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If Harry Potter Had Game | ||||||
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Category: Pre-OotP Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley Genres: Fluff, Humor, Romance Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: G Reviews: 13 Summary: What if Harry Potter fancied Ginny back in Chamber of Secrets? What if he actually did something about it? What if there is a sarcasm feedback loop? Canon compliant, but divergent from that point on. Hitcount: Story Total: 6160; Chapter Total: 1042 |
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It was agreed that Harry's birthday party would be at the Burrow again, rather than Number 12, Grimmauld Place. The Burrow was a more cheerful place overall, despite the work Sirius and Harry had done to make the place properly livable. Harry stumbled getting out of the floo again, but Ginny caught him and gave him a huge hug. ________________________________ ________ Harry and Sirius took the floo to the Burrow to meet up with the Weasleys and Hermione, before making their way to the portkey location for the Quidditch World Cup. "It's not fair that Remus isn't here," said Harry. "No, it isn't," said Sirius. "But he'll be better off staying home at Grimmauld Place than dealing with all the prejudice. He knows he has friends that want him along. That's got to be enough for now. You, of all people, know that some things you just have to bear, until they can be mended. I'll have to bear listening to some of those Ministry ponces, after all." _______________________________ _________ When the veela poured onto the field, Harry suddenly found it very important to examine his shoes for signs of wear. He attempted to draw Ron's attention to his own shoes, but with less success. Ginny found all of this rather more amusing than Hermione did. ________________________________ ________ "I don't want to go back to Hogwarts," said Harry. "I bet you never thought you'd utter those words," said Ginny. "Look at you, dreading the return to school now that you have a real home you can 'just visit.' You're turning into a real boy." "Hogwarts was freedom compared to the Dursleys, but it's like prison compared to being in my own house." "Boy, you got entitled fast. I'll be at Hogwarts, you know." "The prettiest prison guard." "So dramatic. Maybe it'll be nice and calm after that mayhem at the World Cup." "I have never had a calm year at Hogwarts." "Half of last year was relatively calm." "Unless all of this year is, I'm still right." _____________________________ ___________ Harry was outraged to learn that Quidditch was cancelled for the entire school year. The Triwizard Tournament taking its place was no solace whatsoever. _________________________ _______________ "Harry, where are you going?" "Dumbledore's office. I wrote Sirius about my scar hurting, and he's gone and blabbed to Dumbledore and now I have a meeting with the two of them." When Harry returned, he looked glum. "It's Voldemort. He gave me this, and he's still alive out there somewhere. It's just going to hurt sometimes -- I have a connection to the blighter." "What if Voldemort hurts too? Suppose when he gave you that scar, his curse rebounded and hit him in the bollocks. Now every time your scar hurts, he's probably doubled over in pain--" _____________________________ ___________ "Ron, I can't believe you thought I put my name in the Goblet of Fire." "All right, all right, Ginny already tore my ears off about that, I said I was sorry. I was being a prat, can we drop it?" ________________________________ ________ Before the Weighing of the Wands, Rita Skeeter gestured for Harry to enter a broom cupboard for his interview. Harry knew what some of the older students used broom cupboards for. He knew that if he ever felt he was old enough to use them himself, he wouldn't want the memory of being in one with Rita Skeeter. Harry turned and literally ran away. _______________________________ _________ "Ginny, would it be abusing our friendship if I asked you to just go around hexing everyone that opens their mouth about that Daily Prophet article?" "Fine, but if I get detention, you had better be prepared to break the rules and get detention yourself, and keep me company." ___________________________ _____________ "Harry, I've got detention with McGonagall. So whatever rules you break, make sure it's around her." "Wait, you were serious about that? How many people have you hexed?!" ____________________________ ____________ "It's nice to be able to walk openly in Hogsmeade instead sneaking around like last year," said Harry. "You only did that once! I had to do it all the time!" "Sure, but it was rather thrilling, wasn't it?" "Sort of, but this is more relaxing, so I think I prefer it." "There's Madam Puddifoot's. Do you fancy a cup of tea?" "Tea yes, but not in there. You don't need sugar in your tea, the atmosphere is cloying enough. You weren't actually serious, were you?" "No, my godfather is Sirius though." "Spare me. What time is he coming today?" "He'll meet us at the Three Broomsticks at noon." "Good, then the two of us can gang up on you." "Oi, what did I do?" said Harry. "Madam Puddifoot's--" "Well, what if you had wanted to go? I could have grit my teeth and borne it. You're a girl after all. Aren't girls supposed to like that sort of thing?" "I'm a girl with some taste though, although sometimes you make me question myself." ____________________________ ____________ "How am I supposed to get past a dragon?" "They're pretty resistant to spells," said Ginny. "You've got to aim for the eyes." "What spells should I use though?" "Dunno. Maybe a Confundus to make the dragon think it's a snake, then order it in Parseltongue to stand aside." "I could literally catch on fire. Will you be making jokes then?" "About how hot you are, Harry? Probably." "Moody said I should play to my strengths." "Harry Potter, if you kiss that dragon I will never forgive you!" "Ginny, are you -- okay, you got me. That one was good." "'That's what I said.' Now, which of your many strengths are you planning on playing to?" "Flying." "You realize dragons can also fly." _______________________________ _________ "Congratulations, Harry!" said Rita Skeeter. "I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now, about the fairness of the scoring?" "Yeah, you can have a word," said Harry savagely. And he uttered a single word, one which he knew would be judged unprintable. ________________________ ________________ "Ginny, can I talk to you?" "Of course, Harry. What is it?" "McGonagall just told us about the Yule Ball. Did you hear about it?" "Ah." "So yes, you're aware there's going to be a Yule Ball?" "For fourth years and above, yes." "But we can invite someone if we want." "I see." "I actually don't have a choice, I have to have a partner." "What do you mean, you don't have a choice?" "As one of the champions, I have to have a date, because I have to have a dance partner. They're making me dance!" "Ah." "Do, ah, do you know how to dance?" "Will the answer to that question influence your choice on who you ask to the ball?" Ginny inquired. Harry looked like he'd woken up to find the Whomping Willow standing at the foot of his bed brandishing a cricket bat. "Ginny! No! Don't be ridiculous! I want to go with you no matter what!" "I apologize for being ridiculous, Harry," said Ginny patiently, maintaining eye contact. Harry took a few deep breaths, and looked thoughtful, as though he'd come close to death but was making peace with it. He took Ginny's hands in his, and looked into her eyes. "Ginevra Weasely, will you do me the great honor of accompanying me to the Yule Ball as my date?" "Who said you could call me Ginevra? No one calls me Ginevra except my mother when I've been naughty." Harry leaned in and put his lips a hair's breadth from Ginny's left ear. "Ginevra," he breathed. "You're always naughty. Please go to the ball with me. It would mean the world." Ginny gave up and wrapped her arms around Harry and melted into him. When the hug was over Harry asked "Was that a yes?" Ginny just nodded. "Okay, but do you actually know how to dance though?" ____________________________ ____________ "Harry, I already have dress robes. It's fine." "How can I explain this? I have money. Money I got from my parents, who are dead. I grew up without a family, without people that cared about me--" "I know Harry, but you have people now--" "My point is that I would trade all the money I have for what you had growing up, a family that loves each other and supports each other. Your mother cooks breakfast for you because she loves you. You don't refuse to eat it because you don't want her spending her labour on you, do you? You all give to each other." "You make it sound more noble than it is, Harry. My family drive me mad most days." "The point is you do still share things and do things for each other. I have Sirius now, but you know it's not the same. This is something I can do. It's not charity, and it's not because you need new robes to look amazing. It's because you would enjoy having some new things, and it's something I can do, and so I want to do it. Because it would make me happy to be able to do something for someone else. I'd feel like there was a point to me having that money in the first place, that money that never gave me a hug growing up--" "All right, all right, Potter, you oversold it on that last one--" "But it worked, though, didn't it?" "You can buy me new robes for the ball, but you don't get to see them until the ball, and you get to explain to my mum when she sends me a howler after Ron rats me out for it." "Don't say 'rats out,' too soon--" "And make your sob story slightly better for my mum than for me, scratch that, it will totally work on her, she'll probably start crying." "And she'll never suspect my completely selfish reasons are to make sure you're the most gorgeously dressed witch at the ball, so everyone will think I'm truly amazing and manly by having you as my date." "If that's really what you're going for, it's all in the jewelry and accessories -- oh, and shoes--" "Well, that's certainly a one-eighty from a minute ago--" "Your pathetic story was so persuasive; I think silver and diamonds will really make you feel fulfilled by giving to others." "Surely emeralds, what with your hair and all." "They'd match your eyes, that would work. But diamonds are shinier. Why not both?" "Wait, is this still just banter, or--" "Let's decide that after we see what's at the shops." _____________________________ ___________ "Harry, I was just joking. My mother will kill me if you really buy me jewelry." "Well then I'll just buy myself some jewelry and lend it to you. You give it back to me after the ball and I'll just hold on it, for, um, later." "Later?" "Yes, someday, when I'm quite grown up, I might meet a nice witch who wants to--" "And you'd give her my jewelry?" "No, I'd give her my jewelry. You won't care, you'll be dead." "Wait, why am I dead?" "Well, you'd have to be for me to have gone insane enough to give your jewelry to another woman!" "It sounds like you were trying to go for roundabout romantic but it ended with me a rotting corpse, so you have just missed it." "Well just don't die then, problem solved. I'll just promise to always save your life, then it's all moot." "So it's my jewelry then." "I'll just hold onto it for you." _______________________________ _________ "Harry, do you mind if I have a dance with Neville?" "Yes, I do in fact, I'll dance with you again you like." "But you said you were tired and wanted a rest." "I can bloody well dance every song the entire rest of the night if I have to, to keep the rest of this lot away from you." "It's just a dance, Harry!" "I love you, Ginny, but you're a moron sometimes." "That's -- that's how you tell me you love me?" "I've been telling you quite a long time by now, Ginny. If you didn't realize that it just reinforces the bit about being a moron." "So for the rest of my life I'll get to remember that the first time a boy said he loved me he also called me a moron." "I don't honestly see you getting that much less moronic over the years so I think it'll be appropriate." "Harry Potter, I'm going to hex you into next week!" "My point is that a dance is not just a dance, maybe it is to you, but I guarantee it's not to these guys. Do you see me dancing with another girl? Of course not. Because it means something to me. Because you mean something to me. Because I have no interest in ever dancing with another girl forever." "You're that jealous over a dance?" "You say that like it's a bad thing. Don't you like it at least a little bit that I want you all to myself? Don't you want me all to yourself? Who is it you want to share me with?" "We're not talking about snogging someone else, you prat, it's a dance--" "Well then I've been doing it wrong, because to me, this--" and Harry somehow intensified his hold on Ginny, "--is not something I'd do with anyone else." "Well -- when you put in that way," said Ginny weakly. "Yes, when I put it this way, is it really so bad to dance with me and only me?" Harry's eyes smoldered. "I guess I'm starting to see it your way." "Now, fair is fair, if you want to tell me you love me, Ginevra, and fling an insult my way, I'll deserve it." "You're a prat." "There's the insult, what about the other thing? "What about it?" ________________________________ ________ "Okay, let's sit down." "I can keep going," said Harry. "But I can't, my feet hurt." "I'm sorry about that--" "It's mainly the shoes, you only stepped on me twice. I walk on my feet too, you know, so it's fine." "You walk on the soles of your feet, I walked on the top, it's not the same." "Fine, you're a clumsy oaf and I'm in agony and it's your fault, happy?" Harry just smiled stupidly. "Yes." "It's hot in here, let's go outside." They stood under the moonlight, holding hands. Harry turned to face Ginny. "Ginny. I do love you. You know that, don't you?" "I love you too, Harry." "I've had a really wonderful evening with you. The best in my life, in fact." "Me too. Only one other moment compares. Perhaps it should be an annual tradition." "You're thirteen years old. I'm fourteen." "I know. Though it doesn't feel like that, some days. I think we're both had some experiences that made us grow up a bit faster than we would have otherwise." "But still." "Yes." "We're friends." "Yes, Harry. We're friends. Best friends." "Best friends. Tomorrow we'll be best friends. But tonight, just for right here and right now… let's be more than friends." Harry leaned in close. ______________________________ __________ "I wish my name had never been put in the bloody goblet." "I know." "I don't even care about the stupid second task." "Maybe that's why they're making it a retrieval quest -- they nick something of yours so you'll have to try hard enough to get it back." "What are they even going to take? What do I even have? My wand? I need that to compete. The map? They don't know about it, at least I don't think Dumbledore knows. He does know about my invisibility cloak. That's my guess." "They'd better keep it safe, ones that nice are really rare." "Turns out they shrink when they get wet." "We won't both fit under it anymore." "It won't even fit me, I'll have to go on a diet." "You're thin enough, you'll just need to crouch down and shuffle along." "I guess I'll have to take this seriously." "I do enjoy it when you do that -- my dashing hero." "Oh, leave off." "I was being completely serious." ___________________________ _____________ "Professor Dumbledore, I have just one question for you," stated Ginny. "Yes, Miss Weasely?" "Are you out of your mind?!" "Miss Weasely, I think that--" "Professor Dumbledore, Harry is not an ordinary competitor in an ordinary contest. He's practically a muggleborn, the way he was raised, worse than that even. He had to fight a possessed professor when he was eleven. When he was twelve, he almost DIED saving me from a massive basilisk. Harry has not lived a normal life. Even the fact that he's in this competition at all, which he did not enter, indicates that at SOME point this year someone will probably try to kill him again, possibly even during one of the tasks itself. There is NO WAY that I am going in that lake for Harry to rescue. He will NOT understand it's a game and will think I am at risk of DYING." "But--" "No. Harry will take it completely seriously and think I am going to drown. It will put him through hell and there is no reason for it. Tell Harry up front that it's just a game and there's no real danger -- that the 'it won't be back' nonsense was just poetry -- or else you'll have to Imperius me. Because I won't do it, otherwise, and I'm telling Harry as soon as I see him--" "Very well, Miss Weasely." "What?" "You are most persuasive. It is a violation of the rules to give any information to the champions, but I agree there are mitigating circumstances. You are not permitted to speak to Harry before the task in the morning, but I can get a clandestine message to him so that he will not fear for your safety. Expecto Patronum!" __________________________ ______________ Ginny came to consciousness to find herself held by Harry on the surface of the lake. "I'll need a proper wash after this so my hair doesn't smell like fish," she said. "Ginny! You're all right!" "You knew I'd be all right, didn't you? Professor Dumbledore warned you?" "Well yeah but I was still worried on general principle." "Let's get to the shore because you are not going to believe what they tried to pull at first." _____________________________ ___________ "I wish I'd been there to see you dress down Albus Dumbledore." "I respect him and all but I was seriously ready to duel him in his own office, if I had to." "I believe it. But thank you. Really, that means a lot, because you were absolutely right, I was going to go completely spare otherwise." "I can't believe they just expected me to cheerily go along with that rubbish." "Old wizards are so out of touch sometimes." _________________________ _______________ "Harry, this is cliché and all, but promise me you'll be careful." "I'll be careful, Gin." "Someone put your name in the goblet. It wasn't a joke, it's someone who wants you dead. This is their last chance to follow through." "I know." "Something in that maze is designed to kill you." "Yeah." "What if… what if you just walked five feet in and then just sat down. Or better yet conjured a shield." "I have to compete, they said it's a binding contract." "You have to compete, but you don't have to win. And if you're not going to win, who cares how badly you lose? Whoever put your name in the goblet has some kind of plan, and I'm betting it doesn't involve cursing you from the stands when you're at the entrance to the maze. This is your chance to throw them off. Stop playing their game." "I'll be the laughingstock of the school if I just walk in and forfeit…" "If I think you're the bravest champion in Hogwarts, what do you care what anyone else thinks?" Ginny put both her hands on Harry's shoulders and looked him straight in his eyes. "You're right. I don't." "Besides, you can just say you are supporting Cedric Diggory, since as you've always said, you didn't enter the contest in the first place." "That's true." "If this was just regular danger, I'd be thrilled to see what you can really do against those seventh-years. But you've had enough genuine danger. You're fourteen. If we're… putting off other things, nice things, until we're older, then we should jolly well avoid the horrid things too, like whatever dark wizards or monsters are waiting for you in that maze!" "I find your argument compelling. But will you explain it to Ron? As for the rest of the Griffindors, can I tell everyone that my girlfriend begged me to stay safe?" "If you survive the third task, I'll snog you in front of everyone so there's no doubt in anyone's mind." ______________________________ __________ Ginny's plan, unfortunately, did not succeed. The maze closed up behind Harry as soon as he entered, and there were enough dangers and terrors that it forced him to keep moving. Harry decided to try to win after all, and end the contest as quickly as possible. Eventually, after making it past an Imperiused Viktor Krum, he had the Triwizard Cup in sight, but he had lost too much time trying to forfeit - Cedric was there first. But before Cedric could touch claim the cup, he was struck down by a stunner from out of nowhere. Harry cast a shield to protect himself from the unknown assailant, but no spells flew his way. He walked up and grabbed the cup, bracing for attack. He wasn't prepared for it to be a portkey. ____________________________ ____________ In the graveyard, Harry watched as Mad Eye Moody became Barty Crouch, Jr, and offered his flesh to Voldemort to resurrect his master. _____________________________ ___________ Harry Potter dueled Voldemort and lived. After their wands clashed, he used the Triwizard Cup portkey to return to Hogwarts. Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur had been rescued from the maze and treated for their injuries, and Aurors were searching for Harry. "Harry!" yelled Ginny, rushing forward to the edge of the maze, scarcely behind Dumbledore and Sirius, who lifted Harry up from the ground. "Voldemort's back, Professor. He's back, he's got a body, and Mad Eye was helping him. He's not Mad Eye Moody, he was Barty Crouch Jr, polyjuiced." Harry told Dumbledore everything that happened. Dumbledore believed him, and Sirius believed him, and of course Ginny, Ron, and Hermione believed him, but Cornelius Fudge did not. ________________________________ ________ "At least you're alive." "Yeah." "And people believe you." "Some people." "The people who matter. More people believed you after Diggory supported you." "Yeah." "Do you reckon Vol-Voldemort will make a play for you at Hogwarts again?" "I dunno. He took all year to do it this term, there must be something about Hogwarts he fears. He can't get me at the Dursleys, according to Dumbledore, and so I guess I'll be safe. I'm more worried about everyone else. I'm worried about you." "My family have been blood traitors since forever. We're always targets." "Yeah, but everyone knows about you and me." "I suppose, although there's not quite as much you and me as we'd like." "I never did get that public snog I was promised, actually." "Well, every part of my plan to keep you safe failed, then, although you managed to stay safe anyway." "Not the usual definition of safe most people use, but I'm here, so I guess you're right." Harry fell silent. "You keep reminding me we're still kids. It's up to the adults to keep us safe. Dumbledore and the Aurors can fight Voldemort. Either they'll win, or he'll still be around when you're grown up and you can stab the real him with a bloody basilisk fang this time." "I might just be ready to do that, by that point, honestly. I haven't seen too much that gives me faith in the adults. I think it'll end up being up to us at some point. But I'm not ready for that to be now." "Me either. Let's just… try to enjoy the summer." ____________________________ ____________ Author's Notes: Yes, Voldemort somehow got in touch with Crouch, Jr. despite Pettigrew's absence. I'm not trying to do full "stations of canon" but I also don't want to completely go off the rails. Due to Ginny's influence on Harry, Ron isn't as jealous this time, and actually asks Hermione to the Yule Ball. If SPEW happens, it's offscreen and Ron is more supportive of it, while Hermione might be less mad about it. In canon Ron knew he was going to be a "hostage" and treated the whole thing pretty lightly, here Ginny knows Harry well enough not to just go along with that. "Potter Stinks" still happens but Harry cares about it a lot less because so much of his social life is rooted in Ginny now. Enough changed in the last task that Cedric doesn't die. Hardly anybody will die. This is a fix fic at heart. |
| Reviews 13 |
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