CHAPTER 11:
LIONS AND EAGLES
"It just doesn't make any sense," Hermione said at breakfast the next morning. "Who was that man, and how did he get inside the school?"
"He could have just walked in," Ron suggested.
"You can't just walk into the school. There are too many spells on it."
"Well, couldn't the spells have just worn off?" Harry asked.
"No, they're renewed every six months, and these spells can last up to a year without being renewed," Hermione informed him. "I've read about it in...."
"We know," Ron interrupted. "Hogwarts, A History."
"No. The History of Hogwarts."
***
Before Harry realized it, November had arrived, and the first quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw, was about to begin.
When Umbridge fled the school at the end of Harry's fifth year, his ban from quidditch went with her.
And so, here he was, walking out of the changing room with his fellow teammates, his Firebolt slung across his shoulder once again.
They marched towards the center of the field, the Ravenclaw team already there. Then, on Madam Hooch's whistle, they kicked off the ground and up into the air.
Harry rose up high above the pitch, gazing down for the golden snitch, like a hawk searching for a tasty, but hard-to-get, hummingbird.
Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker, was not far away from him, doing the same thing.
Down below him, Harry could see that Ginny was clutching the quaffle in her hand, and was headed towards the Ravenclaw goal posts. But when she reached them, Ravenclaw's keeper blocked her throw.
Now the Ravenclaws had the quaffle, and were speeding towards Ron, the Gryffindor keeper, at the other end of the pitch. Fortunately, he caught the quaffle just in time.
The Gryffindor chasers had the quaffle once again, but one of the Ravenclaws stole it and got it past Ron's flailing arms. But when the quaffle was in the Gryffindors' possession again, they scored their first goal, paying for the Ravenclaws' offense.
Harry finally caught a glimpse of a golden light flitting around down in the pitch, and dove down towards it, Cho following.
But then, the two seekers suddenly stopped in their tracks when they realized what the snitch was doing. It was flying alongside a speeding bludger, almost as if for protection. If either Harry or Cho tried to go for the snitch then and there, the bludger would beat them to a pulp!
"I think this is going to hurt," Harry said to himself. He thought that Cho must have heard him, for she then gulped nervously. After a few seconds of watching the snitch dance tauntingly around its bodyguard, Harry finally decided that he had best get this over with. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the thought of constant and intense pain out of his mind, and dove down towards the golden snitch, Cho following close behind.
The two seekers dove down closer and closer to the tiny, golden ball, all the while keeping a wary eye on the bludger. Harry stretched out his arm for the snitch as Cho moved in right next to him, stretching her hand out in the same manner.
Harry was only a few inches away from the snitch when the bludger attacked. It lunged towards the seekers, forcing them to draw back away from the snitch.
Cautiously, they approached the snitch a second time, but the bludger chased them away, yet again. The seekers tried again a third time, and the bludger swiped at them viciously.
This time, Harry wasn't fast enough, and the bludger nailed him straight into his side, knocking the wind out of him. But still, he managed to hold on, despite the heavy blow.
The bludger then came for him again, but Harry dodged it with a quick barrel roll. He turned around to see Cho dive for the snitch so quickly, that Harry didn't have time to react.
But before she could lay a finger on the tiny ball, the bludger swung with a nasty crack against her right temple. Miraculously, she also remained on her broom, but a trickle of blood now ran down one side of her face.
It was now or never. As Cho struggled to regain her senses, Harry dove for the snitch. He stretched out his arm, spread out his fingers, and wrapped them around the golden covering of the winged ball. But then, he looked up too late to see the bludger heading straight for his face, and all Harry could do was say, "oh, crap," before the bludger hit him squarely between his eyes, and he was swallowed up by darkness and silence.
TO BE CONTINUED
LIONS AND EAGLES
"It just doesn't make any sense," Hermione said at breakfast the next morning. "Who was that man, and how did he get inside the school?"
"He could have just walked in," Ron suggested.
"You can't just walk into the school. There are too many spells on it."
"Well, couldn't the spells have just worn off?" Harry asked.
"No, they're renewed every six months, and these spells can last up to a year without being renewed," Hermione informed him. "I've read about it in...."
"We know," Ron interrupted. "Hogwarts, A History."
"No. The History of Hogwarts."
***
Before Harry realized it, November had arrived, and the first quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw, was about to begin.
When Umbridge fled the school at the end of Harry's fifth year, his ban from quidditch went with her.
And so, here he was, walking out of the changing room with his fellow teammates, his Firebolt slung across his shoulder once again.
They marched towards the center of the field, the Ravenclaw team already there. Then, on Madam Hooch's whistle, they kicked off the ground and up into the air.
Harry rose up high above the pitch, gazing down for the golden snitch, like a hawk searching for a tasty, but hard-to-get, hummingbird.
Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker, was not far away from him, doing the same thing.
Down below him, Harry could see that Ginny was clutching the quaffle in her hand, and was headed towards the Ravenclaw goal posts. But when she reached them, Ravenclaw's keeper blocked her throw.
Now the Ravenclaws had the quaffle, and were speeding towards Ron, the Gryffindor keeper, at the other end of the pitch. Fortunately, he caught the quaffle just in time.
The Gryffindor chasers had the quaffle once again, but one of the Ravenclaws stole it and got it past Ron's flailing arms. But when the quaffle was in the Gryffindors' possession again, they scored their first goal, paying for the Ravenclaws' offense.
Harry finally caught a glimpse of a golden light flitting around down in the pitch, and dove down towards it, Cho following.
But then, the two seekers suddenly stopped in their tracks when they realized what the snitch was doing. It was flying alongside a speeding bludger, almost as if for protection. If either Harry or Cho tried to go for the snitch then and there, the bludger would beat them to a pulp!
"I think this is going to hurt," Harry said to himself. He thought that Cho must have heard him, for she then gulped nervously. After a few seconds of watching the snitch dance tauntingly around its bodyguard, Harry finally decided that he had best get this over with. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the thought of constant and intense pain out of his mind, and dove down towards the golden snitch, Cho following close behind.
The two seekers dove down closer and closer to the tiny, golden ball, all the while keeping a wary eye on the bludger. Harry stretched out his arm for the snitch as Cho moved in right next to him, stretching her hand out in the same manner.
Harry was only a few inches away from the snitch when the bludger attacked. It lunged towards the seekers, forcing them to draw back away from the snitch.
Cautiously, they approached the snitch a second time, but the bludger chased them away, yet again. The seekers tried again a third time, and the bludger swiped at them viciously.
This time, Harry wasn't fast enough, and the bludger nailed him straight into his side, knocking the wind out of him. But still, he managed to hold on, despite the heavy blow.
The bludger then came for him again, but Harry dodged it with a quick barrel roll. He turned around to see Cho dive for the snitch so quickly, that Harry didn't have time to react.
But before she could lay a finger on the tiny ball, the bludger swung with a nasty crack against her right temple. Miraculously, she also remained on her broom, but a trickle of blood now ran down one side of her face.
It was now or never. As Cho struggled to regain her senses, Harry dove for the snitch. He stretched out his arm, spread out his fingers, and wrapped them around the golden covering of the winged ball. But then, he looked up too late to see the bludger heading straight for his face, and all Harry could do was say, "oh, crap," before the bludger hit him squarely between his eyes, and he was swallowed up by darkness and silence.
TO BE CONTINUED