CHAPTER 36
"Ready to see how to catch a Snitch?" Harry teased Draco as they made their way to their Quidditch locker rooms.
"You're gonna eat my dust," Draco sneered and turned towards the Slytherin locker room.
Within minutes of the game starting, a bludger came after Harry. The Weasley twins were kept very busy trying to keep one of the bludgers away from Harry. Harry was spending more time avoiding bludgers then hunting for the snitch. It didn't take long for Harry's team mates to realize the bludger was being manipulated by an unseen force.
"Harry duck," Draco yelled. Harry did as Draco said and watched the bludger crash into Woods.
"This is getting ridicules," Harry remarked to Draco. Then he noticed the snitch hover beside Draco's head and dove for it.
Draco knew what Harry was doing as he swooped past him. Draco turned and was soon at Harry's side. The boys zipped towards the spectators, missing peoples heading by mere inches. Then they swooped below the spectator stands, barely missing the stands support beams. Harry fell behind Draco and when the bludger came closer Harry ducked. Draco tried to avoid the bludger, and ended up hitting one of the beams and was sent flying off his broom; landing hard on his butt.
Harry saw Draco crash to the ground, and then continued after the snitch. His hand was out stretched to grasp the snitch, when the rogue bludger hit his arm with tremendous force. Harry knew his arm was broken and held it tight to his chest and continued to pursue the snitch. Harry managed to catch the snitch before he fell off his broom. He was on the ground and the bludger came at him again, he rolled out of the way. The bludger rose up to make another try at attacking Harry. Before it could come crashing down, Hermione destroyed it with a wave of her wand.
Ron, Hermione and Hagrid were the first ones to reach Harry.
"My arm," Harry said to his friend, he hadn't seen Lockhart standing behind Hagrid.
"I can fix that straight way," Lockhart beamed and waved his wand over Harry's arm. The pain in his arm was gone in a flash; mind you, so were all the bones.
Harry used his left hand to pick and examine his now jellied right arm.
"Ah, yes that can happen some times," Lockhart remarked. "At least the pain is gone."
"So is every bloody bone," Hagrid huffed.
"Mister Weasley, Miss Granger, would you please escort Harry to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey will be able to fix that up in a heartbeat," Lockhart told them and helped Harry get to his feet.
"Merlin's beard," Poppy gasped when she saw Harry's arm. "You should have come to me straight away. I can mend bones in no time, but growing them back..."
"You will be able to fix this right?" Harry said with a panicked voice.
"I can fix it; it's just going to take some time. You're in for a long night Harry," she responded and handed Harry a cup of Skele-grow.
Harry coughed and spluttered at the horrid taste of the potion.
"Where were Professor Snape or Narsicca?" Poppy asked Harry and his companions.
"Unfortunately Lockhart got to me first," Harry moaned and looked at his boneless arm.
"Harry!" Narsicca called out as her and Snape came charging into the room. As soon as she saw Harry's arm, she gasped and looked rather faint. She sat on the bed and pulled Harry into her lap. Holding him close, she turned to Snape: "Severus put an end to this; I don't want the boys playing this game anymore. It's dangerous, look at this," she screeched and rubbed Harry's jelly arm.
"It was Lockhart, not Quidditch," Harry snapped. "Dad," Harry loudly whined.
"I want to take him home now," Narsicca told Poppy.
"He has to rest and take my Skele-grow potion every two hours," Poppy mentioned. "I think he would be better staying here, where I can keep an eye on him."
"Are you insinuating that I can't take care of my son," Narsicca scowled angrily at Poppy.
"I would never," Poppy snapped defensively.
Snape scooped Harry up. "Get the potion," he ordered Narsicca, and then he turned to Poppy: "I'm not going to stand here and listen to the two of you bicker over the boy." With that said, he made his way over to the fireplace.
"Every two hours," Poppy told Narcissa and handed her the bottle. "Growing the bones back will be rather painful and I can't give him anything for the pain. And only feed him clear fluids."
Once again Harry found himself sinking into the fluffy down feathered comforter on the couch, with a stack of pillows so he could sit up a bit. A thinner pillow was placed across his chest with his jelly arm resting upon it. Snape pulled Harry's bed quilt up and made sure Harry was well tucked in.
"Please don't make me give up Quidditch," Harry whispered to his dad. "Please," a quiet whine and pleading little emerald eyes looked up to his dad.
"Don't worry," his dad whispered back. "She's just a little upset right now. I'll talk to her later."
Snape picked up a book from the coffee table and made it float in front of Harry. "Just say next and the page will turn for you," he smiled at his son.
Harry awoke in the night to whispered voices. He laid still and listened to Albus telling Snape that Collin Creeve had been found petrified like Mrs. Norris. He and Minerva had checked Collin's camera to see if he got a picture of his attacker, but when they opened the camera a puff of smoke came out and there were no pickers.
Right after Albus left, Snape woke Harry; who had pretended to be asleep. "It's time for some more of your medicine," Snape told his son.
"It tastes gross and it makes my arm hurt," Harry moaned.
"No arm, no Quidditch," his dad said with a raised eyebrow.
Harry gulped down his Skele-grow.
Harry's dream was interrupted by the house elf Dobby again: "Harry you must leave Hogwarts now that history is to repeat itself. Dobby had hoped his little bludger would have scared Harry off."
"You. You tried to kill me with that bludger?" Harry growled at the little creature.
"Not kill you sir," Dobby explained. "I wished only to make you leave this place. I was certain that your parents would take you away if they knew you were in danger here."
"Does this have to do with the chamber of secrets or people getting petrified?" Harry questioned.
"Can't say," Dobby replied with his ears flat down.
Both Harry and Dobby hear a door open. Dobby disappeared and Harry looked to see if it was one of his parents coming out of their room, but there was no sign of movement in the apartment.
When Harry woke in the morning, he had a vague recollection of the elf's visit during the night. Once again Harry thought it was some type or dream. If it had been real his dad would have said something; since he was asleep in the reclining chair beside Harry on the couch. Harry knew his dad was there when he went to sleep and his dad was there when he woke up, therefore his dad must have been there when the elf had come.
As Harry dressed for school, he called Meeka: "Do you know an elf named Dotty or maybe it was Doggy. I can't believe I forgot his name. It's something like one of those names. Why can't he come to me when I'm awake?" Harry huffed.
"Elf visits Harry?" Meeka questioned.
"I don't know if he's real or just in my dreams. He keeps saying I'm in danger here and should leave Hogwarts. He's the one that blocked the barrier so Ron and I could come back here by train and he's the one who sent that bludger after me yesterday," Harry confided in his little friend. "I'm worried if I tell dad about it, he'll want to keep me here in the apartment or make me go back to Keir Korbin. I just want to have a normal year at school. Please don't tell anyone what I have told you."
"Yous want Meeka to see if Doggy or Dotty is real elf?" Meeka inquired.
"Yes. But only tell me," Harry ordered.
"I tells you, but only after Meeka shove bludger up his arse," Meeka grinned and disappeared.
Harry soon joined his friends in the greenhouse for Herbology. "I have to tell you a few things after classes," Harry whispered to Hermione and Ron.
The trio was stopped by the twins as they made their way back to the castle.
"We left a box of treats for Lockhart," Fred told the trio.
"It's a gift from his secret admirers," George laughed.
"Maybe he'll eat a few before you get to class," Fred gave Harry a slap on the back.
"What are you feeding him?" Hermione scowled her hands on her hips like Mrs. Weasley.
"You'll see," they howled with laughter as they ran off.
Harry and Ron had big grins on their faces, but both of them shrugged when Hermione turned her scowl on them.
A huge grin covered both Ron and Harry's faces when they walked in their DADA class and saw Lockhart pop one of the candy in his mouth.
"Is that Weasley candy?" Draco whispered from behind Harry.
"Yup," Harry broke into laughter.
"Today I'm going to read from my 'Voyage with Vampires'."
Professor Lockhart announced as the kids took their seats.
"My adventure began EEHAH..." Lockhart put his hand over his mouth. He cleared his throat loudly and opened his mouth to speak again: "EEHAH."
The room broke into laughter.
Lockhart got to his feet and scowled at his class: "EEHAH." He squeaked out again as he tried to get the class under control.
Lockhart pushed his book towards Harry; Harry had to be a smart arse: "I already have your book," he grinned.
Lockhart shook his head and was trying to make Harry understand he wanted Harry to read the book to the class. Harry continued to pretend he didn't understand. Making Lockhart sound like a jackass every time he tried to talk someone into reading for him. Hermione was about to say something when she was suddenly hit by a silencing spell. Harry turned and smiled at Draco, who gave Harry a slight nod and a big smile. Hermione just glared at Draco, he gave her the same big smile and a little giggle.
The rest of the class spent their time talking, playing games. Several other girls had been silenced when they had tried to help Lockhart. It didn't take long for chaos to ensue and the Slytherins started throwing curses at the Gryffindores. Several curses hit mid-air sending sparks flying; striking pictures of Lockhart, causing them to fall from the wall and smash.
Lockhart was running around the class braying like a donkey constantly as he ducked and dodged flying curses. Somehow everyone came out of the class unscathed.
Harry glanced up at the staff table at lunch then quickly turned his head and looked at Ron and the twins with his eyes wide open in shock: "Lockhart is sharing his candies with the staff," he cringed and moaned at the boys.
"Good thing your dad doesn't like sweets," George laughed.
Lockhart is looking right at us," Ron whispered. "Oh my god!" he said a little louder, "he made Snape take one."
"Anyone but Snape," Fred moaned.
"We made those ones to slowly take affect and last for over an hour," George mentioned.
"That way we wouldn't have to listen to Lockhart for a whole class," Fred explained.
"No worries Harry," Ron snickered. "He'll know it was them." He motioned with his head in the twin's direction.
As the Great Hall began to empty and students made their way to their afternoon classes, Draco leaned over to the twins: "You know Dumbledore loves sweets and never turns them down," he chuckled and continued on his way.
"He also likes a good prank," Harry assured them.
At day's end Harry had Ron and Hermione walk him home; so he could tell them about the elf he keeps dreaming about.
"Are you sure you're only dreaming about him?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not sure. At the Burrow I was dreaming about playing Quidditch and the elf came to tell me not to come back to Hogwarts and then all of a sudden I was back to dreaming about Quidditch. I felt like he was nothing more than a TV advertisement in the middle of the game. He always shows up when I'm sleeping. Last night my dad was sleeping in the recliner next to me. I didn't see him when the elf came; but the next time I looked over, my dad was there," Harry explained.
"So the chamber of secrets has been open before," Hermione responded.
"Why didn't Dumbledore tell us that?" Ron queried.
"Cause we're not allowed to get involved," Harry remarked.
"Do you think the voice you keep hearing could be this elf?" Hermione asked.
"No. They don't sound the same at all," Harry told her.
"Maybe you should talk to your dad about the voices and the elf," Hermione suggested.
"Are you kidding? Did you hear his mum after he got hit by the bludger?" Ron sneered at her.
"Ron's right," Harry stated. "My mum would have me back at Keir Korbin in a heartbeat. She'd never let me come back to Hogwarts."
"Then next time your mysterious elf shows up try and remember his name," Hermione scoffed. "With his name we can find out who he belongs to and why they don't want you here."
"He says I'm in danger here," Harry mentioned.
"From him or from Salazar's unseen creature?" Ron sneered angrily.