C. Cowboy: Howdy, this is the first fic I've posted on this portkey.org, and I'm proud to say that this is going to be a special edition with scenes not included on the fanfiction.net version. That way if you've seen this on there, you'll still be getting something new. Hope you like it, and make sure to review! I love feed back!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and gang are owned by J K Rowling.
Classic Cowboy presents:
Harry Potter and the First Sage
Chapter 1: Like A Comet…
The sun shown bright through the window of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, two sixth year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, causing the sixteen year old Harry to slowly flutter his eyes open. He blinked a few times before his eyes shot wide and he jumped out of bed, "BLOODY HELL!" He screamed dashing around the room.
He quickly threw his rob on and shot toward the door but came to a dead stop and stared down at himself realizing he threw his rob over his pajamas. After a few lines of curses Harry placed on a white dress shirt, slacks, and threw his tie around his neck as well as pulling his rob back on. "Ok now I'm ready! I'm so late…" he gasped as he dashed toward the door, but plowed into the wall full speed missing the open door way by a good two feet.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Ron asked blinking at his best friend laying flat on his back.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Harry hissed pulling to his feet.
"Glasses help, Harry." Ron smirked.
Harry looked dumbly at his friend, and then silently dove toward his bed table, put on his glasses, and shot toward the door.
"Where you going, Harry?" Ron asked fighting off laughter.
Harry stared at Ron with a look of pure amazement, "Ron, We are FORTY MINUTES LATE FOR CLASS, AND YOU WANT TO PLAY TWENTY QUESTIONS????"
"It's Saturday, Harry."
Harry stood there and stared at Ron as if he had just told him every last secret of the universe. "Oh." Harry barely whispered as he slowly dragged himself back to bed.
Later that morning, Ron and the third in the threesome of friends, Hermione Granger, set in the stands of the Quidditch field while Harry flew through the air on his broomstick in practice with the team. Ron watched in awe as the players, including Harry, flew and played as a well-oiled machine. He then glanced over at his friend and sighed when he seen she had her nose in a very large book.
"Hermione, what are you doing?" Ron asked wide-eyed, "How can you read a book, when something as exciting as this is happening!"
Hermione cut her eyes up to Ron dully, "First Ron, this is just a practice, and mostly all they're doing is running drills, oh so very exciting! Secondly, I am not reading, I am studying for the finals."
"Herm!" Ron gasped, "It's the first week of classes!"
"Never too early to start studying." Hermione stated.
"Um, what ever you say." Ron said turning his attention back to drills ignoring Hermione's eyes rolling.
"HERMIONE! HARRY'S FALLING!" Ron gasped pointing into the air.
"WHAT?? HARRY!" Hermione panicked jumping to her feet.
"Got you!" Ron chuckled but was quickly silence when the heavy book came down on his head.
"Git." Hermione growled going back to her textbook.
"Still…got you…" Ron whispered pulling himself back to his feet.
Hermione glared at him but shook it off running her hand through her long curly brown hair. She then 'pretended to continue studying but was actually stealing glances at her best friend flying through the air.
After about two hours of practice, the session finally ended and the team landed and started to go their separate ways. Harry, as expected made a straight line to Ron and Hermione. "Hey, guys!" Harry said happily with his Firebolt broomstick thrown over his shoulder.
"Hi Harry!" Ron and Hermione responded happily walking up to meet him.
"Now, Harry," Hermione started slyly, "I came to your silly practice, so now you have to come to mine. You come too, Ron."
Hermione was quite proud of her after class activity, and surprised Harry and Ron especially to learn that their bookworm friend was graceful enough to make the Synchronized Levitation team, (synchronized swimming minus water).
"First of all, Mione, my practice is NOT silly, and second, I was planning on coming to watch you practice anyway." Harry smirked crossing his arms over his chest.
The two just mock glared at each other in a small stare off, which Ron seemed to enjoy watching a little too much, when a voice behind them took them by surprise.
"Hey, Harry?" a girl's voice said making the three turn. Harry then smiled dumbly at the sight of Cho Chang, a member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and one of Harry's crushes, walking toward them.
"Uh… Hi Cho." Harry said/sighed as the older girl came to a stop before the 16-year-olds. Ron started to say hi too, but thought better of it when he heard Hermione growling lightly, which put him slightly in mind of Fluffy.
"Harry, you doing anything for the next couple of hours?" Cho asked with a smile.
"No, nothing at all." Harry sighed with the same dumb smile.
"Uh oh…" Ron whispered slowly stepping out from between Harry, Cho, and the wide-eyed, red-faced Hermione.
"The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw teams are going to have a pre-game party," Cho explained, "You coming Harry?"
"Ahuh, sure, I'd love to!" Harry said a little to happily, "Shall we go then?"
Cho smiled and nodded and the two left together, leaving Hermione and Ron standing there awestruck.
"He…just up and left us!" Hermione gasped angrily.
"A pretty girl would do that to a chap." Ron said knowledgeably.
"ARE YOU SAYING I'M NOT PRETTY, RONALD WEASLEY???"
"Uh…uh…uh…" Ron stuttered back stepping as the unhappy Hermione stalked toward him, "Harry! Wait…"
"Oh no you don't, Ron," Hermione said evilly, "ONE OF YOU is coming with me to my practice, you may come peacefully or kicking and screaming, your pick."
"Uh…I think I'll chose peacefully…" Ron gulped.
"Very good, now come along, Ron." Hermione said seemingly to drop her anger in a second.
"But what about Har…" Ron started.
"I SAID come along!"
Meanwhile, inside Hogswort, Professor Dumbledore made his way past Prof. Trelawney's room, when a scream from inside caught his attention. The old wizard rapidly moved into the room and found the professor laying on the floor with her eyes rolled back in her head, "Prof. Trelawney!" Dumbledore cried crouching down beside her, "Are you alright?"
"When the One Who Lived falls in flames like a comet, a great betrayal will take place, these will foreshadow the coming of a being as far above wizards as wizards are above muggles with the pure power of light, you will know him by a mark in the form of a 'X'." Prof. Trelawney sighed in a far off voice.
"Oh dear…" Dumbledore sighed.
Later, the party being held by the captains of both the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors teams was going strong, and everyone was having a very great time. The two teams were the only ones who actually threw parties together, nothing wrong with Hufflepuff, and Slytherin was obvious why, but there was much more of a relaxed feel when these two teams met.
"You having fun Harry?" Cho asked coming over to where Harry was seated. The party was nice, but Harry was having a strange feeling he was supposed to be somewhere else, but couldn't figure exactly where.
"Too right, 'Mione," Harry said to Cho, "er I mean Cho," He said quickly hoping he didn't catch it.
"Harry," Cho started leaning against the desk, "Why don't you hang out with some of the other Quidditch players?"
"Wha?" Harry asked setting his butter beer down, "what do you mean?"
"Simple, Harry," Cho said with a sigh, "I have nothing against Hermione, but … I don't understand how you can be friends with her, you've nothing in common, you two."
"Listen, carefully, Cho," Harry said defensibly, his voice dripping with anger, "Hermione may not be the greatest flyer in the world, and she may not care as much about Quidditch as we do, but she's still my best friend!"
"Harry … I …" Cho began realizing she's pushed the wrong button.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go get cleaned up before the game this evening," Harry growled, "And don't talk about who I decide to be friends with again."
Cho watched Harry walk off, before looking down sadly. "Cho, you ok?" one of the Ravenclaws asked walking up.
"Yeah," Cho sighed, "Just Harry reminded me of Cedric for a moment. He used to stand up for me like that …"
Later that evening, Harry finally left the party, and was making his way towards the commons. "Tonight's the big game." Harry said to himself, "I wonder though." Harry sighed thinking back to the angry look on Hermione's face, "Why did she get all angry when I said I was going to the party with Cho…uh oh…" His eyes then went wide in shock, "I forgot her practice! I promised I'd go…She's going to turn me into a yak!"
Harry then looked around trying to come up with a plan of action, "Ok, first off, take a shower, I still smell sweaty from practice, then go find Hermione and say sorry and beg her not to hurt me! Perfect!"
He made his way into the boy's shower and found that every shower was lacking soap. 'Only one place left to look,' Harry sighed with a gulp, Harry walked up to his dorm room, and removed his invisible cloak, "better take this just incase."
"Where are you going?" Ron asked rolling over and eyeing Harry suspiciously.
"Uh…I just was going to take a shower, and uh…needed soap… going to have to get it from the girls shower…what are you doing in here in bed this early anyway??" Harry stammered nervously.
"TRYING to take a nap before the game. One of the levitators was missing today, so…" Ron said with a faint gulp, "Hermione 'asked' me to fill in."
"Did you like it?" Harry asked trying to change the subject.
"Bloody hell no, those girls tried to bloody kill me!" Ron griped as he set up, "Where did you say you were going?"
"Um to sneak into the girls shower to borrow some soap." Harry whispered turning a slightly pink.
"Wicked!" Ron said getting to his feet.
"And where are you going?" Harry asked fearing the answer.
"With you of course!" Ron said cheerfully.
"Ron, I'm just going for some soap!" Harry said stepping away from his best friend.
"Ahuh sure you are," Ron smirked, "Bloody hell, why didn't we think of this before!"
"Ron…" Harry blinked, "you're starting to scare me."
"Come on!" Ron said pulling Harry toward the door, "While all the cute girls are in there!"
"No! No way Ron," Harry waving his hand in front of him, "You are not coming with me, I'm just going to find the nearest piece of soap and get out!"
Short while later,
"Have I mentioned I hate you dearly, Ron?" Harry whispered as he and Ron hid beneath the cloak and made their way into the shower. Harry looked around and sighed in relief that no girls were present. But was a bit disappointed, but heaven forbid Ron ever know he thought that.
Harry then led Ron into a large shower and grabbed a bar of soap for the side and before they could make it to the door of the shower the door came open. 'Oh shit…' Harry thought when he saw who it was, 'Hermione…'
Harry turned and looked at Ron and watched him silently gulp then turned back and almost fainted dead away when as he watched her begin to undress. His mind screamed for him not to look but he was frozen still and his eyes stayed locked on Hermione's every move.
Harry's heart felt like it would jump out of his chest when the only thing covering Hermione was her long curly waist-length hair. Hermione turned on the shower and began to bath unknowing that she was being watched like a hawk.
Hermione turned around to rinse her long hair, and giving the boys a full frontal shot in the process, making both boys to inhale deeply. Amazing what a girl can hide under large sweaters. 'She's going to kill me. She's going to kill me. She's going to kill me.' Harry repeated in his mind before going down and gaining a nosebleed from looking at her chest, 'But I'll die happy!'
Harry was in heaven, and despite knowing he shouldn't, he was rather enjoying the show, but the moment was shattered as fear over took Harry. For he heard Ron absentmindedly let out a fox whistle at Hermione. Hermione's head shot up quickly, and though she now had her back to them, they could see the shock on her face.
"Hello? Is someone there?" Hermione asked turning around and looking around the shower while covering herself with her arms and hands. She looked around and noticed something strange, the water on the floor was broken in the shape of four footprints in the corner. She scowled lightly and turned her back and made her way to the side. She slowly wrapped a towel around her body, and placed her arm in the showering water, and before either boy could respond she splashed water at them. The water hit the cloak and made it partially visible.
"Lets get out of here, Harry, we're busted!" Ron whispered in a panic as the two quickly made their way toward the door.
Ron slipped on the water and knocked Harry over into the shower wall, knocking them both into the floor. They sighed in relief when they realized they cloak still covered them, and they both scrambled to their feet and they both shot out the door as fast as their legs can travel.
They ran all the way to their dorm room, they ran in, threw the wet cloak into the closet and sighed as they jumped to their bed. "I can NOT believe we DID THAT!" Harry laughed but slowly stopped and looked at Ron when he realized he wasn't laughing. He blinked confusedly at the now white as a ghost Ron, "What's the matter?"
"H-Harry?" Ron choked, "W-W-W-Where's your glasses?"
Meanwhile, in the shower, Hermione stood in pure shock, her face crimson and in her white knuckled fist she gripped a pair of round-rimmed glasses.
Around twenty minutes later Ron and Harry set nervously in the Gryffindor commons. "Maybe…maybe she won't be mad…" Ron said trying to calm them both down.
"Not bloody likely." Harry croaked dreading coming face to face with his other best friend.
"Have to admit Harry, she did look nice." Ron said trying to lighten the mood.
"This is not the time or the place, Ron." Harry said as he pointed toward the door.
"Here we go…" Ron gulped as Hermione walked into the commons acting as if nothing had happened at all.
"Harry! Ron!" Hermione chirped happily, "How are you two this marvelous evening!"
"F-fine…" Harry and Ron stuttered in unison.
"Harry, may I ask you a question?" Hermione asked as she set on the couch across from Harry and Ron's two chairs.
"Uh… of course, Mione…" Harry gulped, wishing he, instead, was facing Voldemort without a wand or any knowledge of spells.
"What has become of the invisible cloak? I KNOW you haven't used it lately." She asked with an innocent smile.
'Oh shit…' was all Harry could think at the time, "Uhh…I uh still um have it…why d-do you ask?" Harry stuttered and she seemed to smile even more.
"Well, you see, Harry," She said with a frightening chuckle, "Someone snuck into my shower earlier using what appeared to be your cloak," she then laughed lightly, "heaven forbid I would ever suspect you of doing SUCH A THING, I know you'd never stoop to such…perverted things."
All the blood left Harry's face as her smile faded into a glare. "Uh, well…I…I…Draco…yeah, Draco! He asked to borrow it about an hour ago, yeah that's it, Draco borrowed it!" Harry said smiling proudly at his fast thinking.
"Is that a fact Harry?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
"Ahuh…" was all Harry could get out.
"And I take it he borrowed your glasses as well?" Hermione asked with a glare.
'Oh no…' Harry whispered as the blood once again left his face.
"Face it, Harry Potter, I know it was you, how long were you in there watching me?" Hermione growled as she got up and placed her hands on both arms of the chair pinning him in.
"Uh…" Harry stuttered, thinking the best action would be to remain quiet.
"If you're wondering how I know it was you, Mr. Potter, here." She snapped placing his glasses on his face.
"I-I can explain…" Harry gasped as Hermione brought her face two inches from his face.
"I'm listening." She whispered spitefully.
Harry then turned to Ron for help, and Ron looked at him like any best friend would do their friend in a situation as this, "HARRY, HOW COULD YOU??"
"RON, YOU GIT, IF YOU HADN'T WHISTLED THEN…uh oh…" Harry caught himself and turned back to Hermione's dark yet knowing gaze.
"I knew it! I knew you couldn't whistle, Harry, and I did see two sets of footprints, so NOW I have both culprits!" Hermione said victoriously.
"I swear, Hermione, I was just after some soap, that's all, I didn't come in there for any perverse reason, I am so sorry for intruding on you! I swear to you on my parent's grave I did not mean to intrude!" Harry begged for forgiveness.
Upon hearing him swear on his parent's grave she knew he really was sorry and honestly didn't mean to intrude, and she forgave him for it, but no need in letting him know that just yet.
"I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU WOULD DO THIS, HARRY!!!" her face mere inches from his.
Her lecture was suddenly cut short when the door opened, and Draco Malfoy strolled in. "Well, Well, Well, looks like Mudblood's got a boyfriend, and the famous Harry Patter at that!" Draco chuckled at the closeness between Harry and Hermione.
"How did you get in here?" Harry growled standing up when Hermione jumped out of his way.
"Just told the Fat Lady I wanted to wish you luck on tomorrow's game, Potter." Draco said with a smirk, "You'll need all the luck you can get. And I can say with a girlfriend like Mudblood, you haven't got much luck if any at all."
"Stop calling her that, Malfoy." Harry growled standing between Hermione and Draco.
"Or what, Potter, You haven't got the guts to do a single thing." Draco spat, "I knew you had low standards Potter, but…Mudblood?" His chuckling was cut short as he fell backwards into his two goons.
Hermione, Ron and the two Slytherins thugs stared wide-eyed, had the gentle Harry Potter just KO'ed Draco?
"I'll…get you for that, Potter…" Draco said groggily as he stumbled out the door, "Watch your back." He warned before he left.
Once Harry was sure he was gone he shook his fist rapidly, "Bloody hell that hurt!" he whimpered blowing on his red fist.
Hermione then walked up to him, and his mind shot back to what she was raving on earlier before Draco came in, "H-Hermione?" Harry stuttered but gasped as Hermione kissed him lightly on the cheek, "Thank you for standing up for me. I think I'll go on to bed, you should too, you have a big game tomorrow, goodnight guys." She walked away from the two dumbfounded boys, but stopped at the foot of the stairs to the girl's dorm, "I…GUESS I forgive you."
"There is a God." Harry gasped falling back into the chair, "she didn't kill us."
Hermione threw herself down onto her bed, and sighed deeply. 'Why did I let them off so easily for watching me in the shower?' she asked herself, "Eh, I'll make him pay for it…later." She said before drifting off to sleep.
That evening, the Quidditch game between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor was well into the second half. Gryffindor was behind twenty points and was struggling to even keep a close contest. In the stands Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid watching the game with great interest, and a few rows behind them Draco set and watched Harry like a hawk.
"Oh bloody hell." Hermione sighed when a Ravenclaw made another score, "Can't Harry hurry up and catch that Snitch like he always does?" Hermione complained, getting into the game.
"Hey Harry!" Angelina, the new captain, called from her possition position; "You can get that snitch when ever you feel like it."
"I'm working on it!" Harry sighed loudly soaring through the air on his Firebolt. He looked and spotted it and sighed loudly when he spotted Cho hot on its tail. "Oh no you don't, Chang, it's mine!" Harry exclaimed shooting after it as well.
Harry and Cho were neck and neck closing in on the flying ball. "You aren't getting it this time, Harry!" Cho yelled.
"Try and stop me!" Harry retorted.
Everyone in the stands stood up, and Hermione climbed onto Hagrid's shoulder, started to bounce repeating, 'GET IT! GET IT! GET IT!" and Draco slowly brought his wand out from his pocket.
Harry finally shot a little ahead of Cho and his fingers were just inches away from the snitch. Draco narrowed his eyes and pointed his wand at Harry and softly whispered "Incendio." Suddenly the back of Harry's broom engulfed inflames and he began to slow down.
"Something's wrong!" Ron gasped pointing toward the bright flames on the back of Harry's broomsticks, while Hagrid and Hermione could only watch in terror.
"Not good. Not good. Not good." Harry panicked as his broom shot at full speed toward a large wooden pole.
Dumbledore, from his box watched Harry fall leaving a smoke trail looking frighteningly a lot like a comet. "When the One Who Lived falls in flames like a comet, " he repeated part of Prof. Trelawney's prophecy. "Oh dear, oh dear me."
Harry looked up from his broom and could plainly see the pole just a few feet away and laid forward on the broom and closed his eyes tight. The broom hit the pole with such force it splintered it and the upper part of the pole, Harry's broom, and Harry himself flew in three different directions. Harry fell a good twelve feet and hit the hard ground with a sickening thud that echoed through the now silent stands and field.
"Oh god…" Hermione whimpered but gasped and clinched to Hagrid as the half-giant leapt from his seat and ran at full speed to the fallen boy, "'ARRY! HOLD AN LAD, EM COMMIN' FER YE!"
Once Hagrid was on ground level, Hermione jumped from his shoulders and shot toward her best friends, tears now streaming down her face. She finally reached him, and dropped to her knees beside his unmoving, facedown body. She gently placed her hands on his shoulders, scared to death to even try to move him. "H-Harry?" She whispered, through a sob. She finally took a deep breath and rolled him over and let out a loud gasp.
To Be Continued…