The Potter Twins and the Half-Blood Prince {6}

8. Quidditch Trials

"Been travelling in packs that I can't carry anymore, been waiting for somebody else to carry me. There's nothing else there for at my door, all the people I know aren't who they used to be" ~ Say Amen, Panic! At the Disco

 As Hermione had predicted, our free periods are not the hours of blissful relaxation Ron had anticipated, but times in which to attempt to keep up with the vast amount of homework we've been set. Not only are we studying as though we have exams every day, but the lessons themselves have become more demanding than ever before. It's a struggle to understand half of what Professor McGonagall says to us these days; even Hermione has to ask her to repeat instructions once or twice. Incredibly, and to Hermione's increasing resentment, Harry's best subject has suddenly become Potions, thanks to the Half-Blood Prince.

Non-verbal spells are now expected, not only in Defense Against the Dark Arts but in Charms and Transfiguration too. I frequently notice my classmates turning purple in the face with strain, desperately trying not to utter the spells out loud. My only saving grace is that I no longer have to do Herbology, the class I dreaded for the past five years. It's a pleasant reminder whenever the others have to venture outside to the Greenhouse. 

One result of our enormous workload and the frantic hours of practising non-verbal spells is that we haven't been unable to find time to go and visit Hagrid. He has stopped coming to meals at the staff table, an ominous sign, and on the few occasions when we've passed him in the corridors or out in the grounds, he has mysteriously failed to notice us or hear our greetings.

"We've got to go and explain," says Hermione, looking up at Hagrid's huge empty chair at the staff table the following Saturday at breakfast.

"We've got Quidditch tryouts this morning!" says Ron. "And we're supposed to be practising that Aguamenti Charm from Flitwick! Anyway, explain what? How are we going to tell him we hated his stupid subject?"

"We didn't hate it!" says Hermione.

"Speak for yourself, I haven't forgotten the Skrewts," says Ron darkly. "And I'm telling you now, we've had a narrow escape. You didn't hear him going on about his gormless brother -- we'd have been teaching Grawp how to tie his shoelaces if we'd stayed. "

"I hate not talking to Hagrid," says Hermione, looking upset.

"We'll go down after Quidditch," I tell her, also feeling the pain of missing Hagrid. 

"But trials might take all morning, the number of people who have applied," Harry adds, clearly nervous at confronting the first hurdle of his Captaincy. "I dunno why the team's this popular all of a sudden. "

"Oh, come on, Harry," says Hermione, suddenly impatient. "It's not Quidditch that's popular, it's you and Haylee! You've never been more interesting, and frankly, you've never been more fanciable. "

Ron gags on a large piece of kipper, and Riley claps his back, chuckling. Hermione spares him one look of disdain before turning back to Harry.

"Everyone knows you've been telling the truth now, don't they? The whole Wizarding world has had to admit that you two were right about Voldemort being back and that you really have fought him twice in the last two years and escaped both times. And now they're calling you 'the Chosen Ones'--well, come on, can't you see why people are fascinated by you?"

I tug at my tie as the Great Hall becomes strangely warm. 

"And you've been through all that persecution from the Ministry when they were trying to make out you were unstable and a liar. You can still see the marks on the back of your hands where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway. . . "

"You can still see where those brains got hold of me in the Ministry, look," says Ron, shaking back his sleeves.

"Haylee's always been fancied by a lot of boys, but now that Malfoy's family have fallen from grace, people are wondering why she stays with him. He isn't as intimidating anymore."

"You've clearly thought this out," I say nervously. 

"It's a wonder Draco hasn't murdered anyone," Riley adds.