Erased and Replaced

Part 6~Ron and Hermione

Everything was gone. The wind blew in Harry's ears blocking out the cheering coming from the stands. All he focused on was the golden ball in front of him. He had been too busy to properly fly last year and it wasn't like he had a chance over the holiday. This 'try out' was a breath of fresh air for him. A thing that couldn't change no matter where he was.

Narrowing his eyes, Harry pushed him broom faster, spinning out of the way of a bludger and sweeping past the stand. He rolled over to avoid another student before making a sharp turn to stop himself crashing into a stand. Finally with the snitch in reaching distance, Harry reached out his hand and snatched it out of the air. 

Making himself stop, Harry looked down at the golden ball- its wings closing in on itself as it admitted defeat. Harry watched it, an unreadable expression in his eyes. 

"Damn newbie, that was incredible! No wonder your last school made you their seeker, you must have been unbeatable," Angelina shouted as Harry landed back on the grass.

"Not quite," Harry whispered, placing the snitch into Angelina's hand.

"Hey, you're not thinking about backing out, are you?! Gryffindor needs you on the team!"

Harry's expression softened, something unreadable in his eyes- something full of pain. "Yeah I know. I assume I got the place then?"

"Of course, go get changed and I'll give you the practice plan!"

Sighing, Harry nodded and left the field. He went to get changed, taking a shower and leaning back under the water. Growling, he gripped onto the porcelain sides. Quittach might be the same but the team wasn't. Fred and George are on the Slytherin team if they play at all. He had yet to see Ron, was he going to be a keeper this year. He wanted to try out, would he still if he hadn't had Harry and the twins inspiring him. 

Taking a deep breath, Harry rubbed his eyes. He had never been homesick before- either too busy trying not to get killed by his uncle or too busy trying not to get killed by Voldemort, but here and now he was more homesick than ever.

Harry didn't talk to the new team, leaving for somewhere- anywhere- that would feel even the smallest bit familiar. Strangely, Harry found himself in the library, memories plaguing his mind and making him smile. They would have most of their important conversations in this room- Hermione always wanting to check her information before reciting it. Harry couldn't help but wonder how Hermione was doing.

"I cannot believe it!"

Frowning, Harry had to do a double check, unsure whether he had actually heard Hermoine or if he had thought it up. He could hear someone slamming a paper down on a table. Harry cautiously looked around the corner, his breath catching at the sight of his old friends. 

Hermoine was sitting with the daily paper down in front of her, she was glaring at it as if it had burnt a book. Ron was by her side- they were still friends! Harry decided to ignore the blue and yellow colours that decorated their clothes, just glad they weren't Slytherins.

"'Ministry Passes Education Decree Number Twenty-Three,'" Ron read, stumbling over some of the words. "'Dolores Umbrudge Appointed Hogwarts High Inquisitor.' What does that mean?"

Harry couldn't stop that sigh as he smiled contently, something never changed- but things had changed; this wasn't your home; they weren't your friends.

"It says here that the High Inquisitor has the power to impact all of the teachers."

"Your kidding!"

"That's not all. The High Inquisitor also has the power to sack teachers," Hermione explained simply.

That wasn't good.

"Harry!" 

Jumping, Harry spun around to see the twins smiling down at him. "You two gave me a heart attack!"

"Do we need to get Madam Pomphrey?" 

Harry glared at Fred who was smirking. 

"You wouldn't jump so much if you weren't sneaking around," George stated- also receiving a glare from the younger boy. 

"I wasn't sneaking around!"

"Fred? George?" Ron walked around the corner spotting the three teens. "Who's this?"

"Oh this is Harikins," Fred claimed, throwing his arm around Harry's shoulders and pushing him forward. 

"A Gryffindor! He was spying on us!" Ron looked horrified, quickly going to his wand. Was this what he was like to Slytherins?

"I wasn't spying on you," Harry whispered but he hated the fact he actually was. 

Hermione looked over Harry, a contemplative look on her face. "You're the new kid? You got into a fight with Elijah didn't you? What did you do?"

Harry was thankful that there was no bite behind her words but it still made him worry. He silently moved his hand behind his back before answering. "It doesn't matter. I was wondering if you knew where they keep the newspaper. I don't have any money to buy one and I'm not sure if you've noticed but I can't really borrow one from my house mates."

Hermione smiled, motioning to the table. "You can read ours."

"Moine!" Ron looked like he had just been slapped in the face, glancing between the two. "He's a Gryffindor!"

"And you're a Hufflepuff, now sit down and let him read. 

Harry smiled a little at that, sitting down beside the Ravenclaw. 

"You know, I envy you," George said wistfully.

"Why's that?" Ron hesistenly stood beside Hermione, giving fearful eyes to Harry. Hermione eventually grew tired of Hufflepuff's distrust and pulled him down next to her.

"Umbridge is inspecting McGonagall in your period. That old toad won't know what hit her. Oh, to be a youth again, to experience the innocent glee of watching Umbridge be destroyed by the greatest head of Gryffinor this century."

"Well, we'll expect a full report after," Fred told them. 

"Complete with facial expressions," George finished making Harry smile. 

Even after the two Slytherins had left, Harry was allowed to stay with Hermione and Ron, the three getting to know each other all over again. Hermione was smarter here than at home- not that she wasn't smart at home- it was just she had more time to revise here and her intelligence had grown over the years in Ravenclaw. Ron was more... cowardly, similar to Neville's change. It wasn't noticeable at first but when he pointed his wand at Harry, his hand shook in a way it never did at home. He likely never got the push to become the brave boy Harry knew. 

Harry couldn't help but wonder why the twins, the two who had gone into the literal opposite house, were the two who Harry found the most similar to the people he knew.