Unofficial Portkey Archive

Harry was extremely happy that he was in his first relationship, but he was miserable that he might have lost his first best friend.

After a couple of weeks, Ron and Hermione seemed to get past their problems, which just reinforced Harry's beliefs that it was just the straw that broke the camels back, so to speak, and their problems were a lot deeper than the Hermione situation.

Harry would be more than willing to swallow his own pride and go to Ron, but he feels that this is something that Ron needs to sort out on his own first, so he was willing to give him as much time as he needs.

Since Harry was spending almost all of his free time with Hermione, he found himself spending an abnormally large amount of time in her favorite place, the library. The last time he frequented the library this often was when Harry and Ron had a falling out last year after Ron accused Harry of putting his own name in the Goblet of Fire.

As Hermione was timing Harry on yet another O.W.L. practice run, he wished that Ron were around, so he could have someone to complain about his overly studious girlfriend to. In fact, the only time that he and Ron spent together now, outside of class that is, was during Quidditch practice.

During lunch period, Harry and Hermione decided to pay a visit to Harry's Godfather. As they approached Sirius' office door, Harry heard a familiar voice. Hermione was reaching to knock on his door, when Harry grabbed her hand and placed a finger over his lips. Harry leaned his head toward the door to try to hear what going on. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on placing the voice, when it came to him. It was his old Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Remus Lupin.

Remus, sounding concerned, said, "Sirius, aren't you worried."

"Of course I am, but we are doing everything that we can. All we can do now is watch, and be there if, and when, he needs any help."

"Do you think he's ready?"

"Ordinarily, I would say no, but he has never ceased to amaze me. I wouldn't put anything past him."

"So why don't we tell him what he is in store for then?"

"Because it's too much, and it's too soon. He may be ready, but it's an awful lot to put on him now, considering everything that he already having to deal with."

"Yes, of course you're right. I just wish there is something more that we can do."

"The best thing that we can do is prepare him as best we can, and hope it's enough."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Besides, he has those friends of his. They have never let him down before, and I don't expect that they will now."

"You're right, of course. It's remarkable just how much like his father he is, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, and that is what concerns me. He is just as selfless, and I am afraid that he will risk everything for the Order."

"But like you said Sirius, all we can do is prepare him and hope for the best."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Something happened that made Harry and Hermione jump. All of a sudden, there was a slow greasy voice that Harry recognized at once.

"What are the two of you doing," Snape said, with a sneer on his face, "tut-tut. Skulking around the hallways, people will think you are up to something. And where, Potter, is your other shadow?"

Hermione was about to say something when Harry said, "we are here to see Professor Black."

Snape definitely didn't look happy at that. "Then why are you waiting here?"

"Because he is talking with someone, already," Hermione said.

Snape opened the door and, when Sirius and Lupin turned to see who came in, he said, "you have two people waiting for you out here, Professor."

Sirius smiled, and said, "will you please show them in."

Snape moved aside, and Harry and Hermione walked into the room.

"Harry, Hermione, please sit down," Sirius said warmly. He turned to Snape and said, "thank you Severus. Is there anything else you need of me?"

Snape didn't say anything, but just walked out of the office in a huff.

"Hello Lupin," Harry and Hermione said together.

"Please, call me Remus, seeing as I am no longer your professor after all. Where is your friend, Ron?"

Harry and Hermione shared an uncomfortable stare, and Harry decided that he needed to change the topic of conversation. "It's really great seeing you Remus, but what are you doing here?"

Remus shot Sirius a quizzical expression, but after a moment he just shrugged, and they didn't pursue it further.

"I had to talk to Sirius about something."

"I hope we're not interrupting you then," Hermione said.

"Don't be ridiculous, Hermione. I was hoping I would see you both before I had to leave," Remus said.

"You mean that you will be leaving us soon then?" Harry asked.

Remus frowned, and said, "unfortunately yes, I still have tasks that need to be completed, but as soon as I have, I shall return."

Hermione asked Remus, "what are you working on?"

Remus smiled at her and said, "you know that I would love to tell you, but the fewer people who know, the better."

Sirius looked at the two of them and asked, "is there something that you wanted to see me about?"

Harry thought quickly, but the best he could come up with was, "the Quidditch tournament. Our first match isn't far off, and I wanted to make sure you'll be there."

Sirius chuckled, "quick thinking. Yes, of course I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for anything."

Harry looked hopefully at Remus, and asked, "what about you?"

"I can't make any promises, but I will do everything in my power to be there."

Harry and Hermione both smiled at the two of them.

"Look Sirius, I've got to go. About what we discussed," Remus said.

"Understood. This is all going to work out."

"I really hope that you're right," Remus said, shaking his head. He turned to Harry and Hermione, "this isn't goodbye. I will see you later, count on it."

Remus got up, and left Sirius' office, leaving Harry and Hermione alone with Sirius.

Harry the glanced over at Hermione and looked down, "Sirius?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Remember what we talked about before?"

Sirius looked at Harry, and paused a few seconds to consider him before he said, "yes, I think so."

"Well, I messed up, really badly."

"I understand." Sirius said after a second, he added, "and what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know," Harry said, looking down at the ground.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure out something."

"I hope so," said Harry, finally looking up. "I really don't want to lose him."

"Harry, never give up on your friends, or yourself," Sirius said smiling. "They both have a way of surprising you when you least expect it."

Harry, not really completely understanding, smiled and nodded silently. Hermione also looked much happier now.

Sirius got up and said, "lunch is almost over. What classes do you have next?"

Hermione beamed, "arithmancy."

"Interesting subject, if not a little dry," Sirius said. "And you Harry?"

"Divination," Harry said dejectedly.

Sirius laughed, and both Harry and Hermione starred at him. "I'm sorry, but I was just remembering when I was here. We all took divination, and we all hated it, especially James."

"My father took divination?"

"That's right Harry," Sirius, who was still chucking, said. "The best part was that they kept on predicting his death. I mean, like 10 times a day, every day."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other.

"It wasn't so bad though. We all made a little game of it, you know. We would all try to come up with the most original and gruesome ways to go. I hate to admit it, but James was the best at it."

Harry now was thinking about Ron again, and he cringed. That was how he had managed to survive two years of Divination.

"Who teaches it now, Harry?"

"Professor Trelawney."

"Trelawney, you say. I don't remember that particular professor."

"You won't. She never leaves her tower," Hermione said.

"Never? Really? That's odd," Sirius said.

"Odd is a perfect way to describe her," Harry said.

Sirius laughed again. "I guess you have to be a little different to be able to teach that subject. I remember my divination teacher, Professor Hagistrom, very strange man."

"Why didn't you just drop the class then," Hermione asked.

"You know. I really don't know. It just seemed important to finish it, although five years of that was pretty painful."

Harry knew what he meant, and completely agreed with him. Yes, it was unbelievably painful at times, but at the same time, he had a feeling that he needs to continue to take it.

Harry asked, "was my mother in your class?"

"Yes, but Lily dropped it in her third year."

"Why did she drop it?"

"She usually was the best student in all of her classes, so when she took divination, and she wasn't, she got frustrated. Finally, after being told she didn't have the Inner Eye, or whatever rubbish, she dropped the class. She spent the next four and a half years trying to get us to drop it also."

Harry looked across to Hermione, who had a sly grin on her face.

"What classes did she take," Hermione asked.

"You probably won't believe this, but all of them. After working herself into the ground, she dropped divination and Muggle studies. Nobody knows why she took Muggle studies, considering that she had Muggle parents anyway."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. If you change the names around, he could have just as easily been talking about them. This was uncanny.

"Where's you're first match Harry?"

Harry was about to say that he didn't know, when Hermione said, "France."

They both looked at her, and Harry, who has never ceased to be amazed by her, asked, "how in the world do you know that?"

"After they announced the team, they posted the schedule of the first round matches," Hermione said taking out a roll of parchment. "I copied it down. You see here, at Beauxbatons. I am only assuming that they are in France, since they all spoke French."

"Are you practicing hard Harry?"

"Yes, very hard. We all want to win this."

"Good, very good," Sirius said as the bell rang, ending lunch period. "Well, we all must be off. Class will begin soon enough."

As Harry and Hermione parted at the stairway, she gave him a quick kiss, and told him that she would see him after class. Harry trudged off up the stairs towards to the tower that divination was held in. When he reached the top floor, he looked up the ladder that leads to the trap door. When he reached the classroom he found himself, as usual, overwhelmed by the heat and the powerful odor of perfume in the air.

As Harry was walking toward his seat, he noticed that several people were crowding around pointing at some sort of catalog. Harry thought this was strange, but instead of looking into it, he just grabbed a seat near a window. He opened the window slightly, so he could at least have a nice cool breeze waft along his face, when he would be told in which horrific manner he will die today.

After a minute Harry saw Ron enter the classroom, and for a second, he hoped that he was going to join him as he usually would, but after a moment, his hopes were dashed, as he saw him turn and head over to sit with their dorm mates, Seamus and Dean, in the opposite corner of the class.

Professor Trelawney stood up, and in the misty voice that Harry has become accustomed to, said, "we have gone over many ways to unlock your inner eye, and peer into the future. Today, however, I have a special treat for you."

With this news, Lavender and Parvati, whom where both extremely fond of her class, edged their seats even closer to her, They were both mesmerized by Trelawney's lessons, and prided themselves that they were the top students in her class.

"Today we will learn a way to use our wands to foretell out destinies. Now, I want you all to take out your wands, and do what I tell you."

The class quickly complied, doing what they were instructed. While Harry felt pretty silly, at least he would be using his wand. With the exception of his broom, this was his favorite magical possessions.

"Ok, I want you to hold it in your non-wand hand. That means that if you normally use the wand in your right hand, you should hold it in your left, and if you normally hold it in your left hand, you should hold it in your right." Without looking right at him, Trelawney said, "the other hand, Neville," and he switched hands yet again.

"Now, I want you to take a deep breath, and completely clear your mind of all thoughts. I want you to feel the air filling your lungs, and it leaving again. Feel your heart beating, pumping blood through your body. Hold on tight to your wand, and when you have completely relaxed it should start."

Harry wondered what she meant by, it should start. He couldn't seem to shake the nagging thought that this was stupid, but apparently, other students were having more success at it. They were getting different color sparks shooting from the ends of their wands, but not much else.

After a while, the effects of the perfumed air, in addition to the hot temperature and the cool breeze, finally worked it's magic on Harry. He didn't really know what exactly happened next, only that when he came to, the entire class was gathered around him. Professor Trelawney had her usual grave look on her face. She peered down at him with her enormous eyes, which were magnified by her oversized specs.

Harry was wondering what had just happened. Why was everyone standing over him? He could see Ron in the back of the class. He seemed to have a look of concern on his face. Harry didn't know what troubled him more though, that Ron looked worried, or that Trelawney looked delighted.

"Very impressive, Mr. Potter. I must admit, I didn't think you had it in you. Ladies and gentlemen, this is exactly what I was talking about, and you all just saw the results for yourselves." As the bell ending the class rang, she added, "I want you all to read chapter 17 and tonight, before you go to sleep, I want you all to try again. Maybe some of you will have similar success to Mr. Potter."

As the class was gathering their things, Harry was dying to ask someone, preferably Ron, what had just happened, but he couldn't do it. When he went downstairs he found Hermione waiting for him, He told her everything that he could remember, which wasn't much.

"You should tell Sirius," Hermione said. That was her solution for pretty much any problem, tell a teacher and read a book. The book idea would be pretty useless since she didn't know what had happened, so she went with plan b, tell a teacher.

"Tell him what? Um, Sirius, I feel asleep in divination, and when I woke up I the entire class was standing over me? No, I think I need to have a better idea of what exactly happened before I talk to anybody," Harry said.

Hermione thought for a second, and said, "why don't you ask Ron?"

"No, absolutely not," Harry said emphatically. "You didn't see the look on his face when that happened. If he wants to tell me, that's one thing, but I won't make him."

Hermione muttered something that sounded very much like stubborn boys, as she escorted Harry to the Quidditch pitch.

Harry had his first Quidditch practice with his Hogwarts team. When Harry entered the changing room, he saw something disturbing, there was Fred holding one of those catalogs, pointing at it as he muttered something to George. As he approached them, he asked what they were up to. George looked frantically around the room, as Fred whispered, "we have our catalog ready. We tried to tell you in the Leaky Cauldron, but we were interrupted."

As George saw Professor McGonagall approaching he said, "we'll tell you later though, ok?"

After Professor McGonagall handed out their robes, she said, Harry looked at the ones that he was given. They were scarlet, black, and gold with the school crest over their chests. "before the tournament you should select a captain to represent you. I will leave you to select this person any way you choose, but I need the selection as soon as possible."

As she walked out, Fred and George pointed at each other and said, "he should do it," at the same time. They all broke up laughing at this.

"I think we should nominate candidates, and then take a vote," Angelina said.

They all agreed, and Fred spoke first, "I nominate Harry."

"I second that," George added.

Harry was not very pleased with that, but thinking quickly he said, "I nominate Fred."

Ron, not missing a beat, said, "I'll second that."

Harry smiled, but the twins didn't.

Ron added, "I nominate George."

Harry picked up on his cue this time, and said, "I'll second that."

George said, "I nominate Ron."

"I second that," Fred said.

Harry, realizing this was already way out of hand said, "I nominate Angelina."

Katie said, "I second that."

Angelina said, "I nominate Katie."

"I second that," said Alicia.

Katie finished it off, "I nominate Alicia."

"I second that," said Angelina.

They all had a good laugh at this. Fred announced, "ok. Now we vote, but since we all have been nominated we need someone impartial to run this."

"We can have Hermione do it. She is just outside," Harry suggested.

After a moment, George commented, "we said impartial, and I hardly think your girlfriend counts."

Harry and Ron both looked uncomfortable at this, but Harry said, "you all know her, and know she would be fair, regardless. But if you have another idea, name it."

Nobody said anything, so after a minute, Harry went outside.

Hermione, who was reading, looked puzzled, "are you finished, already?"

Harry smiled and said, "no, but we need you."

Hermione looked perplexed, "you need me?"

"Come in here, and we'll explain,"

Hermione put her things away, and followed Harry into the changing room. As she entered, she looked around. It was the first time that she had been in there. As she was looking at the faces of the members of the team, she went from looking pleased to nervous.

Angelina, seeing that Hermione looked uncomfortable, smiled and said, "we need your help Hermione."

Hermione smiled, "how can I help?"

Katie addressed her, "we have a little situation here."

Hermione answered, "what kind of situation?"

Alicia said, "we have to select a captain for our team."

Hermione still looked confused, and slowly asked, "ok, and you need me, why?"

"We were nominating members for the position," Fred said.

"And we nominated everyone," George finished.

Hermione smirked, "oh, I see. So you want me to handle your election then?"

Ron finally said, "exactly. We needed someone impartial."

"Ok," Hermione said, as she rummaged through her bag. She pulled out a piece of parchment, which she ripped into seven pieces, a bottle of ink and seven quills. She handed them a piece of parchment and a loaded quill to each member of the team.

Next, she took out the box that she kept her SPEW things in and told them to write their selection and put it in the box. After a couple of minutes they handed back all seven pieces of parchment. She looked at the pieces of parchment. After she finished she shook her head, and looked through them again.

After a minute, she looked up and said, "ok, we have a tie."

Fred asked, "who?"

"To be more specific, it is a seven-way tie. You all got one vote apiece."

The twins thought this was very funny, but Hermione didn't seem to find the humor in the situation.

"Do you all want to try again?"

They looked at each other and nodded. Hermione ripped up seven more pieces of parchment, and they recast their votes. After she got these back, she tallied them up.

"Ok. You have a winner."

"Who is it then?" Fred asked.

Hermione looked them all over before her gaze fell onto Harry, saying, "I don't know if congratulations are in order, but you're the new captain, Harry."

Harry was surprised by this news. Who would vote for him, he wondered. The rest of the team swarmed him, with the notable exception of Ron, who kept his distance. Although Hermione stayed back, not showing what she thought of this turn of events, she still managed to shoot Harry an encouraging look, making him feel a little better.

After a few minutes to change into their new robes, they went out to practice. Fred saw Ron walking with his old shooting star, and laughed.

"What do you think you are doing, Ron?"

"I'm going to practice," Ron said indignantly.

George, seeing this now, waved at Ron's broom, "we know that, but what are you doing with that?"

"This is my broom."

Fred, looking a little annoyed said, "ok, enough joking. Go and get your Firebolt and we can start practice properly."

"I don't have a Firebolt. This is my broom, ok?"

Fred and George looked from Ron to Harry, then back to Ron, and then at each other. Ron meanwhile walked out onto the field. The rest of the team joined him and started practice. They had an intense workout, but one thing was obvious. They needed to start preparing a game plan.

When they were back in the changing room after hours of practice, Fred said, "we have got to start getting ready for Beauxbatons, since we will be facing them first."

George said, "first thing we need to do is get Ron a new broom."

Fred said, "yes. I agree. I don't know what happened to your Firebolt, and I don't want to know, but you can't use that in the tournament."

"There is no way. One loss and we'd be done. So we will get you a proper broom before the first match," George added.

Angelina said, "and we're also are going to need to get some information on our opponent."

"Yes," Katie said, "but where are we going to get that?"

"It's not as if any of us has seen them play," Alicia added.

Ron said, "I wish the Beauxbatons students were still here, maybe we could get something useful."

When Ron said this, Harry looked at Hermione, who was still in the changing room.

"We may indeed have a potential fountain of information," Harry said.

George asked, "what are you talking about?"

Hermione asked, "what if there was someone here that has seen them play, already?"

"That would be great, but who here has seen them play?" Ron asked.

"Not here," Harry said, waving his hand around the room. "I mean in the school."

Most of the team caught on, except Ron. "Who are you talking about?"

Hermione looked at him, and said as if talking to a small child, "Ron, remember last year. Part of the Beauxbatons contingency that is with us now?"

The slow look of comprehension brightened in Ron's face as he finally understood, "Gabrielle?"

Harry smiled, "exactly, she is our only hope."

Fred said, "that is, if she knows anything,"

"What makes you think she will tell us?" George finished.

Hermione said, "well, there is one person here that she thinks she owes her life to, after all," as her gaze moved onto Harry.

"That's brilliant." Fred grinned

George asked, "but will it work?"

Harry rubbed his chin and said, "dunno, but it's our only real chance, if we want to prepare properly that is."

Before they left the changing room, McGonagall returned and asked, "did you come to a decision?"

Harry nodded, without saying anything.

She looked at him, and after a second asked, "and?"

Harry didn't need to say anything, because at this the rest of the team, and Hermione, pointed at him, McGonagall had almost a bemused expression on her face. "I see. In that case," she said as she waved her wand adding a burgundy C, with gold and black trim, on the left shoulder of Harry's new robes.

"Now I assume that there will be those of you who will want to invite friends or relatives to your matches. Since our first will be at Beauxbatons, please let us know so we can make arrangements." She looked at Hermione, "please allow me to know if I was correct in presuming you will be joining us for the match."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione replied.

"Very well. Since the first match is during Christmas break I will need to know as soon as possible," she said as she left the room as the team looked at what she did to Harry's robes.

As they left, Hermione asked nervously, "hey, Harry?"

"Yes, sweetie," Harry said, realizing that he was going to need to get her a better nickname than that.

Hermione, now looking toward the ground, said, "would it be ok if I invite my parents to the match?"

Harry put his hand under her chin so her could look into her beautiful brown eyes, and said, "of course it is. I would love to see them again."

Smiling Hermione said, "you know, I love you Harry," and she threw her arms around him and gave him a big kiss.

Harry was caught off guard by this. She loved him? When he tried to respond to her, to say something, to say anything actually, he found that the words were stuck in his throat.

Walking towards the great Hall for dinner, Harry and Hermione talked about the appropriate strategy of getting the information from Gabrielle. When they got to the house table, Hermione poked him in the ribs, and nodded toward the Hufflepuff table. Gabrielle was sitting alone there, and as Harry glanced at Hermione, she nodded.

Harry got up and walked over to her. As he approached, she looked up and smiled.

"Hello Gabrielle," Harry said.

"Bonjour, 'arry. It iz zo nice to zee you."

Harry pointed to the seat next to her and said, "do you mind?"

"Ov curse not, pleez zit."

"How are you doing? Do you like it here at Hogwarts?"

"Oh yez, I luve it 'ere, mais it iz a biit cold, non?"

"No, err, I mean yes, I guess it is. How is your sister Fleur?"

"Shee iz, er, 'ow you say, very well, merci. Shee waz talking a-bout zee 'Ogwarts Quidditch team."

"She was interested in our school team?"

"Oh oui. When I err, told 'er 'oo waz on our team, she waz err, interested in 'oo."

"Really? Did she mention who was on the Beauxbatons team?"

"Err, Fleur is ze captain."

Before she could continue, Harry, interrupted her in surprise, "Fleur is on the team?"

"Ah oui. C'est er final yeer at Beauxbatons. Natasha et Marie are ze beaters, et Paulette, Tanya, et Rosa are ze chasers. Monique is ze keeeper."

"There aren't any boys on the team?"

Gabrielle laughed and said, "non, they err, do not 'ow you say, rely on ze force, but err, use zeir speed to win."

"Have you ever seen them play?"

"Ah oui, many, many timez."

"Do you know much about Quidditch?"

"Oui, Fleur 'as taught me... Everything I know."

"What do you mean by force?"

"Well, zey do not block each ozer, et ze beaters will only hit ze bludgers away from zeir own playerz, et no towards ze others."

"Really? So the games must be pretty quick then?"

"Oui, et, if ze other team zeeker comes close, zey err, 'av a zecret weapon."

Harry was now intrigued, "secret weapon. What is it?"

"I err, regret, mais, I cannot tell you. I err, 'ope you understand."

Harry wished her luck on her courses, and went back to his table. He wished he knew that secret weapon was, but he still had enough information to help the team. Sitting next to Hermione, he told her everything that happened.

She handed him a load of books on Quidditch to help him come up with a game plan. She looked at him thoughtfully and said, "secret weapon, do you have any idea what she was talking about?"

"No, she said she couldn't tell me. Since her sister is still on the team, I can understand why."

"Fleur is on the team?"

"Yes. She is the captain and seeker."

It looked as if something had occurred to Hermione. Harry looked at her and asked, "what is it?"

Hermione shook her head, "nothing, at least not yet, that is."

During dinner, Harry was going through some of the books that Hermione had given him, they were very interesting, and after he read for a while, Hermione gave him some parchment and he started drawing up a game plan.

After dinner, they went to the library to study some more. When the Madam Pince, the school's librarian shooed them out for the night, they returned to their common room, which was already empty. She kissed him goodnight and they went to their separate dormitories.

When Harry saw Ron, he had a fleeting hope that they were ok again especially after what had happened in the changing room. Apparently, he was wrong, because when he came in Ron quickly closed the drapes of his four-poster.

Harry's heart sank at this. He changed quietly and, after a busy day, he fell right off to sleep.