“So wha’ d’yeh think?” Hagrid asked when he stopped by to give Ron and Harry some dead birds to try and entice them down from the trees.
“They’re cool, Hagrid. You’re doing really well,” Harry assured him. Despite his protestations of the contrary Hagrid was still hurt by the review that hag Umbridge had given him and that had managed to convince poor Hagrid that he was a hopeless teacher. Although he sometimes allowed his love of dangerous creatures to cloud his judgement Hagrid was quite a good teacher, he introduced them to a wide range of creatures and they had learned a lot about them. All in all he didn’t do too bad a job.
After their lesson Harry and Ron raced up to the tower to dump their books before speeding down to the Quidditch pitch. They met up with Katie Bell, who was the team’s remaining Chaser and Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper who were their current Beaters. They chatted for a few moments about what kind of things they would ask the prospective chasers to do. They watched as a rather large group of students varying greatly in size walked towards them. There were about twenty of them in total every year group from the second year upwards had a representative. He was delighted to see Ginny leading them along with Colin Creevey. They lined up in front of the team and waited patiently, it wasn’t until Katie elbowed them both in the ribs, that either of them said anything.
“Right. Well, we would like to thank everyone for coming but as you know we’ve only got two chaser positions available so unfortunately we’ll have to tell most of you that you didn’t make it…” Harry began.
“But don’t worry Katie leaves this year so if you don’t make it try again next year,” Ron supplied.
“Hey, I’m not gone yet you know!” she protested.
“Let’s get back to the point,” Harry tried to steer away from an argument with the seventh year. “We want to get you all up in the air and see how you blend with the team.”
“So we’ll be taking you in pairs, we can start with Ginny and Colin. Can the rest of you sort yourselves in to pairs and when one pair is finished the next can take their place,” as Ron spoke his audience immediately separated itself.
Ginny and Colin took to the skies first, Ginny was spectacular as expected but Colin wasn’t too bad either. They went through pair after pair but none were comparable to Ginny. Harry and Ron’s roommates Dean and Seamus also tried. Seamus was reasonable but Dean kept glancing down at Ginny and scowling. Harry got the feeling he was trying to impress her but it didn’t appear to be working because Ginny was glaring right back at him. After everyone had got the opportunity to fly with the team they returned to the ground and Harry once again addressed the crowd.
“Well done everyone. Thanks for trying out. We’ll need a little while to make a decision but we’ll post the team list up on the common room notice board sometime tomorrow along with a date for the first practice,” Harry looked at Ron to see if he had anything left to say which he apparently didn’t so the team made their way back to the changing rooms to discuss who to add to the team.
“Well I think Ginny’s a cert, any arguments?” Ron began immediately.
“Agreed,” chorused Harry and Katie. Jack and Andrew just nodded meekly.
“Who else?” Katie asked.
“Creevey wasn’t bad,” Harry added.
“You’re just saying that because he’s the president of your fan club,” Ron mocked.
“That’s a reason to not add him to the team,” Harry burned red remembering how during his second year Colin had followed him around with a camera. “Seamus wasn’t bad either.”
“True,” Katie nodded. “That other fourth year Emily, she was ok, lacked confidence but she had some talent,” they discussed everyone at length and eventually settled.
The next morning Harry and Ron posted a note on the notice board the team list:
Ron Weasley: Keeper (Captain)
Harry Potter: Seeker (Captain)
Katie Bell: Chaser
Ginny Weasley: Chaser
Colin Creevey: Chaser
Andrew Kirke: Beater
Jack Sloper: Beater
The first practice will be Tuesday October 2nd at 6.00pm
Your Captains
H. Potter R. Weasley”
The first practice went fairly well everyone got on well together and played sufficiently well. They decided that they would have two practices a week on a Tuesday night and a Saturday morning. If need be they would have a third practice on a Thursday night.
That Sunday Harry went along to the headmaster’s office to begin his Occlumency lessons. “Canary Creams,” he said. As the stairs rose his mind wandered to his last lesson with Snape when Harry had peered into the Potion Masters pensieve and seen his father ridiculing the teenage Snape. At the same time he remembered the pain that he had suffered during the sessions, he sincerely hoped that he would not have to endure the same pain again. He knocked the door firmly and waited to be invited in; he only had to wait a second.
“Good afternoon Harry. How are you today?”
“Fine thank you sir.”
“You look worried?” he studied Harry very carefully.
“Well my last Occlumency lesson didn’t go very well.”
“I am aware of that. Please take a seat, I understand that your classes with Professor Snape did not go entirely as I had planned,” Harry sat in a plush seat that the Professor conjured for him.
“My scar hurt so much afterwards that I wasn’t properly clearing my mind before bed.”
“We must learn from our mistakes, that is what they are for. What did Professor Snape tell you about the practice of Occlumency?”
“Nothing really. He just said that I should clear my mind.”
“Perhaps he could have explained a little better. Let me try, close your eyes and imagine yourself in a room, a completely empty white room. One with no furniture, no windows, no doors. Walk towards the wall nearest to you and put your hand on it, feel its solidity. Run your hand along the walls and into the corners feel the security that the room offers to you. You are safe, you cannot be touched, and your mind is blank. Open your eyes again Harry,” as he opened his eyes the headmaster swam back into focus. “Every night before bed I want you to run through that again, eventually it should become instinct. Do you feel ready?”
“Yes sir,” he felt much more comfortable with the idea of emptying his mind.
“In that case we shall begin,” Dumbledore stood and drew his wand from his robes and indicated that Harry should do the same “Legilimens!.” Instead of the fierce mental ambush that he expected there was nothing. He stood waiting for Dumbledore to push into his mind but nothing happened. Harry suddenly became aware of what felt like a gentle breeze swimming into his mind. He thought about the first days of his summer when he was wallowing in self-pity, his mind drifted to the many dreams where he had chased after Sirius into the Department of Mysteries and was struck down by Voldemort. Then his mind drew itself forward into the latter days of the summer and the discussions he had with Ellie about his family. He fast-forwarded to the first days back at school, he was looking at Ginny and he wanted to kiss her.
Hang on, something’s not right here.
He immediately returned to the white room and ran his hands over the walls and felt the security they held. He saw his headmaster and came back to the room that he was really stood in.
“I am intrigued by the dreams you were having,” Dumbledore said after some time.
“How did you do that?”
“You must be aware that not all attempts to enter your mind will take the form of brute force. It is often the subtle changes that we ignore.”
“That breeze was you,” Harry suddenly realised what had happened.
“Yes. I often find that gentility can be more effective than force. As you just proved many people expect force and when they don’t feel it they allow their mind to relax which makes the process of legilimency much easier. But most importantly you stopped me before I was able to watch you and Ms. Weasley any further. Why did you suddenly withdraw?”
“I thought something wasn’t right. It seemed as though something unusual was happening.”
“They fact that you were able to stop me shows that you have learned the basics fairly well. Does your scar hurt?”
“Not just yet no.”
“If it does begin to please tell either Professors McGonagall or Dumbledore and they will pass the message on to me. I want you to practice retreating into that room before sleep every night, I will know if you have not because those will be the thoughts foremost in your mind. Do you know why it is that Voldemort appeared in your dream?”
“I think…it’s probably…”
“Yes Harry?” his soothing tones were much like the ones that Elizabeth often used.
“I wanted to die… I just wished that Voldemort would come after me and we could finish it before anyone else was taken,” Harry deflated with every word.
“I see. Whilst it is very noble that you should want to rid the world of Voldemort as soon as possible you are not yet ready. You must wait until you are.”
“When will that be?”
“I cannot honestly answer that question because I do not know. But understand that you have progressed very well thus far and I am confident that there is something which you have been missing that will unlock the power within you.”
“What is it that I’m missing?”
“Again I cannot answer; you must wait and find it for yourself. Much knowledge is gained through self-discovery Harry. We must know ourselves before we can know others; once you have learned about yourself then you will be ready to face Voldemort. Our enemies try to tell us that we don’t understand them but when we are able to tell what motivates us we are able to distinguish what motivates our enemy. When you understand their motives you can predict patterns in their behaviour and ultimately you can keep one step ahead of their fight. You must always observe your enemy because they are always the first to find your weaknesses; take note of what they use to frighten you because they are almost always frightened of it themselves. But you needn’t worry about this just now; when the time comes we will discuss it again. I assume that you would like to return to your friends, I believe that Ms. Granger has some homework timetables planned for you and Mr. Weasley.”
“Great!” he said insincerely as he made his way to the door.
“And Harry,” Harry turned back to face him.
“Yes sir?”
“Good Luck with your upcoming Quidditch match, I shall be cheering for
Gryffindor.”
“But I thought that staff members were supposed to be impartial?”
“They are. I shall cheer when no one is looking,” he smiled mischievously.
The weeks before their first game flew in and before they knew it they were at their last practice before the first game of the season. They were lined up to play Ravenclaw. Harry wasn’t really looking forward to it because Cho Chang was their seeker and current captain. Every time he thought about it his stomach twisted nervously. He hadn’t really had much contact with Cho since they broke off whatever it was that happened between them and the thought of having to shake her hand again wasn’t one he relished in.
The morning before the game saw the Gryffindor team sitting at the breakfast table quietly. No one ate very much as was customary before a game. They silently filed out of the hall to calls of ‘Good Luck’ from their housemates. The silence continued as they dressed. Finally Harry spoke.
“Ok everyone, it’s the first game. We’ve practiced hard and we know what we’re doing, there’s no reason we can’t win this,” even Harry could hear how unsure he was.
“Not much good at this inspirational speech making thing are you?” Ron goggled at him. “Listen here, we’ve worked our backsides off. We are a great team. We’ve got a fantastic seeker, three brilliant chasers, two great beaters and a good keeper. We can do this. Let’s beat the socks off them!” he yelled echoing Oliver Wood and throwing his fist in the air. He signalled everyone into a circle and indicated that they should put a hand forward. “On the count of three we shout ‘Go Gryffindor’ right?” everyone nodded at him. “One, two, three…”
“GO GRYFFINDOR!” they shouted together.
The job of commentating on the match had been taken over by a sixth year Hufflepuff whose name Harry didn’t know, “And here come the Gryffindors,” his voice echoed around the stadium. “Keeper and Co-Captain Ron Weasley, chasers Katie Bell, Colin Creevey and Ginny Weasley, beaters Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper and last but by no means least Co-Captain and seeker Harry Potter. He’s back fresh from a lifetime ban placed on him by that deplorable old hag Umbridge,” Harry noted that Professor McGonagall made no attempt to stop his defamation of the former headmistress’ character. He followed up by calling the names of the Ravenclaw team. Harry looked up into the stands and saw Ellie sat next to her grandfather proudly wearing a Gryffindor scarf. Upon Madame Hooch’s instruction Harry stepped forward and shook Cho’s hand, she was staring at him in a rather peculiar way.
Second’s later he took off, soaring into the sky high above the stadium. He watched as the game developed, Ginny and Katie were working spectacularly well together as a team. Colin started off a little shaky but as his confidence grew him and the two girls began to work together fluidly. Kirke and Sloper weren’t anywhere near as good as Fred and George had been but they were performing well enough to allow the three chasers to score once each within a half hour. Harry and Cho circled the stadium in search of the snitch; so far Harry hadn’t even come close to spotting it. Ravenclaw pulled back two goals. It was an incredible compliment to the two teams that their chasers were finding it so hard to score. Ron was performing more than admirably.
As the Ravenclaws failed to score another goal the sounds of ‘Weasley is our King’ reached him. He once again shifted his gaze to the stands and saw that Elizabeth had moved along her row to the side of the staff box that opened on to the Gryffindor stands. She had her wand in the air conducting the spectators of his house through the verses of the song, which had been significantly lengthened to mention something about Ron’s manly frame and dashing good looks. Harry smiled to himself, so much for not showing Gryffindor any favouritism.
The game had been going for an hour and a half before Harry spotted the snitch; it was floating around above the staff stand. Cho spotted it at almost the same time as Harry, they both raced forward. The only thought running through Harry’s mind was that the current score was sixty “ eighty to Gryffindor and if he could get the snitch they would win. As they sped towards it the golden ball fluttered down towards the grass below them, both immediately nose-dived. They flattened out at the same time, it was ever so slightly closer to Harry and he instinctively reached forward for it. As his hand closed in on it he realised that he was set for a head on collision with Cho, he rolled over and pulled his broom down sharply. He felt his toes brush hers and his hair brush the grass, when he rolled back up he landed and threw his hand into the air as the little snitch struggled to break free.
He and Ron had won their first match as captains. He grinned wider than he had in a long time when his team landed beside him and congratulated him. Ron clapped him on the back repeatedly, Katie shook his snitch-free hand, Kirke and Sloper clapped brightly and Ginny, well Ginny jumped up and down in delight whilst wrapping her arms around him and curling up into his chest.
A/N: From here on in i'm going to give you the next chapter title at the end of each installment, i've seen a few others do it and it provides a nice little teaser. So the next chapter will be... Expiscor Diligo.
A review would be a very nice gesture (hint, hint).