Chapter 25 - After the Match
"Well, there is one more thing, Harry…" Harry's palms got sweaty and he was certain his entire face was as flushed as it had ever been when he heard that last sentence come from Hermione's lips, which he was noticing with renewed interest. One part of him wanted to run away from her as fast as possible, while the other part wanted to just snog her right there next to the locker rooms. Both options had their good points, although… he knew which one he preferred.
However, Hermione didn't acknowledge that she noticed his flustered appearance. She continued after a slight pause, "Harry, I…I…well …I really wanted to… tell you…thanks! You know, for trying to talk to Ron for me. You really didn't have to do that, you know!"
"Oh, is that all? I thought…" Harry couldn't help but sound disappointed in the difference between what just happened and his previous hopes, not to mention the slight annoyance he felt when Ron's name had come up in the middle of their private conversation. "Well, never mind what I thought. It really wasn't that big of a deal, you know. I just don't think he should keep bringing that up just to make you feel bad. How'd you find out about it, anyway?"
Hermione, who had noticed Harry's disappointment and grinned inwardly as she thought <Looks like things are still moving along nicely…Harmony was right!> said, "Oh, you know Ron…he's not the most… well, reticent person, especially when it comes to embarrassing someone else. Takes after Fred and George somewhat, although they usually prank their victims. Oh, yes, Ron took great pleasure in announcing to everyone in the common room that Harry Potter fancied me! When I asked him why he would ever say something like that, he told me you were 'sticking up for me' about Crookshanks, and that it was obvious from what you said that you had a 'thing' for me. What exactly did you say, anyway, to make him think that?" she asked with definite interest.
"Erm…well, not much, now that you mention it. I did say that I actually agreed with him that Crookshanks was the most likely suspect…," At this, Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly, but Harry plunged ahead anyway, "…and that it IS natural for cats to eat rats…What?"
Hermione's giggle had interrupted Harry. "So, here I am halfway expecting to hear that you had broken down and confessed your feelings for me, whatever they are…" she said with a wink, "… to Ron, and I come to find out you were discussing the dietary habits of felines? And Ron actually thought…Oh, this is too funny!"
"Well, there was one other thing I said…" Harry confessed.
"And what was that, Harry?"
Harry said, slowly, "Well, I…I may have mentioned something about…Ron…you know, being jealous of me…"
"Now, why would Ronald Weasley be jealous of you?" Hermione was now quite businesslike.
"Because…I think…HE fancies you, too!"
"WHAT? You think that Ron…FANCIES me?" Hermione said with disbelief. Her eyes looked disturbingly like they had when she had slapped Malfoy, but this time they were focused on Harry.
"Steady on, Hermione!" Harry said quickly, keeping a wary eye on her dangerous right hand. "I didn't mean to upset you…" The conversation was definitely less pleasant than it had been not too much earlier, "…but…yeah, I think he does!", and he flinched as he said it, half-expecting a slap to the head.
Hermione, on the other hand, had started to giggle again as she saw the fear on his face. "Don't worry, I'd never hit you! I'd hope by now you'd know that much about me, at least," she said with obvious sincerity. "Oh, this is too much, Harry! It's so…so ludicrous, to think that Ron fancies me. I mean, the way he treats me, hanging around me in the common room, always teasing me, insulting me, annoying me…" She paused. "Oh, you don't think… no… anything but that…he's flirting with me, isn't he?" And she put her shaking head in her hands.
"Yeah, well, that's what I thought, too, but…anyway, Hermione, I still need to take my broom to Professor Dumbledore so he can put it away for safekeeping. You can come with me, if you want," he said hopefully.
"Oh, Harry, you know I would if I could…but, as I said, now would not be a good time for me to be seen…well, you know, with you. I'd probably find all my things out in the Great Hall if that happened, and I'd prefer to sleep in my own bed, thank you very much! Don't worry, Harry, things will blow over soon! After our exams are over this term, I'll be glad to go for a walk with you, that is, if you are still interested. I seem to recall that I owe you a story, don't I?"
Harry thought for a second, and then brightened as he remembered. "Oh, yeah, Shakespeare, wasn't it? That Romeo bloke? I can hardly wait…" he said, not all that convincingly.
Hermione looked at him with a mixture of pity and joy. "Well, you'll have to wait for a while. With all the extra classes I am taking, the next eight weeks or so should keep me very busy, and I hope you will be spending your time on your studies, too, now that Quidditch is over with! But, after that first week in June, we'll have our little Shakespeare lesson. Oh, don't worry, Harry, I'll make it interesting," she said, coyly. "I promise!" And with that, she gave him a quick hug and ran towards the castle.
Harry's emotions were quite unsettled, therefore, as he began heading towards Dumbledore's office. As he entered the castle, he was again surprised to hear a voice calling to him. This one, however, was less familiar.
"Potter, a word with you if I could?"
"Wood? What are you doing here? I wanted to say something to you afterwards, but I saw you were talking to those older blokes. Great match, by the way. Sorry…well, sorry you had to lose your last chance at the cup," and he tentatively stuck out his hand.
Oliver shook it quite heartily. "Great match, yourself! And, great flying, too! You have to be a better-than-average Seeker to even stay on a broom as good as that Firebolt you've got there. So, you saw me talking, did you? That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Those two gents were scouts for Puddlemere United! Came up to see the match and check out some prospects! Potter, they want ME to play Keeper on their reserve team after I finish at Hogwarts! And, I have you partially to thank for it!"
"Wh...what?" Harry was very confused. "What did I have to do with anything?"
"Well, as they told me later, they were impressed that I was able to block most of the shots from the Slytherin Chasers, even with the obvious cheating and excessive fouling that was going on, not to mention the added complications of having to face a very talented Seeker riding an international-class broom. They also told me that there's nothing legal that a Keeper can do when they are faced with a Seeker like you, so they don't hold the fact that we lost to you against me. They were actually expecting Gryffindor to win, until you pulled off that last maneuver and grabbed the Snitch! They also thought that I kept my composure quite well in the face of the poor sportsmanship of all but one of the Slytherin team," he said this last warily, not sure what Harry's reaction would be.
Harry could see Wood's nervousness, and quickly replied, "Yeah, Flint and company were awful, weren't they? Sometimes, I really wish I didn't have to play on a team like that! I want to win honestly when I win!"
"That's what one of the scouts said about you, Harry. You know, if you keep this up, you may be getting an invite to play for P.U. in a few years yourself! Oh, by the way, Harry, now that the season's over and we're not sworn enemies any more, d'you think I might be able to have a go on your Firebolt?" Harry nodded, and Wood smiled. "Well, Potter, I've got to go join my team and drown our sorrows in some butterbeer!" he said happily. As he walked towards the Gryffindor Tower, he heard Oliver singing to himself, "I'm going to play for Puddlemere… I'm going to play for Puddlemere…!"
As he continued towards Dumbledore's office he was intercepted once more, this time by a very excited red-headed young wizard calling for him from down the corridor. "Harry! There you are! I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been? You haven't been out snogging Hermione, have you?" he said cheekily.
<I wish!> was the thought that came quickly to Harry's mind, but he kept his feelings to himself as he slowed and waited for Ron to catch up to him. "What is it, Ron? Don't tell me…you want a go on my Firebolt, eh?" he said with a grin.
"Whoa…you've GOT to talk to Trelawney, mate! Although, come to think of it, that's not too hard to figure out, now is it?" he laughed. "Yes, Harry, of course I would! But, I also wanted to congratulate you on that wicked flying you did. I mean, even though you beat our team, you were brilliant up there! That was one of the best matches I've seen here at Hogwarts!" It appeared to Harry that Ron was willing to overlook just about any personal differences they may have had as long as Quidditch was involved. "By the way, Harry, did you hear about Wood? Of course, he'd be better off if he went to the Cannons…" and they walked the rest of the way towards the Headmaster's office, talking about Quidditch, the match and the Cannon's chances for the championship this year.
*****
"Harmony, you were right!" Hermione said, happily as she burst into Miss Puckle's office. "I think Harry still likes me!"
"Of course he does, silly! He just doesn't know it yet. What did I tell you about being patient? So, I assume that your little 'talk' after the match went well?"
Hermione was glowing as she answered excitedly. "Oh, yes! Except for some rubbish about how he thinks Ron fancies me, it was great! Harry blushes quite nicely, you know! For a second there, I thought he was going to pass out when I told him I had just one more thing to tell him. I'll admit it was hard for me to resist him right then, when I saw his eyes… Then, when I only gave him a hug as I left, he looked almost as disappointed as I felt! Those were great suggestions, Harmony! Where'd you ever learn to do things like that to a boy?"
"Oh, let's just say that I have studied that particular subject for…well, YEARS now, and I'm pretty sure I know what will work with…well, boys that age. If you go too fast, you'll scare him off, but if you go too slowly, he'll lose interest and spend his time going on about Quidditch or something. Always leave them looking forward to your next meeting, you know. Builds the excitement! Then, when you're ready for the next step, you'll both enjoy it a lot more!"
"So, does this special knowledge have something to do with that boy you told me about, the one you knew at school?" Hermione winked conspiratorially.
Now it was Harmony's turn to redden slightly. "You know, Hermione, sometimes I think you are a little too clever for your own good, and that is saying something coming from me!"
*****
Harry's euphoria at winning the Quidditch Cup for Slytherin didn't last too long after he mended his friendship with Ron. Before they dropped the broom off with the Headmaster, Harry made a deal with Ron allowing him to fly it whenever he wanted, on condition that he would start acting civilly towards Hermione. Dumbledore, when he heard this, wisely added the condition that Ron would have to show proof that he was caught up on his studies first. Then, the two newly restored friends went back to the Great Hall. As they were discussing the finer points of the match, they heard a very unpleasant voice come up behind them. "Well, well, if it isn't Potty and his Weasel…" Draco Malfoy said.
As they turned around, they saw the entire Slytherin team standing there with Malfoy. "So, the great Harry Potter saves the day for his beloved Slytherin house, and then shares his strategy with someone related to two members of the opposing team!" Flint said harshly. "Well, Potter, we can tolerate a lot of things, but we CANNOT allow you to reveal team secrets to a possible spy. In my last official act as captain, effective immediately, you are off the Slytherin team indefinitely. And, before you say anything, Professor Snape has given me blanket authority in this matter until the end of the year. Your Firebolt won't save you this time, Potter!" And then, the entire team turned on their heels as one unit, and walked off. Harry could have sworn that Draco gave him an extra smirk as he did so.
Ron was the first to speak. "Wow, Harry! I'm…really sorry! It's all my fault - they wouldn't have kicked you off if they hadn't heard us talking about the match! That's a bum deal, mate! What a prat that Flint fellow is!"
"Oh, don't worry, Ron, if it hadn't have been for this, I'm sure they would have invented some other excuse to get rid of me. Can't have a half-blood like me leading the team to victory that way. I've heard the talk in my Common Room and the locker rooms. Malfoy's dad probably had a lot to say about this after Snape kicked Golden Boy off the team!" Harry snorted.
Ron seemed to be thinking seriously for a moment before he spoke. "So, what are you going to do about it…for next year, you know! It'd be a shame for someone as good as you to not be able to play Quidditch next year, and even more of a shame to not be able to use that Firebolt in a match!"
"Before you get your hopes up, Ron, no, I'm not going to let you or your brothers use my broom to play for Gryffindor next year!" Harry grinned. "I'm not all that slow, you know! I could see where you were headed!"
Ron grinned back guiltily, and said, "Sorry, Harry, but a bloke's got to try! I mean, a real FIREBOLT…"
******
As Hermione had predicted, the rest of the term was quite busy for all of the students. As Harry noted, though, it seemed to affect her more than most. It seemed like each time he saw her, her face was more lined and worn than the last time, even within the same day. A strange thought came to Harry - it seemed to him as if she was aging at least twice as fast as everyone else. One day, he said as much to her during one of their "Save Buckbeak" research sessions. She still found time to go over cases with Harry and Ron, who had volunteered to help as a token of their restored friendship after Harry had explained what was going on. "That's just crazy, Harry - why would you think that?" and Harry could tell from her tone that she didn't want to discuss it any further. The boys had long since given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once, so Harry left it alone.
Soon afterwards, they had received their exam schedules and the notice of Buckbeak's final appeal hearing, so there was not much else for them to do except wait for exam week to start. Since Harry's course schedule was quite different than the two Gryffindor third-years, he didn't even have that companionship to look forward to. <Wish I could see some friendly faces during the exams! Well, at least I have Care of Magical Creatures with the two of them - that will be a welcome break from the cold shoulder I'm getting from the Slytherins!>
And then, it was over. Harry had, for the first time since he had come to Hogwarts, felt that his Potions exam was an unqualified disaster. Afterwards, he told Blaise (who was the only one in Slytherin who would even acknowledge his presence), "I guess it makes a difference whether the teacher is on your side or not. I've never had so much trouble getting a potion to work out right. I'd almost swear someone tampered with my ingredients."
But, he knew he did well in his DADA final, getting full marks from Professor Lupin, "As if you expected anything different? I still remember your Patronus lessons, you know!" Lupin said as Harry left the obstacle course. Harry had already heard the rumors of Hermione's failure with the boggart earlier that day, and he thought that he might be able to give her a few pointers on that subject. <Hmm, maybe when we go for our walk…she can teach me about Romeo and Juliet, and I'll show her how to make a Patronus! Yeah, sounds like a fair exchange,> he said to himself as a smile came to his face. As he walked back to the castle, he saw an unexpected sight at the top of the steps, next to Ron and Hermione.
Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds.
*****
Harry's Divination exam was next, with Ron's Divination final and Hermione's Muggle studies final in the exam slot following. "I'll see you two after you're done, then? I'll wait for you at the front doors and then we'll go down to see how Buckbeak's hearing went!" Harry said as he headed towards the spiral staircase to Trelawney's classroom.
The tower room was hotter than ever before; the curtains were closed, the fire was alight, and the usual sickly scent made Harry cough as he stumbled through the clutter of chairs and tables to where Professor Trelawney sat waiting for him before a large crystal ball.
"Good day, my dear," she said softly…
****
After Trelawney dismissed him for making a complete botch of the whole exam, Harry got up, picked up his bag and turned to go, but then a loud, harsh voice spoke behind him.
"IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT."
"S - sorry?" said Harry, staring at a rigid Professor Trelawney.
As he seriously considered running to the hospital wing for help, Professor Trelawney spoke again, in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own:
"THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT…THE SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANT'S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER HE WAS. HIS OTHER SERVANTS WHOSE PLANS ARE BEING INTERFERED WITH WILL REJOIN THEIR MASTER IN TIME. TONIGHT…BEFORE MIDNIGHT…THE SERVANT …WILL SET OUT…TO REJOIN HIS MASTER…"
****
Walking very close together so that nobody would see them, the three friends crossed the hall on tiptoe beneath Harry's cloak, which he hadn't used since the morning of the Quidditch Cup finals. The sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees.
They reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked. He was a minute in answering, and when he did, he looked all around for his visitor, pale-faced and trembling.
"It's us," Harry hissed. "We're wearing an Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off!"
Hagrid was shocked to see who was under the cloak when they showed themselves. "Harry? Harry Potter? What're you doin' here? And, Ron and Hermione, too? Blimey, you sure scared me when I didn't see anyone outside. Tha's your father's cloak, innit, Harry? I din't know you had tha'… Dumbledore give it to you, did he? Great man, Dumbledore… thanks for coming, Harry - there's another one I owe you. So, Hermione, I see you recruited some more help for Bucky, have ye? Good girl…too bad it din't make any diff'r'nce…" and he began to tremble. "Wan' some tea?" he continued, shaking as he reached for the kettle.
"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" said Hermione hesitantly.
****
There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence, and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.
Hermione swayed on the spot.
"They did it!" she whispered to Harry. "I d - don't believe it - they did it!"
(A/N - Hate to disappoint those who were looking for a different resolution to the first cliffy, but shaz124 guessed closest in his original review. As I said, there is over two more years of story to get through. The big H/Hr scene you are looking forward to will come in time! Sorry if you thought that the young Hermione was getting a little too OOC in her interest in Harry, but as you know now, Harmony has been a 'bad' influence on her!
Only three deferrals to canon in this chapter that are of any note - first, the scene with Cornelius Fudge at the steps of the castle, second, the disastrous Divination exam both before and after Trelawney's prophecy including the results of Buckbeak's hearing, and, finally, the final part of the chapter, including Hermione's discovery of Scabbers in the milk jug up until the trio appears to hear Buckbeak's execution - and Hermione whispers to HARRY…sorry, she doesn't do ANYTHING to RON… - Don't you get that, Alfonso? :-)
These three sections would be nearly word for word the same in this story, except of course Hermione wouldn't have had to go get the cloak. And yes, the prophecy did change slightly.)