Chapter 14
The Empty Dormitory
Four weeks later, Harry and Ron walked across the Hogwarts grounds, just having finished an hour-long fly. "Oh, I miss Quidditch," said Ron wistfully, for what Harry guessed was the twentieth time in the past two months. Still, Harry felt he couldn't blame Ron.
"Me, too," he agreed. "At least McGonagall says the new stadium in being built on schedule, so it'll probably be finished in January."
Ron didn't look very reassured. "I don't see why they don't at least let us practice. There's plenty of airspace, even if we don't use what's above where the stadium should be."
Harry glanced at him in surprise. "I thought you agreed that practicing wouldn't be the same without a proper set of hoops."
Ron appeared mildly chagrined that he had ever said such a thing. "That was before going two months without any Quidditch. I'm really starting to feel it now, since this is about when we'd be playing our first match."
Harry shrugged. "I know. But as I'm sure you know, I can't pick the Slytherins' team without hoops, and it's not fair for them not to have a team while the rest of us practice. And before you say anything, I'm aware of the irony of talking about what's fair to the Slytherins."
"Just so long as you're aware of it."
"How are the second years doing with their flying, by the way?"
"Not bad," said Ron, with some pride. "They're getting the hang of it, and they're surprisingly disciplined for a bunch of second years. I have to admit that I was just sort of humoring them when I started, but it's turned into kind of a nice project for me. I've spent some of the last few Saturdays in the library researching broom-based battle information, which of course Hermione had some fun with me about. Like, that seeing me in the library is like seeing her on the Quidditch pitch."
"I can understand that," said Harry. "You'd probably say the same thing if she suddenly started flying for fun."
"I probably would," conceded Ron. "Anyway, I'm getting pretty interested in the whole concept of combat flying, probably because there are elements of it that are a little similar to the kind of flying you do in Quidditch. And since I'm Quidditch-starved right now, this is the next best thing."
"Funny, I was planning on starting to teach it the week after next, and starting to research it myself later today. You could point me to the right books. Then again, I could just turn the class over to you for that."
"Hadn't thought of that," said Ron. "I suppose you could, since I've been teaching the second years. Of course, you should research it and know it anyway, but if you want me to demonstrate something or teach it, sure, I wouldn't mind. D'you want to go to the library and get started now?"
"No, not now, though I am going there. Hermione and I are going to do our Legilimency practice in a few minutes."
Ron nodded. "So, how's that going?"
"Pretty good," replied Harry, as they approached the castle entrance. "I feel like I'm getting better all the time. I'm improving both at viewing memories and discovering lies. Hermione and I are doing this thing lately where we always check each other, and we deliberately lie to each other every now and then, as a test to see if the other person catches it. But it can't be something the other person would know was a lie anyway. Like, I said I was taking the N.E.W.T.s very seriously, and she just looked at me like, you have to do better than that."
"Hard to think of anyone who needs N.E.W.T.s less than you," agreed Ron. "In the library, Hermione's always telling me I should study more Herbology or Transfigurations, to prepare for the N.E.W.T.s. To be honest, she's probably right, since in the winter and spring there'll be lots of Quidditch practice. She must have got through to Pansy, though, because Pansy's really serious now about studying. She's usually been so-so about it, like the rest of us except Hermione, but she's spending a lot of time in the library too."
