-CHAPTER NINE-

Gryffindor VS Slytherin

On the morning of the frist Quidditch match of the year the weather could not have been worse. The dark grey clouds rumbled ominously, but no rain fell. The air was intense; amplifying the stress Harry felt coursing through his veins. The Great Hall was filled with the delicious scents of breakfast as everyone spoke excitedly, looking forward to the match.

"You've got to eat something Harry," Hermoine said almost pleadingly.

"I'm not hungry,"

"You'd best eat Harry," Said Alexa piling on the ketchup onto her sausages.

"I don't want any," Harry replied stubbornly.

"Potter," Said Skye in a calm tone and regarding him with a serious face. "If you don't eat we just might have to jynx you,"

"She's jokin' o course," Said Hagrid's voice from behind Harry. "Or lets hope fer yer sake Harry," Hagrid's massive hand scuffled Harry's dark hair, making appear as if he had a serious case of bed head.

"Hullo Hagrid! Coming to the match today?" Asked Ron, piling in spoon full after spoon full of breakfast.

"O course I am. Wouldn't miss it for all the galleons in Gringotts," Hagrid beamed proudly to Harry. "And yer invited to me house after the game n' all. Tea and some biscuits I bought at Hogsmeade. I would'he made some myself, but, I'm all out,"

("Thank God for that," Ron said under his breath.) Hagrid opened his mouth to continue, but something at the head of the Hall caught his eye. "But err... Best be going. Gotta talk teh Dumbledore. Good luck to yeh Harry!" Said Hagrid, before leaving them back to their breakfast.

"Well," Said Hermoine puzzled. "That certainly was odd of him. I wonder he's up to,"

By eleven o'clock it seemed the whole Hogwarts student body (not to mention the staff)were out in the Quidditch pitch stands.

Ron, Heromine and Amy joined Dean, Seamus and Neville in one of the lower level stands.

Meanwhile Harry was in the boys Gryffindor change rooms when he heard a scream, then several more. There was a loud clamour of noise, and then nothing. Moments later there was a knock at the door.

Harry looked to Fred, and then to George who both seemed to be equally stunned. It swung open after a moment, and to Harry's astonishment Skye stormed in, her dark red and gold Quidditch robes rustling. She held a bundle of oddly assorted clothing.

"Oi! Skye!" Fred said surprised, as he pulled up his trousers. "Someone could've been naked in here!"

"Don't flatter yourself Fredrick. It's not as if I would've looked," She turned to face Harry, who was still, more than slightly shocked. "You've got a visitor Harry. He accidentally turned up in the girls change room. Nearly got his head smashed off by Alexa's broom when she found him,"

A familiar face (Well, actually, nose) poked out from the clothes and Harry realized it was in fact Dobby, a house elf he had met in his second year.

"Dobby?"

"Dobby is terribly sorry sir!" The house elf squeaked. "Dobby simply wanted to wish Harry Potter good luck! Dobby didn't know he was in the wrong room! Honestly sir!"

Skye put Dobby on the ground, but he still clung to her leg as he continued to speak in his quivering high tone. He seemed on the brink of tears. "Miss Dumbledore saved Dobby, she did! Dobby didn't mean to, it was an accident! Dobby-"

"Dobby, Calm down," Harry instructed. The little house elf looked to Skye, then to Fred and George, (more precisely to their brooms) and then back to Harry. Uneasily, he unhinged himself from Skye and climbed on top of a bench. "Dobby is bad. Dobby will have to burn his fingers and toes for this...." The house elf mumbled incoherently.

"Dobby, it was a simple mistake," Said Harry. "Everyone makes mistakes,"

Dobby blinked through his tears, and then a smile crawled onto his face. "Harry Potter is very kind he is. Not that Dobby did not already know. Dobby even wore the first pair of socks Harry Potter ever gave him for good luck!" Dobby displayed his feet, which were covered by an old pair of Uncle Vernon's socks. "But," Dobby said abruptly as his ears perked up and he looked around the room, appearing more nervous than every. "Dobby must be going now! Must go back to the kitchen! Dobby must!"

Although quiet confused by Dobby's reaction he nodded. "Alright. See you soon then," He held the door open as the little house elf scurried out and into the hall.


Harry stood numbly staring out at the Quidditch pitch through the Gryffindor entrance. The wind hollowed as the entire team stood watching. The Slytherin team flew up and out first, accompanied by the loud cheering of their fellow Slytherins. Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws clapped politely, while Gryffindors simply booed. Harry caught a glance of Malfoy's usual self assured scowl in his direction.

"Alright. I've already said all I can say," Said Skye watching the pitch, looking slightly dumbfounded herself. "Everyone remember to breath. And win. Don't forget to win. If we don't, well," She paused. "Well, it won't be very pretty,"

Harry swallowed, trying to keep the rising feeling in the pit of his stomach down. They mounted their brooms, and then flew off onto the pitch into a tidal wave of wind and cheers.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" Yelled Lee Jordan, who was the commentator as usual. "This year's line-up is; Potter, Spinnet, Johnson, Bell, Weasley, Weasley Shermwood and Dumbledore! Don't those lads have it good, I bet they-"

"Jordan," Said Professor McGonagall who sat beside him.

Harry soared into the air, feeling the wind blow his hair off of his forehead. The uneasy feeling in his throat fled him and he breathed deeply as he rose higher into the sky, and lapped once around the pitch finally feeling at ease.

"Captains, shake hands!" Said Madame Hooch. Skye approached the centre of the pitch looking sternly to the Slytherin Captain Jin Chang. Chang glided over and glared as they shook.

"I want a clean game from all of you," Hooch warned, her yellow cat like eyes looking to each team. "Three... Two... One.." The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar of the wind and cheers of the spectators.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor with the Quaffel, headin' straight for the Slytherin goalposts-WHAM! Nice block by George Weasley. Or Fred, I can't really tell.... Bell continuing to the Slytherin goalposts! Nice duck under Warrington Katie! Almost there-Arg! No! Intercepted by Slytherin Captain Jin Chang, heading now towards the Gryffindor goalposts-SHE MISSES! Brilliant block by Gryffindor Keeper, Alexa Shermwood! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

Alexa did a victory flip on her broom, while the Gryffindors below her cheered proudly. The game continued, becoming more and more violent. Penalties were being awarded left and right. McGonagall had to warn Lee Jordan several times about his bias comments, but there were times when even she seemed she might stand up and start yelling. The wind seemed to be blowing harder, almost pushing Harry in different directions, but still no sign of the Snitch. Gryffindor was in the lead thankfully, fifty-forty five.

"Gryffindor in possesion-No wait-Slytherin-No-Angelina Johnson with the Quaffel! C'mon Angelina!"

Harry watched from above as Angelina barrelled down the pitch, but something caught his eyes. Derrick had just hit a bludger and sent it hurtling towards the audience!

"Look out!" Lee Jordan yelled into the magical megaphone. Madame Hooch's whistle ran out and then suddenly Skye appeared in the bludger's path. She slapped the bludger with the head of her broom; slap shooting it back flying into the game. She looked down at the handle, surprised but obviously relieved she had not broken it.

"Penalty to Gryffindor for deliberate bumphing!" Said Hooch. While Katie flew over to take the penalty Lee continued. "Brilliant save by Gryffindor Captain Skye Dumbledore and her Lightning Strike-Katie Bell for the penalty-YES! SHE'S BEATEN HIM! SIXTY-FOURTY FIVE TO GRYFFINDOR! Take that you cheating, dirty-"

"Jordan!" McGonagall was heard warning him.

Relieved Harry went back to searching for the Snitch. "Gryffindor in possession of the Quaffel-WATCH OUT FOR THAT BLUDGER ALICIA! Oh no! She dropped it! Caught by Montague- Damn! Sixty-Fifty Five to Gryffindor- Slytherin Captain Chang in possession. Get her Fred! Just joking Professor!"

Harry turned sharply, the sound of the wind echoing in his ears to watch as Chang barrelled down the pitch, the other chasers on either side of her in a distinct arrowhead shape that Harry recognized as the 'Hawkshead Attack Formation'. Alexa fleeted in front of the goalposts watching, her jaw clenched.

"YES! SHE BLOCKED IT! SEVENTY-FIFTY FIVE TO GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry turned away and felt a jolt of excitement as he saw the glinting gold of the Snitch in the centre of the pitch, high in the air. And Malfoy was all the way on the Slytherin side of the pitch. Harry pushed his Firebolt forward, gaining height quickly. But against the wind it made it more difficult. Harry flattened himself to his broom, avoiding a bludger sent his way by Bole.

Now practically pushing his way straight to the Snitch Harry saw Malfoy doing the same from the other side of the pitch.

"C'mon!" Harry urged his broom. "Go! Go! Hurry!"

Almost there... Just a litte further... Harry stuck out his arm, leaning as far forward as possible... Just a dozen more feet and-

CRACK

Harry let out a groan like scream of pain as a bludger rammed into his arm, just below his elbow. Holding his broom with one hand Harry brought his other arm to himself barely keeping his balance in the torrential wind. The bludger had completely ruined his arm pads, and judging by the pain his arm was probably broken it.

There was a roar of cheers from the Slytherin side, Harry looked up just in time to see Malfoy holding the Snitch and then barrelling right into him!

Harry lost his grip around the helm of his Firebolt and began to fall with surprising speed. The last thing he saw before hitting the solid ground with shattering pain was the image of the rolling dark clouds above...



"When's he gonna-"

"SHHH! I think he's waking up!"

"It's about bloody time!"

Harry cracked open one eye, and then slowly the other. Ron, Hermoine, Alexa, George, Fred, Katie, Alicia, Angelina and Amy all stood around the bed where he now lay. He only needed one glance to realize he was in the Hospital Wing. The Quidditch match... He had fallen hadn't he? Harry grimaced and shifted in the bed. 'Definitely fell,' Said this nasty voice in his mind.  His back and arm ached with severe pain, and he felt so drowsy he could barely keep his eyes open. He looked to Amy, who sat on the chair next to his bed. She smiled warmly at him.

"Here," Said Amy placing a small vile in his other hand. "You've got to have your skele-mend potion. Madame Pomfrey will be back in a minute, and she'll go mad if you haven't taken it,"

"What happened?" Harry asked before glancing at the potion warily.

"Well," Said Ron with a small shrug. "After that lousy git, Malfoy caught the Snitch," Harry groaned inwardly, disappointed. He had hoped it had been a nightmare. "He crashed right into you. You lost your balance on your broom and fell. But so did he. You both hit the ground at the same time, and then we rushed out and... Here you are,"

"Madame Pompfrey says you'll be okay Harry," Said Hermoine looking to him sincerely. "You broke your arm and wrist. And you bruised your spine. You gave us quite a scare,"

"I'm fine," Said Harry, trying to calm to intense look in Hermoine's worried eyes.

"Because you know, there's nothing like falling off your broom at 150 feet in the air during a Quidditch match," Said Amy, and then blushed. "Sorry, I think that came out wrong,"

"Took you long enough to wake up Potter," Came Malfoy's drawling voice from across the room. Fred and George moved out of the way so Harry could see. Crabbe and Goyle stood beside him, looking, well... blank. A few other Slytherins stood beside them, all glaring at Harry. Malfoy lay in his bed, his one arm bandaged in a sling the other holding a peice of chocolate. "I've been awake for a good half an hour already,"

"And what a half an hour it has been," Said George before turning his back to Malfoy. "How you feelin' Harry?"

"Getting better, I suppose," Said Harry shifting uncomfortably. "Did Madame Pompfrey say when I can leave?"

"Tomorrow afternoon," Said Ron. "Lucky you, you get to miss Potions,"

Harry nodded apprehensively, and looked around the room again. And then it hit him, the whole Quidditch team had come to see him, except Skye. She seemed one of the most likely to be, and he was surprised when he realized she was not. "Where's Skye?"

"Dunno," Said Ron. "She was the first one to you. But once Hooch said you were still alive she left,"

"Well of course she did," Said Fred. "Can you honestly expect her to stay when-"

"Out! Out! Out!" Said Madame Pompfrey waiving her arms in the air as she rushed in carrying an armfuls of chocolate boxes. "All visitors have to leave! My patients need their rest!"

She rushed them out of the room so quickly Fred didn't even have time to finish his sentence. There was a silence, and then Malfoy said with a sneer, "Well Potter. I guess it's just you and me,"

Harry sighed and let his head fall back onto the pillow in aggravation. Even falling from one hundred and fifty feet in the air was better than spending the whole night in the same room as Malfoy.

Harry awoke several times that night, always with a jolt as if he had awaken from a nightmare... But he couldn't remember. And then one time, when it was well off into the night he awoke and saw a familiar head of blond curls standing at the foot of Malfoy's bed.

"Skye?"

She turned abruptly and in a lopsided grin she said quietly, "How you doing Harry?"

"Getting better I suppose. Bloody sore though.... What are you doing here? Or better yet, how'd you get past Madame Pomfrey"

"Well," She walked over and sat down on the foot of the bed. "I used to spend a lot of time in here,"

"Why?" Asked Harry curiously.

Skye looked to the bed beside him, her dark eyes seemed to have lost their sparkle and after a few moments of silence she replied. "I was in an accident Harry. My last year here, before I was sent away, I mean. I was in flying class with some third year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs and someone thought it would be fun to let out a bunch of bludgers.

"I was four hundred feet in the air when I saw it coming straight for me. And I.... I sat there staring at it for a moment.... Before I realized what was happening. And then I did the only thing I could think of...

"I did the Sloth Grip Roll. You know, when you wrap your legs around your broom and hold on tightly and flip yourself upside down? And the Bludger nearly hit me. It nicked my knuckles, but somehow.... I kept holding on. I don't know how really.... I just held on....

And that's when it happened. A second Bludger came at me and hit my leg, and I lost my grip.... As I kept on falling, it kept coming back at hitting me over and over, like it had been jynxed or something,"

Skye took the time to pause, as if it was a home video watching it all in her mind.

"When I hit the ground, I felt as if I must've died. For an instant, I felt no pain... No fear... I just....... Felt nothing. Like I was numb all over,

"And when I woke up here, I didn't understand why every bone in my body ached. I couldn't see. There were bandages all over my face, and I didn't understand why. I tried to move, but I... I just couldn't. They had strapped me down to the bed, so that I wouldn't touch the bandages. They were all over my legs and my head, and I... I just didn't understand why.... I couldn't even cry because it would be soaked up by the bandages.....

"Albus explained that I'd broken my leg and that it had been bleeding so much that, Madame Pomfrey had to use muggle methods to help slow the bleeding down.

"I'd damaged my spinal cord, and for the first couple of weeks, they didn't even know if I was going to be able to walk again...."

Skye's entire body shrugged as she let out a sigh. "I did start walking again. There was no way in bloody hell I was gonna let some prat of a Bludger stop me," She turned and smiled to Harry, the sparkle in her eyes had returned.

"That's why you're not allowed to play Quidditch, isn't it?" Asked Harry. She nodded solemnly, "Albus told me I'd never be allowed more than one hundred feet in the air on a broom ever again. But, he didn't say with was my fault that I'd fallen. He never, once, told me it was because of me. He never blamed anyone...

"But Cedric, that was a different story. He felt so horrible you could see it in everything he did or said. Even when he looked at me, I never understood why. He said it was because he hadn't been there to catch me, but it wasn't his fault. Like Albus said, it wasn't anyone's fault. He never really forgave himself, but he was like that you know? He was the kind of lad that took responsibility for things, even if they weren't his fault,"

Harry saw the tragic sadness in her eyes, and felt a swell of compassion. Cedric had been a good person, and for some reason, it struck a chord in Harry to see a girl he had only met a few months before in such pain. He opened about to say something, not quite sure what, just something, when she abruptly stood up. She sniffed and scratched a phantom itch on the back of her neck. "Er... I s'ppose I'll be seein' you tomorrow then," She said, suddenly sounding awkward. "Night' Harry,"

"Night'," Harry replied, still somewhat shell-shocked by the whole ordeal. She smiled once more, before turning and disappearing into the shadows of the night.

Chapter 10:  The First snowfall, December first