"Should we say something?" Hermione asked as she placed her cheek against the cold pane of the charms classroom window, watching as Mr and Mrs Montague entered the school grounds
"Absolutely not, Fred and George would get into so much trouble" Ron cut her off
"But maybe if we just told Madam Pomfrey, it could help cure him" Hermione insisted
"Sure, that won't look suspicious will it" Harry said sarcastically
"Besides with all the points that git took from us, Fred and George shoving and trapping him in a cabinet was well deserved… not their fault he tried to apparate out and splinched himself" Ron said
"I thought you couldn't apparate at Hogwarts" Harry said
"The ward was down so the upper-years could practise" Hermione said quickly "But if Madam Pomfrey knew that he splinched himself, then surely she would find it easier to fix it"
"Easier, Hermione. Not Impossible" Harry intervened
"Besides if you want to worry about someone, worry about me" Ron whispered out of the corner of his mouth
"You!" Hermione said loudly, Professor Flitwick turned to her with his eyebrows raised as the class began to snicker.
"Yes" Ron replied masking his own snigger "I was planning on inviting Tracey for a walk around the lake"
"I was thinking of taking a walk myself with Daphne" Harry said "Care to join us Her-"
"NO!" Ron said "i swear to merlin, if i so much as catch a whiff of you, i'm gonna make what happened to Montague look like a minor scratch"
"You do realise if i told Daphne you were threatening me, she would ruin any chance you have with Tracey" Harry replied smirking
"Sorry" Ron said meekly
"I'm just joking Ron, you know i would never do that" Harry said laughing, he was quickly shushed by the squat Professor. The bell rang as Harry quickly scrawled the last answer on his parchment before handing it over to Flitwick and exiting the class
"Have you given any more thought about the DA?" Hermione asked as they made their way to the great hall for lunch
"Yeah, i don't think i'm going to continue with it" Harry said
"Oh okay" Hermione said sounding disappointed "Are you still going to the one tonight?"
"Yeah, I've already arranged it, so it would be unfair to cancel," Harry said as they entered the hall and took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Ron looked paler than ever and seemed to be sweating from every pore imaginable. Harry quickly took a ham sandwich and poured himself a cup of pumpkin juice.
"Hey" Daphne's voice came from his side as she took a seat next to him
"Hey, yourself" Harry said pecking her cheek
"Hey Tracey, are you okay?" Harry asked the brunette as she sat next to Daphne
"Splendid, though that last hour of Transfiguration was gruelling," Tracey replied, biting into a bread roll. Harry kicked Ron underneath the table, who jumped into his seat and let out a weird shriek making everyone look at him
"Er- Tracey" Ron said causing her eyebrows to rise in acknowledgment "Would you want to go for walk around the lake" Traceys eyes widened significantly and the bread roll she had been eating, fell to her plate with a loud clang
"Um- yeah, sure… okay" Tracey stuttered obviously in shock, she picked up her school bag and quickly stood up with Ron following suit. Harry quickly wrapped a couple of sandwiches and handed it to Tracey before they left.
"Want to follow them?" Harry said as they watched them leave
"No, we will do no such thing" Hermione said huffing
"I mean we could always stay here and discuss your love life" Daphne said
"I have no time, for such trivial things" Hermione said
"Come on Hermione, you could do with taking a break from school and living a little. Besides I've seen Neville looking at you during the DA meetings" Daphne smirked. Hermione blushed furiously as she looked down at the table and began to ignore them
—-
"I was thinking we could do some duelling for our last lesson" Harry said as he stepped into the room of requirement
"That's a good idea, except for anyone that has to go up against me" Daphne laughed causing Harry to roll his eyes and flick her ear
"Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Nothing, were alone" Harry said drawing her close
"So we are," Daphne said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him down, kissing him fiercely. Fire blazed down Harry's mouth as Daphne's tongue duelled with his, his hand rubbed her back while the other was wrapped in her hair. A pleasured moan left her as the door to the room of the requirement banged open causing them both to break apart and look at the disturbance.
"Oh sorry, i thought i would come early" Cho stood at the door blushing furiously as her friend Marrietta sneered at the two of them
"It's okay… if you want, you both can just start warming up" they nodded and began to position themselves in front of the dummy
"Well, that was embarrassing" Harry whispered
"Was it? I hadn't noticed" Daphne chuckled "Perhaps it was a good thing, maybe Chang will stop looking at you like a lost puppy during these meetings"
"Is someone jealous?" Harry asked smugly
"What do I need to be jealous of? Your mine" Daphne growled, making Harry blush. The room began to slowly fill as more and more students began to fill in. He saw Ron and Tracey enter together looking a lot more comfortable together than they had earlier in the day. Hermione followed closely behind them talking animatedly to Astoria who seemed to be picking the older girl's brain. Harry quickly moved to stand on the podium before clearing his throat loudly.
"Hello everybody, I hope you're all well. I wanted to start off today by saying this will be our last DA meeting for the year" Groans and shouts of protests rang through the crowd
"Why?" The voice of Neville sounded from the back
"I just don't see the point, Now that Umbridge is gone there isn't a reason to continue. everything you need to know is now being taught by the Headmaster" Harry replied
"You can't!" The voice came from the centre of the crowd as they parted, revealing Zacharias Smith standing there, looking more awkward and out of place than Harry had ever seen him.
"I know when this all began I was abit of a… git, but I like to think I've changed since then and I owe it, not just to you but to everyone here. I think i speak for everyone when i say the DA is a place where everyone can go and feel like they belong" A murmur of agreement rang across the crowd
"I didn't know it meant that much to all of you," Harry mumbled, "but if it's so important to all of you, I guess I could find a way to fit it into my schedule… Anyway, today we are going to be doing a bit of hands-on training. Find a partner and warm up" The crowd began to swarm around looking for their friends. Harry quickly snagged Ron and stood opposite him preparing his shield as Ron sent curses and jinxes at him.
"So… how was your walk" Harry asked casually as he put up his shield
"It went well" Ron replied his cheeks turning red
"Either you give me a little more information or i'll ask Tracey myself"
"Fine, we talked a lot and got to know eachother even more. We decided to go out again tomorrow"
"Really, That's great!"
"Yeah… yeah it is" said Ron sounding slightly glum
"Are you sure everything is okay?"
"Yeah, it's just i'm nervous about screwing it up, you know me and my big gob"
"Yes, I am well aware of your big gob, it goes nicely with your enormous head" Harry chuckled. "But seriously don't overthink it and try to be someone you're not. Make her like you for you"
"You get one girlfriend and suddenly you're the relationship king" Ron mumbled as Harry sent a stinging hex at his backside. They finished their drills and warm up and looked to Harry as he once against stood on the podium
"Okay, so we're going to change things up today. I want you to get into groups of three, one person will defend while the other two will attack. When it comes to surviving a duel, you must be prepared for anything, even multiple attackers. Learning to deal with the pressure of numerous targets will drastically increase your chances of survival. Any questions. No? Okay, get into groups" the students began to disperse around the room, finding their friends and positioning themselves in rows. The hour flew by as the sound of incantations, heavy panting and the crashing sound of magic on magic filled the room. Overall the class did decently well, while some lasted only a few seconds, others like Ron and Neville lasted minutes before they were taken out. Harry blew his whistle as the lesson came to an end, everyone was drenched in sweat as they discussed each of their performances amongst themselves. The room of requirement's behemoth doors swung open as the students began to file out, some whispering excitedly while others only had disappointed looks on their faces as they whined to their friends about their performance.
"I'm glad, you decided to continue" Hermione's voice broke through Harry's train of thoughts as he turned to look at the bushy-haired witch
"Me too i guess, i didn't realise how much people enjoyed it" Harry replied
"Your a natural at teaching"
"I'm no Professor Lupin"
"No, but you are Harry. which in my books counts for a lot more" Hermione smiled at him
"Thanks Hermione" Harry said bumping his shoulders with hers as they exited the room together and headed towards the common room, Ron falling behind as he was to caught up chatting to a certain Slytherin
—-
The loud chatter and playful screams of children filled the air, the blazing sun scorching the pavement as kids began to set up a game of football. Harry sat alone on a bench, fiddling with a paint brush as he added the last finishing touches to his picture. The Stegosaurus came to life on the page, the vibrant forest green blended beautifully with the earthy orange that coloured the armoured plates. Hours of work spent perfecting piece by piece, line by line and not for nought. A broad and blissful smile spread across his face as he blew on the paint. A whistling sound came from the sky as a football came crashing down, knocking the tray of paint over Harry and his picture. Harry quickly turned and saw Dudley and his friends guffawing.
"I think you got some paint on you" Piers polkiss, a small boy that resembled a rat called out
"Well it's good to know your eye's are still working" Harry said trying to keep his emotions at bay. Piers smiled instantly dropped off his face as he took a threatening step towards Harry
"All alone painting?" Dudley asked, a sneer on his fat face
"As inquisitive as ever Dudley" Harry replied, the sarcasm flying right over his head
"It's quite pathetic, don't you think?" Piers cut in "I can't imagine having no friends… then again who would want to be friends with someone as pathetic as you"
—-
"Who would want to be friends with someone as pathetic as you"
The words echoed throughout Harry's head as he looked around the Gryffindor table. Ron and Hermione seemed to be bickering about the homework that had been assigned to them by Professor Binns, Tracey and Luna were having a discussion regarding the quibbler while Astoria was telling Neville and Ginny about how she had slipped a few of Fred and George's new product into Notts cup. A small smile spread across Harry's face, what he would give to throw this in Piers and Dudley's faces.
"What's making you so happy?" A quiet voice came from beside him as Daphne's beautiful face came into view. She had a small smile on her plump lips, her sparkling white teeth just shining through the crack as her cascading honey-blonde hair fell into waves
"Nothing, absolutely nothing" Harry smiled as Daphne leaned up and kissed his cheek
"You sure? I haven't seen you smile like that since…" Daphne gave him a secretive smirk and Harry's mind went back to the afternoons with Daphne in the lonely parts of the school grounds.
"What can i say, i'm just happy" Harry said putting his arm around the small of her back
"Well good, i'm glad… maybe later i can put a different kind of smile on your face" Daphne smirked at him, giving him a wink as she turned back towards her food. A loud bang filled the hall, all eyes turned to the Slytherin table as Nott quickly stood up covered in feathers, a loud squawk came out of his mouth. Madam Pomfrey quickly rushed down from the staff table and escorted the squawking boy to the hospital wing, the student body laughing in his wake. Harry's smile only got bigger as the Gryffindors began to praise Astoria, clapping the blushing second-year on the back.
—-
"Bell gets possession of the quaffle, passes it to Johnson…ooo! She narrowly misses the bludger, but can she get past Ravenclaws defence. Davis has ripped the quaffle away from Johnson's grasp, and is currently barreling down towards Weasley, Spinnet going in for the attack but gets cut off by Goldstein. DAVIS SHOOTS, WEASLEY SAVES!"
Harry sat high above the playing field, tuning out Lee Jordan as best he could as he scoured the pitch for the golden snitch, Chos' eyes never left him as he continued to see past the pouring rain. The grey morning sky made things much more difficult for both seekers, as they continued with their objectives, the cheers and cries of the crowd was like a string being pulled around his heart. He saw Cho make a dive towards the Ravenclaw pitch and he followed in hot pursuit, the wind blowing in his hair as his heart thundered. He leaned to his side to look around Cho and noticed she was just playing with him. He quickly pulled back up and managed to duck underneath a bludger that was sent spiralling towards his head. He had just managed to steady himself when another bludger crashed into the side of his broom sending him spinning towards the stands. He wrenched his broom away from the stands, narrowly missing the spectator box, as he gripped his firebolt firmly. A flash of gold brought Harry back to his senses as the golden ball sparkled in the drizzle. Harry leaned forward putting as much acceleration as the broom could handle.
"PROTECT HARRY!" Angelina's voice broke through the rumbling clouds. Cho seemed to have heard as well as she was now soaring behind Harry tailing him closely. The ball was so close, the fluttering wings right against his fingertips as the crowd went silent. A powerful force crashed into his side, a loud crunch echoed throughout the pitch as searing pain exploded up his arm and a sharp cry left his mouth. He quickly landed on the ground, breathing in slowly and massaging the injury, hoping to lessen the pain. A fluttery feeling made itself known in the palm of his hand as Harry raised the snitch in the air.
"HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH, GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Lee Jordan's voice reverberated along the stands and their cries of joys shortly followed
"YOU DID IT!" Angelina cried as she landed beside him and wrapped him in a hug
"OW…OW…Angelina you're hurting me" Harry said in a strained voice as she let go and inspected his arm. She waved Madam Hooch over, who began to cast a spell on his injury. Immediately a pleasant warmth radiated in his arm and the searing pain, now just a distant memory.
"WE DID IT HARRY!" Ron's voice cried out as he pulled Harry into a hug "WE WON!"
"I guess we did," Harry mumbled, still in shock as he looked at his now healed arm. Students began to run onto the pitch, Gryffindor banners coloured the crowd as Professor Mcgonagall led the charge, tears in her eyes as she wrapped Harry in a gentle hug. Harry whispered a quick thank you for reinstating him back onto the team as she pulled back giving him a gentle smile. He turned hoping to see his friends but was pleasantly surprised to see Ron spinning around an elated Tracey before stopping and hugging her. Seeing Ron happy with Tracet was worth more than any win.
"Still got the moves then?" A voice came from his left. Daphne stood there drenched in rain, his quidditch jersey wrapped around her, the dark maroon complimented her nicely.
"Was there any doubt?" Harry asked smirking at her
"Oh, so we're being cocky now… i'll let you off considering you just wiped the floor with Chang" Daphne said wrapping her arms around his neck
"So that's why you're so happy is it?" Harry asked drawing her close
"Maybe one of the reasons, but seeing you up on your broom with a dopey grin on your face is definitely the highlight of the match" Daphne replied, she glanced over his shoulder
"Looks like Tracey enjoyed it as well" she nodded to both Ron and Tracey who had yet to let each other go
"He deserves it, he did really well" Harry offered
"On that we can agree… There goes Chang crying again" Harry looked over and saw the asian girl with her face buried in her hands, her figure shaking as Marietta tried to comfort her
"You really don't like her do you?" Harry snickered
"Nope, why do you think I have my back turned to her… it's so she can read Potter on the back of this damn jersey" Daphne replied "And so she can get a front-row seat to this" Daphne lunged in quickly and no words were spoken between the pair for the next few minutes
—-
The entire Gryffindor house was euphoric, students were openly congratulating Harry as they passed him in the corridor, the years earlier hostility now forgotten. Ron seemed to be walking on a cloud since the game and would discuss it any chance he got, much to Hermione's dismay
"-Then i dived to the right hoop and just managed to block that shot from Davis" Ron rambled on
"That's great Ron, but i asked you what are the ingredients for a pepper up potion" Hermione said looking more than a little frustrated
"Right" Ron said flushing "Bicorn horn, Mandrake root and er- i can't remember"
"Jewelweed" Tracey intervened helping the blushing red-haired out
"Correct" Hermione said as she turned the next page to her potions book. Harry looked around the library. Students filled all the tables, quizzing each other and revising for their O.W.L.S. The tension was palpable as the constant sound of page turning and the loud bangs of large books and tomes hitting the desks
"Right, perhaps we should move onto a different subject" Hermione asked the table at large. They all agreed as she put her potion textbook away and replaced it with the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook
"That reminds me, are we still doing the DA on wednesday" Tracey asked
"Doubt it, everyones going to be revising" Daphne replied. Harry nodded in agreement.
"I can't wait for this all to be over" Harry muttered as he rolled his neck for what felt like the hundredth time
"We've been here for hours" Daphne said as she started to massage his shoulders "Perhaps we should take a break, get something to eat"
"I wouldn't mind that, I'm quite hungry," Ron agreed. The rest of the group agreed, even Hermione, who seemed to have her eyes glued to the textbook as they made their way to the great hall
"Hermione you're going to burn yourself out, honey" Daphne said her hand intertwined with Harry's
"Okay fine, i'll stop for five minutes and then im back to it" Hermione seemed to have a great struggle as she pushed the book in her bag. They entered the vacant hall and took their seats.
"At Least the teachers have stopped giving us homework" Ron said in almost cheery voice
"I KNOW!" Hermione said loudly "It's like they want us to fail" Harry shared a smirk with Ron who seemed to be getting comfortable with Tracey next to him.
"It will be over soon at least" Tracey said "Not much left of the year to go, besides once we get past the O.W.L.S the worst is over" Harry hoped she was right