Disclaimer:
I do not pretend to own the Harry Potter world or any character within it: that right belongs to the eminent J. K. Rowling, to whom I most respectfully yield.
Neither do I pretend to be an expert on the early legends of King Arthur and the fabled Isle of Avalon. They belong to posterity and my imagination.
If, in writing, I offend someone, I apologize, but stand by my opinions.
I write this solely for my own amusement and for the appreciation of my audience. NO monetary gain whatsoever is intended.
I have no money, don't sue me, I'm not worth it, and there are bigger fish to fry.
Chapter Eight
Sure enough Wren was up in the girls' dormitories later that morning with a jar of Madame Pomfrey's Cure-All potion and a special liquid to help the tattoo set properly and painlessly. She didn't seem surprised in the least that Hermione had treated Anna's back, indeed she complimented her technique in using what she had to get as much as she'd accomplished done.
Within a few minutes Anna was back on her feet, healed, healthy, and very, very, hungry. As they came down the stairs, Ron and Harry were waiting, wanting to see if Anna was alright.
"Are you OK?" asked Ron anxiously.
"Yes, thank you," Ann blushed, embarrassed they'd seen her in the state she'd been in the night before, "Wren came up with the Cure-All, and I'm fit to go."
"Thank heaven for small favours," Harry muttered, "It's not like those white robed sadists couldn't have done it last night."
Anna flinched, "Harry, I know you don't like them, but they're my family. Please don't do that, it's rude."
"And what they've done to you isn't?" he countered, angry.
"I had a choice," Anna said, softly, "I chose to stay on Avalon, I chose to follow the path of a priestess, and I chose to accept the discipline."
She looked defiantly into his eyes, "You may not like it, that's fine, and you don't have to live it, but you will at least respect my decision." Her voice had gone from soft and embarrassed to firm and declarative. This was the voice of a Priestess.
"It not fair, you shouldn't have to live like that!" Ron protested.
"You're right," she agreed amicably, "It's not fair. That's life. My life. Or to borrow a Christian phrase, that's my little cross to bear."
"Guys, will you leave it, ok?" Hermione asked, "It's the weekend, please let's all be pleasant, alright?"
They grumbled, but agreed, and went down to the dining hall for breakfast. The first Qwidditch match of the season, Griffindor vs. Slytherin, was scheduled for that afternoon. As Anna tucked away her weight in bacon, eggs, and porridge talk on the table turned to bludgers and quaffles, instead of magic and tattoo's, to everybody's relief and satisfaction.
The Slytherin team, Captained by Draco Malfoy now that Flint had graduated, glowered from their breakfast table and spoke loudly about how they were going to pancake the Griffindors.
Fred and George had to be held down from beginning the 'bludging' a little early and the entire team set down for a strategy session in the Griffindor common room for the morning. The first order of business was to elect a new Captain, a position Harry protested, but was out-voted on, and he had to accept anyway.
The Weasley's also unveiled their new brooms, Firebolts, as a 'surprise' for the Slytherin team. They'd bought the pair of them with the proceeds from the latest Wizard Wheezes bank draft.
As midday approached, the weather was calm and clear, a perfect Qwidditch playing day. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Anna all marched down to the field early, to get the best seats. Soon the stadium filled, Slytherin on one side and Griffindor on the other, as Lee Jordan went to the top box to announce the game.
"Welcome everybody to the first Qwidditch match of the season: Slythierin vs. Griffindor!" madcap cheering rose from the stands, "We have two new captains starting out in their very first games: for Griffindor their Seeker Harrrrrry Potterrr!"
As soon as the applause died to a dull roar, Lee went on announcing the names and positions of the various players. As Fred and George came out, mounted on their new Firebolts, a tremendous roar came from the stands. Draco, in Slytherin Green with the silver captain's band, looked satisfyingly worried.
"And they're off," Lee shouted, as the snitch, quaffle, and bludgers were released. "Quaffle taken by Slytherin. It looks like; yes it is, Adrian Pucey, for Slytherin. Oh nice bludger work by a Weasley, can't tell which one, on their brand-new Firebolts, Spinnet had the Quaffle, heading for the goal, she shoots, oh no, miss, but no wait the rebound, Johnson, GRIFFINDOR SCORES!"
Half the stands erupted in fanatical cheering, Draco swore and swatted at his broomstick. The Weasley twins, mounted on their new broomsticks were all over the place, knocking bludger after bludger towards Slytherin players, and unseating several very important passes. The new Griffindor Keeper, Natalie McDonald, proved herself very useful in the opening minutes, blocking two shots. She was no Oliver Wood however; and Sytherin scored several goals is rapid succession after she had the wind knocked out of her by a bludger.
"Spinnet had the Quaffle, passes to Johnson, and passes to Bell, back to Johnson and oh my, that was a foul! Yes there's the whistle, penalty shot to Griffindor for Blagging, he clearly had her broomtail by the twigs. She puts it away easily and Slytherin gets the Quaffle!" Lee's voice suddenly rose in pitch, "Wait a minute I think Harry's spotted the Snitch!"
Everyone held their breath as Harry, and milliseconds later Draco, both dove wildly towards the base of the Griffindor goal posts, Harry reaching there first, narrowly missing the post, but Draco, with less broom control than the excellent Firebolt, crashed straight into the hollow aluminium tube.
"Ouch! That had to hurt! The Slytherin seeker gets ploughed, by a well timed dive from Griffindor" Lee winced as a collective groan issued from the Slytherin stands, "The score still stands Griffindor up one-hundred and twenty points to eighty, and yes, I believe I see that Madame Pomfrey has arrived on the field."
The mediwitch rushed out to the field, and, almost as soon as she reached Draco, waved him off. "I think, yes, it is, the Slythierin Seeker has been removed from the game for medical reasons. Do we have a replacement? Ten minute time out to Slytherin to regroup."
The Slytherins madly rushed into the locker rooms, amid muffled murmurs from the crowd. According to the rules one team couldn't bring another player onto the field if one was removed, but they still needed to have a Seeker in order to finish. No other player could touch the Snitch and end the game.
The Slytherin chaser, Adrian Pucey, took the Captain's armband, and told Madame Hooch he was now taking over as the Slytherin Seeker, leaving only two chasers on the field to play for Slytherin. The pace of play went from quick to absolutely mad. The Beaters didn't seem to much care if they made contact with flesh or bludger.
Three penalties, in rapid succession, were awarded to Griffindor and play turned really ugly. Alicia's nose was broken by a bludger, struck almost next to her face, but she continued to play. Fred Weasley was knocked off his broom by another Beater; he re-mounted gasping, but still able to fly.
Harry decided that enough was enough, the next time he spotted the snitch, floating near the top box, he gunned all the acceleration the Firebolt had towards the little golden ball. Adrian Pucey, realising Harry'd spotted the snitch and unable to match his skill or speed, rammed the tip of his broomstick into Harry's ribs. Undaunted, Harry still wrapped his fingers around the squirming little ball, and fell, head over heels, into the lap of Professor Sprout on the top box.
The Griffindor stands went crazy, Hermione jumping up and down on Ron's foot, with Ginny and Anna screaming like banshees. Suddenly Anna stopped jumping, and held herself very still, Hermione let go of Ron's neck and turned to ask what was wrong.
She shook her head, nothing was wrong, and spoke, softly, but Hermione was standing next to her and could still hear the words, "Goddess as you love me, let this not be my time" before rolling back her eyes and entering the trancelike state she usually spellcast from.
Suddenly, an enormous explosion erupted from the Griffindor goal posts. Red and Gold sparklers rained down on the crowd. Another firework burst over the top box, showering the teachers, and not so incidentally Harry, with Griffindor Red and Gold. More fireworks exploded, showering the entire stadium, until Anna gasped out of her conjuring trance and swayed a little, light-headed from the effort of creating the fireworks.
As soon as she had her balance, or enough balance that Ron could help Hermione drag her down the stairs, the entire lot of them, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Anna clamoured down to the field. Harry, still reeling from his intense Blatching at the hands of Adrian Pucey, landed on the pitch amid much noise.
It was a madhouse, people shouting and screaming, but Harry, Fred, and George somehow managed to find Hermione, Ron, Anna, and Ginny, the two twins sweeping up Anna and again bending her over for a doubly enthusiastic kiss, before Fred was spirited away by his girlfriend Angelina. Ginny had Harry by the waist, although Harry was grimacing from his cracked ribs, and Ron and Hermione were hugging each other and jumping up and down together, cheering.
The crowd on the pitch thinned as most of the players had left for the lockers; Harry remained, as he needed to be seen by Madame Pomfrey because his ribs ached something fierce. After the mediwitch had performed the simple, but relieving Bone Fracture Restoring charm, Harry walked up to Anna, who was seated cross-legged on the very edge of the pitch.
"What's the matter?" He teased, "Don't want to be seen with me?"
"Oh no," she exclaimed, "The fireworks just made me a bit dizzy" she accepted his hand to help her up, and before she knew it she'd been pulled into a sweaty, panting, albeit slightly ginger, embrace.
"So they were yours, were they?" he murmured into her hair, "Nice touch."
"Thank you" she tucked her head on his shoulder and suddenly went stiff, her eyes wide, Harry stood up straighter and turned to look at what she was staring at.
There, on the middle of the pitch and in full view of about half the school, were Ron and Hermione. Standing exactly where they started out and firmly locked at the lip.
"Well, well," she said, sounding satisfied, "Will you look at that"
"About time," Harry said, "They've been driving me nuts all year."
"Have they, then?" she grinned, "That'll keep 'em busy for a while, eh?"
"Yes," Harry agreed, "I believe it will."