Draco Malfoy, Seeker Of Souls

Chapter Nine

Quidditch: Potter Verses Malfoy

**~~~~~**

Harry and I had not played Quidditch for ages. Harry had played at the beginning of the year up until we went to the Black School. I, however, had not even been at school for most of my fifth year, so I hadn't been able to play at all. I was depressed.

Harry was in the doldrums too. Ginny was showing some signs of improvement, but not much, and the search for her Soul wasn't progressing very fast. I had had no time to spring Tom Riddle from the dungeons in order to contact Slytherin again. It was wearing on both me and Harry and we needed something to do to get our minds off it. Luckily, Snape came through.

Harry and I were in Snape's room, looking after Ginny. Ginny sat on the bed, staring straight ahead, Nathaniel on her lap. Nathaniel was cheerfully sucking on his thumb, and one of Ginny's hands was stroking his hair gently. It was as if her body remembered this slight gesture, even if her brain did not.

Snape entered and watched Ginny for a while before observing Harry and me in silence. "How would you both like to play Quidditch tomorrow morning?" he suddenly asked.

Harry and I looked at him incredulously. "Really?" I asked.

"I figured we were off the teams since we were gone for so long this year," added Harry.

Snape's mouth betrayed a smile. "There are only a couple of matches left until the finals. Both of your teams said they wanted you back. The Gryffindors said that Harry was the best Seeker they'd had in years, and the Slytherins said they wanted Draco."

I was very surprised. "They did?"

Harry cackled at me. "So maybe you're not as bad as you look!"

"Shut it, Potter!"

Snape nodded. "So I imagine you should both go out and practice with your teams tonight. You'll need to get back in shape. I'll feed Miss Weasley and young Mr. Malfoy their dinners."

We both kissed Ginny on her cheeks and then scurried out of there to find our respective team captains, excitement blazing.

*****

The next morning dawned clear as a bell. I woke up in Snape's room and headed down to breakfast to sit with the other Slytherins. I couldn't imagine why they were being so nice to me. As far as I could tell, they all thought I was the coolest because I escaped from the famous Black School of Spain and lived to tell about it. News traveled fast around Hogwarts, so everyone knew.

I relished in the attention, admittedly, even if it wasn't real friendship.

Harry was looking at me across the hall. He had a nervous look on his face. I was about ready to smile at him, when I remembered something. Our teams were playing each other today, and that meant that Harry and I had to catch the Snitch against each other. I hadn't even thought about that. When we had been solid enemies, it had been easy. I would have gladly knocked Potter off his broom for a chance to win, but now…it was going to be harder. I shrugged at Harry. It would work out okay. May the best team win.

I was just finishing up my toast when our captain came over to me. "Play a good game today, Malfoy. We can't loose to Gryffindor, understand?" His eyes had a fire in them. I looked up at him and nodded vaguely. I couldn't let them down. They were just starting to like me again. And I had to be liked.

*****

Later on, I stood in the entrance to the stadium, bundled up in my green Quidditch robes. I looked out at the throngs of people climbing up into the stands to watch the two most heated teams duke it out. And it all came down to me. I had never felt so frightened or so alive. I hadn't been there in almost two years and it felt strange. I also noticed that I couldn't have grown more than an inch in that time, as my fellow teammates were towering above me by at least two feet. Damn it all!

I could vaguely hear Lee Jordan start commentating somewhere in the stands. We received the go-ahead and our team headed out onto the field. Harry's team was coming out from across the way. I scanned my eyes into the crowd, looking for our group. I finally spotted Hermione and Ron, who were jumping up and down waving Gryffindor flags. But suddenly they flashed to Slytherin green in support of me too. I grinned widely. My friends.

Ginny was sitting there too, having been introduced back to the school society. They all knew she was quite ill, and everyone was very supportive. I could see Hermione gently pointing me out to her. I was delighted that her eyes moved to me, and the flicker of a smile played on her lips. It gave me the idea that hope was not all lost. Her hands worked the blanket she was wrapped in as she watched me. Nathaniel was happily perched on his "Uncle" Ron's lap and I could tell that Ron was mouthing, "There's Daddy!" to him. I had to win! There were so many people rooting for me.

But then they were waving at Harry and I was forgotten. Only Ginny was still focused on me. I set my mouth in a straight line. I would have to beat Harry if I ever wanted to be back in with the Slytherins. That suddenly seemed very important.

The whistle was soon blown and everything else was forgotten. I rose on my Firebolt II like a shooting star and rocketed up high into the sky. The wind blew through my hair and suddenly I was all-powerful. All that mattered was me and the Snitch. I did several loops on my broom to show off.

Harry flew by me before long. "Good game then, Draco?" he asked hopefully.

I nodded vaguely. I also knew he was going to win. I couldn't let him do that. I would be humiliated. I took off rapidly, leaving Harry with a confused look on his face.

I soared around for a good long time, searching desperately for a flash of gold. Harry was trailing me. How could I ever find the Snitch with him up there with me? I suddenly had a wicked idea. Harry would never think I would fake him out. The old Draco might have, but me? Never. I flew more towards Harry and made sure he was looking at me. I feigned a sudden look of brilliant excitement on my face and dive-bombed towards one of the Gryffindor Chasers.

I turned my head around to see what Harry was doing, and he was looking around frantically in the direction I was speeding in. Finally, rather to be safe than sorry, he took chase.

I sped down towards the ground, my hair blown straight back, my eyes open wide. I could feel Harry right on my tail, still searching frantically for what he couldn't see. I then cut sharply to the left, just missing the Gryffindor Chaser I was aiming for. She cried out, startled, and wrenched to the right, colliding with Harry. They both fell from their brooms and landed with a thunk on the ground. I, meanwhile, zoomed back up to my spot and started to desperately look for the Snitch again, now that Harry was out of my way. I felt a stab of nervousness as I watched Madam Pomfrey pulling Harry and the Chaser off the ground below, but I shrugged, ignoring the dirty looks the Weasley Twins were giving me. He had been almost at the ground when he fell, and probably wasn't hurt one bit. Meanwhile, I had the whole airspace to myself.

I was flying free, when someone flew by me so close that I almost lost my balance. I thought it was a stray Bludger, but it was Harry. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed. He had a very bad bruise starting to form on his cheek.

"Playing Quidditch," I hissed back. "And you don't need to hiss," I finished.

"You tried to kill me!" he glowered.

"I didn't mean to! I thought I saw the Snitch!" I lied. I gave him an innocent look.

Harry looked at me warily. "All right…" He headed off the other way, scanning the field below him.

I breathed a sigh of relief. That had been close! He would be so mad if he learned that I had tried to make him fall off his broom. I wonder what had come over me! I figured I had better play a cleaner game for the rest of the match.

An hour later, the Slytherins were loosing. I really needed that Snitch more than anything, and the skittish thing hadn't shown itself yet. Every once in a while, Harry and I would zoom past each other and stick our tongues out playfully, but otherwise it had been an uneventful hour.

I was in the midst of a yawn when something flew into my mouth, choking me. I coughed and spluttered and my eyes shot open. The Snitch had tried to make a dive right down my throat and now it was hovering right in front of me. Its light dazzled me and it took a moment for my hands to rise from the broomstick handle to grab at it. In that split second, it took off again. "NO!" I howled and dove after it.

Of course Harry had seen it by then, and the chase was on. It had flown right by him, so he was in the lead and I was behind by a good several meters. He was going to catch it! Gryffindor was going to win again. Perfect prats, winning everything all over the place. Why couldn't I seem to win anything? I remembered the pain I felt my first year when the beautiful green banners hanging in the great hall had changed to scarlet before my very eyes when the Gryffindors won the house cup. I suddenly felt anger for all of my weakness, and Harry's perfect winning ability. I put on an extra burst of speed. The Snitch was mine!

Harry's cloak was flying just feet from my face. I heard a sudden voice in my head, not in my speaking voice, but Tom Riddle's. 'Why don't you just reach out and grab his cloak?' it said. 'It's right there in front of you.'

"Yes," I answered, and reached out, gripping it and pulling back as hard as I could.

Harry immediately jumped. "Quit it!" he yelled, slapping at my hands.

"It's mine!" I screamed. I inched up on my broom.

"You're going crazy!" Harry hollered, and reached out a hand towards the Snitch. We were practically out of the stadium by now, and the spectators were shrieking, filling my ears. They would be so proud of me!

"I can't let you have it!" I cried. The voice in my head was louder. 'Jump for it. Take what's yours!' As the crowd screamed in horror, I let go of my broom and launched myself onto Harry. The force of me hitting him knocked him to the side and he barely held on with his legs, swinging off the side of the broom and coming to rest to hang underneath. I pitched forward as I lost my balance and clasped the Snitch in my hand, flying over the front of Harry's broom at the same time. I started to fall. I screamed.

"Draco!" Harry was hanging upside down on his broom, but he managed to grab onto my wrist as I did a flip in midair. His face was red from the blood flowing into it and with anger, but he held onto me.

"Just drop me!" I begged, clutching the Snitch tightly. "Don't try to help me!"

"You're mad!" We started to lower towards the ground. I looked down to see students running onto the field from the stands. The rest of our teams were standing in the middle, looking up at us fearfully. They had never seen anyone behave so aggressively in school Quidditch.

Once we touched down on the ground, Harry rolled from under his broom and kicked my feet out from under me. I fell solidly and the wind was knocked out of me. "What's wrong with you!" he yelled. "You're such a bloody idiot!" He grabbed my shoulders and started to thump me against the ground. My eyes rolled.

In a moment, Madam Hooch was pulling Harry off of me. "Mr. Potter…please try to relax, Mr. Potter!" Harry was struggling. He looked like he wanted to tear my eyes out.

I wasted no time. I jumped up and ran with all my might up to the school. I didn't stop until I had reached Snape's room. I then realized I still had the Snitch. We had won.

*****

Snape couldn't find me when he came into the room later. "Draco, are you here?"

I refused to answer. I watched his feet pace back and forth across the room. "Come out here, right now. I know you're in here." He started to talk as if he knew I could hear him. "I'm very upset at you for diving after the Snitch like that. I think you almost gave Harry a heart attack and that was why he was so violent with you. You could have died!"

I smiled ironically. It was odd to hear him sticking up for Harry.

He stopped pacing. "Where the hell are you?" He was starting to sound irritated.

"Go away," I muttered in a small, yet defiant voice.

Snape's head appeared a moment later as he peered under the bed. "Come out from there, will you?"

"No!" I answered. I looked at him glumly, the Snitch idly flapping its wings where it lay in front of me. I was indeed sprawled on my stomach under the bed, still in my Quidditch pads. I felt safe under there.

Snape glowered at me. "Don't be afraid of Harry. I'm sure he'll forgive you."

"I don't need Harry! I hate him!" I screamed.

Snape's mouth twitched into a smile. "So you'll sacrifice one of your friends over a game of Quidditch?"

"I have no friends!" I hollered. "Now go away! I don't want you here!"

Snape did go away, which hurt. I was used to people pleading with me until they were finally reduced to begging. And Snape hadn't done that. He had just left me under the bed. I tried to fight the hot tears that were welling up in my eyes. I wouldn't cry. I would go see Tom. Tom liked me. And I liked him. He would make everything better.

**~~~~~**

Note: Hey everyone! So glad you're enjoying it! Special "hi" to FireSprite! I've missed you! And I haven't been able to get to the Draco/Ginny list! :( So glad to see you! And to answer another question, Nathaniel is a little different from Baby Harry in the movie (I think. I can't remember what the baby looked like very much!). I've done drawings of Nattie on my webpage, which can be found in my profile. I think Nattie has more hair. :) Enjoy the next parts, everyone!