Chapter 5: Quidditch Trials
As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots. Every student knew what this meant.
The Quidditch season had begun.
On Saturday, the first Quidditch match would be played: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.
Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse — people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.
It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. He had told Kryssie, that he didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practices Wood was making them do. She had also lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read. Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it.
The day before the Quidditch match, Juliet, Krystian, Hermione, Ron and Harry were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and Hermione had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar.
They were sitting with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Kryssie and Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping. The group moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.
"What's that you've got there, Potter?" Snape questioned, sneering down his nose.
Harry blinked and held up Quidditch Through the Ages.
"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."
"He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"
"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.
"Agreed," Chimed Juliet and Kryssie in unison.
The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. The large group sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy, but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.
Kryssie was working on her transfiguration homework, but was having a little trouble. Ryder piped in and helped her.
Harry looked restless. He wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back, to take his mind off his nerves about tomorrow. Soon Harry got up, told them he was going to ask Snape if he could have it. "Better you than me," they all said together, he rushed off and Kryssie rolled her eyes.
After writing in the last answer she needed, Kryssie leaned back and watched Fred and George tossing something back and forth. The something turning out to be a glittering, apparently sparking, little ball. Before she could even ask what they were doing, Rider laughed loudly, causing Kryssie to turn to him confused.
"What's up Ry?" She asked, and Hermione and Ron looked at him as well.
"Kryssie, you're hopeless at transfiguration!" Ryder laughed again, and Kryssie looked confused, as Ryder showed he was holding her homework. "This part is all wrong, look," Kryssie leaned in as Ryder showed her a section in her essay part of the homework. Kryssie blushed embarrassed and quickly drew her wand and vanished the paragraph, and re-wrote it.
A few minutes later, Harry walked back into the room, looking completely freaked out.
"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them. "What's the matter?"
In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen. "You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him — he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"
Hermione's eyes were wide. "No — he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."
"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"
"Oh, maybe it's a special potion that could fix that git's greasy hair!" Ryder offered, and everyone sitting at the table, minus Hermione, burst into uncontrolable laughter.
With Ron and Ryder trying to cheer up Harry, the gryffindors went to bed. Krystian instantly took Dementia out of her tank, and walked over to the window with her around her neck. She looked out at the moon, until Hermione told her to get some sleep. Taking one last look at the moon, she sighed putting the snake back in her tank, and changed quickly, before crawing into bed.
The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.
"You've got to eat some breakfast." Ron insisted for the third time.
"I don't want anything." Harry replied with a small shake of his head.
"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.
"I'm not hungry." Harry replied agian. In an hour's time he'd be walking onto the field.
"Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."
"Gee, thanks, Seamus. That's just what he needed to hear," Kryssie muttered as Harry watched Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.
By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.
Ron, Kryssie and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, Dean, Ryder and Juliet, who had abandonded the other slytherins, up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined.
It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colours. Kryssie sat between Hermione and Juliet, as the quidditch team walked onto the field, causing the school to erupt in loud cheers.
Madam Hooch was refereeing as per usual. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand. "Now, I want a nice fair game, from all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her, she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year. The gryffindors thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him.
"Mount your brooms, please." The crowd heard Madam Hooch call, and watched the players mount their brooms. The coach gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. Fifteen brooms rose up, higher and higher into the air. They were off.
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor — what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too —"
"JORDAN!" Shouted professor McGonagall.
"Sorry, Professor." The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve — back to Johnson and — no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes — Flint flying like an eagle up there — he's going to sc— no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle — that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger — Quaffle taken by the Slytherins — that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which — nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes — she's really flying — dodges a speeding Bludger — the goal posts are ahead — come on, now, Angelina — Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDORS SCORE!" Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.
"Budge up there, move along." Said a voice just a little while off
"Hagrid!" Called Kryssie and Juliet with a wide smile, they, along with Ron and Hermione turned to greet their large friend.
"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"
"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."
"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry. Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch.
"Angelina scores!" Lee called over the crowd, Kryssie and the group of gryffindors around her cheered loudly.
"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the — wait a moment — was that the Snitch?" A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.
Harry, in a great rush of excitement, dived downward. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch — all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.
Harry was faster than Higgs, he put on an extra spurt of speed.. Then WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindor side of the stands. Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.
"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors around Kryssie and her friends.
Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.
Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"
"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.
"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In football you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"
"But this isn't football, Dean," Ron reminded him.
Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side. "They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."
Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides. "So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating —"
"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul…"
"Jordan, I'm warning you—"
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."
Kryssie and Juliet leaned farther forward, as Harry dodged a bludger, when his broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. Kryssie was sure her eyes were mistaking her, so she rubbed them then looked back at her friend. It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry looked as though he was trying to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts — When Kryssie and Juliet came to the realization that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it, he couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him.
"Slytherin in possession — Flint with the Quaffle — passes Spinnet — passes Bell — hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose — only joking, Professor — Slytherins score — Oh no…" The Slytherins were cheering. No one else seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.
"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom… but he can't have…" Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.
"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.
"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic — no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand." At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.
"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray-faced.
"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape — look."
Ron grabbed the binoculars, literally growled, then handed them to Juliet, who then handed them to Kryssie. Snape was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath. "He's doing something — jinxing the broom," said Hermione.
"What should we do?" Juliet asked, holding back a wave of rage at her head of house.
"Leave it to me." Hermione said.
Before the others could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Juliet took the binoculars, and turned them back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good – every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell.
Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.
"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.
Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes. It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row — Snape would never know what had happened.
It was enough. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.
"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.
Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick — he hit the field on all fours — coughed — and something gold fell into his hand.
"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.
"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference — Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results — Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Harry heard none of this, though. He was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron, Hermione, Ryder, Kryssie and Juliet.
"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."
"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"
The group looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.
"I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."
Hagrid dropped the teapot. Causing both Juliet and Kryssie, whom were sitting the closest to him, to shift backwards very quickly to avoid getting hit by the hot water splashing out of the teapot.
"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.
"Fluffy?" Juliet asked, her eyes twinkling with an unknown feeling.
"That thing has a name?" Ron questioned, causing Juliet to turn and give him a slight glare.
"Yeah — he's mine — bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year — I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the —"
"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.
"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."
"But Snape's trying to steal it." Ryder piped in, crossing his cloak covered arms.
"Rubbish!" said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."
"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione. The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"
"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all of yeh — yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel —"
"Aha!" said Harry, "So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"
Hagrid looked furious with himself. Kryssie couldn't help but feel bad for their gentle hearted friend.
Juliet on the other hand, was planning something. And it had everything to do with a certain out of bounds hallway, and an animal named Fluffy.