Wow! this is really good! I check in every couple of days, and your commitment is amazing. If I did one of these, I think that I would get board and give up after the 3rd post, lol, it's obvious that you put a lot of time into this, thank you! After all the alternative series that I've tried to use to get myself through this exruciating wait, I think that this works the best!!! I love your story!
AUTHOR'S REPLY-Never mind, tis' easier to seek forgiveness than to gain permission.
Ron yawned widely as Hermione said. "When are the tryouts?"
"Erm - I dunno. I'll see if I can book the pitch for next Wednsday."
"If you ban me, Ron...I'll do something really painful to you."
"I'll shove a Knarl quill up your nose." Seamus offered.
"I'll stuff dragon dung in his hair." Dean Thomas added.
Ron frowned at them. "You're trying out this year? What for?"
"Beaters." They chorused.
"What?" Harry said. "I thought those blokes Sloper and Kirke - "
"No, they were just replacement players." Ron assured him.
"Oh...well, we've lost our Chasers. Great ones too, at that." Harry sighed.
"I'm trying out for Chaser." Hermione said. "So is Ginny."
"If Ginny can fly the way she did last year, I can guarantee her a spot on the Gryffindor team." Ron said dismissively.
"And if you cut me..." Hermione began, smiling.
"Don't tell me," Ron said grumpily. "You'll set off a Dungbomb in my - "
"Actually," Hermione said airily. "I was planning to write to your mother."
"You WHAT!" Ron jumped, and so did everyone else, startled.
"Gosh, Ron....you are the most gullible creature I have ever seen, and that's saying something." Hermione snorted derisively.
She strode out of the room, clutching her new broomstick.
**
Wednsday evening came very soon, to Harry's great suprise. Last year, he had been held back on much homework, and time seem to drag by slowly.
The next Occlumency lesson with Professor Dumbledore actually went quite well. Harry had been taught the art of meditation, and been given useful advice by the headmaster.
"Remember, Harry...try and clear the memories that haunt you the most."
Harry, predictably, had had much trouble with this, but Dumbledore understood. "Because you have more haunting memories which are worse than others, I would expect you to have much more difficulty with this concept."
He pushed on the next two days, and arrived early on Wednsday evening at the Quidditch pitch, with his Firebolt. Someone was soaring in graceful circles high above. Harry mounted his broomstick, and kicked off. As he neared, the other person yelled.
"All right, Harry?" It was Hermione.
"Good, what about you?" He asked, coming in to glide smoothly beside her, in a descending arc.
"Fan-tas-tic!" She said gleefully. "I've never realized how good this is. It's so refreshing."
"Yeah, that was how I felt on my first good broom ride."
Harry noticed that she had tamed her bush of hair to tie it into a ponytail.
"Your hair looks better like that." He told her.
"Really?" I just doused it in hair potion really fast, tied it up with a rubber band, and ran out here...I was in a bit of a hurry."
"Still looks good. Ron would say the same."
They came in to land together, as Ron and Ginny were emerging from the Change Room.
Do you make continual references to J.K. Rowling's work? It seems like you incorperate a lot of her writing tactics in your story. I think that your writing is really close to hers.
Yep, I'm re-reading the ffith book. Thank you, my aim is to make my story closest as I can to the real author's type of writing. Hopefully it'll be better when I start writing the seventh book out of sheer boredness.
AUTHOR'S MESSAGE- I think I'm the first one to reserve a copy of the new book, in the Calgary Public Library catalogue. Yay!
Ron was carrying the normal box of playing balls, and Ginny was lugging a couple of spare Beater's bats, golf balls, and very old Quaffles.
"How're you doing, you two?" Ron said, setting down the box, and sitting down beside his broom.
"OK." Hermione said.
"Who do you know that's coming to try out?" Harry asked.
"Parvati said she'll be here." Ron scratched his head, glancing in the direction of the change rooms. "Other than her, I dunno, except for us, Dean, and Seamus."
Ginny squinted toward the doors to the Entrance Hall. "Oh, look, this might be them."
Sure enough, a crowd emerged from the doors, and headed to the changing room. Harry could see Dean and Seamus chatting animatedly to Parvati Patil. As far as he could see, those three were the only ones who were holding their own brooms.
Colin and Dennis Creevey led the rest of the Gryffindor would-be trainees to the pitch. Ron took over.
"Right...those who want to try out for beaters, stand over there-(he pointed at an oak tree) - chasers, over by the west stands. That's about all."
Hermione and Ginny shrugged and did what Ron requested.
After the people were divided up, Ron smiled faintly and told the Chaser trainees, "All right, then? OK, you'll have to try and score a goal on me. School brooms are over there." He pointed at a large shed on the outside of the pitch.
"Beaters, follow Harry and Ginny."
Harry turned to Ron. "What am I supposed to do? I'm a seeker, not a beater!"
Ginny seemed to take a similar attitude.
But Ron just shook his head. "Harry, you've been on the team long enough to know what a good Beater looks like. Ginny, you've been trying to live up to Fred and George - ("Ron!") - so you'll know."
But Ginny persisted. "But I wanted to try out for Chaser, why are you making me help with Beater tryouts?"
Harry had the impression that Ron was doing some fast thinking.
"Well, I'm confident enough about your abilities, anyways. Welcome to the team."
As Ginny beamed up at him, Ron added in an undertone to Harry, "I really hope that I haven't made a huge mistake right there."
"Nah, she'll do fine."
They mounted, and kicked off, zooming into the sunset light.
Ginny and Harry watched from above as the people trying out for Beater grabbed a school broom, one of the bats Ginny had dragged in, and kicked off rather ungracefully.
"Shall I go get the Bludgers?" Ginny said, as Harry watched a lanky fifth-year boy wobble dangerously.
"Sure. What'm I supposed to do, though?"
"You'll find out soon."
Dean and Seamus sailed up alongside Harry's Firebolt.
"You have any idea on how she's going to test us, mate?" Dean asked.
Harry could only shake his head, no.
Ginny hollered at him from the ground. "Harry, I'm letting the Bludgers out!"
"But - "
It was too late. Two jet-black balls zoomed out, and nearly dislodged Dennis Creevey, who shrieked. Colin, standing beside him, yelled, and swung.
The second Bludger went straight for Harry.
He dived, narrowly avoiding it. Since there were so many people, the Bludger kept on going, heading for another.
Harry landed at Ginny's side. "What d'you think you're doing?"
"Training."
"What?"
"Oh, calm down, Harry. Look, they're starting to adapt, see?" She pointed up at the sky.
She seemed to be right. Most of the people still in the air were starting to anticipate each Bludger's next move.
But Harry said, "That's not the point - what if someone gets hurt?"
Ginny smiled placatingly at him. "Gosh, it really makes me wonder why Dumbledore didn't choose you as Prefect. You sound a bit like Percy."
Harry shut up.
Instead, he kept looking up. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were doing better than anyone else, as they were working as a team, almost if they could read each other's minds. Harry caught a bit of what they were shouting.
"It's coming up, mate!"
"Out of the way, there!" Whokk!
A Bludger flew away.
"Keep an eye on them," He told Ginny. "I think Dean and Seamus are doing the best, but you can go and see for yourself. I'm going to watch Ron."
Ginny gave a world-weary shrug, and kicked off in the direction of the Beater tryouts.
Harry rode, and watched Ron make a save off of a burly fifth-year. "Next!" He yelled.
Hermione rode up, a hint of a smile on her face. She caught Harry's eye, who was hovering somewhere above and behind Ron.
Harry got her message, and winked.
Ron tossed Hermione the Quaffle. "Let's see if you can get past me, then."
She raced at him, faked twice, and drew back her arm to shoot.
Harry had hovered a little closer to Ron in the process, and roared as loud as he could.
"DON'T SCREW UP, RON!"
"Wha-?"
As he glanced at Harry, Hermione shot. The quaffle sailed through his arms, through the center hoop.
Everyone laughed, even Ron.
"Try that again, then," He said to Hermione. " and no distractions this time!"
She still scored on him.
Ron looked thoroughly put out that he had let in two consecutive goals, but gave Hermione a thumbs-up. Hermione beamed, and flew over to Harry.
"How'd you get so good at Quidditch?" He asked in amazement. "You kind of reminded me of Alicia...she deked the way you did back there."
"That's exactly where I got that move from."
"Ha, look at Ron. You know, maybe I shouldn't have yelled at him."
Hermione snorted with laughter. "No, he really deserved it."
"How so?"
"His ego was very much swollen before I scored on him."
Harry frowned, thinking of his father. "OK."
They landed on the lawn in silence.
"Oh, there's one other thing I was meaning to ask you."
"I thought you've already finished your homework..."
Harry grinned. "No, it's not that...I was going to ask you why you wanted to go to the ball with me."
Hermione shrugged very much like Ginny. "Oh...well, I wanted to get a partner fast, so I didn't have to worry. Ron dropped back, so I asked you. And Viktor dumped me." She added as an afterthought.
"Krum did what?"
"Well, his parents arranged another girl-(Hermione said this word with dripping contempt) - to marry him. He told me in his last letter, and when he didn't write back..."
She sighed sadly, and looked at her shoes.
"I'm sorry." Harry mumbled.
"It's not your fault, Harry. See, this is one of the reasons why I asked you. You're nice, you're caring. Ron, well..."
Harry said. "And the other reasons?"
"Well, I kind of find you more attractive than others..."
Harry froze solid, as if he had the Body-Bind Curse put on him. An odd feeling seemed to swell in his stomach.
"...so, I think you're nice and all, and you'll be able to tolerate me dancing with you, without complaining and all." Hermione finished.
Harry unstuck his tongue. "I can't dance."
"So, I'll teach you. It's not hard. Just listen to your soul."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "You mean that voice in my head? Well, he's been useful during Occlumency and the Imperius Curse..." Very good, you've figured it out.
"...but he will certainly be not useful for when I'm dancing!" Hmm, are you so sure?
" 'Course I'm sure." Hasty assumptions are not always wise.
"You sound like Dumbledore."
"Harry?" Hermione was looking curiously at him. "Who're you talking to?"
For an answer, Harry pointed at his head.
"Oh, I see. Having a conversation with him, are you?"
"That's right."
"Hmm..." She smiled thoughtfully. "I've never heard of someone who could talk to their inner self like that."
"Well, you're talking to him right now."
Harry suddenly realized that he was already in the Fat Lady's corridor. He had been so committed to Hermione's conversation, that he was not aware of where he was.
They gave the Fat Lady the password("Quotable quotes"), and climbed through the hole.
"How was tryouts?" Neville hailed them.
"I scored on Ron." Hermione said happily.
"Dean and Seamus will probably be the new Beaters." Harry told them.
**
An hour later, Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors came back.
"I've got the tryout results." Ron said, a piece of parchment in his hand.
"Let me see!" Hermione said, and made a grab for the parchment. Ron waved her away.
"It's not on this list, Hermione, I've memorized all the people who made it."
"What's on the list, then?" Harry asked, trying to peer at the parchment.
"The Top Five List of Why Ron Weasley would make a good Head Boy." Ron said.
"Well, go on and read it!" Hermione said impatiently.
"Gather around, all...Ron wants to be made Head Boy!" Ginny yelled, and the common room rolled with laughter, and turned to watch Ron.
Ron did not seem bashful, but cleared his throat, and read: "Top Five List of Why Ron Weasley would make a good Head Boy..."
Seamus made a noise as if he was about to burst into laughter.
"Number five, because all the girls think he's attractive!"
Ginny cupped her hands to form a trumpet around her mouth and booed good-naturedly. Several people laughed.
If Harry thought that Ron would have been put out by this, he was sadly mistaken. Ron seemed to take this as a very large joke, and it seemed that it was.
"Number four, because he has a great sense of humor."
"Boooo!" Several more Gryffindors joined in enthusiastically.
"Number three, because he's on Captain of the Quidditch team!"
"Boooooo!"
"Number two, because he's a great prefect!"
"Booooooo!" Lavender Brown screamed.
"And number one," Ron said. Dean did a drumroll on the arm of his chair.
"Because he's the smartest student in Gryffindor!"
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Harry rubbed his ears, and shook his head, smiling. The Gryffindors were laughing, and booing Ron, who was bowing. After all these years of knowing Ron, his best friend was still occasionally unpredictable.
"Anyways," Ron said loudly, over everyone else. "I've got the tryout results. The new Beaters will be Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan..."
Seamus and Dean leapt up, whooped, and clapped Ron so hard on the back he was knocked forward two paces. Everyone applauded politely.
"Ouch! Anyways, the new Gryffindor team Chasers will be..."
Everyone tensed.
"Hermione Granger..."
Hermione shrieked with joy, and hugged Ron very tightly.
Ron continued after he had recovered his breath.
"Ginny Weasley..."
Ginny acted as if this was a big suprise.
"...and Parvati Patil."
"So the female Chaser tradition lives on!" Seamus roared joyfully, as Hermione, Ginny, and Parvati hugged each other in excitement.
"AHEM!" Ron said very loudly. Everyone turned to stare.
"Anyways, the first training session will be on next Thursday, and our first match is as usual, against Slytherin, in about a month or so. Well, it's getting late. I'm off to bed. Night, all."
Before anyone could protest, Ron had bounded up the stairs to their dormitory. In two's and three's, the rest of the crowd took their leave.
"Well, g'night." He said to Hermione.
"Night." She went up through the girl's dormitory.
Harry watched her leave, then followed Dean, Seamus, and Neville to their own dormitory.
Over the next three weeks, excitement began stirring up among the school about the upcoming Halloween Ball. The teachers began giving them less homework than last year, as Harry remembered it.
As always, strange rumors were flying around. The most ridiculous one that he had heard was one of Dumbledore ordering several hundred bats to add to the decor.
Other rumors were more likely to happen. It seemed that Dumbledore had not only managed to book the Weird Sisters again, he had also somehow convinced a young group of musical artists called the Demigods. According to Ron, who had listened to the Wireless Wizarding Network over the past summer, they were extremely talented.
Professor Flitwick had been kind enough to give up teaching when his students were clearly not paying attention, and even dug out a box of Exploding Snap cards from his desk, to tumultuous cheers from Harry's class. Flitwick had even participated, and won in an extremely tense Poker match between Dean, Ron, and Seamus, to a loud chorus of friendly boos.
Tonks had called him over one day, when the class were practising Confundus Charms on each other(Tonks had told them that hopeflly, it would make Death Eaters temporarily forget who they served).
"Harry, have you found a partner yet?" She squinted down at him.
"Er, yeah...now that you mention it, Hermione asked me the night that Professor Dumbledore announced it."
"Oh, good." Tonks smiled.
The same thing happened in Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures, and both Hagrid and Professor McGonagall were both somewhat pleased to find out that he had Hermione as a partner. It was odd to Harry, since there were no circumstances that stated that he himself absolutely needed a partner. When he put this past Hagrid, the gamekeeper only grinned. "Ah, I'd best not tell yeh, Harry."
"Why not?"
"I expec' you'll find ou' soon, anyways, it's all over the school now."
"It doesn't have to do with Hermione, does it?" Harry asked suspiciously. Hagrid frowned.
"Migh' be. Now, come an' help me clean out this basin..."
Professor McGonagall was the same, if not even more secretive.
"Excellent, Potter." She said after Harry had informed her.
"What's this all about, Professor?"
She stared severely at him over her spectacles. "Never you mind, Potter...now please get back to conjuring your bat, please."
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Dec 31st, 2004 06:05 PM
