Author's notes: Hey everybody! I am so sorry I have not written in a while. I think this fic takes me the longest to write a chapter. Without further ado, here's chapter eight!

Thanks to A Cute but Psycho Bunny, MrsAliciaWeasly, Tonks42, thehpgang, starnat, mrscribble, brokentoy19, MERRY, TartanLioness, TheFictionSpider, Ced14, and Monai! You people rock my world!

Disclaimer: If I owned this, I'd be rolling in the Benjamins right now. Well guess what...I don't own it.

Chapter 8-

"So you add the flobberworm blood, and then stir three time clockwise-"

"No Harry, counterclockwise. Otherwise, the potion will have a reverse effect."

"Who even knew flobberworms had blood anyway? They're just fat lards,"

"Ron!"

"Whatever. So then what to you do after the flobberworm?"

"You put your right foot in, then you put your right foot out, then you put your right foot in and you shake it all ab-"

"Harry!" Hermione said laughing. Harry and Ron never got too much done for homework, but they did seem to make it more fun.

"What? I don't get it," Ron said. Harry and Hermione laughed.

"We have Potions in ten minutes," Hermione said, glancing at her watch after she and Harry had finished laughing.

Ron made a face. "Do we have to go? Hey, I think I've got some skiving snack boxes from Fred and George."

"Ron, you can't skive off Potions if you want to be an Auror. If you fail Potions, they won't hire you," Hermione pointed out.

"Skiving off one class doesn't mean I'm gonna fail," Ron shot back, but he stopped digging through his school bag for the snack boxes.

"You wanna get to Potions now, so Snape can't say we're late?" Harry asked.

"Good idea," Hermione said, grabbing her school bag.

They assembled their books and stepped out of the Gryffindor Common Room. Walking to Potions, Ron began to talk to Harry.

"Hey, when are you going to have try-outs?" he asked.

"Try-outs?" Harry asked, but quickly remembered. "Oh right. Quidditch! Well, we have a Seeker, a Chaser, and a Keeper, so-"

"No we don't."

Harry turned to look at Ron. "What? You're going to be Keeper, right?"

"I don't think I should."

"Why not?"

"Uh, because I stunk more than Brie Cheese on a stick in the middle of October."

"Ron! You did not stink!" Hermione said.

"Yeah, plus, Fred and George won't be there this year to make fun of you." Harry pointed out.

"All right, but if I totally stink again you have to find a new Keeper," Ron said, giving in.

"Fine, but we won't need one," Harry said. "So we have you, me, and Katie. We still need two more Beaters and two Chasers."

"I think Ginny is going to try out for Chaser," Ron stated.

Harry smiled. "That's good, she's pretty decent. What about those two blokes we used at the end of last year, when Umbridge banned Fred, George, and me?"

"Kirke and Sloper?" Ron asked. Harry nodded. "I suppose they'll do. They weren't brilliant, but compared to the rest of the idiots that showed up..." As Ron finished talking, they entered their Potions class. The three took their seats in the back.

"Hello, hello class," Snape said, walking into the class. He seemed a bit disappointed that he couldn't yell at Harry, Ron, and Hermione for being late.

"Welcome class. Today we will be working on a new, complex potion. If you do not follow my exact directions, your potion will come out deadly. And that would be most tragic." He looked at Harry with a sneer. "We will be working on the B-" Snape was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Enter," Snape commanded.

The door creaked open with every student's eye focusing on the door. Colin Creevy stepped inside, shaking madly.

"What do you want, Creevy?" Snape hissed. Malfoy nudged Crabbe and pointed at Colin. "What a little baby," he muttered with a smirk.

"It's a n-n-note, s-s-sir," Colin's knees were shaking and he was stuttering from Professor Dumbledore."

Snape took the note. "Thank you Colin, now be gone from my classroom."

"O-okay," Colin said. He quickly went out of the door.

Snape looked over the note for a few minutes. "Potter," he hissed, spitting out the name like it was a gnat in his mouth. "You are wanted in the Headmaster's office."

"Okay," Harry said, putting his books, quills, and parchment away.

"You will be marked as absent from class, and you are responsible for making up any work."

"Okay." Harry repeated.

"I suggest you leave now, so you can stop delaying my class from learning."

"Okay," Harry said again, and walked out of the dungeon.

He wondered what Dumbledore wanted to see him for. Was there another prophecy? Harry hoped not. His stomach clenched just thinking about the first one. Was it about Sirius? Maybe he wasn't dead. Maybe there was some way to talk to him.

He turned a corner, and continued pondering. Was Harry in trouble? What did he do? He thought hard. In potions, he 'accidentally on purpose' used accio to hit Malfoy on the head with the goat livers they were using, but he hadn't gotten in too much trouble. Some points taken off and a detention. However, he didn't think it was big enough to be called to Dumbledore's office.

What if Umbridge's ban was permanent? What if he wasn't allowed to ever play Quidditch again? His stomach turned into a knot. Finally, he reached Dumbledore's office.

"Uhhh," Harry said, realizing he didn't know the password. "Chocolate frog? Sugar quill?" he tried. The gargoyles didn't budge. "Cockroach cluster? Blood lollipop?"

Harry was getting frustrated. "Lemon drop!" The gargoyles stayed shut. "Skiving snackbox?" he asked desperately. To his surprise, the gargoyles swung open.

He stepped into Dumbledore's office, looking around. It looked fairly similar to the end of fifth year.

"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore's voice said from behind him. Harry spun around. "Have a seat," Dumbledore motioned for him to sit down on the chair he made appear.

Harry sat down. Dumbledore sat on his chair. "You are probably wondering why I called you in here, Harry," Dumbledore said.

"Harry nodded. The ban from Umbridge last year it's not-" he began, but was interrupted by Dumbledore's faint laughter.

"No Harry, I assure you, it is not permanent." He said. Harry opened his mouth again. "And you are not in trouble," Dumbledore said. Harry closed his mouth.

"No Harry, I was just wondering," Dumbledore said. "Why did you attempt to make Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks as teachers?"

"What?" Harry said, shocked.

"Well, you sent a letter asking them to be teachers," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Why?"

Harry was shocked. "H-how did you know?"

"Ah, I have my ways Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said. "I know it wasn't me who sent them a letter. But would you care to tell me why?"

"Well, uh, L-Professor Lupin always looked lonely over the summer," Harry explained. "And, Professor Lupin and Tonks used to date. So we decided to match them together, so they wouldn't be as lonely any more."

"Well, Harry, that is a splendid idea, and very thoughtful, but, next time, please leave the roles of assigning teachers to the faculty."

"Okay," Harry said, relieved.

"But, I would also like to thank you. When Ms. Meralda, the original teacher, had decided not to teach, Remus and Nymphadora were right there." Harry smiled. You have good timing, Mr. Potter. It is time for your next class."

Harry walked to his next class, grinning. So Dumbledore knew their scheme. He still didn't know about giving the potion to the old teacher.

He walked into the Gryffindor Common Room, where he met up with Ron and Hermione. They found him and eagerly waited fort he news.

"So?" Ron asked.

"So what?" Harry asked, grinning. He was keeping them on the edge of their seats.

"What did Professor Dumbledore say?" Hermione asked.

Harry explained that Dumbledore knew that Harry sent the letter, but he still didn't know that they gave their original teacher a potion.

"And I thought it was something dreadful!" Hermione said. She let out a small laugh, along with Harry and Ron.

Potions was the last class of the day, and everyone was winding down after dinner. Hermione sat on a large armchair reading, while Harry and Ron set up a game of Exploding Snap.

"No cheating," Ron said sternly to Harry.

"Wasn't gonna," Harry replied with a smile.

The next day was a beautiful Fall Saturday. The now golden leaves that once shone with a brilliance of summer dropped to the ground, layering it with an amber blanket. A light breeze swayed through the crisp, clean air and rustled hair or leaves. The sun shined bright enough to illuminate the air, but it wasn't blinding.

It was the perfect day for Quidditch.

Harry jumped out of bed, excited to be playing Quidditch for the first time in months. It was much too long, as far as he was concerned. Ron awoke soon after, and the two joined Hermione for breakfast.

Ron sat at the table, his right leg jiggling rapidly up and down. HE was shaking so hard, he couldn't even butter toast without knocking a whole pitcher of pumpkin juice on Harry's omelet.

"S-sorry, mate," Ron said. Hermione whipped out her wand and cleaned it up.

"Here Ron," she said gently, buttering a piece of toast for him. "Eat. You'll feel better." Ron shook his head. "Not hungry," he said.

"Why are you nervous, Ron?" Harry asked. "You're all ready on the team. You're our unbeatable, irreplaceable, un-scoreable Keeper!" Harry said with triumph resembling Oliver Wood.

"I'm not nervous, just...not hungry." Ron said. His leg was jiggling faster than the speed of light, and his freckles stood out against his paler-looking skin.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked.

"I'm fine. Done, Harry? We should get changed for tryouts." Ron said, his voice slightly quivering. Harry quickly finished the last of his omelet and started heading towards the locker room.

"I'll see you guys later," Hermione said, leaving the Great Hall.

Harry took an extra long time to get changed. He emerged from the locker room last, wearing his Quidditch robe, holing a clipboard and quill, and his wand was stuck behind his left ear. Ron and Katie stood near the end of the field, while mostly younger students eagerly waited in the center. Harry spotted Ginny among them, and gave a small wave. He noticed that Ron's hair clashed with the maroon robes, but somehow, Ginny made it work.

HE told the team to fly two laps around the field, just to warm up. A girl and boy, probably second year, could barely get on the broom let alone ride it. Harry sighed. It was going to be a tough season.

After a few drills, things became clear to Harry. Ginny was a decent Chaser, and there was a petite African American girl named Cecily who wasn't too bad. Kirke and Sloper seemed to be the only people who could hold a beater bat and hit the Bludger at the same time. A small boy named Eric wanted to be Beater bad, but the bat was barely smaller than him.

Harry wrote notes too himself with his quill and the parchment on the clipboard. Katie occasionally whispered notes in his ear. It was pretty clear to even a stranger that Ginny and Cecily were the best Chaser options. Kirke and Sloper were the most reasonable for Beaters, and together, they made very nice half-wit.

A few hours later, Harry dismissed the hopeful students. Ron said he didn't need a shower yet, but Harry knew he sweat buckets from nerves. He said goodbye to Ron, who was still shaking and pale.

Harry decided he needed an extra long shower, not just because he was sweaty, but because it gave him a long excuse to think. He thought about the not-so-amazing Quidditch team, and about how he could get Lupin to ask Tonks to the Returning Ball.

Suddenly, it hit him. The Ball. He needed a date. He couldn't expect to set Lupin and Tonks up with out having a date himself. It would be so hypocritical.

He knew he didn't want to bring Cho. She would spend the whole night crying. Hermione was a very good friend, but he just couldn't picture her on his arm. He went with Parvati to the Yule Ball, and she was clearly unhappy with him. He couldn't think the shower any longer without drowning, so he got out of the shower and dried himself. HE needed a date.

The second time he realized it, one name popped into his head. Ginny Weasley. Harry blinked, as if his brain would change. It still screamed GINNY! at him.

HE changed, and thought more. Ginny. He wanted to bring Ginny. He couldn't, but that wasn't what he cared about. He was wondering how long. Surely not when Ginny had been so infatuated with him?

He turned the corner without thinking, and decided to pay a visit to Professor Lupin.

He knocked on the door, and Lupins voice told him to come in. He opened the door to find Lupin sitting at his desk grading papers.

"Hello Harry," Lupin said, looking up and smiling.

"Hi," he said back. "Where's Tonks?"

"Hogsmead" Lupin answered. "She needed some new quills. Is there something bothering you Harry?"

Harry thought about lying. He could say nothing, when really, there was a lot. He could talk about how he had fallen in love with Ginny Weasley, and hit him like a truck. He could talk about his dread for the upcoming Quidditch team. He could talk about how the closest thing he had to a parent was dead.

Or, he could lie.

He wasn't going to say nothing was wrong. He wasn't going to completely spill, either.

"Have you ever not loved someone when they loved you, but then al of a sudden, they stop and you start?"

Lupin smiled. "Actually I have. You never realized that you loved someone until they stopped loving you?" Harry nodded. "There's nothing you can do," Lupin continued. "If it's meant to be, it'll happen. It may feel hopeless, but you can never know. It might be good in the future."

Harry was going to open his mouth, but a knock on the door interrupted him. "Come in," Lupin said again.

Colin Creevy walked in trembling, similar to the way he did in Potions.

"Hello Colin," Lupin said.

"H-Harry," Colin began. "You-you need to get to the hospital wing," he said.

"What happened?" Harry asked, a huge knot forming in his stomach.

"Ron's in the hospital wing," Colin replied.

Well. There you go. This chapter took me a while to write. I'm not sure if it's my favorite. I added fluff AND a cliffhanger! So keep on reviewing, pretty please!

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