Chapter 12
Harry walked to the common room with lightness in his heart and a constant smile on his face. Saying the password, he entered to see Ron and Hermione still up and waiting for him. They saw and some concern dimmed seeing the smile on his face. Harry sat them both down and told them everything that happened. Both of their faces lit with smiles hearing his parent's acceptance. But also seeing Harry's frown as he recounted, Ron asked "What's the matter Harry? Your parents seem to be understanding now. So what's the problem?". Harry replies "I know they didn't want me to hear, but I could see in the tone how those memories hurt them. I am just wondering what happened these 12 years and should I ask them about it?" Hermione said "I don't think that is such a good idea Harry. Obviously the memories are still painful for them. But maybe they will share later on?". Harry said "I just thought about another thing. Should I ask them about their husband?". Ron and Hermione looked at each other and at Harry and ask "Do you want to?". Harry looked back at them, no answer appearing on his tongue or on his mind.
Harry woke up with a groan and could see a blurry shape standing above him, his hands shaking him awake. Searching for his glasses, Harry put them on and the blurry shape becomes clear to Oliver Wood an expression of impatience on his face. After seeing that Harry is awake he told him to come to the Quidditch training room and left him. Groaning and reluctantly waking up, Harry could see Ron, Neville and others still soundly asleep. Leaving a note on Ron's bedside, Harry wore his training clothes in a half asleep state and taking the broom walked to the training room. Looking at the watch, it was still 5 in the morning. His head down and rubbing his eyes as he passed the entrance to the Great Hall, he heard a voice say "Harry?". Looking up he saw his parents coming towards him, their expressions of concern, as they see his drooping shoulders, sleepy face and a broom in his hand. He asked unaware of how he sound "Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?". Both of them stiffened hearing the words from his mouth but seeing him rubbing his eyes and yawning sleepily, they shrugged it off walking towards him rapidly. Layla bent down to Harry's level adjusting his glasses accordingly while Jamie ruffled his hair. She said "We went for exercise. What are you doing up so early? Classes start only at 8:30. Right?" Harry explained who woke him up and where he was going. He said "I have to go" and giving them a sleepy wave, he headed to the Quidditch field. He found it surprising as his parents fall in step with him. Jamie asked "So what's this about Quidditch?" Harry woke up a little as his eyes widened in surprise. His parents smile as he starts explaining about Quidditch and by the time they reached the training room, Harry was gesturing wildly on how the seeker's role is extremely important but the chasers also play an essential role in the game. They stop in front of the training room and Harry looks at it reluctantly. He sighs, and trudges to the door before turning around and saying goodbye to the both of them. As soon as the door opened, both of them could hear a voice asking Harry why he was so late in an impatient voice and a couple of yawns coming up and some sarcastic comment being made.
Jamie frowned as he felt everyone's annoyance and a disregard for that annoyance emerging from the room. "That captain only cares about winning. What about his team? They are going to go mad training like this." Layla patted his elbow and said "Some people have a passion and often turn blind when they do not see that level of passion from others. I think Harry's captain is like that only.". Jamie and Layla walked from the training room step by step in line with each other. Jamie said "But Tony doesn't disregard others, only those who want to appeal more to his ego than to his intellect which technically is half of the population." Layla chuckles and said "Yeah and the other half only appeal to him for his money. But Tony is smart, he knows how to show his care although its dysfunctional but he doesn't stop caring." Jamie sighs and said "I miss them." Layla squeezes his hand and said "So do I." Jamie looked at Layla as an idea struck him. Looking at Jamie's wide eyes she shook her head as she understood, saying "No that won't be a good idea." Jamie pouts but Layla still shook her head. Stopping in front of their room, Jamie said in a sullen voice "I am going to make hot chocolate for Harry and his teammate, it may refresh them up a little." Layla squeezes his hand and said in a gentle voice "I know that you want to integrate Harry into our family a little faster, but he is still skittish around us Jameson. He has to get to know us first, accept us for who we are then we can introduce him to our family." Jamie knew when Layla used his full name, she is serious. He said "I know, I am not saying to take Harry to our home to introduce everyone over there. He will be too overwhelmed but I am saying to bring everyone over here. This way Harry gets to meet everyone in a familiar setting not right now maybe during Christmas holidays. What do you say?". Layla has a thoughtful expression on her face and just said "Let's see." Taking that as a maybe approval, Jameson and Layla kissed and he left to the kitchen to make hot chocolate for his son and his team.
Harry knew he looked weird continuously smiling since a house elf, arrived with hot chocolate for all of them. The house elf said that Professor McGonagall sent it to them but he knew that his father made the hot chocolate. There was a unique taste in his cooking that Harry was slowly becoming familiar with. As Harry felt more awake, as they trudged to the Quidditch field finally to practice after one and a half hour of lecture on tactics from Oliver, they started practicing. However, seeing the flash from the stands, Harry groaned seeing Colin Crevey, taking pictures of him flying. Seeing Oliver get suspicious, he flew back down to the field, seeing Ron, Hermione and Neville standing on the side near the entrance. Having the team gathered in the middle of the field, Oliver still looking at Colin with suspicion asks "Who is he? Is he a spy for the Slytherins?". Fred answered in a dry voice "the Slytherins, don't need a spy Oliver." Oliver looks at him with the question of why on his lips. Fred points behind him and Oliver turns to see the Slytherin team walking towards them smugness seen on their faces and on their manner of walking. Oliver groans and walks towards them with others following behind them. Standing in front of them, Oliver asks "What is going on here Flint? This is our training time. And I have booked the field." Marcus Flint smirked and held out a permission slip, Oliver took it and read aloud "I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker". Oliver ask in an incredulous voice "Who is your new seeker?". The team parted to reveal Draco Malfoy, a smirk clearly on his face. Before Oliver could argue further, A voice said from behind "What's going on here?". The Quidditch team turned to see a couple, walking towards them, hand in hand with each other walking casually towards them. Harry didn't know how but he knew immediately that those were his parents. However, they seemed different. His seem to be Father's hair was brown in colour whereas his Mom's hair seems to be in a colour that seems blonde. Their eyes both were light blue in colour. Harry shuffled hiding his smirk as he watches his parents walk towards his unaware teammates and the opposing team and casually entered between them as if there wasn't a standoff between the two teams.
His supposed Dad said "well, I seem to have asked a question. Isn't it polite to answer." Oliver scrambled forwards with an explanation to his father while his mom seems to be staring haughtily at the Slytherin team. The Slytherin team took a step or two back as if putting some distance between whatever his mom is emitting at them. Ron and Hermione come to stand side by side with them and Ron whispers "Harry, is it your parents? They seem different." Harry looks at Ron in shock as Hermione also motions her head to answer the question. Harry whispers back knowing Neville is still standing near them although his attention on the man reading the note "How did you know?". Ron and Hermione just shrugged their shoulder and Hermione said "We just knew. Are they?". Harry said "I think so." Hermione asks "How did they do the disguises? I thought they didn't have any magic." Harry starts thinking and comes to a fact that his parents never seem to show overt display of magic. That doesn't mean that Harry couldn't say that they didn't have magic. He knew they had magic from the stories they told yet he never saw any outward signs of magic seen in their room. He just shrugs his shoulder. Turning their attention back to the conversation by which time Oliver finishes their explanation. His father turns to Flint who stares back at him stubbornly, his arms still holding the broom. He just said "You have the note. We have the right to use the Quidditch field now.". His Mom spoke, her voice cold enough to send shivers down everyone's spines "Sir." Flint looked at her as she continues, "When you address especially someone who seems to be a part of your school faculty or even senior and unknown to you, you address them as 'Professor', 'Sir' or 'Mam'. Haven't your parents taught you to respect someone? 10 points from Slytherin." The Slytherin team broke out in protest to the loss of 10 points which slowly quietened as his mom said "And if I hear another sound of protest from anyone, I will make is a loss of 50 points." The Gryffindor team members including Ron, Hermione and Harry snickered which quickly quietened as his mom's steely gaze swept to the team and their mouths opened in protests as she said "20 points from Gryffindor. For laughing at someone's mistake. You see someone make a mistake and that someone is your enemy, you help them fix it not laugh at their mistakes. This shows that you value your enemies as a person and shows your enemies that you have respect and acceptance for their weaknesses also. Remember the lesson Gryffindors." His father looks at Harry and seeing the annoyance on Harry's face, shrugs his shoulder slightly. Seeing that mulish silence is reigning across the teams, his father said "Well, Hogwarts protocol states that a teacher's permission can be used to overlook someone's booking." The Slytherin team starting to smirk whereas the Gryffindor team started to grimace but the next words stopped them all "However, the permission slip does not seem to state the time when the Slytherin's can use the field and since the Gryffindor's were already here and had already started practicing so taking all this consideration into account, I am giving the Gryffindor's booking priority over the Slytherin's permission." The Gryffindor team smiled and almost cheered but seeing Layla's steely gaze they stopped. The Slytherin team grimaced and Flint demanded "When will we practice?". Jameson looked at them and said "Don't your classes finish at 4:30. Sun sets down at 7. I think 2 and a half hours is more than enough to practice. Don't you?" Seeing Jameson gaze meet Flint's eye to eye, Harry couldn't help but feel that there is a battle of wills going on over there. The eye to eye contact didn't even last a second before Flint lowered his gaze. Jameson then casually mentioned "We both are new in this castle, just joined yesterday so why don't you introduce yourself. Its nice to remember some names instead of saying prankster, captain etc. Oliver quickly introduced everyone including Harry. Hearing the name Harry Potter, Jameson and Layla look at him with a smile and Harry, Ron and Hermione also smile back at them mischief clearly visible in all of their eyes. Jameson said "So now the introduction is done, I would like to introduce myself and my wife. I am Jameson Smoak-Barnes and this is my wife Mrs Layla Smoak- Barnes. I am a medical practitioner and I will be helping out Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing as a part time faculty, my wife is a researcher and also a part time faculty of this school." Everyone including the Slytherin team chorused "Good Morning Jameson Sir and Professor Smoak- Barnes." Layla and Jameson smiles at them, and Layla finally speaks "Now it seems like everything is sorted out. So why don't we see some of your practice moves if your captains has no objection?". Oliver and Marcus glare at each other but had no choice but to nod their heads.
Everyone separated from the field and Layla and Jameson went back to sit in the stands with Colin, Ron, Hermione and Neville. Neville and Colin look at both of them with awe and adoration clearly in their eyes whereas Hermione and Ron look at them with speculation in their eyes. Somehow all 4 of them were seated between Layla and Jameson with Jameson sitting to the left of Ron, next Neville, Colin and then Hermione whereas Layla sat to the right of Hermione. For a couple of moments, there was some silence as all of them watched Harry and Draco circle around each other while the rest of the Gryffindor and Slytherin were trying to outmanuever each other. Jameson then casually asks "So is there always such unfriendliness between Gryffindor and Slytherin?". Ron snorts and said without thinking, "Unfriendliness is a weak word for what we feel for Slytherin. And especially if that Slytherin involves Draco Malfoy." Hermione hisses "Ron." Ron turns a deep shade of red as he feels Jameson and Layla's gazes on him. Layla said "I assume that this Draco Malfoy seems a bad character." Hermione is going to open her mouth but Neville beats her to it and said "He is the worst person you would ever meet. Downgrades anyone who is not to his rules." Neville looks down as he remembers what he said. Colin just looks on while Hermione just said "He must have gotten on the Slytherin team because of money and not his talent." Ron said "You think, look at all the brooms the Slytherin team are having. It's the Nimbus Two Thousand and One. The latest model." Hermione softly reminds Ron, "Talent doesn't substitute Quality Ron. Especially the talent of the youngest seeker in the century." Ron, Neville and Colin chuckles and Ron said "yeah, you got that right."
Slytherin team got down after sometime whereas the Gryffindor team stayed up in the air. Still glaring at the Gryffindor team, they slowly exited the field. Within half an hour the Gryffindor team also came to the ground with Oliver still grumbling over the waste of time. Since it was only half an hour till the classes start, everyone rushed back to the Gryffindor common room Harry giving a hurried goodbye to his parents. His parents continued to stay back at field and as Harry turned around he could see his mother and father walking hand in hand in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. Having no time to have breakfast in the Great Hall, Harry gobbled down the croissant and the apple bought down by Ron and Hermione. They hurriedly walked towards the Potions which was their first class unfortunately with the Slytherin which is another unfortunate occurrence. They reached in front of the Potions classroom just in time for Professor Snape to open the door. Seeing his sullen expression which looked even more sullen today, the Gryffindor's inwardly groaned knowing that today's classroom they would have to walk around him with the tiptoes barely touching the ground.
In the lunch break, Oliver pulled Harry aside to further brief him on what strategies were going to take place with him as the seeker. Harry saw Ron and Hermione standing off to the side and he could see Malfoy spotting him and with Crabbe and Goyle walking towards them with a predatory gait and glint in his eyes. He tried to get away from Oliver but Oliver was not taking the hint to stop. He saw Malfoy stopping in front of Ron and saying something to him. Ron replied which seemed to egg Malfoy on. Hermione then said something and Malfoy said something to her with such a disgusted expression. Whatever he said then made Ron shout "Eat Slugs, Malfoy" and tried to shoot something at Malfoy but Ron's broken wand made the curse backfire at him. Ron flew hitting the wall, and collapsed. By the time Harry, Oliver and Hermione reached him Ron started spitting out slugs. Professor Snape was passing down and just calmly walked upto Ron and said "Mr Weasley, 30 points from Gryffindor for attempting to make a joke out of Mr Malfoy. Mr Wood, take Mr Weasley to the Madam Pomfrey." Oliver conjured a bucket So that Ron can throw slugs into it. As they were huddling Ron along the way, with Harry and Oliver holding Ron on either side, a spark of light flew past them and hit Malfoy causing him to fall back into the entrance of the Great Hall but they went ahead not seeing however by the time they reached the staircase leading to Madam Pomfrey, a roar of laughter erupted from the Grand Hall indicating something hilarious happening. They reach the Medical Wing and hustle Ron inside. Madam Pomfrey bustles around Ron muttering about inappropriate use of magic in the hallways and gave Ron a treacle tart and within 10 minutes Ron stops throwing up slugs. Madam Pomfrey starts scolding Ron but Ron interrupts saying "But Madam, Malfoy called Hermione the 'M'word." Harry looks on in confusion as Madam Pomfrey gasps her hand on her heart and walks away muttering this time of insolent children. Oliver pats Ron awkwardly, squeezes Hermione's shoulder and left the Wing. Harry looks in confusion between Ron and Hermione and asks "Am I missing something? What's the 'M' word?". Ron just crosses his arms in anger as Hermione said "Malfoy called me a Mudblood. It means an insult for those who have Muggle blood in their veins." Harry's hands shifts into a fist and he gets up but Hermione holds his hand and said "Stop it Harry. Malfoy is not worth losing points over." Ron whines "But Hermione." Hermione shuts his whining with a glare. The door opens and all 3 of their attention shift to the person being carried by the 4 people. They could clearly see something being wrong with his legs. As the person is placed on the bed and everyone shifts, all 3 of them gasp to see Malfoy only it doesn't look like Malfoy. His nose is turned into a pig's snout, his ears are big like a donkey's ears and his legs seemed to have shifted to being very small in size. Madam Pomfrey bustles around and pulls the screen around them, and hurries all 3 of them along. They hurry along feeling the glare of Crabbe, Goyle and Flint on their backs. They reach the staircase and looking at each other's faces burst into laughter remembering Malfoy's face.
Ron unable to control his chuckles takes a long deep breath and asks "Who did that? It was bloody brilliant." Hermione said "I don't know. But whoever did it must have an incredible level of control over their magic to achieve that type of transfiguration on someone else." Harry snorts and said "I am just glad Malfoy has learned a lesson whoever has taught it." Ron grins and said "Yeah, and Malfoy now wouldn't dare spread whatever happened to me as everyone will remember what happened to him also."