Soul of the Enemy

By Willow Spirit

Disclaimer: I only own the plot. Everything else belongs to the wonderful J. K. Rowling.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I made a small mistake in my preview for this chapter. The dance is actually in the next chapter, which will be out in about nine or ten days. I'm going to Cape Breton for a week, and while it's a beautiful place there is very little tv access, no computer access and cell phones don't even work where I go. Yeah, it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. At least there's a beach!

Chapter 18 – Quidditch Before Hell

Who ever knew that preparing for a dance and finding dates for a dance would be so stressful? Harry and Ginny still didn't have dates, despite the obvious solution that they could go together. Everyone was feeling moody. And so our favorite students found themselves sitting anxiously in the Gryffindor common room one fine spring afternoon.

"We seriously need to do something here," Ron fidgeted in his chair.

"I agree," Hermione said. "It's rather ironic, isn't it? Dumbledore organizes this dance to take our minds off the fighting and now it's the only thing on our minds. If I have to plan or discuss one more thing for this dance, I think I'm going to scream."

"Any suggestions?" Harry asked. Ginny and Alex, who were also present, just shrugged their shoulders in helplessness.

"We could go outside," Ginny said. "It's kind of nice out there."

"I know what we could do!" Ron exclaimed. "We could grab our brooms and play some Quidditch!"

"I think for once I really wouldn't mind watching you guys play," Hermione admitted. "Anything would be better than nothing at all."

"So how are we going to do this?" Ginny looked around the group. "We'd have an odd number of players…unless you wanted to play too, Alex."

All heads turned to look at Alex, who seemed very hesitant about the idea. Harry couldn't help remember that night on Valentine's Day, all those weeks ago. He clearly recalled the way Alex pulled him away from the balcony's edge. Maybe she really did have a fear of heights.

Suddenly their eyes met, and Alex saw the concern deep in Harry's gaze. "She doesn't have to if she doesn't want to," Harry gave her an open opportunity to back out.

"What do you mean?" Ron looked at them like they were insane. "No one has a…a custom made Sun Flare broom just for show."

"A Solar Flare," Alex corrected him.

"Okay, Solar Flare," Ron continued. "A broom like that needs to be used. It would be a crime not to."

"Ron does have a point, though," Ginny said. "It is a lovely broom. I would love to see how it flies."

"Exactly! You have no other choice, Alex. Join us or be punished for breaking the sacred Quidditch Code."

"Alright," Alex rolled her eyes in agreement. "Count me in."

It took only a few minutes for Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Alex to grab their brooms and race outside to the Quidditch pitch. Once they were there, and Hermione was sitting comfortably off to the side, they talked about teams.

"Look, we should probably do two on two, obviously," Harry said. "And to keep it fair we could have a girl and guy on each team."

"Hold it," both Ginny and Alex opened their mouths in protest, but Alex was quicker. "I did not just hear you say that. Tell me I misunderstood you."

"Err…sorry," Harry blushed. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just didn't know if you used to play a lot or what your skill level is like. And it seemed nice and even to me; you know, boy-girl, boy-girl."

"It's too late for apologies, Potter," Alex said.

"Exactly," Ginny jumped in. "This game is now going to be women against men. Potter and Weasley vs. Weasley and Reid."

Both boys were slightly unnerved by the predatory grins on the girl's faces. "But that's not fair," Ron gulped.

"Yeah, for you," Alex replied with total confidence.

The four players took to the sky, after Ron was finally finished complaining ("But Ginny's a Chaser anyway! You girls already have that advantage.") Harry, Ron and Ginny discreetly watched Alex as she began to soar around the pitch. Her flying was fairly smooth and calm, but it was the expression on her face that really caught their eye. Her hair was pulled back out of her face and for a brief moment she closed her eyes, like she was relishing the wind blowing in her face. She looked like a flyer who hadn't been on a broom in ages.

"Alright, let's play," Harry said, drawing everyone's attention. "Ron and I will try to score in these hoops, Ginny and Alex will go for the hoops on the other side. How long do we play for?"

"At least an hour," Ginny replied.

"Fine, then. Highest score at the end of the hour wins. One point per shot. Let's get started."

Hermione threw the Quaffle out onto the pitch from the edge of the stands. Ginny and Ron immediately dove for it simultaneously, as Harry and Alex both held back in defensive positions. Ginny managed to reach the Quaffle first before it touched the ground. She was off in an instant towards her assigned hoops, with Ron right behind her. Ron, though, was not used to the Chaser position like Ginny was, so he had no luck in stopping her before she reached the hoops. The Quaffle flew easily through, marking the first point of the game.

"I let you have that one!" Ron called out as he retrieved the Quaffle. He came back down the pitch, and soon tossed it to Harry since Ginny was closing in on him. Harry turned to see that Alex had positioned herself directly in front of his hoops. He threw the Quaffle anyway, but without much force. Alex darted after it and quickly caught it, denying the boys their first point.

Alex started making her way down the pitch and made a safe and easy toss to Ginny. Ginny, who was blocked by Ron, threw it back to Alex. She turned and made a simple underhand toss to earn the girls their second point.

"Harry, mate, what's going on?" Ron exclaimed. "Where were you? Why weren't you guarding the hoops or something?"

"I don't know, Ron," Harry looked slightly irritated. "Sorry if I'm not putting all my effort into this game."

"Oh, come on Harry, I know you can do better," Ginny added. "And Alex, I think I'm going to fall asleep by the end of this game. It's so safe and boring! We need to pick up the pace!"

"I'm doing the best I can," Alex also seemed irritated by the sibling's verbal attack.

"Just let her be, Ginny. She's probably afraid," Ron said, trying to look very casual. "This is probably her first time playing Quidditch. I'll bet she can't do it very well, either."

Alex just stared at him for a second. "Are you trying to reverse psych me?" she asked him in amazement.

"That depends," Ron glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Is it working?"

"I don't believe you," Alex let out a laugh as she looked at Harry, who shifted slightly under her gaze. Her smile slowly disappeared as she continued to study him. "And you…you're holding back!"

"I am not," Harry tried to sound convincing.

"Yes you are, and you're doing it because of me!" Alex said. "So Weasleys , it looks like you got your wish. From this point on, everyone plays full out. You want a Quidditch game? Now you're going to get one."

Before anyone could say anything, Alex was off like a bullet towards the fallen Quaffle. She returned with it and hurled it at Harry, who nearly had the wind knocked out of him as it collided with his stomach. But before he could react, Alex was in front of him in the blink of an eye.

"I'll take that, thank you," she said as she plucked the Quaffle away from a confused Harry. Without even looking, Alex tossed it over her shoulder into Ginny's waiting hands. Ginny promptly scored their third point. "Do try and keep up, Potter," Alex called to him before taking off after a petrified Ron, who was currently in possession of the Quaffle. Harry stared after her blankly for another second, then slowly started to smile.

This was going to be fun.

Hermione had never seen such a game in her life. Harry and Alex battled for dominance out on the pitch. Both were trying to outplay each other. There were times when both of them looked like blurs of color, they were traveling so fast. What was also remarkable was how Alex and Ginny played together. One would almost swear that they shared the same mind. They would zigzag their way down the pitch, their moves perfectly synchronized. They knew exactly when to pass the Quaffle to each other and the other was always there to catch it. Yes, Hermione had never seen such a game.

It was hard to imagine that there was someone out there as fast as Harry Potter. Harry had always been, without a doubt, the fastest Quidditch player at Hogwarts. But now his title seemed to be in jeopardy. Alex was also a far more risky player. Safety be damned, she flew like there were no boundaries. If Harry or Ron held onto the Quaffle for too long, then Alex would fly straight at them like an arrow. She would refuse to change her course until the Quaffle was thrown away, then she would instantly change direction and grab it before it reached its intended recipient. Alex did this to Harry once and he swore that he could feel the twigs of her broom brush his face, she came that close.

As the hour was almost half over, other students who were also outside began to notice the spectacular game that was going on over at the pitch. Soon Hermione wasn't the only spectator sitting in the stands. A small crowd of about thirty people were there to cheer on the four players. All of a sudden, there were two more people on brooms who were in the air.

"Oi, Harry!" Andrew Kirke called, causing the players to slow down a bit to look in his direction.

"Hey, Andrew," Harry also saw Jack Sloper hovering beside him. Andrew and Jack were the Beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"I didn't know you had scheduled a practice this afternoon."

"I didn't," Harry shrugged.

"I see…can we join you? We'd just use one Bludger."

Harry glanced over to the other, who all just shrugged in response. "Alright, they're in the chest at the bottom of the stands. You'd better make it quick, we've only got…err…"

"Twenty five minutes left!" Hermione called from her seat.

"Twenty five minutes, then."

"Wicked!" Andrew and Jack were off in a flash to get the Bludger. Soon it was flying wildly around the pitch.

The introduction of the Bludger didn't really affect the performance of the players too much. Harry and Alex just had to lean over to the side whenever they heard the Bludger coming. Ron and Ginny were also fairly used to them after playing so much Quidditch over the years. So the game continued on, as intense as it had been before.

During the last few minutes of the game, Alex began to bring it down a bit. She flew a bit slower and started to take in the details she had missed from playing so intensely the entire time. Her gaze finally landed on Harry.

Hermione was eagerly counting down the last few minutes of the match, when she suddenly looked up and noticed a strange thing. There was Alex, who had come to a complete stop on her broom. The other five players hadn't noticed her yet; they were too immersed in the game. Hermione also noticed that Alex wasn't just looking at anything; she was looking directly at Harry. It seemed like she was following his every move with wide, unblinking eyes…

A sickening jolt of deja-vu ripped through Hermione's stomach. Unblinking eyes. Professor Quirrell. Six years ago. Then, to Hermione's horror, she thought she could see Alex move her lips. Hermione jumped up in her seat and was ready to whip out her wand when she heard a male voice scream.

"Alex!"

Alex snapped herself out of her trance-like state but it was too late. The Bludger came from behind and collided with the back of her head, sending her over the front of her broom and into a fifty foot fall towards the ground.

-----

Lucky was the only word that could describe Alex Reid that day. She suffered a broken leg and a broken arm, both of which were easily repaired by Madam Pomfrey. The blow she took to her head, however, wasn't so easily fixed. Even though Alex hadn't suffered any permanent damage, she wasn't expected to wake up for several days…possibly after the upcoming dance.

But the dance was the furthest thing from several minds. Many people came to visit Alex while she was in the infirmary, even Professor McGonagall. Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Hermione, despite what she thought she saw, all made several visits. Harry himself never once left her side. It took a lot of convincing on Madam Pomfrey's part but she eventually caved. Then came the task of talking to his professors. Most were willing to excuse him from class, so long as he kept up with his work. Snape threatened to fail him in Potions but Harry didn't care. He knew Dumbledore wouldn't allow it anyway.

So the hours passed by, and Harry spent most of that time just watching Alex as she slept, looking for any sign that she was okay. He also used the time to think about the past few months at Hogwarts and how they'd been so different because of this girl. Harry even noticed a change in himself. It was almost as if he was reverting back to his old self again.

Everything had changed drastically after the end of his fifth year. Things he had once worried about suddenly seemed so trivial. Girls weren't important anymore, that much was obvious because of Cho. The Dursleys didn't bother him anymore. Not that Uncle Vernon and Dudley weren't their annoying selves, but Harry had really learned to tune them out; and he and Aunt Petunia had reached a kind of unspoken, reluctant understanding of each other. She wasn't anymore pleasant than usual, but at least she didn't get on his case about everything. Then again, reconciliation with his Aunt wasn't that meaningful to him. Things he had loved before, like Quidditch, didn't have the same fire. He felt miserable, like he was waiting for the end of his world to come.

Then she came along and completely turned his world upside down. Her intensity and her frank commentary were extremely infectious. Harry wished that he could share that same attitude. So she didn't get perfect marks; it didn't seem to matter. If someone tried to mess with her and embarrass her, then she just came right back and messed with them. Harry had a feeling that if Alex were to come face to face with danger, she would look it in the eye, insult it openly, and laugh right in its face. This girl, Alex Reid, was certainly one of a kind.

A sudden noise jolted Harry away from his in depth thoughts. He quickly realized that the noise had come from Alex herself. She was still lying in the hospital bed, but her eyes were trying desperately to open. Letting out another moan, Alex finally managed to open them. As everything slowly came into focus, a large frown began to spread across her face. Harry held his breath in anticipation as Alex got her first good look at him. She turned her head to look at her surroundings, opened and closed her mouth like she was completely confused, then looked back at Harry. That's when a flash of realization crossed her face.

"Potter?" she asked weakly. "What the hell happened?"

"We were playing Quidditch, remember?" Harry was so relieved that she remembered who he was.

"Of course I remember that," Alex rolled her eyes. "But how did I wind up here in the infirmary…again?"

"Ah, that. Well apparently Andrew managed to beat the Bludger right at you at one point, but since you weren't really moving or paying attention it got you right in the back of your head. He tried to warn you, but it was already too late. There was nothing to stop your fall to the ground," Harry paused, taking a deep shuddering breath. "We were so scared, we didn't know if you would make it at first. Madam Pomfrey said that you wouldn't be awake for days."

"Oh, please, I've dealt with worse things," Alex said. "One little fall off a broom is not about to stop me. I'm tougher than that, Potter."

"So it seems," Harry's breathing slowly returned to normal. "That was some amazing flying, Alex. I've never seen another student play like that before."

"Like someone with a death wish," Alex joked.

"I'm serious!" Harry exclaimed. "Where did you learn to fly like that? Who taught you?"

"I had a good teacher," Alex gave a sad smile. "Let's just say I've been training for a long time."

"Well, you were brilliant," Harry said. "It was the best game I've played in a long time."

"I know, isn't the feel of Quidditch amazing," Alex got this dreamy look on her face. "It's like the perfect way to lose yourself and yet still keep total control. There's so much fighting going on in the world, but when you're up there on that broom you can forget about it for just a few minutes."

"That's exactly how I feel," Harry said in astonishment. Alex turned her head to look directly at him and he could see that her face had become serious again.

"Yeah, well, there's not enough Quidditch in the world to make all our problems disappear for good," she said. "Sometimes it's best to keep our feet on the ground."

"I suppose," Harry sighed. "Some problems are just too big to ignore. And if we don't try to solve them, who will?"

"Exactly," Alex replied while stifling a yawn. "Oh, man! How come you can sleep for hours and still be tired? I don't want to spend any more time in this rotten place. Speaking of which, how long have I been in here?"

"Oh, about thirty six hours," Harry shrugged.

"What!"

"You took a massive blow to the head, Alex. No one just walks away from an injury like that."

"God, I'm getting soft," Alex muttered to herself before she eyed Harry suspiciously. "And I suppose you've been here the entire time, watching over me like a mother hen?"

"Guilty," Harry tried hard not to blush with embarrassment.

"Then I order you to go to your room and get some rest," Alex pointed a finger towards the door. "I really mean it too. No one wants to hang around with 'Cranky Potter.'"

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving," Harry held his hands up in surrender as he slowly backed away. "You get some rest too."

"I think I'll do that," Alex as she settled herself properly into her blankets. As Harry reached the main infirmary doors, he paused to look back at Alex.

She already had her eyes closed and was probably half way to dreamland by now. Harry had never seen her asleep since the first days after her chaotic arrival. He was totally thrown by how peaceful she looked. It completely contrasted her whirlwind personality when she was awake. Yet here in the hospital bed, Alex looked very vulnerable.

Harry wished he could have saved her from that fall. It nearly ripped his heart into millions of jagged little pieces when he saw her hit the ground. He didn't know what he would do if something serious had happened to her. Alex couldn't leave him now. She was the only person in the world who thought like he did. She was the only one he could talk to about anything. Sure he hadn't told her everything yet, but he was sure he could.

A soft smile crossed his face as Alex turned over on her side and curled herself up into a fetal position. Everything about her was wonderful. Harry felt strangely content, like his whole being was wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy blanket. It was definitely a strange feeling, and he had certainly never felt it before. Yes sir, it was brand spanking new. The smile on his face slowly disappeared as he thought about the source of these new emotions. Then it finally dawned on him; the thing that all his other friends had been able to see before him. It hit like an out-of-control Bludger.

He loved Alex Reid.

-----

"I don't like this," Hermione muttered to herself. "I really don't like this one bit."

Hermione and Ron were sitting around the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. It was late and Hermione was trying to finish up some homework, but her mind was completely distracted by the other day's events. Ron…well, Ron wasn't even pretending to do his work. His books remained closed in a pile on the floor.

"Hermione, what is going on?" Ron asked in exasperation. "You've been talking to yourself constantly since the Quidditch match. It makes you seem more psycho than usual."

"It's nothing, Ronald," Hermione emphasized his full first name as a warning.

"Not likely," Ron snorted. "Tell me what it is now or I'll start burning my books."

"No."

"And then I'll move on to yours."

"Fine!" Hermione hissed softly, so she wouldn't draw attention to herself. "You really want to know? I'll tell you, then. I think Alex tried to harm Harry at the Quidditch match. On purpose."

"What!"

"See? I knew I shouldn't have told you," Hermione went back to her work, shaking her head. "I knew you wouldn't believe me."

"Hermione…" Ron asked slowly, like she was going mad. "Why would Alex want to hurt Harry?"

"I don't know!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why wouldn't she? Am I the only one who remembers how little we actually know about her?"

They both sat in silence for a moment, just thinking about what Hermione had said. She had a point. So many people had openly accepted Alex into their lives, some more easily than others. But Alex had never done anything to deserve such doubt and scrutiny…until now.

Ron then surprised Hermione by asking her a very clear and level-headed question. "So what makes you think she wanted to hurt him?"

"It reminded me of when Snape…or Quirrell tried to hex Harry's broom during that game back in our first year," she explained carefully. "Ron, she wasn't moving or even blinking. And then it looked like she was muttering a curse or something under her breath. I would have done something about it, but then she got hit by the Bludger and…well, you know."

"I see," Ron said thoughtfully. "What would you say if I told you that I also noticed her staring at Harry?"

"You did?" Hermione blinked, then punched him roughly in his arm. "You idiot! Why didn't you say anything before? Honestly, letting me go on and on, thinking that I was going totally insane."

"Sorry," Ron scowled as he rubbed his sore arm. "I didn't know that was what you were thinking about. I'm not a mind reader. So do you want to know my opinion of the situation?"

"Yes, please," Hermione tried to keep her mouth shut.

"Alright, then. So I saw her staring, but I noticed something really different. I didn't think she was out to get Harry."

"Really? What did you see?" Hermione asked with curiosity.

"This is going to sound a bit strange, but there was curiosity written all over her face. She was admiring the way Harry was flying."

"I don't believe it," Hermione looked stunned. "Are you sure?"

"Well, I only noticed that she'd stopped a few seconds before the Bludger came. I didn't get a long look, though I'm almost sure of what I saw."

"How reassuring."

"Why don't you forget about it," Ron said. "After all, Alex hasn't done anything to Harry before the game. Why start now?"

"Maybe she was only waiting for the right moment," Hermione said darkly.

"I don't think so."

"Why are you so eager to believe in her innocence?" Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Do you fancy her? You and Harry were pretty fascinated by her in the beginning."

"No," Ron said truthfully, after a moment. "I don't fancy her and I don't think I ever did, really. She's not my type."

That comment certainly made Hermione raise her eyebrows in surprise. "And what is your type, exactly?"

"Not quite sure," Ron shrugged. "I just know that it's not her. Besides, I think Harry would be the one to like her."

"Oh, God," Hermione buried her face in her hands. "The last thing we need is for Harry to fall in love with Alex."

-----

A/N: Please review!

Next Chapter: The dance...I promise!