Harry Potter and the Portkey of Time

CHAPTER 7

The next morning at breakfast, Hedwig and six other owls were holding a package that looked suspiciously like a broomstick. The other owls dropped the package right in front of Harry, and Hedwig landed on his shoulder with a note tied to her leg. It read:

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.

It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand but I don't want everyone to know you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Your first training session is tonight on the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock.

Professor M. McGonagall

She should have wrapped it more conspicuously if she didn't want everyone to know it was a broomstick. Only someone daft wouldn't be able to tell what it was. Nonetheless, Harry waited to open his package safely back in the dorm with Ron.

Ron seemed much more excited about the gift than Harry. Of course, Harry was excited, the Nimbus Two Thousand was a very generous gift. However, it did make Harry slightly miss his firebolt. He knew it was stupid, as the firebolt was probably still in production during this current timeline, but he loved that broom. Despite this, Harry knew his new Nimbus Two Thousand would treat him well, just as it had done last time.

~✦~

Time was still flying past, and before Harry knew it, it was already Hallowe'en. Pumpkins lined the halls, every class was filled with joy, and each and every ghost was passing through walls to scare the first years. Peeves was causing more mischief than usual and Fred and George were pulling pranks on anyone gullible enough to listen. Just like the first time, Harry felt truly at home. With the exception being Snape's Potions class.

Harry now knew the secret Snape kept, but despite this, still found it hard to get along well with him. Every class, the moment Snape saw him, immediately a frown would appear on his face, and his mood would become like a lightning storm. Yet Harry still admired him with all his heart.

In this particular lesson, Snape appeared to be in a worse mood than normal, probably due to all the happiness and seemed to take it all out on poor Neville. Everything Neville did, Snape was standing there behind him, criticising him. As the bell rang and class ended, Neville ran out, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I feel bad for him," came Hermione's shrill voice. "If Snape would just let me help him, Neville might actually learn something." She was walking quickly to catch up with Ron and Harry.

"I don't think anyone wants the help of someone so bossy," mumbled Ron under his breath, but Hermione heard him. She looked very offended.

"I wouldn't mind your help Hermione, I'm terrible at potions as well. And I'm sure Snape means well, he was probably just in a bad mood today... and every other day." Harry said, trying to alleviate the tension between the other two. Thinking of how they were in the future, so in love and with a child, it was hard to imagine there was a time when they disliked each other.

"Thank you, Harry," she smiled and then walked past them.

"Why did you defend her? And where do you think Neville went?" Asked Ron, turning his head to face Harry.

"She doesn't deserve you being rude to her mate, she gets it enough from the others in our year. Neville might have gone to the bathroom, but I'm not entirely sure." Harry responded, reprimanding Ron for being rude.

"Yeah, maybe. Anyways, let's get to Charms."

When they got to class, Professor Flitwick announced that they were now ready to begin working on making things float. Flitwick put the class in pairs, Harry was with Seamus and Ron was with Hermione. Neither Ron nor Hermione seemed to be happy about this arrangement. Harry could only hope Ron doesn't say anything rude, he also realised that Neville didn't make it to class.