DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Harry looked out across the frosted grounds as the sun rose above the mist. It was going to be a chilly day. There was already a noticeable breeze, causing the tips of bare tree branches to shiver and sway.
Ron and Neville were still sleeping. They'd both been looking forward to their ability to sleep late. Harry was enjoying the peace and silence of the moment more than he would have enjoyed an extra hour of sleep. The last few days had crawled by slowly, leaving Harry feeling tense and generally agitated. Watching the wind blowing through the grounds was relaxing in its simplicity. And yet, he still felt distinctly un-relaxed.
He felt a familiar and not unwelcome tightness in his chest as the sun glinted off the goal hoops far away, above the Quidditch pitch. It had been too long since he'd felt the energizing anxiety of the morning before a Quidditch match.
That is, assuming it was the day before his Quidditch match. Hogwarts had only rarely played two matches in a single day, and it was never done in professional or international play. If the first match lasted longer than five hours, they're wouldn't be much light left to play the second game, and Harry (like most Seekers) didn't like the idea of a night match.
Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff would be playing the first match. Cho had been visibly upset after the meeting with Madam Hooch to draw the order of play. The pairings were set according to Hogwarts tradition, but neither team wanted to play in the chilly winter morning air. Cho had drawn the longest twig, but the Hufflepuff captain had drawn the very shortest. Katie and Draco immediately agreed on playing the afternoon game, despite the possibility of it being postponed.
Cho had been irritable that night when the D.A. Council met quickly in the trophy room. Both Ernie and Hannah wisely avoided her. She sullenly stood through the meeting as Hermione and explained about what they should do in the case of any "emergencies" during the matches or the Ball the next day. There were plenty of Aurors and other wizards around, so the D.A. was to assemble outside the locker rooms the day of the matches or outside the Gryffindor common room the next day.
As Harry got showered and dressed, he tried to convince himself that nothing was going to happen. Nothing had happened during the dueling demonstration, why should it happen now? Voldemort would be daft to try attacking anyone with all the wizards walking about.
By time he made it down to the common room, he was already feeling more confident and had almost started to feel happy. This trend was helped by the sight of a Ginny dressed and peering out the windows, much like he had after he'd woken up.
She turned to smile at Harry, asked about Ron and Neville, and shook her head on hearing they were still asleep. "He better not sleep too much longer, or McGonagall will wake him up herself." They both sat near the window and decided to wait for Hermione.
Not long after they'd sat down, they heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. As the turned to look, they realized the feet were coming down the boy's stairs. A moment later, Neville appeared at the foot of the stairs. His face brightened as he saw Ginny, but darkened a little when Harry looked at him.
"What are you two doing?" he asked suspiciously.
"Waiting for Hermione," Harry answered with a confused face.
"There is a Quidditch match today," Ginny added. "And with the way our Beaters are looking, it'll be up to Harry and us Chasers. We were just talking about it." She gave him an innocent smile, and Neville seemed to relax.
They had not been talking about Quidditch, but it wouldn't have been very smart to tell Neville that they'd been very quietly discussing their schedules, trying to find time to sneak off to the abandoned office near the library again. Before Neville turned to go back up to the dormitory, Harry asked about Ron and learned that he'd just woke up.
About a half hour later, a dressed but sluggish Ron sat down next to Harry at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Neville flopped down next to Ginny, making Ron throw a sidelong glance at Harry. Harry ignored it.
The day was going well. He hadn't slept nearly as bad as the past nights. He'd enjoyed the sunrise. He'd gotten time to talk to Ginny. He was enjoying his breakfast.
He was going to play Quidditch.
Harry finished eating but stayed as Katie and the rest of the Quidditch team crowded around Harry, Ron and Ginny to have a spontaneous team meeting. It was one last chance to go over the strategy for the day. Katie had talked to Cho that morning, and Cho was confident that the match wouldn't be long. The Hufflepuff Seeker, Summerby, hadn't even given Ginny much trouble.
"She thinks it'll be a quick game so long as the weather holds," Katie explained. "She also recommended a Warming Charm that should keep us comfortable for quite a while."
Katie told them that the weather seemed to be clear but a little more frigid than they usually played in. She warned Harry about the glare that would be coming off the ice which was forming on the pitch and stands. It would make finding the Snitch even more difficult than it usually was.
Finally, the I.C.W. wizards at the front table rose, followed by Dumbledore. Some of them conjured thicker robes to wear, while some of them simply pointed their wands at the robes they were already wearing. One of them picked a spoon off the table and transfigured it into a long, and very thick, fur coat, bringing light applause from some of the students.
"Looks like it's time," Ron said with a nod to Harry's left. Harry turned to see Cho leading the Ravenclaw team out the main doors. The Hufflepuff team was assembled and walking in the same direction. Once the teams were out the door, the rest of the students filed out. Most of them returned to their common rooms to get heavier robes, or in the case of Harry, to get their brooms and equipment.
It took most of an hour to get all the students into the stands, while the teams took extra time to warm up on the pitch, literally. The Ravenclaw team formed a tight circle and Harry watched as small flashes could be seen reflected off the frosted grass at their feet.
When everything was finally set, a pair of the Confederation wizards stepped out onto the pitch, one of them carrying a large, ornately carved box. The two of them seemed to talk to Madam Hooch for a short time, then she turned and addressed the spectators.
"Welcome everyone!" she called out to the stands, her voice magically amplified. "Today is a special day. For the first time in twenty-two years, Hogwarts will be hosting a Quidditch Double-Match! First up will be Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff!" Cheers went up from the crowd. She waited for them do die down before she continued. "Following the match, as time allows, will be a short intermission and then the match between Slytherin and Gryffindor!"
When the second round cheers had died down, Madam Hooch stepped to her side and motioned to the Confederation wizards behind her. "The International Confederation of Wizards will be supplying the Quidditch balls used in today's matches. This is a great honor. Furthermore, two of the Confederation members have graciously offered to help officiate the matches. I will now call the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff teams to meet immediately in the center for the start of the match."
Both teams did as they were told. As Madam Hooch spoke privately to both teams, Ron leaned over Hermione to talk to Harry, interrupting his attempt to watch Neville and Ginny sitting a few rows ahead of them.
"Three referees?" he exclaimed, "What do they think we're going to do?"
"I think they just want an excuse to have two more wizards on the pitch," Hermione answered before Harry could say anything.
"What are they worried about? The place is crawling with Aurors!"
Hermione lowered her voice. "They're worried because Harry is worried."
"That's fine with me," Ron said as he sat back and tried to relax on the magically warmed benches. "Extra referees will just make it harder for the Slytherins to get away with anything nasty."
Harry tried to put any thought of danger from his mind. If there was ever a time and place to attack Hogwarts, this certainly was not it. There would be no evil professors cursing him off his broom, no packs of Dementors invading the pitch, and there was no chance that the set of balls from the I.C.W. would be cursed to attack him.
Harry watched as the two teams zoomed into the air, swirling around the Hufflepuff boy who'd taken control of the Quaffle. Cho and Summerby flew off in opposite directions, though Cho kept a close eye on Summerby as he lazily flew close to the ground.
As the game progressed, Ravenclaw began to show the greater experience of their team. It wasn't at all embarrassing, but with a seventy point lead after just less than an hour, it was apparent that it was up to Summerby to catch the Snitch for Hufflepuff, and he was running out of time.
"The Ravenclaw Keeper's just too good," Ron commented as yet another Quaffle was stopped on its path to the goal hoops. "It seems like everyone is just a little slower than they should be. Must be colder than it looks."
"The Bludgers look like they're doing just fine," Katie commented from behind them. Harry and Ron both took the time to watch the Bludgers as they zoomed over the pitch. They were lighter in color and shinier than their normal Bludgers, which made them a little more difficult to see.
"They're going a bit fast, aren't they?" Harry asked cautiously. Ron's grimace confirmed this thought.
"They're probably for international matches. They're a bit faster in some places," Ron said slowly. "They say it makes the games more interesting. Less scoring, more trouble for the Seekers."
"Great. I always got on brilliantly with the slower ones," Harry groaned.
"Well, the Slytherins will have to deal with them, too," Hermione argued, "and you're a better flier than any of them."
"It won't help much," Katie said quietly between the four of them. "We'll be lucky if our Beaters can stay on their brooms."
Ron sat back and watched the game. It couldn't last much longer. Cho had already found and lost the Snitch twice, and Summerby wouldn't have realized it if he hadn't heard the cheering of the Ravenclaw students. After that he'd started loosely following Cho, which seemed to make Cho even more comfortable. She stopped trying to keep an eye on him, flew to the Ravenclaw goal hoops and just hovered near them.
Summerby didn't know what to do. Cho seemed to be talking to their Keeper, who hadn't been seeing much action in a few minutes. Slowly he drifted off, and seemed to be scouting the ground.
Harry saw it before anyone else, except possibly Cho. There was a bright glint moving quickly across the pitch toward the Hufflepuff Keeper. Cho had frozen in place, her eyes locked on the small yellow flashes as they skipped across the frosted grass.
Suddenly, the Ravenclaw Keeper turned and bolted to her left, passing only feet above Summerby. Without thinking, he flattened himself to his broom and shot off after her. When she broke off to return to the hoops, Summerby pulled his broom to a halt, and started searching frantically for Cho.
Unfortunately for the Hufflepuff team, Cho Chang was streaking along the stands, only feet behind the Snitch. Summerby made an effort to try and reach the Snitch, but it simply wasn't possible. A moment later, Cho was spiraling down to the pitch where her teammates and a small number of Ravenclaw students had gathered to celebrate.
It had been a impressive feint, followed by a good catch, but Harry wasn't cheering. Two rows ahead of him, Ginny had stood up and turned toward him. She was talking to Neville and gathering up her Quidditch Robes. On the other side of Hermione, Ron was struggling to pull his gloves out of his robe pockets. Harry felt a jab of anxiety in his chest.
It was time.
"Ron, can you make sure Sloper and Kirke get down to the locker rooms as soon as possible?" Katie asked from behind him. "I'll find Vicky and make sure she's ready. I thought that was going to last a bit longer."
Ron nodded in agreement and squeezed past Harry to head off toward the rest of the Gryffindor students. Harry considered following him, but since the end of the match, many of the students were standing or walking toward the house elves who were handing out hot drinks and snacks. He decided he would just sit for a bit until the rest of the students calmed down a bit. It's not like Katie could tell him much that would help him.
A moment later, his plans were interrupted.
"You coming, Potter?"
Harry looked up to see Ginny smiling at him. He nodded to the crowd around him and looked back at her. "I'll wait, thanks. Don't want to break an arm tripping over the first years."
"Luckily you brought your broom," she replied pointing to the Firebolt sitting across his lap.
"Oh," Harry said as wondered why he hadn't thought of it himself. "I guess I forgot about that. Here, you take it," he said offering the Firebolt to Ginny. Several students nearby turned, one of them dropping a cup of tea, and stared as if Harry had just offered a stranger the key to his home. "Katie won't care if I don't make it right away."
"Fine then," Ginny said with a shrug, "we'll both go." Harry gave her an odd look. "Come on, Charlie's shared his broom with me dozens of times. It's not all that hard."
Harry slowly mounted his broom, giving Ginny a worried look. She ignored it and got on behind him. He jumped and nearly dumped them both off the broom as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Goodbye, Neville," she called out as Harry adjusted his balance. "Wish us luck!"
As Harry took off, he turned to see Neville. He seemed to be forcing himself to smile, and barely choked out a "Good Luck". It truly wasn't far to the locker rooms, especially on a broom, but Harry completely forgot about the nervousness as he focused on the feeling of Ginny leaning against his back. He could feel her breath on his neck, and her arms were holding him tighter than really necessary.
When they landed, she let out a small sigh, causing a puff of vapor to swirl and rise into the grey sky. She waited for Harry to get off the broom before starting for the lockers.
"Come on, then. Let's see what Katie's got to say."
"The Bludgers. They're faster than normal," he told her as they walked.
"Yeah, one of the third years was saying that they looked like the ones the German teams play with."
"You'll have to watch out for them. Katie doesn't think Kirke and Sloper will be able to handle them."
"Don't worry about it, Harry," she told him, "I've got a good broom. I can outrun them."
Harry wasn't so sure that would help much. He'd been able to outrun Bludgers on all his brooms, but it hadn't kept him from his share of run-ins with them. He didn't have a chance to share that, however, as they reached the locker room. Inside, Katie was talking to the rest of the team.
"Ah. You found our Seeker," she said to Ginny with a smile. "You ready for a quick game, Potter?"
Harry didn't know what to say. He wouldn't mind catching the Snitch after only a minute or so, but he didn't honestly think it would happen. He didn't want to tell Katie to expect a short match, but didn't want to upset her by telling her not to. He settled on a completely non-distinct head movement which seemed to satisfy Katie. Without another glance in his direction, she went back to talking to the team.
"There's a wind coming in from the north. It's going to be getting a bit chilly, so make sure you use those Warming Charms on your brooms. And watch out for the Bludgers. They're faster than usual, so Kirke and Sloper may need some time to adjust." She threw a threatening look in the direction of the young Beaters. "But I'm sure they'll make sure no one gets hurt."
Eventually she stopped talking and everyone took a moment to charm their brooms. Harry used another charm on his glasses to keep them from frosting up. When everyone was finished, they slowly walked out to the pitch.
Madam Hooch gave both teams a few minutes to fly around and get used to the colder air before calling them down to the center for the start of the match.
"Welcome teams," she said to both teams after announcing the game to the crowd. Her voice didn't sound welcoming. She was glaring at the two teams as if they'd already done something horribly wrong. "There will be no mischief during this match." She turned to stare at Harry and he stared back rebelliously. He'd never done anything to cause problems. It had always been Malfoy, or his house elf.
"The air is cold. The Bludgers are quick. The Snitch is acting a bit twitchy. We've got three referees today, so don't think you'll get away with anything underhanded. I want a good, clean match. Chasers forward!"
As the chasers came forward, Madam Hooch released the Bludgers which shot off into the sky. The Snitch followed them, and Harry lost it in the grey above him. Before he was truly ready, the Quaffle was tossed into the air. Ron shot off immediately for the goal hoops, while Ginny and Katie rocketed toward the rising Quaffle.
Harry had decided to stay out of the action for the moment, and stayed low to the pitch. It took only a second to realize that Draco had done the very same thing, though he didn't seem to be following Harry. Instead, he was shadowing one of his own players. It was hard to tell from across the pitch, but it looked to be Vincent Crabbe, one of Slytherin's Beaters.
Harry wondered what Draco was up to and he got the answer soon afterward as he was forced to dart to his left, letting a Bludger streak past his shoulder. He was directing Crabbe and Goyle. Harry knew he wouldn't be able to coast around the pitch like he'd hoped. He sped up, hoping that either Draco's goons would be too slow (physically or mentally) to hit him, or at least he'd draw some attention away from the rest of the Gryffindors.
After a few minutes, both he and Draco were sailing around the pitch looking (in futility, it seemed) for the Snitch. Harry was searching for some tell-tale glint of gold, but was horrified to see them everywhere. The dull noon sun was shining off the frosty ground and catching patches of ice on every surface it seemed. His best advantage over Malfoy had always been his ability to see the Snitch first, but it didn't look like he'd have that advantage today.
The rest of the team seemed to be feeling about the same. Ron had already let the Slytherins score twice, despite making many more saves. Katie and the Chasers had done quite well also, giving Gryffindor a sixty point lead. It might have been more, but Kirke and Sloper were outmatched utterly. They might have put up a better show if Lucius Malfoy had bought them brooms as well, but there were many reasons why that wasn't terribly likely.
As a result, the Gryffindor Chasers were being relentlessly harassed by Bludgers. Vicky Frobisher had taken a nasty hit to her thigh, Ginny had dropped the Quaffle after a glancing blow to her shoulder, and even Katie had missed a pass after a Bludger brushed her twigs.
"Bloody Hell!" Katie shouted after Vicky fumbled a pass, leaving Ron facing all of the Slytherin Chasers. As they whirled around a very upset Ron, Katie turned on her Beaters. "If that happens again, you'll wish you were in Hufflepuff!"
The two Beaters looked angry and slightly afraid, and they took off with new urgency. The Bludgers became a little less dangerous, but it was not the last time that they lost a Quaffle because of Crabbe or Goyle. Katie didn't scold them any more, however. There was only so much she could ask.
Meanwhile, Harry was trying to accomplish the nearly impossible task of finding the Snitch. He was beginning to think he would never find it. He'd dove a couple times already, only to find he was chasing shadows and reflections. Once he was fairly certain he'd actually seen the Snitch, but it was on the far end of the pitch, and before he could even get close, he'd lost it again. If he would have been able to fly slower, like Malfoy, he might have already spotted it, but Crabbe and Goyle made sure to send a couple Bludgers at him whenever he so much as slowed down.
The only good news was that if he could hold out just a little longer, it might not matter. The Slytherin Chasers were no match for Katie, Ginny and Vicky. In just a little over an hour, they had built up a one hundred twenty point lead. Four more goals and it wouldn't matter if he got the Snitch or not.
Harry slowed a little to watch as Ginny soared toward the Slytherin Keeper and launched the Quaffle through the lower hoop. A huge cheer rose from the Gryffindor students. Only thirty more points. Harry turned his broom to fly closer to Draco. His Firebolt was still faster than Draco's broom, and he might be a little safer from Bludgers by him. As he neared him, Draco snarled at him.
"What's the matter, Potter? You're looking a little tired. Spending too much time dodging, I'd say."
Harry didn't respond, but instead he heard another cheer from the Gryffindors. They'd increased their lead to one hundred forty.
"Not much time left, Malfoy," Harry jeered. "If this lasts much longer it won't matter who gets the Snitch."
"If this last much longer, they'll be taking your Chasers off the pitch on stretchers!"
"They look like they're doing pretty well to me," Harry replied as he watched Ron block a hoop and toss the Quaffle off to his sister.
Suddenly he froze. The Snitch. It was by the goal hoops, close to the pitch. Malfoy had noticed Harry's reaction and now he'd seen it as well. Malfoy's eyes darted to the scoreboard, and a second later he was gone. If he got the Snitch, Slytherin would win.
Harry shot off after him, and a moment later he was only inches behind him as they streaked toward the base of the goal hoops. Harry heard the cheers of the crowd over the bitter cold air rushing past his face. Then there was a break, followed by an explosion of cheering. Harry was confused for a moment. They hadn't reached the Snitch yet. He looked above him, and saw Ron in a vertical loop.
Gryffindor had scored. They led by one hundred fifty.
The Snitch was flying away now, and Harry and Malfoy were following it. As they inched up on it, Harry called out to Malfoy.
"Check the score, Malfoy!"
Malfoy looked back at Harry with a gleeful grimace. But his face soured at the look on Harry's face. A second later, they passed the scoreboard and Draco let out an enraged scream. He kept on the Snitch, which seemed to be gaining speed, and called out to his team.
"CRABBE! WARRINGTON! You don't want to even think of what I'll do to you if you don't score NOW!"
Harry took the opportunity to inch forward so that he was almost at Draco's side. They flew around the Slytherin goal hoops, and as they came out, Harry saw Vicky Frobisher falling to the pitch as the crowd gasped. Only a few seconds later, there was a second groan as Katie was almost knocked from her broom. She righted herself, but was cradling her left arm.
The Snitch slowed suddenly and dove for the center of the pitch. Draco dove as well, but Harry's broom was better and he took the lead. He leveled out over the pitch, with the Snitch only two feet in front of him. He put on a last burst of speed and reached out for it.
WHAM!
Harry felt like the Whomping Willow had clubbed him in the ribs. He lost control of his broom and struggled to steer it away from the stands before he hit them. He succeeded, but he'd completely lost the Snitch. He scanned the area and found a laughing Goyle and Draco Malfoy streaking away from him following a speck of gold.
Harry felt panic jabbing at his stomach. Draco would get the Snitch soon. Even if he didn't, the Gryffindor team wouldn't be able to hold the lead for much longer. Harry had to do something. He watched as the Snitch turned and headed back toward the Slytherin side. Harry turned and flew off, hoping to get there before it did.
As he flew he heard the roar of the crowd. He looked about and saw something streak a few feet over him. Something small, with red hair tied in a ponytail. Harry instinctively turned to look at Ginny, and for a second the world came to a standstill.
She had the Quaffle.
Harry's mind raced. The Slytherin Chasers were nowhere to be seen. They were up by one hundred fifty points. If she scored, it wouldn't matter if Draco got the Snitch. He didn't need to reach the Snitch. He only had to keep Draco from getting it for a little bit. With new urgency, he shot forward and upward.
He lazily dodged a poorly aimed Bludger, only to hear a shriek as it came frighteningly close to Ginny. Draco was diving to the pitch again, with the Snitch very close in front of him. If he dove, he'd be able to distract Malfoy for a second or so.
As he pushed his handle down to dive toward Malfoy, Harry saw Crabbe flying toward the Bludger that had missed Ginny. He was too close to her. He wouldn't miss.
Without thinking, Harry yanked up on the handle, and flattened himself against his Firebolt. He rocketed forward with all the speed he could manage. He was gaining on her quickly, but perhaps not quickly enough.
He heard the crack of Crabbe's bat as it struck the Bludger, and saw the frightening shift in the Bludger's direction as it headed directly toward Ginny. She hadn't seen it. She was already winding up for her throw.
Harry strained against his broom, urging it faster as the Bludger got closer and closer to Ginny.
It connected with a sickening THUD as the crowd burst into mixes of cheers, groans, and frantic shouting.
Ginny was too shocked to know what to do, but instinct seemed to take over. He'd appeared out of nowhere. She hadn't known the Bludger was coming, and suddenly he'd been there. She'd watched passively as the Bludger slammed into Harry's hip, flipping him over.
She'd followed through, mechanically it seemed. As Harry spiraled toward the ground, only hanging onto his broom with his hands, the Quaffle floated through the center hoop and she'd flown past all of it. She pulled roughly on her broom, turning and trying to find where Harry had gone. He'd been falling, though somewhat slowly. She had to help him.
She shouted for Madam Hooch, but her voice was drowned out by hundreds of other shouting voices. It seemed like everyone in the crowd was shouting. She shouted louder as she circled and finally saw Harry lying on the pitch, with his Firebolt only about fifteen feet from him, and mercifully unharmed. As she headed for the ground, she heard a loud whistle. Someone had seen him.
Something was wrong. As she hit the ground and stopped to look around. There were other students running toward him already. Ginny panicked. What had happened? Students were coming down from the stands. She stood still as Colin Creevey ran over to her and shook her hand.
"Brilliant, Ginny! Absolutely brilliant match!" he said quickly before running off toward Harry.
Ginny's head snapped over toward the scoreboard. She could barely believe what she saw: "SLYTHERIN: 210 - GRYFFINDOR: 220". Beneath it, in red writing: "FINAL SCORE". Ginny blinked twice. Draco had caught the Snitch. He'd caught the Snitch and lost the game.
Harry must have seen it. He'd done it. He'd won the match. She didn't even realize that she was already running toward him.
Harry remembered the Bludger hitting him. He acutely remembered the pain in his hip where it had slammed into him. He only vaguely remembered struggling to hang onto his broom, and he was pretty sure that he remembered hitting the ground.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been laying on the frozen ground, and he didn't know who the wizard looking at him was. He was positive that he had no idea where all of the people around him came from. A new face came into view, a face he knew.
"Perhaps we need to go over the rules of Quidditch once more, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "A Seeker's job is to catch the Snitch, not put themselves between Chasers and Bludgers." Slowly a smile crept across her face. "The results, however, are acceptable."
A cheer went up from the crowd around him as more people were pushing their way to the center of the crowd. Harry stood up slowly, wincing only slightly with the pain in his hip. He felt a little dizzy, but good otherwise.
"You'll want this, Potter," Katie said as she walked forward holding Harry's Firebolt. "Looks like it got a nasty scratch on the front there, but we'll fix that up before the next match."
"It's over?" Harry asked. "Did it work? How much did I miss?"
"I don't think you missed any of it," Katie said with a smile. "At least, not the important parts. You did it, Harry. I don't know how, or why, but you did. We won." Harry just stared at her for a moment, unsure of how it had happened, and trying to focus on her explanation. "Ginny scored, and Malfoy must have been too excited about the possibility of actually touching a Snitch that the git didn't realize that it was us who scored and not his own team."
Ron pushed his way forward to shake Harry's hand. "Great job, mate. It was bloody stupid and painful to watch, but it worked." Behind him was Hermione, Neville and most of the D.A. Council: Hannah Abbot, Ernie MacMillan, Cho Chang, Luna Lovegood and even Daphne Greengrass (though she was hunched a bit and trying to hide under her cloak). There was only one person missing.
"Ginny?" Harry said as he craned his head over the crowd. "Is Ginny okay?"
"HARRY!" came the answering shout. With a last push, Ginny broke through the last row of students and leapt at Harry.
Harry braced himself for the impact. He felt a twinge in his hip as she reached him, but he quickly forgot as he felt her arms wrap around him.
"We did it!" she shouted. Harry saw the jubilant smile on her face. It was contagious. He couldn't help but smile as well. Everyone was cheering and celebrating. They'd won. It was only a single match, but Malfoy would be furious, and that made Harry even happier. He felt content.
He smiled as Ginny looked into his eyes. She had beautiful eyes. Her hands felt warm against his neck. When her lips met his, he felt as if he was melting. They parted slightly, and Harry felt his spine turning to jelly. The noise seemed to drift away, and the world was forgotten.
The world, however, had not forgotten about them. The crowd around them fell silent almost immediately in shock, until one of the second year's found the right words to describe everyone's feeling:
"Wow."
Harry discovered that the kiss hadn't driven the sounds from his mind, but had rather driven the ability to speak from everyone else's. That one single word broke the spell, and Harry's eyes flew open to see the panic in Ginny's face.
Ginny pushed away from him, almost violently, nearly sending him tumbling to the pitch. Harry felt another sharp pain in his hip as he steadied himself, but it was nothing compared to the feeling he got as he saw everyone staring at him. It was as if his stomach had dropped into his shoes. Just when he thought it couldn't get worse, he saw the one person who he'd have wanted to be there even less than Draco Malfoy.
Neville Longbottom was standing next to Hermione, giving Harry and Ginny a strange, suspicious look. Ginny saw it and blushed immediately. Hopefully everyone would take it as embarrassment instead of the fear that Harry felt. Before he could say anything, his view of the world was blocked again, as Hermione pulled off her hat and jumped past Ginny.
Just as quickly as before, Harry felt a pair of lips pressing against his own. This time, however, they were kept firmly closed. Harry took a second to register what was happening. His eyes had closed almost instinctively, but they opened again only to see Hermione's eyes staring directly at him. It was odd, to say the least. It did feel nice, he allowed himself to admit, but any possible enjoyment was stolen by the scolding look he saw in Hermione's eyes while her curly hair hid their faces from the rest of the onlookers.
Finally she pulled away from Harry, leaving him feeling just as worried and much more confused than he was before. It was made worse as she walked away, and Harry saw the looks on his friends' faces.
Neville looked even angrier and just as confused. Ginny was standing next to him, her arm loosely linked with his, and her mouth hanging open in surprise and outrage. Ron's face however, was much more angry. He was looking at Harry as if he'd just stolen everything he owned. He tried to think of a way to explain everything, but the words didn't come. He opened his mouth and as before he could react, a third girl was kissing him.
It was Hannah. Harry recognized the lilac perfume she liked to wear. He tried to back away, but her hands wrapped around his head and pressed his lips to hers. They were soft and warm, and much more relaxed than Hermione's. When Harry looked, he was surprised to see Hannah's eyes closed as she pressed herself up against him. What is she doing, he asked himself as his mind tried to process what was going on. What was Hermione doing? What is going on? Those thoughts were chased from his mind by a leap of his stomach and a stabbing panic in his heart as a new thought pushed its way forward: Was that her tongue?
"That's quite enough!" a familiar voice scolded. Hannah backed away, smiling slightly. Professor McGonagall glared at Harry. She glared at Hannah, too, but it was nothing compared to the look she got from Ginny. "The match is finished. Everyone back to the castle!"
Professor McGonagall took one last opportunity to attempt to scold Harry with her eyes before walking off with the Confederation wizards who had acted as referees for the match. They smiled and nodded at Harry as they walked off.
Slowly everyone turned and started walking. Ron took Hermione's hand and started walking first, as Hermione gave Harry yet another disapproving glare. Hannah wrapped an arm around Harry and walked behind them. As the walked, Harry saw Ginny following him, smiling at Neville though her eyes were glaring icily at the back of Hannah's head. Katie and the rest of the older Gryffindor's followed around them, remaining quiet if only out of confusion over why they were saying absolutely nothing.
The only person who was willing to speak was one of the second year boys, who walked up to Harry as they neared the entrance to Hogwarts Castle. He asked Harry if he was still in his sixth year. Harry gave him a bewildered nod.
"Excellent," the boy said to one of his friends. "That'll give me two years to practice."
Ron narrowed his eyes at the boy, while Hannah stifled a laugh in her free hand.
Once inside the castle they found themselves in the rather crowded Entrance Hall. It was filled with students pulling off cloaks and hats and scarves. Ginny pushed past several of the students, and caught Hermione.
"We have a Council meeting," she said quietly but firmly. "Now."
Hermione gave her an annoyed look as Ginny weaved her way through the rest of the students, leading Neville up the staircase. When Ginny had gone, Hermione turned to scowl at Harry.
"It looks like we've got a meeting," she said coldly. "Hannah, can you find Ernie immediately?" Hannah nodded and slipped into the crowd. Hermione turned and gave a quick, almost imperceptible signal to Cho across the Hall, and she disappeared as well.
Harry didn't understand what was going on. What were they doing? What were they going to talk about?
"Come on, you three. Party in the common room," said Katie as she walked up to them.
"We'll be there in a little bit," Hermione said distractedly. "We have some business to attend to."
"That's fine. I mostly wanted Ron and Harry there, anyways," she replied, then quickly added, "—not that you aren't fun to have around as well. No offense, you know?"
"None taken," Hermione answered flatly as her head swiveled, searching the crowd. "You can have Ron, but I'll be taking Harry."
"You will?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure what was going on, but the more time that passed the more he preferred the idea of hearing a summary from Ginny over actually being there. "But I'm not part of the Council."
Hermione turned a sickly sweet face to Harry. "No," she said as she batted her eyelashes, "you're our fearless Leader, and it didn't stop you from coming to every other meeting." She was smiling, but her eyes were still had the same scolding look they'd had in them when she'd kissed him earlier.
The realization hit him again. He'd kissed Hermione —in front of Ron. He looked at Ron, and saw the smoldering anger in his eyes. A horrifying thought broke into Harry's mind: Had Ron ever kissed Hermione?
Katie shrugged in disappointment. "I see. Have fun protecting the world. Come on, Ron. You've become a bit of a house favorite—"
"I'm going with them," Ron said with finality.
"But you're not..." Katie struggled to understand what was happening. "She said you could go." Katie turned to Hermione and whispered, "But he's not on the Council either."
"He's returning a book to the Library for me," Hermione replied without even looking at Katie.
"What? You just said... Can't he return it tomorrow?"
"No, it's a very dangerous book," Hermione answered quickly.
Katie nodded and pretended as if that answer made perfect sense. "It won't be long, will it?"
"Not if I have any say in it," Hermione answered. Katie accepted the answer and waved as she walked off to the Gryffindor common room.
Harry was liking the idea of this meeting less and less every moment. He didn't think he'd even want to hear the post-meeting summary, even if he got it from Ginny in a mermaid costume. The topic of this meeting seemed to be quite clear to him now, and he didn't want to talk to anyone about it without talking to Ginny first.
"I'll go get the room ready," he told Hermione, hoping he'd be able to speak to Ginny for even a minute before anyone else showed up. Before he could take more than three steps, Hermione had grabbed his arm.
"Nice try, Harry," she said with a frown. "You get to find Daphne and Blaise. The quicker you are, the faster this is over."
Harry turned and walked as quickly as he could through the clumps of students. Several students tried to congratulate him as he passed. He stopped to thank the first pair, but gave up and tried to find either of the Slytherins.
He saw Ron and Hermione walking up the stairs followed by Cho and Luna, ending his chances of talking with Ginny before anyone else did. He turned back to the students, hoping that one of them was Daphne or Blaise. Jumping up on a chair, he scanned their heads looking for his targets. He saw her. Daphne Greengrass was just entering the Great Hall.
He squeezed through the students, trying to catch up to her. When he finally did she looked at him almost as if she'd expected to see him there.
"Hullo Potter," she said lazily. "I hope you're not here for a kiss, because I'm a bit parched right now. If you fetch me some butterbeer and ask politely, you might get a bit of one later."
"Very funny," Harry said, "I've had quite enough—"
"That's what I would have thought," she said, interrupting him. "Now, I can't promise anything so grand as Hannah's performance, but I expect I could at least show up Granger." She ignored Harry's expression as she held up some of her hair. "Straighter hair, you know? Doesn't get in the way."
Harry's eyes narrowed. Why couldn't Hermione have gotten them? Harry lowered his voice, trying to control his annoyance, "I need to find Blaise."
"Oh, you'll never get Blaise to kiss you," she laughed. Then her face became more thoughtful. "Maybe with some of Hannah's hair and some Polyjuice Potion..."
"I need to talk to Blaise. I hear you know where to find him."
Harry saw Daphne's smile fall quickly as she glanced pointedly to her left. Harry looked quickly and saw Theodore Nott looking curiously at the two of them. When he looked back at Daphne, she was laughing again.
"Why do you think Zabini would talk to you? Maybe you'd be thinking a bit more clearly if your Beaters weren't so abysmally untalented."
Was she being difficult because of Nott? Harry wondered who else might be watching, and realized that she probably didn't want to appear to be friendly with him after the match. He gave the standard excuse they had worked out before.
"Ernie said he loaned Blaise a book. I need to get it from him."
"Just a book? How urgent can it be? Aren't you spending the rest of the night snogging the Patil twins and all their friends?"
"It's pretty urgent," Harry growled.
"Then I'm sure he'll do his best to make sure you don't get it," Daphne said with a smirk. "You don't honestly expect favors from a Slytherin after that match, do you?"
Harry hung his head in defeat. If she hadn't figured out what was going on by now, he'd never get her to understand. "Fine," he said with a dismissive wave. "Let him know I was looking for him."
"Right. We'll have tea, sometime?" she replied sarcastically, as she toyed with the bright green stone set in the bracelet on her wrist. "Say hello to the Patils for me, will you?"
Harry turned to walk away. It was painfully obvious that he was done talking with her.
"Incidentally, I was curious," Daphne called out, making Harry stop and look at her. "Did you come looking for me before or after Cho Chang?"
Harry gave her an icy stare, which she smiled and blinked back at. Without another word he walked off.
"I was just wondering where I stood, you know?" she called out as he slipped back into the crowd.
Harry walked away feeling as if he'd accomplished nothing. If he would have ignored Hermione, he could have had time to talk to Ginny. He walked as quickly as he could toward the Room of Requirement. The only thing he cared about was making sure Ginny wasn't upset with him. He hadn't wanted the other girls to kiss him. He didn't even know why they did it. It only made everything worse. He should be celebrating and eating sweets with the rest of the Gryffindors, but instead he was walking to a room full of people waiting to berate him for something he didn't mean to do.
He considered ignoring them all and going to the common room. It really wasn't his fault. Why should he have to listen to them tell him it was? They didn't live with the pressure he did. They hadn't faced what he had. He stopped for a moment. It would only be worse if he didn't do it now. He might as well get it over with. He took off again, walking a little faster now.
He heard their voices before he even saw them.
"Zabini?", echoed Hermione's voice. "Where's Daphne?"
"Dunno," he replied casually. "She'll be here soon enough. I doubt she'll want to miss this."
Harry turned the corner and saw the group of them standing outside the door. Hermione was standing by the door with Hannah sitting a few feet away while Ron paced nearby. Luna was sitting against the opposite wall, prodding an inkwell and making the ink change different colors. Cho and Ernie were nearby, watching her with little enthusiasm. Ginny was standing, with her arms crossed over her chest and facing away from all of them.
Blaise Zabini was the first to notice Harry. "Ahh, It's 'The Boy Who Messed Up'." Ginny's head whipped around, sending her bright red hair twirling gracefully through the air. Harry smiled to himself. He'd always liked her hair. Right now, however, was perhaps not her best moment. She was staring contemptuously at Blaise, who seemed only slightly put off by it.
"Harry, where's Daphne?" Hermione asked as if he were some child who'd forgotten his shoes.
"She decided it'd be more fun to crack jokes about me," Harry replied.
"She'll be here," Blaise said quickly.
"How do you know?" Cho asked. Blaise didn't say anything, but Harry noticed him fingering ring on his left hand. It had a green stone.
"Her bracelet," Harry said loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone gave him surprised looks. He simply stared at Blaise. "She's got a bracelet with a green stone on it. You've got a ring with a green stone. That's how you contact each other."
"Nice work, Potter," Daphne said from behind him, "Though we really must teach you about the tower staircase. It took you long enough to get here. For a moment I was afraid you were going to skive off and search for any other girls who wanted to have a go."
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"Well you took your bloody time, didn't you? You even stopped for a moment there, as if you sensed some un-kissed girl nearby. You must have found the longest route possible between here and the Great Hall. If I'm sore for the dance tomorrow, I'll be really upset."
"Yes, well I won't really feel terribly sorry after our last conversation," Harry shot back.
"What was I supposed to do?" she replied, "You walk up to me like we're mates in front of Nott and Warrington? You're mental if you think that I want everyone to think I'm your friend. Do you know what my house-mates would say? I'd rather kiss you."
"That's enough," Ginny growled. Harry turned to see Ginny's eyes flashing and her wand out and pointed at Daphne.
"Ginny, STOP!" Hermione shouted. She opened the door. "Everybody inside. Now."
Cho and Ernie gave each other confused glances. "What about Ron? He's not on the Council and I don't think Rule Thirty-Three applies in this case."
Ernie gave Hermione a worried look. "Er— It doesn't, does it?"
Hermione gave them a whithering gaze. "Do you honestly think this has anything to do with the Defense Association Council?"
Cho smirked lightly. "Right. Good enough for me." Ernie and Luna followed her in without saying a word. Hermione waited at the door for Harry and Ginny to enter. Harry had waited hoping to get some other sign of Ginny's mood, but there was nothing. She just glared at Hermione as they entered. Hermione waited patiently until they were both inside.
"Expelliarmus!"
Without warning, Ginny's wand was flying through the air to Hermione's hand. Immediately, Ginny turned and scowled at her.
"Give that back," she said through clenched teeth.
"You'll get it back when we're done."
"You have no right to take my wand."
"I don't trust you with it," Hermione said sharply. Ginny stared back incredulously and Hermione ignored her. "I don't trust you with your lips, either, I just haven't found the charm to remove them yet."
"Oh, please," Ginny said in exasperation. "It was just a little kiss! No one would have cared until you made a big deal of it!"
"Wait," Ron called out. "Why do they have to be here?" he said, motioning to Cho, Ernie, Luna and the Slytherins.
"Because we need at least one rational person in the room, if only to see to the bodies, and it looks suspicious if we leave anyone else out of what seems to be a Council meeting," Ginny answered, talking faster than Harry realized she could. "However, I can't think of why you are here."
"I'm here because of Hermione!"
"This is about me and Harry, not Hermione."
"He kissed my girl— my date!" Ron shouted.
"I kissed Neville's date, too!" Harry retorted.
"Oh, I haven't even gotten to that," Ron replied in a threatening tone.
"Stuff it, Ron," Ginny said bitterly. "We both know why you're upset so unless you want everyone else to know it, you'd best nose out." This seemed to shut Ron up for the moment, and it left Ernie, Cho and the Slytherins giving each other curious looks. Luna seemed to be watching the scene as if it were the day's third sporting event.
"I don't know why any of us are here," Harry declared. "This is between me and Ginny. It'll be a lot easier without you lot hanging about." Ginny gave Harry a funny look. To his surprise, there wasn't a trace of anger in it.
"Oh, I think there's quite enough between you two," Hermione said flatly. "Or rather, there's not nearly enough between you, and if we all left, it would only get worse."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked, blushing slightly at the implication.
"Why'd you have to kiss her, Harry?" Hermione asked in a pained voice.
"She kissed ME!"
That got a reaction from Ginny. Her head twitched at Harry, and her eyes opened wide. "Oh, really? And how did I get your tongue in my mouth, then?"
"Wow," Daphne exclaimed. "I didn't need to know that, did I?"
Luna let out a short laugh. "It's a bit intriguing, isn't it?" Harry glared at both of them, but there wasn't much he could do.
Hermione had simply grimaced at the comment, and continued. "Did either of you see the look on Neville's face? Did you even think of what it looked like to the crowd of people around you?" Harry was speechless. He hadn't really paid much attention to the others. Ginny didn't seem as bothered.
"This is more exciting than the Quidditch matches," Daphne remarked. "Potter made it sound so boring. It would've been worth kissing him to see this."
Ginny gave her an icy stare. "You'll shut up quick, if you're smart," she snapped. "I'm sure Pomfrey would fix whatever I'd do to you, but it wouldn't stop it from hurting." Daphne immediately stopped talking though she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Ginny shook her head and turned back to face the others. "Harry had just saved me from getting pummeled by a Bludger and won the match for us," she said angrily. "I'd have given Peeves a kiss for that!"
"Fine, but that's not how Neville would have seen it. For a second, he was certain that you two were together. I had to make him doubt that."
"So you KISSED him?" Ginny shouted. "You KNOW how I feel about him!"
"Yes, well it wasn't a very good kiss, was it?" Hermione replied.
"It looked pretty good from where I stood," Ron mumbled, earning him nasty looks from both Ginny and Hermione.
"It was just a show, Ron. It wasn't even a real kiss." Ron didn't look convinced, but didn't say anything more. "I was trying to make it look like part of the celebration, and from what I could tell, it worked, not that any of you cared to notice."
"Tell that to Daphne and Zabini over there!" Ginny shouted. "One kiss is a celebration. Barely anyone would notice. Three kisses makes for great gossip, and now everyone is talking about it." She turned and found Hannah standing against the wall, where she'd been only four days before. "I admit I made a mistake. I think it was stupid, but I can see why Hermione thought she was helping. I still can't figure out why she had to kiss him."
"Excuse me?" Hannah said in a surprised voice. "He kissed Neville's date to the Ball, and then Ron's date to the Ball. The only person he missed was his date. Or did you forget that I'm the one that everyone expects him to kiss?"
"Yes, and you did a bang up job of it, didn't you?" Ginny answered with a bitter tone. "You looked pretty pleased with yourself afterward. You weren't a little jealous, were you?"
"I'm not jealous," Hannah replied evenly as if she were controlling her anger, "but that was as close as I'll get to having a normal date tomorrow, since I'm stuck trying to cover up this mess you've made. And since I am his real date, I had to put on at least as much of a show as you did."
"A show?" Ginny said with disbelief. "Just an act, right?" She took a few steps toward Harry and looked into his eyes. "Was it just an act, Harry?" There was a challenging look in her eyes. "Was it as shallow and empty as Hermione's kiss? Did it feel like she meant it?"
Harry didn't know what to say. It hadn't felt like an act. It had felt pretty real. Behind Ginny, Harry could see the pleading look in Hermione's eyes. She must have known the truth. Her expression was clear about what she wanted him to do: Lie.
"No, it felt like an act," Harry said, trying to make himself believe it. Ginny paused, then smiled a little as her posture relaxed noticeably.
"Fine," she said as she turned and faced Hannah. "I'm sorry I said those things. If Harry's willing to lie to my face to protect you, then maybe I'm overreacting." Her head dropped a little. "Maybe I'm the one who's jealous."
"If it matters," Blaise interrupted, "this whole business has become quite the joke around the school right now, but I haven't heard anyone taking it very seriously. The worst I've heard are people talking about Potter kissing Weasley's sister and date on the same day. The best joke so far is about Ron being good at protecting goal hoops, but dreadful at protecting his women."
"Thanks for that," Ron said acidly. "I'm glad I didn't have to wait to hear that."
Zabini ignored him. "We could expect some rumors about Ron being really hacked off at Harry."
"Well, they wouldn't be rumors, would they?" growled Ron.
"Get over it, Ron," Hermione scolded him. "It's no good if we go through all this trouble just to have everyone think that you and Harry got in some huge row. We're trying to keep that from happening."
"So I have to pretend to be happy about this?"
"No, you have to actually be happy about this."
"I don't think that's possible," Ron said firmly.
"Oh, you say that now, but in an hour, the two of you will be drinking butterbeer and laughing over the picture Colin got of Draco after he caught the Snitch."
Ron didn't respond, and Harry thought he caught a faint glimmer of hopeful joy in his eyes.
As the tempers around the room slowly cooled, the others gathered enough courage to start asking some questions. Luna couldn't have known about Harry and Ginny, but she'd barely reacted to the news. Ernie MacMillan had cautiously complained about Ginny's spot on the Council being some form of favoritism, or giving her more power than the other members.
This was soundly put down by the rest of the Council, and Ernie didn't seem to be at all upset about it. Harry got the impression that he was doing out out of some feeling of duty rather than actual concern.
Ron, however, still seemed angry, though he seemed to relax a little at the confirmation that Harry and Ginny's secret had been kept from many people other than him. He pressed the idea of telling Neville again.
"You're mental." Daphne stated as she stared at him. "You think the night before the Ball is the best time to tell him his date has been snogging one of his friends?"
"It was just a little kiss!" Ginny shouted. "A couple of seconds at most."
"You didn't see it from where I was standing," Daphne returned. "I'm not as naive as most, and I know that a kiss like that takes familiarity and practice. If I had to wager, I'd say it wasn't the first time it's happened."
Ginny looked scandalized, but didn't argue. She turned and sat down next to Hannah. "It's so unfair," she pouted. "I get blamed for kissing him too well, but I get interrupted whenever I try."
Hannah leaned closer at Ginny. "It's worth trying harder," she said quietly, but not quiet enough to keep Ron and Harry from hearing. Harry felt his face reddening, and Ron just glared at Hannah. She shrugged and ignored him.
"Pretty good, you think?" Ginny asked with a giggle.
"Better than most, I'd say," Hannah answered with a smile.
"Could you stop that?" Ron complained. "They don't need any encouragement. They shouldn't have even started this."
"Oh, shut up. You're just jealous," Hannah replied. Ron shot a look at her, but didn't say anything more.
"Are we done, now?" Cho asked. "Everyone's gotten rid of their anger and frustration?" Everyone looked around, nodding. "Excellent. Let's go then. I have a victory celebration to attend."
Everyone filed out of the Room of Requirement, and split up silently. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny walked silently to Gryffindor Tower. It was a bit confusing, but it didn't seem that Ginny was upset with Harry at all. If anything, she seemed as if she was happy with him.
Perhaps he could find some time to try and make Hermione explain it to him. Everything he'd ever heard had told him that Ginny should have been upset that he'd kissed two other girls, and yet she was walking next to him with a genuinely happy smile.
Harry still hadn't figured out exactly why by time they'd reached the Fat Lady. Hermione stopped in front of her to say the password.
"You three can go in first. Everyone will just be disappointed if I'm the first one through."
She said the password, and stepped aside as the portrait opened and the three Quidditch players stepped into the common room. There was a loud cheer as they entered and a host of happy students walked forward to congratulate them.
Most everyone seemed to have temporarily forgotten their nervousness around Harry. A trio of third years who had been avoiding him came up and asked him to autograph some photos for them. Even Neville congratulated him, though Harry later thought it had only been an excuse to stand with Ginny, who'd barely left Harry's side.
The photos Colin had taken of Draco were everything that Hermione had claimed they would be, and worked just as well as she'd expected. There had been some suspicious looks, but they all disappeared as Ron and Harry sat together on the couch by the fire, laughing and joking about the sour look on Draco's face.
That is how it was when the common room slowly emptied as the students went to supper in the Great Hall. Whatever bad feeling Harry had about the day didn't seem to be anything to worry about. Students were still making jokes about him, and he'd been quietly admonished by McGonagall for the 'improper celebration', but it had ended at that. Neville wasn't really talking to him, but that was because he spent most of his time being friendly to Ginny and trying to remind everyone that while Harry had helped, it had been Ginny who scored the winning goal.
The best part of the entire night was the look on Draco Malfoy's face, when he wasn't hiding it from everyone. Malfoy was sitting at the end of the Slytherin table, sitting with Crabbe and Goyle. Theodore Nott was the next closest student, but even he seemed unwelcome in Malfoy's midst. None of the rest of the Slytherin team was talking to him. He kept his head down, and seemed to be barely eating. Harry almost would have felt bad for him, if he hadn't spent the last five years being a total git.
"It was priceless," Colin explained to the Gryffindor team. "Harry here gets hit with the first Bludger, and then flies off in the wrong direction. We all thought he'd been hit a bit too hard, you know? Thought the match was over. Then Hermione said that Ginny had the Quaffle and we watched as Harry got slammed by the second Bludger. But Draco, he was just following the Snitch, right, because he doesn't want a tie."
"He should have taken the tie," a seventh year said.
"I wouldn't have," Katie replied. "I'd have skinned Harry if he'd taken a tie when the other team barely had one Chaser."
"Anyway," Colin continued, "The git's just following it, and when Harry got hit, Ginny tosses the Quaffle past Bletchley and scores." Colin laughed and tossed a photo onto the table. "You can see it in his face here. All he hears is cheering and some groans, and he figures it must be one of his mates scoring. He didn't even know Ginny had the Quaffle, so he darts forward and grabs the Snitch. Hooch called the game, and Malfoy almost fell off his broom when he saw the score."
Colin tossed out another photo. It was a closeup of Malfoy sitting on his Nimbus 2001. He hand was crushing the Snitch, and his face was contorted into an enraged scowl.
"Well," Harry laughed, "at least he can finally say he got the Snitch before me." Ron laughed and pointed to Malfoy, who was staring malevolently at the Gryffindor table.
"Funny. He doesn't look like he's too happy about that."
"Yeah," agreed Harry, "I don't think he's my friend anymore."
"Maybe if he gets angry enough, he'll be the next one who's attacked." Ron said in a low voice. Hermione made disgusted noise. Ron scoffed at her. "Oh sorry, I didn't know you two were so close. You can't tell me you'd be upset if he were put in the Hospital Wing for a couple days."
Hermione struggled to find a way to respond. "It's not... Well... That's not the point!" she finally said.
The students eventually returned to their common rooms. Most of them remained there to continue the celebration and talk about tomorrow's festivities. Harry and Ron started a game of chess in one corner of the room. Hermione reluctantly joined them out of boredom, followed by Ginny and Neville.
As one of Ron's knights tossed Harry's second rook to the floor, Harry heard the familiar creak as the portrait opened. No one watching the chess match looked up to see who it was until the shrill ringing of the bell Flitwick had helped them install filled the common room.
There was a brief moment of complete silence as everyone took a moment to realize what the sound meant. It became more obvious as the sound of heavy, hard soled boots on stone echoed off the walls of the tower.
"Death Eaters!" one of the students shouted.
"Stupefy!"
Harry and Ron were already jumping to their feet, dumping the chess board on the floor, when they saw the red beam shoot across the room toward the portrait hole. The students were defending themselves.
The wizard at the door dodged the spell easily and paused to turn and look at the ringing bell. He was wearing a heavy brown traveling cloak with a deep hood and more than one worn patches in the shoulders. Underneath the cloak were black robes. His face was completely hidden by the hood. Harry didn't spend any more time looking at him, and pulled his wand.
"Fractus!" Ron shouted from his spot next to Harry. Hermione and Ginny were pulling their wands.
The wizard flipped his wand quickly, and a purple shield with a dragon on it appeared on his left arm. Ron's spell hit it with the sound of stone on metal.
"Impedimentia!" Ginny shouted, but it was blocked just as easily.
As Hermione leveled her wand, Harry ran across the tower, hoping to make it harder for the Death Eater to stop their attacks. Other students were firing minor hexes at him while the younger students ran for the stairs.
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione shouted. It was obvious that the intruder wasn't expecting such a simple tactic, and before he could do anything to protect himself, his wand was sailing toward Ron and Hermione. Harry raised his wand.
"Incarcerous!"
Thick ropes shot out of his wand and quickly wound around the cloaked man. He dropped his shield and it broke into a million sparkling pinpoints of light as it hit the ground. He, himself, remained standing and tied tightly as he broke out into a loud, almost joyful laugh.
"Well done, Potter!" he shouted as he caught his breath. "Well done indeed." Recognizing the voice almost immediately, Harry strode forward and pulled back the hood, revealing the beaming face of Lazlo Petrov.
"Why did you attack us?" Harry demanded.
"Attack you?" he laughed. "I merely walked through the door and became the target of every student who had a wand ready."
"But the bell..." Harry said as he turned to look at it. It was still ringing shrilly.
"A fine piece of magic," Lazlo said. "Simplistic, to be certain, but effective. No Death Eater would ever consider such simple measures to be worth checking for." He winced as he looked at it. "I must admit, it is a bit... grating on the mind. Would you mind?"
"Er..." Harry mumbled as he looked at Hermione. "I don't think I actually know how to turn it off."
"If you would allow me," Lazlo said as he looked at the ropes.
"Difindo!" Hermione said from behind him. The ropes split down the center and the Confederation wizard breathed deeply as they fell to the ground.
"As I said, quite effective," he explained as he walked over to the bell, "but simplistic as well." With a flourish, he pulled his cloak off and draped it across the bell, silencing it.
Hermione still looked at him skeptically. "If it knew you were an intruder, how did you get past the Fat Lady?"
"Now that painting is a fine piece of charm work," Lazlo said as he searched for a nice chair. Some students were creeping down from the stairs, and the others seemed to be relaxing but keeping their distance. As the older wizard chose a large fluffy chair to sit in, he flashed a bright smile. "It was the work of my mentor, and not at all unknown to me. I don't doubt she will be quite unhappy with me, but she let me in nonetheless."
Harry cautiously took a seat on a nearby couch. Ginny and Hermione sat on either side of him, earning them another smile from the Confederation wizard. Ron preferred to hover behind them, still seemingly a little put off by the interruption.
"Come down," Lazlo called to the rest of the students. "I am deeply sorry for the disturbance. I am a member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and I'm afraid that we seldom announce our intentions before they happen. I simply wished to congratulate your Quidditch team on their entertaining win today."
He formally shook Katie's hand and bowed his head. "I am afraid that I will not be staying any longer. There are matters which require my attention, and I have already stayed longer than I had planned. I remained here only to see the match and I was not disappointed in the least."
Harry seemed a bit confused. That was what Najib Tefarra had told him the night of the dueling demonstration, but it hadn't made all that much sense then either. Harry asked him why the match was so interesting.
"I must admit that I have grown fond of Quidditch, and Seekers in particular. I can now say that I have met a number of truly excellent Seekers. I have spoken with Viktor Krum on a number of occasions—" Harry saw Ron tense out of the corner of his eye "—and I have met a former Hogwarts Seeker named Charlie Weasley." Harry turned to see both Ron and Ginny beaming with pride.
"Both have told me that you were very much worth seeing, and I must now agree with them." A number of students were gathering around, but Lazlo ignored them and looked directly at Harry.
"I believe you will become a truly great Seeker, Harry Potter, if indeed you are not yet considered so. Albus has agreed to send me word on your progress. I wish you good luck in all your upcoming matches, for however many years that may be." It was obvious that Lazlo was talking about more than just the Quidditch Cup. "I truly hope that you are as successful as I see that you can be, and I look forward to the day when your season is complete and I am able to return to celebrate with you."
Harry accepted the compliment and wishes graciously and thanked Lazlo for coming to the common room. Lazlo graciously returned the thanks, and shifted to lean close to Harry.
"There is another matter I feel I should mention," he said in a lower voice. "Two years ago, I spent four months with Charlie Weasley while he taught me about his work with dragons. During that time, he shared a good deal of wisdom with me. Of particular interest was the raising of adolescent dragons."
Harry stared at him strangely, wondering how this was supposed to interest him. Lazlo simply smiled and continued. "He taught me that it was dangerous for any one wizard to raise more than one dragon at a time. The dragons themselves do not require constant attention, but it seems that they dislike the smell of other dragons on their handlers. Were he here, I'm certain he would warn you, that should you ever decide to spend time around dragons, it would be best if you would limit yourself to one at a time."
Harry heard Hermione snort next to him, and Ginny had looked away and covered her mouth with her hand. "I, er... I wouldn't dream of ever trying to raise more than one dragon," Harry whispered back, fully understanding the meaning of the exchange.
"Wouldn't you?" Lazlo said with a thoughtful look. "And how would you choose which one to tend?"
"Well..." Harry mumbled as quietly as he could. "I've always liked the color red. I'd pick a red one."
Lazlo smiled. "A fine choice. The Chinese Fireball makes a fine dragon. Very powerful and fiercely loyal, though they can be somewhat more difficult to control. They are independent creatures, to be certain. They often teach their handlers more than they themselves are taught." Harry simply smiled and nodded.
Lazlo seemed pleased with the conversation and stood up to leave. He bowed to the rest of the Gryffindors and shook Harry's hand. Without saying anything more, he pulled his cloak from the table and wrapped it around himself. The bell's shrill ringing resumed for only a few seconds until he disappeared through the portrait hole.
Author's Notes:
For my rather dilligent reviewers:
From Tronishere:
Harry/Ginny: You've got the right idea about them. I've never been a big fan of angst.
Harry's got enough problems without adding more: Err... right. I would... uh... never add... meaningless complications to Harry's life.
Harry went easy on Ginny: I meant it to seem more like Harry was a bit overconfident and cautious about how he won. Sure he could have won, but no one wants to win a fight with their girlfriend by punching her in the face. At least, no one respectable.
Guessed most of it: That's unfortunate. I suppose there weren't so many mysteries there. I've still got my one and only true mystery. I can only hope that everyone isn't sitting around guessing it already.
Too Many Secrets: Well, it wasn't really a secret for long. Lots of people were guessing, but they were all supportive. As for Neville... uh... welll. I did say it was a suspense story.
Things getting worse for Harry: As you can see, I was not joking about Hermione. And as for your pleading, I'll have to remind you that I'm not actually writing thousands of words a day. I wrote this over the course of about fourteen months. It's been refined several times, and I've rewritten some sections as many as five or six times. While I truly am sympathetic, it's a little late for pleading. More on this later
Un-Fickle Harry and Ginny: Neither Harry nor Ginny seem the type to easily change their minds about a person. I never entertained the idea of having them do so. And yet, their relationship has been at the center of a number of plot "twists" since the very beginning.
From LunarExcalibur:
Reviews: Thanks for trying to review every chapter. Hopefully you've figured out that I'm really not writing these all right now. I'm just doing final edits. It really doesn't take me long. I did note the one problem you pointed out, and I'll be fixing that in the next edition. Also, it was a bit amusing on my end. I got a series of mostly cheerful reviews, and then your review of Chapter 32 and your declaration of your desire for Ron's gruesome death.
Ron should die: I'm not sure why you're so angry with Ron. Is it his protective nature toward his sister? Ron's not all that bad. He's still Harry's friend. It'll be alright, I swear.
Missing Voldemort: Oh, don't worry. Voldemort will be making more appearances. It does seem odd that you want to both see more of Voldemort, and fewer people mistreating Harry. You don't honestly expect me to have Voldemort be nice to Harry, do you? We'll see I guess. Maybe even tonight, if you're lucky.
A Note For Clarity:
I have decided that now is a good time to make a note to anyone still reading this story. As I've said again and again, this is a Suspense story with a bit of an action feel to it on occasion. It's rated M (or R if you think that way). 'M' means it has coarse language, sexual situations, or intense violence. Now, I find it much more fun and interesting to obscure away any swearing (see Hermione's duel). It's not a Romance, I'm not dwelling on relationships, and to be completely honest, no one really has time for any sexual situations. Those of you adept at logical exclusion can see where I'm going.
When writing this story, I tried to develop the plot to follow the same sort of feeling as the start of a roller coaster ride. In case you couldn't tell, 'Revelations' (Chapter 32) was designed to be the apex. It's a turning point, and the point at which Harry first gets a good look at what he's into. For those who like the coaster metaphor, we're off the chain, but we haven't started dropping yet.
I'm terribly thankful for all the appreciation I've been shown. In a way, I find it encouraging, since I had only hoped that people would feel that emotion while reading my story. I don't think I could ask for any better praise than that. And yet I am worried. See, the story is finished. It has been for about a month now. If I were writing this as you all read it, I would be afraid that your desires and opinions would have colored my plans for the rest of the story.
Luckily for me, it is beyond changing now. The best I can do is try to explain my thoughts and reasons and hope I don't get lynched if the story does something that you all don't like. I honestly believe that everyone will be able to enjoy the story if they want to, though I can foresee the need for some explanation.For now, simply ponder this:
After writing most of this story, I went back and inserted the first chapter, feeling that it was an appropriate way to introduce the story. In that chapter, Harry watches as an undefined number of innocent people plummet to their deaths while blaming him. Later, he watches as Voldemort tortures and kills an entire family for the sole reason of inciting Harry to speak with him. There are repeated mentions of how poorly Harry is sleeping, and occasional references to screaming in his dreams.
If you're feeling bad for Harry because he is being treated unfairly by the I.C.W., then you'd best prepare yourself. This story is, after all, patterned around what I believe to be an optimal course of action for Voldemort.
So, there it is. Just something to keep in mind.