Author's Note: Hi everyone! I had a great time skiing (no broken bones) and I needed a minor vacation. But now I'm back with new inspiration and another chapter of Reunited Crushes in the Past (which's name sucks but I couldn't come up with another). Hope you all are having a lovely Christmas, wherever in the world you are!
Avadne – I honestly have some problems with having Ron to do something relevant in this story but I can't just leave him out, can I?
Mrs. Raven Wood – You spelled it right. I've always wondered why skiing is spelled with ii.
Shadownthedark – Honestly? Go skiing. That's not an advice, it's an order. LoL. It sucks in the beginning but when you get better it's awesome.
Monkeystarz – But it's not saying the same thing in the movies as in the books.
Thank you also ViviBlack, Tessa, LiLbLueangeL1223, Sara, slytherin ice princess, Gwynn-Potter and Pussin Boots.
Chapter 7 – A Challenge
"No no, Harry", Hermione said, "Exploding Fluid doesn't include essence of Hellebore. It includes Erumpent fluid. Essence of Hellebore can be found in for example the Draft of Peace. Don't you remember? Snape" – she looked around to make sure no one had heard as Snape was still as student – "taught us that in our fifth year.""Sure", said Harry. "I'd just forgotten."
It was Thursday evening and Hermione was helping Harry with a Potions essay, which was due tomorrow. Ron was in the Hospital Wing, being cured after accidentally being hit by the Furnunculus curse earlier during Defence against Dark Arts class.
"Hey", someone said and shoved himself down onto the one chair left at the table, startling both Hermione and especially Harry, causing him to almost fall out of his chair.
"Am I interrupting something?" James asked.
"You two look like someone just scared the shit out of you", a laughing Sirius appeared behind James.
"It was just… a very sudden entrance", Hermione said.
"Good", James said. Hermione frowned, but he didn't say anything more. Instead, he turned to Harry. "Why haven't you told me you're a seeker?"
Harry swallowed. "I guess I just… forgot it."
"Forgot it?!" repeated James in a shocked tone. "How can you forget about quidditch?"
Perhaps if you have been transported back in time to when your now dead parents were in your age, Harry thought.
"Um… I dunno", he said.
"Yeah, whatever, it doesn't matter really", James said. "I'm challenging you."
"What?"
"Seeker duel", James said impatiently. What was this guy, stupid or something?
"Er… right."
"So you're in?" Sirius said.
"Um…" – Harry glanced at Hermione, who shrugged slightly, indicating that it was his decision – "sure."
"Great", James said.
"I haven't got my broom here", Harry said.
"You could borrow mine", Sirius said. "It's a Comet 80", he added proudly.
Harry cleared his throat. "Er, thanks."
"What broom have you got at home?" James asked curiously.
"A Fir- I mean Comet 90", Harry said and cursed himself for almost saying that he had a Firebolt.
"Comet 90 isn't out yet", Sirius said suspiciously. "It should come in November or so."
"It's a prototype", Hermione said quickly.
"I won it in a contest in a newspaper", Harry explained.
"That's cool", James said. "But on Saturday you'll be riding Sirius's Comet 80."
"Saturday? Um… sure. That's fine."
"See you around", Sirius said.
Hermione watched Harry as James and Sirius left. He looked extremely pale and shaken.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
He lifted his gaze from the table to face her. "It's kind of weird, don't you think? 'Cause… this was all I ever wanted, kind of. To meet my parents. And still I'm not happy, if you see what I mean?"
"I think so", she said slowly. "But it's perfectly normal. And it's not exactly what you wanted – you wanted your parents, but what you've got are two teenagers, the same age as yourself."
"But still, I… I wish I could tell them. I wish I didn't have to disguise myself like this."
"I know", whispered Hermione.
"I know", Harry said with a sad smile.
"Oh", she said, "by the way, Harry, I need to tell you something."
"Yeah?" he lifted his gaze.
"They believe I'm engaged."
"What?"
"Your parents, the Marauders and… well, the rest of the school believe that I'm engaged."
"Why?"
"Because I told them."
"Why?"
"Er… this is kind of embarrassing, but… Pettigrew was kind of… hitting on me."
"What?! I'll kill-"
"No, Harry. I took care of it by saying I'm engaged. Just so you know."
Harry frowned. "This is getting weirder and weirder."
"Let's go through the rules then, shall we?" Sirius said.
Harry sat at Sirius's Comet 80, facing James who sat opposite him on his identical broom. He couldn't help but feel kind of bad about this.
"It's fairly easy", Sirius said. "The first one to catch the snitch wins. The rules are… no cheating. That's it. Got it?"
Harry nodded.
"I", Sirius continued, "will be the judge."
"Do you really think that'd be completely fair?" Ron asked. "I'll be your co-judge."
Sirius sighed. "Yeah okay. Whatever. Are you ready?"
Both James and Harry nodded. Then Ron opened the little box and the snitch was released. Everyone watched it as it first soared around Harry's head, then around James's, before it headed off into the air and was gone.
"Okay then", Sirius said. "Five…" – Harry tried to prepare himself mentally for what was to come by whispering I can do this, I can do this – "…four…" – It doesn't matter if I'll win or not really… – "…three…" – he looked at James, who was mumbling something – "…two…" – Harry prepared himself for taking off – "…one…" – Harry got prepared for kicking himself off the ground with his right foot – "GO!"
In exactly the same second, Harry and James soared up into the air. Damnit, this broom is really slow, Harry thought. Oh well. I'll just have to find the snitch first, then…
He flew to what he believed was a proper spot for looking for it, and gazed around. James was flying in circles further down, not having spotted the snitch yet either. I should get moving a little, Harry thought and started flying around in the same pattern as James did. Snitch? Where are you? Come to daddy…
He had no idea of for how long he had been out, but it felt like an eternity and he was beginning to get really stressed. He would have to find it soon, otherwise he'd-
Bloody hell, Harry thought. There it is.
It was hovering in the air just between the two of them, and worse – James had spotted it as well. Harry set off towards the snitch, pressing himself closer to the broom in an attempt to go faster. Faster… faster… must go faster… He was closing up on it, but so was his father… faster… faster… not much more now… Oh shit he'd have to-
CRASH!
"Aww…" mumbled Harry when he woke up and rubbed his head.
He looked around. Apparently he was in the infirmary, and now the nurse was heading over for him. It wasn't Madam Pomfrey, but her predecessor, whose name Harry did not know.
"You're awake!" she said – although it sounded more like yelling in Harry's aching head. "Good. You are lucky."
"What?"
"It could have been much worse", she said. "You didn't get a concussion, neither did Mr Potter."
Huh?
"So, Mr. Johnson", she said – Harry had no idea that he now went under the name of Harry Johnson but decided to play along. "Let this be a lesson for you, okay?"
"Of course", he mumbled.
"I will keep both you and Mr Potter over the night. You will be given some Dreamless Potion – I believe sleep would be the best medicine right now."
"Finally", James muttered the following morning when they were 'released' from the Hospital Wing, "out of there. I hate the infirmary, don't you?"
"Well, yeah", Harry said. "It's dreadful."
"It's boring."
Harry nodded.
"Hey, you know what? I never told you, I was just going to say that you did quite a good job on the quidditch field yesterday. I mean, it ended in a draw."
"Thanks", Harry said and blushed slightly. "You weren't that bad either."
James grinned. "Although it wasn't exactly my intention to crash into you, but…"
"Me neither."
"Whatever.
Author's Note: You know I hate myself for stopping right now, but… I said what I had planned to say, so that's it.
And don't forget to review, darling readers!