The night of the last day of Christmas break, Harry was sitting in the common room with Ginny and Hermione. "So you didn't kill him?" Ginny asked
"Nope."
"Too bad."
"Harry are you alright?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah I'm fine." Harry said. He was getting sick of hearing people ask him that. Ginny touched his face and pulled his head around so that they were face to face.
"She's right. You do look sick."
"Trust me. I'm fine."
"You'd better be. We're only three games away from the quidditch finals. The last thing we need is a sick seeker."
"When is the next match?" Hermione asked
"The last weekend in February... or the first weekend in March... I dunno I haven't exactly talked to our captain." Ginny said
"Slytherin verses Ravenclaw is this weekend, us verses Hufflepuff two weekends from now, Slytherin verses Hufflepuff the weekend after that, us verses Ravenclaw the first weekend of March, Slytherin verses Ravenclaw two weeks after that, us verses Ravenclaw three weeks after that, and the winners of those last two matches go to the finals on the next to last weekend of April." Harry said
"Wow." Ginny said "You actually listen to him when he talks."
"Every so often."
"So the next match is..." Hermione said
"The weekend after next weekend. Why?"
"I might want to come." she said. Marc came up to Harry.
"Sorry to interrupt" he said "but Professor McGonagall wants to see you. She's waiting outside the common room."
"Thanks." Harry said. He got up and went out into the hallway.
"The headmaster wants to speak with you." the professor said. "I'll let you into his office." Harry followed her to the entrance of Dumbledore's office. "Prickly Pear." she said, and the statue moved out of the way. "Get going."
"Thanks." Right as Harry was going through the office door, Snape went walking past him. Oh great, Harry thought. He already knew what Dumbledore wanted to talk about. Harry hadn't been going to Occulmency for a while now. (Which probably explained why he kept having that dream.)
"Harry." Dumbledore said. "Please sit down." Harry sat. "I just had a very interesting conversation with Professor Snape."
"Yes I have been intentionally skipping Occulmency." Harry said.
"I know that, and I don't blame you. I would skip it too. But you must understand, Harry. You have to go or else we could have a problem like we did last year."
"Too late." Harry said. Dumbledore acted like he hadn't heard him.
"And I've also talked with Professor McGonagall. Mr. Weasley has been complaining about your attendance at quidditch practices."
"I've been intentionally skipping those too."
"I see." Dumbledore said. "Is there a reason?"
"For which one?"
"Both of them."
"I'm not sure you really want to hear that."
"I probably don't, but I need to know."
"Snape is a stupid git that hasn't taught me anything in potions or occulmency, and Ron has been randomly beating people up." Harry said quickly.
"I see." They were both quiet for a while.
"Is that all?" Harry said
"No." Dumbledore said. "I've also talked with Remus. He told me that you looked ill, and that you appeared distant and unwilling to talk."
"So?"
"I see." Dumbledore said. If he says I see one more time, Harry thought. "One last thing. I noticed that some of your grades are dropping. Your sixth year is the second most important year, after the seventh. It would be wise to bring them up. You can go now."

"What did Dumbledore want?" Hermione asked. It was now the second week after Christmas break, and Harry had been telling her about what had happened two weeks before while they were sitting in the great hall.
"I wasn't really listening. He was just yelling at me for not going to practices and all that."
"You haven't been going to quidditch?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Would you like to spend an hour and a half with Ron?"
"Good point. But that can't be all that he had to say. If quidditch was a problem then McGonagall would have talked to you." she said
"Something that Snape was complaining about, and something that Remus said, and something about my grades..."
"What's wrong with your grades?" she asked. Harry shrugged. "Haven't you been doing well?"
"Not according to him."
"Harry..." she paused. "Oh, never mind."
"What?"
"It's nothing." She got up and walked out of the great hall. Harry followed her.
"What is it?" he asked.
She sighed. "You won't get mad?"
"I won't. What is it?"
"I've been noticing that you've been a little... detached... from everything."
"You sound like Dumbledore."
"Why is it that you hate him all of a sudden?" she asked. "He used to be like... your hero or something." Harry could feel himself getting mad, but he had said that he wouldn't. How would you feel if he told you that you have to kill or be killed, he thought.
"He told me something... that really ticked me off."
"Oh..."
"Something that he should have told me a while ago."
"Oh... well... I have to go." Hermione started walking down the hall. Okay, Harry thought. If you're so interested then why don't you want to listen?

It had been a month and a week since the talk with Dumbledore (It's the last week of February, if you're confused). Harry was walking toward the main exit, on his way to herbology, when someone grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a room. Harry pulled himself free, and looked over at Cho.
"What was that for?" he asked
"I need to ask you something."
"And you had to scare me half to death?"
"Sorry... I was wondering... umm... well the last Hogsmeade trip is in three and a half weeks... and well... if you wanted to... would you want to go with me?"
Yes, yes, yes! Harry screamed in his head. "I guess so."
"Okay... well I'll see you then." She ran out of the room and down the hall. Strange, Harry thought. Just then the bell rang. Oh goodie now I'm late. Harry hurried out side into the cold. His eyes went toward Hagrid's hut. He could hear Fang barking inside. Harry realized that he hadn't talked to Hagrid all year. Maybe I'll go after herbology, he thought. That is, if I don't get detention for being late.

Harry walked out of herbology (which he hadn't been late for, because Professor Sprout had come in about five minutes after him) and headed for Hagrid's hut. He knocked on the door, and Fang started barking again. He could hear Hagrid pushing Fang away from the door. "Who is it?" Hagrid asked
"Me." Harry said
"Me who?" Hagrid pulled open the door and saw Harry. "Oh. Com' on in." Harry went in and sat down, while Hagrid tried to make Fang shut up. "Been a long time since I've seen you."
"Yeah I know. Everything's just been very... messed up."
"How's things been goin' with Ron?" Hagrid asked
"You know about that?"
"Hermione comes down here almos' every day. O' course I know."
"She does?"
"Well she don't have many other people ta talk to. At leas' she can talk ta me without Ron threatening ta kill me."
"True." Harry said
"So what's on yer mind?" Hagrid asked, as he got up to make tea.
"Everything's been going wrong."
"Everythin'?"
"Yes everything."
"Like what?"
"Why is Ron acting like he is? It's not like that's normal."
"No it's not." Hagrid said.
"He's been asking me for help... but I haven't done anything." Harry realized what he had just said. "I never helped him. My best friend is in trouble and I haven't done anything." Hagrid wasn't saying anything. Harry set his head on the table. Why haven't I done anything... why don't I care? "This is a problem."
"Yep." Hagrid said. "An' accordin' to Hermione, it's been a problem for a while."
"What's wrong with me?"
"After what happen' to ya last year, I wouldn't blame ya." Harry nodded. Someone knocked at the door, and Hagrid got up to answer it.
"Hi Hagrid." Hermione said. She noticed Harry at the table. "Oh... sorry I didn't know there was someone here."
"Why don't ya both stay?" Hagrid said "I got pleanty o' time to talk ta both of ya."
"No I should get going." Harry said. He got up and went to the door. "Bye"

Harry spent the next three weeks catching up with everything that he had missed. Thinking about how he hadn't helped Ron made him think about everything else that he hadn't been doing. He checked with his professors, and found out that he really wasn't failing all of his classes, just transfiguration. He rejoined the DA, which hadn't been doing very well without him, and started to work with Neville again. Gryffindor was only one match away from the finals. All they had to do was beat Hufflepuff, and then it was Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw in the final. Apparently Slytherin hadn't had a good year.
Two weeks before the Hogsmeade trip, Harry was in the common room, begging Hermione for help with his transfiguration homework.
"Harry, I'm really busy."
"Can't you just help me with one question?"
"Maybe later."
"But its due in ten minutes!"
"Well you should have thought about that last night."
"I was busy helping Ron last night."
"You know what Harry? Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it!" She grabbed her books and stormed up to her dormitory.
"Geeze." Ginny said.
"Guess I'll be making up answers again. Here comes another D on homework."
"Why don't you try reading the book?" Ginny asked
"I did. It made no sense. I don't even think Hermione could understand it."
"Well, I'd love to help you, but I'm no good in transfiguration." Just then an owl came zooming through the window and almost hit Ginny. "Woah! Geeze! Hold still, you stupid... there. Go home you stupid owl."
"Who's it from?" Harry asked
"My mum. Or someone else who is currently at the burrow. That's the new owl they bought to replace Eerol." She opened up her letter. "Hmm... I have a present waiting for me in Hogsmeade. Wonder what it is..." She got up and closed the window. "At the pet shop... that's weird."
"How's it weird?" Harry asked as he scribbled down answers.
"That would mean I'm actually getting something that didn't belong to one of my brothers."