Chapter Fourteen
The Quidditch Match
Malfoy and I hurried to get decent seats in the Slytherin stand. I tried not to look preoccupied, but it was hard enough knowing that my mother could be related to my potions teacher and house head with all the other happenings. Malfoy gave me a concerned look as I shot a glance across the pitch before we went up the stairs. What did Snape mean when he'd say I'd know if his hand changed back again? Malfoy put his arm around my shoulders and held me close as we walked up the stairs. I hardly noticed, I just felt too confused.
Lee Jordan was commentating as usual. He was in his last year of Hogwarts, as the two Weasley beaters for Gryffindor were. They were coming out onto the pitch now. Snape walked into the middle of the pitch and met the two captains of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. I leant forwards and felt the breeze pass over my face in the warm sunshine.
"Tell me what's going on?" I asked Malfoy. That way I could keep him occupied, and perhaps learn something.
"They're exchanging comments, and handshaking. Snape will let the balls go and then order them to mount their brooms before blowing the whistle to start them." I nodded. The Snitch flew up from Snape's grasp, and flew away. He levitated the box to the side of the pitch, and gave the order to mount. They were off. I'd not watched many games of Quidditch in my life, and I'd never realised how thrilling watching it is! Malfoy was studying the techniques and chipping in on the failures of the players, and what he thinks would improve it. I nodded every little while, although I was gripped in watching the skills of the players. The Ravenclaw seeker started to dive, and Harry Potter, the Gryffindor seeker followed. They raced downwards, reminding me of how Percy had pulled me down towards the forest. I looked onwards in the direction they were going and saw Snape look up at them, and then his eyes widened. They were heading straight for him… Potter managed to pull out of the dive and missed Snape by a metre. The Ravenclaw seeker however ploughed straight into the referee, who blew his whistle and gave a lecture to the seeker before awarding a penalty to Gryffindor, shooting a disgusted look at Potter as he did. Gryffindor scored, and the scores were neck and neck.
"Ravenclaw is holding well." Malfoy commented. Snape was looking down, clutching his wrist. I grabbed the glasses off Malfoy and focused in on Snape. He held on to his broom with one hand, but his injured hand was giving him trouble. I concentrated hard, a hand on my chest over the necklace hidden beneath my robes. Snape snapped his hand back onto the broom. I breathed a sigh of relief, hoping Malfoy didn't hear. I gave them back.
"Sorry, thought I saw the snitch." I explained.
Gryffindor won, Potter caught the snitch a few minutes later. Malfoy seemed to have a strategy in his head for his own match.
"Coming back to the common room?" He asked.
"Er… later. I've got something to do. I'll catch you up." He shrugged.
"Okay. You'll miss Crabbe and Goyle though." I smiled.
"You can tell me all about it when I get there, deal?" He nodded. I headed in the direction of the broomshed. The midday sun beat down on me in my dark robes as I walked. I narrowed my eyes as I entered, trying to make out shapes in the darkness as my eyes adjusted to the light. I walked past racks of brooms of different sizes and shapes, hearing owls fluttering from the rafters overhead. I trusted instinct. The teacher's brooms would be near the back of the shed, with the seventh year's brooms. I turned a corner round the line of sixth year brooms and stopped.
"How's the hand?" I asked. Snape had his back to me, sat on a stool beside the rack. He didn't turn at my question.
"It wasn't the hand." He told me. I came closer silently, and saw he was holding his arm again.
"Voldermort?" I asked in a whisper. Snape got up and threw the stool beside.
"Who do you think girl?" I stood still, my body language neutral.
"I don't think, I know…" I told him. He nodded, raised a hand to touch me, and thought better of it. I caught his arm and gave him a smile.
"I haven't told Malfoy anything. The only thing he could have picked up was anything my behaviour gave away." Snape nodded.
"I cannot think why we disowned Adia. If we'd seen you I don't think we would."