Chapter 37

Pratical Lessons

AN:

I updated on Sunday, truely I did.

So imagine my surprise when I got online on Monday and found that you had to get to chapter 36 to even know that there was a 37, and when I saw my fic while browsing a person's favorite's list it said that it was last updated on the 25th of July...

But what REALLY confused me was that at least two or three people did manage to find the 37th chapter.... but I couldn't.

shrugs

So I removed the chapter and now I have reloaded it hoping that it will actually show up.

I've babbled enough...

I don't own HP

Story now.

p.s. when trying to reload this, is being a real brat.

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"Harry, wake up mate," Ron said to the lump of covers which was apparently where Harry was sleeping. "You're going to be late to breakfast and Merlin knows you do not want to go to Potions on an empty stomach. I heard that some of those potions you're doing do not react well when your stomach is empty."

"I'm skiving off Potions," Harry replied from under his blankets. "Go to breakfast alone."

"Look mate, normally, I'd encourage you to skip Potions, but we have a Quidditch match against Hufflepuff tomorrow and if you don't go to classes today you can't play tomorrow," Ron reminded his friend. "And quite frankly, I don't want that second year trying to catch the Snitch before that new Hufflepuff Seeker. Hufflepuff actually managed to beat Ravenclaw in the last match and that hasn't happened for twenty years!"

"Damn it. Damn, damn, damn," Harry muttered as he threw off his blankets and grabbed a clean uniform. He quickly dressed while Ron rambled on about how a curse that some Ravenclaw student apparently put on the Hufflepuff house a couple decades ago apparently wearing out and Hufflepuff apparently being able to beat Ravenclaw again, but just in case…

"Ron, anyone listening would think you were the Captain," Harry said tiredly picking up his book bag.

Ron grinned sheepishly at the real Quidditch Captain and said, "Well… you could always do with good ideas can't you?"

Harry stayed silent as he walked down the stairs and into the neat and orderly common room, which bared no marks of his tantrum from the night before. The house-elves must have been psychic to know where the books were originally left in the common room.

"I wonder where Hermione is," Ron said musingly looking around for the missing third of their trio.

"Don't know," Harry muttered sourly.

Ron glanced at his friend, hearing his tone and wisely decided to say nothing on that subject and started talking about Quidditch again when they sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall across from Hermione who was reading a book and apparently not turning the page.

"Ron," Harry said suddenly when Ron was finally silent, due to the fact that his mouth was filled with sausage. "How about after this match you become Quidditch Captain…"

Ron choked on his breakfast and Harry had to stop what he was saying to slap his friend on the back. Hermione looked up sharply.

"Wha? What the heck are you talking about?" Ron demanded after he recovered from his near death experience.

"You've grown up with Quidditch your whole life and have put a lot thought into tomorrow's game. More than I have. You'd be a better captain than me, but I don't think that the team would like it very much if we switched captains on them right before the game," Harry explained quietly.

"Your mad mate! Absolutely nutters!" Ron exclaimed in disbelief. "Why would you want to give that up?"

"You'd be a better captain than me and I want Gryffindor to win the cup," Harry said simply.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Yes, after the game tomorrow you should take over as captain," Harry said firmly ignoring Hermione who was staring at him intently.

"Al… All right mate," Ron said shocked. "I'll do it."

"Good," Harry said turning back to his breakfast without once acknowledging Hermione.

After a couple of minutes of silence Ron looked at Hermione and asked, "What happened last night after you forced me to go to the dorm? Why aren't the two of you talking to each other?"

"Nothing Ron," Hermione said tersely and Harry glared at the red head.

"Nothing my arse," Ron spat. "You tell me to go upstairs when Harry's upset and the next day neither of you will talk to the other."

"I have to get to class," Hermione said ignoring Ron's protest and left the Great Hall quickly.

"What about you, aren't you going to tell me what happened?" Ron asked.

"No," Harry said. "I have to get to Potions. Snape will skin me alive if I'm late. See you at Care of Magical Creatures."

"Bye," Harry heard Ron say as he went to Potions.

When he got down to the dungeons he took his seat in the front of the room and ignored Hermione as much as one could seated at the same table.

Snape swept into the room, surly as ever, and lectured the entire period on alkaline, or elk, or something, Harry's mind just wasn't in the class even though he jotted down a couple of notes. Merlin knew if they had anything to do with the lesson, or were even correct. But surprisingly Snape did not hold him after class to talk about his 'attitude;' perhaps Dumbledore had just forbidden him from saying anything that day. Just as well, it was the old man's fault that Snape had found out in the first place; he insisted that Harry learned Occlumency and would have Snape as an instructor.

Harry walked down to Hagrid's cabin well ahead of Hermione and met Ron there who had apparently decided that asking what had happened the night before was a bad idea and filled up the awkward silence with Quidditch talk and plans he had for the team.

Hermione showed up shortly before class began and stood to one side of Ron, Harry was on his other side, and listened to Hagrid intensely, purposely ignoring everything but the lesson which was soon over.

"'Arry, 'Ermione, Ron, could ya stay a bit?" Hagrid asked at the end of class. Once everyone had left, glad that it was only a practical lesson the gentle giant asked of the trio, "Alrigh' you three, out wi' it. What's goin' on?"

"Beats the hell out of me, these two won't talk to each other," Ron said annoyed.

"Nothing Hagrid," Hermione said quietly.

"Balderdash," Hagrid puffed out. "Somethin's ou' of sorts wi' you. Wha' is it?"

"Hermione's tendency to butt into other people's business," Harry said quietly.

"Aw now, I'm sure it ain't all tha' bad," Hagrid said. "I'm sure she has her hear' in the righ' place, don' ya 'Ermione?"

"Yes," Hermione admitted.

"I don't care; she shouldn't have gone snooping around in the first place," Harry said as he walked back to the castle.

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AN:

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