Chapter Four – Hufflepuff Puff-less

It's fair to say, a month is a long time between Quidditch matches, for it was a completely different scenario that faced Harry on that Saturday morning before the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. Not only was it pouring with thunder and lightening outside making conditions truly unbearable, but it was clear during practice that McLaggen was incredibly slowing up the team. At breakfast, Ginny had been released from hospital and was there early to bid a good luck before following the large crowd out to the Quidditch stadium, most of which were holding umbrellas.

In the change rooms, Ron was pacing and muttering under his breath, the two beaters were swinging their clubs to warm up and McLaggen sat magnificently straight, polishing his broom to perfection. This was Harry's chance to take Demelza Robins and Claudia Imetzkie - whom had been a new find taking over Katie Bell's position this year, his two form chasers - aside to have a word.

'Now as Captain I find it in my power to make sure everything stays according to plan,' he began, the girls looked at him oddly, 'but sometimes even I have to bend the rules a bit.'

'Ha! Sometimes?' hissed Demelza.

'Look its simple,' Harry said, ignoring Damelza's sarcastic remark and lowering his voice, 'if were beginning to get thumped out there and,' his voice lowered more, 'if McLaggen is slowing you two down, I will have a word with him and insure you two play to a strategy you have worked out that will help the team. Alright?'

They nodded, swished their brooms over their shoulders and began whispering quietly to one another. Immediately afterwards, the feint sound of the bell initiated they were due out on the pitch, Harry hadn't given his talk yet.

'Alright guys, don't panic,' Harry called out as Ron began slight hallucinations, 'just, make sure you wear these -' he handed out goggles that had been cursed with the Imperviouscharm, 'they will make sure you can see properly through the rain, easier on the eyes, easier for us. Let's just play our style guys, fast, illusive, quick transferred play and I know its wet but…

'Jimmy and Ritchie make sure our players are protected and theirs aren't,' Harry continued, doing small pep talk as he went, another siren blew louder this time, 'alright we'd better go, Ron stay on your game make sure you watch the ball out of their hand before you feint-'

'Then make sure you catch the snitch!' Ron hissed as they walked out onto the pitch, they were practically soaked through by the time they'd reach the middle.

'Shake hands,' Hooch roared through the wind, Harry shook the opposing captain's hand politely, 'ready! Mount your brooms! GO!'

There was a roar of thunder that drowned out Hooch's shrieking whistle, but somehow everyone managed to hear it or at least knew they'd heard it as fourteen players took off with a roar of approval emerged from the crowds of Gryffindor house and Hufflepuff house. Harry felt like he was swimming in a lake, not flying through the sky, but at least the goggles were working.

Luna's voice was distant but able to understand.

'And Hufflepuff have possession first!' Luna bellowed, a fork of lightening streaked upon the horizon, 'here comes Zahcarais Smith, captain, no wait Gryffindor gets it, Demelza throws it to McLaggen-'

Harry turned on his broom looking hopefully at McLaggen's blurred figure.

'And he's dropped it!' Luna said, Harry rolled his eyes and continued to look for the Snitch as Hufflepuff got it back, 'this time Cadwallader goes toward goal, just him and the keeper- WEASLEY SAVES IT! WELL DONE RON! MY NEW BOYFRIEND EVERYBODY!'

Harry turned as Ron, grinning broadly went to throw it, slipped and gave it straight up to Smith who scored.

'Don't worry Ron,' Luna's voice came, 'minor slip up but Hufflepuff lead, ten points to none.'

'Oi! Potter!' McLaggen shouted, gliding close so they could talk through the heavy rain and wind, 'Weasley is pathetic, perhaps you could just make me Keeper and-'

'Just do your job McLaggen!' Harry hissed, 'you're no champion yourself- remember this is the only game you're playing so try not to make an ass of yourself-'

'You'd better catch the Snitch then,' McLaggen said hotly as he flew off, Demelza and Claudia avoided passing it to McLaggen from then on and in doing so scored three goals to one in the next ten minutes.

'Thirty to twenty,' came Luna's voice, Harry had tuned out briefly to search for the snitch with no success, 'Robbins and Imecsa-pie-'

'That's Imetzkie, Miss. Lovegood,' McGonagall corrected her.

'What ever,' Luna muffled, 'but they are beginning to work well together, but now it's Hufflepuff coming up the pitch- oh hey look Cornelius Fudge is here-'

Harry saw him too, sitting sternly beside Dumbledore and watching Smith up the pitch, although Harry noticed their mouths were moving more than their eyes and Snape was behind them with his ears pricked up and eyes sternly ahead of him.

'Eye on the game please, Luna!' McGonagall breathed.

'Yes, very good,' Luna said, 'Hufflepuff score courtesy of Smith and- hang on! Is Potter fainting?'

'It's feinting,' McGonagall assured her.

'Right well he isn't,' Luna said, 'because he's sighted the Snitch!'

Indeed Harry had, he was streaming straight towards the ground where a golden ball zipped around in circles.

'Oooh… look, lightening!' Luna breathed as a gigantic flash of light hit nearby, 'but oh no, Potter has lost sight the Snitch.'

Harry had indeed lost sight of it after the flash of lightening hit near by; in fact, so near by there was a scream from over head and a scream in the stadium as Demelza Robbins's broom had been set alight and was tumbling at an immense rate towards the ground.

'Demelza Robbins is on fire!' Luna bellowed, 'she's falling, falling, falling…'

Harry's instinct clicked into gear and zipped up the pitch towards Demelza, who was struggling to control her broom. Harry went into a dive and headed directly for her.

'Grab on!' Harry bellowed through the think rain after reaching in line with Demelza's broom.

He held out his hand and grabbed Demelza's; she clenched his also and he pulled her onto his broom and zoomed out of the dive just as Demelza's broom smashed into the earth.

'Potter has got her!' Luna bellowed, the Gryffindor's cheered, 'another smashing aerobatic display! Brilliant-!'

'Eye on the ball, please, Luna,' came McGonagall's voice.

'Thanks Harry!' Demelza said, holding around Harry's middle, 'but my broom…'

They looked down at the smoking broom on the pitch, half the broom was burnt and the other half was ten feet away split in two.

'It doesn't matter, you're safe,' explained Harry, but then it happened; there it was, the zip of gold floating above the sizzled broom indicated the Golden Snitch was buzzing under them, flapping its wings encouragingly, 'Demelza… can you hold on a little tighter please?'

'Harry I know it's wet but I don't think Hermione-'

'No it's not that,' Harry sighed heavily, 'I've just spotted the Snitch.'

Demelza gasped too as she realized what Harry meant and she tightened her grip around his middle; Harry pulled into a dive.

'…Hufflepuff have possession and the lead- oh wait!' came Luna's voice, having spotted Harry and Demelza, 'would you look at this! Harry Potter has spotted the Snitch with his best shooter – for the moment poor Ginny Weasley is recovering - on his broom!'

'My god this is fast!' Demelza bellowed as wind whipped against their faces and Harry pelting towards the gold, 'have you ever dived with someone else on your broom before?'

'No!' Harry bellowed back, but he was prepared to do so.

His hand outstretched, caught up with the Snitch and wrapped tightly around it but that wasn't the hard part. With the new immense weight on the back Harry was unsure if he would be able to pull out of the dive but he put both hands on his Firebolt and began pulling back, but surely, it was not going to be enough.

'LEAN BACK!' he roared, Demelza did so and pulled her weight back with Harry and merely a quarter of an inch was left between the tail and the muddy ground.

'THEY MADE IT!' bellowed Luna through the thunder, the Gryffindor crowd roared, 'I can't believe I'm saying this but Harry Potter and Demelza Robbins have caught the Snitch! Is that legal Professor?'

'As far as I'm aware of, Miss. Lovegood,' came McGonagall's slightly annoyed but very joyous voice.

'Then I guess that means Gryffindor win!' she bellowed, 'quite convincingly- two hundred and ten to, umm… err…'

'Seventy,' McGonagall finished sternly.

'Yes, right, two hundred and ten to seventy,' Luna finished, 'on the top of yet another brilliant display from Harry Potter.'

Harry landed in the mud in which Demelza was slightly annoyed about but thanked him vigorously for saving her life; that was before the gloomy walk over to her damaged broomstick. The remainder of the team landed thoroughly wet and though not entirely enthusiastic about Harry's fantastic save yet they congratulated him briefly for the catch of the Snitch. Harry was last to leave the change rooms that evening, Hermione stood outside the door waiting patiently under an umbrella looking slightly displeased.

'Malfoy confronted me again after the game,' she explained after Harry had asked.

'It's all right,' she continued after Harry had flashed his eyes, 'he wouldn't do anything with teachers around but- of course with Ginny with me he couldn't help but call out something.'

'What was that?' Harry asked.

Hermione looked sternly straight ahead.

'I won't repeat it,' she hissed as they ascended the slippery stone steps of Hogwarts and headed across the Entrance Hall towards the Great Hall.

'I've got to take my broom back upstairs,' Harry explained, 'I'll meet you in at dinner.'

Hermione nodded and disappeared as Harry headed up the steps, jumping over the one in particular that sunk when stepped in. He had gotten to the fourth floor corridor when something floated through the ceiling and halted him.

'Hello there, Harry,' said Nearly Headless Nick, grasping his head and lolling it off his half severed neck in a semi-bow, 'how are you this evening?'

'Good thanks, Nick,' Harry replied as he avoided walking straight through the ghostly figure, 'and yourself?'

'I've been better,' Nick sighed.

'Oh they haven't declined your request to join the Headless Hunt again have they?' Harry asked, feeling slightly sorry for him.

'Afraid so,' Nick said in a sorrow voice, 'but no matter, the current leader's popularity is beginning to drop- I'm thinking my chance is when he's over thrown.'

'I hope so,' Harry said encouragingly, 'so why aren't you at dinner?'

'Peeves,' Sir Nick explained, 'played a trick on me of course- which reminds me. Avoid the fifth and six floor corridors if you can.'

'Will do,' Harry agreed, 'see you at dinner.'

'Cheers,' Nick muttered, floating down again and leaving Harry turn down the Charms corridor and push back a book case to reveal one of Hogwarts many secret passageways; this one led practically outside the Gryffindor common room.

'Difflebush,' Harry muttered at the Portrait once he'd reached it ('It certainly is,' the Fat Lady giggled, she was severely drunk again).

Harry went across the common room and up to his dorm to drop his broomstick and was just about to turn to leave when suddenly he was struck, very heavily in the side of the head. Immediately he blacked out.