The Potter Timeline
Chapter 25 - Practical Improvements, Impending Perils
It was Friday night, their first week back at Hogwarts. Harry and Hermione had spent every evening in the Spellroom as they weren't yet under a flurry of homework limiting their practice. In addition to basic spells, the two worked on the more advanced ones Flitwick taught them near the end of their second term the previous year: the shield spell, the disarming spell, and the retrieving spell. After regular practice each night, they decided to make Friday evenings a rudimentary dueling session to put their skills into practical use. The four rounds would allow them to not only hone their magical skills, it would also give them a real world feel for actual duels.
After the first three rounds, they once more stood on opposite sides of the Spellroom, wands by their side.
"LOCOMOTOR CHAIR!" Hermione shouted, causing a student's chair to fly at Harry from across the room.
"PROTEGO!" the boy replied.
The chair smacked into his shield and collapsed to the floor.
"LOCOMOTOR CHAIR!" he shouted, sending the object back at Hermione.
"IMPEDIMENTA!" she replied. The chair crashed into nothing and bounced back toward Harry, landing just a few feet from him. In the split second he gazed at it, Hermione took advantage.
"EXPELLIARMUS!"
Harry's wand flung from his hand and clinked onto the floor. He glanced at it then back at her as his face registered surprise.
"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" she uttered.
Harry dove to the floor. The curse hit nothing.
Hermione stepped forward and pointed her wand at him again. But Harry was faster. He quickly snatched up his own wand and flipped onto his side.
"INCENDIO!" he threw out.
A cloud of flame erupted from the tip.
"PROTEGO!" the girl shouted, falling back again.
The flames slammed against her shield, causing her to raise her free arm to protect her eyes from the brightness. She was caught off guard by Harry's spell and once the flames dissipated, tried to reorient herself. But it was too late.
"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Harry shot at the stunned girl.
The curse hit Hermione square in the chest and her body seized up, her eyes wide and mouth open. Harry scrambled to the girl before her frozen body could fall over. He grabbed her gently by the shoulders and carefully laid her on the floor. He knelt down beside her, pointing his wand at her chest.
"Restoro Mobilius," he said.
Hermione's stiff body relaxed, and she blinked her eyes a few times, staring back up at him.
"Are you okay?" he asked with concern, helping her sit up.
"I'm fine," she uttered, shaking her head a few times, "it just feels weird. I don't think I'll ever get used to being petrified."
Harry chuckled and sat down beside her.
"Me neither," Harry said, "but you did great!"
She smiled at him.
"You did too! And you won this time!" she uttered with a gleam in her eyes, "I wasn't expecting the fire spell."
"Well, you beat me three times tonight. I had to find some way to throw you off. But I never doubted your reflexes. You're getting good at this, Hermione."
"Thanks. You're getting good too, you know?"
"I'd say we're both improving. We've at least graduated from 'magical catch'."
Hermione laughed. She threw him a soft expression with those pretty brown eyes.
"Perhaps we should ask Flitwick to sit in on our session again," she said, "I recently found out he was a dueling champion many years ago. I'm sure he could give us more tips on refining our technique."
"Definitely. And perhaps teach us a few new spells as well."
Harry then turned to face Hermione better.
"Speaking of spells, there's something I forgot to tell you about..."
Harry then regaled the girl about his accidental, wandless fire spell in the playground during the summer.
"Wow, Harry! That's amazing!"
"I know. But what gets me is that I did it, or at least I think I did it, by accident. Any time I tried deliberately, nothing happened."
Hermione's face scrunched up in thought.
"Well, wandless magic is really difficult. It takes years of training and experience. It's no surprise Professor Dumbledore can do it as he's been around for one hundred and ten years. But maybe...if you work really hard, you can eventually develop it too."
"Perhaps we both can," Harry responded while rising from the floor. He reached down and Hermione took his hand. He helped her stand back up and the pair stared at one another for a moment.
"I'm so glad to be back here, Harry," Hermione said, "I really love our practice sessions."
He smiled.
"So do I. It's a blast as always. And dueling practice is a fun way to end the week."
"Agreed," she said with a huge grin.
The pair cleaned up the room and returned any furniture back to its place. They then headed for the door.
"Off!" Hermione shouted, pointing her wand at the candelabra. It went dark, the two exited, and closed the door behind them.
"Since it's our first weekend, perhaps we should visit Hagrid tomorrow, after breakfast," Harry said as the two headed for Gryffindor Tower.
"Sure. He'll probably want to know how everything went, like last year," Hermione answered.
"And Fang's no doubt waiting for a certain someone to pet him," he teased the girl.
Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry laughed.
~HP~
"Harry."
"Harry!"
Harry woke with a start at the sound of the voice next to his bed. He grabbed his glasses off the table and turned to look at the person staring down at him from between the curtains. The twelve-year-old was surprised.
"Oliver! What's going on?" he asked groggily.
"Ready, Seeker?" the sixth-year Gryffindor asked.
"Ready for what?" Harry asked.
"For practice! Come on!" Wood told him.
"What time is it? I thought we weren't practicing until noon."
"Change of plans, Harry. Get dressed and get your Nimbus. See you on the pitch in fifteen," the captain said excitedly before disappearing.
Harry sat for a moment in confusion. He pulled back the curtains and looked out the window of the dorm room. Faint orange light on the horizon told him it was even earlier than he rose during weekdays. Why did Wood want to start practice this early?
Harry begrudgingly got up, changed clothes, wet and combed his hair, grabbed his broom and gloves, and headed downstairs. Before exiting the Tower, he left a note on the common room study table for Hermione to let her know he wouldn't be able to join her for breakfast and that they'd have to visit Hagrid that afternoon. When he reentered the common room, he heard voices coming from the stairwell leading to the first-year boys' dorm.
"I wonder if he's up yet. Maybe he'll let me take a picture of him with Dumbledore!" Colin Creevey uttered to a dorm mate in his cheery tone as the pupils marched down to the common room.
Harry quickly scrambled toward the portrait hole, leaping through and giving the Fat Lady a scare. He then scurried down the stairwell to the main corridor, relieved to get away from Colin and his photo-taking enthusiasm. Only minutes later, he was exiting the castle and heading for the pitch.
Once inside the changing room, Harry saw Oliver pointing his wand at a large diagram and excitedly describing the arrows, dots, and 'x's magically moving around it as representations of the team in play. Angelina, Katie, Alicia, Fred, and George sat on benches before their captain silent and still. They had to be as tired as Harry at this early hour.
"Harry! Finally! I was beginning to wonder if you'd show," Wood uttered, "come in! I'll start back at the beginning."
The five sitting players all groaned as Oliver tapped his wand against the diagram, sending the figures back to their starting positions. Harry sat down next to Angelina who threw him a tired smile while wrapping an arm around his shoulder and leaning her head on his. George leaned forward and buried his face in his hands as the team sat and listened to their captain rattle off details of his "breakthrough" plan for winning.
Thirty minutes later, Oliver had finished, and Harry wondered how in the world they would remember all the details of, and perfectly execute, the captain's elaborate strategy.
"Right then! Any questions?" Wood asked.
Crickets could be heard as no one was awake enough to even think of a coherent question.
"Great! While we won the Hogwarts Championship last year, thanks in large part to Harry, I want to make sure we do it again. We'll be up and out on the practice field earlier than any of the other teams. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin won't know what hit 'em. Now, let's get out there and put our new plan in motion!"
Wood swept up his broom, held his head high, and marched out of the changing room, expecting his team to follow with equal enthusiasm. They didn't. The six dragged themselves and their brooms onto the field in a collective stupor. After tossing the Quaffle to Angelina, Oliver went to each of the players to review his strategy for their particular role. This didn't go over well as the Gryffindors frowned and mumbled at whatever Wood told them. The captain became frustrated. He walked to Harry.
"Right, Seeker. Head on up, take the position I told you about, and wait for my signal. That should throw the other team off..."
"Um...Oliver?" Fred said.
"WHAT?" Wood blew up, turning to give the redhead an angry look.
"You might want to see this..." the lanky fourth-year finished.
Everyone turned and looked at who was walking onto the pitch floor.
"You've got to be BLOODY KIDDING!" Oliver uttered red-faced.
The entire Slytherin team had marched onto the field, fully robed, and ready to practice. What was more, two new faces were among the seven snakes. Pierce Moreland was a tall, muscular Slytherin with a short crop of jet-black hair who, it was rumored, had failed his Quidditch tryout during second year for being too rough, giving his test opponent a bloody nose in the process. But the other person was a shock: Draco Malfoy? The Gryffindors threw each other a puzzled look. While Harry was mystified at the sight of the snotty brat in a Quidditch uniform, he also noticed two players were missing: Higgs and Reeves.
"Mornin', Oliver," Marcus Flint uttered with a sly grin as though he'd happily crashed someone's birthday party.
"What's this all about, Marcus? We have the field," Oliver said with a grimace.
"Not anymore," the Slytherin captain answered while handing a note to his rival. Wood snatched it from him and read it out loud.
I hereby give permission to the Slytherin Quidditch team to practice this Saturday morning next, owing to the need to train their new Seeker and Beater.
Severus Snape
Head of Slytherin House
"WHAT?" Oliver uttered in confusion, "I booked the pitch for this day nearly a month ago!"
He threw the note down in disgust.
"Well, you'll have to take that up with Professors Snape and McGonagall, I suppose," Flint said with a satisfied look, "in the meantime, we have work to do. Boys?"
The snakes started to move before the lions stepped forward to stop them. Both sides froze in a stare down.
"We can only guess Pierce is your new Beater..." George said.
"..but Malfoy? Your new Seeker?" Fred added.
The twins looked at each other and laughed, the girls and Harry joining them.
"Watch it there, Weasleys!" Draco spat out, trying to act tough though he was the shortest person among the two teams save Harry.
"Where's Higgs and Reeves?" Oliver asked.
The snakes all looked at Marcus.
"Booted off the team for...off-the-field misconduct," he stated with a sneer.
"What?" Harry threw out, glaring at Malfoy, suspecting the real reason.
"You heard him, Potter! Turns out there are consequences for disloyalty!" Draco answered.
"They weren't being disloyal, you sod!" Harry said angrily and Angelina placed an arm in front of Harry just in case.
"But that's not all, Oliver," Flint continued, "Draco's father made a very generous contribution to the Slytherin team."
At this, the serpents held up their brooms. The Gryffindors were shocked. Each one had a pristine Nimbus 2001, the sleek brooms gleaming under the early morning sun.
"Looks like we'll be sweeping the pitch clean of any filth this year!" Miles Bletchley said with a nasty grin.
Fred and George nearly jumped the Keeper before Oliver held out his arms to stop them. Tension between the teams ran high and almost hit the breaking point. The Gryffindor captain, trying to keep order, seemed flustered as to what to do.
Thinking for a moment, Harry recalled the final match of last term and Dumbledore's words which had helped him win it, in spite of the unfortunate Bludger incident.
"...the best weapons against dark wizards are...discretion and patience..."
"How about a practice match...together?" Harry said loudly.
Everyone on both sides stared at the twelve-year-old. Oliver frowned, though his other teammates seemed to consider it. The Slytherins looked at one another and nodded.
"We'd be up for that! How about it, Oliver?" Marcus asked.
All eyes fell on Wood who glanced at Harry. Harry nodded at his captain and gave him a look that told him there was more to his idea than simply practicing. Oliver, apparently getting Harry's message, looked at Marcus.
"Alright, then. Let's do it!" he shouted.
The two teams broke away to either side of the trunk. Once everyone had taken their brooms into the air, Oliver released the Bludgers and Snitch, flying into the sky shortly after.
The practice match was underway.
Draco and Harry hovered in the air high above the pitch floor, waiting for the Snitch to appear. Malfoy gazed unflinchingly at his opponent with a look of determination. But Harry stared back at the kid blankly. Despite his impulse to nod in respect to the opposing team's Seeker, this time Harry had no desire to. To him, Draco didn't deserve such respect, especially after Higgs and Reeves had been sacked - through Lucius Malfoy's influence, no doubt.
As Harry waited and watched the melee unfold below him, he saw a crowd of students piling into the stands. Somehow, word had gotten out about the practice match and members of all Houses flocked to the stadium to watch. As he gazed down at the crowd, he saw Hermione look up at him and wave. He smiled and waved back at her. Next to her sat Colin Creevey who was busy asking Hermione a lot of questions while taking pictures of the match at the same time. Harry figured she was explaining the sport to the first-year.
"I see your mudblood girlfriend has shown up, Potter! Maybe she'll get to see me knock you off your broom!" Malfoy yelled at Harry.
Harry threw him an angry look.
"What did you call her?" he shouted, gripping his Nimbus tighter.
"A mudblood! Never heard the term? Why don't you ask her what it means after we've beaten you! She's got all the bloody answers to everything, doesn't she?"
Harry was sorely tempted to hurtle off and ram Draco like a knight in a joust. But he swallowed his anger, hoping the Snitch wasn't far off so they could get this over with. And not a moment later, his wish was granted. The Snitch appeared and the Seekers were off.
During the match it became clear that with their brand-new Nimbus 2001s, the Slytherins could literally fly circles around the Gryffindors, speed-wise. The lions lost in spectacular fashion, despite all their best efforts to utilize Wood's new strategy. The snakes completely routed them.
As the exhausted and humiliated Gryffindors trudged back into the changing room, they looked even worse than when they first arrived. The twins and the girls plopped back down onto the bench and Wood stared blankly at his diagram. Harry stood silently off to the side, watching them all.
"That was a fantastic idea, Harry!" Wood uttered sarcastically while turning to stare at him, "a practice match! Bloody brilliant, I'd say! Slytherin just handed us our arses!"
The captain threw his CleanSweep to the floor. The others were wide-eyed and silent. It was the first time Oliver actually scolded Harry. But the boy with the lightning-shaped scar remained calm.
"Perhaps they did, Oliver," he said, "but they also did us big favor."
Everyone looked at him in astonishment.
"A favor!" Wood threw out in frustration, "how do you figure?"
"They revealed their weaknesses," Harry told him.
The Gryffindors looked at each another then back at Harry.
"How so, Harry?" Alicia asked.
"From what I could see up there, while the 2001s are faster than our brooms, they're also more difficult to maneuver at those higher speeds. I saw Flint and Pucey struggle to get their brooms back around when Angelina and Katie did those two 180s with the Quaffle. And Malfoy had a hard time banking without falling off. I was able to outmaneuver him with my slower 2000 a few times. From what I can tell, the 2001 is great for racing, not so great for Quidditch. If we focus on using sharper turns and steeper angles, we might have a chance at beating the Slytherins - even with their fancy new sticks."
The six Gryffindors stared slack-jawed at Harry. Katie Bell jumped up with an enormous smile and hugged the kid tightly. Fred and George smiled at each other while nodding with pride at their teammate. Wood walked over to Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You'll make a fine Quidditch team captain one day, Harry. I'm sorry I doubted you. Great work there, Seeker!" he told Harry with a smile. Everyone nodded in agreement.
After discussing Harry's strategy a few minutes more, the Gryffindors exited the pitch for the castle, all of them cheery and excited. What had started off a big negative had turned into an incredible positive. The lions' first practice session of the term went very well - in unexpected ways. Harry was thrilled to have been part of it.
~HP~
Harry and Hermione walked into the Great Hall for lunch. The four tables were already full of students partaking of the midday meal. Conversation about the snakes defeating the lions in their practice match ran high. Most of the Slytherins seemed very pleased. But although many Gryffindors were disappointed at their team's performance, Harry and his fellow teammates were upbeat - they now knew something about their opponents no one else did and were keeping it mum.
As the second-years moved to join their friends at the Gryffindor table, Harry happened to glance back at the entrance and saw two students he was eager to talk to after that morning's practice: Higgs and Reeves. Harry tapped Hermione's shoulder. The girl turned and noticed the Slytherins enter. She nodded at Harry and they walked over to the former Quidditch players.
"Terence! Rory!" Harry uttered.
The Slytherins stopped and looked at the approaching pair.
"Harry! How's it going?" Terence asked the kid.
"Okay. We heard about what happened. I'm really sorry," Harry told the fifth-year.
Higgs and Reeves exchanged glances then looked back at Harry and Hermione.
"Well, what we said might happen, did, I'm afraid," Rory let out.
"Yeah, from what we understand, Draco's father paid a visit to Professor Snape," Terence said, "he offered to buy the team all new brooms under a couple of conditions - that Rory and I be replaced and Draco be made a Seeker."
Harry grimaced, his blood boiling at this information which confirmed his suspicions on the pitch. Rory leaned in toward them.
"But surprisingly, Snape refused him at first," he said as though wanting to keep this information quiet.
"Really?" Harry asked in astonishment looking at Hermione whose eyes were as wide as his.
"Yep. Unfortunately, Mr. Malfoy overruled him and went straight to the team," Terence went on, "and our fabulous teammates 'unanimously' decided Nimbus 2001s were more important than a couple of experienced, longstanding players. Though we don't know how much pressure Lucius put on them to comply either."
Harry shook his head.
"That's too bad. I was really looking forward to another match together," he responded.
The Slytherins smiled.
"So were we, Harry," Reeves told him while giving the twelve-year-old a brief pat on the side of his shoulder, "but no matter. Flint and his pals can sod off for all we care."
"Yeah, Harry, never mind that. We'd rather not play with them anyway if this is how it goes," Higgs stated before leaning in, "but like we told you at Flourish and Blotts, Rory and me and several others from our House will be secretly supporting you the next match. You're a great Seeker and we hope you show up Malfoy like you did me and Cedric."
Harry's cheeks went pink.
"Thanks, guys. I appreciate that. I'll do the best I can," he replied.
"Right, then. We've been cavorting with the enemy too long, Terence. See ya, Harry!" Rory let out while moving off to his table.
Harry and Hermione chuckled.
"Later guys!" Harry said as Terence waved and joined his House mate.
The second-years returned to their table.
~HP~
The weather that September afternoon was brilliant. Before heading for Hagrid's hut, the two Gryffindors decided to take a tour of the school grounds like they did the year before: through the evergreen and pine forests, well around the Whomping Willow, by the Black Lake, and then finally toward the Forbidden Forest. Harry knocked on the door to the hut and the Hogwarts gamekeeper invited the pair inside.
Harry sat down as Hagrid poured some of his famous musty tea into those dirty cups of his while Hermione petted Fang who had laid his head on her lap. Harry looked at her and chuckled. Hermione shook her head and smiled back. Hagrid then handed them each a cup of hot, steaming Earl Grey.
"Well, that's sound great, you two. Yer firs' week o' second year startin' off all fine an' dandy," he told them while leaning back in his chair and taking a loud sip of tea from an enormous cup. While he seemed pleasant, they could tell something irked him.
"Yeah, nothing really spectacular," Harry said, taking a sip and nearly burning his tongue on the hot liquid.
He shot a wide-eyed glance at Hermione and shook his head to warn her. She immediately put the cup back on its saucer to let it cool a bit.
"An' jus' what do you two think of our dear new Darks Arts professor?" Hagrid asked sarcastically.
Harry chuckled at this though Hermione looked perturbed.
"He's...um...fascinating," Harry muttered flatly.
Hagrid chuckled.
"Right, Harry. Fascinatin'. That's the key word."
Hermione had a deep frown on her face as she gazed at the two.
"But he's done some amazing things!" she protested, "we should at least give him a chance!"
Hagrid swallowed a mouthful of tea and his brow darkened.
"Codswallop, I say! If he's done half o' what he claims in those books of his, I'll eat me own hat. What's he done in yer classes so far teh show fer it?"
"Not much, really," Harry answered while looking at the girl next to him, "ever since he let loose those pixies our first class, he spent the rest of the week just reading out of his books, occasionally reenacting 'famous' moments."
Even Hermione couldn't hold back a laugh.
"He called on Harry to help a couple of times. You should have seen it, Hagrid. I didn't think Harry could play such a great werewolf or yeti."
Harry's cheeks went pink and he threw the girl an annoyed look for her tease. She snickered at him.
"It was embarrassing," he muttered.
"I know how yeh feel, there, Harry. The man comes in here bright 'n early this mornin', all smilin'. He then goes on teh give me advice on how teh round up Fire Crabs and take better care of the unicorns. Like I didn' know that! Who'd o' thought the great wizard wasn't just a master o' fightin' the Dark Arts, but a master gamekeeper too!"
Harry laughed, careful not to spill his tea. Hagrid took another loud sip. So, Lockhart's visit was what left him in such a bad mood.
"Oh, looky there!" Hagrid uttered while setting his saucer down on the table in the center, "the fire's runnin' a bit low."
The man cleared his throat and grabbed up the signed copy of Traveling with Trolls the professor had apparently left him this morning. Harry and Hermione watched with curiosity as Hagrid opened the book. They were surprised when he started ripping pages out of it and tossing them into the hearth.
"HAGRID!" Hermione uttered, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
Hagrid cleared his throat again.
"Well...the fire needs some fuel an' I ran plum out o' kindlin' this morning. At least this book is good fer somethin'!"
Harry nearly spit his tea trying not to laugh. Hermione was now put out at them both. But then something else came to Harry's mind.
"By the way, Hagrid," he started, "what does 'mudblood' mean?"
The giant froze and stared at him with a dangerous expression.
"Where did you hear that word, Harry?" he asked low and stern.
Harry gulped. If he thought Hagrid was already in a bad mood, this word sent him into near rampage territory.
"Malfoy said it...during the match...this morning. He called Hermione that," he said weakly.
Hermione's face turned to surprise but Hagrid's changed into near demonic.
"He didn't!" the great man uttered.
WHAM!
The second-years both jumped as Hagrid's enormous fist slammed onto the small table, rattling the kettle, tea cups, and saucers sitting on it. Fang yelped and flew from Hermione to scramble underneath Hagrid's bed. The two pupils' hearts were beating wildly. They'd never seen Hagrid this put out before.
"Why I'd like teh hang that little twerp by his ankles in the deepest part o' the Forbidden Forest fer a couple o' hours. See how that'd change his tune!"
"But what does it mean?" Harry asked, Hermione listening quietly.
"'Dirty blood', Harry. Referrin' teh witches or wizards with non-magic, muggle parents. There's wizardin' folk, so-called 'blue bloods', who think they're high an' mighty cause they come from pure wizardin' stock. The Malfoys are among 'em. All codswallop, I say! Bunch o' arrogant arses...why there ain't no witch or wizard livin' who ain't got some muggle in 'em. Durin' the firs' war, You-Know-Who went on about riddin' the world of muggleborns, like our Hermione here. But he himself was half-blood, from what I heard. That right hypocrite!"
Hagrid took another loud swig of his tea and slammed his cup back on its saucer.
"What pure blood's got to do with magic power is beyond me. Ain't no one as knowledgeable 'bout castin' spells and charms as our Hermione. She runs rings around that yella-haired brat."
Hermione's face softened as her cheeks turned pink. Harry took her hand in reassurance, the girl squeezing his back affectionately.
"That's for sure, Hagrid. This one here runs rings around all of us at the school," he stated.
She threw him those soft doe eyes.
"Well, then, Hermione," Hagrid said while leaning over the table and placing his big palm on her shoulder, "don' you listen to any o' that rubbish 'bout muggleborns, yeh hear? Yer as special as they come, an' I dare say Harry here is right lucky to have you as his friend."
"That I am. We're all lucky," Harry said once more with a look of pride at Hermione. She reached up and wiped a few tears from her eyes, her face brightening at the compliments.
Hagrid then thankfully changed the subject to more cheerful things. The afternoon wore on as the three talked about Quidditch, joked about Filch and his cat, as well as creatures Hagrid encountered in the forest during his morning walks. After a while, the two students departed for the castle, ready for a nice meal before heading back to the Gryffindor common room.
Once they finished dinner, Harry and Hermione were heading up the staircases in Tower Hall, laughing about Hagrid's foul mood when Harry heard it.
...Come...come to me...let me rip you...let me tear you...let me kill you...
Harry froze and glanced around.
"Where's that coming from?" he asked in wonder.
"Where's what coming from?" Hermione asked him with a furrowed brow.
"That voice!"
"What voice?"
"That...creepy voice! Didn't you hear it?"
Hermione shook her head in confusion.
"No, Harry. I don't hear anything!"
Harry stared at her as though she'd lost her marbles.
"But I heard it just now! Everywhere!"
"What did the voice say?" she asked, moving closer to him.
"'Come to me', 'let me tear you', 'let me...kill you'," Harry repeated the words.
"Kill you?" Hermione asked in alarm, "Harry, that doesn't sound good. Are you sure you weren't imagining it?"
He shook his head, a dazed look on his face.
"I don't think so. Why would I even imagine such a thing?"
"I don't know. Do you hear it now?"
Harry looked around again.
"No. It seems to be gone," he said staring off into space.
After a few moments, he looked at Hermione who was staring at him in concern. He smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Never mind. Perhaps it was nothing. Let's head back to the common room," he said.
"Okay," she answered with a frown.
A few more stairs, a quick muttering of "Wattlebird" to the Fat Lady, her portrait finally opening, and the two second-years retired for the night.
~HP~
A girl's bloodcurdling scream suddenly woke Harry in the middle of the night.
The boy shot up in bed, his heart racing, his eyes wide with shock. Scrambling for his glasses on the table, he glanced around inside his four-poster, wondering if he dreamed the sound or not. But then he heard movement inside the dorm room. Harry shoved the curtains away and dropped to the floor. The noise was from Dean and Seamus who both shot out of their beds like Harry, gazing around the dorm room in surprise.
"What was that?" Seamus uttered.
"Sounded like it was coming from downstairs!" Dean said while they both gazed at Harry.
He knew now it wasn't a dream.
"It must have come from the common room," he told the pair just as Neville appeared from his own bed with a frightened look on his face.
"Come on!" Harry shouted.
The four Gryffindors bolted out of the room and scrambled downstairs into the common room. When they hit the floor, several students from different years were standing around in their pajamas, staring at one another in shock. They all looked at Harry and his mates.
"What's going on?" Harry asked frantically.
Melissa Shane, a tall, third-year brunette gave the boy a fearful expression.
"We don't know! We heard someone screaming and came to look."
Everyone seemed perplexed and frightened. Harry then noticed Ginny Weasley sitting in a chair in the corner looking back at him with fear etched on her face, her body trembling. Harry's instinct told him this behavior was more than a schoolgirl crush. He walked over to her.
"Ginny, what's wrong? Do you know who screamed? Did you see anything?" he asked.
But her fright seemed to increase more and she leaned over, placing her face in her hands, crying. Harry was completely mystified. Percy arrived in his pajamas, bed-robe, and nightcap.
"What's going on here?" he let out with a perturbed voice as though every Gryffindor in the common room had played a prank on him. But before anyone could answer, Padma Patil shot into the room.
"SOMEONE HELP! THERE'S A FIRE IN OUR DORM!" she yelled out.
Several gasped and even Percy was shocked. But it quickly registered in Harry's mind what this meant.
"HERMIONE!" he shouted.
The twelve-year-old flew across the room and bolted up the stairs...