Confessions and Conspiracies

Harry awoke the next morning, having not told Ron and Hermione what had happened last night. He had decided he would let them tell him when they wanted, and he would assure them he was ok with it when they decided to bring it up. He was trying to be as friendly with them as possible.

October headed towards its dramatic close with the fiery build up to the first match of the Quidditch season, and Harry's first as captain. Tensions were high as usual, and the Gryffindor team found themselves under a barrage of attacks from the Slytherins. But the morning preceding the match, Harry was amazed to here Cho Chang talking about him behind his back. He was walking to breakfast on the morning of the match with Ron and Hermione (who seemed to have become better about not being in the team after seeing the jeers and taunts again), when Cho was walking in the other direction, with her friend Marietta.

Upon catching sight of Harry, whom she had been distinctly cold with ever since he had turned her down, she raised her voice slightly.

"Yeah he was a rubbish kisser, totally awful, I don't know what I saw in him..." she said tartly, but before Harry could say anything she was gone, her and her friend giggling slightly.

"H-Harry?" said Hermione gently.

Harry didn't say anything. He was totally in shock of this, he had received stupid comments before, but from Cho? He turned and strode into the hall, before so savagely cutting up his bacon bits went flying everywhere. Hermione quickly grabbed hold of his arm.

"Calm down Harry!" she said urgently. "Save it for the Quidditch Pitch!" Harry took a breath. She was right. Nodding at her and mumbling an apology, he finished his breakfast, (slightly less erratically,) before he and Ron headed to the changing rooms.

Harry had been privately dreading the pre-game speech, but after giving commands in the D.A, Harry found giving strategy talks surprisingly easy.

"Ok," he said seriously, "we know that we can beat Ravenclaw, and we know what we're going to do. Just keep going through the moves like in practise and we'll win this easily." They nodded back at him, Ron smiling encouragingly, and Harry picked up his broom and led the team out of the tunnel.

The Quidditch Stadium was packed with supporters, and as the team emerged a roar went up from the Gryffindors. Madame Hooch beckoned him over.

"Captains, shake hands!" she barked loudly. Harry shook hands with Henry who was, Harry was happy to see, looking very nervous. "On my whistle!" Madame Hooch said loudly, and the teams mounted their brooms. "3... 2... 1..." She blew her whistle hard and Harry rocketed upwards on his Firebolt, as below him the game began. As usual Lee Jordan was commentating.

"And Ginny Weasley seizes the Quaffle first, she passes over to Colin Creevey, who reverse passes to Ginny again. But no, it's intercepted by Ravenclaw's Charlotte Jones, who drops it! Nice bludger there Leanne, Lavender catches. She's streaking at goal, Peters dives for it... GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"

Harry started to cheer along with the Gryffindors before realising that Cho was approaching on her circuit of the pitch. The two's eyes met, and she spoke to him harshly.

"You really were a lousy kisser, Potter." She spat. Harry couldn't believe his ears, why had Cho turned on him so suddenly? But Harry wasn't going to put up with this. He made up his mind as he went past her, and he pulled a little way away from her. He gasped loudly so that Cho turned around, and narrowed his eyes. He streaked towards the ground beneath her. Cho didn't even look for the snitch, she dived straight down in front of him.

They were side by side, Harry leaned forward mightily on his Firebolt, urging it level with Cho's, who was looking for the snitch in bewilderment. Harry pulled in front of her so she followed right behind him. Plummeting towards the ground, Harry prepared himself. He pulled up at the last second, and immediately turned around and saw Cho try to change direction, but too late. She fell from her broom onto the soft ground and rolled a few metres before stopping. She was breathing heavily, but seemed ok. Harry took off upwards again, determined to make the most of this brief respite to look for the snitch.

Beneath him, the game had now reached a score of 30 points to 10 to Gryffindor. Harry circled the pitch quickly, his eyes peeled for the snitch. And then, as he went past Ron's goal and Cho was getting back on her broom, he saw it, glittering by Leanne's bat. He flattened himself against his Firebolt and charged after the snitch, Leanne moved composedly as she saw him speeding towards her, and soon Harry's hand closed around the golden snitch. Harry raised his arm in triumph over his head, as the Gryffindors roared their approval.

*

The Gryffindor team emerged back in the common room later to wild cheers. Hermione ran up and threw her arms around Ron's neck. He looked like trying to kiss her, but then drew back, looking over at Harry.

"Its alright, I know," Harry said quickly, grinning.

"You know?" Hermione squeaked. "How?"

"I'll explain later, when it's a bit quieter." Harry said quickly. Winking at them, Harry went to talk to Ginny about the game.

"Good Wronski Feint Harry!" she said. "I watched it and you're as good as Krum is!"

Harry laughed. "Thanks! You played really well too." Ginny blushed slightly and murmured that it was nothing. They stood there in slightly uncomfortable silence, before Harry got dragged away to talk to Colin Creevey which, for once, he was mildly thankful for.

Harry wasn't quite sure why his last conversation with Ginny had been awkward. He looked over at her, and caught her looking at him, but she quickly looked away. Harry frowned. What was going on?

He dwelt on this matter for most of the evening, along with what he was to say to Ron and Hermione. Harry went up to his room a bit later, assuring Ron he would be back when the common room was emptier, and sat on his bed. He took out the Marauders map, and peered at it quickly, to see how many people were still in the common room.

But something else caught his eye. He saw a figure waiting in Hogsmeade outside the Hogwarts gates. It was labelled: "Albus Dumbledore". Harry was curious as to why he would be there, but before he could think about why Dumbledore would be there, another figure appeared. It was labelled "Remus Lupin", who had obviously just apparated there. He watched as they both strolled down through Hogsmeade, and up past the Shrieking Shack. They stopped around a corner from there, on a small road that Harry had not been up before. His heart almost stopped as then, quite suddenly, a building appeared. Upon reading its name, Harry's heart gave another jolt. "Godric's Hollow".

Harry was so shocked by this, because he instantly recognised the name as that of the house his parents had been in before Lord Voldemort killed them. Looking back quickly at the map, Harry watched Dumbledore and Lupin leave. His eyes roved back to the common room and, upon seeing that it was empty save for Ron and Hermione, he wrenched open the door and sprinted down the steps.

He walked in to find them in each other's arms, but they sprang apart at the sight of Harry.

"It's ok," Harry said breathlessly, "I err... I saw you last night."

"What?" said Ron quickly.

Harry took a breath, and explained about his reading the note, his early escape from detention, and his following Ron under the invisibility cloak. Hermione, who had been more then a little annoyed at Harry's reading of their private note, seemed to forgive him on the basis that he was ok with their relationship.

"I err...." Harry grinned slightly, "hope you two have a long and happy relationship!" He laughed out loud at this, and Ron did too, much to Hermione's distaste, but soon she was laughing also. Then Harry sat up straight, as if remembering something.

"Oh yeah!" he said suddenly. "Just now in my room, I was looking at the Marauder's map, to see if the common room was empty..." Harry went on and explained what he had seen. When he finished, he sat back, looking straight out of the window. Ron and Hermione were sat in silence too, a silence which Hermione broke.

"When will we go?" she asked simply.

Harry felt a wave of relief, he knew instantly that he wanted to go there. Hermione continued.

"There are no more Hogsmeade weekends until Hogsmeade can be classified as safe." Said Hermione.

"What?" said Harry.

"Professor McGonagall said it in her N.E.W.Ts speech." Hermione answered.

"That complicates things." Ron said gloomily. Harry screwed up his face in concentration, before he had an idea.

"Why don't we go after the Halloween ball?" Harry asked.

"Yeah!" Ron immediately enthused, looking eagerly at Hermione, who smiled at him, nodding.

"Yes I think that would work." She said. Harry felt a tingle of excitement. The Halloween ball was on the 2nd of November, just three nights time. Leaving the other two to say goodnight to each other, Harry went upstairs to his room, where Neville, Dean and Seamus all were asleep. Getting quietly into bed, Harry reflected on the Halloween ball, and his impending visit to his parent's house. But then another thought sprang into his head. Who would he ask to the ball?