CHAPTER 7: The Game's afoot
A/N: Hey guys, back with another chapter. Not much to say except that I hope you enjoy it. Thanks.
Harry was putting his Transfiguration book in the bag as students started leaving the classroom.
"So glad that was the last class of the day" sighed Ron, standing beside him, his school bag hanging over his shoulder. "I'm completely knackered".
"Yeah but you get to have a bit of a lie in now if you want" grumbled Harry, as they started making their way out, "I, on the other hand have practice in…" He lifted his sleeve and pretended to check the time "let's see, oh that's right, right now"
"I always heard Fred and George say that Wood can be a bit of a tyrant when it comes to training" said Ron, as he nearly collided with another first year as they exited the room "Oye, watch it!" before facing Harry again as they continued walking down the corridor. "Anyway, I guess he just really wants to win the quidditch cup just once, and since this is his last year he's even more determined. Plus, he thinks you're the best chance he's got at it so that's probably why he's putting you through extra training" he finished, as they started climbing the stairs to the first floor.
"How do you know that?" Harry turned towards him, wide-eyed.
Ron shrugged his shoulders. "Fred and George might have mentioned it"
"And you didn't think to tell me about it" he spoke, sounding frantic.
"Well I didn't want to pressure you more!" Ron defended himself as they reached the first floor and turned right. "Because every time I mention anything related to Quidditch your face turns yellow like it's doing now and it looks like you're about to throw up"
"Didn't want to pressure me more. Well then you shouldn't have told me about what Fred and George said to you"
"Well, I'm sorry, okay. Don't have to bite my head off" he mumbled in the end.
"I'm sorry, Ron. It's just that I feel like, no, I know that I'm going to let everyone down tomorrow" he said, looking down.
"Man, where is Hermione when you need her?" Ron said, looking at the ceiling.
"Right by your side most of the time" said Harry without hesitation.
"I know, but that's beside the point. What I mean is if she were here, she'd smack some sense into that thick skull of yours" Harry shot him a dirty look which Ron ignored. "Harry, you're eleven, about to play in your first game of Quidditch, I don't mean to sound harsh mate but I think all everyone is expecting of you is to not fall off your broom the moment your feet leave the ground" he said, as they turned left.
Ron may not be as well versed with words or how to calm down someone if they're about to have a mental breakdown, which he most likely felt he was about to have a few moments ago, thought Harry, but his twisted way of saying things did help calm his nerves a bit.
They reached the doors that led to the hospital wing when Harry stopped Ron with a hand on his shoulders. "Thanks Ron," he said with a smile.
"Don't mention it" replied Ron, with a smile of his own before the two friends entered the room.
….
Hospital Wing, Afternoon
Hermione was sitting cross legged on a single bed with her back against the pillow as she worked on her Potions essay that was due in two weeks. She turned her head after hearing the door open and saw her friends enter. She watched them look around for a few seconds before their eyes landed on her.
She waved at them with a smile. Harry and Ron smiled back in return as they started walking towards her bed which was located at the far end on the right.
Harry was in a bit of an awe at the size of the room, his mouth hanging slightly open as he looked around. This was his first time in the hospital wing and he never imagined it looking quite like this, with its floor to ceiling tall windows on the left side of the room that overlooked the quidditch stadium and the spiral staircase at the end that led to a room with two rectangular windows.
There weren't many patients at the moment, only Hermione and a couple of older students, who were both sleeping. They reached her bed before Ron dropped his bag heavily on the ground, which earned him a glare from Hermione as he took a seat on her bed.
"Oh give me a break" he moaned.
"How do you expect to learn if you don't even respect books?" she said with a scowl.
"Oh fine" he picked it up and put it next to him on the bed.
"Better" she said, with a smirk.
"How're you doing Hermione," spoke Harry, standing at the foot of her bed.
She shifted her gaze towards him and answered with a small smile. "Much better now, thanks Harry" before a frown came over face. "Although I wish I didn't miss transfiguration" she said, before looking at them in alarm. "Did you let Prof. McGonagall know why I couldn't attend class today? She asked, to which Harry nodded his head. "Thanks"
"Didn't I tell you to see Madam Pomfrey in the morning? You could've avoided all of this" said Ron.
"I told you I felt fine in the morning and up until lunch. Forgive me Ron but I'm not a seer and didn't know that it was going to start hurting like hell all of a sudden" Her voice getting louder as she spoke.
Madam Pomfrey came out of the room above them before she glared down at them. "Could you please keep the volume to the absolute minimum? Some are trying to work here while others" she looked towards the other two patients "are trying to get some rest" and with that she stormed back into her room.
No one spoke for a couple of seconds, their eyes still fixated on the spot Madam Pomfrey was a moment ago before Hermione turned back towards Ron.
"Plus I wasn't going to miss our morning Potions class. We have an essay due in two weeks' time and there is still loads of research I have to do" she said all this in one breath.
Ron looked at her for a moment before replying "You really need to sort out your priorities"
Harry, seeing Hermione's face turning red, interjected before another bout of argument could ensue. "Hermione, you can copy my notes for transfiguration. I'm sure they're not up to your standards but better than nothing I guess" He took out his notebook and handed it to her.
Her face turned soft as she gave him a warm smile "Thanks Harry"
"Don't mention it" he said, before sounding nervous. "Actually, I would prefer it if you don't look at the back pages" he said, while ruffling the back of his hair.
Ron looked at him weirdly, wondering what kind of a request was that before turning towards Hermione whose eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as she replied "Um, sure" not knowing how else to respond to such a ludicrous request.
"Great, so I'll see you guys after practice" Harry said in a rush before he stormed out of the room. Ron turned towards Hermione after Harry left the room.
"What was that all about?"
"I don't know," she said, putting Harry's notebook in her bag before facing Ron whose eyes were lingering on her bag. "No" her tone was defiant and firm.
Hearing her voice cutting through his thoughts, Ron shifted his gaze towards her. He was about to open his mouth when she beat him to it.
"Don't try to defend yourself or try to come up with some stupid excuse because we both know what you were thinking and the answer will always be the same.
A frown came over Ron's features as he answered her "You're no fun".
…..
Quidditch Pitch, Evening
Hermione and Ron made their way down from the stands and on to the pitch where the Gryffindor team was seen packing their equipment. They arrived at the pitch and started making their way towards the team who were now standing in a semicircle with team captain Oliver Wood in the middle.
They stopped a few meters away but close enough to hear Wood's voice. "Alright, this is it. All the effort we put in, the training, the blood and sweat that went into it, everything, it all ends tomorrow, because trust me this will all mean nothing if we don't get a W next to our name tomorrow" He paused, as he looked at every player in the eye before continuing. "You might think it's just one game, or let's take it lightly because it's only the first game of the tournament but NO!"
Hermione almost jumped a foot in the air at his shout even though she and Ron were standing a fair way back. She looked at Harry and noticed his knuckles were turning white from the death grip he had on his broom.
"No," continued Wood, "Not on my watch, NEVER." He might be imagining things with the way he was feeling at the moment but Harry was sure that Wood growled the last part of his sentence which sent a chill down his spine.
"Good, have a proper rest, don't eat too much" he said looking at Fred and George who were looking everywhere but at him "and I'll see you tomorrow on the field" He finished, before looking at the twins. "Fred, George, give me a hand with the equipment.
"What?" started Fred.
"C'mon" continued George.
"Why us"
"Yeah we did it last time"
"Ask someone else"
"Yeah, be fair"
Wood rubbed his eyes tiredly as he replied "Would you like to stay on the field for another hour doing drills because it's perfectly fine with me"
The twins looked at him in horror before rushing to the equipment and in no time running with it out of the stadium. Everyone shared a laugh as they watched the scene unfold, especially Ron.
Ron and Hermione walked towards Harry as everyone started filing out.
"Well, that was intense," said Hermione, once reaching Harry.
"Oh that, nah it was nothing. You should've seen him last week" He said, as they made their way towards the exit.
"I didn't know anyone could ever be so mad about a sport" she said, with a wonderment as if such a thing wasn't even possible.
"Excuse me" said Ron, addressing her with the same expression and tone she had a second ago. "I'm not sure about muggle sports but in our world Quidditch is like a religion. In Fact according to some even bigger"
"And by some I suppose you mean yourself" she said, with an arched eyebrow.
"Enough" interjected Harry. "I don't want to talk or think about Quidditch for a while"
"We're sorry Harry" she apologized, seeing the contorted look on his face.
"It's okay"
"So," she continued as they exited the pitch. "Are we going straight to Hagrid's or would you like to freshen up first.
"No, we don't have enough time for that."
"Yeah, you're right"
"So here's everything we know so far," said Harry, as they continued on their path. "There is a giant three headed dog on the third floor corridor guarding something really important."
"Most likely, what Hagrid took out of the vault at Gringotts" said Hermione.
"Yes. We also know that someone is trying to steal it."
"Plus that it is related to Nicolas Flamel" piped in Ron.
"True" spoke Hermione, before continuing "I am also certain that whoever is trying to steal it is the same person who let the troll in yesterday."
"So that everyone would be distracted by it and it would give them plenty of time to steal it" said Harry, feeling that they were finally making some progress.
"But I don't understand one thing," said Ron, with a furrowed eyebrow. "Prof. Quirrell said that he saw the troll in the dungeons but by the time we got there it was already on the third floor. So did it end up on the third floor by accident or was it always supposed to be there, guarding it unless someone came along to check"
"It was always supposed to go to the third floor" Harry and Ron looked at her in surprise. "I heard some students saying that they heard Prof. McGonagall talking to Prof. Snape where he mentioned that he found traces of honey while inspecting on the third floor that led him to the dungeons"
"Well that answers that" Harry said, as the sunlight was dimming rapidly. "But I don't understand one thing. How did the troll get to the third floor so quickly? I mean we saw how fast it moved which wasn't exactly rapid"
Thank Merlin for that" shuddered Ron.
"I've been thinking the same thing, Harry" said Hermione, as they started descending down the stone steps down the small hill. "By the time Prof. Quirrell entered the great hall and when we encountered it, there's no way it could've gotten their so quick"
They walked in silence for a while before Harry said something that had been bothering him the most and he couldn't come up with an answer for it. "There's one more thing" he said slowly as Hermione and Ron looked at him. "Did you noticed how Prof. Quirrell reacted yesterday when we saw him? It looked as if-"
"As if he'd seen a ghost" exclaimed Ron, his eyes wide in shock. They all looked at each other with trepidation and fear in their eyes, not entirely sure if they wanted to pursue this line of thought but feeling like they just stumbled upon a huge revelation.
"Do you think he knew about the troll before we met him?" asked Harry in a whisper.
"I don't know Harry, except that I don't like this" Hermione said, her voice barely audible.
Harry looked at Ron who shrugged his shoulders in response. "Alright, let's just go talk to Hagrid."
….
Hagrid's Hut
Hagrid was whistling a tune as he put a plate of roasted chicken on to the table. He took a seat and was about to dig in when Thud!Thud!Thud! There was a knock on the door.
His eyes narrowed as he slowly stood up. He looked at his crossbow leaning against the wall and went and picked it up before tentatively approaching the door.
"Who is it?
"It's us Hagrid," said Harry, from the other side. Hagrid breathed a sigh of relief before opening the door.
Ron backed away in fear as he saw Hagrid holding the crossbow. "Oh sorry about that" Hagrid put it against the wall before motioning them to come in. "But you can never be sure who you'd come across, especially at night" He closed the door before walking over to them.
"We know about the dog" said Harry, making Hagrid stop in his tracks and his eyes turn wide.
"What-, How?" sputtered Hagrid.
"That's not important," said Harry, before continuing "What's important is that there is a monster inside the castle Hagrid."
"Monster" scoffed Hagrid before taking a seat on the table. "Fluffy's no monster"
"Fluffy" Ron mouthed to Hermione.
"But why can't you tell us why he is guarding the corridor?" asked Harry, his voice getting desperate.
"'cause it's none of my business" He said, before looking at all three of them. "Plus you're only kids, not the sort of stuff you should be waistin' your time thinking about" Harry watched him for a few moments before his shoulders sagged and he turned around.
"Let's go guys," said Harry, as he started walking towards the door with Hermione following him. Ron was about to turn around when his eyes landed on something that made him gasp loudly, earning the attention of everyone else.
"Hagrid! Is that what I think it is?" he pointed with his finger. Hagrid looked behind him to where he was pointing before a huge smile split his face in half.
"Oh, I forgot to tell ya about it" He stood up before walking over to his fireplace. He grabbed a pair of gloves, putting them on before taking out a large, brown egg. "Oh, oh it's hot" He juggled the egg in his hands as he walked over to the table before dropping it on it.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other with confusion written all over their faces as they had never seen an egg that big before. They walked over to the table where Ron was jumping up and down in excitement.
"What's that?" asked Hermione, leaning in closer to inspect it.
"Oh just you wait and see" said Ron, giddily.
Hermione and Harry backed a couple of steps in fear when the egg started to hatch.
"Oh it's finally happening" They looked at Ron with disbelief, wondering if he'd gone mad.
Not soon after the shell was broken and out came a baby dragon. Hermione let out a scream in fear which was drowned out by Ron's yells of Yes! Yes! Yes!
Harry, however, just stood in shock, not believing what he was seeing.
"Oh, look at him," cooed Hagrid, tickling the dragon on the chin.
"I've never seen a dragon come out of its shell ever before" said Ron, as he calmed down a bit. He then looked at Harry and Hermione. "My brother Charlie works with dragons in Romania. Whenever he's home during the holidays, he shows me pictures of all the different dragons he's worked on."
"How's Charlie doin?" asked Hagrid, petting the dragon on the head and making funny faces at it which made Harry and Hermione look at him weirdly.
"Awesome. Last time I talked to him he said he'd been working with a Hungarian Horntail"
Hagrid looked up at him with his mouth agape "Hungarian Horntail?" he asked, astonished, to which Ron nodded. "Blimey! Tell you what even I wouldn't go near one. Nasty beast those Horntails are, very nasty"
"Hagrid!" exclaimed Hermione, turning everyone's attention towards her. "You need to hand it over to the proper authorities"
"Hand it over," he asked, horrified. "Never. They wouldn't know what to do with it but trap him in a cage"
"Hagrid, you could get expelled, if someone saw you with it" she tried to reason with him.
"No one will ever find out about her. It's not like I'm going to be taking him on walks. Plus I'll take good care of him" he finished.
Hermione was about to open her mouth when Ron interjected. "I think Hagrid's right, Hermione. You just can't give it away to anyone and the authorities will ask questions about how he got it since you can't actually buy one without a proper license" He faced Hagrid with a furrowed brow. "By the way, how did you get it, Hagrid?"
Hagrid mumbled something looking down at his lap which none of them could hear.
"What?" asked Hermione.
"I said I won it."
"You won it?" asked Harry.
"Yeah I was at a bar late at night and won it over a game of cards fair and square" He defended himself.
Hermione rolled her eyes as she shared a look with Ron and Harry.
"Yep, no one can know about it," said Ron, nonplussed. Hagrid's eyes lit up as a smile came over his face.
"I swear no one will"
"But Hagrid, you do need to find a way to get rid of it before something terrible happens" Hermione said seriously.
"I will. Just give me some time and I'll find a way" He then looked at the dragon with tears in his eyes. "Oh look I'm already crying thinking about it. Are you going to be sad too Norbert?"
"Norbert?" said Ron.
"Yeah. A lovely name isn't it. Isn't it Norbert?" The dragon opened its mouth. "Oh look he thinks so" said Hagrid chuckling, when a breath of fire came out of Norbert's mouth, setting Hagrid's beard ablaze.
…
Hogwarts Castle, Morning
The great hall was full of buzz and excitement with students chattering and discussing among themselves about the first quidditch match of the year.
Ron was fully immersed in his breakfast that consisted of eggs, bacon and potatoes and was enjoying it immensely. He seemed fully relaxed in his posture while Hermione was a different matter altogether as she kept glancing towards the front door every few seconds while her left leg was bouncing nervously under the table and she still hadn't touched her breakfast.
Ron, having finished everything on his plate, leaned over to his left to fill it with some more potatoes when he noticed her.
"Hermione!" he said a little too loudly, scaring her, as she let out a squeal and jumped in her seat, hitting her knee under the table in the process. Hermione glared bloody murder at him as Ron started snickering.
"It's not funny." she admonished him.
"I know, I'm sorry" he sobered up before continuing. "But look at you, you acting like this isn't going to make it any easier for anyone especially Harry. We need to look confident and calm and not make him even more nervous by acting like him"
"I know," she said, wringing her hands. "But where is he? The game starts in an hour and he hasn't even eaten anything. He can't play on an empty stomach."
"I agree, but there is nothing we can do, plus I think it's best to just let him be." he said, munching ferociously.
Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "Did he say something about where he was going?"
Ron furrowed his brows, trying to recall the small conversation he had with Harry while lying in bed. "I told you, it was all foggy. I just saw him sneaking out of the room and asked where he was going?" He paused, thinking hard. "Umm, I think he mentioned something about the lake."
Hermione hastily got up from her seat and started packing some sandwiches in a napkin.
"But I could be wrong." he said, swallowing on a spoonful of potatoes in his mouth before looking up. "Wait, what are you doing?"
"Going to find him" with that, she dashed out of the hall as Ron's shouts did nothing to stop her.
…
A few hours ago
Harry closed the door to the dormitory before walking down the stairs. 'Lucky that Ron enjoys his sleep so much' he thought, reaching the common room before walking towards the door. Even though Ron was his friend, he didn't want any company at the moment but just left alone with his thoughts, which is probably a bad idea' he thought as he exited the door and started walking down the corridor.
It was still dawn when Harry walked out into the open and the chilly morning air hit his face like a cold shower. He was only wearing a t-shirt and a pair of trousers along with his two year old worn out sneakers.
He contemplated going back and retrieving his sweater but decided against it as the flight up the stairs seemed a lot to handle for his still stiff limbs. So, with clattering teeth and stupidity that he will come to regret later on, he marched his way forward.
There was no direction he had in his mind and simply relied on his instincts. A few minutes later on his trek he looked over to his right at a small hill and started walking towards it. He reached the top of the hill and was absolutely mesmerized by the view. It was the same view he saw from Dumbledore's office but this time he was looking up instead of down on it.
The waterfall descended beautifully from the mountains before landing in the lake which was shimmering with radiance. Not a sound could be heard, not even of the water dropping high from thousands of feet up. Harry's mouth was hanging open as his feet started moving of their own accord towards the lake.
He leaned over to see his reflection in the water before looking around and spotting a small tree with bronze leaves to his right.
He walked over to it before sitting with his back against it. For the next hour and a half, Harry tried to clear his mind and not think about the match or the mystery surrounding the third floor or who was Nicolas Flamel and what was his involvement in all this. For the most part he was doing pretty well except when an image of the three-headed dog or the stadium filled with crowd flashed through his mind and he had to regroup all over again.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice a figure approaching him, although the person was practically hovering over the ground as their footsteps made no sound.
"Breathtaking isn't it?"
Harry's hand went straight to his pocket where he had his wand as he hurriedly got up and faced the assailant who broke his peace and not to mention scared the living daylights out of him.
"Headmaster?" he asked, his shoulders sagging in relief as his eyes landed on Dumbledore who was sporting the similar look he did when Harry broke the telescope in his office.
"I'm so very sorry Harry," he said, putting his hands up as a gesture of apology. "It wasn't my intention to startle you" he walked closer to him.
"Somehow I doubt that with the smile on your face"
Dumbledore let out a hearty laugh, surprising Harry in a different manner this time. He found it utterly endearing and in a weird way relaxing. Seeing Dumbledore so relaxed and in such a jovial mood helped calm his nerves a lot more than he would care to mention. It also made him realize just how much he depended on him, for reasons he didn't quite fully understand yet.
Dumbledore's laughter slowly came to a stop as he once again faced Harry. "Forgive me Harry, but I'm sure you would agree that it is quite a natural reaction on my part wouldn't you"
A smile started to form on Harry's face which he could no longer hide and nodded his head in response.
"I must say that I am extremely impressed with your draw" Dumbledore motioned to the wand still gripped in his hand.
Harry, having forgotten about it let out an 'Oh' as his cheeks turned pink out of embarrassment. "Sorry about that," he said, looking at the ground.
"Harry," said Dumbledore, with a soft smile. Harry lifted his head and looked him in the eye. "Never ever, and I mean ever apologize for defending yourself and those you love" Harry gave a nod. "Good"
Dumbledore conjured two chairs out of thin air before taking a seat. He motioned for Harry to sit on the other chair whose eyes had turned wide in astonishment. 'I'll be able to do that one day' he thought with an inner smile before taking a seat.
Both stayed quiet for a while, simply admiring the view all around them.
"I heard from a colleague that three students were found in the third floor corridor" Harry's eyes bulged out as he whipped around to look at Dumbledore who turned his head slightly in his direction with a twinkle in his eye. "However, before said colleague could get a good look at them, they vanished. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it do you, Harry?"
Harry gulped nervously and in his frightened state said the first thing that came to his mind. "It was me," he blurted. "I-I caught sight of the troll on my way to the common room and went after it but it attacked me so I hid in the restricted section. But I swear I didn't see anything" his heart was beating rapidly and he felt that it was about to burst out of his chest.
"See anything? But what would be there to see?" Dumbledore looked at him inquisitively. He saw beads of sweat forming on Harry's forehead and his hand was turning white by gripping the chair tightly. Not wanting him to pass out, Dumbledore gave him a reassuring smile with a pat on his hand which made Harry loosened his grip a little.
"You astound me every time we meet Mr. Potter. Although, I do find it quite surprising how much you take after your father" he said curiously, staring at some point behind Harry before looking straight into his eyes again.
"It was very brave what you and your friends did Harry, Yes I know about them" he said when he saw Harry open his mouth. "Foolish but brave. A line so vulnerable that we should always be mindful to not cross it" He arched an eyebrow to which Harry nodded.
"But Sir, it was my decision to go after the troll. Hermione and Ron only followed me because they didn't want me to get hurt"
"I know," said Dumbledore, with a knowing look. They were silent again for a few seconds. Dumbledore leaned back and craned his neck as he looked at the sun rising from behind the waterfall. A serene and peaceful look came over his features before Harry spoke once again.
"Umm Sir," said Harry, hesitantly.
"Yes Harry," He turned his head as Harry stayed silent. "Harry?"
Harry was fidgeting with a loose thread on his trouser, wishing that he hadn't opened his mouth.
Dumbledore leaned sideways towards him. "You can ask me anything Harry," he whispered, conspiratorially. Harry looked up at him, still unsure if he should ask what was on his mind but gaining his courage once Dumbledore nodded with an encouraging smile.
"When we were up there on Halloween night, we encountered a….a" he let out a frustrated sigh.
"The dog," said Dumbledore, amusedly.
"Yes!"
"Are you concerned about it being in the castle Harry, because i can assure you-?"
"No, that's not it" he cut him off before continuing. "Why is it there? Umm I mean I know why it's there, to protect whatever was taken from the vault. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we saw traces of blood in that room and I'm sure Prof. Snape saw it too and we think that someone was trying to steal whatever is under the trap door but they obviously failed ''
Dumbledore looked at him mirthfully before speaking. "First of all, I must say excellent deduction skills"
"Thanks. Although it's mostly Hermione" he said with a smile.
"Send her my compliments. Now, let's see, yes Prof. Snape did mention the blood to me but unfortunately we can't trace it back to its owner since it was compromised by the time he noticed it."
"Compromised?"
"Yes, well it was dried blood first of all but it also had dirt and saliva, most probably of the dog on it among various other things.
"Okay" he said, thinking hard. "Professor, what if someone managed to get past the dog and into the trapdoor. I mean I know it's extremely hard and only someone with less brain cells would try it but what if they do get in"
"Then they would come across even harder challenges to overcome" Upon seeing confusion written all over Harry's face he elaborated further. "You see Harry, at Hogwarts we have the best teachers in the world and some of them with their unique set of skills have put on enchantments that only they know about to protect as you said earlier, whatever the dog is guarding."
Harry nodded his head but didn't mention his suspicion that a teacher might be the culprit here and also because he trusted Dumbledore's judgement that he would only ask people he trusts the most with something so important.
"You don't need to worry about any of it, okay Harry."
"Okay"
"Good, because trust me when I say that as you get older your problems also get more demanding so it's important you enjoy your childhood in the best way possible. Unless of course you're a tad cynical like me and look for something more exhilarating and thrilling than what life has to offer on a daily basis. "He winked at Harry who let out a small chuckle.
"No, nothing like that," he answered, shyly.
"So tell me about your new friends"
A smile came over Harry's face at the mention of his friends. "They're both great. Ron is really into quidditch. The only thing he values more is food" said Harry, making Dumbledore chuckle. "Hermione" Harry thought for a moment as he looked at the lake before continuing "She is the smartest person I know" he said with a small smile before hastily continuing. "Not more than you, I meant in my year" he hoped he didn't insult him but was assured by the smile Dumbledore sent his way.
"I understand Harry,"
"They are both extremely loyal and put up with me even when I act like a jerk towards them" a frown came over his face, as he recalled the times when he treated them nastily and was ashamed of himself.
"We all make mistakes Harry, the best you can do is to learn from them" Harry gave him a nod. "I think they sound wonderful and I hope they are with you with every step of the way"
Harry, once again nodded his head in response, internally hoping that what Dumbledore said about the future was true.
"Oh I best get going" he stood up looking at his watch with Harry following him. "Or else I would have to face Prof. McGonagall's wrath if I'm late this year as well for the opening match. Trust me Harry, when I say that you don't want to get in between her and Quidditch. It's not a battle you would win as I have realized regrettably quite a few times"
Harry laughed internally at the thought that even Prof. Dumbledore was scared of McGonagall.
"I'll keep it in mind"
"That's all I ask, for your safety of course" Harry's shoulders shook with a small chuckle before Dumbledore continued. "I wish you the best of luck Harry, because believe me that even the best sometimes need it and from what I've heard you seem to be following in the footsteps of the very best and who knows maybe even someday surpass them." he said, with a knowing look and a twinkle shining brightly in his eyes.
Dumbledore turned around and started walking back to the castle as Harry watched his retreating back, thinking of what he said just a few seconds ago. His stomach let out a loud grumble, taking him out of his musings. He put a hand to his stomach, feeling extremely hungry when his eyes landed on bushy brown hair behind the hill. Even before their face came into view Harry knew that it could only belong to one person.
And he was right, as he saw Hermione standing on top of the hill, holding something between her hands as she looked around scrunching her face as the sun shone brightly on it. Her eyes landed on him and she gave him a huge smile before hurrying over to him. He smiled back as he started walking towards her and they met in the middle.
"Hermione, what are you doing here? Plus how did you find me?"
"It took me more than half an hour to find you. I had to look all over the grounds" she said, slightly out of breath.
"Sorry" apologized Harry.
"And I knew that you would be hungry so I came to give you this" she handed him the sandwiches wrapped in napkins.
"Oh you're a lifesaver Hermione. Thank you." he unfolded the napkins and took a huge bite of the sandwich.
"You're welcome" she beamed at him. "I figured you wouldn't be coming to the great hall even if you were completely famished"
Harry nodded his head since his mouth was full. "I was really debating it before you came through to be honest" he said after swallowing.
"I understand," she said, before looking around. "Wow" she gasped, beyond speechless by what she was seeing. "It's so beautiful"
Harry nodded his head. "I know right," said Harry, before grabbing the second sandwich. "I had the same reaction"
"There you are" they looked back to find Ron, hunched over with hands over his knees and out of breath. They turned around as he came up behind them before standing on Harry's other side.
"Wow" he breathed, his eyes wide in amazement as he saw the waterfall.
"We know" chorused Harry and Hermione before laughing. Harry finished his second sandwich before putting the napkins in his pocket.
"Oh, I almost forgot," exclaimed Hermione, turning to face Harry. "I saw Prof. Dumbledore walking down the hill on my way. That's why I came over here. Did he say something to you Harry?"
"Yeah, we talked loads but get this, he said that beneath the trap door there are enchantments in place put together by some of the teachers, I suppose people that Prof. Dumbledore trusts the most, to protect whatever is being kept there"
"What? Enchantments, But what sort of enchantments" asked Ron.
"I don't know," shrugged Hermione. "But I assume they would have to be pretty tough to get through"
"He also said that only the person who put up the enchantment knows how to get past it" Hermione furrowed her brows in concentration.
"Interesting" she murmured, as Ron and Harry looked at her. "That means whoever is trying to get in not only has to get past Fluffy but also the enchantments which could take them a while"
"And gives us more time to find out about Nicolas Flamel," said Harry.
"True" Hermione said as they started walking back to the castle.
"Well, at least we are making some progress even if it's at a snail's pace," said Ron.
They reached the courtyard which was crowded more than usual with students of all ages and houses. Harry could feel a certain excitement in the air as he watched them chatting animatedly with each other.
"5 to 1, 5 to 1. Potter catches the snitch in under 10 minutes. Pay now and earn your reward after the match" Harry hastily whipped his head in the direction of the voice after hearing his name. Fred and George were standing in the middle near the fountain with a bag in their hands.
They had massive grins on their faces as students were coming one after another to write their name on a piece of parchment floating in the air before dropping their money in the bag.
"You have to be kidding me" said Hermione, scandalized, before she took on a run. She zigzagged her way through the crowd before stopping in front of them and pulling hard on both the twins' sleeves. "What do you think you're doing?" she glared at them.
"Oh hey Hermione, didn't see you there" said Fred, looking up at her from counting the money in his bag before going back to it. Let's see, I've got 14 sickles and 21 knuts. What about you George?" He looked at his brother.
George let out a loud yes after he finished his counting. "We're rich Fred. I've got 1 galleon and 18 sickles." Fred fist pumped the air.
"Now all we have to do is hope that Harry doesn't catch the snitch within 10 minutes" he said.
"Are you serious? That kid looks like he'll pass out the moment he sees the stadium full of people" said George.
Hermione looked affronted and her face was turning a deep shade of red.
"Stop it" she screamed, as everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her. She looked around her and didn't care one bit that everyone's eyes were on her. Also, in response to her ear splitting scream, Fred and George dropped the bags as they jumped a foot in the air with hair standing on both their arms. The money was scattered all around the ground but no one dared move.
"You disgust me" she snarled before continuing. "How could you do this to Harry, never mind it's his first match. You should be wise enough to know that people will blame him either way if they lose."
The twins' bowed their heads in shame as she took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart that was high on adrenaline. Harry was watching the whole ordeal in shock, as he didn't know how to feel at the moment but he did know that he was glad that Hermione was on his side.
He turned his head to look at Ron standing next to him and was relieved when he looked back at him with a huge smile on his face. Harry smiled back before focusing his attention back at Hermione and the twins.
"Give everyone's money back and don't ever bet on Harry again or I will tell the teachers" The twins solemnly nodded their heads before their eyes found Harry.
"We're sorry Harry" they said in unison. Harry simply nodded his head, letting them know that he forgave them.
Hermione turned before walking up to Ron and Harry as they left the courtyard with everyone's eyes on them.
"Alright everyone, come and get your money" said Fred, taking his wand out and levitating the money back into the bags.
…
Quidditch Stadium
Harry was walking alongside Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dean and Seamus to the stadium. He was fully dressed in his quidditch uniform and was holding on to his Nimbus 2000.
"So what's your strategy Harry," asked Seamus, who was wearing a hat in the form of a lion's face.
"Strategy?" Harry looked at him as if he didn't understand what he said.
"Yeah, you know like-" he shut his mouth at once as Hermione glared at him. "You know what, forget it, I never plan before anything"
"Thanks, I guess," Harry said, feeling completely lost.
"I'm sure Harry has an awesome plan, and even if he doesn't, he has nothing to worry because he's just that good" Dean added his two cents of wisdom, if you could call it that, Ron thought with a frown.
They reached the gate to the stadium and stopped except Harry who continued walking.
"Harry? Harry?" he turned around after hearing Hermione say his name.
"What?"
"Harry, you have to go that way" Neville said pointing to the left, where the entire Gryffindor team was standing.
"Oh" Harry said dumbly.
"The player's enter through the tunnel and also the locker rooms are in there" Hermione said.
"Oh yeah, I know" he let out a nervous laugh before begrudgingly moving his feet.
He had only taken a step in that direction when he collided with a brick wall and landed hard on his back.
"Harry!" squeaked Hermione, before rushing over to him.
It took him a while to gather his bearings before seeing Hermione's concerned face.
"Are you alright?"
He nodded his head. "Yeah"
"Watch where you're going Potter," Harry recognized the voice before his eyes landed on Malfoy and his two cronies Crabbe and Goyle as he stood up.
"He was walking perfectly fine you dumb wit" Ron came to stand next to Harry, followed by Dean, Seamus and Neville. "It was that moron who shoved him to the ground," he said, pointing towards Crabbe.
"What did you call me?" Crabbe started walking towards him with his fists curled by his side. Ron took a huge gulp as he realized that he once again opened his mouth before thinking. They all took a step back except Harry who stared him in the eye.
Crabbe was about to reach them when a voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Mr. Crabbe, in case you've forgotten but you're walking in the wrong direction." Everyone turned their heads towards Snape as he walked towards them. His cloak billowed dramatically behind him because of the wind.
He stopped when he was a foot away from Crabbe and stared him down. "Will you be able to do that because mummy is not here to hold your hand and guide you every step of the way and you don't want me near you or in fact watching you every moment of time." he stretched out the last part as his eyes shifted towards Malfoy or a moment whose face had left all the colour.
Ron, Seamus and Dean started snickering but stopped immediately when Snape turned around and pierced them with his stare.
"Do I need to repeat myself Mr. Crabbe or are you incapable of understanding a word I said" he said, turning back around to face him.
Crabbe shot one last look towards Harry and the group before walking back. Snape then turned around and looked at Ron. "And you Mr. Weasley, if I catch you one more time engaged in this sort of behaviour I won't be so forgiving next time."
"But Professor, he is the one who started it!" Ron pointed towards the retreating back of Crabbe.
"And you think it's your duty to finish it" Snape snarled, which made Ron cower his head.
"No Sir," he mumbled. "Won't happen again.
"It better not" he said slowly as his eyes landed on Harry. His eyes followed the broom in Harry's hand and stayed there for a few seconds before looking back at him again.
Harry waited for him to say anything but he never did and with a flourish of his robes walked towards the stadium.
"POTTER!" Harry turned his head towards the direction of the voice and saw Wood waving at him. "Over here"
Harry took a huge gulp before he started moving his feet, however was stopped by hand on his arm. He turned around to find Hermione smiling at him. "Good luck Harry, I'm sure you'll do great"
"Good luck mate" said Ron, clapping him hard on the back which knocked the air out of him.
"All the best Harry" said Neville.
"Yeah Harry, kick some Slytherin arse" Seamus said, walking over to him. "Don't forget all of our hopes are lying on you" his comment earned him an elbow to the stomach from Ron and a deathly glare from Hermione. Neville and Dean shook their heads in disbelief.
Seamus doubled down clutching his stomach. "Ow, what was that for?" he wheezed out.
"Oh sorry Seamus, I was just trying to stretch my arms" said Ron, not looking sorry one bit.
"Don't listen to Seamus Harry, just do your best" Dean said, helping Seamus stand up.
Harry nodded his head before leaving.
….
Harry's heart was thumping wildly in his chest as he stood at the front with Oliver to his right. The crowd's noise had reached a deafening pitch. It was so loud and rambunctious that he couldn't even hear his own thoughts.
A hand on his shoulder from behind made him look over his shoulder.
"You're going to be okay Harry," said Angeline Johnson with a kind and encouraging smile.
"Thanks" he didn't know if she heard him or not as the noise got even louder after commentator Lee Jordan introduced the Slytherin team.
"Alright guys this is it" said Oliver, looking straight with a determined look on his face.
"AND NOW PLEASE GIVE A HUGE ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE GRYFFINDOR TEAM LED BY THEIR CAPTAIN OLIVER WOOD"
The door in front of them slowly opened and Harry was momentarily blinded by the light.
"Come on Harry, let's go" Angeline nudged him lightly on the back and he started moving.
Harry's jaw hit the floor as he saw the stadium filled to its capacity. He had been training right here for the past month but it never looked so big and daunting as it did now. There was a sea of red on one side and green on the other.
Madam Hooch's whistle halted his movement and he looked back to see his teammates a few feet behind him.
"Where do you think you're going Mr. Potter?" she asked.
"I-I'M sorry" he stuttered before hastily retreating back.
There was huge laughter coming from the Slytherin side of the stadium that made Harry want to dig his own grave.
"TOO LATE TO CHANGE SIDES NOW POTTER" yelled someone from the crowd that led to another bout of laughter with the Slytherin team also joining in this time.
"Quiet," yelled Madam Hooch, blowing her whistle.
"Poor Harry" whimpered Hermione, as she stood with her hands on the railing. "He looks so lost" Ron and Neville were standing on either side of her with Seamus and Dean behind them. Hagrid was standing next to Ron.
"Oh how I wish to curse every Slytherin into oblivion" growled Ron.
The captains came forward and shook each other's hands before Madam Hooch flipped the coin in the air and the game got on its way with Slytherin captain and chaser Marcus Flint, zooming towards the Gryffindor goal with the quaffle in his hand.
"Flint dodges a bludger from Fred Weasley as he goes past Katie Bell. Come on Katie, what are you doing?"
"Mr. Jordan!" exclaimed Prof. McGonagall's, sitting next to him.
"Sorry Professor" he said, not sounding at all. "Flint is closing in on Gryffindor's goal with only Wood left to beat and he...scores" The Slytherin's hollered and shrieked as they celebrated while throwing some expletives across the stadium at the Gryffindor's.
The game went on like this for the next fifteen minutes with Slytherin leading 70-0.
Harry, now feeling a bit at ease since the focus was not on him as everyone was fully engrossed in the game, casually zoomed around the pitch above everyone else looking for the snitch but having no luck so far. His counterpart, Terence Higgs, was having the same luck as him as he flew close to the Gryffindor side.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Slytherin captain whisper something in the ear of beater Adrian Pucey who took off towards Gryffindor's goal where Wood was closely watching the game. The Gryffindor beaters were under a lot of pressure with the Slytherin chasers and beaters having the upper hand on them so they did not see Pucey go behind Wood and smash a bludger straight to the back of his head, sending him sprawling towards the ground, where he landed with a thud.
The crowd went silent as Madam Hooch blew the whistle.
"GRYFFINDOR CAPTAIN HASN'T MOVED SINCE HE LANDED ON THE GROUND. OUR HOPES AND PRAYERS WITH HIM AS HE IS CARRIED OFF THE GROUND. I KNOW PROF. MCGONAGALL WILL NOT AGREE WITH ME AND THIS MIGHT BE MY LAST STINT COMMENTATING A GAME OF QUIDDITCH BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT I AM NOT A LEAST BIT SURPRISED BY SLYTHERIN'S FOUL PLAY AS WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY ALWAYS STRIKE YOU FROM THE BACK"
'Boos' were heard from the Slytherin side of the stadium after Lee's comment however, Prof. McGonagall stayed silent and it seemed that she was fuming inside.
Harry was still in shock and hadn't left his position even when the match restarted. A surge of anger came over him that was directed towards the entire Slytherin team and he wanted to wipe the smirk off their captain's face. But the only way to do that would be to win the match and that's what he intended to do. Gone was his nervousness, the anxiousness he had felt till now as he leaned down on his broom to gain speed.
The Gryffindor stand started cheering when they saw him zooming past them.
"Go Harry"
"Show em Harry"
He looked everywhere for the snitch but didn't slow down. He was about to go down near the pitch when suddenly his broom jerked hard to the left and he slipped off, barely hanging on to the handle with his entire body dangling in the air.
"Harry!" screamed Hermione and Hagrid at once.
Ron had a death grip on the railing and did not utter a word, his face was a mask of horror and his entire body was trembling with fear.
"OH MY GOD! HARRY POTTER IS HANGING ON TO HIS BROOM JUST BY HIS FINGERS. I DON'T THINK I CAN WATCH THIS MATCH ANYMORE. SOMEONE GO AND HELP HIM"
"Hang on Harry!" said George, as he got close to him with Fred right by him. The entire Gryffindor team flying towards him.
"Nearly there Harry, just hold on" Fred said as he reached out with his hand for Harry to take it.
Harry reached out with his right hand and was about to grasp Fred's hand when his broom took off and started zigzagging all over the pitch.
"AAH" he yelled, now holding on to the broom with only his left hand and attempting but failing to grasp it with his right as well.
"Someone's cursed the broom" yelled Hagrid.
"What?" asked Ron, finally able to speak.
"Someone's trying to kill Harry" Hagrid bellowed, his face red with rage.
Ron turned to face Hermione but she was busy looking through binoculars trying to scout out the culprit.
"Oh my god" she whispered but Ron heard her.
"What?"
She took off her binoculars and looked at him in disbelief. "It's Snape"
Ron's eyes got wide before he grabbed the binoculars from her and looked over at the teacher's stand. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Snape was furiously murmuring something with a frown on his face.
"What do we do?" he looked at Hermione.
"I'm going over there," she said, trying to hurry past him.
"Wait" he tried to stop her. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know Ron but we can't just stand here and do nothing. Now are you coming with me or not"
He stared at her for a second before replying "Let's go"
The words had barely left his mouth when there was a loud explosion right above the teacher's stand and the flap covering the left side of the stand caught on fire. There were shouts and screams as everyone tried to leave.
However, the fire started slowing down and everyone looked around until their eyes landed on Dumbledore who was standing in the adjacent stand with his wand pointing towards the fire. A blue hue was coming out of his wand and soon the fire was no more.
Everyone calmed down before a loud cheer erupted from the Gryffindor stands as Harry's broom had stopped moving and he had finally climbed back on it.
Dumbledore put his wand to his neck before speaking with a smile on his face. "Well those were rather interesting few minutes wouldn't you all agree" There was some nervous laughter heard all around the stadium as people didn't know how to react or what to make of what just happened. "Although I don't think Harry and the teachers would like me using the word 'interesting' to what they just encountered."
He then looked at Harry who was breathing heavily. "You alright there Harry?" he asked.
Harry took a few deep breaths before nodding his head. "Yes, professor."
"Good. I assure you nothing like that would happen to you again. Now, when and if you're ready and up for it, shall we continue to the match?"
Everyone waited with bated breaths to hear his answer. "Yes"
The entire Gryffindor stand cheered loudly before Madam Hooch blew the whistle and the match began again.
Harry was about to move when something went right across his face but he didn't lose sight of it as it flew towards the Slytherin goal. He immediately took off but not before the Slytherin seeker who saw it too and was closer to it than Harry.
Both seekers took a deep dive and the noise in the stadium reached a deafening level as everyone knew what they were chasing and followed their movements.
"He has to stop at some point right?" Hermione said, as she tapped her foot nervously.
"I don't think stopping is on his mind at the moment" said Ron, before going back to yelling "HARRY, HARRY, HARRY"
Both seekers were now parallel to each other and were reaching the ground at a rapid pace.
"He's going to smash into the ground" Yelled Hermione, panic clearly in her voice.
"No he won't," Ron yelled back.
Both seekers kept glancing at each other and the ground.
"He has to stop," continued Hermione.
"No, he's got this" Ron fired back.
"Oh my God, I can't watch this" She covered her eyes with both hands and waited for the impact to happen.
Harry was now leading and had his left arm extended towards the snitch which was only a foot away. He quickly looked over his shoulder for a millisecond and saw the Slytherin seeker now simply hovering in the air watching him.
He was only ten feet from the ground when the snitch levelled with the ground and zoomed straight ahead. Harry's eyes turned wide and he was about to smash into the ground when just by pure instinct, he shifted his entire weight back with his feet pushing hard on the end of the broom and simultaneously pulled hard on the handle. The twigs of the broom brushed with the ground as it ran parallel with the ground.
Harry was now crouching and gained extra momentum with this position. He leaned forward a bit and was about to grasp the snitch when he lost his balance and the broom slipped from under his feet.
He ended up diving forward and landed with a thud on the ground.
There was a chorus of 'OH's' heard around the stadium. Hermione, knowing what that reaction meant, didn't dare open her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek.
Harry laid on the ground with his eyes closed, knowing fully well that some part of his body was definitely broken, but he didn't care for it one bit as he lifted his right arm and took a fluttery golden ball from inside his mouth. He only had the strength to lift it up for five seconds but that was enough because the whistle was blown.
Soon, unconsciousness enveloped him but not before he heard loud cheering coming from one side of the stadium and closed his eyes with a smile.
A/N: So guys, as always let me know your thoughts in the comments and I'll catch you in the next chapter.