CHAPTER 10: A DATE WITH DESTINY
Syaoran was mumbling to himself and wearing a permanent scowl as he ambled down to the Quidditch grounds, the pitch. He dragged his broomstick along with him — Timesweeper 7, faster and smoother than a Cleansweep, but not quite as fast as a Nimbus. He had gotten it when he was twelve, imported from England. He had only a minor amount of practice on his broomstick, and he never played Quidditch before, so, despite his continuous fit of rage he hoped that it was an effective combination. He wanted to win this one for his own benefit. He'd prove himself to the Slytherins, get back at those pathetic Gryffindors, and spite that bimbo Cho and those stupid Weasleys.
But practice didn't go as well as he had hoped.
He'd only just taken flight and the Slytherin Beaters purposely started hitting the Quaffle at him and knocked him off his broom. And even the Bludger was after him. He fell off about nine times that afternoon. He also nearly cried nine times. He skidded into the stands and nearly ran into one of the towers, but narrowly missed it and got splinters up his right arm that scraped against its wooden side. The Slytherin captain, Graham Montague had a good time lecturing Syaoran. But this only made him more determined to get it right.
The sun started to set, as the rest of the team retreated to the Great Hall for dinner. Syaoran refused to follow and stayed to practice his flying, which didn't bother the others in the least.
The half-moon shone high in the sky, casting just the right amount of light over the pitch to enable Syaoran to see where he was flying. He saw a small silhouette waddling from the entrance gate and glided down to inspect it.
He recognized the silhouette as a house elf. It was carrying a tray of steaming soup and clasping a slim vial of Butterbeer. He practically inhaled it all, resulting in an awful burning sensation in the back of his throat. While he looked like he would be sick, the house elf scampered away in fear, leaving Syaoran kneeling on the soft green grass, choking.
He wiped his mouth roughly and got onto his broom and took flight once again. Maybe the cold night air would clear his system.
Sakura leaned her elbows on the windowsill and gazed down into the grounds. It was a quiet, clear night. It would have been perfect, had she not remembered the day's events.
Earlier that day, Draco had approached her to ask if she would be his partner in Divination class, since no one would join with him. Despite his general discourteous behaviour towards her friends in the past, she decided that the best approach was to be diplomatic. He also looked so desperate, that she felt sorry for him.
She also considered that there had to be some reason that he and Syaoran were friends. After all, Syaoran had said himself that Draco was his best friend. She hoped if they all somehow got on, perhaps, it would make everything easier.
She sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening and remembered what Draco had said, that Syaoran wasn't 'making the grade'. It was true that Syaoran wasn't having the best luck in that class, and whoever partnered with him found it hard to read their own futures. She knew that from one experience when the ball remained in a fog, and Trelawney had become distracted away from foretelling another of Harry's unfortunate deaths, and floated over to them looked absolutely horrified.
She couldn't forget the anger in his eyes as Syaoran had pushed her away. She knew how others had treated him unfairly, she had been quick to defend him. But why was it when just the other night, he had hugged her, that he now treated her with such contempt?
She played with the amethyst pendant on the necklace Syaoran had given her, and stared distantly over the shadowy grounds and the forest. She allowed her view to stretch out over the view of the entire area of vegetation and could just make out the tall erect towers surrounding the Quidditch pitch. In a brief moment she saw something hovering between the three goal posts on the closest side. She blinked her eyes hard, just to be sure she didn't imagine it.
But there it was again. Unmistakably it was someone on a broomstick soaring around the pitch. Curious, and looking for a distraction, she decided to investigate.
Syaoran swerved around sharply to avoid the Bludger that had been on his tail. It turned too sharply as it pursued him and went and disappeared over the stands. Dizzy, He lost balance of his broom, and dropped with a dull thud onto the cold, firm ground. He shut his eyes tightly, tears seeping out at the corners. It was hopeless. He would never get the vengeance he wanted and surely deserved.
Syaoran forced himself into a sitting position and combed the bits of dirt and grass out of his hair. His face was caked with dirt, and his fringe plastered over his forehead with sweat. He found it difficult to breathe, extremely frustrated.
'Sod all!' he hissed, which made him splutter, struggling for air. He grudgingly forced himself on his feet, his legs unbalanced and wobbling. He then let out a shudder as tears slid down his cheeks.
Sakura watched his back, hidden under the Shadow Cloak, still as a statue. She raised her head and saw his broomstick hovering about twelve feet in the air, as if hanging by an invisible thread. She took out her wand and pointed it up at the broom.
'Accio Broomstick,' she whispered.
The broom suddenly whooshed towards her and she caught it with a firm grip around the middle.
Syaoran gasped and looked up to see his broom gone. He swivelled his whole body around and looked for it. Oh wonderful.
'Oh, great!' he breathed sarcastically, rubbing his eyes furiously, making them burn. 'Now even my broomstick hates me!'
He turned again and watched, amazed as it cruised towards him, as if being carried along by a gentle breeze. It stopped in front of him, just high enough for him to remount.
'You didn't leave,' he said as if it were alive. He hesitated, but then swung his leg over the side and grasped its middle, just to be sure that it wouldn't fly away again. He took a deep breath, then lifted off again and instantly found pleasure in the wind blowing against his face and cooling him down in an instant.
Sakura stood up from the stands and watched him soar and appear as a shadow against the half-moon. She smiled sadly. He had been through a lot the past few days, and he probably just wanted some space. She accepted that even if they did care about each other, they weren't properly together. Officially girlfriend-boyfriend. Perhaps there was a reason for that, and it was selfish of her to assume otherwise.
She started to walk toward the entrance gate, but couldn't help but turn one more time to look at him.
Syaoran tossed his things onto his four-poster within the boy's dormitories. After he changed had into his sleeping clothes, he neatly placed his broom within its trunk and sat at the edge of his bed. It was late, but it did not matter. All he knew was that in two weeks' time, he'd have to play in the Quidditch match, and he was terrible.
His general reflexes were quick— on the ground that was. Once he was in the air, he lost all focus and couldn't fly his broom straight, barely catching sight of the Golden Snitch. He could avoid the Bludgers sometimes, but sometimes they were quicker than him. Indeed, Quidditch was nothing like football (soccer), track or martial arts, which were Muggle athletics he already excelled at.
He suddenly remembered all his mother had screamed in the Howler.
You have brought shame to the Li name!
You are a disgrace!
You will never come back to Hogwarts!
It was true; he'd never come back to Hogwarts. Once he had finished his studying until June, he would return to Hong Kong. Back to his former Chinese magical institute, and Wei's martial arts training. These were worse, as the teachers were far stricter and students had to be far more disciplined. He shivered as he remembered his old Transfiguration and Magical History professors. They even made Snape seem forgiving.
Soon, he would never see Sakura again.
Why speak with her, why even love her when he knew in a few short months it would all be over. He loathed not being with her, but being cold kept her distant, and in keeping her distant, maybe they would soon both forget. It was like when he started at Hogwarts just over a year ago. Before he met Draco and before he met Sakura. He supposed he was comfortable on his own. He used to prefer it. His time at Hogwarts was simply going to end how it began: frustrated and alone.
Syaoran felt a deep pit in his stomach. While he had taken Draco's place on the team, Draco had taken Syaoran's place at Sakura's side. Maybe everything had happened for a reason: to bring her closer to Draco Malfoy. Maybe he was her destiny.
It was late May, while the match was in early June. He had time, Syaoran kept telling himself. He would keep trying. He would become a competent Seeker. He would beat the great Harry Potter.
'Good night,' he muttered to himself and slumped back onto his bed. The current challenge was to sleep while Crabbe and Goyle snored loudly on either side of him.
Draco squinted as sunlight dawned upon him. He sat upright, rubbing his tired eyes. Looking around the dormitory it was obvious no one else was around. He leaped out of his bed and changed into his Slytherin robes. Ah! Breakfast time. Unfortunately, he would not be allowed to attend in the Great Hall. It wouldn't be long before a house elf would knock on the door with a tray of food.
He groaned as he stomped into the desolate common room and flung himself onto the sofa. His mind whirred with thoughts from previous days. He groaned as he remembered the announcement about the rematch. He was no longer allowed to play Quidditch as part of his punishment. He had been an idiot for using the Cruciatus Curse. Then again, a part of him wished it had hit Syaoran. Yet, something inside Draco pained him. Undoubtedly, Syaoran was the best friend he ever had. He was always there when he played pranks on people, even when he jinxed Neville Longbottom for the second time. Syaoran had always laughed at his jokes, even when they were terrible. They were alike in so many ways. They both came from proud and important families, and had parents who expected much of them. Oddly enough, they both even kind of laughed the same way...
But other than that, Syaoran was a great friend. He always supported and defended Draco, even when the subsequent punishment was not deserved.
Draco wanted Syaoran to be his friend again. However, being stubborn, he covered it up and denied it to himself.
He remembered the beginning of their ongoing feud. It was because of Sakura. It seemed like a big thing when Sakura had agreed to be his partner in Divination. But he didn't want to just be her partner in class. He wanted her to like him. So what was his choice? His best friend—or the girl who's glance alone sent shockwaves throughout every part of his being?
Well, the choice was clear. Sakura. After all, his so-called best friend wasn't the least bit loyal to him now. He was clearly undercutting him, flirting and associating with his Sakura in secret. Draco was positive that he didn't need that kind of rivalry in his life. And even if his brain told him he had no place going after a Gryffindor, his heart simply would not relent. He wanted to ask her out. Maybe she would grow to like him. Maybe they'd chance a date at Hogsmeade? But there was a problem. Hogsmeade was off limits. Draco was banned to go there all year. Li was too, for all he knew.
How would he sneak into Hogsmeade without being noticed? There was only one way. He had to be invisible.
Harry, with a quick stride, entered the Great Hall. He sat in a seat in between Hermione and Ron. On either side of them sat Sakura and Ginny.
'Hey,' whispered Harry with a small grin.
'Hey, Harry,' Ron whispered back.
Hermione smiled. Ginny blushed and grinned. 'Good morning, Harry,' she said in a gentle singsong voice, which made Harry blush.
Sakura smiled as well; though it was obvious something troubled her.
'Good morning, students,' began Dumbledore briefly.
'Good morning,' the hall echoed back.
'Today is a brand new day. This weekend, there will be a trip to Hogsmeade, available to third years and above. I hope you will all act mannerly, and not get into mischief. I would like to highlight to you all that many of your exams will take place in three weeks' time. I highly advice you begin studying.'
Hermione beamed, obviously well ahead of everyone.
'I would also like to inform you about the Quidditch Tournament between the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams taking place in two weeks.'
Everyone, other than the Slytherins, gasped.
'What?' squawked Ron in a hushed tone. 'But you can't—you already played Slytherin! Harry?'
Harry was shocked, his mouth hung open in mutual astonishment. He never knew there was to be a rematch. Judging from the stunned face of Angelina Johnson—the newly appointed captain after Oliver Wood— she didn't know either.
'I understand most of you are surprised that there is another game. However, the Slytherin Seeker, Draco Malfoy, has been suspended from play. He has been replaced by fellow Slytherin, Syaoran Li.'
Many people turned to stare at Syaoran.
Dumbledore continued, 'I recall the last match to also be a tie game, Thus, Professor Snape believes it is only fair that there is a rematch. These are the only announcements for today. Enjoy your breakfast!'
Gryffindors exchanged looks of disbelief.
'We're having a rematch?' gasped Ginny, looking at Harry in concern. 'Syaoran Li?'
Sakura looked down at her plate feeling gobsmacked. She mentally scolded herself for not realising that Syaoran was not simply down at the pitch to blow off steam. He had been there to train as a Seeker. She could not understand why he would play against her house.
She glanced up at Syaoran. He didn't look up, but continued to eat with a gruff look on his face. It was as if all the stares no longer bothered him at all.
'I told you,' started Ron, slamming his fist on the table, 'Slytherins can't be trusted. He's turned against everyone, including his own!'
'Well, I wouldn't worry much, Harry,' said Ginny with a reassuring voice. 'He hasn't had nearly as much experience as you have. The most he could do is fly. He's never even played Quidditch at Hogwarts.'
A disapproving look sat on neighbouring student, Seamus Finnigan. 'Slytherins are evil, the whole lot of 'em! Everyone knows nothing but dark wizards come from their house.' He turned to look at Harry. 'He's in it for revenge, I reckon. He might curse you too, Harry. I hope you fly fast enough on your broomstick.'
Harry bit his lip. He knew Sakura was one of Syaoran's closest friends, but he did not want to let the Slytherins win, even if he had to knock him off his broom. 'I could use a counter-curse,' said Harry quickly, as he dipped his spoon into his cereal.
'But some Unforgivable Curses can't be blocked,' warned Hermione.
'Oh, Harry,' started Ginny, 'Please, please don't get hurt!'
'He won't get hurt!' snapped Ron. 'He's Harry Potter, the best Gryffindor Seeker Hogwarts has had since our brother, Charlie.'
Dean Thomas, who sat beside Seamus listening on, nodded fervently. 'Harry can survive anything, can't he? Remember those Dementors in the pitch last year? Harry took quite a fall too, didn' he?'
Seamus nodded. 'I suppose you're right—it's not like we're talking about Dementors, or You-Know-Who even.'
Sakura tuned out of their conversation. She didn't want to have anything to do with it nor believe Syaoran was playing Seeker. She glanced up at Syaoran again. This time he was talking to Crabbe and Goyle. But in his eyes, she saw something different. She saw anger mangled with deep sadness. She sighed again and continued to eat her muffin.
There was a great pounding at the door. Draco grunted a curt 'come in,' and the door opened slowly. There stood a short, skeletal figure. It bore large pointed ears, large and bulging green eyes and a long pointed nose, a nervous look upon its face. 'Dobby has brought your breakfast, sir,' the elf choked tensely.
'Excellent.' Draco grinned malevolently as he walked up to the elf and took up his tray. Draco then placed it on a nearby end table and turned back to the horrified elf. 'Elf, I mean...um ...Dobby, can you do me a little favour?' he began, an evil twinkle in his pale eyes.
'Y-Yes, sir?' stuttered Dobby, looking up at the boy.
'Can you get me something of Potter's? You see, I cannot enter the Gryffindor common room...however, you can.'
Dobby shook his head. 'Never will Dobby take of Harry Potter!'
Draco shot him a dirty look. 'What do you mean, never? You will do as I say, y-you-you imp!'
Dobby backed away, 'No! Dobby is free elf! Master freed Dobby!'
Draco suddenly grabbed Dobby and held him firmly around the neck. 'You do want to live, right?' he barked, spitting as he spoke. He gestured towards the folds of his robes, suggesting his wand was there awaiting usage if necessary.
Dobby nodded weakly.
Draco's grip loosened. 'Well then, you will bring Potter's Invisibility Cloak. You will get it right NOW.'
Regressing to his original subordinate nature, Dobby nodded and scampered away, whimpering as he ran.
Dobby looked through Harry's trunk, anxiously searching for the cloak. He whimpered, feeling weak and extremely guilty. But Draco's words rang over and over in his mind, and he sweated and whimpered, feeling even more regret as he worked through Harry's belongings.
'Harry Potter must forgive Dobby!' he kept whispering to himself, as if practicing how to explain this him. 'Dobby does not want to cause trouble! Dobby only wants to live!'
Finally he came across the liquid-like, silvery material. Hearing footsteps from the hall, Dobby grabbed it and raced out of the room, fretting what would happen when Harry found his bed and property in ruins.
'Excellent!' exclaimed Draco, snatching the cloak from Dobby. 'Now, get out, you little twit! I have no use for you now.'
Dobby scrambled out of the room and down the hall. He shook violently with remorse as he slumped edgily down the stairs and into the kitchen, purposely running into walls as punishment.
'Great,' he snivelled miserably, '...and poor Harry Potter,' he added with a saddened sniffle.
'RANSACKED!' Harry hollered as he came running out of the dormitory and into the common room.
'Everything is thrown all over the place! My broom tossed to a corner – my books strewn all over the floors—papers everywhere!'
'What? But Harry, how?' Hermione gasped.
'I don't know, but it's a disaster!' replied Harry.
'Why would someone be searching you?' Parvati Patil looked up from her conversation with Lavender Brown who looked up, just as interested.
'On, no! No one could be searching you—not you, Harry!' cried the wimpy Colin Creevey.
'You don't suppose it was Ginny again, do you?' murmured Ron with a chuckle. Ever since the Yule Ball, Ginny would often sneak into the boys' dormitories and seek out Harry's belongings such as little trinkets, photos, even clothes. Harry had found his favourite pair of dark green socks missing last month.
Harry sighed and ignored him. 'If someone was looking for something, they found it.'
Harry looked around to make sure no one was looking and then lowered his voice, 'My father's Invisibility Cloak is missing.'
Hermione and Ron exchanged horrified looks. Ron gaped at Harry in a fretting manner. 'This is bad.'
Sakura was just as shocked as anyone by the news. Harry's Invisibility Cloak had been stolen. It was strange, because Harry had gone to his dormitory before dinner in the Great Hall and he had only been gone for just over half an hour. When he returned, he found it in shambles.
How could anyone have gotten the password? It was absurd to assume that it was a fellow Gryffindor, as Hermione had said during another one of her lectures to Ron who was beside himself that evening.
Harry had informed McGonagall and she had gone to Dumbledore, but there wasn't much one could do, if you were to lose a valuable in this school, it was assumed that you would never see it again.
Sakura felt very sorry for Harry, and offered her Shadow Cloak in substitute. He had thanked her, but he wanted his father's cloak back.
She had passed Dobby that morning, assuming that he brought Draco his breakfast because he never dined in the Great Hall. She said a friendly hello to him, but the little house elf with an elongated nose gave a frail squeal and scampered away. Strange. He was usually always full of greetings for anyone who was acquainted with his hero, Harry.
Sakura sighed and shook her head as she found the stairs that would lead up to Divination. In her first year she had looked forward to it, but after she actually took it in third year, experiencing Trelawney's relentless foretelling of Harry's unfortunate deaths, she thought it quite pointless. She had never seen Trelawney's predictions come true, but her own occasional prophetic dreams did.
She had dreamt at one stage that Snape would be made a fool of. Harry and Ron had laughed at the dream and had sighed, 'If only.' But after the case of the Hippogriff and Sirius Black, they gawped at her for days and refused to talk to her. They must have found it strange, almost frightening.
Sakura also thought of that very different dream she had the night before she had travelled to Hogwarts on the train. It had been so real; she could have almost counted it as another day in her life.
She stood in the Great Hall in the very back where the Head Table would have lined up the teacher's chairs. However, the hall was empty, no chairs and tables. She gazed up at the ceiling and found it grey, sheet white lightning flashed, but there came no peals of thunder. She looked toward the Great Doors, and there stood a shadow. More lightning from the ceiling flashed, and the shadow became a silhouette. She recognized it as a boy. He didn't move, he just stood there as if staring at her through the dark. Then, the most unearthly voice echoed in the hall, it said something like 'Change a heart'. The words continued to echo until she awoke.
She realised that the boy was Syaoran.
Sakura found herself in the waiting room: the silver stairs hadn't yet been lowered. No one else had come. She crooked her neck, her bag swinging with the weight of many books. She then caught a pair of grey eyes staring at her. Startled, she jumped back, holding a hand to her chest and felt her heart racing.
'It's you!' she gasped, staring at Draco. 'How're you?' she asked, trying to offset the awkwardness.
Draco held his Divination textbook, parchment and a peacock feather quill. He looked nervous, his face pink.
'Are you well?' she said, trying to prompt conversation, tilting her head slightly, as it was a habit of hers. It only seemed to make him go a darker pink.
She's cute, really cute, Draco thought as he lowered his head and tried to avoid her gaze, but there was something about those eyes. He was drawn to them, like a mosquito drawn to a nightlight. Or was that the wrong analogy? He took a hasty breath and raised his head again, trying to look proud and tall.
'I-I'm fine!' he squeaked and was immediately terrified of his own high-pitched voice. 'Actually, I was wondering if you'd consider...going with me...to Hogsmeade this weekend.'
It took several moments for Sakura to register his question. Then she shook her head. 'I'm sorry,' she started to say, 'B-But—'
She saw a shadow stretch out across the floor under the glary light, cast by candles on the stone walls. She looked up to see Syaoran standing there, his usual glaring eyes cast on them. She didn't know what possessed her, but she responded hastily, 'Sure, let's go,'
This made Draco stumble and gawk at her before he could grasp what she had said.
Sakura looked back immediately at Syaoran for a response, immediately feeling guilty. His eyes looked more sad than angry.
'Fantastic,' stuttered Draco, his hands shaking as they desperately clasped his book and quill. He looked overjoyed, but quickly masked it and turned to smirk smugly in Syaoran's direction. 'Then, I'll meet you at The Three Broomsticks.'
When class started, Syaoran sat on his own in the back of the room, gazing absently at his crystal ball, which was just as empty as his eyes. Just as he had feared: Sakura and Draco were dating.
She wanted him now.
During the lesson, Trelawney actually stopped pestering Harry like an annoying insect and circled Syaoran, taunting him with things like 'you shall never love again' and 'my prophecy of Gryffindor and Slytherin will still come to pass, you were an oversight'. He refused to show that he was affected by her insults, but inside, his heart was breaking.