Nightmare Wings
ISDH
Hogwarts
1993
The Worst Storm of the Year, and it just had to be during the Quiditch game.
The game was into its third hour, and while the Griffs were in the lead, it was by less than seven goals. Harry had already tried to plant Cedric with a couple Wroski Feints, but the Sixth Year was skilled enough to see through the His fakes.
The Wind was brutal. Only his smaller size and faster Broom allowed Harry to match the Huff in the air. As the Storm tried to knock the boy off his broom one last time. Harry spotted the Snitch…
Coming to a dead halt in the middle of the Field, he bolted straight up, into the heart of the storm. The Yellow Badger on his six, and gaining. Higher and higher they pushed their brooms into the Belly of the Beastly Storm. Ignoring the Cold, the Wet, Fighting the wind and the glare of the bolts of Lightning…
Closer and closer they inched towards the frantically fluttering butter gold ball.
Harry's smaller frame and faster broom verses Cedric's larger core and better control.
Finally as the two boys burst from the ward bubble over the Castle, a gale of Wind drove the larger boy off course and he fell back towards the stadium, allowing his rival to claim the prize, if he could.
121
Hermione, the bookworm, the know it all, the girl who would rather read then eat, was among her fellow gold and red Housemates, screaming encouragements at Harry and the others. She was here for Harry and Harry alone. She scream with terror as he dove towards the mud with the Hufflepuff seeker just off his bristles, and whooped for joy as he pulled up feet if not inches from the sludge covering the ground. Carrying not that the bigger lad also skimmed over the rich green turf that Scotland called grass during the rainy season.
When she had walked, or rather scurried, out here with Ron Weasley, she had lamented holing up in the library with a thick dusty book or two. But now that she was soaked, frozen to the bone, despite the warming charms, and her frizzled mess of hair was plastered to her skull, she was cheering on her best friend with the rest of her House.
Her eyes squinting against the rain as she tracked the black haired boy into the sky, she gasped as they were swallowed by the swirling grey mist of the clouds.
121
Cedric Diggory.
Hufflepuff.
Sixth Year Seeker and co-captain of the Flying Badgers.
And only because of his years of practice and focus, second only to Oliver Wood, allowed him to ride his broom in this windstorm and match that little Griff-punk Potter dive for dive, and pull along side as they climbed into the sky.
If he did not know better, he would almost say that the boy had a death-wish. Wait, he know the boy was crazy, as the last two years had proven. The only reason they had won the game back in '92 was because Potter was laid up in the infirmary. And the Rumors that last year, he had hunted down and cornered the assailant that was attacking the students… the less said about the better.
No one had challenged his holding the Seeker position this year. Last year he had to to prove he could out fly five others to keep this spot, even with the Snakes playing for keeps. This Year, No one wanted to face the wrath of the 'Lad would be Heir'.
They breached the ward bubble, closing on the golden snitch, and faced the true power of the storm. His greater mass was finally too much, and he allowed the wind to push him over backwards into a dive back into the warded field of the Pitch. As He fell at half speed, the Lightning flashing above him, he turned his eyes toward the specks zipping about below him, trying to close the gap in the scoring, as much as they could.
He had all but given up hope of catching the palm sized ball today, knowing that Potter was like a Kurp after Kneezel. When He noticed the blurry form of his rival fall past him.
He stared in a daze before his mind realized what he was seeing. He leaned forward, trying to catch the smaller lad, his off hand reaching out…
Potter rolled face down, arms spread out as if trying to fly on his own… before he just vanished…
121
From the corner of his eye, Harry Potter noticed Diggory fall away.
Gritting his teeth, he stretched along his broom, and reached for the Snitch… only to close his left hand about the ball. Numb to the cold from the rain and wind, he failed to notice that he was not alone in the sky. Not until he heard a woman scream…
A gusting gale knocked him aside from the Shade that hovered above him, before he slipped from the broom. With only a foggy understanding of what was going on, Harry turned in the air and looked down. Seeing a field of green rushing up to meet him, he spread his arms, clutching the golden ball, and grinned. This was why he flew…
Something behind his heart flickered…
Fluttered…
And flashed, before a great warmth flooded his body, and his wings snapped open to catch the wind and break his fall.
He Laughed into the wind, and leaned to the left, circling about the closest tower before back winging and splashing down, four feet in the mud.
'Four feet?' his head tossed, as he pranced in the mud, 'I do not have four feet!' but his thoughts were quickly drawn upward as the air was filled with screams as the students yelled and ran for cover as Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick stepped forward and fired grey bolts into the sky.
Albus had thrown one that looked like a large bird, McGonagall was a tabby the size of Ripper, and Flitwick… His moved too fast for Harry to identify it, but it broke up into five pieces and attacked five different Dementors. As the Shades were driven back beyond the ward lines, the Students were herded towards the Great Hall.
Harry Frown, 'Where is everyone going? Why has no one approached me?'
He was broken from his thoughts by the thuddish squishing of huge footsteps behind him. " 'Ey there 'Arry." Hagrid's deep bass rumbled behind him. Turning to peer over his shoulder, Harry noticed for the first time, that his was no longer human. "Let's get you inside, and dried off, before heading up to see Pomfrey, eh?" Hagrid laid a massive paw on Harry's back, just under his left wing. "Let's get out of this rain. What say you?"
Harry snorted, and allowed the gentle giant to lead him to the the castle.
As they stepped pasted the main doors, Flitch was grumbling about having to mop up the muck. "OH No you don't!" the twist squib sneered up at Hagrid, completely ignoring HArry. "CLean your boots, and hang your coat there. It is bad enough that I have to clean up after those filthy snot nosed runts, but I draw the line at you!"
" 'K. Just Let me take care of it." Hagrid rumbled at the smaller man. "Where's Ms Norris?" He pulled his Hairy coat off, and hung it on the statue of the wizard by the door, before scraping his boots on the iron bar that was there for that purpose.
"With Weather like this? Where else, but in the Kitchens, begging scraps from the Elves, and warming herself by the fire, like I should be doing!" Flitch spat, as he finished wiping away the last of the muck, before picking up his mop and bucket and hobbling into the gloom of the castle.
Harry snorted, and tried to scrap his hooves on the bar.
Hagrid seeing his issue, nodded, "Elf!"
A pop, "Professor Biggie call for an elf?"
Harry turned to look, seeing Dobby in a faded Gryffindor pillow case and mismatched socks. He snorted in greeting.
Dobby turned to look at the lad turn beast, and squinted…
"Oh!" he hopped with joy, "I knew the Great HArry Potter was a Great Power Wizard, but to be a Beast-Mage too!"
"Yeah." Hagrid grinned at the elf's antics, "I need a towel so I can clean and dry him off."
"Dobby be rights back" the elf popped away only to return with a big fluffy towel.
Hagrid took the towel and whipped the horse creature off, before draping it over Harry's back. "Let's get you up to Pomfrey, 'Arry," Turning to the Elf, "Get McGonagall to meet us in the Infirmary, would you." He then guided the lad up the stairs.
Pushing into the Medical Wing, a few minutes later, the two males watched the medi-witch bustle about packing up potion vials and bottles, muttering to herself. "-every student, half dead with cold." She then spotted the intruders into her domain. "What you want, and why did you bring that colt in here?"
"Is a student, Mr. Potter." Hagrid grumbled out.
"Mr Potter?" the 50's nurse dressed witch frowned, as Harry snorted and bobbed his head. "Mr Potter is a Thestral? How?"
"Could you repeat that?" The Scottish brogue behind them caused the two males to turn to look at the Deputy Headmistress.
"Hagrid is claiming that the Thestral beside him is really Mr. Potter." Poppy drew her wand and cast a few charms at the Horse like beast.
Minnie frowned and drew her own wand to cast a few spells. "Dear Merlin." A deep breath, "This will hurt, Mr. Potter." She thrust her wand at Him, He missed her whispered words, as a cold wave spread through him…
121
As She finished being herded into the Great Hall with rest of the school, Hermione watched as the rest scrambled on the benches to sip hot chocolate as they gossiped about the end of the Game.
The Twins were Crowing that Harry had caught the snitch, Hooch had blown her whistle ending the game, just before he fell back to earth. What most everyone was asking, was how did Potter vanish from under the eyes of the whole school. Did he Apparate? was it a Portkey? Half a hundred theories were crafted, abjected, and denied.
As she dried herself off, and sipped her cocoa, she watched the Teachers. The Headmaster and Snape were whispering at the Head Table, as Flitwick, moved among his House as was Sprout.
She sipped, as she watched her own Head of House whisper to Madam Hooch, before the older witch straightened quickly, looked at her feet, and strode from the Hall. Frowning Hermione was quick to set her cup down, and follow.
Quietly she scrambled up the stairs, after the Tartaned Matron, as the Witch blew into the Infirmary, she caught the door, and tip-toed closer, enough to her hear "...the Thestral beside him is really Mr. Potter." Poppy drew her wand and cast a few charms at the blanket covered ...invisible thing.
Minnie drew her own wand to cast a few spells. "Dear Merlin." A deep breath, "This will hurt, Mr. Potter." She thrust her wand at the Blanket, She missed her whispered words, as a glow formed a around what looked like a horse for second, before it reformed into her best Friend.
"Merlin, that stings!" the lad hissed, before grinning and offering his left fist to his Head of House. "I think You should have this, unless you think Wood prefer it." His hand opened to reveal the golden orb sleeping in his palm.
"Harry James Potter!" Hermione could contain herself no longer, as she burst from her hiding spot to close on her friend, "Just what were you doing, Sky-diving like that?"
His Green eyes flared, as he caught sight of her. "Mione, I can explain!" He stepped back, "I fell off my broom when the Dementors caused me to fade out…" His Eyes widened, "My Broom!"
"We will find it in the morning Mister Potter." The Transfiguration Mistress cast another charm at the boy, as did the the Nurse. "Poppy, Does the Lad need to stay here or…"
"No, He can join the others down in the Hall. Miss Granger can Walk him down. I trust that they will keep this matter quite, until they have talked with you about Mr. Potter's new legal status." the Nurse quirked her smile at the boy, "I do not think we want the Weasley twins to get it in their heads to try to copy your feat, now do we."
"No Ma'am." Harry blanched, he could see the twins jumping off the Gryffindor Tower to find their animagus forms.
"Mister Potter. After Dinner tonight. My Office. Miss Granger is Welcome." The clipped tones of the Brogue were warm, but frim. "And give the Snitch to Wood."
121
As the Two third years walked into the Great Hall, a hush fell over the students.
The Twin Terrors known as Fred and George bounded to their feet and pounced on the green eyed boy, including the young witch in the group hug.
"Harry…"
"...My Boy, You…"
"...Must simply tell…" the twins were doing their verbal ping-pong thing
"How did you vanish in the middle of the Pitch?" the three Vixens chorused.
"Can't" Harry grinned at the three chasers, before offering his fist to the older boy just off their shoulder, "Thought you would like this." Opening it to reveal the golden ball sleeping in his palm.
"What do you mean 'Can't'?" the Twins roared in a mockery of their mother.
"McGonagall said to keep mum." Harry looked at the twin on his shoulder. "But as soon as I am allowed to say Anything, you know you two will be the first I will be telling…" he paused, before grinning, "Besides Hermione and Ron of course."
"Of Course." those gathered around the Gryff Seeker chorused.
"Harry, My Boy." The warm grandfatherly tones of the Headmaster drifted over the group. "Where did you go?"
"Can't say, Sir." Harry bobbed his head at the old man.
"Just Like his Father…" Snape Sneered.
"Sir!" Harry Snarled, "When I say, I can Not Say, It is Because I was Told to keep it Quiet. If you have have Issues with that, Take it up with my Head of House who gave the Order." His Eyes Flashed, "I Have had full day of nasty weather, Dementors, and Falling to my death...again. I do not know what your Issue with my Birth Father was, but since he died when I was a babe, Get over it, Put a Cork in it and move on!"
Snape reared back as if slapped, his dark eyes flared, "Twenty points…"
"Now Severus." Albus cut in, "Harry is right. I have told you time and time again, to let it go." He guided the Potions Master back to the Head Table.
"Brass Ones." The Twin over Hermione drawled.
"Bigger." The one hovering over Harry hissed back, "Bronze and shined daily."
They locked gazes, "Telling Snape to 'Put a Cork in it and move on!"