Chapter 8 – Halloween and Quidditch Games
Hogwarts, Unplottable location, Scotland, Great Britain.
Thursday the 31st of October 1991
08:30 AM
Today was the day of Halloween or as she and most purebloods who have not forgotten the Old ways preferred to call it, the day of Samhain. The day in which the veil between this world and the afterlife is at its thinnest point of the whole year. It is also the day that Aurora's life had gone to hell. The day her parents died.
She wasn't in the best of moods because of that and both of her friends knew it. She didn't even have to explain why. After almost two months of being around each other Aurora could happily say that she had found two very good and loyal friends in Blaise and Theo. Her best friends even. Therefore, it wasn't difficult for them to deduce the reason behind her bad mood. They were even very supportive of her by offering their own special silent comfort. After they ate breakfast in the pumpkin filled Great Hall, which was another reason for her bad mood, they made their way to Charms class. The school had forgotten the Old ways. Her grandmother Dorea had introduced them to her when she was eight and she had never strayed since. They had become a part of her life. Thank Merlin that her House was mostly consisted of followers of the Old ways and they had decided to host a Slytherin House Samhain celebration after the festivities in the Great Hall.
Once everyone was in the class, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly. It was the spell she used to catch Neville when he fell during their flying lessons. The levitation spell, so she knew it already. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Aurora's partner was Blaise and Theodore's was Tracey Davis. Granger was paired with Weasley. A combination made in hell.
"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too - never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."
Aurora calmly levitated the feather she was given much to the delight of Professor Flitwick.
'Wonderful Miss Potter. Just like your mother you have a talent for charms. Though from what I've heard from madam Hooch you knew the spell already. Nonetheless 10 points to Slytherin', he said much to the everlasting disappointment of Granger who was glaring at her as if she had lit a puppy on fire. She was then instructed to help her fellow classmates. Theodore got it a minute later. He was the most talented out of all of them with charms. If she hadn't practiced some of the basic spells before school started she would be second best in this class. Blaise after some advice from her got it after five minutes. His best subjects were potions and transfiguration after all. After they all succeeded they fought each other in a flying feather fight and watched with amusement the spectacle that was Weasley and Granger.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Weasley shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.
"You're saying it wrong," Granger snapped. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."
"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Weasley snarled.
Granger rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.
"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"
Weasley was in a very bad mood by the end of the class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," she overheard him saying to Blackwood as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly. "
Someone knocked into Aurora as they hurried past her. It was Granger. It seemed she wasn't the only one who heard that. Aurora caught a glimpse of her face - and was startled to see that she was in tears. While she held no love for Granger that was cruel to say to a girl with no friends. After that she put the incident on the back of her mind and followed the boys to the rest of the classes.
Hogwarts, Unplottable location, Scotland, Great Britain.
Thursday the 31st of October 1991
20:30 PM
Aurora was just coming back from the kitchen where she had spent her dinner as she didn't feel like celebrating the day her parents died and was heading towards the Great Hall; dinner was just about to end and her friends would be waiting for her -They had wanted to come with her, but she had told them that they should celebrate, and she would be fine by herself and they had agreed even if reluctantly-, when she heard a very loud grunting noise.
Carefully she took her wand out of its holster and slowly turned the corner when she was met with a horrible sight. A troll. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs thick as tree trunks with flat, horny feet. The smell coming from it was revolting. It was holding a huge wooden club, which dragged along the floor because its arms were so long.
The troll was next to a doorway she recognised as the girls bathroom of this floor and it was about to get inside when it abruptly turned around and looked right at her. It must have smelt her. She was frozen in terror for about a second before she took off running as fast as she could as far away from the troll as possible. From the loud footsteps behind her she concluded that it was following her.
How the hell did a troll get in the school? She thought. Weren't there wards to prevent this kind of thing? And better yet how was she going to get rid of the thing?
As the troll was already chasing her she decided to screw subtlety and do what every other girl would do in her shoes. She screamed bloody murder in case someone was close to come and deal with this beast themselves.
It seemed though as luck wasn't at her side tonight as two full minutes of this later and she was still being chased by the troll and nobody had come to her aid.
Therefore, plan B she would have to deal with it herself. The only things she knew about trolls were their stupidity and the fact that their skin was so thick that spells wouldn't work on them if it was only one witch or wizard.
So, she couldn't attack it directly with spell fire she thought. She had to attack it indirectly then. She turned around the corner and found the staircase that led to the second floor and if she remembered correctly one that moved every half an hour so if she timed it right her plan should work. She started climbing up as fast as she could and reached the top way before the beast. It may be huge, but it moves slowly thankfully. She casted a quick tempus and it was 20:29. Perfect she thought.
The troll had just started climbing the stairs when they started moving.
Now or never she thought.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" she shouted and took the club out of the troll's hand. She aimed with her magic like she was holding a baseball bat and hit the troll in the head until it fell unconscious. As it fell she hit it with the club one more time in order for it to fall backwards. Consequently, the troll fell off the stairs and onto the first floor with a loud bang, dead on a puddle of its own blood.
She looked at it for a second and then sat down tiredly. The adrenaline had left her and she was dead tired. After what felt like hours of her starring at the dead corpse one floor down but was really five minutes she heard her name being called.
She looked up to see Blaise and Theodore running up to her with Marcus hot on their heels. She could also see professors Flitwick, McGonagall and Snape following not far behind.
'Aurora what happened?' asked Blaise with clear worry in his voice after he took a look at her shaking form. He sat next to her and pulled her in his arms to comfort her.
'The feast was just finishing when Professor Quirrell announced there was a troll in the dungeons. We thought you'll be already in the common room but when we couldn't find you we were worried and took Flint with us to come look for you. We ran into the professors and they helped to find you' Theodore said.
At this point the professors have reached them and unlike her friends who were too worried to notice the dead troll they had seen it and had questions.
'Miss Potter what happened?' asked Professor McGonagall sternly yet kindly.
Aurora took a big breath and started telling them her story from her coming back to the Great Hall to her being chased by a troll and her killing it.
By the end of her story they all looked at her with no small amount of awe mixed with disdain- Snape or with worry- Theodore and Blaise.
'Well Potter' said Professor McGonagall 'you are very lucky to even be alive but nonetheless killing a troll is quite an achievement for a first year. So, 20 points for Slytherin for saving the school from a troll'.
Professor Flitwick added with an excited smile 'And another ten for good use of charms.'
Snape like always though couldn't leave without making his bastardly comment.
'I would like to know Miss Potter why weren't you at the feast in the first place. All this would have been unnecessary had you been there and celebrating like the rest,' he said in a voice full of disdain.
In the coldest voice she could muster she answered his unsensitive question. 'Well you see professor I wasn't celebrating like the rest because I didn't feel like celebrating the day my parents died'.
After a beat of awkward silence professor McGonagall spoke.
'Well off you go to your common room now that this is over. Potter are you hurt anywhere?' she asked. Aurora shook her head in negative. 'Ok then go on now', she urged them.
As Aurora was about to get up she felt her legs giving out on her. Before she could fall down Marcus had caught her and put her on his back giving her a piggyback ride.
'Marcus put me down' she said.
'Nope better where I can see you before we lose you again when you go off to fight a basilisk.' Despite his humorous words she could hear the worry in his voice, so she didn't complain any more.
'Seriously though only you Aura. Only you', said Theo while shaking his head.
When they finally got in the common room Aurora could see the whole house waiting for them to hear the news and she noticed their surprise when they saw her on Marcus back.
After Marcus set her down on a couch next to the fireplace and Theodore and Blaise took a sit on either side of her she was bombarded with questions from left to right.
With a heavy sigh she urged them to quiet down and with some commentary from her friends from time to time she retold what happened for the second time that night. And if she knew the Hogwarts rumor mill as well as she thought she knew it she would have to repeat herself many more times the next few days much to her annoyance.
As the night was full of surprises the Samhain celebration was very short this year. They did a basic ritual where they lit up a dozen bonfires throughout the common room on special bases which had runes engraved on them to prevent a conflagration. Everyone that took part and had lost a loved one took a pouch full of herbs and wrote their loved one's name on a piece of paper which they later put in the pouch with the herbs and gave it as an offering to the dead when they threw it to the fire. After that they all went back to bed and left the fire to be put out by itself.
Hogwarts, Unplottable location, Scotland, Great Britain.
Saturday the 9th of November 1991
08:00 AM
The days after the troll incident Aurora was once again the subject of gossip. The day after she had had to kill a troll Aurora hadn't even set a foot in the Great Hall before the other houses had already heard of what happened. The Ravens after they learned what happened were trying to find other ways they could have dealt with it had any of them been in her place. The Hufflepuffs were always looking at her with awe in their eyes. As for the Gryffindors some of the most annoying ones believed she used dark magic to kill it while others were suitably impressed with her show of courage.
The Weasley twins for their part had taken to following her around and announcing everywhere she went her recent achievement to her everlasting horror and begrudging amusement.
-'Look at her Forge the lady of Darkness'
'Yes Gred, the slayer of the mighty yet stupid troll'
'Oh, our Slytherin Queen lead us in the
Way of darkness'-
But today the gossip about her wasn't what was bothering her. It was the fact that it was her first Quidditch match this morning. After weeks of training the Quidditch season had begun. Starting with Slytherin versus Gryffindor.
Nobody outside their house knew that she was the seeker of the Slytherin team as unlike the lions they were able to keep a secret. The fact thought that she was seeker was kept mostly a secret and therefore wasn't put into too much pressure before the game didn't mean she wasn't nervous. She was as pale as a sheet.
'Come on Aura you have to eat something' said Theo.
'I am not hungry', she replied.
Theodore just shook his head and put a piece of toast and a glass of fresh orange juice in front of her. 'At least that or else you'll be sick', he ordered in his best mother hen voice much to the amusement of Blaise who was watching this with a small smile on his face.
Reluctantly Aurora obeyed as she knew he was right and she wasn't in the mood to deal with an annoyed mother hen Theodore. He was scary when in that state of mind.
In what felt like hours it was time for her to go to the field to change. Marcus told her to leave fifteen minutes before the team in order not to arise suspicion.
'Good luck' whispered Blaise as he squeezed her hand.
'You'll do great' said Theo.
And with that she left the Great Hall and started heading to the Slytherin locker rooms.
After she and her team had changed into their emerald Quidditch robes they gathered around Marcus in a circle and Miles kept badgering him to give a speech.
'Ok' Marcus said finally in a gruff voice. 'This is our best team yet. We will continue our winning streak and we will crush those Lions. Now let's go'.
Aurora followed Terence on the field while listening to Miles rant about how boring the speech was. As they got on the field she really hoped her feet didn't give way. Before she reached the rest of the team Terence stopped her.
'Relax. You'll do great. You are a fantastic seeker and a great flyer' he reassured her in a soothing voice.
She gave him a smile in thanks though she had a feeling it was more of a grimace and went to join the others.
Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.
"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her.
"Mount your brooms, please."
Aurora clambered onto the Nimbus Two Thousand that she had bought three weeks ago through the mail.
Before Madam Hooch started the match. Lee Jordan, the Weasley twins' friend, who was doing the commentary for the match, and was being closely watched by Professor McGonagall started introducing the teams.
'Now let's introduce to you our players. On the courageous Gryffindor side, we have team captain and keeper: Oliver Wood, chasers these three beautiful ladies: Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinet, beaters the terror duo Fred and George Weasley and seeker Leon Emerson.
On the other side we have the cunning snakes with keeper: Miles Bletchley, chasers: the team captain Marcus Flint, Adrian Pucey along with Graham Montague, beaters: Lucian Bole and Terence Higgs and seeker: …wait this can't be right! It is? Well the Slytherin seeker is Aurora Potter folks. The first-year troll slaying Girl who lived.'
Madam Hooch then gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.
Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off. "And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"
"JORDAN!"
"Sorry, Professor."
The favoritism of the commenter was quite obvious Aurora thought sarcastically.
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which - nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goal posts are ahead - come on, now, Angelina - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"
Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.
While all that was happening, Aurora was busy looking around for the snitch and avoiding bludgers "Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"
A murmur ran through the crowd and Adrian Pucey used the distraction to score much to the annoyance of one Oliver Wood. Aurora saw it. In a great rush of excitement, she dived downward after the streak of gold. The Gryffindor seeker had seen it too, but he was too far away to catch up to her. She hurtled toward the Snitch -but was stopped when two bludgers came at her from two different directions. When she managed to evade them, she had lost sight of the snitch.
While she was flying around the field trying to find the snitch, her broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, she thought she was going to fall. She gripped the broom tightly with both her hands and knees trying desperately not to fall. It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck her off. But Nimbus Two Thousand did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Aurora tried to head towards the ground and then she realized that her broom was completely out of her control. She couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then was making violent swishing movements that almost unseated her. she was completely terrified.
Lee was still commentating.
"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - A no...
The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Aurora's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying- her slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.
Suddenly, people were pointing up at Aurora all over the stands. Her broom had started to roll over and over, with her only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Aurora's broom had given a wild jerk and Aurora swung off it. She was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.
Theodore and Blaise looked on as their friend was holding on for her life.
'What is happening? What happened to her broom? Aurora is a way too good flyer to just lose control of her broom' asked Blaise as he watched terrified as the girl he had come to care of so much the last months was hanging on for her life.
'I don't know. If I didn't know any better, I would say that someone had jinxed her broom. But who? And why?' asked Theodore.
He looked around to find anyone suspicious, he searched all around him until his gaze had fallen on Snape who was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Aurora and was muttering nonstop under his breath.
Before he could think of a plan of action Blaise shook his shoulder, pointed to a spot on the sky and told him to look.
(several moments earlier)
The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as Marcus and Terence flew up to try and pull Aurora safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near her, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath her, obviously hoping to catch her if she fell. The game was forgotten by the Slytherins as they tried to save their teammate and the Gryffindors were too chivalrous to play when their opponent couldn't though the seeker was still looking for the snitch.
Aurora was sweating as she tried to hold on onto one hand. She didn't know what to do. She was contemplating how to get out of this situation when she spotted a sign of gold coming towards her position two meters below. She then decided to do one of the most Gryffindorish things she'd ever done in her life and the cause of a huge lecture by Theodore later on.
'Marcus' she shouted. He looked at her. 'I want you to come right below me two meters down ok? And I need, you to trust me and I need you to be ready to catch me. Can you do that?' she asked in a shaky voice.
He looked at her for a second incredulously but when he spotted the determination on her face, he noted and did as asked. He scooted back on his broom and got ready to catch her.
'Ok Marcus 1, 2 ,3 CATCH ME' she closed her eyes and let herself fall. Some terrifying moments later she was in his arms.
She opened her eyes let herself breathe a sigh of relief that was unknowingly echoed by all the people in the stadium and then with all her determination told Marcus to hold on just as she saw the snitch passing right in front of her. with a burst of speed, she took off and ten seconds later she had the snitch in hand.
With a shaky laugh she landed on the ground with Marcus who the moment he touched the ground had her on his arms while he laughed breathlessly.
'You are going to be the death of me. You jumped off the bloody broom you…
Seriously only you', he said.
At that moment she started paying attention the rest of the stadium. Everyone was in a pandemonium.
'Potter got the snitch. I repeat Potter got the snitch. Slytherin wins. 200 points Slytherin. 80 Gryffindor. But what a much it was? Potter may be a Slytherin, but she got style. She jumped off her broom. Flint caught her and while navigating his broom after her fall she caught the snitch. A great catch by Flint and a great catch by Potter. And that was the end of the much,' commented Jordan.
The rest of her team had landed next to them and one by one they passed her to each other while hugging the living daylights out of her and reprimanding her at the same time.
When she finally got away from her teammates she was greeted by Theo and Blaise who were waiting for her outside the locker rooms.
The moment he saw her Blaise attacked her. He hugged her so tight she couldn't breathe.
'Ragazza stupida (stupid girl). You could have died. Thank Morgana you didn't.'
'I'm sorry Blaise'
'I'll have grey hairs before my time because of you Aura. I'm too handsome for that.' He said and let her go after he looked her up and down to make sure she wasn't injured.
She turned to look at Theo and was shocked when he took her in his arms. She knew of his aversion to people touching him, so she knew this was a big deal for him.
For him to be touching her he must have been very worried. It also saw a great deal of trust he had in her which she could also detect with her empathy and it made her teary eyed.
'Don't do that again. Please' he whispered.
She nodded her head against him and told him 'I'll try not to I promise.'
He gave her a small content nod and let her go.
'Don't think I won't lecture you though. I am just too emotional now' he said in an evil voice.
She just groaned in reply much to the amusement of her friends.
A/N I am so sorry for the long wait. I am the worst procrastinator ever and the world hates me. My laptop decided to die on me and so all my drafts were lost. But now I finally got a new one and I am back. Though I make no promises this time. I will update when I'll update.
I want to thank everyone that has liked my story or reviewed so far. It is really important for me to hear your honest opinions in order for me to improve.
So please review.
Edited: 18/6/18
xoxo
