Chapter 11 - Halloween

                                        

                                              
            
                              
Halloween
                              
      It was under a week until Halloween. Everybody's spirits were rising. The summer of fear and rumors faded away. People felt safe at Hogwarts. Quidditch season was coming closer and Hagrid was growing the horse-sized pumpkins for the Halloween feast that everyone was looking forward to having. Harry seemed to be the only one not in good spirits, and if it were not for Quidditch, Ron would be right with him.  
                              
      Ron was getting into the Captaincy and he did not have time to notice Harry's moods or even his own studies. He was not doing well. Hermione had to make him pay attention in class and do his homework. This, of course, sparked several arguments, but by the next day, they pretended that nothing happened. Harry had gotten so use to their arguments that he did not even intervene. He thought of it as time to himself.
                              
      One morning, Harry woke up at his usual time, and could not go back to sleep. He had had another dream of Sirius falling through the veil. He was lying awake on his bed, he thought he heard Seamus wake up and look over, but it was still dark Seamus could not see anything. It was still a few hours before dawn. He drank some water and tried to think of his classes, Hagrid, or Quidditch, but he kept rounding back to Sirius, his parents, and Voldemort. He wished it were morning. Time dragged on as if it was moving twice as slow, and after what seemed like forever, Ron finally woke up. Harry waited a bit and got up. They got dressed and went down to the common room. Hermione was already there.
                              
      "Hi, let's go down and get breakfast," she said and they followed her downstairs.  
                              
      They walked into the Great Hall and a few heads turned, but the number had decreased. Most people figured out he wanted to be left alone or felt embarrassed by the way they had treated him. Harry had gotten use to the silence. He did not like to be bothered. They sat down and Ginny came over.
                              
      "When's next practice?" she asked Ron, who mouth was full sausage. 
                              
      "Wednesday night, I booked the pitch. Oh, we're going to play Ravenclaw first, I forgot to tell everyone yesterday," he said after swallowing his food.
                              
      "Really? Looking forward to it Harry?" Ginny said sarcastically.
                              
      "Oh yeah... I hope she doesn't cry again," Harry responded, thinking about Cho, but then he looked at Ron, who had started to go white.
                              
      "Don't worry Ron, the team's doing great. No one would blame you if we lost, and that isn't likely, right Ginny?" Harry asked, meeting her eyes.
                              
      "Yeah, our line isn't as good as last year, but we are good. Moreover, Harry's back on the team again. We got our Seeker," she said, smiling at him and turning a little red.
                              
      "You get too nervous, calm down. Everything is going to be fine the match is not for another two weeks. So, get your spirits up," Hermione piped in.  
                              
      Ron nodded to show that he understood, but did not say anything. Ginny, probably out of certain for Ron, ate breakfast with them.  
                              
      "So, how's classes going," she asked.  
                              
      Harry and Ron both mumbled "fine", but Hermione decided to have some conversation.
                              
      "Well, interesting to say the least. We have started Conjuring in Transfiguration, and Hagrid has found more dangerous, and probably illegal, creatures for us, but Defense Against the Dark Arts is a nightmare. Snape is showing us all the Dark Arts spells he knows. Almost all of them are illegal. Is he like that for the fifth years?" she asked.
                              
      "A little, we are working on blocking right now, but a few of us already know it, right Harry?" Ginny asked, looking at Harry.
                              
      He just nodded in response.