Chapter Eight

A//N: It's been a while hasn't it. Sorry about that. School is very demanding. Okay. I have gone through and changed all of the things that need changing. Chapter Five is the one that got revamped the most. Sorry my background on Tom Riddle is not that great, the second book is the only one I have not read more than once. I blame it on that!

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, but I am having a lot of pretending like I do.

            Ron Weasley felt amazing. It was the Gryffindor's first Quidditch win of the season, and he had saved them from utter devastation. . . Okay, so maybe utter devastation was a bit much, but it sounded good to him. The Quidditch match against Ravenclaw had proved to be one of their toughest yet. Ron didn't know how they had gotten so good. He did know, though, that he felt great. It was nice to be noticed.

            "Ron, that last save you made, brilliant!" Seamus thumped him on the back and began to ramble about the finer points of earlier that evening.

            Ron thought about making the last save. There had been only a two second difference between his snatching the Quaffle up and Harry catching the snitch. The applause had been head throbbing. Gryffindors began to pour out of the stands and gather up the Quidditch players. Ron distinctly remembered how proud Hermione looked as she hugged him and Harry after the match.

            "You did wonderfully, both of you!" she had exclaimed.

            Yes, it was safe to say that Ron Weasley was a very happy wizard.

            "Oi! Someone come help me!" Ginny Weasley could barely be heard over all the hustle and bustle in the celebrating Gryffindor common room. She was carrying a very heavy sack that appeared to be laden with all sorts of food from the kitchens. Harry raised an eyebrow at her as she passed. "Fred and George aren't here, and someone had to do it."

            "Ginny Weasley!" Hermione began, "I do not believe this! You of all people. I thought that you might have the sense to not weasel food out the house elves. Those poor things. Think of all the extra work that had put them through. Oh I'm going to have to knit double the hats to make up fo-"

            She was stopped abruptly by Ron pulling a biscuit out of the bag and shoving it in her mouth. "Give elf rights a rest for once, would you?"

            Hermione looked at him through narrowed eyes, and with puffed out cheeks. Ron began to snigger at the resemblance she seemed to have to a chipmunk. She was awfully cute, even when she was mad at him. . .Mentally Ron kicked himself in the shins. This was Hermione, and Hermione was NOT cute. . .

            "That's better." Ginny flashed Hermione a bright smile as all the Gryffindors began to snatch food out of the bag. Harry quickly scooped down and grabbed three butterbeer bottles. He handed one each to Ron and Hermione, and took one for himself.

            "Cheers!" Ron smiled.

            Hermione mumbled something indistinguishable with her mouth still full of biscuit and a death glare sent in Ron's direction.

            "Cheers." Harry echoed, feeling happy for the first time in weeks. No matter what happened to Harry in his life throughout Hogwarts, Quidditch was the only thing that seemed to make him feel any better.

            Maybe it was they whole ordeal of flying. Or maybe it was the feeling of a good work out. Or maybe it was the look of the other Seeker's face when he caught the snitch. Harry didn't know what part about Quidditch he liked best, but it sure did make him feel good. It was almost worth having to spend his summers with the Dursleys. . . almost.

            Dean ran up to Harry and clapped him on the shoulder, "Well done mate!" he exclaimed. "I've been trying to find you, but this common room is so bloody crowded!"

            "Thanks." Harry said, feeling a sense of pride welling up inside him like s big balloon. In all of his life, since he had entered Hogwarts, people had treated him differently. He had been seen as famous. A person that lots of younger wizards, such as the Creevey brothers, marveled at even though they had been at school with him for ages. Harry had always felt uncomfortable discussing the events of the night that was so long ago. . . And he felt even more uncomfortable when people congratulated him. How can someone be congratulated for something they don't even remember doing? Harry wondered. He never wanted the attention that had come with his going to Hogwarts. If he could, he'd give it all back. It had hurt him more than it had helped him, in his lifetime. And it had caused him and Ron to fight more than he had ever wanted to.

            Harry looked over to his best friend. Ron was positively glowing. Harry knew that being complemented on Quidditch was the only complement he ever wanted. He knew that no matter what his mood, it would soften him. Harry loved Quidditch, and loved to be recognized for it. But looking at Ron, it made him realize just how starved for attention the youngest male Weasley was.

            Hermione was sitting on the couch next to Ron, listening to his conversation with Ginny and Seamus. Although never a fan of aerial sports, Hermione had always been there if Harry and Ron needed extra homework help because of a long practice. Harry never thought that he would have such friends, friends that would stick by him no matter what, friends that had faced more than their fair share of evils because of him, and still hung around.

            Instantly Harry felt guilty. He had the two best friends he could ever possibly imagine, and he was dragging them into almost certain death. This reminded him of the end of last term. Dumbledore had told him of a prophecy. A prophecy that involved him and Voldermort. He had yet to tell Ron and Hermione. He had yet to tell Ron and Hermione about his reoccurring dreams too. The balloon inside Harry's chest popped and the remnants made a pit in the bottom o his stomach.

            He really thought he was trying to protect his friends but not telling them anything. Ignorance is bliss, right? All Harry was trying to do was protect them. Was there anything wrong with that?

            "Harry thinks to much." Ron whispered to Hermione while sitting on the couch. He pointed at their friend who's face had just gone from a bright smile, to being furrowed in thought. The second Ron said this Hermione looked over to her other best friend and became instantly worried. "Don't worry, Hermione." Ron awkwardly patter her on the arm, "Harry's probably just tired or something. I mean, we did have a really rough match."

            Hermione nodded, "Yeah, you're right."

            "What?"

            "I said you right."

            "I know what you said, I just like the fact that I'm right and Hermione Granger agrees with me." Ron smiled broadly.

            "Ron Weasley!" Hermione, embarrassed by being caught up by the same trick twice, shoved him.

            "You what?" Harry looked up at his two friends. He and been brought out of his stupor by the fast movement that was Hermione shoving Ron.

            "Oh it's nothing, mate. Hermione here is just saying that I'm brilliant."

            Harry looked skeptical.

            "Oh I did not!"

            Ron and Hermione had been watching Harry. They knew something was up. Harry was sure that they knew, anyway. All that meant to him was that he would have to try harder to pretend like everything was normal.

A/N: Okay. So I have NO IDEA what happened. I fixed this chapter up all nice this morning, and low and behold, it was still the rough draft when I posted it! So here it is, the revised part. I truly despise my computer. Sorry for any inconveniences this may have caused.