The morning after their fight was the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match. Bella changed without a word to the girls in her dorm and spent breakfast with Seamus and Dean, receiving glares to the back of her head from Ron. In the Quidditch stands Bella led Seamus and Dean to the opposite side of the bench from her brother and the twins glared at each other as they waited for the game to begin.
"What's going on with you and Ron?" Dean asked, glancing warily between the silently rowing siblings.
"He's an arse." Bella replied.
Any reply Dean had was cut off when the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams flew up into the air and the crowd roared; Madam Hooch blew the starting whistle and off they went. The Slytherin teams new brooms outstripped the Gryffindors by a long shot, they flew across the pitch like little green blurs while the Gryffidor team tried their hardest to beat them. Bella watched as Harry tried his hardest to find the snitch but Draco was streaking up the pitch, taunting Harry. She gasped out loud and gripped Seamus' hand as a bludger raced past Harry, narrowly missing his head.
Bella was on the edge of her seat as George gave the bludger an almighty whack and it shot off towards Adrian Pucey, instead of hitting the burly Slytherin the bludger changed course and shot straight for Harry again. Bella was now gripping Seamus' hand so hard she was sure it was painful, but he didn't say a word. Harry was flying full speed towards the other side of the pitch where Fred was waiting, the bludger hot on his heels. He ducked just as Fred swung his bat and sent the bludger flying towards Draco. Again, it swerved and shot back towards Harry, and George was quick to send it down the other end of the pitch to give Harry a head start before it began it's pursuit of him yet again.
To make matters worse, the rain had begun to fall in massive droplets, making Harry's situation that much worse. He wiped furiously at his face, wiping the rain from his glasses. He was searching the pitch for the snitch as Fred and George took up residence on either side of him. Bella was shaking now, whether from the cold or anxiety, she didn't know. Hooch's whistle was heard thought the stadium as the teams flew to the ground, Fred and George tackling the rogue bludger before it could make contact with an unsuspecting Harry's back.
"What do you think they'll do?" Dean asked.
"I don't know, but it doesn't look good." Bella replied.
She released her Vulcan like grip on Seamus' hand and could swear she heard him sigh in relief.
"What are they doing?!" She heard Ron yell as the players all rose back into the air.
Harry was zigzagging around the pitch, trying to avoid the bludger while trying to catch the snitch. The Slytherin team were so far ahead that the only way Gryffindor would win the match was if Harry caught the snitch before Slytherin scored again.
"Training for the ballet, Potter?"
Bella heard Draco taunting Harry again as he flew closer to him and that's when she noticed it, the golden snitch was hovering about Draco's left shoulder, just beside his ear. Harry must have noticed this too as he surged forward, nearly tackling Draco to the ground as he grabbed the small item in his hand. In his momentum he didn't have enough time to pull up before he went tumbling to the ground at an odd angle.
Forgetting everything and everyone around her, Bella raced from the Gryffindor stadium and onto the pitch, landing on her knees at Harry's side. He lay there, unconscious as the Gryffindor team and Madam Hooch surrounded him.
"Move back, now!" Hooch yelled to the team as the teachers came running onto the pitch.
Bella raised Harry's head to lay on her lap as Ron joined her on the ground at Harry's side. The pair shared a look before they were joined on the ground by none other than Lockhart. Bella ran her hands through Harry's hair as he groaned in pain and slowly opened his eyes.
"Oh no, not you." He spoke groggily.
"Doesn't know what he's saying." Lockhart laughed.
"He knows exactly what he's saying, you're useless." Bella sneered.
"Miss Weasley!" Professor McGonagall gasped.
"One simple little spell will have that arm of yours sorted in no time." Lockhart was saying to Harry.
"No, thank you." Harry spoke at the same time Ron yelled "You won't touch him."
"Now, now, Mr Weasley." Lockhart said, lifting his wand high in the air.
Just as the words left Lockhart's mouth, Bella bent forward over Harry, covering him. She cried out in pain as the spell hit her back and she tried to recoil from it but found she couldn't move at all, she had no bones. Bella was now gasping for breath as her lungs were unsupported.
"Ah, simple mistake. Madam Pomfrey will soon have you sorted right out." Lockhart stammered.
"Simple mistake?!" Ron yelled. "She's got no bones!"
"She's not breathing!" Harry yelled from under her.
Ron frantically pulled Bella back and her face had gone blue and there was no breath coming from her, her chest still.
"Look what you've done!" Ron yelled as Fred and George helped him lift Bella into their arms.
Lockhart stammered for a response but they weren't listening. Harry had hoisted himself from the ground and Ron, Fred and George were now trying frantically to bundle Bella's limp body towards the hospital wing. A strong pair of arms pulled Bella from them and they watched in shock as Snape hoisted Bella into his arms and strode off quickly towards the hospital. George ran ahead and pushed open the large oak doors to the hospital wing, calling for Madam Pomfrey.
"What in the heavens is going on here?!"
She caught sight of Bella's lifeless body in Snape's arms and quickly set about fixing her. Her brothers stood watching tensely as Madam Pomfrey worked to save their sister. Ron was quietly sobbing into George's side as he watched. Madam Pomfrey sent Snape further into the hospital wing for some vials she needed and he returned swiftly. Pomfrey poured vial after vial down her throat and Ron cried out in relief when Bella gasped for air.
"You're in for a long night dear." Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Re-growing bones is a painful process."
"Is Ron here?" Bella croaked.
Madam Pomfrey stepped to the side as Ron dropped to his knees on the floor beside her. He wrapped his arms around her softly and held her in his arms as the last tears fell from his eyes.
"I thought you were dead."
"It's going to take more than Lockhart to take me out." She laughed which quickly turned to a coughing fit.
"We're glad you're okay sis." Fred smiled over Ron's shoulder.
"Don't know what we'd do if you died. Who would test our prank products?" George added.
Bella smiled as she looked at the faces of her three brothers. She heard footsteps behind them and turned her head to see Snape leaving the hospital wing, the doors slamming shut behind him.
Madam Pomfrey allowed the siblings some time together before she shooed them from the ward, Ron lingered behind to speak to Bella on his own before he left.
"I'm sorry." He sighed.
"I'm sorry too."
He took her pale, shaking hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I hate fighting with you." He said.
"I hate fighting with you too." She replied. "This doesn't mean I agree though."
"I didn't think you would." Ron laughed.
Madam Pomfrey then shooed Ron from the ward with a promise that she would be allowed out of the hospital wing come morning. The matron had been right, re-growing bones was hell on earth. Through the evening Bella downed more of the foul liquid and cried out in pain each time a bone began to grow back. Madam Pomfrey gave her a dreamless sleep potion later that night and she drifted off to sleep with the pain in her torso and her thoughts of how she would get payback on Lockhart.
