Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Falling
"Harry, it's ready." Hermione said after Harry's third Patronus lesson with Remus.
"Ready?" Harry repeated as he looked over his essay for Transfiguration, satisfied with it, especially with all the extra studying he had done, Transfiguration had become one of his best subjects. Harry then turned to Hermione and asked, "What's ready?"
"The potion I've been making," Hermione said raising her eyebrows, not being able to say it outright because they were in the common room. Harry's eyes widen at first and then he smiled.
"Really," he said, he had been waiting for her to finish the potion that will help them transform, he got up, nodding for Ron who was still writing his essay but was very happy for the interruption and they walked to a corner that Harry could spell so they could talk more openly.
"Yes, really," Hermione said once she could talk freely. "It was a difficult potion, but it looks just like it's supposed to. Still, I'm not a hundred percent sure that we should use it … as you know it's dangerous."
"I'm sure it's fine," Ron said, a gleam in his eyes, both he and Harry were still trying to change their torso and Neville had just joined them at that level. Hermione had already exceeded to changing her arms up to her elbow and the twins were on their hands. Ginny and Luna had just been deemed able to start their transformation after Hermione tested them on everything they had learned. Ron however, was looking forward to using the potion because it was very hard to figure out each new transformation. "I bet it's going to be easy after we have the potion."
"I can't believe how careless you are," Hermione glared at him. "You don't even hesitate at all, even when you know that this potion could cause you to …"
"I don't need a list of all of the side effects …" Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione's eyes bulged so he quickly added, "I have faith in your potion making skills, but if you don't think I should …"
"I didn't say that," Hermione said, slightly mollified, but still looking worried. "I just don't want anything to go wrong."
"Well, I'll be your guinea pig, if you want," Ron volunteered, and his ears started to turn red after that.
Harry looked at his friend oddly for a second, before saying, "I wanted to try the potion first … this has been my idea from the beginning, I should be the one to make sure that the potion isn't actually poison."
"Thanks for your confidence, Harry," Hermione muttered and he chuckled.
"You're the one that's cautioning us," he rolled his eyes, "and the fact that I'm going to take it should show you that I do have confidence in your ability."
"Now that that's settled, when are we going to test this out?" Ron asked.
"It's either has to be tomorrow or sometime after the Quidditch match," Harry said thoughtfully, feeling the nerves of the next game starting to build up in him again. Wood had been all over him about the Hufflepuff Seeker and captain, Cedric Diggory.
"We should wait until after the match," Ron advised. "I hate to see what Wood would do to you if you couldn't make it because you're half a wolf or something."
"Okay, after the match," Harry agreed, nodding his head.
O
The team had practiced almost every day that week; they had been practicing three times a week for the month leading up to the game, but Harry felt more nervous about this game than he had since his first match last year. He wasn't sure what it was about this game, but it might have had something to do with the uncommonly dark clouds that hung over the stadium. It wasn't raining, but it seemed like it was just about to. Wood, too, seemed to be thinking ominous thoughts, because his speech before the game was frantic … but of course that might have more to do with the fact that he longed to win the cup and this year was his last chance.
"Don't worry mate, you always do brilliantly," Ron said to the very nervous Harry as they left the changing room, and Harry gave him a weak smile.
As always, he felt better as soon as he mounted his broom; his cares seemed to flow from him once he was in the air, his eyes darting to try to find the Snitch. It was a long, grueling game, and Harry had to admit that Cedric was good. They had both sighted the Snitch at one point and because of the battle between them … along with the Bludger … it to gotten away. Harry was glad to see that the Chasers were having a better time at it, they had scored 140 to Hufflepuff's 50 and they didn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.
As he turned his attention upwards he saw it, the Snitch glimmering through the crowd. Instead of racing to it, he slowly floated that way, keeping his eyes on the tiny golden ball because Cedric was considerably closer to it and Harry was sure the other boy would noticed if Harry speed off towards it. He was able to gain fifty yards, closing the distance when he saw Cedric turn in the direction of the Snitch. No longer able to leave this up to chance (Harry was sure that Cedric would spot it), he pushed himself against his broom, making it go as fast as it possibly could. Cedric did the same a second later.
He didn't notice the coldness fill him at first because he was focused on the Snitch, but when the pleading started he knew something was terribly wrong. His eyes left the Snitch and he saw the ten Dementors that where charged to guard the school were surrounding the pitch, coming closer to him. He reached for his wand and was glad that Sirius had beat it into his head to never go anywhere without it.
"Expecto Patronum," Harry shouted, thinking about the first time that he met Ron and now knew both of his best friends, and something more than just the mist came out. It was indistinct, he couldn't be sure what it was, but it had a good effect on the Dementor in front of him, causing it to back away from him. Harry could feel that there were more of the foul creatures coming for him, but he felt weak after his effort to keep the Patronus going as he headed for the ground. Before he got there, more Dementors caught up with him and the effect they had on him was so terrible he couldn't raise his wand as he heard his mum's death again in his head.
He lost his grip on his broom … he felt as if he was falling … he landed on the ground, knocking the air out of him. He tried to stay conscious as he noticed another flash of silver light and he looked up to see the Dementors that must have been coming for him where being chased off by a silvery bird. Knowing that he was safe, and thanking whoever it was that sent this Patronus, Harry closed his eyes, completely out of energy after the Dementor, casting his own Patronus and cashing into the ground.
O
"Harry!" it was Ron's scared voice that made him open his eye and he realized that he probably passed out. "Merlin Harry … you scared me … are you okay?"
"I think so," Harry mumbled, finding it took him an effort to talk. "How far did I fall?"
"Only about ten feet," Ron said, "but it looked bad."
"Yeah," Harry agreed to that, able to see that he was still on the pitch, he probably had only been out of a few minutes. "Remind me not to do that again."
"I think we have to remind those bloody Dementors never to come here again," Ron hissed, his face going dark. "Bloody menaces …"
Harry heard a relieved gasped and he turned to see that Ginny had joined them, followed closely by the twins and the Chaser. "Hey," he turned to smile at them, but winched at the stiffness in his body. "I don't recommend anyone does that."
"… it's not fair … he was attacked!" Harry could hear someone say, but he didn't recognize the voice. He turned his head and saw Madam Hooch talking to the two captains. The speaker had to have been Cedric, but he couldn't understand. "I didn't even notice … but it's still not fair …"
"What …?" Harry started to asked.
"Cedric caught the Snitch," Ron sighed, "just as you cast the Patronus …"
Harry felt his heart drop, as if things weren't bad enough; he had just lost the game.
"Harry, don't worry about that," Katie said, "you're more important than …"
Her voice was drowned out by the bark and seconds later Snuffles was running towards him.
"I'm okay, Snuffles," Harry told the dog, not wanting Sirius turning back to a man like Harry was sure he wanted to. "Just a little fall."
The dog growled his disagreement to that but stayed a dog none the less. Remus was there a few minutes later and then was Harry taken to the hospital wing to be checked over for his soar bones, and given plenty of chocolate. He was discouraged when Wood told everyone that the catch Cedric made was legal and the Hufflepuffs had won by thirty points. It wasn't long after that that most of the Quidditch team left, leaving Harry with just the Weasley, Hermione and Neville. Remus came in then too, followed by a dog.
"No animals," Madam Pomfrey said, and her eyes widen when Sirius transform.
"Don't worry Poppy," Sirius grinned at the older woman, "the kids here all know it's me."
"You were always more careless than you should be," the nurse muttered as she shook her head as she walked to Harry giving him a potion that eased the pain in his soar body. "You'll only need to be here for another few hours, but if you prefer to stay that would be better."
"As much as I like your company, I think I would prefer to go," Harry said, looking at the nurse oddly.
"Of course you would," Madam Pomfrey said glaring at Sirius as if he was the one to say that and the man laughed. "It seems like too much to hope for that you wouldn't pick up bad manners for this one."
"You know about …" Harry started to say, biting his lip before he said too much in case he was wrong about the nurse knowing about who had raised him.
"Poppy checked you out the first day we had taken over caring for you," Remus said, trying to say this in a way that wasn't so sad.
"You were so cute back then," the nurse sighed and then got up to go.
"And I'm not cute now?" Harry questioned with a pout that the nurse didn't see, but he thought he heard her mutter something about being too much like Sirius.
"How are you feeling, Harry?" Remus asked, taking a seat next to him as Sirius took another, his friend moving to let the older men sit.
"Like I've been drain of all my energy and then fell ten feet to the hard ground," Harry answered and he noticed that neither of his guardians liked the sound of that.
"I'm so glad that you learned to do a Patronus," Sirius said, trying not to think of the forty foot fall that Harry probably would have suffered if the first Dementor had caused the fall.
"It wasn't a real Patronus," Harry pointed out.
"It was pretty close to being one … it was good work," Remus said, trying to smile but he looked too pale to really pull it off.
"Well that's all to your teaching," Harry smiled at the werewolf.
"No Harry, it's too an excellent student," Remus did smile back this time, moving his hand up to ruffle Harry's hair.
"Who's Patronus was it that stopped the other Dementors?" Harry asked.
"Dumbledore's," Hermione was the one to answered, "I saw him cast it and he seemed to have the Patronus chase the Dementors away. It was so weird how they chased you though …" she paused there to look at Remus, "why did they go after Harry when they could have gone after any of us and it would have been easier on them?"
"I honestly don't know," Remus sighed looking glum, "but they have seemed to take a particular liking to you …"
"Well doesn't that just make you feel great," Fred said in a would-be cheerful voice.
"One of the darkest creatures known to us has taken a liking to you," George added in the same tone.
"But why would they?" Ron questioned and everyone was looking at Remus, even Sirius.
The werewolf was shaking his head, "I still don't know … but I think it would be best if we keep working on your Patronus Charm, Harry … what you did was good, but it seems that you will need to learn the charm properly since they like you this much."
"I agree," Harry said tiredly, knowing that he wasn't going to be happy with the charm until he could make something like the bird he saw … something that was able to chase away the Dementors.
"I think that's enough of the heavy conversation," Ginny said, nodding her head towards Harry, "he doesn't look like he can handle much more of this right now."
"Hey!" Harry pouted, causing several people to laugh at his expression. They all seemed to listen to Ginny's suggestion though, as they talked about other things and generally enjoying themselves more. Harry was starting to even feel better about everything that happened today, including losing the game, by the time they got back to the common room a few hours later. However, that was when he realized that he didn't have his broom. When he asked his team mates about it they all exchanged a worried look before Angelina told him that it had crashed into the ground and snapped in two. Harry new damage like that could be repaired, but he also knew that his broom would never fly the same way again. He cursed the stupid Dementors for having to chosen to come to this match and ruin everything.
