Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Chapter VI: The Seekers

Harry looked out across the pitch, tightening his dragonhide gloves as he inhaled deeply. Quidditch tryouts couldn't have been held on a better day. The sky was clear and blue enough to look surreal. A crisp 5-7 mile per hour wind blew south-southeast. 72 degrees, around 70 per cent humidity. Perfect.

They were already sorted into groups, Keepers next to the north goalposts, chasers in the middle, beaters on the sidelines, seekers next to the south goalposts. Harry was standing alone among the golden hoops, waiting for orders. For some reason he felt disappointed. The goal of him trying out was obviously to make the team, but there was nobody competing with him. He was guaranteed a spot, now, and he didn't feel he had earned it. For some reason or another, nobody wanted to try out for seeker this year. Ginny Weasley, last year's seeker, was trying out for chaser now that Harry had his eye on the position. Were the other students ill? He couldn't understand.

He waited patiently, watching the tryouts with a critical eye. The beater and keeper hopefuls seemed to favor sitting stationary when idle, while most of the chasers tended to drift back and forth as if pacing.

Ron had to join the hopefuls as well, even the returning team members had to try out for their own positions. This helped to foster a competitive nature, to keep the current team members from resting on their laurels. It made perfect sense to Harry. You wanted the best person for the mission, regardless of who did it last time.

Two beaters were arguing on the grass next to the sideline, Harry was not close enough to make out individual words over the slight breeze but they looked aggressive. Without moving his arms, he looked at the two boys and whispered, "Petrificus totalus." They froze in mid-swing. The practice continued in earnest around them, nobody really noticed that the two boys didn't move or blink. After all, they had already had their turns.

The tryouts went until every last person had tried for the position they wanted. It was already dusk, and Harry hadn't even touched a broom. With the exception of his head, he hadn't seemed to move at all in the last 5 hours. He didn't shift as Ron Weasley walked up to him, his Captain badge shining with a dull gleam in the last vestiges of daylight.

He nodded to Harry and said, "Congratulations, mate. You made the team." He looked around and laughed under his breath, though the Boy who Lived could easily identify the strain in his voice. He was nervous. "It seems the competition this year is a little softer than I'd hoped for, but I'm sure we got the best man for the job."

Impassive green eyes met Ron's, and the Gryffindor Keeper gulped. "Well... I guess we'd better be getting in, then. Filch will have our hides if we stay out here past curfew." He motioned towards the doors leading back to the Entrance Hall, and Harry looked down at his broom, remembering something Sirius had told him once. Any fool can attack. A true soldier is one who has the enemy in his sights and waits. Never let your blood get the better of you, Harry. Soldiers who allow their emotions to rule them seldom live to advise against it. With a nod, he shrunk his broom back to its compact size and tucked it into his pocket.

Ron let out a sigh of relief.

Ginny snuck furtive glances at Harry all through dinner. Sirius' talk from yesterday still had her ears burning when she thought about it.

Sirius Black slowed to a comfortable pace as soon as they were around the corner and pulled Ginny's head close, speaking in a conspiratorial whisper. His tone was almost playful. "Up until this morning, I had my doubts about Harry. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't entirely certain he was a red-blooded male. He never really showed much interest in women, after all. Who am I kidding? He showed absolutely no interest in anyone, whatsoever. I was beginning to fear the worst, and I've never been happier about being wrong.

"Be patient, he visible, eventually he should come around all on his own. He just needs a bit of time to figure out that it's alright to have needs. Once he has his eye on something, he's relentless. And that is exactly the reason why I'm talking to you right now." He kept walking, but his face was no longer light and jovial. In the span of a heartbeat Sirius Black had changed from a fun-loving, meddling godfather to a man that exuded a commanding and slightly intimidating presence. She shuddered involuntarily.

Slowly drawing in a breath, Sirius spoke in a low and sincere tone. "Listen. I know he's the Boy who Lived, he's famous, rich, powerful and pretty damn handsome, if I do say so myself. I'm sure that half the women in this school have wondered what it's like to date someone like that. You've got to understand that no matter what, he's just Harry. He doesn't like carrots, Brussels sprouts or turkey. I tried to give him a teddy bear for his 6th birthday, he tore the thing apart in his sleep." Despite the heavy atmosphere, Ginny bit her lip to keep from laughing at the idea. Harry Potter, the Boy who Shredded his Teddy!

He stopped walking and turned towards Ginny, looking her in the eye seriously. "He's not a normal boy, Ginny. I trust him with my life, there isn't another person alive that I'd want watching my six. But if you're looking for a typical teenage romance, you're looking in the wrong place. He'll never be a normal boy, you can't expect him to pick up on things like everyone else or do the same things that everyone else does. He's going to try your patience, frustrate you and tie your heart in knots, then he's going to ask you if you're feeling ill. He is ... unique. He might change rather dramatically in the next few months, which is why I'm asking you not to get romantically involved with him. Not for a while, at least." With a slow sigh, he shook his head. Ginny's heart sank in her chest.

"I'm not trying to discourage you. I've seen enough to know that you're well on your way to being head over heels in love with my Godson." Ginny blushed, shook her head and opened her mouth to deny it, but Sirius talked right over her. "And that's a wonderful thing. The only advice I'd give you is to not rush into something like this. Just be his friend, be there for him. You already know a lot about Harry, but he's much more than that. He has been through too much already, I don't want to see his heart broken. His life has never been easy, most of the blame for that lies on Voldemort and yours truly." His eyes searched hers, though she didn't know why. It was almost like he was apologizing to her.

"I think you have a right to know why Harry is the way he is. Before he was born, a prophecy was made regarding Voldemort and him. They had to fight, and one of them had to die. Harry's father was the best man I've ever known, the brother I wish I'd have had, and he died so Harry would live. Lily was murdered right along with him. I couldn't sit by and let their son get sent like a lamb to the slaughter. So I took him in and trained him to be a wolf. He couldn't afford to waste his childhood like other children, not with so much riding on the outcome of that confrontation. The Unspeakable assigned to the case found traces of horcrux residue at Voldemort's old house, we couldn't take chances. This was life or death, and I made a promise to keep him alive, whatever the cost. I don't regret my actions, Voldemort did come back and Harry was ready for him.

"But now that he's dead, Harry has got to be feeling a little lost. All of his life he has been preparing for the day when Voldemort rose again. Now what?" Sirius asked a question, but Ginny felt it was rhetorical. So she wisely kept her mouth shut and let him continue. Her ears were burning, though. This had to be the most awkward moment of her young life. Sirius Black was talking to her about how to deal with loving Harry Potter. If he kept it up much longer, she'd faint!

"He needs someone to show him that life is still very much worth living. Our one-man Weapon of Mass Destruction doesn't know how to laugh, he doesn't know how to cry, and he doesn't know how to love. For some people, love is like breathing, it just comes naturally to them. Harry is not one of those people. So someone will just have to teach him how to breathe, Ginny. Do you see what I'm getting at?" His eyes twinkled, the serious atmosphere surrounding them vanished like the morning fog.

Ginny's cheeks reddened, she nodded silently. How much more torture would she have to endure before he'd be satisfied?! She wanted to scream, 'Yes, I'll happily teach your godson how to properly snog the daylights out of me!'

Sirius smiled widely. Could he read her mind? No, that was impossible. She blushed furiously, turning an even more brilliant shade of red. "Good. Now, enough about Harry. Let's talk about you." He winked at her, the nerve of that man!

After remembering that incredibly embarrassing talk, she went to find Hermione for ideas. Ginny had been dating since third year, but the boys were always after her and not the other way around. She'd never needed to know how to get a boy's attention, and Hermione must've been incredibly good at getting noticed to get through to a slug-head like Ron. She would have some ideas. She was a genius, she HAD to have ideas!

She found her in the library, wonder of all wonders, putting the finishing touches on 8 inches of parchment for charms. Ginny knew for a fact that it wasn't due for another week, so she didn't feel like she was intruding. "Hello, Hermione! How is the essay coming?" She whispered cheerfully, taking a seat across from her and leaning in.

The bushy-haired Gryffindor raised one eyebrow in curiosity, then shuffled the parchment with the rest of her schoolwork pile and pushed it off to one side unceremoniously. "Spill it." No chitchat, no idle banter, Hermione always got right down to business.

Ginny sighed inwardly. This was going to be a bit embarrassing, any way she looked at it. But if she was going to get Harry to notice her it would take someone like Hermione to figure out how. If that required a little begging and debasement, then so be it. Harry was worth it. "Alright, Herms, it's like this: I have this friend, and she really likes this boy. The boy is really odd, but he's considerate and very brave too. She came to me for advice on how to get that boy to notice her, and I didn't have any ideas. Can you help her out?" Clasping her hands in front of her, she begged silently as Hermione deliberated.

Hermione's mind had been made up since before Ginny had even opened her mouth, although she'd never tell. She'd felt a sort of motherly pull towards the Green-eyed Gryffindor ever since that fateful day on the Hogwarts Express. He was in a strange setting, thrown into the educational system without a survival handbook. Harry needed something constant in his life, something that would help him learn how to properly interact with other people. She hoped that Ginny could be that something. The Boy who Lived had already saved her life, not two weeks into term, and they seemed to be getting along famously. And who better than a Weasley, with their legendary stubbornness? They could give stones a run for their money. It was going to be much easier to convince Ginny than she had originally suspected. She mentally patted herself on the back for her own brilliance.

"For starters, Ginny, you've been the house Seeker since second year. Harry just made Seeker. He's never even played a real game of Quidditch, he's going to need someone to show him the ropes. Don't you think you have a few things to teach him?" A small smirk showed on her face, and the youngest Weasley's eyes widened. Checkmate!

"No! I mean Harry's a nice guy and all, but he wasn't who I was talking about. It's a friend of mine, and a different odd bloke who is really brave and..." Abruptly, Ginny shut her mouth and buried her head in her hands. "It was that obvious, was it?"

Hermione nodded happily, reaching over to pat her friend on the head. She was so innocent sometimes, it warmed the heart to think of it. "And I couldn't be happier for you. Mind you, he's got a long way to go. A very long way." She eyed Ginny seriously. "Are you sure you're up to the task? I know a few 6th years in Herbology that are dying to get their claws into him. Maybe one of them could..."

Ginny's eyes flashed dangerously. "Hermione! Now is most definitely not the time to be joking like that. Honestly, Ron must be rubbing off on you." Her eyes grew distant as she thought aloud. "Quidditch, eh? It might just work. I never thought I'd be happy that they stuck me at Seeker for three years while I waited for a spot to open for Chaser..." Her eyes snapped back into focus, looking determined. She was properly motivated now. Hermione could only hide a smile and guess at what she'd been daydreaming about. "I'll freshen up and check the pitch reservations. Thanks for your help, Hermione!" Without even saying goodbye, she tore out of the library and down the hall, ignoring a screeching Madam Pince.

Harry completed his second lap around the lake and started in on his third, picking up his pace slightly. His breathing was labored, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He usually didn't run this much in a day, overtraining could injure him as surely as a cutting curse, but he felt ... soft. As if he had become dull.

Just over an hour ago, a boy from the Gryffindor tryouts had walked up behind him, and Harry didn't even realize it until the tall boy slapped a hand on his back. He apologized for dislocating the boy's arm, but Harry was shaken for another reason. The assailant was a 14 year old boy with no experience in stealth, and he wasn't even trying to sneak up behind him. Harry had simply been caught off guard. That would have been fatal, had he been on a mission. A soldier couldn't allow for self-recrimination, not when your life and the lives of your teammates could very well be on the line in the next minute. You picked up and got well enough along. He increased his pace to an all out sprint, jumping over the fallen logs at the far end of the shoreline.

So here he was. Running as hard as he could, trying to hone the razor edge he had sweated blood to gain. His lungs burned, trying to suck in enough oxygen to feed his straining muscles. As the oxygen debt built up painfully, he could feel his body begin to cramp and lag. His legs felt like they were turning into lead, but he moved them all the same. He would complete this lap. If he passed out in the process, he'd just have to sleepwalk across his imaginary finish line.

The right leg of his trousers caught on a low branch lying across the dirt path, as soon as he felt the pull his hand automatically lashed out and vanished the cloth. He ran on minus one trouser leg, not bothering to put it back. His mind was set on the finish line, a small outcropping of large, flat rocks under a willow tree. The edges of his vision blurred as he ran full-tilt across the moist grass, wind whipped his face and the frigid air felt like needles as he inhaled. He pushed himself harder.

Ginny was giddy. Not only was there an open slot for the Pitch on Sunday morning, but she felt ... confident. She was rather confident by nature in certain matters, but when it came to boys she was remarkably shy. Not so today, she felt good enough to walk straight up to Harry Potter and snog some sense into him!

... Well perhaps she was not quite THAT confident. Still, she had searched the Library, the Common Room, the Great Hall and sent Ron to check the Boy's Dormitory. No Harry anywhere! Why was this happening now, when she was positive that tomorrow she'd think herself a failure and blush like a miserable beet just as soon as Harry looked at her! Damn her instability!

Furrowing her brow, she thought quickly. There had to be some way of finding out where he was in Hogwarts... Her smile widened. Of course!

She ran through the halls, pushing one unfortunate 3rd year out of her way as she closed in on the Gryffindor Common Room. Without even a sideways glance, she shouted the password and didn't stop as the portrait hastily opened to keep from being kicked in the oil paints. 5 seconds later, she was pulling her trunk open and scrounging through the lower layers. Triumphantly, she pulled a square of weathered and folded parchment out of the abyss of crumpled clothing. Drawing her wand, she recited, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

"Harry?" A voice filtered through his half-conscious mind. Where was he? Had he been captured?

He could feel somebody crouching next to him, he was on his back on a grassy surface. There was vanilla and lavender on the wind. It was a good smell...

"Wake up, Harry..." The voice spoke again, and Harry reluctantly opened his eyes. His sight picture was blurry, he blinked several times to clear his vision. A pair of chocolate brown eyes greeted him. Red hair fell from her shoulders, nearly touching his face. A faint smile was on her lips.

"Ginny." He said. It wasn't a question.

She extended her hand to him expectantly. "C'mon, it's getting dark."

After a moment's hesitation, he took her small hand and allowed her to pull him up. She had leveraged him off the ground rather efficiently, considering her small frame. He found himself quite impressed with that. Brushing his pants off, he set off towards the Great Hall. His stomach was empty.

During the long trek towards food and drink, Harry caught Ginny looking at him several times. He attempted to smile and her cheeks turned pink, like she had been running a moderately-paced mile. It was quite confusing, as he was quite sure that she had not performed any increased physical activity recently.

After a light meal of sliced ham, three muffins, a large plate of salad, a whole pineapple and three oranges, Harry was ready for a short hot shower and a cold granite floor to sleep on. As they passed through the Common Room, Ginny pushed him down onto the couch in front of the fireplace and sat down beside him.

"Putting aside the fact that you have only one trouser leg, how are you feeling?" Her vocal patterns were several steps higher than usual, denoting an unusual amount of stress on her nervous system.

This was the 'small talk' that his housemates used so freely. A good chance to practice. "I am satisfactory. The meals are large, the water is hot and the classes are suitably engaging. I have very few stressors at present." Harry nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer.

Ginny tried a little harder, obviously not as satisfied with such a blunt and dismissive sentence. She would make him talk. "Would you like some help learning to be a Seeker? I've held the position since 2nd year, maybe I've got something to teach you. Would you... like to practice with me? Sunday morning, 9 o'clock maybe? I'll understand if you don't, it's not a big deal or anything..." Her nervousness was accompanied by a weak smile.

Thinking for a moment, Harry nodded at her. "I do not have any pressing engagements on Sunday morning, and it would be incredibly helpful to learn from someone with firsthand knowledge of the position. I'll be in the Common Room at 9." Ginny was smiling as wide as he could recall ever seeing. This made him feel a strong sense of accomplishment. Perhaps he could master this 'small talk' after all.

"Oh, and there's loads more to tell you before we start flying, this position is 90 per cent mental, right?" Ginny went over every single trick in the book, saying anything and everything she could to keep him sitting next to her on the couch. Harry was watching her intently, nodding at appropriate interludes. He looked impressed, which was definitely a good sign, when she described the proper method for performing a Wronski Feint. Keep it up, girl, he's finally listening to you! Her eyes were involuntarily closing, but she forced herself to stay awake. Who knew when she'd ever have the opportunity to talk to him like this again?

After nearly an hour of relating Seeker tactics to the Boy who Lived, Ginny couldn't fight the nagging of her obstinate circadian rhythm. During a breath, she simply drifted off to sleep mid-way through a cogent defense of the grid search pattern. Harry thought she was just relaxing until her head landed on his chest, just below his chin. Her gentle breathing sent small ripples over his cotton t-shirt. He moved to wake her, but something about the smell of her hair, the warmth of her body leaning up against him, the vulnerability inherent in her position... he couldn't.

He didn't know how long he sat there, just staring out at the fire. He was immensely comfortable at the moment, it was a feeling he was not accustomed to for any length of time. Nestled into a plush leather couch, sitting in front of a dying fire with a redheaded girl asleep on his chest. He chuckled involuntarily. If only his Godfather could see him now...

Right on cue, the portrait door swung open to reveal a very haggard-looking Sirius Black. "Harry!" He barked, panting slightly. No doubt he had run up all 7 flights of stairs.

Harry looked down at Ginny, then back up at Sirius. A wolfish grin was on his Godfather's face as he continued in a much quieter tone, "Hate to interrupt, but you've got work to do. Tuck her in, get your gear and rendezvous in Professor Dumbledore's office in 10 minutes. An emergency portkey is being prepared as we speak." Averting his eyes, Sirius strode back through the still-open portrait hole and shut it behind him.

With a sigh of regret Harry pulled Ginny into his arms and stood up, then walked over to the girl's dormitory stairs. Reaching out as far as he could with his left hand, he touched the wall and froze the stairway so he could walk up it. The magical venting system in place through his limiting bracers channeled the searing energy out through his back, as usual, weakening his transmutation considerably. It was an odd thing, that they couldn't actually limit his magical ability. Rather, they allowed about 15 per cent of expended magical energy to focus while exhausting the rest as heat through his back. It seemed a colossal waste of energy, why not just tell him not to transmute things? Shaking his head, Harry cleared his mind of frivolous thoughts and made his way up to Ginny's door.

Everyone else was fast asleep as Harry laid Ginny on top of her covers, then folded them over her. He snuck out of her room, shut the door silently and then ran as fast as he could for his own dormitory.

"Harry, let me remind you that you reserve the right to deny any mission put before you due to unnecessary risk. If you feel that this mission is above your abilities, simply say so and you will be excused, no questions asked." The Headmaster stared at Harry levelly, hoping that he would take the opportunity to sit one out.

The Boy who Lived looked straight ahead, silent and motionless, waiting to receive his orders. Well, Harry had never yet turned down a mission, regardless of how suicidal it seemed at the time. He grabbed hold of the tube sock that his Godfather proffered with a wink. "Stay sharp, Harry." He whispered.

"Very well, Harry. Our liaison in the Kenyan Ministry of Magic sent an urgent firecall to inform us that a Nundu has been sighted in the Great Rift Valley, just outside of the town of Maralal. They have asked us for a contingent of our Aurors to help subdue the creature before he reaches another town. The portkey will activate in ... 7 seconds. This is your last chance, Harry. The Nundu is widely known to be the deadliest creature in existence, don't throw your life-!" Whatever Albus was going to say next was interrupted by the all-too familiar tug behind his navel.