Chapter 19 – Not Again

Harry left the Great Hall after dinner only to be stopped by Dumbledore. "A word if you please, dear boy."

Harry sighed and composed a polite expression before turning. The elderly wizard smiled benevolently at the teen. "Yes Headmaster? What can I do for you?"

The Headmaster looked over his glasses at the teen. "I thought that perhaps we could discuss your new role as a Head of an Ancient House. Not only do you have your estate, but you also have a seat on the Wizengamot. With only being reintroduced to wizarding society a few short years ago and little time to explore the political arena, I thought it might be helpful to have someone guide you through the quagmire that can be the Wizengamot bureaucracy."

Harry inclined his head politely. "Thank you for your concern, Headmaster. I appreciate your interest and promise that I will seek you out when I have need of your advice." He turned to rejoin his friends, noticing the many people walking slowly so as to eavesdrop on the discussion.

Dumbledore spoke again, perhaps also noticing the bystanders. "Perhaps we could continue the discussion in my office, my boy."

Harry rolled his eyes, but had a composed expression when he turned again towards the elderly wizard. "Your concern is noted. However, I would remind you Sir, that I am not only the Head of an Ancient House, but a legal adult. I will choose my advisors carefully, I assure you. If there is nothing school related Sir, I will take my leave." He gave a slight bow and turned to join his friends. The Headmaster sighed and left towards his own office, leaving the students gossiping quietly.

The owlry was busy that evening as letters were sent out from several Slytherin, one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff student, each filling in their parents on the conversation between the Boy-Who-Lived and the Muggle-lover Headmaster. Parents were quick to inform the Dark Lord of the beginning of a rift between the two. When Lucius Malfoy presented himself to confirm the conversation, he was rewarded with an uncommon "Well done, Lucius. I am pleased."


Harry woke early on Saturday morning and lay for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match. He was excited; he had finally admitted to himself that the best challenges were when he and Draco Malfoy were going head-to-head in a challenging seeker's game. The other House games were fun, but only Draco gave him a serious challenge. Who would ever have expected that he would enjoy a game with Draco Malfoy?

He dressed and met Draco in the common room and they joked on the way to the Great Hall. Every eye was on them as they entered. They nodded to one another and headed to their respective tables. The Gryffindor team was huddled together at the long table, talking nervously.

At eleven o'clock, the students began wandering over to the Quidditch stadium. It was a humid day, with dark heavy skies overhead threatening rain. Neville and Hermione wished Harry good luck as he entered the locker room. The boys pulled on their scarlet and gold Gryffindor robes and then gathered outside the locker rooms, where the girls joined them and they gathered around Harry.

"We've worked hard making a good team this year, and I'm proud of the work each of you put into earning and keeping your position. I think we can have one of the best teams Hogwarts has seen in years. We've trained hard and yet we've had fun. I want both the hard work and the fun to continue."

He looked around at the faces turned to him. "I've heard rumblings that a Veela won't challenge his Chosen Mate. Well, don't expect any leniency from the Slytherins. I want every win to be earned, not handed to us because someone's hereditary instincts tell them not to challenge another person. Draco and I talked about the game and we both agreed that a challenging game with a strong head-to-head competition is the most fun for us as players and for each of the audience in the stands. He won't back down and neither will I."

"That means I'm expecting Katie, Ginny and Demelza to be on that Quaffle like a Niffler on a shiny bauble and score as many points as possible. You're all fast and avoid the Bludgers with like it's a dance. You're poetry in motion." The girls straightened up and smiled back at their Captain.

Harry nodded to his two Beaters and said "Jimmy and Ritchie are going to keep the other players off you three while you do that scoring, and distract Malfoy from the snitch. You both have great aim and hand-eye coordination. Have fun with it." The two boys nodded seriously. Harry turned to his Keeper who was trying to look nonchalant. "Ron, you've got the length, the arm length and the determination to defend our hoops. I trust you and pity any Quaffle that gets in arms reach of you." Ron relaxed a bit and grinned back at Harry.

"All I need to do is take a leisurely fly around the pitch, wait for the sun to reflect off the snitch and beat Malfoy to it. I've got the easy job." Snorts of amusement met his mild statement.

A loud voice indicated that the Sonorous spell had been cast and a welcome was heard outside followed by cheering. "All right, let's get out there and have fun!" The team cheered and spilled out of the locker hallway onto the stadium grounds as their House was announced and a roar of noise greeted them. The stands were filled with all four Houses and every student was eager for the action to begin.

Madam Hooch stood in the middle of the field waiting for the teams. "I want to see a well-played and fair game, all of you" she announced as they gathered around her. "Mount your brooms and get ready."

Fourteen students jumped on their brooms and waited with eager anticipation. Madam Hooch placed a whistle in her mouth and stradled her own broom as each player tensed. A loud blast of the whistle sounded and the brooms rose up high into the air.

Katie immediately claimed the Quaffle and passed it to Ginny when a Bludger was sent her way. Ginny sped between the Slytherin beaters and opposing chasers, passing the Quaffle back to Katie. Demelza seemed to be a bit out of it; as if she was watching and not participating until the Katie passed her the Quaffle and in one smooth motion she sent it into the Slytherin far right hoop.

Harry floated above the action, keeping an eye out of the snitch. He chuckled as Draco flew a loop-de-loop around him and waved before moving off to perform his own sweep around the stadium. Harry saw a flash of gold and moved towards it, only to realize it was the reflection off Jimmy's glasses. He dodged automatically as a Bludger careened past him.

Ritchie came near enough to holler "OK there, Harry?" as he swung his bat at the Bludger and sent it back at a Slytherin. Harry waved and continued his search pattern for the snitch.

Suddenly another flash caught his attention…there! Just behind the Slytherin Keeper. He dove down after the streaking winged sphere. Draco had seen it too and was coming in from the other side and then came along beside him. They raced neck and neck towards the snitch as it seemed to take it on a personality, taunting them as they stretched out their hands and then dodging and diving under their brooms.

Harry pulled up hard and performed a half somersault in the air, while Draco did a barrel roll and the chase continued. The Gryffindor reached out for the round ball, its wings beating furiously. A brief moment is all he had to avoid the collision with the Bludger aimed at his head. He rolled to the left, causing Draco to dive. When they righted themselves, the snitch had disappeared.

The heavy grey skies choose then to begin spilling, as heavy drops began splattering on Harry's face. "At least I don't have to worry about the glasses any longer" he thought. He pulled back up to watch the field and glanced at the scoreboard. Slytherin was sixty to their forty. Not too bad considering how many new players they had. He swung by the Gryffindor hoops in time to see Ron knock a Quaffle away. "Good job, Ron!" he shouted and was pleased to see Ron's satisfied grin and thumbs up in response.

The rain was falling a little more heavily now as Harry climbed back up into the sky to get the entire field under him. He suddenly swooped off to the left in a burst of speed and heard a cheer from the Slytherin team as Draco chased him. Near the Slytherin hoop, he veered off and looped, waving at Draco while upside down. He straightened out and went back to the middle of the field.

"Ha! Nice feint Harry" Ginny called as she chased a Quaffle. He grinned and waved her on. He checked the scoreboard as his search pattern brought him near. Slytherin was still ahead, seventy to Gryffindor's sixty. He was pleased with the team's first game so far.

A whining near his ear told him that a Bludger had just missed him. He ignored it and spiraled down before pulling up and diving again. May as well tug at Draco's nerves a bit, thinking Harry had seen the snitch. He glanced over at the Slytherin seeker and suddenly saw a flash of gold not ten yards behind from Draco. He lazily turned to his left, not wanting Draco to realize he had seen it and began another loop-de-loop.

He came up closer to Draco's position and then gave a burst of speed past the Slytherin. However, Draco was no amateur and immediately recognized the intensity on Harry's face as real. He spun around and saw the flittering gold ball and raced the Gryffindor towards it. They were only a foot apart, racing towards the golden prize. Harry gripped the broom with his right hand and reached out with his left, seeing Draco reaching at the same moment with his right. Both hands closed on the snitch.

WHAM!

Harry heard a loud snap and then Draco was thrown against him as the Bludger hit the blonde's shoulder. Both brooms began to spiral out of control as both teens attempted to avoid the fall. Harry gripped the broom tightly with his knees and vaguely heard yells from the crowd below as the brooms tumbled. Only superior skills saved them both as they barely controlled their crash onto the wet ground.

Harry fought to keep from blacking out from the impact and looked over at Draco. The blonde was white and his shoulder looked like it might be dislocated. He looked at their clasped hands, containing the golden snitch that neither had released in the fall.

A tightly controlled gasp of pain and Draco managed "You OK Harry?"

The Gryffindor nodded and then regretted it. "Hang on. Madame Pomfrey will be right here. Good game, Draco." Black spots were taking over his vision and sounds seemed to be retreating. "Oh no, not again…" he thought as he lost conscious.


Noises intruded on the darkness, chittering sounds that were hard at first to understand. It was hard to struggle through the fog, but he tried.

"No word…"

.

.

"..anyone talked to…"

.

.

What Harry will say…"

.

"Has he woken up yet?"

.

An astringent smell tickled the back of his throat as he swam up through the fog. The Infirmary. Again.

He stifled a groan and listened, but didn't hear Madame Pomfrey. With a slow lifting of his lashes, he looked out. Yep, the Infirmary. He could just make out two figures on either side of the bed.

He groaned slightly and both sets of figures moved closer. He reached a heavy hand towards his face and rubbed his eyes slowly.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice was soft on his left side.

"S'ok, 'Mione" he mumbled. "Head hurts a bit."

"You and Malfoy fell a good twenty feet, mate" came Ron's slightly louder voice. "You have a concussion. Madame Pomfrey figures you'll be fine in the morning."

Hermione spoke again. "She left this potion for you, Harry." She waved her wand and the pillows grew slowly until he was almost sitting, and then guided the potion to his mouth. He swallowed the foul tasting brew and briefly fought to keep it down. Slowly the ache in his head eased.

He sighed and released some of the tension he didn't know he had. "That's better, thank you. What about Draco? Looked like he had a dislocated shoulder."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then across the bed. Harry turned his head to his right and was surprised to see Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle standing there, their faces carefully masked of all emotion.

Harry frowned. "Crabbe, Goyle...how's Draco?"

The two large teens looked at him and then Goyle nodded towards Crabbe. The teen clenched his hand into a fist briefly and then released it. "Missing."