Chapter 24 -The Announcement
The next few days went by in a blur for Harry. Before he knew it, Friday had come and he was making his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. He hadn't spoken to Megan since Monday night because she seemed to always be at the library after classes, and he wasn't particularly interested in going there to find her. He had wanted some time to absorb what she had told him last time.
He entered the Great Hall and sat at his usual spot next to Ron. Hermione was sitting on the other side of Ron and they were arguing about something. Harry shook his head as he served himself some bacon and eggs. He felt someone brush against him as they sat down and looked over. Megan was sitting next to him and beaming at him.
"I haven't seen you at breakfast all week" Harry commented. "I was beginning to think you didn't eat"
She laughed as she served herself some porridge.
"Usually I go down to the kitchens. I can't stand all the noise this early in the morning"
"Then why did you come down today?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow. She smiled again and leaned close to whisper something.
"There's a rumour that there will be a special announcement this morning" She said. "I didn't want to miss it"
Harry was about to reply when Professor McGonagall called the students to attention and Professor Dumbledore stood up to address them all.
"If I could have your attention for a few moments, I have an announcement to make" Dumbledore started, looking around at all the curious faces staring up at him. "The dates for the quidditch matches have changed this year. You will find the new dates on the noticeboards in each common room later this evening. The reason for this change is that we have decided to hold an international schools quidditch final here at Hogwarts"
The students began to buzz with excitement and Dumbledore waited for the noise to die down before speaking again.
"I would ask that each of the house quidditch teams prepare themselves, as the winning house team will be the team to play in the final. Teams from the other schools will be arriving in late February. When the date has been finalised, you will be informed. On an additional note, there will be a ball in honour of our guests that will be held in the first week of March. As these events will require a great deal of planning, I would ask that the prefects and the head boy and girl assist the teachers in organising theses events. That is all"
With that he sat down, eyes twinkling merrily at the students who had erupted into discussions as soon as he had concluded his speech. Beside Harry, Megan sighed. He looked at her quizzically.
"More work. As if I didn't have enough to do already" she grumbled, causing Harry to laugh.
She glared at him, but he could see the hint of a smile that appeared as she looked away. After breakfast was over, Megan stood up and kissed Harry on the cheek before whispering that she would see him after classes and rushing off. Harry smiled as he got up, not noticing that someone was watching him with a glare as he left the hall.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
"Very original" Someone said sarcastically into Dumbledore's ear after the rest of the staff and students had left. "How long did it take you to come up with that?"
Dumbledore grinned.
"Well I do believe that it took Minerva and I several hours to come to our decision" Dumbledore replied cheerily.
Helsing rolled her eyes and chuckled as Dumbledore got up and faced her. They walked out of the Great Hall together.
"Have you given any more thought to the situation with Mr Potter?" he asked innocently.
She rolled her eyes again.
"I must admit, the opinion that I had of him originally has not changed. However, I will let you know of my decision when I decide on the new classes. At the moment though, I have had other things on my mind" she replied.
"Are you still concerned over Miss Black?" Dumbledore asked casually. She nodded and walked silently for a moment before elaborating.
"She was looking better today" Helsing replied with a shrug. "The negativity I saw in her before has gone. I don't know how she managed it, but whatever she did, I hope she keeps it up."
With that, they parted ways.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Harry, Ron and Hermine sat down in the Defence classroom, eagerly awaiting the lesson. While Harry had received a number of bumps and bruises from the last few classes, at least they were learning something new.
As Professor Helsing swiftly entered the room, silence fell on the classroom. She walked behind her desk and surveyed the class for a moment before marking the roll. Once that was done, she touched her wand to the parchment and it disappeared.
"Wands away. Books out" she commanded, walking in between the desks to ensure that her wishes were complied with. They silently did as they were told and she stood once again at the front, waiting for their full attention before speaking again.
"On Monday there will be a class exam which you will all take unless you are incapacitated in the hospital wing. If that is the case then the exam will be arranged for another date. This exam will be important in determining your final mark for this year so do not treat it lightly" she said crisply.
The class erupted into vocal complaints and groans.
"SILENCE!" Helsing roared.
Every one of the students froze mid-sentence and stared at the teacher, who was now calmly picking up a pile of papers.
"I will give you a list of the topics that will be covered on the exam. You may spend the rest of this lesson preparing and I urge you to revise any other topics during the course of the weekend. This will be done in silence. If any of you have any questions or complaints, please wait until after this class is finished or come and see me in my office after classes are done for the day" She said, walking back to her desk and sitting behind it.
Harry looked down at the parchment that he had just been handed. It contained every topic that they had covered since first year, plus a lot more. Ron made a strange noise in the back of his throat.
"But Harry" he whispered. "We'll never be able to study all this and do the try-outs for quidditch!"
Before Harry could reply, Helsing called out.
"5 points from Gryffindor Mr Weasley, if you speak again it will be 50"
Ron turned slightly green and went back to scanning the list of topics.
After the lesson had finished, Hermione was very quiet. Harry noticed as they walked out of the room that she cast a strange look at Professor Helsing. He frowned, wondering what she was thinking, but quickly discarded the thought when Ron began to talk about the quidditch try-outs which would be held the next day.
The next class was transfigurations, where Professor McGonagall was teaching them how to transfigure liquids. They spent the rest of the lesson trying to transfigure water into pumpkin juice. After the lesson, Harry and Ron went to lunch, but Hermione stayed back, telling them that she had something that she wanted to clarify with the teacher and assuring them that she would meet them downstairs.
When Hermione did come down, Harry noticed that she had a strange glint in her eye that he didn't usually see there. After watching her for a moment, he couldn't see any other signs of her acting strangely, so he dismissed it. He glanced around the hall to see if Megan was there, but couldn't see her anywhere. With a sigh, he got up and walked with Ron and Hermione to Care of Magical Creatures.
The afternoon classes went by quickly and after dinner, Harry trudged back to the Gryffindor Tower to begin revising for the test on Monday. Ordinarily he would wait until Sunday night, but something about what Helsing had said in the lesson that day made him think that he would need to spend the extra time preparing. Ron had decided to go with their previous methods of studying at the last minute and was currently engaged in a game of wizards chess with Colin Creevey.
After about an hour of studying, Harry noticed someone sit down in the chair beside him. He looked up and saw Megan resting her head on her elbows, looking over at him with tired eyes.
"You look beat" Harry commented.
She nodded her head and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again they were a little less glazed over. She lifted her head and looked down at the work he was doing.
"I didn't think you were one to study this early in the term" she said, while scanning down the page.
"Helsing assigned a test that she said was going to be important for our grades this year. I can't afford to fail and I've got to go to the quidditch try-out tomorrow, so I figured I'd try and get as much done as I could tonight." He replied, looking back at his work and beginning to write again.
"Probably a good idea. She strikes me as being a bit harsh" Megan replied. "You look like you could use a break though. How about I go and get you a snack from the kitchens? It will revitalise you"
Harry looked up to see her grinning at him and agreed. She came back later with an armful of cakes and scones. By this time, most of the other students had gone to bed. Hermione and Ron were still up, but were sitting at the other side of the common room talking in low voices, so Megan and Harry were pretty much alone. They spent nearly an hour talking and laughing at jokes before Megan looked at her watch and got up.
"I have to go. I'll see you later alright?" she said, sweeping down to give him a quick kiss on the lips before bounded off. Harry stared after her with a scowl before going back to his work. He could find out what she was up to when he had a little less work to do. He paused, then shook his head. He couldn't believe he had just put work ahead of curiosity. 'Hermione must be rubbing off on me' he thought as he continued reading.
The next few days went by in a blur for Harry. Before he knew it, Friday had come and he was making his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. He hadn't spoken to Megan since Monday night because she seemed to always be at the library after classes, and he wasn't particularly interested in going there to find her. He had wanted some time to absorb what she had told him last time.
He entered the Great Hall and sat at his usual spot next to Ron. Hermione was sitting on the other side of Ron and they were arguing about something. Harry shook his head as he served himself some bacon and eggs. He felt someone brush against him as they sat down and looked over. Megan was sitting next to him and beaming at him.
"I haven't seen you at breakfast all week" Harry commented. "I was beginning to think you didn't eat"
She laughed as she served herself some porridge.
"Usually I go down to the kitchens. I can't stand all the noise this early in the morning"
"Then why did you come down today?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow. She smiled again and leaned close to whisper something.
"There's a rumour that there will be a special announcement this morning" She said. "I didn't want to miss it"
Harry was about to reply when Professor McGonagall called the students to attention and Professor Dumbledore stood up to address them all.
"If I could have your attention for a few moments, I have an announcement to make" Dumbledore started, looking around at all the curious faces staring up at him. "The dates for the quidditch matches have changed this year. You will find the new dates on the noticeboards in each common room later this evening. The reason for this change is that we have decided to hold an international schools quidditch final here at Hogwarts"
The students began to buzz with excitement and Dumbledore waited for the noise to die down before speaking again.
"I would ask that each of the house quidditch teams prepare themselves, as the winning house team will be the team to play in the final. Teams from the other schools will be arriving in late February. When the date has been finalised, you will be informed. On an additional note, there will be a ball in honour of our guests that will be held in the first week of March. As these events will require a great deal of planning, I would ask that the prefects and the head boy and girl assist the teachers in organising theses events. That is all"
With that he sat down, eyes twinkling merrily at the students who had erupted into discussions as soon as he had concluded his speech. Beside Harry, Megan sighed. He looked at her quizzically.
"More work. As if I didn't have enough to do already" she grumbled, causing Harry to laugh.
She glared at him, but he could see the hint of a smile that appeared as she looked away. After breakfast was over, Megan stood up and kissed Harry on the cheek before whispering that she would see him after classes and rushing off. Harry smiled as he got up, not noticing that someone was watching him with a glare as he left the hall.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
"Very original" Someone said sarcastically into Dumbledore's ear after the rest of the staff and students had left. "How long did it take you to come up with that?"
Dumbledore grinned.
"Well I do believe that it took Minerva and I several hours to come to our decision" Dumbledore replied cheerily.
Helsing rolled her eyes and chuckled as Dumbledore got up and faced her. They walked out of the Great Hall together.
"Have you given any more thought to the situation with Mr Potter?" he asked innocently.
She rolled her eyes again.
"I must admit, the opinion that I had of him originally has not changed. However, I will let you know of my decision when I decide on the new classes. At the moment though, I have had other things on my mind" she replied.
"Are you still concerned over Miss Black?" Dumbledore asked casually. She nodded and walked silently for a moment before elaborating.
"She was looking better today" Helsing replied with a shrug. "The negativity I saw in her before has gone. I don't know how she managed it, but whatever she did, I hope she keeps it up."
With that, they parted ways.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Harry, Ron and Hermine sat down in the Defence classroom, eagerly awaiting the lesson. While Harry had received a number of bumps and bruises from the last few classes, at least they were learning something new.
As Professor Helsing swiftly entered the room, silence fell on the classroom. She walked behind her desk and surveyed the class for a moment before marking the roll. Once that was done, she touched her wand to the parchment and it disappeared.
"Wands away. Books out" she commanded, walking in between the desks to ensure that her wishes were complied with. They silently did as they were told and she stood once again at the front, waiting for their full attention before speaking again.
"On Monday there will be a class exam which you will all take unless you are incapacitated in the hospital wing. If that is the case then the exam will be arranged for another date. This exam will be important in determining your final mark for this year so do not treat it lightly" she said crisply.
The class erupted into vocal complaints and groans.
"SILENCE!" Helsing roared.
Every one of the students froze mid-sentence and stared at the teacher, who was now calmly picking up a pile of papers.
"I will give you a list of the topics that will be covered on the exam. You may spend the rest of this lesson preparing and I urge you to revise any other topics during the course of the weekend. This will be done in silence. If any of you have any questions or complaints, please wait until after this class is finished or come and see me in my office after classes are done for the day" She said, walking back to her desk and sitting behind it.
Harry looked down at the parchment that he had just been handed. It contained every topic that they had covered since first year, plus a lot more. Ron made a strange noise in the back of his throat.
"But Harry" he whispered. "We'll never be able to study all this and do the try-outs for quidditch!"
Before Harry could reply, Helsing called out.
"5 points from Gryffindor Mr Weasley, if you speak again it will be 50"
Ron turned slightly green and went back to scanning the list of topics.
After the lesson had finished, Hermione was very quiet. Harry noticed as they walked out of the room that she cast a strange look at Professor Helsing. He frowned, wondering what she was thinking, but quickly discarded the thought when Ron began to talk about the quidditch try-outs which would be held the next day.
The next class was transfigurations, where Professor McGonagall was teaching them how to transfigure liquids. They spent the rest of the lesson trying to transfigure water into pumpkin juice. After the lesson, Harry and Ron went to lunch, but Hermione stayed back, telling them that she had something that she wanted to clarify with the teacher and assuring them that she would meet them downstairs.
When Hermione did come down, Harry noticed that she had a strange glint in her eye that he didn't usually see there. After watching her for a moment, he couldn't see any other signs of her acting strangely, so he dismissed it. He glanced around the hall to see if Megan was there, but couldn't see her anywhere. With a sigh, he got up and walked with Ron and Hermione to Care of Magical Creatures.
The afternoon classes went by quickly and after dinner, Harry trudged back to the Gryffindor Tower to begin revising for the test on Monday. Ordinarily he would wait until Sunday night, but something about what Helsing had said in the lesson that day made him think that he would need to spend the extra time preparing. Ron had decided to go with their previous methods of studying at the last minute and was currently engaged in a game of wizards chess with Colin Creevey.
After about an hour of studying, Harry noticed someone sit down in the chair beside him. He looked up and saw Megan resting her head on her elbows, looking over at him with tired eyes.
"You look beat" Harry commented.
She nodded her head and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again they were a little less glazed over. She lifted her head and looked down at the work he was doing.
"I didn't think you were one to study this early in the term" she said, while scanning down the page.
"Helsing assigned a test that she said was going to be important for our grades this year. I can't afford to fail and I've got to go to the quidditch try-out tomorrow, so I figured I'd try and get as much done as I could tonight." He replied, looking back at his work and beginning to write again.
"Probably a good idea. She strikes me as being a bit harsh" Megan replied. "You look like you could use a break though. How about I go and get you a snack from the kitchens? It will revitalise you"
Harry looked up to see her grinning at him and agreed. She came back later with an armful of cakes and scones. By this time, most of the other students had gone to bed. Hermione and Ron were still up, but were sitting at the other side of the common room talking in low voices, so Megan and Harry were pretty much alone. They spent nearly an hour talking and laughing at jokes before Megan looked at her watch and got up.
"I have to go. I'll see you later alright?" she said, sweeping down to give him a quick kiss on the lips before bounded off. Harry stared after her with a scowl before going back to his work. He could find out what she was up to when he had a little less work to do. He paused, then shook his head. He couldn't believe he had just put work ahead of curiosity. 'Hermione must be rubbing off on me' he thought as he continued reading.
