.CHAPTER TEN : THE ROGUE BLUDGER
After a bit of sleep,
Everyone gathered around and Charlie grabbed the book.
As Harry went to his seat, he stopped by McGonagall and whispered, "Thanks for at least trying to stop Dumbledore that night 14 years ago."
"Your welcome." She whispered back.
"Okay. Good new, A Quidditch Chapter." Charlie announced.
"YES!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Bad news, the title is 'The Rouge Bludger." Charlie continued.
"I don't know if I feel more sorry for Wood," Fred whispered.
"Or Harry" George finished.
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"So how bad an actor was he?" Bill asked.
"Bill!" Molly scolded.
"Better than Harry" Ron joked.
Harry reached over his godfather and whacked his friend.
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"I thought vampires NEEDED blood." Remus stated.
Charlie read before his mother could say anything.
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Remus couldn't help it. He laughed.
"This ought to be good." Remus chuckled.
"It WAS pretty pathetic." Hermione admitted trying and failing not to laugh at the memory.
"I wasn't aware of what a werewolf sounded like at the time. The Dursleys never allowed those types of films in the house and I hadn't even met Professor Lupin" Harry argued. "Plus I wasn't really trying."
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"Actually Charlie. If this is a depiction of the class, I want to read it." Ginny said. "I want everyone to get the FULL effect."
Charlie couldn't deny his sister.
She took the book and did a PERFECT imitation of Lockhart's tone.
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Everyone was now EXTREMELY worried for Remus' sanity as he laughed extremely hard at that.
"I haven't heard you laugh this hard in 15 years." Sirius told Remus.
"I don't think I have." Remus admitted.
"What was so funny?" Arthur asked.
"Two things." Remus said still chuckling. "One, the Homorphus Charm doesn't work that way. Yes the werewolf would turn into a man, but he'd still have the mind of the wolf and it only works for that ONE month. Two, I've seen Lockhart and if he actually got THAT close to a werewolf, he would NOT have that pretty face he had in that picture I saw of him and Harry at the bookstore. It's so ludicrous, it's funny."
"Thanks Charlie." Ginny said handing him back the book.
"So what was so funny 15 years ago?" Ron asked the werewolf.
Sirius buried his face in his hands indicating he was the source of the laughter.
"It was about April of 1981." Remus said. "Well, Lily RARELY trusted Sirius alone with her baby, especially since he was getting about the age to learning how to talk…so we were doing double duty babysitting."
"Lily then snuck into the house behind me while I was trying to get Harry to talk and he noticed Lily." Sirius said. "For the visual, picture Remus holding Harry, I'm standing in front of them talking to the baby, and Lily standing RIGHT behind me making shushing gestures at my good friend here."
"She then mouthed to Harry 'say Mama' and he did." Remus laughed. "So it looked like Harry was calling Sirius 'Mama.' The look on Sirius' face…"
Everyone, including Snape, was laughing at that.
"Was that my first word?" Harry asked.
"Oh no." Dumbledore answered. "Your mother had been yelling at your father and godfather at the time of your first word. I came in and my appearance had calmed her down."
"She had been yelling at us for being in our forms around you" Sirius added.
"Anyways," Dumbledore continued. "You then turned to me and said a word you had just learned from your mother. I believe it was 'Idiot'"
Every Weasley kid, and Tonks, had fallen out of their seats laughing as Harry went bright red.
"I am so sorry professor." Harry apologized.
"There is no need to apologize. I saw it as simply a young child showing me something he had learned." Dumbledore said.
Once everyone had calmed down over the news that Harry's first word had been more or less calling Albus Dumbledore an 'idiot,'
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"I'm guessing Hermione won." Bill said.
The trio nodded.
"She was the only one who did it." Ron said.
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"You need to be more confident Granger." Moody pointed out.
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"Yes. It makes a GREAT fire starter." Ginny said sarcastically as Ron had told her how Lockhart had reacted to her going to the chamber.
"You let her?" Arthur asked his Lockhart fan wife.
"I wasn't aware of what she had been doing. I thought she was burning that diary." Molly answered.
"The Diary is in my possession." Dumbledore explained.
"What diary?" Bill asked.
"It's explained later." Harry said.
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"What's even more disturbing…" Arthur stated. "When Malfoy had the ability to sign things in the Ministry, he used a peacock quill as well."
Molly frowned starting to have second thoughts about Lockhart and realized that she had them since his talk with Harry after the car incident. But she was determined to give the man the benefit of the doubt.
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"If he was, it was after WE left" Sirius said.
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"He said to the kid who caught the snitch with NO hands in one game and five minutes in another." Tonks added.
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All the teachers slapped their foreheads.
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Ron went white as Snape had said the same thing before bed.
"It's sad when your little brother," Fred whispered.
"Thinks the same way as the most hated teacher in school" George added.
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"Why?" Ginny asked.
"The first is a Dark potion designed to be used on enemies." Snape explained. "The second is a side-effect of a different one."
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"Extremely rare ingredients and the reason why it's only taught to aspiring aurors and healers." Snape said glaring at them.
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Snape glared at the trio.
"Is little Miss. Goody-goody suggesting they steal from Snape?" Fred asked his twin.
"We went right with her somewhere." George fake-sobbed.
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"I'd hate to say it, but she has a point." Arthur said turning to Snape. "And your reputation didn't tempt them to go to you for help. Not to mention your favoritism towards Draco."
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"If memory serves me correctly, you almost did" Ron chuckled to Harry.
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"And the Slytherins didn't help at all as they spent all of breakfast gloating about their brooms and saying things about ours." Harry added.
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"It's official. He's worse than James." Sirius said.
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"Hold on Charlie." Fred and George chorused after exchanging a glance.
They both got up and walked to the couch holding Hermione, Ron, Sirius, Harry, and Remus. When they got just behind Harry, they both cuffed him upside the head.
"OW!" Harry said.
"Don't take Wood seriously!" they chorused before going back to their seats.
"What was that about?" Sirius asked his godson.
"It's explained later." Harry explained.
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"Is that the best he's got?" Bill asked.
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Those that hadn't been there all frowned and looked concerned.
"Did we ever find out who had done that?" McGonagall asked.
The other heads shook their heads negatively.
"I found out." Harry said. "It's explained in either this or the next chapter."
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"Sirius. I'm fine." Harry said as he felt his godfather's grip on him tighten.
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"The Bludgers are locked in Hooch's office." Snape argued. "And that's charmed against unlocking spells and even muggle tricks."
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"WHAT?!"
Harry jumped as Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Molly, Arthur, Bill, and Charlie all shouted.
"I was wondering why the team kept playing." McGonagall said.
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"Why did he choose then to possess Harry?" Remus groaned.
"What?" Ginny asked, the word 'possess' worrying her.
"That was SO something James would have done if the Bludger was targeting him. Had it been someone else on the team, he would have called a forfeit." Sirius said.
"So THAT'S where you get it." Ron teased Harry.
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"Harry." Molly instructed firmly. "Next time someone says something that ends with '…or die trying,' DON'T take them seriously."
Sirius then gave a thumbs up to Fred and George informing them that he approved of the head-slap.
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"I propose we take whoever had been laughing on a broomstick and send a tampered bludger after THEM" Ginny declared.
"Proposition denied, Miss. Weasley" Sprout said beating McGonagall to the punch.
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"Thing should have hit him as it swerved." Ginny muttered.
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Charlie paused and then laughed causing the others, minus Snape, to laugh.
"I said that Mr. Malfoy is a better chaser." Snape stated as he wrote this down on his list.
"That's the truth" Tonks laughed. "Kid can't even find a walnut sized ball."
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"What do you mean 'Wham'?" Sirius asked before turning to Harry.
"It's explained Sirius and that was nothing Madam Pomfrey couldn't handle." Harry assured his godfather.
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"Oh dear" Molly gasped as Sirius relaxed.
"Madam Pomfrey can heal a break in thirty seconds." Sirius assured her.
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"That was brilliant." Harry chuckled at the memory.
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"Oh no" Sirius groaned.
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"I knew PERFECTLY well what I was saying!" Harry argued.
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"He dropped out of auror class before we GOT to that section" Moody stated.
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"Should have just used my good arm to push him out of the way and get up to go." Harry muttered.
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"I still like the mouth." Charlie stated.
"At least Wood agreed that he should have gone to Pomfrey" Remus said though he was still upset about the 'Die trying' line.
"I'm sure Lockhart knew what he was doing." Molly stated.
"Keep reading Mr. Weasley" McGonagall said eager to see Molly's reaction to what Lockhart had done.
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"What happened?" Sirius asked frantically.
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"Thank you two SO much for rushing to my rescue since my arm was whacked by a bludger." Harry told his friends sarcastically.
"There was a rush and nobody was letting us through the crowd." Ron argued.
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"Oh yeah Mum." Fred joked.
"Lockhart knew EXACTLY what he was doing." George added.
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Harry's fists clinched. If he hadn't had to stay the night, Colin wouldn't have been out.
"It's not THAT bad." Remus said. "I mean, yes it's absolutely disgusting and the actual process is pretty painful at first."
"I don't think that's the reason, Professor" Ginny said quietly.
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Molly looked considerate.
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"You have no proof he did it" Moody argued.
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"No, not really" Harry stated.
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"And THAT is why you play your strength and not what your rival does." Sirius said.
"Of course, you and James lucked out because YOUR rival didn't play." Remus said smirking.
"Ah. My brother played though. And you didn't see me rushing to change position, nor did you see him trying out for the beater position." Sirius argued.
"What did your brother play?" Harry asked.
"Seeker." Sirius stated simply.
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"Huh?" the teachers asked.
"Who could it have been?" Flitwick asked.
"You'll never guess." Charlie chuckled.
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"DOBBY?!" the adults chorused confused.
"The same elf that told you not to come to school?" Tonks asked.
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"How did he know?" Remus asked.
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"That's one way to keep him out of school" Bill mused.
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"That's why you never underestimate the awesome power that is the combined forces of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley!" Ron exclaimed before, "OW!"
Hermione had whacked him upside the head to take him down a peg, or ten.
"And Hermione Granger." Ron added as an afterthought earning another whack.
"Good job Hermione. Keep his head deflated." Remus praised.
"I try." She stated.
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"Not even I threaten Kreacher THAT much" Sirius said.
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Sirius snorted a bit.
"What?" Harry asked.
"When I was a kid, I used to TRY to give Kreacher clothes."
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"HIS bludger!?" Molly, McGonagall, Sirius, and Remus chorused.
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"By cracking his head open?" Tonks asked.
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"He would have been sent to St. Mungos." Sprout explained to the younger crowd so that they would know for the future. "If the damage was extensive, he would have been given his own ward."
The older crowd and Harry shifted a bit thinking of the Longbottoms.
"Thank Merlin it wasn't extensive" Sirius said.
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"And not just to the elves." Remus said. "The creatures and people that sided with the light as well."
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Remember what Firenze had said?" The werewolf hinted.
Harry pouted.
"All that pressure…" he muttered.
"The best way to handle that, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said. "Is to just ignore it and do what YOU feel is right. It helps to have the opinions of those closest to you, but only if you trust them completely."
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"It's not funny!" Hermione declared at the sight of the smirks on her friends' faces.
"The memory is. That had come out of NOWHERE. And the way he had said the 'bad Dobby...'"
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"You don't think…" Sirius said to Remus. "I mean…Lily…"
"I think the only thing Lily had to do with this was her sacrifice that helped Harry defeat Voldemort first." Remus informed his friend.
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"Hmm." Dumbledore said looking deep in thought.
"Sir?" Harry asked.
"It would appear that Dobby is aware of the truth as well" Dumbledore explained.
"It's possible" Harry stated. "I wonder if he told the others."
"It would make sense." Dumbledore agreed.
"But then why didn't Malfoy know who it was?" Harry asked.
"Well, Harry, you have to remember, when you defeated Voldemort, you, and all your classmates, were only just turning into toddlers. Perhaps Lucius hadn't informed Draco of the situation…at least until word was out that Voldemort was back."
"Did we miss something?" Sirius asked.
"We'll explain later."
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"And that, Mr. Potter, is the type of thing I was talking about earlier." McGonagall said.
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Ginny tensed. The next attack…the first human one.
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Harry and Ginny both winced at that feeling guilty.
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Molly gasped.
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"That'll help" Remus said. "Know what you're up against."
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"What could do that?" Sirius asked his werewolf friend.
Remus thought back finding the year he taught the best source of information. He went through a list of all 'evil' creatures he knew of.
Then, a memory sprout up
Flashback
"Professor" Ginny Weasley asked first class.
"Yes Miss. Weasley?" Remus asked her.
"I was wondering about a certain creature. I doubt we'll be going over it due to the fact you're trying to stick with Britain-found creatures, but I have a question about the basilisk."
"What about it?" Remus asked.
"How does one get a fang?" she asked. "Out of the mouth itself?"
"Well, Miss. Weasley, it's technically impossible due to the fact that facing a basilisk results in instant death and indirect visual contact results in petrifaction. Very similar to the Greek's Gorgon."
"But what if it was blinded…or already dead?" she added.
"Depends." Remus said. "If it's been dead for…five or more years, you can pull it out. But freshly dead, it needs to be embedded in something."
Ginny paled and looked scared out of her wit.
"Are you alright Ginny?" he asked her concerned.
"I-I'm fine Professor." She said. "Thanks for the answer."
She turned to leave, but Remus noticed that she had been touching her left robe sleeve and whispering "There had been a rip in his robes."
End Flashback
Remus paled and turned to the fidgeting Ginny. He decided to keep quiet and keep praying he was wrong.
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"Did you know who…EXACTLY?" Ginny asked scared.
"I knew who was doing it, but I wasn't aware of who he was doing it through nor did I know the how." Dumbledore said. "But I am aware of the identity of the Heir of Slytherin."
"So…who's next?" Charlie asked.
"Hand it over Charlie." Tonks said.