Harry Potter and Destiny's Arrow

The sandy haired boy studied his ticket carefully. Hogwarts' Express, Platform 9 ¾. He was standing between Platforms 9 and 10. He knew better than to ask any...I wonder if they call them conductors here, too?...body how to locate Platform 9 ¾. As he stood staring at his ticket, he watched in amazement as two red-haired people--a rather tall guy and a willowy girl--walked right through the wall. They were quickly followed by a shorter--compared to the redhead, not you--black haired guy with glasses.

"Do you need some help?"

The boy closed his gaping mouth and turned. He found himself gazing into the brown eyes of a girl slightly shorter than him. "Wh-what?" he managed to sputter out.

"Do you need some help?" she repeated, leaning in to look at the ticket in his hand. She nodded. "Platform 9 ¾? You need to go through the wall."

"Through the..."

"Just push your cart through the wall. Like this." With that, she demonstrated and disappeared.

He shook his head. "I must be going crazy," he said aloud as he walked through the wall. As he emerged on the other side, he was, first of all, amazed that it had worked, and secondly, amazed by the sight that greeted him. There was an honest to goodness steam engine with Hogwarts' Express emblazoned on the front. There were lots of people his age and younger milling about with things like...owls. As his mouth hung open for the second time in five minutes, he heard that voice again.

"Glad to see you made it through," she said to his right. When he turned, she was smiling at him. "I'm Hermione Granger."

He cleared his throat and shook the hand she was forthrightly holding out. "Ja--Jake Willig," he said.

Her smile broadened. "You must be the American exchange student."

"Yeah, pleased to meet you," he said with a smile of his own. A 'Hrmph' to his left interrupted his burgeoning conversation with Hermione. When he glanced over, he saw the two redheads--and the guy was glaring at him--and the dark-haired guy standing there.

"Aren't you gonna introduce us?" the male redhead said testily.

"This is Jake Willig. The exchange student," Hermione said. It was then that she realized she was still clasping hands with Jake. She blushed and dropped his hand.

"I'm Harry Potter," the dark-haired guy said. If Jake noticed properly, it was somewhat with a wince.

Jake stuck out his hand. "Jake Willig. Pleased to meet you," he said, shaking Harry's hand heartily.

Harry stared at Jake pumping his hand up and down and, after a moment, genuinely smiled at him. "This is Ron, Ron Weasley."

"Ron, pleased to..."

"Meet you. I know." Ron scowled as he said this.

"And I'm Ginny Weasley," the female redhead said as she shook Jake's hand. "Excuse my brother as he's a complete git."

"I'm assuming that's a bad thing," Jake said.

"Definitely," Ginny agreed.

"Come on then. Let's find a compartment," Hermione said as they made their way to the car. When they reached the car, Jake stepped aside to allow the girls to board first.

"What're you waiting for?" Ron said impatiently as he clambered up the steps.

Hermione sighed and Ginny repeated, "Complete git, I tell you."

*******************************************

"What the hell is a Booty Boots' Every Flavored Bean?" Jake said as the five of them sat in a compartment. He held one up suspiciously.

"Bertie Botts'. They're candy. Except you really do get..." Ginny began to explain.

"Just try one," Ron butted in. His mood hadn't improved since they'd settled into the compartment.

Jake hesitantly put it in his mouth. He chewed for a minute and spit it out. "Jeez, what the hell was that?"

Before anyone could explain, Hermione looked up from the book she was reading and said absentmindedly, "Don't swear." When she realized that she had admonished Jake, she blushed. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

Jake smiled at her. He could have sworn he heard Ron growl. "It's OK. And can anyone tell me what I just ate?"

"What did it taste like?" Ginny asked.

"Lima beans?"

"Welcome to Hogwarts'," Harry said with a laugh.

"It's gonna be quite an adjustment," Jake said.

An hour later, Ron, Harry, and Ginny were sacked out in the compartment. Hermione was reading and Jake was staring out the window, watching the British countryside go by. "It's really pretty here," he said aloud.

Hermione looked up from her book, marking her place with her finger. "Doesn't look like this where you come from?"

Jake turned from the window. "No. New York definitely doesn't look like this."

"I was trying to place your accent," Hermione said.

"Gets thicker when I'm back home. And I've been away at school for the last five years. In Iowa of all places. Who'd ever think of putting a magical school in the Great Plains?" he asked with a laugh.

"What made you come to Hogwarts?"

He shrugged. "Come on. A chance to come to only the most famous magical school ever. And be around girls with that sexy accent. Who wouldn't want to come?" As he said these words, Ron stirred in his sleep, muttering something. He glanced at Hermione who had busied herself with her book again, unable to hide the slight flush in her cheeks. "Watcha reading?"

She held it up.

"Hogwarts: A History," he read off the cover. "I think it's cool how they enchanted the ceiling."

Her mouth dropped open. "You've read it?"

"How could I come here and not have read it? That'd be nuts."

"That's what I said to Harry and Ron, but they just..."

The other three woke up to a heated discussion between Jake and Hermione about who the greatest headmaster of Hogwarts was (aside from Dumbledore, of course).

"How can you think that she was the greatest?" Jake said. "Just because she was the first headmistress doesn't mean she was good at her job."

"Oh, and I suppose, that your choice is better."

"Everard was the best headmaster Hogwarts' had up to now."

Neither of them noticed Harry, Ginny, and Ron staring at them.

"Bit like having two of her, isn't it?" Harry whispered.

"Only he's much cuter," Ginny said.

"We need to get to our prefect meeting," Ron said loudly as he stood up.

"I guess I better go then," Hermione said as she followed Ron out of the compartment.

"Me, too," Ginny said. She'd gotten her badge over the summer.

"You're not going?" Jake asked Harry.

"No," Harry said.

"OK, explain this Exploding Snap game to me."

"And you call yourself a Wizard?"

************************************

Jake struggled with his tie, but finally managed to knot it around his neck.

"No ties in the States, eh?" Harry said with a chuckle.

"It's a progressive school. We can wear what we want under the robes." Hermione and Ginny entered the compartment, wearing their school uniforms. "Although I could come to like the whole uniform thing. Very Britney Spears," he added.

"Britney who?" Ginny asked.

"Muggle singer," Hermione said with a blush.

"What is going on with you?" Ginny whispered when Jake turned back toward Harry and pulled on his robes. "You've been blushing like..."

"A complete idiot," Ron finished as he strode into the compartment.

"I have not," Hermione said.

"You're doing all but fluttering your eyes at him," Ron retorted.

Harry and Ginny rolled their eyes. "I know the peace of this summer wouldn't last," Ginny said in an undertone.

"Ron Weasley! I am doing nothing of the sort. I'm just being nice."

Jake cleared his throat. "Um, you do know I'm standing right here."

For the fifth time that afternoon, Hermione blushed and stomped out of the compartment. Ron glared at Jake and stomped out after her.

*************************************

"So how do we get up to the castle?" Jake said, casting a wary eye at the carriages. "Are they motorized or something?"

"Electronics won't work here," Hermione said.

"Surprised you didn't read it in Hogwarts: A History," Ron grumbled.

"So my PlayStation won't work here?"

"Sorry, mate," Harry said. Dudley had gotten one for his birthday one year. Harry had gotten to play exactly once when the Dursleys were out.

"Just have to figure out some way to enchant it, I guess," Jake said brightly.

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "But that's against school rules."

Jake shrugged. "Live a little."

"Oh look at this. If it isn't the Weasels, Potty, and the mudblood. Who's your new friend?" The five of them looked over to see Draco Malfoy accompanied by his two ever present sidekicks.

"You take that back," Ron shouted as he pulled his wand from his robes.

"Ron, leave it be," Hermione said as she placed a hand on his arm.

"Yeah, Weasel, listen to your little whore," Draco sneered.

Before Ron could react, Jake had launched his fist at Malfoy's nose. It connected with a satisfying crunch and blood shot out. Malfoy's hands flew up to his nose.

"You broke it," he exclaimed.

"And I'll do more than that if I ever hear you speak to any girl like that again," Jake said.

"You'll regret this," Malfoy said as he stalked off.

Ron was positively seething now. It's my job to protect Hermione. Who does this git think he is? Before he could say anything, Hermione spoke up. "I'm sorry but I have to give you detention for that."

"WHAT?" Jake and Ron shouted simultaneously.

"Jake, while I appreciate your chivalry, I can't allow you to punch students. As a prefect, I have to give you detention."

Jake muttered something like "Crazy English girls" as he climbed into the nearest carriage. For the first time all day, Ron smiled.

**************************************************

Jake looked up at the ceiling and almost tripped coming into the Great Hall.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Hermione asked.

He just nodded, slightly overwhelmed that he was here. They took their seats and he tried to take in everything at once. As he glanced down the Gryffindor table, he caught the eye of a girl with dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He smiled briefly and she smiled back before turning back to her friends, a girl with brown hair and one with braids. Before he could inquire who she was, the first years were brought into the Great Hall.

McGonagall set the Sorting Hat on a stool. Unlike last year, it had nothing to say for itself: no poem, no advice, nothing. Ron, Hermione and Harry shared an uneasy look, but no one said anything.

After all the first years were sorted, Dumbledore stood, everyone assumed, to give his typical start of the year advice. Instead, he spoke of Jake. "As some of you know, we have a visitor this year, Mr. Jacob Willig from America. Mr. Willig is an exchange student and even though Mr. Seamus Finnigan, of Gryffindor, is now in America, the Sorting Hat has requested that Mr. Willig be sorted. Mr. Willig," he said, calling Jake to the dais.

Jake slowly stood and made his way up. He sat on the stool and the Sorting Hat was placed on his head. After a moment, the Hat shouted, "Gryffindor." Jake jumped off the stool and noticed Hermione, Harry and Ginny cheering. Ron looked decidedly put out by the whole thing. Jake made a mental note to speak to someone about this.

Dumbledore stood again and made the usual speech forbidding students from entering the Forest, warning them about being in certain corridors, and making an oblique reference to the troubles of last year. Finally, he commenced the feast.

As the students heaped their plates high with foods of all kind, Jake looked down the table to again find the eyes of the blond fixed on him.

"Who's that?" Jake asked, nudging Hermione and gesturing with his fork.

Before she could reply, Dean Thomas did. "You'd best forget about her, mate. Unless you can compete with a professional Quidditch player," he said through a mouthful of food.

********************************************

After dinner, the prefects rounded up the first years and led them back to their respective common rooms. The hall emptied slowly and Jake found himself falling into step with Harry.

"What's Malfoy's deal?"

"He's a git," Harry said. "Thinks that he's better than anyone else because he's a pureblood."

"And that word he called Hermione--mud..."

Harry cut him off. "Don't say it. It's a dirty word." Jake looked at him with a quizzical look on his face so Harry continued. "Means dirty blood. Basically muggle-born."

"Oh." The two boys lapsed into silence again as Harry led the way to the common room. They came to the fat lady's portrait and Harry gave the password: Nimbly Dorcas. The portrait swung open and they clambered through the hole. "The Head Girl changes the password. She'll let you know."

"Head Girl?"

"Yeah, Katie's sort of in charge of the houses. There's a Head Boy--Thaddeus McGowan--Slytherin. Stay away from him."

"Slytherin bad. Got it."

*****************************************

Jake adjusted his tie as the enchanted mirror in the 6^th Years' Dormitory murmured encouraging things to him. He shrugged his arms into the sleeves of his robes and did the clasp in front. Everyone else had gone down to breakfast, but he was too nervous to eat. Gryffindor had Potions first with Professor Snape, head of Slytherin. Jake remembered Harry's advice--Slytherin bad--and wondered how the morning would go.

He entered the Potions classroom in the dungeon and took a seat next to Neville. The other students made their way to their seats. A few moments later, Snape swept into the classroom, robes flying out from behind.

"Who can tell me what the Commodo extract is used for?" Snape sneered.

As usual, Hermione's hand shot up, but this time it was joined by Jake's. The rest of the class looked at Jake, wondering what he was doing. Everyone knew that Hermione was always the only one who volunteered to answer Snape's questions. Harry glanced at Ron who was currently turning red about the ears and suppressed a smile. It's obvious to everyone but Ron and Hermione. I'd better talk to Jake before Ron does.

Snape looked down his long nose at Jake. "Yes, Willig?"

"Commodo extract is used in the Obediance potion. The person ingesting it will find themselves unable to refuse the requests of the person offering it."

Snape gaped at Jake for a moment before recovering. "Five points to Gryffindor."

Thirty minutes later, Jake found himself putting out a fire for the third time.

"Nev, you need to relax," he said. They'd already melted Neville's cauldron.

"I-I can't. Not with Snape s-staring at me like that."

"Ignore him."

"He hates me."

"Look, Nev. While we're doing this, why don't you tell me about the Commodus plant?" He'd heard through the grapevine that Neville was a whiz at Herbology.

"It grows only the windward side of the Himalaya mountains. Its leaves are shaped like a six-pointed star and when it blooms, it's covered with purple flowers. It..."

Snape called out that time was up and Jake carefully filled their bottle with their potion. He noted that it was the same yellowish color as Hermione's and guessed that was a good sign. He stoppered their bottle and placed it in the rack on Snape's desk.

"Longbottom!"

"Y-yes, sir," Neville replied nervously.

"Come here and drink your potion."

"W-what?"

"Drink. Your. Potion."

Neville nervously glanced at Jake who smiled encouragingly. He made his way to Snape's desk and took the flask that Snape held out. He unstoppered it and downed the potion.

"Longbottom!"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Bark like a dog," Snape commanded. The Slytherins in the class sniggered.

Neville woofed enthusiastically. The Slytherins were now laughing outright.

"This isn't right, Professor," Jake said, standing up.

"Sit down, Willig," Snape commanded.

"No, sir."

"10 points from Gryffindor. And detention with me, Willig." He paused. "Longbottom, you may sit down. And 5 points to Gryffindor for getting the potion right," he added grudgingly.

Neville sank back into his chair. When Snape dismissed the class, he turned to Jake. "Thanks."

Jake shrugged. "You made the potion too."

"N-not for that."

Another shrug. "Forget it."

**************************************

Three weeks passed quickly. Ron, Harry, and Ginny had Quidditch practice before dinner. After dinner, they usually sat in the library or the common room doing their homework. After serving his two detentions, Jake tried to stay out of trouble. He and Ron had come to a sort of uneasy peace. Until one afternoon when Jake, Harry, Neville and Dean were sitting in the common room, pretending to do homework. Dean set down his pencil and brought up the topic of girls.

"So what do you think of the girls here at Hogwarts?" he asked innocently. "How do they compare to American girls?"

Jake shrugged. "Girls are the same everywhere, I guess. Except here they have those incredibly sexy accents."

"So what do you think of the girls in our house?" Dean pressed the issue.

Jake set down his pencil. "They're all great."

"And we know who Jake's got his eye on," Harry added with a smile.

"There is no way you can compete with Oliver Wood," Ron said quietly.

Jake looked at Ron for a moment. "I'll just have to turn my attentions elsewhere." Since spending time with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, he got the feeling that Ron's feelings toward Hermione were more than friendly. Now was a perfect time to test this theory, he decided.

"So what do you think of Parvati?" This was Dean again.

"Pretty. Kind of vapid. Same with Lavender. Although she's always moaning over Seamus, so it's hard to tell."

"Ginny?" Dean and Ginny were still going out.

"Pretty. And feisty."

"Hermione?"

Jake took a deep breath. "Hermione's hot." He glanced over at Ron whose ears were turning red. "You know, she's got that whole naughty librarian thing going on."

Ron shut his book with a slam and stalked off. Once he was out of earshot, he asked, "What's their deal?"

Neville shook his head. "I think it's obvious to everyone but the two of them."

"That's what I thought."

****************************************************

Snape swept into the Potions classroom on a Monday morning two weeks after Ron and Jake's "conversation" about Hermione.

"Each of you is to create an original potion using any ingredients available here. You will work in partners." He grinned nastily. "As chosen by me." He quickly paired up Neville and Dean, Ron and Harry, and, finally, only Hermione and Jake were left. He glanced at them with some distaste. "Seeing as you two have the highest marks in Potions thus far, I'm pairing you up."

"Let's meet in the library after dinner," Hermione whispered.

"It's not due for another month," Jake whispered back.

"Best to get an early start, don't you think?"

Jake groaned, but nodded that he'd be there.

**************************************

They spent the next week in the library doing research. Actually, Hermione spent the next week doing research while Jake surreptitiously watched Ron and Hermione interact. Even though they were on opposite sides of the library, they managed to glance at each other at least once every five minutes. On Sunday night, Jake had had enough.

Hermione was deep in reading from a dusty tome with a strand of hair twirled about her finger. Jake looked over to find Ron staring at her. He smiled inwardly and scooted his chair closer to Hermione's. He leaned in very close as if greatly interested in whatever it was Hermione was reading. A glance up revealed that he'd indeed hit a nerve. Ron's ears were burning. Jake moved his hand to turn the page at the same time Hermione did and their hands brushed. She blushed slightly, but any comment she may have made was interrupted by a loud bang. Ron had shut his book forcefully and left the library muttering.

Hermione stared after Ron until Jake cleared his throat. "I'm afraid that's my fault," he said when he had her attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we were kinda talking about the girls, you know, in Gryffindor and Ron wasn't very happy with what I said about you. I think he's still mad about it, actually."

"I'm sure he was just being nice," she said quietly as she busied herself with her book.

"Just being nice?" he repeated dumbly. It dawned on him that she thought he'd said something bad about her and that Ron was defending her. He shook his head. How was it that the really pretty girls never knew that they were? "You don't understand," he said gently, waiting for her to look back up at him. When she did, he continued. "I said that I thought you were hot and..."

"H-hot?" she interrupted.

He nodded. "Yeah, hot. It's American slang, means that you're really attr..."

Another interruption. "I know what it means," she said with some irritation.

"OK then. I said that I thought you were hot. You have this whole naughty librarian thing going on, you know?" One glance confirmed that she was indeed blushing. Didn't anyone ever compliment her? "And Ron took offense to that, I guess."

She bowed her head again, unable or unwilling to meet Jake's eyes. "Like I said, Ron was just being nice."

"Hermione," he said forcefully enough to make her gaze up. "Ron got mad at me because he was jealous." He paused. When she said nothing, he decided that he really needed to spell it out for her. "He was jealous that I thought you were attractive."

She shook her head emphatically. "He most certainly was not."

Jake sighed. Sexy accent or not, she's too stubborn for me... "Yes, he was. Do you like Ron?" he said bluntly.

"I--me--do I--me and Ron," she stuttered out with a nervous laugh.

"Granger, complete sentence, please."

"Of course I like Ron. He's my friend." She started to turn her attention back to her book, certain that she'd headed Jake's questions off at the pass. He reached over and shut the book with a loud thump.

"Do you like like Ron?" he repeated.

She found herself unable to look away from Jake's unwavering gaze. He's going to see it in your eyes...Finally she admitted it. "Yes, I do," she said simply.

He smiled at her. "Terrific. Now what are we going to do about it?"

***********************************

Harry led Jake to the Room of Requirement, showing him how to walk back and forth three times, thinking of whatever it was he needed. Tonight, they needed someplace to hold the first DA meeting of the new term. The new DADA professor had yet to show up so Dumbledore thought it best that they continue learning under Harry's tutelage. They entered and Jake found himself in a large room with lots of cushions strewn about. A few moments later, they were joined by Ron and Hermione. When Ron turned his back to talk to Harry, Jake raised his eyebrows in a silent question to Hermione. She shook her head ever so slightly and, although he rolled his eyes at her, he also threw her a grin. Ron turned back just in time to catch the grin and Hermione's return smile. Jake waited for the worst to happen, but Ron just took a deep breath and ignored them.

The rest of the room slowly filled with students from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Harry called the meeting to order and explained that he wanted to spend the first few meetings reviewing things from last year. They were going to start with disarming spells. Jake looked around for a partner, figuring that maybe he and Neville could pair up. Neville, however, was talking to Ginny. Who was pointedly ignoring Dean. Who was partnered with Lavender. Who was probably moaning about Seamus. Hermione and Ron were paired up, of course. Ron noticed Jake searching for a partner.

"Jake," he called out, motioning Jake over. "Need a partner?"

Jake nodded.

"Oi! Katie," Ron yelled across the room. Katie was clustered together with some other 7^th year Gryffindors. "I've got a partner for you."

*********************************************

A half hour later, Katie and Jake had disarmed each other dozens of times. The next time she tried to disarm him, however, he decided to block her.

"Protego," he shouted and her wand shot towards him. He caught it in his right hand and grinned at her. "Not too bad, huh?"

"So that's how it's to be, is it?" she replied, motioning for her wand. He tossed it to her and she caught it, grinning back. "I'm not a Chaser for nothing."

When Jake shouted Expelliarmus at her, she countered with Protego and his wand went flying to her. After a dozen run-throughs, she sat down upon one of the cushions and motioned for Jake to join her. He plopped down next to her.

"So is it much different?" she asked, tilting her head at him.

"What? You mean Hogwarts?" When she nodded, he continued. "Not that much. We don't wear uniforms. And we don't all eat at the same time. And I don't think I've ever spent as much time in the library."

"Hermione kicking your arse then?" Katie's gaze went over to Hermione and Ron who were still practicing casting and blocking the Expelliarmus spell. Jake's gaze followed. He noticed that Ron was looking at him dumbfounded. Guess he thought he'd embarrassed me... On the contrary, Jake felt completely comfortable with Katie. Probably helps that I know she has a boyfriend...

"She just likes to be ahead," he admitted with a shrug.

"Well, I think it's great that you and she..." This sentence was interrupted by Harry calling the meeting to a close.

"Well, thanks partner," Jake said gallantly.

"Maybe we can pair up next time," Katie replied.

"I'd like that," he said truthfully. Even if he couldn't date her, he'd like to be friends with her.

*****************************************************

The next weekend brought the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Jake found Hermione in the common room waiting for him.

"Have you eaten?" she asked him, looking up from her book.

"Nope. You?" he asked, knowing full well that she'd gotten up to have breakfast with Ron and Harry.

"Yes, I have."

"Really?" he replied innocently. When Hermione blushed, he decided to let her off the proverbial hook. "Wanna come down and keep me company then?"

She nodded, saying, "I'll wait for you to get dressed then."

It was then that Jake noticed she was wearing her uniform and that her robes were slung over a nearby armchair. He groaned. "Do not tell me that we get dressed up for a Quidditch match." He shook his head. "I'm wearing this," he said, motioning to his jeans and sweater.

"At least get your scarf," Hermione urged.

Five minutes later, they found themselves in the Great Hall. Jake had acquiesced and was indeed wearing his red and gold scarf. They sat down and Jake helped himself to coffee and toast. He ignored the stares of the other students, all of whom were in their uniforms and robes.

"Jake, you really should..."

He cut her off. "It's Saturday. I am NOT wearing a tie. Period."

"But..."

He hated to do this, but felt like he had no choice. "Have you spoken to Ron yet?"

"You know full well that I haven't," she huffed.

He took a bite of his toast, chewed thoughtfully and finally responded. "Next week is a Hogsmeade weekend. When were you planning on asking?"

She became engrossed in her hands and mumbled something. Jake thought he made out the words 'staring' 'Ron' 'not sure' and 'Lavender.'

"Repeat please," he urged.

She looked up at him. "I'm not entirely convinced that Ron has these...feelings for me. I caught him...staring at Lavender."

Jake sighed. How can a girl this smart be this dumb? "Lavender was sitting beside you. He was staring at you." She began to object and he held his hand up. "I am a guy. I know that Ron likes you. He definitely wants to shag you."

Hermione's mouth formed a perfect 'o.'

"What'd I say?" he asked innocently.

"Ron wants to shag me?" she said when she was able to speak again.

Jake looked at her quizzically. "Well, duh. Of course he does...guys generally want to do that to a girl they like."

"They do? I mean, we haven't even been out...or even..."

He shook his head, wondering why this was such a big deal. "You have been kissed before, haven't you?"

"K-kissed?" she repeated dumbly.

"Yeah, kissed. You know your lips and his lips coming into contact. Sometimes tongues are involved."

"B-but you said that Ron wanted to shag me?"

"Right he definitely wants to kiss you."

After a few moments, she burst into laughter. "You mean snog me?"

"Snog?" he said again.

"Yes, snogging is...well...kissing."

"So what's shagging then?"

She blushed. "Shagging is..." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Having sex."

"Oh," he said, blushing too. "Oh. Sorry." They both broke into laughter.

*************************************************

Madam Hooch blew the whistle and released the Quaffle and the Golden Snitch. The Snitch immediately took off. Harry and Malfoy were high above the action, each searching for the Snitch. Ron was making lazy loops around the goals. Dennis Creevey caught the Quaffle and threw it to Ginny who passed it to Katie. Katie hurled it through one of the Slytherin hoops. The Gryffindor crowd roared with delight. Jake was cheering extra loudly. Hermione looked at him, slightly perplexed.

"Just a Quidditch fan," he explained. He thought that Harry and Ron, especially...seeing as he likes embarrassing me so much...would've filled her in on his little crush.

Slytherin quickly answered with a goal of their own and Lee Jordan announced that the score was tied 10-10. Ron, however, was able to stop the next three shots on goal, leading to a quick chorus of 'Weasley is our king.' Jake believed that Hermione may have been singing the loudest and he shook his head at her. Ron passed the Quaffle to Katie, who passed it to Dennis, who passed it to Ginny who scored. While Ginny was scoring, one of the Slytherin beaters set a bludger in Katie's direction.

"Hey," Jake shouted loudly. Hermione was staring at him again. "It's just...poor sportsmanship is all," he finished weakly. He turned his attention back to the Quidditch field. Katie had easily avoided the bludger and Sloper sent it back towards the Slytherin team. Gryffindor sent the Quaffle barreling toward the Slytherin goalposts again. Their keeper was able to block the shot and Jake groaned.

"What? What happened?" Hermione asked.

"We missed the shot. Weren't you looking?"

She ignored his question and looked back toward the field. A few minutes later, Dennis sent the Quaffle through the leftmost goalpost. Another roar from Gryffindor led Hermione to once again ask what had happened.

"Honestly, Hermione," Jake replied, mimicking her tone. "If you'd pry your eyes away from Ron for one minute, you'd know what was going on."

"You're one to talk, Mr. I've-Only-Got-Eyes-for-Katie-Bell," she scoffed.

"Like I've got any shot against her professional Quidditch-playing boyfriend," he explained.

"What are you on about? Katie and Oliver br..." Hermione's sentence was drowned by a huge roar from the Gryffindor crowd. Lee was shouting that Harry had caught the Snitch and that the game was over. "We won," she shouted, throwing herself into Jake's arms and hugging him.

He could only grin as he hugged her back. "C'mon. Let's go find Ron and Harry."

******************************************

Later that night, in the common room, Hermione and Ron got into a huge argument. Jake and Harry looked over at them as Ron shouted something about 'throwing yourself at Jake in the stands' and Hermione screeched back 'just because no one wanted to hug you.'

"Should we do something?" Jake whispered. He felt like this was his fault. Stupid guy doesn't realize that I'm not any competition for him...

Harry shook his head. "Best not to get involved."

"But wouldn't it just be easier to tell them how the other feels?"

"Not our place, mate." He paused. "Come on then. Let's get out of here." He stood up and left, with Jake following him. After they exited the common room, Jake asked where they were going. Harry shrugged in reply and kept walking. A little while later, they found themselves in the Astronomy Tower. Jake leaned over the side and noted how far the ground seemed.

"Quiet up here, isn't it?" Harry's voice was startling in the darkness.

"Yeah, it's nice though."

A long pause and then, "Do you know who I am?"

"Harry Potter. We met on the Hogwarts' Express. Remember?" he said jokingly.

"I mean do you know anything about me?"

In the darkness, Jake couldn't read Harry's expression. "Yeah, I do."

"B-but you just treated me...normally," Harry said with some wonder.

"Well, I kinda know what it's like to be famous," Jake admitted. "It's awful not knowing if people like you or don't like you because of...something you did...or who your parents are..."

Harry waited for an explanation. Which never came. Finally he prompted Jake. "Well then, what are you famous for?"

Jake shrugged. "Being the kid of the President of the Magical United States."