Chapter 25 – All Hail the Queen

Slytherin managed to get the time changed for the game by going to McGonagall, but considering the storm, it ultimately worked out to everyone's advantage. They'd be playing in a light mist instead of a downpour.

Lizzie sat on the edge of her bed tossing a small metal ball between her gloved hands as her mind wandered. She met up with Ron, Seamus, and Hermione downstairs in the Great Hall for a small bite before heading to the pitch. On the way down, Lizzie watched a perfectly healthy looking Malfoy walking with Pansy Parkinson up the corridor in the opposite direction. Lizzie had a surge of annoyance get the best of her.

"Recovered quickly?" She shouted at him, and he whipped around to look at her.

"I'm not playing today, Potter, Higgs is. Still feeling clammy. Hope your recruiters still made it," he sneered. Pansy giggled and they strode off.

"What a bloody dirt bag," Lizzie growled.

"Forget him," Ron said scathingly.

When they entered the hall, 'Weasley is Our King' was chanted in unison down the Slytherin table, and "ALL HAIL THE QUEEN!" roared down the Gryffindor table, but Lizzie couldn't take her eyes off the giant lion head with a human body sitting in the dead center or the table. "Luna?" Lizzie asked, and giggled at the costume.

"I'm supporting Gryffindor today," she said absently. Lizzie patted her back lovingly and sat down with the others. As she sat down, she heard two highly familiar voices in unison running into the Great Hall.

"Bloody Hell... who let them in?" Ron said under his breath.

"We heard you all got Lizzie Potter back on the pitch!" Fred yelled, wearing a suit, and passing out little square envelopes down the table. The Gryffindors all applauded at the sight of them.

"I smell victory already!" George yelled. "Half off for Gryffindors if our girl wins!"

Lizzie got up as Fred scooped her up in a big spinning hug. George and Angelina were close behind.

"You're surely here for Ron and Ginny though," Lizzie insisted, raising her eyebrows at them.

"I'm here for YOU, ca-ca-ca-captain!" Angelina pointed, pulling Lizzie in for a hug. "They're here to handout order forms. Diagon Alley is getting rather slow," she explained, looking between the twins reprovingly.

"Glad I can be good for business," Lizzie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at them.

"Hope you don't mind, Lizzie-Liz, but we developed a bone healing agent for sports injuries with you on the bottle," Fred announced, pulling out a bottle with a moving image of her on a broom and lightning bolt shaped cork. "It's called Liz-ard Juice!" He beamed.

"Gee, Freddie-Fred, that's not even a little bit humiliating," she grumbled, frowning down at the bottle.

"Get to the locker room early," he said, swatting her shoulder and bouncing off with George to hand out as many forms as they could before McGonagall shooed them off.

"I don't think I can do this, put Cormac up," Ron said pitifully.

"Over your dead fucking body, Ron," Lizzie laughed.

"You're tense, you'll be fine, I love you too much to kill you if we lose... maybe maim... but nothing excessive...promise," Lizzie smiled facetiously.

"That's not funny, recruiters are here, I'm going to let you down," he whined.

"Not if you drink this," Lizzie said, shifting a goblet in his direction and discretely flashing the Felix Felicis bottle at him.

"LIZZIE!" Hermione whispered harshly. "Don't drink it, Ron!" She hissed, but he gulped it down eagerly and Lizzie suppressed a hard laugh at the look on his face when he was done.

"You ready?" Lizzie asked encouragingly and gripped his hand tight over the table.

"Ready to win," he smiled.

"Damn right you are," she grinned back. Hermione looked horrified, but Lizzie winked at her as they bounded off toward the pitch.

Lizzie entered the locker room to a gaggle of applause she wasn't expecting. The twins let out a loud "Potter Forever!" She then caught eyes with Oliver who grinned back. "I brought my captain," he explained, and introduced her in person to the captain of England's quidditch team.

Seamus and Dean both entered, Dean breaking off for a few minutes alone with Ginny, and Seamus wrapping an arm around Lizzie's waist as she chatted with Oliver. He nodded back at Seamus with a weak smirk of understanding. "Still staying at your mum's in Ireland?" She asked... "Sorry to leave like that..." she said quietly. "Dumbledore..." he waved off that it was fine, Seamus looked slightly uncomfortable though.

"Back on the pitch actually. Dumbledore told me to back off for a bit, was getting obvious who was you know... more involved..." he explained. Seamus had a realization that she spent part of the summer with him and pulled her in a little tighter. She caught a twinge of jealousy that was a little off putting for her taste.

Ginny let out a squeal and ran into the arms of a third brother she didn't expect to see. Charlie scooped her up in a big hug, kissed her head lovingly, and then looked over at Lizzie.

"Hey Liz, so much for one more game before you kick the bucket, reckon it'll be at least two... maybe three," he winked. Lizzie moved in for a friendly hug, happy to see him. He looked slightly off put by Seamus who now had his hand resting on her shoulder more possessively than Lizzie was comfortable with.

"Norbert misses you," Charlie said leaning in. "Dragon depression is no laughing matter," he said, but chuckled ironically.

"Poor thing..." she said. "Everything good there? Still off the radar I hope?" She asked. Charlie nodded fervently, "all good," he smiled. Charlie broke off to catch up with Oliver who was overly stoked to see him.

"Oliver!" Lizzie shouted, and headed over to whisper something to him.

"Listen, it's a pipe dream for me to play professionally if we're being realistic. I'll take a contract if I live to see the prospect..." she whispered, and his jaw clenched at the premise.

"That said, tell these guys to keep their eyes on Ginny and Katie, OK? I know you can vouch for Katie, but Ginny is made for the leagues, amazing chaser," Lizzie added. Oliver nodded and squeezed her shoulder approvingly.

"You stayed with them, huh?" Seamus asked casually as Lizzie came out from behind the locker room curtain in gear, pulling her dad's sweater over her head and pinning the badge.

"Neither confirming nor denying. May or may not have stayed a month in Romania and a week in Ireland," she said evasively, with a telling smirk. This made him uncomfortable so Lizzie kissed him reassuringly. Tonks walked up for encouraging fist bump while she was still wrapped in his arms.

"Nothing from Remus still?" Lizzie asked nervously. Tonks shook her head sadly.

"He's alright though? You reckon? Shouldn't worry right?" Lizzie asked anxiously. Tonks squeezed her hand but didn't give an answer.

Lizzie looked up when the room suddenly went quiet. Percy and the new minister of magic had entered the gathering area just outside the locker room. Ron, Ginny, the twins, and Charlie all noticeably tensed at the sight of their nearly estranged brother.

"Um... Lizzie, the minister wants a word," he said awkwardly. Lizzie narrowed her eyes and approached them.

"Good to see you, Percy" she said unconvincingly. He nodded apprehensively and she leaned in. "Start with them why don't you, if your opinion of me is still shot, that's fine, but your family misses you. Don't leave without talking to them," she whispered. His jaw clenched and he looked up at Fred and Charlie in particular appearing flushed. He nodded, and Lizzie left with the Scrimgeour for a moment.

"Popular girl," he commended.

"This pitch is my natural habitat, the Weasley's are family and I've played alongside most of them. Flattered they made it. What can I do for you, Minister?" Lizzie asked.

"Couple of things I wanted to talk to you about, Potter... first, before you read about it tomorrow, I wanted to let you know in person that we will not be pursuing criminal charges on Delores Umbridge. She is on indefinite suspension still, and reparations will be sought, but she will not be serving prison time. I wanted to apologize for that," he explained.

Lizzie looked punched in the gut. "She tried to kill me, nearly had mine and my cousin's souls sucked dry by dementors, then tried to imprison me for defending us... she abused students, I still have the scars. I'm confident she knew I wasn't being taken to the ministry when they detained me either... how can that not warrant prison time?" Lizzie argued.

"I agree it should, but the technicalities surfaced, it was appealed successfully. She was in her capacity as a high inquisitor to administer those punishments, however heinous. Only guardians can impose those reparations on behalf of underage students and they found a way to dismiss it because you..."

"...Don't have a family, how insidious," Lizzie scoffed indignantly.

"I'm sorry, Potter... The second thing I wanted to talk to you about was helping us bridge the confidence between us and you and Dumbledore... we need a strong alliance, and many are not trusting the ministry enough to become allies after Fudge's heinous pitfalls. If you were to help restore that, it could be beneficial to all of us," he explained.

"You want me to be a poster child for the ministry... after a year of libel and slander that got me kidnapped and tortured? That got my godfather killed? That got me raped and irreparably cursed? You want me to trust the ministry after they forced me to compete in the tournament when my name was put in under their watch? The ministry that didn't give Sirius a trial and deprived me of a guardian? A guardian that would have spared me the upbringing that gave me an affliction that should have killed me. That ministry? I won't pretend I have faith in you when I don't, I'm sorry," Lizzie said contemptuously.

"I understand the pitfalls and the unnecessary suffering you've endured as a result. That is what we are trying to change. If you trust Dumbledore to the degree you do, then have faith in the new leadership, and we can be a united front against a common threat," he pled.

"I never said I wholeheartedly trusted Dumbledore either, but I have more respect for him than the ministry for at least never caving to their demands. I understand your concern, but until the ministry proves I can have faith in them, I will not pretend to give people a false sense of security. You have an ally in me in terms of fighting Voldemort, that will never waver. But I won't be a puppet made to set your reputation straight," she insisted.

"Dumbledore's girl then I take it?" He asked.

"No, I'm a player not a pawn," she practically hissed.

"Thank you for the time, Miss Potter," he said simply. Lizzie went back to the locker room to talk to the team looking flustered by the conversation. She caught sight of an arm hug Charlie gave Percy and it gave her a twinge of hope. Ginny, however, still looked ready to punch his face in.

"Everything alright?" Seamus asked, noticing Lizzie's shifted demeanor.

"Yeah... they're not locking up Umbridge. Injustice everywhere," she smiled weakly. He frowned at the premise.

"How could they not?" He asked incredulously.

"Because I don't have family to vouch for me apparently," Lizzie grumbled. "Forget it, I'll worry about her later... head in the game," she reassured herself, and he rubbed her back encouragingly.

The team gathered and Lizzie made a pep talk speech that made Oliver proud, and scared the pants off the younger players, then they headed out onto the pitch.

"Pot-ter" and "Liz-zie" chants resounded, reminiscent of the tournament, and from the sound of it most of the school was there. 'Weasley is our King,' continued on the Slytherin end, but Ron wasn't the least bit bothered. "All Hail the Queen!" resounded on the Gryffindor end. Lizzie, however, was completely taken aback by the sound of Luna's voice commentating, and Ginny laughed uncontrollably.

"The Gryffindor team is excited to have back their seeker, Azalea aka Lizzie Potter, who is coming back from a hiatus on playing for pumbling her opponent's face in, then nearly getting expelled and imprisoned for sedition," she heard and buried her face in her hands.

"Youngest seeker in century, most consecutive wins on the books in Hogwarts history, triwizard tournament winner..." Luna rambled.

Someone took the microphone away from her, and Lizzie was relieved to hear George's voice overhead.

"Yes, we have Lizzie Potter back! Trust me, she is not as belligerent - or brilliant - as she sounds!" He yelled and the crowd erupted in applause as Lizzie took off and met Bryan at the center of the pitch. The other team members followed and Hooch kicked off the game. Her team of Chasers was extremely efficient, and Ron blocked every goal on the Slytherin side, so Lizzie comfortably waited for a hundred point lead before she went looking for the snitch. It was easy to do since Terence Higgs took to mindlessly patrolling the perimeter of the field like an idiot.

Lizzie saw the snitch low to the ground and took off toward it, Terence took the que to follow. They weaved between one another sharply. Once he had his eye on the snitch, Lizzie realized she had a more formidable opponent than she originally thought. He's quick, she thought, relishing the challenge.

Lizzie hovered back and sped toward him with enough distance between to make him think she was about to collide into the side of him. He turned his broom sharply in response and spun toward the edges of the field. Lizzie caught sight of the snitch at the bottom of the field, but took off straight into the air so he would follow. They spun in a funnel-like motion into the air, Lizzie with her eyes fixed on a little bit nothing while he looked everywhere for the little gold ball he thought she had spotted. She abruptly shifted down and dived at the field's floor, but he intersected with her and forced her off into a different direction.

When she caught up to him just a few feet out of reach of the snitch, she yelled, "Terry, lookout!" as a bluff, because they always fell for it, and he maneuvered sharply to left. Lizzie launched herself forward off the broom, now some fifty feet in the air, and snatched the snitch as she fell. Mid-fall, she summoned her broom and barrel rolled back onto it just a few feet from the floor. She evened herself out and dismounted, holding the snitch high while the crowd roared with approval. The adrenaline rush was so overwhelming she could've broken out in a dance.

Back at the locker room, she was scooped up in huge hugs from the friendly visitors before bidding them farewell. The captain of England's quidditch team assured her he would draw up a contract for her, and the recruiter for the Harpies chatted up both her and Ginny excitedly.

The all entered the portrait hole of the common room to huge resounding applause and yells from their house. Seamus kissed Lizzie eagerly and the chants morphed into 'Weasley IS our King' when Ron climbed through to join. He was overjoyed by the approval, ultimately being the main reason they won 260 to 0, absolutely slaughtering the Slytherin team.

"I can't believe you did that, you could get expelled..." Hermione whispered to Lizzie, referring to the potion.

"Oh? And using a confundus?" Lizzie asked, with raised eyebrows.

"That was tryouts. That was different. You know Ron is better than Cormac," Hermione said defensively, looking abashed.

"I know without a sliver of doubt he is better than Cormac," Lizzie said, flashing the unopened bottle of Felix at Hermione.

"You didn't give it to him?" She asked with a breath of relief.

"You really think after all our ordeals over the years... that I would waste this on a quidditch match?" Lizzie asked incredulously. Hermione laughed.

"You just made him think you did..." she said, mildly impressed. Lizzie nodded with a smirk.

They both looked over to see Lavender run up to Ron and kiss him passionately for the audience. Lizzie's stomach dropped and she whipped around for Hermione who was already gone.

Lizzie pushed her way through the crowd and out the side door to the small empty corridor by the common room. Hermione was leaning against the wall trying to collect herself.

"Hermione..." Lizzie said nervously. She sensed the heartbreak in her breath. Hermione sat down and wiped her face with her sleeve. Lizzie sat down next to her and grabbed her hand tightly, wrapping and arm around her shoulder.

"How did you know you loved him?" She asked.

"Who?" Lizzie asked.

"Cedric..." she whispered. Lizzie's heart clenched.

"...truly so...when I lost him..." she admitted, and Hermione cried harder.

"You're not going to lose him...especially not to her," Lizzie whispered, and kissed the top of her head lovingly.