A/N: Obligatory disclaimer and lack of ownership over Harry Potter. Happy end of 2021 to everyone and thank you all for the favorites, reviews and follows. More ideas have been taking root and I'm working on not starting a second story until this one moves to at lease the halfway point.
"Come on Ron! Ten more minutes with you at keeper left!" Fred yelled as he thwacked a Bludger towards Alicia Spinnet. She flipped him the bird as she dodged before passing the Quaffle to Hermione who shot it past Ron for a goal. The three girls playing Chaser whooped and reformed into an inverted "V" as the ball was tossed back into play.
"She's not half bad, Harry. You taught her to fly just over the last month?"
Harry brushed his sweaty fringe off his face, the shorter pieces escaping from his current ponytail, and smiled at Angelina Johnson. She'd taken Saturday morning off from flying along with Harry to play football and watch the Gryffindor Quidditch team fly some of next year's prospects. Hermione had the idea to have some of the open positions not only train with the team but against them as well, since Gryffindor had won the Cup the past three years running, if the new players could hold their own against their prospective new team, then they had a pretty good chance of making on the team in the first place.
"Sort of," Harry replied, watching Hermione and Ginny passing the Quaffle back and forth, while chugging from his water bottle. He and Hermione had purchased enough for themselves and the Quidditch team while over the summer and the house elves kept them full and cold. Remus and Sirius decided that physical training (well Remus decided since most of his employment took place in the muggle world and even with superior werewolf strength stamina in a fight was a good thing) needed to be added to Harry and Hermione's lessons over the summer and the water bottles were a godsend.
Hermione weaved under Cho Chang, who had joined Fred as a beater when George wanted to play football, and caught an underhanded toss from Ginny. The two girls headed for the goals as they kept the Quaffle in motion, even tossing it behind them to Alicia when Cho hit a bludger at Ginny. Hermione waved from the left hand goal and Ron smiled wickedly.
"I've got you now, Granger! Just try and get past me!" For some reason Ron couldn't seem to block any of Hermione's attempts at scoring. She moved so it looked like she was going to try for the innermost edge of the goal before darting behind Ron to score in the open center.
"Damn it, Hermione, that's cheating that is!" Ron bellowed.
"Hah! It's fair and you know it, Ronald!" Hermione whooped as Fred grabbed the Quaffle and threw it back to Ginny.
"Mi had the basics of it down but she's afraid of falling, not so much flying. That's what we had to work on. She didn't realize how much control we actually have over a broom based on just intent alone because she was too afraid to let go and just fly." Harry smiled. Hermione rarely if ever let her wilder side out when it wasn't just him. She was wary of it around even Ron because of his tendency to mock her without paying attention to exactly how bad he was hurting her feelings. Seeing her laugh and yell like the fourteen year old she was instead of always hiding with her books made him feel good.
"Hmmm, well I would consider her for a chaser next year if the three of us weren't all coming back. Hell, I'd consider her as a backup if she'd do it?" The dark skinned girl glanced at Harry. "What do you guys do besides study and have life defying adventures anyway?"
He laughed. "No, I doubt it. It's hard enough to get her out here on weekends when the weather is nice. I doubt she'd go for practicing during the week. She'd much rather be reading." His eyes darted back to the sky. "It's been great having these two months with nothing scheduled. And we do things other than go to the library. Ron's designing a new wizard chess set with pieces that look like his favorite Quidditch players with Dean and Hermione and I are going to work on enchanting it." He shot a glare at Angelina. "And I don't look for trouble."
The castle was currently decked out with Triwizard Tournament banners and memorabilia announcing the three participating schools and that of age Champions would be facing three "life altering" challenges to test their bravery, dedication and skill. Professors had been incorporating some of the spells used by participants in past tournaments into their lessons, mostly as a bit of history for those below sixth year, but Hermione had still managed to check out all the books she could find in the library on the Tournament. Even History of Magic was somewhat interesting now with Hermione being able to sidetrack Binns into giving a rundown of the times he'd witnessed the Tournament when he was alive.
The only part that made Harry nervous was the idea that the whole thing was scrapped because people died. Alot. And of course they didn't teach that part. Hermione found it in her research and had to share it.
Fred blew the whistle ending the round and bringing Harry's mind back to the pitch when a flash of motion caught out of the corner of Harry's eye.
"MI, DUCK!"
The players on the ground watched as Harry simultaneously yelled and drew his wand, silently freezing a Bludger just a foot from where Hermione's shoulder was a moment before. If she would have hesitated, would have looked down at Harry, or asked a question instead of just flattening herself against the broom handle the moment he yelled, she would have been hit.
Grabbing his Firebolt from the sidelines, Harry flew up and tossed the immoble ball to Fred before laying a hand on Hermione's quivering back.
"Hermione? Okay, let's get you on the ground. Ground first, panic second, okay?"
Hermione nodded and raised her head to glance at her best friend. Her hair was a mess, wild curls sticking up from all directions out of her ponytail, her breathing just starting to become irregular and her pupils were blown wide in panic. She followed him (and everyone else) down before dropping to her knees and starting to shake. She'd just reacted when she heard Harry, didn't stop to think, just moved and when she saw where the rogue Bludger had stopped…well a dislocated shoulder would have been the least of her worries. And flying was just beginning to seem like something she could do to relax. And now she couldn't stop shaking.
Harry's arm wound around her shoulder while he moved in front of her effectively hiding her from view. The voices around her sounded too loud in her ears.
"Why is she shaking like that?"
"Did she get hit?"
"Where did that Bludger come from?"
"Oh, Merlin! Granger, I am so sorry!" Cho burst out, trying to crowd in next to the two but the rest of the Gryffindor team wouldn't let the Ravenclaw close.
"Hermione, remember you told me it's just the adrenaline wearing off. You'll stop shaking in a couple of minutes." Harry turned his head a bit so the others couldn't hear. "Remember last year after Remus chased us? Neither of us could stop shaking." She'd sat with him enough times while the adrenaline spike wore down either from facing Voldemort the first two years or even worse while the after effects of casting against Dementors to know there was nothing to do but wait it out.
He turned hard green eyes to the Beaters. "What the hell happened up there?"
Cho brushed her hair out of her face. "It was me. I wasn't watching where I was hitting. I didn't see Grang…uh…Hermione there, I swear! I was just knocking the Bludger out of the way before we wrapped up and then I saw her. By the time I realized what I did, you were already in the air."
Ron lurched away when Hermione laid her head on her knees and blew out a heavy breath. When Harry looked at him, he shrugged, the tips of his ears turning red.
"I thought she was gonna throw up."
Hermione whispered something and Harry leaned down. When she repeated it he chuckled and hauled himself to his feet before offering both hands to Hermione. Who was now glaring at Ron.
"What? What'd she say?"
"I said…I sat with you while you puked up slugs for hours and you can't even comfort me for two minutes!"
"Hey now, slugs are different. And I was hit with a spell trying to defend you!"
"Yeah, they're gross, slimy, and produce their own lubrication. You're also leaving out the fact that you cast the spell in the first place!"
Fred and George stared wide-eyed at the intelligent Gryffindor. She'd always put Ron in his place in the past as much as she was able but the twins noticed her new, snarkier attitude the last month and were highly impressed. Not only was Hermione ridiculously smart but she had a head for strategy and if they could just get her onto their side for a little while…well the pranking possibilities were epic. She still had a rule abiding streak a mile wide though and neither had been able to get past it yet.
Harry knew from experience being bullied led to some interesting conversations in your head. The only place you could fight back with words and not get clobbered for it. Bringing those thoughts out in the open took time. And Hermione could be viscous, at least in her head (and his as the case was).
"Alright, I think we should all head in and shower before lunch. Hermione, are you okay to walk back?" Angelina asked taking charge of the three groups of students. Receiving a nod in confirmation, the group trudged back to the castle chatting about the twins' latest plans to be old enough to enter the Tournament on October 30th and Hermione trying to explain why it wouldn't possibly work.
Dumbledore stared at the large group of students returning to their dorms and frowned. Ravenclaws, Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs occasionally mingling was one thing, but the fact there were a handful of Slytherins with the group and that those students were just as included as the other houses bothered the wizened wizard greatly.
The house system was established to foster relationships with like minded individuals. Specific traits chosen and encouraged so that it was known Aurors (when the Ministry recruited and when there were graduates with acceptable grades) tended to come from the brazen Gryffs or loyal Puffs while politicians came from the cunning House of Snakes.
The problem with that was purebloods and those with pureblood ideals tended to be the only ones with those high ranking jobs in the Ministry. The old family money as well as the influence of those who came before them stagnated the Wizengamot and kept Magical Britain firmly entrenched in the Victorian Era. The idea that information and requests could be shared faster than apparition was a foreign concept to them. And there was very little magical movement outside of Britain for the old families. Where British muggles travelled to the continent or even the States for holiday, British magicals rarely left the immediate area of magical Britain. They assumed all Magical governments functioned in the same closed system.
Not that Albus minded that in the least. In fact, he was comfortable with how things were. Familiar, steady, traditional. As it was in his youth and in his parents' youth. And without major changes to laws or even the names of the players in the political arena, he felt his plans for defeating Voldemort were the only ones that would work. They were based on decades of the same people reacting the same way to the same requests for change.
It didn't matter that he was wrong about the Potters and their part in the prophecy. He was so certain that if he pushed Voldemort by revealing the first part of the prophecy to his spy, he would be able to direct him to the correct path. Dumbledore's path. There were two possibilities and logic dictated he would go for a specific family. But pesky emotions got in the way and the Dark Lord was able to mark Harry Potter as his equal rather than kill the boy outright, thus continuing the prophecy instead of Albus being able to end it that night.
He hated loose ends.
And now that Harry was a teenager he was becoming less…malleable. The incident with his aunt and his run in with the Minister last summer encouraged the boy rather than cowed him, though keeping Sirius on the run was one of his better plans. But his association with Miss Granger was beginning to become a problem. The girl was entirely too smart for her own good.
When she'd first set foot at Hogwarts, he'd been accepting of the Sorting Hat's decision to place the clearly Ravenclaw first year into Gryffindor but when she'd begun helping Harry, mellowing out and guiding rather than lecturing at him, that problems began.
Of course, Albus knew that something of Voldemort's had come into the castle during Mr. Potter's second year. The wards were practically screaming at him to find it. But one advantage of being headmaster is the ability to ignore those wards. He'd hoped by having Harry save the young Miss Weasley that he would further cement himself with the Weasley family. But no - Harry just had to save Sirius with Miss Granger, even after Albus had managed to arrange a quarrel between the three friends that took up nearly three months.
He couldn't even use a life debt as a hook because the Granger girl owed Harry a life debt first before Miss Weasley. A chime broke his musing and the portrait on the door showed that Professor McGonagall was waiting.
"Ah, Minerva, thank you for taking the time to see me."
"Of course, Albus, though I must admit things are running on a bit of a tight schedule."
"Such are the challenges of Hogwarts. How are the students responding to the additional information on the Tournament?"
Minerva sat and straightened her robes. "There's quite a bit of interest from a certain…underage contingent of Gryffindor that has yet to be dissuaded but the other Professors assure me that the students have shown quite a bit of excitement when discussing Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs arrival."
Dumbledore lowered his glasses. "Is our young Harry interested in competing?"
Raising her eyebrows Minerva frowned. "No, I can't say he is. In fact, the work Mr. Potter has been turning in this year has been a marked improvement from last. He appears more relaxed and attentive during classes and I can say without a doubt this is the most I have seen him smiling since he came to Hogwarts."
"Hmmm. I see. And do you think this is due to a changed relationship with Miss Granger? I have heard whispers that the two of them are much closer this year." His eyes twinkled. "I have even heard rumors of certain bets being placed amongst the teaching staff?"
"I can't comment on any placing of bets but if there has been any significant change to their relationship, I can only say it has done a world of good. Mr. Potter looked better this start of term than any previously. Albus, if this is what happens when the boy is away from that dreadful family of his then is there really any reason he needs to return?"
Sighing, Dumbledore tried to look torn. "I know you never cared for the Dursley's but they are Harry's only blood family remaining. It is imperative for the Greater Good that Harry returns there each summer. Voldemort has been more active as of late and we must protect young Harry."
"But surely there is another - "
"Now, I believe our guests are scheduled to arrive after lunch on the 30th. What preparations have we made for the additional students?"
~O~O~O~O~
"What are you working on Harry?"
Glancing up from the angrily gesturing chess piece in his hand, Harry smiled at Ginny.
"Trying to see the separate enchantments and charms on this chess piece. If Mi and I can figure out the charms used, we should be able to duplicate the chess pieces once Ron and Dean get the designs finished."
The redhead reached out and tucked a stray lock of Harry's hair behind his ear, trying to ignore the slight flinch that followed. "Have you talked to Fred and George about their plans on entering the Tournament?"
"A little. I don't think it's going to work but I'm not stopping them and neither is Mi." He chuckled. "We just have to wait and see the "impartial Champion selector" in action to see if the guys can get by it. I know they have been picking Hermione's brain about the specific preparations of aging potions. They want to see if changing the ingredient prep can change how the potion is detected. Pretty genius stuff and Mi can't resist the challenge. Though I don't think she'd help them enough to cheat even if she figured it out."
"Harry…" Ginny stopped when she lost Harry's attention. Hermione had bounced down the girls dormitory staircase and the young wizard's attention had moved to the bushy haired witch as she stopped and dropped off a pile of loose papers to George. The sixth year let out a cheer and dragged the girl over the arm of the chair to give her a hug. Harry's eyes never left the two.
"Harry, do you like Hermione?" She stood her ground when his green eyes narrowed. "I mean, this year you guys have been…well different and you're calling her 'Mi' and I know Hermione HATES nicknames and there's been talk about why we need our dress robes and some of the other girls…"
"Stop right there. Ginny, I'm telling you this because you're our friend. I hate being in the spotlight. I hate everyone thinking they are entitled to know everything about me just because of something that happened thirteen years ago."
"I didn't mean it like that, I only, well last year you had this thing for Cho and - "
He held up a hand. "I know what you meant and my answer is the same, Ginny. No comment. Right now I just want to enjoy this year and hopefully watch a 'once in a lifetime chance for fame and fortune' play out without me involved."
"Hi Ginny, Hi Harry!" The witch they were talking about plopped down on the love seat beside Harry and leaned over him to grab his notes. Ginny couldn't help but notice Harry didn't flinch when Hermione leaned her hand on his thigh to balance. "You're using parchment for your notes?"
"Yeah, too lazy to grab a muggle notebook from upstairs."
Hermione shrugged. "Careful how much you use. We didn't buy a lot this summer." She frowned at the spells listed.
"Hermione, are you really helping the twins?"
"Hmmm? Oh, just looking at some of their ideas, Gin. There's really nothing concrete we can do until everyone arrives but they do bring up some interesting points. And they agreed to not prank me, Harry, or any of the first years if I helped."
Ginny sat back with her mouth open.
Smiling, Hermione went back to her reading. "I promised to help the boys, Ginny, I never said I was going to make sure they succeeded. There's a reason the Tournament hasn't been in circulation for the last three hundred or so years. People died. Champions died competing, spectators died in accidents, some years there wasn't even a winner because no one made it through the first task! Angelina and I were talking about it since she's trying to decide if she wants to enter or not."
Ginny was about to reply when Dean Thomas wandered over to their little corner. He had something in his hands and looked sheepish as he greeted the three.
"Hey Dean, what's up?"
"Nothing much Harry. I got tired of getting trounced by Ron at Chess so I gave Seamus a turn." He shuffled his feet for a moment before looking back and forth between Ginny and Hermione.
"Hermione? I was wondering…I mean I know the year's just started and all but I was wondering…" He held out a battered paperback to her. Harry leaned over to see the title, 'Magic Kingdom for Sale - Sold!'
"I mean, you haven't really been hanging around upstairs yet but - "
Smiling, Hermione nodded her understanding. She'd been spending every night so far in the boy's dorm but they didn't know that. She hadn't made her scheduled monthly trips to hang out with the boys or read to them yet this term. "Sure. I don't think I've heard of this one, Dean."
He smiled. "It's one of my dad's favorites. It's a series so…"
"Perfect."
"What's it about, Dean?"
As he and Ginny talked about the fantasy series, Harry glanced around the common room. So far this was turning out to be his best year yet. He'd started to get to know more of his housemates and year mates thanks to evening and weekend pick up games, his classes were going well, the new defense professor seemed to know what he was talking about even if he liked to ambush the class all the time. Snape was still a greasy haired git who couldn't be bothered to tell the difference between butter beer and butter beans but if that was the most trouble he had (along with the sidelong stares he kept getting from Dumbledore - but if the headmaster wasn't talking to him - well, he'd much rather staring than evil plots).
Add in being able to talk to Remus and Sirius whenever he wanted and Harry could say he was actually happy.
He should have known.