Chapter 14: Where the Bat hits the Bludger - Jan/Feb 1993

"Break was quite relaxing," Hermione said brightly. "Though, I didn't get much done in the muggle world."

Lavender Brown feigned surprise. "You're saying that not working on homework, or extra schoolwork, or your many secret projects resulted in you having a nice time home with your parents for the holidays? I'll have to write that one down."

Hermione's face turned red but she also smiled, so Harry thought that she took Lavender's playful teasing for what it was.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were joined by many of their Gryffindor year-mates in typical post-holiday conversation: gifts, food, traditions, travel, and family. Dean showed off his new football jersey. Neville told Harry quietly that his Gran bought him a new wand over the break. Luna stopped by over lunch to thank Harry for an eclectic collection of muggle hair accessories.

Harry was happy that most seemed to have a good holiday.

Ron pulled Harry aside in abandoned hallway later. "Well, I have a couple of bits to tell you. First, I think my dad really hates Lockhart."

Harry said, "Er. Is that… surprising?"

"Maybe not," he allowed, "But you didn't hear the way he talked. He, like, really hates the guy. My dad's not really the type to do anything about it, but I couldn't stop thinking about it."

"No that's… huh. Something to watch." Ron was clearly concerned, so Harry wanted to be supportive even if he didn't quite understand.

Harry said, "Oh, I actually thought of your father over break. Something reminded me of the story A Christmas Carol, and I was wondering if that was something wizards knew about?"

"I haven't heard of it, but I can ask. Though," Ron scrunched up his face, "I've come to realize that my father's knowledge about muggle stuff isn't particularly… accurate."

Harry thought his friend might have a point. Arthur Weasley's rubber ducks and flying cars didn't exactly reflect a deep sort of knowledge. "I guess it isn't all that important. Forget it."

"Sure, yeah." Ron fidgeted as he spoke, "On another topic, I forgot to tell you before I left for break: Colin and Ginny might be up to something."

Harry was alarmed. "I'm listening."

"Colin was talking you up, and Ginny wasn't having it. She said that she set you up at the dueling club to show everyone how much better you are than Lockhart. She was upset when you didn't take care of that snake, not that anyone else blames you."

Harry said, "Though, I suppose that she's got a point. No one remembers Lockhart's abysmal performance because of the snake."

"What I'm trying to tell you is that she told Colin to set up some sort of test for you like she did."

Harry wrinkled his nose. "I don't like the sound of that."

"I didn't learn more, unfortunately. I'll tell Hermione and the twins to keep their eyes open. Do you want to anything to try and get ahead of this?"

Harry gave a long sigh. "Colin really doesn't see me. I don't know how I can be more clear."

"You could do a complete about-face and try the Lockhart approach? Colin seems to think that he's full of hot air at least."

Distracted by a slow-building realization, Harry said, "The rest of the school seems enamored with Lockhart, still."

By this point in their original second year of Hogwarts, Lockhart's popularity had fallen due to his pointless classes, abysmal dueling performance, and inability to prevent the basilisk attacks. This timeline, his lessons were slightly more grounded in fact, no one remembered the duel, and the basilisk was gone.

And that wasn't the only change Ron's concerns brought to Harry's attention. In their original timeline, Colin spent half the year as a statue. Ginny endured a year of possession by young Voldemort then was rescued heroically by Harry from the famed Chamber of Secrets. With no petrifications and no diary, neither first-year student were the same in this timeline as they were in the last.

Since the trio's goal was to change the past, it should have been obvious. Yet, was somehow still surprising to Harry that they were changing the past, in myriad major and minor ways.

"Mr. Potter, stay after class."

Harry tried not to fidget as he waited for the other students to file out after the Gryffindor-Slytherin potions class.

"A student has expressed a concern that you are currently carrying a dark artifact. Do you know why they might have that impression?"

Harry intentionally blanked his face at the tide of emotions he suddenly felt. Excitement: Snape was asking about something the trio had prepared for. Concern: one false move could send all of Plan SLEDL off the rails. Fear: an undercurrent that Harry couldn't quite explain.

"No sir. Although, Malfoy has tried to steal my homework journal a few times," Harry responded. "It's just an ordinary sort of book."

As neutrally as Snape ever said anything, he asked, "May I examine it?"

Harry grabbed his specially prepared copy out of his new book bag. He bought it by owl order after his broke open, then decorated it with Luna's help. Snape stared at the radish hanging off the side, but didn't comment.

Snape did a few simple spells, which Harry could tell yielded nothing dark. When asked, Harry told him that he got it from Hermione, who he assumed bought it in a muggle shop.

Without looking at Harry, he said, "May I keep this until your next class?"

"Er, if I can copy out my homework quick."

After he scrawled a few notes on a loose piece of parchment, Professor Snape said, "That quill needs sharpening, Potter."

Harry looked closely at Professor Snape at that. He had no idea what his face had showed to elicit the response it got.

"You may use my quill knife." Professor Snape handed it to him handle-first.

Harry was a bit baffled by the small offer. He trusted Snape to protect him on some level. But the green-eyed boy wasn't used to gestures of care, especially small ones. Those simple things were for other kids: things like Petunia nagging Dudley to put on a coat or Mr Weasley surreptitiously moving items before his brood accidentally knocked them off the coffee table.

In both this timeline and last, some of Snape's comments could maybe have fallen into this category, like warning students near Harry about noxious potions fumes. Snape goaded him once about trying not to get injured at quidditch. Maybe Lily-as-Snape had always been trying to show maternal concern. Too bad she hides it behind sneers and nastiness.

Professor Snape returned Harry's harmless journal two days later. He signaled to Harry to wait as the other students filed out of the room.

"There was one note that I wanted to enquire about. Since it does not relate to your schoolwork, you do not need to tell me."

Harry nodded tentatively.

"Would I be correct in thinking that you recorded a question about how you were able to… harm Professor Quirrell last year?"

"Er, well it wasn't supposed to be that obvious. The question, that is." Harry pretended to be nervous about being caught, as Ron had coached. Or perhaps I'm pretending to pretend? And I'm actually nervous?

Snape looked at the book. "I think your written comment reflected a sensible level of discretion. But what I'm more concerned about is your state of mind. Do you think about that confrontation often?"

"Er, I have nightmares about it." This was true, when he was really twelve.

Snape looked up at Harry, eyes full of scrutiny. "Are you upset about the nature of his death? Or your role in it?"

Harry tried to fail to be casual about it. "Well, I can't deny that the power to kill someone with my bare hands by accident feels like a burden. I went through all of last year thinking I had no special Boy-Who-Lived powers, and that's actually not true."

There was a moment of silence.

"I'll admit that I was unaware of the exact nature of Quirrell's death." Snape looked thoughtful. "I have a theory of how this magic works, but I would need to consider it more. I will let you know if there's information I can share with you."

"I'd appreciate that, sir."

"I do not think I could provide adequate moral guidance, on this or any other matter." Snape looked to the right of Harry's face. "However, I do not think you should trouble yourself about Quirrell. It was clearly self-defense. If you had ended his life in some other magical or muggle way, I don't think the headmaster would have treated you any differently."

"I'm… er."

"Go on." Snape directed lightly.

"I'm not sure that he's a moral authority either."

"Sensible." Snape appeared to be warring with himself until he added, "I suspect that he has something of a geas on his name within these walls. Do not speak his name if you don't want him to hear you."

"Wow. That's like… well, You-Know-Who." Harry was glad the trio always used codenames when talking about anything important.

"Just so."

"Do you think he's, like, watching other words or phrases?"

Snape looked directly at Harry. "I do."

Harry departed the potions classroom soon after, deep in thought.

The resuming of their regular classes in January also meant their extracurricular activities also started back up.

Harry continued to run Gryffindor Music Hour. Harry's own record orders had come by owl, and two students had gotten a few records as holiday gifts. Harry thought they had enough music for the rest of the school year without repeating too often.

Ron and Hermione would still sit next to him as he managed the record player, but Harry got the impression that they weren't as excited about listening to music together as they were at first.

Harry finally asked them directly, "Are you having fun still? With the music thing?"

Two blank looks.

"You know what, it's fine." It stung a little, but Harry tried to be gracious. "I think I'm going to see if Lee Jordan wants to take over for me. I'd rather just listen than have to manage the music."

"He'd be good at it," Ron said. "I had honestly forgotten that you started it for us."

Hermione sighed. "I suppose it doesn't feel very personal since the entire house joined in."

Harry asked, "Is there something else you guys would like to do, just the three of us?"

Hermione's face brightened. "I actually was hoping to ask you two if you wanted to do a muggle-style sleepover. I watched some movies over the break and it seems fun."

Ron needed to be filled in on "movies" and "sleepovers". Then he asked, "Do you think we'll be able to keep it just the three of us?"

"Good point." Hermione bit her lip. "I suppose it would let us talk more than listening to music, though. So it might be an improvement. And it might just be a one-time thing anyway."

Hermione sounded so excited that Harry gave in immediately. "Let's give it a try."

Hermione brought over Dean to help list activities that were more common at boy's muggle sleepovers. Hermione ruled out Truth or Dare and other games not well-suited to a school setting.

They ended up with a plan that included snacks, ghost stories, blanket forts, charades, and muggle line dances.

Harry was considered the expert on getting McGonagall's approval. He established a sign-up sheet to gauge interest. Half the house wanted to participate, so the trio broke their event up into three groups by year.

In addition to Professor McGonagall, prefects would supervise the younger two groups, and the Muggle Studies professor agreed to watch the older students. Fred and George got approval to be with the younger group with the promise that they would lead the activities for their own age group. Hermione thought their leadership would be chaotic but enjoyable — the twins were popular amongst their own year.

The activities would have to end at 2 am, but the students were permitted to sleep in the common room as a group. The rest of the planning completed with little fuss.

Two weeks later, the Gryffindor first, second, and third year students all gathered in the common room in their pajamas or very casual clothes.

Hermione kicked it off by listing their approximate schedule and various thank-yous like it was an event put on by adults, which the Weasley twins teased her for.

Hermione shook her head and moved on. "Now to our first activity: we're going to learn a muggle dance called 'the Electric Slide'. Harry will put on the music. Anyone who knows it already can join in a brief demonstration!"

The first Gryffindor sleepover was a huge success, in Hermione's opinion. She'd never had the right (or any, really) friends to do one when she was younger, and seeing a sleepover on a teen movie over the winter break made her long for it.

Harry was incredibly supportive. He and Ron both did a lot of work, which is why she felt it was important to thank everyone. The sleep deprivation probably didn't help, but by the end of the night when everyone was getting into their transfigured sleeping bags, she teared up.

In the morning, everyone helped put the furniture back, picked up napkins and snack wrappers, and asked her when the next sleepover would be.

"Er, we might be able to do another one next year." Hermione was exhausted

"Awesome!"

"I wonder if there are any wizarding sleepovers?"

"My brother in Hufflepuff is going to be so jealous!"

Harry gave her an enthusiastic hug. "Great idea, Hermione."

The tear returned. "I'm sorry."

"...huh?"

"You wanted to do something as friends, and I didn't really try that hard at it. And now you've made my big dream come true, and it wasn't even that fun for you…."

Harry's eyebrows lifted. "Whoa. This was a great time."

Ron was also encouraging."Yeah, 'Mione. It was so fun that you might have started a new trend. I wouldn't mind repeating anything we did."

"Okay, maybe you're right. But what I was really trying to say…."

Ron helped her out. "You appreciate that Harry was trying to connect with us with the music and this."

"Exactly."

"And you may have felt guilty for not responding to his effort in kind?"

Hermione nodded through happy-sad tears.

Harry said, "I'm glad you're both my friends, but I don't want to turn into, like, coworkers." He added emphasis to the last part. Hermione understood that he was saying he wanted their friendship to be more than plotting to save the word.

Ron joked, "As my esteemed colleague said… ."

The trio burst into laughter. For now, everything was okay between them.

Ron joined Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team in the locker rooms before the game. All of the regular team was well, so he wouldn't be playing.

Just before Ron left for the stands, Harry said, "Check on Hermione for me, yeah?"

Ron realized that in their past, this game was never played because Hermione and a Ravenclaw prefect were petrified. The redhead smothered a grimace and agreed to find her.

Now that Harry mentioned it, Ron had developed a sense of foreboding about the match.

Fortunately, Hermione was easily visible amongst the Gryffindors. He went over to greet her, then found a spot by Dean Thomas.

The Gryffindor boys talked about the muggle football games that were on this weekend's schedule. Dean found out the scores from his dad by mid-week. It wasn't a great system, but it didn't have to be.

Five minutes behind schedule, the game started. Hufflepuff's keeper was inconsistent, to put it delicately. Ron thought they had some good instincts, but some very bad ones as well. Hard to say if they could be trained up.

The chasers had ball-passing skills, but lacked the Gryffindor chaser's cohesion. Ron was interrupted from his coaching fantasies by a shriek from the front of the Gryffindor stands. A bludger smashed into the wood, by the sound of it.

Dobby was Ron's first thought, but that couldn't be it. Dobby couldn't enter Hogwarts grounds anymore. He kept watching and listening, though no one around him knew anything interesting either.

And that continued as Professor Lockhart bumbled over from the teacher's box. Oh, great.

Professor McGonagall trailed after him like a storm cloud.

Ron divided his attention between Lockhart and the players. Ron saw it then: an Hufflepuff beater had their wand flush against their hand and attempted to charm a bludger. It took them several tries, but they then directed the ball towards the Gryffindor stands.

Colin Creevey's obvious and inappropriate excitement sketched a picture for the redhead.

However, Ron didn't know how Colin persuaded an older Hufflepuff to help. Nor did he know what Colin expected a seeker to do.

Five minutes later, the bludger headed for the stands again. Ron didn't know any age-appropriate magic to stop the bludger, but he didn't want anyone hurt by Colin's dangerous test of Harry.

"Stupefy." The bludger dropped like a stone. It almost hit the front of the stands.

"Nice aim," Dean complemented. Ron had the help of his magic-warning glasses, so it wasn't quite as impressive as Dean thought.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle angrily. Then she yelled up into the stands, "Don't interfere with the match!"

Ron had a insult on the tip of his tongue but held back in the presence of children.

McGonagall gave him a nod, though.

Hooch magicked the bludger back into working order. Play resumed. Ron looked over at Harry, who seemed confused. Harry might not have even realized why the whistle blew.

Ten minutes later, the bludger shot over to them again. Not to be shown up by a student, Lockhart attempted the same spell. He missed, and the bludger flew straight into an older student Ron didn't know well. But also, Lockhart crumpled to the ground.

Madam Hooch refused to call off the game despite several injuries in the audience and Hagrid's shouts of a rogue bludger. Mercifully, Harry caught the snitch a few minutes later.

Madam Pomfrey was able to revive Professor Lockhart easily. The injured student was expected to make a full recovery in a few days, but the'd need several bones regrown. Lucky for them, Lockhart was too out-of-sorts to offer "help".

As they walked up to the castle, Ron told Harry quietly, "I think Colin was behind what happened at the match." Harry's eyes went wide, but he didn't ask for more details until they were back in the dorm.

"You think Colin knocked out Lockhart?"

"No, I have no idea why that happened. I'm talking about the bludger that kept charging at the Gryffindor stands."

"I think I saw that, near the end of the game."

"It was happening the whole game. I think the taller of the Hufflepuff beaters was doing it with a hidden wand."

"And you think Colin put him up to it?"

"I have no idea why they would agree, but Colin seemed too happy at the danger. I think this relates to the test that Ginny put Colin up to."

Harry was skeptical. "I dunno… It seems kind of convoluted. How could I save you all if I'm properly seeking?"

Ron sighed. "Nevermind."