Harry Potter and the Spirits Within

Chapter 11: Quick Quotes and Quidditch

Summary: The night Lily and James Potter died is well known. What no one suspected, or even imagined, was that their spirits remained with their son.

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to own (or live in, magic rocks) the 'Potterverse' … I do not.

The front page of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, were emblazoned with headlines that made many the witch and wizard at home shower their papers with their mouthfuls of morning tea.

Rubeus Hagrid: Hero of Hogwarts

Courageous Keeper of Keys Trounces Troll to Save Students

By Rita Skeeter

Terror unfolded last night at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry when Professor Quirinus Quirrell dashed into the Great Hall during the Hallow'een Feast proclaiming there was a troll in the dungeons of the school before fainting dead away. Acting immediately, Headmaster Dumbledore ordered the prefects to lead their houses to their respective common rooms. However, no sooner had the students stood to leave than a voice rang out proclaiming the order to be 'a terrible idea'. Who, do you ask, had the audacity to question the venerable Headmaster? It was none other than our own boy hero and defeater of You-Know-Who, Harry Potter. When asked by the Headmaster why Mr. Potter thought the safety of the students was a bad idea, Mr. Potter replied, 'Because, sir, Professor Quirrell just said the troll was in the dungeons, and two of the Houses are in that direction.' To which the Headmaster agreed. He then told the students and staff to stay in the Hall while he and Professors Fillius Flitwick, Minerva McGonagall, and Severus Snape all left the hall and journeyed to the dungeons to find the troll.

Unfortunately, dear readers, the troll was not in the dungeons. It appears that it was on the upper floors, wreaking havoc amongst the paintings and suits of armour, no paintings or suits were permanently damaged. Our sources tell us that a group of students near the door to the great hall suddenly bolted to the high table shouting that the troll was right outside the door. No sooner had the remaining professors secured the students behind themselves than the doors were bashed open, one of them sailing right over the heads of the students to be stuck to the wall by Professor Sinestra, The teacher of Astronomy. While Game Keeper Rubeus Hagrid leapt onto the troll and began wrestling for control of the trolls' club. After suffering numerous injuries, Hagrid, as he prefers to be called, overpowered the troll and succeeded in killing it.

In a surprising twist, Potions Professor Severus Snape returned without the other professors and sporting a badly broken leg, he succumbed to unconsciousness when Madam Pomphry, the school healer, set his broken leg. We learned it was a full five minutes after the arrival of the injured potions master that the remaining professors arrived in fact, completely oblivious to the danger in the great hall. Madam Pomphry was quick to deliver a dressing down to our dear Headmaster and the other professors. Our sources were able to relay her words for us, 'Just where ... were you three? I've got the entire student population in shock, a Potions Professor with a shattered leg, and a Game Keeper with thirteen broke ribs and a compound fracture to his femur. We could hear that thing tromping down the stairs from the first floor! There's no telling where it came from and what it destroyed on the way here!' The only response Headmaster Dumbledore gave was, 'I'm sorry.'

How did the troll get in? Why was it not where Professor Quirrell claimed it to be? How did Professor Snape receive his injuries? Why did it take so long to search the dungeons?

While both Hagrid and Professor Snape were unable to comment, we were able to get a word from Harry Potter about the incident, 'We (the students) haven't a clue how the thing got in here. Lucky we had Hagrid with us, he's a true hero. He actually protected and saved us; he didn't just survive when no one else did.' With this amazing revelation about how the Boy-Who-Lived feels about his own fame, one can only wonder what really classifies as 'a true hero'.

The article in the Prophet was all anyone could talk about for weeks following the events of Hallow'een. The questions presented by Rita Skeeter were especially on the minds of Harry, his group of friends, and his parents. While Professor Snape had been released, though he had to walk with a cane for a while, Hagrid was still in the hospital wing. His injuries needed to heal on their own, the muggle way. According to Lily and James, Hagrid was half-giant, which meant that most potions and spells designed for full humans wouldn't work on him, something he shared with Remus Lupin. James recounted the tale of when the marauders had discovered Hagrids heritage.

"It was in our fourth year." He began, reclining in the library within Harry's mindscape, "Remember how we told you that the Whomping Willow was planted in our first year for Moony to use? Well, people used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. A boy named Davey Gudgeon was the closest to ever get, without freezing the tree of course, but he almost lost an eye. The tree nailed him right in the face, dropped him like a stone. Problem was; he was about seven feet into the danger zone of the tree, so no one could go get him. Hagrid was watching from his hut and came running over when he saw Davey drop. He waded into the swinging branches like they weren't there, picked up Davey, and walked out. The whole time the tree is beating its branches on him. He ended up with a broken arm and something like five bruised ribs, which had to heal naturally. When we, specifically Remus, asked him why he couldn't be healed, he told him. I don't recon he would have told if it was anyone other than Remus. The fact that it was the night after the full moon probably helped, reminded him that he wasn't the only person who would be feared for what they were, should it get out."

Harry could understand that and decided to visit Hagrid the next chance he got.

~*o o*~

Following in the wake of the rumours the article started came a buzz of excitement felt by students and staff alike, the Quidditch Season was here. Harry, who hadn't yet seen a Quidditch game, was eagerly anticipating the first match. James had been a chaser on the house team in his day and had thoroughly explained the rules to Harry; he had even gone so far as to recreate all the Quidditch books he knew in Harry's mental library. The flying lesson Harry had had earlier in the year had been exhilarating. Paired with the Ravenclaws, he had been next to Hermione when they had kicked off and risen into the air for the first time. The complete sense of freedom and completeness was wonderful and his dad's voice crowing in his head only added to the elation. Harry couldn't wait until he could try out for the team the following year. The first match of the season was Gryffindor against Slytherin, and there was a bit of good-natured ribbing going on between Draco and Blaise and Neville and the other Gryffs in their group. As a show of fairness, Harry and the other Hufflepuffs decided to root for Slytherin and sit with Draco and Blaise, while Hermione, Susan, and Padma sat with Padma's twin, Parvarti, in Gryffindor.

The chilly November winds sliced through the grounds and the Hogwarts Coalition, as they had taken to calling themselves, were singing Hermione's praises. She had taught everyone a charm to put bluebell flames in a jar and carry them around. The group had each earned a handful of points from Professor Flitwick when they all did the spell at the end of Charms, to take down to the pitch with them. Harry had borrowed one of Draco's Slytherin scarves and it complemented his yellow Hufflepuff tie nicely. As they reached the Slytherin stands they passed an agitated Professor Snape limping laboriously past to the teachers stand. As soon as he spotted Harry his glower deepened, "Potter, what are you doing in the Slytherin stands?" his gaze swept over to Ernie and Justin, "You as well, Hufflepuffs." He said with distain.

Ernie looked indignant, "There is no rule saying that students can't sit wherever they please. We're here to show support for the Slytherins while our Ravenclaw friends are sitting with the Gryffindors."

Snape's visage darkened and his eyes dropped to their hands, each clutching a jar of their bluebell flames, "Magic is not allowed outside the class rooms. That will be five points each..."

Draco interrupted him, "We didn't do the spell outside of our class. Professor Flitwick watched us make them after Charms, and he told us that we could take them to the pitch."

Snape looked over to Draco, noticing for the first time that he and Blaise were there, and holding flame jars of their own. Practically snarling now, Snape turned back to face Harry, "What's the matter Potter, to pathetic to speak for yourself, the colour of your house bleeding into your hide? What would your arrogant father think of his spineless offspring?"

The only outward sign Harry gave of his reaction to this attack was a small frown, though his friends were scowling darkly and his parents were muttering angrily in his head, "Professor, I hadn't felt the need to speak, as my friends were answering your accusations perfectly well on their own. However, to address your points, we, the Hufflepuffs, were invited to the Slytherin stands to watch the match by Draco and Blaise. Draco even loaned me one of his scarves so I could show proper support for his house, your house." He held up an end of the scarf in example. "We were told by a professor that we were not in violation of the school rules by performing a spell in a classroom and then taking the results of the spell out of that room. Finally, how my father may or may not have felt about my silence and the colour of my tie," he dropped the scarf and raised his hand to touch his tie, "is, unfortunately, something I will never know. In case you hadn't remembered, he and my mother died ten years ago, the anniversary of their death was just a few days ago, on Hallow'een." Harry's expression hardened, "While I'm amazed you still harbour some childish grudge against a person who's been dead for a decade, you should remember that I am not my father. I would think my eyes," Harry's emerald green eyes locked with Snape's own onyx orbs, "should be a dead giveaway. I don't know what my father would have thought, and I have to wonder what my mother would have thought, too."

Snape had been getting more and more incensed as Harry contradicted each comment he had made, but the moment he had mentioned his eyes all the colour had drained from Snape's face. He physically winced when Harry mentioned what Lily would think, and Harry knew that Snape had gotten his hidden meaning. Lily was very disappointed in Severus' actions and had partially coached Harry through what to say about them. The group of friends continued up to the stands, leaving Professor Snape to his thoughts.

~*o o*~

The game started shortly thereafter, and was an amazing event, even if Gryffindor's new seeker was not terribly good. Harry had spotted the snitch quite a few times and James had cheered at each sighting, saying that Harry was a natural-born seeker. It was partway through the game when something peculiar started happening to the players, of both teams. Alicia Spinnet, a Gryffindor Chaser, was flying above the Slytherin stands when her broom dropped out from under her for a moment, causing Harry and several others to duck or be landed upon. Ten minutes later Terrance Higgs, the Slytherin Seeker, shot like a javelin toward the same stands before he was able to wrench the handle of his broom upwards and avoid a collision. Another fifteen minutes had passed when Kenneth Towler, Gryffindor's Seeker, finally caught the snitch, and Marcus Flint, Slytherin Chaser and Captain, came rocketing towards the stands at top speed, terror etched onto his face. He was only prevented from flipping over the back of his broom by the one handed, white knuckled grip he had on his broomstick. Harry saw him coming only a moment before he was already upon them, and shoved his arms out to his sides, pushing Draco on one side and Justin on the other, completely out of harm's way. Tine seemed to slow for Harry as; with his parents shrieking in his head, his friends shrieking in his ears, and Marcus shrieking as his grip finally failed, Harry's magic reached out and wrapped around Marcus and the runaway broom. Magic is a wondrous thing, but even it can't work miracles. Harry's magic was able to slow Marcus' fall, but not stop him entirely. Likewise, the bewitched broom, propelled by powerful dark magic, could not be stopped completely; only pushed, and even then, not very far, the force of dark magic controlling the broom would not be denied. Harry, being a truly selfless person, would not allow the broom to be diverted into the stands and hurt someone else. So his magic adjusted the angle of the broom to cause the least damage. He felt an odd sort of push, a feeling of immense pressure, and then a strange detachment from his surroundings. There was complete, and absolute silence in the stadium as Marcus Flint floated gently to the grass of the pitch. Then Harry heard Hermione scream.

Her scream seemed to sharpen his senses, heighten his awareness, and he looked down at the pressure he was feeling. Marcus' broom had impaled him just below his sternum. From the small amount of the shaft he could see protruding between his chest and the bristles, the broom had gone completely through him. Harry blinked owlishly at the broom, uncomprehending, for a second or two before he fully registered what he was seeing, and then the pain started. Immense, soul deep pain, like he'd never felt before. He could hear his mothers weeping filling his ears as he drew in a slow, aching breath, and released a piteous moan, before his eyes rolled up into the back of his head.

His friends on either side of him reacted without thinking. Grabbing a hold of Harry at shoulder and hip, they held him in the same position, preventing the broom from jostling and creating further damage. The staff in the teachers stands were at a loss, no one could think of how to get Harry down, as he obviously couldn't be taken down the stairs, he couldn't be moved from his current position without risking more damage. Suddenly, Fred and George Weasley flew over to the stands and one of them pulled out their wand. The Hogwarts Coalition had taken to carrying their wands everywhere with them, wary of a repeat of Hallow'een; those in the stands simply hadn't the time to draw theirs. Fred, for it was he who had taken out his wand, pointed it shakily at Harry and his support.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

The trio rose smoothly into the air and Fred and George flew to either side, grabbing a hold of Draco and Justin, and guiding them slowly across the grounds, fifteen metres high, heading straight for the windows of the Hospital Wing. Angelina Johnson, a Gryffindor Chaser, flew ahead of them and removed the windows, so they were able to fly in easily, and avoid jarring Harry. Hagrid, still confined to a bed while he healed, stared agog at the happenings across the aisle from him.

"'Ow in Merlin's beard did 'Arry ge' a broom in 'im?"

No one answered him; no one had an answer to give.

Oliver Wood flew through the glassless window, Madame Pomphry seated on his broom behind him. She clambered off and reached the bed as the Weasley twins ever so carefully lowered the trio onto it. Fred didn't cancel his spell until they were completely seated, and a slight sagging of Draco and Justin's shoulders was the only evidence of its release. Madam Pomphry carefully aimed her wand and, after telling Draco and Justin to hold Harry as still as possible, she severed the base of the broom from its handle. The loss of additional forward weight nearly caused them to fall back onto the bed, but the boys were able to hold Harry steady and turn the motion into a gentle sway back and forwards. Pomphry then went behind them to the other side of the bed and removed the sixteen inches of handle protruding from Harry's back. All that was now left was the bit still inside him, and Pomphry was able to get a complete diagnostic scan, which the magic of the broom in its entirety would have interfered with.

"Oh my, I can't believe it!" Madame Pomphry exclaimed.

"What? What is it? Will he be alright?" Justin asked, worry dripping in his tone.

"The broom missed absolutely everything!" She replied, amazed.

"What do you mean it missed everything?" George started.

"It's gone right through him!" Fred finished, a bit of panic in his voice.

"His organs, Messrs Weasley, it missed his organs. It went right through the cavity below his heart and above his liver, to the right of his oesophagus and to the left of his spine. This was actually the best possible location for it to hit him. It completely avoided anything vital."

"What about his lungs?" Draco asked shakily, his carefully controlled composure shattered in the wake of such a terrifying ordeal.

Madame Pomphry smiled reassuringly, "Those too, Mr. Malfoy. The lungs are to either side of the chest cavity, the broom went right between them. Now, I just have to remove the remaining wood inside him and heal the entry and exit wounds."

She proceeded to do just that and soon Harry was lying back on his Hospital bed with a pressure bandage wound round his chest. The rest of the Hogwarts Coalition had since arrived, Hermione and the other girls in near catatonic states of shock, and all were drinking Calming Draughts. Marcus Flint had come also, he sat beside Harry's bed, ashen faced and as shaky as an old man, even after his Calming Draught. Each of the Heads of House passed through briefly, as well as the Headmaster, giving words of encouragement and taking their leave. Severus Snape in particular was astounded at the bravery he had witnessed; saving his friends and a boy he hardly knew in favour of saving himself was not a concept he could easily understand. His entire attitude towards Harry Potter had changed in those brief seconds and he knew he would never again see the man he hated in place of the boy before him.

A/N: Well that seemed a good stopping point. I looked up a diagram of human organs and found that nifty little spot that was able to keep Harry as uninjured (while being impaled on a broom) as possible, if you're curious just Google 'diagram of human organs' and switch to Google Images or go to this site ~http:~/~free-anatomy.~anatomyandphysiologyss.~com/~organs-of-human/ ~ (take out each squiggly of course) and look at the third picture down, the gap is pretty easy to spot, below the heart and above the diaphram. Hope you enjoyed the different way Harry was attacked at his first school Quidditch game.