Thanks again to Darknesswithinonesheart! Sorry this chapter is so short, I'll make up for it in the next one!
Quote: "Candy fuels the brain for but a short time. It's the sugar rush everyone craves!" –David
Disclaimer: Don't own them. Please don't hurt me!
Jaded Angels and Silken BlossomsChapter 11: Fallen Bells and Bucking Broom
***
Our magical training intensified. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I exchanged information that we had been after, all four of us.
Hermione and I found out about the wizard newspaper, the Daily Prophet, and I ordered a year's subscription to it. (It was a Galleon for three hundred sixty- five newspapers. Who wouldn't?) We also found out about the Gringotts break-ins and Harry and Ron's quest to find out what was in the little grubby package of vault 713. Hermione and I told them about the trapdoor, and we connected the dots.
But what could possibly need so much protection?
As we entered November, the cold began to get to me. I love winter because, no matter what, you can always put on more clothes. My brother continued sending us candy and soda, and pretty soon, we began asking for our favorites. Harry loved strawberry soda and I don't think Ron could live without a can of Dr. Pepper once a week. Hermione asked for Sprite, and I asked for cream soda. We all wanted Chocolate Frogs.
Quidditch practice intensified that last Friday morning. Although I wouldn't be replacing anyone, even I had to train extra hard. Wood wanted me to become a better Seeker for some strange reason. While he, Alicia, Katie, and Angelina practiced Chaser moves and Fred and George batted a baseball back and forth (Wood didn't want anyone to get hurt), Harry and I dove for the Snitch. Harry got to it before me every time.
"I don't get it!" I said. "How can you possibly see that little thing so far away?"
"Just good instincts, I think," Harry shrugged. "Go again." He released it and it flitted around his head once before disappearing again. Harry was still looking all over for it when I caught the little speck of gold light in my sights. I dove for it, using all the speed that my Nimbus had in her. I reached out for the Snitch and almost caught it. Then it flitted out of my reach and I pulled to a stop. A quick glance around showed me that Harry had once again caught it.
"Even when I see the darn thing first, he beats me!" I shouted. "You betta not eva get hurt, 'Arry Potter, or I might not be able to win that Cup."
"Don't worry, I won't," he grinned.
At lunch, we stood out in the courtyard. Hermione and I had conjured up a jam jar and a blue fire to keep warm. We saw Snape crossing the courtyard, and wouldn't you know it, he stopped right in front of us.
"What's that, Potter?" he asked, pointing to the book Hermione had leant him from the library. It was Quidditch Through The Ages.
When Harry showed him, he made up some rule about library books outside of school and took the book from him.
"He was limping," Harry said.
"Too bad he wasn't in a wheelchair," I said moodily. "He's got no right to treat us so, no right at all, I tell ya."
Harry decided to go back and get his book that night, while we were doing our homework. When he returned, out of breath and barely able to speak, he told us exactly why Snape had been limping.
"He went after that dog!" Harry exclaimed. "And I bet he let the troll in!"
"No…he couldn't have. He's a teacher, why would he want to steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe?" Hermione asked. However, the vibes I was getting off of Snape and what the troll had done to me won me over to Harry's side.
"I wouldn't put nothing past that man, 'Mione," I said. "He's bad news, teacher or no."
The next morning, I woke bright and early, six o'clock sharp once again. After Syaoran had finally consented, Hermione, Sakura, he, and I played a reduced Quidditch game for the practice. Hermione and I were the Seekers and Sakura and Syaoran were the Chasers. We played kind of like half-court basketball, but it was good practice.
At least, I actually caught the darn Snitch.
I was glad that no one had gotten hurt since yesterday. I was still going to walk out onto the field with the others in our Quidditch robes. There was a special area behind the announcer's box in which the "extra players" were told to sit. Since I was the only one (Slytherin team was constantly changing people, as Wood had put it), I was quite comfortably seated with an excellent view. Professor McGonagall and Lee Jordan, the Weasley twin's friend, were the only other people.
"Sonorous," said Jordan, pointing his wand to his throat.
Wood had already given a good long speech to the entire team before sending me up to the announcements stand. He had told me plainly that if anyone was hurt or grew ill to promptly fly out and take their place.
"Good afternoon, Hogwarts, and welcome to the first Quidditch game of the season!" shouted Jordan. He needn't have, though, because the spell he had performed had magnified his voice to fill the stadium. "Today, we have Griffindor vs. Slytherin, and here comes Griffindor with their new Seeker, Harry Potter. Also new to the team is their extra, Angel Indigo, who is seated right behind me. She's ready, I'm willing to bet, to rush out there if something goes wrong. But we all know it won't, right, Professor?" McGonagall had been giving him a glare that would have reduced him to a pile of ashes had she had heat vision.
"And they're off!" shouted Jordan. I watched the game commence and filtered out Lee Jordan's voice. Katie, Alicia, and Angelina were absolutely awesome, flying with the Quaffle in hand, passing it to keep it just out of the green robed hands. Fred and George sent several Bludgers at the Slytherin Chasers, and nearly knocked one of the Slytherin Beaters off of their broom.
Wood blocked anything that came his way. Harry was flying over the entire game, and the Slytherin Seeker was watching him warily.
"Was that the Snitch?" Jordan said.
Harry dove. He must have seen the Snitch! But Marcus Flint, Captain and Chaser on the Griffindor Side, struck Harry broadside. I stood up and watched carefully as Harry nodded and said he was fine. I sat back down again as Alicia took the penalty shot. The Griffindors were still shouting, "foul!" as the game intensified.
Katie made her way toward the Slytherin goal with the Quaffle tucked carefully under her arm. She was almost there when Flint took another broadside chance against her. Even from here, I could see her hands loosening, her eyes rolling back in her head, and her grip on her broom letting up. She was knocked out cold.
And apparently no one noticed, because suddenly, Harry's broom started bucking wildly.
"Something appears to be wrong with Potter's broom," said Jordan. Katie plummeted. I took action.
"Miss Indigo—"
I didn't stop to hear what McGonagall had to say. Katie fell down, down, down, and I dove after her.
"It seems Bell has fallen from her broom!" shouted Jordan. "Indigo has taken action and is trying to catch her before she falls to her death!" The crowd was now silent. Harry's broom stopped bucking. You could hear a pin drop on the pitch as I dove faster. Katie was just about to hit the ground when I caught her.
A roar of relief went up from the crowd as I took her up and flew back up to the announcer stand.
"Bell has been knocked out by Flint's devious cheating. Wood is signaling for a time-out and has made his way toward us at this time. Professor, what do you make of this?"
"Bell? Bell, are you all right?" Wood shook her should, but she did not wake.
"Flint went after her while everyone was watching Harry's broom," I said. "Speaking of which, it started back up again. What on Earth is going on?"
"I don't know, Miss Indigo, but there isn't much we can do about it," said McGonagall. "If someone in the crowd is jinxing the broom, we can't find them. There are too many people."
"And we can't stop the game," said Wood. "Indigo, you're in. Can you take care of Bell, Professor?"
"No trouble at all," said McGonagall.
"And it is decided!" shouted Jordan. "Since Bell has been knocked out of commission by an open display of foul fouling, Indigo will replace her as the third Chaser of the Griffindor team!"
The crowd cheered, but I heard none of it. I was going to concentrate and do my best to win this game for Griffindor. We could still win by points if the Snitch was caught by the Slytherins, if we got a good enough lead.
"Sure you're up to it, Indigo?" asked Alicia.
"I'm good," I said. "Let's just get ahead. I think Harry's got control of his broom again." And so he had. I caught a quick glimpse of Hermione running back to the stand where she, Hagrid, and Ron were sitting, but paid it no attention.
Since Katie had had the Quaffle, I was given possession of it. The red ball tucked tightly under my arm, we retook our positions on the field. With a whistle from Madam Hooch, we were off again. Ducking a Bludger and Flint, I saw that Angelina was open. I threw the Quaffle and she caught it. The Keeper couldn't get to it in time. We scored.
He threw it back out to Flint, who grinned maliciously and headed back toward Oliver. Fred shot a Bludger at him, knocking the Quaffle from his hands, which Alicia caught. She threw it to me, and I turned around. The Keeper was headed for the ring I was at, but too late. I threw it through and we had another ten points.
Harry dove. Slytherin had the Quaffle again. Alicia stole it. Harry flew faster. Alicia passed the Quaffle to Angelina and Angelina passed it to me. The Keeper was in front of the ring I was. Angelina was near the far end. I faked a pass to her, and he fell for it. Harry was pulled up. I threw. Harry's hand stretched out.
"GRIFFINDOR SCORES!"
Harry caught the Snitch.
"He has the Snitch! He has the Snitch! Griffindor wins! Two hundred points to sixty!" Jordan was yelling. We all flew down to Harry and congratulated him. Wood, who was still flying down, jumped from his broom and hugged him. Then he kissed me on the cheek. I was blushing, but I was more worried about Katie.
"GO GRIFFINDOR!" shouted the crowd. I flew back up to the announcements tower and saw that Katie was finally waking up.
"What happened?" she asked groggily. "Did we win?"
"Yup," I grinned. "We won. Flint knocked you out, so I had to take over."
She smiled wearily. "Cool."
***
Hermione and Ron came down, followed by Hagrid. I still hadn't had the chance to get to know him all that well, although Hermione had. The crowd was still cheering as Harry and Ron and Hagrid led the way to the little cabin on the grounds.
"It was Snape," Ron explained. "We saw him! He was jinxing Harry's broom."
"What were you doing, Hermione?" I asked.
"I set fire to his robes," she answered.
"It's rubbish!" Hagrid said. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"
We all exchanged looks. Then Harry explained to him all that we already knew.
"How'd you find out about Fluffy?" Hagrid asked.
"Fluffy?" Ron grimaced.
"Yeah, didn't you see the bowl?" I asked. "It said Fluffy on it."
"Yeah, he's mine," Hagrid explained. "Bought him off a Greek chappie I met down at the pub las' year…let Dumbledore borrow him to guard the—"
"What?" I asked eagerly.
"I already tol' ye too much,"
muttered Hagrid. "Yer meddlin' in things that ought not to be meddled with. You
forget what Fluffy's guarding, that's between Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel—"
"So it's got something to do
with Flamel?" I asked. "Who's Flamel?"
Hagrid looked furious with himself.
"You guys were right," I said as we left. "He is a nice guy."
***
Hmm….I'm not sure what other clues I can give you, other than what I have. Not without giving it away, I think. Hmm…let's see…he would prolly have told Sakura that he wouldn't see her for a long time…