The Minster's Wife
Chapter Fourteen: Slytherin Vs Gryffindor
The Quidditch Match was a riot; Celexia had forgotten how intense and how loud being at one of the school's matches were like. For some reason, she found herself favoring Harry Potter's seeking instead of Draco. Draco flew beside Harry, though all he did was throw taunts at him, it looked like. Lucius watched with interest, though he was neither cheering or booing. Celexia watched the seekers with interest, more drawn to the two rivals rather than the other twelve players on the field. What drove her attention away from Draco was the roaming bludger that had been focusing on Harry rather than the other players. The bludger was trying, all its might, to seek out Harry's broom. Twice it had come close. Celexia stared at the metal ball.
Since Draco and Harry were seeking out the snitch together, the bludger was heading toward Draco as well.
"Someone's tampered with it," said Celexia, rising to her feet. "It's been doing nothing but pursuing Potter the entire game."
Lucius raised a hand to her elbow and lowered her back to her seat. Snape glanced at her on her other side. He had noticed it as well. In fact, the entire crowd seem to catch the bludger's intentions. Harry went all through the air, trying to avoid the angry bludger; once he flew straight through the lines of Slytherin—an act that Lucius disapproved of, but Celexia simply laughed.
Draco and Harry were neck and neck, barely able to reach it. They vanished under the stands. For a moment, it seemed desolate. Celexia had risen to her feet again.
"Can you see them?" she said worriedly, leaning over the banister.
"Celexia, come back over here." Lucius said lazily.
"Where—OH!"
The bludger shot out from the Slytherin post; it shook the entire seating of Slytherin; Celexia lost her balance and fell backwards into Lucius, who caught her. The bludger made an angry noise; the location as to where the boys were had been answered as Harry Potter shot out of the stands, racing back into the air with all his might. As for Draco, to Celexia's dismay, he was sent through the air, his broom flying from underneath his body—Draco landed on the Quidditch field, tumbling across the dewy grass with no effort of stopping; he landed with a splat, both legs extended in a kick-to-the-crotch stance, then fell on his back in agony. Celexia, Snape, and Lucius leaned over to find Draco—Lucius sat back, slightly annoyed. Celexia's attentions went back to Harry, who was finding it ever more difficult to avoid the rogue bludger. At long last, it caught his broom painfully; Celexia winced. The bludger reared around and hit Harry in the shoulder.
Celexia watched Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley approach the Quidditch field; Harry was sent off his broom as the bludger tried to find him again. He landed on the ground, cradling his arm. Three times the bludger hit the ground, aiming for Harry's extremities. Hermione aimed her wand at the bludger, said an incantation, and then it exploded into red and golden sparkles. Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid came to Harry's aid.
Celexia, against Lucius' annoyed advisement, pushed through the Slytherin adults and students, making her way feverishly across the Quidditch field. Several uproars of the announcement of the Minister's wife were everywhere around her. Hagrid, who had only met her once, glanced behind him to see said wife racing across the grass. She bent down beside Harry.
"Are you all right?" she asked him.
"I...I think my arm is broken." Harry said, cradled in Celexia's arms.
"Wait, I can fix it!"
With a sudden grimace from Celexia, she looked back over her shoulder to see Lockhart in close pursuit, holding up his wand.
"Here, Celexia, let me."
"No!" Harry said suddenly, making Celexia look at him. She smiled slightly. "No..." Harry insisted, staring at Lockhart in alarm. "Not you."
Lockhart was momentarily taken aback, but he shook it off. He asked Celexia to 'scooch' a little.
"Perhaps you might let Madame Promfrey take care of it." Celexia said, watching the mediocre fraud take Harry's arm painfully. "Before you do anything, well, like what you would do."
"Lady Minister, I know what I'm doing. Please."
Celexia glanced at Harry, who stared at her questionably.
Lockhart took his wand and aimed it at Harry's arm.
There was a flash of light. Celexia heard the squish, and almost released Harry into the mud. She made a very sick expression, as if doused with cow manure. Harry's arm had gone from being broken, to being only flesh. The bones had either vanished or had been reduced to nothing. It imitated rubber. To add insult to injury, Lockhart took his arm and bent it directly backwards.
"Stop it, Gilderoy, let it alone." Celexia said urgently, smacking Lockhart's hands away. She looked up at Hermione and Ron, who were appalled to see Harry's limb so flexible. "Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley," she said weakly, her stomach churning with an unpleasant groan, "might you two be so helpful by guiding Mr. Potter to the hospital wing?"
"The bones don't seem broken," said Lockhart, offering her a hand to help her to her feet. Celexia looked at him in unmistakable irritation.
"Bones? Lockhart, his bones are gone. He's got a limp noodle for an arm."
"Can't have been much in pain right now, is he?" said Lockhart defensively, stepped a few paces from her.
"Think I'm gonna be sick..." Celexia uttered.
"Let me help you." Lockhart offered.
"No, I'm fine..."
"But—"
"I said that I was fine."
Celexia glanced at Hagrid and nodded to him with a smile. He returned it.
"Wait," she paused, "who won?"
"Gryffindor. Harry caught the snitch."
Celexia grinned, unable to pull it back.
"Well, I'll send him congratulations."