Snakes and Bludgers
Students stayed where they were, just waiting for Lockhart's next instruction. He just stared out at them for a few more moments before spotting Harry. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and waved the boy onto the stage. Harry, with some prodding and shoving from the Weasleys stumbled up the stage. Snape gave Harry a dark look before turning around and summoning one of his own students up. Harry paled slightly when he realized he would be facing Draco. Draco gave Harry his trademark sneer as they walked towards each other.
"Now boys, do have fun," Lockhart said by way of giving them instruction. Harry could feel the sweat accumulating on the back of his neck as he gripped his wand. He knew everyone was watching, ready to judge him; The Boy Who Lived. Before Harry could even open his mouth to speak, Draco flourished his wand in Harry's direction.
"Serpensortia," he chanted and a large snake came slithering out of the tip of his wand. Several loud gaps and shrieks went up from the crowd as the creature wormed and wiggled its way towards Harry. The Gryffindor stumbled backwards a few paces as the snake advanced on him. In the background, Snape let out a grumble and pushed Draco out of the way. The snake had turned away from Harry and inching its way towards Seamus and Dean.
"Don't move Potter," he snapped, brandishing his own wand. Just as Snape was about to cast the spell to get rid of the snake, Harry opened his mouth.
"Leave them alone," Harry called. He was unaware that his command came out sounding like a hiss. The snake looked at him curiously but continued its advance.
"I said leave them be," he said again, his tone angrier but still coming out as a series of airy hissing noises. Snape had stopped in his tracks momentarily, just watching the exchange. Had he really just witnessed what he thought he had? Was this boy a Parseltongue? He quickly regained his composure and with a wave of his wand, the snake disappeared. Lockhart, who had been standing some distance away, gave a weak laugh.
"Ok….that's enough for today," he squeaked. Some students groaned but most rushed from the Hall. Harry looked around stepped off the stage.
"What's going on? Why is everyone freaking out?" Harry asked. Irlynn dragged him away from the crowd, Ron and Hermione trailing behind them until they were out of the Hall and in a secluded alcove in the corridor.
"Uh…you sort of….hissed at the snake," Irlynn informed him.
"I what?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Right before Snape made it go away, you hissed at it and it looked like it knew what you were saying," Hermione added.
"No…I told it to leave Seamus and Dean alone," Harry replied.
"It sounded like a snake," Ron muttered.
"I…I didn't mean to…I just didn't want it to hurt them," Harry expounded as they began to walk towards the library.
"Well…do you…you know…talk to snakes often?" Ron asked once they'd found a quiet spot near the back of the library.
"No Ron. I don't make a habit of it," Harry snapped. Ron just shrugged.
"Well has it every happened before?" Irlynn pressed. Harry thought for a minute.
"One time…it was at the zoo for Dudley's birthday last year. One minute the glass was in the cage and then it wasn't. The snake slithered out and said thanks," Harry explained.
"Then Dudley got stuck inside the cage," he added with a snicker.
"Oh that's funny," Irlynn giggled.
"Yeah…Uncle Vernon didn't think so," Harry muttered. He wanted to add something to the effect of 'I'm surprised you didn't see that one' but he didn't want to get Hermione and Ron suspicious. He got the feeling she didn't want people to know about her visions.
"Well…it looked like everyone else freaked out," Irlynn commented. Harry nodded. He had noticed the mass exodus from the room. Hermione seemed to have drifted off into her own little world until Ron nudged her in the ribs.
"Oi, Hermione. You alright?" he asked. She jumped a little and looked at him.
"I was thinking," she snapped.
"I think I read in Hogwarts: A History that Salazar Slytherin could talk to snakes too. It's called Parseltongue," Hermione explained.
"You're saying….Slytherin talked to snakes too? Great, everyone already thinks I'm loony," Harry groaned, laying his head down on his arms.
"Just don't go doing it often…maybe people won't notice?" Ron suggested.
"The whole bloody school was there, Ron! Besides, nothing stays a secret here for long," Harry bemoaned. After a few more minutes of trying to reassure Harry that everything would be fine, they parted ways and returned to the Gryffindor Common Room. Seamus and Dean gave Harry a lot of space as he walked in.
"What's wrong with you two?" he asked.
"What's wrong with us? What's the bloody matter with you? Egging that thing on," Seamus answered.
"I was not. I was telling it to leave you two alone," Harry snapped, storming up to the boys' dormitory. Ron just fixed them with a glare before following Harry up the stairs.
The rest of the week passed by and Harry endured the glares and scared looks from his fellow students. Thankfully, Irlynn, Ron and Hermione were there for him. Most of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were supportive as well, especially Fred and George. Sunday had finally arrived and Harry was finishing changing in the boy's locker room. He didn't hear Oliver walk up behind him until the older boy spoke.
"You ready for today, Harry?" he asked, clapping the younger wizard on the shoulder.
"I suppose. I expect I'll be dodging Bludgers all game," Harry sighed as they went to meet the rest of the team.
"Keep your head up," Wood said just as they mounted their brooms and flew out onto the pitch, facing Slytherin. Harry was surprised to see Draco Malfoy opposite him. He could see the other boy making hissing faces at him. He just shook his head and rose above the rest of the players in anticipation of the release of the snitch. Madam Hooch gave her usual speech about playing fairly. The Slytherin players just sneered behind her back. She let the Quaffle fly into the air and blew her whistle.
Harry watched thee match unfold, cheering as Oliver blocked a couple of shots. His eyes searched the sky for the small golden ball but he didn't get much of a chance to look as a bludger came hurtling towards his head. He managed to swerve out of the way just in time. He looked around but didn't see any of the beaters from either team near him. He tried to shrug it off but the bludger came screaming back from the other direction. Harry had to go into a nose dive to avoid being hit.
It didn't do any good because the ball just kept chasing him all over the pitch until it finally collided with his arm, knocking him off his broom. He went tumbling head over feet a time or two before coming to rest. He could feel the sharp pain in his arm as he lay there, trying to keep his eyes closed to shut out the pain. It didn't help much, especially when Madam Hooch's whistle screeched near his ear. He slowly opened his eyes to see several Professors leaning over his body. It was then that he caught sight of his arm. It was badly bent at an odd angle and he could see bone almost poking through skin. It looked grotesque.
"Oh dear, don't move," Madam Hooch ordered. He weakly nodded his head.
"I can fix this," Lockhart offered with that annoying smile of his. Harry swallowed nervously as Lockhart went in search of his wand. Harry looked over at Madam Hooch and mouthed the words 'No!' She patted his shoulder sympathetically. By this point Professor McGonagall had joined the mass of people around him. She looked at his arm and fixed him with a sympathetic look as well.
"Just stay still," she instructed him.
"Not a problem," Harry said, wincing a little as the pain in his arm intensified.
"There we are," Gilderoy muttered, having finally found his wand. He shook his hands a few times before turning the slender piece of wood to Harry's arm.
"Uh Professor, maybe I should just got to the Hospital Wing?" Harry protested.
"Nonsense," Lockhart replied and waved his wand.
Instead of repairing the bones in Harry's arm, everything within seemed to just disappear. It felt very unpleasant and strange, as if his whole arm had fallen asleep instantly. His arm looked like rubber. He slowly reached over and picked his arm up by the wrist. It was like a noodle and wobbled around very disconcertingly.
"Oh…well…that wasn't supposed to happen," Lockhart said, looking very confused and slightly embarrassed. Harry began to feel panic rising up inside of him. What had Lockhart done?