Harry's PoV

Rain lashed against Gryffindor tower, sounding harsher than in the past few days. I stared tiredly into the fire as I waited for everyone else to get up. Dread about today's game slowly working into my mind as the storm raged outside. It didn't help that I was rudely awoken by Peeves early this morning after only getting a few hours sleep. To take my mind off of the storm I thought about what I found out last night, the thoughts that kept me awake.

My father was a Marauder, an animagus, and he and his friends made a map of the school that showed where everyone is. It was the most information about him that I had ever been given. The twins gave me the map. Saying that it was mine to have seeing I was the son of one of the creators. It made me wonder about the other Marauders and what happened to them. Are they still alive? If so, where are they? Surely they would have come visit me if they could. Is Mr. Padfoot really my godfather? Why didn't he take me in, instead of going to my aunt's?

I was startled out of my thoughts by the others coming down the stairs and I followed them to the Great Hall. Breakfast was a rather quite affair. The only ones whose spirits weren't dampened by the storm were the Slytherins, whose team wasn't playing today due to a 'training' accident that put their captain, Marcus Flint, in the hospital wing for a few days. So instead we were playing the Hufflepuffs which we were just informed of yesterday. So needless to say Wood was freaking out and there wasn't much to say to reassure him.

"Good luck today, Harry," A voice pulled me out of my thoughts. Looking up I saw Percy standing in front of me.

"Morning, Percy," I greeted him with a smile. "You're looking better this morning."

"Wish I could say the same about you," he said, tilting his head as he regarded my appearance. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"I got a few hours," I muttered and picked at my food. "Are you coming to the game?" I asked and I noticed that he was wearing jeans and a blue hoodie. "You'll want something warmer to wear if you are."

"No, I'm staying inside today, where it's mostly warm and dry." He replied and sat down across from me. "Need to catch up on the classes I missed yesterday. Also Snape might murder me if I ended up sick in the hospital wing again so soon." I heard a huff beside me.

"Now you're just being dramatic," Hermione said looking up from her book, "Professor Snape won't murder you, he's a teacher."

"Which means it'll be death by detention," Percy pointed out and I laughed as Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to reading, a smile tugging her lips. My laughter quickly died through.

"So you don't want to see my first game of the year?" I asked him, slightly pouting.

"I doubt I'll see much of it anyway with this storm raging the way it is. Why are you playing? Don't the teachers care about how dangerous it is to play in weather like this?" He asked glancing out the window at the storm.

"Quidditch is never cancelled," I told him seriously. He raised an eyebrow. "Well, almost never. Definitely not for little inconveniences like weather."

"Because getting struck by lightning is so much fun," Percy said and I could hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice, making me smile.

"Exactly," I told him and took a bite of food.

"Wizards are crazy," he said as he stole a piece of bacon.

"Mini Marauder!" Two shouts came and I looked over to see the twins making their way over to my brother.

"How's our favourite Slytherin on this fine morning?" Fred asked as they came up to him.

"I'm doing better, thank you Forge. How are you two?"

"Just spiffy," George replied, mussing my brother's hair. "Coming to the game?"

"Not today," Percy said, trying (and failing) to fix his hair, "maybe next time if the weather is good."

"Not afraid of getting a bit wet are you?" Fred asked.

"No, just not in a hurry to get struck by lightning again,"

"Again?" I asked, a sinking feeling appeared in my stomach.

"Yeah," he winced as there was a particularly loud boom of thunder, "beginning of summer. Mom and I were going to spend the weekend at the beach. We got caught in a storm."

"Percy, are you..." my voice failed for a moment after he flinched again with another roll of thunder. "You're alright, right? I mean...I'm sorry." He gave me a sad smile.

"I'll be alright, Harry," he said, "just stay safe out there. You two make sure he does." He gave a pointed look at the twins. They nodded and saluted him.

"We'll do our best," Fred assured him, and I could see Percy relax a little bit.

"Thank you," he said.

"Anytime, Mini Marauder," George replied.

"Come along boys!" Angelina called, steering a still nearly cationic Oliver towards the entrance hall with Katie and Alicia following. "Nearly game time."

"See you after the game," I told Percy and the twins and I rose to follow them.

"I'll be in the library," he said with a sigh.

It wasn't too much longer after the game started that I wished I was in the library studying as well. It was cold. The rain felt like bits of ice hitting me as I flew. The wind was trying to blow me off the pitch. To top it all off I could barely see what was happening, even after Hermione water proofed my glasses.

Then the dementors showed up. They were swarming the pitch below me. Cold worse than the storm filled my limbs. As darkness surrounded me a heard a woman screaming.

Please not my son.

Next thing I knew I was blinking up a white ceiling, voices whispered around me. After a moment the voices stopped and a blurry face appeared above me.

"Harry, are you alright?" They asked, sounding worried.

"You're all blurry," I replied groggily.

"Hold on," they disappeared for a second before returning and placed my glasses on my face. My brother's worried face came into focus. "How's that?"

"Better, thanks," I said, slowly sitting up. At the end of my bed stood my friends and most of the Gryffindor quidditch team, who were soaking wet and splattered with mud. "What happened?"

"Well, you fell,"Fred said, "you were pretty high up, too."

"We were so worried that you were hurt, or worse," Alicia added.

"And the game?" I asked. "Is there going to be a rematch?" My team mates all looked put out at the question. There was a heavy silence as the realization set it. "We lost?" I asked, hoping they'd tell me differently.

"Cedric caught the snitch right after you fell," George replied solemnly.

"He tried to get Hooch to agree to a rematch when he learned that you had fallen," Fred added.

"Though even Wood agreed that he caught the snitch fair and square," George finished.

"Where is Wood?" I asked, looking around and not seeing him anywhere.

"Probably trying to drown himself in the shower," Fred said and I couldn't really tell if he was joking or not. I felt a heavy weight settle in my stomach, feeling disappointed in myself for not being able to win for my team.

"It's alright, Harry," Katie spoke up, apparently sensing my mood, "it's not your fault. Besides, we're not out of the running for the quidditch cup yet. There's still a whole season to go."

"Yeah, it's not over yet. If we win our next two matches and Hufflepuff loses theirs," Fred said.

"They'll have to lose to Ravenclaw by about two hundred points, though," George pointed out.

"It'll mostly depend on the points." They continued discussing the possible outcomes as I lay there starting at the ceiling. I felt a hand grip mine but I didn't bother to see who it was.

After a few more minutes, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell them to let me rest. They said their fair wells and exited the hospital wing, leaving only Percy, Ron, and Hermione beside me.

"Dumbledore was furious as he sent the dementors away," Hermione said, voice wavering. "Then he conjured a stretcher to bring you to the castle..."

"Everyone thought you were dead, mate," Ron spoke up. The hand gripping mine tightened at that.

"Where's my Nimbus?" I asked, not wanting to think about what Ron had said. My two friends shared a look before Hermione responded.

"Well it sort of blew away, when you fell, and..." she hesitantly grabbed a bag by her feet and dumped out a bunch of splintered wood. "It hit the Whomping Willow. Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you woke up."

I felt hallow, looking at the shattered remains of my faithful broom. It was a bit too much. I turned away from them and curled up on my side, trying to hold myself together. A hand started carding through my hair as silence descended around us. After a while I heard footsteps leaving, but the hand in my hair stayed.

"Get some rest, Harry," Percy spoke softly. I closed my eyes before the tears could come.