The game seemed normal at first. The Slytherin's new brooms were making it difficult for Gryffindor to score, though they got a few shots. Harry was looking for the snitch, Draco on the other hand, seemed to only be pesturing her friend. Celesta was too far away to hear what was said, though she was able to see Harry's brow furrow. She spotted her father in the crowd even.
That was when a bludger nearly took out Wood, crashing into his broom and sending him to the floor. Beyond that, it seemed to be following Harry! Eyes wide, she gasped just as Hagrid pointed it out, having come to stand behind them.
"Blimey! Harry's got 'imself a rogue bludger! That's been tampered with, it has!" The half-giant was saying, pointing it out to those not able to see.
"I'll stop it!" Ron said, only for Hermione and Celesta both to push his wand down.
"NO! Even with a proper wand it's too risky. You could hit Harry!" Hermione was saying, Celesta snorting.
"Or yourself." she grunted. "The players are moving too fast, you have a higher chance of hitting somebody else than hitting the bludger, Ron," she pointed out. "Our only hope is to see if Harry can shake it off, or end the game."
Grumbling, Ron nodded, all of them watching fearfully as Harry wove in and out of the stands, the bludger hot on his tail. In it's apparent desparation to get to the Gryffindor Seeker it even went through several of the spectator stands, bits of wood spraying from the holes.
Draco seemed to be loving this predicament, going by the smile on his lips. Harry seemed to loose the bludger for a few moments, thankfully, spotting the snitch just as it appeared next to her brother. It immediately fluttered away, the bludger returning at the very same moment. Harry ducked as Draco dodged, but then they were both going after the snitch.
The bludger was still following after Harry though, the two seekers diving under the quidditch field stands after the snitch, the bludger following. For several seconds that felt like weeks to Celesta, she couldn't see her brother or her friend, her teeth digging into her bottom lip worryingly. This feeling was the worst, knowing her brother and friend were in danger, but not able to do anything to help.
Finally they reappeared, a flash of light from Collin Creevey, a first year who seemed intent on following Harry and photographing his nearly every move, announcing their return. Luckily, the first year had the good sense to dodge before the bludger hit him!
The boys seemed to be ducking in and out of sight after the snitch, the bludger not once letting up in it's persuit. All at once, her brother reappeared alone, looking like he'd lost control of his broom as he flipped several times before landing on the pitch in a split. She winced, knowing that it had to have hurt a bunch. For sure, he'd be going and getting a pain relief potion from Pompfrey.
But the game wasn't over yet, Celesta unable to worry for her brother for more than those few seconds before she was scanning for Harry, who had reappeared at last and was reaching for the snitch, his arm out reaching for it...only to have the bludger come in and smash into it, breaking the bones in a loud crack that only with her being an animagus did she hear.
"Harry!" She let out, gasping and gripping onto Hermione's arm. Harry was determined though, craddling his broken arm to his chest and reaching with his other arm for the snitch, missing once and nearly falling off his broom. He even turned upside down on it, just as he caught the snitch.
Celesta, Hermione, Ron and Hagrid rushed to the pitch. They didn't have much time however, before the bludger was attacking Harry once again, Harry rolling back and forth to dodge the ball.
"FINITE INCANTARTUM!" Hermione shouted as she pointed her wand at the bludger, the ball dissappearing in a shower of ask and sparks, the Gryffindor team touching down and surrounding them as they swarmed around Harry. A few students and Lockhart also arrived at Harry's side, Celesta flinching away from the man.
"Are you okay?" Celesta demanded from Harry, only for the boy to tell them that he thought his arm was broken.
"Not to worry Harry! I know the perfect spell that'll fix that arm of yours straight away!" Lockhart said in a tone that she was sure was meant to be reassuring. It failed spectacularly.
"No! Not you." Harry denied, only to have Lockhart grab his arm, holding it straight. Even Celesta knew this was going to turn out badly, sighing and nudging Hermione.
"I'll see you in the Hospital Wing." she murmured, backing away before she could see Lockhart screw up a bone-mending spell.
In the Hospital Wing, Madame Pompfrey was finishing administering Draco's pain potion, saying he could take a nap, but then he could leave for dinner. Celesta smiled at her brother, watching the Slytherin team leave the wing with scowls on their lips. Due to her family she was untouchable in their insults, so long as she didn't instigate anything, so she didn't. "I'm glad you're not harmed worse." She merely told her brother, before going to warn Pompfrey about Lockhart trying to mend a broken arm. By this point all the teachers were a bit...put up with the wizard. He seemed to fail nearly every spell he cast, but with those books, perhaps he just had performance anxiety?
Harry arrived not much longer, his arm, previously broken, having no bones at all in it. Pompfrey set him up in a hospital bed before leaving to get Skele-gro. Wincing, as she knew it'd taste awful, Celesta patter Hermione before backing off. "See you, Harry." she called, heading to see about thier polyjuice before going to dinner. She'd had to bribe Peeves with a favor in order to let her pass when he held her up in the corridor, but eventually she was able to check on the potion.
That night she shifted into fox form and drifted through the castle towards the hospital wing. She had just slipped through the door when she heard that voice again, her fur standing on end.
'Kill.'
'KILL.'
She made it under Harry's bed just in time before the boy awoke, all her instincts on full alert. That voice...whatever it was, it frightened her immensely. The springs creaked as Harry sat up, Celesta shifting back into her girl form and taking a seat next to her friend as he slipped on his glasses.
They both jumped at the appearance of Dobby, however. "Hello!" the house-elf greeted nearly cheerfully.
"Dobby?!" The two students said in unison, the house-elf flinching a little when he realised Celesta was there.
"Dobby is sorry young miss Malfoy. Harry Potter should have listened Dobby! Harry Potter should have gone back home when he missed the train!" Dobby explained, his ears lowered and eyes watering.
"It was you," Harry was saying as realization swept upon him. Dobby had sealed the entrance to the platform. "You stopped the barrier from letting Ron and me through."
Dobby seemed contrite, wringing his hands together. "Indeed. Yes sir."
Celesta sighed, reaching out to Dobby, pulling him into her lap with a small grunt. "Whispers, gentlemen. We don't want Pompfrey coming in and seeing me, nor you, Dobby," she said quietly, glancing around.
Harry did the same, lowering his voice. "You nearly got Ron and me expelled!" He whisper-yelled at her father's elf.
Dobby seemed determined in his course of actions, however. "At least you would be away from here! Harry Potter must go home!" He said insistant, hopping out of Celesta's lap and walking towards her friend on his bed. "Dobby thought his bludger would be enough to make Harry Potter see-"
Harry cut him off. "Your bludger?! You made that bludger chase after me?" He demanded, Dobby nodding a little bit, his voice shakey.
"Dobby feels most aggrieved, sir. Dobby had to iron his hands," the elf said, showing them his burnt hands. Celesta's eyes watered a little as she conjured a few bandages, sending them to wrap around the burns.
Harry glared a little, even with pity in his eyes. "You better clear out before my bones grow back, Dobby, or I might strangle you!" Growled the boy-who-lived.
Scared, Dobby fell off the bed, his next words making Celesta wince.
"Dobby is used to death-threats sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home. Of course never from the young miss! Never young miss!" He exclaimed, having caught Celesta wincing as Harry stood to follow Dobby, the elf backing away.
Knowing the hospital wing was going to get loud soon, Celesta groaned under her breath, shifting once again and hiding under Harry's bed once more, wrapping her tail around her as she listened to the rest of the conversation.
"You nearly killed me today!" Harry accused.
"Dobby never meant to kill Harry Potter! No sir! Never kill you!" Dobby protested, shaking his head fiercely. "Dobby remembers from before Harry triumphed before He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! We house-elves were treated like vermin, sir. Of course...Dobby is still treated like vermin." At this the elf burst into loud sobs, Celesta whimpering under Harry's bed. She did her best, but ultimately Dobby was Lucius's elf, and Lucius was a cruel man. He was cordial to his children of course, adoring to his wife, but very stern. And very cruel to the elves, save Luli. Luli, being Narcissa's and then her own, was untouchable by her father.
She tuned out as Dobby explained that he wore his ratty pillowcase as a sign of his slavery. Of course Harry would be confused by it, as Celesta's elf, Luli, wore small dresses made of better materials. Luli was technically free, though she still followed Eunomia's last order of protecting Celesta. So Luli stayed with the young witch.
"Listen! Listen!" Dobby finally said, interupting her musing.
"Where'd Celesta go?" Harry asked, Dobby ignoring the question to continue his warning to Harry.
"Terrible things are about to happen at Hogwarts. Harry Potter must not stay here, now that history is to repeat itself," he continued.
"Repeat itself? You mean this has happened before?!" Harry demanded, Dobby gasping in response.
"I shouldn't have said that! Oh!" Dobby whined, before reaching for the bottle of skel-e-gro, Celesta hearing him wack it on his head multiple times before Harry wrestled the bottle from the elf's hands.
"Tell me Dobby. When did this happen before?" Harry asked, Celesta straining her ears to see if she could find out as well. "Who's doing it now?"
"Dobby cannot say, sir. Dobby only wants Harry Potter to be safe." Celesta heard Dobby say.
"No Dobby. Tell me who is it!" Harry was demanding, but by that time the sound of footsteps were approaching, Celesta curling further under Harry's bed so she wasn't seen.
Dobby seemed to have heard the noise as well, snapping his fingers and disappearing. Harry seemed to have caught on, jumping back into his bed and pulling the covers over him, pretending to sleep.
Professor Kettleburn and Mr Filch was carrying somebody on a stretcher, Dumbledor, Pompfrey, and Mcgonagall following. Pompfrey directed them to a bed, Mcgonagall saying that the student had been petrified. Celesta whimpered quietly, her paws on her muzzle as she tried to contain the noise. She closed her eyes once she realized it was Harry's fan, her Head of House mentioning his camera. She hoped he was able to get a picture, but by the sound of the small explosion, this was not to be the case.
Stuck in fear once Dumbledore mentioned the Chamber of Secrets having been opened again, she didn't manage to sleep a wink, jumping at every stray noise that night.
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Once again, I DO NOT own Harry Potter. ANYTHING you recognise does not belong to me. Luli, Eunomia, Celesta and SOME actions/words spoken are ALL that belong to me.
Thank you to those that are reading my story and following along. To those that review, it means a lot. Even the simplist review I read and treasure. Please continue to do so!