Chapter 5
"So you really think you can beat me Harry?"
Harry and Ginny were walking to the Quidditch pitch after the rest of the school had finished classes. All that day, they looked through Moste Potente Potions, jotting down promising concoctions to use on Draco, but nothing that sparked inspiration (and the fact it would be hard to get him to down the gooey potion mixes).
The evenings practise as for the Quidditch group. Some people were already there, including Draco Malfoy.
"Well if it isn't potty and the runt weasel. Tell me Weasley, has your price gone down, now that Potter has touched you."
Harry's rage enveloped him. "Say that again Malfoy and your last breath will be in 3 seconds."
"Well I'd be happy to oblige Potter, just give me a few moments with Weasley here," Draco smirked.
Harry stepped forward, fists clenched, but Ginny stepped between then.
"Okay Malfoy, think you're so good? I bet you that I can beat you at Quidditch, and what's more, three times. If I can catch the snitch three times, you have to leave the Gryffindors alone for the rest of the year."
Malfoy smirked. "Is that all? I am going to beat you girl and I'm going to make your life a living hell."
"All right Mr Malfoy, Ms Weasley, if you want a challenge, you'll only play it one way, my way!"
The newly formed crowd turned to find Madam Matthews in her Thunderer Quidditch robes, holding a broom in a canvas covering.
"You will start at opposite ends of the Quidditch field, facing outwards, I shall release the snitch in the middle of the field and after I blow my whistle, you may commence to search for it. These are the same rules and restrictions placed on official challenges in the league, so I don't want any complaining," she said, seeing Malfoys' face contort with anger.
" I shall give the snitch to the opponent if a foul is played against them. Is that clear?"
"Crystal," said Malfoy. "Yes," replied Ginny.
"I will be monitoring you in the air, don't try anything dirty, I'll be watching," Madam Matthews said. Then she pulled off the canvas covering of her broom.
"It's the new Thunderbolt." "I've never seen anything like it." "I thought they were still in the testing lab."
Harry was amazed at this new thunderbolt. It looked just like his, but was different in so many ways. Its handle was split into three parts. A piece of almost black wood, a clear glass slide, then an almost pure white piece of wood.
"But it's only experimental, how did you get one?" Said Malfoy, as if outraged his money couldn't even get one.
"Well I have a friend at the broom lab and he asked if I could try it out for him when he found out I wasn't on a team this year."
"Why does it look like that?" Asked Harry.
"Well you see, they have tried using the black hawthorn wood before, it makes for good fast brooms. But unfortunately it's very brittle so it's not very good when you hit them with something, and strengthening spells don't seem to hold within the wood. The White wood is Whomping Willow, very sturdy and very manoeuvrable, but very unruly, not obeying command much. However they devised a way to keep the two woods together using the glass, therefore the Whomping Willow and hawthorn don't get annoyed at having spells inside them, magic spells just surround it because the spells sit within the glass. So now we have a very fast, very manoeuvrable broomstick."
The group stood in awe at the broom.
"Okay, let's get this started, Malfoy, Weasley, get up there."
When Ginny and Draco were at either end of the pitch, Madam Matthews blew her whistle. The snitch was off. They sped around the pitch, searching for the speedy ball.
"Oh my gosh, Ron was right, Ginny is a seeker."
Ginny's speed and agility were far superior to Dracos, and Harry could help but feel proud.
Then Malfoy dived, but Ginny did also, in a completely different spot. She caught the snitch. Cheers erupted from the stands.
"Malfoy, you might want to try faking it a little earlier!" Ginny yelled triumphantly.
Draco looked angry. They got into positions again and the whistle blew. Off again, they whizzed around the pitch.
It was five or so more minuets before any of them saw it. It was right in the middle of the field, hovering happily in the air. Ginny was in it's direct path, but so was Malfoy, on the opposite side.
They were both heading straight for the snitch, but then Malfoy did something unforgivable. Instead of going for the snitch, he went for Ginny. The hard broom handle slipped through and got her straight in the stomach.
Ginny's face took on a look of incredible pain as she slipped off her broom and plummeted towards the ground. The crowd gasped.
"GINNY!" cried Ron and Harry.
Stephanie Matthews dove from above in speeds Harry had never seen before. She wasn't a streak; she was a blur. She caught Ginny just before she hit the ground. They landed and Ginny rolled onto the ground. She was groaning in excruciating pain as Harry and Ron ran to her side.
"Ginny? Ginny, what is it? What hurts?" asked Ron.
Ginny couldn't answer. Then she coughed.
"Malfoy what the HELL have you done to her?" cried Ron.
Harry's anger went past controllable, all he saw was red. He marched straight over to Malfoy and decked him. Malfoy fell to the ground where Harry continued to pummel his stomach.
"I HATE YOU MALFOY! I'M GUNNA FUCKING KILL YOU!!" he screamed.
It took several Slytherins to pull Harry off Draco, and he was still stronger. Harry finally calmed down enough to realise Ginny had already been taken to the hospital wing. He walked over to the spot where she once laid, the blood still there. Grief overtook him as he raced to the castle.
Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let him see her, not even Ron, who was family!
He went up to Gryffindor tower. He needed a long hot shower. The water cascaded down his back as the steam increased.
"Why Ginny? Why not Malfoy? Why not me? Oh my poor Ginny, why do bad things happen to you?"
Then Harry realised what he said. "She's not mine." But he wished she were. "I love her smile and her laugh, and how here hair smells of daisies and honey, and the way she is always there for me, even if she needs a hug herself."
He pushed his back against the tiled wall and slid down. Harry buried his head in his hands. "Please Ginny, please don't die, I don't want to lose you."
* * * * * * * * *
Harry paced the common room, deep in thought (which was just a mask for his worry).
"Harry, please sit down, pacing isn't going to help," said Hermione gently. Harry just looked at her and kept pacing.
Then the portrait opened. Ron stepped though looking pale and shaken. Harry and Hermione raced up to him.
"How is she? What's wrong? Can we go see her?"
Ron swallowed and closed his eyes as if not trusting his voice to crack. "Mum and Dad just arrived to see her. When they let them in without me, I was scared."
"They? Whose they?" Said Harry, worried.
Ron swallowed again. "That hit to Ginny's stomach was really bad Harry. She has, internal bleeding."
Hermione gasped and Harry stared at him in disbelief.
"They brought over a specialist from St Mungos to operate on her, because she was to bad to move, even to portkey. I think they've stopped operating now, but it's bad."
"How bad?" Hermione choked out.
"I overheard Madam Pomfrey talking to Professor Dumbledore. Apparently she has a bruised liver and her diaphragm was damaged. I don't know if that's bad, but it sounds bad, especially if internal bleeding and a special doctor is concerned."
Ron looked at his feet, fighting back tears. "I'm going to bed, said Ron.
"Bed?! Ron! At a time like this?!!" Exclaimed Harry.
"Yes, because I'm not allowed to see her and probably not until later tomorrow. All I can do is wait. And I would rather do it sleeping."
He went towards the bedrooms Hermione rushed over and gave him a long comforting kiss and murmured something in his ear. Ron continued up the stairs.
"You know Harry, he's right," Hermione said softly.
Harry nodded his head grudgingly. "Yeah I know, 'night Hermione."
"Goodnight Harry."
Harry trundled up the stairs and pushed open the door to the bedroom. Everyone was already in bed, Ron's drawn curtains moving as he changed. Harry closed his canopy curtains and flopped onto his back. He put his glasses on his bedside table before they became wet from his tears.
"My beautiful, sweet Ginny, please hang on."
"So you really think you can beat me Harry?"
Harry and Ginny were walking to the Quidditch pitch after the rest of the school had finished classes. All that day, they looked through Moste Potente Potions, jotting down promising concoctions to use on Draco, but nothing that sparked inspiration (and the fact it would be hard to get him to down the gooey potion mixes).
The evenings practise as for the Quidditch group. Some people were already there, including Draco Malfoy.
"Well if it isn't potty and the runt weasel. Tell me Weasley, has your price gone down, now that Potter has touched you."
Harry's rage enveloped him. "Say that again Malfoy and your last breath will be in 3 seconds."
"Well I'd be happy to oblige Potter, just give me a few moments with Weasley here," Draco smirked.
Harry stepped forward, fists clenched, but Ginny stepped between then.
"Okay Malfoy, think you're so good? I bet you that I can beat you at Quidditch, and what's more, three times. If I can catch the snitch three times, you have to leave the Gryffindors alone for the rest of the year."
Malfoy smirked. "Is that all? I am going to beat you girl and I'm going to make your life a living hell."
"All right Mr Malfoy, Ms Weasley, if you want a challenge, you'll only play it one way, my way!"
The newly formed crowd turned to find Madam Matthews in her Thunderer Quidditch robes, holding a broom in a canvas covering.
"You will start at opposite ends of the Quidditch field, facing outwards, I shall release the snitch in the middle of the field and after I blow my whistle, you may commence to search for it. These are the same rules and restrictions placed on official challenges in the league, so I don't want any complaining," she said, seeing Malfoys' face contort with anger.
" I shall give the snitch to the opponent if a foul is played against them. Is that clear?"
"Crystal," said Malfoy. "Yes," replied Ginny.
"I will be monitoring you in the air, don't try anything dirty, I'll be watching," Madam Matthews said. Then she pulled off the canvas covering of her broom.
"It's the new Thunderbolt." "I've never seen anything like it." "I thought they were still in the testing lab."
Harry was amazed at this new thunderbolt. It looked just like his, but was different in so many ways. Its handle was split into three parts. A piece of almost black wood, a clear glass slide, then an almost pure white piece of wood.
"But it's only experimental, how did you get one?" Said Malfoy, as if outraged his money couldn't even get one.
"Well I have a friend at the broom lab and he asked if I could try it out for him when he found out I wasn't on a team this year."
"Why does it look like that?" Asked Harry.
"Well you see, they have tried using the black hawthorn wood before, it makes for good fast brooms. But unfortunately it's very brittle so it's not very good when you hit them with something, and strengthening spells don't seem to hold within the wood. The White wood is Whomping Willow, very sturdy and very manoeuvrable, but very unruly, not obeying command much. However they devised a way to keep the two woods together using the glass, therefore the Whomping Willow and hawthorn don't get annoyed at having spells inside them, magic spells just surround it because the spells sit within the glass. So now we have a very fast, very manoeuvrable broomstick."
The group stood in awe at the broom.
"Okay, let's get this started, Malfoy, Weasley, get up there."
When Ginny and Draco were at either end of the pitch, Madam Matthews blew her whistle. The snitch was off. They sped around the pitch, searching for the speedy ball.
"Oh my gosh, Ron was right, Ginny is a seeker."
Ginny's speed and agility were far superior to Dracos, and Harry could help but feel proud.
Then Malfoy dived, but Ginny did also, in a completely different spot. She caught the snitch. Cheers erupted from the stands.
"Malfoy, you might want to try faking it a little earlier!" Ginny yelled triumphantly.
Draco looked angry. They got into positions again and the whistle blew. Off again, they whizzed around the pitch.
It was five or so more minuets before any of them saw it. It was right in the middle of the field, hovering happily in the air. Ginny was in it's direct path, but so was Malfoy, on the opposite side.
They were both heading straight for the snitch, but then Malfoy did something unforgivable. Instead of going for the snitch, he went for Ginny. The hard broom handle slipped through and got her straight in the stomach.
Ginny's face took on a look of incredible pain as she slipped off her broom and plummeted towards the ground. The crowd gasped.
"GINNY!" cried Ron and Harry.
Stephanie Matthews dove from above in speeds Harry had never seen before. She wasn't a streak; she was a blur. She caught Ginny just before she hit the ground. They landed and Ginny rolled onto the ground. She was groaning in excruciating pain as Harry and Ron ran to her side.
"Ginny? Ginny, what is it? What hurts?" asked Ron.
Ginny couldn't answer. Then she coughed.
"Malfoy what the HELL have you done to her?" cried Ron.
Harry's anger went past controllable, all he saw was red. He marched straight over to Malfoy and decked him. Malfoy fell to the ground where Harry continued to pummel his stomach.
"I HATE YOU MALFOY! I'M GUNNA FUCKING KILL YOU!!" he screamed.
It took several Slytherins to pull Harry off Draco, and he was still stronger. Harry finally calmed down enough to realise Ginny had already been taken to the hospital wing. He walked over to the spot where she once laid, the blood still there. Grief overtook him as he raced to the castle.
Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let him see her, not even Ron, who was family!
He went up to Gryffindor tower. He needed a long hot shower. The water cascaded down his back as the steam increased.
"Why Ginny? Why not Malfoy? Why not me? Oh my poor Ginny, why do bad things happen to you?"
Then Harry realised what he said. "She's not mine." But he wished she were. "I love her smile and her laugh, and how here hair smells of daisies and honey, and the way she is always there for me, even if she needs a hug herself."
He pushed his back against the tiled wall and slid down. Harry buried his head in his hands. "Please Ginny, please don't die, I don't want to lose you."
* * * * * * * * *
Harry paced the common room, deep in thought (which was just a mask for his worry).
"Harry, please sit down, pacing isn't going to help," said Hermione gently. Harry just looked at her and kept pacing.
Then the portrait opened. Ron stepped though looking pale and shaken. Harry and Hermione raced up to him.
"How is she? What's wrong? Can we go see her?"
Ron swallowed and closed his eyes as if not trusting his voice to crack. "Mum and Dad just arrived to see her. When they let them in without me, I was scared."
"They? Whose they?" Said Harry, worried.
Ron swallowed again. "That hit to Ginny's stomach was really bad Harry. She has, internal bleeding."
Hermione gasped and Harry stared at him in disbelief.
"They brought over a specialist from St Mungos to operate on her, because she was to bad to move, even to portkey. I think they've stopped operating now, but it's bad."
"How bad?" Hermione choked out.
"I overheard Madam Pomfrey talking to Professor Dumbledore. Apparently she has a bruised liver and her diaphragm was damaged. I don't know if that's bad, but it sounds bad, especially if internal bleeding and a special doctor is concerned."
Ron looked at his feet, fighting back tears. "I'm going to bed, said Ron.
"Bed?! Ron! At a time like this?!!" Exclaimed Harry.
"Yes, because I'm not allowed to see her and probably not until later tomorrow. All I can do is wait. And I would rather do it sleeping."
He went towards the bedrooms Hermione rushed over and gave him a long comforting kiss and murmured something in his ear. Ron continued up the stairs.
"You know Harry, he's right," Hermione said softly.
Harry nodded his head grudgingly. "Yeah I know, 'night Hermione."
"Goodnight Harry."
Harry trundled up the stairs and pushed open the door to the bedroom. Everyone was already in bed, Ron's drawn curtains moving as he changed. Harry closed his canopy curtains and flopped onto his back. He put his glasses on his bedside table before they became wet from his tears.
"My beautiful, sweet Ginny, please hang on."
