumbledore's grave voice.
"I just got here, sir." It was the truth; he had just arrived. One sentence didn't really count as eavesdropping.
"Go to bed, Harry. I'm sure your Legilimency lesson was exhausting," said Dumbledore.
Snape said icily, "I'm sure he has mass quantities of homework to complete."
"Goodnight, Professors."
"Goodnight, Harry," they all replied, all but Snape. Snape just stared coldly at him.
Harry tried not to shiver as he walked away, he'd forgotten his cloak in the Common Room, but he knew the coldness he was feeling was from Snape's stare.
When he got to the common room he found Ron and Hermione sitting together. His arm was around her as she tried to explain the Transfiguration homework.
"Hey," he said awkwardly. They didn't seem to hear him. "Hey!"
"Oh. What is it, Harry? I was trying to explain this spell about-"
"Sure you were. I over heard Snape and McGonagall and Dumbledore and Flitwick talking."
"What did they say?" They turned to face him; he was sitting on the arm of the couch. Ron slowly took his arm off of Hermione.
"Snape said 'Recruitment has begun'."
"And then what else?"
"That was it."
"That was all anybody said?"
"That was all I heard."
"So what's the big deal?" asked Ron, clearly irritated that his time with Hermione had been interrupted for so little cause.
"Well, which side? Who's done the Recruiting? Is it more people joining our side? Or their's? He's supposed to be a spy after all."
"Isn't it obvious?" said Hermione.
"What's obvious?" asked Ron.
"Well, look at the evidence. All the attacks. That's probably how they test and initiate new Deatheaters. Send them out to attack, if it's successful, they're in."
"Not necessarily," Harry said slowly. "The attacks might have spurred more people on to join our side."
Ron said, "Well, maybe it's both. The more serious this war gets, the more people realize that they can't just stay out of it. They're realizing that they have to pick a side or they'll get caught in the crossfire anyway. The time is now. If they wait to long to pick, it could be too late."
"I think Ron is right," said Neville, walking over.
"You've been listening to us?" asked Harry, crossly.
"Well, I saw you come in, Harry, and it looked like you had something important to say." Neville stood nearer to Harry and Hermione's end of the couch than Ron's. Ron's promised revenge for Neville dating Ginny still hadn't come yet and they'd been dating almost two months. Neville was still wary, because as the saying went "revenge is a dish best served cold".
"That does make the most sense," said Hermione.
"Yeah," said Harry. "I'm tired, those Legilimency lessons leave wiped." He went upstairs, surprised to find Neville right behind him.
"Can I talk to you a minute, Harry?"
"Sure. What about, Neville?" Neville looked nervous.
"Well, I was wondering if you could find out what Ron and Hermione's plans are for Saturday. It's a Hogsmeade day. And it's Valentine's Day. Ginny and I thought it would be best to avoid them."
"I think you're right. I'll find out tomorrow."
"What are your plans?"
"My plans? I'm not seeing anybody."
"Well, I'm not going to be here, Ginny's not going to be here, Ron and Hermione aren't going to be here in all likelihood. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." He'd been so preoccupied that he hardly gave Valentine's Day a thought. When he did think about it, he'd just brushed it aside. His two best friends were dating each other; he had no one to hang out with.
"You're still getting lessons from Luna, right?"
"Yeah." He wondered where this was going. "But I don't want to date her." A nutcase like her was the last thing he needed.
"Well, do like you did for Christmas. If she's not busy, tell her that you want to thank her for all the help she's given you this year. You can go out to lunch with her and buy her a pair of earrings. Something to replace those radishes she wears."
"Yeah . . ."
"She wears the necklace you bought her everyday. And now she brushes her hair. I wonder what her incentive was to start keeping her appearance up." He gave a cheeky grin and ducked as Harry came forward to try and hit him. After a minute or so he said, "I give up! I know you don't want to date her. I don't want to get hurt so quit chasing me!"
Harry glared at him.
"As a girlfriend or not, I think she's been good for you, Harry. It's good for you to spend time with her. You always seem happier after seeing her. You're loads better over your godfather's death now than I would have thought after seeing you over the summer. The way you talk about her, think about what she says, everything just seems to scream that you belong together. Soul mates. I'm not saying you've got to marry her or anything, but you really seem to understand each other. I don't know if anybody really understands you as well as she seems to and I can't think of anyone who understands her like you can, or even comes close." He shrugged.
Harry fell asleep that night with a lot on his mind. An awful lot. Why did things have to be so complicated?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wow. Ron was deep with that "maybe it's both of them" thing. I didn't plan that; he was just supposed to avoid a fight with Harry and Hermione. Oh well, what works works, I guess. Hmmm . . . I hope I'm not getting too mushy. I realize the emotional side of Harry might be making him seem weaker rather than stronger, but I'm trying to show him as more rounded. If he turns out heartless, then he's no better than Voldemort. Right?
Here are some individual replies for anybody who asked a question.
Lord of Darkness13-I'll update Fortress of Shadows as soon as I can.
fetons-babe-Hope it was okay that I used those talking pink rubber duckies.
Preview
For
Next
Chapter
Is
Back
"So, Luna, I'll see you at noon tomorrow?"
"Okay."
"Same place as last time?"
"Alright."
He almost reminded her that it wasn't a date, but he hesitated. Instead he said, "I'll see you tomorrow, then.
She nodded and Harry watched her walk away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry chewed worriedly on his quill, unable to concentrate on his assignment. They were almost midway through February. For the last 3 weeks now, there'd been rumors of attacks. One to two a week. Harry couldn't find anything in the Prophet about the attacks but Hermione had talked to McGonagall and Harry had talked to Dumbledore. The rumors were true (to some extent).
Most had been attacks against random Muggles or Muggle-borns, and a couple against Dumbledore's supporters. There was one case where the Imperius curse had been placed on or attempted to place on someone.
Harry tried to district himself. Come on, you've got to finish this test! But he didn't want to. It didn't seem important.
He put down the quill.
"Potter!" hissed Snape. "Get back to work. If you do not at least attempt every question, you fail."
Harry wrenched his mind away from thoughts of Deatheaters, Voldemort, pain, misery, and Luna Lovegood. What was the last ingredient for a pink talking rubber duck potion again? Right! Seaweed. He wondered briefly why anyone would want to turn anyone into a talking, pink rubber duck. Didn't matter. He scribbled answers to the last 3 questions.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry was just through with his Legilimency lesson that night when he decided to bring up the attacks to Luna. "Why do you think they're happening?"
"What?" she asked in her far-off voice that she usually used when other people were talking to her; not the voice she used during their lessons.
He bit his lip with impatience and stared her in the eye, determined to get a straight answer. "Why do you think the attacks are happening now? What are the motivations behind them? Other than the lack of being pureblooded there's no connection. What do you think?"
"Why do you need to know what I think?"
"Bloody h-" he started. Why did he need to know what she thought? He didn't know. He just knew that more important than finding out what Ron or Hermione thought, was finding out what Luna thought. Her view was always different, always unique. "You were one of the first people to believe me last year. You're loyal. You've got a good head on your shoulders. I don't know. I just know I need to know."
"Fair enough. I think it's because somebody is getting more powerful. I don't know if it's them or us. But for better or for worse, somebody is. It'll be all right in the end. You'll see." She squeezed his hand and jumped off of McGonagall's desk.
Harry was walking back from his lesson with Luna when he heard lowered voices speaking in the hall.
He peeked around the corner and saw Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Dumbledore standing there.
"Recruitment has begun," said Snape softly.
McGonagall's eyes happened to fall on Harry before anymore could be said. "Potter! What are you doing in the halls at this time of night?"
"I was at my Legilimency lesson, Professor."
"Were you eavesdropping on us, Harry?" asked Dumbledore's grave voice.
"I just got here, sir." It was the truth; he had just arrived. One sentence didn't really count as eavesdropping.
"Go to bed, Harry. I'm sure your Legilimency lesson was exhausting," said Dumbledore.
Snape said icily, "I'm sure he has mass quantities of homework to complete."
"Goodnight, Professors."
"Goodnight, Harry," they all replied, all but Snape. Snape just stared coldly at him.
Harry tried not to shiver as he walked away, he'd forgotten his cloak in the Common Room, but he knew the coldness he was feeling was from Snape's stare.
When he got to the common room he found Ron and Hermione sitting together. His arm was around her as she tried to explain the Transfiguration homework.
"Hey," he said awkwardly. They didn't seem to hear him. "Hey!"
"Oh. What is it, Harry? I was trying to explain this spell about-"
"Sure you were. I over heard Snape and McGonagall and Dumbledore and Flitwick talking."
"What did they say?" They turned to face him; he was sitting on the arm of the couch. Ron slowly took his arm off of Hermione.
"Snape said 'Recruitment has begun'."
"And then what else?"
"That was it."
"That was all anybody said?"
"That was all I heard."
"So what's the big deal?" asked Ron, clearly irritated that his time with Hermione had been interrupted for so little cause.
"Well, which side? Who's done the Recruiting? Is it more people joining our side? Or their's? He's supposed to be a spy after all."
"Isn't it obvious?" said Hermione.
"What's obvious?" asked Ron.
"Well, look at the evidence. All the attacks. That's probably how they test and initiate new Deatheaters. Send them out to attack, if it's successful, they're in."
"Not necessarily," Harry said slowly. "The attacks might have spurred more people on to join our side."
Ron said, "Well, maybe it's both. The more serious this war gets, the more people realize that they can't just stay out of it. They're realizing that they have to pick a side or they'll get caught in the crossfire anyway. The time is now. If they wait to long to pick, it could be too late."
"I think Ron is right," said Neville, walking over.
"You've been listening to us?" asked Harry, crossly.
"Well, I saw you come in, Harry, and it looked like you had something important to say." Neville stood nearer to Harry and Hermione's end of the couch than Ron's. Ron's promised revenge for Neville dating Ginny still hadn't come yet and they'd been dating almost two months. Neville was still wary, because as the saying went "revenge is a dish best served cold".
"That does make the most sense," said Hermione.
"Yeah," said Harry. "I'm tired, those Legilimency lessons leave wiped." He went upstairs, surprised to find Neville right behind him.
"Can I talk to you a minute, Harry?"
"Sure. What about, Neville?" Neville looked nervous.
"Well, I was wondering if you could find out what Ron and Hermione's plans are for Saturday. It's a Hogsmeade day. And it's Valentine's Day. Ginny and I thought it would be best to avoid them."
"I think you're right. I'll find out tomorrow."
"What are your plans?"
"My plans? I'm not seeing anybody."
"Well, I'm not going to be here, Ginny's not going to be here, Ron and Hermione aren't going to be here in all likelihood. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." He'd been so preoccupied that he hardly gave Valentine's Day a thought. When he did think about it, he'd just brushed it aside. His two best friends were dating each other; he had no one to hang out with.
"You're still getting lessons from Luna, right?"
"Yeah." He wondered where this was going. "But I don't want to date her." A nutcase like her was the last thing he needed.
"Well, do like you did for Christmas. If she's not busy, tell her that you want to thank her for all the help she's given you this year. You can go out to lunch with her and buy her a pair of earrings. Something to replace those radishes she wears."
"Yeah . . ."
"She wears the necklace you bought her everyday. And now she brushes her hair. I wonder what her incentive was to start keeping her appearance up." He gave a cheeky grin and ducked as Harry came forward to try and hit him. After a minute or so he said, "I give up! I know you don't want to date her. I don't want to get hurt so quit chasing me!"
Harry glared at him.
"As a girlfriend or not, I think she's been good for you, Harry. It's good for you to spend time with her. You always seem happier after seeing her. You're loads better over your godfather's death now than I would have thought after seeing you over the summer. The way you talk about her, think about what she says, everything just seems to scream that you belong together. Soul mates. I'm not saying you've got to marry her or anything, but you really seem to understand each other. I don't know if anybody really understands you as well as she seems to and I can't think of anyone who understands her like you can, or even comes close." He shrugged.
Harry fell asleep that night with a lot on his mind. An awful lot. Why did things have to be so complicated?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wow. Ron was deep with that "maybe it's both of them" thing. I didn't plan that; he was just supposed to avoid a fight with Harry and Hermione. Oh well, what works works, I guess. Hmmm . . . I hope I'm not getting too mushy. I realize the emotional side of Harry might be making him seem weaker rather than stronger, but I'm trying to show him as more rounded. If he turns out heartless, then he's no better than Voldemort. Right?
Here are some individual replies for anybody who asked a question.
Lord of Darkness13-I'll update Fortress of Shadows as soon as I can.
fetons-babe-Hope it was okay that I used those talking pink rubber duckies.
Preview
For
Next
Chapter
Is
Back
"So, Luna, I'll see you at noon tomorrow?"
"Okay."
"Same place as last time?"
"Alright."
He almost reminded her that it wasn't a date, but he hesitated. Instead he said, "I'll see you tomorrow, then.
She nodded and Harry watched her walk away.