Chapter 31
Dedicated to: People!!!!! YAY!!!!!! Okay, I'll shut up now.
Note: The story is nearing it's end. Some people are getting bored and say it's too long. But it'll be over soon. Please keep reading. And do people like the Ginny/Draco thing? Let me know!
The next day was the Quidditch Final. Harry was up early in the morning, polishing his broom and thinking over their strategy plan. Hermione in her cheerleading outfit met up with him at the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall.
"Is Ron here yet?"
"No. He's going to meet with the team in the locker room." Harry replied, biting into a piece of toast. All the other Gryffindor cheerleaders were excited about the finals. Except for maybe Ginny who was less enthusiastic.
On the Quidditch field, morning dew was still sparkling on the grass. The Ravenclaw and Gryffindor teams gathered in their locker rooms. Ron was waiting for them. He grinned at Harry.
"All right team." Harry said. "Listen up. This is our last chance to win the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor again." The team tensed, waiting for Harry to rant on them.
"Come one. We need to relax!"
"I could go for a massage." Isaac Garet said.
"WE could go for a win!" Harry stated. "Now, let's get out there and beat Ravenclaw down!"
"Yeah!" Colin Creevy said. They picked up their brooms and walked out of the locker rooms and onto the field. The students cheered and waved flags. The Ravenclaw players walked onto the field. Madam Hooch stepped out. She talked to the teams before telling them to mount their brooms.
"And they're off!" Dean Thomas said into the magical microphone. "Quaffle is taken by Chaser Isaac Garet. Seeker Harry Potter, dodges a speeding Bludger! GOAL!!!!!!!! Gryffindor scores!!!!!" Harry flew around the stadium, the Snitch no where in sight. The Bludgers flew by and the Quaffle was thrown back and forth. Gryffindor scored three more times before Dennis was knocked out by a Bludger and crashed into Natalie MacDonald, causing her to drop the Quaffle and letting Ravenclaw score. Padma Patil suddenly swerved in mid-air and headed in the opposite direction. Towards Harry. Harry looked behind him and saw the Snitch fluttering by the goal posts. Padma was almost to Harry when he turned his broom and flew towards the posts.
"Come on, come on!" Harry said, yanking his broom to the left after the Snitch changed directions. Padma was on his tail now. Harry leaned forward, chin touching the broom. He reached out his hand, stretching it as far as it would go. He was touching the snitch. Harry strained his fingers. The Snitch folded up in his hands.
"HE'S GOT THE SNITCH!!!!! GRYFFINDOR WINS THE CUP!!!!!! LET'S HEAR IT FOR OUR GREAT SEEKER!!! Come on down here, Harry!" But Harry didn't fly down to the ground. He was looking towards Hogsmeade, which was very dusty and dry. He saw Voldemort's palace with many dark dots milling around it.
"Harry!" Ron said, flying up next to him. "Let's go! We've won!" Ron tugged on the sleeve of Harry's robes. Ron looked to where Harry was staring. Ron frowned.
"Hey. Come on." Harry flew down to he ground where the entire Gryffindor House was cheering for their Quidditch Team. As happy as Harry was to be holding the Quidditch Cup above his head, he didn't show it.
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The stables were filled with hay and black Unicorns. They snorted, reared, and tossed their heads angrily.
"What are we supposed to do?" Crabbe asked Goyle. Goyle shrugged his shoulders.
"Do you know?" they asked Nellie. She shook her head. Draco came over and stared at the three kids sitting on up-turned buckets.
"No, I don't know what to do." Draco said with just one look at their faces. They slumped all around the barn.
"I'm not cleaning the poop up." Nellie said.
"Me neither!" Draco said. "I call feed duty!"
"I call grooming!"
"I call caravans!" Goyle said.
"I call.... I call.... Uh...." Crabbe sighed and picked up the pitchfork. Wormtail entered the stables.
"The Master wants everyone to hurry with their chores." He said. The teens nodded.
Crabbe and Goyle backed the black Unicorns into the caravan harnesses. Nellie helped lock the harnesses.
"Disgusting!" Voldemort said, walking into the stable. "It reeks of shit in here! Where are you kids?"
"Outside, Master!" Draco said. Voldemort walked out of the stables, holding his robes above his ankles.
"Good! I see the caravans are ready." Voldemort said, scraping gunk off his shoes on a nearby rock.
"You can go back to the palace." Voldemort said, nodding his head. "Send the drivers for the caravans."
"Yes, Master." The four chorused. They turned and started to walk away.
"Young Malfoy." Voldemort said. Draco stopped in his tracks.
"Come here." Draco slowly turned around.
"Look at me." Voldemort said. Draco looked up into the bottomless black pools of his eyes.
"No more letters, do you understand?" He said.
"I--- I can't do that." He said, looking at the ground and shaking his head.
"You will stop writing letters to that girl." Voldemort said, more harshly.
"I can't. I won't." Draco said.
"You will do stop if you ever want to see your precious girlfriend again." Draco raised his head and looked at Voldemort.
"I told you before." Draco said, eyes narrowing. "You'll nev-"
"Tom? What's going on?" Professor Midrigge stepped in just in time.
"Stay out of this, Ophielus."
"Why? You're not being very fair." She walked over to Voldemort and stepped in front of him.
"I am being fair."
"No you're not. Forcing Mister Malfoy to stop all contact with his girlfriend is like me not being there for you when you most need me." Voldemort's teeth clenched.
"You know you need me in order to defeat Harry. Let's say... I stop feeding you the information you want? What would you do then, hmm?" Voldemort didn't say anything.
"See, Tom? You are being unfair to the boy. Let him do what he pleases."
"The boys father strictly told me to stop him from having contact with that girl. He couldn't do it alone. He knew I could be more forceful."
"Tom. Remember what I said...." Voldemort looked at Draco.
"Fine." He spat. "Go back to the palace. If I can't stop you from writing letters, your father still can." Draco turned and left. As Draco was leaving, Professor Midrigge spoke to his mind.
'Write to her.' Draco continued to walk forward. Voldemort turned around and walked back to the palace the other way.
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"What did you see?" Hermione asked Harry after they returned to the common room. The Quidditch players were to change before going down to the Great Hall for a feast.
"It's desert. All of it. But it's still green at the Hogwarts boundaries." Hermione folded his Quidditch gloves. Harry slid out of his robes and Hermione handed him his school robe and he put it on.
"How many days do we have left?" Hermione asked.
"Not more than 4." Harry said, standing up and fixing his shirt collar.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to talk with Dumbledore after the feast." He and Hermione walked out of the common room. The rest of the Quidditch team was there waiting for them. They walked down to the Great Hall, together.
Red and gold banners hung from the ceiling. The Gryffindor table cheered as the team walked in. The teachers clapped their hands politely. Harry saw a bunch of the wizards from the ministry that he had talked to sitting at the head table. Other empty seats were positioned here and there. Harry looked at Ron. Then Hermione. They both understood. Hogwarts was placing host of the witches and wizards that were going to help in the duel against Voldemort. Dumbledore stood up.
"Well done, Gryffindor! For winning another Quidditch cup for your house! We hold this feast in your honor." The hall clapped.
"And until further notice, Ministry Wizards will be staying here at Hogwarts." The hall was quiet.
"I am sure many of you have noticed the growth of the moon. Do not be alarmed. But we will be heading into a duel against the Dark Lord in the new few days." The hall broke into chatter.
"I repeat. Do not be alarmed. The matters are under control. Now, more guests will be arriving as the feast goes on. I wish for you all to enjoy the feast." The food appeared on the plates. Everyone talked about what the duel against Voldemort would be like.
Sure enough, as Dumbledore had said, several witches and wizards came into the great hall.
"Hey, where's Hagrid going?" Ron asked Harry. They watched Hagrid exit the Great Hall.
"I don't know."
"Wait..." Hermione said. "You don't think."
"HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Madam Maxime walked into the Great Hall with Hagrid.
"Oh no. It's fourth and fifth year all over again!" Ron said, banging his head on the table.
"Wonder if your fantasy girl is here." Hermione said.
"Fleur wasn't my fantasy girl. Besides, I have Leila now." Ron said smugly. Other former students and students from Beuxbatons followed Madame Maxime into the hall. Fleur wasn't one of them, though.
"It's a good thing Hagrid still keeps in touch with her. The Beuxbatons students are very skilled duelists and will be a great help." Hermione said.
"Uh... Great!" Harry said. He had been watching the Great Hall doors.
"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked. "Who's here?" Hermione tried to look towards the door.
"No one is here. Nope. No one in particular." Harry said. Ron's eyes were following someone across the hall.
"No! Nobody special." Ron said. He and Harry grinned at Hermione and leaned their bodies trying to block her view. Hermione frowned.
"What are you trying to hide from me?" she asked.
"Hell, Hermy-oh-ninny." Said Viktor Krum, pausing in front of her. Her eyes grew wide.
"Hello... Viktor." Hermione said.
"It's a pleasure to see you." He said. Hermione fainted dead away.
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