Chapter Twelve
A/N: Snappish, I'm sorry to say that there will be no drunken staff party. . . I honestly just could not even figure out how to begin to write it. However, I think that in your story it would work, seeing as our favorite trio is now part of the staff. . . huh huh? ANYWAY, enjoy the chapter guys! I really appreciate the response I got for my last one, thanks a million!
Disclaimer: You think I would even DREAM of trying to take credit for Harry Potter?! Would anyone believe me if I did?
The holidays passed very slowly for Ron Weasley. Under normal circumstances he would have welcomed a nice long break from school. However, these were not normal circumstances.
"Having every meal in close proximity with your Professors should be illegal." Ron continually muttered over the next two weeks.
On top of having to see more of their Professors then any of them had wished to see, Hermione was thrusting homework upon Ron and Harry at every turn.
"What else are you going to do?" Hermione contended.
"Uh, not homework." Ron said, as though it were obvious. He smiled a malicious grin in Harry's direction. "Say Harry, I've got an idea of what we COULD do." Ron's eye flickered to the castle entrance.
A wide grin spread on Harry's face. "You know, I think that just might be the best idea you've had all break Ron."
"What are you two on about?" Hermione snapped.
And with that sentiment, Ron and Harry lunged for their best friend; Ron grabbing her feet and Harry taking her arms.
"Put me down!" Hermione cried, her voice reverberating through the empty entrance hall. "Let me go! Oh no! No, no, no! You are NOT going to get me outside! Put me doooowwn!!"
Professor Snape poked his greasy head out from the passageway to the dungeons to see what all the ruckus was about. Upon seeing Ron and Harry dragging a wailing Hermione toward the door of the castle, he merely grumbled. Maybe it was out of the holiday spirit, but he resisted the urge to give the three of them detention for a disruption of the peace.
"Ack!" Ron and Harry managed to drag Hermione out of the castle and onto the grounds where they proceeded to toss her into a very large pile of snow. Upon impact she sunk a good three feet. "I swear you will pay for that!" she snarled.
Harry and Ron exchanged a look of worry before tearing off in the other direction.
"Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, you both get back here this instant!" Hermione shrieked as she tore off after her two best friends. They would pay dearly. . .
It was a long battle. It ended with Harry eating quite a bit of snow, Ron getting a bloody nose, and Hermione losing her right shoe. All three of them were now huddled inside Hagrid's cozy cabin, wrapped in thick woolen blankets.
"You know you didn't have to throw ICE at me, Hermione." Ron complained, his nose finally ceased bleeding.
"You desired it."
Hagrid laughed heartily. "Havin' a good holiday, then?"
After a visit with Hagrid, wherein they politely refuse some of his "Christmas" rock cakes, the three of them made their way back up to Gryffindor Tower.
"I think one of my toes just fell off." Hermione complained, as she collapsed onto the couch in front of the fire.
"How did you manage to loose a shoe, anyway?" Harry asked, bemused.
"It's a long story." Hermione scowled as Ron who plopped down next to her.
"It's where I got the bloody nose, mate." Ron laughed.
Harry moaned. "I fear for what happens when I'm not here. You could both very easily kill each other."
"I wouldn't kill Hermione. Who would nag us to do our homework?"
"That's true. . ." Harry said.
"That's all I'm good for then? Reminding you to do your homework?"
"Well, you do make a rather nice pillow." Ron mused, squishing Hermione into the side of the couch.
"Harry, kick him for me, I don't have the energy."
"Ouch!" Ron jumped. "Harry!"
"She told me to do it!"
"You're supposed to be on my side!"
"Oh, sorry."
The rest of their days pretty much consisted of the same thing. They really didn't have much else to do, as Hermione had both nagged Harry and Ron to finish all of their holiday homework before the last week of vacation. The highlight of their vacation came on the last day before everyone returned to school.
The three of them had been outside having another brilliant snow fight. They were just about to give up and go back inside, when a snowball caught Ron right in the back of the head.
"Hermione, I though we were through!" he complained.
"Ron, I'm standing in front of you, how could I have possibly have thrown that?"
"I don't know, you're the clever one, how did you do it?"
"Always watch your back Mr. Weasley."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione spun to see Professor Dumbledore. "Professor? You threw that?" Ron asked.
"Indeed I did Mr. Weasley."
"But-"
"Mr. Weasley, I do not suggest that you ask questions. I suggest that you start running." And without further notice a snowball planted itself firmly in Ron's face.
Ron needed no other invitation, he ran, followed quickly by Harry and Hermione.
Soon Hagrid, Professor Lupin, Professor Flitwick, and even briefly Professor McGonagall, were all engaged in a massive snowball fight.
"You know . . ." Ron panted to Harry as they hid behind a tree, "For. . . and old man. . . Dumbledore has. . . an incredible arm!"
Their conversation was cut short however, as Professor Flitwick had just charmed two snowballs to head straight toward them.
The battle between Professors and students lasted near an hour. "Come on!" Ron had grabbed Hermione's had and dragged her inside, closely followed by Harry, they fled inside the castle to seek sanctuary. Harry distinctly heard Dumbledore say "Victory!"
"Ron, quit pulling me, I'm going to fall over." Hermione moaned as Ron began to head up the stairs, having forgotten that he still had Hermione's hand clasped firmly in his own.
Ron's face flushed slightly, but he managed, "Well, you're not moving fast enough." and with that he pulled her up the rest of the flight of stairs and dropped her hand as they neared the landing.
"I don't think I could possibly stay awake any longer." Harry croaked, later that evening after just having lost a game of chess to Ron. "I think I'm going to turn in."
"Goodnight Harry." Hermione said from behind her book.
"'Night." Harry mumbled, and he shuffled up the stairs to his dormitory. As soon as he sat down on his bed, however, all the sleep had been driven from him. He reached underneath the mattress of his four poster and pulled out the journal Ron had given him. For the past two weeks Harry had been writing in the journal.
The more he did, the freer he felt. Funny though it may seem, this little book had actually lifted his spirits. He no longer worried about the 'what ifs'. He now only had to concern himself with the present. Not the past. Harry could now fully understand Dumbledore's reasoning behind using a pensive.
"You wanna play?" Ron questioned Hermione, motioning toward the chess set.
"No thanks Ron."
"Oh, okay." Ron began to place the pieces of his chess set back into their proper containers. Out of the corner of his eye Ron watched Hermione reading. She was near the end of her book. . . and as she read she fingered the necklace he had bought her for Christmas. Ron smiled slightly. He knew she'd like that gift.
Hermione closed her book and stood up. "I think I'll turn in too."
"All right, then."
"Goodnight Ron." she smiled.
"Goodnight Hermione." he smiled back, not wanting her to go.
A/N: Hum. . . I had trouble writing this chapter. I still don't think it turned out quite right. I just kind of needed a filler. Anyway, I hope it wasn't too awful. By the way, before I get any e-mails telling me that I've screwed this up: I know that the students are allowed to kind of pick an choose their classes for sixth year, according to the professions they are interested in. As I read the fifth book in a grand total of two days (give or take a few hours), I really don't remember all the integral details. So please don't be mad if I accidentally stick them in a class that they wouldn't be in. Thanks!