Hello, fanfiction readers. I have a little bit of background info for you before you read this fanfiction. It is fifth year for Harry and the gang, and it is the last few of weeks in October. This becomes important for the ending funny things I have planned. I don't mention this info anywhere. Both Harry and Hermione are prefects. Like I said I don't mention it anywhere yet.

Please R&R!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own anything associated with it.

Pseudomortis

Part 1- It Starts

By KZerina

***

It was Friday. First class after lunch was Harry's favorite class… Potions. The Gryffindors still had Potions with the Slytherin House as they had the previous four years. Harry walked with Hermione and Ron into the usually cold, dark, and damp dungeon and took a table in the back of the room, as far away from the fearsome Potions Professor's desk as they could possibly get.

Professor Snape glided in, as usual, and gave his cold stare to the three as they quietly waited for class to start. Snape was obviously trying to find someway to take points away from Gryffindor. His stare to the back of the room proved it.

The students opened their rolls of parchment and began mixing the potion that Snape had assigned them to look up for homework the night before. The trio chatted quietly as they mixed their powdered rat-tail bones, unicorn tail hair, finely chopped root of Viper's Bugloss (A/N: It's a plant I found in an herb book.), and Dragons' blood.

"Too bad this is a real rat's tail," Ron said while forcefully grinding the rat's bones.

"Well, think of it this way, Ron. Pettigrew is a real rat," Hermione grinned at the red-haired boy at the other end of the table. Ron shrugged a little to say he agreed.

"And what are you three talking about? It obviously is not Potions. Ten points from Gryffindor!" Snape bellowed before Harry knew what had happened. He, along with Ron and Hermione, rolled his eyes at Snape's retreating back while the Slytherins chuckled into their hands.

It seemed as though the bell didn't ring for an eternity. Then it finally came and the trio rushed out as quickly as possible and headed upstairs to Professor McGonagall's classroom for Transfigurations.

Due to unknown reasons, the Slytherins also had Transfigurations with Gryffindors for the one class, much to Harry's dismay. Mostly out of instinct of having the Slytherins as their adversaries, the Gryffindors placed themselves to the right of the classroom, and the Slytherins placed themselves to the left.

Harry watched quietly as Professor McGonagall walked hurriedly through the door, set a stack of papers on her desk, and straightened up before the class. "I am sorry for the mix-up of schedule. I worked out with Professor Binns such that we could switch Slytherin History and Transfigurations. There was important work I had to fulfill at the time of Slytherin Transfigurations class.

"In our lesson today, we will be working with furniture. There are chairs here in the front of the classroom. There is one for each of you. You will turn them into ottomans," she told the class, "and for those who do not know what an ottoman is, I have placed one in the corner at which you may look." She pointed behind and to the right of herself at a small heavily cushioned footrest. "Now choose a chair and get to work," Professor McGonagall said before sitting down and scanning the papers she had placed on her desk when she walked in.

Harry grabbed one of the chairs from the front of the room and took it back to his seat. Hermione transfigured her chair perfectly in a matter of minutes and, as usual, was the first to do so. Harry was the second to transfigure his chair and had done so soon after Hermione.

Draco Malfoy, Harry's main Slytherin rival, was next to change his chair to an ottoman, but in his gloating, he sat down on a bench, put his feet on his newly made footrest, and leaned backward only to fall flat on his back due to the fact that the benches had no backrest on which he could lean.

The classroom filled with laughter, belonging mostly to Gryffindors, in a matter of seconds. Even Professor McGonagall was tempted to laugh at Malfoy's failure to remember the style of furniture that was always within her classroom.

"Mr. Malfoy, I suggest you learn what your over-sized ego can earn you. Look around and I believe you will see what I am talking about." Professor McGonagall motioned around at the students.

Malfoy looked around the classroom and saw all the Gryffindors and most of the Slytherins forcing themselves not to laugh. He went slightly pink before picking himself up off the cold, stone floor. He looked across the room at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who, out of all the students, seemed to be laughing the hardest. His glare did no good; it only made them laugh even harder, though that was obviously not his intent.

Class ended with very few more totally successful transfigurations. Neville ended with a footrest with a chair's back and legs, not much use to put your feet on. Ron almost made an ottoman, except that it was not cushioned.

As Harry walked out, Professor McGonagall slipped a small piece of parchment into Harry's hand. Harry opened it and read its contents.

~~~~~

There will be a Quidditch team meeting tonight. We will meet in my office at eight o'clock.

Professor M. McGonagall.

~~~~~

"I was so close, too!" Ron complained as the students made their way to the Great Hall for dinner, after dropping their books off in Gryffindor Tower. "Why couldn't we have had just five more minutes? I could have done it!"

"You'll get it, Ron," Hermione comforted. "McGonagall said we were doing this again on Monday, so don't fret."

"Easy for you to say! You were the first to get it!" Ron retorted as he looked over at Harry, "and you can't complain either. You got it second."

Harry gave Ron a half-smile and shrugged his shoulders. "We'd help you if we could. You know that, Ron. It's McGonagall. She hates that. She considers it cheating. Probably because it is."

Ron nodded in agreement. "Maybe you can help me practice and give me a few 'pointers?'" Harry and Hermione both nodded. "Thanks, you guys. I'm pretty sure you just saved my Transfigurations grade."

Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes, and the three took places at the Gryffindor table where Hermione asked about what Professor McGonagall had given Harry just before he left.

"It was a note saying we have a team meeting tonight," Harry explained pulling the note out of his pocket. "Eight o'clock."

"Oh, that means I can't bring both of you with me to the library later," Hermione griped. "Oh well, I guess Ron's just going to have to come with me then." Ron groaned from the side of the table opposite Harry and Hermione before he began stuffing his face with the food on the plates in front of him.

******

Just as Harry was leaving for Professor McGonagall's office, so were Angelina, Alicia, and Katie. The four Quidditch players chatted as they journeyed along the corridors to Professor McGonagall's office.

"Won't your Mudblood be jealous, Potter?" a voice came from behind the cluster of Gryffindor team members.

"Jealous of what, Malfoy?" Harry asked realizing exactly who it was without turning around.

"You're hanging around with all those girls, Potter. Your Mudblood girlfriend is bound to get jealous of them."

"What's wrong with hanging out with girls, you little bobbing weasel?" Alicia retorted.

"Yeah, it's not like a guy can't have friends who are girls if he's got a girlfriend," Katie added.

"Besides, you're just jealous 'cause you aren't mature enough to hang out with the seventh years," Angelina commented while trying to keep a straight face.

At this, Malfoy turned and stomped off to his destination, leaving the laughing Gryffindor Quidditch players to themselves.

"I don't even have a girlfriend," Harry said as an afterthought, "and if I did, I highly doubt it would be Hermione." Harry had a sneaking suspicion that his teammates didn't believe him, and he wasn't quite sure he believed himself.

Harry's thoughts on the subject were interrupted by his arrival at Professor McGonagall's office. The girls sat down in chairs around the room, and Harry leaned against a wall near Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Where are our beaters?" Professor McGonagall asked after looking around the room. "They are late."

Just as she had said this, Fred and George burst through the door. "Sorry we're late. Ron wanted to talk to us."

"Don't blame it on Ron," Harry said. "I know for a fact it wasn't his fault. He had a date. It was with a book. Hermione dragged him off to the library just before I left, and you two were still laughing your heads off in the common room."

Professor McGonagall looked at the twins sternly. "Because this is only a Quidditch meeting, I am not going to take points off, but make sure you are always on time to class."

The twins nodded and found places to stand. Fred leaned on the back of Angelina's chair and George on the back of Alicia's.

"Now," Professor McGonagall started, "this meeting is about certain positions we need to fill: keeper and captain. We will pick a captain here. Tryouts are tomorrow. Hopefully you all know they are from ten to eleven. As you had seen, I posted signup sheets in the common room and took them down this morning.

"Now for voting, we will go from oldest to youngest. Katie?"

Katie bit her lip as she thought for a moment. "I vote for Harry. We'll all be gone next year; he'll be the only one with much experience."

McGonagall nodded and looked at Angelina. "I also say Harry should be captain. He'll be here for three more years. We all have one. Why not save the trouble of voting for a new captain again next year?"

McGonagall's face moved to Alicia. "Harry. It would be easier on him. Like Katie said, he'll have the most experience of the whole team next year, making him captain anyway. Why not break him in with an experienced team rather than a totally new one who doesn't necessarily know what's going on?"

"We both say Harry," George said without a signal from the professor. "We'll need a whole new team next year except for him and maybe the Keeper."

"Besides," Fred added, "Harry makes a great leader, that is if we can trust Ron's word. He usually goes with on Harry's fun little exploits with You-Know-Who and friends."

Harry looked at the ground and shook his head, his cheeks as red as his eyes are green, at all the comments made. When he looked up again, he saw Professor McGonagall looking at him as though she was asking him whom he wanted for captain. "Does it matter who I was going to vote for?" he asked. "It's already majority without my vote, so it doesn't really matter, does it?"

"No, I suppose not," was Professor McGonagall's reply. A small smile grew on her face as she opened a small drawer in her desk. She reached in and pulled out a small pin. She stood up and put the pin in Harry's hand. "Congratulations, Mr. Potter. You are the new Gryffindor Quidditch team captain."

Harry examined the badge given to him. It had a broomstick and a beater's club crossed in the background and the three goals in front of them. The two Bludgers were on either side of the goal posts and the Quaffle was on the bottom. The Snitch was enchanted to hover near the middle goal. A banner-like emblem at the bottom of the pin read 'CAPTAIN.' The whole scene was surrounded with a golden-edged circle that gave the pin a bright crimson background.

While Harry was looking at the pin, the Snitch seemed to zoom to the foreground to show the position that the new captain played, Seeker. "Thanks, guys. I'm honored, and very glad that you like me enough to get me used to the position before setting me off on my own." Harry smiled around the room at each of the team members who smiled back.

Professor McGonagall stood up and dismissed the team. Harry stayed back to talk to Gryffindor's head of house about the next day's Quidditch tryouts.

"Professor?" McGonagall turned to face Harry. "About tryouts tomorrow. I think, the whole team should be able to participate in choosing who they will be playing with. They know better what Keeper should be. I mean, I understand, but I don't have as much experience as they do."

"Very good idea, Harry. No wonder they all had so much confidence in your abilities as a captain. Incorporating the whole team so they all can participate. I will announce the change in plans."

"That's fine. Thanks, Professor," Harry said as he turned around and walked toward Gryffindor Tower.

He passed the library and stopped to see if Ron and Hermione were still there. He found them sitting at a table in the back. He took a seat next to Hermione and across from Ron.

Ron waved a greeting, but Hermione's nose stayed in the book she had open on the table.

"How'd it go?" Ron asked with excitement, as he had obviously not had much since he had been dragged to the library.

"The tryouts are to be judged by the girls and your brothers, but mainly by Professor McGonagall and myself," Harry said reaching into his pocket and tossing the pin across the table to where Ron was sitting.

Ron picked it up and carefully examined it. His eyes widened as he reached the bottom of the pin. He looked up at Harry and back at the pin. "You're-you're c-c-cap…."

"He's what, Ron?" Hermione asked snatching the small object from Ron's grasp. "You're captain of the Quidditch team! Congratulations, Harry!" Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck and hugged him. "Oops, sorry," she added quickly while removing her hands from around Harry's neck.

"SHHHH!" a loud hiss came from the front of the library.

"I think she got a bit over excited about that," Ron joked before groaning slightly in pain because Hermione had just kicked him in the shin. "That didn't hurt." Then he hissed in greater pain as Hermione kicked him again in the same spot.

Harry stood up and edged toward the door. "That was real smart, Ron," he jibed.

Ron's eyes flickered with a fire as red as his hair when he stood up so fast he knocked the chair over, not even thinking to pick it up.

Harry smiled nervously and burst out of the library as fast as his legs would carry him. He passed a tall, dark figure as he sped around one corner and the next very quickly, and with as much speed he had gained in his run from the library, Harry soon reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" she asked the heavily breathing boy in front of her.

"Kuroiro-ryuu," Harry answered quickly.

The portrait swung open, and Harry walked inside. He poked his head into the corridor for any sign of Ron before shrugging and taking a seat with the Quidditch team and its commentator, Lee Jordan, half-expecting Ron to come bursting through the portrait at any given moment.

The seventh years looked at him strangely. "Don't mind me," Harry said. "I'm just being chased by a furious Ronald Weasley."

"Uh, Harry?" Fred asked. "If you don't mind my asking, why is our brother chasing you?"

"I provoked him on purpose. Don't ask."

The team raised eyebrows as did several other nearby students who happened to be eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Anyway," Alicia said, shooing the other students back to their previous occupations, as she was a prefect. "So what's this about a girlfriend, Harry?" All of the sudden the twins and Lee became very interested in the conversation.

"What girlfriend? I don't have a girlfriend," Harry replied in a confused tone.

"Malfoy was talking about- Hermione, oh, hi!"

Harry looked up to his right where Alicia was looking to see Hermione standing next to him. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came back to the common room, if that's alright with you. I suppose I could ask you why you are completely relaxed?"

"You beat Ron back to the common room is the only reason I asked."

"With the way he ran out of the library after you, like a bat out of hell, I still beat him? How is that possible? I walked."

Harry shrugged and turned around to look over the chair at a huffing and puffing figure entering the portrait hole. "What happened, Ron? I know I'm faster than you, but I didn't know I was that much faster."

"I ran into Snape…literally," Ron grumbled back.

"Ouch," Harry and Hermione said simultaneously.

"How much detention did you get?" George asked almost eager to hear the answer.

"A week's worth, and he didn't even know what he was going to make me do. He's gonna give word in the morning as to what it is."

"Well that's going to be fun now isn't it?" Fred poked.

"Shut up."

"So how was your date?" George joked. Ron raised an eyebrow. "Your date. Harry told us you had a date."

"You mean like going out?" Ron turned to Harry, his face beet red. "Why'd you tell them that? I don't even have anyone to go out with."

"You had a date with a book," Harry smirked moving to the edge of his chair, ready to spring away if Ron began to chase after him again.

Ron glared at Harry but didn't pounce. Harry relaxed and sat back in the chair.

"So why didn't Snape get you, Harry?" Ron asked curiously.

"I think I went by so fast he didn't have a chance to figure out who I was before I turned the next corner," Harry guessed.

"Yeah, that would make sense. You're that fast on foot and broom."

Harry put his elbow on his knee, ran his fingers through his thick jet-black hair, and shook his head slightly. He looked up as someone tapped his shoulder. "Hello, Professor."

"Come with me, Harry. You are the captain," McGonagall whispered. "We are to make the announcement with all in the common room."

Harry nodded and went up the spiral staircase with Professor McGonagall. They gathered all the students, including the first years, out of their dormitories and into the common room. Harry and Professor McGonagall waited on the landing by the dormitories. Harry leaned against the wall, hidden in the shadows.

"Good evening, students. First, I would like to announce that we have a new Quidditch captain, Harry Potter." Harry came out from the shadows and leaned on the railing, an applause rising from the crowd below. "Second, not only will you be judged by myself and our new captain, but you will also be judged by the Chasers and Beaters of the team as well.

"First years are out here because this will apply to them next year as all but two positions, at most, will be open for placement. Later on in the year you might wish to start thinking about if you wish to play on the team and the position you would like to play.

"Good luck to all of you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the team or myself, thank you."

After Professor McGonagall left, Harry began talking. "I'm not going to force anyone to do this, but I strongly suggest that if you are going to participate in tryouts, that you go to bed. You never know just how bad the tryouts will be."

Harry climbed down the spiral staircase and approached the team. "I expect you to go to bed, too. You guys will be down there a little bit earlier, and we'll talk about what we're going to do to the keepers." He turned to Hermione. "You're welcome to come and if you want to, you can probably run some of the technical things." Hermione nodded and took Harry's previous advice and went to bed. Harry said goodnight to the team and went up to bed himself along with many other students.

******

The next morning, a Saturday, Harry went down to breakfast in the Great Hall, as was now very routine. When owl post came, Hedwig dropped a small rolled piece of parchment with scratchy handwriting on Harry's breakfast plate and landed on Harry's shoulder.

~~~~~

Harry,

Congratulations on becoming the Quidditch captain.

It would be nice if you would come see me at my hut about twelve o'clock. I haven't had a decent chat with you, Ron, or Hermione in what seems like ages! We could take a walk around the grounds and eat lunch at the lake. Have Hedwig send your answer as soon as possible.

Hagrid

~~~~~

Harry read the letter aloud to Ron and Hermione. They agreed to go along, and Harry scribbled 'We'll be there' on the back of the letter and tied it onto Hedwig's leg, and she took off out the window with the letter.

Just after Hedwig had left, a Tawny Owl flew in, landed Hermione with a letter, and flew off. Hermione quickly opened it and read its contents. Her expression changed from joy to sadness in a matter of seconds. She got up from the table without saying a word and rushed out of the Great Hall.

Harry watched for a moment before taking a last bite out of his breakfast, wrapping some toast in a napkin, and hurrying out after Hermione with Ron on his heels.

When the Harry reached the Entrance Hall outside of the Great Hall's doors, he looked left and right, but there was no sign of Hermione anywhere. He turned to Ron.

"You check the library. I'll check the common room," he said.

"Last time something like this happened, we almost got killed by that stupid troll," Ron commented

"And it was our fault she was crying in the first place," Harry replied. Ron nodded and smiled sheepishly as he headed off towards the library. Harry went down the corridor through the tapestries and sliding walls to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" she asked.

"Kuroiro-ryuu," Harry answered quickly, seemingly in a hurry.

As soon as the Fat Lady had opened enough for Harry to fit, he ran into the common room. He looked around the room and found Hermione sitting in a secluded corner of the common room. He walked slowly over to her and crouched down in front of her with one knee on the ground. He reached a hand out and touched her shoulder. She jerked her head up, and Harry saw her eyes were red and puffy from tears.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" he asked her, but all she did was lean back against the wall and allowed more tears to flow down her cheeks.

Harry took his sleeve and wiped away some of her tears. He put his arms around her and let her cry on his shoulder. He didn't know what the letter had said, but he didn't really care. It made his friend unhappy, and he was going to help.

"Hey, Harry! I didn't fin- I guess you found her…. Should I leave you two alone?" Ron asked a seemingly suspicious, but almost jealously, at his two friends. Harry scowled at Ron for making such a comment, especially with such a tone. "Sorry," Ron said, and he walked over to Harry and Hermione.

"Maybe we should sit on the couch instead of in the corner," Harry suggested. Hermione nodded with her face still buried in Harry's shirt. Harry helped Hermione stand and led her to a couch in front of the fire that lit the common room.

Hermione curled her feet under herself and leaned into Harry to cry some more. Harry replaced a comforting arm around her shoulders. Ron sat on the arm of the couch and placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder just above Harry's arm.

"What happened?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged his unoccupied shoulder in reply. "Hermione?"

Hermione buried her head deeper into Harry's shoulder. A few more tears fell before she reached into her pocket and brought out the letter. She handed it to Harry who opened it and read it to himself. Harry was furious. "That jerk!" Harry exclaimed, startling both Ron and Hermione. "I'll take my Firebolt over there and punch his lights out!"

"What?" Ron asked snatching the letter from Harry. He, too, read the letter to himself. "What an idiot! He can't do that! Harry, take me with you to Bulgaria. We'll give him a pair of lights out." Silently, such that Hermione couldn't hear him, Ron mouthed the word "YES!" before placing his hand back on her shoulder. Harry shot a look over Hermione's head at Ron that said, "You're an idiot."

"You guys," Hermione spoke for the first time. "You don't have to do anything." Hermione was almost giggling. "It's not really that bad. It's just the way he said it. Krum is just a big arrogant jerk. I don't know why I didn't see it before."

Harry smiled and hugged Hermione. "You're sure you don't want us to go to Bulgaria and punch his lights out for you?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. You two might get hurt."

"I'm so glad you have so much confidence in us, Hermione," Ron joked in a child's voice that earned him a light smack on the shoulder. "Hey, we took out a twelve foot mountain troll in first year. I think we can handle an idiotic eighteen-year-old git like Krum."

"Uh, Ron," Harry said, "we have Quidditch try-outs today. It's almost nine fifteen. We need to leave about in twenty or thirty minutes."

"Do we really?" Ron said twisting Harry's arm into an odd angle over Hermione just to look at Harry's watch. "Woah, you're right. We have to get moving if we're going to make it to the pitch in time."

Harry and Hermione chuckled as they watched Ron trip up the spiral staircase into the dormitory while rushing to get ready for trying out for Keeper. Harry stood up and offered a hand to help Hermione up. She accepted, and they walked up the stairs to the dormitories together.

******

A few explanations of the story: Potions class really has no relevance except for the fact that it shows Snape and Malfoy haven't really changed very much, but Transfigurations has relevance you might pick up on in later parts.

"Kuroiro-ryuu" is 'black dragon' in Japanese. I chose this for two reasons. Harry fought a Hungarian Horntail, which is a black dragon, and Norwegian Ridgebacks are also black.

Hoped you liked this morsel of reading.

Any questions?

Please read (Wait a minute. You've already done that if you're reading this….) and review.

Thanks,

KZerina