MetaFic

Scene 18.0

20 Jun 1992

“Ravenclaw, eh?” Seamus said as he dropped into the seat next to Michael, the train slowly starting to rock as it picked up speed.  “Don’t know why I didn’t think you Claws had it in you to win the cup.”

Michael shrugged briefly, amusement playing across his face.  “Well, when it comes to points for academic achievement, who else should win?”

“Okay, you two,” Harry interjected to stop the argument before it could start yet again.  “Michael’s house is smart, the Puffs are good at Quidditch this year, and we’re all still friends.  Right, Ron?”

The redhead just slumped further in his seat, causing Harry, Neville, and Seamus to share a wry smile.  Ron had been pouting and groaning non-stop about his brother’s failure to catch the Snitch before Cedric Diggory had, letting the Puffs eke out their first Quidditch Cup in a decade.  Harry was happy for them, since they had experienced such a dry spell of recognition, and thought that Susan Bones and her friends were doing an admirable job of not gloating.  He was sure that had the situation been reversed, the Weasley Brood would have had no compulsions to the contrary.

“One of you ought to try out next year,” Neville commented.  “Percy’s already said he’s not going to play again, despite being an okay Seeker.  They’ll need someone, and we won’t be firsties anymore.”

“Well,” Harry said after thinking about it, “I suppose I might.  I like flying, but being on the hook for other people’s entertainment . . . doesn’t sound like fun.”

“Toadstool will,” Seamus said.  “You know he will.”

“Doesn’t mean he’ll make it, though,” Michael offered.  “Tofty doesn’t seem to care about favorites or families.”

“Think about if he does, though,” Seamus replied.  “You know he’ll lord it over everyone.”

They sat in silent contemplation until the compartment door opened and Hermione entered.  “Hi, everyone,” she said with a quick smile as she sat next to Michael.

The smattering of unenthusiastic responses made her frown slightly.  “It’s not you,” Harry told her, “it’s the discussion we were just having about our esteemed Mr Toadstool and his likely aspirations to Qudditch next year.”

“Oh,” Hermione said, her smile coming back.  “Well, I suppose he’ll have to keep working on enjoying the taste of toad, won’t he?”

The silence lasted only a moment before Seamus all but shouted, “You’re the one who’s been doing it, then?”  His smile was far more of a leer in Harry’s opinion.

“Doing what?”  Hermione’s bright eyes and innocent look might have fooled others, but Harry could tell she was guilty.  Someone had been supplementing the Gryffindor efforts at ensuring Malfoy always had a snake-worthy food source when he ran his gums off, but none of them had been able to figure out who, exactly, had been helping.  Seamus and Neville were betting on the Troublesome Twins, but Harry and Ron had remained unconvinced.

“Michael, you sly dog,” Harry said before Seamus could argue back, “you showed her where to find the spell, didn’t you?”

Michael took on a faintly superior demeanor and raised his nose in the air.  “Of course not.  We are Ravenclaws, so you didn’t really expect Hermione to leave your puzzle alone, now do you?”

Everyone had a good chuckle at how both Michael and Hermione had pulled one over on all of them, let alone that Malfoy had been outclassed by his so-called inferiors.  “I’ll admit, though,” she said when the congratulations were over, “that I’m still struggling with the lizards and spiders.  Birds were easy, though.”

“Birds?” Seamus asked, then swiveled to look at Harry.  “Can you do birds?”

“Haven’t tried,” Harry shrugged.  “Sounds like we’ve got some competition, eh?”

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Hermione said.  “I’m not looking to cause trouble in general.  But I do enjoy learning the variants of each spell, don’t you?”

Michael patted Hermione’s hand lightly for a moment.  “You need to excuse them,” he said in a stage whisper.  “They learn strictly on an ad-hoc basis.  It’s only what they need for living in the moment, you see.”

While Seamus and Harry both blushed in embarrassment for being called out directly, Neville laughed outright.  “Yeah, that’s about the right of it.  That’s also why they get into trouble. They never think past the immediate next step.”

Ron was about to say something when their compartment door opened again. His twin terror brothers stood in the doorway, arm-in-arm.  “Hello, all!” the one on the right said.  “Anything unpredictable going on in here?”

They had a certain gleam in their eyes, which caused Harry to start watching their hands closely. 

“Nah,” Ron said, changing whatever he had been about to say.  “Just the usual.”  Faint smiles spread among the occupants at Ron’s blatant lie to his brothers, but it was far from the first time their friend had kept their secrets – and aided their pranks against his brothers.

“Ahh, Ronnie,” the left twin pointed out, “your lies are given away by the glow of your ears.”

“We like things unpredictable, eh, Harry?” the right one said.  “Though fewer trips to hospital would be better for you, young man.  Thrice is three too many, right?  As for the rest of you lot, the year should end how it began!”

“Oh?  It began unpredictably?” Harry asked, ignoring the reference to his ‘accident’ prone body.  “About the only thing I remember is that tarantula of Lee’s getting loose.”

“Yeah,” Seamus chimed in, his timing as perfect as always.  “Weren’t you the two who threw it down the table?  We never did get to hear that story.”

The twins exchanged a faintly disgruntled look before they simultaneously waived off any further enquiries.  “Never mind that old news.  What have you found out about Dumbledore’s duel with Quirrell in the Entrance Hall?”

Everyone immediately turned to Harry, who felt rather flummoxed at the sudden attention.  “Why’re you lot looking at me?  Seamus was there, too.”

“Ah, but you’re the only one the Headmaster has talked privately with,” Seamus replied.  “So if anyone knows more, it’s likely to be you.”

“Right, right,” Harry said with a sigh, “but you’ve been with me the whole time since then.  Quirrell came running down the stairs carrying that funny mirror, then Dumbledore showed up, and the next thing anyone knows spells are flying and our former Defence professor is shrieking.  Then Dumbledore made his little speech at breakfast the next morning, and now you lot now know as much as I do.”

“Pity,” one of the twins said.  “I was hoping there was a sordid tale of narcissism and enchanted mirrors.”

“Quite,” the other agreed with a nod of his head.  “Very well, then, children, we’re off.  Do try to remain unpredictable, as it will keep you prepared for next year!”