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Chapter Eleven: Broken and Burned

"I can't believe we have to spend the weekend cleaning these bloody cauldrons," Seth muttered as he tossed the rag aside and glanced disdainfully at James. "You're the one who got me into trouble, as well." He picked up the rag again and proceeded to continue cleaning the inside of the cauldron. "Bloody hell, what have they been brewing in here?"

"Hey, mate, you were eager to disrupt Transfiguration as much as I was." James leaned over and grabbed the foul-smelling cleaner. It was a wretch, cleaning these cauldrons by hand with no magic. How did his father do it all those years while living with his aunt and uncle? "Besides, how was I to know McGonagall wouldn't like us messing with O'Flattery? The git deserved it after that smart remark he made." James had given him a donkey's tail, while Seth had followed through with the ears. Needless to say, Professor McGonagall had caught them straight away.

"So, now we can't even go to Hogsmeade this weekend," Seth muttered. "I hope Liam and Jordan bring us back something from Honeyduke's."

James set the cauldron aside, which he had just finished cleaning and reached for another one. "Jordan might, but Liam is on his little date with Jaenelle. The only thing he'll be thinking about is snogging her."

"Speaking of snogging," Seth grinned cheekily at the bespectacled wizard across from him. "When are Juniper and you going to start?"

James gave his friend a look, struggling to contain the warmth in his cheeks that he knew was a blush. "I'm sorry to say that I'm not a slag who just snogs people at random. I'd kind of like to have a girlfriend, first." The problem was that he didn't know how Juniper would react if he just asked her out of the blue.

"So, what's the problem? There's Juniper and I know you like her. Why not go for it? She definitely has that cuteness factor going for her and if I was a scumbag, I'd probably steal her right from under your nose, but I'm not."

James snorted. "Thanks," he muttered. "I definitely find Juniper attractive, but it's also much deeper than that. She could have a third eye in the middle of her forehead or she could be fifty pounds overweight and I'd still be attracted to her."

"So, basically, you're into inner beauty and all that."

"Yeah, something like that. It's why I get tired of Liam and Jordan teasing me, saying I should date Jaenelle. I mean, so what if they look exactly alike?"

Seth sprayed some cleaner onto the damp rag he was holding and began cleaning the outside of one of the cauldrons. "But there is a physical attraction as well, isn't there?"

"Sure, there is. Or else I wouldn't have said that I find her attractive." James knew he could talk to Seth about this sort of thing as the blue-eyed wizard was very understanding. Liam and Jordan would have just made vulgar jokes the entire time and laughed, but not Seth. The two of them spent the next three hours cleaning the cauldrons by hand and by the time they finished, they had blisters on their fingers and had to head to the Infirmary to get some Blister Removing paste from Madame Pomfrey.

That Thursday was the very first Quidditch Match for Hufflepuff. They would be playing against Slytherin in the second match of the year. The Gryffindors had won their match against Ravenclaw last month. Juniper had been there in the stands, cheering as loudly as everyone else when Gryffindor scored a goal and practically leaped out of her seat with excitement when their Seeker caught the Snitch, securing the win. She was also surprised that Avery had joined the team. Apparently, one of the Chasers, a sixth year, had chosen to step down from his position in order to focus more on his N.E.W.T. classes. At least, this was what she heard from Kaylynn, who heard it from another Ravenclaw.

Now, Juniper sat in the Hufflepuff changing room with the rest of her teammates with her Cleansweep draped across her lap. She'd spent a few hours cleaning it last night until it shone like brand new. Kaylynn had finished braiding her hair into a tight french plait that hurt her scalp a little bit, but at least it wouldn't get in the way while she was flying.

"All right, team, this is our first match of the year. I want all of us to go out there and do our best!" Sean was giving his usual pep talk. "Remember, we work as a team!"

"We live as a team, we die as a team!" Grant joked with a light chortle.

Everyone laughed, even Sean. "All right, all right. Now let's get out there and win this, and most importantly, have fun!" He was answered with a resounding cheer from the other six players before they all filed out of the changing room and traveled down the long narrow tunnel that lead to the Quidditch Pitch. Upon the given whistle, both teams mounted their broomsticks and lifted off into the air. On one side was the Hufflepuff team and the other, the Slytherin team.

"Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the second Quidditch Match of the year! I'm your commentator, Clive Bradley! Today, it's Slytherin versus Hufflepuff! Both teams have a great set up this year in players! All of them are amazing flyers! The captains are shaking hands! Believe it or not, folks, this is Sean Amos' last year as Captain and his last chance to secure that Quidditch Trophy! Of course, he still has a long way to go before he can be sure that his team will even be able to play in the very final match."

The Quaffle was released and Sean took hold of it. He weaved in and out of the Slytherin Chasers. Clive continued his commentating. "Amos passes to Clayton! It's hard to believe that girl is fourteen, she's so tiny. But damn, she's a good flyer. Sorry, professor," he added as Professor McGonagall gave him a stern look for swearing. "Anyways, Clayton has the ball. She passes to King, who passes to Amos, who passes back to Clayton! Can she make the shot?"

Juniper aimed for the left goalpost on the right side of the field. "Oh, no! Slytherin Keeper, Malfoy stopped it! Clayton's going to have to be quicker than that!"

Slytherin ended up scoring three goals in a row. They were so fast this year that Juniper had trouble keeping up with them. However, this didn't mean that the Hufflepuff team would give up, and soon they were scoring as well. The score was fifty to forty to Slytherin. Both Seekers had flown higher to see if they could better spot the Snitch. There had been no injuries yet, as both teams were very skilled at dodging Bludgers.

"It could be anyone's game now!" Clive yelled into the microphone. "Nott has the Quaffle! She passes to Montague, but it's intercepted by Clayton!"

Juniper was close enough to the goal posts that she had the chance to take the shop. She feinted towards the left goalpost in order to distract Scorpius. But as she began to take the shot towards the middle post, she felt a very intense pain and heard a loud crack. The fourteen year old cried out as she struggled to keep herself in the air, but her leg was broken. She knew what one felt like as she'd experienced a broken shoulder last year, due to another Bludger incident, but this was something different. The Bludger had been hot, like someone had heated it over a fireplace. So, when it hit her, the sheer heat created a hole in her pants and left a very nasty burn to go with her now broken leg.

She wanted to pass out, but determined, she still held onto the Quaffle. The Bludger came after her again, but Kaylynn intercepted and hit it away from the injured Hufflepuff.

"It seems that Clayton has been injured, but she's still holding onto the Quaffle! What a trooper that girl is! She takes the shot...and scores!"

Juniper clung to her broomstick after making the shot, struggling to stay conscious and in the air. There was a ringing in her ears and her entire body felt heavy. This pain was so unbearable, it made being kicked by Avery and her friends seem like nothing.

"Clayton!" Sean realized the severity of her condition. "Stop the match!"

Madame Hooch blew her whistle. Together, the other two Hufflepuff Chasers helped Juniper descend to the ground. They aided her as she was lowered onto the grass. Madame Hooch cast 'Finite' on the Bludger before coming down towards the injured girl. The rest of the Hufflepuff team came down, as well, while the Slytherin team waited in the air. A few of them seemed impatient and ready to continue with the game, but the rest had expressions of genuine worry.

"Broken and a nasty third degree burn," Madame Hooch diagnosed. She blew her whistle again! "This match has been postponed until further notice! She then pointed her wand at Juniper's leg. "Ferula." A makeshift splint and bandage was created and wrapped around Juniper's injury.

A few people came down from the stands, including James, Albus, Lily, Rose, Hugo, and even Avery, but latter's motives were not of concern for a friend. As a stretcher was conjured and Juniper was gently lifted onto it, she began to sneer.

"It's too bad that Bludger didn't obliterate her face. I think this world would have been much happier without her."

The male team members looked at Avery with the utmost disgust as they refused to hit a girl, no matter how cruel or vile she was, but Kaylynn, red with anger pointed her wand at the dark haired Ravenclaw. "Impedimenta!"

Avery was hit in the chest by the spell and was knocked back, bound by invisible robes, unable to move. Kaylynn pounced while the girl was down, spouting off profanities, but Grant and Matthew, who were the closest pulled Kaylynn off and held her back as she fought against them, eager to claw Avery's eyes out. Professor McGonagall approached swiftly, her emerald robes fanning out behind her. She had seen Kaylynn hex Avery and then attempt to attack her.

"Miss Lamdar! We do not hex students no matter how angry we are! Ten points from Hufflepuff and you will serve detention with me tomorrow evening after dinner!"

"But, Professor, she-" Kaylynn began to protest, but Professor McGonagall put her left hand up to stop the blonde fourteen year old. After all, she had not heard what Avery said, and hexing someone was more punishable than a handful of insults. The Headmistress lifted the spell on Avery. With a smug grin, the dark haired girl stood up and brushed herself off. While Professor McGonagall was speaking silently with Juniper, her back turned, Kaylynn gave Avery a look of the utmost loathing, before accompanying the others to the Infirmary, with Juniper's levitating stretcher leading the way.

Juniper drifted in and out of consciousness on the way to the Infirmary. Upon reaching her destination, Madame Pomfrey was very stern in shooing everyone else out. They all seemed reluctant to leave, especially James and Kaylynn, both of whom argued with the nurse.

"You may see her once she's stable!" Madame Pomfrey said impatiently. "But, for now, I have a lot of work to do and don't need anyone standing over my shoulder!"

Juniper was given a potion that would greatly numb the pain and fell unconscious afterwards from sheer physical exhaustion. Before she closed her eyes, she found herself thinking of, not her condition, but why the Bludger had been so hot. It was as if someone had tampered with it, but what about the other one? Madame Hooch had only used Finite on the Bludger that hit her. Did this mean the other one was just fine? If so, why was it only the one Bludger? It would give Juniper a lot to think about over the next few days.

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone who has followed and favorited this fic so far. It really means a lot to me that there are people who actually enjoy my work. I know that I have a lot of room for improvement and would definitely love some constructive criticism, whether it's SPaG, sentence structure, character development, plot, anything that you think could help me. I know I need to work on some things when it comes to writing, and I want everyone to be honest with me, in a constructive non-flaming manner, of course.