Underneath It All

SimpleeDazed

Rating: PG13
Genres: Drama, Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 4
Published: 09/02/2003
Last Updated: 21/05/2003
Status: paused

Harry Potter is just an ordinary boy, who's invisble to all and lives a life full of questions. Hermione is just the opposite- smart, talented, and head girl, she's noticed by all. How can two people from two different worlds mix? 7th year at Hogwarts is here, and Harry's life changes when he finds out who he really is and the emotion of love. *This doesn't follow the original storyline of HP*

Chapters

1. Realizing

2. The Awakened Demon

3. Unexpected Gift

4. Quidditch Incident

5. Dreaming

6. Tryouts and Troubles

7. Watching Over You

8. One Step Closer

9. Bonding

10. Friendship?

11. Following Destiny

12. Guide Me

13. Evil and Desires

1. Realizing

AN: Hi there, I got the idea for this fic from listening to Stole by Kelly Rowland. Guess you can call it inspiration ;) Hehe, hope you like it since it's my first try at writing HP fics. It's kinda scary since there are SO many out there -___- Well hope you enjoy it!

Note: This fic doesn't follow the original storyline of Harry Potter.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter One: Realizing

Seventeen year old Harry Potter stepped foot onto the scarlet Hogwarts Express that was currently bellowing out steam. He shifted his glasses so that they weren't at the very tip of his sweaty nose.

The young man hurried down the isle, in hopes of finding an empty compartment to himself. He was gradually loosing hope when he was nearing the back of the train and he still hadn't seen any compartments unoccupied. Yet just as he was about to think of some way to ask somebody to let him sit with them, his brilliant green eyes darted to the left and to his joy- an empty compartment.

Harry lunged his bags into the compartment and stepped in holding Hedwig's cage, her glossy white feathers shining. The effort of tossing the bags in caused sweat to erupt on his forehead. Hence, he was sometimes called 'scrawny' for his age, with his skinny lanky figure and pale skin. But it wasn't entirely his false. Blame his aunt and uncle for starving him constantly.

The train lurched forward, and Harry let out a breath that he hadn't noticed he had been holding all along. Another year at Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardy. Another...yet the last, his final seventh year. Great. It didn't really matter to him. He was glad it was all going to be over soon. The tauntings, the glares, sneers...failures...etc. Although there sometimes were a few bright things in his life at Hogwarts, just...there seemed to be more bad than good. But after the year was over, what would he do with the rest of his life? Rot in the Dursleys house? Or simply starve until he was nothing but bone?

Harry frowned as he stared out at the green hills that rolled by from his view. He never understood his life, never knew the purpose of his existence to be exact. He simply...was just there. Rarely noticed anywhere, and he simply didn't fit in either. Harry was use to it now though. He spent his breaks and lunches pondering on hopeless dreams..and espeically his parents. Uncle Vernon simply stated that his parents died in a horrid car accident. For weird reasons, Harry couldn't believe it. He didn't know why. He was a wizard, wouldn't that make his parents wizards?

His brow furrowed in frustration. And if his parents were wizards, they couldn't just die because of some car accident. It seemed such a muggle-like death.

"Excuse me?"

Harry's head snapped up from the sudden soft voice that interupted him from his usual train of thoughts. He looked over to the door of his compartment in which he had carelessly left open. "Huh?"

A girl was standing there, and she was quite tall (yet Harry felt that he would still be taller than her if he stood) with a pretty nice figure. She had all the curves in the right places, and her hair was rather a bushy mass of brown curls sitting on top of her perfectly shaped face.

"Sorry if I startled you," She blinked, causing Harry to blink along. "But all the compartments seem to be filled..." She bit her pink lips and tilted her head. "So I was wondering if we could join you?"

"...W..we?" Harry cleared his throat. "We?"

The girl simply nodded and stepped in, revealing two more girls behind her. They seemed to screw up their noses when their eyes landed upon Harry, and he couldn't help but think that he heard something like "Oh it's him, that..what's his name?"

Harry shrugged and waved a hand lazily at the empty plush seats across from where he was sitting.

The girl with the bush like hair sighed in relief as she plopped her bags down next to her. Her friends, supposedly, relunctantly followed and plopped themselves next to the girl.

"Do we have to sit here Herms?" One girl with strawberry blonde hair pulled into a high pony tail complained.

The girl being addressed frowned slightly, "Yes, you saw how filled the compartments were. And don't call me Herms! How long have I pestered you about that nickname?"

"Oh for a long time my dear old friend," The blonde laughed.

Harry rolled his eyes. Girls.

He focused his attention away from the three, and back to his endless thoughts. So he was normal, pretty normal, and plain. He wasn't a nerd, just a loner he supposed. But Harry didn't think he was that boring was he? He had some mysterious past and he really wanted to figure it out...maybe then someone would notice him as Harry. He even had some funky shaped scar on his forehead which he noticed was in the shape of a thunderbolt. But naturally, he was the only one that noticed.

"Oh four chocolate frogs, thank you mam."

"Oh! And a cauldron cake too. Thank you."

Harry wrinkled his nose as the scent of the goodies wafted to his nose. Maybe he should buy..

"Here!"

He jumped slightly at the sudden sight of a chocolate frog in his face as his eyes jumped to the person handing it to him. It was that same girl with the bushy hair. "Uh...what?"

"Take it silly," The girl laughed and rolled her eyes. "For letting us sit here with you."

Harry felt the package land in his lap while he stared at it dumbly. Someone had given him something. That was a first!

He held it stiffly in his right hand as he looked up at that girl chatting happily with the girl next to her. He noticed the blonde had fallen asleep with her head against the door.

Harry once again looked at the chocolate frog still wrapped, grasped in his hand. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to unwrap it and eat it. He sighed and stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans.

"So you already have you're schedule? Oh let me see!"

"Potions first thing?!"

"No really?"

"We do! That's just it! I'm skipping it!"

"No you're not! You can't skip a class Rina."

"Well I'm not the one who completely ran from Divination one year..."

"Oh sod off!! You were on my side when I claimed that Trelawney was an old fraud."

Harry shifted around in his seat, still deep in thought. Other than his parents...he had all this money from them just simply left in a vault in Gringotts for him to take. Loads of Galleons that gleamed in the sunlight were stacked in his vault, and he guess that was one of the good things in his life. At least he wasn't living off of dry bread and water.

His mind was feeling bland, and the sky seemed to be getting dimmer, and so were Harry's eyelids. They were getting heavier and heavier until they collasped completely, and he dozed into a restless sleep of nightmares.

~*~

A flash of green light...screaming...

"No, take me, don't take Harry! Not Harry, not Harry!"

A merciless laugh filled the air, the surroundings...everything...

"Hey wake up." said a soft voice that seem to be getting louder by the second.

"Don't bother, he's fast asleep," Rina muttered as she smoothed out her black Hogwarts robes.

The blonde nodded, "He'll eventually wake when the train comes to a stop, Hermione."

Hermione seemed unconvinced as she raised an eyebrow at her friends. "You guys don't seem the least bit grateful that he didn't kick us out of the compartment he occupied first."

"Whoa, hold your horses girl! When did you go all...nice!"

"Nice?"

"I mean, on his side! I mean, isn't he the school loner I think?"

Hermione shrugged, "Loner or not, we still have to wake him right?"

"I suppose."

"Hey, we're arriving! WAKE UP!"

His eyes snapped open and noticed that a blurry shape was standing over him. He felt the weight of his glasses on his lap which must've slipped off during his sleep. He quickly reached down at them and placed them back in place.

"Oh, are we here?"

"Yes," Hermione stepped back to fix her robes.

Harry caught a gleam of something on the girl's robes and noticed it was a badge with the words 'Head Girl' glittering brightly. Oh, so she's head girl...come to think of it, I think I remember her from somewhere.

He shrugged the thought out of his still sleepy mind as he got up and reached into his bag to find his school robes. Harry finally found it and pulled it out, quickly changing into it with his red sweater and jeans still on.

"Oh right you're Harry!" The blonde pointed out.

"Harry?" Rina said with an odd glance at her friend.

Polly simply shrugged in reply, "He just seemed awfully familiar from the very beginning to me. And its finally struck me! He's Harry, that silent one who always just sits there."

Hermione seemed rather surprised. "I think I might've seen you being picked on in Potions."

"See how forgetful you two are? Can't even remember a silly guy in our own house."

"I wasn't thinking, Polly," Hermione snapped in annoyance as she pulled the compartment door open.

Harry frowned inwardly. Right, of course you all forgot about me.

"Yes! I'm so glad we're here! I can't wait until the feast begins," Polly went right after Hermione who already stepped out and into the busy hallway.

Rina followed shortly and Harry tagged behind, Hedwig tapping at the golden bars of her cage impatiently.

"We're almost there Hedwig, and then you can have a good night's sleep instead of being cramped up in that cage..." Harry spoke softly to his companion; his only companion.

Harry unmistakenly recognized the loud booming voice of Hagrid, the gamekeeper and teacher for Care of Magical Creatures. He remembered his first year as if he never existed. It was probably about the same as any other year in which he went through unoticed by all.

"Oi!! Hermione!!" A hand was sticking out from the swarming cloud of people all trying to push their way through and out of the train.

Harry saw the girl that had offered him the frog turn around and look about. "What? Is that you Ron??"

"Yes! I'm right...here..." There was a bit of struggling before a red head popped into view and at once Hermione's face brightened at the mere sight of him.

"Ron!" Hermione gave the boy a bear hug which made him turn as red as his hair. "How was your summer?"

"I thought I told you about it in my letters?" Ron look rather distressed. "Or did Pig loose them all? I wouldn't be surprised..."

She shoke her head, "Of course not. I got them but it doesn't hurt to ask again right?"

"When did the little book worm become so...curious?"

"Hey!"

"I'm just teasing you!"

Harry watched the two disappear from his view as they stepped off, him following shortly. There was a bit of fog hanging around, and alot of fog hanging above the lake in which the first years were already heading towards. He climbed onto a carriage and was soon joined by Neville Longbottom. A round and forgetful boy, also in Gryffindor and another student Snape loved to torment.

"Hey Harry," Neville said in rather a bored tone. "I think I'm having a headache you know? Trying to remember so many things at once!"

Harry stared, "But there's nothing to remember...I mean, classes haven't started yet!"

"I know, but I can't seem to find my schedule..."

"That's because we haven't recieved them from Professor McGonagall yet," Harry said, rather surprised Neville could be so mindless at times. "Exceptional to the Head Girl and Boy and Prefects though."

Neville blinked his round confused eyes at him. "Oh! Well that's good, one thing to not worry about anymore!"

Harry shook his head and glanced out of the window, the shadow of the grand castle looming ahead casted upon the many carriages coming up to it.

They came to a lurching stop, and Harry took no time at all to get off of it before he could hear another word of Neville's so called 'worries'.

He heard a melodic laugh ring about the chilly night air, and to his surprise the Head Girl was standing just a couple feet away from him with the red head and the two girls from the Hogwarts Express. Harry blinked, not really noticing that he was listening in on their conversation.

"Hermione, you're working yourself to hard."

Hermione...Harry felt the name ring in his ears and slip out again as if it were never there. He sighed, not feeling how much his insides ached to be able to join them. Hermione...

Harry Potter stuck his cold hands into the pocket of his jeans as he followed the rest through the masive doors of Hogwarts. Before he was engulfed in light and warmth coming from the Great Hall, his last thoughts dwelded.

She seems like...a nice girl...

2. The Awakened Demon

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Two: The Awakened Demon

He wasn't really paying attention as the Sorting Hat was placed upon the heads of the frightened first years. Harry was actually finding interest in his empty golden plate. His stomach let out a gurgle, which caused him to turn slightly pink in embarrassment as a few people sitting by heard.

"Tracy Hemmings." Professor McGonagall read off the list of names in the same stiff voice.

A girl with curly golden locks tied back in pig tails hopped up and the hat was placed upon her golden head. Not even a minute after, the old tattered hat boomed out, "RAVENCLAW!"

And then the list went on, and Harry went on with staring at his goblet now. As if on cue, Dumbledore stood up as the last of the first years took their seat at their house table. His long wispy beard seemed to gleam, and so did his eyes as he scanned the four long tables with a smile. "Ah yes, welcome back to another exciting year at Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardy. Please take note that the Forbidden Forest is still off limits to all students. We would also like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! Professor Dawkes."

A thin woman stood up and eyed the students warily. At once everyone seemed to dislike her gaze, hence the applause was rather forced.

"And I guess, I have nothing more to say, but to enjoy your feast." Dumbledore waved his hand and the plates filled immediately.

Harry's mood brightened at the sight of mashed potatoes and roast beef, which were much more luxurious than what the Dursleys threw at him for the past two months. His whale sized cousin Dudley was still on an unsuccessful diet which meant the whole family had to live on grapefruit and carrot sticks along with him.

"Mr. Potter."

Harry lifted his gaze from his plate and saw Professor McGonagall standing over him. "...Yes?"

"Your schedule," She handed him a piece of parchment.

"Thanks," He took it from her, but noticed that Professor McGonagall was still standing in place. He blinked and looked at her expectantly. "...Er.."

She stared down at him from the bridge of her noise and Harry almost thought he caught a smile on his strict professor's face. "Right, I forgot to send this letter to you because there must've have been piles and piles of unanswered mail on my desk. Supossedly this got lost in the pile, but here it is."

Harry was handed an envelope with the Hogwarts crest on it. He looked at it in wonder as Professor McGonagall turned to leave. "I suggest you open it now too." And then she was off.

He flipped the envelope over quickly, the wonderful fumes of food forgotten as curiousity clouded his mind. Harry pulled a piece of parchment out of it, and along with it, a badge.

His green eyes darted across the words hastily, and with every sentence his eyes widened in amazement. "I'm a Prefect!?"

Several heads turned towards him and he couldn't help but blush as he turned quickly to glance at Professor McGonagall. She seemed to be avoiding his gaze purposely, but that didn't put down his spirit.

A Prefect! He thought in confusion yet excitement at the same time. For once something out of the ordinary was happening to him. Being a Prefect meant being able to boss people around, which of course wasn't in Harry's nature. Yet it was fun to think of the privileges he had. I wonder how I got to be one in the first place..

He clumsily pinned on his Prefect badge while returning his attention back onto his food. For the remainder of the feast, Harry ate and beamed down at his food in silent pride.

~*~

Long after the feast was over, and the students had long been in bed, the professors of Hogwarts held a meeting in Dumbledore's office.

"When are we going to tell him?" Professor McGonagall said in a rather distraught voice.

"There is no need to worry Minerva. It will be soon for it is his last year attending school is it not?" Dumbledore replied calmly.

Professor Trelawney's lips twitched. "I've been hinting to the boy that he is something more than...what he is at the moment."

"And your way of hinting is probably 'seeing' his upcoming death and the reason?" Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

"Infact you're quite right Minerva."

Dumbledore gave both of them a stern glance and their little quarrel stopped with pursed lips and a few glares. "Anyways, I think we shouldn't just throw it at the boy should we?"

"Of course not, Potter can't even handle a simple hair-raising potion." Snape snapped.

"Let's not bring up his academic skills in this meeting," Dumbledore sighed. "Well any suggestions?"

Silence blanketed the room as every professor seemed to sit in deep thought over the situation concerning Harry. Dumbledore's usual glint behind his half-moon spectacles seemed dimmed by the sudden thought of having to bring something up.

"Must we'h tell 'im?"

"Of course Rubeus, it is his life, and it is his right to know what truly happened in the past," said Dumbledore with a weary tone replacing his usual calm and steady voice.

Hagrid sighed and slumped lower into his seat which was already caving in slowly. "Poor thin' "

"Well why not let the boy figure it out himself?" Professor McGonagall suggested tightly as she scanned the group quickly before taking in a breath. "I mean, the information is there, right in front of him is it not?"

"That is true, but the more informative books are in the restricted section mostly." Snape looked rather bored as he replied.

Dumbledore suddenly sat straighter, shuffling his long purple robes in the process. "Ah! That is a very good suggestion indeed Minerva."

"To get the boy to break rules?" Snape at once glowered.

"Not exactly, we can bring the books to him." Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall, and she gave him a knowing glance back.

"Very well, I'll place the books in the dormitories tomorrow night, he'll simply think one of his fellow students left it behind carelessly."

Snape frowned, "That stupid boy won't even bother looking at them."

"Maybe a little charm will do," Dumbledore simply replied before he stood up, the twinkle in his eyes back once again. "I guess our meeting is finished for tonight. And of course, you all know not to purposely slip anything in front of any other students. We do not want rumours spreading."

There were a few nods and murmers before the group dispatched.

~*~

"Ok class, are we all here?" Professor Sprout's mass of messy greying hair seemed slightly puffier than usual as she bustled about with the many pots infront of her. When no one replied, she nodded, "I take that as a yes then! Then let's get started now."

Harry eyed the pots in front of Professor Sprout with a hint of curiousity, but the earmuffs next to them also reminded him of the annoying screeching sounds of the Mandrakes from his second year. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his robes before clearing his mind and paying complete attention to the lesson being given.

"Now, you see here in front of me, pots." Professor Sprout waved a hand over the pots. "And then, the earmuffs. What does this suggest to you?"

Everyone shifted slightly in confusion before a hand wavered in the air. "Ah yes, Longbottom?"

"Um...possibly...something in the pot is going to make some horrible noise and make us deaf...?" Neville said uncertaintly, but Professor Sprout beamed.

"Exactly! 10 points to Gryffindor! Now everyone grab a pair, but don't put them on yet. I still have some explaining to do. Now, who remembers what we tackled during your...second year if I remember clearly?"

At once a hand shot up and Harry was startled to see that girl there again.

"Yes Miss. Granger?"

"Mandrakes, also known as Mandragora." She answered before setting her hand back down to her side. Harry stared at her silently.

"Yes, that's correct. So it is very clearly shown at the moment, that the plant we will be dealing with for today's lesson, will be related in some way to the Mandrake, hence the earmuffs." Professor Sprout explained as she picked up a pair of creamy fluffy ones and placed them upon her ears. "I suggest you all wear them now, just in case."

The shuffling of robes subsided after a few seconds as everyone had on a pair of multi-colored ear muffs. Harry's was a mint green, much to his distaste.

"Ok class, this is very similiar to the way of unpotting a Mandrake," Professor Sprout stuck her hand into the pot and pulled, "And you simply pull, but not to hard, you might wake it."

"Wake it?" Someone questioned.

"Yes, wake it," Professor Sprout held up the creature she had just pulled out from the earth. Everyone stared at it wide-eyed, some burst out into giggling-fits.

Something that resembled a Mandrake in a way, was hanging from two tuffs of green leaves that were firmly grasped in the professor's hand. Yet it wasn't shrieking in a high-pitched scream, it was simply quiet. It had its eyes closed, and the skin of it a very deep deep orange with little bubbles of yellow puss dotted about.

"Does anyone know what this is?" Professor Sprout asked in a voice barely audible.

Once again, Hermione raised her hand above the confused bundle of students. "It's a Floundrake, a relative to the Mandrake. Unlike its sister, it does not scream when it is unpotted from the earth, infact, it sleeps all year round. But of course, there is a way of waking it up. Like dipping it into bubotubor pus, which will awake it instantly and the familiar shrieking will be heard. Also, it'll be rid of those puss bubble things too."

Professor Sprout smiled brightly at Hermione, "Excellent! Very very well explained! 10 points to Gryffindor for that wonderful explanation from Miss. Granger!" Hermione glowed.

Harry looked amused, Hermione Granger seemed to know everything.

"What Miss. Granger has said is absolutely correct, and here I have some bubotubor pus in these buckets, careful not to spill it on yourself. Leave your ear muffs on while handling these nasty little things at all times, understood?" Everyone nodded, eager to begin. "You will be placed into groups of four!"

The groups got called, and students quickly made their way to their groups. Harry found himself with Hermione, Susan Bones from Hufflepuff, and another Hufflepuff girl he couldn't recognize, which wasn't a surprise because he didn't seem to remember people even from his own house.

"Ok, I guess we better hurry so we have enough time to take notes afterwards," Hermione fussed as she put on her gloves hastily and placed the pot infront of the group.

"Who's going to do the pulling?" The Hufflepuff girl questioned while biting the bottom of her lip.

Susan crossed her arms, "I never tried doing this stuff, neither has Melly." She pointed to the girl who had just spoke up. "Actually, last time I tried pulling that Mandrake out, it didn't budge."

Hermione frowned slightly, glancing at Harry. "Well, do you want to?" She asked quickly.

"Er...sure," Harry blinked and found himself situated infront of the pot. It won't be that bad...

He made sure his earmuffs were secure, as he glanced nervously at his group which was staring intently down into the pot. Harry sucked in a breath before reaching into the damp earth and yanked with all his might.

He noticed he had closed one eye but kept another open and he sighed with relief as he saw that it was still sleeping contently in his grasp. "Ok...so.."

"Shh, don't wake it," Hermione took the leaves in her hands and Harry relaxed even more, glad that the creature was no longer in his care. "Someone bring the bucket over..."

Melly nodded and turned around, yet Harry noticed that the bucket was right behind her foot which sent the whole bucket of bubotubor pus flat onto the ground with a loud clang!

Susan shrunk back, Harry held his breath, but it was Hermione who broke the silence by letting out a startled cry. Everyone turned their attention towards the head girl who was desperately trying to let go of the Floundrake which had woken up from the sudden commotion.

It was shrieking with all its might, hissing and spitting all over Hermione. Harry noticed at once that the strange creature didn't spit out nice normal junk, but the stuff that it did spit out seemed to burn the cloth of Hermione's robes.

"Hermione! Your robes!" Harry pointed out in shock.

Hermione, noticing the small holes starting to appear where the Floundrake spat, looked about in horror. She stared helplessly around her as she flung her arms away from herself, but the Floundrake clung on.

Harry jammed his hand into his pocket and pulled out his wand, thinking desperately for a spell to stop it all. "Uh...um...Imprevius!" He shouted and pointed towards Hermione.

The Floundrake gave another shuddering cough and another yellow blob came out from its mouth and was about to land on Hermione's shoulder, but it simply bounced off. She shot Harry a thankful look just as Professor Sprout came running towards them. "What is the matter! Oh dear! It's awake!"

Everyone stood back as Professor Sprout threw a bucket of dragon dung compost towards the Floundrake and Hermione. At once the shrieking was silenced and Hermione realized the evil little thing had fallen asleep.

"Works like a charm," Professor Sprout muttered while lifting the creature from Hermione's arms. "You better get yourself fixed up Miss. Granger before your next class. I do say your robes need mending."

Hermione sighed and sank back into a bench behind her. "Oh goodness that was embarrassing!" She brushed off the dirt from her hair in frustration.

"..Well, you were brave."

"What?" She glanced up towards the speaker and noticed that it was Harry. "Oh right, thank you very much for helping me then..if not, I think I wouldn't have what's left of my robes." She chuckled slightly before squinting her eyes. "You're Harry right?"

He stared and nodded numbly causing her to laugh slightly. "What?" He asked in confusion.

"I don't know, you just seem a bit dazed," Hermione smiled before standing up and gathered her things. "I better go search up a spell that can repair robes before Arithmancy. See you, Harry." She waved and was out of the greenhouse in an instance.

Harry nodded again, even though she wouldn't have seen. "See you...Hermione." And for once he felt that he did something more than being invisible.

AN: Yes it's rather boring now, but it's just getting into it you know. Hehe, introductory and all that. Hope you liked it and please review :)

3. Unexpected Gift

AN: I'm so happy that some people are actually reading this..hehe well I might be updating kind of slowly because of school work and all that, but I'll try my best :) Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Three: Unexpected Gift

"Check mate!" A red head exclaimed with a broad grin plastered across his freckled face while he sat back in triumph. "Told ya you couldn't beat me, the master at wizard's chess. But you just had to push it Hermione."

Hermione scowled and shook her head disprovingly. "Don't let this get over your head Ronald Weasley."

Ron made a face. "Don't call me that!"

"Ronny," Hermione looked satisfied at Ron's grimace.

"Oh stop it...Herms!" Ron smirked as he retaliated.

"Oh no you don't Ronnily," Hermione placed her hands on her hips while shooting Ron daggers with her eyes.

The red headed boy raised an eyebrow. "Ronnily? That's a new one." Ron pointed out and shrugged. "But really, KneeKnee, do you have time to be fooling around with me right now?"

"KneeKnee?!" Hermione shrieked and jumped off the velvet red chair of the Gryffindor Common Room. "That's it! I really don't have time to have childish quarrels with you, so if you would exuse me..."

"Right indeed KneeKnee," Ron smirked again as he knew he had hit the right string at last. "Oh Hermione! You're impossible!"

She shot him a glare before tucking her bushy hair behind her ears. "In that case, you're even more impossible. I think you should start studying for our upcoming Potions quiz that Snape so generously offered to us."

Ron's shoulders fell at the reminder of the quiz that Professor Snape had suddenly wanted them to write. "It's insane! I mean, it's the first week back from holidays! We've only taken what? One page of notes!" He cried in exasperation.

"That's why it won't be such a pain for that little pea brain of yours," She replied while smoothing out her robes and examining them expectantly.

"Oh right, you fixed them!" Ron realized as he eyed Hermione's crisp unwrinkled robes. It looked even newer and cleaner than his.

"Oh a simple mending charm did the trick," Hermione said with a wave of her hand.

Ron nodded, "Bloody brilliant I do say."

"Yeah, but really, thank Harry."

"What?" He blinked.

"I said- thank Harry! Is that also hard to understand?" Hermione rolled her eyes while picking up her books quickly, the weight of them pulling her down slightly.

Ron scratched his head thoughtfully before saying, "Harry...uh... oh Harry! That guy who was in your class today?"

"Yes, of course...you know, it is rather strange how we never really noticed him through all these years isn't it? I mean he's not a stranger, but it feels like it." Hermione said in wonder.

"He's just awfully awfully quiet, that's all. He blends into things too." He added with a chuckle. "So he like, grabbed that thing off you or what?"

"No, he used a spell, unlike you who probably would have tried to grab that Floundrake off!" Hermione shifted the books around her hands before standing straighter. "Use your brain Ron, I mean you have one, just wake it up. And I really better go now, see you at dinner!"

Ron simply nodded as Hermione headed towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.

~*~

Harry sighed as he waved his wand over the fork infront of him for the twentieth time. It stood up on its pointed end and shriveled up into a ball.

He glared at the fork and stretched his stiff arms. "How am I suppose to change this fork into turkey dinner!" Harry poked the fork with the end of his wand, causing sparks to erupt and bounce off the fork. He really didn't dislike Transfiguration, but he just wasn't...talented in it. Infact, Harry noticed he wasn't talented in alot of things.

Professor McGonagall had assigned them homework, which was what Harry was trying to do at the very moment. He was really trying to clear his mind from the events of the past week, but something or another would slip into his mind and then the fork would quiver and change into something else other than a delicious turkey dinner.

"Guess I could try it again..." Harry raised his hand determinedly and waved it over the shriveled fork just as his emerald eyes caught sight of an awfully familiar girl coming into the library. Hermione.

"Oh hi Harry!" Hermione smiled brightly while setting down her books on the same table as him, but a few seats away. "Oh that's really pretty."

"Huh?"

"That rose underneath your nose," Hermione pointed with a strange look in her eyes. "I mean, it's yours isn't it?"

Harry blinked as he looked down the end of his nose and saw a delicate glass rose sitting in place exactly where his shriveled up fork had once been. "Oh! That...I mean, it was..er.."

Hermione came over for a closer look and placed it on her hands. "Where did you get this? I've never seen any glass item so delicately carved..." Her voice faded away as she ran one finger around a petal.

"Er...youcanhaveit!!"

"Pardon?" She switched her gaze from the rose to Harry who seemed to be an awful shade of red at the moment.

Harry sighed and let out a breath. "You can have it." He said with a shrug. "If you don't want it I can just...change it into something else."

"I can have it?" Hermione asked in shock. "But it's yours!"

"I uh...don't have use for these things anyways. I found it," He lied quickly. "Just sitting on this table when I arrived, and I guess I was marveling its beauty too."

"Oh..." She blushed a light shade of pink before returning to her seat. "Then..thank you I guess."

A small smile played at the ends of Harry's lips. "It's nothing really."

Hermione nodded and quickly dipped her head behind a book, not wanting to waste anymore time than she already had. A quill was already in her hand and a piece of fresh new parchment was laid in front of her, with the glass rose sitting beside her left hand.

The library was silent after that, except for the occasional scratching sounds of quill on parchment, and the coughs coming from Madam Pince. Harry sat there and it slowly dawned on him that he had just given away his Transfiguration homework to the girl sitting a few feet away from him. He groaned inwardly, not knowing what to do. He couldn't walk up to the girl and ask for it back...that was plain rude. But what would he say to Professor McGonagall?

I turned it into a rose accidentally and gave it to a girl. Harry thought and knew at once the whole class would probably erupt into laughter and 'ooooohs'. Then again, he could always steal a fork at dinner...yes, that was set. He would simply take his fork with him after dinner and continue his attempts with Transfiguration.

"Why are you muttering about a fork?" The question snapped Harry out of his revere.

"What? Did I say something?"

Hermione closed the huge textbook she had been reading through and nodded, "Kind of. I just caught a few words, mostly the word 'fork' and something of that sort. Are you hungry?" She glanced around her shoulder to the big clock hanging over head. "But that's no surprise since dinner's about to start in ten minutes."

"Uh...yeah...well..." Harry felt bad for lying again in the same day and to the same person, so he sighed and spoke, "No actually..it's Transfiguration." He confessed.

"What about it?"

"I'm having trouble with the assignment," Harry muttered sheepishly and as quickly as possible while avoiding Hermione's eyes at the same time.

"Oh! That thing? It's actually quite simple once you get the hang of it!" Hermione said smartly as she pushed her chair back. "How about let's go to dinner and then we can return to Gryffindor Tower and I can give you some help?"

"Really?" Harry questioned and he realized he shouldn't have spoke up so soon. He looked at his feet again.

Hermione stood up and tilted her head, "Of course, it won't take up too much time."

"...Thanks," Harry uttered.

"Well, let's just say it's me showing thanks to you for giving me this," Hermione picked up the glass rose and tucked it securely into the pocket of her robes and looked up again to meet Harry's gaze.

Harry quickly broke the gaze by turning his attention to the clock once again. "Two minutes left to get to the Great Hall."

"I'll race you there!" Harry stood dumbfounded on the spot before he realized what Hermione had just said as he broke into a run after her.

She is one strange girl...

~*~

Dinner at Hogwarts had never gone by so slowly as it was tonight. Harry found himself holding his fork and moving it in a circular motion around his peas and carrots. He didn't know why, but he had a great urge to jump up and tell everyone to get back to Gryffindor Tower to sleep and stop eating.

"Can you pass the salad?"

Harry's eyes darted from his plate and his first glimpse was a mass of awfully red hair. He didn't say anything though, but simply handed the salad bowl towards the boy.

"Thanks Harry," The boy grinned heartedly before scooping himself a big spoonful of salad and plopping in onto his plate.

He knows me...well my name! Harry thought that this was very strange. No one knew his name except for the teachers, Neville, and...Hermione. Possibly some other people he didn't know of, but other than that..that was all.

"Well, you are Harry right?" The boy looked uneasily at Harry.

"Yeah.." Harry answered uncertainly, wondering how this boy knew his name. But Harry knew that the red head was obviously a Weasley. Everyone knew that if they saw a red head roaming Hogwarts, it was most likely part of the Weasley crowd. Yet Harry knew this Weasley a bit more than just..a Weasley. He had seen him before, out on the Quidditch field, and infact, Harry remembered that this Weasley was Keeper and captain for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.

"And you're..." Harry began and the boy looked at him meekly.

"Oh right! I'm Ron Weasley!" He stuck on his hand towards Harry and he shook it slowly.

Ron sank back into his chair and noticed Harry's expression- a cross between confusion and shock. "What's the matter?"

"Er..nothing really," Harry grabbed his forked and stuffed a spoonful of peas into his mouth before grimacing and having to swallow a whole goblet of pumpkin juice along with it.

Ron chuckled, "Calm down, I'm not going to bite or something!"

"...Right," Harry turned away in embarrassment and focused on Seamus Finnigan's nose.

After a good few minutes of silence from Ron, Harry dared to turn back to his food but he was wrong that Ron had forgotten about him. "So, you saved Hermione didn't cha?"

"I did?" Harry said bluntly.

"Uh yeah. During Herbology!" Ron reminded. "How could you forget so soon?"

"Oh that, well..it wasn't that big of a deal," Harry replied. "Anyone could have done it."

Ron shook his head with wide eyes, "No way! I would have lunged at that Floundrake and tried to pull it off of her...ha, you can say I don't think before I act at times." He added sheepishly. "It wouldn't have been smart to have grabbed it neh?"

"Well...you would probably get a few of those..puss bubbles all over your hands...but other than that, it's not life threatening," Harry smirked and Ron laughed.

Maybe dinner wasn't going by too slowly, not with Ron Weasley at least.

~*~

Harry for the first time had used his prefect status and ordered every fourth year and under to go to bed and leave the common room. It was getting horridly noisy with them around and impossible to concentrate on what Hermione was explaining to him.

"Ok, that settles the noise," Harry muttered before sitting down again. "So where were we again?"

"On the focusing part," Hermione said as she waved her wand over the fork. "See." The fork instantly changed into a nice steaming plate of turkey dinner. "Simple!" She exclaimed while sniffing the fumes. "It doesn't smell bad either."

"Easy for you to say...I noticed you're like a dictionary!"

Hermione raised her eyebrows before changing the plate of food back into a fork. "A dictionary?"

"Well yeah...you just kind of seem to know stuff," Harry explained before raising his own wand. He closed his eyes slightly, trying to think of that steaming plate of turkey dinner while he waved his wand over the fork.

"Oooh! Pretty close Harry!" Hermione exclaimed and Harry's eyes snapped open completely.

A plate with a carrot had replaced the fork, and Harry's face broke into a grin. "I guess that's the best I've done for the day isn't it?"

"Mm hmm, you're getting there," Hermione beamed. "Really!"

"Yeah, thanks," Harry gave her a lop sided smile, and Hermione's eyes shifted quickly away from his face to the carrot. "Is something wrong?" He asked, noticing her sudden silence.

"Oh nothing.." She quickly stood up and headed towards the potrait. "I think we should call it a night! You made great progress Harry and I think with a bit more practice you could master Transfiguration in no time."

Harry turned red and simply uttered, "Good night."

"Night," The portrait swung open and Hermione was gone and headed towards the Head Girl and Head Boy dormitories.

He was the only one left in the common room by now, and as he made his way slowly up the stairs to the Prefect's section of the tower, he couldn't help but feel proud at his accomplishment.

"Chicken Wings," He muttered to the portrait and it swung open revealing a nice warm room decorated in a similiar way as the Gryffindor common room. Harry flopped onto his bed without a second's glance and immediately jumped back onto his feet and rubbed his back.

"Ow..." He muttered under his breath while scanning his bed sheets. A noticeable lump was visible from underneath and he quickly pulled the scarlet sheets back to reveal... "What? I don't remember taking out any books from the library at all."

He picked one thick book up from the pile and squinted his eyes to make out the strange cursive writing across the top of the book. "History...of...the most...feared...dark wizards...of the...wizarding world." Harry shifted his glasses for they had slipped to the bridge of his nose.

After a few minutes he had realized that most of the books from the mysterious pile were all quite similiar. On dark wizards and history on them. "I wonder who left them here? I mean, I think only Neville knows the password to my room cause he heard me mutter it once...but knowing Neville, he would have forgotten it right away, and he wouldn't take out so many books...and hide them under my bed." He pondered aloud in confusion.

Yet nonetheless, he picked one up and walked slowly over to a couch against the wall and sat down. He opened the book in curiousity, and soon enough, he was drawn into the history of one of the most feared dark wizards of them all; Voldemort.

4. Quidditch Incident

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Four: Quidditch Incident

Harry found himself sitting in alert attention well into the night with tired eyes. He quickly glanced to his alarm clock by his bedside table- 2:30 AM. Harry found himself letting out a yawn, but he didn't feel like going to bed just yet. Not when he was getting at an interesting part in the book.

"He's so cruel..." He muttered under his breath as he continued reading under the section about Voldemort's murders. He had just finished reading a bit about Voldemort's childhood and found it rather normal. Who would've thought that the young boy would turn into the evilest wizard known to the wizarding world?

Voldemort, commonly known as you-know-who, struck terror to everyone's hearts with his mass killings and sometimes he would even wipe out entire wizarding villages. His attacks were random, and no one was able to predict where he and his death eaters were to attack next. All you-know-who's murders were done quickly and left with a dark mark hovering above the location of the attack. All bodies were left where they had fallen, except for one particular case. The Potters, a well respected wizarding family, were innocent enough and yet they were attacked nonetheless and wiped out completely. None were left alive, and all bodies were left at the scene except the body of the baby boy belonging to the Potters.

Harry's finger traced every word with immense concentration and he could feel his eyes bulging as he quickly read on.

Lily Potter, wife of James Potter, was said to have given birth to a baby boy for just a year before the attack. The body of the boy was never found, yet the poor thing was probably lost under the pile of wreckage or most likely burned with the rest of the Potter Manor.

He grimaced at the thought of a baby being burned alive...the cries it must have shrieked..yet Harry wasn't lost in that thought, he was more dumbfounded at the last name of the family. The Potter family. He was confused and so many possibilities were running through his exhausted mind.

James Potter and Lily Potter... Harry traced his finger over the names slowly, almost...lovingly? He shook his head and sighed. What was he thinking? Maybe it was a coincidence...there must have been many families with the last name Potter out there somewhere. Yet Harry couldn't help but have a twinge of hope and he decided to read onto the next paragraph nonetheless.

But one of the most intruging things that occured during the night of the Potter's murder was that after it, you-know-who disappeared. He did not strike again and hasn't until this day. Many, espeically the Ministry of Magic, are convinced that you-know-who has suddenly lost power and is defeated. Though many doubt it, and still believe that you-know-who is out there somewhere in hiding, plotting to strike again. But all believe, that something must've happened at the Potter Manor, resulting to you-know-who's uncalled for disappearance.

He disappeared...! The thought ran wildly in Harry's thoughts, but then again, why should he care if some mad evil wizard was lose? No one else seemed to care, in fact, he only learned of this Voldemort person in some classes. But he did notice everyone still had great fear for they never spoke of him in name.

"What's so bad about saying the name Voldemort anyways? I mean, even the textbook says that! That is plain weird," Harry mumbled as he shut the book and threw it onto the coffee table in front of him.

He walked across the room to his closet and pulled out a pair of navy blue pajamas and quickly changed into them, the Potters and Voldemort still spinning around in his head.

"Ugh," He tossed the other books off his bed and lazily threw the covers over himself. Tonight had been a long one, and he knew he had better fall asleep soon to be able to wake up for classes the next morning.

Voldemort... Harry winced and he could have swore that he felt a throbbing pain somewhere near his forehead...almost as if his scar was hurting. He shook his head and rolled over, dismissing the thought and clamping his tired eyes shut.

~*~

"Minerva, what books did you exactly put on Mr. Potter's bed?"

Professor McGonagall stood silently by the headmaster of Hogwarts as they both stared intently at the sleeping boy. She walked towards the bed and picked up the books that were lying about on the carpet next to it. She walked back towards Professor Dumbledore who was sitting on one of the many lounge chairs in Harry's room.

"Ah...I wonder which one he has read," Dumbledore waved his wand over the pile and one of the many books flew into his hand and flopped open to a certain page. "Ah, he has read about Voldemort."

"I think the boy will be having many questions for us, Albus," Professor McGonagall noted in a whisper. "He must have noticed the names in this paragraph." She pointed a finger to a paragraph talking about the Potter's death.

Dumbledore stared at the words intently, the twinkle in his eyes seemed so much more noticeable in the dim room. "It all depends on what the boy wants to believe."

Professor McGonagall glanced from the book in Dumbledore's hands, to the sleeping boy who seemed to be so peaceful. "Is it really such a good idea...to let the boy know.."

"Minerva, Minvera. He will know sooner or later, and I think it is best if we tell him first before...before any sudden..." Dumbledore suddenly looked older than he already was, his shoulders sagged a bit as his voice drifted off.

"Before...any attacks?"

Dumbledore sighed and nodded, "Yes, I know he is rising. I can feel it around us Minerva, and we must be prepared."

Professor McGonagall looked at the wise eyes of Albus Dumbledore wearily. "The-boy-who-lived will finally know of his existence..."

~*~

"Ron calm down!" A red headed girl complained as she shook her head.

"I can't Ginny! Don't you see, it's the first game of the season!" Ron said with his hands in the air. "And it's against those darn, evil, weird, insane Slytherins!!"

Hermione looked over to Ginny with a tired look. "Oh please Ron! How many matches have you played? Why are you so fidgety now!"

"No! It's just that...it's just that...it's my last year here at Hogwarts! I want to...I don't know what I want! I mean I want.."

"To leave in a bang like our wonderful brothers Fred and George?" Ginny said sarcastically.

"Exactly! I mean Ginny, you're only a sixth year so you don't know the anxiety of being a seventh year! It's just this desire to do something out of the ordinary you know?" Ron explained as he flopped down on the couch across from where Hermione was sitting with a book in her lap.

"Well, just relax or else you're not going to be able to keep those ..what do you call those things? Waffles?"

"Quaffles," Ron corrected, knowing that Hermione was never a big Quidditch fan.

"Yeah, Quaffles," Hermione said carefully. "Yeah those things! If you're so nervous you probably won't be able to do whatever you do to them!"

Ron looked at Hermione, "Goodness Hermione! You've watched all my games and you still don't get what I do! I try to stop them from getting into the goal posts!"

"Um right," She nodded swiftly while Ginny just giggled. "And Ginny, you just...fly around?"

Ginny just shook her head, a smile still on her face. "Really Hermione! You're so smart but sometimes you're so slow!" Hermione just stuck her tongue out and said, "Well?"

"Well, I'm a Chaser, but I'm not going to bother telling you what I do because you'll probably forget by tomorrow," Ginny teased while Hermione pretended to look mad.

"Fine!! Both of you Weasleys are ganging up on me, aren't you!" Hermione snapped while opening her book and pretending to be reading intently.

"Oh Hermione! Stop reading for once," Ron sighed as he snatched the book away from Hermione. "What is this stuff that you read anyways?" He glanced down and looked at Hermione. "You're on Chapter 31! Bloody hell! We're only suppose to be on Chapter 5!"

Hermione shrugged, "Well it doesn't hurt to get ahead does it?"

"Unlike you Ron, you're probably on Chapter 0," Ginny looked at her brother with a chuckle. "Anyways, when do we have to get down to the pitch?"

"After lunch," Ron started fidgeting with his fingers at the mention of the Quidditch match that very afternoon. "Ugh I wish Angelina and everyone else was still here!"

"Yeah...too bad they had to graduate! But I don't mean our present team is any worse...I just miss their enthusiasm," Ginny said while she fingered her broom, a Nimbus 2000. She had been polishing it for the last twenty minutes to be exact.

Ron seemed really nervous now as he glanced at the clock. They had a spare block right now, which meant no classes, but the clock said that it was five minutes until lunch. "Get a grip on yourself!" Hermione muttered. "You'll be fine!"

"Ok, yeah, I'll be fine! I'm going to go get the rest of the team and give them a pep talk," Ron announced as he got up and left the head girl room.

Ginny frowned, "He's turning into another Oliver Wood so it seems."

~*~

Harry seemed ridiculously excited, just like the whole school was. Lunch was just being cleared away and lots of students were already heading out towards the Quidditch Pitch.

He was an avid fan of Quidditch, and Harry couldn't help but feel a little twinge of jealousy when he watched the teams speed off and do a lap around the field. The wind blowing at their determined faces, and the crowds cheering and waving banners showing their support. Harry, obviously, supported the Gryffindors, and most of the school's population did too.

Sometimes, much to his embarrasment, he could imagine himself soaring above the stands and waving down to the people that were waving scarlet and gold banners..yet just as the image appeared it would disappear again. Harry sighed and joined the crowd of people leaking out of the mass doors.

"Good afternoon my fellow Hogwarts students and professors!!" The familiar voice of Lee Jordan's boomed out across the field. He had already graduated Hogwarts just last year, but came back ocassionally to commentate the matches.

"It's the first match of the season, and it's Gryffinder versus Slytherin! Oh look at that, there seems to be a greater number of Gryffindor supporters aren't there?! YEAH!!"

Professor McGonagall shot him a stern look which caused Lee Jordan to smile sheepishly and continue. "The stands are all packed, and here comes...Captain Weasley! Another Weasley, Finnigan, MacDonald, Smith, Creevey, and Thomas!" The scarlet robed team came shooting out and were already lapping the field with wide grins.

"And then comes Captain Malfoy, Bulstrode, Baddock, Zabini, Pritchard, Yu, and Bole!" The Slytherin team dressed in green shot out and did their lap with glints in their eyes and a couple of them had very foul looking smirks on their faces.

"Madam Hooch is approaching the field! And...she releases the Quaffle and the game BEGINS!!" Lee Jordan announced as the field was immediately live with action.

"Weasley in possession of the Quaffle! Oh no! Those dirty Slytherins, look what...WHAT! HEY! Oh good, Creevey has regained the Quaffle and is now heading towards the goal posts! AND THERE WE GO! A wonderful goal tossed in by Colin Creevey bringing the score up to 10-0 Gryffindor!"

"WATCH IT FINNIGAN! DAMN! THAT BLOODY GOOD FOR NOTHING BULSTRODE!"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry professor," he muttered. "I WOULD THINK THAT WAS A FOUL! But anyways, Finnigan has regained his balance on his broom, thanks for Miss. Zabini and her BLOODY BLUDGER!!"

"Now, Slytherin in possession, with Baddock speeding off towards the Gryffindor goals, he passes to Yu, Yu passes to Bole, they're getting ready to score...and YES! Wonderful save done by Gryffindor's captain, Ronald Weasley!"

Ron grinned as he shook his fist in the air in triumpth.

The game went on steadily afterwards, the Slytherins were noticeably getting agitated. They seemed to be sending bludgers purposely in Ron's direction and their seeker, Dean Thomas.

"50-30, Gryffindor! COME ON GRYFFINDOR! You know you can do better than that! OUCH, THAT WAS A FOUL TO GRYFFINDOR!"

Ginny easily made the shot into the hoop, gaining Gryffindor another ten points. Ron glanced over towards Dean who was squinting in frustration at not seeing the snitch. "You could catch that thing right about now, Dean!"

"I'm trying! It's just that..." However he didn't finish his sentence before he suddenly sped off in the direction of the Slytherin goal posts.

Ron silently cheered for he knew that Dean had caught sight of the snitch. He glanced nervously towards the Slytherin seeker and cursed under his breath that he too, had seen it.

"Come on Dean!!"

"It looks like the seekers on hot on the snitch's tail!! In fact, Malfoy is now gaining in on Thomas, and now they're side by side and fighting their way towards the snitch!!"

Ron winced as he watched Malfoy ram his body into Thomas, causing him to swerve towards his right. There was a smirk on Malfoy's face and a scowl on Dean's.

Nobody noticed it happen, but suddenly two bludgers came speeding towards their direction and it hit Dean Thomas square in the chest and head, sending him completely off course and into the wall of the stands.

"BLOODY HELL!!" Ron cursed and flew as quickly as he could towards his fallen teammate.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle with Madam Pomfrey following right behind her with a nasty scowl on her face. "You kids just can't play safe can you?!"

"Is he ok?!" Ginny landed swiftly on the ground and quickly joined her brother's side.

"Doesn't look too good.." Ron muttered as he glared towards the Slytherin beaters who were pretending to look shocked. "They're good for nothing prats I tell you."

"We all know that Ron," Ginny replied sadly.

A stretcher was conjured and Madam Promfrey was bringing the fallen seeker towards the Hospital Wing. "That didn't look good...not good at all." Seamus came up to them with a grim look across his face.

"...I reckon we might need another seeker." Colin mumbled.

Ron sighed and lifted his eyes away from the spot where Dean had landed in a heap. "I guess, if he doesn't recover in time for a rematch. And those bloody Slytherins! They're not going to get out of this easily, look what they did!"

"I bet Snape will come to their rescue or something," Natalie MacDonald rolled her eyes.

Ron just shook his head, "I'm pretty sure Dumbledore will do something about this. But now I'm just worrying about our seeker."

"Poor Dean.." Everyone mumbled as they watched the crowd of students slowly heading back towards the castle with everyone chatting nervously about the "incident".

"We're just going to have to find another darn good seeker, fast."

AN: And let's wonder who that seeker will be.......hehehehe.

5. Dreaming

AN: Ok, explanation time =P Yesh, alot of you have been wondering why Harry is so darn slow and rather...stupid I guess to not realize that he's related to the Potter's in the book, or why he has a scar and all that complicated stuff about his past! Well, here is my explanation to the madness...
In my story, Harry follows the same idea as in- growing up with the Dursleys. The Dursleys used the same lame excuse saying that Harry's parents died in a car accident. Harry, being told that at a young age and being the quiet person he is, simply nods it off and lets his own thoughts come up with explanations of his parent's death. (He has tried many times to figure out who his parents were and how they died, but was unable to- the reason will be revealed later on in the story) As said in Ch.1, Harry does realize he has a funky looking scar on his forehead but merily thinks of it as "a funky looking scar". Basically, he hasn't been told much about his childhood at all. And then many of you must think, then why doesn't he demand to know? Well in my story, Harry isn't as...brave yet and everything, he's more enclosed and timid. If he asks anything about his parents, the Dursleys will simply glower at him and Harry would just slink away. Hope that explains a few questions floating in your heads =) And yes, this is an AU fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Five: Dreaming

Harry, very much like the rest of the students, were shocked and furious with what had happened to Dean Thomas, the Gyffindor Seeker. Everyone was muttering and shooting daggers towards the Slytherin table during dinner that very evening, yet the Slytherins just had a triumphant look written all across their faces, even though they hadn't won.

There was to be a rematch as soon as Dean recovered, and everyone hoped that it was soon. Harry scanned his eyes over his house members and noticed that the Quidditch team was no where in sight. He shrugged, Probably with Dean...

Harry glanced up when he heard the familiar voice of Hermione Granger, in fact it was the laughter of Hermione that caught his attention. She was surrounded by a couple girls from Gryffindor house, in which Harry recognized as Lavender, Parvati, and the two other girls he had met on the Hogwarts Express.

She's the prettiest of them all...Harry thought matter-of-factly, then caught himself quickly and realized he was blushing. God, what I'm a saying?! This is Hermione Granger, head girl, of course she's pretty! NO! I mean, ugh... He shook his head in frustration as he quickly ignored the conversation from the girls a few feet away from him.

"Oh no!!!"

Ginny Weasley had run up to the table with a devastated look written across her face, her blue eyes very wide. "What is it Gin?" Hermione asked at once.

The red head's sudden arrival had caused most of Gryffindor House to turn their heads and watch her with immense curiousity. "It's Dean! And Ron too! He's having a fit!"

"A fit? Who? Dean or Ron?" Parvati questioned quickly, her usual bright voice suddenly came out rather urgent and worried.

"Ron of course! Dean...well...he wouldn't be capable of having a fit now even if he wanted to!" Ginny wailed and shook her head despairingly. "Dean's in a coma, apparently that bludger that rammed into his head caused some of his blood veins to clot or something like that! I wasn't really listening to Madame Promfrey when she explained the details! But I think I understood the part that Dean was lucky enough to be alive even!"

"A coma?!" Hermione gaped.

Lavender paled, "Dean...? In a coma?"

"Madame Promfrey says she doesn't know when he'll wake, and she's tried her best to fix him up. I mean he won't have any more broken bones by tomorrow morning, since they're fixable. But the inner damage is severe...they fear he's never going to wake again!" Ginny finished looking as if she had just ran a marathon for she was panting from the effort at saying everything so quickly.

"Then Ron is going crazy for Dean's well-being and the Quidditch team! By this rate, if Dean doesn't wake up soon in time for the rematch, Madame Hooch will obviously tell us to get another seeker! And well...there just doesn't seem to be anybody else with the skills!" Ginny sighed in exasperation. "And now Ron's snapping at anyone that goes near him!"

"Oh no..." Rina muttered. "Ron's crazy when he's in that mood."

Hermione frowned, "I hate it when Ron acts like that! I mean, he should just settle down and relax and think of a solution!"

"Easy for you to say Hermione! You know Ron's temper and how he tends to act like a child at times," Ginny said in rather wise tone. "I mean, being his little sister and all, I sometimes feel like his mother!"

"Hallo my fellow Gryffindors."

They turned their heads at their sudden interuption and caught sight of Seamus coming up to them with a rather tired expression. "I had to come here. I couldn't stand another sentence coming out from Ron. Now he's getting all...all bouncy!"

"Bouncy?" Parvati raised an eyebrow.

"Bouncy in a bad way though. Not like he's jumping around in glee," Seamus rolled his eyes. "He's getting all nervous because Madame Hooch came up to the Hospital Wing to see how Dean was doing. To her belief, she thinks Dean won't be awake until months and so...she's scheduled the rematch to be taken place in...a week and a half."

"WHAT?!" Ginny cried out in alarm, causing all the house tables to shift their attention towards them.

"What is it now WEASLEY?! Scared of a little more action?!" Someone from the Slytherin table hollered over to them.

Ginny spun around and glared at the Slytherin table with immense hatred. "Ooooh! I hate those nasty snake-eyed...things!! They don't deserve to be human!!"

Hermione sighed as she witnessed the scene. It didn't seem to be a good time for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team at all.

~*~

The tired seventeen year old teen stretched his arms while stiffling a yawn. Harry Potter had just retired to Gryffindor common room after a long class of double Potions in which he had lost 20 points to Gryffindor for being "immensely stupid" according to Snape. The potions master seemed to despise the Gryffindors even more lately, probably because of the 150 points that were taken off from Slytherin for foul play during the Quidditch match.

Harry didn't feel like going up to his room just yet. In fact he was staring at the notice board right beside the boy's bathrooms of Gryffindor Tower. There were many pieces of lose paper tacked onto the board with sayings like "I lost my toad, if you find him, please contact Neville Longbottom . " or notes that simply read "meet me in the library after lunch ". However, one caught Harry's eyes the most. And that was the messily written message that read 'Gryffindor Seeker tryouts- Wednesday November 16 at lunchtime. Eat your lunch quickly and meet me out on the pitch before 12:30 noon. Bring your broom, and if you don't have one, there will be school rented brooms available. Thank you, Ron Weasley.'

He really didn't know what he was thinking of, and why he was too, but he had a mad desire to tryout. Harry chuckled under his breath. Harry Potter, Hogwarts most famous idiot/loser, becomes Gryffindor seeker! He couldn't help but find that thought amusing, yet depressing too. But what if he did get to become seeker? Quidditch was his favorite sport, he would die to be on the team, die to even get to play! All Harry had ever done was learn how to fly, and he noticed that back in their first year he had been quite good at it too. Maybe..maybe this was his chance to show everyone what he was capable of?

Damnit, I'm just going to make a fool out of myself. Harry's brow furrowed in deep thought as his eyes wandered to the neon orange notice again. But...it doesn't hurt to try...right? But what if Ron just stares and asks 'Uh why are you here?' and when you tell him you want to try out he'll laugh his head off? ...Well does that matter? OF COURSE IT DOES...but why? I don't know...I don't need another event for people to point their fingers at me and stare at me as if I was...Snape dressed in a frilly pink dress.

Harry sighed.

"What's wrong?"

Harry jumped slightly at the sudden soft voice that interupted him. But he could recognize that voice anywhere nowadays. "Er...what?" Was the only words he could stutter as he met Hermione's concerned gaze.

"I don't know, you just seemed out of it," She shrugged as she dropped her book bag down beside her. "I just came back from the library mind you, and I heard you mutter and sigh."

"Oh...er...well it's nothing," Harry stared at the bulging bag and then back at Hermione's bright face.

"Oh, I see," She seemed to have noticed Harry's observant eyes on her bag. "Yeah, I have a huge essay to do for Muggle Studies! But it's really fascinating! And it's not that hard since I'm muggle born."

"Really?" Asked Harry in amazement. How could such a perfect witch be muggle born?

Hermione simply nodded and glanced at Harry's expression. "What? Do you have something against muggle borns...if you do.."

"No, no! Of course not...I'm not like Malfoy.." His voice trailed off as he nearly spat out the name.

"Exactly! That good for nothing prat! So you've met him?"

"Not exactly a good thing," Harry pointed out with a scowl. "I see him teasing muggle borns every time I see his face!"

Hermione frowned deeply, "I just don't understand why he's so...so bad!! Just cause he's pure blooded...ugh!" She huffed.

Harry thought she looked rather cute that way but quickly dismissed the thought just as the portait hole swung open and revealed Ron.

"'Mione! Just the person I needed to see! Thank bloody hell!" Ron sighed in relief and caught sight of Harry. "Oh, hey Harry."

Harry nodded and noticed that Ron was looking bewildered and his flaming red hair seemed awfully ruffled. Hermione eyed her friend once over and sighed, "Really Ron! You have to learn to take care of yourself! You're what? Seventeen!"

"I am taking care of myself! I'm just damn mad at those.."

"Ron!" Hermione snapped in dispproval.

"Ok, ok! I'm just ...extremely...mad at those Slytherins! Is that ok mam'?" Ron muttered in annoyance as he literally fell onto the cushioned seat behind him.

"Is Dean ok?" Harry broke the sudden silence.

"No, he's in a coma," Ron was staring hard at the mahogany table in front of him. "Darn those Slytherins! I say their whole team should be suspended!"

"Well we know that'll never happen Ron, " Hermione had hulled her book bag onto her shoulder and looked just about ready to leave. "I'm leaving now, and I expect to see that you've done at least something with your Muggle Studies essay."

Ron groaned, "Hermione! Give me a break, ok! The only reason I even decided to take Muggle Studies was because of you and your endless persuasions to take it! And now I'm stuck writing an essay about tebelvicun!"

"Tebelvicun?" Harry shifted his glasses and blinked.

"He means television," Hermione corrected before heading towards the potrait.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked with slight interest.

"My room," Was her short reply before she was out of sight.

Ron sighed and leaned back in his arm chair. "She is so weird sometimes!"

"...I..I guess," Harry shrugged. What could he say about a girl he didn't know too much about?

"Tryouts are in two days, it's really rushed isn't it? I wonder who would even want to tryout, with the incident concerning Dean and all that...everyone's probably scared out of their knickers," Ron looked distressed as he glanced at the notice board.

"No, well, even I would like to try out," Harry blurted out.

Ron suddenly sat up straighter. "You? Harry? Tryout?"

Harry shrunk back in his seat, turning redder by the second. "Ok, I know, it's lame."

"NO! NOT AT ALL!!" Ron nearly yelled as he leapt up from his seat and clapped Harry on the back. "That's the kind of bravery we need nowadays! So you're really going to try out?!"

"Er...I'm..I.." Harry glanced at Ron's hopeful face and sighed. "Er...I guess so."

"GREAT! Thanks for getting me back on my feet Harry, I think maybe more people will try out now! I mean, even you do!" Ron half walked half skipped up the stairs to the boy dormitories, leaving a shocked Harry behind.

"Was that a compliment or were you criticizing me?" Harry wondered out loud. He must be desperate to be that excited about me trying out...

That was when it dawned on him once again, at what he had just gotten himself into. "Oh great! I'm not even sure if I can fly straight on a broom and now I'm trying out to be a seeker!"

Harry scratched his head stressfully. I've really gone mad...

~*~

"Harry Potter..."

He could feel his feet moving quicker as the voice hissed out his name, cold beaded sweat rolled down the side of his cheek and to his chin. He shivered slightly, although he didn't feel cold, in this case, he felt...nothing. Neither cold nor warmth seemed to exist anymore.

"I've been waiting."

All at once a bright light abrupted from nowhere and his eyes were blinded by the sudden contact of light. His arms mentally shifted to shield his eyes from the light, but soon the light seemed normal and he was able to look around him.

"Where am I?" He heard his own voice mutter and echo back towards him in the vast room filled with marble sculptures of snakes, so detaily carved it seemed impossible. The marble tiling reflected his appearance as he glanced down at its smooth entire.

"I've been waiting." The same voice repeated in a whisper that sounded almost like a hiss from a snake. "For many years Harry Potter. I've waited...seventeen years."

He could feel himself holding his breath, not really knowing where he was, and why he was here. Who did that voice belong to? "Who..who are you?" He was quite surprised he could actually speak in this situation, for he was head to toe in fright.

"Fool..." The voice muttered. "They were all fools, not to have told you of my existense long before now. They have made a great mistake to not warn...the-boy-who-lived."

"What?" He found himself question.

"I am surprised at Dumbledore," The voice merily ignored his questions. "that he has chosen not to tell you of me earlier..warn you...tell you your...destiny."

"...My what?"

"Destiny you fool!" The voice boomed and he felt his ear drums vibrate with the defening echo of the voice. "They all believe that your destiny is to defeat me...that you are their savior. They are so foolish, so pathetically stupid...even Albus Dumbledore."

"Professor Dumbledore?"

"Your end is drawing near Mr. Potter, I suggest you live the rest of it in pain," The voice laughed with such venom that he felt his whole being turn cold and a shooting pain resulted on his forehead.

And this time, he was sure of it. It was his scar that was burning.

Why?

6. Tryouts and Troubles

AN: Eeps, sorry for the lack of H/Hr moments, but of course, many to come I suppose =P I'll probably spent a chapter or two getting them going...hehehe...we'll see.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Six: Tryouts and Troubles

Harry Potter awoke muttering to himself as he reached towards his night table for his glasses in the grim darkness. He blinked, trying to see through the blackness of the room when he suddenly realized that his forehead felt awfully warm.

"Ow.." He grumbled and winced in pain while he placed a tentative finger on his scar, almost frightened at why his scar tingled. Bringing down his finger, all his fears were confirmed. Blood. He knew it was blood. Blood from his scar that had never bled until now? Harry was confused, and memories of his dream came floating back to him.

"It felt real...awfully real," Harry sat up and glanced out the window which he had forgotten to pull the curtains over. It was still dark out, and Harry assumed that it was probably four in the morning or so. "That voice..."

He shook his head as he got out of bed. He might as well clean off the blood if he didn't want to scare anyone with a bleeding forehead. Harry reached the bathroom connected to his room and lazily turned on the lights, wincing as the brighness startled his weary eyes.

His hair wasn't sticking up as high as usual, in fact it seemed slightly matted upon his head. A bit of the blood seemed to have dried but some was making its way slowly down towards the bridge of his nose. Not a very pretty sight.

"Why is it bleeding.." Harry wondered out loud as he dabbed a damp cloth on the wound. "I mean...its been seventeen years since I've had this thing, and it has never caused me any trouble..." He finished cleaning off the wound and washed off the cloth hastily, flinging it onto one of the many racks against the wall afterwards. "Damn dreams..." He muttered while walking out of the washroom and back towards his messy bed.

But it seemed too real... Harry sighed as he slipped under the scarlet covers once again, blinking at the white ceiling that stared back at him. Oh now you're just being a coward...you're seventeen and you're worrying over some weird...nightmare. He rolled over onto his side and stared blankly at the wardrobe that met his gaze. But it wasn't just a nightmare..it was real..darn real...I could feel it..Feel it? Geez Potter, when did you become the one to believe in these things that most likekly Tralawney would believe in? Maybe I'm getting that whole inner eye thing...ooo... Harry rolled his eyes mentally to himself as he thought of Divination. Yet the thoughts quickly left his mind and was replaced with the cold voice that hissed like a snake... Your end is drawing near...dramatic person wasn't he? But that dream is just so..surreal..

Harry Potter frowned as he took off his glasses and placed them silently onto the table next to him. He turned restlessly again, and realized that before he would even fall asleep or notice, the sun was up, and it was time to rise.

~*~

Hermione shifted her honey brown eyes towards her freckled friend who was pacing rentlessly on the wet grass. She tilted her head, causing her bushy mass of hair to sway in that direction before she finally opened her mouth. "Ronald Weasley!"

"What?! Yeah mom?" Ron answered, a sudden grin popped onto his face at Hermione's scowl. "Ok, ok! What Hermione?"

"What are you doing?" She asked innocently, but the note of annoyance was not hidden from her voice.

"I..I'm uh.."

"Pacing back and forth on this Quidditch Pitch for the last half hour?! You're wasting time Ron! You could be..doing your Divination homework...or trying to.."

Ron threw his arms up in the air and stared at Hermione, "Well I would love to be able to think straight like you, but right now my brain is doing flips!"

"And so is your stomach," Hermione added as Ron's stomach growled.

He smiled sheepishly at her and shrugged, "I guess I missed breakfast."

"That's amazing! You. Missed. Breakfast!" Hermione exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Yeah...so?"

"But you're like...the bottomless pit!"

Ron quirked an eyebrow at her. "I'll take that as a compliment 'Mione. But really, there's only fifteen minutes left before the tryouts, and no one except me and you, are out here!" He walked forwards a few steps, his scarlet Quidditch robes bellowing out behind him. "What am I going to do?!"

"Oh stop worrying! They'll show up," Hermione encouraged as she flipped a page in her book.

"What are you reading anyways?" Ron questioned with an air of curiousity. "Let me guess..you're on chapter 52 of The Dark Arts: Unmasked ! Am I correct?!"

Hermione glared at him in a friendly way but shook her head. "No, I'm actually re-reading Hogwarts: A History."

"NO WAY! That would make it your...like...billionth time reading that bloody book!" Ron stared at his friend in disbelief. "I mean, no one could do that! Don't you ever get bored of that thing?!"

"Not really, I mean...everytime I read it, I kind of get more out of it you know," Hermione replied with a smile. Ron just gave Hermione a glance and sighed. "Ten more minutes..." He muttered as he scanned the whole field.

Hermione sighed and scanned the field. "Oh look!!" Her sudden exclamation startled Ron, causing him to jump slightly. "See Ron, someone's coming! And you were here pacing back and forth like some.."

"HARRY!" Ron cut her off before she could finish, a wide grin on his face as he clapped a hand on the young man's back causing him to stumble forwards a few steps but he quickly regained his composure.

"Harry?!" Hermione stared at the boy with messy dark hair standing in front of her.

"...Yeah?" He stared at the two with confusion written across his face before scratched the back of his head. "Is there something wrong? Did I come at the wrong time? I was pretty sure the notice.."

"No, no! Not at all," Ron interupted. "Hermione's probably just surprised because you it's yo.."

"You came early!" Hermione quickly finished off for Ron while giving him a stern glance. "So uh, you're trying out?" She tried to keep the shock from her voice but she seemed to fail as Harry nodded with red cheeks.

"I just..I don't know what got into me actually," Harry confessed as he leaned against the broom he had been holding. "I don't have a broom of my own, so I just borrowed one from the school if you don't mind.."

Ron shook his head quickly, "Course not mate! A broom's a broom right? I mean, Firebolts are all that, but still, as long as you can fly!" He fingered his own Nimbus 2000 before grinning again. "So, you up to the challenge?"

"Well, I guess," Harry replied, not much confidence in his voice. Hermione smiled softly, "You'll be fine."

Harry nodded numbly, "Er..yeah, ok. So what do I do exactly?"

"Well, I'm going to send a volley of different sized balls at you. Don't worry, they won't be rock hard and they won't be HUGE so that it's not catchable. When I think I've seen enough, I'll stop the balls and...yeah!" Ron looked around him and shrugged. "And when more people show up...I'll compare your skills."

Harry simply nodded again, and he suddenly felt awfully nauseas and dizzy at the thought of a thousand different sized balls raining down on him. He frowned. I don't want to embarrass myself in front of Hermione...uh and Ron...and everyone. He glanced quickly towards his right at the head girl who simply gave him a reassuring smile.

He then looked over at the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain who seemed to be strangely excited over the whole matter. "So uh...should I start?"

Ron snapped out of his goofy grin and nodded, "Oh right! Ha, sorry Harry, kind of got lost in thought there..hmm..right, so all you have to do is catch as many balls as possible. Once you've caught it, the ball will disappear from your grasp. I'll keep track on how many you've caught, ok?"

"Ok..." Harry hopped onto his broom slowly and hovered above the ground a few feet before nervously glancing at the crate beside Ron's feet.

"Ok then! Ready....set....go!"

Before Harry knew what was happening, he found himself up in the air with the cool afternoon wind blowing in his face, causing his messy locks of ebony hair to fly in every possible direction. The sun shone directly above him and his right arm was constantly outstretched towards the multi-coloured balls that came out in random directions.

A bright green one caught his eye and he noticed it was technically grazing the grass below it, but way above but slightly behind it he could see another medium sized pink ball heading towards his right. Harry squinted his eyes in concentration as he pulled the old school broom downwards and shot down at the ball in a veritcal line before pulling up again abruptly in almost a nintey degree angle and catching the pink ball seconds after.

"BLOODY BRILLIANT HARRY!!" Harry beamed at the sudden comment from Ron and was caught off guard for a moment, which allowed a canary yellow ball to hit him square in the face.

"Ouch!"

"You alright there?" Ron called up towards him as Harry lowered his broom and swiftly landed on his feet.

"Yeah...it was squishy anyways," Harry commented as he glanced at Ron expectantly. "So...what do you think?"

Ron blinked and then shook his head quickly, "Oh! About your seeker abilities?! Wonderful! It's bloody brililant! I wonder who else could match your skills! I mean, I think you might even be better than Dean! Maybe I'll set the Snitch out for you and you can try catching that."

Harry turned red but a smile crept onto his face nonetheless. His silent victory was interupted when three more figures appeared onto the field and approached them.

"Hey, we're here to tryout. I'm Matthew Allen, sixth year. " A tall boy with messy copper hair declared before grinning and running a hand down his polished Nimbus 3000, the closest you could get to a Firebolt itself.

A slightly shorter girl stood behind the boy, with sleek straight dirty blonde hair and a few freckles sprinkled on her nose. "I'm Amara White, fifth year if you're wondering. And this is my younger brother Charles...he's in fourth year." Amara waved a hand at the shortest member of the group with the same dirty blonde hair as his sister.

Ron nodded, grinning like usual. "I thought no one would want to try out except Harry here!"

The three newcomers gave a sideways glance at the boy who stood silghtly winded with the ancient school broom tightly clutched in his right hand. "Who's he?" Matthew raised an eyebrow.

Hermione bit her lip, glancing at the stuttering Harry and decided to answer for him. "Harry..Harry Potter."

Matthew glanced at the young man standing next to Ron and shook his head, "Oh, I thought you were a Hufflepuff."

"I guess he isn't," Hermione muttered under her breath, not really liking Matthew already. Ron didn't seem to notice though, becuse his infamous grin was still plastered over his face. "Great! So now I have four people trying out! Ha, I knew that there had to be some brave Gryffindors out there."

Harry's stomach churned, wondering if his skills could surpass the three that stood confidently infront of Ron as the red head explained the rules. A sigh escaped his lips without him noticing until her familiar voice broke his revere. "Relax Harry, you were great out there.."

His jaded eyes widened as he quickly took notice of the grass at his feet instead of her. "Um, thanks."

"Really. Better than I thought, no offense." Hermione said sheepishly and smiled. "You heard what Ron said, he says your skills are ...'bloody brilliant'...so have more cofidence in yourself mister."

"...Ok.."

"What was that?"

"Ok."

"Hmmm?"

"OKAY. I'm confident, and I'm going to be the darn bloody seeker of Gryffindor."

Hermione beamed, her radiating smile suddenly made Harry's embarrassment wash away as Ron and the rest stared at him with utter confusion.

Ron scratched his head thoughtfully and shrugged. "Right, anyways! Back to the tryouts..."

~*~

"Please flip to page 63 of The Dark Arts: Unmasked." Professor Dawkes' hollow and slightly scratchy voice echoed through the room as the sound of flipping pages sprung up in the air. "I am sure all of you have learned of banshees in the past, am I correct?"

The class nodded, a slightly bored air hung in the atmosphere. Professor Dawkes was already known to ask typical questions that would waste class time, and it made the students rather agitated. There could have been so many other things they could be doing instead of listening to her mindless quesitons that she probably had the answer herself.

"Right, I was correct." She added with a slight smirk on her deep maroon lips. The class shared looks and most of them rolled their eyes at their professor's unintelligent remark. Hermione couldn't help but huff and blow her honey brown bangs out of her eyes. I never knew Defense Against the Dark Arts could be so...so lame!

"Now, since you've all learned about banshees, this question should be simple. Why are they deadly?" Some of them couldn't help but snort at the question. Dawkes said it was a simple question? Then yeah, it was just that simple that no one in the class even bothered to answer the ridiculous question.

Hermione sighed and raised her hand. Always up to me, isn't it?

Professor Dawkes eyed her with her steely hazel eyes and nodded, indicating that she could speak. "The screams from a banshee can kill." Hermione mumbled, but clear enough for everyone to understand. Yet they didn't need to hear it from Hermione, haven't they learned this fact sometime in the very very distant past?

Dawkes curtly nodded, "Miss. Granger is correct. Like I said, it was a simple question what not. So today, we are going to work with banshees."

There was a loud gulp that filled the room, and everyone turned towards the source of the sound. They were all clearly surprised it wasn't Neville, in fact, it was Seamus. "Real ones?" He stuttered, trying to keep his voice even.

"No, I believe you've faced this type of issue before. We're going to use boggarts. A special type that are rarer to find then the common boggart. These type of boggarts have a lower defense and can be brought down with a number of spells and not just the 'Riddikulus' spell. "

A sigh of relief came from Seamus, and new confidence seemed to fill him again. "So we can just imagine the banshee in some hot pink bikini?"

Dawkes didn't seemed amused. "No Mr. Finnigan. We're going to let it turn into a banshee and have it attempt its scream."

"What?!" A couple of the students let out a cry, even some of the composed Slytherins.

"But of course, since you are all such intelligent students, you won't let the banshee finish its scream before you shut it up." She explained. "Second paragraph down from the top, there are instructions on a fairly complicated spell to silence a banshee's scream."

"Couldn't we just use the silencing charm?" Pansy Parkinson stiffled a yawn.

"If you want it to scream even louder, then yes." Professor Dawkes eyed her warily, causing a few of the Gryffindors to chuckle and Pansy sent daggers at them without a seconds thought. "We're not talking about normal creatures class. We are dealing with the Dark Arts. Dark creatures...demons." She literally hissed. "They wouldn't easily be finished by a normal charm. That is why we have certain precautions and why we're learning all this anyways!"

She retreated to her desk and bent down so she was no longer in the student's view. A few seconds later she popped up again with a case in one hand, most likely containing the boggart. "Ok, wands out. Did you all read the paragraph? It's not that long."

Harry nervously took out his wand, glancing around the room to see if he was the only one who seemed to be hesitating. Professor Dawkes was never a very comforting presence. "Oblivio Voiginta.." He muttered softly under his breath over and over again. His nervous eyes darted towards a mass of bushy hair and slowly his breath became even again.

"Come to the front and line up, please." She intructed as chairs were pulled back and everyone gathered to the front of the classroom in a straight line.

Hermione's hand suddenly shot up. "Professor!"

"Yes Miss. Granger?"

"Aren't boggarts suppose to..change into our worst fear? What if our worst fear isn't a banshee?"

Professor Dawkes actually broke into a small smile, but Harry noticed that she seemed better without one. "Ah, excellent observation Hermione. That is why each of you will be taking a bit of this before you face the boggart." She held up a small vial that held a strange bright orange liquid inside it. It looked pasty, and something that you wouldn't want to swallow on a regular basis.

"It will alter your mind slightly, in only what you fear. Thanks to Professor Snape this potion has been made. It is very complicated and few are able to brew it. This potion has been set so that all of you will at once have the banshee as your worse fear."

"What if you're worst fear is a banshee already.." Seamus trailed off, looking awfully embarrassed.

"Well, it doens't hurt to have some of this potion anyways. Just in case." Professor Dawkes finished off quickly and handed the vial to the first person in line, Neville. He was trembling from head to toe and looked like he was about to faint before he managed to choke down a bit of the pasty neon orange liquid.

"Ready Neville?"

"Um...yeah...I suppose.." He didn't get a chance to finish because the boggart had already been released from its case and was looming over Neville's chubby form. "Oh...my uh.."

It had already taken the form of a banshee, and alot of the students decided not to look at its disturbing features. Hermione was one of the few that kept her eyes on the thing, and noticed that its mouth was begining to open into an 'O' shape. "Neville! Hurry!"

"Um..um.." He was getting paler by the second as he raised his wand with one shaky hand. "..OO..OBLIVION...VOIGINTA..!!" He clamped his eyes shut before he heard Dawkes snap, "Mr. Weasley, you're up next!"

Ron quickly gulped down a bit of the potion and the boggart quickly changed from its form of Mrs. Weasley scolding him to a banshee once again as the potion kicked in. Before it could even open its mouth Ron had the spell out of his mouth in a blur. The banshee flinched but stayed intact. "Slowly, don't blurt it. Boggarts are known not to have excellent hearing." Dawkes stated.

The youngest Weasley boy quickly took a breath and tried again. This time it worked and another student was quickly pushed to the front. This went on for the another ten minutes, Hermione breezing past it with a flick of her wand.

At last, Harry flushed the potion down his throat, not wanting to taste it. The boggart seemed confused for a moment, blinking from a series of different images. Once it was a strange bright green flash that caused the whole class to shield themselves.

"Oooh, look at that! Potter's got too many fears for the boggart to take only the form of one!" Draco Malfoy called from the back of the classroom.

The Slytherins sneered but Dawkes paid no attention to them. "The potion will make it turn into a banshee."

Suddenly the altering boggart froze and finally took on a form. A misty black figure was in place of where a banshee should have appeared, and near the top of the figure where a head would most likely be, two red slits hung there glaring menacingly straight into Harry's horror stricken eyes.

He heard a scream, and he didn't know who it belonged to. It might've been his own but all at once fire seemed to erupt in his head and he doubled over in pain. The last words he heard before darkness was a girl's voice saying 'Riddikulus!'.

7. Watching Over You

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Seven: Watching Over You

She was startled and chilled to the bone, the image of a pair of eyes so full of malice still lingered in her thoughts. Hermione Granger rubbed her temples before casting her gaze back upon the pale young man that laid on one of the many beds in the Hospital Wing. Everything in the past five hours was still crisp in her mind. How she had reacted to the sudden scream from Harry, and how she knew at once things weren't going right. Professor Dawkes wasn't so confident about the pasty orange potion after that.

The whole Defense Against the Dark Arts class had been gaping at the misty figure, wide eyes, open mouths, everything. Only Draco Malfoy seemed to be able to grasp onto his brain and make some rueful remark about Harry being afraid of evil dust bunnies; in which he accused the misty figure to be.

Hermione frowned, glancing at the clock above the door. Dinner was well over and everyone was probably lounging in the common room and discussing the latest news. When will Professor Dumbledore come...he should have been here an hour ago.

As if on cue, the wise wizard came stroding into the room, a slightly anxious feature on his usually calm and composed face. "Miss. Granger! How are you?"

"Fine, Professor. But Harry..you see.." She stuttered on her words but Professor Dumbledore simply nodded and came to Harry's bedside. Silence hung in the air as the old man seemed to stare right into Harry's soul. "How long has it been?"

"Around..five hours I suppose." Hermione answered as she sucked in a breath. "What's wrong with him? Did he have some brain failure? Was he that horribly scared of that creature? And.."

Dumbledore held up one hand to silence her and she relunctantly fell silent. "Miss. Granger, I know you are a very composed and intelligent girl, that is why we picked you to be Head Girl. Now, if you let all the worry go, you'll be able to think clearly. Is it likely that he had brain failure? That he fainted because the..creature as you put it, is too horrible to look at?"

Hermione glanced at Harry's frozen figure thoughtfully, then back at the headmaster's eyes which were twinkling once again behind his half-moon spectacles. "Well...he could've had brain failure...I mean...well, maybe it's not that likely, but it's a possibility! And his fainting...well, I'm not sure about that actually.." Her voice trailed off but she quickly sat up straighter. "But maybe if I knew him better...I mean, as in, I don't know him that well so he might have some crazy horror over fuzzy misty figures and I just don't know." She finished off with a breath, but her cheeks suddenly burned. "That sounded really stupid didn't it?"

Professor Dumbledore chuckled and shook his head, "No, no Hermione. It's just you and your brain forming wonderful opinions and reasons at why Harry is lying here right now." He turned to face the boy again. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Me?" Hermione held back her surprise. "Of course!"

"Describe to me, this misty figure?"

Hermione stared at him. "Well, it's a misty figure." She blushed. "And to me, it reminds me of a human...a human but with no features of a mouth or hands, nothing of that sort. But its got that shape, and the eyes.." She frowned deeply. "The eyes were the most frightening. They were hypnotizing to say the least...and very very red..gleaming red. In little slits..like a snake." She finished nervously. "That's all there is to it..."

"Thank you Miss. Granger, that gives me a better picture." He nodded, the twinkle never leaving his eye, not a trace of worry or alarm shown on his aging face. "Do you have any clue of what or who it is?"

"No...not at all. Yet Draco Malfoy claimed that it resembled an evil dust bunny."

Professor Dumbledore looked amused. "Ah really? I am sure that, that person wouldn't be so happy to be compared with a dust bunny..." He chuckled hoarsely.

Hermione's alarm was evident on her face for Dumbledore's eyes just gleamed even more. "Yes Miss. Granger, I know who Harry fears."

"Who though? Why was Harry's original fear unchangable even with the potion? It worked for everyone else..." She felt lost, and for once she didn't think an old dusty book would help her either. Her brow furrowed in frustration as she looked at her professor intently, searching for an answer in those misty wise blue eyes.

"Ah..I am sure Harry will tell you someday." He simply answered while patting Harry's bed. "That is, when he finds out what he fears first."

She felt her brain nearly flip with the oddness of the whole situation. Nothing made sense, and Professor Dumbledore didn't seem to want to present a straight out answer for her. She bit her lip a bit hard, almost hurting herself. "But sir, doesn't he know what he fears? In order for him to have that image...but this doesn't make sense!" She finally cried out in frustration as she stared from Harry to Dumbledore.

"Maybe somewhere in there, he does know who he fears. But it feels like an illusion to him, perhaps. But it will come clear, like every obstacle in life, Mr. Potter will face it. And we'll just have to have confidence in him so that he will be able to overcome whatever it is."

"But...what.."

He placed a wrinkled hand upon her own smooth ones and gave it a gentle squeeze. "And you will be there all the way with him, Miss. Granger."

Hermione blinked and swallowed hard. "But he hardly knows me!"

"Possibly. Yet I think sometimes you might know him slightly better than himself. You know when he's nervous, you know how he is insecure about mostly everything around him." A glimpse of sadness crossed the wise man's features. "He has had a hard life, and yet everything he's been through might just be the build up to the climax."

"The climax? Of what?" Hermione felt awfully foolish and stupid, for her questions seemed to never end. She mentally scolded herself that she probably was acting like a little girl in front of the great Albus Dumbledore.

"Like I said before, just breathe.." He paused and Hermione found herself letting out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. "And everything will eventually clear up. Good evening Miss. Granger, I might drop by some other time, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Potter will be up and going by tomorrow evening at the latest."

"Um ok..good night Professor Dumbledore." Hermione managed a weak smile as a swish of dark purple robes disappeared from her sight and down the corridor. She sighed and propped an elbow onto the bed, letting her chin rest on her palm.

"Oh this is so weird!" She muttered under her breath. "I've just met you since the beginning of the year...which is really weird. And now I feel like I'm invading on something that should be your personal life! You're greatest fear...why would you ever tell me anyways?" She locked her gaze onto the shut eyelids of Harry. "I'm just Hermione Granger..Head Girl of Hogwarts. That's how everyone sees me right?" Hermione mumbled softly as she shut her tired eyes.

"You hardly know me..." She stiffled a yawn. " And I don't know you better than yourself...what was Professor Dumbledore thinking! I don't know your birthday, your favorite colour...you're just Harry Potter, like I'm just Hermione Granger to you right? Ooooh why am I even sitting here talking to you when you can't even hear me?" Hermione paused, suddenly feeling silly. "Actually, I'm glad you're not awake. It would be awfully embarrassing for you to hear my endless mumbling.."

She frowned as she yawned again, snuggling closer to the warm bed and grasping a bit of the blankets covering Harry into her own cold hands.

"You're just Harry... but am I a friend to you? Yeah..I consider you a friend...and..you're nice, sweet, and you seem smart...compared to Ron...sorry Ron.." She felt her arm relax. "Dumbledore...he's predicting the weirdest things..he seems pretty confident we'll become close friends...will we?" Her eyelids were heavy but she didn't care. She was feeling rather peaceful and secure in the Hospital Wing with Harry's soft breaths drawing in and out evenly.

"...will I be there...when you face that...fear of yours?" And that was her last thought before her eyelids completely drooped and nothing seemed to matter anymore.

~*~

"Hermione! Hermione!"

She groaned inwardly, feeling herself being rocked back and forth gently by the shoulders. She squinted from the bright sunlight that met her sleep-filled eyes as she yawned. "What? Oh no! What time is it?!"

"Don't worry, it's a Saturday, no classes." The familiar voice of Lavender Brown answered cheerfully.

Hermione sat up, examining the room that she was in. Scarlet draperies...a couple other beds..scarlet blankets... "Am I in the girl's dormitories?"

"Yes..Madame Pomfrey told me to bring you back here because you fell asleep in the Hospital Wing..and since I didn't know the password to the Head Girl's dorm I just brought you back here." She explained before a playful smirk crossed her features.

Hermione didn't like that look at once. "What is it now Lavender? Stop staring at me like that!"

"Oh come on Hermione! What were you doing in the Hospital Wing with Harry Potter anyways?!" Lavender giggled as Hermione blushed scarlet enough to match the blankets that covered her.

"Oh come off it! Ron and I were the ones that brought him to the Hopsital Wing..and then Ron left and I just stayed because Professor Dumbledore was going to come and I was pretty sure I needed to stay to explain the situation to him! It's not what you're thinking!" Hermione cried in desperation as Lavender broke out into another fresh set of giggles. She sighed. "Oh for goodness sake! Stop acting like a silly..silly.."

"Hermione! Stop acting like a silly silly girl who's denying the truth!" Lavender finished for her before chuckling. "Who would have thought! Harry Potter of all people!"

"Lavender Brown!" Hermione said in an accusing tone. "You're being ridiculous!"

Lavender pouted with her arms on her hips. "Of course not! I find it rather sweet though...I brought you back here just before midnight, which means you stayed with him for a pretty long time, my dear."

"Lavender!!"

She giggled in response. "I think he'll be awfully touched when he wakes up and finds out that you watched over him." She winked and skipped towards the door. "Well, I'll be going now! I'm getting hungry and I need some breakfast. I think you should get dressed too before it's almost noon." She stepped out the door but her head reappeared a few seconds later. "And I'm pretty sure you'll want to check up on him too!" She was out and away before the pillow that Hermione had thrown could hit her square in the face.

"Oooh great! Now silly rumours will start flying about! I just know it!" Hermione huffed as she got out of bed, running a hand through her tangled mass of hair. She peeked out from behind the door, hoping that no one was around to see her in such a disarray of wrinkled robes and messy hair. Noticing that no one was around, she quickly stepped out.

"Oy! Hermione!!"

She winced and looked over her shoulder. "Ron! Um uh.."

"Did you get out of the wrong side of bed?" He chuckled as he came up to her.

"No...and yes," Hermione answered with a breath. "Now if you'll excuse me.."

Ron stepped aside as Hermione brushed past in a hurry towards the potrait hole. "Oh! And I just wanted to tell you who I'm going to pick for Seeker!"

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. "Who?" She questioned curiously without turning around to face Ron.

"Harry! I think he demonstrated the best seeker abilities out of all four people! The thing is...Harry's still in the Hospital Wing isn't he?"

"I..I think so."

"Oh bother. Do you think you can go there after breakfast and tell him if he's awake? I've got to go to detention for Snape," Ron muttered.

"Oh, sure, no problem!" And with that she was out the portait hole and out of sight.

Ron blinked, "Strange."

~*~

Harry blinked, his sight was blurred and the sunlight seeping into the room wasn't helping his eyes adjust. He rubbed them and blinked again, sitting up as he did so. "Ugh," He groaned, a numb thobbing pain seemed to last on his forehead. Why am I in the Hospital Wing..?

"Ah, Mr. Potter you're finally awake, I see."

He placed his glasses on hurridly and met the stern eyes of Madame Pomfrey. "Why am I here?"

"Why? Well you fainted dead in class of course!" She handed him a glass of water. "Drink it, it'll clear your mind. I suppose you can leave now since you look fine to me! You should thank Miss. Granger."

Harry looked startled. "Miss. Granger..?"

"Yes," Madame Pomfrey gazed at him warily. "Or do you not remember her?"

"Hermione..?"

"Yes, she stayed with you for a long time," A small smile threatened to appear on the middle aged woman's face. Harry simply looked stunned as he pulled the white sheets back and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"She did?"

He was answered by a curt nod from her. "Oh and look at that, here she is again.." Madame Pomfrey added before turning around to leave, revealing a quiet Hermione standing near the doorway.

"Um, good morning."

Harry sucked in a breath unevenly. "Good morning."

An awkward silence filled the room before Hermione stepped towards his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

Silence.

Hermione bit her lip before looking up again suddenly. "Oh!"

Harry stared at her in confusion. "What is it?"

"You'rethenewGryffindorseeker!!" She declared with a breath.

"Pardon?" Harry raised an eyebrow as Hermione glanced at him sheepishly.

"Sorry, I meant to say, you're the new Gryffindor seeker!" She repeated in a normal pace, looking over at Harry's face to see his expression. First it was confusion, then it was blank, and finally a bright smile lit his face. She smiled.

"Really?" He stuttered, standing up from the bed.

Hermione beamed, "Really!"

He ruffled his hair, making it even messier. Hermione's smile broadened at Harry's reaction. He looked awfully cute with a lop-sided smile and overly messy hair, and still with shock and disbelief written on his face. "Pinch me."

"What?"

"Nevermind.." Harry seemed to be reprocessing the information again because he suddenly looked distant. Hermione shifted her weight from one foot to another, suddenly feeling really awkward.

Yet before she even had time to react, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her in a hug filled with joy. "I'm a Seeker!!!" She heard Harry's muffled cry of joy.

Hermione couldn't help but grin. "Yes Harry...you're a seeker!!" She cried along with him as they danced in a circle. Harry suddenly let go of her and blushed furiously. "Oh god, I'm sorry."

"Why?" The surprise was evident in her voice.

"I just hugged you, out of the blue. I'm sorry. I suppose I was too overjoyed and..and because I've never really done anything in my life..I mean, I've never acomplished much in my life and this is just..really big for me..and so.." Yet he was hushed by Hermione's finger that suddenly fell across his lips. He simply stared at her with those bright green eyes that were flickering with joy she had never seen in them before.

"It's ok Harry...I understand," She said softly before letting her hand drop to her side again. "It's natural to be happy, right?" She gave him a smile.

"Right..." Harry mumbled, still slightly unsure.

Hermione stepped closer, opening her arms and wrapping them gently around him. Harry stiffened, feeling her delicate fingers around his back and neck. "Congratulations Harry."

"...Thanks.." He blushed, raising his own arms to return the hug. "And thanks Hermione."

"Whatever for?" She whispered.

"For..being there..for me. Watching over me, I mean."

It was Hermione's turn to blush. "How did you know..?"

"Madame Pomfrey." He answered before they pulled back, only a couple feet away from each other. He could feel her soft breath and the scent of her hair; wild strawberries. Harry slapped himself mentally before shuffling his feet a bit away from her's. "You're.."

"Hm?" She tilted her head slightly, trying to meet Harry's gaze yet his eyes were downcast.

"You're..." He started again. "Hermione!!!" He finished abruptly.

Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion. "I know I'm Hermione.."

Harry cursed silently under his breath and quickly lifted his head to meet her soft brown eyes. "What I meant to say was, that you're really nice. The nicest girl I've ever met at least." He finished off and quickly brushed past her towards the Hospital Wing door. "No..not the nicest girl...you're the nicest person actually."

Hermione opened her mouth, yet no words formed. She quickly turned around but was surprised to find that Harry was no longer standing by the doorway, and that only the swinging of the door told her that Harry had left.

His voice so filled with new confidence, so soft yet so audible to her ears. ..the nicest girl I've ever met...no...you're the nicest person...

8. One Step Closer

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Eight: One Step Closer

Harry struggled to stay in focus, but Divination was not the best class for him, especially at the end of the day. The voice of Professor Trelawney's drawled on in the misty, stuffy room, and Harry found himself dosing off frequently.

"Mr. Potter."

He shifted his glasses and stared into the inquiring eyes of his professor. "Yes, mam?"

"Excellent chart," She commented as she handed him a piece of parchment. "Wonderful predictions! Class! If you have time, do come look at Mr. Potter's winter star chart. You may benifit from it."

Lavender and Parvati were at once at Harry's desk but Trelawney raised a hand to stop them. "After class, please." And the disappointed girls walked back to their desks sulking.

Harry rolled his eyes. December 11... I will carelessly fall into the lake and get lashed by a Lobalug.. He would have to thank Neville for that one. Shaking his head, he returned to his daydreaming and gazing at the foggy landscape from the window next to him. Divination felt more like creative writing to Harry, and probably for alot of other students taking the class. Yet after all these years, Lavender and Parvati still seemed faithful to Professor Trawlawney and her so called inner eye.

Before he was sure his mind would slip into another train of thoughts, Trelawney dismissed the class and Lavender and Parvati were on him once again.

"Ooooh Harry, can I see your chart?" Parvarti said eagerly, her eyes twinkling.

Harry shrugged, "Er, sure?"

"Thanks!" Lavender took the piece of parchment into her hands with Parvati eagerly leaning over her shoulder to see Harry's 'excellent' chart. "Goodness...you have some horrible life don't you?" Parvati said in astonishment.

"I suppose," Harry strained to keep a straight face.

"Oooh, did your hair really get accidentally dyed hot pink?" Parvati exclaimed.

He frowned, "Uh, no." I don't remember that one...

"Well that doesn't matter, because I'm sure Hermione would love your hair in any colour anyways," Lavender commented with a quick glance at Harry.

"What?"

Parvati looked at her friend with a questioning look. Lavender simply shrugged and handed Harry's chart back to him. "Oh, don't look at me like that! Both of you!" She shook her head, causing strands of hair to come loose from her messily tied ponytail. "Some people are so dense! Let's go Parvati, I want to go to the library to check something out."

Harry simply watched as the two chattering girls left. Not wanting to be left alone in the perfume scented classroom, he quickly gathered his books and headed down the ladder.

Hermione would love my hair in any colour? Harry's mind repeated, a small smile hanging on the side of his lips. Really? I'm just being a stupid git to believe anything of that sort. God, me and my stupid stupid thoughts...

"Harry!" A loud cheerful voice greeted from behind his shoulder. He recognized it as Ron Weasley's and quickly turned to meet the red-headed boy.

"Hey."

"Ok, so the re-match is scheduled the day before Christmas Eve. Splendid isn't it? A Quidditch match and then the Christmas feast! If we win it'll double the goodness!" Ron chattered excitedly. "I've taken Dean's broom out from his closet, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Oh...uh how is Dean anyways?"

Ron's excitement faded slightly. "Still the same, but Madame Promfrey says he'll probably wake soon. The thing is, he'll probably still be stuck in the Hospital Wing until Madame Pomfrey is happy with him to let him out of that place." He shuddered. "Darn unpleasant place. All the white sheets and everything, doesn't it scare you?"

"Well, I guess not," Harry replied.

"Ah, then you probably go there often." Ron chuckled. "But anyways, I wanted to tell you that there's going to be a practice scheduled the day after tomorrow. You'll be practicing with the Snitch and all. I've just informed the rest of the team about you!"

Harry's stomach flipped. "Uh...are they...weird?"

"What do you mean weird?"

"I meant, what was their reaction?" Harry gulped.

Ron broke out into laughter. "Harry! They're excited! They can't wait to see you play. Loosen up you silly git."

Harry managed a weak smile. "Well I don't know, I don't think I know any of them at all..."

"You know me, and the rest of the team is just as easy to get along with! You should be nervous about facing the other teams, not your own!" Ron shook his head and grinned. "So other than that..Dean's broom has been sent to your room. I kind of snuck into the kitchens and got one of the house elves to take it up to your room." Ron glanced around him and lowered his voice. "That's not exactly following the rules, but we break them alot don't we?"

Harry nodded. "Right.."

"Yeah, so I'll see you at dinner then?"

"Ok."

Ron nodded and hurried off with a wave.

Harry watched as the red head disappeared from his sight and he sighed, looking out the large oval window next to him. The sun was setting, as it was winter and day was shorter than night. He breathed out, fogging up the glass directly in front of his mouth. He smiled, seeing his reflection smile back at him.

For once everything seemed to be..on track...there finally seemed to be a purpose to his life, his existence. He actually felt needed.

~*~

Hermione wandered down the halls, farther and farther away from her starting point; the Head Girl dorm. She wasn't really sure what she was doing, and she was pretty sure dinner was just about ending. Being her usual self, she had spent the late afternoon in a cozzy corner of the library, and not even Madame Pince realized that there was still a student in the library for she had been working so efficiently that she had been as silent as a mouse.

She massaged her shoulder gently, flinging her book bag to hang on her other shoulder. It simply seemed to be getter heavier by the day. Hermione sighed, fumbling a hand nervously into the pockets of her robes. She blinked in surprise when it came in contact with something solid.

Bringing her hand out, the glistening glass rose met her gaze at once. "Oh!" She cried out, startled. Raising it up to eye level, she stared at the delicate thing for a good long while, her feet stil carrying her down the torched lit hallways of the ancient school. I completely forgot about you, you little thing. She chuckled. I'm really loosing it! Talking to inanimate objects now, are we Hermione Granger?

She closed her fingers around the stem of the glass rose, pressing it gently to her chest. From Harry...this is from Harry. Hermione went around a corner. So what? It was kind of an accident he gave me this in the first place. I said it was pretty...and he has such a good heart that he knew I was interested in this glass rose...and so he gave it to me. Nothing special, nothing personal. Simple as that.

Hermione grunted softly, annoyed at her own ridiculous thoughts. Her feet suddenly stopped, as she looked around her surroundings. I'm...at the Prefect Dorms aren't I? Right. I am.

She laughed to herself, wondering why on earth she was here, in this hallway, when she could do nothing at all but stare at the many portraits that aligned the stone walls of the particular hallway. Her eyes traveled across the paintings in interest, catching snippets of conversation from some of them.

"Oh looky here! It's the head girl!" A rather plump young girl in a painting giggled and pointed to her, signaling the other paintings to take notice of her.

"Well what about it, Anna-Belle? Have you never seen a girl before? Must I remind you that you're a girl too?" A rather intelligent looking man sitting ontop of a pile of dusty books retorted.

The paintings broke into chatter, across the hallways scowls and sneers being thrown about. Hermione rolled her eyes. Silly paintings... Her eyes came to a stop on a particular silent painting, a portait of a lion who was simply staring back at her with round golden eyes filled with compassion and warmth. She didn't seem to be able to lift her eyes from it. Neither did the lion.

"I see you've taken...interest to the portait leading to my living quarters?" A voice took her out of her trance. Her head quickly snapped to the source of the voice.

"Harry!" She yelped.

He was leaning slightly on the wall, his arms crossed and a goofy smile plastered across his amused face. His two eyes seemed to twinkle so brightly that it was almost painful to stare directly in his eyes for too long. She merely swallowed, not knowing why she felt in the need to...panick.

"Surprised to see me? Well..you shouldn't be. I suppose I should be the one surprised, no one except the prefects wander about in this hallway...unless you're wanting to sneak into the prefect's bathroom? It's known for the best washroom in Hogwarts." Harry shrugged.

Hermione shuffled her feet and gazed at a spot just above Harry's eyebrows- namely his scar that was visible at the moment. "No, no I'm not here to use the bathrooms. That's just..a waste of time." She added. "I just..ended up here..and got lost!"

A painting giggled, "Look at that! She's turning red isn't she? Isn't she?!" It giggled excitedly.

Hermione blushed, involuntarily. "I'm glad this painting that leads to your room isn't as annoying as the whole lot of them." She glared at the painting that had just laughed at her.

Harry chuckled and came up to the portait of the lion, it smiled at him. "Griffon Wings," He muttered, but Hermione heard it anyways. She wondered if he didn't mind her knowing the password..

"Want to come in?" He was already through the hole and was looking at her curiously.

Hermione blinked, "Oh, ok...if that's alright with you. I mean, I kind of just appeared and.."

"It's alright."

Hermione nodded and stepped into the room. It was warm and cozy, decorated similarly to the Gryffindor common room except that there were less squashy armchairs and a bed was against the left wall. It wasn't as big as the Head Girl dorm though, Hermione noticed, but it was just as grand. A pile of books on Harry's bed caught her attention and she couldn't help but feel curious at what type of books he read.

She walked towards the bed while Harry flopped himself down on the scarlet couch facing the lit fireplace. "Why are there so many books on Dark Wizards, Harry? On your bed!" Hermione exclaimed as she carried the books towards him and plopped herself onto an armchair beside the couch.

"Oh those?" Harry stared at the books, a slight frown tugging at his lips. "They just kinda appeared...strange isn't it? I thought maybe Neville left them up in my room, since he knows my password. But I asked him, and he said he never signed out books from the library because he was scared of loosing them." He shrugged. "Oh well, they're kind of interesting you know?"

Hermione opened the book and landed on the page Harry had read before. "Yeah, that page is all about Voldemort." Harry pointed out.

She lifted her head, "Don't say that name!!"

"Sorry," He answered. "I've just never been able to get why a simple name is to be feared of. I mean, what harm can it do to just say his name?"

"It's not like it'll harm you, but it just brings shivers you know?" Hermione muttered and scanned the page. "Oh look, isn't this weird?" She pointed to a specific line on the page and showed it to him.

He sighed, "Yeah, I noticed that connection too. But it's no big deal, I mean..there are lots of Potters out there."

"But what if you are related to Lily and James Potter?" Hermione asked excitedly as her honey brown eyes shone. "Or even crazier, you might be that baby boy that might've survived the attack!" Hermione announced as she finished reading the paragraph.

"That's too far-fetched," Harry mumbled.

"But we never know!" Hermione said and tucked a strand of her wavy hair behind her ear. "I mean, you're an orphan right? If I remember correctly.." She realized the sudden crest-fallen look on the boy's face and instantly frowned. "Oh I'm sorry Harry...I didn't mean to bring that up.."

"It's ok, really. I was just thinking how horrid my aunt and uncle are..and my hideous cousin," Harry managed a feeble smile. "Yeah, wouldn't that be neat? If I was Lily and James Potter's son? Ha..."

Hermione opened her mouth to comment but suddenly realized the colour that was draining from Harry's face. She stared opened mouthed as he doubled over in pain, his hands clutching his forehead that had suddenly erupted with sweat. She kept herself from screaming in shock and quickly knelt down beside his shaking form. "Harry! What's wrong?!"

He had his teeth clenched together as he groaned. "My..scar.."

"Your scar?" Hermione couldn't keep the panick from her voice.

"Hurting...no...burning..."

"Should I go get someone?! Dumbledore?! Madame Pomfrey?! Neville?!" Hermione was trying to look at his face, but he was looking dowards and she couldn't see his expression.

To her horror, his hands were suddenly dripping with blood, trickling down from his forehead. "You're bleeding..." She uttered.

"I..know.."

Hermione shook her head, get hold of yourself Granger! What do you know that can stop the pain? Can you even do that? Argh, what can I do? She pulled her wand out from the pocket of her robes and waved a quick healing spell over his forehead. Nothing seemed to happen. "Harry! I can't stop it!"

"It's..ok.." He said through gritted teeth. "I'm...fine...it'll be over..soon..." His figure suddenly stopped shaking, and Hermione shrank back as he slumped down onto his knees.

Hermione quickly got up and hastily tore a bit of her robes to wipe off the blood that smeered Harry's hands and forehead, his scar was a bright red. She shivered and failed to notice the black shadow hanging outside of Harry's window.

~*~

There was nothing but grass, dead grass, dry grass...all around him, stretching out for miles and neverending...grass. He wasn't alone though. Somone was breathing heavily beside him and clutching onto his arm. Somehow, he couldn't turn his head to see who this person was. He couldn't really move..

"Boy. You must be confused. You must be scared...you must feel betrayed, do you not? Betrayed from the only people you ever thought of as friends? Or even family?" A cold voice that seemed to seep around him whispered faintly.

"You are powerful...you have power that you do not know how to use. I can teach you how to use it, I can teach you many things that they cannot." The voice seemed to be hanging in front of him. "So why not join me?"

He felt himself step back from the voice, shaking his head frantically. The person beside him stepped back with him and seemed to be speaking to him but he couldn't hear. "No. NO." He said loudly to the air that hung in front of him.

"No? Are you refusing an offer from the Dark Lord?" A new voice broke into his thoughts, his eyes shut tightly. The tugging on his arm increased from the person standing next to him. "Stop tugging on me!" He wanted to scream but nothing came out.

Only the wind pounded in his ears, and the cold death gripping voice filled his mind and soul. "Join me or die...join me or die..."

He didn't know why he even bothered to refuse, he just knew it was right. Right not to join him. "No...I rather die.." He felt his own shaky voice speak, much to his surprise. A cool breeze whipped by him and sent shivers down his spine and his whole body seemed to freeze.

"You rather die? How...heroic," The voice seemed to be taunting him now, mocking him. "You are a fool then, just like the rest of them. Not knowing power when it is standing right in front of your eyes. Fools." The voice spat.

"And who is this?" The voice left him now, seemingly sweeping by him and now landing onto the person standing next to him. His fists clenched and he opened his mouth. "Don't touch her." So it was her. A girl. Who?

"Ah, don't touch her? Why not? Is she worth anything?" The voice was lacing around them now, circling them. "I can see that she is nothing but a muggle-born...a Mudblood. Nothing but that. With a pretty face, even if she is scared..what is she worth saving for? I say I should kill her."

"No." He felt himself say firmly.

"Why is that?"

"I don't know.."

The voice laughed, "Dear boy, you are foolish and stupid. You wouldn't...be in love with this girl would you?"

"I.."

"Ah, pathetic. So you love her.."

He felt his brow furrow. "I don't..know.."

"That means yes," The voice hung in silence for a few seconds before uttering. "Avada Kedavra..."

He jumped up into a sitting postion, finding himself in a tangle of white sheets and white walls that met his eyes. Harry Potter quickly examined the room he was in and let out a sigh of relief, realizing that it had all been a dream. A chuckle brought him back down to earth as he met the warm blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore who was gazing at him through his half-moon spectacles.

"How are you, Mr Potter?"

"I'm...fine, sir," He relaxed onto his pillow. "How did I get here? What happened? Is she okay?" He blurted out every question without another thought.

"You got here because Miss Granger hurridly found me in Professor McGonagall's office and told us that you had fainted in your room. And if you are asking if Miss Granger is alright, she is perfectly fine although urgent to see if you are alright."

Harry rubbed his eyes and uncautiously fingered his scar. "Professor...I don't understand.."

"Hmm?" His eyes glinted.

"I don't understand why my scar..burns.." Harry frowned. "It never burns, but recently..."

"Ah, your scar," The old professor brought his own wrinkled finger and traced Harry's lightning-bolt scar with a weary look. "It's not an ordinary scar. Do you know how you got it?"

Harry shrugged, "From a car crash I suppose."

Dumbledore looked amused. "Ah, muggles do have a sense of creativity. But no, your scar is not from a car crash. It was given to you, by none other than Voldemort."

"Voldemort?" Harry repeated in disbelief. "No, no that's just weird. I've never met this Voldemort, and even if I did, shouldn't I be dead then?"

The wise wizard sighed and looked at Harry straight in the eye. "I think it is time for me to tell you what I should have told you long ago...perhaps seven years ago, but I felt that you weren't ready. But now, whether I think you are ready or not, you must know. Because it has come."

"What has come? What do I need to know?"

"He has come back, Harry. And you need to know, that you are no ordinary boy."

AN: Goodness, this story is going too slowly for even my own liking. Sorry folks, I'll pick up the pace. And the end of this story might be closer than you all think it is. But anyways, yay! Harry's gonna know all about his life story and everything by the next chapter and yes...H/Hr interaction =P *feeling frustrated with fic..*

9. Bonding

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Nine: Bonding

It was raining. Not drizzling, but pouring rain. It would probably turn to snow as the temperature dropped steadily. Harry shivered as he stared blanky at the flickering fire of the cozy Gryffindor common room. He had decided to come back here instead of his dormitory, perhaps he felt alone there. And he felt very alone at the moment. Alone and lost. The fire wasn't helping either- he felt cold nonetheless.

"First of all, you are Lily and James Potter's son."

He glared at the fire, the flames reflecting in his glassy emerald eyes and the frame of his glasses. He felt dull and numb. Of course, Hermione had been right. He was Lily and James Potter's son. Harry Potter. And that was enough for him to flip. But no, there had been more. More hidden from him for seventeen years. For seventeen years he had walked the hallways of Hogwarts, not knowing. Not knowing who he truly was. Not knowing the past he could have had. If only. If only his parents had not died.

"Voldemort killed them..."

Voldemort. He laughed. A cold, hollow laugh. He was their son, and he had never known of their names or the truth behind their deaths. A car crash. I've always known they couldn't have just died...because of a car crash. Why didn't I ever...try finding out the truth. All I ever did was ask questions. I had countless questions, all unanswered.. and now...they're all answered. But why do I still feel so...unfilled.

He shut his eyes. Sleep. He needed sleep. But he didn't want to sleep, not now.

"You were the only survivor."

"...Why?" He had asked.

Dumbledore was expressionless, perhaps there was pity in his clear blue eyes. Harry didn't know. "Your mother. She protected you.."

And everything came flooding back. His dreams. The green flash of light that repeatedly haunted him eversince he could remember. "She..protected me from dieing..and there was a green flash, wasn't there?"

"Yes. The killing curse. You were the only survivor, like I said before. The only one that ever survived from the killing curse, ever survived from Voldemort."

And that made him special. But no, it had never gotten out to the wizarding world that a little baby boy had survived from Voldemort. No one knew except Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and now, he supposedly had a godfather- Sirius Black.

His head pounded furiously as he gritted his teeth. He felt utterly stupid. He had always felt alone. But being alone was ok for him. He was use to it. Being alone, sitting alone, working alone, passing time alone. He had felt safe, safe from anyone. He felt a sense of power that being alone- no one would know him. Know his secrets, know his desires, his fears..but he was wrong all along. There was the great Dumbleodre that he looked up to. McGonagall and his so called godfather. They all knew his life better them himself.

It wasn't fair.

This was his life. Why didn't they tell him sooner? So he could feel complete. With a past that made sense, a past where his parents weren't a mystery. So they thought he wouldn't be ready for the bloody truth then. When he had been a baby, of course he wouldn't have understood. When he was eleven, his first year at Hogwarts, they had all felt that little Harry Potter was not ready to hear the truth.

And so it was hidden from him. Any hints, any evidence that he could be Lily and James Potter's son. Until now of course. The night of his parent's murder, the little baby boy was thought to have died with them. Lost under the debris of what Voldemort left. Dead of course. But no, he was sitting right here. Alive.

And so it made him special. He was the first to survive the killing curse. If that had leaked out, Harry Potter would have been famous. The famous..boy-who-lived? But no, Dumbledore had decided it was better off hidden. The wizarding world never knew of a boy named Harry Potter. Lily and James Potter was just like the rest of the lot. Attacked by Voldemort and his Death Eaters and had died.

Harry sucked in a sharp breath, willing himself not to cry. Dumbledore and McGonagall had left him on the doorstep of the Dursleys, and so began his first eleven years of life in hell. Even Hagrid knew the truth, and Harry had never known. His uncle and aunt must've loved it. Loved knowing something he didn't. Loved knowing more about his own parents than he did. They all lied to him.

All these years, had he lived a lie?

What he could've been...what he could've had.

He lifted his clammy hand, and traced a finger down his jagged scar. His scar. The only thing that Voldemort left on him. It wasn't any ordinary scar after all. It was a cursed scar, a dark mark. It linked him to Voldemort, and Dumbledore even knew why it burned; Voldemort had returned, and was back.

Harry laughed again. It was unbelievable really. That him, invisble, skinny, weak, Harry Potter, would have defeated Voldemort at the age of one. That he had rendered the Dark Lord powerless. It was rather amusing to picture it. Yet Voldemort had risen again, and somehow, even if Dumbledore had not said it, Harry knew. Voldemort had risen and was back for revenge no doubt.

I guess I'm not so unpopular now then? I'm being stalked by the most feared wizard on earth. Joy! Harry shook his head bitterly, opening his eyes and feeling the tears brimming. He squeezed them shut again, letting the anguish flood in and out of him.

His life was not ordinary at all. Yet he had always lived it feeling ever so ordinary that he felt dull. Oh the bitter truth.

"Harry!"

He opened his eyes. They felt dry now, and tired. An image of a girl slowly became clearer, standing close to the portait hole with an worried expression on her pretty face. It was Hermione.

"Hullo," He greeted dryly.

"You don't look okay.." She walked toward him, her bushy hair slightly damp. She must've been in the rain for a while, Harry thought.

He looked at her blanky, "I know."

She tilted her head curiously, confusion flashed through her eyes briefly before she crouched down to be eye level with him. "Harry...? What happened? Back in your room...when you.."

"Fainted?" He finished. "Oh, it was because my scar was hurting." He replied and reached up to his forehead, jabbing a finger at the lightning-bolt scar. "That scar."

Hermione's eyes darted upwards and quickly back to Harry's glazed eyes again. "Stop acting so...cold."

He shrugged, "Whatever. You probably knew something too, didn't you?"

She clearly looked surprised. "What?'

"Maybe you were like the rest of them. Underneath all of their concerned looks, and their smiles, they all knew the truth. Did you?"

Hermione stood up again, her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?!"

"The truth," Harry stood up. Although he was a skinny boy, he was tall, and a head taller than Hermione to be exact.

She wanted to step back from his piercing green eyes, but before she could she felt his cold hands on her shoulders, shaking her gently. "Are you lying to me too Hermione? Are you?" His shaking became rougher, his eyes ablaze.

"I don't know what you're saying!" She pushed him back, stumbling backwards from the force. "Snap out of it! You're...scaring me." She bit her lip and willed herself to look him in the eye. "You're not acting like the Harry I met months ago."

"That's because the Harry you met didn't know."

"Didn't know...?"

"Didn't know who he was. Didn't know the truth."

Hermione crossed her arms tightly. "What is with you! And this whole truth thing! I think you must've hit your head somewhere when you fainted...perhaps I should.."

"No," Harry cut her off. "You don't understand." His eyes widened as he stumbled back, almost as if he was frightened. Hermione shivered, he looked so helpless. An eerie light in his eyes...like he had gained some new knowledge that was so overwhelming to his very soul. And suddenly Hermione knew. She couldn't be scared of Harry now. He clearly needed someone at the moment, and here she was, backing away from someone who looked utterly lost and confused.

She stepped forward, "Harry.."

"I should've died.."

Her eyes widened, but she forced herself to reach out to him. "Harry, calm down. Maybe I can.."

"There's so much I have to understand," He mumbled anxiously at her. "And think I'm suppose to do something, but I don't know what I'm suppose to do."

She was a feet away from him now, and she could clearly see the sweat forming on his forehead and that his shoulders were shaking slightly. Hermione swallowed and reached for his hands, grasping them tightly in her own soft ones. "Harry, I'll help you. I'll help you try to do whatever you're suppose to do."

"I don't know.." He muttered under his breath.

"I don't know either," She replied, feeling her mind spinning in confusion and agitation. "But if you tell me what's the matter, I can help." She said in a strangely steady voice.

Harry stopped shaking for a second and looked her straight in the eye, as if he was trying to see into her. Read her emotions and thoughts. He gulped and sank weakly down on the couch behind him and let out a breath. "I'm sorry."

Hermione relaxed, a small smile on her face. "It's alright."

"I must've scared you," He rubbed his temples furiously and glanced up at the girl standing in front of him. "Thanks."

"Why? I haven't done anything."

"Well, you have," Harry blushed. "I think you've done more than anyone else I've ever met. Just by simply being there.'

Hermione looked away, "I came here to find my quill. I'm sure I left it here.."

"Is it this one?" He lifted his hand and showed her a petite eagle feathered quill that Hermione hadn't realized was in his hands all along.

"Er, yes. That one." She took it from him and awkwardly placed it in her pocket. She sat down next to him.

"So what's new?" She asked lightly.

Harry sat back and smirked, "Alot."

"I kind of guessed," Hermione answered. "You looked kind of..."

"Crazy?"

"Yeah."

Harry looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Enough with the apologizes." Hermione silenced him and that was how they sat for quite a long time. In silence except for the pitter patter of the rain pelting against the windows. There was no light in the room except for the glow of the fireplace which casted eerie shadows across the common room. Everyone was probably at lunch now, except them of course.

"I know now." Harry finally spoke up in a soft voice. "I know who my parents are, how they died, why I'm even still alive."

"That's a good thing isn't it? To know?"

"Yes...but they've known all along. Everytime I've been in detention, everytime I've had a conversation with them, they've always known."

"Who's 'they'?" Hermione questioned.

Harry sighed, "Dumbledore...McGonagall, Hagrid...and some guy named Sirius Black who's supposedly my godfather."

"You have a godfather?!"

"Exactly," Harry scowled. "I've never known. Nothing. I've just been an empty shell with a blank for my real life. For who I really am- I've never known..."

Hermione glanced at the fire, looking at it for comfort. "Well...don't say that. You know who you are. You're Harry. Even without knowing your parents and not knowing other things, you've still become Harry. You're still yourself, because you've still become a person with your own unique individuality."

"Maybe I could've been different..." He uttered.

She turned her head and stared at the boy sitting next to her with a dazed expression. "Why would you want to be any different?"

"...You know why."

"No, I don't," Hermione stated firmly.

"I can't do anything," He said helplessly. "I'm not..noticed. I'm not popular like you. I'm not anything out of the ordinary. I can't achieve anything, I haven't actually. Except for becoming Seeker possibly. Other than that, I've just spent my life wallowing in nothingness. I've never done anything to get other people's attention. I'm invisible and I've never been useful."

She stared at him incredously. Harry looked at her quickly and looked away, sighing. "Ok, so now you probably think I'm a loser. Ha ha..."

"Harry Potter, don't ever say that again!" She snapped, and Harry noticed she almost seemed angry. "You're not useless. You're not invisible, and you're not a loser. Goodness, if you're looking for pity then.."

"I don't want pity," He interupted.

"Fine, scratch that out, but what you're doing is exactly that. If you're dissing yourself, then no wonder you feel like you can't achieve anything. That's because you probably don't believe in yourself." Hermione huffed and fell silent. "You're smart." She added and felt awfully stupid.

Harry turned crimson, "Er.."

"And who cares about popularity!" She threw her arms in the air. "Being popular isn't everything. People talk behind your back, and no one is ever really a friend to you. They all just want to benefit from you. I can throw away all the popularity just for a couple of real friends."

Harry sat in silence, absorbing her words in astonishment.

"And you know, I feel like you're a real friend to me," Hermione leaned forward a bit and propped her elbow up on her knee to let her chin rest in her palm. "Like Ron, and Ginny. I know we haven't known each other for the longest time, but...ok this is silly, but I feel like I've met you longer than a few months." Her cheeks burned. "Don't laugh."

"I'm not going to," Harry said softly. "...Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"How about I tell you what happened?"

"Sure," Hermione beamed.

"I trust you," He added in a whisper.

Hermione blinked as a bright smile lit her face. "Good, because I trust you too."

Harry nodded and smiled, "So, I had this talk with Dumbledore..."

~*~

"So he's not going to say anything?"

Harry shook his head, "Yes, it's just between him and me, well, and perhaps the other few people that know about this."

Hermione nodded in amazement. "Then, are you going to get to meet your godfather?"

"Dumbledore said...as soon as he can get in contact with him," Harry replied.

"That name is awfully familiar...Sirius Black..." Hermione mumbled thoughtfully as Harry watched her. "Oh! Isn't he...I mean wasn't he the one who got blamed...er..." She fell silent.

"What?"

"Well...he was blamed for murdering your parents. For telling where there location was, since your parents were in hiding! It was all over the news last year, when Sirius Black got a trial, and his name was cleared." Hermione explained. "This is awfully complicated.."

Harry paled, "What? He killed my parents?!"

"No, he was thought to have betrayed them," Hermione reassured. "Oh, it's old news. You can probably ask him yourself when you meet him!"

Harry smiled softly, "Thanks for listening."

No words were exchanged, just knowing glances.

~*~

Eversince Harry had spilt his heart and soul out to her, she had felt...happy. In fact, she felt a special kind of bond between her and Harry now. She even thought that she could tell what he was thinking of, read his expressions, tell if he was down or up. And she liked that special little bond.

It also made her feel happy in a way that she was the first person Harry had ever opened up to. First person that he ever confided in, and the first person he let to see the real Harry. The Harry who liked the same things as everyone else, had dreams, and had goals. A typical teenaged boy. And she was the first one to meet him- Harry Potter.

She was humming a little tune to herself now as she waited for breakfast to appear on the golden plates and goblets, but just as she thought they were to appear, Dumbledore stood up from the head table with a wispy smile across his features.

"As we all know, the re-match between Gryffindor and Slytherin is just around the corner, as it is being held on Christmas Eve." Dumbledore's eyes swept across the room and Hermione thought that he was eyeing Harry especially. "And it is tradition at Hogwarts to have a feast on Christmas Day, yet this year, the staff and I have decided to add a little treat to it."

The Great Hall fell silent as all the students from first year to seventh sat with anticipation.

"There will be a ball. A Winter Solstice Ball."

At once the Great Hall was silent no more. Whispers and murmering abrupted fom cluttered groups of friends, squeals of delight from girls and blank stares from the males. It was obviously something the students had not suspected. A ball! They hadn't had one since the Triwizard Tournament!

A boy stuck his hand up. "But don't we get off of school on Christmas?"

"Precisely," Dumbledore replied and recieved confused looks from all the students. "It is optional of course. If you wish to attend the ball, you may leave a day later. If you wish not to attend the ball, then you may leave on the original date. But first of all, the ball is for fourth years and up."

The first years didn't seem to mind, nor did the second years. Some of the third years groaned and went back to staring at their empty plates and goblets.

"Formal dresswear will be required. Now, let us eat breakfast and have a delightful day," Dumbledore sat back down and at once breakfast appeared on their tables.

"Oh no! I don't think I've got any robes for this ball..." Ginny cried in despair.

Hermione picked at her bacon. "Hmmm..."

"Ooooh I can't wait!!" Lavender squealed in delight. "It's alright Ginny. I'm sure we have some extra robes for you." Lavender smiled along with Parvati as they giggled crazily. "I bet Seamus is going to ask you!"

Parvati stuck her tongue out. "No way! He hates me."

"That's a sign," Lavender piped knowingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes as Ginny looked at her curiously. "So who are you going to go with?"

"Oh nobody...perhaps I'll just stick with the books.."

"That's a conspiracy!" Parvati cried out in alarm. "I mean, you'd be missing the ball! And second, it would be Christmas! Books and Christmas just don't miss!"

"You just voiced my thoughts," Ron murmered and grinned at Hermione. "But it's just like Hermione. Books on all occasions."

She shooked her head lightly, pouring pumpkin juice into her goblet. "Well it's just a ball. What's all the fuss?"

"Just a ball?" Lavender looked like she was going to faint.

Lavender and Parvati spent the next few minutes blabbering on about the importance of balls, though Hermione was not really listening. She was staring off, and to be exact, she was staring in Harry's direction.

He was sitting like usual at the end of the table, across from Neville. He too was picking at his bacon and looking extremely bored. "Talk to you all later," she suddenly sat up and left Lavender and Parvati bickering to themselves.

"Good morning, Harry!" She greeted cheerfully as she plopped down beside him.

His head sprung up in surprise as a grin suddenly lit his face. "Hermione!"

"Looks like you like torturing your bacon eh?" She glanced down at his mushed up bacon, noticing that he immediatly stopped stabbing it with his fork.

"Oh, I was thinking," He dropped his fork and suddenly his grin vanished. "So...er...excited about the ball?"

"Not really."

"Oh." He said bluntly.

Hermione smiled, "You?"

"...Not really," Harry wanted to mentally smack himself. "So, who are you going with?"

"I don't know," Hermione replied truthfully.

Harry returned to poking at his poor bacon. "Well you are Head Girl, you'll have boys asking you in no time."

"Well..." She was turning redder by the second. "Oh stop teasing me!"

He looked at her innocently. "Fine."

Silence.

Harry looked up slowly. "So...you...er.."

"Hmm?"

"Eee...errr.....ummmm..."

Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him. "Ok...heee haaa hooo..." She mimicked, breaking into giggles.

Harry blushed and shook his head, "Nevermind."

She didn't know why, but she felt sinking disappointment weigh heavily in her chest. She blinked and shook her head clear. "Oh." Was all she managed to say. "So...who are you planning to go with?"

Harry suddenly took great interest in his beat up bacon. "Oh...well, I don't know if I want to go."

"Well, I think you should go," Hermione shrugged.

"What?"

"I think it would be good for you to go," She repeated. "I mean, some social stuff would help wouldn't it?" She suggested.

Harry finally raised his fork and bit a piece of the bacon off. He munched quietly, staring at the enchanted ceiling which was sprinkling snow at the moment. "Well, it'll be really boring...I mean I'll probably spend the whole time sitting off at the side and my only companion would be the wall and the ceiling."

"Well, ask girls to dance!" Hermione blurted.

Harry stared at her as if she had grown another head. "No way! That would be...plain weird. Crazy. Insane."

Hermione giggled, making Harry stare at her goggle-eyed. "Now you're laughing at me!"

"You just look so silly," Hermione stated. "Ok, ok. I won't force you to go. You wanna hit the books with me?"

Harry laughed, "Right."

"No seriously!"

Harry just laughed a bit more before a sudden figure approached. It was Justin Finch-Fletchley, and he was panting slightly for he had obviously ran over to them. "Hello Hermione," He breathed and gave a side ways glance at Harry. "Hello...er.."

"Hello Justin," Hermione greeted.

Justin smiled slightly, "About the ball, want to go with me?"

"Um..."

"I mean, I really want to go with you," Justin added with a tint of pink on his cheeks. "And it'll look neat..you know...Head Boy and Girl going together."

Hermione bit her lip, which was a habit of hers that Harry noticed she did often when she was nervous, confused, or lost. Right now she was doing just that and she was even fidgeting with the ends of her robes. "Um...well.."

Justin stared at her. Hermione quickly glanced at Harry who looked kind of dumbstruck at the moment, and then back at Justin and his hopeful eyes. "Oh...er...sure?"

His smile broadened, "Great! Then how about I'll meet you at the library at 7, and then we can go to the Great Hall together?"

"Sure.." Hermione repeated as Justin walked walked away with a kind of skip to his steps.

She turned back towards Harry who was staring at his half eaten bacon again. She didn't know why she felt a sudden surge of embarrassement...or was it guilt? She looked at Harry's face, wanting to read his expression but was failing terribly for he was paying all his attention to the bacon on his plate. "Er, so where were we Harry?"

"Um...nothing," He stuttered. "Nothing at all..."

"Oh...ok..."

And the two just stared blankly- Harry with his bacon and Hermione with her robes. Both fidgeting and feeling uneasy, and both suddenly feeling disappointment and annoyance course through them. And both had no clue why.

10. Friendship?

AN: Updates might be slower now since school has started. Thank you all for the wonderful support =) !!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Ten: Friendship?

It was a week before the Quidditch match, and just a week and a day until the Winter Solstice Ball. Of course, everyone was feeling overly excited and found it awfully hard to concentrate during classes. And so with all the excitement, everyone forgot to worry.

It was just another morning, with everyone heading into the Great Hall for breakfast like usual, under the enchanted ceiling which was still drifting flakes of snow. Harry was amongst the crowd and as he sat down on his seat, he was surprised to see Hedwig soar in with the rest of the owls to deliver the morning post. Of course, it had been hard to spot Hedwig at first, since he blended in with the ceiling, but soon enough, it couldn't be mistakened. Hedwig did indeed have something to drop off for him.

And sadly, it wasn't anything interesting. It wasn't a letter from an old friend (not like he had an old friend), nor was it a package from home (if you could call that home a home..), it was simply a copy of the Daily Prophet. And Harry found it rather strange that Hedwig had brought him a copy, since he hadn't subscribed to the ever so popular wizarding newsletter...unless Hedwig had snatched it from somebody else.

He looked curiously at his owl who simply stared back at him and hooted in triumpth, as if he were saying, "Well, shouldn't you be thanking me now?"

Yet Harry didn't know what to make of it, but still he ripped off a bit of his toast and offered it to Hedwig while flipping open the Daily Prophet with slight interest. He scanned the front cover, suddenly feeling awfully chilly although he was warmly dressed. The front cover had in big bold calligraphy: 'ATTACK ON OTTERY ST. CATCHPOLE'. Harry lifted his head after reading, and noticed that he was not the only one.

Ron Weasley was sitting nearby, gripping a copy of the Daily Prophet so tightly that his knuckles were as white as the snow outside. Harry suddenly felt that this was no ordinary attack...well of course it wasn't. It had said clearly that there were Death Eaters present, and a strange person in a dark cloak that was still not identified. And of course, many lost their lives. Even a few of the more famous wizarding familes; the Lovegoods and Fawcetts.

Harry swallowed. Ron was still gripping the copy of the newsletter tightly as his younger sister Ginny Weasley ran up to him from behind crying out, "Ron! Ron! Did you see?! Did you read..." Yet her voice trailed off at once when she spotted the newsletter gripped tightly in her brother's hands. "Oh Ron...I'm so glad they're ok."

"It would've been so close though Ginny.." Ron said shakily. "So close ."

"I know...but let's not think of that," Ginny added hastily. "They're ok."

"What if they aren't? Maybe the reporters didn't find out that perhaps our home was attacked along with the rest...and maybe they forgot to include it in the news or.." Ron suddenly stopped short by the frightened look on his sister's pale features. "Oh Ginny..nevermind what I said. Yes, you're right. They must be ok.."

"They are," Ginny repeated and took out a piece of parchment from her robes. "I got this, this morning. From Pig. It's from mum, saying everything's alright at The Burrow, but it's pretty much ruins beyond the hills..."

Ron took the letter in his hands, scanning it quickly with his eyes and letting a breath of relief escape his lips. "Death Eaters...this hasn't happened since when? Seventeen years ago?"

Ginny just nodded weakly and suddenly noticed that a pair of eyes were watching them intently. She turned and met Harry's gaze. "Um...?"

Harry quickly snapped to attention and dropped his own copy of the Daily Prophet, Ginny following his every move. "Er...I was just wondering, well, that attack sounded pretty awful eh?"

"Well...yeah," Ginny replied. "Ottery St. Catchpole is really near are home. You can even say we live there. That's why we," she waved a hand lightly at Ron, "were so worried."

Harry nodded numbly, "...I see...and you said, there haven't been attacks for seventeen years?"

"The last attacks were before...you-know-who suddenly disappeared..." Ron muttered, his eyes darting about. "It's strange really...it couldn't be that...you-know-who could be...back?"

Ginny nearly gasped and stared at her brother wide-eyed. "Ron! Don't say that!"

"How else do you explain this then?" Ron shot back and sighed. "Oh it doesn't matter, as long as mum and dad are ok."

The youngest Weasley decided to drop the matter and retreated silently back to her seat without another word. Harry stared from Ron to Ginny's retreating figure and suddenly lost his appetite. "I never got to worry." He suddenly spoke.

Ron folded up his copy of the Daily Prophet and glanced at him curiously. "What?"

"...Er..well," Harry looked at him sheepishly. "I never got to worry. I didn't have time to worry...or you could say I didn't know how to worry then. I couldn't worry about my parents' safety...I was only a year old. They just died and I had no clue whatsoever about what was going on."

The red-head stared, and suddenly dropped his gaze. "Oh. I'm sorry.."

"It's okay," Harry shrugged and returned to his breakfast, noticing that Hedwig had flown off with half of his sandwich. He smiled to himself and glanced up at the snowing ceiling.

It really felt like Christmas now. With the snow floating down and blanketing the grounds with nice, pure, white, snow. Beautiful snow. Clean and fresh, and soft at first. And Harry suddenly had a strange thought. If that beautiful white snow was to be ruined...by perhaps a stain. One step in that snow, it would no longer be that fresh flat piece of perfection. No...it would forever be ruined. And he imagined. Perhaps...what if blood was spilt onto that wonderful snow? Wouldn't that ruin it even more. What a frightening sight that would be...blood-stained snow.

Harry shivered. Bloody hell, what am I thinking?

~*~

Hermione stepped forward, then backwards again. She shuffled her feet and glanced down at her robes thoughtfully, and then she stepped forwards again.

"Oh how do I say this? I'll sound like such a complete idiot!" She was having a headache. A really pointless headache. Hermione refused to stay so frustrated when she knew she could get her problem solved just by walking up to him and say that she had decided to not go to the ball at all. And yet it was so very hard to get herself to walk up to Justin when he was just a few steps away.

Oh Hermione, he's not going to bite! Her mind scoffed as she stepped back again.

Hermione sighed. This would be her only chance for the day to get to talk to Justin since they only had Herbology class together today. But there was also dinner time when she could tell him, but then there would be too many people around.

She bit her lip. Well are you Head-Girl or not? Hermione sucked in a breath and took two large steps forward. "Hello Justin!" She greeted breathlessly as if she had just run a mile.

The Head-Boy turned around and grinned, "Oh hullo Hermione. You look kind of knocked out.. you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine! Really fine." Hermione said with a wave of her hand and smiled lightly. "Er..."

"Hm?" Justin glanced at her curiously. "Are you having trouble with your Teafee plant?"

"What?" Hermione blinked, then shook her head. "Oh! My plant?" She looked over her shoulder. "No, it's fine. It's something else."

Justin's brow scrunched up thoughtully. "Well, whatever it is, it seems to be troubling you."

"It is!" Hermione declared exasperatedly. "I meant to say that...um..." And suddenly she felt awfully bad. She didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, and what if he took it the wrong way and..well being on bad terms with the Head-Boy while you were Head-Girl just didn't seem to make sense.

Hermione swallowed, keeping her forced smile on her lips. "Lovely plant."

Justin chuckled, "Yes. They're rather interesting actually. Oh look, it's spurting Green Tea."

She laughed lightly- this was getting no where so far. "Oh by the way..."

"Hmm?"

"About the ball..."

Justin nodded, "Yes, it'll be great fun!"

"Um, right." Hermione's voice trailed off and she sighed. "Well, I better get back to my plant."

"See you later then?"

"Sure," Hermione quickly shuffled away and back to her table that she shared with Ron, Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati.

Ron nudged her lightly. "So, taken interest in the Head-Boy?"

She scowled, "Of course not."

"Seems like you two were having might fun chit-chatting," Seamus wiggled his eyebrows.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "No. In fact I didn't even get to say what I intended to say, and now I don't know how I'm going to say it. He's so excited about it."

"About what?" Lavender and Parvati questioned in unison.

Hermione ignored their question and went back to treating her plant. But really she wasn't concentrating when she was still having that pesky little headache.

She didn't really want to go to the ball. To be exact, she didn't want to go to the ball with Justin. She didn't know why, but she felt badly of it. Everytime her thoughts trailed back to the conversation she had with Harry before Justin had asked her to the ball.

"Ok, ok. I won't force you to go. You wanna hit the books with me?" Hermione asked.

Harry laughed, "Right."

"No seriously!"

And then Justin had come along and asked her. And she had agreed. Now she was having a slight mind battle with herself in whether or not to go with Justin or not. She really didn't know why she had agreed to it in the first place. Perhaps she was slightly dazed...or perhaps she had been in a trance and wasn't very sure of what was going on around her. But no, those reasonings didn't make sense.

And she had seen that look on Harry's face after Justin left in a very happy manner. That look was all it took to make her start thinking that perhaps she shouldn't have agreed. Especially when she had suggested Harry to 'hit the books' with her. And they hadn't spoken to each other since.

Hermione sighed again. She wondered what Harry thought. She wondered what Harry felt now. That she was someone that didn't stick to what she said? Yes, that was probably what Harry thought of her now. Oh, but did it matter what he thought of her? No, of course not! But then again, it did matter. Although she wasn't sure why it mattered, but it really did matter and no matter what, she didn't want Harry to dislike her.

She wanted to help him. She liked being friends with him. And yes, she would admit it, she didn't want to lose this newly found friendship between them.

And for that she needed to talk to Justin and say she couldn't go with him. But Hermione knew it wouldn't be that simple, she wasn't heartless. She just had to use her brain and find a way to gently bring it up to Justin. Yes, she would have to use her brain.

~*~

Harry was having an interesting week. That didn't mean it was an spectacular week, or a dreadful week, but it was just an interesting week. The Quidditch match was drawing ever so close, just two days away. They had been practicing the whole week, with Ron being very fidgety and impatient, but the days were good. The team accepted him warmly, and he was grateful for that.

And Dean had woken up.

Dean had grinned when the whole team came to see him in the Hospital Wing, and yet he wasn't that surprised to see Harry amongst the group. "You're my replacement, aren't you?"

Harry had nodded.

Dean had continued grinning. "Well, that means you must be a pretty damn good Seeker! I'm glad Ron found an replacement."

Harry had felt his heart jump slightly. "But since you're awake now, doesn't that mean you're back?"

The whole team had looked to Ron then to Dean. "Well, technically yes. But I don't want to."

Everyone stared. "You don't?" Harry had asked bluntly.

"Well, I do want to play Quidditch. But it's my mother," Dean rolled his eyes. "She's worried sick that I'll get injured again so she won't let me back on a broomstick until I manage to persuade her to let me!"

Ron had laughed. "Ha! Your mom is still the same. Paranoid about her little baby boy."

"Oh sod off," Dean had grunted. "But yeah, I guess I'm alright with it for now. And besides, we've got another Seeker now."

"He's even better than you Dean!" Colin had added.

Dean grinned, "Well, that's even better then, 'aint it?" He looked at Harry. "Harry Potter, glad you're on the team!"

And that was settled. Harry was Gryffindor Seeker, officially and permanent. So that was one of the good things that had happened during his interesting week. But of course, he was having troubles with his emotions and thoughts.

One, there was Hermione Granger. He hadn't known why, but when she had agreed to go to the ball with Justin, he had wanted to leap up and say, "But she told me to go and study with her!" But no, he had remained silent. And when Justin left, disappointment finally sunk into his chest and he hadn't spoken to Hermione since then.

Two, there were his dreams. Nightmares. He'd been having them everyday night now. Every night he was haunted with disturbing images. Those familiar green flashes again, supposedly the death curse that killed his parents. A hooded figure, a pair of snake-like eyes, and himself covered in blood. Blood drenched his clothes. Blood crusted onto his matted hair. Blood pooling out around him. And yet there was always someone beside him.

Always someone there.

Always someone standing next to him. With him, helping him.

And that was the only part of the nightmare that wasn't the least bit frightful. Yet he was also worried. Attacks had gone on throughout the week. Everyday Hedwig would bring a copy of the Daily Prophet to him during breakfast. Every morning the front cover would contain a story of another attack. They were all the same. Death Eaters. The Dark Mark.

Harry didn't know why, but he was worried. Something nagged at him. Something made him wonder, if this could mean something. And yet the sensible side of himself knew it was silly to worry. He wasn't the only one worrying though, the whole wizarding community was rather shocked at all the train of attacks happening. Some thought it would just past by, some thought you-know-who was rising.

Harry just worried.

He had wanted to go to Dumbledore. Ask the wise wizard for assistance- with his nightmares, his questions. But he couldn't bring himself to go to the old man. Perhaps he felt insecure, better off with what he knew already. Or maybe he was scared of what Dumbledore would tell him. Maybe it was better off this way, with him not knowing anything at all.

"Harry!!"

Harry sat up in his chair and glanced surprisingly at the portait hole. "Hermione? How did you get into my dorm?"

Hermione stood with her hair slightly a mess, breathless, and a bit of a sheepish look on her face. "Well, I heard you mutter it last time when I came. I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone at all."

Harry simply smiled. "It's alright."

"Good," She returned the smile and looked at him questioningly. "So...we're alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well...I'm not really sure how to say this," Hermione said softly.

He glanced at her knowingly. "It's alright. Have fun at the ball. It's in three days, are you ready?"

"Um, that's just it," Hermione replied. "I'm not ready, and I'll never be ready."

"What?" Harry said confusedly.

Hermione laughed lightly. "Oh don't you get it?"

"Well, I get the part where you're not ready for the ball but..."

"No, no you silly git," Hermione punched him playfully on the shoulder. "I'm not going!"

"You're what?"

"I'm not going!" Hermione repeated and watched as Harry's expression turned from confusion to expressionless, and finally a small smile quirked onto his lips.

"Really?" He asked, trying to contain the happiness and excitement from his voice.

She crossed her arms. "Yes, would I lie to you about this?"

"Of course not," Harry replied hastily. "It's just....why?"

"Don't you remember?" Hermione asked in a fake voice of amazement. "We're hitting the books together! Aren't we?"

Harry stared at her. "What?"

"You really are deaf today, Harry. Aren't you?" Hermione teased.

He grinned, "You're serious?"

"Yes."

"You want to 'hit the books' with me rather than going to a ball?" He asked quietly, averting his gaze from Hermione's bright face.

She rolled her eyes, "Yes Harry Potter, I rather spend the time with my friend studying than go to a ball with an acquaintance. Does that suit your ears?"

Harry just smiled, "Thanks..."

"Why? I mean...actually I should apologize," Hermione said thoughtfully. "I asked you to study with me and then I agreed to go with Justin...I must have confused you...and I did ask you to do something else first, so.."

"Oh." He said dryly. "Is that why?"

"....What do you mean?"

Harry glanced at the scarlet carpet. "Because you felt bad for me? So you decided to not go with Justin and go study with me?"

"No!" Hermione said, her face full of alarm as she stared at Harry wide-eyed. "No..."

"Well...why else? Justin's Head-Boy...you two going together to the ball would be...perfect. It's alright really, I'm fine."

Hermione frowned. Right at this moment she wanted to pick up one of the velvet pillows on the couch and bonk Harry on the head with one of then. How could he have such low self-esteem? Hermione huffed, "Harry Potter! Really! You're acting ridiculous.'

He didn't reply, but stared doubtfully at his feet again. Hermione sighed, "Don't you get it? I like spending time with you more than going to some silly ball alright? How much clearer can I get?"

"Hermione.."

"And don't start with your awfully stupid ramblings about how I would want to spend time with you. I'm your friend. People spend time with their friends," She said with frustration. "Maybe that's why you've never had any good friends! Maybe because you can't get it through your head that friends are there for you, and that being friends with someone means that you care about them and their feelings!"

Harry suddenly looked at her with his piercing emerald eyes, causing her to stop short and stare back. "Well, maybe that is why. Right again, as usual Hermione."

Her shoulders sagged as she watched Harry stand up and stick his hands into his pockets. Maybe she had spoken too harshly... "Oh, Harry...nevermind..I didn't mean to say.."

"No," He interupted, gently, "You're right. You're my first true friend." He smiled now, a smile that warmed her from head to toe. "You can be my teacher."

"What?"

"My teacher," He repeated and ran a hand through his unruly hair, "in making friends." He grinned. "Since I'm a beginner."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, and suddenly broke into laughter. "Alright then Mr. Potter. Lesson one." She stuck her hand out.

Harry stared at her, then at her outstretched hand which looked very inviting. "...Am I suppose to shake that? Or.."

"No, silly!" She giggled. "Take my hand."

"...Alright," Harry shrugged and clasped his own hand around her smooth creamy hand. It was soft and warm to his touch, and it made his insides feel strangely light.

"Let's go outside!"

Harry's brow furrowed in slight confusion. "In the blithering cold?"

"Harry, it's not blithering cold!" Hermione tugged his arm towards the potrait hole. "Have some fun will you?"

"...Ok.."

"Aw, you don't sound very excited." Hermione pouted.

Harry shook his head, but he was grinning. "Oh stop using your girlish charm on me and let's go."

"Oooh, so I have charm?"

Harry rolled his eyes, dragging her out of the warm fire-lighted dorm room and out the portait hole, both laughing giddily as they ran through the torch-lighted hallways of Hogwarts.

~*~

Harry was shocked. Amazed, and excited as he flew over the stands of the Quidditch Pitch with the cheering crowds beneath him clad in scarlet and green. Waving banners and screams erupted in the air as the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams took their positions and waited for Madame Hooch's whistle.

"On the count of three now."

"1...2....3!" And the whistle blew and the Quaffle was in the air and everything just started in a blink of an eye.

Hermione was cheering, and probably amongst one of the loudest cheerers in the Gryffindor crowd. She was waving a banner that flashed from "Go Gryffindor!!" to "Go Harry!!", yet she was embarrassed if others got strange ideas, so she added every team member's name afterwards.

As for Harry, he couldn't see the Snitch at all and was simply trying to dodge the Bludgers that got in his way. He frowned as Draco Malfoy came serving around him, sending him a sneer. "Ah, look who we have here! Harry Potter?"

Harry glared. He didn't like Slytherins. Well in fact, no one did. But he had heard of Draco Malfoy and his horrible reputation. Everyone thought he would follow in his father's footsteps into the Dark Arts. "Draco Malfoy." He muttered.

"Yes, sadly I am Draco Malfoy," The blonde said haughtily. "That's just too bad for you isn't it?"

"What are you saying?" Harry kept his voice steady as he balanced on his broom.

Draco laughed, "What are you doing on the pitch anyways? Come here to kill yourself?"

Harry continued glaring.

"What? Trying to kill me by glaring at me?" Draco smirked. "I'd say you better watch out."

"Wha.."

Boom! Harry felt himself tumble forward, his gloved hands clutching tightly to his (Dean's) broomstick as he doubled over and flipped. It felt like something very huge just punched him straight in the back as he finally regained his balance and looked around him in bewilderment.

Draco Malfoy's laughter finally reached his ringing ears as the Slytherin Seeker flew by him. "Really, you should have better reflexes in the game of Quidditch."

Harry gritted his teeth as he swerved around him, just in time to see a Bludger speed by him. Bollocks. That was bloody embarrassing. "I'll get that Snitch...if that's the last thing I do," Harry mumbled under his breath as he sped off in the opposite direction.

Below, Hermione sat at the end of her seat biting her lip in agitation. She had watched as Draco Malfoy flew towards Harry and had also watched them conversing while a Bludger was definately speeding towards Harry's back. She had hollered out his name over and over again, but alas it was hopeless for Harry to hear her over the roaring crowds.

And so she could do nothing but watch as Malfoy sneered and the oblivious expression on Harry's face told her that he knew nothing about the Bludger behind him. Yet all to soon the Bludger went smack into Harry's back and had sent him spiraling forwards in a series of flips.

"That should be a foul for Gryffindor! It was obvious that Malfoy distracted Potter so that he would get hit by that Bludger! I say that's just wrong!!" Lee Jordan's familiar voice echoed out onto the Quidditch Pitch.

Hermione completely agreed with Lee Jordan at the moment but Harry seemed to be managing as if the Bludger caused him no pain at all. Though Hermione doubted that being hit head on with a Bludger was painless. "Come on Harry, show Malfoy what you've got.."

As if hearing Hermione's silent prayer, Harry turned towards where she sat and waved, a grin spreading on his face as she saw her waving her banner that was currently flashing 'Go Harry!!!!'. Hermione gave him the thumbs up sign and Harry just grinned wider.

It was at that moment that Draco Malfoy literally pushed by Harry, causing him to swerve to his left. Harry didn't know why Malfoy was in such a hurry, but then he remembered- the Snitch.

He looked wildly after Draco and saw that he was hot on persuit with the Snitch just ahead of him fluttering near the grass. Harry suddenly felt hopeless. How could he catch up with Draco when he was very much ahead of him? Harry swallowed. Better try than regret later, Potter.

Harry squinted his eyes as he focused all his attention towards the glittering Snitch, leaning over slightly to increase his speed as he sped after Draco in a straight line.

"THEY'VE SPOTTED THE SNITCH!!"

This caused the crowds to fall silent and edge towards the side of the stands to get a clear view of the two Seekers zooming after the small golden ball. Hermione once again murmered her silent prayers in hoping that Harry would catch up to Draco...

And once again it was as if Harry heard her, for suddenly the boy put on a burst of speed and was head to head with Draco.

"What are you doing, Potter?!"

"Trying to get the Snitch." Harry replied shortly.

Draco frowned and leaned his broom towards Harry's side, pushing him off course. Harry frowned and served right, leaving a small gap between the two, but Draco continued pushing towards Harry while his left hand was outstretched for the Snitch.

The two were almost parallel with it, but were still slightly higher than it. Harry grunted and pushed with all his might, against Draco. Draco didn't give up, and pushed much harder, causing Harry to fall sideways slightly.

"Malfoy.." Harry hissed.

Draco sneered, "What? Don't like playing games with me, Potter?"

Harry ignored him as he urged his broom faster, with Draco doing the same thing. They both sped at the Snitch at a horribly dangerous speed and smack, they both landed on the ground in a heap of scarlet and green robes, with their brooms no longer under them but beside them.

Madame Hooch's whistle blew and the teams landed swiftly on the ground to check on their Seekers.

"Harry! Harry!" Ron ran up to the pile of robes and helped Harry up.

"I'm fine," Harry uttered as he stood up fully. His cheeks were smeered with dirt, with a few scratches on his face and hands, but nothing severe. Draco stood up beside him and grunted, "Potter pushed me."

Harry glared, "You pushed me."

Madame Pince came bustling about, with a rather mad look on her pudgy face. "Oh stop arguing! You should be grateful you two are still alive! Quidditch! Really! I think it's too violent!"

"Hey! But where's the Snitch?" Ginny suddenly cried out.

Draco looked around him and shrugged, "It probably flew off again."

"Oh.." Seamus muttered, disappointment evident in his voice.

"No..."

"What?" Everyone turned their heads to Harry.

Harry lifted his right hand out of his pocket and produced the twittering golden Snitch in his palm. "It's...right here." He said numbly.

There was silence before the Gryffindor cheered and came running towards Harry and lifted him up on their shoulders in pure joy. "Good job, mate!"

"Splendid catch," Ginny grinned. "Well...if you could call that a catch!"

Harry beamed as the crowds finally got the message that Gryffindor had won. He watched as everyone came up to him, patting him on the back and congratulated him. He suddenly felt happy, proud...and evey happy emotion that ever existed.

"Harry!" A voice called out from the crowd.

Harry turned to meet the warm honey-brown eyes of Hermione Granger, and he waved to her again. Hermione grinned brightly, her face glowing with pride as she waved back and gave him another thumbs up.

Yet through all this happiness, it was one day until the Winter Solstice Ball. And no one worried, everyone just cheered. Through all this joy, no one could see the darkness that was ahead. Everything was perfect right now. And no one thought otherwise.

Not even Harry.

11. Following Destiny

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Eleven: Following Destiny

Harry Potter felt...popular? Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't, but he didn't know how to describe the light feeling in his stomach and how his whole body seemed to float on cloud nine. Yes, the Gryffindors were all in the common room partying for the victory that Gryffindor had received.

"Hi Harry!" A Gryffindor that had never spoken to him smiled cheerfully at him from across the room.

Harry returned the cheerful gesture as he joyously sucked on the tip of his sugar quill. "How does it feel, mate?"

Ron Weasley plopped himself down onto the couch next to Harry with a wide grin plastered on his freckled face. "It feels...nice." Harry replied thoughtfully.

"Nice?"

"Well, more than nice. Brilliant really. Magnificent, how 'bout that?" Harry grinned.

Ron nodded, "Well you should be proud. You won the game for us!"

Harry's cheek tinged red as he focused on his sugar quill again. "It's just weird though, suddenly receiving so much attention."

"Oh but isn't it lovely?" Another voice broke out.

"Hermione!" They both greeted in unison.

The Head Girl smiled brightly as she plucked the sugar quill from Harry's fingers. "Haven't you had a bit too much sugar already Harry?"

"I have not!" Harry couldn't help but whine.

"Really! If my parents were here they would be furious," Hermione teased. "Seriously though, you might get cavities from all this sugar. Where did all this candy come from anyways?" She gave a side glance at Ron accusingly.

Ron raised his hands. "Don't look at me!"

"Well, who else could it be?" Hermione tapped her foot impatiently on the floor.

"It was Dean," Ron confessed. "But it wouldn't be a party without goodies, right Harry?"

Harry nodded, "Right."

"Boys," Hermione rolled her eyes but a smile crept onto her face nonetheless. "Great catch Harry! I didn't know you could fly so well."

"Thanks," Harry swallowed, trying to keep his face from reddening. "Uh...it's really stuffy in this room isn't it? I think I'll go for a short walk outside.."

"Want us to join you?" Ron offered.

Harry shook his head, "It's ok. I just need to take in some fresh air."

Hermione watched as the Gryffindor Seeker stood up and strided across the room and out the portrait hole. She watched with worry, wondering if something was wrong. And yet she also watched with pride. She noticed a few changes in how Harry held himself now. He looked taller..perhaps he didn't hunch anymore. He walked straight, and tall- almost with great confidence.

Hermione smiled. Yes, Harry was changing; in good ways of course.

~*~

Harry shivered against the cold wind that whipped at his face as he stepped out of the old castle. He should have brought his scarf, but no, he hadn't really been thinking when he had left the common room.

It was overwhelming, really. The change in everyone's attitude towards him. He found it rather unbelieavble, thinking that possibly it was just an illusion or a very very good dream. Yet it was so real, and he knew it was reality. A reality he had always dreamed of. A place where everyone accepted him, a place he could call home other than the Dursley's dreaded home.

Harry breathed, watching as his breath came out in a tiny puff of smoke. He loved winter. It was always so magical and white with snow. He loved snow too. It made him feel even happier.

"Good evening, Harry."

Harry spun around, nearly tripping on his foot as he caught sight of a familiar snow white beard; Dumbledore. "Oh! Professor! Good evening.." He spluttered as he regained his posture.

The headmaster smiled, the kind twinkle in his eyes. "Excellent flying."

"Th..thanks."

"Was it a surprise?" Dumbledore questioned.

Harry blinked through the snowflakes landing in his eyelashes. "A surprise? Well...yes, it was."

"Why though, Harry? Was it a surprise?"

"What?"

Professor Dumbledore merely chuckled, "Shall I repeat my question?"

"Er, no sir. It's alright, I understood it. Why was it a surprise?" Harry lingered on the words in deep thought, then finally took a breath and answered, "Because I didn't expect to catch it..?"

"Ah, I see," His face never changed as he stared at Harry. "Confidence is something you can gain Harry."

Harry fell silent.

"You didn't think you could catch it, and yet you did. You can do great things Harry, and yet you feel that you cannot." Dumbledore spoke softly, and steadily. "You have the abilities and the talents to do things that many cannot. It is just your choice to show it or not. Have you ever thought of it in this way?"

"...I'm not sure..." Harry stuttered. "What do you mean I can do many great things? So I can fly...and well, I'm not as smart as Hermione of course." He added as an afterthought.

Dumbledore smiled, "Ah yes, Miss. Granger. A very brilliant young lady don't you agree? But that is not the point, we are talking about you , Harry. What you can accomplish, and what you must accomplish."

"Must?"

"Do you believe in destiny or fate?"

"..I haven't thought of that before," Harry replied thruthfully.

"That is perfectly alright," Dumbledore reassured. "But do you believe in the term that everyone has a choice to make their own choices?"

Harry blinked, "Uh..yes?"

"Yes, and let's just say you do believe in destiny. Do you think you have a choice to follow your destiny or not?"

Harry felt his brain throb almost. It was painfully frustrating to answer Dumbledore's confusing questions, and he had no idea where the headmaster was getting at. "I thought destiny was something that was set. As in it's something that can't be changed? So why would choices matter.."

"Oh, but they do." Dumbledore said with a glint in his eye. "There isn't just one outcome to any situation. You could have lost the Quidditch match, or you could've won. And yet, you won. If you had lost, wouldn't that be another story?"

Harry frowned, "Yes.."

"And so, you have a fate you must meet, you have your own destiny that you must follow."

"I do?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow.

The headmaster's long wispy beard looked even whiter with the snowflakes that were landing on it. "Yes, and it is your choice to have the brighter outcome, or the darker outcome. And sometimes...the darker outcome could be death."

Harry bit his lip, instantly reminded of Hermione's nervous habit. He wanted to laugh, but he couldn't now, when the air between him and his professor seemed thick with tension. "What do you mean, sir? Are you trying to tell me something?" He finally asked, his patience running dry.

Dumbledore chuckled, "Perhaps I am, Harry. But I must say to you that you are not a simple ordinary boy."

"You've told me that already..."

"Ah, yes I have. But don't forget that," Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, locking Harry's eyes with his mysterious blue ones. "You were meant for great things, and yet you haven't found out until now. My apologizes for not telling you the truth sooner, I know you must be angry with me?"

"No sir.." Harry shook his head earnestly. "Of course not.."

"Then that's good.." Dumbledore dropped his hand. "But always know that you can do it Harry. You can face every obstacle that finds itself into your path. You can live up to your destiny."

Harry once again found himself unable to say anything. What was he suppose to say? Was he suppose to nod? That would simply make him look stupid. But he still nodded, and Dumbledore just watched him and nodded with a sigh.

"You better head into the castle, it's getting dark and I'm pretty sure the Gryffindors need their star for the party."

Harry blushed and nodded, "Good night, sir."

Dumbledore nodded as Harry turned around and headed back into the familiar hallways of Hogwarts, with no clue or any idea of why Dumbledore had told him all that. He shrugged as he stepped through the portrait hole again, only to be greeted with the bright grins and smiles of the other Gryffindors.

And yet right now he felt empty, and Hermione caught his gaze and knew at once that something was out of place.

~*~

Harry sat on his chair restlessly, tapping his foot against the carpeted floor on the library and fumbling with his quill in his fingers. He glanced occasionally at the open book that layed in front of him and then back to his blank parchment that was supposedly his Herbology essay.

Hermione glanced up from her own essay and looked curiously at Harry's blank parchment and expressionless face. "Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Hmmm.."

"Harry?" Hermione raised her voice slightly.

"Mm hmm.."

Hermione sighed as she reached across the table and shut Harry's book hard. Harry jolted up on his seat and blinked at Hermione. "What??? Why'd you do that?"

"Because you were off in some crazy world and you didn't hear a thing I was saying," Hermione shook her head. "Maybe you should go back to your room and sleep. Or do you want to go the ball instead of sitting here in the library with me?"

"No! No, it's fine. I mean, I'm fine." Harry reopened his book to some random page. "But are you ok? I mean, you should be at the ball right now with Justin but.."

Hermione placed her hands over his and squeezed them gently. "Stop being silly again. I like being in the library, you should know that by now."

Harry looked at her doubtfully but Hermione seemed unfazed. "So, how's your essay coming along?"

"...Bad?" He glanced at his blank parchment.

Hermione giggled, "You aren't concentrating are you?"

"No, that part is pretty obvious isn't it?"

"What are you thinking of then?" Hermione questioned softly.

Harry leaned back onto his chair. "Destiny."

"Destiny?" Hermione's forehead crinkled. "I thought you didn't like Divination."

"No, I mean destiny...my destiny."

"...Okay," Hermione found herself unable to form a sentence or a remark to help Harry out, instead she found herself saying, "Why?"

"Dumbledore," Harry replied. "He spoke to me outside last night..he said really odd things..I think he's trying to tell me something, but you know how he is. He likes making you guess and figure out what he actually means."

Hermione dropped her quill, "Really? Do you think it's bad?"

"...Doesn't sound good, so I guess it sounds bad," Harry shrugged and closed his book. "I really don't feel like studying now."

"Oh."

"...Want to go to the ball? I'm pretty sure they're just finishing the feast by now."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, "Go to the ball? In this?" She looked down at her school robes.

"Why not?" Harry grinned.

"We're not even dressed for the occasion!"

"I thought Hermione Granger didn't care about those sort of things," Harry teased.

Hermione stuck her tongue out playfully as she jumped onto her feet. "Fine! We'll go in our school robes, happy?"

"Delighted," Harry smiled.

"Oooh you can be really weird at times you know?" Hermione said with her arms crossed as they proceeded down the hallway towards the Great Hall. She felt awfully silly but she didn't want to say so.

Harry laughed sheepishly. "Well, would we really look that weird going in our school robes?"

"Yes! Have you never been at a ball?"

"No," He answered bluntly.

Hermione just shook her head, "Well then when we get into that room you'll see what I mean."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that we'll look like house elves in there." Hermione replied haughtily.

Harry smiled broadly. "Smashing!"

Hermione stared at him. "Harry!!"

"I'm sorry," He fell into a fit of laughter. "I just love teasing you!"

"And why is that?" Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Because.." Harry trailed off and poked her playfully in the stomach. "It's cute!"

"It's cute?" Hermione giggled. "Or do you mean I'm cute?"

Harry stopped laughing and was suddenly grateful that the hallways of Hogwarts were not brightly lighted or else he would look like a glowing tomato now. "Maybe that's what I meant." He finally answered.

"Maybe?"

"I'm not going to say yes, or no," Harry replied with a huff and grinned.

Hermione opened her mouth to complain but decided against it. "Fine Mr.Potter! It wouldn't matter to me anyways." She poked him back in the ribs.

Harry groaned, "That hurttt."

"Oh stop whining!"

"The Head Girl's bullying me," Harry sing-songed.

Hermione crossed her arms, "Am not!"

Harry smirked and reached out towards her and suddenly Hermione found herself being tickled. "Ha...rryy!! St..op itt!!" She laughed in between breaths as she found tears starting to form in her eyes from the laughter.

When Harry didn't reply, Hermione retaliated by tickling Harry back and he too was forced onto the ground in a rolling fit of laughter. "Heer..myyy..own..knee!!"

"Haa...rry!!" She gasped as she felt a jab in her ribs. "Ow! That one actually hurt!"

"So..rry!" Harry replied sheepishly as he rolled over and found himself not on the cold stone floor of the hall but instead on something warm and soft.

"Harry.." Hermione uttered breathlessly.

"Yes?" He came to realize that he was actually ontop of her.

She felt her chest heaving up and down from the laughing and tickles as she simply stared up at the glowing emerald jewels above her. Such beautiful eyes with ebony dark locks cascading down in front of them...

Harry found himself speechless, slightly seeing blurry images since his glasses had slipped off and landed somewhere beside him. But that didn't matter now, not when he could see every fleck of colour in Hermione's eyes. The shape of her face and how her hair blew out around her and her magnificent pink smooth lips..they seemed magnetic for he found himself falling slowly...very slowly downwards.

Towards those beautiful lush lips and long curly eyelashes.

Falling...

Crash!

Harry suddenly broke out of his trance and jumped up to his feet with Hermione standing up right after him. Both of them looked wildly around them for the source of the sudden sound, both feeling slightly disappointed and out of breath.

"What was that?" Hermione asked quickly.

Harry looked at her wildly. "I don't know..."

Another sound of wood splintering rang out from the end of the hallway and both of them suddenly realized it was coming from..

"The Great Hall!" They both cried in unison as they started running towards the grand double doors.

"Do you have your wand?" Harry questioned as they reached the doors only to here obvious screaming and shouting.

Hermione breathed, "Yes..."

"Um...be careful," Harry added.

"..You too," Hermione glanced nervously from him to the closed doors.

Harry nodded as he pushed the door open and was met with a sight of mass destruction.

No longer were the twelve big Christmas trees alight with beautiful lights from fairies. The trees had all fallen, some in half, and broken oraments were shattered on the grand marble floor. The enchanted ceiling seemed frozen in time, with nothing but a black void and nothing like the once beautiful snowing scene outside.

Students were all pushing and running around, prefects trying to maintain calm while dodging curses and spells that seemed to fly out of no where.

Yet that was when Harry realized there were a group of dark cloaked figures in the centre of the room, wands held ready, faces hidden beneath the shadows. Ron ran up to them with a cut on his left cheek and his eye ablaze. "Harry! Hermione! What are you doing here?! GET OUT!"

Harry found himself stunned but managed to utter, "What's happening?"

"An attack," Ron answered shakily. "Death Eaters. But this shouldn't be possible..."

"No one can get onto Hogwarts grounds..." Hermione said nervously. "That's not right...I've read about it in .."

"Hogwarts: A History," Ron finished for her with a shake of his head. "No time for references. We've got to get everyone out of here!"

"Where's Dumbledore? The professors?" Harry asked as he ducked from a spell that was aimed for his head.

"Snape's here. I heard that Dumbledore received a message from Beauxbatons last night that they wanted to invite him to some Christmas feast so he's not here...but every other teacher's here alright, but everything is just chaotic!"

Hermione pushed Ron aside as a blazing green light shot by them. "Goodness! That was a killing curse!" Ron nearly shrieked.

Harry frowned as he glanced at the broken house tables. Ginny came running up to them with a rip right down the side of her maroon robes. "Ron! Parvati's been hurt!'

"Bloody hell..." Ron muttered. "Ginny get yourself out of here. Hagrid's gone down to the lake to prepare the boats to head across the lake to Hogsmeade. Try to inform everybody and get them down there. I think Hagrid's going to send everyone off on the train."

Ginny nodded but looked hurridly back at her brother, "What about you Ron?"

"I'll come afterwards."

"Promise?" Ginny's lip trembled.

"...Promise," Ron sighed as he turned back towards Harry and Hermione. "...I don't know why I'm staying here, but being a seventh year, I guess we have responsibility to take care of the young ones eh?"

"...We'll stay too," Hermione said steadily and glanced at Harry.

Harry nodded, "This attack must have some reason behind it."

Ron just nodded as he turned just in time to block another killing curse from another Death Eater. The Death Eater paused, seemingly surprised to see someone and finally pointed a finger- at Harry.

Harry swallowed, suddenly realizing that all the Death Eaters were now staring at him.

"Harry Potter." One of them spoke out.

"Ah, there you are. How long do you think we're going to wait until you show up?" Another sneered.

Harry gripped tightly onto his wand, a thought suddenly dawning upon him. "...What's it to you?" He tried to keep his voice steady, masking away his fear and surprise.

Everyone in the room felt silent, except for some occasional sobbing and groans from hurt students.

"Oh, it's everything to us." One of them stepped forward, and Harry noticed wildly that this person didn't have an ordinary hand, but a metal-like one..

And Harry knew that his thought was correct- this attack did have a reason behind it. It was him. They were after him. And somehow he wasn't all that surprised that it was him...after all, he was...the boy-who-lived? He liked that name...the boy-who-lived. And yet he wondered if he was going to be alive in another minute or two.

"What do you mean?" He found himself asking.

The Death Eater didn't say another word, but simply raised his shiny silver hand in the direction of him. "Come now, Harry Potter."

Harry found the floor falling beneath him as if he was being whisked away into the air. The room disappeared, his conscious seemed to blur and he saw nothing but a mere void. But strangely he could still feel something.

A feather-like pressure on his right arm as if someone had suddenly grabbed onto him for dear life. He couldn't turn his head to see who it was. He couldn't think as he was whisked away to who knows where, but that comforting pressure on his arm told him that someone was with him.

With him on this journey to perhaps his death.

12. Guide Me

AN: Ack I'm so sorry for the slow update! I could have gotten this up four days ago but then my dad pulled me away from the computer and I got writer's block and it all just muddled up =P. Haha, but thanks to MrKlortho who made me all urgent and jumpy in wanting to finish this chapter quickly because I don't like to make people wait =P! Hehe, enjoy this chapter, it might be confusing...

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Twelve: Guide Me

The wind was blinding, whipping at his face, making him feel sick- but that didn't matter. He wanted to know what was happening. Did he faint? Was this a dream? Perhaps he was hullicinating...and how did he end up in this situation anyways?

He struggled to keep his mind intact as he reached out to remember. He had been with Hermione...in the library. They got bored...so they left. They had headed towards the Great Hall cheerfully and happily...and then it all crashed down upon them. Screaming, crying...Death Eaters. He remembered it all now. There were Death Eaters..dozens...and he had, had a twisting feeling in his stomach that they were here for him.

And he had been right.

They had called out his name in such a spine-chilling voice. And a shiny silver hand...that hand had reached towards him...

And so he was here..spiraling away to some place that perhaps wasn't even on the face of earth. But he wasn't alone. He knew that for he could feel that pressure on his arm. Or maybe it was just him and his hopeless desire that he wasn't alone, and instead it could've been a chair that had toppled onto his arm and..

No, he would think positively.

Harry felt his glasses slip off the bridge of his nose. Bullocks. He wanted to open his eyes but the pressure was so intense that he couldn't. Even if he did, his eyeballs would probably pop out.

For a fleeting second he had thought his wand was gone. But thankfully, it was still there, banging lightly against his side from within the pockets of his robes...

Bam.

The floor came at him at full force. He felt his knees buckle beneath him as he tumbled onto the ground. Something squishy, it wasn't wood or marble...it was dirt. Harry groaned as he slowly blinked his green eyes open.

Where am I? His bones moaned and his head spun.

"Harry..."

Was he hearing voices now?

"Harry." It came clearer.

He felt a tug on his arm. He fell back, turned his head, and looked at the figure tugging at his arm in surprise. "...Hermione?!"

Of course it was Hermione. But he was so surprised that she was here with him. Her hair was bushier than ever, dirt smudged on her cheeks and hands, her face pale, but her eyes still shone. "Harry." She repeated in a mere whisper.

"Hermione." Harry felt his stomach settle, his mind halt as he wrapped his arms around the girl beside him. "Hermione." He felt his voice choke up. He wasn't alone...but then, they weren't safe. He didn't want her to be in danger...why was she here? No, he had to protect her..

"Why are you here?" Harry looked into her wide eyes, looking for an answer but found nothing but fright in her eyes.

She stood up slowly, brushing off her robes but her eyes never leaving his face as she simply answered, "I..I knew I couldn't let you go alone."

"Go where?" Harry found himself asking.

Hermione stared. "I don't know..."

Harry found himself at lost as he stood up. Looking around at his surroundings. "But what happened.."

"Death Eaters..don't you remember? One of them reached out to you...and suddenly you started disappearing and I didn't have time to think but to grab onto you..." Her voice shoke, but she seemed to be regaining her composure. "...What's going to happen now?"

Harry stared at her, then at the darkness that hung around them. There seemed to be nothing at all. Just darkness and nothing else but darkness and the ground beneath their feet. "Voldemort."

"What?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Voldemort."

Hermione looked at him wildly. "Harry..."

"I don't know, I just have this feeling.." He kicked the ground with frustration. "Who else would come after me? Didn't I make him lose all his powers seventeen years ago? He's the only person that I can think of that would bother coming after me. I mean, I haven't done anything else that's bad to anyone else.."

Hermione bit her lip, looking upwards as she did so. Darkness. "But..we can't just stand here.."

"It's kind of weird..." Harry started. "So we're whisked away to this...place, and then there's no one here to kill us."

"Yet." Hermione finished.

Harry glanced at her ruefully. "Ok..not yet. But still...are they just going to let us wander here until we die? Or what?"

Hermione found herself confused also. For once she was confused. She looked around her once more and realized that going to the library for help wouldn't be an option now. There was nothing here but herself and Harry plus the air they were breathing. And for once, it was all too sudden for her to figure it out. "Let's...find our way out." She blurted out and realized how hopelessly stupid that sounded.

Yet Harry didn't seem to think so. "You're right. Let's...find our way out."

Hermione looked at him doubtfully. "Don't you feel like we've just been thrown into the middle of like...a story and we don't know the ending or the beginning?"

"That's why we've just...got to go with it.." Harry said hesitantly. "I mean, what else can we do?"

"...True," She sighed. "Ok, let's go...that way," She pointed a finger towards the tunnel of darkness and glanced at Harry from over her arm with a wistful smile. "Alright?"

Harry managed to smile back and nodded, "Alright."

Hermione reached into her pocket and pulled out her wand, with Harry doing the same thing. They walked side by side towards the direction Hermione had indicated when she suddenly stopped. "Oh, I'm so stupid!" She layed her wand on her open palm.

Harry frowned. "What?"

"Point me," Hermione mumbled as her wand began to spin and stopped, pointing towards their left. "There. I think we might be in a maze of some sort...so if north is that way..." She indicated towards her left. "Then...let's go in that direction?"

"...Okay," Harry replied bluntly as they turned.

Hermione frowned, "Oh, this really is frustrating.."

Harry nodded, "We really can't see anything ahead of us...Lumos."

A beam of light erupted from the tip of Harry's wand, though it didn't do much good through the thick cloak of blackness that hugged them. "Well, it was worth a try," He uttered.

They walked in silence for a good five minutes, both feeling utterly lost and confused, helpless and frustrated. Hermione was extremely agitated that the situation they were in made no sense at all, while Harry was just completely muddled in his own thoughts.

"Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?" He suddenly asked.

Hermione snapped her head at him. "Harry Potter!"

"What?"

"Why are you asking such a stupid question when we're here, stuck in this... void!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

Harry shrugged, "Well? Do you know the answer?"

Hermione shook her head and looked ahead of her. "Oh please."

"Because he had no guts!!" Harry answered loudly while staring intently at Hermione's face which showed nothing but frustration. He coughed and fell silent.

"Ha ha ha." Hermione murmured when finally she doubled over in laughter.

Harry turned to look at her in surprise at her sudden reaction and realized that she was laughing so hard that she even had tears in her eyes. "Whoa...Hermione. I thought you said it was stupid."

"It is!" Her laughter had subsided into giggles while Harry just stared at her in bewilderment while she giggled a bit more.

Harry found himself rather amused and couldn't help but laugh along with her. "You are so weird, Potter."

"Well, you are too," Harry retorted with a lop-sided grin.

Hermione brushed a strand of hair away from her face as she shook her head. "Really. I'm serious. You're weird."

"Thank you," He replied with that same grin.

She laughed and quickened her pace without a second glance at Harry. "You silly git."

~*~

Ron shook his head clear as he stared once more at the spot where Hermione and Harry had disappeared. Wow. He glanced around him at all the remaining amazed and shocked students of Hogwarts whom were all staring at the same spot Ron was.

"Um, where did they go?" Colin Creevey broke the silence as he crawled out from under a wooden plank most likely from one of the splintered house tables.

"They..just disappeared," Ron replied.

Lavender stood up from her crouched position next to Parvati who was sniffling. "Parvati's bleeding.." She began when Ron just glared. "Use a healing charm."

Lavender fell silent and glanced at Parvati numbly.

"We've got to get everyone down to the lake." Ron began slowly.

"Mr. Weasley, you can go with the rest of them, we will take care of this." The stern voice of Professor McGonagall made him jump.

The red-head's shoulders sagged. "But what about...Hermione...and Harry?"

"We'll...get them back." Surprisingly it was Snape who answered, a blank look on his face.

Professor McGonagall sucked in a shaky breath, a weary look on her face. "Go now." She ordered with authority as the students filed out of the Great Hall in silence. "Severus.."

"The Dark Lord...has returned," The Potions Master declared in a voice with no emotion as he rolled up his sleeve to stare down at the burning Dark Mark on his arm.

The professors of Hogwarts made no noise as they stared solemnly up at the enchanted ceiling, hoping that the school's owl would reach their headmaster in time...but for now, they could only wait...and pray.

~*~

How long had it been now? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Perhaps even a day? It was impossible to tell. How long they had walked or how far they were from their starting point was unknown to them. Nothing changed around them. It was just the walls of darkness and the darkness ahead with the dirt ground beneath their tired feet.

Harry wondered how long they would last...maybe Voldemort's plan was just to starve them in this tunnel of nothingness.

"Don't give up."

He wiped up sweat from his brow, glancing at Hermione as he did so. "I'm not."

"Good." Was her short reply.

Harry shook his head. She seemed confident that they would reach something, perhaps the end of the tunnel, or maybe someone, something. Anything at all. And so Hermione Granger continued to walk with her head held high and her wand leading them north. Harry now wondered how she did it all. Got top marks, Head Girl, and had so much energy to continue on.

Yes, she was different, in Harry's opinion. Any girl now would have collasped and begged for a ride on his back. But no, this was Hermione and Hermione walked on her own feet and carried her own load. Harry smiled inwardly.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Am I?" Harry asked, oblivious to his own facial expression.

She simply tilted her head at him. "Yes you are."

"Just thinking..."

"About?"

Harry blushed. "Nothing really..."

Hermione looked at him sternly and Harry felt that it was Professor McGonagall who stared back at him instead. "Really Harry, you should learn to express yourself more."

He stuck his hands into his pockets looking awfully embarrassed. "You." He finally managed to say.

"Me?" Hermione blinked.

"Uh huh," Harry nodded more to himself than to her.

She turned a light rose before looking ahead again. "Oh."

And so silence once again blanketed them which left Harry to himself to think about what was ahead. Hermione went back also to her own thoughts...would they be alive in the next five minutes? How long was five minutes anyways? Why did she follow Harry? She could've been safe and sound back at Hogwarts probably...but no, that was foolish thinking. She was glad that she was here. Glad to be with Harry.

And so she wondered why she was glad. Well, she would have felt bad if she had just watched him disappear from right beneath her nose. And she was glad...because Harry wasn't alone now. And she was glad...well, she was glad to be by Harry's side.

Did he appreciate it? She pondered on that thought a bit more..what did he think of her? Hmm..what did she think of him? Hermione wanted to giggle but her throat seemed dry and soar.

Did Harry like her? ...Haha. Did Harry love her? Hermione managed to swallow as she mentally smacked herself. What was that? Another foolish thought no doubt. Silly, childish thoughts, she scolded mentally...and yet try as she might, those thoughts still rang fresh and clear in her mind...

"Harry!!"

Harry jerked his head around so quickly that Hermione was brought back to earth from her revere. "Did you just say my name?"

"No.." She uttered.

They stopped in their tracks, looking left to right for any sign of movement. "I thought it wasn't you..it sounded like...a male..." Harry said.

Hermione closed her fingers around her wand, ready to shoot any curse she knew at anything that would jump out at them...

"Harry!!" A figure came through the darkness...or to be exact...a dog.

A large black dog emerged from the shadows looking as if it were panting and out of breath...Hermione stepped back, not really sure whether to hex the dog or not...

"It knows how to talk?" Harry asked in bewilderment.

The dog scratched itself before suddenly, in place of where the dog use to be, was a middle aged man. His black hair was in disarray and his face seemed worn and tired, his eyes dull and weary. But nonetheless, this stranger wore a smile.

"Harry!" The stranger called again.

Harry lowered his wand slightly, not really knowing what to do but to ask, "Who are you?"

The man's face seemed to look even more weary, but the smile was still there. "Why, it's me! Sirius Black! Your godfather, Harry!"

Hermione's brow srunched up in confusion. "What? Harry's godfather? The godfather that was supposedly framed for the murder of thirteen people?"

The man, or Sirius Black, turned to Hermione. "Yes! Yes...that's me alright, miss..."

"...Granger," Hermione offered.

"Ah, Miss. Granger," Black's smile broadened, though Hermione thought he was awfully strange to be smiling in a place like this.

Harry simply stared. "You're..my godfather? But how...and why are you here?!" His head spun from the many questions that he wanted to ask, but none seem to come out from his dry lips.

"No time to answer all your questions Harry, but when we get out of here I'll tell you everything," Sirius said with a wave of his hand. "Come on, we have to hurry."

"Hurry? Hurry where?" Hermione questioned.

"Silly girl, hurry and get out of here of course!" Sirius turned around and took a few steps forward before looking over his shoulder at Harry. "Coming?"

Hermione opened her mouth when she felt Harry catch her arm and pull her forwards. She stared and pulled him back. "Harry!" She hissed.

"What? Hurry or else he might not wait for us!"

"No," Hermione lowered her voice. "How can we trust him? For all we know..he could be Voldemort himself."

"Don't be silly," Harry rolled his eyes.

"I think you're acting before thinking, Harry." Hermione said firmly. "He just appeared out of no where, literally. And we're just going to follow him?"

Harry looked at her desperately. "What else can we do? We've just been wandering about for the past how many minutes? ...Who knows how long we've been here! He's our only chance!"

"Harry?" Harry's godfather called from ahead.

Hermione turned quickly to Harry, looking at him pleadingly but Harry seemed determined. "Come on." Harry tugged at her sleeve again before running up to catch up with Sirius.

She could only suck in a breath and pray that everything would end up alright as she followed in Harry's footsteps to join the two a few feet away. I hope you know what you're doing Harry...

"Did you know my parents? James and Lily?" Hermione caught a snippet of their conversation as she caught up to them.

Sirius's expression seemed grave. "Yes...yes I did know your parents Harry. We were..great friends...best friends..all four...err..three of us."

Harry turned to him questioningly. "Four?"

"...Well, one of us turned bad," Sirius sighed and shook his head almost like a dog shaking off water. "He betrayed Lily and James...went to the dark side...that's why everything's the way it is now, Harry."

"Oh.."

Hermione frowned, placing her wand on her palm once again. "Point me..." She murmered as softly as she could.

While she did this, Harry was entranced with Sirius' story. How he had gone to school with Lily and James...and another named Peter (supposedly the one who betrayed his parents). Harry held in his questions, wanting and longing to know every little thing he could about the parents he never knew...the parents he had dreamed to have.

"Yes, Lily was very pretty. I do believe I had the hots for her back in fifth year..."

"What did she look like then?" Harry had immediately asked.

"Oh...brilliant green eyes, I must say, you have her eyes! Dark red hair...she had curled it a bit in that year...but we all teased her about it," Sirius added thoughtfully before patting Harry on the back. "Good times.."

Hermione glanced up at them again, then at her wand which was pointing...to her right. She glanced hastily back up again to see where they were heading to...which was her...left.

They weren't going the right way.

She swallowed and reached out to Harry when they stopped walking.

"Oh, Miss.Granger, it's too formal, may I call you..."

Hermione frowned deeply. "You may call me nothing."

Harry spun around and looked at her in surprise. "Hermione?"

"This is wrong!" She exclaimed. "I mean, he's not Sirius Black! At least I don't think so."

Sirius stared at her wide-eyed. "What?"

Hermione raised her palm, indicating towards her wand. "You're leading us in the opposite direction. You're trying to lead us somewhere aren't you? Perhaps straight into the lion's den am I correct?"

Harry looked from Hermione then back to Sirius, wanting to believe her yet wishing it was really his godfather that he had just met...that his stories of his parents were real...but..

"Ah, we knew it would be harder once you came along." Sirius Black laughed almost menacingly and snapped his finger at Hermione. "You aren't suppose to be here young lady."

Harry stepped away from the imposture, looking wildly at Hermione, almost in pain that he hadn't believed her before. "Hermione..."

She said nothing but shifted her eyes to him. Harry couldn't tell what her eyes were trying say to him. Did she forgive him for being so stupid? Or was she hurt? Was she angry? But her eyes seemed to show none of these emotions except for immense concentration...

Harry felt a tug on his collar before he wrenched his head around and saw the fake Sirius Black cackling, flinging something over his head...around his neck...a necklace? He didn't know... and then he saw nothing but brilliant white light..he called out her name, yet nothing came out. He couldn't turn around, couldn't look back to see those honey-brown eyes. Nothing. But he heard her voice..her voice...

Believe in yourself, Harry.

~*~

Trees...green trees, lush green trees. Mountains...tall and blue. And the grass. Yes, the grass was beautiful and stretched far off into the distance. Green as green could get. And the sky, a beautiful cloudless cerulean blue sky.

And yet the sky was changing so fast. From the spotless blue sky to the velvet star-filled night sky. Then to the sky of dawn and of the sun's first rays across the sky...and then back to the spotless blue sky...and now there were clouds...then it was dusk...crimson and gold streaks hung onto the sky now...

And he finally realized it was changing...days were going by....or...were they going back? He felt far away...detached from his body, not with anything. He felt light, even lighter than a feather, and he couldn't really think...was he dead? Maybe this was death...

But the sky and the clouds and the trees and the grass stopped. Just stopped in place, from all the changing it had done. And just stopped. And now he felt himself coming to a stop also. He couldn't move...but he was moving anyways. But not with his own free will...he felt like a puppet..someone was moving him.

He came around a tree, a bush, and more trees, and finally to a clearing and was met with a familiar sight of the ancient looming castle. Hogwarts. He felt his heart flutter at the sight of it, it was like his home wasn't it? And now he was back, somehow or the other, but what about...about...who...

There was someone...had to..remember someone...he was back at Hogwarts...that was good. But..hadn't someone come with him...who...and where...

His heart pounded furiously and his head ached from the stress of wanting to remember. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind from his thoughts but nothing came or went. He simply felt himself walk forwards..pass the Forbidden Forest...pass the familiar hut of Hagrid's..that wasn't there.

For a fleeting moment he thought it wasn't there. And it wasn't. He blinked, wanted to rub his eyes, but he couldn't. His hands wouldn't come up and rub his eyes, and so his feet carried him onwards as if that was normal. No Hagrid's Hut. Or actually...there was a hut. A much newer hut...strange.

He entered the doors of Hogwarts now, feeling the cool cedar wood of the door...it felt smoother. No, it was just his imagination.

Now he was proceeding up a set of stone stairs. Familiar stone stairs...wouldn't this lead to...the Great Hall? Of course it did...and the torches all looked the same...still flickered and casted funny shadows on the walls. He could feel his footsteps echoing through the empty hallways. Where was everyone? ....Who was everyone?

His head pounded again from wanting to remember.

And now he was infront of the grand doors of the Great Hall. Was it him or did it look shinier? Smoother again? He felt his hands push the doors open, he wanted to swallow and of course he couldn't.

Floating candles met his eyes...the enchanted ceiling showed a sky of sunset. Pink, yellow, purple, and orange streaked across the ceiling with a distant and faded moon. The four house tables met his eyes next, and the banners of the four houses hung in just the same way as...before? What was before...there wasn't a before was there...? He shook his head once again and proceeded towards Gryffindor table.

"Oh there you are!" He felt a hand on his shoulder. A broad strong hand, and he turned and felt his lips curve into a grin.

"What? Missed me already?" He felt himself saying...but why was that voice so alien. So different than...than who? Than what...than before? But there was no before...there was just now?

"Naw, we didn't miss you, but she sure did!" A young man with black hair said with a merry twinkle in his eyes.

He felt himself look around. "Then where is she?"

"Oh, probably in the library..." The library. His head pounded once again. Wasn't the library her spot...who was she...and once again nothing came. He shook his head.

A mousy little figure stared up at him curiously from the table. "You alright there?"

"Yes..yes I'm fine, Peter." He replied and sat down next to the young man with black hair. Sirius. Of course, it was Sirius. Silly him to have forgotten.

"Look." Sirius pointed towards the Great Hall doors.

A beautiful young woman had just pushed open the doors, her long fingers clutching onto the handle as she scanned the room as if she were looking for someone. And finally, a set of emerald jaded eyes landed upon himself and he felt himself swallow as the girl smiled with her smooth pink lips.

"James!" She waved lightly and headed towards the table, her black robes swishing around her with a shiny Head Girl badge pinned onto them. "Where have you been? You were suppose to meet me in the library!"

"Ooh, for another snogging session no doubt," Sirius teased and got a spoonful of mashed potatoes flung at him.

He felt himself smile now, brought the girl's hands into his own and felt himself peck her on the forehead as she took a seat next to him. "I'm sorry, must have slipped my mind." He lowered his voice so only she could here. "But I'll make it up to you, Lily."

Peter poked at his peas thoughtfully. "I wonder where Moony is?"

"Ah, it's a fullmoon tonight," Lily replied softly and turned to him. "Are you fellas going to join him again?"

He felt himself open his mouth to reply. "No. Of course not. Only you Lily. Got to spend some time with you shouldn't I?"

Lily smiled, "Really?"

"Yes, really," He pecked her on the cheek again before standing up, holding onto the dainty long fingers of his love. "Want to go now?"

"Already?" She looked at him in surprise.

"Well if you want.."

"Of course," She stood up and they said their good-byes to their friends.

"Are you sure you don't want to spend the night with Remus? It's pretty tough on him isn't it?"

He felt himself nod, "Oh, Sirius will take care of it."

"...Very well."

And then it all seemed so fast. They had just walked out of the Great Hall doors when he found himself no longer in the hallway that would normally greet them. Instead, he found himself walking through an unfamiliar hallway...no, it was familiar. Wasn't it?

"Dust Bunnies." He felt himself mutter to a portait containing nothing but a single grain of rice. The portait swung open and the two crawled into what seemed to be the Head Boy dormitory.

And once again it seemed so fast...they had entered and now they were suddenly sitting on the bed, side by side, with the scarlet drapes drawn around them with only the light from the tips of their wands.

"Lily...there's something I have to tell you."

"Mmm?" She snuggled into the crook of his neck.

"I slipped.."

She glanced up at him with her emerald eyes. "What? Did you bruise yourself?"

"No...I don't mean that kind of slip," He felt himself look nervously at the top of her head. "I meant that I slipped about Moony's..."

A short little gasp came from the girl in his arms. "No..how did that happen James?"

"...I don't know," He found himself replying. "I was talking...to Peter, and..."

"Who was it?"

"...Snape."

Lily pulled out of his arms, looking at him in shock. "Snape?!"

"I'm sorry Lil..but we made sure Snape would swear not to tell anyone."

"You know Snape though! He wouldn't give up this chance...to tell anyone that Moony's a werewolf...you know how much Snape hates us!" Lily cried out in exasperation.

"I know...I know..." He groaned. "But what else can I do?"

He felt the comforting arms of the girl next to him come around him in a comforting embrace. "It's alright...we'll...just have to keep a hard watch on him..."

"...I don't think I would be able to face Moony again if Snape did anything..."

"Don't worry...it'll work out."

And then once again it felt fast-forwarded. More comforting words...suddenly they were under the blankets...bliss...something...and then he was once again in that white nonethingness. White brilliant light...but he could hear her crying out in pleasure...and then nothing again...

The sky was no longer dusk.

Nor was it night.

Day came and he found himself staring outside the window of the Owlery deep in thought yet he could not think of what he was thinking of...

Until the door banged open and the owls screeched and clattered in their cages.

"James."

He turned around slowly, saw the figure of the woman he loved most on the face of Earth and even the universe. Lily Evans stood by the door, her hair matted from being outside in the rain, and her robes dripped with rainwater too.

"Lily."

"You lied."

"Lily..."

"You lied!"

"...No..Lily, it wasn't me...it was Snape...I told you! That night.."

There was finger in his face again. "That night! You still have the heart to talk about that night!"

"...Lily, please...graduation is tonight, don't you think we could bring this up some other day.."

"No!" Jaded eyes flashed at him. "You don't know what mess you've gotten me into now."

He felt himself stare at her, afraid..no, afraid to be found out? No...afraid to lose her? "What are you saying?!"

"We're going to have a child," She spat out almost in venom.

He felt himself feel light...almost faint..he stumbled forward and clutched her hand which she instantly wrenched away. "Pardon?"

"A child! How much clearer can I get?!" She cried out through bitter tears.

"A..child?"

"God James, yes, a child! Now what?! Do you know what this means? I can't have a child now. Not now.."

He saw colours...he was dizzy. So many things were happening...what did this mean... a child. He was only seventeen...they couldn't have a child now... "Lily..."

"James..." She cried through tears threatening to tumble from her eyes. "But what about Moony? How could you have betrayed him? I knew something was weird that time...you always stay with him when it's a fullmoon...you were never selfish."

"Lily! I didn't...I swear...it was Snape! Remember that night, I told you! Snape heard...it wasn't me! I would never tell...."

But she didn't reply and he only recieved the anguish look on her pretty features...

And once again his feet left the ground, the scene went in fast motion once again and he suddenly was brought back down to earth with his head spinning and his mind a muddled mess. He was running now.

Running where? He didn't know. Running...his ribs ached, his heart ached, his whole body groaned but he kept on running. Over logs, pass the Quidditch Pitch, where was he going? Running away from Hogwarts?

And he turned back once more just to see one last glimpse of his home...and he heard a bitter cry that he didn't know how he could hear. He was so far from the castle, but that cry echoed out to him, from the north tower...the Astronomy Tower...he squinted his eyes, saw through his angry tears the figure of the girl he loved with his life...the girl he was running from...

"I HATE YOU JAMES POTTER!" The girl screamed out into the darkening sky and he felt his heart sink along with the setting sun....

He was running from her...why? He didn't want to take responsibility over that child...why? He ran.

But he stopped. Midway from a great big oak tree, he stopped running. He caught his breath, his brow furrowing in confusion. James Potter. I hate you James Potter. Why didn't that make sense to him? No...

This wasn't right.

His head spun...Believe in yourself... What was that? A voice...was he hearing things now? He spun around, backing away from the looming trees that seemed to gather closer to him...

Wake up...please...believe in yourself, and what you know..

That voice...it belonged to a girl. A girl he knew. Yes, it was a voice that he was familiar in hearing...a voice that had led him to the light everytime. That voice...who was it? He gripped his head in pain from trying to remember...why couldn't he remember? It was as if there was a block in his head...he couldn't get pass it.

Believe in yourself...

But there was something more to that phrase...a name perhaps? He couldn't hear it...couldn't remember...

Only you can get yourself out of this...

I'm trying too! His head screamed to nobody in particular. No. He remembered something now. He wasn't James Potter. No. Not at all. This wasn't right.

I believe in you...

His eyes shot open. Emerald green eyes. He wasn't James Potter. He was...

Harry...I believe in you.

He was Harry! Harry Potter...that was his name...not James Potter...he remembered now!

And that voice...it was her! His angel from above...it was...her.

Harry... that voice called again...almost desperate...

He wanted to reply to her. But where was she? Why was he in a different world? Where everyone called him James? That was his father...but wait...his father and mother had not wanted him? He had been a mistake?

His heart sank..

His father had betrayed one of his closest friends?

His heart sank further...

What was happening to him?

Harry. Wake up.

He shook his head furiously. No. She was right. He had to wake up. This wasn't real. His parents weren't like that. They loved him, loved him...that was why they had died. Because they loved him...

He shut his eyes.

No, I'm not a mistake...father loved me. Mum loved me...they died protecting me. This is all a lie.

And...and...Hermione..Hermione is calling me...
And it seemed to dawn on him. This wasn't his world. Wasn't the life his father had. This wasn't right.

He opened his eyes.

"This is a lie!!"

And he saw blinding white light, his feet once again left the floor..as he spun higher and higher to who knows where?

Thud.

"I knew you could do it..Harry."

And he looked up, through his bangs that fell in front of blazing green eyes, he saw through his round-framed glasses at the smiling and tear-stained face of her. Hermione Granger.

"...Hermione."

"I believed in you, and you didn't let me down," She smiled at him, opened her arms in which he thankfully fell into.

He shut his eyes, he was so tired. "What just happened?"

"Shh...catch your breath first...then I'll explain everything."

AN: Yes, that was confusing. But do not worry! Explaination in the next chapter =P! Thankies for reading!!

13. Evil and Desires

AN: Writer's block...evil evil block....well, my finals are coming up which means...yes. Even more slower updates. I'm sorry =( But finals are finals and they aren't nice, but the good side to things is that summer is coming up and that means lots and lots of time for me to sit around and update =) But as you all can see, this fic is coming to an end and I wonder if I even need until summer to finish this up...hehe, well, enjoy and thank you for reading this story =)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)

Underneath it All
Chapter Thirteen: Evil and Desires

Harry closed his eyes slowly, catching his breath as his chest heaved up and down. He recalled being in that strange place of a world...not his world for sure. Yet he had been James Potter. Living the life of James Potter. Yet it had been an illusion no doubt..

"Ok, Hermione, what happened?" he opened his eyes, realizing that he had rested his head upon her lap, he immediately sat up blushing.

The head girl giggled and opened her hand to reveal a strange necklace of some type with a small vial dangling in the center. Inside of it seemed to be a droplet of...crimson liquid. To Harry, it seemed to be blood.

"The fake Sirius flung this over your neck and pushed me aside when he disapparated. I fell and was dazed until I saw a blinding white light and I knew at once you were gone. Not dead, but gone.." she explained softly. "I just had this feeling that you weren't dead...I don't know how, but I just did. I knew that it wasn't going to be good though, it must've been some part of Voldemort's plan, so I told you to believe in yourself when you faded away. I had little hope that you heard me though.."

"I did Hermione...I did," Harry replied, wide-eyed.

Hermione nodded, a smile forming on her tired features. "So I was alone for a while, I just sat there staring at the spot in which you disappeared. I tried to recall what had happened...I remembered seeing Sirius fling something over your neck, like a necklace. So I sat there thinking and thinking why he would have flung a necklace over your head."

"I couldn't think of anything that would harm you in the form of a necklace. Maybe it was cursed, or a dark ornament but I wasn't sure. But then I remembered learning something about Illusion Necklaces in sixth year...so I clung onto that thought, thinking maybe you were sent into...an illusion of some sort. But of course, I was basically grasping onto straws," she said sheepishly and held up the necklace. "I was feeling rather hopeless because I could do nothing about it but wait. Wait to see if you would come back and fight whatever it was that you had to fight. So I began talking to you. Trying to talk to you..." she blushed scarlet.

"I know, it was a silly thing to do. But what else could I have done?" Hermione bit her lip and glanced at him occasionaly, wondering if he had thought she was crazy.

"No...you did the right thing Hermione..." Harry found himself saying as he squeezed her hand gently. "I heard you...that was the reason I found myself...found out that everything around me wasn't right, that it was just an illusion..."

Hermione's face brightened. "I guess my senseless ramblings did the trick..." she chuckled lightly but her expression became serious once again as she examined the necklace in her hand. "But I was right...it was an Illusion Necklace...it dropped beside you when you came back."

"I don't remember learning about them in sixth year..." Harry pondered out loud.

"Well, it was in some of my extra studying," Hermione explained.

Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Typical."

Hermione swatted him lightly on the arm, making a face while doing so. "Well it seems to me it came in handy!" Hermione declared defensively. "Illusion Necklaces aren't suppose to be used anymore...it was banned twenty years ago by the ministry when they realized it sometimes caused people to go insane. Lost in that world and illusion forever because if it was strong enough, it can cause people to forget who they really are, what their life is suppose to be like."

"...Kind of like a block in your memory and mind?" Harry suggested.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully, "That I'm not sure...but did you experience that?"

Harry nodded numbly. "I couldn't even remember your name...I just knew there was something out of place...something missing."

"At least your will was strong enough, Harry," Hermione grinned. "You believed in yourself and were able to pull through...."

"All because of you," Harry blurted out and turned red, looking away and back at the necklace in her hands. "But...what's with the liquid inside of it."

"Oh," Hermione frowned now, "I personally think it's blood. Voldemort's blood, or one of his followers'. You always need something from the owner of this necklace to be able to control whomever is wearing it. To control the illusion they are sent into....did you understand that?"

He only nodded, staring at the droplet of blood within the vial. Voldemort's blood...his parent's murderer's blood. He felt anger boil inside of himself, an anger he had never felt before. If only he hadn't killed them, what would he be like today? Not a boy deprived of love...no, he would have been loved, cared for...

Harry shook his thoughts away, and Hermione noticed his faraway look. "Are you alright?" She asked in a gentle voice.

He mustered a smile and stood up. "Now what do we do..."

"We could continue following the direction of my wand..." Hermione suggested.

"I guess that's all we can do for now..."

~*~

Ron held Ginny close to him, her shivering form and her occasional sobs made him suddenly protective. His big brother persona emerged and he was trying desperately to calm his little sister down.

"What's going to happen, Ron?" Ginny choked out.

"It's ok, we're at Hogsmeade now and we're safe."

"Hermione?" The girl questioned.

"Hermione will be alright..."

"And that boy...Harry?"

Ron sighed, "They'll be ok."

Most of the school had come down to Hogsmeade while some were still down by the lake getting transported to the scarlet steam train. Professor Sprout was trying to get the HufflePuffs to calm themselves, while Professor Snape had stayed behind with Professor McGonagall.

Hagrid sat on a bench with his thick eyebrows knitted together. Ron and Ginny approached the half-giant in worry and confusion. "What's going to happen now Hagrid?"

"Well...I don't think I'm allowed to send ye all 'ome until Dumbledore allows it." he replied ruefully. "Best to wait for Dumbledore."

"And you do not have to wait any longer Rubeus."

The three turned and saw the figure of the headmaster standing straighter and taller than they had ever seen him stand. A grave expression seemed to be on the wise wizard's face as he came closer, sweeping his midnight purple robes along with him.

"He has risen once again," Dumbledore stated. "There was no Christmas Feast at all at Beauxbatons. It was a simple deversion that I was quite stupid to have fallen for..." The headmaster ran a hand down his wispy beard thoughtfully. "Where is Harry?" He suddenly asked.

"He disappeared," Ron answered, "along with Hermione!"

Dumbledore peered down at the red-head in thought. "Both of them...together?"

"Yes," The youngest of the Weasleys uttered.

Dumbledore's face was unreadable but a strange twinkle returned to his eyes. "I think...they will be alright."

He looked at all the bewildered faces that he was given and chuckled. "Yes, indeed...I think the-boy-who-lived will live once again."

~*~

He was tired. He didn't like having no idea what would happen, or how much time had gone by. He hated being clueless.

And yet, they continued walking.

She didn't seem tired at all, except for the sweat that was forming on her forehead, and her knitted brows showed her deep concentration on the matter. Her palm lay open, her wand still leading them...and hopefully the way out of the maze they had been thrown into.

Harry glanced at the girl walking beside him, suddenly nervous. His stomach flipped, and a sickening though dawned on him. What if he died? What if she died? What if they both died...

He shook his head, wanting to rid himself of the unpleasant thoughts swimming in his muddled mind. Yet he couldn't help but think they would end up in a sticky situation... "Hermione..."

"Hmm?" She didn't turn to look at him, but just straight ahead.

Harry frowned before running hand through his tangled hair. "You shouldn't be here."

And with that, she turned her head to look at him, her face showed a glimpse of hurt but it quickly washed away with an annoyed expression. "And why shouldn't I be here?"

"...You know why," he swallowed uneasily and kicked the ground. "Voldemort meant for me to be here...alone. Face him alone. Die alone."

She stared at him and stopped walking, shaking her head. "No Harry, you're not going to die and you're most certaintly not facing him alone."

"But you shouldn't be here...if you didn't grab onto me, you could have been safe...back there, with Ron and everyone else..." his shoulders dropped as he eyed her warily. "I'm sorry..."

Hermione looked at his bright green eyes, so dull and weary at the moment that it even made her slightly tired too. She breathed, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. "Well, we can't really do anything about that can we? I'm here, and I'm here to stay, until the end." She managed to offer a smile, though she didn't know if it did any good.

Harry placed his own hand overtop of hers, finding himself smiling ever so slightly. "Then I guess it's my responsibility to make sure you don't get hurt."

Hermione opened her mouth to complain, yet Harry placed a finger to her lips, silencing her. "I want to protect you."

She blinked, realizing she was staring a bit too noticeably at his eyes...how his chest kept on falling up and down with each breath he took. Hermione felt a tingling sensation in her body that she couldn't comprehend, but that didn't matter, for Harry was staring back at her too.

Real chocolate never looked sweeter than her eyes. He couldn't really call it brown, for that sounded much too plain. Cinnamon brown...chocolate brown...honey-brown, it was just...Hermione. Hermione's eyes, Hermione brown? He chuckled out loud at his own silly thoughts.

"Why are you laughing?" Her voice came out in a mere whisper.

He let his finger trace her lips without thinking. He could only smile and reply, "Nothing Hermione...nothing at all."

And once again silence consumed them, one lost in their own emotions, while the other didn't realize, but was actually pulling closer. It didn't feel real, not at all. His feet seemed to float at he closed the space between them. He could now smell her hair. Vanilla...that was much too plain too. It was Hermione's smell. Yes, that sounded much better.

She flicked her eyes upwards, her eyes first landing on his scar then back into his emerald eyes. She peered at him curiously, wondering what was happening but knew all too well what indeed was happening. Though she dared not to speak, in case it would break this moment in time.

His fingers left her lips, cupping her chin and drawing the last bit of space between them.

It was weird really. To be in the middle of no where and to feel so much emotion that you had never felt before. She didn't understand it yet, nor did he, but neither pulled back, nor did neither stopped.

Hermione felt the black walls of darkness melt away from her mind, to be replaced with flowers...lillies, roses, every type of flower. With birds and green grass beneath their feet- it was never the darkness she pictured.

Harry did the same. No longer were they in the void of nothingness, they were in a whole new world altogether. Green hills, cloudless skies.

But of course, good things always come to an end.

"My dear boy...what ever are you doing in such a place?"

Good-bye to the blue skies, and the green grass and flowers. Back to reality, back to the dark walls and the dirt floor. And they pulled back, both staring at each other for one final second before turning to the source of that cold chilling voice.

Yet both saw nothing, just blackness still around them as the voice laughed menacingly.

Harry's fists tightened into balls as he glared into the darkness, daring whoever it was to come out. "Why are you hiding?" he found himself saying with eerie calmness.

At first there seemed to be nothing. But finally, through the darkness two red-slit eyes appeared, a cloak as black as the darkness around them, and skin as pale as virgin snow. A nose that you couldn't really say was a nose...and mouth so thin and pale that it seemed to belong to the dead.

Harry knew who this was. Knew at once with a sickening lurch in his stomach and a sudden firey determination erupt inside of him. "Voldemort."

Hermione tensed beside Harry, not wanting to look at the hideous creature in front of them but at the same time she couldn't take her eyes off of it. Voldemort merily laughed, a laugh that seemed empty. "Seventeen years, I longed for this day."

Harry could feel his heart quickening, beating furiously in his chest but he tried in vain not to show his fright. "Oh, same here. I just couldn't wait until this day." Harry found the words coming swiftly off the tip of his tongue.

Hermione glanced at Harry in question. "We're not here to be sarcastic."

Voldemort seemed to take his attention off Harry for a second, finally noticing the girl next to his prey. "Ah, you must be the young lady Wormtail was talking about..."

"Wormtail?"

"Ah yes, in your case, the Sirius Black that you bumped into along the way. Sadly, our first plan didn't seem to work."

Harry glared. "Stop stating the obvious. We know it didn't work."

Voldemort shook a wrinkled finger at him. "Ah boy, let's not get too feisty."

Hermione could almost feel the hate radiating off the boy who stood beside her. Never had she seem him so determined, so tall, so confident, and knowing what he wanted. She knew what he wanted. To kill the person in front of them. To kill the murderer of his parents. She could only hope that he wouldn't get hurt in the process.

"A mudblood..." Voldemort stated casually, waving a finger at her with a look of disgust. "Strange, dear boy, I would think you would have better tastes in women."

Harry frowned, "Seems to me you don't have a girlfriend."

"Funny, very funny," The creature seemingly sneered, but you couldn't really tell for his face was confusing enough. "You know, you took away all I ever had. All the years I had worked to gain all the power that I had...gone. Gone just because of a mere baby. A child that didn't know how to even say mommy. A worthless child. You."

Harry remained silent, not knowing what to do but to hopefully stall time. Maybe the others would come and help, he didn't know. He wanted to hold the girl next to him and just hope that it was all a dream...yet it was too real.

"It was strange, I didn't understand how a baby could do that. I still don't understand it. Do you, Harry Potter?" Voldemort seemed to take one step forward. Harry stayed put. "Do you understand what you did? The damage you caused? You were powerful then, I assume you are powerful now. Though you might not see it, we could be...invincible together."

"Is that an offer?" Harry nearly spat. "To join you?"

"I don't know, is it?"

Harry's eyes narrowed, "You are insane to think I would ever consider joining you. You killed my parents."

"And indeed I did." Voldemort had his wand in his hand now, making Harry's heart and head pound even faster. What to do? What could he do? "But do not worry...it was not a bloody death. No blood at all. Have you ever wondered how it felt?"

Harry managed to stare back at the thing in front of him. "Yes." He answered steadily.

"Ah, poor child. Never knowing what his parents were like..poor, poor child." Voldemort came another step closer, and Harry didn't know why he still stood there.

"Don't pity me..." Harry felt his voice shake. He was scared, though he hated to admit that. He reached for his wand inside of his robes, but a hand as cold as ice suddenly grabbed his. It burned.

Hermione let out a gasp as the wretched creature himself grabbed Harry by the hand, and at once she could see the pain written on the boy's face. She mustered up all the Gryffindor courage and bravery she had as she slammed her fists against the black cloaked figure. "Let go of him! Let go of him!" She gripped her wand tightly, trying to think of a spell when Voldemort turned to face her.

"Hermione Granger isn't it?" Hermione's eyes widened at the fact that he knew her name. "I know all about you...your parents are dentists aren't they? Muggles. Which makes you a mudblood doesn't it? Head girl aren't you? Are you proud?" Voldemort had let go of Harry's hand now, advancing in on her.

She couldn't help but stumble back slightly, feeling her palms go sweaty. "Per..perf.." Before she could utter the spell, Voldemort had muttered ' Expelliarmus ' and her wand flew over her head and dropped a few feet behind her.

Harry finally got a grip on himself as he yanked out his wand furiously. "Get away from her!"

Voldemort turned slightly, smiling at Harry. "Harry Potter, you wouldn't dare hurt me now would you? When I'm right next to your girlfriend here."

"...She's not my girlfriend.." And strange enough he felt a weird desire for it to be the other way around.

"Oh...but what about that little...physical contact you had just moments before I had to interupt." Voldemort was grinning crazily now and Harry couldn't help but shake. "Harry Potter...you took away all I had, and it took me seventeen years to gain it all back."

"You took away my parents!" He hollered.

"Oh, but you didn't have to struggle...didn't have to hide from even the smallest things on earth because you were scared...you made me into nothing, but now I am back." Voldemort had a wild look on his face. His eyes flashing red, his nostrils flaring. "And now I will take away what you have, though it is not worth much."

Harry took a few seconds to process the words, not really understanding what the crazy man had said. He didn't have anything for him to take...what was there to take? He glanced hurridly at Hermione, realizing how close she was to the wretched thing. And suddenly realized it was her.

It was always her...

All along it was always just her.

He didn't realize it until now, but he suddenly thought how cruel life would be if she wasn't there. And Voldemort somehow saw that even before himself.

He cursed silently under his breath, knowing he had to do something.

"You won't take her from me."

Voldemort just grinned even wider. "And how can you stop me when you are much farther away than I am to her?"

"I don't know," Harry answered truthfully while Voldemort broke into a cold and evil laugh.

"Say your last words, mudblood." And with that, Voldemort pointed his wand at Hermione whom he was still gripping onto roughly by the arm.

Harry could see the seconds go by, see the look of fear flash upon her pretty features, see her eyes widen and take one swift look at him. He didn't let all this register in his mind as he sprung forward, pushing all his will and strength in going forward and towards her.

He had to reach her, even when the killing curse rang out in the air, he felt the soft material of her robes under his fingers and her hair in his face.

With all this, bright green light flashed around them and he didn't know what was happening until the solid ground hit him and everything faded away.

~*~

"Boy!!"

He found himself waking up groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he slowly sat from the tattered matress. The shaking of the stairs above told him something. He couldn't quite remember what, until a rather chubby man appeared in the doorway of his room (was it a room though?).

"Boy! How many times do I need to wake you? Breakfast! NOW!" And finally it came to him that this chubby and red-skinned man was Uncle Vernon.

"Yes, uncle," he found his tired voice replying as he got out of bed and stretched.

He proceeded to the washroom and stared blankly at his reflection. Feeling how miserable his life was...but why did this feel so familiar? As if it had all happened before and he was just re-reading the script to a play of some sort. He stared idly into his own tired eyes, bright green.

Just like his mother's.

Mother... He felt a longing ache in his chest as he placed his round-framed glasses on.

"Hurry, Harry dear. Dinner's about to start."

A beautiful and warm voice rang out in the hallway and Harry turned away from the mirror in confusion. "Dinner? Isn't it breakfast mum?" He found himself saying almost without a thought. Mum? He srunched up his brow in confusion and turned back to the mirror, suddenly realizing his appearance was different. His eyes were bright, and joyful, dancing with an innocence he never had. An innocence of a child that had been cared for.

"Hurry up, Harry, your soup is turning cold!" This time it was a deep rich voice of a man.

"Ok dad," Once again his mind seemed to work on its own as he stepped out of the bathroom and realized the hallway was unfamiliar to him...but at the same time, it was very much familiar.

He walked by a framed photograph of three people sitting on a couch and waving merily back. One had messy black hair and wore a pair of glasses, while the other and nice wavy, deep red hair and bright green eyes. In the middle sat a little boy with identicle black hair as his father's and matching green eyes like his mother's. A happy, normal, wizarding family.

He continued onwards, finally reaching the dinner table where two adults sat and met him with bright smiles.

"Finally decided to join us?" The man chuckled.

"Got a bit preoccupied with my thoughts, dad," he replied as he took his seat next to his mother.

His mother sneezed lightly into her hand as his dad mumbled a "Bless you". They continued eating.

This feeling inside of him didn't stop bubbling. It was a feeling he had never felt before..he looked from his dad, to his mother, that feeling growing by the second as he just sat there sipping thoughtfully at his pea soup.

"How about a game of Quidditch after?" His dad suggested with a bright grin.

"Really?" he felt himself grin back. "Smashing!"

"Really James, you're turning the boy into a Quidditch freak."

"Well, you married one yourself darling," his father laughed half-heartedly before returning to his chicken.

He felt his heart flutter at the scene. Though he didn't know why.

His mother suddenly seemed to remember something. "Oh right! Dumbledore is visiting right about now...I do remember him owling about something...I think it's got to do with the Ministry of some sort..."

"Election again? I thought Arthur Weasley already got the position." James Potter commented.

"Oh, I don't know..he just said he'd drop by to talk about something...though I can't remember what..." His mother answered just as a pop resounded in the room.

A wise old looking wizard with a long white beard smiled back at the happy threesome. "Did I interupt anything?"

"Oh not at all Albus, just dinner," His father reassured. "Would you like some chicken?"

"Ah, I'm fine James, just stopped by at Fudge's place and we had some pie," Dumbledore recalled and his eyes finally landed on him. "Ah, Harry. Just the person I needed to see!"

He looked back at the man in question. "What for, professor?"

Albus Dumbledore glanced around the room at his former students. "I would prefer to talk to your son alone...if that isn't a problem."

"That's fine," his mother smiled then glanced at him sternly. "Did he cause any trouble?"

"Oh no, not at all," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Just a little chat."

"Very well then," James stood up and lead his wife out of the dining room, both smiling at each other.

Harry watched them, not really knowing why he felt so entraced with his parent's actions. Not until Dumbledore coughed did he remember the headmaster's presence.

"Oh, sir, I forgot you were there."

"I noticed Harry," Dumbledore chuckled. "But I must tell you, you can gain no knowledge and infact nothing at all with illusions and desires."

Harry stared. "What?"

"Ah, come," Dumbledore lead him to a mirror on the wall. "You see yourself don't you?"

Harry simply nodded. "That's normal enough."

"But you are different here," the headmaster noted and placed a finger on Harry's smooth forehead. "And you are missing a part of you that makes you Harry."

"...What part of me?" Harry glanced at his blank forehead curiously.

"A part of you that you might not like, you might not want to accept it, but it is reality and living in dreams and what you most desire is not going to change the truth." Dumbledore stated calmly, his finger leaving Harry's forehead. "Even if you want to erase it from your mind forever, it will forever be part of you."

Harry scrunched up his brow just as the doorbell rang. He looked over his shoulder, then glanced back at Dumbledore. "I'll be right back.." Harry said as he headed towards the front door.

"Take all the time you need Harry..." The headmaster answered gently.

He reached the door, placing his hand on the knob and turning it. He pulled the door back, and at first he saw no one until his eyes met her's.

"Hello Harry!" The girl greeted cheerfully as she stepped into the house, taking her shoes off and seemingly familiar with the house.

"Hello 'Mione," he felt himself greet the young woman as happiness once again spread through him.

The girl caught sight of Dumbledore. "Oh! Good evening professor! I didn't think I would be bumping into you here!"

"Neither did I, Miss. Granger," Dumbledore answered and smiled at Harry almost knowingly.

Harry peered at the professor thoughtfully. "Mum said you had came here to tell us about something?"

"Ah, I meant to talk to you, but as I see, Miss. Granger has come...so I will not waste your time," Dumbledore said and glanced expectantly at Harry through his half-moon spectacles. "But I must remind you, that you should come back and join us soon. Though it may be hard to leave such a place, you must for your place is not here, but back where you belong, Harry. It is not your time to go yet, and when you return, all will be well."

And with that he disapparated, leaving a confused Harry behind.

"How about some chocolate pudding kids?" James appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Hello Mr.Potter!" Hermione greeted politely.

"Hello Hermione, it's nice to finally see the girl my son likes." James said in a faraway tone but suddenly smiled and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Harry just watched this with slight confusion in his features before the girl beside him tugged his sleeve gently, leading him into the cozy and lighted kitchen of the Potter's home.

AN: Once again you all must be like "???" Um, I won't say anything, if you completely have no clue, take note of what Dumbledore has said, and take note of what the last thing James says. Hehe ^_^