A Matchless Match

By: Naru-chan

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Naru-chan: Chapter four! I really like this chapter! I hope you do too!

Chapter Four: Oh, Brother

Watch all the idiots fall on me
Running out of ways to get outta the way
Take another shot just to stay the same
But I need some balance - Back it off
Fill your lungs 'til it makes you cough
Tell me everything's gonna be alright
'Cause I don't think I'll make it through tonight

-Skipknot, The Opium of the People

Harry Potter loved to fly. Ever since the very first moment he had lifted from the ground, it had become a second nature for him. Sometimes he loved being in the air more than on the solid ground. Was it how the wind whipped through his hair? Or was it how his uniform billowed wildly around him? Or perhaps it was how he felt he was rising above and beyond, leaving everything – all his troubles and worries – behind him? Whatever the reason was, he loved flying and he sincerely hoped that nothing would ever take it away from him.

But at that very moment, he was a bit too stressed to enjoy it.

Ginny whizzed past him, a blur of red and gold, zipping past Dean Thomas's well-aimed Bludger. She did a flip in the air, and before he knew it, Katie Bell was holding the red Quaffle. Demelza Robins soon followed behind the duo, and all three of them charging head on toward the distressed Ron. In a flash, the bright red Quaffle flew through one of the three hoops, just a few inches from Ron's outstretched fingers.

Harry sighed. His Chasers were all doing a fantastic job - especially Ginny, who seemed to be the life of the team, but Ron had been distracted all day. Nevertheless, Harry couldn't blame him with Hermione sitting in the bleachers watching. It hadn't been a bad thing at first. In fact, her cheering had caused the redheaded boy to improve at the beginning and everything had been fine.

But then Cormac McLaggen had decided to sit next to the pretty brunette.

Harry gritted his teeth and glared at the arrogant boy. He knew that Cormac was doing this on purpose just to get under Ron's skin. Cormac was still angry that Ron had made Keeper rather than himself. But Harry knew very well from his research that Cormac didn't like Hermione. Not that he needed his research to tell him. The damn brute had been ogling at a certain pretty redhead the whole practice – and it hadn't been Ron.

That only proceeded to agitate Harry even more.

"Keep your eye on the Quaffle!" Ginny hissed angrily at Ron, who prominently turned a deep scarlet. She still hadn't forgiven him for that morning. He bared his teeth at his younger sister, who only returned the favor.

"Relax, Ron," Harry called out encouragingly, hoping that Ron wouldn't let Cormac bother him.

"I'm relaxed!" Ron snapped. "Who says I'm not relaxed?"

Harry distinctly heard Ginny snort behind him before she zipped away again, for which he was glad, knowing her famous Bat Boogey Hex.

He bit back a groan as he watched Ron struggle to concentrate before he pulled his broom upward and squinted up at the air. Even though he was captain of the team, his job was still the Seeker. There was always something about this position that he loved more than all the others. The fact that in the midst of everything – the scoring, the Bludgers, the roaring of the crowd – there was something out there in the clear, wide, endless sky waiting for him catch caused something to grow inside of him that he could never place his finger on. It was up to him to find it and catch it. Only then could the game end. As long as no one else caught the precious Snitch…

"Don't you dare touch her you little- !" Ron bellowed furiously as Cormac leaned over to put his arm around Hermione, who was trying to squirm away.

But Ron never finished that sentence because a Bludger smashed right into his jaw.

"RON!" Hermione screamed in horror as his body was pushed off his broom through the hoop and he slowly fell to the ground with a sickening CRACK that resounded in the stadium. She heaved Cormac aside and raced down to the Quidditch patch.

Harry quickly flew over, the other teammates following. Ginny was already there, gently lifting Ron's head and examining the swelling bruise that was beginning to form. Harry could tell it wasn't going to be a pretty sight. Just as he was about to lean over Ron, Hermione shoved through the crowd and fell next to Ron's limp body. She stared at him helplessly, her brown eyes as wide as saucers.

"He's unconscious," Ginny informed everyone, but her eyes were looking directly at Harry.

"Harry, I think you'd better take him to the Hospital Wing," Katie spoke up quietly. "I think something might be broken, so it's best if you check."

Harry nodded curtly and began to carefully lift Ron up. When Ginny began to help with the other side, Harry shook his head at her and nodded toward Hermione, who had rushed to Ginny's side. Ginny nodded back in understanding and handed Ron's arm out to Hermione.

"You all go ahead and hit the showers," Harry informed the team. Ginny lagged behind when the others turned. She frowned at him.

"Take care of the idiot, okay?" she said, her eyes narrow with concern. He smiled slightly at her. It was her way of caring about Ron.

Carefully, Harry and Hermione carried their unconscious friend to the Hospital Wing. Every once in a while she would sniff quietly. After they settled Ron in a bed, Hermione simply sat beside him and stared at him quietly.

Harry was about the turn to find Madam Pompfry when suddenly Ron's arm reached out and grabbed Harry's tightly. Hermione gasped sharply and Harry spun around. He felt immediately relieved that Ron was okay, but the look on Ron's face stopped him from smiling.

"Harry…" croaked Ron, his face twisted in pain. "Pr…protect…Gin…ny…"

With that, the redhead fell back onto the bed without delay.

Harry stared at his best friend with wide eyes as dread filled his heart.

"Oh no."

It was quiet. Too quiet.

Harry was trying not to run down the halls. Trying and failing. He needed to remain calm! He had no idea how many people already knew – what, with that secret society everywhere. He now desperately wished for his Marauder's Map and his Invisibility Cloak, but he just didn't have the time to get them. It would be too late. He had to use his brain. Where could she be?

"Harry! Harry!" a clamor of voices called out to him and he cringed inside. He knew it. They had found him. He turned to see a huge crowd of boys rushed his way. It was such a terrifying sight to see. It was a combination of Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Gryffindors, all of them screaming and fighting with each other as they hurried to him. From the cacophony they were causing, he barely refrained himself from covering his ears. And from cowering. Furtively, he glanced about for an escape.

Harry Potter was never a lucky boy.

"Harry!" Colin squeaked before someone pushed him aside.

"There you are!" Seamus said eagerly, slamming his hand against another boy's face just to speak to Harry. His face was flushed brightly and there was a wild look in his eyes.

"We've all heard!" Justin Finch-Fletchley cried out, kicking a boy behind him while he threw a quick glare over his shoulder. "Ron's out of the picture!"

"That means - !" Ritchie Cootie began before his body disappeared into the tidal wave of enthusiastic boys that threatened to crash into Harry.

"That you're the substitute brother!" Eddie Carmichad, a Seventh Year Ravenclaw who had tried to con Ron and Harry the year earlier during the O.W.L. exams, finished. He growled at the pack behind him.

"This means that if you give the thumbs up to me - !" Terry Boot jumped up behind Eddie's shoulder before the whole group lurched forward.

"No, me!"

"Are you kidding, you're nothing but a - !"

"She'd never go for you! What she needs is - !"

Harry's head spun frantically with all their bickering. He couldn't pick between them even if he wanted to! Colin was too short, Cootie was too tall, Justin was too handsome, Seamus was too full of himself, Eddie was too untrustworthy, Terry Boot too old fashioned…! He slowly edged away, hoping desperately that the boys were too busy with their squabbling to notice him making a run for it, when he heard even more voices.

"Potter!" a sneering voice came from behind him. Harry swung around and his jaw dropped. Malfoy? No, it was worse than that…it was a whole pack of Slytherins! Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Goyle, Crabbe… Harry felt faint.

"Tell us where she is," Nott demanded, his face twisted in a jeer. Too ugly, Harry thought.

"He will bloody not!" Roger Davis, another Seventh Year Ravenclaw scoffed back. Too loud, Harry thought. "Why are you filthy Slytherins interested in her anyway?"

"She's obviously been mis-sorted," Malfoy sniff. "She's a sly Slytherin if I ever saw one."

Cabbe and Goyle chuckled gruffly. Too stupid, Harry thought, clutching his aching head.

"Take that back, Ferret-Face!" Neville cried from the back. Harry could distinctly see him waving Trevor in the air.

"Well we won't let you get to her!" claimed Eddie Carmichad.

"Oh, don't think a few measly nerds will stop us!" Zabini snorted.

"What did you just call us?" Anthony Goldstein, another Ravenclaw, stepped forward with his wand raised warningly.

"You heard me!" Zabini laughed acerbically. "What are you going to do? Throw books at us?"

"You Slytherins aren't worth the dirt that touches her feet!" Dean scoffed.

"And if you Gryffindors are so courageous, why have you been scared by a tiny Weasel?" mocked Malfoy, tossing his blonde hair back. His mouth twisted between a smirk and a sneer.

"What about yourself? Are you scared of a Gryffindor?" Cormac McLaggen retorted.

"Why you insolent little - !"

Harry made a run for it, just as hexes and curses were being shot between the two clusters. Panting heavily, he glanced over his shoulder to see that the fight had evolved from Slytherins versus everyone else to simply an all-out fight fest. Some of the blokes had resorted to plain fist fighting! He had to find Ginny before this crazy mob did.

He didn't know why, but he felt that she was still in the showers. He couldn't explain this gut feeling, but he went with it. What he did know was that whenever she was stressed or worried, she took long showers. She surely was worried about Ron's condition. He was probably going to be out for at least two days. But at this moment, Harry couldn't think about his best mate. He had to catch her before she left and fell into the clutches of that mad horde!

He leapt up the stairs and flew down the corridors. He felt the sweat trickle down his forehead. He had to make it there in time before the mob realized that he was missing.

And then he saw her! There she was, stepping out of the girl's showers, her face flushed from the steam that rose behind her. Her scarlet locks cascaded down her shoulders as she turned to him and her eyes widened at his disheveled state.

"Harry - ?"

"Ginny!" he cried out, reaching her just in time to see a soiled group of boys down the hall coming from a distance behind her. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared directly behind him and he knew where the other half was now. "RUN!"

"What?" she exclaimed in confusion. "What's going on?"

He didn't think. He just did. He grabbed her around the waist with his arm, threw her over his shoulder, and ran.

It was funny how well she fit.

"Harry Potter! What do you think you're doing?" she screamed in astonishment. "I'm not a sack of potatoes! Put me down!"

"Can't!" he panted heavily. "Saving you!"

"What do you –" she glanced up to see the mass of blokes, all of which were in a terrible disarray and stampeding toward them. Their feet pounded against the floors, practically causing a miniature earthquake. Her brown eyes widened with panic. "Faster Harry! Faster!" she screamed frantically.

"I'm trying!" he groaned pitifully as they whipped past a corner, his emerald eyes dancing about, still searching for a getaway. He wrenched open the first door he saw and swiftly entered, closing the door behind them immediately. It wasn't until he saw the darkness that he realized his fatal mistake.

They were in a broom closet.

Naru-chan: You like? You like? Review!