A year in the life of Harry Potter
Chapter 43: September, 7
Harry couldn't help thinking about that familiar smell. Where had he smelled it before?Why had it stood out from all the other smells? The whole morning he sat in the Gryffindor common room in an armchair in front of the fireplace thinking. Tony. The envelope. That smell. There was something fishy about all that. In the holidays in Holland, the time when they had visited the mill, Tony and Quentin had seemed to be best friends, but now in school Harry hadn't seen them talking once. There was something behind all that and he swore to find out the truth.
"Are you coming?" Hermione asked as she and Ginny left for lunch. They had been working on their homework in their dormitory after Harry had told he needed time alone.
"No," he replied absentmindedly, shaking his head. "No... I need to think."
"We'll bring you something," Ginny decided. She knew that he wouldn't stop until he got to the bottom of whatever plagued his mind.
"Hmmm," Harry mumbled, closing his eyes in thought. He could hear the portrait of the Fat Lady fall shut. He was alone in the common room.
What had happened in Amsterdam when they had gone there after visiting the mill? He had seen Tony somewhere, but where? Tony was... Suddenly Harry opened his eyes, remembering. Remembering where he had seen that boy.
"No," Harry breathed. "No. It can't be!"
"Okay, guys," Lucy called out once all the Gryfindors had quietened down. "I know this isn't the perfect time to be acting, but we have to make the best from what we have. Professor Snape, Madame Hooch and I have been working on a new schedule for practicing hours but we haven't been able to produce one yet, however it will only be a matter of time until we do so."
"How long does it to make a stupid timetable?" Ronald moaned.
Lucy glared at him. "If you have to make one to which four people with different opinions agree to, a long time Mr. Weasley. Anyway," she continued, turning to face Harry. "You all decided to do The Sound of Music?"
"Yes, Professor Wintergarten," Percy said. "However we leave it to you to do the auditioning for the different parts."
"Well, then. By the next time I'll have the script photocopied and then the time after that we can start the auditions," Lucy decided. "I think today we should do some acting exercises to get you all used to performing in front of people."
"What exercises?" Hermione questioned.
"There are many exercises actors are taught to do when they start learning. There are quite a few trust exercises which would be good to try out. How about I show you one? Harry, come here."
Harry walked over to Lucy.
"Close your eyes," she said, taking his hand. "In a minute you'll all be paired off. umber yourselves 1 and 2. Number 1 will lead first. Number 2 will close their eyes like Harry here does, and number 1 will take their hand. Once number 2 is totally relaxed number 1 will start walking around. Number 2 has faith in number 1 that they will not let them bump into anyone else or let them walk into a wall, for if that happens there won't be any trust between number 1 and 2." To demonstrate what she had just said she started to walk slowly around the room, Harry following her movements. A minute later Lucy released him again.
"Find yourself a partner," she called out.
Ginny instantly moved to Harry.
"Sorry," he said, looking apologetically at Hermione. She went to work with the only person without a partner: Percy. Even Ronald had found someone to work with: a First Year boy called Seamus Finnigan.
For about ten minutes they did that exercise, swapping partners each time after number 1 had led number 2 and vice versa.
"Okay, this second exercise involves even more trust," Lucy called out. "It consists of number 2 leaning backwards and number 1 catching number 2." She demonstrated that with Ginny.
"I'm number 1!" Ronald, Harry's current partner, said immediately
Harry shrugged. Even if he fell on the floor it wouldn't cause more than a bruise.
"I'm ready," Harry said once he had tensed up his muscles to be as straight as possible.
"Lean back," Ron ordered.
Slowly Harry let himself fall backwards, expecting Ron to catch him. However, he didn't and Harry fell upon the floor.
"What the hell?" Harry gasped, grimacing in pain. "Why didn't you catch me?"
"Sorry," Ron mumbled, his face and ears as red as ripe cherries. "I noticed my shoe lace was open."
Just as Harry attempted to get up a scrawny Second Year called out, "Out of the way!" and a moment later an obese seventh year boy fell upon Harry who moaned in pain as his arm broke in two with a faint crack!.