Aw.... I'm so touched by your concern..... I'm fine now, I can skip, run, jump with no problem. Everything's fine, there's no big problem with my health already though I still need to visit the doctor occasionally. Thank you for those loving things you all told me, they make my day.

This is a new chap dedicated to all of you; it's an interesting one. One of the better ones, if u ask me. Lots of humour and affections!! I know you would like it, just sit back and enjoy!!

Slowly, with winter approaching, the weather turned chilly but Gryffindor Quidditch practice still continued in snow or storm alike. Harry was training them hard so as to be fully prepared for the second match that would take place right after the Christmas holidays.

Every one of them had almost been frozen solid on their broomstick at least once, in fact Frank almost lost an ear in due to severe frostbite. The frozen ear had turned a nasty shade of purple the night after training in a particular chilly day. If he hadn't been sent to the hospital wing in time, he would have lost that ear. After that incident, Hermione had been requested to be present every training session to apply first aid to the badly frozen players or rescue those blown off their broomstick.

After the second practice, all the team members had reached an agreement that Harry was a bloody tyrant. Every once in a while whenever Harry was a bit too demanding and unreasonable during practice, the whole team, excluding Hermione, who did not want to be involved and Harry, who was their target, would gather together devising ridiculous plans to try to do Harry in, many of which involved at least one of Hagrid's new pets. They would also come up with ways to skip a practice or two when they were in better moods but the most peculiar thing was that Harry would always happen to coincidently walk into them wherever their hiding place was.

They never seemed to be able to carry out any of the plans they had came up with because every time, when Harry was spotted in the distance, they would scurry away before they were caught. To them, being spotted by Harry was almost as bad as being spotted by Filch. In no time, no one could tell who they were more afraid of, Harry or Filch, because whenever they were almost walked in on, they would be forced into doing more harsh training the next time.

Once, after being caught for the sixth time, Jack suggested that they meet in Moaning Myrtle's toilet; thinking that there would be no chance Harry would go into a girls' lavatory but Harry still managed to walk in on them. What was Harry doing in a girls' lavatory? No one dared to ask him. They were too busy finding excuses as to why they were at that location.

Having run out of any feasible excuses and losing all common sense, Frank went to the extent to say that he planned to ask Myrtle out for the coming trip to Hogsmeade. Harry had difficulty not laughing at his reason. Right after Frank exited the lavatory, he rolled on the wet and dirty toilet floor laughing his head off before he calmed down. Of course, earning himself odd looks from Myrtle and she, as always, never gave up the chance to inform him that he was always welcome to share her lavatory if he died laughing. She had taken a liking to Harry ever since the Chamber of Secrets incident. She found it most brave of Harry to go and rescue Ginny; she didn't say it but she was also very disappointed to find him alive after all.

What they never guessed was that Hermione was the spy who was feeding information to Harry and also the fact Harry owned the Marauders' Map that showed everyone's exact location in the castle, which had incidentally completely slipped off Ron and Ginny's mind.

Nevertheless, they never ever managed to conspire with anything to deal with Harry and had to turn up for every practice all the same, much to Harry's satisfaction. Though they might be cursing and swearing at Harry, they were actually very fond of Harry in their hearts, except Guy of course, who didn't care much for Harry anyway.

As sadistically demanding and horrifyingly ruthless Harry seemed, a lot of the Gryffindor team members would agree whole-heartedly, there was still a side of Harry that was kind, cooperative and fun loving. On a Quidditch practice one day, that also happened to be a Hogsmeade date, Harry very kindly made it a free day for all his players as a reward for their 'co- operation' in making the training a success.

The night before, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mark and Harry found themselves crowding around the fireplace for warmth, sinking into their favourite pouffys and armchairs. The holiday spirit had sunk into them and they were all discussing about going to Hogsmeade the next day, debating on how to make Snape wash his hair, chatting aimlessly and laughing out loud.

All of them were chuckling at a very hilarious imitation of Snape by Mark when Guy approached them, which was something very unusual of him for he didn't like to mix around with their clique much. Harry watched him tap Ginny gently on the shoulders, whisper something into her ear and took her away with him to a more remote corner of the common room.

Harry thought Ron would protest against it but he was too busy quarrelling with Hermione over some ridiculous matter to care for Ginny. Deciding to check them out on the behalf of Ron, Harry excused himself to the washroom. Harry took care to walk slowly past the corner where Ginny and guys were talking animatedly.

"... Do you wanna join us? Frank, Lavanya and Heinz would be there too!"

"But I've promised Ron, Harry and Hermione to go with them. It's not nice..."

"All the fifth years will be there too, and everyone hoped for you to be present."

It didn't matter if the whole school was going, it still sounded like a personal invitation to Harry. Looking over Ginny's shoulder to take a more detailed look at Guy, he decided that Guy looked too much like Malfoy with his too perfectly sharp nose, his dark blond hair at the prefect shade, his too sinisterly dark eyes and that all but summed him up as a potential heartbreaker. Deciding against visiting the lavatory, Harry turned sharply in his course and walked back to the fireplace.

"Back from the toilet so fast? Didn't manage to get there in time?" Ron joked and laughed heartily at his feeble attempt of a joke earning looks of irritation from Harry, Hermione and Mark.

"Hey, it's serious, don't joke!" Harry interrupted in a tone that even Ron couldn't mistake as joking.

"Don't tell me you really wet your pants?" Ron asked, shock embedded in his usually jovial face. Harry couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes dramatically.

"No, it's about Ginny!" and that caught their attention, everyone leaned towards Harry expecting a good gossip news, "I happened to overhear Guy asking Ginny out to Hogsmeade tomorrow." This was what Ron had least expected. He had been most happy when Ginny and Michael Corner broke up thinking that finally, Harry could just happen to be the next one to capture Ginny's heart. Now, news of a new suitor really hit Ron hard. He always thought that his best friend was the only one good enough for his precious sister and his sister, who was brought up decently by his mum, who tolerated no nonsense or silly girly temperament, was the only one who could control the temperamental Harry. Emotional baggage, like Cho, would only add to Harry's burden. But Harry knew nothing about Ron's wishful thinking; he always thought that Ron was being an overprotective brother.

"It's not right of you to eavesdrop on other's private conversation, Harry" Hermione spattered in disgust, "and don't you try to do anything stupid, Ronald Weasley". But Ron wasn't paying any attention to anyone other than the two figures in the shadows at the corner of the common room; he was already marching menacingly towards Ginny and Guy. Hermione threw dirty looks at Harry who was watching Ron's retreating back with folding arms, smiling to himself with satisfaction.

Harry watched as Ron gestured wildly to Ginny while Guy walked away to let the two siblings talk in private. Soon enough, Ron returned with Ginny hot on his heels. Both of them sank comfortably into their squashy armchairs and Harry found Ginny staring at him as though expecting him to say something. Harry squirmed uncomfortably under her stare and turned to smile awkwardly in her direction without looking at the person itself. No one said anything except Hermione who was tut-tutting ting loudly at Ron, who seemed very immersed in watching Crookshanks' tail. Mark had lost his interest in the people around him for he was watching the game of chess happening at the next table.

"What exactly did you call me for? Now I'm here and you're keeping quiet." Ginny suddenly said. Harry looked away from his short and dirty nails to see to who she was directing the question at and was surprised to find that she was talking to him.

"Are you talking to me?" he asked nervously.

"No, I was talking to Crookshanks. Of course I was talking to you. So what did you want to tell me?" Ginny shot back irritably.

"I didn't...." Harry tried to say something but was cut off by a series of coughs loud enough to mask Harry's whimper as Ron kicked him a bit too hard on his knees. Ginny pounded Ron's back harshly and after he stopped coughing (he was now wincing in pain instead), she went back to interrogating Harry.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

"I said..." Harry was interrupted again when Ron cleared his throat loudly, "I said........... er... er.......... I forgot what I said", he finished off lamely.

"Come on, Harry. You wanted to tell me something, think!!" she insisted. She wasn't the type who you could put off easily.

After racking his brains hard, Harry finally found something sensible to say but not before giving Ron, who's decent enough to look sorry, a dirty look.

"I wanted to ask you if you were staying at Hogwarts this Christmas, because I am."

Shrewd but gullible Ginny seemed satisfied and she began yakking on about how Mrs Weasley wouldn't allow Harry to stay in the castle without friendly faces for company and if Dumbledore wouldn't allow him out of his sight, then she wouldn't allow them to put a foot in the Burrow without him.

Actually Harry hadn't given a thought about where to spend the Christmas holiday. Now that the topic was brought up, he decided that it didn't matter if he wasn't allowed to go to the Burrow, just as long as it wasn't at the Dursleys', anywhere would do but of course it would be better if he was with friends. His thoughts were interrupted by a series of bell chimes that sounded like the school song.

"Hey look, the latest notice!" shouted Dean who was nearest to the Gryffindor notice board. What happened next was the scurrying of many legs as everyone rushed to the notice board where a piece of parchment with fanciful green letter magically appeared on it, on top of the Hogsmeade day notice.

Ron, Harry, Mark, Hermione and Ginny abandoned their conversation and joined the crowd gathered around the notice board, standing on tiptoes trying to see the content of the notice over the sea of heads.

Due to the reason that most of the professors are involved in personal matters during the festive season, all students are asked to join their family for the Christmas holiday. For everyone's safety, no one was allowed to stay with his or her friends for the holiday. Everyone was to stay with his or her families or relatives. The school had already sent out notices to your parents or guardians about the new arrangement.

Order passed by,

Albus Dumbledore Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry Order of Merlin, First Class Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot Chairman of the International Confederation of Wizards

After Hermione finished reading the notice out loud for them to hear, she turned to look at Harry to see his reaction to the news. Ron and Ginny were also looking at him, waiting for him to response but he continued to stare at the general direction of the notice board looking thunderstruck, mumbling softly you himself.

"I don't believe it. I don't believe they did that to me. Why was this happening? Why? No, there must have been a mistake. It must be a joke."

They had never seen Harry so distressed and upset. Hermione clapped her hand on his shoulder and steered him across the common room and pushed him into his pouffy. They all sat around him, sitting with him in silence when Ron's hoarse voice, broke the silence.

"Perhaps Dumbledore might do an exception for you. You can come with us, mum wouldn't mind, and in fact once she finds out about the news, I bet she'll pester Dumbledore to death with owls and howlers everyday." Said Ron but his voice didn't sound too convincing, as if he wasn't too sure about it himself and Harry noticed that.

"Yeah, I think so too" said Harry but he didn't look like it, "I think I better go write a letter to Uncle Vernon to inform him that I might just turn up for Christmas. I might not have to go after all." he added after seeing Ron's sad look. "Goodnight, and excuse me, I've got a letter to write."

Harry pushed himself out of the squashy pouffy and headed up the stairs, leaving Ron, Ginny, Hermione watching him go up the stairs. Mark had a look of bewilderment in his face not knowing what was happening between them.

Aw...... finally this chap's out. I know I had gone missing in action for quite some time, I was too busy with my havoc life. Anyway I'm back to the big screen. Review for my effort!!

To The Backliner: I just love you, thanks for helping get my HP facts right!! Thanks pal!!

Anyone who wanna express their thanks to him could just leave him a message in my review. I'll ask him to read them.