Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

As the end of term drew nearer, Hermione started nagging Harry and Ron about studying for their exams.

"We've got ages" Ron complained.

"Hermione, the exams are weeks away" said Harry

"You say that every year" said Hermione impatiently. "I'm just glad that JK Rowling didn't give me such bad study habits"

Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione as she walked out of the Gryffindor common room.

"Probably gone to send a letter to Rowling" he told Harry "You know; Dear Ms Rowling. Can you make Harry and Ron spend more time studying?"

Harry burst out laughing and a few seventh years who were busy revising for their N.E.W.Ts glared at him. Wanting to be alone, Harry went up to his dormitory a short time later. While he knew his exams were approaching and that he should be studying he had his reasons for not wanting to think about them.

The first was that exams meant the end of term which meant returning to Privet Drive. The only ray of hope Harry could see about this situation was that his seventeenth birthday was only a few months away and he would then be an adult in the wizarding world. But would Dumbledore allow him to leave the Dursley's if Voldemort was still alive? Somehow Harry didn't think so. But at least he would be allowed to use magic away from Hogwarts. Harry smiled to himself as he imagined the Dursley's reaction to this fact.

The other reason Harry didn't want to think about exams was, as Ron had pointed out earlier, that was always the time when something bad seemed to happen.

"Not this year" thought Harry "When the exams are finished I'm going to stay in Gryffindor tower until it's time to go home"

The teachers were piling huge amounts of revision and homework on the students. Ron had expressed hope that Bill might set an easy exam. But with the amount of homework they received in Defence Against the Dark Arts that seemed unlikely. But Harry wasn't worried about Defence Against the Dark Arts as he had never had trouble in it before. It was potions Harry was worried about. His least favourite subject was made worse by Snape breathing down his neck. Harry knew that he needed a N.E.W.T in potions to get into Auror training. He also knew that he wouldn't be in the class this year if Dumbledore hadn't changed the rules and made everyone study potions.

"But why?" thought Harry. Had Dumbledore changed the rules for him?

"Harry! Harry"

Hermione was waving her hand in front of Harry's face.

"What?" he asked distractedly.

"Have you seen my Rune dictionary?"

"No. Ask Ron" said Harry vaguely.

"He's not here" said Hermione.

"Yes he is" said Harry "he's..." Harry pointed to the now empty chair that Ron had been occupying.

"Where'd he go?" asked Harry.

"He went to get some food from the kitchens ten minutes ago" said Hermione.

"Well he could have asked if we wanted to come!" said Harry angrily.

"He did" said Hermione "You said you weren't hungry. You can't have been paying attention"

Had Harry been that distracted by his thoughts that he didn't notice the person sitting opposite him get up and leave the room? Or was his lapse in concentration caused by something more sinister?

"Maybe Voldemort's possessing me" he thought. "No that's stupid. He can't. Dumbledore said so"

"Maybe he's found a way to possess you" said a small voice inside Harry's head.

Harry got to his feet.

"Where are you going?" asked Hermione.

"Think I'll go and find Ron" said Harry "I think I do want something to eat after all"

He crossed the common room and climbed out of the portrait hole before Hermione could follow him. The truth was Harry had no intention of looking for Ron. Instead he wanted to find Ginny. He thought she might be in the library. But she wasn't. Harry did find Colin Creevey deeply engrossed in what looked like five years of Defence Against the Dark Arts notes. He almost jumped out of his seat when Harry called his name. Madam Pince gave the pair of them a very stern look.

"Sorry, Colin" said Harry. "I was just wondering if you know where Ginny is"

"I heard her say something about Quidditch practice" said Colin.

"OK thanks" said Harry as he started to walk off.

"Harry, wait a minute" called Colin causing Madam Pince to frown at them again.

"What?" asked Harry slightly warily.

"It's just I'm having trouble with the wand movements for some of these spells" said Colin. "Do you think you could help me out? Later when you're not busy, I mean"

Harry agreed to help Colin after dinner. He left the library thinking that he liked the way Colin no longer seemed to worship him and was now treating him like anyone else. Harry turned a corner and walked straight into Crabbe and Goyle. Harry expected them to curse him or throw a punch. He didn't expect them to look at each other with confused looks on their faces, which was exactly what they did do.

"Are you waiting for Malfoy to come along and give you instructions?" said Harry.

It appeared that was exactly what Crabbe and Goyle were doing because neither of them moved even when Harry reached into his pocket for his wand.

"What's going on here?"

Harry looked up. Snape was striding down the corridor. He reached the spot where Harry, Crabbe and Goyle were standing. Crabbe and Goyle now looked even more confused. Something Snape seemed to notice because his next words were.

"No point in asking you two. I've seen flobberworms with more brains. You two are easily the most boring characters in these books and it is a great shame to me to have you in my house"

Crabbe and Goyle blinked stupidly, clearly unaware of what Snape had just said.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly making him jump "What is going on here"

"Nothing" said Harry truthfully. "I was coming around the corner and we bumped into each other. That's all. Can I go now?"

"Yes go on, Potter"

As soon as Harry had gone down one floor he broke into a run. He sprinted onto the Quidditch pitch. Ginny wasn't there but he could hear voices coming from the Gryffindor change rooms. Harry knocked hard on the door. A few seconds later Katie Bell opened it.

"What, Harry?" she asked.

"I wanted a word with Ginny" said Harry.

"It'll have to wait. We've got a match to train for" said Katie at the same time as Ginny called out "What is it, Harry?"

Harry ignored Katie and spoke to Ginny.

"I need to talk to you about Voldemort" he said urgently.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team gasped at the sound of Voldemort's name.

"Go on, Ginny" said Katie her voice shaking slightly "Just – just don't be too long"

"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Ginny when she and Harry had walked a short way away from the change rooms. Harry told her about his fear that Voldemort was possessing him.

"What happened?" asked Ginny.

"Well I was in the common room with Ron and Hermione" said Harry "And Ron got up and left and I didn't even notice. He even said he was going down to the kitchens and I don't remember it"

"Can you remember what you did since leaving the common room and coming here?" asked Ginny.

"I went to the library" said Harry. "and I talked to Colin. He told me you might be out here. Then I left and I bumped into Crabbe and Goyle. Snape came along then I came here. That's all"

"I don't think you're being possessed, Harry" said Ginny.

"Then why didn't I notice that Ron wasn't in the common room?" hissed Harry.

Ginny thought for a moment.

"Well were you paying attention to what he was doing? Or were you preoccupied with other things?"

"I was thinking about exams" said Harry half truthfully. At that moment Katie came striding up to them.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'll let you get on with your practice" said Harry and he started to walk back to the castle.

"Hey, Harry! Wait a sec!"

Harry turned around. Katie was running towards him.

"Do you want to stay and watch our practice?" she asked.

"Alright then" agreed Harry.

"It's too bad you weren't allowed back on the team" said Katie.

"Yeah McGonagall said the book'd take longer to write if I was" said Harry. "How come you chucked Ron off the team?"

"Partly because heaps of people like Ron and they want to see what he's doing" said Katie "they don't want to read 'Harry was playing a game of Exploding Snap with Neville while Ron had Quidditch practice'. And partly because he hit me in the face with the Quaffle. Well we'd better get started, Harry"

Harry found a seat half-way up the stands to watch Gryffindor's practice. He felt a slight pang that he was not up there with them. But at the same time he felt that Gryffindors chance to win the Quidditch cup looked better than ever. Katie had certainly put a very good team together. Harry thought to himself that he wouldn't be surprised if he saw the two Beaters, Bailey and Kirby on one of the league teams in a few years from now. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Ginny going into a spectacular dive. Then he saw she wasn't diving at all, she had fallen off her broom. Harry sprinted onto the pitch while the rest of the team landed next to Ginny who was unconscious. It seemed that she had been hit in the back of the head by a Bludger. The offending Beater, Bailey, could only gibber.

"Ginny, er can you hear me? I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. Ginny, say something!" he said shaking her slightly.

"Careful. She's bleeding" said Katie. This caused Bailey to become more hysterical.

"We better take her to Madam Pomfrey" said Harry.

Katie ordered two of her players to bring the ball crate back to Madam Hooch's office. Bailey was still gibbering.

"Don't worry. Madam Pomfrey will know what to do" said Harry. "Ginny'll be OK"

"I hope so" he said "I know this sounds terrible, but I hate to think what her brother's going to do to me if she's not"

"Which one?" asked Harry curiously. He couldn't imagine any of the Weasley boys seeking revenge on someone because of an accident.

"What do you mean which one?" asked Bailey "Oh god! She's got six brothers hasn't she? I'm dead"

"We'd better bring him along too" said Katie "Let's just hope we don't run into Ron on the way"