Chapter 10: The Missing Golden Snitch

The Quidditch match had been lasting for an unusually long period of time. It began in the mid-morning, yet until late afternoon, the game had not finished. Neither the Seeker of Gryffindor nor Slytherin could find the Snitch.

At the end, Madam Hooch had to announce the match must be ended at once, considering the health of the players and the other students; although it was already early in the morning when she made such an announcement.

Harry was in the changing room with his team mates, nagging about the unusual game when Ron went in.

'Hey Ron, what you think you're doing in here? No Snitch!' George seemed to be having a bad temper.

'I'm sorry, I've tried hard already to search for the Snitch…' Harry explained again. Since the match was over, he had been saying that for a thousand times.

'No Harry I'm not blaming you. I'm absolutely not! Just blaming that "death star" Mr. Lusiam.'

Angelina and Alicia giggled a bit.

'Harry,' Ron finally spoke, 'Hermione is missing.'

'What?' said the crowd.

'When?' Harry asked worryingly.

'It is yesterday's matter. The game had started for sometimes when Anna suddenly wanted Hermione to go to the toilet with her, so Hermione followed. Then Hermione never return…'

'Oh my God…' Alicia exclaimed, 'so do you think…Anna is a bad guy?'

'She must be!' Ron became agitated suddenly.

'Wow! Calm down, Ron!' Fred was surprised. 'I'm sure she'll be fine.'

'Yea…after all, if it's really Voldemort -' the others shrunk at the name, '- behind all these, all he wants is just me, not Hermione.' Harry said.

'What are you planning to do then, Harry?' Wood asked in a concerning tone.

'I don't know…'

The group went silence for a while. They gasped and sighed.

'I'm too tired, I must rest.' Fred said finally.

'Yea me too…' George said, 'see you guys tomorrow, if I'm still alive.'

And the group split.

Harry and Ron retuned to the Gryffindor common room. On their way, Ron told more details about Hermione's missing to Harry.

As soon as they returned to their chambers they went to bed at once, not just them, but everyone. Despite the bright sunlight, every student in school slept so well during the whole afternoon, Professor Dumbledore had permitted a holiday for the students after the Quidditch match.

The sun was still up on the sky when a noise woke Harry up. He opened the curtain surrounding his bed, the yellowish red sunlight immediately shown in and hurt Harry's sleepy eyes.

He rubbed his eyes and wore his glasses, every one in the room was still sleeping soundly. Then a mosquito-liked sound appeared, the sound travelled right above Harry, then went behind Harry. He turned and looked, there was the Snitch!

The Snitch steadied in the air, as if waiting for Harry to catch it. So Harry reached for the Snitch, just then something happened. The wings of the Snitch, which should be soft, suddenly felt to be a piece of sharp metal and it cut Harry's fingers. He wanted to shout, but instead no sound came out from his mouth, he was bleeding badly.

Harry looked up, but the Snitch was already gone.

Without second thought, Harry carefully wrapped his bleeding fingers with a piece of tissue and rushed out of the common room at once, with his pyjamas on.

The corridors were deserted when Harry walked through them, heading towards the hospital wing. All those characters in the portraits that were hang on walls were sleeping too, for it was a beautiful afternoon with cold breeze and dazing sunlight.

It was then the Snitch appeared again. Harry smartly ducked out when the Snitch flew straight towards him. He thought that it was just a coincidence for the Snitch to show up, however after flying in a big circle the Snitch returned, charging towards Harry.

'Deletrius!' said a voice, then the Snitch was being destroyed into pieces.

'Hermione!...Anna…' Harry felt quite disappointed and unpleasant to see Anna, especially when then Anna no longed dressed in the Hogwarts school uniform; instead, undoubtedly, she was wearing the same long black dress that Harry had seen the dark young witch was wearing in Professor Dumbledore's office. Much worse, she was wearing the diamond headband.

'I'm sorry Harry…' Anna began with.

'What you're sorry for?' Harry questioned. His unwounded hand gripping his wounded one.

'I'm sorry…about Hermione…'

'What have you done to her?' Harry sounded demanding.

'I've done nothing…Harry I'm sorry, I believe in you a lot that -'

'I believed in you quite a lot too, ignoring Hermione's warning. But seemed to me she was right.'

'I'm sorry.'

'You're young yet as evil as Voldemort himself. Betraying your friends.'

'No I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean to…'

'But you've done it.'

'He was my father!' Anna cried.

'Who?'

'I mean my father asked me to do so, I must obey. You-know-who didn't tell my father to do so, but as a friend, my father knows he must do something to help.'

'Why now you're saying "You-know-who" but not Voldemort?' Harry felt slightly dizzy, his wound seemed not to be healing.

'I…I'm sorry Harry…I thought, I might gain your trust by saying his name.'

'You're so young to be evil!' Harry yelled, he staggered forward.

It was only then Anna noticed Harry was hurt. She rushed forward to help, and yet Harry backed.

'I do not trust you.' He said.

'But I've just saved you! Please Harry let me help…' Anna said sincerely.

'I can go to the hospital wing myself.'

'Harry…'

'Potter!' a voice came behind Harry.

'Father…'

'Don't worry Anna, I won't blame you,' Mr. Lusiam shown so much kindness towards his daughter; nevertheless to Harry, he grinned cunningly at him, 'I see you aren't badly hurt. Never mind, all I wanted was just giving you a small game to play with, an exercise I recently invented called "Escaping from the Snitch".'

'You madman!' Harry shouted.

'So this is the son of James…' Mr. Lusiam seemed to be pondering something else.

Story to be continued