Chapter Three: Expectations

He knew where he was. He was back in the field outside Hagrid's hut... and he knew he was dreaming. He turned, and was not surprised to see her there, her long dress fluttering in the breeze that he could feel on his face. It was dark.

Strange, it had been daylight in his last dream... but this, this was the blackest of night. He looked up to see clouds skuttling across a full moon. Looking back down, he could see that she still stood there. Once again, she wore the long white gown, her hair was blowing about her face, long strands tangling in front of her eyes, but she didn't appear to notice.

"Mum?"

"You have the power he knows not, Harry... you must find it."

"Please... I don't know how. Please, tell me!"

"You have the power he knows not. You have it... look to your parents, Harry... to your family. They have the answer for you."

"But you..."

But she was gone again, between blinks of his sleepy eyes... eyes that desperately wanted to close, to rest, despite how he fought.

Harry slept.


The next morning he awoke, groggy, and climbed out of bed. He was quiet and sullen as he headed down to the Common Room, and quiet still as Ginny lifted her face for his morning kiss.

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously, her soft eyes concerned as she studied him.

Harry glanced down at her, then up at Ron and Hermione. His eyes held Ron's for a moment too long.

Damn.

"It happened again, didn't it?" Ron asked, alarmed. "You had the dream again, didn't you?"

"Dream?" Hermione's shocked face turned back to Harry. "You're dreaming about Voldemort again...?"

"Hermione!" Harry hissed, looking around the room to make sure no one had heard.

"I..." Hermione flushed, looking around herself. "I'm sorry, Harry... you're dreaming about... but what about your Occlumency?"

"I'm not dreaming about Voldemort," Harry said in an undertone as they made their way towards the portrait hole and through. "I'm..."

"He's dreaming about his Mum," Ron stated flatly. "And he did the night before last, as well."

"Your mum?" Ginny looked at him. "Harry, with everything that's gone on, you know..."

"Not that kind of dream, Ginny," Harry said, looking away.

"What kind of dream, then?" she asked quietly.

He looked her in the eye, then sighed. "You know that my dreams about Voldemort have never been... quite like normal dreams, right?"

"Well, yeah!" Hermione said, looking at him like he'd grown an extra head or two.

"No... I mean, they don't feel like a dream. They're very real, and they... I don't know, they seem... brighter. Clearer, somehow. Like I'm living it, not just watching it. Right?"

"Right," Ginny nodded.

"But Harry..." Hermione was silenced by a look from Ginny, and bit her lip.

"These dreams are like that... only it's my Mum, out in the field by Hagrid's hut... I don't know why..."

"What are the dreams about?"

"The night before last, she told me that I had the power, and I had to find it. Last night, she said the same thing, but she also told me to look to my parents, to my family."

"What...?" Ron began, only to be cut off.

"I have no idea what that means, Ron," Harry sighed. "Can we eat now?"

"Harry, I really think you ought to talk to someone... Dumbledore..." Hermione began.

"No." Harry stated unequivocally as he sat down and pulled Ginny down beside him. She placed a hand on his knee, and Harry leaned into her, his arm touching her shoulder. He felt comforted.

"Harry..." Hermione was nothing if not persistent.

"I'll owl Remus. He knew my parents." Harry dug into the platter of sausages, indicating the conversation was over.

At which, Ron, Hermione and Ginny exchanged glances, and then followed suit.

After breakfast, Harry walked Ginny to her first class, promising to meet the others in the Transfiguration room shortly. Hermione and Ron walked slowly together in the direction of the third floor east corridor, and were almost there before either spoke.

"Do you think he will?" Hermione asked softly.

"He'll tell Remus... now, how much he'll tell him..." Ron shrugged.

"We have to do something, Ron. He's..."

"Harry knows what he's doing, Mione," Ron opened the door to the classroom for her, following her in. It was still empty. They were early.

"I'm sure he does. I'm just questioning whether or not it's the right thing."

"Mione!"

"Ron, Dumbledore has headed the Order for years... since before we were born. He needs..."

"Just because he's headed it doesn't mean he knows what to do now, in this situation!"

"No, but that doesn't mean that Harry does, either."

"Seems to me that Harry has managed pretty well up until now. And Dumbledore hasn't been exactly forthcoming with information, now has he?"

"'Pretty well'?" Hermione looked at him, horrified. "Are you joking?"

"Well..."

"He went through a maze of traps set by professors to get to the Philosopher's Stone... damned near getting himself killed in the process. He went down into the Chamber..."

"To get Ginny!" Ron looked at her, shocked. So far as Ron was concerned, Harry had been right on target with that particular action. After all, he'd saved Ginny's life!

"...and damned near got himself killed by a great ruddy snake! He nearly got himself tossed from Hogwarts..."

"So did you!" Ron snapped, disgruntled now. "Bloody time turner!"

"He almost got himself killed three times to win the TriWizard... not to mention Cedric dying and he... he... Voldemort..."

"Hermione..."

"And then he got himself tossed off the Quidditch team, banned for life..."

"McGonagall reinstated him!"

"... he has a scar on his hand in the shape of 'I shall not tell lies', and ended up in the Ministry of Magic, where Sirius died, Ron!"

"Hermione..." Ron took her shaking shoulders in his hands and pulled her to his chest. "It's okay."

"No, it's not, Ron! Don't you see? He's going to end up dead if he doesn't ask for help!"

"But he won't, Hermione. Harry will never ask anyone for anything. You know that."

"I hate them," she muttered into his chest.

"Who?"

"Those bloody Dursleys!" she sobbed. "They made him like this..."

"No, I think he would have been like this no matter what, Hermione," Ron sighed.

"What?"

"In the end, Harry has it to do. You and I both know that. In the end, it's up to him, and he knows it, and that is what makes him like he is."

"But we have to..."

"I know. And we will be there, you and I both know that. And try prying Ginny away from him... I can't... well. The fact is, in the end, it's his show, right? He needs to be prepared to go it alone, Hermione, because in the end, we can't kill Voldemort for him."

Hermione's watery eyes turned up to him, and she looked into his clear, crystal blue ones.

"When did you get so wise?" she whispered.

"I'm not just a pretty face, you know," he joked, then blushed, realizing how close they were standing.

"I knew that," she nodded, then reached up and kissed him softly on the lips, much to Ron's surprise. "I knew that, Ron."


Transfiguration class went quickly. Harry had arrived with moments to spare, much to the disgruntlement of Professor McGonagall, who looked very put out for some reason.

Ron had spent the majority of the class staring blankly at Hermione, a rather odd look on his face. Harry thought he looked as thought he'd been hit by a muggle truck, but he wasn't exactly sure why. He knew it had something to do with Hermione, but...

"Mr Potter, could I speak with you for a moment?" McGonagall said as the others stood to leave at the end of class.

Harry nodded, then turned to Ron. "Meet you in Charms..."

But he wasn't sure the other boy had heard him, as he dodged over a desk to fall into step beside Hermione as she left the room.

Harry smiled and shrugged. When would those two get it together?

"Yes, Professor?" He said as the last student left the room and the door magically closed.

"Harry, I needed to speak with you..."

Harry's eyebrows rose. What now?

"Harry, there is a long tradition in Hogwarts that the Seeker of the team..."

"Professor? Is this about Quidditch?"

"Of course, Harry," McGonagall looked at him oddly.

"I see," Harry nodded. "Sorry."

"What did you think it was about?"

"I didn't know, Professor... I just..."

"Harry, the team needs a captain. I have decided that you are it. Do you accept?" She stated in her no-nonsense way.

"I... Captain?"

"Yes. It has been years since a Seeker was captain of the Gryffindor team. It is generally thought that a Seeker must keep his mind on his own job, and not be worrying about his other teammates... traditionally the job is given to the Keeper, but..."

"Ron would make a fabulous captain, Professor."

"Yes, Weasley would make an exceptional Captain, Potter... but it is my belief that you will make an even better one. Well?"

"Thank you, Professor..." Harry grinned.

"I will tell you what I told Wood every year, Harry, and Miss Spinnet and Miss Bell since. I have grown... used... to seeing the house cup every morning as I arrive to work. I would hate to have to begin paying social visits to another head each morning to do that."

Harry grinned, "I don't see that being a problem, Professor."

"See that it doesn't become one. Professor Snape is not at his most pleasant before eight a.m., and Professor Flitwick has that annoying coffee habit."

"Coffee habit?" Harry nearly laughed at the thought of the diminuitive Charms Professor and Head of Ravenclaw house with any habit at all.

"Yes. He's a positive bear until he's had his third or fourth cup. I've made a practice of avoiding him in the mornings for over twenty years. I would not like to have to change that now."

"I'll see that that doesn't happen, Professor," Harry smirked.

McGonagall looked at him closely, as though trying to determine whether he was being serious or not. She certainly was; Quidditch was not a joking matter. Ever.

"I would suggest that you hold tryouts... for every position."

"I'm not..."

"I doubt very much that Gryffindor has anyone to best the Weasley siblings, Harry, and we know that your position is safe... but it is never a bad idea to keep people, even very talented people... on their toes with a little competition."

Harry nodded, "Of course, Professor."

"And Harry..."

"Yes?"

"Your father was also captain of the team in his final year."

"I didn't know that, Professor."

"Yes. He was a very good Chaser... filled in as Seeker occasionally, and was... exceptional in that role, as well. A very good Quidditch player all round, actually."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said quietly, turning to leave the classroom, the Captain's badge clutched tightly in his left hand.

"But Harry..." she made him pause. He turned back to see her, standing behind her desk with her hands clasped in front of her. How many times had he seen her in that pose, watching over the first years, reinforcing a concept in class... speaking to him? It came to him that this witch was quite important to him.

"Yes, Professor?"

"He had nothing on you," her elderly eyes twinkled. Harry swallowed.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Win me that cup, Potter."

"Oh, I intend to."

"And Potter?"

"Yes, Professor?" he turned at the doorway.

"I can understand trying your best and failing, for the most part, and losing the occasional game in Quidditch is to be expected," she commented, sorting papers on her desk. "But I would not tolerate a Slytherin win, any Slytherin win, against my team well. Not very well at all."

Harry grinned his response and turned into the corridor, running all the way to Charms.


Well? There is number three. Thank you so much, everyone, for your reviews!

Nimbarosa: Hmmm... perhaps...

Wolf's Scream: That's a brilliant idea! I'm glad to hear that I'm providing entertainment for you and your wife... I'm going to have to tell my husband he's falling down on the job here... he never reads to me!

Nightwing509: Oh, Harry will be standing up to Malfoy a few times, I'm sure! Can't have a decent H/G fic without a little ferret-bashing...

Thunder's Shadow: No real reason. They've just returned to Hogwarts, and Harry is distracted with Ginny... don't worry, there is nothing wrong there. Trust me! As for Malfoy... you think?

Rdprice29: Yes, we have to put ferretboy in his place... well... Harry does. As for the H/G in canon thing... I'm beginning to wonder. I read an interview (with Eric someone from CBC) in which she and the interviewer were on a train... the train had pulled into a stop, and as it pulled away, a "little freckled girl" chased the train. JKR pointed it out, saying something like "doesn't that break your heart? The little freckled girls break my heart... because I was a little freckled girl"... Makes me wonder what she's got in store for Ginny in the next two books...

Merlindamage: You think? LOL!

Clhdadam: I see the whole Harry/Hermione thing as "incestuous" as I've said before, because I see their relationship being very sibling-like. I know I'm going to tick off a lot of Harry/Hermione shippers with this, but I am wholly and completely in the H/G R/H camp. I always have been.

Japanese-Jew: I see Ginny as being incredibly capable – all of the time. I doubt very much she's going to be upset with Harry if he were to NOT "defend her honor" but can you really see Harry NOT? Well, maybe... in the right circumstances...

Charmingly-Holly: Um, no. Sorry. No can do. You'll have to wait like everyone else!

MrsSakuraPotter: Back to your classwork! I don't want to be blamed for your not studying! Talk to Shotgunn... I had this conversation with him last year!

And to the rest, thank you: MysticRuby, RinnaMarie, Weselan, GeeUnit, Shotgunn, DavidMPotter, RyougaZell, ImaQuidditchFan, AlliBaby, l'angelodimorte, FroBoy, KittiesRule, YelloWitchGrl, kazziedal, padfootlives101

CQ