Chapter 3

Harry was walking along a dimly lit corridor. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Not knowing why, he ducked behind a cold marble pillar. Seconds later, Hermione and Ron came into view, Ron running after Hermione purposefully. Harry tried to jump out from behind the pillar, but something was holding him back. He watched helplessly as Ron assaulted Hermione, tearing off her robes and shouting "food! good food!" Harry tried to move forward again, unsuccessfully, and then turned to see what was holding him back. It was Voldemort. A cold shock of horror ran through his body as Harry perceived this, and he punched at him vainly, to no effect. Behind him, he heard Hermione scream. But now he could not turn around, either, so he was stuck staring into Voldemort's face that was as full of emotion as a corpse's. Harry struggled, fought to get away, but he could not move, he could not breathe. Hermione screamed, again, and Harry, thrashing in Voldemort's arms, finally blacked out. And woke up.

He grabbed his glasses and put them on. His sheets appeared to have landed on Seamus's head, on the other side of the room. Ron was staring at him.

"Harry, are you all right? Was it another dream about Y-- about V-Voldemort?" asked Ron anxiously.

"Yes, it was, Ron," said Harry coldly. "Now leave me alone. I'm going back to sleep."

He turned on his side, and stared at the wall. Could it be true? Could Ron really be after Hermione?

He had convinced himself of it, now. His dreams had given him forewarning before, and he knew it.

l----------l

"Ron?" said Hermione.

He was standing outside the Charms classroom, waiting until it was time for his next class. "Yes?" he said.

"Would you come here, please? I have a surprise for you," she declared, smiling mysteriously.

"Yes, sure." He grinned. She walked off towards the courtyard, and he followed curiously.

Once they neared an obscure corner of the courtyard, she stopped, and called out, "Accio mysterious package!" A package flew into her hands, and she handed it to him. "I thought you might like this, seeing how you're the Gryffindor Keeper and all..."

He unwrapped it, and gasped. It was a nice new broom. Not a Firebolt, but what appeared to be a slightly cheaper foreign-made copy. It was streamlined, and shone in the morning sunlight. The name "Bolllt of Fireplace" appeared near the end of the handle.

"Wow... er, thanks, Hermione! It's wonderful! But why?"

"I just know I've been a bit sharp with you lately. And this is sort of a way of saying sorry. Try it out, why don't you?"

Ron mounted the broom. He looked incredibly happy, and seemed to revel in the sudden glory of their friendship.

Without warning, the broom flew straight up, and then over the school walls, Ron clinging onto it for dear life. Hermione watched as the broom flew slowly downwards, and then paused in midair for a moment before dropping straight down into the Forbidden Forest. There was a faint yell from Ron, which faded away. Then all was silence once again.

Hermione hummed to herself, and then poked her arm with one slender finger.

Harry came into the courtyard, looking around, and, having spotted her, walked over to where she was standing.

"Hello, Hermione. I thought I saw Ron over here..."

"What? No, he wasn't here," she said confidently. "I think you need to clean those glasses of yours more often." She reached over, removing his glasses. He took this as an invitation to attempt to kiss her passionately, which he did. She resisted slightly, prompting him to push her against the wall in order to take advantage of his new position as demonstrative boyfriend.

After what seemed like hours to her, a bell sounded, signaling that it was time to go to their next classes. She broke away, gasping for breath. He waved cheerily at her and rushed off.

She watched him go, glowering. She touched a finger to her arm, and muttered to herself, "Tom, enough now..."