A/N ~~ Now, I know I'll get a lot of flack about the snitch's various senses. But might I just say, J.K.R. never said snitch's couldn't see or hear. I was left to believe it can, as it does have to navigate by itself. Yes, I know it was an enchantment placed on it…but we still don't know how a snitch really feels.
Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own, or have any right to any of the characters or quotes in the story below. J.K. Rowling does.
My Life…as a Snitch
By: Momma Umbridge
Let's start off with the basics, I hate it here. It's lonely, dark, and worst of all… cramped. I mean, seriously! My wings are stuck INSIDE of me, there's no room to buzz, fly, roll, vibrate, or even jiggle. How is that even fair! The bludgers get to jerk around, and cause the entire box to shake! Well…I really shouldn't complain. At least the bludgers actually do things to keep the day moving, the quaffles just sit there…lazy dolts. I often try to make small talk, a simple, "How's that side of the box?" or "Did you hear the footsteps outside yesterday?" But they simply ignore me and mumble dully to each other. Perhaps it's just me…I mean, I DO get a bit depressed sometimes, but I'm just so darn lonely. Everyone seems to be fine with what's going on, but I'm sure not. I've never felt anything but the rough surface of a dragonhide glove, or the tight, constraining nook they keep me in now. I just crave the warmth and comfort of a hand. I just want to be held, is that too much to ask? I guess it is... it seems useless to want something so badly, when it'll never happen. I really do think I'm stuck here…eternally.
TWO MONTHS LATER
It's finally happening! There are voices outside! It's a rather large group from what I hear….wait they're picking the box up…we're moving. We're actually moving! Even the bludgers have stopped moving in anticipation, and the quaffles are mumbling more rapidly and excitedly. The box is falling…they dropped us. The ground must be soft…the impact wasn't painful or anything, and I wasn't jarred around. There's a loud sound…chanting and cheering…but I can't hear clearly through the box. Someone's speaking louder…saying something about a hog…and a Quidditch. But I don't have time to think about that, there's a sudden clicking sound, and a swish…they were opening the box! The bludgers flew out, and the Quaffles were lifted from their compartments. There's a hesitation…the time stretches longer and longer, it felt like as if years were passing rather than minutes. Will they ever let me out? Have they forgotten me? A wave of grief rolled over me, until I heard it…another series of clicks, and finally blinding light washed over me. The sun! It's the sun! My wings burst forth from me, buzzing and pulling me high into the sky. I darted around quickly, startled by the deafening words, "THE SNITCH IS RELEASED!" I didn't quite care who the hell was released or not, I was too elated at my sudden freedom. I buzzed past the wierdos in strange cloaks on flying branches. I just fly, letting all sense leave me, the sun gleams on my golden skin, and the wind catches in my flitting wings, carrying me across the sky, over the green oval, surrounded by multicolored towers. I watched the bludgers zoom around and bash into people, getting tossed from side to side by two people with clubs. I watched as the quaffles were carried across the oval, and thrown into strange hoops. There were people in the towers, yelling and laughing, I flew by a yellow one…what the hell is a 'Hufflepuff?' I ignored it and zoomed around, relishing the air and the sounds until I noticed a person, with short messy hair, and odd circular things on his face. He was sitting on a flying branch too, but it was acting weird. It was twisting and bucking like it was trying to get away, I watched for a while, wondering why the person doesn't just fly off of the branch.
I darted away, bored, I flew to a green tower, looking at a few people, one with really light hair and a mean looking sneer on his face. I was going to fly down to him, but just then someone tried to grab me. I didn't want my freedom to end! Why was he trying to stop me? I flew away, faster and faster, not caring where I went or who I went by, I just flew. I went to make a turn and nearly fell…it was that kid with the messy hair! His branch was normal and he had his hand extended towards me, I flew lower and lower. Why was he trying to grab me? I stopped fluttering my wings; my golden body still flew, but only by the aid of momentum. Someone was trying to hold me, someone will caress me. I'll feel a warm, soft hand! But of course, that wasn't the case. The kid didn't stop fast enough and he came plummeting forwards and everything went black. There was a lurch and a violent movement as the kid hit the ground, but I didn't pay attention to that…only to what I was feeling. It was a new feeling to me, soft, warm, wet…amazing. I felt a tingle as I was held snugly in the kids' mouth. I folded my wings in to avoid them getting wet. It was heavenly, divine; celestial…I was being caressed. My dreams coming true as I took in the marvelous experience. An experience that ended too soon. The kid spit me into his hands; I glimpsed a huge smile on his face. Trust me, I would've smiled too if I could. He held me high in the air, as if in response to the call, "HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!" there was cheering and laughter, and the feeling of being touched…well, it was totally awesome.
The boy gave me to a woman who looked strangely like a bird…he called her Madame Hoot, or something like that. I longed for the boys touch, but I knew it couldn't happen right now. The woman then gave me to a man, with a long beard, a crooked nose, and half-round circle things on his eyes. He held me in his hand, his fist closed around it…his touch wasn't anything compared to that of the boys', I tried to fly out and find him, but the old man kept his grip too well. He brought me to a room filled with silver and gold instruments, which I got a rather good view of from the clear glass case he put me in. Portraits filled the room, I buzzed in the case thinking that it was better than being stuck in that box again. I looked down and saw a red bird, I almost tried to fly out of the case and down to it, but before I even figured out how, it let out a sad call. The bird burst into flames and slowly disintegrated into ash…how odd. The old man simply looked up and said "About time Fawks…try not to wait so long next time." the ashes stirred a bit, and a smaller…uglier version of the red bird climbed out, letting out nothing but a simple tweet. This went on about once a month, for many many months…
FIVE AND ONE HALF YEARS LATER
I've aged…yes. I don't fly as fast or as much as I used to, as my wings have weakened quite a bit. The bird is healthy, but I'm used to it now…much has happened. I've seen the kid who touched me quite a bit. He's come into the room many times, but he never sees me. I was actually just thinking about him when the old man with the beard turned towards me and waves a knobby stick at me. My case lifted up of its own accord, taking me with it. He took me and set me on a table, using only one hand, as his other was blackened. I looked at him buzzing my wings slowly, trying to figure out what's going on, but he simply flicked the stick towards me, and I tilted back. My wings buzzed furiously, he cracked me in half! I tried to roll around, but it didn't work…but surprisingly, I could still feel my bottom half. I fluttered in relief; he had only opened me…somehow. With surprising speed, he placed something inside of me, muttered a few more words, causing me to snap shut, and then placed me back in the case, Curious…
ONE YEAR LATER
Something has happened. I'm not quite sure what, but the bird left. It sang a long and very depressing song as it flew away. There's screaming…and a strange cloud that looks like a skull and a snake has filled the sky. I didn't buzz at all, but I folded my wings in and waited…
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It's been a week, a group of people came and took me, and they poked me and prodded me. I flew around feebly searching for the old man, but they only let me fly for a short while. After some more tests, they sighed and put me in a bag…it was dark again.
ONE MONTH LATER
I'm moving...the bag jostles me around. Voices come form outside of the bag, one says, "The Last Will and testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore…" Er…who? They talked about some lights, and a book…and then they finally took me out, I looked around, there was an ugly man, a red haired boy, a girl with rather unkempt hair, and…the boy! The ugly man turned me around, giving me an awkward view of the ceiling, he spoke, "To Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill." there was a hesitation and then the boy finally grabbed me, it wasn't the same as his mouth, but I felt at home in his hands. I opened my wings and buzzed them a bit. After the ugly man argued with the three kids a bit, he left, leaving Harry to put me in his mouth. I buzzed happily, the explosion of feeling ripping through years of dull inactivity, bringing me back to the day so many years ago, when he was just a young boy playing his first Quidditch match.
ABOUT FIVE MONTHS LATER
Harry was walking, it was dark outside. He held me in his hands, he brought me close to his mouth and my wings buzzed, waiting to feel again, but he simply whispered, "I am about to die." I broke open, I could feel pieces of me sliding away, revealing the object the old man placed inside of me long ago. Harry placed me in his pocket, and suddenly I heard voices, of a woman, and a few men. Harry walked along, the voices stopped. In the dead quiet of the night, I heard only Harry's heart beat, and a high, cold voice. I tucked my wings in to my dull golden body, and tried to stop seeing, as just as I did, there was a flash of green light.
NINETEEN YEARS LATER
I sit on a display stand, observing the quaint little home. The little girl flies low to the ground on a small flying branch, her toes skimming the floor, her red hair flies behind her. An owl soars in through the window, I buzz my wings softly, hovering a centimeter above the display stand. Flying to the owl is an impossibility; I've been far too weak to do that for ages. The girl giggles and flies to a different room, yelling, "OWL!" after a moment, a tall, skinny man with black messy hair and green eyes walks out, followed by a shorter woman with hair as red as the little girls. "Thanks Hedwig!" he says to his sons' pure white owl, "Oh Ginny! Great news from James, he made Seeker on the Gryffindor team!" Ginny smiled and read the letter herself, "Just like his father." she said. Harry moved towards me and picked be up. He looked at me for quite some time before saying, "Yes…just like his father." I buzzed my wings, feeling content and warm. No longer did I have to wait for the day when the boy would come and take me…no longer did I have to sit for years doing nothing. The boy- now a man, was with me forever, and that's how it always will be.