Chapter 5
"Ron! Wake up! RONALD WEASLEY! It's ten to eight and lesson are going to start in ten minutes time! WAKE UP!" Harry was practically shouting and screaming into Ron's ears, but to no avail. Finally Harry shouted, "RON! HERMIONE HAS FALLEN INTO THE LAKE! GO AND SAVE HER!"
Ron bolted up, as if a bolt of lightning has just struck him. "What? Hermione? Where? How? When?" Ron only stopped babbling when he saw Harry rolling on the ground, laughing hard and clenching his stomach. "HARRY POTTER! You liar! How dare you make fun of Hermione and curse her to fall into the lake?
"How else am I supposed to wake you up? Hurry up! We are going to have Potions in fifteen minutes time." Harry said between peals of laughter.
On hearing the fact that Potions was about to start in fifteen minutes time, Ron dressed up and got ready in top speed. Together with Harry, Ron dashed all the way to the dungeons. Panting, they sat down on the seats that Hermione saved for them. Harry took a look around the classroom and realised that he, Ron and Hermione were the only Gryffindors in the class. The others were all Slytherins. There were only around ten people in the room. Just as they took out their equipments, Snape swept into the classroom.
"Ah…" Snape drawled. "Welcome to the NEWT Prep Class. Potter, are you sure that you are in the right place? I trust that your potion skills are not much better than Longbottom. Apparently, you are even more intellectually challenged than Longbottom to be able to believe that you will survive in this class."
"I'm sure that I'm in the right class, professor. I think that I will be able to cope with NEWT level potions, sir." Harry said with clenched teeth. Obviously, Snape still did not forgive Harry about peeking into the pensieve.
"We shall see. I must warn you that anyone whom I deem not good enough will be forced to leave this class. So pay attention if you do not want that to happen to you. Today, we will be making the Wolfsbane Potion. The instructions are on the board. You will be doing the potion individually. Begin!" Snape barked, while throwing Harry a look of utmost loathing.
Harry concentrated on making the potion, reading through every step carefully and in the end, managed to brew a potion, although not perfect, but only a few shades lighter than Hermione's. He corked up the bottle, and placed it on Snape's table. Snape took it without a comment, meaning that he had done it almost perfectly. "Potter," Snape hissed suddenly. "The Headmaster wishes me to inform you that you will be having extra lessons with him every Thursday night. Meet him in his office at eight o'clock sharp."
Harry returned to his sit and told Ron and Hermione about what Snape had just said.
"Why does Dumbledore want you to continue learning Occumulency? I thought that you had mastered it." Hermione whispered.
Harry was just about to answer her when Snape said, "No talking, Potter. Ten points from Gryffindor."
The trio shut their mouths and kept quiet until the lesson ended. They had also gotten a twelve feet long essay on the correct way to brew Wolfsbane and the uses of wolfstone, the main ingredient of Wolfsbane.
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"We are going to start on Animagus. Professor Dumbledore had requested me to coach all fifteen of you to become Animagi due to the war we are having now. He wants all of you to acquire as many skills as you can that can help you to survive through the war." Professor McGonagall announced to the class, in a deadly serious tone. "I do not want anyone to mess around during the lessons. It will not be an easy task for anyone of you. Now, let's revise about what we had learnt about animagus during your fourth year.
"Become Animagi? Like the Marauders? Wow!" Ron whispered excitedly to an equally enthusiastic Harry. "I wonder what animal I would become."
"Mr Potter, would you mind coming here for a moment?" Professor McGonagall called to Harry while the others are all engrossed in reading up about animagus. "You are made the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team as obviously, you are in the team for the longest. Your Quidditch ban was lifted and I expect you to try your best. Please go to Madam Hooch to book a day for try-outs."
"Okay." Harry said with a bit of a stammer. Him? Quidditch Captain? Unbelievable!"
However, his thoughts flew back to the time when he was a first year, standing in front of the Mirror of Erised. "I'm Quidditch Captain Harry!"
Ron would loved to be the Quidditch Captain. Harry though. He's going to be so disappointed. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he totally praised himself secretly for thinking of such a wonderful idea. You're not as dense as Snape thinks after all! Harry though with a grin on his face.
"Professor! Could you make Ron co-captain? He would be a great asset to the team. Remember your giant chess set?"
Harry never thought that it was possible, but Professor McGonagall actually beamed at him with a proud look on her face, as if she was looking at her own son. It actually scared Harry a little, but her response was made up for it.
"I am proud of you Mr Potter. I was secretly hoping that you would suggest that." Professor McGonagall said and her beam subside to a small smile. "Thinking of a friend while acquiring personal success is a great virtue. Mr Weasley is fortunate to have you as a friend."
"Hey guys! I'm Co-Quidditch Captain! McGonagall just told me"
As the trio made their way to the Great Hall for lunch, Harry filled Ron and Hermione about what happened just now.
"WOW! That's fabulous mate!"
Even though Ron said that with utmost sincerity, there was still a faint trace of bitterness in his voice. Harry couldn't help but laughed at Ron's slight twinge of jealousy.
"Oh come on Ron, stop being jealous. I said Co-captain not captain. The catch is at the word 'co' if you still didn't get it." Harry stared meaningfully at Ron.
"Wha- " Ron's facial features changed form confusion to understanding to pure delight and amazement.
He whispered in a strangled voice, "You mean I'm--- "
"--- Co-Captain." Harry finished the sentence for him with a slight smile. "Stop looking like you've just seen someone's underwear mate. And you better close your mouth before a fly build its nest in it."
"Congratulations to the both of you!" Hermione said with huge smile that rivalled McGonagall's.
She proceeded to grab both of them in a hug and gave Ron a small peck on his cheeks. That fixed Ron's mouth in a permanently wide-opened position.
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Lunch in the Great Hall was, least to say, eventful. The trio settled down and while, Harry started piling food on his plate, Ron was already shovelling them down his throat. Food had certainly help to shut his mouth efficiently. As they ate, Harry did not notice someone approaching him.
"Hello Harry."
Harry raised his head to find himself staring into the gorgeous face of Gabrielle. He gave her a warm smile which, unknown to him, drew Ginny's glare to Gabrielle. If looks could kill, Gabrielle would probably have holes burnt into her back.
"Hi Gabrielle. How were your lessons? Enjoying yourself?" Harry replied.
Gabrielle took the seat opposite Harry, and began to pile food on her plate. "Harry, I'm meaning to thank you about saving me from the lake." Gabrielle was blushing slightly and stealing glances at Harry while cutting up her shepherd's pie. (Which obviously, being Harry, who was hopelessly mundane when it comes to stuff like that, was completely and utterly oblivious to that.)
"No problem there, Gabrielle." Harry finally saw Ginny, who was sitting a few places away from them, glaring at Gabrielle more often then natural. As usual, he did not know the reason behind that, even with the meaningful glances that Hermione threw at him.
The trio and Gabrielle continued chatting until the bell rang and the trio headed off for Charms.
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Charms lesson, was as usual, relatively fun and not to say the least --- noisy. They were learning how to make quills sing, which in Harry's opinion, is too useless and time wasting during the time of war.
Moreover, it totally turn the class into a much noisier version of Diagon Alley, with horrible and sweet voices of quills mixed together. Quills, in Harry's mind, do not make good singers at all. As his quill only was only able to sing one note every five seconds.
Ron, on the other hand, wasn't any better off then Harry. "Argh. Hermione, help me! My stupid quill would NOT sing properly. It's-all-out-of-tune." Ron said while waving his wand frantically, trying to get the charm right.
Hermione's quill, on the other hand, was already singing the song 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm' perfectly in pitch.
"You're saying it wrong. It is chan-TER-ous not chanter-rous." Hermione explained to a frustrated Ron. "Try again."
After two hours of hard work, everyone managed to perfect the spell and the quill choir gave a performance of singing the latest Weird Sisters' hits.
Much to their horror, Professor Flitwick assigned them to do a twelve feet long essay on the singing charm and what are the uses f the charm.
"Flitwick is flying off his handle" Ron muttered under his breath. "What uses could there be for the stupid charm other than to cheat in a singing competition?"
"My guess is as good as yours Ron." Harry muttered back.
And for the first time, Hermione can't seem to answer Ron's question either.
A/N: sorry for the long wait! Not as if there is many people reading this thing anyway. Haha. Do drop a review if you are! Even though the whole story is written, I'm adding more stuff here and there to make it more exciting and up to a more realistic length. I mean, the chappies are abit short, aren't they? Haha.
Anyway, I want to do some promoting for some other stories. Of your have the time, do go and read "Harry Potter and the Phoenix Flight" by The Velvet Ghost. It is FANTABULOUS. Really. Move me to tears after both the times I've read it. It's really really really nice. REALLY. Trust me.
REVIEW! haha. (grrr, just realised that i can't put any signs to break off the different parts. have to make do with 00000000 then. huuumph.)