If I Could(A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

The Truth about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

There was a severe lack of team spirit among the Gryffindors come the next Quidditch match. Members of our house were actually making bets against our players. I heard most of a conversation where two boys were stating the time parameters of which they thought Ron would fall off his broom in. The whole thing made me furious. It wasn't their fault the team was falling apart, if anything it only made me madder at myself for getting kicked out. The match only lasted about twenty minutes though, so we didn't have to suffer for long. By the end of it. we had only lost by ten points, but to say it like that saves us a lot of embarrassment. Ginny had caught the snitch, but only after Ron had missed fourteen saves, Angelina was hit in the face with a bat, and Kirke falling backward off his broom. I had to drag myself back to the common room full of misery and mentally prepare myself to speak to 50 people about the match.

"Good game, kid," I said to Ginny as I sat down next to her in the common room.

"Yea, good catch," Harry added, sitting on the other side.

"I was lucky," she sighed. "It wasn't a very fast Snitch and Summerby's got a cold, he sneezed and closed his eyes at exactly the wrong moment. Anyway, we won't lose any more games once you two are back on the team-"

"Ginny, we've got life long bans," Harry reminded her.

"You're banned as long as Umbridge is in the school," Ginny corrected. "There's a difference. Anyway, once you guys are back, I think I'll try out for Chaser. Angelina and Alicia are both leaving next year and I prefer goal-scoring to Seeking anyway."

"I'd be lucky to have you by my side, if I could get back in," I smiled at her.

Ginny looked over at Ron who was curled up in a corner clutching a bottle of butterbeer so firmly his knuckles turned white, "Angelina still won't let him resign," she stated, "She says she knows he's got it in him."

The next day was somewhat better, I slept for at least five solid hours that night. It did take me more than an hour to "clear my mind" though. We entered the Great Hall at the same time post was entering. Hermione picked up her pace to meet the owls at our table. Nearly everyone else in the hall was eager to read anything else on the escaped Death Eaters. Hermione paid the delivery owl a Knut and planted her eyes into the first article after scanning the cover. A letter then dropped in front of me onto my plate just before I began filling it.

"Is it from Mum? Ron asked, leaning toward me questioningly.

"I don't see who else I'd be getting mail from," I said, flipping over the envelope to read the front.

It didn't look like Molly's handwriting at all. Confused, I tore open the seal. As soon as I pulled the letter open though, an owl abruptly landed in front of Harry.

"Who're you after?" he asked it, looking at the rolled up letter it clutched. But the owl had not landed in front of him by mistake, the letter was addressed to him. He took it, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. All of the sudden, more owls landed on the table in front of both of us, an absurd amount of owls.

"What's going on?" Ron asked in amazement. Most of the Gryffindor table's attention had been caught by now and they were all staring in our direction

"I think I know what this means- open some of them!" Hermione said, barely able to contain her excitement. Harry tore his open, it was a rolled up copy of the Quibbler.

His eyes widened and he turned the cover page to me. Our faces lay in front smiling awkwardly for a picture we didn't really want. We looked back at each other on the cover occasionally. Across the picture in bold red letters read:

THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED
AND THE NIGHT HE RETURNED.
AS TOLD BY HARRY POTTER AND EMMA BLACK.