Harry Potter and the Gift of the Magi

Captain's Rules

Harry felt he was rudely awoken in the middle of the night. In a way he felt it was a good thing he was awoken. He was having another nightmare about the Triwizards Tournament. In the dream Vold- I mean He-who-must-not-be-named, was killing all of the people Harry cared most about. Hermione, Ron, Sirius, Professor Lupin, the Weasleys, Dumbledore, Cho, his Mum, Dad, and the faces just kept repeating themselves each time going faster and faster. Harry tried to save his friends and family, but as much as he tried to the ropes holding him down to the same tombstone he was tied to during the Triwizard Tournament made him helpless.

As he stumbled around trying to find his glasses he tripped and hit his head. He grabbed his glasses and looked around for the reason of his wakening. Taking a third look around his room he then realized that there was an owl sitting outside his window waiting for him to open it. Harry rushed to the window and opened it. Since he did not recognize the owl he figured it was a Hogwarts owl. As he took the letter from the owl and sure enough, he noticed the Hogwarts crest imprinted in purple wax. Harry took out the letter. It said:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WTHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

This year at Hogwarts there will be a new class. We cannot indulge what will be taught in this class until you are accepted into it. This class will be for students Third year and above. In approximately three days you will receive a test to see if you qualify for the class.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

While Harry was contemplating on this new class he notice another letter in the envelope.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WTHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are proud to inform you that you are the new Gryffindor fifth year male Prefect. Congratulations. Here is a full list of this years fifth year Prefects.

Also enclosed in this letter is your badge. You are expected to up hold all of Hogwarts rules better than you have the past four years. We believe you only broke rules in the past for the good of the student body. Therefore we believed you to be the perfect candidate for this year Prefect. Please do not make our decision in vain. If you accept the position of Gryffindor male Prefect please send an owl.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

As much as Harry has gotten in trouble and gotten house points taken away because of him, he was surprised that he was a Prefect. Of course he always wanted to be a Prefect, though he never told anyone, he never expected to actually become one. Hermione's name he, of course, wasn't surprised to see on the list.

I wonder what that new class is about. I bet if someone knew it would be the Weasley's and the Malfoy; Malfoy always seems to know about what's going on during the next year at school. Harry thought as he wrote a short note to McGonagall accepting and thanking her for the position of Perfect. Then a note to Ron, Hermione, and Sirius telling them all about him making Perfect and asking about what they new about the test and if they were going to take it.

Harry knew that after last year (the whole Cedric dying, Voldemort rising, and Fudge thinking he was a total lunatic thing going on) he wanted whatever skills he could acquire so he could rid the world of evil. Anything would help. He just hoped he would pass the test. He was sure Hermione would get into the class and if she did and he didn't maybe she would teach him some of the things she was taught.

I sure have been thinking of Hermione a lot lately. It's probably 'cus I'm worried about her -and Ron- since Voldemort had risen about a month before. Harry remembered all too well what happened that night he was portkeyed to a graveyard in front of the old Riddle house.

The voice kept repeating in his head the words he felt turn his world upside down- 'Kill the spare' then there was a flash of green. Harry shook his head to remove that memory. Harry knew he couldn't of stopped it and that it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help but feel guilty about the whole thing.

Chapter Two

"Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts."

-Albert Einstein

The next three days couldn't go fast enough for Harry. The Dursleys tried as hard as they could to get that smug look off of Harry's face; the result of being named Perfect. They gave him chores ranging from doing the dishes to redoing the lawn; this only helped him not think about the events of last year. Finally he got the mail he's been waiting for. The Test.

It included charms and questions from First year up to his current level. Harry started the test at about 10:00 in the morning and by time he was done (his allowed half hour break after each year completed was taken to full advantage) it was twilit. Harry felt as if he just went through his whole time at Hogwarts in just one afternoon. The owl that brought the test waited patiently for Harry to finish. Harry also took care of making sure that the Dursley's wouldn't bother him for the day by telling them he was allowed to use magic for the day for a test, even though he wasn't sure how they were to take the test.

Before being sent out, the quills required for the test had anti-cheating spells put on them. But, even without cheating, though he would never cheat on a test, Harry felt he did a good job on the test, even though his brain felt as though it has experienced a melt down.

After the test Harry felt he had nothing to do so he wrote letters to Ron and Hermione to ask them how they think they did on the test and to congratulate Hermione on making Prefect. Just when he was about to tie the letters to Hedwigs leg, he notices a barn owl flying towards his house.

After the owl landed Harry immediately untied the letter on its leg. He didn't recognize the owl so he did all this suspiciously. When he read the letter he visibly relaxed.

Dear Harry,

Hi Harry. I am sorry about what happened last year. You know the Cedric thing. Even if no one else does I believe what you said about You-know-who, that he has risen. I wanted to know if you could meet me at Diagon Alley on the 1^st of August. Just to hang out. I know during the last five years we have not been the closest of friends, but I would like to get to know you better. Please reply when you can. Hopefully see you then.

Love,

Lavender Brown

After the initial shock of getting a letter from Lavender Brown, a fellow Gryffindor 5^th year, Harry quickly scribbled a reply thanking her for the invitation and telling her that he would get back to her with his answer as too he would have to ask Dumbledore for his permission.