Chapter Three: Back at Hogwarts, Some Quidditch, and The Plot Thickens
Dumbledore made several serious announcements in the Great Hall that evening, after the Sorting, at which there were noticeably fewer students.
"As you all should know, the return of Voldemort means that all of us" he turned his eyes especially toward Harry "should be extremely cautious when leaving these walls. Therefore, we teachers have decided that Madam Hooch will oversee all Quidditch tryouts and practices. In addition, the Forest on the grounds is, as usual, out of bounds, and I impress upon all of you the danger that will come to you should you venture into the Forest. All students must be inside the castle by sundown, and will report to a prefect in their common room by 10 o'clock in the evening, when the library closes. We have extended library hours this year to allow for less crowding in the common rooms. Students doing special projects with their teachers must be escorted back to the common room if it is past 10 o'clock. Prefects will please see me after the feast for new emergency procedures. I must impress upon you not to wander around alone after sundown, for even Hogwarts Castle cannot protect you from its own."
And with that, Dumbledore sat down, leaving the mass of students to digest what he'd said.
Ginny stuck to the agreement she and Harry had made, never pressuring him for more commitment than he wanted to give. About twice a week they would wind up in an empty classroom together, spending a short while snogging.
Classes went as usual--Ginny forcing herself to stay awake through Binns' lectures, Hermione getting top grades in all her classes, Harry and Ron complaining about Snape (Ginny knew what they hated about him, but respected Snape's abilities too much to join in), owls going to and from the Burrow.
Quidditch tryouts were scheduled to start in the second week. Gryffindor needed a new Keeper, Hufflepuff a Seeker, Ravenclaw two Beaters, and Slytherin needed both a Keeper and a Chaser. It was decided that because so many positions were empty, rather than the teams holding individual tryouts as needed, there would be a mass, open tryout, pitting the new players against each other.
So the entire school filed down to the pitch one breezy Saturday in September, two dozen eager faces carrying brooms, looking excited and nervous, and the old players scanning the new people with mixed expressions.
Ron was in the lineup, along with Dennis Creevey, plus a handful of other faces that Ginny recognized from classes but never really knew. As Madam Hooch explained how this tryout would work--after every goal or snitch-catch, they would rotate players so the teams could see each of them in various positions--Ginny caught Harry's eye and grinned at him. He grinned back, obviously excited.
The whistle blew, and they were off. Ron had been assigned Seeker first, and, on Krum's (now Hermione's) broom, was circling the pitch the way Harry often did. Dennis was a Chaser on the other side, and was doing quite well, his small size enabling him to squeeze through corners the other players couldn't. A Ravenclaw, acting as Beater, aimed a Bludger at him, but it missed as he simply ducked his head. Ginny could see Harry watching Dennis with a calculating eye. All three Chasers were in seventh year now, as were both Fred and George. Next year's team would essentially be chosen now, and Dennis would make a good reserve, Ginny thought.
Ron suddenly dived, and the Slytherin assigned as Seeker followed him down, on a Firebolt Two; rumor had it that Draco Malfoy's father had purchased seven of these for the Slytherin team. Fred and George had promised the outraged Gryffindor team that when their joke shop had taken off, they'd always fund the team's new brooms, just so Gryffindor would always have the best. Ron dove thirty, fifty feet, then, just as he looked like he was about to crash, pulled up, leaving the poor Slytherin to smash face first into the grass. Every non-Slytherin cheered as Ron grinned madly, returning to his vantage point above the game. Madam Pomfrey rushed out, looking thoroughly annoyed, and revived the stunned Slytherin. Malfoy looked murderous, and Harry ecstatic.
Play resumed, and Dennis Creevey quickly made a goal for Gryffindor. Places changed, and Ron moved to Beater. All too quickly, places changed again as some Ravenclaw caught the Snitch, despite a good shot of Ron's, aiming a bludger at her head.
Ron moved to Keeper. Now he seemed truly in his element--no one got past him for quite a while. The Ravenclaw serving as the other Keeper was also quite good, so it was a long time before a Hufflepuff Chaser finally got past her, and Madam Hooch signaled everyone to return to the ground.
"Results will be posted in two days' time," she said crisply to the waiting faces.
Ginny, Colin, and Hermione ran down to meet the three boys. Colin immediately ran over to his brother, who began talking excitedly about how much fun that was. Ron looked shocked as Hermione gave him a hug. Harry was immersed in conversation with the rest of the team, though, and simply waved Ginny away with a "see you later."
Two days later, the results came out. Sure enough, Ron had made Keeper, which meant that he would probably be Captain as well, and Dennis was listed as a reserve Chaser.
"So has Cho been asking you about Harry?" Ginny couldn't help but ask one evening, as they were watching Quiddtich practice.
"No, actually," said Hermione thoughtfully. "She's been strangely quiet all term, come to think of it."
"Hmm."
"How is things working out between the two of you, anyway?"
"It's fine, I guess. Nothing's serious," she added, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"I see," said Hermione neutrally, returning her gaze to the Quidditch practice. Harry was circling above the others, who were playing against each other. Ron had released one bludger, which Fred and George took turns hitting at players and subsequently blocking. Angelina, Katie, and Alicia were attempting their best moves against Ron, who was doing his best to block.
Ginny watched Harry absentmindedly. He was circling, looking for the Snitch (although he didn't know if Ron had let it out yet, as part of practice), when suddenly he threw up both arms in front of his face and began shrieking in terror. His Firebolt, with no coherent input from its rider, began bucking and spinning, like it had his first year (although Ginny didn't know this). Harry slipped off the side, still screaming incoherently, and began tumbling toward the ground.
Both girls gasped and ran toward the pitch. Fred and George barely reached Harry's tumbling body in time to keep it from slamming into the dirt. As they lowered him to the ground, the team came pelting towards them, shouting out questions. Harry moaned and clutched his forehead.
"It's his scar." said Hermione over the convulsions.
"What do you mean?" asked Angelina.
"His scar hurts when Voldemort"--everyone flinched--"is really angry or nearby."
"We'd better get him inside," said Alicia Spinnet, looking around nervously.
But Harry was twitching too much, jerking around violently, for anyone to get near him.
"Harry!" shouted Ginny, bending down near him, grabbing his arms as they tried to slap her face. "Harry..." she whispered right in his ear.
His eyes flew open and he clutched her hard. "Don't let him--he's coming--tell Dumbledore--stay safe, love--" he gasped hoarsely, and passed out.
"Let's get him to the hospital wing," said Ron. "Ginny, go get Dumbledore."
Ginny ran up the front staircases as fast as she could. Where was Dumbledore's office? She'd been to McGonagall's, Snape's, and the Defence Against the Dark Arts office, but never Dumbldore's... Just then, Snape came up the staircase that led to the dungeons.
"Professor!" she gasped. "I need to speak with Dumbledore. Harry..."
Snape gave her a look of deepest disdain. "And what has the famous Harry Potter done to himself now, Miss Weasley?" he asked silkily.
Ginny was immune to his frost--the girl who had resisted Tom Riddle as long as she had could not be fazed by much (except Harry and Cho). "Where is Dumbledore's office, Professor Snape?" she asked, not particularly politely.
Snape looked at her again, this time with something quite unreadable, almost calculating.
"Did I hear Miss Weasley asking for me?" said a voice behind her. She turned around to see Dumbledore coming toward them down the marble staircase.
"Headmaster!" Ginny almost shouted with joy. "Harry fell off his broom during practice, they took him to the hospital wing--I think he had some sort of vision, he was clutching his scar--"
Dumbledore strode back up the staircases so fast that Ginny had to run to keep up with him.
"What happened, in detail, Miss Weasley?"
Ginny told him as they walked about Harry's scream, the way his broomstick had bucked, and what he had told her, leaving out the "love" part, because she didn't think Dumbledore needed to know about her and Harry, and because she wasn't sure herself if he'd actually said that.
They came into the hospital wing to find Harry still unconscious, Madam Pomfrey checking his pulse and temperature.
"How is he, Madam Pomfrey?"
The nurse looked pointedly at the students around her. "Will you three please wait in my office?" he asked Hermione, Ron, and Ginny. "Miss Granger, I believe you know where it is. The password is Fizzing Whizbees. And the rest of you, please return to the common room. I must speak with Madam Pomfrey." And he swept past them.
Dumbledore came into his office looking very somber.
"What is it, Headmaster?" asked Ginny. "Will Harry be okay?" She had bruises on her arms from Harry's grip.
Dumbledore replied gravely, "As I am sure you three know, Harry's scar hurts him whenever Voldemort is angry or nearby, and occasionally allows him, through dreams, to see what is happening. What concerns me this time is that Harry was conscious when he had his vision, as you told me, and according to Madam Pomfrey, has sunk into a coma of sorts."
"Coma of sorts?" asked Hermione. "How is this one different?"
"His pulse is unsteady and his eyelids are flickering as though dreaming, Miss Granger. I highly suspect that he is dreaming, but cannot wake up."
"What do we do?" asked Ron nervously.
"Unless something else happens, we wait. Harry appears to be in no immediate danger, so I would suggest the three of you continue with your schoolwork. It is important that we not let Voldemort interfere too much with our lives."
"So it was Voldemort?" asked Ginny. "He did this to Harry?"
"I cannot imagine what else could, Miss Weasley."
"But can't we do anything?"
"Miss Granger, I appreciate your desire to assist, but this time there is nothing we can do."
They left his office sadly.
Ginny sat talking with Colin and Zoe about Harry later that evening.
"Dumbledore said there's nothing we can do?" asked Zoe, shocked.
"He is a powerful wizard, though--maybe he just doesn't want us students interfering," said Ginny bitterly.
"But remember how he always lets Harry and his friends get away with their adventures, even giving them clues?" Colin said. He had followed Harry's escapades closely ever since his arrival at Hogwarts. Ginny thought he'd make a great reporter one day.
"So?" asked the girls.
"So Dumbledore wouldn't ask you to stay out of it unless he really meant it, would he?"
"Maybe you're right," said Ginny sadly.
"Well, I'm going to bed, Ginny," said Colin. "See you in the morning."
"Me, too," added Zoe. "Don't stay up too late, we've got a test tomorrow in Charms."
"Right," said Ginny absently.
Over in another corner sat Ron and Hermione, for once without Harry. They weren't speaking, but were playing chess. Ginny supposed they were trying to keep their minds off what had happened. She wandered over to sit next to them, watching Hermione lose badly. Even upset and distracted, Ron was quite a good player. Hermione's knight glared up at her as she allowed Ron's queen to take him. "Pay attention, girl!" it squeaked. "You'd think you were lost in a Pensieve!"
Hermione jumped up, scattering the pieces, and ran to her dormitory.
"What's up?" called Ron and Ginny after her. It didn't look as though she were running to cry.
"I've just realized something we can do!" Hermione shouted down the staircase. She came back down carrying a large book. "I got this out of the library a week ago for a bit of light reading."
"This is light?" asked Ginny. Ron grinned at Hermione. "What?"
"That's what I said to Hermione our first year when she came down with a big book about alchemists--that Nicholas Flamel thing," he chuckled.
Hermione glared at both of them.
"So what is it, Hermione?" Ron asked.
"What that knight said--Pensieves. There's a way to use a Pensieve to hold someone's dreams as they're dreaming. Except that it's only been tried on people in normal sleep, so I don't know if it will work with Harry... I'm going to ask Dumbledore."
"But it's almost midnight!" said Ginny. "We're not supposed to be out..."
"I'm a prefect, remember?"
"Oh, right. Come on, Ron."
The castle was very dark as they made their way down the corridors to the Headmaster's office. The invisibility cloak had gotten too small for all three of them, and Hermione said that she would just tell any professor who caught them the truth--that they were going to see the Headmaster. They did take the Map, though, to avoid Filch.
"D'you think he sleeps?" asked Ron as they reached the hallway near the Headmaster's office.
"Of course he sleeps, Ron," snapped Hermione. "He's human, he has to sleep."
"But he is an old man prone to late night wanderings," said a voice behind them.
They turned to see Albus Dumbledore looking at them.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley," he said. "I do believe that it is past ten o'clock."
"We wanted to see you, Professor," said Hermione.
"About Harry," added Ginny.
"Yeah, Hermione has this idea about a Pensieve," said Ron quickly.
"Come along, then," said Dumbledore, sweeping them up to his office.
Author Notes: The idea that Dumbledore is there whenever you call him is taken from the Chrestomanci books of Dianna Wynne Jones--a true precursor to the Harry Potter ideas.