The Potter Twins and the Not-so-Secret Chamber
Chapter Ten: Bludgers and Incompetence
"This is somewhere I hoped I'd never be, let alone twice," muttered Ron.
He glanced down the hallways cautiously, making sure that nobody could see the three of them sneaking into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Again. The ghost obviously was as happy was he was about this judging from the noise she was making.
"Oh, shut up," Ron said grumpily, banging on Moaning Myrtle's stall.
You can't not find that annoying, he thought when Hermione hit his arm for being rude.
The three of them picked a stall, far away from the wailing ghost, and barricaded themselves inside it. Carefully, Hermione opened the book, Moste Potente Potions. She put her face close to the pages as if trying to inhale the knowledge.
From the first picture, it was clear as to why the book was in the Restricted Section. It was interesting, in a gruesome sort of way.
"Here it is." Hermione's voice was alight with excitement. She pointed at the Polyjuice Potion recipe.
"Wait, why do we need this?" questioned Harry.
"Malfoy is-"
"Yes, Ron, I know your theory about Draco," Harry said, interrupted Hermione mid-explanation. "But why do we need this? I am a Slytherin."
"Yes, but you and Draco are really talking at the moment," Hermione pointed out, not even looking up from the book. She resumed mumbling ingredients under her breath and making a stirring motion with her fingers.
"Besides, do you really think Draco's going to tell you about being the Heir of Slytherin?" said Ron. Harry nodded, understanding their point.
"That's true. I guess I could just lurk in the background."
"And we'll be Crabbe and Goyle," said Hermione, shutting the book with a loud sound. "This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen. Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass." Ron tuned out as Hermione continued listing the ingredients, only hearing her last sentence.
"Excuse me? What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it-" Hermione continued talking as if Ron hadn't said anything.
Harry, though, had a worry more pressing than how they were going to have to drink potions with bits of people in them. "D'you realize how much we're going to steal, Hermione? Shredded skin of boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if this is a good idea…"
That was when Hermione looked up from reciting ingredients and instructions. "Well, if you two are going to chicken out, fine." Hermione was looking like Ron did when he had to defend how Quidditch was amazing.
"I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggleborns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in."
Well, that was unexpected. I hope she doesn't get like this about any creatures… "I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules." He let out a dramatic sigh. "All right, we'll do it. But no toenails, okay?"
"How long will it take to make, anyway?" asked Harry.
Hermione looked appeased and opened the book again. "Well, since the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days… I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients."
"A month?" Does she have any idea how nerdy she sounds? "Malfoy could have attacked half the Muggbleborns in the school by then!"
Ron moved back a little as Hermione's eyes narrowed angrily. "But it's the best plan we've got, so full steam ahead, I say."
It'd be so much easier if Malfoy could just fall off his broom. Unfortunately, it would be Harry playing tomorrow.
~.~.~.~.~
We're going to lose. Ron had absolutely no hope for the Gryffindor team. Again.
He watched as the Slytherins shot up like rockets into the air. The Gryffindor brooms climbed weakly into the air, each dipping slightly once or twice.
"Where did that Bludger come from?" asked Hermione, pointing at Harry. The small, green figure which was their friend swerved dangerously away the black speck. Ron watched as a Slytherin Beater hit the Bludger away, only to have it turn around midway and target Harry again.
"What the-"
"Harry!" Hermione squeaked as the Bludger started circling around him. Harry started to speed around the arena, only to have the Bludger continue to follow him.
Slytherin was in the lead, but only by one goal. All of the Slytherins, whether playing or in the crowd, were staring at the stray Bludger. The two Slytherin Beaters were trying to follow Harry and keep the Bludger away from him. Even the Weasley twins, the Beaters on the opposite team, were refraining from hitting either Bludger, trying to keep the game less dangerous.
Eventually, Flint saw Harry's predicament. They called a time-out, which nearly caused injuries as the Bludger escaped Fred's grasp and shot off towards Harry.
"How can somebody tamper with a Bludger?" Ron looked expectantly at Hermione.
"Aren't you supposed to be the expert on Quidditch?"
"I'm the expert on the actual game, not the technicalities."
"Well, then neither of us know."
The timeout was over, and everybody's eyes were on Harry as he manoeuvred to avoid the killer Bludger.
"No, Harry!"
"You idiot!" yelled Ron. Hermione had covered her eyes with her hands.
Harry had stopped for a brief second, watching the Snitch follow George. The Bludger took that brief moment to slam into Harry's arm, effectively breaking the bone.
Ouch.
Somehow, Harry was able to make it to grab the Snitch, before shakily driving his broom down and collapsing on the ground. Immediately, everybody in the crowd was on their feet, trying to see if Harry was alright.
"Oh no," muttered Ron. "Not that idiot." Lockhart was crouching over Harry. Abruptly, their useless professor stood up and pointed his wand at Harry.
His magic is worse than mine, and my wand is broken!
"Doesn't know what he's saying," Lockhart announced to the crowd of students pressing around Harry. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."
"No! I'll keep it like this, thanks." So would I. "I don't want a photo of this, Colin!"
"Lie back, Harry. It's a simple charm I've used countless times-"
"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?"
Despite the insistence from the nearby students that, Yes, Harry should go to the hospital wing and get away from him you incompetent professor, Professor Lockhart rolled up his sleeves. "Stand back."
"No! Don't-" Too late.
"Ah. Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen."
"What can sometimes happen?" gasped Hermione.
What if he vanished Harry? The two of them shuffled through the crowd until they could see Harry.
"But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing – ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him – and Madam Pomfrey will be able to, er, tidy you up a bit."
"Harry?" asked Hermione, trying to help him up. She shrieked when Harry's arm did a flop that no arm should be able to do.
"Don't tell me…" Ron trailed off.
"He didn't-"
"He did," rasped Harry.
"How can you possibly stick up for Lockhart now, Hermione?" asked Ron. "If Harry had wanted a deboning he would have asked."
"I-" Hermione sighed. "I can't anymore." Ron applauded loudly.
"So you finally agree that he's a fraud!"
"Well-"
"Oh, come on, Hermione," said Harry. "If he can't fix a bone, how can he kill a werewolf?"
"Yeah, he's a fraud." Hermione wrinkled her nose. "I'm usually against book burning, but there's an exception to every rule."
"You're in for a rough night," Madam Pomfrey said, holding out a bottle of Skele-Gro for Harry. "Regrowing bones is a nasty business."
When Harry had stopped coughing from the Skele-Gro, Madam Pomfrey left Ron and Hermione with Harry.
"You still won," said Ron, slightly exasperated. "That was some catch you made. You should've seen Wood's face."
"I want to know who fixed that Bludger," Hermione said. "If it was Malfoy…"
"Well, we can add that to the list of questions we'll ask him when we've taken the Polyjuice Potion," said Harry. "I hope for your sake it tastes better than this stuff…"
Ron groaned. "If it's got bits of Slytherins in it? You've got to be joking."
At that moment, the door of the hospital wing opened. The Slytherin Quidditch team was standing in the doorway, glaring at the two non-Slytherins.
Did they forget that we're Harry's friends? Apparently, yes.
"Who are they?" Flint asked, rather politely compared to his usual tone.
"Friends." That prompted some raised eyebrows, but the Slytherins said nothing.
"Great catch, Harry," Flint said. The rest of the Slytherins nodded in agreement.
"Did you see Wood's face when Harry still got the Snitch?"
"Can't believe it."
"At least the Weasels managed to keep from knocking Harry off his broom."
"Oi!" Ron yelled. "I'm a Weasley." The Slytherin who'd made the comment about the Weasley twins shrugged unapologetically though they didn't meet his eyes.
Madam Pomfrey walked back into the room, making shooing motions to the team. "This boy needs rest, he's got thirty-three bones to regrow!" The Slytherins all left except for Draco, who was hovering awkwardly by the doorway.
"Great game," Draco said, giving an uncertain smile.
Hypocrite! Ron shouted mentally, shooting him a furious glare. You nearly killed him with that Bludger!
Harry ignored him, staring determinedly down at his useless arm. Draco left, looking dejected.
"Well, we'll just be leaving then. Before Madam Pomfrey comes back," said Hermione, looking warily at the door through which the mediwitch had gone.
"Yes," called Harry to his friends as they left. "Leave me alone to regrow thirty-three bones!"
Thanks to…
Dazer95: *gives you a hug* Thanks for reviewing again! :3
I really wanted to get this chapter out because I'm procrastinating my homework, so I might as well be productive, right? XD
Read and review!
~ScaleneGalleons~