Hope you like this chapter! Reviews are always welcome, especially now that I'm rewriting everything.
REWRITTEN
Ch. 8 Quidditch
POV BELLA MCLAGGEN:
As we entered November, it became very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. The Quidditch season had finally begun. On Saturday, I would be playing my first match against Slytherin.
If Gryffindor won, we would move up into second place in the House Championship. Hardly anyone had seen Harry and me play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, we should be kept, well, secret.
But the news that we were playing had leaked out somehow, and especially Harry was experiencing a lot of pressure. He didn't know which was worse, he'd said, "People telling me I'd be brilliant, or people telling me they'd be running around underneath me holding a mattress."
I was nervous as well. My father had decided to come and watch this match, so made the pressure even worse.
It was really lucky we now had Hermione as a friend. I don't know how I'd have gotten through all my homework without her.
Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules, and she was much nicer for it. The day before our first Quidditch match we were out in the freezing courtyard during the break, and she had conjured a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar.
We were standing with our backs to it, getting warm when Snape crossed the yard. My eyes narrowed. "Look, he's limping," Harry whispered.
We moved close together to block the fire out of view, we were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately our guilty faces caught Snape's eyes. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell us off anyway. Like he always did.
"What's that you've got there, Potter?"
It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry showed him. "Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points for Gryffindor."
"You just made that up!" I hissed.
"Do you think you know the rules better than I do? You seem to be breaking them every day, McLaggen," he sneered.
"I know them perfectly well. If I wouldn't have, how could I possibly break one every day?"
My answer surprised Snape. "Twenty points from Gryffindor. You need to watch your attitude, McLaggen."
With that he limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?" Hermione asked.
"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.
"What's wrong?" Lexie asked.
She joined them with Claire and Janice.
"Snape stole Harry's book. He just took twenty-five points from Gryffindor. Git," I said.
"Twenty-five points! In one go? Why would he do that?" Claire said, raising her eyebrows.
"Five points for Harry, because he took a school book outside. And twenty points from Bella, because she protested," Hermione explained.
Janice patted Harry on the shoulder. "I'll ask to have it back for you, if you want," she offered. "He doesn't seem to hate me as much as you guys."
"You don't have to…" Harry said, getting red in the face.
"Don't mention it. I wanted to go inside anyway," said Janice, shivering.
POV JANICE DIGGORY:
Why should I be afraid of Snape? I'll just ask politely.
"Better you than me," Ron muttered.
I ignored him and went inside. I just went to the dormitory to put away my things and I went straight to the staffroom afterward. He couldn't refuse, not if the other teachers were listening.
I made my way down the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. I knocked again. Nothing. Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. I pushed the door ajar.
Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages. "Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep you eyes on all the three heads at once?"
I gasped. I only knew one creature with three heads (which was very fortunate) and that was the dog. I tried to shut the door quietly, but…
"DIGGORY!"
Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly. I gulped.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, sir! I hope your leg will feel better, soon… I just wondered if I could have Quidditch Through the Ages back, to give it to Harry, sir."
"GET OUT! OUT!"
I left quickly, before Snape could take any points from Hufflepuff. "Did you get it?" Claire asked when I rejoined them.
I was shivering; I had run outside straightaway without recollecting my coat. I told them the story very quickly. "You know what this means?" said Claire, pulling me close and wrapping her cloak around me a bit.
"He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him!" Bella said.
"You saw him? Makes me wonder what's under than trapdoor," Lexie said, frowning. "Well, at least we know he didn't succeed to get past Poochie."
"Poochie?" said Ron, rolling his eyes.
"I gave him a nickname," she said. "I'm not sure you should have any right to be so judgy anyway, isn't your pet rat called Scabbers?"
"What does that say about you if you think of that monster as a pet?" he retorted.
"Can you not stop doing that, you two?" I panted. "Let's focus on what's the real issue here."
"Snape tried to steal that thing," said Bella.
"I bet my broomstick he let that troll in to make a diversion!" said Harry.
"He wouldn't," I said. "He's not nice, but he wouldn't try to steal anything Professor Dumbledore is keeping safe. Besides, letting that troll in could have cost people their lives! We only barely escaped with ours!"
"Honestly Janice, do you think all teachers are saints or something?" Ron said.
Hermione was on my side.
"She's right," Hermione said. "He's grumpy but that doesn't make him evil."
"Anyhow, he doesn't need to be evil to be suspicious. It depends on how valuable that thing under that trapdoor is," Lexie said. "I think we can all agree he doesn't seem to like teaching very much, maybe he could use some cash to start over somewhere else."
POV LEXIE JONES:
I went to bed with my head buzzing with questions. Snape had been past that dog. But why? What was he after? And why was he after it? Millicent was snoring loudly, so I couldn't sleep.
The next morning I was very grumpy. I still did my best to look like I had slept decently by splashing cold water in my face.
"I hope we'll win," said Draco the next morning.
"Oh, yes. Quidditch."
"You don't seem to excited. I thought you liked Quidditch," he said indignantly.
"I do, but I didn't sleep well last night."
"You've got to eat something," Pansy said.
"I don't want anything," I muttered.
"Just a bit of toast."
"What's bugging you?" Blaise asked.
I looked Draco in the eye, begging for him to understand that it wasn't something I could just bring up at the Slytherin table at breakfast. He gave me a nod, so small and swift only I saw it.
We walked to the field together. No one could hear us. I told him everything I knew.
"Snape?" he whispered. "Why would Snape try to steal that thing? Is it really valuable or something?"
"I don't know, but Potter says it's something really small. Like two or three inches," I said. "I just don't understand why they just let that dog stand guard it. For a qualified wizard it shouldn't be so hard to get past it, right?"
"Maybe it's not just the dog," Draco suggested.
By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stand around the Quidditch pitch. Many students, including me, had binoculars. On the opposite site I saw a large banner. It said Potter for President, with a large Gryffindor lion underneath it. The paint flashed different colours. "Look," I said, pointing at it.
Draco muttered something I couldn't understand.
POV BELLA MCLAGGEN:
Meanwhile, in the locker room, the team was changing into their Quidditch robes. They were scarlet, and Slytherin would be playing in green. Wood cleared his throat for silence. "Okay, men," he said.
"And women!" I hissed.
"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."
"The big one," said Fred Weasley.
"The one we've been all waiting for," said George.
"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred said to me. "we were on the team last year."
"Shut up you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor has had in years. We're going to win. I know it."
He glared at us as if to say: "Or else." "Right. It's time. Good luck all of you."
Harry was looking as if he was praying for his knees not to give away. When we walked up the field I pointed to the banner. He looked braver at instant. Madame Hooch was refereeing.
"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said.
She seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint. I strongly suspected more than just a bit of troll blood was in his veins.
"Mount your brooms please."
When I mounted the broom again, I felt good. Less nervous. I could recognize my father's burnt orange robes from here. I waved.
Madame Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. We were off.
"And the Quaffle is taken by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor," said Lee Jordan, who was doing the commentary.
Angelina passed the Quaffle to me and I easily dodged Marcus Flint, who was trying so crash into me.
"A good feint from Bella McLaggen of Gryffindor, one of two good additions to the Gryffindor team, both of which are only first year's…"
I tried to pass the ball back to Angelica Johnson. Flint caught it and I cursed under my breath.
"Flint flying like an eagle up there. He score… no! Excellent save by Keeper Oliver Wood."
Wood passed the ball to Katie Bell but she lost the Quaffle to Adrian Pucey. I did one of my javelin-like moves and managed to steal the Quaffle out of his hands and went on to the Slytherin goal-posts.
"Chaser Bella McLaggen up there, nice dive around Flint, he was hit by a Bludger, sent by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which… McLaggen still in position of the Quaffle, come on now Bella, Keeper Bletchley dives, misses… GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"
POV CLAIRE GIBBS:
"Budge up there, move along."
"Hagrid!"
Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them. Janice and I sat with the Gryffindors. "Good move, Bella," Ron said.
"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid. "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."
"I just hope he doesn't hurt himself," Janice said.
She was biting her nails, looking at the game intently.
"Seekers always get hurt the most," Gryffindor Seamus Finnigan said.
"Thanks, Seamus," I hissed, patting Janice on the back.
"He'll be all right and so will Bella," I said. "She scored the first goal, didn't she?"
"Oof! That Bludger was close, though," said Ron.
Then something curious happened. Slytherin was in possession of the Quaffle and suddenly Pucey dropped it. "What's he doing?" I laughed.
"Wait, was that the Snitch?" Lee Jordan said.
Harry and Terence Higgs from Slytherin went into a dive. Harry was faster than Higgs.
WHAM!
Flint had blocked Harry on purpose. Harry's broom spun, of course, Harry holding on for dear life. "Foul!" I yelled. "Sent him off! Red card!"
"What are you talking about, Claire?" Ron asked.
"I always watch soccer with my dad. if you commit a certain foul you get a red card and you get sent off the field for the rest of the game," I explained.
"That's ridiculous!" he said.
"It's only for severe fouls," I added.
"But this isn't soccer, Claire," Ron reminded me.
Hagrid was on my side. "They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry of his broom."
Lee Jordan was finding it difficult to change 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 Johnson, who puts it away, no trouble."
Harry dodged another Bludger, and then it happened. It was as if his Nimbus turned against him. He gripped the broom tightly with his both hands. I thought he was going to fall, but surprisingly he stayed on it. It happened again. And then continued happening all the time, continuously.
He couldn't turn. He couldn't direct it at all.
"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he lost control of his own broom. But he can't have…"
"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Janice asked.
"No, maybe the broom's cursed or something. But it's a Nimbus Two Thousand, it must be really Dark Magic…" I answered.
Hermione pointed at Snape, who was muttering excitedly. "He's doing something, jinxing the broom!"
"I knew it," I said.
"That filthy, rotten…" said Ron but Janice slapped him on his arm.
"He's still a teacher," she hissed. "What should we do?"
"Leave it to me," Hermione and I said at the same time.
We ran, and ran until we reached the space under the teacher's stands. We knocked Quirell out on the way, though. "Inflamarae," I whispered, and I tapped Snape's cloak.
It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize he was on fire. A sudden yelp told us we'd done our job.
POV LEXIE JONES:
That instant Potter's broom stopped acting weird. He was able to climb back on his broom again. In the meantime, Flint had scored five or six times without anyone noticing.
"I was just enjoying it," Draco grinned and I tried to look at him sternly, but I wore the same grin on my face.
He was speeding towards the ground when I saw him clap his hand to his mouth; he was going to be sick. He hit the field, coughed a something gold fell into his hand.
"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head.
"It's not fair!" I cried. "He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it!"
But it made no difference. Potter apparently hadn't broken any rules.
I met my friends down the stands. Bella's hair was a mess and she was sweaty all over, but she didn't seem to care and had a big goofy grin on her face. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug.
"You did play great, Bella," I said. "Gryffindor's first goal of the season, I'm so proud of you…"
Draco had gone straight to the common room only at the sight of her. I was invited for a cup of strong tea in Hagrid's hut. Unlike my Housemates, I did like Hagrid very much. He wasn't a complex guy, and he had a warmth around him that drew you in, quite like the tea I was drinking. Weasley, Granger, Potter, Bella, Janice and Claire were also there.
"It was Snape," Ron was explaining. "Hermione and I saw him, cursing Harry's broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off him."
"Rubbish," said Hagrid. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"
"Because he hates Potter," I said.
"But he'd never wan' Harry dead," Hagrid said.
"I found out something about him," Janice brought in. "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."
"How do you know about Fluffy?" he asked.
"Fluffy?"
"No more comments about Poochie, I guess," I sneered at Weasley.
"Yeah, he's mine. Bought him off a Greek chap in the pub. I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the…"
"Yes?" said Potter eagerly.
"Now don't ask me anymore," Hagrid said.
"I knew it had something to do with Greece!" Claire said suddenly. "In Greek mythology, there is a three-headed dog, called a Cerberus."
"But Snape's trying to steal whatever Fluffy's protecting," Bella moaned.
"Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."
"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" Granger cried.
"Now listen to me," said Hagrid hotly. "I don't know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Listen, all seven of yeh, yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guarding, that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel…"
"Aha!" said Potter. "So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"
Hagrid looked furious with himself.
1. Did you like this chapter?
2. What's your top four of OC's?
(you can still suggest pairings)
