~Chapter Fourteen~
Harry, and Damien joined Ron and Hermione at breakfast the next morning, it was a beautiful day however, for Harry it was a day of fears, because today he would be playing in his first Quidditch match.
"Good luck Potter," came Severus' voice as he walked by his son and then headed up towards his seat at the table. Suddenly Harry looked up to see his owl, Hedwig heading towards them.
"Isn't it a little early for mail just yet?" Hermione asked as the beautiful white bird dropped the package in front of the four children.
"Well, what are you waiting for, open the thing," Damien said smiling, as the four children began to rip it open.
"It's a Nimbus Two Thousands, cool!" Damien exclaimed. Harry looked around and saw Minerva sitting at the table smiling fondly, he smiled back, and smiled as she nodded and he smiled.
"I don't think I've ever been so nervous in all my life," whispered Harry as he ran his hands over his new broom.
"What's to be nervous about Harry, you're going to be a great seeker, it's in your genes," Hermione said smiling.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked looking over at Hermione.
"Your father, haven't you ever looked at our trophy case, you're dad was top seeker when he was here, won an award for every year he played. Dumbledore even told me that your father broke the record for the quickest game ever, lasting a total of six minutes," explained Hermione smiling.
"Hermione, where the hell do you learn all of this?" Ron asked.
"Hogwarts, a History, what don't you ever read?" Harry shook his head in disbelief and sighed. Harry chuckled softly and looked at her.
"You know Hermione, I think maybe you should visit my house sometime, don't you agree Dame?" Damien laughed and nodded.
"Absolutely," Harry looked at his watch, his father had given him recently and hissed with annoyance.
"I'm gonna be late, promise you'll all be there," he said looking at them.
"Like we'd miss it, go on," Hermione said smiling after him. Damien smiled and watched Hermione watch the young boy go, he couldn't help but notice her looks when he wasn't paying attention.
The crowd roared, Harry was so nervous he didn't remember a word Oliver had told him about the game, or the pep talk for that matter. Oliver walked next to Harry in the small covered tunnel.
"Nervous?" He asked Harry.
"That would be one word," Harry said as the roaring came closer.
"Don't worry Harry, like McGonagall said, you're a natural. You'll get up there, and everything will come to you," explained Oliver.
"Yeah, as long as I don't get hit first," whispered Harry.
"I was just as nervous my first game," stated Oliver.
"Really, what happened?"
"Ah… I don't really know, I got hit by a bludger two minutes in, woke up in the infirmary two days later," Harry rolled his eyes with fear. The feeling in his gut wouldn't go away, and as they slowly stepped out onto the pitch the feeling only intensified, to the point where Harry was sure he'd puke.
The fourteen students rose in the air, one team of seven dressed all in Red, the Gryffindor, the other team of seven in green, The Slytherin. Harry looked around the stadium for his friends and father, but didn't see them before Hooch spoke up from where she stood on the ground.
"Nice clean game from all of you," she said, with that she let the Bludgers loose, and the flew up in the air, then she let the Snitch go, it flew around Harry's head once, and then around the other seeker's head then disappeared. Finally she threw up the Quaffle, and the game began at her whistle.
Harry sat upon his broom high above the action, watching what was going on, he could hear his friend's voices as they screamed out to him, looking over he saw Hermione and Damien, they were holding up a large flashing sign, reading GO HARRY! This made Harry feel ten times higher, and better. He looked over at them and saw Hermione wave to him, smiling widely. He smiled softly, and felt his heart jump slightly at the thought of her. Damien gave him a thumbs up then pointed across the stadium, Harry's eyes moved to where Dame was pointing and smiled as he saw his father stick his hand up in the air for a small wave.
Harry focused for a few more minutes when he suddenly saw it, a gold object not far away, he flew after it instantly, but as he was doing that he suddenly felt his broom going haywire. It starts bucking and bouncing him around the place. He gripped the broom until his knuckles turning white with fear. The broom continued to buck around, he noticed both Weasley boys racing towards him, trying to save him, but every time they reached for him, Harry's broom rose in the air.
Harry looked over at his father, who seemed concentrating…on Harry's broom, what the hell was going on, if Harry didn't know better…his father was muttering a curse or something.
"Hermione look!" Ron said pointing to Severus, she looked at him.
"He can't be cursing Harry's broom, I'll go stop him, or someone, whoever is doing it," she stated.
"Hurry Hermione, Harry could fall any second," whispered Damien, the last thing in the world he wanted was to watch his best friend plunge to his death, "hold on Harry, hold on."
Harry had no intentions of doing anything else as he continued to grip the handle of his broom, the pitch was so far down, and he was so far up.
Hermione crept through the bleachers across the pitch and hurried towards Snape, never realizing he bumped into Quirrell, causing him to loose his footing, as well as his eye contact as she sat down by Snape. He looked over at her and scowled.
"What the hell is going on?" She asked, but Snape didn't reply his eyes still focused on Harry, however soon the broom quite bucking.
"Someone cursed Harry's broom, I want the four of you to stay away from you know who," Severus whispered out the side of his mouth, with a firm nod and an angry look on her face, Hermione made her way back to her own seat.
Meanwhile, Harry, now under control again, finally spotted the snitch and flew off towards, in a complete dive with his broom, Severus, like nearly every other person in the pitch stood to watch as Harry, and the other seeker continued their dive, at the last minute the seeker for the Slytherin team freaked out and pulled up on his broom, however Harry continued to grow closer to the ground, making a sudden jerk with his broom he was no standing on his feet, reaching out for the snitch, only a foot of the ground. Reaching out, Harry made the mistake of moving a foot forward, and pitched forward, tumbling all over the ground till he came to a stop on his butt.
"Looks like he's gonna be sick," whispered Damien as he watched Harry suddenly trying to cough or choke on something, finally he spit into his hands, revealing a small golden ball with silver wings. There was an uproar of cheering from the stands, and the pitch as Harry held the snitch above his head.
"YEAH HARRY!" Screamed Hermione, Damien and Ron, Damien and Hermione hugged, without thinking about it, suddenly they stopped, noticing and smiled softly at each other. Severus said nothing, but allowed a soft smile to play across his lips at the sight of his son now holding the snitch high, and that the boy was all right.
"Congratulations seems to be in order Mr. Potter," came Severus' voice, Harry turned and smiled at his dad, running he jumped into his father's arms, and smiled as the two hugged each other tightly.
"I'm proud of you son," Severus whispered rubbing the young man's back.
"I did it dad, I really did it."
"Yes you did son, you should be very proud," Severus said, his mind suddenly wandering back to another day…
Flashback
"You caught the snitch Sev!" Lucius said smiling as he clapped his friend on the back, Severus smiled, he had never felt better about himself than he did at this very moment. They had just won the Quidditch cup.
"Potter couldn't out run me if he tried," Severus said chuckling.
"That's what you think Snivelly, too bad you had to cheat to win," stated the voice; Severus whirled around and glared at Sirius Black standing there with James by his side.
"You're the one who cheated Black, bewitching the broom, didn't anyone ever tell you, that's a bad thing," Black began to advance on Severus, however Remus Lupin jumped in front of him and pushed him back, looking at Severus.
"Get your ass out of here you greasy git, before one of you two gets sent to jail!" Exclaimed Lupin.
"Hey Black…don't they know better than to let mutts like you prowl around the school," Lucius called, and caused Black to try once again to get at the two, but Lupin continued to hold him back.
End of Flashback
"Dad, did you hear me?" Harry asked, Severus looked down and smiled.
"I'm sorry Harry, what did you say?"
"I asked if you would owl Lupin and tell him about the game?" Harry asked.
"Why don't you buddy?"
"I've got to get stuff done, please pop?"
"I suppose, well go on, get out of here," Severus said smiling.
"Bye dad," Harry said hurrying away towards the common room, Damien there to greet him, as well as Hermione and Ron.