Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: The characters of this fiction are borrowed and used as a tribute to the wonderful world created by J.K. Rowling. They're not mine, never were and never will be. No money is being made on this either.

Author's notes:
Sorry this took so long to get up, but I've been away. I want to once again thank those who reviewed. Some of you have said that they can't wait for some H/Hr interaction. I can't either, but I'm afraid that it will be some time for it. Don't lose your hopes, the romance will come as I promised.

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Harry awoke early the next morning, and were soundlessly greeted by Madam Pomfrey who took his pulse and made him drink a foul-tasting remedy that would help to keep his blood-pressure steady. He was allowed to leave afterwards, after being told by the matron to come back in two days. Breakfast wasn't to be served just yet, so Harry made his way to the Owlery to send a message with Hedwig. His snow-white owl was quite excited to be flying a message this early of the term, it wasn't very usual. Yet she waited patiently as Harry wrote the words on a piece of parchment.

Dear Remus Lupin.

Sincerely
Harry.

Harry couldn't think of anything else to say, so he fastened it to Hedwig's leg and sent her off, and then he made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Once there, he noticed professor McGonagall sitting in the headmaster's chair. That meant that Dumbledore had left, and that knowledge did actually sent an uncomfortable twirl in his stomach.
He found Ron and Hermione in their usual seats, Ginny was there too. He greeted them good morning as he sat down opposite the girls. Ron replied, Hermione only nodded without looking up from the book she was reading. Must've upset her more than I thought.
'How're you holding up, Harry?' Ron asked as Harry took some porridge.
'No real problems right now.' Harry answered. 'But I'm prepared in case something happens. Got my balls in my pocket.'
Ron began to snicker, and so did Ginny.
'What?' Harry asked.
'Really Harry.' Ginny said with a smirk. 'You should consider rephrasing your words. When you talk about 'balls', one might think that you're talking about something else.'

'What?' Harry asked again.
'When a guy refers to his 'balls', he might be talking about 'his two best friends'.'
'But I'm not referring to either Ron or Hermi…'
'Harry!' Ginny cut him off. 'For being raised in the muggle-world you sure are thick sometimes.' She said rolling her eyes.
Harry fought to keep his temper. 'Maybe you should just spit out what you mean Ginny.' He said with a forced calm.
''Balls' is another word for testicles, Harry.' Ginny said straight out. Harry grew red in his face.
'Everybody go back to your breakfast!' Ginny said in a loud voice that held much authority. Every student who'd looked up at Ginny's explanation quickly turned away again.
'You sure have changed.' Harry said quietly to Ginny. 'I can't imagine the shy little girl you used to be saying something like that straight out.'
'What did you expect when you got six over-protective brothers?' Ginny answered with a smile. 'It takes a lot to prove to them that I can take care of myself.'
'Well, you sure got me convinced.' Harry said.
'Good. So how about you youngest big brother?'
'I'll never be convinced.' Ron said as he stuffed his mouth full with bread. 'Not by a long shot.'
'We'll see about that.' Ginny said under her breath.

Timetables were shortly afterwards passed out. Ron barely laid his eyes on it before he spit out the pumpkin juice he was drinking. 'They can't be serious!' he exclaimed.
'Ron!' Harry hissed, reacting to the word 'serious'.
'Sorry.' Ron passed to him quickly.
'Is there a problem, Mr. Weasley?' Professor McGonagall asked as she was coming back from the end of the Gryffindor table.
'Our Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons!' Ron said a little too loudly. 'You put us up with triple lessons, with the Slytherins!'
'And?' Professor McGonagall asked bluntly.
'We never used to have those lessons together with the Slytherins before?' Ron said as if he was insulted somehow.
'Well Mr. Weasley, the thing is: your Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons last year was nothing but a big joke. ('You can say that again.' Hermione quietly shot in.) Every student second year and up has a lot of catching up to do, and the only way to make the time is to put you together with another house at the same time.' Professor McGonagall explained in a simple manner.

'I'm okay with that, but… why with the Slytherins?' Ron objected. 'We have to put up with them in Potions and Care of Magical creatures, now we have to have lessons with them there as well? Couldn't we have it with Hufflepuff of Ravenclaw?'
'Slytherin was the only house that we could fit in without having to reschedule the entire timetable for us teachers or for you students.' Professor McGonagall said impatiently. 'You have better learn to deal with it, 'cause we will not sit down and write another timetable for 28 different classes just because you are unhappy with one combination. Now if there's nothing else…?'
'Professor?' Harry spoke up.
'Yes Mr. Potter?'
'How come I still got Potions? I thought I failed it so much that I wouldn't be accepted this year.'
'Didn't you want to become an Auror?' Professor McGonagall had made a promise to Harry that she would assist him in any way to help him become an Auror. But that had been said before the presence of Dolores Umbridge who was interfering with his career interview. Harry hadn't thought Professor McGonagall had been all that serious.
'Er… yes, but…'
'I had to use every trick in the book to convince Professor Snape to accept you into Newt-level lessons, so please don't step back on me now Mr. Potter. You need good grades in Potions to help you along the way, so I expect you to use your full attention in classes these two remaining years.'

'Er… all right, I will. Er, Professor? What is this for subject? Physical exercise?'
'I got it too.' Said Ron.
'To become an Auror you need a good basic physical condition.' Professor McGonagall explained. 'It means lifting weights, running or swimming, push-ups and such, and a special diet-program.'
Ron spat put his porridge. 'Diet-program? You… you mean that we can't eat anything we like anymore?' he asked looking horrified.
'It means Mr. Weasley, that you will have to cut down on all the junk food and look into more healthy fares. And by the looks of your stomach, you'd really need it.'
Both Ginny and Hermione burst out laughing at this as Ron became red in his face. Professor McGonagall gave a faint smile and moved along back to the staff table.
'Stop laughing, it's not funny!' Ron said gloomily looking at his food as if he was seeing it for the last time.
'Yes it is.' Said Ginny. ''Cause I know that you think life isn't worth living if you can't eat the food you love.'
'It's not fair.' Ron sighed.
'Well, if you want to be an Auror, you have to be prepared to make sacrifices.' Hermione said.
'We'll see if I even make it.' Ron answered with a sigh. 'It was only barely I made it into the program with my school marks. The question is: are you prepared to do the Physical exercise? That's nothing you can do from books you know?' Ron smirked at her.

'I don't have Physical exercise.' Hermione answered simply.
'What? But you need it if you want to be an Auror…'
'But I don't!' Hermione cut him off.
'You don't want to be an Auror?' Ron asked surprised. 'But you told us that you wanted to do something worthwhile?'
'I also said that being an Auror wasn't the only worthwhile thing to do.'
'Don't tell me that you really will take SPEW further!' Ron looked a bit disgusted.
'I don't understand what your problem is with that!' Hermione shot back sourly. 'And the name isn't SPEW! It's S.P.E.W.!'
'You're wasting your life on something that's doomed to fail! You need to sort out your priorities!'
'I do have my priorities!' Hermione exclaimed angrily. 'And I don't think that they are something I will waste my life on, thank you!'
'You're living in a dream Hermione!' Ron shouted.

Harry decided that this bickering should be stopped now.
'Ron. You're missing Hermione's entire point here.'
'What? You really think that she should waste her time with the SPEW nonsense?' Ron asked Harry.
'No. I think you miss what she really want to do. We've known her for five years, it is clear what kind of person she really is and what direction in life she wants to take.'
'You explain it to me then, 'cause I sure can't figure it out.'

'Ron, ever since our first year she always stuck to the rules as much she could, 'cause she believed rules are meant to be followed. In our second year she was prepared to bend the rules just to bring out the truth so that innocent people wouldn't take the blame, and in our third year she took up a case of defence for a friend of ours. In fourth year she started SPE… S.P.E.W. because she wants fair treatment for the house-elves. And last year she rebelled against the laws because Hogwarts was corrupted by the ministry.'
'I still don't get it.' Ron said.
'Don't you see?' Harry continued. 'Hermione strongly believes in fair justice. She's going political, not just with S.P.E.W., but with everything that's being unfairly manipulated.'
Hermione was watching Harry wide-eyed. 'When did you get to know me so good?' she asked him in an amazed tone.
'There are many things I fail to see.' Harry answered her. 'But given enough time to dwell about it, even I can put two and two together. And now that you're finally admitting me again, will you please forgive me for snapping at you yesterday? I am dreadfully sorry; I even admit that I'm quite thickheaded sometimes. You have to understand; I am used to be ignored of my problems because of my relatives, so too much attention can really turn my head. Okay? I deeply apologize, and I mean it.'

Hermione pondered on this for a while before she nodded. 'Okay, I forgive you. But promise me to at least think of what we're doing for you before you decide to jump down our throats?'
'I promise.' Said Harry relieved.
'You're really going to do that?' Ron asked Hermione. 'You're really going to go political?'
'Yes.' She answered.
'But Hermione, no one likes a politician.'
Hermione shrugged. 'No one likes a brain-head either, so I'm used to it.'

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They said goodbye to Ginny as they went to their first lesson, which today was Transfiguration. Once there, they could see that Hermione was as usual quite eager to start. Professor McGonagall surprised them with an announcement when she came in to the classroom.
'We will not begin the lesson just yet.' She told the class. 'We will first await the arrival of Professor Flitwick who will bring the sixth-year students of Hufflepuff.'
The Gryffindors looked at each other, wondering why the Hufflepuffs was suddenly to join them. They didn't have to wait long though, tiny Professor Flitwick came in shortly afterwards with his bewildered students and motioned them to take a seat in the rows beside the Gryffindors.
'Good morning, everyone.' McGonagall greeted them as the Hufflepuffs had taken their seats. 'This year we are going to do some more advanced magic, which will include part Transfiguration but an equal part of Charms as well. That is why we have brought you two classes together for the time being. It is time to study the Four Elements.' Hermione sat up straighter to pay better attention, looking very excited.

'Can anyone here tell us what the Four Elements are?' Professor Flitwick addressed the group. Hermione's hand instantly shot up in the air, as well as some others.
'I hope that you do forgive me for not letting you answer the question this time, Miss Granger.' McGonagall said to Hermione in a friendly tone. 'But I want to see just how much the other students know about the subjects.' Hermione put down her hand looking a little disappointed, but with full understanding.
Flitwick pointed to Susan Bones. 'The Four Elements of nature is Earth, Air, Fire and Water.' She said.
'Excellent Miss Bones, five points to Hufflepuff.' Said Professor McGonagall. The Gryffindors noted that the Hufflepuffs looked quite smug for winning points over them. McGonagall resumed the lesson. 'The first Element we will look into is Earth. All of us is of course aware of that Air and Water are vital to our lives, but so is the Earth. The soil of Earth is in a constant cycle in which we must participate and respect, or we wouldn't survive. Can any of you explain this cycle and how it affects us?'
No one except for Hermione raised a hand. Harry noted that Neville seemed to ponder on raising his, but in the end he just sat still and waited, obviously too shy to draw attention to himself.

'Ok, Miss Granger. It's your show.' Said Professor McGonagall, looking disappointed over the rest of the students who didn't know the answer.
'The soil of the Earth is our basic source of food.' Hermione rambled. 'The soil growths plants that are consumed by the animal wildlife, which in turn gets consumed by mankind. The plants that are eaten gives the animal the nutriment it needs to live while the leftovers is being composted and later returned, (you know how I mean). The Earth breaks this down to make new fresh soil suitable to grow new plants and the cycle starts again. And its not just with animals this process takes place, each leave a tree drops is taken by nature and is broken down to new soil. If we didn't respect and participate in this, like if we continue to drop trash that nature cannot destroy, the soil would die and we wouldn't be able to grow the food we need to eat. And that would result in destroying ourselves.'
'Quite true, and well explained. Ten points for Gryffindor.' Professor McGonagall said. Hermione beamed while the Hufflepuffs looked taken down for not having earned the more points.

'To live in harmony with nature is essential for a wizard, because you never know when you need it to save your life.' Professor Flitwick took over. 'It's not just food we plant in the soil; there are a lot of plants from which we can brew cures to different maladies. We have the incident in your second year for example when we had a great need for the Mandrakes…' (Everyone threw a glance at Harry at this.) '…and many ingredients in your Potions class is grown in our own greenhouses.'
'We will today see just how much in harmony with nature you are.' Professor McGonagall then said. 'If you for some reason don't care much for nature, then you will have a big problem making it to your exams.'
Everyone looked at each other, wondering what their teachers had in mind. Harry noticed that Dean Thomas and Lavender Brown looked quite nervous. Professor Flitwick swished his wand at a wooden box that were standing in the corner of the classroom. Several objects were hovering out of it and was placed in front the students, one for each. When the object landed before Harry on the desk, he saw that it was an ordinary rock, about half the size of his head.

'Rocks…' McGonagall spoke up. '…is part of the Earth Element. I want each one of you to transfigure your rock into a flowerpot. Rocks are difficult to change, but if you have the required respect for nature, then there should be no problem. Once you're finished I want you to put your name on your pot, 'cause we will need them for further lessons, where Charms will come in as well. You may begin.'
Harry hadn't doubted that a rock was difficult to transfigure, but it seemed that no matter how much he tried, the rock wouldn't respond a bit. He saw that Ron didn't fare much better. Harry couldn't understand why. He should have a good cooperation with nature; so many times he had done chores in the garden with the Dursley's, where he'd worked quite much with plants.
Harry looked around to see how the others managed. Hermione had to no ones surprise got a good way ahead with her rock, Dean and Lavender had like himself gotten nowhere at all. But to Harry's surprise, Neville was making a good progress with his rock. That was something that gave a sting in his self-confidence. He put down his wand with a sigh as if he was giving up.

'You're not giving up already, are you Harry?' Hermione asked him as she busied herself putting on the final touches on her flowerpot.
'Look at Neville.' Harry sighed. 'Now he's suddenly doing better than me. He has all the right in the world to be proud of course, but I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.'
'Well, that's no surprise. Neville has always been good in Herbology, this is his area.'
'But I never done badly in Herbology either, and I've been doing a lot of gardening in Privet Drive. I should be in good cooperation with nature, but I still fail.' Harry said sullenly.
'It's all in your mind Harry.' Hermione said soothingly.
'I know that it is in my mind the cooperation resides, but…'
'No, you misunderstood. You've done a lot of gardening, but it was against your will, wasn't it?'
'You're not kidding.' Harry said shortly with a snort.
'And that's where your problems lie. You're being angry about having done gardening you didn't willingly want to do, so you can't put an easy mind on your task. You have to let go of the angry memory and use more pleasant thoughts from nature.'

'How can I do that?' Harry asked her.
'First; pick up your worry-balls and try to relax. Then just as you do when you want to do the Patronus Charm, you concentrate on a more happy memory of nature and imagine the rock to take on the shape of your wish.'
Harry did this, but did it under the table not to draw any unnecessary attention to himself. Once he felt relaxed, he banned the memories of chores back at the Dursley's and brought up a calmer picture of a natural environment. Concentrating on this he tried to change his rock again. To his astonishment, the rock responded and took on a more pot-like appearance.
'See? You can do it.' Hermione said approvingly.
'Thanks Hermione. You're the second greatest girl I know on my rank-list.' Harry said happily. He expected Hermione to be flattered of the knowledge of being the greatest girl next to Cho, but had he bothered to look, he would have seen Hermione turn away to hide her sad expression.

As the lesson went into the Charms hour as their schedule originally stated, Harry had soon managed to form an acceptable flowerpot. Ron wasn't far behind either. Hermione had spent her free time to colour and decorate her own pot to a more personal design, much to the approval of professor McGonagall. Neville, who had for once done well in class and was far ahead of the others decided to follow Hermione's idea. Unfortunately he didn't to good with that area of Transfiguration, all he managed to do was to crack his pot in two halves. And when he tried to fix it, he splintered the rest of the pot into shards, and had to start from the beginning with a new rock. McGonagall was not happy with him.
As it turned out, the worst students in class today was Dean Thomas and Lavender Brown. All they'd managed to do was to flatten their rocks to roughly shaped plates.

'I suppose nature is not that important in your lives Miss. Brown, Mr. Thomas?' Professor Flitwick said to the two of them.
'I live in an apartment.' Dean Thomas explained. 'I don't go out much to the woods.'
'I don't even like the woods.' Lavender said sourly. 'Too many disgusting insects in there and other horrible creatures. I prefer the cities far away from nature.' But their personal attitudes to nature didn't free them from being given extra homework. Lavender Brown was still scolding the two professors for this as they sat down in the Great Hall to eat lunch.

They had Herbology together with the Hufflepuffs afterwards, and it turned out to be an easy lesson for everybody. Professor Sprout told them the subject was to be part of their studies of the Elements as well. She had the students walk around the greenhouses, challenging them to tell her all about the different flowers with its magical properties she grew there as a form of test to see how much they'd taken in over the years. The point with everything was that every student was to take seeds from their personal favourite flower to grow themselves. They would understand later on as the days went by Professor Sprout told them.

The Gryffindors bid goodbye to the Hufflepuffs when Herbology was over. Harry and his class didn't have to return to the castle, 'cause their last lesson of the day was Care of Magical Creatures. Therefore they went down to Hagrid's hut where they were shortly afterwards joined by the Slytherins. (Everybody groaned at this.)
'Are you still on your feet Potter?' Draco Malfoy addressed Harry. 'I would've though that you'd be crawling on all fours by now after a hard day at school.' The Slytherins laughed.
'Any more provokes from you Malfoy, and I'll report you to Professor McGonagall!' Ron said angrily before Harry or Hermione had a chance to say anything.
'Do you think you can scare me Weasley? Just because McGonagall is harsher with the rules than Dumbledore doesn't mean you can intimidate me that easily.'
'You're a prefect Malfoy.' Hermione said. 'That means you are bound to follow the rules just like the rest of us!'
'If I ever want your opinion mudblood, I'll ask for it!' Draco spat.

Both Ron and Harry were about to charge at Malfoy when Hagrid's loud voice boomed over the group. 'I heard dat! Just 'cause yeh happen ter be a Prefect don' give yeh the righ' ter insult yer fellow students! Dat's ten points from Slytherin!' Draco Malfoy's face lost all traces of his usual sneer as he went red in his face. The rest of the Slytherins gave a silent scowl at Hagrid while all the gryffindors beamed at the giant. But that expression disappeared as Hagrid put down the large wooden crates he was carrying. Everybody expected it to be a new batch of blast-Ended Skrewts.

'All righ'.' Hagrid said to everybody. 'T'is here is som'thin' yeh don' get the chance ter to study ev'ry day. Now I don' want ya ter be scared of these babies 'ere, they're 'armless if yeh treat 'em nicely.'
Sounds were coming from the crates, and those sounds were chilling Harry's spine. It was merely a clicking noise, but the clicking sounded very familiar. Harry glanced over to Ron, and he saw from Ron's white face that he recognised the sounds as well. Some of the students suddenly shrieked and jumped back. Something thin and hairy was protruding from the narrow opening between the boards, something Harry had seen before, and plenty of them too. He knew what Hagrid was keeping in the crates. Acromantulas: giant spiders! Ron took several steps back.

'No need ter be frighten'.' Hagrid said to the retreating students. 'These are born 'bout a week ago an' got no taste fer human flesh.'
'And what are we suppose to do with them?' Seamus Finnigan said looking sick.
'Care for 'em of course.' Said Hagrid, as it was the most obvious thing in the world. 'Yer going ter nurse 'em, feed 'em and such… Go into pairs and take one each, feed 'em with the fresh meat I got 'ere… see if yeh can get 'em ter like yeh…'
It was not a successful lesson. Even though Hagrid picked the small Acromantulas up (Ron retreated even further back) to show them how it was done, no student was to touch them. They wouldn't even go near them. Bewildered and somewhat disappointed, Hagrid let them go after telling them that he had no choice but to fail everyone on today's lesson. No one cared less, save for Hermione.

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As the sixth year students made their way back to the castle, Harry and Hermione finally caught up with Ron who had rushed ahead of everybody to get as far away from the spiders as he could. He stood leaning against a pillar beside the entrance, panting heavily.
'He's crazy!' he told them. 'Bringing those things this close to school! They're one of the most dangerous and untrainable beasts known, and he wanted us to feed them? He's crazy! (I hate spiders.)'
'Do you want to have a go with my worry-balls Ron? It looks like you could need them.'
'It's not funny Harry! (I hate spiders.)'
'He sure has a funny conception of dangerous creatures.' Hermione said. 'Well, at least he didn't bring a fully grown Acromantula to show us.'
'Yeah, like bringing Aragog out of the forest for a closer study.' Harry said.
'Harry, don't even make me think about it! (I hate spiders.)' Ron exclaimed, shuddering.

'Hey, let's forget about it.' Harry said. 'Anyone have an idea on what we can do for the rest of the evening?'
'We could always do some further studying on the four elements.' Hermione said brightly.
'Hermione, I am not doing study's on a homework-free day.' Ron objected. 'How about a chess-tournament? Or a game of Exploding Snap?'
'I'm in.' Harry said.
'Oh you two…' Hermione began to scold but held back the rest.
'C'mon Hermione.' Harry said. 'It's good for your concentration to take a break from school at least once.' He flashed her a reassuring smile, which she found that she couldn't resist.
'All right. Just this once.' She said.
'That's our girl.' Ron said happily.

'Harry.' Someone then called from the switching stairs that they were approaching. It was Cho.
'Hey sweetheart.' Harry called back.
'I got no homework today, how about you?'
'No, me neither.'
'Wonderful. Then how about the two of us go for a walk around the lake? There's a lot of stuff I want to talk with you about. Please?' Cho flashed him a cute look, which made up Harry's mind quickly.
'Catch you guys later.' Harry said to Ron and Hermione, and then he disappeared with Cho, having totally forgot about his earlier plans. The other two were just standing looking after them, mouths agape, not fully understood yet of what just happened.
'Well I'll be…' Ron finally said. 'Guess being in love can really turn your head. Ah well, then it's the two of us.' Ron smiled at the thought of being alone with his female best friend. 'How about it Hermione?'
'I changed my mind.' She answered with a strangely strained voice as she took of towards the library, leaving Ron left standing in the middle of the floor.
'Women.' He said shaking his head as he headed back to the Gryffindor tower by himself.

Author's notes:
This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, sorry about that. Now that I got them back in school, there isn't much to fill up the chapters with. Hopefully you will still find the story interresting. 'Til next time...