Disclaimer: It's all mine, I tell you, MINE! HAHAHAHAHAHAH! (to much caffeine, rolls eyes) To bad, it all belongs to J.K.
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The first Quidditch practice was on the last Thursday of September. Harry and Ron went out onto the pitch followed by the Creevy brothers, Ginny, Dean, and a fifth year Harry didn't recognize but was hear under recommendation from Dennis Creevy.
"All right," Ron said, inspection the team as Harry set down the crate. "You," he barked, pointing at the fifth year, "What's your name?"
"Jonathan Hedler," the student answered. Ron nodded.
"Well, why don't you do a couple of laps, and we'll see what you're made of, ok?" Harry tossed a large magenta looking ball called the Quaffel into the air and Jonathan shot off with it towards the goals, Ginny and Dean, the other Chasers, hard on his heels. Harry released the rest of the balls, mounted his broom and took off into the sky.
Watching from a dark spot in the stands sat two men in black cloaks. They stared intently as the raven head boy zoomed off in search of a small golden ball with wings. One man pulled out a long black wand, but the other man grabbed his arm.
"No, don't even think about it," the man hissed. "What happens if you miss and hit another student, or worse, you actually hit him? The Dark Lord said to come and observe the grounds, not to kill off Potter. Besides, if he had wanted the boy dead, he wouldn't have had you do it, he would have sent me. Every one knows that the Dark Lord doesn't trust you, and neither do I!" The other man just smiled, pulling his wand away from the Death Eater.
"I had no intentions of getting rid of the boy," the man said, pointing the wand at the other man. "Why would I do that? Avada Kadavra!" he hissed softly. A green jet of light erupted silently from the tip of the wand, hitting the shocked Death Eater in the chest. The Death Eater slumped in his chair. The man transfigured him into a bone and slipped him into his pocket.
"We can't have too many people not trusting me, can we?" the man murmured, exiting the pitch.
Harry saw the green light and froze in mid-dive. Ron flew up next to him, his eyes fixed on the stands.
"Bloody hell, Harry, what was that?" he asked. Harry shrugged and urged his broom in the direction of the light. The team followed behind him. Harry reached the spot and got off his broom. Taking out his wand from his robe pocket, he muttered, "Lumos." The end of his wand ignited, causing light to filter the area. There was nothing there. Colin climbed to the back of the bleachers.
"Hey, Harry!" he called. "Come and look at this!" The team scrambled over to Colin. He pointed to the seats in the back. A long black scorch mark ran along the back of several of the seats. In the last seat, a piece of black cloth was stuck in a crack in the wooden floorboard. Something white sat on the landing near the stairs. Ginny bent down and picked it up, dropping it once she realized what it was. A long white bone clattered and skid to a stop under a seat.
The Gryffindor Quidditch team sat in Headmaster Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore sat at the large desk in the room, unwrapping a lemon drop. Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor, and Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin, stood to the side.
"So," Dumbledore said, popping the sweet into his mouth, "what brings you to my office so late at night, Mr. Potter?"
"Well, sir," Harry began, "we were having a scrimmage when we saw a green light from over in the Slytherin stands. We went over and found scorch marks, a piece of cloth and this." Dean got up and put the bone on the desk. Dumbledore picked it up then glanced at Snape. Snape's lip curled slightly as he nodded. Dumbledore immediately put down the bone. He turned back to the puzzled students.
"You may all leave," he said. "But I must ask that you keep this to yourselves. No one needs to know about this." The students nodded and left. When the door closed, McGonagall sat down in one of the chairs, staring at the bone.
"What is it, Albus?" she asked. Dumbledore's gaze turned to Snape. Snape curled his lip.
"That, Minerva, is Avery," he said. "Thought I was going to kill Potter, stupid git." Dumbledore nodded to the bone.
"This will have to be disposed of, Severus," he said quietly. "I trust that you have already thought of some plan to keep you from being killed by Voldemort." Both teachers flinched at the mention of Voldemort.
Snape whipped out a jet-black wand and flicked it to the side, stating, "Corpeous erasus!" The bone disappeared off the desk.
It was the evening of the first Quidditch when Harry and Hermione actually got into a major argument. By then, everybody knew that Harry and Hermione were not talking to each other. They had both managed to stay out of each other's way. Harry was, however, getting increasingly annoyed by Ron and Hermione's closeness.
Harry had seen them together in the library, the common room and on the lake. They always sat close together, always touching, and sometimes planting kisses on cheeks and foreheads. Harry had heard rumors that Justin Flinch-Fletchy had walked into the library to see Ron and Hermione snogging in the back. Both denied it, saying that Justin was a liar and a git, just looking for some limelight.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the common room that night and Harry and Ron were talking about Cho and Padma. That was when Hermione blew up.
"What do you see in her!" she shouted, startling the whole common room into silence. Harry glared at her.
"I don't see what you have against her!" he growled, standing up to an impressive 6'3.
"AGAINST HER!" Hermione screamed angrily, standing up as well. "Of course I have something AGAINST HER!"
"She hasn't done anything to you!" he retorted.
"Except take something that should have been mine!" she screamed, immediately regretting it.
"Like what, Hermione?" he asked. "What did Cho take away from you!"
"Nothing that concerns you, Potter," she growled murderously. Harry's eyes widened. The only person that called him Potter was Moody and Malfoy. Hermione never referred to him by his last name.
"What's wrong with you Hermione?" he asked, concern stamped on his handsome features.
"Oh, nothing," Hermione spat, losing it. "Why don't you go and find someplace to shag your doll, Potter! That's the problem with you Harry!" Tears started to roll down her cheeks. "You can never see what's right there. You never know what's going on in other's lives. All you're concerned about is your own damn self. What about Ron or me? We care yet we don't know how to act around you anymore. When are you going to open your eyes and finally see what's been waiting for you all this time! When are you going to see that there are more people out there that lo..." Her hand slipped over her mouth as she started to sob. She pushed passed him and fled the common room, leaving Harry more confused then ever.
The next day, Harry and Ron got up, got dressed, and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast before the match. As soon as they entered the hall, they looked up at the enchanted ceiling. Ron swore under his breath. Rain came down hard as the wind swept violently through the sky. Thunder boomed as lightning filled the gloomy hall. Sighing, both boys headed over to the Gryffindor table. Dean nodded at them in greeting then pointed down the table.
"She showed up about two minutes ago, " he muttered, pointing out Hermione, who sat sulking by herself at the end of the table. "She walked right up to Cho and spilled pumpkin juice all over her."
"Are you serious?" Ron asked while piling food onto his plate. Dean nodded.
"She stormed in, grabbed the jug of pumpkin juice, and slid right up to her, a smile plastered on her face," Seamus Finnigan said as he sat down next to Ron. "Said something about having a great game today. When Cho thanked her, she just dumped the pumpkin juice all over Cho and walked down the aisle! McGonagall was furious, and gave her a weeks worth of detention and 100 points off of Gryffindor!"
Harry sighed, glancing down at Hermione. She suddenly got up, walked right past without saying a word, and left the Hall. Everybody in the Hall let out a sigh of relief when they heard the Entrance Hall doors slam loudly closed. Ginny, the Creevy Brothers, and Jonathan came walking in and sat down around Harry and Ron, Ginny sitting on Dean's lap. Harry sighed again.
"Well, as you can see," Ron said, pointing at the 'sky' above them. "The weather conditions aren't that great." Thunder boomed and Dennis Creevy jumped in his seat. Harry glanced over at Cho to see her smiling back at him.
You're going down, Potter, she mouthed. He grinned.
We'll see about that, he mouthed back. Dean, who was watching them, rolled his eyes.
"Harry?" he asked, shifting Ginny to his other leg so he could see Harry more clearly. "How are you going to concentrate on finding the bloody Snitch if you're busy staring at your girlfriend, who happens to be the enemy?" Harry blushed, ducking his head as he took a swing at Dean. Ron got up, picking up his broom.
"Come on team," Ron said. "Let's go get ready."
Hermione stood by the lake, her robes soaked straight through by the pounding rain. Tears, mixed with rainwater, streamed heavily down her face as she gazed obliviously out at the raging waters.
How could I be so stupid into thinking he loved me like I love him, she thought bitterly.
She walked around the lake until she reached an uphill climb. The rain beat down above her as the lightning lit up the lake momentarily. The dark clouds above boomed as she made her way to the top. She then walked to the edge of the cliff she was now standing on. Sitting down on the edge, she watched as students and teachers filled out of the school and towards the Quidditch pitch.
Parvati sat down, pulling the large umbrella closer over her and Lavender. She glanced around.
"Lavender," she asked, having to yell above the thunder and lightning. "Where's Hermione?" Lavender looked around and shrugged.
"Maybe she didn't want to come," she yelled back. The conversation ended as the Gryffindor team flew out onto the pitch amidst cheers and applause.
Ron and Cho shook hands, Madam Hooch released the balls, and at the sound of the whistle, the game began. Harry and Cho shot up high into the air, immediately searching for the little golden snitch. Dean had the Quaffel and sped towards the goal, Ginny and Jonathan flanking him. Dean let go of the Quaffel, Jonathan caught it, threw it in the air and Ginny spun on her broom, batting it straight past the Keeper and it to the center goal. Gryffindor roared as Slytherin and Ravenclaw booed.
Harry did a lap around the field and then sped to one side of the pitch. He happened to glance out at Hagrid's hut just in time to see two people dart inside. Through the pouring rain, Harry could see a red then green then blue light flash through the windows of the hut. An extremely faint scream reached his ears and Harry's heart stopped.
"HERMIONE!"
A/n: Oooooohh! What has happened? Thanks again to:
SoMe wEirDo: More's comin'! Just got to write it down on Word!
Kkroonie: Thank you! Don't worry, I will!
Limegirl62: I am hoping to make him more naughty as the story runs it's course, but not sure if it'll fit with the story. I'm still trying!
And to those who read but don't review, (gets down into begging position again) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Or I'll be forced to hunt you down with a rifle! Of not….. anyway, please remember to review! Or I wont write no more!