Hi everyone. Here's chapter 11 for you all. Let me know what you guys think and leave a review!
I do not own the Harry Potter series and all characters are the property of JK Rowling with the exception of my own OCs
Chapter 11
After their adventure with the troll, Triss had found herself with a new friend: Hermione Granger. Triss grew quite fond of the girl the more she got to know her, and they became close as the days went on. They spent their evenings doing homework with the boys and staying up late in their dormitory talking. They talked about their lives and what it was like growing up in the muggle world and the magical one. Triss found Hermione's muggle life to be absolutely fascinating and asked her dozens of questions that Hermione was more than happy to answer.
The two girls became thick as thieves, and Triss had to admit it was nice having a friend who was a girl for once. With the exception of Mrs. Weasley and Ginny, Triss had pretty much spent her entire life with all men, and that didn't change much when she got to Hogwarts and stuck close to Ron and then Harry. Having a female to talk to and bond with was quite refreshing, she found, and was grateful to finally have another girl to talk to about things she would never discuss with Ron and Harry.
The days went by with classes and homework and soon they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots.
Triss counted down the days to the first Quidditch match of the season, and as the day grew closer that seemed to be all she could talk about — to the great annoyance of Hermione.
"Really, I don't see what the fuss is all about. It's just a game," Hermione said as they got ready for bed. It was two days before the first quidditch game and Triss was buzzing with excitement. She was also looking forward to seeing Harry play his first match after weeks of training and Gryffindor was going against Slytherin.
If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championship. Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. Triss had been one of the few to see him in action. She had gone to a few practices to watch him play and cheered him on every time he caught the snitch. She also took down notes and gave him plenty of advice on different flying techniques she had learned in Quidditch books she had been reading.
But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse — people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.
"Just a game Hermione?" Triss said while dramatically holding her heart. "It is more than a game, it's a way of life!"
Hermione only rolled her eyes with a smile. "I swear you are worse than the boys sometimes. It's a miracle you and Harry even get your work done sometimes, when all you two every focus on is Quidditch."
She was right. As the game got closer, the more they talked about it, and sometimes it felt like there was barely enough hours in the day for Harry to practice, Triss to watch, and get all of their assignments done. Triss figured it was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. She didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. Hermione even helped Triss with Transfiguration and Triss was very grateful for the extra help.
Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her and Triss from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. Triss noticed a big change in her demeanor and that only made her like Hermione even more.
The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the four of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Triss noticed at once that Snape was limping. Triss, Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.
"What's that you've got there, Potter?"
It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Hermione had lent it to him, and he had been reading it and the book Triss gave him in his free time. Harry showed him.
"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."
"He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"
"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.
"I just don't understand why he has it out for you Harry," Triss said angrily.
Harry only glared as Snape limped away.
The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Triss, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Triss and Hermione were checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. Hermione would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her and Triss to read it through, they got the right answers anyway. Triss wasn't completely against copying but would only let them copy if it was an absolute emergency. Instead, she would help Hermione check their homework, what with Triss being so talented at Charms, and the boys were more than happy to have them look it over. In exchange, the boys even helped Triss with her Transfiguration homework on days where she felt completely useless.
While she read over Ron's essay, which she had to practically re-write for him, she saw Harry begin to fidget.
"Harry did someone put a jinx on your foot?" Triss asked.
"He gave her a confused look. "No why?"
"Well with the way you're nervously tapping it, I would assume that's why. If you keep it up, then Ron's essay is going to be only halfway decent with my corrections." She said with a teasing smile.
Ron paused in his game of exploding snap. "She's right mate. You know how much better my essays are when she fixes them for me."
Harry smiled and rolled his eyes. He stood up and told them he was going to ask Snape if he could have his book back.
Triss wished him luck and got back to her task at hand.
Only a few minutes later Harry rejoined them in the common room with a stunned look on his face.
"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them.
"What's the matter?" Triss asked when she saw the look on his face.
In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen.
Apparently, he saw Filch tending to a mangled cut on his leg and Snape had said, "Blasted thing, how are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"
"You know what this means?" Harry finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him — he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"
Hermione's eyes were wide and Triss figured her eyes must be the same.
"No — he wouldn't," Hermione said. "I know he's a right git sometimes, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe. It just doesn't make any sense."
"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron. "I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"
"I don't know Ron. He's a teacher and Dumbledore trusts him. Who are we to argue with that? I just think there's more to this than we think." Triss said trying to be reasonable.
They all went to bed, but Triss lay awake with her mind buzzing. She tried to think logically like Hermione would, but she just couldn't understand what could be so valuable, that a teacher like Snape would need to get past the three-headed dog. Eventually she fell into a restless sleep with very odd dreams. She dreamt that she was flying around the castle and eventually she flew into the corridor with the three headed dog. It tried to bite at her, but she got past him and was about to fly down into the trapdoor until Professor Quirrell, of all people, appeared and waved his wand at her. Just as she was about to scream, she woke up to daylight streaming in through her scarlet curtains. Today was the day of the first Quidditch game of the season.
The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.
"You've got to eat some breakfast." Triss said pushing some food in front of Harry.
"I don't want anything."
"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.
"I'm not hungry."
Harry had a pale look on his face and looked utterly terrified.
"Harry, you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."
"Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.
"Harry don't listen to him. You can do this. You've been practicing like mad and I know you're going to do great. Besides, if you lose to Slytherin then that means we'll hear Malfoy's gloating for ages and that'll give me a reason to curse him. So, it's a win-win no matter what happens," Triss said trying to distract and cheer Harry up.
That seemed to calm him down a bit, and he smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Triss."
"Anytime Harry. Now eat something before I force it down your throat." She said shoving a piece of toast in his face.
"You better listen to her Harry." George piped in.
"She did it to Finn once." Fred said.
"It was brutal." George finished.
"Brutal? It was more than brutal. The little beast practically choked me to death," Finnick said with porridge in his mouth. Triss only stuck out her tongue at him.
By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes. Triss felt like she could bounce out of her seat with excitement and desperately wished she could be out there flying with Harry.
Triss, Ron, and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Triss had performed a tricky little charm that Finnick taught her, so that the paint flashed different colors.
Soon the players came out of the locker rooms and it was time to play. Triss cheered the loudest when she saw Harry walk onto the field.
Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.
"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Triss noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a fifth year. Triss thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Triss whistled loudly and waved the Potter for President banner with Hermione to cheer on her friend.
"Mount your brooms, please."
Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.
Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.
Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor — what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too —"
"JORDAN!"
"Sorry, Professor."
The Weasley twins' and Finnick's friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall. Triss giggled at what he said. Triss thought he was extremely funny from his antics with her brother, and loved how he described the game in front of them.
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve — back to Johnson and — no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes — Flint flying like an eagle up there — he's going to sc– no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood — "
"Nice save Wood!" Triss shouted and clapped.
"and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle — that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger — Quaffle taken by the Slytherins — that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which — nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes — she's really flying — dodges a speeding Bludger — the goalposts are ahead — come on, now, Angelina — Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"
Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins. Triss was on her feet cheering, and Ron and Hermione joined her.
"Budge up there, move along."
"Hagrid!"
Triss, Ron, and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.
"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"
"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."
"There's still plenty of time left and I know Slytherin's new seeker is nowhere near as quick as Harry." Triss said without looking away from the game at hand.
"That broom o' his helps I can imagine. Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry.
Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.
"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."
When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch.
"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the — wait a moment — was that the Snitch?"
Triss looked around frantically trying to spot it. A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.
Triss saw that Harry saw it. He dived downward beautifully after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch — all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch. Triss couldn't look away. She grabbed Ron's hand at the anticipation and was squeezing quit hard.
"Aghh Triss you're going to break my hand!" Ron shouted out. Triss only ignored him. Too focused on the game.
Harry was faster than Higgs — he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead — he put on an extra spurt of speed —
WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors — Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.
"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.
"THAT DIRTY CHEAT!" Triss screamed loud enough that half the stadium could've heard her.
Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.
Dean Thomas started yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"
"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.
"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"
"But this isn't soccer, Dean," Triss reminded him.
Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side.
"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."
"How like a Slytherin to try and knock someone off their broom," Triss said angrily.
Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.
"So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating —"
"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul —"
"Jordan, I'm warning you —"
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."
Triss suddenly got a familiar flip in her stomach. She couldn't explain why her stomach lurched the way it did. This would happen sometimes, in Defense Against the Dark Arts of all places.
It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, he looked as if he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. Triss had never seen a broom do that before.
It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Triss snatched a pair of binoculars out of Ron's hands. Harry's broom was completely out of control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him.
Lee was still commentating.
"Slytherin in possession — Flint with the Quaffle — passes Spinnet — passes Bell — hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose — only joking, Professor — Slytherins score — oh no . . ."
The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went. Triss feared it would knock him off completely.
"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom . . . but he can't have. . . ."
"There's something wrong with his broom. That's not normal and I've never seen one do that before," Triss said with fear in her voice. Hermione and Ron looked worriedly at Harry who was trying to take control and failing.
Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped and Triss held her breath. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.
"Harry!" Triss screamed out, feeling helpless.
"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.
"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic — no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."
Triss and Hermione looked at each other and seemed to read each other's minds. If it wasn't a student, then that meant…
At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.
"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray faced.
"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape — look."
Ron grabbed the binoculars. After he got a look, Triss snatched them and pointed them directly at Snape. He was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath. Triss's stomach gave another lurch. She somehow knew in her gut that Snape was trying to knock Harry of his broom.
"He's doing something — jinxing the broom," said Hermione.
"What should we do?"
"Leave it to me."
"Hurry Hermione, before Harry falls to his death." Triss said frantically.
Before Triss or Ron could say another word, Hermione had disappeared. Triss turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good — every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing. Triss could feel her heart racing at the sight of Harry.
"Come on, Hermione," Ron muttered desperately.
Triss had her hand around Ron's arm, desperately hoping Hermione would do something soon, before Harry got seriously hurt.
Hermione POV
Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.
It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row — Snape would never know what had happened.
Triss POV
Whatever Hermione had done, seemed to have done the job because Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his room.
Triss took a breath of relief.
"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.
"OW Triss let go of my arm before you impale me with your nails!" Ron shouted.
Triss looked down and realized that she had been squeezing the life out of Ron. She quickly let go and muttered an apology. Now, her attention was back on the game. She noticed that Harry seemed to pick up his speed. He spotted the snitch! Triss jumped up out of her seat.
Harry was speeding toward the ground when she saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick — he hit the field on all fours — coughed — and something gold fell into his hand.
"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.
Triss and Ron cheered with happiness. Harry actually did it! The youngest seeker in a century caught the snitch on his first game. Well, it was more like swallow the snitch.
"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was howling, but it made no difference — Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results — Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty.
Triss raced onto the field with Ron to congratulate Harry. When she spotted the blacked haired boy in the crowd, she raced towards him and gave him a tight hug.
"Harry that was amazing! I knew you could do it."
"Thanks Triss," He said with a big smile on his face. He looked like he was still processing what had happened. Hermione joined them and congratulated Harry. Soon the four Gryffindors made their way to Hagrid's for a cup of tea and to talk about what had happened.
"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Triss, Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you."
"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't heard a word of what had gone on next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"
Triss, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.
"I found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him."
"We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding." Triss added.
Hagrid dropped the teapot.
"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.
"Fluffy?"
"You named that three headed beast Fluffy?!" Triss exclaimed, practically dropping her cup of tea.
"Yeah — he's mine — bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year — I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the —"
"Yes?" said Harry eagerly.
"Now, don't ask me anymore," said Hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."
"But Snape's trying to steal it."
"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."
"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" cried Hermione.
The afternoon's events certainly seemed to have changed her mind about Snape. Triss couldn't believe Snape would try to get past Fluffy, no matter how evil he could be in potions, but after the game there no was way to see past it. Although, she couldn't get past this lingering feeling in her body. She just somehow knew there was more to this whole debacle then what they thought.
"But Hagrid, he was jinxing the broom! He didn't break eye contact the entire time," Triss said.
"Triss is right Hagrid. We both know a jinx when we see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, we saw him!"
"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh — yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel —"
"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"
Hagrid looked furious with himself.
Triss whispered to her friends so Hagrid couldn't hear, "I don't know about you guys, but I for one am happy to have a reason to hate Snape even more. Maybe tomorrow my potion for boils will accidently find its way into his morning tea."
The boys giggled at that comment, while Hermione looked as if someone had told her she had been expelled.
What did you think? I promise I'll explain the "feelings" that Triss gets later on down the line. Thanks to everyone who has favourited and followed this story! Review, Favourite and Follow for more :) Next chapter should hopefully be up later this week.