kbinnz - Harry's New Home

"Did you ever tell him why you didn't want to go to the Feast? It was because of your parents, wasn't it?" Hermione asked, her eyes worried.

"Yeah," Harry admitted, coloring anew at the realization that Hermione had known all along. "An' he was brilliant. He had Professor McGonagall come to the quarters, after Ron had fallen asleep, an' the two of them told me stories about my parents practically all night long."

Hermione smiled, her brown eyes warm. "He really cares about you. You know that, right?"

Harry dropped his eyes, embarrassed and delighted at the same time. "Yeah," he confessed quietly. "He тАУ he sorta said so."

Hermione blinked. "Really? He тАУ ah тАУ doesn't seem like the type of person who'd go around saying things like that."

"He isn't, really, but I kinda, erm, got upset when I realized I wasn't allowed to play today. And, well, after I said a whole bunch of things that I didn't mean, an' he was just brilliant about it all and, well, it kinda slipped out."

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione threw her arms around him again. "I'm so happy for you!"

" 'Mione!" Harry hissed, scandalized. "People are watching!"

She released him but kept beaming, her eyes suspiciously moist. "It's just so nice that тАУ that you've got each other now."

Harry grinned. "Yeah, it really is."

They smiled idiotically at each other for another moment, but then Hermione's eyes got wide. "Oh! Harry! Did they tell you about today? How you have to help with my detention?"

Harry frowned. "Huh?"

Hermione looked alternately embarrassed and annoyed. "I have to write an essay!" she announced.

Harry shrugged. "So do me'n'Ron. Three feet on what we did wrong about the troll. An' we're r'stricted. An' I'm not allowed to fly for a week and Ron can't have pudding for a week."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "No sweets for a whole week? Can Ron do that?"

Harry grinned. "Since the alternative is to have Percy lead him to and from every class, an' have the house elves spoon feed him, I think he'll manage."

"Oooooh!" Hermione shivered. "Professor Snape really is strict!"

"So are you on restriction too?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded. "Everything is the same for me, except that instead of having something suspended for a week, I have to write another essay as wellтАж" her voice trailed off awkwardly.

That made some sense. It wasn't as if Hermione did many things that grown ups found objectionable. She ate fewer sweets than probably anyone else in their whole year, and she was always studying or readingтАж What could they take away? Harry looked at her in concern. She was obviously feeling deeply humiliated about something. What could it be?

"Hermione? What is it? What've you got to write about?"

Hermione blushed brightly. "You'll laugh. You and Ron both."

"No, we won't," he coaxed. "C'mon, Hermione."

"Professor McGonagall is making me write a whole essay about Quidditch!" she blurted. "And I have to go to games and practices this whole week!"

Harry tried.

He really did. But he was only eleven after all, and he started laughing helplessly. "R-Ron's going to go mental when he hears this," he spluttered.

"Harry James Potter! There is nothing funny about this!" Hermione was now pink with outrage. "You know how much Professor McGonagall loves the game; if I get anything wrong in the essay, she'll probably extend my punishment for another whole week! That's why you have to go to the game with me and explain everything!"

In the end, Harry managed to stifle his snickers and began to explain the game to her. It was disconcerting when Hermione got out her quill and parchment and started taking notes with the same level of attention she showed the professors, and all too quickly Harry's basic knowledge of the game was exhausted. He retrieved some of Ron's Quidditch books and magazines from the dorm, knowing the redhead would be willing to share them with the girl, and by the time of the game, Hermione had absorbed enough to have a general idea of what to expect.

About half an hour before the match was to start, an ebullient Ron dashed in, yelling, "Willow and unicorn hair!" as he brandished his new wand.

"That's great, Ron!" Harry exclaimed.

"It's lovely. I'm sure that now you'll be able to do ever so many spells on your first try," Hermione added.

"Thanks!" Ron beamed proudly. "And here, these are for you." He handed a small package to each of them.

"What is it?" Harry asked curiously, as Hermione examined the wrapping.

"Well, your da- erm, professor, said that тАУ" Ron deepened his voice into a reasonably good imitation of Snape " тАУ 'Since dunderheaded children will insist upon placing wands in their back pockets, you obviously cannot be trusted to decide upon where to keep your own wands.' So he got us each a wrist holster. Innit great?" He flicked his wrist and his wand dropped into his hand.

"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Oooh!" Hermione's face lit up. "This will make it much easier to incorporate the wand into the proper motions for a spell."

"Yeah, an' it'll make it easy to draw it quick in a fight!" Harry grinned.

"It was really nice of your professor to get one for each of us," Hermione commented, giving Harry a sidelong look.

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "But he also said that if he ever found that we weren't using them, he'd give us detention. Ooops тАУ the match! I gotta go!" Ron rushed off to the Quidditch pitch, where he was serving as the team's gofer for the day. One first year student was selected to serve in this capacity for each game, and it was a highly sought after prize. Ron had been delighted when he had won the spot in the special lottery, and he'd practically burst into tears of relief when Professor Snape had confirmed that he'd still be permitted to carry out the role.

After attaching the holsters to their forearms and practicing a bit with drawing and replacing their wands, Harry and Hermione headed to the pitch at a more sedate pace. Hermione was still looking over her notes and muttering to herself. "BludgerтАж BeatersтАж SnitchтАж SeekerтАж"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hermione, relax. It's a game. You're not going to be quizzed on it today, okay?"

Still, when they reached the pitch, even Harry was a little startled to see how enormous the stands were, filled with cheering, shouting students. Hermione looked over at the Gryffindor section, but it was obvious that with all the screaming that was going on, there was no way she would be able to hear his explanations of the play. Scanning the stadium, Harry's eye fell upon some of the highest seats.

"There!" he pointed and pulled her up to the very top level of the stands. Only a few other students were scattered around this railing, and none were close. From this high up, they had a panoramic view of the pitch, and although the cheers were audible, they were sufficiently muted that the two could talk. The commentator could also be heard, but Harry would be easily able to speak over him.

"C'mon," Harry said, swinging one leg over the railing and perching upon it like the other students were doing.

"Oh, Harry, I'm not sure it's allowed. What if you fall?" Hermione frowned.

Harry sighed. There were times when having a girl as a best friend could be tiresome. "Everyone else is sitting this way! Look тАУ we're practically right above the field. It's brilliant. You'll be able to see all the action."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Boys! There were perfectly good, comfortable seats right there, but no, they had to perch themselves of railings and sit backwards on chairs and otherwise behave like complete loons. "Oh, all right," she grumbled, not wanting to annoy Harry when she needed to pick his brain throughout the upcoming game.

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