The
next few weeks went the same as they always did. Amanda and Tom
became the new chasers, and Neville was starting to get better with
Occulmency. Harry's schedule was so full that he barely had time to
eat and sleep. He had the DA on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights,
he taught Neville on Tuesday and Thursday, he had Occulmency on
Sunday, and as if that wasn't enough, Ron had made quidditch
practices every night. Now it was the second week of October. That
weekend was the first Gryffindor vs. Slytherin quidditch match, so
they were practicing twice as hard. "Harry?"
Harry
picked up his head and looked at Ginny. "What?" They were
in the library for their study hall.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah
I'm just really tired." He set his head back down.
"You've
been working to hard."
"Tell me something I don't
know."
"I once French kissed a dog."
Harry
looked at her. "What?"
"It's something you didn't
know."
Harry sighed. "Why would you French kiss a
dog?"
"Actually it was my old boyfriend. I consider him
a dog." Harry sighed again and put his head back on the table.
"Well at least Tonks is helping you with the DA."
"Yeah.
I don't think I'm going to go tonight though."
"You
shouldn't. Tonks can do it alone. She is the teacher. And you need
some sleep before tomorrow."
"True." Harry said.
"If I didn't have classes, I'd fall asleep right
now."
Harry
barely stayed awake for the rest of his classes. The last class he
had for that day was DADA. He couldn't remember a word Tonks was
saying. On his way out, he told Tonks that he wasn't going to the DA
that night.
"Alright. Are you okay? You don't look well."
Tonks said
"Yeah I'm just tired."
"Oh. You
better get some sleep before tomorrow."
"I know."
Harry started to walk to the door.
"Harry." Tonks said.
"You should go to the nurse. She can give you a potion to make
you sleep."
"Yeah I know. Maybe I will do that."
Harry left her room and headed for the common room. He really didn't
need a potion. He walked into his dormitory, fell onto his bed, and
fell asleep.
"Harry.." Harry opened his eyes and looked
around his dormitory.
"... Harry..."
"Sirius?
Where are you?"
"...Harry..."
"Sirius?"
"Harry?"
Ron was shaking him. It was that dream, again. "Are you alright?
Why didn't you come to practice?"
"Sorry I fell asleep.
How did practice go?"
"It was alright. I don't know how
we're going to do tomorrow though. Malfoy has one heck of a team this
year."
"He's the captain?"
"Yeah. I watched
them the other day after practice. Their beaters are really good. So
are the chasers. The keeper sucks, so they shouldn't have a hard time
scoring, that is if they can get past the beaters. Are you going to
be alright for tomorrow?"
Harry nodded. "I'm fine."
"You
know how I said that Malfoy is probably waiting for a good
opportunity? Well I think tomorrow is his chance. He might do
something to make you mad. He wants to win against us more than
anything. Ever since you got on the team Slytherin hasn't won a match
against us. Even last year we won."
"I know."
"Just
be careful."
The next
afternoon, Harry was in the locker room with the other Gryffindors.
Ron was saying something about some kind of play, but Harry wasn't
really listening. He was still tired, although he did feel better
than he had the night before. Ginny nudged Harry. She looked at Ron,
and Harry looked too. He still wasn't listening. Ron was saying
something to the chasers. "And Harry." Ron said. "We
already talked. Let's go." The team got up and went to the
quidditch pitch.
Ten minutes into the game, Gryffindor was
winning by 50 points. Harry watched Malfoy out of the corner of his
eye. He was watching the others play. It was like he didn't care
about looking for the snitch... like he was waiting for his chance...
Harry looked down as Ginny went underneath him. He watched her for a
second. As she got closer to the hoops, Harry could see what Malfoy
had been waiting for. One of the beaters was right in front of Ginny,
with a bludger in his arms. Ginny tried to go around him. Just then
he let the bludger go, and it hit Ginny. She dropped the quaffel and
fell off of her broom. A Slytherin Chaser grabbed the quaffel and
scored. Ginny was lying on the ground, not moving at all. Malfoy was
laughing.
"What's the matter Potter? Mad that your little
girlfriend got hit?" Ron had been right. He was waiting for his
chance to really tick Harry off. Harry saw something glittering near
the Gryffindor posts, and sped off to get it. Malfoy followed. Harry
saw the snitch right behind Ron.
"Harry look out!" Ron
screamed. A bludger had just missed Ron and was heading toward Harry.
He ducked, and the bludger hit Malfoy on his shoulder. He fell off of
his broom just as Harry grabbed the snitch.
"Gryffindor
wins!" Harry heard. The rest of the team was flying toward
Ginny, who was still lying on the ground. Harry followed.
"Ginny!"
Ron said. He fell onto his knees and shook Ginny. She moaned softly.
She had been hit hard in her side. "It's alright. Everything's
going to be okay." Ron said.
"Out of the way!" the
nurse said. She pushed through them and looked at Ginny. "Looks
like only a few broken ribs. I can fix this in an hour." She
floated Ginny into the castle. The rest of the team followed. "Oh
I have to get Mr. Malfoy too." She went over to where Malfoy was
lying and asked Snape to float him into the hospital wing. The
Gryffindor team left the field so that they wouldn't have to talk to
the Slytherin team. Ron looked behind him at Malfoy.
"Good
job Harry." he said. "He won't be playing for a while."
