Heroes at Hogwarts

one | worries and biscuits

harry

The day Harry Potter fell down the stairs onto a newcomer started like any other day. He woke up, alone in the dormitory, and groped around for his glasses on the table next to his bed. Then he looked around for Ron, who should have been passed out in the bed next to Harry's, but the boy was gone, along with the others that Harry shared the dorm with. Dean, Seamus, and Neville had stayed up late the night before, testing the newest line of Ron's brother's candies, while Ron and Harry poured over the newest line of Severus Snape's Potions homework. With Hermione refusing to help them this year, Harry was sure they were going to fail.

He decided to go looking for his two best friends, but all he found in the common room was Katie Bell and Demelza Robins passing a quaffle between them and fretting about the following day's team tryouts. Harry reminded them, for the fifth time, that they had nothing to worry about. They were returners. Returners always got the spot. The two girls smiled at him, and pointed to the portrait hole.

"Seamus and Neville left to breakfast a few minutes ago. I bet you can catch them before Seamus eats all the biscuits," Katie said. "Haven't seen Hermione or Ron all morning, though."

Harry thanked her and left the common room and headed for the Great Hall. He passed Professors McGonagall and Sprout at the entrance to Dumbledore's office, which was open. The two witches were whispering among themselves in worried tones.

"Demigods?" He heard Sprout whisper. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know, that's just what Dumbledore said! And something about a centaur!" McGonagall set a hand on Sprout's shoulder when she caught Harry's eyes, and the two professors fell silent and watched Harry pass with sad looks in their eyes.

Snape strutted past Harry without so much as glancing at him, which was unusual, and walked right past the two professors and up the stairs to Dumbledore's office, the two witches hurrying after him and gesturing for him to slow down.

Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey, both of whom were never seen in this part of the school, hurried past Harry with such rushed footsteps he forgot how old they were.

"Wotcher, Harry!" He bumped into Ron, and the two boys steadied each other.

"Hey, Ron," Harry muttered. He eyed Ron and Hermione. They didn't seem to be coming from breakfast. "Where have you two been?"

They glanced at each other.

"Hagrid's," Hermione rushed out. "He needed some help, came by this morning to ask me. Ron was already up when I was leaving. We didn't want to wake you."

Harry nodded. "Thanks."

"Why are you in such a hurry? That worried about us?" Ron teased.

Harry gave him a sly smile. "No. The teachers are...muttering."

Ron smiled and Hermione pushed Harry's shoulder. "Let's go one year, maybe? Just one year with nothing going on."

"I don't know about you, Hermione, but I'd do anything for an excuse for no finals," Ron said, which earned him a shoulder shove as well.

Professors Trelawney and Slughorn rounded the corner fast, marching towards them. The two didn't seem to notice there were students in the hallway.

"What does he mean he was claimed?" Slughorn asked. "What does that mean?"

"I do not know, Professor, but I saw this coming. Something in the poor boy's future that would change him forever," Trelawney said in a misty voice.

Slughorn regarded her with an unconvinced look and hurried ahead of her. Then he caught sight of Ron, Hermione, and Harry, and almost faltered his steps. Trelawney gasped as she passed them, catching back up to Slughorn and pointing back, right at Harry.

Hermione sighed. "One year, Harry, one year."

Harry, though, was wrapped up in his thoughts. What had he done now?

"Time for breakfast?" Ron asked, completely oblivious to Harry's mood.

"Seriously, Ron?" Hermione scolded. "The teachers are worried about something."

"Something that doesn't concern us until it does! Let's go!" Ron grabbed the two of them and hustled them into the Great Hall, where every table but the staffs was full.

Harry smiled as they sat in their usual seats, Harry between Ginny and Neville and Hermione and Ron across from him. He chuckled as Ginny, who was Ron's little sister, wheeled on him.

"Harry, thank goodness! Tell Dean that Defense Against the Dark Arts is a mandatory course right now!" She pointed at her boyfriend, who was sitting right next to her and smirking at Harry.

"I think I'll learn all I need to at the D.A. meetings," Dean countered, "right, Harry?"

Harry put his hands up in surrender. "I'm not jumping in the middle of this," he teased and turned to Neville, who was leaned over and speaking to Luna over the latest issue of The Quibbler, which was the magazine Luna's dad edited. Luna looked up and smiled at Harry.

"I heard Flitwick speaking to Hagrid about you this morning, Harry. Something about the ocean," Luna said in her vague tone, and went back to talking about the article she was discussing with Neville.

"Wait, Luna, what exactly did he say?" Hermione asked from across the table. "It's important."

The blonde looked up and studied the ceiling. "I don't quite recall. Oceans, and centaurs, and water spirits. Which, if I'm correct through year of studying with father, are called naiads."

Hermione huffed and leaned on the table for support. Ron patted her back and stuffed a muffin in his mouth.

"I'm sure it's fine. Harry and water, it's probably about the Triwizard last year," the redhead boy said, small crumbs falling back onto the table.

"What's going on?" Ginny perked up from her argument with Dean. "Something's wrong?"

"No," Ron rushed out. "Nothing's wrong."

"It probably is about the Triwizard Tournament. Last year, when I was down in the lake, the mermaids were talking and whispering. I didn't know what they were saying, but they kept pointing at me," Harry recalled.

"Mermaids are extraordinary. Did you know that King Neptune-" Hermione cut Luna off; "Gods aren't real, Luna," she said.

Luna met Harry's eyes and nodded, as if to say they are.

Harry smiled at her as she took the magazine and left for the Ravenclaw table. Neville returned to his food.

"There was a really good article over mandrakes. I'm thinking about subscribing," he said through a mouthful of food.

"Everything in there is rubbish. I swear, they make it up." Hermione glanced over at Luna, who was talking to Mary Perkins, another Ravenclaw in hers and Ginny's year.

"Well, whether they make it up or not-" Harry watched as Dumbledore and the teachers streamed in through doors all over the Great Hall- "I find it very interesting, as it usually turns out to be true."

Ron shoved another biscuit in his mouth and nodded.