Cleo Chestra and the Wizards of America: Chapter 13

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt!"

The teachers were constantly careful around Cleo now. If she was tired, they wondered why. If she was irritable, same case. Cleo was so close to going crazy by that time anyway it made sense that she was tired! At least she had the next Quidditch game to look forward to. She could never get over how gracefully the players flew, and how wonderfully violent it was! It was like football with wings! It seemed that this was all that was on the schools mind, or at least Slitherin and Gryffindor's minds. This was something that made Cleo excessively happy. Morning, noon and night she was gossiping with Harry, Ron and occasionally Hermione about the game.

At times Harry even tried to act as if she was superior in his knowledge of Quidditch, at which point She would have to remind Harry that she had read All four books four times, so she should know something about Quidditch! That would be when Harry would refresh her memory that his father was a seeker, and that harry was infract Harry. This was a minor irritation however compared to Malfoy's personality disorders, under the misunderstanding that he knew more then the both of them together.

"Malfoy's been strutting around with the idea he could beet you to the snitch." Ron spat irritably, with a glare over at the little ferret himself.

"Well that's a load of rubbish! That weasel…no offence Ron, he hardly knows how to sit on the broom much less catch anything on it!" Harry growled defensively.

"Yea, I think his ego is clouding his vision." Cleo sneered. They laughed. Hermione continued the conversation.

"I heard Lindsey talking to some girls and said that Malfoy could beet Harry's :clears throat: any day."

"Well of course Lindsey would say that about her beloved boyfriend." Cleo said quite catty.

"They fancy eachother?" Ron gasped, much like a gossiping girl in the locker rooms of her middle school.

"Isn't it obvious? She's been a flirt all year with him! I'm surprised they're not engaged! You know they're not a bad couple." Cleo said as an after thought.

"Well all I know is you can easily shove that snitch in Malfoy's face by Thursday." Hermione said confidently. Harry smiled at her.

Come Thursday there was some serous rivalry between the two houses. The hospital wing was full of cursed students who had opposite opinions of who would win the games. One already freakish looking Slytherin girl had another ear growing out of her forehead, and a wagging tongue occupying it. Her oponate was left with itchy boils the size and shape of footballs arising from her ruffle hair. These physical disturbances were luckily the worst. Malfoy's constant attempts to humiliate Harry were ever present threwout these ordeals. Though, he did have the humor of a third grader so none of it was taken to hart.

Finally, after many painful encounters and anticipation Slitherin and Gryffindor went head to head in Quidditch.

Cleo, Ron and Hermione snagged the highest seats in the stadium so that they could get the best view. Then after the rest of the less obsessive students arrived, the game began.

"Were sure to have a exciting game today chaps!" Lee Jordan said loudly. "Maybe the most violent as well! As I'm sure all of us had witnessed, there has been quite a bit of fighting over the past week, so I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't any blood shed here! And here comes the Slitherin team." Lee said, pushing aside the microphone to gag. This act of disgust was suddenly cut short as he saw…

"Soaring on to the field is GRYFFINDOR!" There was an uplifting roar of gladness; easily overpowering the faint boo's of Slitherin.

"Madam Hooch throws the ball and they're off! Angelina scoops up that ball and er…I think she's behind a wall. Oh, no my mistake it's Warngton." Cleo clapped her hands.

"That was not a mistake!" She giggled.

"Oh you Bas…! Warngton smacked right into Angelina and is going strait to Gryffindor goal posts!"

"Jordan!" McGonagall scolded

"Well he is! Now continuing, Katy gets the Quffle! No not that way! That way! Warngton is charging directly in front of her!" There was a good amount of screaming just then.

"BRILLIANT! A Bludger just pelted Warngton right in the stomach! That's enough to make anyone drop a ball! Katy's taking it to her advantage! She swoops under the cry baby and gets that ball! Passes it Angelina, Angelina to… NO!"

Montague flew in front of Alicia and caught the ball. Cleo groaned so loud it echoed. Alicia didn't seem to like that though. She speed right after him until they were neck and neck. Then she carefully lifted her hands and tugged at the Quffle.

"Alicia is fighting with Montague!" Lee spoke the obvious. As Madam Hooch went up to separate them Flint flew next Alicia and kicked her off her broom! She was hanging from her broom when Madam Hooch blew her whistle.

"Penalty shot against Slitherin!"

"She deserved it!" Flint sneered in a deep cracky voice.

"And you'll deserve to be taken out if you don't keep your mouth shut!" Madam Hooch said sternly and didn't stick around to hear the rest of his sentence. She threw the Quffle up and the players scattered.

"Alicia's getting her payback by speeding off to the goal posts and gets it RIGHT THREW!" Cleo screamed as loud as she could.

"That's a girl Alicia!" Then something very unexpected happened with in all the happiness. They had just tossed up the Quffle and Montague was just passing it to flint when…"

"FRED!" in a blur of horror, Cleo witnessed a Bludger knocked speeding towards Fred. Before he could duck out of the way it collided with his head, directly between the eyes. His head snapped back like a slinky, while the blunder bounced of it, as if it was most of a tennis ball hitting against a wall rather then a homicidal ball against an unsuspecting beater. Gleefully it seemed to sore, even though was bouncing into the stains right to Cleo! Without thinking she grabbed one of Hermione's thick books and struck the Bludger out of the way with all the force she could muster. It went whizzing out of the stadium, but at the time Cleo couldn't have cared less.

She was racing down the steps, dragging Ron and Hermione behind her. After the struggle of getting passed the other students, She was almost completely out of breath when she got on to the field.

"Fred!" she said in cincracy with the motion of falling her knees to look at him. All around her were the Gryffindor team mates, aura of fright all about them. Katy was even on the brink of tears, but held them back. The Slitherin team on the other hand flew above them with an opposite atmosphere of glee, laughing over the unconscious Fred. Gorge simply couldn't speak, as well as Ron. They just stood there with a clear look over their brown eyes.

Dumbledore suddenly pushed between aside Keith and Harry and knelt down to examine him. Fred's forehead was bleeding down his long nose. His eyes were half closed and his thin body was twisted about oddly.

"Is he alright Professor?" Hermione sobbed.

"Not to worry Hermione, I trust Madam Pomfrey can fix him up fine."

"In time for the end of the season?" Angelina worried. The glitter in Dumbledore's eyes stopped.

"I…don't believe so." Katy whimpered. Dumbledore stood up and put his hand on Katy's shoulder the same time he flicked his wand to lift Fred stiffly in the air.

"I'm sure you'll find an adequate if not better replacement for Fred (Sparkle in his eyes) in the mean time. You can come up to see him tomorrow."

Fred was levitated out of the whispering stadium, the sky darkling over with expectation. Cleo felt the hands of Ron lifting her off the ground to joint the Gryffindor's team tightly nit group. For one reason or another it was some comfort of them to be in suffering together. They stood in silence for a very long in the middle of the field, sobbing into one another's shoulders or staring in a cloud of misery. Madam Hooch arouse from the bench, approaching them with an air of sympathy.
"Would you like to rematch the game until you find a suitable substitute?"

"No one could substitute Fred." Katy said, still holding back the tears that seeped threw the tone in her voice. They were all still together, walking down the hall to the dormitory after the game.

"Can you imagine? Replacing him on the team? It wouldn't seem right after everything!" Alicia said. Everyone nodded solemnly.

"You can't honestly be serous! We have to find someone! We won't have a chance other wise!" Angelina said frantically. Cleo could tell how horrifying it would be if you're first year as captain you lost.

"Can't we try to play without him?" Suggested Katy hopefully.

"Are you kidding? We'll all be pummeled to death! I don't know about you all but I've grown accustomed to conciseness." Keith argued. They all sat down in the common room.

"I can't do it myself." Fred spoke up for the first time. "I need help." He sounded so weak and pitiful, but without an ounce of shame joining the saddened condition.

"So we'll get someone then." Angelina settled.

"I wont my brother!" Gorge said fearsly.

"I could do it." Ron said, as if he really didn't care but Cleo could see differently. His eyes were longing for them to say yes and his hands were twisting.

"Ron you can't even hold a club much less hit anything with it!" He snapped. Ron's face was a vibrant red.

"I could hit you." Gorge began to rise, growling dramatically…

"I'd like to see you try!"

"How about Cleo!" Harry said brilliantly.

"I COULD BEAT HER TOO!" Ron snarled. Then a look of sudden shock came over him. "Wait…what was that?"

"Yeah, I'd like to have that repeated too." Cleo said nervously. The idea of having her play was madness! And then added "And you couldn't beat me Ron."

"You play!" Harry repeated.

"The idea of having me play is madness!"

"No! No it isn't!" Angelina agreed. "The way you smacked that ball today is worthy of a grate beater!"

"I smacked the Bludger?" she said in a semi daze.

"Don't you remember, you hit it out of the field!" Cleo sat there in stunned silence.

"Did I really?"

"Have you ever played before?" Keith asked.

"Er…sort of." Cleo said honestly, she had played beater! Just virtually, on the Internet, pretend, not real, or fatal.

"Well then, who would like Cleo to play?" Everyone raised their hands, including Gorge!

"But I don't know how to fly!" Cleo said, leaping to her feet in a complete frenzy.

"It's a breeze! I'll help!" Harry volunteered.

"But you have it in your genes!"

"He's not wherein jeans." Ron said, confused. Hermione glared at him from the corner of her eye.

"Ron, you're a moron."

"Well then it's settled. Welcome to the team Cleo." Angelina said cheerfully and thrusted out her hand. Cleo pivoted on her feet over to Gorge.

"Are you sure you really wont me to take Fred's place?" Gorge smiled.

"Yeah, who better? I think Fred will be down right glad when he hears!" Cleo laughed timidly and shook Angelina's hand. They all parted, laughing and conversing happily so that only Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Cleo were left.

"This is Wicked! I can't believe you made the team." Cleo fainted.

"Cleo!" Ron was screeching in her ear painfully.

"AH! What a way to wake up!" Cleo said, pushing him away and rubbing her ear. Harry standing over hers, freaking out most uncharacteristically.

"Why the bloody hell did you faint?"

"BECAUSE I'M GOING TO DIE!" She cried, pushing her face into the pillows of the couch that she had been moved to.

"Why? You've said you're an experienced player!" Harry insisted earnestly.

"The hell I am!" Hermione turned purple.

"What do you mean?"

"I've only played it on http/ Fom? What?" Ron spat. He was so confused and scared, it was difficult to see which one was worse! Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's stupidity.

"Two words Ron, Muggle - studies!"

"A virtual Bludger can't nock the living day lights out of me!" Cleo barred her hands in her hair. "I'm gonna die, gonna die, gonna die." She whimpered. Harry starred over her with a look of disgust crossing his face. His bottom lip overlapped his top as his hands snapped on to her frail little arms. He yanked at her and attempted to pull of the couch and then out of the dormitory. Cleo whipped her hand in a swift swinging motion over his face.

"What are you doing?" Cleo said, commanding the answer from him As his head twisted around his neck.

"Were going to go practice!" he screamed back at her, with his hand over his increasingly red face.

"In this skirt?" She said pointing to her school uniform. "You wish!" She took a quick examination at his shocked face, slowing fading into fury, suddenly knotting her mistake. "Oh, sorry…I didn't mean to hit you so hard. Let me just get my s8ter boy paints." She said with shame pushing down on her shoulder. After she had turned His laughter cut the air when he exclaimed "your going to be one hell of a beater!" Soon Cleo and Harry were out on the field. Ron and Hermione and taken refuge up in the stands.

"Here, I'll let you use the Firebolt, but be careful." Harry said cautiously. Cleo rolled her eyes and nodded. She knew perfectly well when he said to be careful, he wasn't thinking of her well being rather then the firebolt.

"I will." She actually did a good job getting on the broom even though She had sat on it wrong in the beginning, but Harry showed her the right way to get on it. Once the obvious was shown to her, the broom lifted her gently of the ground. It cradled her a few feet a moment before mischief brought the broom to the utmost attention. With a glance at harry, she snapped the broom up, like she had just kicked a horse in the sides, and as if the broom was equally gleeful it shot her up into the air. The wind whipped at her pink face, tearing up her eyes, and putting a larger smile on the strikingly large smile already present. She could understand why Harry had been so deeply in love with the game the moment he had touched the broom, and then suddenly wondered why his patronus hadn't be strong enough when thinking of this flying sensation.

Surprisingly enough Harry was an outstanding coach. Along with showing her how to get on right, he also showed her how to slow down, go faster, and flip around, all that good stuff! In a matter of minutes she was flying just as well as him! Then he brought out her club and the Bludgers.

"Ok, don't freak out. All you have to do is hit it, for now." Cleo took a deep breath and grasped her club tightly in her hands when she flew up on her broom.

"Are you ready? I'm going to let them out now." He warned her. Cleo gripped her club tighter. Then, a whizzing sound told her that the balls were out. One came up behind her, another in front. She held out her club and spun around in a circle and hit them both. One went into the stains but another came back.

"Shhhhhhhhiiiiii…!" She hissed and flew as quickly and as hard as she could, which was quite far. It, along with the other was going over to Hermione and Ron, who were sliding down in their seats.

"Oh no you don't!" She spun over to her friends and hit the balls away from them. It was hours before Harry let her come back down. Her arms were hurting and she was felling extremely sweaty, but energy still shown in her glittering blue eyes.

"I need to check out that web sight!" Harry exclaimed. "You did grate!" Cleo shrugged and smiled.

"Well, I have a good coach." Ron and Hermione walked down drowsily. Hermione smiled at her and walked ahead to Harry. Ron and Cleo walked together.

"You did good." He said quietly. Cleo rubbed his arm that she had been clinging on.

"Are you ok with me doing this?"

"Its fine. If my own brother prefers you over me then fine."

"Ron don't be a prat!" She snapped. "It had nothing to do with weather he prefers me or not."

"It doesn't matter! Your just better than me and, and, and I'm not good!" he stuttered madly.

"Ron you stop that and you stop that right now!"

"Why?"

"Because your going on a downward spiral of self pity which is unnecessary and frankly sickening. Quidditch is not important! Gorge still cares about you, you never know what he was thinking when he said that! He could be regretting it right now." Ron gave her an unbelieving look. Cleo kissed him.

"I can't say anymore. Its either you believe me or be miserable for the rest of the week." Ron stood silently for a while. Soon enough he put his arm around her and kissed her back.

The gloominess of Monday, Cleo's feared was a reflection of the visit with Fred. What her team mates didn't seem to conceive, was that coming to visit someone and telling them that you have been replaced isn't very welcoming. She could just imagine it "Hi Fred, how you feeling? I took your place on the team, bye! Every time she thought about it she groaned.

But no one seemed to particularly care so she was dragged into going anyway. Down the dark, empty, echoing hall into the musty smelling hospital wing.

Most of the beds were empty, so when the curtains were pulled around the next to last one, it looked a little random. Katy scuttled over to the bed and went threw the curtains. Oh honestly child, don't make it so obvious. Katy knelt down by the bed and looked into Fred's ashen face. He didn't look healthy at all. A bandage was around his head at a tilt, his stringy red hair falling over it. His hand was up to his head, but had fallen lifelessly.

"Fred? How are you felling?" His eye lids twitched, and after a deep sigh he opened them. They were almost gray, but brightened when he saw them.

"Oh! Well this is pleasant!" he said cheerfully, with what seemed all the energy he had.

"Are you feeling alright?" Angelina wondered. He tilted his head in a negative motion.

"Well I was, before Madam Pomfrey told me I wouldn't play the rest of the year." Cleo bit her lip. He knottiest her at that moment.

"Oy! Cleo! What you doin' here?"

"She's going to replace you, just until you get well again." Angelina said. Cleo silently groaned. Fred's eyes shifted over to her.

"Cleo?" He said. Oh, don't act so shocked.

"You weren't conscious she smacked the Bludger out of the field during the game! It was amazing!" Harry said, and winked at her.

"Wow, I'm impressed." Fred admitted. Cleo let out a sigh.

"I was afraid you would be upset that I replaced you." Fred snorted.

"Honestly! I'm glad, I don't wont to loose the Quidditch cup!" Even beyond his words, he was in fact a little hurt but not enough let that get in the way of the team. After that they mostly talked about knew plays and so on and so forth, nothing extremely interesting. And at the end of their visit (or really, their time was up according to Madam Pomfrey) Fred reminded them…