The Harry and Rose being ended up speaking with Professor McGonagall that evening about Professor Lockhart's incompetent instruction in class, and how he seemed more focused on displaying his fame than actually teaching. She listened to their concerns, but told them there was nothing she could do regarding it. When they told her they were planning to study Defense Against The Dark Arts on their own, she gave them a rare smile.
"An ambitious move to be sure." She said in response. "I am willing to assist you in learning any spell you come across in your research."
"Thanks, Professor." The Harry and Rose being replied.
They did their best to avoid Professor Lockhart whenever they could. Colin Creevey was more difficult to avoid, as he seemed to have memorized the Harry and Rose being's schedule. He would often come up to them and call, "All right, Harry and Rose?"
"Hello, Colin, doing just fine." The Harry and Rose being would respond.
It seemed to be thrilling for him to hear them say such words, especially when they spoke together. It didn't matter if they sounded weary of it, or even snapped at him angrily. Their anger toward him cooled eventually, the Harry and Rose being recognizing that he was simply enjoying the responses, and if he could get it, the company of the person that was so famous and someone he seemed to admire a great deal. They didn't like it, but that wasn't a reason to be angry with him.
Along with that was Ron's malfunctioning wand, which created quite a problem during charms class when it flew out of his hand, striking Professor Flitwick between the eyes and creating a rather large boil there. The Harry and Rose being was looking forward to the weekend, and had planned to visit Hagrid that Saturday. However, they woke earlier than planned.
September 5, 1992.
A firm knocking woke the Harry and Rose being. They blinked their eyes open and yawned, stretching a little before the Rose half got up and moved to the door. Straightening her night clothes, she gripped the knob and turned it, pulling the door soundlessly open. Oliver Wood stood on the other side.
"Yes?" She asked as the Harry half curled up in the bed, getting more comfortable.
"Quidditch practice! Come on, Harry, up!" Wood stated, clapping his hands.
The Harry and Rose being sighed and the Rose half asked, "Now? Do you know how early it is?"
"Yes, I do. It's part of our new training program." Wood replied with a gleam of crazed enthusiasm burning in his eyes. "Come on, Harry, up, and grab your broom, let's do this. None of the other teams have started training yet; we're going to be first off the mark this year."
"I'll be there in a bit." The Rose half said as the Harry half climbed from the bed, shivering a little.
"You can come if you want, but Harry, got to wake up!" Wood said, snapping his fingers.
The Harry half sighed, then said, "Okay. We'll be there." They didn't want to deal with Wood's questions about them this early, so opted to speak as the individuals they weren't.
"Good man, Harry." Wood said with a grin. "Meet you on the field in fifteen minutes."
The Rose half closed the door as the Harry half pulled his Quidditch robes from the dresser and pulled them on. The Rose half dressed casual and slung a cloak around her shoulders as the Harry half put on a cloak of his own. Together, they left their room, the Harry half carrying the Nimbus Two Thousand. As they crossed the room, the Harry and Rose being heard a clattering from the direction of the boys staircase. Colin Creevey was hurrying down the stairs, camera swinging wildly from his neck and something clutched in his hand.
"I heard someone saying your name in the common room, Harry! Look what I've got here! I've had it developed, I wanted to show you..."
The Harry half gazed down at the photograph, which was a black and white picture. Professor Lockhart was struggling to grasp the Harry and Rose being, the Rose half pulling the Harry half away as they tried to evade him. Panting, Professor Lockhart eventually dropped his arms, the Harry and Rose being not quite as in a good of view as professor Lockhart was. At seeing this, the Harry and Rose being smiled a little.
"Will you sign it?" Colin eagerly asked.
"No." The Harry and Rose being responded flatly. "I've got to go to Quidditch practice."
As they started to climb through the portrait hole, Colin said behind them, "Oh, wow! Wait for me! I've never watched a Quidditch game before!"
"Really." The Harry and Rose being responded, feeling somewhat bothered by his constant chatter. "I'd never have guessed."
"You were the youngest House player in a hundred years, weren't you, Harry? Weren't you?" Colin said, his voice still eager, his face excited. "You must be brilliant. I've never flown. Is it easy? Is that your own broom? Is that the best one there is?"
"Flying was easy for me, this was the best broom there is I think, I was the youngest house player in a century, yes." The Harry and Rose being responded in a resigned tone.
"I don't really understand Quidditch. Is it true there are four balls? And two of them fly around trying to knock people off their brooms?" Colin asked in a breathless voice.
"Yes." The Harry and Rose being responded, feeling a little irritated but showing nothing. "Those are called Bludgers, the beaters try and keep them away from our team mates and hit them toward the other team. Fred and George Weasley are the beaters for the Gryffindor team."
"And what are the other balls for?" Colin asked.
The Rose half quickly caught him before he tumbled and he stared up at her with pure awe.
"Focus, focus." She said, snapping her fingers in front of his face and grinning a little. Despite them self, the Harry and Rose being felt amused at his admiration, though wished he wouldn't be around them quite so much.
"Now." The Harry and Rose being continued. "The Quaffle, the red ball, is the one used to score goals for ten points each. There's three chasers on each team that try and get the Quaffle through the goal hoops of the other team. The keeper tries to block them from scoring. The last ball is the Snitch, worth a hundred and fifty points. The seeker has to catch it, but it's very fast and difficult to do. The game doesn't end until the seeker catches it."
"And you're the Gryffindor seeker, aren't you, Harry?" Colin asked in awe.
"Yes." The Harry half responded as they left the school and started walking across the grounds. "I'll be in the changing rooms for a while."
"But you can stay with me, can't you, Rose? And we can talk? And you can tell me all about what Harry does and what he's learned, right?" Colin asked.
"I'm not staying." The Rose half responded. "I'm going back inside."
"But aren't you Harry's soul mate or something?" Colin asked. "Don't you have to stay together?"
"No, we don't have to stay together, and I'm one being, one soul, not two bound together." The Harry and Rose being responded.
"Oh, wow!" Colin responded, staring with pure awe. "That's why you talk at the same time all the time?"
"One of the reasons, yes." The Harry and Rose being said, then the Harry half slipped into the changing rooms.
"Well I'll go and get a good seat!" Colin said in an excited voice, then hurried off. The Rose half sighed, turned around, then strode quickly off through the field and back up to the castle, planning to wait for Ron in the Gryffindor common room.
The Harry half entered the changing rooms and noticed that Wood seemed to be the only member of the Quidditch team that was actually awake and alert. Fred and George Weasley were sitting next to Alicia Spinnet, one of the chasers. It looked as if she was nodding off as she leaned against the wall behind her. Across from them sat Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, the other two chasers. They were yawning and their eyes looked tired.
"There you are, Harry, what kept you?" Wood asked briskly, though didn't give the Harry half a chance to respond. He simply continued speaking. "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference..."
"Unbelievable." The Rose half muttered as she made her way up the staircases to Gryffindor tower.
As Wood held up a diagram of a Quidditch field with differently colored arrows, lines and crosses and began to explain his strategy, Fred started to snore. The Rose half reached the Gryffindor common room and entered, gazing around with a frown as Wood droned on about his strategies. Tired from waking so early, the Harry and Rose being didn't pay much attention, the Rose half slumping down on the couch as the Harry half positioned himself in a clever position that would give Wood the idea he was paying attention. A while passed until the Gryffindors started to wake. Hermione came to the common room and the Rose half leapt up and hurried toward her.
"Oh, thank you." She said in pure relief. "Save me, Hermione, please!"
"What's wrong, Rose?" Hermione asked in concern.
"Our Quidditch captain Wood is droning on and on about some useless strategies I really don't care to hear right now. I just want to eat, get something for the Harry half to eat and bring it to him. So please, please divert my attention from this ridiculousness." The Rose half stated, then grinned. "Just kidding, you being here is good enough. Where's Ron, still sleeping?"
"I'd imagine so." Hermione replied with a smile of her own.
"Well, it's time he wakes up." The Rose half declared with a smirk.
The Harry and Rose being felt a swell of excitement. If Wood was going to drone on about useless strategy they didn't care to focus on, at least they could have fun in another way. Silent like a cat, the Rose half bounded up the stairs and went to the second year dormitory for the boys. Carefully, she listened to the sound, then softly knocked. Moments later, Neville opened the door a little.
"Rose." He said in surprise. "What's up?"
"Can I come in?" She asked quietly. "I think my good pal Ron needs to wake up."
Neville chuckled and stepped aside. The Rose half entered and gazed quickly around the room, then made her way toward Ron. As Wood moved his second diagram of the day aside to make way for another, the Rose half moved to the head of his bed and leaned over with a grin. Seamus, Dean and Neville were all watching. Carefully, the Rose half moved the covers from his bed, then in a smooth motion, lifted him effortlessly.
"Time to get up, Ron!" She hollered loudly.
Ron woke with a start and flailed in her arms. The Rose half tossed him on to his bed and looked down at his terrified face, laughing and clapping.
"That was worth it!" She shouted, the Harry half's face twitching into a little grin as the Harry and Rose being felt a giddy exuberance at the prank they'd pulled on him. "Oh, and Ron?"
Ron, who was starting to calm, shot them a look and said, "What was that for!"
"I want my friend, now!" The Rose half said, stomping her feet like a petulant child, looking furious. "And if you don't wake up when I want you next time, I'll dump cold water on you!" She laughed and Ron gave her a weak smile.
"What brought this on, anyway?" Ron asked.
"The boring Quidditch talk, and I'm a little tired so I want to do something to wake me up and have a little fun." The Rose half responded. "So, want to have breakfast, Ron?"
He grumbled as he climbed from the bed and the Rose half chuckled, turned, then started to leave the dormitory.
"I wouldn't want to get on your bad side, maybe not your good side, either." Neville said. "But that was pretty cool."
"Oh, you just wait." The Rose half responded darkly. "I've got plans for my friend Ronald Weasley."
Behind her, Ron picked up a pillow and threw it at the Rose half.
"Shove off." He said.
The Rose half turned, grabbed the pillow, then threw it with enough force to knock him down. Laughing, she sprinted from the dormitory and shouted, "Catch me if you can, Ronny boy!"
It wasn't long that they ate some breakfast in the great hall, and after a moments thought, the Harry and Rose being decided to see how much the Rose half could take from the great hall. Some of the professors, including McGonagall, were eating at the high table. After eating herself, the Rose half made her way over to them and they looked up at her.
"Professor McGonagall, how much food would I be allowed to take from the great hall?" The Rose half asked. "The Harry half's rather hungry along with the rest of the Quidditch team."
"You may take as much as you wish, but not on the plates we have here." Professor McGonagall responded. "If you like, I can conjure a tray and goblets for you."
"Thanks, Professor." The Rose half responded sincerely as Professor McGonagall walked back to the Gryffindor table with her.
"Watch closely." Professor McGonagall indicated. "Conjuration is some of the most difficult magic. Focus is required for the objects to appear as you wish them to, and usually, such spells are not taught until N.E.W.T. level."
She pulled out her wand and waved it, a large tray, plates, several utensils and seven goblets appeared, the plates and goblets grouped on smaller trays of their own.
"What's N.E.W.T. stand for, Professor?" The Rose half asked, the Harry and Rose being ever curious.
"Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test." Professor McGonagall responded. "And believe me, the tests live up to their name. If you continue learning at double the normal rate, you may elect to take such exams at the end of what would normally be your forth year of schooling."
"You said nothing when you conjured these." The Rose half said, waving at the assortment of dishes on the table that Professor McGonagall had conjured.
"True." She responded. "This is also incredibly difficult, but is called non-verbal magic."
"Because you say nothing to perform the spell?" The Rose being asked, finding this far more interesting than Wood's Quidditch talk.
"Correct, but this also requires a great degree of mental focus to achieve." Professor McGonagall replied.
"How does it work?" Hermione asked eagerly, having come over to listen to the lecture.
"Within your mind, you must concentrate on the spell you are attempting to perform." Professor McGonagall replied, looking like she did when lecturing in class. "Your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will normally teach you the process on how to perform non-verbal magic, along with its usefulness."
"Can any spell be performed non-verbally?" The Rose half asked.
"Yes." Professor McGonagall responded.
The Rose half pulled out her wand eagerly and said, "Something simple, Lumos, perhaps." She thought hard, though nothing happened.
"It may take you some time before you master the technique." Professor McGonagall stated strictly. "It will not be dangerous for you to practice, should you wish to do so."
"Ah, Professor McGonagall, Rose!" Professor Lockhart said in a jovial voice. "Teaching non-verbal magic, are you? Incredibly difficult to master, I must say, but I've got quite a few pointers on the technique to share."
"Oh, that's okay, Professor." The Rose half responded. "I've got to run some breakfast to the Quidditch team, anyway."
"Delightful!" Professor Lockhart said, clapping her on the shoulder. "Simply marvelous that you're willing to go that extra mile to help your friends! I'll leave you to it, then!" And with that, Professor Lockhart moved off in a jaunty manner.
The Rose half poured pumpkin juice into the goblets and dished a fair amount of food on each plate. When she finished, Professor McGonagall tapped each plate and goblet with her wand, saying, "I have placed warming charms on the plates and cooling charms on the goblets for you."
"Thanks a lot, Professor." The Rose half said with a grin, picking up the tray and walking toward the exit to the great hall.
"Ah, and here she is now. Lost Potter, have you?" Malfoy asked with a sneer.
"Oh no, not at all." The Rose half replied calmly.
"Well, I wouldn't want to delay you in your most... Perilous journey." Malfoy said in a cool, level tone.
As the Rose half passed Malfoy and his entourage, Crabbe stuck out his foot to try and trip her. The Harry and Rose being expected something like that, simply jumping over it and taking long, quick strides toward the large double doors. As she moved out into the cool air, she gazed around, hearing Ron and Hermione talking as they followed her. Colin was in the stands, the Rose half noted as she got closer. Spotting her, he waved eagerly.
"Look this way, Rose!" He called, taking pictures.
The Rose half didn't. She simply moved toward the changing rooms a little quicker, the Harry and Rose being hearing Wood continuing to drone on about his Quidditch strategy. Mentally, the Harry and Rose being rubbed their hands together, then the Rose half balanced the tray carefully on one arm before opening the door. Caught by surprise, Wood stared at her and George jerked awake, Fred following suit a moment later.
"Breakfast!" She said with a cheerful grin.
"I was right in the middle of explaining a very important formation for our team so we can win this year." Wood responded irritably.
"And I'm hungry, so is everyone else." The Harry half responded as he grabbed a tray with a plate and goblet on it. "Besides, everyone will be a little more alert when they're eating."
"Well, before we eat this fabulous breakfast Rose has retrieved for us, I've got a question." George stated. "Why couldn't you have explained all of this yesterday, when we were awake, Oliver?"
Wood glowered and stated in a displeased voice, "Now, listen here, you lot. We should have won the Quidditch cup last year. We're easily the best team. But unfortunately, owing to circumstances beyond our control..."
The Harry and Rose being looked a little guilty at that, since they'd been in the hospital wing during the time they normally would have won the cup. Wood took a little time to regain control of himself and the Harry and Rose being frowned. He seemed quite obsessed over something as simple as a game.
"Well, thanks for this, Rose." Fred said with a smile, the others also thanking her, all but Oliver Wood.
"We didn't need this disruption to the schedule." Wood stated. "We've only got twenty minutes for me to finish explaining this before we go out there and train."
"Ease up, Oliver, seriously." The Harry and Rose being said with a little irritation.
"Ease up?" Wood asked, almost shouting. "Do you know how much work this is, what it's cost to get this far? You'll find out if you're ever Quidditch captain some day, then you'll know!"
"Harry and Rose are right." Katie Bell said as she dug in to her breakfast. "We'll eat, then go out there."
"Oh, fine." Wood responded. "But if we lose because of this, I'm not going to be happy with you, young lady." He pointed a finger firmly at the Rose half.
"Oh, very well, then." The Rose half replied. "But if we lose, it won't be because of lack of effort on our team's fault, will it?"
Everyone glanced up at her.
"Oh, come on, let's have a no, ma'am." The Rose half said with a bit of a grin.
"No, ma'am." They muttered.
"What!" The Rose half shouted. "I didn't hear that, let's try it again!"
"No, ma'am!" The Gryffindor team shouted, including the Harry half. The Harry and Rose being mentally laughed at the odd image of playing the individuals in this case.
"Right then, let's get our stomachs full and get out there to train!" The Rose half replied eagerly. Despite himself, Wood looked impressed with her impromptu speech.
"You wouldn't make a bad Captain." Wood said.
"I've got to do something to wake up, don't I?" The Rose half asked as the Harry half quickly ate.
The Rose half left them to it and made her way to Ron and Hermione, noticing the son was up. They'd been in the changing room quite a long time, then, she noted. As she sat, Ron asked, "Have they even started yet?"
"No, not yet." She replied. "I got them all to eat, though, so that's something at least. Wood's a real fanatic about Quidditch."
"Yeah? And you're a real fanatic about waking me up early in the morning." Ron responded with a fake glare.
"And you know you liked it." The Rose half retorted, gazing out over the Quidditch field.
After the team finished eating their breakfast, and Wood finished his explanations of their moves, they exited and kicked off from the ground. The Harry and Rose being grinned at the joy of flight, the Harry half racing Fred and George around the stadium. They soon became aware of Colin's camera clicking as he took pictures.
"What's that clicking noise?" Fred asked.
"Just Colin taking pictures." The Harry half responded as Colin called to him to get closer to him. Instead, the Harry half flew in a wide arc away from him, flying in a loop for the fun of it.
"What's going on? Why's that first year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training program." Wood said with a frown as he flew over to them.
"He's in Gryffindor." The Harry half responded.
"And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver." George responded.
Curious, the Harry and Rose being gazed out at the field and could see the Slytherin team walking on to the field with broomsticks in their hands. The Rose half frowned.
"Well, isn't this grand." She said. "The Slytherin team's here."
"What makes you say that?" The Harry half heard Wood ask.
"What?" The Rose half heard Ron ask, leaping up from his seat.
"Come on." The Rose half responded.
"Because they're here in person." The Harry half heard George respond at the same moment the Rose half and Ron spoke.
"It's just like them to come when the Gryffindors are training." The Rose half heard Ron grumble.
"I don't believe it!" The Harry half heard Wood say in outrage. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!"
"And apparently over Gryffindors having the field for the day." The Rose half said as she, Ron and Hermione clambered down the stands to the field below. At the same moment, the Harry half followed Wood to the ground.
"Flint! This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!" The Harry half heard Wood bellow angrily, the Rose half aware of his voice from a distance.
"This doesn't look so good." The Rose half heard Hermione say to herself.
"Plenty of room for all of us, Wood." The Harry half heard Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch captain, reply.
"As usual, the Gryffindors and Slytherins are being confrontational." The Rose half said.
Angelina, Alicia, and Katie joined the rest of the Gryffindor team, who faced the Slytherins.
"But I booked the field! I booked it!" The Harry half heard Wood say, enraged.
"That's no surprise." The Rose half heard Ron say. "It's not as if we're friends or anything. Besides, you know how Slytherins are."
"Yes, I do." The Rose half replied.
At the same moment they were talking, the Harry half heard Flint say, "Ah, but I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape that says this. 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."
"Hmm, seems the Slytherins have a new seeker." The Rose half said.
"Who?" The Rose half heard Ron ask.
At the same moment, the Harry half heard Wood ask in a distracted voice, "You've got a new Seeker? Where?"
"It's Malfoy." The Rose half said as the Harry half spotted him smirking.
"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" The Harry half heard Fred ask.
"Typical, just Typical." The Rose half heard Ron respond as they got closer to the Gryffindors.
"Funny you should mention Draco's father." The entire Slytherin team was smiling as Flint spoke. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."
"Oh, please." The Rose half sighed quietly as seven new and shiny broomsticks were shown off, shiny gold lettering on them reading Nimbus Two Thousand.
"What is it now?" The Rose half heard Ron ask.
The Harry half heard Flint speaking at the same moment. "Very latest model. Only came out last month." He sounded as if it was something easy to afford that didn't really matter.
"They're just showing off their new broomsticks is all." The Rose half replied. "That's probably how they got on the team."
The Rose half heard Hermione huff in disgust and turned toward her. At the same moment, the Harry half heard Flint continue.
"I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps," He smiled in a nasty way at Fred and George, who both were using Cleansweep Fives. "Sweeps the board with them."
The Rose half heard Hermione speaking at the same time as they got closer, saying quietly, "If that's true, that's really quite terrible, buying your way on to a team?"
"Oh, look, a field invasion." Flint said as he saw Ron, Hermione and the Rose half coming to join the Gryffindors.
As Ron stared at the broomsticks the Slytherins had, he gaped. Recovering after a moment, Ron said, "Heard you're the new Seeker, Malfoy."
"That's right, Weasley. Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team." Malfoy added smoothly, "Good, aren't they? But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."
The Slytherin team howled in mirth and Malfoy looked smug.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in, they got in because of their talent." Hermione said sharply.
Malfoy's smug look flickered a little and he spat angrily, ""No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."
Instantly, there was an uproar of activity. Flint dove in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George from jumping on him. Alicia shouted, "How dare you!" Ron pulled his wand from his robes and shouted, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" He aimed it at Malfoy's face under Flint's arm and a green light exited the other end of the wand with a bang, hitting Ron in the stomach and sending him flying on to the grass.
"Ron!" The Harry and Rose being shouted along with Hermione, running over to him.
"Ron, Ron! Are you all right?" Hermione was saying in concern.
He opened his mouth to speak and belched loudly, several slugs falling from his mouth to his lap. The Slytherins were laughing so hard they couldn't move. Flint was doubled over with laughter, clutching his broomstick. Malfoy was on all fours hitting the ground with his fists, tears of laughter streaming from his eyes. The Gryffindors were surrounding Ron and the Harry and Rose being went to either side of him.
"Let's get him to Hagrid's, that's the closest." They said as they helped him to stand. "Come on, Ron."
Looking worried, Hermione stood behind him and the Rose half spotted Colin hurrying toward them as they left the field, saying, "What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he ill? But you can cure him, can't you?"
Ron heaved and more slugs dribbled down his front.
"Ooooh cool!" Colin said with fascination. "Can you hold him still, Harry?" He was raising his camera.
"Out of the way, Colin." The Harry and Rose being snapped angrily.
They continued to support Ron as they moved across the grounds to Hagrid's house at the edge of the forest.
"Almost there, Ron." The Harry and Rose being said reassuringly.
They were about twenty feet from the door when it opened. Professor Lockhart was exiting and the Harry and Rose being pulled Ron behind a bush.
"Over here, come on." They hissed to Hermione, who reluctantly followed.
"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing! If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one, I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, good-bye!" Professor Lockhart said loudly to Hagrid before striding toward the castle.
Once he was out of sight, the Harry and Rose being hurried to his door with Ron, Hermione following close behind. They urgently knocked and Hagrid opened the door, his grumpy expression brightening when he saw them.
"Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me, come in, come in, thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again..."
The Harry and Rose being supported Ron through the doorway and Hermione followed them inside. As they entered, the Harry and Rose being said, "Ron's got a bit of a slug problem, he's throwing them up."
Hagrid didn't seem worried, the Harry and Rose being noted as they lowered him into a chair. He simply said cheerfully, "Better out than in." He set a basin in front of him and added, "Get 'em all up, Ron."
"I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop." Hermione anxiously said, watching Ron bending over the basin. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand..."
"Hey, away with you." The Harry and Rose being lightly pushed Fang away from them, who was slobbering on the Harry half's robes. He left with a bit of a whine and went to Hermione, who scratched him behind the ears. After a moment of watching Hagrid move around making tea, the Harry and Rose being asked, "What did professor Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?"
"Givin' me advice on gettin' kelpies out of a well, like I don' know. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle." Hagrid growled in an irritated tone. The Harry and Rose being looked at him in surprise.
Hermione spoke in a voice higher than usual, saying, "I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job."
"He was the on'y man for the job." Hagrid responded, offering a plate of treacle fudge to them as Ron coughed into the basin. "An' I mean the on'y one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed. No one's lasted long fer a while now. So tell me." Hagrid glanced at Ron. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"
"Malfoy." The Harry and Rose being replied. "He called Hermione something that must have been bad, everyone accept Hermione and me that is, seemed to think it wasn't very nice."
"It was bad." Ron said in a hoarse voice as he looked up from the basin, looking pale and sweaty. "He called her a Mudblood, Hagrid."
Ron hastily bent back over the basin again and Hagrid looked outraged.
"He didn'!" He growled angrily.
"He did." She replied. "But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course."
"It's about the most insulting thing he could think of." Ron gasped as he rose his head from the basin. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born, you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards, like Malfoy's family, who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood." He let out a small burp, a single slug falling into his hand. He threw it in the basin and continued. "I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at Nevillele Longbottom, he's pure-blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up."
"An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can' do." Hagrid said proudly. Hermione blushed.
"It's a disgusting thing to call someone. Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd have died out." Ron said as he wiped his sweaty forehead with a shaking hand, then threw up more slugs into the basin.
"Well, I don blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron." Hagrid said, speaking loudly over the thuds of slugs hitting the basin. "Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble."
"Trouble doesn't get much worse than poor Ron... Oh this is really annoying." The Rose half stated, grabbed the Harry half's jaw, then wrenched it open. The treacle fudge Hagrid had given them was more like glue. Perhaps, the Harry and Rose being thought, they shouldn't take it next time.
"Harry and Rose, gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?" Hagrid asked quite suddenly.
"I haven't been giving out signed photos." The Harry and Rose being stated coolly. "If professor Lockhart's still spreading that around I'll..."
They stopped when they noticed Hagrid laughing.
"I'm on'y jokin'." He said, patting the Rose half on the back hard enough to nearly send her into the table. "I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn' need tha'. Yer more famous than him without tryin'."
"I bet he didn't like that." The Harry and Rose being said with a bit of a grin.
"Don' think he did. An' then I told him I'd never read one o' his books an' he decided ter go." Ron emerged and Hagrid added, "Treacle fudge, Ron?"
"No thanks, better not risk it." Ron responded weakly.
Aside from Ron's slug difficulty, the rest of that day passed normally. The Harry and Rose being spent quite a bit of time studying their work and practicing spells for Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Learning ahead of the other students was more difficult than they thought it would be, but even so, they enjoyed the challenge. As the Harry and Rose being curled up in bed that night, they smiled softly. This year at Hogwarts, there wasn't anything to protect, no Voldemort, and nothing out of the ordinary. For Hogwarts, everything was boringly normal, something they quite enjoyed, and when the full moon arrived again, they spent a perfect time with Ron and Hermione, their two best friends that accepted them fully. Everything was perfect, but their perfect normality was soon to be shattered.