Chapter Thirteen
"You're looking peaky this morning, Ginny-bean," Fred commented as he and George entered the common room from the dormitory staircase. "Not allowed to be ill on Hallowe'en, you know."
"He's right, Gin," George nodded. "Or we might just have to confiscate all your candy for ourselves."
Ginny smiled weakly. "I'm all right," she insisted, shifting the books she was carrying. "Just didn't sleep well, is all."
"A spot of breakfast will perk you right up," George declared, as he and Fred each linked one of Ginny's arms with their own. She struggled to keep from dropping her books. "Right this way, Miss Weasley."
"Fred, George. Will you leave your poor sister alone?" I said walking down to the Common Room, hearing most of the twins clowning.
Ginny countered their clowning as we walked down towards the Great Hall. I looked towards Ginny and noticed she did not seem quite right. Her face was pale and she seemed lost in thought, like she was debating something within her mind.
"You ok Gin?"
"Yeah. I am fine or I will be when these clowns leave me alone." She said sending a glare towards her brothers; causing me to laugh at the twins as they faked being hurt by pressing a hand to their chest. It was Halloween and one week away from the opening match of the Quidditch season, which would pit Gryffindor against Slytherin. It was also the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, and Fred and George were grinning from ear to ear with excitement about bringing back all the Honeydukes sweets and Zonko jokes they could afford.
After breakfast, all the students with permission, (Third Year and up) assembled outside the Great Hall to be cleared by Filch. I told the twins that I would meet up with them later, and went to join Ange, Katie and Licia as we made our way down the path to the town of Hogsmeade. By noon, we entered the Three Broomsticks Inn finding it pack to the brim with Hogwarts Students. We manage to find an empty table and were soon joined by the twins and Lee, who had pockets full with candy (both real and prank.)
All in all, the day went swimmingly; Fred did not bat an eye passing Abby in the street. By the Halloween Feast, both twins had forgotten about past events and were in such a good mood. I noticed that both Harry and Ginny were not in attendance. Ginny's absent went unnoticed, however Harry's absence was not so easily overlooked; as the night before the Quidditch season opener, it was a particularly raucous student body that filled the Great Hall. Jeers and cheers broke out from Gryffindor and Slytherin supporters alike, and despite the multiple warnings issued from the Head Table, all four Houses eagerly expressed their feelings on the subject. It was only a matter of time, then, until Harry's name was brought up, whether he was there to acknowledge the credit or not (and it certainly did not matter to the Slytherins, whose considerable boos and hissed were still outmatched by the rest of the school's shouts of approval.)
It was not until later that night, as we all made our way back to our Common Room that spirits fell. For the sight before us was not one to see on a night like tonight. We stopped on the second floor corridor as we saw huge puddle of water on the ground in front of us; as I looked up, I saw Mrs Norris hanging from the torch bracket and read the threatening message scrawled above her outside the broken girl's lavatory.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
I gasped at the sight and Fred put a protective arm around and pulled me closer into his side; as terrified hush shot through the crowd that only Draco Malfoy was arrogant enough to interrupt: "Enemies of the Heir, Beware. You'll be next, mudbloods!" I could not help but cast a pointed look at him as Filch burst onto the scene, blaming Harry as he was found right underneath the message.
The bloody message and the chilling sight of the hanging, petrified cat were quickly driven to the back of most students' mind by the next morning. The axiety of the Quidditch match that was to take place at eleven o'clock that day was powerful enough to overtake even those images.
"Oh, I cannot eat this," Katie groaned, pushing away the single piece of dry toast she had tried to nibble. "My stomach is doing barrel roles."
"I agree. This just does not seem apprenticing." I said pushing away my plate of toast.
"You should eat something, girls," Ollie said. "Toast or cereal – carbs give you energy,"
"Once I get out there into the sky, my energy will come." I argued back.
"Yes, and vomiting takes it way," Katie argued. "Do not worry, Ollie, I am staying hydrated – see?" She took an exaggerated gulp of ice water from her laugh, causing me to snort as I drank my own water.
"Well, look at Flint's team," he replied instead. "They're all eating heartily."
It was true, as we turned to look at the Slytherin table. Pucey and Bletchley had each a double helping of beans on toast and seemed to be egging on an eating contest between Derrick and Bole. The two Beaters were cramming bangers into their mouths at an impressive rate. Violet Parkinson was turning green and trying not to watch.
Angelina wrinkled her nose. "Forgive us, Oliver, for very much not wanting to look or act like Flint's team."
"Point taken," the Gryffindor Captain conceded and miserably returned to his scrambled eggs as Harry quietly entered the Great Hall and joined us at the table.
We finished our meager breakfasts in relative silence and then collectively rose from the table. It was hard not to think of the trek to the changing rooms as the walk to our own doom, and Wood's pre-game pep talk did nothing to alter the feeling.
"Oi, Flint!" Fred called out. I looked at Fred, silently telling him to keep quiet.
Flint sneered. "Too late to switch teams now, Weasley. I'd say we'd accept a bribe as not to knock you about too much, but it's not summat I can guarantee. I'm liable to forget, me."
"Don't think he could afford it anyway, Marcus," Pucey laughed.
"Best thing to do is pray the beating won't go on too long," Flint agreed. His cronies chortled behind him.
"Actually," Fred smiled politely. "I was hoping you'd point out where Abby's sitting? I want to dedicate my performance to her, see."
Flint's eyes darkened and his cheeks flushed. Pucey, Higgs and Bletchley gaped at him. Malfoy, however, looked smug. "What did you say?" the hulking Slytherin growled.
"What are you doing?" George whispered, fairly certain his twin had just gone off his nut.
"Just play along," Fred replied out of the corner of his mouth and then turned back to Flint. "That's right. And when we win the match, well, kiss goes to the winner, doesn't it?"
He winked cheekily and turned to follow the rest of the team out onto the pitch where Flint could not retaliate without the entire student body and staff as witnesses. George, having seen Flint's reaction and finally cottoned on, grinned.
"Oh, and Malfoy?" he added. "Hermione sends her love."
With that, Madam Hooch started the match. I noticed Fred wink to where Abby was seated in the Slytherin stands; causing me to loose my concentration on the match for a second. I glared in Fred's direction and put my mind back onto the game.
Higgs came racing up the pitch, shadowing Flint who was in possession of the Quaffle. The Slytherin Captain threw a massive shoulder into Ange's attempted block and mock passed to Pucey who was speeding up on his right. I bit on the fake and went to cover Pucey, taking myself out of the play. Higgs had meanwhile circled around the back of the goal hoops and come into range to the left. Flint whipped the Quaffle to Higgs who barrel-rolled over Katie, who had moved to intercept, and took the pass. Ollie flew out to challenge but had to dodge a Bludger whacked by Derrick. Higgs made the ensuing goal look effortless.
Ange had the Quaffle now and was streaking back down the pitch, her face set in determination. Flint and Pucey were after her like hawks. She waited until she could very nearly feel their hot breath on her neck and then pulled up, executing a tricky reverse nosedive that sent them barreling past where she had been moments before. Lining up her shot, she aimed for Bletchley's well-known weaker left side. Just as she was throwing, however, a Bludger rocketed past her face and she instinctively threw up her hands to protect herself, completely ruining the shot. Bletchley made the easy save and, hovering far below, Bole grinned, having done his job.
Flint had scored three more goals by the time Ollie signalled for time out.
"This is ridiculous. We are being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina from scoring?"
"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry!" George said angrily. "Someone has fixed it – it will not leave Harry alone, it has not gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherin's must have done something to it."
"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then..." said Wood, anxiously.
Madam Hooch was walking towards them.
"We'll have to forfeit," Wood continued.
Harry interrupted. "No, with you two -" he pointed at Fred and George "- flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve," he said. "Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."
"Don't be thick," said Fred. "It'll take your head off."
"And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a mad Bludger!"
"I'd rather forfeit than watch you end up in the hospital wing because of some sick prank!" I argued
Harry rounded on Oliver "Come on, Oliver; tell them to leave me alone!"
"This is your entire fault," said George angrily to Wood "'Get the Snitch or die trying' - what a stupid thing to tell him!"
Madam Hooch had joined them.
"Ready to resume play?" she asked Wood.
Oliver looked at the determined look on Harry's face.
"All right," he said. "Fred, George, you heard Harry - leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own"
While Harry avoided the rogue Bludger and tried to locate the Snitch to end the game, I returned to my position of stealing the Quaffle and scoring as many points as I could - so even if Harry didn't catch the Snitch, we could have won on points alone.
I pressed myself against the sleek handle of my Chocolate Swiss and sped directly passed Adrian Pucey who had become level with the Gryffindor goalposts, threw the Quaffle into the air and punched it towards the top right hoop.
Katie managed to save it in time by kicking it up and over the hoop before passing it back to Ange who dodged around Flint and Pucey, re-grouped with me and tore it back up the field towards the Slytherin poles.
Making it mid-way across the pitch I glanced sideways just in time to see Flint hit the Quaffle out of Ange's arms. I growled and swerved in front of Flint causing him to collide forcefully with me - losing the Quaffle in the process. Unfortunately, Pucey had flown beneath his team captain at that point and rescued the Quaffle from the Gryffindor team.
Shaking my head to clear it of the daze after the collision, I flew off after Pucey as Harry abandoned his post of searching for the Snitch to give chase.
"Find the Snitch!" I shouted as I shot past him and after Pucey who had managed to score again. Damn it!
The Slytherin's in the crowd all cheered for their team, while the Gryffindor's, Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaws showed their true support to us out on the field. Over the microphone I could hear Lee Jordan's voice dictating the score as he added another ten points to Slytherin's score. This left Gryffindor 90 - 30.
In celebration of the soon-to-be victory, the Slytherin players lined up in their usual V-formation and flew around the stadium; and on the returning lap Harry had to duck in order to avoid the near-hit to the head that one of the Slytherin Beaters aimed in his direction.
Ducking under a Bludger attack I swerved over Malfoy and Harry as I chased the third Slytherin Chaser for the Quaffle. I ducked under another Bludger just as Oliver appeared into view a few feet away from where she was hovering.
"Watch yourself, Liesal." said Oliver.
My eyes widened as the Bludger returned. "Oliver, look out!" I yelled.
As if in slow motion I watched as the Bludger snapped Oliver's broom in two and he fell to the ground, the Bludger then coursed towards me causing me to swerve to avoid it, and returned to pestering Harry on the other side of the pitch.
With Oliver out of the game, Slytherin's points were increasing rapidly.
I screamed as Harry and Malfoy crossed my path once more causing me to lose the Quaffle, the Bludger followed after the two seekers almost knocking me from my broomstick. Managing to maintain my grip and pull further into the air, I turned my attention back onto the game as the Slytherin's continued to score.
After the little miss-hap with the Bludger it seemed the two Seekers had disappeared. Minutes passed and soon they reappeared from beneath the stands. Malfoy was knocked off his broom and lay on the field winded. The Slytherin crowd groaned as their chances of catching the Snitch where thrown out of the window.
Harry was lying on the sand just beneath the goalposts, his arm was lying limplessly across his stomach and there was glittering fireworks around him.
Dipping my broom forward, I flew down, hovered above the ground and slid from the broom as I made my way towards the group around Harry. Lockhart soon arrived.
"Are you alright?" said Hermione.
"My arm. I think it's broken."
"Don't worry, Harry, I'll fix that arm of yours straight away!" said Lockhart.
"Oh no, not you," Harry moaned.
"Silly boy doesn't know what he is saying," said Lockhart loudly, to the anxious crowd of Gryffindor's pressing around on them. He lifted Harry's arm carefully, pulled back the sleeve and pointed his wand at the clearly broken arm.
"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" said Harry through clenched teeth.
Lockhart shook his head "Stand back" he said, rolling up his jade-green sleeves.
"No - don't -" Harry said weakly, but Lockhart heeded no feeble warnings and muttered a spell. Harry's arm glowed before the light disappeared and Lockhart lifted the arm up and it flopped around useless.
"Ew!" everyone around them groaned.
"Ah," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, you can no longer feel any pain, and it is quite clear that the bones are not broken."
"Broken?" Hagrid growled "There are no bones left!"
"Much more flexible though," said Lockhart as he let Harry's arm flop back into its original position.
I turned too glared at Lockhart as Harry was taken to the Hospital Wing. I walked over to where the twins were wrestling the Bludger that had broken Harry's arm earlier back into the box. When it was safely locked away, Fred collapsed on the ground and whether he consciously meant to or not, looked in Abby's direction, who was staring in their direction. A cocky grin spread across his face as he flexed his bicep and kissed it. Abby quickly looked away and tried to act as though nothing has happened, though her cheeks had turned pink. George raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Throwing a glare at Fred, I turned on my heel towards the Hospital Wing, with tears slowly coming down my face.