The Christmas Break will officially be over in one day but the students who have gone home for the Break have returned back to Hogwarts.
Of course, Hermione correctly guessed Ron would almost endlessly ask Harry about the future, but what she'd find out was something she never even imagined.
"Hey guys!" Hermione said as she sat next to Ron.
"Oh, hey 'mione!" Harry replied with a kind smile.
It's currently breakfast in the Great Hall and students are coming inside at different times. "How was your break?"
"Oh, it was quite alright, I'd rather have it spent with you guys, but that's not important." She made a hand gesture of moving on, "anyways, how was your break?"
"It was quite alright, I've missed having such a familiar and comforting Christmas."
"What do you mean 'missed'?"
"..." Harry sighed, realizing just how little they know and just how little he actually wants to talk about his original life.
"..." Hermione didn't know what to say so she just shot a look towards Ron, who also has no idea what he meant by that.
So, with neither of them knowing what to say Ron and Harry returned to eating their breakfast, and Hermione put her breakfast on the plate infront of her and began eating.
Once they've returned to the Common Room, Hermione made it very clear that she wants to know everything that happened during the break, not just what is safe to say when other people are around.
"Well," she began, "I was wondering about Fluffy the whole break." She was looking at Harry the whole time, knowing he has an answer to her question, "Can you tell me more about him? I'm sure you already told Ron!" She's clearly excided but trying to hide it.
Harry sighed, and began explaining, he went to a little more details then he did with Ron.
"Wait..." she stopped him at some point during his explanation, "how can you be so sure Quirrell will try to steal the Philosopher's Stone?" She seems like she seems to have suspicions but she wants to prove that atleast one of them is right.
"To help Voldemort come back I guess," Harry shrugged.
Ron, as always, gasped at the name, "I-i told you not to say his name!"
But Hermione was also uneasy when Harry said Dark Lord's name.
Harry completely ignored Ron's comment.
"W-what makes you think that?" Hermione questioned further, despite her unease.
"Because I know he's on the back of Quirrell's head."
Hermione gasped.
"You've told me this too..." Ron joined in, "but how come you know that for sure?" Ron has some doubts but feels a little uneasy asking Harry about it.
"Huh?" Harry is caught off guard, he kind of expected Ron and Hermione to know how he knows about Voldemort being a parasite on the back of the head of their Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher.
"I have to be with Ron at this..." Hermione agreed, "it's kind of... suspicious,"
"And just how is that suspicious?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"..."
"Okay," Harry gave up, and just decided to give them an actual answer, "it's becuase my scar constantly hurts to some extent whenever Voldemort's close, or is feeling a very strong emotion atleast." Harry shrugged, as if this was a completely normal thing for someone to experience.
Ron and Hermione were completely caught off guard by the explanation are absolutely bewildered.
*************
When the Winter Break has officially ended Wood resumed the Quidditch training. It was as exhausting as always, but it was a nice way to relax.
The first match in the second term for Gryffindor was against Ravenclaw.
When it was their last training before the match, Wood told all of them that (just like the last time) Snape will be the referee.
Everyone in the team was upset by that, saying that they'll lose for sure.
Harry, on the other hand, is unsure how to feel; becuase, yes, he knows that Snape will be giving more penalties then needed to Gryffindor; but, he also is kind of relieved, seeing as thus it'll be much harder for Quirrell to try to kill him again.
"Don't bother me now," Ron said to Harry as he was sitting down.
Ron is playing Wizard's Chess with Hermione, she's not good at it, and neither is Harry.
"How was training?" Hermione asked after she lost.
Harry told them everything.
"That means that Quirrell won't jinx your broom again, right?" Ron said, hopeful.
"That's most likely," Harry shrugged.
"Good, want to play?" Hermione suggested, "I'm not good at this." She gestured to the board.
"Neither am I, but sure."
While Harry and Ron played Wizarding Chess, after four matches Ron decided to stop.
"Are you just letting me win?" Ron said, sounding upset and as if he's actively underestimated.
"No, why would I? I already told you I'm not good at this." Harry shrugged.
"It did seem like you were trying..."
Ron decided to continue playing with Harry, currently they were mid-match when all of a sudden, they heard something that sounded like a bag full of potatoes drop onto the floor.
Harry immediately stood up and saw that it's Neville.
Everyone, except for Hermione and Harry began to laugh. The two of them immediately went to help Neville, who clearly was another victim to the curse that forces your legs to stay together - the Leg-locker Curse. Neville clearly had to hop like a rabbit to get here.
Harry almost immediately undid the curse. Hermione looked dissapointed for a while, but when he saw her wand in her hand he realized just why she's dissapointed.
But he decided to adress the more important matter, "are you okay?"
Neville nodded, and Hermione began to lead him towards where the three of them are sitting, Harry automatically following along and sitting back in his original seat.
"Who did this to you?" She asked him.
"Malfoy," Neville answered, with a shaky voice, "We met infront of the library. He said he was searching for someone to test it on."
"Go to McGonagall!" She told him firmly, "Go tell her!"
But Neville shook his head, "I don't want to cause myself more problems..." he mumbled.
Neville's hesitation reminded him too much of his own...
"But you must stand up to him, Neville!" Ron advised Neville, "he's used to bullying people, but that doesn't mean you should make it easier for him."
"You don’t have to keep repeating it to me, I know I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy already told me..."
That caught Harry off guard, "if you weren't brave enough you wouldn't have been sorted into Gryffindor," Harry unintentionally said, but didn't take it back.
Ron, Hermione and Neville just began staring at him, Harry felt a little awkward at that.
"A-are you sure?" Neville asked out of surprise.
"Of course!" Harry said and kindly smiled at him, "and don't give Malfoy what he wants, you're much better then you think."
Neville blushed at that, but immediately lightened up, "thanks, Harry! I think I'm going to the Dormitory and lay down," he yawned and then he walked away.
After Neville left, Harry's best friends just stared at him.
"What was that about...?" Ron asked.
"..."
"Did Neville get more self confidence in your original life?" Hermione asked, and quickly glanced towards the Dormitory.
"Yea," Harry said.
"Just what would he do?"
"Well, the most recent thing he did before I traveled back was him pretty much being a leader, or atleast one of the leaders, of an anti-Voldemort rebellion at Hogwarts." Harry shrugged, as if this was a perfectly normal thing to say.
His best friends just stared at him, open mouthed.
**********
The periods before the weekend of the match were boring. Potions were as humiliating as always.
Defense Against the Dark Arts contained the expected scar-ache.
*************
When it was the day of the match against Ravenclaw, Harry was a little nervous, but much less nervous then he was when it was his first match against Slytherin.
In the second match against Slytherin (with his Nimbus 2000 being back in his possession, seeing as it had no lasting curses nor jinxes on it) Gryffindor won 330:120, and luckily for Harry, Quirrell only tried to kill him for a few seconds and then he seemed to give up.
Otherwise the match went smoothly, Gryffindor was already in a sixty points advantage before Harry caught the Golden Snitch.
But right now is the time to play against Ravenclaw.
When the whole team was in the Changing Room, Wood took Harry aside.
"I don't want to stress you, Potter, but we never needed to catch the Snitch as quickly as today. The match has to end before Snape starts favouring Ravenclaw too much."
Harry nodded, knowing just how right Wood is.
"At the audience is the whole school!" Fred called out, when he peaked out of the door, "even - bloody hell - Even Dumbledore's here!"
"Really?" Oh just how glad Harry is for that, and just to make sure he went to check.
And, yes, Dumbledore is indeed in the audience, he couldn't mistake the beard anywhere.
After two minutes and pre-match pep-talk from Wood, the Gryffindor team walked out of the Quidditch team alongside with the applause from Gryffindor stands.
Madam Hooch told both of the teams to play in a friendly and a civilized way, which is actually quite possible, and both of the captains shook their hands.
Then Madam Hooch told both teams to mount their brooms and with a whistle on her silver whistle the match begun.
All the movement was as quick as always, but the Snitch didn't show up for a long time.
But no matter, Gryffindor still succeeded to score 120 points, while Ravenclaw only succeeded on scoring 20.
While, Gryffindor only got two penalties (and Ravenclaw got zero).
When the Snitch finally decided to show up he saw it right next to the lowest hoop on the Gryffindor's side of the field.
The other Seeker noticed Harry chasing the Snitch but he was too far away and Harry successfully caught it.
Harry then flew up and made it easier for the tribunes to see that he's caught the Snitch.
The audience was ecstatic, especially the Gryffindor stands.
"POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE GOLDEN SNITCH!" Harry heard Lee Jordan, the Quidditch commentator at Hogwarts excitedly yell out, "this is the biggest score advantage with which Gryffindor has won a match in Hogwarts history! 350 against 30! Gryffindor won with the 320 points advantage! Gryffindor is officially on the top of the Quidditch House Cup Tournament!"
Harry was already on the ground. Along with the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team, he's being smothered, patted on the back and shoulder, and congratulated, from everyone in Gryffindor, as if they've already won the cup.
Ten minutes later, he walked out of the Chnaging Room holding his broom, headed for the broom closet.
Suddenly, he saw someone in a cloak, clearly not wanting to be seen.
Harry reflexively began to follow, but when his scar stung when the stranger was only a mere meter away he immediately, realizing it's Quirrell, turned around, went to the closet, put the broom inside, closed and locked it and walked towards the castle.
When he finally entered the castle he somehow still managed to go to the Gryffindor Common Room alongside the late-commers, who turned out to be Ron and Hermione
"What took you so long?" Ron asked, as if trying to sound irritated but unable to hide the confusion.
"Oh, nothing much, I just saw Quirrell running to the Forbidden Forest."
"What would he-?"
"Password?" The Fat Lady suddenly interrupted Ron.
And once Hermione told her the password she let them inside.
But once they've entered his best friends' curiosity was forced to be suppressed for the time being, because of the party going inside.
Just as much the Gryffindor fans were celebrating outside, right after the match, they were just as happy in the Common Room.