Revelations and Romance

Revelations and Romance chapter 20/25

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20: Hufflepuff versus Slytherin

May 1st

It was Sunday morning, and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were wandering around in the grounds, having come outside to get away from the stares of their fellow Gryffindors, many of whom seemed to assume that Ron and Hermione were going to take advantage of the relative quiet of Sunday to make love again. As it happened, they were taking a few days' rest from that activity.

'Do you regret letting everyone know about you and Ron being lovers, Hermione?' Ginny asked.

'I'm beginning to. It seemed like a good idea last Saturday, just to shut everyone up.'

'At least it gave them something different to talk about -- and not just rumours, now,' said Harry. 'Now they've seen the proof. Enough proof to convince them, anyway.'

'Fred and George denied they told Mum and Dad,' said Ron. 'So I don't know who told them.'

'It wasn't me!' said Ginny.

'No, I know you wouldn't -- anyway, you knew it wasn't our first time together. It could be anyone. Some of the people Dad works with have kids here, after all.'

'Like Mr Dunsmuir,' said Ginny. Then she sighed. 'But it wasn't him. I miss Raine.'

'Yes,' said Ron. 'Even when she was betraying Harry, and not being the nice Slytherin we thought, she was still protecting you.'

'You're forgiving her!' exclaimed Ginny.

'Well, maybe. It was the shock of finding out that the nice Slytherin really wasn't. But her heart wasn't in it, was it? She was still being nice to you -- all of us, in the Quidditch trials. She really seemed happy for you and Hermione, when you did so well. And last night I was remembering how shocked she was when we found out what spells these two were duelling with.'

'Oh, yes, when we found out about Reducto.'

'I think she really was worried about us,' said Hermione. 'She didn't want Harry to be hurt, even though she'd given him the headband.'

Ginny sat down on the lawn, looked over at the lake and sighed. The others sat down too. Nobody spoke for a while. Ron lay on his back and looked up at the clouds. 'It's a nice day not to do anything, anyway.'

'Yes, but we're going to have to go back indoors and do some homework later.'

'Poor Hermione, denied her homework,' said Ginny. 'Think about something more cheerful -- what's happening about your parents visiting again?'

'Oh, I checked with Dumbledore before Friday's lesson, and I'll get another Portkey the day before the final game. We'll have finished our exams that Friday, too.'

'They already knew when they were here before that you two were lovers, didn't they? Now you won't have to avoid letting me meet them when they first get here,' said Ginny.

'I'm sorry, Ginny. You're right,' Ron told her. 'It was the first time I'd seen them since I was twelve, and they already knew I'd been sleeping with her.'

'I suppose that was embarrassing. I wonder if Mum and Dad will want to come and watch the final? It's the last chance to see Fred and George playing for Gryffindor,' mused Ginny.

'Don't say that,' begged Ron. 'They'll start talking to Hermione's parents about the two of us.'

'If you're still serious, Ron, that's going to happen one day,' Harry pointed out. He stretched out on the grass and looked up at the clouds too.

'I don't mind "one day". It's "next month" I'm not keen on.'

'June the eleventh,' said Ginny, thinking about it. 'We've got two more Hogsmeade visits before then, haven't we?'

Hermione nodded, and lay down beside Ron to watch the clouds as well.

'I'm the only upright citizen!' said Ginny. She lay down beside Harry. 'What's so exciting about those clouds, anyway?' she asked.

'That one looks like a cloud of smoke poisoning Snape,' Ron told her.

'Oh, yes. That one's a bit like a broomstick.'

'How romantic,' came Malfoy's drawl behind them. 'The lovers are looking at clouds. So Granger's got money, has she?'

The four of them sat up and glared at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

'What are you on about this time?' Harry asked him.

'Well, if the Weasel is interested in that,' he sneered, 'she must have money. She doesn't have anything else in her favour. I'm sure she can't be any good in bed.'

Ron started to leap to his feet, but Hermione shook her head at him. 'Hannah told us about your duelling class,' she told Malfoy. 'You can't afford to insult me, can you?' She was now holding her wand, as were Harry and Ginny.

'Did you hear about Peeves?' asked Ginny, almost as furious as Ron, but managing to control her reaction to the insult.

'He says it was an accident,' replied Draco, keeping his eyes on Harry's wand. 'Potter's just claiming the credit.'

'I suppose you'll claim it was an accident too,' said Ron, having now got his temper partly under control.

'You're threatening me?' Malfoy asked, visibly surprised. 'Do you have any idea how fast Dumbledore would expel you?'

'His favourite pupils?' asked Ginny. 'He'd just tell them off for not hiding the bodies better, and give them advice on how to do it next time.' Ron grinned.

'Get lost, the three of you,' said Harry.

'Harry doesn't want the bother of hiding your bodies,' said Ginny sadly.

'Do you think I believe you?' Malfoy demanded. 'You won't dare to do anything to us.'

'You can find out by just waiting here until it happens,' said Ron. 'Or you could go and find someone else to annoy.'

'You've got a Quidditch match next Saturday,' Harry pointed out, 'and you haven't caught the Snitch in either of your two matches so far ...'

'Did you hear that, boys?' Draco asked Crabbe and Goyle. 'He's been keeping track of my performance.' They sniggered.

'It's easy,' shrugged Harry. 'I started the year with "Draco is useless", and I haven't needed to change that opinion yet.'

'Why don't you practise looking at the Golden Snitch?' Ginny asked him. 'Then maybe you'll recognise it next week.'

'This is getting boring,' Draco told his two companions. 'Come on, Crabbe, you need more practice at flying.' The three Slytherins headed back towards the castle.

Harry watched them go, and laughed. 'So, more cloud-watching now? Or does anyone want to do something different?'

'I want to go for a walk round the lake,' said Ron. Hermione took his hand, and the two of them started towards the lake.

'Let's chaperone them,' suggested Ginny, and she and Harry followed, although they didn't hold hands.

The four of them walked in silence for a while until Ron suddenly said, 'Do you think people are going to agree with Malfoy?'

'Never,' said Harry. 'What about?'

'I'm just remembering when you got Crookshanks, Hermione. You'd bought all those books and the rest of the stuff for third year, and you had ten Galleons left over.'

'Yes, my parents gave me some extra so I could get myself a birthday present,' said Hermione. 'What about it? You like Crookshanks now.'

Harry remembered that too. He hadn't even thought about it at the time, but realised now that Ron might have started out with less than that for the day's shopping.

'Ten Galleons? After all that shopping, you still had ten Galleons left?'

'Oh. Ron, I don't think it matters.'

'It matters to Malfoy.'

'Malfoy also doesn't like Hermione because she's Muggle-born,' Harry pointed out. 'You're not bothered about that -- you keep forgetting that her parents can't Apparate or anything.'

'That's true,' agreed Hermione. 'Stupid things matter to Malfoy. You're not really worried about your family having less money than my family, are you?'

'But suppose other people also think I only love you because you've got more money than me?' asked Ron.

'That's silly,' said Ginny. 'We know you love Hermione because she's the only girl who'll put up with you.'

Ron frowned at her, then said to Hermione. 'That's the sort of reassurance and family support you've been missing out on.'

'Anyway, what about me?' asked Ginny. 'Harry said the other day he had at least two hundred Galleons in his vault -- so people could say the same about me.'

Ron said, 'You saw his vault, when we went with him to Diagon Alley -- just before you started here.'

'I didn't look! That would be nosy. I was looking for those dragons Bill told us about.'

'You didn't see his vault? It looks like ...' he floundered for a description, finally settling for '... what an ambitious gold mine would like to grow up to be.'

'What is that supposed to mean?' asked Ginny. 'You're not worried about being nosy, then?'

'Well ... gold mines are full of rock with bits of gold in, and you have to dig away at all that rock to get to the gold. But his vault doesn't have all the rock, just all the gold. It's not two hundred Galleons! I don't know how much it is, but it's got to be a whole lot more than that.'

Ginny looked at Harry in surprise. 'Are you really that rich?'

'I don't actually know,' he admitted. 'I never had any money with the Dursleys, and I was so surprised to see it all, I never tried to count it.'

'You could write to Gringotts and ask them to count it,' Ron suggested. 'I'd laugh if you're richer than Malfoy is.'

'You don't act rich, like he does, though,' Ginny said. 'Even though you've got all that gold, and that house.'

'I don't want to run out of money,' he told her. 'I wish your parents would take something for the car, and all the times I've stayed at the Burrow, though.'

'Maybe you should write to the bank and find out,' said Hermione. 'Then you'd have a better idea how easy it would be to run out.'

'I suppose I ought to.'

'Don't tell anyone when you find out,' begged Ron. 'If you do, people will think Ginny just likes you for your money, and that's not true.'

'It's not true for you and Hermione, either, and you know it,' Harry retorted. 'Anyway, I don't think I could be richer than Malfoy's family.'

'It doesn't bother me if Malfoy doesn't believe you do like me for myself,' Hermione reassured Ron. 'He's an idiot.'

'A lot of people would agree with him, though,' said Ron.

'Then they're all idiots,' Harry said. 'Your friends and family won't believe it, will they? You don't really care what Malfoy thinks.'

They returned to the castle for lunch, and then went back to the common room to do homework and ignore everyone's knowing looks. Harry wrote to Gringotts, and sent Hedwig off with the letter.

*

After the end of classes on Monday, Harry, Ron and Hermione returned to the common room to do their homework before dinner. Ginny was talking to Colin Creevey, and wasn't in her normal seat. After a while, she came over to the others and sank tiredly into her chair. Colin was staring blankly at her from across the room.

'I told him,' she explained.

Ron looked as blank as Colin. 'What?'

'I told him who attacked him with a Basilisk and made him miss seven months of his first year.'

'Good for you,' said Hermione. 'How did he take it?'

'He was really shocked. He used to like me. We always used to sit next to each other in Charms.'

'When did that stop, then?' Harry asked her.

'Tomorrow, I think,' she said sadly.

'Oh. I'm sorry, Ginny.'

'Did you tell him you were possessed?' Ron asked.

'No,' she answered sarcastically, 'I told him I was collecting statues as a hobby! Stupid question.'

Harry chuckled, and said, 'That would be a good idea. You'd have made statues of both Ron's and Percy's girlfriends.' Hermione pulled a face at him.

'Cheap garden ornaments,' said Ginny, grinning. 'I should have thought of it. Percy and Penny wouldn't argue any more -- and just think how many others I could have got if I had tried.'

'Good, you're really getting over that whole business of still feeling guilty about it.'

'I suppose I am. It's partly because of telling Colin, and Hermione's parents. I hope Penny visits Percy this summer, so I can tell her too. I don't want to tell her in a letter.'

'Only partly?' asked Hermione.

Ginny sighed. 'And also, now I'm not the only one to have done what Riddle wanted.'

Harry nodded. 'I hope Colin forgives you, like Hermione did.'

*

After lessons on Tuesday, Ginny sadly told the others that Colin had sat beside Delamare, instead of her, in their Charms lesson.

'Hermione's parents didn't take it that badly. But I suppose they didn't know me before it happened, they'd only seen me in Diagon Alley. I didn't have to tell Hermione, because you two did,' she said. 'I hope Penny feels as forgiving as Hermione.'

Angelina called the team together after dinner.

'We've been teaching Dennis how to spy, and why it's a good thing,' said Fred. Dennis pulled a face.

'And we had to practise spying on a team, and we chose Slytherin, completely at random,' said George. 'We could have picked any of the teams that were practising today.'

'Get on with it,' said Ron, who knew as well as the rest of them that only the Slytherins had Tuesdays booked for practice.

'He just doesn't appreciate a little scene-setting,' sighed Fred.

'A little would be good. This isn't a little.'

'Well, we watched Crabbe learning to be a Beater. The first good thing is, although he's got the strength to hit a Bludger a good long way if he can hit it ...' said Fred.

'... which must be why they picked him ...' said George.

'... he isn't very good at hitting it yet. Maybe after some months more practising, he'll be adequate, but the main danger to the Hufflepuffs is if he hits them instead.'

'And he tried spinning his broom, like Hermione,' said Dennis. 'That was funny.'

'Bunches of poisoned grapes, messages of ill-will and curses can be sent to him, care of Madam Pomfrey,' said George.

'Hagrid's not going to be happy. Crabbe hit the ground really hard when he crashed, and there's a big trench cut in the pitch now,' Fred added.

'It's just as well we fly above it, instead of playing on it like cricket or something,' said Fen. Most of the team looked at her, wondering what cricket was. 'Never mind,' she sighed.

'Anyway, apparently Slytherin have decided on a panic training schedule, and they're going to be training after dinner for the whole of the rest of this week,' said George. 'Snape gave them permission to.'

*

Ginny was talking to Grocyn and another Slytherin in the Entrance Hall when the trio came down to lunch after Wednesday's Divination and Arithmancy lessons.

'Everyone seems to think I've let the team down,' Grocyn was saying. 'But ... what's the point in Quidditch? What's the point in anything, now?'

'Everything's still got to have some point,' Ginny objected. 'I'm sure she wouldn't want you to just mope around like this.'

'Fine. I'll ask her, next time I see her,' he told her. Then he saw Harry and the other two. 'Never mind,' he said, heading for the doors into the Great Hall.

'Of course there's still a point to everything,' said the other Slytherin, watching him go. 'Anybody'd think they'd been married for years, the way he's reacting.'

'Oh, Matteo -- he's just upset. Maybe he's too upset, but you can understand why.'

'I understand that the whole point of being here at Hogwarts is to learn to be the best wizard I can be. Maybe your house doesn't quite get that, but it is the point. That doesn't mean just giving up because the Dark Lord is still killing people. It doesn't mean slaving for the Ministry, or for the Dark Lord, either. It means that my future is mine, and I shouldn't waste it working for others.'

'Not that again!'

'Grocyn's got to face it. Either he jumps in the lake too, or he copes with life.' He finally noticed the others. 'Like him,' he said, pointing at Harry. 'Anyway, I'm getting some lunch.' He went off into the Great Hall.

'Charming guy,' said Ron. 'Is he in your Potions class, too?'

'Yes. He's convinced that Slytherin is the only house that's got it right, and he can't understand why I'm not in it.'

'Why, what does he know? You haven't told him, too?'

'No, Ron! He knows I'm a pure-blood, and I'm top of my classes, and that means he thinks I should be in his house. It's all he thinks he needs to know.' She started walking into the Great Hall with the other three.

'What did he mean when he pointed at Harry?' Hermione asked her.

'He thinks Harry's a good example -- and that he should be in Slytherin, too.'

Harry frowned. He still hadn't told the others that the Sorting Hat originally chose Slytherin for him. 'What makes me a good example?'

They reached the Gryffindor table and sat down. The food was already on the table, and they started to pile it onto their plates.

Ginny said, 'Well, You-Know-Who keeps trying to kill you, and, well, he did kill ... umm.'

'My parents. Yes. And I couldn't save Cedric from him, and now I haven't managed to save Raine.'

'But you still keep going. You don't drop out of the Gryffindor team just because You-Know-Who tried to kill you again.'

'"Just"?' asked Ron.

'"Harry Potter, an exemplary life", now available in all good bookshops,' said Hermione.

'I'd buy that,' said Ginny. 'Are you going to write it?'

'I don't think Harry would like that.'

'No, I've had enough of people insisting I'm famous. Maybe I should start wearing this headband in Godric's Hollow, too, so as to cover my scar,' suggested Harry.

*

At dinner, Hannah and Lorelei returned the borrowed Firebolts, which Harry and Hermione had taken to Herbology with them. Professor Sprout hadn't minded in the least, and had thanked the two Gryffindors for their generous loan to her team.

'Training's really going well,' Hannah told them. 'These are going to be a big help for us on Saturday.'

'Have you learnt how to spin a Firebolt like Hermione?' Ginny asked.

Hannah hesitated, but then shrugged and said, 'Well, you'll see anyway on Saturday. We're gradually getting better at doing it, yes. Someone said the big trench in the pitch that Hagrid was swearing at was made by a Slytherin crashing yesterday, when he tried spinning a broom.'

'Crabbe,' said Ron, grinning.

'Oh, him. Anyway, thanks again. I'm starving, aren't you, Lorelei?'

Lorelei nodded shyly, and the two went to the Hufflepuff table.

'Lorelei's always very quiet,' Harry commented.

'You scare her,' said Ginny. 'Well, she's overawed by you, at least. She heard about you and You-Know-Who as a little kid, and now she's actually met you.'

'But she's never spoken to me. Oh well. At least she doesn't stare at my forehead all the time.'

*

Following Thursday's Quidditch training session, Ron and Hermione went to their new 'love-nest', while Harry and Ginny returned to the common room.

'When they get all enthusiastic like that, I really feel as if we're missing out on something good,' Ginny said. 'All we're doing is homework.'

'Yeah, it certainly seems that way. But as long as You-Know-Who is still a menace ...' Harry shrugged rather than finish the sentence.

'I know. I hope we will be able to sneak off like them before we leave Hogwarts,' said Ginny. 'Do you think the Aurors will manage to catch You-Know-Who by then?'

'I don't know,' said Harry. 'It's not going to help that the Head Auror resigned, is it?'

'Oh. Grocyn mentioned that -- Mr Dunsmuir withdrew his resignation, and is now really keen to get Wormtail.'

'I suppose that makes sense. He must have resigned because he was ashamed of what Raine did, but now he must be angry about it, instead. I hope they do catch Wormtail, and You-Know-Who.'

'Yes.' She got her homework out. 'Trelawney took back the Tarot decks, now that we're doing palmistry. I want to get my own deck now -- even though I didn't understand what my reading for you meant until it was too late. I need more practice with the cards.'

'We started palmistry, too. Ron looked at my palm and said I had a very long life line, and that annoyed her, and she came over and said that he was looking at the wrong line, and it was really short.'

'She's not still doing that? You'd don't think she's a Death Eater, and she's trying to brainwash you into giving up?'

Harry looked at her in surprise. 'I don't know. I don't think so -- I never thought of that. It would explain why she keeps saying I'm going to die.'

'Maybe I've been listening to Matteo too much, then.'

'Probably. You know, you seem to be friends with more Slytherins than just Raine.'

She shrugged. 'You can't ignore them. One quarter of the school is Slytherins, after all. They aren't all Death Eaters -- you heard Matteo's opinion of Slytherins or anyone else who'd follow You-Know-Who.'

He opened his Potions book to the right page while he thought about Professor Trelawney. 'I don't think Dumbledore would let Trelawney stay here if she was trying to brainwash me, though.'

'No, like Lockhart, and Moody, and the other DADA teacher who he saw through immediately.'

'Oh, don't.' He sat back in his chair and looked at her. 'The teachers can't all secretly be Death Eaters.'

'No. What else can we talk about? What about Ron's life line?'

'Oh, yes -- we checked the diagram in the book, and Ron was right. I do have a long life line, Trelawney was pointing to my love line. I shouldn't tell you that, should I? No, my love line is incredibly long, and I'm very romantic -- just as soon as You-Know-Who drops dead.'

Ginny grinned back at him.

'Ron's life line isn't very long, though. I don't think any of this makes sense anyway. He's not the one You-Know-Who keeps threatening. My line ought to be shorter than his.'

'What about Ron's love line?'

'Quite long,' he said with a grin.

'I wonder if he's read Hermione's palm to see how long her love line is?'

Harry returned to his homework. 'I don't even want to think about what Ron might be reading right now.'

By the time Ron and Hermione returned to the common room, Ginny had finished most of her homework. She had copied parts of Harry's Marauder's Map onto a blank piece of parchment and was slowly drawing what she could remember of the Chamber of Secrets onto the new map. Hermione watched with interest. Ron had only reached the outer tunnel of the Chamber, but Hermione had never been even that far.

'I think that's all of it,' Ginny said finally. 'It's as good as I can get it without going down again, anyway.'

'Do you want me to charm some ink so that you can copy it onto the other map now?' Hermione asked her.

Ginny looked at Harry. 'Is it all right if I do that?'

'Yes, it might as well include it all.'

Ginny used the charmed ink, and another charm that made the map transparent, to trace the Chamber onto the real map.

'There's people down there!' said Ron in alarm.

'"Myrtle Green" -- she's not a problem,' said Harry, 'and ... what?'

'What's wrong?' Hermione asked, trying to read the map upside down.

'It says "Salazar Slytherin" -- but he's dead! Isn't he? Or is this one of his descendants?'

'Oh,' said Ginny. 'I didn't know if I should tell you that, or not.'

The other three all looked at her. She explained how Professor Binns had found Slytherin's preserved body entombed in the Chamber. 'I suppose it makes sense,' she finished, 'if the map shows the ghosts, why shouldn't it show him?'

'That's quite a secret. It probably is a good idea not to tell anyone else, though this map is always going to show his name now, I suppose,' Harry said. 'Anyway, it's good to have the Chamber on here.'

'Now if anyone comes in from the other entrance, the map will show them,' said Ron.

*

Hermione joined Harry and Ron after her Friday morning Ancient Runes lesson. 'It's strange, having two free periods before lunch, like this,' she commented. She grinned at Ron and added, 'It opens up new opportunities.'

'You're all right doing homework on your own, aren't you?' Ron asked Harry.

'I suppose so. Yes, go and have fun. I'm mostly wondering why I haven't heard from Gringotts yet, though. Hedwig's back, but she didn't bring an answer.'

'I don't think she lost it, they probably just use their own owls,' said Ron reassuringly. 'Bill never sends replies with Errol.'

'He probably knows Errol too well to risk it,' said Hermione. 'But Gringotts might have specially-trained owls to send important letters.'

'The goblins are probably still counting all that money,' said Ron, grinning. 'Don't worry about it, the longer they take to answer, the more you've got.'

'I suppose you're right. I'll see you at lunch, if you manage to get there.'

Ron and Hermione did manage to meet Harry and Ginny for lunch, after which they had a Potions lesson. Following that, there was a Herbology lesson. Harry and Hermione told Professor Sprout and Hannah that they'd bring their Firebolts down to breakfast the next day, ready for the game.

*

At breakfast on Saturday, Hannah and Lorelei put the two borrowed Firebolts on the Hufflepuff table, just as Oliver had insisted Harry do for his first game using his, and they thanked them again for the favour.

'Just make sure Slytherin come bottom this year,' Harry told them.

When the owl post arrived, one unfamiliar owl dropped a letter right in front of Harry, and flew out of the Great Hall. 'It's a Gringotts owl,' said Ron, pointing to the seal on Harry's letter.

'This is the moment of truth,' said Harry, looking at the envelope. 'Can I afford to buy you each a bag of Chocoballs in Honeydukes next Saturday?' He opened it and read:

'So far, this isn't the friendliest letter I've ever read, but I suppose it's good that they won't let just anyone read it,' said Harry, taking out his wand and tapping the letter. Ron, Hermione and Ginny couldn't see what it said, but they saw him turn pale, stare at the letter, read it several times over, then tap it weakly and drop it on the table.

'No Chocoballs?' asked Ginny. 'Have you spent it all already?'

'No. No, there's enough left. I wonder how much Honeydukes costs?'

'That had better be a joke,' said Ron.

'Please, can you two persuade your parents that I really do want to pay for the wrecked car, and all the times I've stayed?'

'You're not feeling guilty about knowing how much you've got, are you, Harry?' Hermione asked. 'It's not even compensation for your childhood.'

'No, it's not,' said Harry, looking at the now-invisible message. 'But it's a very good start. And it isn't fair that Mr and Mrs Weasley won't let me pay for anything.'

'Well, while you're finding out how much Honeydukes costs, I'm going to finish breakfast and go and watch the Hufflepuffs win,' said Ginny.

'Right. Food. Quidditch.'

'He's still in shock,' said Ron. 'He can't even manage whole sentences now.'

While they were still eating, they heard a familiar drawl. 'Bad news, Potter? Not enough money to pay for the rest of your time here? That's too bad.'

Malfoy and Crabbe, both wearing Quidditch uniforms, were standing there, as was Goyle in his usual school robes.

'Don't be so nosy, Malfoy,' Ron said.

'I thought that looked like one of the owls Gringotts uses,' Malfoy said, pointing at the letter with the Gringotts crest. Although Harry had made the writing invisible again, he'd forgotten to put it into his pocket. He grabbed it and put it away now. Malfoy added, 'You wouldn't know about Gringotts owls, Weasley, the bank only deals with money, not wishful thinking.'

'You always act rich,' Harry told Malfoy, 'but I bet it's just an act.'

'Yes, you're just trying to impress people,' said Hermione. 'Like when your dad bought fancy brooms for your whole team, just to buy you the same position that Harry earned.'

Malfoy glared at her again, then said to Crabbe, 'Come on, we've got a game to play. Ignore the Mudblood.' The three Slytherins left.

The four of them joined the crowds heading for the Quidditch pitch, and found some good seats, high up in the stands so that they could see the action.

'There's Orla,' said Ginny. 'I suppose as Gryffindor's not playing, Lee's letting her commentate to practise.'

'I wonder if Crabbe is any good at all,' said Ron.

'I don't know. Grocyn doesn't think so. I was talking to him after Potions, and he admitted another reason for not wanting to play.'

'Another reason? I thought it was just that he was too upset?' Harry said.

'Partly, yes -- you heard him the other day. Partly, he didn't like the idea of being a Beater against the Hufflepuffs.'

'Oh, because they pulled her out of the lake?'

Ginny nodded. 'If he played properly, he'd have to hit Bludgers towards Hannah, since she's a Chaser. He said he couldn't do that, after she saved Raine's life.'

'Pay attention, the teams are ready,' said Ron.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle, she and both teams rose up into the air and the game started. A Hufflepuff Chaser grabbed the Quaffle, but then turned and flew back towards his own goals, to the jeers of the watching Slytherins. He and the other two Chasers met, and then spread out, spinning their brooms and heading back for the Slytherin goals -- a different goal each. Slytherin's Keeper, Will Brimble, couldn't focus on the spinning Chasers well enough to decide which of the goals to protect, as all three players seemed to be clutching something Quaffle-sized to their bodies. Hannah put the Quaffle through the goal without difficulty.

'That's the first score to Hufflepuff's Hannah Abbott, and it's ten to nothing,' announced Orla. Now the Hufflepuffs were jeering at the Slytherins for being fooled. After this, the Slytherin players got more aggressive, deliberately barging into the Hufflepuffs to try to knock them off their brooms. Hannah showed she'd learnt how to fly the Firebolt well, as she raced around the pitch, soaring above players trying to attack her, and distracted her opponents well enough to allow the other two Chasers to score a goal each.

'And Declan makes it thirty to nothing!'

'They're good with your brooms,' said Ginny. 'What are their standings again?'

'Hufflepuff have got eighty so far, and Slytherin have got a hundred,' Harry told her. 'So if Lorelei gets the Snitch now, Slytherin will be bottom in the cup.' Even as he spoke, Kevin, the Hufflepuff Keeper, failed to stop the Quaffle going through a goal.

'Thirty to ten!' announced Orla.

Crabbe clearly hadn't practised enough for a real game, partly because of the two days he'd spent in the hospital wing. He seemed to be having trouble controlling his broom at the same time as he swung his bat at a Bludger, and usually missed. Twice so far, he'd almost been knocked off his broom by the Bludger he'd just missed. His aimless, hardly-controlled flying was more of a danger to both teams than the Bludgers.

'That's a second goal for Slytherin! Thirty to twenty!'

Ernie and Jenny both hit Bludgers towards Crabbe at the same time. Confused by having two targets, he compromised by hitting neither. One of the Bludgers hit his hip, nearly knocking him off his broom; he clutched at the broom and let it drift to the ground, where he sat shaking his head and rubbing his hip.

'I don't think he's going to bother flying again in this game,' said Ron, watching him.

The Hufflepuffs, helped by their opponents having only one Beater in the air, managed to get three more goals before Lorelei suddenly soared up into the air. Malfoy followed her, but was unable to match the speed of her borrowed Firebolt, and Lorelei grabbed the Snitch and dived back down to Madam Hooch before he'd reached where it had been.

'That's the final whistle -- and the final score!' announced Orla. 'Hufflepuff have two hundred and ten, while Slytherin have twenty! Thank you, Grocyn Balfour!'

Harry had been writing on the piece of parchment he used to keep track of the teams' standings. 'That's good. Slytherin have one hundred and twenty points, Hufflepuff have two hundred and ninety, and we're still tied with Ravenclaw on three hundred and seventy.'

'Great!' said Ron. 'Slytherin are last in the cup.'

'It doesn't really make a lot of difference. Even if Slytherin had scored twelve goals and got the Snitch, their total would be the same as ours, and they've played all their games now,' said Harry. 'Slytherin were going to be either third or fourth this year, whatever happened in this game. Flint must have been a better captain than I ever realised.'

Orla announced, 'So Slytherin are last in the Quidditch Cup this year -- such a disappointment to all their friends in other houses -- and Hufflepuff are third. Be here on the eleventh of June for Lee's last chance at commentating, and the inevitable Ravenclaw victory!'

Flitwick was beside Orla in the commentator's box, and seemed to be telling her off, as she looked embarrassed.

Hannah was climbing the steps towards them, carrying both Firebolts. 'Thanks a lot for lending us these!' she said happily. 'They really did make all the difference.' Smiling, she added, 'It's a shame we can't borrow them for our game against you next year.'

'Well, you did your part, making sure Slytherin came last,' said Harry, taking his broom.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny joined the crowd heading back towards the castle. Harry stopped in the Entrance Hall, away from the main crowd going into the Great Hall.

'I don't have much of a grasp of either Muggle or wizarding money, so I'm not sure if this is really as much as it sounds. Would you mind looking at the letter to see what you think, Hermione?' She shook her head. He took his wand and the letter, and made the writing visible again. 'I'll hold it, in case the curse attacks anyone who touches it,' he said. Hermione looked at the amount, blinked, stared incredulously as though to make sure she'd read it correctly the first time, then stared at Harry in amazement.

'I'd say that's a lot,' she said faintly. 'Quite a lot.'

Harry grinned and tapped the letter, then put it back in his pocket.

'So you're rich then,' said Ginny. 'OK. I won't pry any further.'

The four of them went into the Great Hall for their lunch. Towards the end of lunch, Hermione said, 'I don't know about you, but I'd like to go and visit the house-elves again.'

'I still haven't met Dobby,' said Ginny. 'I'd like to.'

'OK,' sighed Ron, the long-suffering ex-treasurer of S.P.E.W.

'You're not going to tell them they have to ask for freedom, are you?' Harry asked her. 'You just want to see if any more have?'

'Yes, it's better if they just see how happy Dobby is, being free.'

'Winky's not much of an example, though. Still, she's not there any more, so they don't see her,' said Ron. Hermione frowned at him.

The four of them went down into the cellars and into the large kitchen.

'Harry Potter, sir!' came the familiar and excited voice, and Dobby ran over to meet them. Harry introduced Ginny to him, but without mentioning his affection for her. 'Hello, miss,' Dobby said to her, smiling. 'Harry Potter has lots of friends!'

'Yes, he does,' said Ginny, smiling back.

Hermione was looking around. 'I can see five house-elves wearing clothes now. You must be setting them a good example, Dobby.'

'Dobby tries, miss,' he told her, smiling at him. 'Would Harry Potter and his friends like some tea?'

'No, thanks,' said Hermione.

'We've just had our lunch, so no, thanks, Dobby,' Harry answered.

'I wouldn't have minded,' muttered Ron.

They stayed for a while, talking to Dobby and finding out that he hadn't spoken to Winky since she left the school for the Malfoys. When they left the kitchen, they were surprised to see Hannah and Grocyn in the corridor, talking.

Grocyn froze, staring at the four of them. 'Where did you come from?'

'Ask your parents,' said Ginny, grinning at him.

'Oh, umm, hello,' said Hannah, turning to see who Grocyn was looking at.

'I'm sorry, we've interrupted something,' said Harry. 'We'll leave you alone.'

'No, not really,' said Hannah. 'I was just telling Grocyn that Quidditch is only a game ...'

Ron gasped, clutching his chest.

'... don't be silly! I appreciate your not wanting to attack me,' she said, turning back to Grocyn, 'but it is a part of Quidditch.'

'I know it is,' said Grocyn. 'But Quidditch isn't part of my life any more.'

'You were a good Beater, though,' said Ginny.

'Well, you'll all do better without me on the team, then.' He looked round. 'All five of you are on teams, aren't you?'

'This is a Quidditch conference,' said Harry, smiling.

'I'd better go, then,' said Grocyn.

'No!' exclaimed Hannah. 'Look, I've been feeling bad anyway about rescuing Raine, because all I did was delay her death until she could be murdered. But, don't you see, your resigning only makes it worse. It's as though the point of rescuing her wasn't to keep her alive, it was so that Hufflepuff could beat Slytherin. I didn't want to win the game that way.'

'That's not how I was thinking of it. And I already told you, even if you don't think what you did was a good thing, I do.'

'So do I, Hannah,' Harry told her.

'Besides,' Grocyn added, 'don't you know that if you kill yourself, you can't get into heaven, but if you're murdered, you might still be able to? You gave her that chance.'

Hannah frowned, and turned pink.

Grocyn continued, 'You didn't know she would be killed later. You didn't even know who she was -- and you didn't care, did you? You just rescued her because she -- someone -- was in trouble.'

Hannah shrugged.

'Well, it was a good thing you did,' Grocyn insisted. 'I think that's what we need more of, people who'll rescue someone without answering questions. The Dark Lord and all his Death Eaters need ... well, it can't just be Dumbledore, Harry and some Aurors fighting him. There's got to be people who are the opposite of what the Dark Lord believes in, too.'

'Yes,' agreed Harry. 'Otherwise, what's the point in fighting him -- we'd already have lost.'