odConfidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.

- Vince Lombardi

The Queen of Serpents

Chapter Seven

Bothersome Bludgers

"speech"

thoughts

"parseltongue"

/mind speech/

=visions=

Writing

Harry woke early Saturday morning. He lay in bed for a few moments, thinking. To be quite honest, he wasn't that worried about the game. Thankx to Draco's dad, they had the best brooms money could buy.

No, it was not the game that Harry was worried about. It was what would happen after they won.

Harry sighed, shrugging off his covers. No point in worrying about that now, though. He did not want it distracting him from the match.

Harry dressed quickly, intending to enjoy an early breakfast before having a quick, warm-up flight.

Harry poked Draco, causing the blond to role over onto his side, muttering irritably. "Lea' me 'lone. No' time t' ge' up ye'."

Harry smirked, a sudden thought occurring to him. Leaning down, he pitched his voice as low as he could manage. "Draco! The match was three hours ago! You missed the whole thing and we had to use Crabbe instead!" Draco jerked upright, abruptly wide awake.

Harry fell over laughing. Draco glared at his best friend. "So glad you find my dismay amusing," he snapped.

Harry wiped his eyes. "Got you up though, didn't it." He grinned. "See you at breakfast." He skipped out of the room before Draco could stop him.

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Entering the Great Hall, Harry was surprised to see the Gryffindor quiditch team already huddled at their table. He shrugged, waved to Fred and George, before settling down to butter his toast.

Slowly, the hall filled. Draco slumped down next to Harry, yawning exaggeratedly. "Se what you've done, Potter? Now I'm so tired I'll fall asleep on my broom."

Harry choked. Draco pounded his back with no small amount of force.

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Harry was soaring over the field, searching for the snitch when the first bludger came at him. He dodged it easily.

The bludger instantly made a U-turn, coming right back at him. Harry dodged again. The large, black ball switched directions, speeding straight at the messy haired boy's head.

Harry's eyes widened. He leaned forward on his broom, diving down as swiftly as he could. The bludger whipped past him, so close he could feel it ruffle his hair. Harry had no time for relief though.

The bludger was back on his tail.

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Marcus Flint cursed as a bludger sped towards Draco, forcing the blond to break formation. Those twins...

The Slytherin captain's eyes widened and he cursed again as the bludger neatly turned and attempted to hit Draco again. And again.

Marcus's eyes narrowed as he signaled Madame Hooch for a time out. Someone was targeting his chaser and he was not happy about it. The team landed on the ground about him. "Alright," Marcus snarled, "who here has been targeted by a bludger during this game?" Draco and Harry immediately raised their hands. "You too, Potter?" Harry nodded as Marcus shook his head. "Right. We have two options. One: We call a halt to the game until the problem is fixed."

"Don't," Harry interrupted. "Hooch'll reschedule, and that will benefit the Lions, not us. Chased by a bludger, I'm still better than Thomas."

"And there's no guarantee that whoever did this won't do it again," Graham added gruffly.

Miles nodded. "And if Harry gets hurt, or it looks like we're losing, we could always call off the game then."

Marcus nodded sharply. "Option two: We use this to our advantage. Malfoy you can't coordinate while dodging a bludger, so I want you to run interference with the Lions. Potter, just try to avoid the ball and find the snitch fast. Montague we don't have to worry about the bludger, so let's try to keep the ball in our quarter. Derrick, Bole, draw on the Gryffindors sense of fair play. See if you can get the Weasley twins to help us. Bletchley, just make sure the Gryffindors don't score. Got it?" The team nodded.

Marcus glowered at them. "Good. Now let's send those Lion's back to their den in disgrace."

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Oliver glared at Malfoy. Instead of going after the quaffle, the Slytherin chaser was playing tag with a bludger. Even worse, Malfoy was using his team to hide behind. Which meant the rogue bludger was going after the Gryffindor team.

To add insult to injury, Fred and George were now attempting to keep the bludger away from the Slytherin. Something about it being unfair.

And then there was Potter. Despite himself, Oliver had to admit he was impressed. There may have be a bludger on the boy's tail, but it wasn't stopping the Slytherin seeker from looking for the snitch.

Of course, with no bludgers to avoid, the remaining two chasers were scoring like mad. Oliver cursed those ridiculously fast brooms of theirs for what must have been the hundredth time.

Despite himself, Oliver could not help but admire the other team's persistence. Despite the bludgers the Serpents were determined to win.

Oliver's mouth formed a straight line as he scanned the pitch. Not if he could help it.

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Harry ducked, twisted, and flipped upside down in an on going attempt to avoid the bludger. Not once did he stop looking for the snitch.

The dark haired boy abruptly froze. There. Near the Gryffindor goals. Behind Wood. Thomas was closer though. If Wood saw and called him..

CRACK!

Harry gave a choked cry, his eyes watering as the bludger smashed into his arm. But he did not have time to deal with that. The snitch could vanish at any moment.

He leaned low, going into a steep dive. "C'mon," he whispered. Let them think I just want to land. His good hand snaked out as he flew past Wood, snatching the snitch from the air.

Then the ground was approaching and the pain was building and the world went dark.

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"Let me through, let me through." Lockhart's voice was the first thing Harry heard upon regaining consciousness. He promptly attempted to lose it again.

"Oh no. Not you," he mumbled.

"The boy's clearly confused," Lockhart announced. "Doesn't know what he's saying."

Not as confused as you, Harry thought irritably. Out loud, "I'm fine."

"Nonsense," Gilderoy said cheerfully. "Now, relax Harry. I'm going to fix your arm."

"NO!" Harry tried to sit up, but the pain in his arm cut the effort short. "I'll go to the Hospital Wing. Draco, help me up."

"Lie back Harry." Lockhart said soothingly. "It's a simple charm; I've used it countless times before."

"That's perfectly all right, Professor," Flint said loudly, "but Madame Pomfrey gets upset when someone other then her does the healing." He leaned down to help Harry up.

"Nonsense," Lockhart repeated, brandishing his wand. Flint wisely stepped back.

Harry shut his eyes helplessly as a funny tingling sensation crawled up his arm. From somewhere nearby came an incessant clicking sound. There were several shocked gasps and a small breeze played with his air. Odd the things the mind throws out when stressed.

"Ah," lockhart blustered. "Yes. Well, that does sometimes happen. But, the arm is no longer broken. That's the thin..." He trailed off in the face of the combined glares of the Slytherin quiditch team. "Yes..well...Perhaps you should take him up to the Hospital Wing," he suggested weakly.

Still glowering, the team helped Harry up. Flint paused next to a Gryffindor holding a camera. "Creevey, when you develop those, I want them." The first year nodded.

Draco had to have one last word. "I hope you have a good lawyer. Professor, because my father is going to sue you down to your last knut." He stormed off, leaving a stricken Gilderoy Lockhart behind.

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YAY! Finished! Sorry this took me so long. I'd like to blame life but I was actually playing text RPs when I was supposed to be typing. I DID NOT stop writing though and have finished the next chapter.

Questions:

Chapter 6:

Why does Binns award Sa'zar's points to both of his houses?

Who was the Gryffindor Binns taught?

What task did Lucius set Dobby?

Why is Sirius the Slytherin heir?

Who else is an heir?

Why did Ron's rat react?

How much do you think Albus knows/suspects? (This is an opinion question.)

Who is the man in Tokyo? (To be answered in third year.)

Who is the Tigress? (To be answered in seventh year.)

Chapter 7:

Why are there two bludgers attacking?

Why does the Slytherin team keep playing?

Why does Flint want Collin's pictures?

Harry tells Draco something when he wakes the blond up. Where does the idea come from?

Opinion: Why will Gilderoy have to leave Hogwarts?

Points:

Gryffindor:80

Hufflepuff:84

Ravenclaw:76

Slytherin:84

Next Chapter: Snap, Flash, Attack!