The Legacy of Two Generations

by LadyoftheLake

Lily and James started dating in their last year at Hogwarts, but that is only the beginning. Now, what will happen to their notorious son? Rated PG13 for some language. Harry's 6th year has begun & new adventures. PreHBP. Please r&r :ON HOLD! For the

54. Sixth Year Chapter 5 Part II Quidditch...

A/N: Here is the second part of Chapter 5.

*~*~*~*

Chapter 5 (Part II) ~ Quidditch Camp

They spent the next five hours working on through their mail list, Mrs. Nichols sent trays with cider and pumpkin juice and platters of fruit and sandwiches for them while they worked.

Harry worked furiously through his list. The three weeks he had spent at the Manor were the best he had had as long as he could remember. And for that he was grateful. It had been a long time since he had woken up in sweat from a nightmare that had become a constant in his life since Cedric's death. But there were times when during the middle of the night, when everything was quiet and everybody else lay sleeping, he lay in his bed looking through the darkness toward the pictures that stood above the mantel around the fireplace. He had seen those pictures with great care during the first days he spent at the Manor, but after a while they became bittersweet images of what his life could've been. There were so many ifs in his life, and he didn't want to think about them anymore. He hadn't looked at those pictures since that first week. He didn't want to see the images of the most important people in his life when they couldn't be with him. He'd rather think about his plans for the Gryffindor team and allow enough time to meet with Mr. Nicholei to discuss his assets.

"Something wrong, Harry?" Harry heard Ginny ask. He shook his head. His quill stood motionless above the envelope a blot of ink in the middle of the blank parchment. He had lost himself in his thoughts, forgetting what he was supposed to be doing. "I'm fine." He said as he put away the tainted envelope and took another from the pile at the center of the table.

They were sitting around a round table in the bookroom, Ginny sat next to him with Ron and Hermione across from him. He noticed that his two friends were back to bickering once more. He couldn't hear them as they bickered in whispers. He turned to look at Ginny with a questioning glance.

Ginny tried to stifle her giggles behind one hand and shrugged. "They've been at it for the last five minutes."

Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who seemed to have reached an agreement and turned back to their envelopes. Harry sighed and turned his attention back to his work. The pile of addressed envelopes was getting bigger and bigger. Roberts had duplicated their letter for them and set a basket on the table for them to place the addressed envelopes in for him to owl when they were done.

"We have to finish our school work." Said Hermione suddenly as she threw her last envelope in the basket.

"What? We're on vacation." Exclaimed Ron looking up abruptly from his work.

"And we won't have time to finish it once everybody gets here." Hermione said matter-of-factly.

Ron groaned but didn't say anymore, they all knew that she was right and the thought of going back to Hogwarts without their work done was not one they wanted to think about.

"It shouldn't take us long to do it." Hermione continued taking some of the finger sandwiches that were still left on the platter. "Ginny has started on hers, and she's the one with the most as it's O.W.L.'s years for her, and we only have a few papers to write."

"You call three four feet papers a few?" Said Ron throwing his last envelope into the basket.

"We can do it in less than a day?" She replied.

"Less than a day? You might, but I don't think it will be so easy for Ron and me." Harry declared.

"Honestly, one would think that you two are idiots, you're not you know - "

"Who said we were idiots?" Ron exclaimed but Hermione continued as if he hadn't interrupted her.

" – all you need to do is put a little more effort into your work. If you want to become an auror, you'll have to work hard in the next two years. Mr. Fudge and others in the Ministry will try to make it difficult for you to make it in. You'll just have to make sure that your work is excellent so they won't have anything to say against you."

"Well, she's right in that." Sighed Ron looking at Harry.

Harry nodded. "Especially me. Fudge will make it very difficult."

"Oh, I don't think he'll be the problem. I wager he won't finish the year as the Minister of Magic." Said Ginny.

Ron seemed to cheer up at this thought. "You're right. With all the trouble at the Ministry, people might succeed in getting him to resign."

"Wonder how they'll choose the next Minister if he does." Hermione seemed thoughtful about this. "There is no precedence for this. No Minister has ever been asked to step down from office. There have been revolts of course, but in those cases the ones heading the revolts have named their own Minister and they usually didn't last long and people voted for their own official."

"Maybe they'll have special elections." Said Ginny as she tried to put the envelopes in the basket in order. They were all done with their assigned lists and were ready to owl their letters.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Said Harry.

Nobody else had anything to say as Roberts came in with a new tray.

"Owls have arrived, Sir." He said presenting two envelopes to Harry.

"Thank you." Said Harry taking the notes from the tray. "We're done with ours."

Roberts nodded and took the basket before walking out of the room.

"Andrew and Jack." Harry said showing the letters to the others.

"This is it, then. We're ready." Said Ron excitedly.

Yes, we are, thought Harry.

*~*~*~*

It was two days later that they started to receive the responses from their fellow Gryffindors.

"How many so far?" Asked Ron looking over Hermione's shoulder as she wrote in her list of names.

"Ten." She said as she continued to make notes.

"Why are Pavarti and Lavender coming? They're not interested in playing Quidditch." Said Harry as he looked at the letters received that morning.

"Because they know that all Gryffindor boys are going to be here." Ginny said.

"This is not a social gathering! This is a Quidditch training camp." Ron exclaimed.

"You knew it would happen." Hermione said. "Many of these," she pointed to the list of names, "are not interested in playing but they're curious about the Manor, not to mention about this party of ours."

"But it's not a party, all we'll do is train." Said Harry.

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "We know that! But you have to understand that by now everybody knows that Harry is back in Gryffindor Manor." She said. "Many people will be curious about it. This place has been part of our history and people have heard of it. Why do you think they have placed so many charms and incantations around it to keep Harry safe while we're here? Not everybody will come because of Quidditch."

"Well, we'll have to tell them that they'll have to entertained themselves, we won't have time to do anything other than Quidditch." Said Ron.

"I'll take care of them." Hermione replied.

"Just keep them away from us, we don't want them bothering us." Ron exclaimed.

Hermione glared at him but didn't respond as Roberts came in with more letters for them.

Harry sighed. "We better talk to Mrs. Nichols about rooms."

The others sighed. They were going to have their hands full for quite some time.

*~*~*~*

Eight days until they needed to return to Hogwarts, and the whole family was sitting in the formal parlor in front of the Manor waiting for their first guest. The time had come for their idyllic peace to be over.

The cars had been sent to the village where the guests were to floo or be dropped off, then they would be driven to the Manor, where the Weasleys, Hermione and Harry awaited them. Lupin had volunteered to meet everybody in the village. Dumbledore wanted safety to be the word of the day.

Harry was pacing around the room, waiting. The footmen waited around the entrance hall to be called on to take the guests to their rooms. Roberts stood stately by the door, waiting for the sound of the car engines to open the door. Mrs. Nichols had ordered tables to be placed at one corner of the room where tea pots, platters of biscuits, sandwiches and pastries waited for those who wanted a little refreshment at their arrival.

The sound of the car reached their ears. Harry, Ron and Hermione ran to the window and watched as the car came to a stop before the open oak doors of the entrance hall. Martin, the driver, went around the car and opened the door.

"Come from there, you must receive your guests." Called Mrs. Weasley.

The three turned away from the window in time to hear Roberts voice welcoming somebody in the entrance hall. Footsteps followed and soon, the parlor door was opened and Roberts came in.

"Mr. Wood, Miss Spinnet and Miss Bell." The butler said before stepping aside and their guests came in.

"Wow." Said Oliver Wood as he watched Roberts walk out of the room, leaving the door open.

"This is a great house, Harry." Alicia said in awe as she looked around.

"I'll want to go exploring a bit." Katie exclaimed as she stepped toward Mrs. Weasley who stood up ready to welcome them.

"I'm sure we can give you a tour, my dear." Said Mrs. Weasley with a smile.

"I hope your trip was uneventful." Said Mr. Weasley as he shook hands.

"Oh, yes. Katie and I flooed to the village." Alicia said as she took a seat on one of the many chairs around the room.

"I prefer to fly." Oliver said. "There's a lot of open fields in the area Harry. Where do you plan to have this training of yours?"

"Oh, we won't use a field, there's a Quidditch Pitch on the grounds." Harry exclaimed.

"You're kidding." Oliver said excitedly. "You got to show it to me."

"Not now. You'll have enough time later." Said Hermione as both Oliver and Harry were about to leave their seats. "There are many others coming, and I'm sure Oliver will prefer to rest up for a while before we start with the training plans."

"Yes, of course." Said Oliver looking somewhat disappointed.

"Tell us about your team, Oliver. I saw you play last June." Said Fred coming up to his former captain after talking to the girls for a moment.

Minutes later Roberts came back to the parlor leading Angelina Johnson, Seamus Finnigan and Andrew Kirke, the last looking a little nervous.

"Professor Lupin is putting everybody into groups of three." Seamus explained after greeting everybody and sitting near Harry and Ron, after the acrimony of the last year he had been trying very hard to get along better with Harry. "He says it's safer that way."

"I suppose he knows what he's doing." Ron shrugged.

The room was full of noise. One of the footmen had led Oliver to his room a few minutes before, and the luggage had been taken to the guest rooms by footmen and elves.

The afternoon was spent greeting their visitors. Every time the car stopped with a new group of guests, Roberts brought them into the parlor. Some stayed there for a while talking with the others, some preferred to go up to their rooms after greeting Harry and the Weasleys.

Dinner had been put back until eight that evening. Harry was glad that Mrs. Weasley had done so as it was almost seven when they greeted their last group of visitors and the cars had been sent back to the village to bring Remus and Tonks, who had come to help that afternoon. Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt had turned up that morning and stationed themselves besides the gatehouse, using their dark arts detector spells as the cars passed by to make sure that everybody was safe from any surprise attacks. The other members of the Order had been told to be ready at any minute's notice just in case they were needed.

By half past seven, everybody started to reunite in the formal parlor. Mrs. Weasley was happily greeting their guests back. Harry was happy to notice that she enjoyed the attention and the duty of hostess. The servants also seemed happy, especially Mrs. Nichols and Roberts, Harry had heard them talk about the house parties of the past and saw how excited they had become in the last week as everything was being readied for the visitors. The house had been cleaned from top to bottom, the guest rooms readied (some with extra beds), the broomsticks waxed, the Pitch trimmed and the formal dinning room table extended to include all their guests around it. Even the ballroom was cleaned and prepared for use if needed.

Harry had been surprised to see that almost every Gryffindor had accepted his invitation. Even Neville Longbottom, whom he had been sure his grandmother wouldn't allow him to attend, was there. They had close to sixty guests, which meant that in most guest rooms they had to set an extra bed, thus, most guest would have to share a bedroom, only Oliver Wood and Angelina Johnson had their own room. Even the remaining rooms in the family wing had been prepared, for Dumbledore had asked some members of the Order to stay at the Manor during the weeklong Quidditch training. Every room in the Manor was now occupied, and the servants were happy to have it so.

Harry, Ron, Oliver, Fred and George sat in a corner talking about training procedures while Hermione sat with Ginny, Lavender and Pavarti. Several groups formed around the parlor while they waited for dinner to be announced. A cacophony of voices filled the room, as everybody chatted and greeted each other as some saw their friends for the first time since the end of school.

Finally, Roberts stood by the doors opening to the dinning room. "Dinner is served." He said.

Mrs. and Mr. Weasley led the group into the dinning room. "Oooh," and "Aaahh" were heard as the guests started to pile into the room. Even Harry was awed by the glittering elegance of the room. He could clearly picture his grandparents sitting with guests during their famous house parties.

Windows opened along one of the walls, in the middle stood a glass door that lead into the formal gardens. The wall opposite was made of mirrors, which made the room look larger than it actually was, in the middle was a pair of large oak doors that opened up to the entrance hall. At the opposite wall from the one they had come through was another glass door and beyond it was the conservatory, where tropical plants were grown and preserved all year long.

A large chandelier glittered brightly from the light of the many candles lit upon it. Golden candle holders lined the walls a few feet from the ceiling. Elegant lamps and tables stood at each corner of the room. The large table had been extended to sit eighty guests. The table cover was made of a thin fluid looking material that changed color as the light hit on its surface. The chairs were made of wood, a curved, straight back and a fluffy pillow on the seat.

"This place is exquisite." Harry heard Pavarti say to Lavender. "Padma will be green with envy when I tell her."

"Was she very angry? That she couldn't come, I mean." Said Lavender as each took a seat along the table.

"Very. But the invitation clearly stated that it was for Gryffindors only. She didn't want me to come." Pavarti responded.

"How did you convince your parents to let you?" Lavender wanted to know.

"Didn't have to, Mother wanted me to come, said that she had heard so much about the Manor when she was growing up and she wanted to have at least one daughter to attend." Pavarti sounded smug by this.

"Mum said the same thing when I received the owl, said that it didn't matter if I fell off the broom during the tryouts, but she wanted me to be here. A story to tell my children, she said." Lavender confessed.

Ron looked laughingly at Harry, who was equally amused at the heights some people were ready to go to in order to be able to say that they had been at the Manor that summer.

The meal was a noisy one. As soon as the first plate had been brought in, people turned to their neighbors to chat and plan for the upcoming days.

It was a formal dinner, and all were awed by the elegant atmosphere that surrounded them; especially after seeing the butler and footmen serving the dishes as they were brought in.

Harry was in agitation when they first sat around the table. He wanted everything to go right. By the end of the meal, Harry was happy that he had agreed to Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Nichols' plan to have a formal dinner that first night. He knew that on the next days the meals would be as informal as those in Hogwarts, but for tonight, he felt important.

When the meal was done, everybody piled into the sitting room once more. Trays of tea, butterbeer and cider had been brought in for those who wanted more drinks as well as biscuits, pastries and puddings.

Groups reformed and chatter broke out through the room once more. Giggles, laughter and chuckles were heard from different groups.

"Gran says that I could do whatever I wanted." Neville was telling Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny, as they sat close to the windows. "Kind of proud, she is, after what happened in June."

"Well, you can." Ginny said vehemently. "If you want to try out for the team, you certainly can give it a try."

"Well, I really don't want to try out." Said Neville sheepishly. "But I thought the training couldn't hurt. It's bound to make me a better flier, not up to Gryffindor Team standards of course, but a better flier nonetheless."

"You know, I never thought of it like that. I only thought of it as training for the team, but you're right, this training will certainly help those who are not really good at flying." Hermione said.

"Does this means that you'll join us for the training?" Asked Ron with a cheeky smile.

"No! I fly good enough to get me where I want to go." Hermione said with a dignified air.

"But you heard Neville, and you just said it yourself, it's bound to make you a better flier." Ron said with a laugh.

"Laugh all you want. I'm not joining you." Hermione exclaimed.

"Don't pay him any attention, Hermione, you know he is just teasing you." Soothed Ginny as she glared at her snickering brother.

"Besides," said Harry, "Hermione agreed to keep some of our guests entertained."

"Right." Smiled Hermione. "I thought that a picnic by the lake would be a good idea, Lupin said that they used to have them several times during summer when he visited when he was still at school. He said there are five small boats in the boathouse that we can use to paddle in the lake if we wanted."

"And who's going to paddle for you?" Ron asked. "Every boy is bound to be at the Pitch with us."

Hermione glared at him before continuing with her plans. "I can ask Lupin to charm the boats to drift around the lake. We don't need you lot to paddle for us."

"A good idea. I would be tempted to leave training just to join you." Ginny exclaimed.

"You wouldn't dare." Gasped Ron.

"I'm sure that we can all get some free time now and then to join Hermione in her entertainments." Said Harry, who was tempted himself to join in the picnic she was planning.

"Well..." grumbled Ron slowly.

"As I'm not planning to tryout, I could join you in some of your plans." Offered Neville.

"Thank you Neville, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself." Hermione replied with a smile.

Conversation lagged after a while and soon people said their goodnights and started walking toward their rooms.

"I guess we should get going too." Yawned Ginny. "We have a long day tomorrow."

"Yeah." Mumbled Ron who had fallen sleep against next to Hermione.

She nudged him with her elbow. "You certainly should." She giggled. "You're already asleep."

Harry smiled and led the way out of the room. Before they reached the door he stopped next to Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Nichols who were conversing quietly.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, and you too, Mrs. Nichols, it was a magnificent evening." He said with a happy smile.

"Oh, it is nothing, my dear, it is your home after all." Replied Mrs. Weasley who seemed to have enjoyed herself during the evening.

"We are glad to help you with your house party, Master Harry. It was time the Manor was opened up to society once more." Said Mrs. Nichols happily.

"Good night." The young people said and left their hostess and housekeeper behind to prepare for the upcoming day.

*~*~*~*

Harry slept fitfully that night. It had been some time since memories of the night of Voldemort's return as well as that night in the Ministry had invaded his dreams. He had kept himself busy during the last weeks planning this week of training and had found that the more tired he was the less he dreamt.

He had succeeded, but now, it was catching up to him.

He was glad when the sun started to appear in the horizon.

He heard Lotty appear in the dressing room, hearing the familiar pop that marked his appearance. The sounds of Lotty preparing his clothing and his bath came clearly to his ears and he stretched tiredly on the bed.

"Good morning, Master Harry." Lotty greeted him. "Lotty has prepared Master Harry's bath."

"Thank you Lotty. I think you better have my robes ready for me today, we'll start with some training." Harry directed as he stood gingerly from his bed. His body complained as he had spent the night twisting and moving around on his bed.

Lotty promptly disappeared into the dressing room while Harry made his way to the bathtub. He sighed with contentment as he immersed himself into the hot water. Ginny had been right, it was going to be a long day.

*~*~*~*

An hour later, Harry found himself sitting at the head of the table waiting for his guests to arrive.

Long tables had been placed before the mirrors, loaded with large platters full of delicious looking dishes. Plates and glasses stood on a table by the door ready to be picked up as the guests made their entrance to the dinning room.

Only Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Bill and Lupin were in the room with him. The others hadn't made their appearance yet.

"What are your plans for today?" Asked Lupin as he sat with a full plate by Harry's side.

"We'll begin with some basic training today. I talked it over with Oliver and Angelina, we'll divide the others into groups and do some basic training this morning. Two hours should be enough." Harry explained.

"More than enough." Lupin agreed. "How many groups in all?"

"There are fifty others beside the team." Harry said thoughtfully. "Fred and George will be in charge of a group each. Oliver another, Angelina, and then I will take the last group. Ten to each group. Andrew and Jack will help Fred and George, hopefully they will get better working with them. Katie will work with Oliver, Alicia and Ginny with Angelina and Ron with me."

Lupin was nodding agreeably. "Seems like you have all in hand."

"Told Roberts to open the ballroom and place tables around it. We'll use it to sort the people out and know which group they will need to work with." Harry said.

"Excellent idea, you'll have enough room there to do so." Lupin replied.

"In the afternoon we'll have the advance training. Mostly for the team members as well as those planning to tryout. Oliver agreed to help me with it." Harry said, feeling proud of all their plans as Lupin happily nodded his agreement.

Ron, Ginny and Hermione made their entrance.

"I love Otty." Said Ron as he sat beside Harry. "He knows how to make a good meal."

Harry laughed but Hermione only rolled her eyes with exasperation.

"The ballroom is ready." Said Ginny joining them. "I just saw Roberts close the doors. He certainly knows how to do things promptly."

"It helps that he's a wizard." Ron sneered.

Ginny glared at her brother but refused to pay him any more attention. "I think it's going to be great. Mum is so pleased to have so many young people here."

"She certainly seems not to mind." Hermione said looking at Mrs. Weasley, who was kissing her husband goodbye.

"I think she has been feeling like she has nothing to do, thus, this party is a perfect opportunity to feel busy." Lupin said.

"That makes sense." Ron said thoughfully. "She has never had servants, not even one, so she has had to do all the housework on her own. Moving here certainly was a change for her."

"I guess it's different doing your own housework than to order others to do it for you." Said Ginny as she looked at her mother talking companionably at Moody and Kingsley who had just arrived to keep an eye on the Manor while they trained.

"Dumbledore seems worried that we're not going to be safe enough." Hermione mused as she noted the new arrivals.

Harry looked promptly across the table where she could see Moody and Kingsley sitting near Mrs. Weasley.

"It never hurts to be safe." Lupin murmured.

"I suppose." Harry sighed. He wished that he hadn't seen them; it was easier to forget that there was a war about to start and that Sirius was no longer with him as long as he didn't see the members of the Order around. He knew he shouldn't feel like that, but he couldn't help but feel bitter at the sight of the members who had survived the Death Eater attack last June when his godfather had not been able to.

Nobody had a chance to say anymore as their guests started to enter the dinning room.

Harry couldn't help but think of the Great Hall during meal times, it certainly felt like they were all back at the Gryffindor table under the wary eyes of their teachers.

Fred and George passed notes around on which the day's itinerary was clearly printed with directions.

"I'll meet you lot in the ballroom." Harry said as both Hermione and Ron finished their meal.

"All right, mate, but don't take too long." Ron urged him.

Harry nodded his agreement and continued to look around the table. Everybody seemed to have accepted his invitation. He had been sure that Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas would accept as well as the Creevy Brothers, he had been surprised by Pavarti, Lavender, and Neville's acceptance, but it seemed that they were all eager enough to take part of the training if not in the tryouts. Most he didn't know, he recognized seeing them in the common room or around the Gryffindor table but they were not on speaking terms, and after what had happened the year before and the Ministry's efforts to make him seem like a nut, he had thought that not many would come. That they had more than fifty people under his roof, was a surprise to Harry, he hadn't expected that many people.

He noticed that everybody was soon satiated and were looking at him for directions. He noticed Fred and George take Angelina and Oliver to the ballroom, he assumed.

"All right, if you will all take a minute to look at your itineraries you'll find a letter by your name. I'll lead you to the ballroom, where you'll find five tables with a large letter before it. Make a line in front of the table corresponding the letter in your paper." Harry said. He stood up and led his guests through the entrance hall, up the staircase and into the ballroom.

There were many feminine gasps of approval as they stepped into the glittering ballroom. Every candle in the room had been lit. The floor cleaned and waxed, the tables draped in lacy covers, comfortable chairs lined the walls.

"Oh, mum was right. This place is magnificent." Said Lavender in an awed whisper to the girls around her.

Fred and George were standing behind one table. Ginny and Angelina behind another. Oliver and Hermione behind a third. Katie and Alicia behind a fourth. Ron waited for him behind the last.

"Look at your itineraries and line up in front of your corresponding tables." Harry ordered.

There was a moment of confusion and noise as everybody tried to find the tables where they were supposed to go. Eventually, order settled and five lines appeared in the middle of the room, each ending at each of the tables.

Lupin and Mrs. Weasley stood by the door, smiling at each other as they looked proudly to the young people. Moody and Kingsley had gone to check the grounds and the perimeter around the estate. Hagrid had been sent by Dumbledore to guard the main entrance to the estate, and this morning with the company of Fang he sat by the gatehouse keeping an eye on the closed gate.

Despite their efforts, news of the planned training party had leaked to the media. During the last week several reporters from the Daily Prophet, Witch Weekly, the Quibbler and other major publications had tried to gain entrance to the manor. None had been successful. Now, Hagrid's presence by the door maintained the eager reporters at a wary distance from the main gate.

Dumbledore had also sent Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch to help overseeing the safety of the party. Madam Hooch had even agreed to help Harry with the training as well as to referee the upcoming games planned for the end of the week. At the moment, both ladies kept vigil over the students as they signed up for the training sessions as well as the tryout games.

Many Gryffindors had not been too happy to find their Head of House among the guests but after a while they decided not to let it bother them as everybody knew that when it came to Gryffindor Quidditch Team, Professor McGonagall was the one person who wanted the best for it.

Half an hour later, everybody had been assigned a training group as well as a number for tryouts.

"Everybody go change into robes and bring down your brooms, if any of you didn't bring one, we can supply some." Ordered Harry as the last people signed up at their respective tables. "We'll meet at the entrance hall in half an hour."

There was an stampede to the door as everybody tried to make it to their rooms to change in the time allotted to them.

Harry, Ron and the others behind the tables had brought their Quidditch robes down and changed in the bookroom, which had been converted into a makeshift changing room for them.

It took them all only fifteen minutes to get ready. None of the others had returned by the time they stepped into the entrance hall.

Eventually, one by one, the trainees started to appear. Some with brooms, some without them.

"All right. Those of you who will need a broom, please make a line by Fred and George." Harry said motioning to the twins who stood by the entrance door. "The rest follow me."

Fred and George led their group toward a table where several old brooms waited. The groundskeeper had stored the old brooms every time he changed the ones in the changing rooms and Harry had decided to use these instead of the Firebolts in the broom closet of the Pitch. They were relatively new as there hadn't been anybody to use them for fifteen years.

Harry led the rest toward the orchard. Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch were waiting for them at the edge of the gardens.

The group stopped, while they waited for the twins' group to catch up to them. Professor McGonagall stood before them with their usual stern expression. Many shifted noiselessly around trying to keep the attention from their strict teacher.

"Before you begin," she said the minute everybody was finally together. "I want to reinforce the need for safety. You are not to leave the premises at any time unless it is a form of entertainment supervised by an adult. You will stay only within the place enclosed around the Manor house, that means you can come to the orchard, walk around the gardens, the lake or the green houses, as long as you do it in groups. I need not remind you that your safety is the most important thing."

Everybody was silent after she finished her speech. She looked stonily around the young people before her. What she saw seemed to have lay her worries to rest, as she nodded and turned to Harry, who stood at the front of the group.

"Go ahead, Mr. Potter. I hope that Gryffindor will leave with a superior team from this." She said.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall." Murmured Harry.

"Well, go ahead, take them in." She snapped.

"Oh, yeah." Harry exclaimed and turned to the group behind him, missing the amused expression that crossed McGonagall's face that lasted only a second. "Remember your assigned groups." Harry said to the trainees. "Group A will be lead by Oliver and Katie, Group B with Fred and Andrew, Group C with George and Jack, Group D with Angelina, Alicia and Ginny, and Group E with me and Ron." He turned back to Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch. "Follow me." He said and led them all through the orchard.

"Where are we going?" He heard somebody whisper.

"Obviously to somewhere safe where muggles can't see us." Another answered.

"Those apples look good."

"Maybe we can get some after practice."

The whispering continued as they walked deeper into the orchard. Eventually the trees started to thin and a clearing started to appear. There were several gasps of wonder as the tall, white wall appeared before them.

Harry led them around the wall until they reached the entrance. The doors had been open wide by the groundskeeper and his assistants.

"Oh, my!"

"This is wonderful!"

"Oh, this is going to be great!"

Many exclaimed as they walked into the Pitch. The hoop-poles gleamed in the sunshine, as if they had been recently cleaned and waxed. Around the walls were bleachers readied to seat up to a thousand spectators. A few guest's boxes were high on towers around the walls.

The Pitch had been divided into five areas, where each group would train.

"We're only working in basic flying techniques." Harry said. "Madam Hooch will go around each group with some advice and to keep order. For those of you who will be trying out for the team, there will be an advance training later in the afternoon."

Everybody divided into groups and for two hours people were seen flying in circles or up and down or in an impromptu game of broom tag.

Training finally ended when Roberts led his footmen and the house elves into the pitch carrying tables, casks of pumpkin juice and cider and platter full of fruits and sandwiches.

"Time for lunch!" Yelled Fred.

Roberts settled the tables and the platters were placed on top. He then conjured some blankets and pillows for those who wish to sit on the floor while they ate.

The brooms were left forgotten as everybody lined up to get their food. Some sat on the bleachers talking and laughing with their friends while others chose to sit on the blankets and pillows on the lush grass.

"Whew! I'm starving!" Said Ron as he threw himself next to Harry at one of the blankets.

"We did good, I think." Harry said after emptying his glass of cider.

"Oh, definitely." Ron replied. "Too bad Hermione chose not to join us, it would've been good for her."

Harry laughed. "I don't think she plans to make flying her profession. She's that kind of person who prefers to keep her feet on the ground."

"I suppose. I wonder what she was up to." Ron said between bites.

"She said something about planning a trip to the village." Harry answered.

"What the whole day?" Exclaimed Ron.

"I think she meant for later today?" Harry explained.

"Oh, but why plan the thing? It should take only a few minutes to do so, she could've come to join us for a bit." Ron said looking down to his food once more.

"You know Hermione, she'll need to make a list of the places to visit, plan how long they can stay at each place, you know, make an itinerary." Harry said.

"An itinerary for what?" Asked Ginny who had just arrived to join them. Harry and Ron smiled at her as she flopped down next to them.

"Hermione's, for the visit to the village later." Ron explained.

"Oh, she said something about it. I was hoping I could join them." She looked beseechingly at Harry.

"Forget it. You know the afternoon training is purely for the team's benefit. You have to practice like the rest of us, no exceptions." Harry said.

Ginny sighed dejectedly. "I thought you'd said that."

"You can do that another time." Ron said agreeing with Harry. "Besides, you've already seen the place."

"But it's not the same thing when you have your friends around you." Ginny pointed out.

Harry and Ron shrugged, they really didn't care for the planned visit to the village.

"How many do you think will show up the afternoon training?" Asked Ron changing the subject.

"Don't know. Hope that enough will come though, we have the whole chaser section to fill. And I was hoping that we could find replacements for Jack and Andrew. Their flying didn't seem to get any better during the summer." Harry answered.

"Yeah, but what will you do with them if there are better beaters to be found?" Asked Ginny.

"Reserve beaters. In fact, I was thinking that if we have enough good players I could build a reserve team, with my luck, I could be in the hospital for one of our games." Harry looked resigned, it had happened in the past and with things getting worse in the magical world, he expected it could happen again.

"Ginny could take your place if you can't play." Ron said.

"She could, but I want to look around, there could be another good seeker among this lot." Harry said.

"I doubt it." Ron exclaimed. Ginny flushed hotly, flattered at her brothers compliment.

"We'll see." Harry said but he agreed with Ron and thought that it was unlikely that they could find anybody else good enough to beat Ginny as seeker.

They saw Hermione hurrying toward them.

"Where have you been? I thought you would join us for lunch." Ron said as Hermione stopped in front of them panting as she caught her breath.

"Oh, I already ate." She said taking deep breaths.

"Why?" Asked Ron surprised.

"Why what?" Hermione looked confused.

"Why did you eat without joining us?" Ron replied.

"Because I was hungry, why else. Besides, you weren't done with your training and I couldn't wait any longer." Hermione sat beside Ginny to rest.

Ron glared at her, but Harry cut in before they started on one of their famous arguments.

"Everything ready for the visit to the village?" He asked.

"Oh yes, I'm just waiting for everybody to finish their meal before I announce the proposed outing." She said.

"What happens if some don't want to go?" Snapped Ron.

"Why, they would stay here wouldn't they." Hermione snapped back.

"Not if they're not planning to tryout." Ron said.

"For your information, if they chose not to join in any of the plan activities, Lupin said he could stay with them and keep them in the game room." Hermione replied.

"That would work." Said Harry before Ron could respond.

"The game room has enough to keep them entertained." Said Ginny.

"Well, you should go and tell everybody your plans, it looks like they're all finishing their meal." Said Harry pointing to the others as some seemed to look lost now that the training and the meal was over.

"You're right." Said Hermione and hurried to stand among their guests calling for everybody to surround her.

The team members joined Harry as Hermione talked to the others. By the end of her speech only ten people remained to tryout for the team, the Creevy Brothers, Dean and Seamus among them.

"That's enough, I guess." Said Harry looking at the group that walked toward them.

"Enough? That group is larger than I ever had for tryouts." Said Wood looking pleased.

"There's enough to build a reserve team if we wanted." Said Katie.

"That's the plan." Said Harry.

"He thinks it would be a good idea in case he ends up in the hospital wing." Explained Ginny as the others looked at Harry with surprise.

"I should've thought of that, it would've earned us the cup much earlier." Wood said softly. "Not that we could ever find anybody good enough to replace you, Harry."

"I don't know, Ginny did well enough." Angelina exclaimed.

"But I'm not in the same level as Harry." Said Ginny meekly, pleased that her former captain thought her a good enough player to replace Harry, who in her point of view was a much better seeker than she had ever been.

"Let's see what we can do with them." Said Harry as they all walked toward the middle of the Pitch to start with their Quidditch training.

It was three hours later when the Quidditch players made their way to the Manor. They were all tired but all felt they did well on their first day of training, Harry couldn't have been any happier.

Hermione and the others were still out when they made their way to their rooms.

"I'm taking a long bath." Moaned Ron. "There's still time until dinner isn't there?"

"Two more hours." Ginny replied, dragging her feet up the staircase.

"That was a good training session." Wood said contently. "Best we've ever had."

"Thought so too." Harry agreed.

"It helps that we have the best brooms." Angelina said.

"Haven't been this tired after training in years." Complained Fred.

"If we'd known how tired we were going to be, we'd stayed at the store." George said.

"Too late now, you promised to be here." Ginny quickly added.

"When have you ever known us to keep a promise?" Grumbled Fred.

"You always do, especially if mum knows that you did." Ron replied.

Fred and George moaned.

"You sound like a pair of sick cows." Giggled Katie.

Fred and George moaned again while the others laughed.

They were standing at the upper landing of the main staircase.

"We'll see you later." Said Harry to his guests.

"See you." The others said and they went their own way. The Weasleys and Harry toward the family wing and the others toward the guest wing.

*~*~*~*

By the time Harry had soaked in his bathtub and had dressed to wait for dinner in the formal parlor, Hermione and those who went with her to the village had returned.

Harry walked into a parlor full of giggling girls and chuckling boys.

"There you are, it took you long enough to make an appearance." Hermione exclaimed the moment she saw Harry enter the parlor.

"I wanted to rest a little." He said as took a seat next to her by the door. "Where are Ron and the others?"

"Don't know, maybe they wanted to rest a little too." Hermione said with a shrug.

"They should be here soon then, I don't think they'll want to miss dinner." Harry said.

"How was the training?" Hermione asked.

"Good. I think we'll have enough players to make a reserve team." Harry said. "The Creevys are a little too energetic for my taste and their flying could be better, but if we work them hard enough they could be fair beaters. They remind me a bit of Fred and George on brooms." He laughed.

"I never thought there could be another pair like them." Hermione replied.

"Oh, they're not like them exactly, it's just that both have so much energy that they can compete with Fred and George in that respect. But they try too hard to please, and often loose their concentration, they would never be good beaters like Fred and George, even Jack and Andrew are better beaters than they are. But if we work had enough, I'm sure they could be good enough for reserve, we never know when we could need them to play." Harry explained.

"Who would we need to play?" Ron asked, coming into the room.

"The Creevys. I was just telling Hermione that if we worked more with them, they could become fair enough beaters for the reserve team." Harry said.

Ron grunted. "Too bad there are no better beaters out there, Jack and Andrew still need a lot of work."

"I have them working drills with Fred and George, maybe they'll get a little better if they work with the twins." Harry said.

"Hope so, they could do better." Ron sighed.

"You should talk, you need to work hard as well." Hermione said.

"I did fine! At the end anyways, it was just nerves." Ron exclaimed.

"And that stupid song didn't help." Harry said. "But enough of that, what are you planning for tomorrow while we train?"

"The picnic near the lake." Hermione said.

"What is so fun about a picnic?" Ron leered.

"There are some that find it entertaining." Hermione snapped at him.

Harry was saved from getting in the middle of yet another argument by Roberts' appearance at the door announcing dinner.

Everybody trooped into the dining room, ready to eat as much as they could after a vigorous day. The room filled with the young people, only Lupin remained to keep an eye of them, the rest of the adults had their dinner in the family dining room, where they could talk about matters of the Order without worrying about the youngsters.

*~*~*~*

The following days continued in the same manner. Every morning, all the inhabitants of the Manor met at the Pitch to do some flying practice. Broom tag became a favorite game of theirs and everybody took part while Madam Hooch, Lupin, Mrs. Weasley and Madam Pomfrey watched. Hagrid, Moody, Tonks and Kingsley continued in their posts making sure that nobody got past them into the Manor. After a light luncheon, the team stayed in the Pitch for practice while the rest went to the various activities Hermione had planned for their entertainment. The household met once more for dinner where the food created by Otty and the other elves was served happily by the footmen and the butler.

Everybody was impressed by the way Harry, Ron and Hermione had prepared everything for this week, all they had left to look forward to was the activities planned for their last full day in the Manor before returning to King's Cross Station the next day.

That last day had come at last, and everybody woke that morning full of excitement. As it was their last day in the Manor, there would not be any training for that day. The game room had been prepared for those who preferred to stay indoors that morning and the pool (which was a new addition to the Manor in the middle of the informal gardens) had been cleaned for those wanting to cool off before luncheon.

The informal gardens had been trimmed and cleaned while long tables had been put under a large tent. Blankets and chairs were spread around the tent. Luncheon would take place among the gardens, the food would be housed under the tent.

But the big event for the day was to take place in the afternoon. A Quidditch game had been scheduled to take place two hours after luncheon. The villagers and the tenants had been invited to come and watch; even the reporters, who had waited patiently by the main gate trying to find out about the party, had been allowed to attend, as long as they presented their press credentials and left their wands with Hagrid and Moody, who were in charge of security for this event. Gryffindor's new team would play against the old team.

Harry had elected Seamus and Alexander Peters, a fourth year, as the new chasers along with Ginny, Jack and Andrew retained their positions as beaters, while the Creevy Brothers would be trained as reserve beaters, Harry and Ron completed the line up for the new Gryffindor Team. The old team, Wood, Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Fred and George were eager to get the new team through their paces, the village seeker had agreed to complete this team for the game.

Everybody was eager to see the new Gryffindor team play together for the first time, Dumdbledore had even sent word that he would come and see the game and join them in the evening festivities.

Hermione and Mrs. Weasley had planned a ball for that evening. A menu of several courses had been discussed, the village band hired to play, and the ballroom decorated with reams of lace and satin. Everybody attending would wear their formal robes, which made Ron happy that the twins had given him a new set the previous summer. It was thought to be the social event of their young lives, and they were all waiting for the moment for it to start.

Harry joined Ron and Hermione by the pool, they were sitting around one of the umbrella tables that had been placed there along with some pool chairs, one of the footmen stood under a large umbrella with a cart where pitchers of cold lemonade waited for anyone wanting a cold drink. There were many who had chosen the pool to entertain themselves as Harry watched his classmates dive and swim into the large swimming pool.

"It's cooler here." Ron said as Harry sat by him. "We tried sitting in the chairs, but the shade here is cooler."

"It's horridly hot today, are you sure you should have the game?" Hermione said taking a sip from her glass of lemonade.

"Of course, this will not stop us from having a good game." Ron said rather quickly.

"Lupin said that there's a charm around the Pitch that can create some shade over the field, so we'll be cool enough, nobody will be too uncomfortable in the heat." Harry said.

"Your family definitely knew how to live in comfort." Said Ron laying back on his chair with a content sigh.

"Just wish I knew more about them." Harry sighed sadly. He loved being in the Manor, loved seeing the place where his father and his family had lived for many generations, but he couldn't feel as close to the history of his family without knowing more about them first hand. He knew that if he wanted, he could question the paintings in the family quarters, they certainly seemed eager enough to talk about themselves, but Harry had kept from asking any personal questions.

He didn't know why, but he didn't want to know about his family from portraits, he would've preferred to have done so from a member of that family. He thought he wouldn't have minded if Sirius had told him about them, he had been adopted, in a way, by his father's family after he left his own behind. But Sirius was no longer able to tell him about them, he had been taken from him by the same group of people who took his father's family's life.

But now was not the time to think about it as Ron and Hermione were still talking about the afternoon activities.

"Lavender was thrilled about the ball." Hermione was saying. "She and Pavarti have gone to the village to buy a few accessories for their robes."

"Girls, honestly! Who cares how much stuff you wear with your robes? Like you for example, you don't need all that extra fripperies to make you look pretty." Ron exclaimed.

Hermione flushed with pleasure while Harry smiled slyly.

"Come on Harry, join us." Dean yelled from the pool. Several girls giggled and whispered around him. Dean looked at them with disgust and rolled his eyes in exasperation while Harry and Ron chuckled.

"Maybe later." Yelled Harry to Dean. The girls giggled again.

"Honestly!" Hermione chided.

"They're only second years." Ron said with a smile. "Still young enough to still be impressed by Harry's name."

"And I suppose the Manor helps with that impression." Harry groaned.

"Just as long as they don't get together and form a Harry Potter Club." Ron Chuckled.

Harry groaned with exasperation while Hermione laughed.

"At least there isn't a Lockhart to compete with you this time." Ron said.

"The poor man. He seemed to be getting better when we last saw him." Hermione said.

"You mean he's still the git he always was." Ron replied.

"Really!" Hermione's reply was muffled by Harry's laugh.

"I suppose I should feel sorry for him, but he did deserve it." Harry said.

"He did! He tried to erase our memories. The coward." Ron exclaimed.

"Lucky your wand didn't work." Harry laughed.

"Humph! I do not think it funny. You all could've been hurt." Hermione sounded a little miffed.

"Of course, but what were we supposed to do? Ginny was down there." Ron said.

"And the basilisk." Harry reminded them.

Hermione shuddered. "Don't remind me."

The trio was silent for a minute allowing the squeals of laughter and the sound of splashing water to fill the air without paying any attention.

"Luncheon should be served soon." Harry said looking down at his watch. "I should go and see if the Pitch is ready for our game."

"I'll go with you." Ron said.

Harry nodded and after they said "see you later" to Hermione, they walked through the gardens toward the orchard.

"You know, she had never talked about what she saw that day." Ron said as they made their way through the gardens.

"None of us have, until last winter Ginny hadn't mentioned it either." Harry said.

"Why did she mention it then?" Ron frowned as if trying to remember that occasion.

"Don't you remember, it was after your father was attacked and I was afraid that I was being possessed by Voldemort because I had seen the attack from the serpent's eyes." Harry said.

"Well, I remember that. You stopped talking to us until Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place."

"Ginny said that she knew what it felt like to be possessed by Voldermort." Harry said. "And I hadn't felt the same way."

"Oh, yeah. That's when Dumbledore wanted you to start Occlumency with Snape." Ron said.

"Yeah." Harry sighed.

They had walked through the gardens and gone through the orchard, now they were before the entrance to the Pitch.

"I asked Mr. Stuart to make sure there were lanterns from the edge of the orchard to the entrance to the Pitch so nobody would get lost." Harry said as they watched two young men in ladders placing colorful lamps among the trees and next to the entrance to the stadium.

"Good idea. We're not going to be out here leading them through." Ron said, glancing others among the trees placing lamps through the orchard.

"Let's go in. Mr. Stuart said that they decorated the Pitch with Gryffindor colors." Harry said and walked past the working men and into the field.

The Pitch had been indeed decorated with gold and red flags, banners and to Harry's amusement, balloons.

"It looks festive." Ron chuckled.

"It certainly does." Harry replied.

Mr. Stuart shouted Harry's name and the two boys watched as the older man ran toward them. "What do you think, Master Harry?" Asked Mr. Stuart looking excited to see Harry. "The workers have been working really hard the whole morning to prepare for this afternoon game. Everybody is looking forward to it."

"It looks great Mr. Stuart. How long do you need to finish up? Luncheon should be served any time soon and the game is scheduled in two hours." Harry said looking around the Pitch as workers trimmed the field, waxed the poles and cleaned the bleachers.

"It shouldn't take that long. We're just finishing up and this lot will go and take their luncheon before returning for the game." Mr. Stuart said.

"Was the snack room cleaned? Otty was supposed to prepare snacks and sandwiches to sale during the game, and Roberts has chosen some casks of cider and butterbeer as well." Harry asked.

"All it's ready, Sir. It is good of you to think of it, Sir, the money from the sales will be a great help to the village vicarage." Mr. Stuart smiled proudly.

"I hope so. Well, I'll leave you to it, then." Harry said.

"Good luck to your team, Sir." Mr. Stuart yelled as Harry and Ron walked back out of the Pitch.

Harry waved to Mr. Stuart.

"I'm nervous." Ron said.

"Oh no, you don't. You're an awful player when you get nervous." Harry exclaimed.

"I know, but I can't help it." Ron groaned.

"You did well at the end of the Quidditch season, why are you getting nervous now? It's not like we're playing for the Cup." Harry said.

"But there are going to be a lot of people here." Ron complained.

"Not as many as there are in the school games. The village is not that big, you know, and there aren't many tenants." Harry explained trying to soothe his friend's jitters.

"That isn't helping." Ron exclaimed.

"Well, let's go eat, hopefully that will help." Harry sighed with exasperation.

"I hope so, or it might only serve to make me sick." Ron said.

"Ugh! That's not a picture I want to think of now." Harry exclaimed.

"Sorry." Apologized Ron as the duo made their way through the gardens.

*~*~*~*

The gardens were full of young people as they served themselves from the loaded tables underneath a large tent. Some were sitting in the chairs or blankets spread around the gardens, others had taken their plates and went into the mazes and tried to find their way to the middle among squeals and laughter. Dumbledore had arrived and was sitting with members of the Order in chairs close to the food tent.

Harry and Ron joined Hermione and Ginny who were sitting in a blanket under the shade of a big tree.

"Dumbledore arrived a few minutes ago." Hermione said as she noticed Harry looking to where their Headmaster was sitting among the adults.

"So I noticed." Harry replied.

"He's been talking closely with Lupin." Ginny reported. "What do you think they're talking about?"

"Maybe he wants Lupin to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, I bet it hasn't been easy to find somebody to take that vacancy." Ron said.

"I hope he does. He'll be great help." Ginny said.

"And with the start of Advanced Defense, we'll need somebody who has had a lot of experience with it." Hermione said.

"And everybody knows he's a werewolf, so nobody can say they didn't know." Harry said. "Bet the Ministry won't be too happy about that."

"Nah, they're too busy trying to save face to bother with it. They've pretty much agreed to leave Hogwarts to Dumbledore." Ron said. "Dad said that the Ministry is kind of afraid to get into Dumbledore's bad side, especially since they know he's the only one You-Know-Who is afraid of."

Ginny nodded. "They allow him to do as he sees fit. Besides, now that everybody knows of You-Know-Who's return they'll want their children to be well prepared and I don't think it would matter if the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is a werewolf, a vampire, or a wizard, as long as we're ready for anything if the time comes."

Everybody agreed.

Panic had began to spread through the land after the Ministry's announcement of Voldemort's return. Harry had received several letters in the last month asking for his help and even offering him money if he agreed to protect them. Needless to say, the letters had gone unanswered. Security around the estate had been heavy since he moved in. Harry was sure that he wasn't supposed to know about the Ministry Aurors posted around the perimeter of the estate nor about the spells and incantations that had been erected around the surrounding estates and villages. But Harry did know, and he didn't know whether to be exasperated by the amount security everybody thought he needed, or to feel relief that he would be safe.

People started to walk toward the house. The time to prepare for the game had arrived.

"We might as well go and get ready." Said Harry to Ron and Ginny.

Both nodded.

"I just want to greet Dumbledore, I'll see you at the game." Hermione said.

"All right. See you." Ron said and followed Harry and Ginny into the Manor.

The gardens were soon empty and the servants and elves worked quickly to clear the food and trash that had been left behind.

An hour later, the two teams made their way to the Pitch.

Harry could see Hagrid and Moody standing at either side of the main gate checking the credentials and putting away the wands of those reporters wanting to watch the game. Kingsley was standing a few feet away to make sure the reporters made their way to the Pitch and didn't wander around the Manor.

The two groups walked purposely to the Pitch. The lamps had been lit and ropes tied around trees to create a lane leading to the entrance of the stadium.

"Oh, wow." Katie sighed at the sight of the decorated stadium.

"It looks great, doesn't it?" Said Ron looking around.

"It does. Where do we go Harry, we must be ready soon." Wood said, his mind only in the game.

"Go through that door on the west side of the field, we're taking the east side." Harry said pointing to the doors at either side of the field.

"All right. Come on you lot, we have to change." Wood ordered his team and led them to the door that Harry had directed him to.

"We have to change too. Come on." Said Harry and led his team to the changing room opposite from the one Wood's team had gone through.

It didn't take them too long to change. Fifteen minutes later they had changed into the scarlet robes found in the lockers, their names embroidered brightly in golden letters at their backs. Wood's team would be wearing golden robes, their names embroidered in scarlet letters.

"All right, I need not tell you how important this game is. We may not be playing against Slytherin, or playing for the Cup, but this is our chance to show Gryffindor House that our team is just as good, if not better, than our previous team." Harry said standing in the middle of the changing room as his teammates sat around him. "We have practiced hard and we have become better acquainted with each other during the last week, remember, we're a team nobody is better than the other, we're all good and we have to show them that."

"Hear, hear." Shouted Ron.

"We'll do good." Ginny said.

"We sure will, we won't let them win without a fight." Said Seamus smiling brightly. Harry knew that that bright smile only masked the fear that he must be going through.

"Ok, don't be nervous, you're only playing before Gryffindor and they'll support you no matter what, but don't let your nerves get the better of you. You must control them, don't let them control you." Said Harry. "Are you ready?"

"Ready!" The team replied.

Madam Hooch appeared at the door. "We're all ready, Mr. Stuart will begin the introductions in a minute." She walked out once more, her broom in her hand and the trunk with the balls hovering at her side.

Harry took a deep sigh. "Ok, here we go."

He led the team to the opening leading into the field. He could hear the crowd cheering and laughing in their seats waiting for the game to begin.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen." Mr. Stuart's voice was echoed around the Pitch. "Welcome to this special Gryffindor game." The crowd cheered. "The new Gryffindor House team will face the old Gryffindor House team in this special event. Here's the old team, wearing golden robes, Captained by their keeper, Wood!" The crowd cheered as Oliver zoomed out into the field. "The chasers, Bell, Johnson and Spinnet." Three golden blurs zoomed into the field. "The beaters, Weasley and Weasley." More cheering. "And the guest seeker, from Gryffindor village, Warren." Seven golden clad blurs zoomed around the Pitch as the crowd cheered.

"Gryffindor House new team." Mr. Stuart announced.

"Mount your brooms." Ordered Harry as mounted his.

"Captained by their seeker, Potter!" Harry zoomed out of the opening into the field, he could hear the thunderous applause of the crowd as he flew around the Pitch. "The chasers, Weasley, Finnegan, and Peters." Three more scarlet blurs joined him. "The beaters, Slorper and Kirke." More applause and cheers. "And their keeper, Weasley!" Another roar from the crowd, there was even some chanting of "Weasley is our king, Weasley is our king."

"Madam Hooch, from Hogwarts, will referee this game." Mr. Stuart announced as Madam Hooch walked into the Pitch with broom in hand and dragging the trunk of balls behind her. "The players take their places." Mr. Stuart commentated. "There's the whistle and the balls are released. Spinnet grabs the Quaffle, passes to Johnson, intercepted by Weasley. Ooh, that must've hurt. That was a nice hit by the beater Weasley. Bell with the Quaffle, passes to Johnson, Spinnet has the Quaffle, passes to Bell and shoots. Nice save by the keeper Weasley. A lot of Weasleys on the field, wouldn't you say? Chaser Weasley with the Quaffle, passes to Finnegan, another pass to Weasley. Seems this young Weasley learns fast as she ducks a bludger sent her way by her brother, passes to Peters, shoots. Saved by keeper Wood."

Harry was flying high above the rest of the players, his eyes looking everywhere searching for the Snitch. He was hearing the commentary closely and was proud by the good show his team was putting. He was glad that he had thought to train during the Summer, it helped a lot to build the esteem as well as the stamina of the team.

He wished that he had thought to confiscate cameras, as bright lights flashed from every corner of the field. He just hoped he wouldn't confuse any of those flashes with the glittering flash of the Snitch.

"Spinnet in possession, passes to Johnson – ooh, that was good intersection by Peters, who passes to Chaser Weasley, Finnegan, Weasley again throws to Peters, bludger hits the Quaffle before it reaches Peters and Bell is now in possession. Throws to Spinnet, back to Bell, passes to Johnson. Keeper Weasley seemed to be ready for that shot as he saves once more."

"Weasley is our king, Weasley is our king." Was heard throughout the crowd. Harry was happy to see that the chant didn't make Ron nervous anymore.

" – another save from Wood! Wow, it seems that this game will be decided by the seekers, but the Snitch doesn't seem to be in sight yet. Spinnet with the Quaffle, passes to Johnson, back to Spinnet, Bell has possession, nice hit by Kirke, Chaser Weasley with the Quaffle now, passes to Peters, to Finnegan, Weasley again and shoots. Wood saves once more."

The game had been going on for half an hour now and Harry hadn't caught sight of the Snitch yet, and he was glad to see that the other seeker was no closer to catching the Snitch either.

Suddenly, his eye caught the glittering sight of the Snitch on the opposite side of the field. He zoomed toward it, feeling – without turning around to check – the presence of the rival seeker nearby.

" – Bell with the Quaffle. I say! It seems that the Snitch has been sighted. Potter and Warren side by side zooming across the field. Keeper Weasley performs another spectacular save."

Harry was following the Snitch, which zoomed away from him toward the ground.

"Come on, come on." Harry was whispering as he urged his broom to fly faster toward the Snitch. "You can do it, you can do it."

Harry could see the broom from the other seeker at his side.

The snitch changes direction once more as it flies parallel to the ground ten feet from the surface.

Harry changes direction promptly trying not to get hit by the flying bludgers and passing Quaffle. His opponent had misjudged directions and lost some of the ground he had kept at Harry's side. This gave Harry an advantage and he zoomed toward the Snitch.

"Come on, come on, ...faster, faster." He urged his broom. The Snitch was just a few feet in front of him.

" – and Keeper Weasley saves once again. The score continues 0 to 0 as the two seekers are zooming to get the Snitch. Bell with the Quaffle, passes to Spinnet, intersected by Finnegan, Peters now in possession - "

Harry wasn't hearing the commentary any more, his attention was focused in the Snitch and on keeping away from the bludgers sent in his direction. The Snitch was changing direction once more as Harry saw it turning up. Harry flies diagonally toward it. He can feel his opponent getting closer.

He sees a bludger pass a foot in front of him – close, but not close enough to hit him or the Snitch – He stretches across the broom handle and reaches toward the Snitch. He still needs to get closer.

"Almost there." He whispers as he tries to urge his broom closer to the Snitch. "Almost, almost."

His fingers stroke the soft, fluttering wings of the Snitch, but he didn't get close enough to wrap his fingers over the golden sphere. Harry urges his broom once more, "close, I'm close," and finally, he feels the solid sphere against the palm of his hand and wraps his fingers tightly against it. "Yes!" He sighs as he flies upward with Snitch clasped tightly in his hand.

A whistle rends the air. " – and Potter catches the Snitch, Potter has caught the Snitch." Mr. Stuart's voice echoed around the Pitch. The crowd roared and the team flew excitedly toward him.

"We won! We won!" Ginny screamed flying happily around Harry.

Harry smiles and motions to his team to land.

"The new Gryffindor House team has won the match, 150 to 0. Must say, this is the most exciting game this estate has ever seen." Mr. Stuart was saying. "Must remind our guests that a ball will begin in two hours. Thank you to those who have bought snacks and drinks, all proceeds will be turned to the village vicarage. Please leave the stadium in orderly fashion."

The crowd was now dispersing and leaving toward the Manor, only the group of reporters remained as they hoped to get a few words with Harry, but he ran toward the changing rooms quickly with the rest of the team.

"Oh, that was a good game." Exclaimed Ron as he sat on the bench in front of his locker. "I thought we would never be done with it."

"I can't believe that not a single goal was scored at all." Ginny said as she took her clothes around a curtain, erected specifically for her use as she was the only girl in the team.

"That was quite surprising." Seamus panted as he struggled to get his robes off.

"It was, I had expected them to score at least one." Harry said, putting away his robes and pulling his shirt over his head.

"Well, it means that Ron is getting better, isn't it." Andrew Kirke said looking at Harry for approval.

"I should say so." Harry said smiling at his friend who had flushed red with pleasure and embarrassment.

"I wish there was enough time for a little nap before the ball." Ginny said returning to her locker with her robes bundled in her arms.

"There's still two hours left, you can sleep for an hour." Said Ron looking happy to know that he would have enough time to rest before the party.

"There's no time! I have to get my robes ready and then fix my hair. Oh lord! If I want to take a bath I'll have to start as soon as possible." Ginny exclaimed and ran out of the changing room.

Ron looked at Harry. "What's with girls and the need to spend hours getting ready?"

Harry shrugged. "Dunno."

The others had left before Harry and Ron were ready to return to the Manor.

"Check to see if the reporters are still waiting." Said Harry as they neared the opening toward the field.

Ron looked around the opening around the seats. "No, they're all gone." He said.

Harry stepped into the open field happy to know that he wouldn't be accosted for an interview.

"Bet Moody and Kingsley made sure to lead them out of the grounds while we changed." Ron said.

"Hopefully. I think I'll ask Hagrid to make sure they don't bring any cameras into the ball. Those bright flashes were very distracting during the game." Harry complained as they made their way through the lit lane across the orchard toward the house.

"Bet they're going to print about it in the papers." Ron said.

"Nothing we can do about it now." Harry said. "At least we didn't make a fool of ourselves."

"We did good. We're ready, you reckon?" Ron asked looking forward to their first game of the season, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.

"As good as we'll ever be." Harry replied. "There's no team at Hogwarts at the same level as our old team, if we did good against them, we'll do good against the others."

"That's true, and we did get a head start with training this week." Ron said. Harry nodded.

They had arrived at the house. The rooms seemed empty, but Harry knew that all his guest were busy in their own rooms getting ready for the evening.

"Well, we should get ready. I think I'll have a short nap before I dress." Harry said looking forward to a little rest and a long bath.

"So will I." Ron said eagerly.

*~*~*~*

Harry did indeed have a short nap before he started dressing. Lotty had a bath ready for him when he returned to his room. Harry had soaked happily in the warm water for a few minutes before retiring to his chamber to rest.

Lotty woke him up an hour before the party was scheduled to start.

"Master must dress," Lotty was saying. "Master must be ready to receive his guests."

Harry groaned. "I wish we hadn't planned this ball now." He mumbled as he struggled with his tired body to move out of the bed.

Lotty had spread his formal robes on a daybed. His shoes had been shined and several bottles of liquid and slime stood in a dressing table nearby.

Harry looked at these bottles with curiosity. "What are these?" He asked Lotty picking one of the bottles. He opened it and smelled it. It was cologne.

"Master James used to make use of them before preparing for a party." Lotty said straightening the sheets on the bed.

Harry looked sharply at Lotty. "My father used these?" He asked surprised.

Lotty nodded. "Cologne and products for his hair."

Harry took one of the bottles that held what looked like slime. He opened the bottle and looked at the gel inside. "Did it work?"

"Some." Answered Lotty.

Harry smiled. He had always heard that he looked like his father – except for his eyes, he had his mother's eyes – and he was happy to know that he had the same problem he did with his hair.

Fifteen minutes later Harry was dressed and combed. The gel allowed him to comb his hair in a more manageable way, but there were still some hairs that managed to stick out in odd places.

"Oh, well." Sighed Harry as he looked at himself in front of a large gilded mirror. "I look well enough."

"Master Harry looks more than well." Squeaked Lotty excitedly. "Master Harry will break some hearts."

Harry chuckled. "I don't think so, but thank you for your compliments Lotty. Make sure you and the other elves rest while we're at the party. You have all worked extra hard on the last week."

"Yes, Master Harry." Said Lotty.

"Is Minnie happy working with Mrs. Weasley?" Asked Harry thinking about the small elf that had gone looking for him despite the long distance that separated them.

"Oh, yes Master Harry." Lotty responded promptly.

"All right, I'll go and wait for my guests in the parlor." Said Harry and walked out the door. He met Mr. and Mrs. Weasley out in the corridor, also leaving their room.

"Oh, hello Harry, you look handsome in your dress robes." Mr. Weasley smiled down at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. You two look well too." Harry responded.

"Thank you, Harry dear, we're all looking forward to your party." Mrs. Weasley said and took Harry's arm leading down the corridor. "The ballroom has been decorated splendidly for this party, the staff has been in the greatest of spirits preparing for this week."

"I think it's been a long time since the last time this house was opened for a party that they had started to miss it." Mr. Weasley chuckled.

"I think you're right, dear." Mrs. Weasley smiled.

They met others along the way. Ron and Hermione were also making their way to the parlor and they could hear Fred urging George to hurry in one of the rooms.

Eventually they all made it to the parlor. None of their guests where yet down and they were the first there.

"Dinner will be served as soon as everybody is here." Mrs. Weasley was saying. "Then we'll retire to the ballroom and await for the tenants and people from the village to come. Remember, Harry, you have to stand by the ballroom door for the first half hour to greet your guests, I'll stand by you, Harry dear, the rest of you mingle and entertain our guests."

"All right, mum, but don't keep Harry by the door too long, there are a lot of people who want to talk to him about the game." Said Fred.

"Yeah, never thought we would be beaten by a lot of youngsters, we must be loosing our touch." George shook his head sadly.

"It was Harry that beat you." Said Ginny. "You would've won if he had played with you."

"That's true." Conceded George. "We didn't play with our usual seeker."

"It was a real treat, that game." Said Mr. Weasley. "Haven't seen one as exciting since the last Championship game."

Others started to walk in. Professor McGonagall walked in with Dumbledore and Lupin. Madam Hooch soon followed with Hagrid and Tonks. Kingsley, Moody and other Aurors had decided to stay patrolling the estate instead of joining them in the party.

Soon, the younger guests started to appear.

"Oh, Harry, we've had the most wonderful time." Lavender Brown gushed the moment she could walked up to Harry as he sat in a sofa with Ron and Hermione.

"I'm glad you've enjoyed yourselves." Said Harry as Ron grinned at him slyly.

"Oh, yes. Your house is lovely. You should do this more often." Pavarti urged beside Lavender, looking at the golden frames on the walls and the china and crystal figurines around the room with envy.

"Er...I'll think about it." Harry said looking at Hermione pleadingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Have you seen the lovely flowers the gardeners cut for this evening?" She said and led the two giggly girls to one corner of the room.

"Phew!" Exclaimed Harry with relief.

Ron began to laugh. "Those two are going to be after you from now on."

"I hope not. I wouldn't know what to do with them." Said Harry. Ron laughed once more. "Oh, shut up!"

Luckily, Roberts appear by the dining room door announcing dinner. Harry led his guest through the open door into the dining room.

Dinner was a formal occasion as the first dinner had been. Roberts stood by Harry directing the footmen around the table serving the guests. Salads where brought in first; crab salad, lobster salad, green salad, spinach salad, bean salads. People chatted and whispered as the trays went around the table and guests were served. Fish followed the salads, fried salmon, grilled trout, marinated halibut, baked catfish. Poultry came in next, smoked duckling, stewed hen, stuffed pheasant, and roasted turkey. Beef was brought in next before the sweets and puddings were lastly served.

"Oh, that was a good meal." Sighed Seamus with satisfaction a few chairs away from Harry.

"You should think that, you ate from every single tray served." Snapped Lavender looking disgusted.

"And you barely ate, how do you expect to keep your energy for the ball without eating, huh?" Snapped Seamus back.

Cider, pumpking juice and butterbeer had been served to the youngsters during dinner, while an array of wine, port and other drinks were offered to the adults.

Every plate had been taken when Mrs. Weasley stood up from her side of the table.

"Well, if we're all ready, lets retire to the ballroom." She said.

Everybody stood eagerly from the table and followed Harry and Mrs. Weasley up the stairs to the ballroom.

Reams of satin curtains, scarlet and gold, hang from every window. The family coat of arms hung proudly in the middle of the room a few feet from the large chandelier hanging down the ceiling, on the other side of the chandelier stood the Gryffindor flag. Candles had been lit around the room, which glared brightly and shined against the waxed surface of the floor.

The band from the village was sitting in the gallery tuning their instruments and preparing for the ball.

The guests spread out through the ballroom. Soon, the doorbell started ringing and Roberts opened the door to the first tenants or villagers.

The room eventually filled. The tenants and villagers arrived, also some of those reporters that had waited so long before the main gate trying to get in.

Harry stood patiently by the door, beside Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, greeting those who came through the door.

"The music should start soon, Harry dear, why don't you go and join your friends." Mrs. Weasley said after a while.

"All right." Replied Harry and rapidly left his space by the door and went looking for Ron and Hermione.

He didn't find them right away, people kept stopping him along the way congratulating him on the game or complimenting him on the ball.

"Finally." He sighed as he joined Ron, Ginny and Hermione by the large windows. "It took me forever to get here."

"People are impressed." Hermione said.

Ginny giggled.

"What?" Asked Harry frustrated.

"Nothing." She chocked out trying to hold back her laughter. Harry glared at her. "Just that I think you'll find yourself flooded with dance partners tonight."

"Says who?" Asked Ron.

"Every girl I know, they've all whispering about Harry the whole day." Ginny reported.

"Oh, lord." Exclaimed Harry.

Ron chuckled. "We couldn't find a date for the Yule Ball a couple years ago, now you can have your pick."

Harry just shook his head infuriated by his friends' teasing.

The musicians started to play a short tune, declaring the beginning of the dancing, and everybody turned to look at Harry.

"What?" Harry asked disconcerted to be the center of attention.

"You're the host, you're supposed to open the dance." Hissed Hermione.

"You should've told me that before, who am I supposed to dance with now?" Snapped Harry.

"Dance with Ginny." Said Ron pushing his sister toward his friend.

"Stop that, I don't want to open the dance!" Exclaimed Ginny.

"He can't dance with her anyways, the host opens the ball with his hostess or the girl he's trying to impress, if he dances with Ginny everybody will thing they're a couple." Hermione explained.

"You dance with him then." Said Ron. "Everybody knows he's not trying to impress you, you're friends."

"That'll only make it seem that we're much closer than we are." Said Hermione. "There's only one person he can lead out without talk and speculation."

"Who?" Asked Harry and Ron.

"Mrs. Weasley of course." Said Hermione. "She's his hostess for the week, and she's married and rather older than he is, she's the perfect person to lead out."

"But she's still at the door greeting guests." Harry said.

"No, she isn't." Said Ginny motioning across the room. "She just left the door with dad."

"All right." Said Harry with a sigh of resignation. "The things I do for the team." He mumbled.

Ron laughed and Ginny giggled, even Hermione seemed to be amused by his grumbling.

Harry crossed the room. He could hear girls giggling and whispering as he passed. "Probably guessing whom I am dancing with?" He muttered under his breath. He walked past the groups of giggling girls and strode purposely toward Mrs. Weasley.

The music began and Harry asked Mrs. Weasley to dance with him. Mrs. Weasley smiled with pleasure as she accepted his arm and the two walked to the center of the room that had began to clear for the dancing.

It was a short dance but long enough for Harry who was never comfortable in the dancing floor. When the dance ended, Mrs. Weasley thanked him and returned to her husband while Harry hurried back to his friends.

"I'm glad that's over with." Said Harry as he joined Hermione. "Where are Ron and Ginny?"

"Dancing. Ginny dragged him to dance as soon as the music started." Hermione said.

"Why didn't you?" Harry asked.

"Dragged him to the floor." Asked Hermione giggling.

"No. I mean dancing." Harry said.

"Because I didn't want to." Hermione said. "I think I ate a bit much at dinner, I feel rather full."

Harry chuckled.

Ron and Ginny returned as the song ended.

"Phew! She's too energetic." Exclaimed Ron.

"You say that because I know how to dance and you don't." Said Ginny taking a glass of butterbeer that was served by servants passing around the ballroom.

"I know too how to dance." Ron exclaimed.

Ginny's expression let them know what she thought about his dancing.

"Come Harry, you dance with me." Ginny said grasping Harry's hand and pulling him toward the dance floor.

"Er...all right, but I warn you, I know even less than Ron." Harry warned.

"Nobody can be worse than Ron." Ginny said.

"Hey!" They heard as Ginny dragged Harry into the crowd.

Ginny wasn't the only one to drag Harry to the dance floor. After dancing a couple of songs with Ginny, she pushed him to dance with Hermione. Lavender was the next to drag him to dance followed by Pavarti. Others soon followed their example. Harry didn't have any free time to spend with his friends and from time to time he saw Ginny, Ron or Hermione dancing around the dance floor.

Finally, snacks were served and Harry searched for his friends. He found Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny sitting around one of the round tables placed lining the walls.

"That was tiring." He said as soon as he sat down next to Ron.

"You've been dancing all night." Neville said, smiling at Harry.

"Not my choice, I assure you." Said Harry. "Where are the adults, have you seen them. I noticed that only Roberts, Mrs. Nichols and the servants have been patrolling the room for quite a while. Most of the tenants have gone home and those who came from the village will be leaving soon."

"Probably in the family parlor." Ginny said with a shrug.

"I assume they're having a meeting. It would be the perfect time to have one." Whispered Hermione.

"A meeting for what?" Asked Neville somewhat confused.

Harry glared at Hermione to be quiet before replying to Neville.

"You know, about school or something." He said.

"Could be." Neville said thoughtfully, "or maybe they're talking about You- Know-Who. I don't think Dumbledore would stay with his arms crossed waiting for the Ministry to do something, he might be thinking of ways to get in You-Know-Who's way."

Ron was about to respond but Hermione kicked him under the table.

"You're right." She responded before trying to change the subject. "This was a good idea. The whole week has been really entertaining."

"I didn't get much time to enjoy all the entertainments." Said Ginny. "I spent all my time in the Pitch. I've never trained so hard in my life."

"If you want to stay in the team, you have to practice." Exclaimed Ron.

"It has helped the team tremendously." Harry said quickly. "And we've had an advantage over the other teams. I don't know about you, but I want to keep the Cup in Gryffindor."

"I suppose, but it's not fun being the only girl left in the team." Ginny complained.

"It's not my fault that no girls tried out this time." Harry said.

"I know, but it will feel different with only boys in the team." Said Ginny.

"Nothing can be done about it, we'll have to do the best we can. Besides, we're not the only team to have only one girl in the team, Slytherin only has boys." Ron said.

"It doesn't matter," Neville said. "As far as I'm concerned, Gryffindor has the best team."

"We certainly have." Harry exclaimed.

The party lasted until midnight. Mrs. Weasley stood in the middle of the ballroom and directed all the youngsters to make their way to their rooms.

"You'll be woken by the servants early to get ready for our trip to King's Cross Station. Make sure you've packed everything. We'll be leaving at half past nine." She ordered as everybody started to walk out the door.

Harry was among the last to leave the room. "Thank you." He said to Mrs. Weasley. "For helping me to plan this week."

"It was nothing, Harry dear. You deserved to enjoy yourself." She smiled kindly.

Harry made his way to his room in silence. He could hear everybody settling for the night. Whispers and giggles could be heard among the corridors, but he paid no attention to them. He was happy that the week was over and was looking forward to travel to Hogwarts the next day on the Hogwarts Express.

Lotty had turned the covers for him. His pajamas were waiting at the foot of the bed and his trunk was packed and waiting by the side of the door.

Minutes later, he was fast asleep.

*~*~*~*

A/N: Phew! That's the end of it. What do you think? Should I edit the summer training out or should I keep it? It's up to you, let me know what you prefer. I've started on the next chapter so I'll have to know what you think before I update again so that it can go along with your choice. Hope to hear from you soon. : )