`Can' say I saw that comin'…'
`Neither did I,' said Harry, staring into space. 'It's like I found out overnight.'
~ Harry's Crush ~
It was six o'clock in the morning when Harry woke up, his head full of thoughts - thoughts of Hermione. Thoughts one should not be having about their best friend!
Without hesitation, Harry whipped out of bed and threw on his robe and slippers. Forget sleeping. Forget studying. Harry needed to talk to someone now. But who? He figured this was the kind of thing sons discussed with their fathers. Sirius wasn't readily available, so that left -
'Hagrid!' Harry called out, banging on Hagrid's front door from beneath his invisibility cloak.
A minute later, Harry heard a grunt from inside. The door opened slightly, and Hagrid's tired, beetle eyes poked out. Harry unveiled his invisibility cloak, giving Hagrid quite the shock.
'Harry!' he said gruffly, opening the door wide. He was wearing a pair of red and white striped pajamas, which Harry thought looked very misplaced on his enormous frame. 'What are yeh doin' here? What time is it?'
'Er, I think it's a few minutes after six in the morning,' said Harry sheepishly, realising how early this sounded. Hagrid staggered on the spot.
'Six in the mornin'! What are yeh doin' runin' round the school grounds at six in the mornin', Harry?'
'I haven't been running!' said Harry defensively. 'I was walking...fast.'
'Runnin', walkin', don' make any diff'rence! Yeh jus' outta hospital, Harry! Yeh should be gettin' yer rest and - '
'Hagrid! Enough!' Harry wasn't in the mood to have his health fussed over. Madame Pomfrey had taken care of that. 'I was only infected by love potion, it's not like the bones were removed from my arm or anything! I'm sorry to come here like this, but I really need to talk to someone.'
To Harry's relief, Hagrid smiled. 'Harry! Yeh know I'm always happy to talk to yeh.'
'Thanks, Hagrid,' said Harry appreciatively.
'But nex' time yeh want ter talk, could yeh wait 'till the sun fully rises at least?'
Laying a bulky arm around Harry's shoulder, Hagrid escorted them inside. Harry sunk down in one of Hagrid's oversized chairs, just as Fang ran over to give him the standard lick on the head. 'Down Fang, down!' said Hagrid, shooing him out the way. He handed Harry a cup of tea and sat down on the chair opposite. 'So, Harry, what's bin troublin' yeh?'
Harry stared forlornly at his tea. Now that he was here, ready to talk about her, he wasn't so sure how to go about it; not to mention the whole thing was just plain embarrassing!
`Yeh been thinkin' 'bout exams?' Hagrid prompted him.
`No,' said Harry dully.
'Yeh-know-who?'
'No.'
'Yeh parents?'
`A girl! I've been thinking about a girl,' Harry confessed suddenly, feeling very uncomfortable.
`Oh!' said Hagrid, sounding uncomfortable himself. `A girl. Righ' then! Ah, what of kind of girl?'
Harry looked at him questioningly. `The…usual kind. What do you mean?'
`Righ'! Sorry, Harry, stupid question.'
Plainly, Hagrid wasn't used to helping confused, pubescent boys with their girl problems. But Harry was desperate, and still willing to give him a shot. Besides, it's not like he had anyone else to turn too.
`This girl then,' Hagrid elaborated, after clearing his voice, `yeh like her I'm guessin'?'
`I don't know,' said Harry automatically, growing more embarrassed. `I mean, maybe…probably…I think so. I had this dream about her when I was in hospital last night. I've never had a dream like that before…'
`Oh, well!' said Hagrid rather suddenly, picking nervously at his beard. `That's perfectly normal, Harry. Teenage boys often have…er, dreams `bout girls. It's nothin' to worry `bout, it's - '
Harry, catching on to what Hagrid was trying to explain, laughed.
`Hagrid, I didn't have that kind of dream! Just a regular one.'
`Oh! Sorry, Harry,' he apologised, turning red. `I didn' mean ter...well, yeh know.'
`It's okay, Hagrid,' Harry assured him, smiling.
`So! Now that tha's cleared up,' he said, keen to change the subject. `Do I ge' ter know who the lucky girl is?'
Sipping tea, Hagrid waited for to Harry respond. After a long sigh, Harry forced himself to say it.
`It's Hermione.'
Hagrid coughed and spat his tea back into the cup.
`Hermione!' he choked in surprise. `Can' say I saw that comin'…'
`Neither did I,' said Harry, staring into space. 'It's like I found out overnight.'
'Are yer sure yeh haven' got any love potion left in yeh?' Harry shook his head.
'No, I've been cured. So why can't I stop thinking about her like this? It's weird...I feel really guilty.'
'Guilty? Why would yeh feel guilty, Harry?'
'Because we're supposed to be friends!' Harry expressed desperately. 'How could this happen, Hagrid? What if she finds out how I'm feeling and freaks out? What if I freak out? What if - '
'Harry, calm yerself!' said Hagrid firmly. 'Yeh got a crush. They always make yer feel a bit "freaked out" as yeh pu' it. Don' get yerself worked up 'bout it though. Hermione's not eleven any more after all. She's turnin' into a young woman.'
'Don't say that!' said Harry, panicking at the very thought.
'Well, it's true I'm afraid! Yeh'd be blind if yeh didn' notice her a more then yeh used too. Its nothin' to feel guilty 'bout, though.'
'So,' said Harry, more calmly, 'what do you think I should do?'
Hagrid mulled this over, taking another sip of tea. 'I'm no expert or nothin', Harry, but yer basically got two choices: yeh can tell her how yer feelin', or, don' tell her. If it's really botherin' yeh, maybe you should take yer chances and say somethin'. Yeh could end up regrettin' it if yeh don'.'
Maybe Hagrid was right, Harry thought. Perhaps he should say something; otherwise he could wind up going crazy - crazier then he already was, that it is. With newfound resolve, Harry placed his teacup on the table and stood up out of his chair.
'Thanks for listening to me, Hagird. I think I'll got back to school now.' Hagrid chuckled.
'Any time, Harry. But no' early in the mornin' like this, all righ'?'
~ The Annual Drakon Hunt ~
Breakfast was being served when Harry returned to the castle, so he quickly headed to his dormitory room to dress properly, before hurrying back downstairs to the Great Hall. He spotted Ron at the Gryffindor table with his brothers, Fred and George. They appeared to be sulking about something. And Hermione...well, she wasn't there.
'Where have you been?' said Ron, on seeing Harry.
'Good morning to you too,' said Harry flatly, sitting down and fixing himself a bowl of porridge.
'What's so good about it?' groaned Fred and George in unison. Harry raised his eyebrows.
'Fine. Forget I mentioned it.'
'Sorry, Harry,' said Fred apologetically. 'It's just...it's a real shame it is!'
'A damn shame!' said George, banging his spoon.
'A stupendous shame!' said Fred, banging a glass.
'A tremendous, gargantuan shame!' retorted George, banging the milk jug.
'A historically, monumental, GINORMOUS - '
'All right, all right!' said Ron, annoyed. 'That's enough! I think Harry gets the picture.'
But Harry didn't get the picture at all.
'What's such a shame?' he asked. George sighed heavily.
'Ever heard of something called the Annual Drakon Hunt, Harry?'
'Er...no,' said Harry, clueless. Despite attending Hogwarts for five years now, there were still some things about the magical world he had yet to learn.
'It's held at Mount Olympus in Greece,' Fred informed him. 'Every year, wizards from all over Europe come together to hunt for a type of dragon called the Drakon, who guards this big pile of treasure - '
'An enormous pile of treasure,' emphasised George.
'Massive,' concurred Fred.
'Immense!' relayed George.
'A monstrous, TITANIC - '
'GUYS!' yelled Ron, annoyed again. The twins laughed.
'Sorry!'
'Couldn't resist!'
'You're put into teams you see, Harry,' said Ron, taking it upon himself to explain the rest more sensibly. 'They have teams for anything - sports teams, family teams, you name it! Hogwarts always sends a group of teachers to compete. Sometimes even the Head Boy and Girl get to go. Anyway, each team is assigned a Guardian, who's an expert in dragons and stuff. Like Charlie, for instance. He's working as one this year. Guardians aren't supposed to do much, really. They're only there in case something goes wrong.'
'And if you find and get past the Drakon,' said George, 'you get your hands on the treasure!'
'And become rich beyond your wildest dreams!' said Fred, practically drooling at the thought.
'Wow,' said Harry, who felt much less confused. 'That sounds pretty all right. So are you guys entering?'
'That's the shame part,' said Fred, slouching. 'This years Hunt was originally scheduled for the school holidays, but they've changed it to next week! Dad promised we could go and form a "Weasley Family" team, but mum refuses to let us take time off school. Have to wait 'till bloody next year now.'
'And to top it off, we received a letter from perfect Percy, barking on about how he's been chosen to serve the elite Ministry of Magic team. Wouldn't think of being on his own family's team, oh no!' said George grimly. Fred was equally grim.
'If you ask me, they should start a "Wand Up The Ass" team and make Percy the divine leader.'
Ron and Harry burst into laughter, after which they all speculated who would join Percy on his team. Just as Ron suggested Lockhart, George became distracted by someone.
'Oi, Ginny! Why don't you come sit with us?'
Ginny was sitting by herself at the far end of the Gryffindor table, sipping milk. She appeared a little tense.
'I'm fine where I am!' she called back, snappish.
'What's with her?' said Ron, affronted. 'Why doesn't she want to sit with us?'
'Maybe she's rekindled her crush on Harry,' said Fred, giving Harry a wink. 'Either that or she's scared of Ron pursuing another incestuous relationship with her.'
Everyone (but Ron, of course) found this very amusing.
'That wasn't my fault, FRED!' said Ron harshly, punching his brother in the arm. 'It was a love potion! Don't be so disgusting, honestly!'
'It's only an ickle joke, Ronnikens!' said Fred in a cutesy voice. 'Why so sensitive? It's not your time of the month again, is it?'
'Oh, shut up!'
Idly stirring his porridge, Harry half-listened to twins as they proceeded to tease Ron. He couldn't help but think of Hermione. After they cooled down, he finally asked, in as normal a voice as he could manage:
`Ron, have you seen Hermione this morning?'
`No, she hasn't come down yet.'
`Oh,' said Harry, wondering why this could be.
`And I'm quite surprised, really,' Ron went on, taking a gulp of orange juice. `It's not like her to be late. She's usually the first person to wake up in the whole of Britain - AH!'
Someone bumped Ron hard in the back, causing him to spill orange juice down his front. When Ron turned to see who the culprit was, he wasn't shocked at who he found.
`Malfoy!' he grimaced.
`Oops, so sorry about that, Weasley,' said Malfoy, sarcastic as ever. `Next time I'm passing by, I suggest you get your big fat behind out of my way.'
`My big fat WHAT?' said Ron, rising out of his chair.
But before anything else could happen, Professor Snape, who'd been spying on this scene quietly from behind, made an appearance.
`Now boys,' he said, with a typical cold-blooded smile, `I hope there's no trouble here?'
`No sir,' said Malfoy, supposedly unfeigned.
`No sir,' repeated Ron, still grimacing.
Snape eyed Ron darkly.
`Then I suggest you sit down, Mr Weasley, and conduct the remainder of your breakfast in an orderly manner. Unless you want more points taken off Gryffindor?'
Lightening his grimace, Ron sat down without complaint.
`That's more like it,' said Snape, taking the opportunity to stare down his large nose at Harry and the twins, before stalking away.
`Professor Snape!' Malfoy called, approaching him. `I was wondering if I could talk you about an extra-credit Potions assignment I wanted to work on.'
`Certainly Draco, anything I can do to help,' was Snape's reply, sounding almost civil. He and Malfoy walked out of earshot, Malfoy sucking up to Snape in his usual manner.
` "Anything I can do to help",' imitated Fred, once it was safe. `Only a Slytherin would get treatment like that out of Snape! If I asked him for help, he'd toss me to the giant squid.'
`Definite Wand Up The Ass potential, the two of them,' said George approvingly. Ron in the mean time, wiping himself with a napkin, was still burnt over what Malfoy had said earlier.
`Can you believe what that slimy git said about my behind? I guess he hasn't had a good look at Crabbe and Goyle's behinds lately, which is funny 'cause it's not like they're hard to miss!'
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