A Sirius Matter [Harmione]

8. Finishing the House

Because of the time spent with the mirror (not to mention the fact that Ginny had been painting the dueling room at the time), Harry and Hermione didn't get to duel until after their karate class. When they portkeyed back to the house, Ginny was still working on a few rooms, so they didn't bother her. They walked into the dueling room and could barely recognize it. It looked like a gymnasium. The walls were painted white. Instead of carpeted, the burgundy floor was shiny and smooth. There were six folding chairs along the wall on each end of the room. The floor had silver lines on it that made it look like a basketball court, but instead of basketball hoops, at each end were golden quidditch hoops hanging down from the ceiling. The highest hoops themselves were just over five feet in the air. "Wow," said Harry smiling.

"I hope you like it," came Ginny's voice from the doorway. I know you can't have a quidditch pitch here, so I came up with a way to play quidditch without broomsticks. I know you want exercise. As much fun as quidditch is, you're sitting down for the whole game, so you hardly get any exercise." Ginny smirked. "Plus I know how much Hermione hates flying. I figured that when we're not dueling, we could play," she said nervously. "I got you a Quaffle. It's in that corner," she said, pointing at a brand new Quaffle.

Harry beamed at Ginny, "I think that's brilliant! Does Ron know about...Oh yeah." He then looked at Ginny. "Do you think Ron is ready to at least take a look at the place? If only to check this room out?"

"Maybe," said Ginny seriously.

"Then maybe you can go get him after Harry and I are finished dueling. Maybe in an hour?" said Hermione.

"Ok," said Ginny. "I'll try. In the meantime, I've got a few more rooms to finish up before I rob Harry."

Harry chuckled. "Did you manage to find the door knocker that I wanted?

"No," said Ginny, "so I bought a cheap one and transfigured it to a gold phoenix like you asked. "It was harder to attach it to the door without magic than to redecorate the entire house with magic."

"Thanks," said Harry.

"That's what I'm here for," Ginny said as she turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"Harry," shouted Hermione, pulling out her wand, "Defend yourself!" She shouted, "Stupefy," sending a stunner at Harry, who dived out of the way, while pulling his wand out of his back pocket. This was almost always the way their duels began, with one of them taking the other by surprise.

He yelled, "Protego," shielding himself, and then, "expelliarmus," as he pointed his wand at his opponent/girlfriend.

She managed to shout, "Protego," shielding herself from the blast. She then ran in his direction, shouting, "expelliarmus," sending more blasts his way. Harry noticed a folding chair behind Hermione, and got an idea. He pointed his wand and quietly muttered, "accio chair."

Hermione aimed her wand at him and shouted, "Stupe...what," as the chair hit her from behind, knocking her backwards onto the chair."

"Petrificus Totalus," shouted Harry, putting his startled opponent into the full body-bind.

He walked up to her stiff but alert body and said, "You look really beautiful," before pointing his wand at her and saying, "Finite incantatum." He held out his hand to help her up. She took it without looking him in the eye.

"That's why I got second place in our defense exams," she muttered. "I thought I'd finally beat you this match. You manage to surprise me. All the spells I know won't help if I'm too shocked to use them." She hung her head down.

"That's why we're practicing, so that by the time we end up in real duels, we'll be ready. I know you don't want me to go easy on you."

"At least you only petrified me," said Hermione. "I'll have to watch out for Ginny once she joins us, probably tomorrow. Ron told me about her favorite hex, and it sounds awful."