It's been a while for updates, though I've been busy with work and am starting to run out of how to put down some of the ideas I've got. I have written up to chapter 26 and part of 27, so updates may be slow until I complete the story. Suggestions, ideas, and constructive criticism is welcome.
Chapter 21 Theories, planning, and the Rogue Bludger
Later on that day after the Harry and Rose being, Ron, and Hermione had gone to the second floor corridor to talk with Moaning Myrtle in her bathroom, the Harry and Rose being sat as far away from Percy as they could, joined by Ron and Hermione. As their two friends worked on their homework, the Harry and Rose being each read a different book. The Harry half was reading a book containing some defensive spells, some of them quite advanced. The Rose half read their charms book. As they read, they followed both lines of text at once, thinking about their charms homework and organizing the defensive spells in their mind that they were going to learn next. The Harry half glanced up as Ron's parchment caught on fire and the Rose half looked up also, a furious Ron slamming closed his copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2. Hermione shut her own copy to their surprise, and after marking the pages in their books, the Harry and Rose being did the same.
"Who can it be, though?" Hermione asked as if they were continuing a conversation they'd been having. "Who'd want to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-bourns out of Hogwarts?"
"Let's think. Who do we know who thinks Muggle-bourns are scum?" Ron asked with fake puzzlement, staring at Hermione, who looked back, seeming unconvinced.
"If you're talking about Malfoy..." Hermione began.
"Of course I am!" Ron responded as if it was obvious. "You know what he said, you'll be next, Mudbloods. You only have to look at his fowl red face to know it's him."
"Malfoy, the heir of Slytherin?" Hermione asked in a skeptical tone.
"His family certainly boasts enough about Slytherin." The Harry and Rose being began in a measured voice. "Although, think about this. No second year could have petrified the Rose half or Filch's cat. Malfoy is a second year. He was at the Halloween feast at the time the petrification occurred. Remember, he was coming with the rest of the students back from the great hall."
"It could still be possible." Ron responded. "I mean, look at how he talks, insulting Hermione, insulting both of us too, he hates Gryffindors..."
"Ron, you're thick." The Harry and Rose being interrupted calmly. "Listen, and think, use a little logic. The Rose half was originally a Black." The Harry and Rose being frowned. "It's not something I like, but it's a fact. Given that blood lines are somewhat important and people seem prejudice against others, and also given that there have been roomers about the Rose half joining the rest of the Black's in darkness, I did a little digging. Remember the article I read a year ago about me?"
"Yeah." Ron responded.
"In it was mentioned Sarah Black, the mother of the Rose half. I looked her up, her last name was originally O'Riley. She came from a family who, a few generations back, lived in Ireland." The Harry and Rose being stated.
Ron stared at them, then said, "Who are you, Hermione?"
"No, of course not." The Harry and Rose being responded, "Now, hush, listen. The point is this. Sarah Black is a pure blood. Sirius Black, is a pure blood." The Harry and Rose being sighed. "And on that subject, I'm not even sure anymore if Sirius is the trader the article claimed him to be."
"Oh, come on." Ron responded. "Everyone knows what he did." He lowered his voice. "He murdered twelve Muggles and the only thing they found of Pettigrew was a finger."
"Yes, a single finger when twelve Muggles were killed in an explosion, and I'm sure much larger pieces of them were found. Quite odd, don't you think?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"No, not really." Ron responded.
"Oh, the lack of logic in the wizarding world." The Harry and Rose being sighed. "I'll lay it all out for you, then. An explosion, boom. Pieces of street and other rubble flying everywhere, people blown apart. Sirius Black in tact. Peter Pettigrew presumed dead, a finger found on sight. Personally, after thinking about it for so long, I've had a year after all, I think that finger was left there to be found deliberately."
"That does make some sense." Hermione responded. "But why?"
"I don't know." The Harry and Rose being responded. "Maybe to make everyone think he was dead, perhaps he's still alive, I dunno. There's a lot of different explanations for that, but this isn't what we should worry about now, it can wait. The Chamber of Secrets, Slytherin's heir. Malfoy? No, I don't think so, the facts don't add up."
"What d'you mean the facts don't add up?" Ron asked.
"Ron, have you been listening?" Hermione asked severely. "The Harry and Rose being just explained why they didn't! And come on, you think it's possible that Malfoy of all people could know how to open the Chamber of Secrets when no one, not even the professors have been able to find it? Not even Professor Dumbledore found it."
"Maybe Malfoy's family has the key and passed it down, father to son, all these years." Ron replied.
"So who, then. Malfoy's father was here to carry out the work Draco Malfoy couldn't?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"It's possible." Ron responded.
"We have to be sure." The Harry and Rose being stated. "The only way to do that would be talking with Malfoy, but we can't do that because he'd be suspicious of us in the Slytherin common room. There's got to be some type of magic to disguise us somehow."
"There might be a way." Hermione said slowly. "We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, of course, and it's difficult and very, very dangerous."
"Care to tell us what it is?" Ron asked.
"We could use Polyjuice Potion." Hermione replied.
The Harry and Rose being snapped their fingers.
"Yes, that would work." They said.
"Care to clue me in?" Ron asked.
"Snape mentioned it a few weeks ago in class, Ron." Hermione responded. "It's used to transform you into somebody else. We could go in, talk to him, and leave without him even knowing we'd been there."
"This Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me. What if we were stuck looking like four of the Slytherins forever?" Ron asked with a frown.
"It wears off after a while." Hermione waved a hand impatiently. "But getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."
"There might be an easier way to get it than that." The Harry and Rose being said, the Rose half getting up and moving quickly over to the door to their room.
"What d'you mean?" Ron asked as the Rose half entered the room and moved to the desk, pulling open the drawers where they stored their papers, quickly going through sheets of parchment.
"It won't be cheep, but I've got a catalogue somewhere for a potions shop. I could order it from them. It's the same place I got the family inheritance potion, what was it..." The Harry half trailed off.
The Rose half quickly studied parchments even as the Harry and Rose being struggled to remember. After a few moments, the Harry half snapped his fingers.
"Magia Familia Hereditatem." He stated.
"What?" The Harry half heard Ron ask with an open mouth.
"It's a simple inheritance potion to determine what family members you received your magic from." The Harry half heard Hermione respond in a knowledgeable tone. She then added eagerly, "What were your results?"
"Each other." The Harry half replied, then the Harry and Rose being grinned triumphantly. "Found it."
The Rose half hurried out and closed the door behind her, coming over with a stack of parchment, flipping through the pages as she walked over to the Harry half, sitting next to him again.
"Okay, here it is." The Harry and Rose being replied. "Polyjuice Potion, used to transform yourself into another human being for one hour, longer if continuously drunk. Do not use for animal transformations. One-hundred Galleons a vial. Place hair or other item from the individual you wish to transform into before use. Typically on backorder up to two months for brewing time."
"That's four-hundred Galleons." Ron said in awe.
The Harry and Rose being shifted uncomfortably and looked down, cheeks burning. It would barely make a dent in their vault. To someone like Ron who's mother scraped the corners of the vault for money, that was a fortune.
"We need a backup plan, and it wouldn't be fair of you to spend so much money on such a thing anyway." Hermione said strictly.
"Well, I have full confidence in your ability, perhaps our ability, to brew a potion correctly. And besides, I'm not entirely convinced it is Malfoy, four-hundred Galleons isn't worth it to me yet." The Rose half stood and moved back toward their room.
"Okay, so what, then?" Ron asked. "How do we do this?"
"Well, as I said before, Professor Snape said the recipe was in a book called Moste Potente Potions, which I'm sure is in the restricted section of the library." Hermione replied. "It won't be easy to brew."
"You're repeating yourself, Hermione. And we'd need a signed note from a teacher to get it." The Harry half said as the Rose half opened the door and moved to the open drawer.
"Right." The Harry half heard Hermione reply, saw her blush faintly as the Rose half dropped the parchments into the drawer.
"I think if we made it sound like we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance..." The Harry half heard Hermione add as the Rose half closed the drawer and walked back out of the room.
"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that. They'd have to be really thick..." The Harry half heard Ron trail off, and as the Rose half exited the room and closed the door, she heard the end of his words.
"I can think of one teacher that might be willing to help us. Given a reasonable excuse, of course." The Harry half said as the Rose half came back over to them.
Together, the Harry and Rose being and Ron stated, "Professor Lockhart."
Privately, the Harry and Rose being thought that Professor Lockhart, for all his fame and claims, actually knew hardly anything about Defense Against the Dark Arts. Since the episode of the pixies practically tearing apart the classroom, he hadn't actually given them any practical lessons. In fact, the lessons he gave were simply reading and telling the stories about the adventures he'd been on, which, in the Harry and Rose being's opinion, had absolutely nothing to do with defense at all. They were glad to have begun studying defense on their own, and so far, had learned quite a few useful spells.
In Professor Lockhart's class, however, they were sometimes forced to help him with acting out some of the dramatic events in his story. It was the Harry half he called to help, and so far, he had played a simple Transylvanian villager which Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse, a yeti with a head cold, and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with him. The Harry and Rose being was irritated at this, but at their next Defense Against the Dark Art's class, they played along, having good reason to keep Professor Lockhart in a good mood. Again, the Harry half was brought to the front of the class, this time to play a werewolf. The Harry and Rose being were amused at that and privately thought it should have been the Rose half, then she could really show him some strength.
"Nice loud howl, Harry..." Professor Lockhart was saying, the Harry and Rose being playing along through the Harry half. "Exactly! And then, if you'll believe it, I pounced-like this... Slammed him to the floor, thus... With one hand, I managed to hold him down, with my other, I put my wand to his throat, I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm, he let out a piteous moan, go on, Harry, higher than that, good! The fur vanished, the fangs shrank, and he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective, and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks."
The bell rang and Professor Lockhart, along with his class, got to their feet.
"Homework, compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!" Professor Lockhart called.
The Harry and Rose being only did the homework assigned to them for a good grade. That was all Professor Lockhart's class was worth at this point, anyhow. The Harry half went to the back of the room where the Rose half, Ron, and Hermione were waiting. As he did so, the Rose half muttered, "Ready?"
"Wait until everyone's gone... All right." Hermione said nervously.
She approached Professor Lockhart's desk with a paper clutched tightly in her hand, the Harry and Rose being and Ron behind her.
"Er, Professor Lockhart?" Hermione stammered a bit as she spoke. "I wanted t-to get this book out of the library. Just for background reading." She held out the paper, her hand shaking a little. "But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it, I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in Gadding with Ghouls about slow-acting venoms..."
"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" Professor Lockhart said with a beaming smile as he took the paper from her. "Possibly my very favorite book. You enjoyed it?"
"Oh, yes, so clever, the way you trapped that last one with the tea-strainer." Hermione said eagerly.
"Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student of the year a little extra help." Professor Lockhart said warmly, then pulled out a large peacock quill. Ron looked revolted and Professor Lockhart misread his look. "Yes, nice, isn't it? I usually save it for book-signings."
He wrote an enormous signature in loopy writing before handing the note back to Hermione, who folded it with fumbling fingers and slipped it in her bag. As she did this, Professor Lockhart spoke.
"So, Harry, tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're a useful player. I was a Seeker, too. I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces. Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players..."
The Harry half made a little grunting sound in his throat and hurried with the Rose half after Ron and Hermione.
"I don't believe it." The Harry and Rose being said with a frown as the four of them looked at the signature on the note a few moments later. "Well, I do, I suppose. He didn't even look at the book we wanted."
"That's because he's a brainless git, but who cares. We've got what we needed." Ron responded.
"He is not a brainless git!" Hermione said in a shrill voice as they hurried toward the library, almost running.
"Just because he said you were the best student of the year..." Ron began, then dropped their voices as they entered the quiet library.
Madam Pince, the librarian, was thin and irritable, looking like an underfed vulture. The Harry and Rose being watched as she tried to take the note from Hermione, who wasn't letting go.
"Moste Potente Potions?" She repeated in a suspicions tone after Hermione had explained what book they needed.
"I was wondering if I could keep it." Hermione said in a breathless tone, referring to the note she held.
Unbelievable, the Harry and Rose being thought. Even after Professor Lockhart's performance, Hermione was still in awe of him like a girl with a crush. Well, perhaps she was a girl with a crush. How silly. At the same time, they thought about the spell they were going to practice that night, the disarming spell, and were also learning ahead to something known as the shield charm, though wondered if it would work with their wands given that Ollivander had told them the effect their wands would have on each other. Perhaps they'd have to practice against someone other than their other halves, they thought idly.
"Oh, come on." Ron wrenched the note from her grasp, thrusting it at Madam Pince. "We'll get you another autograph. Lockhart will sign anything if it stands still long enough."
They watched intently as Madam Pince held the note up to the light, turning it this way and that as if determined to find something wrong with the signature. It passed her test, though, and she stocked off, returning some minutes later with a large and moldy looking book. Hermione carefully put it into her bag and they left, trying not to walk too quickly or look guilty. The Harry and Rose being were good at that given their practice at hiding emotion, casually strolling along as if it was any other day.
Five minutes later found them in Moaning Myrtle's out of order bathroom. Ron had objected, but Hermione overrode him and explained, once again, that this was the last place they'd be expected to be, let alone doing something that violated school rules.
"And," The Harry and Rose being added. "given that it's out of order along with Myrtle crying, no one is likely to come in here and bother us."
Indeed, Moaning Myrtle was living up to her name, though they were ignoring her as she ignored them. Hermione carefully opened Moste Potente Potions and the Rose half leaned over to look along with Ron, while the Harry half stood back from the group, staring at the dull ceiling of Myrtle's bathroom.
The pages had damp spots, and from reading through it, it was clear why the book belonged in the restricted section. Some of the potions had rather gruesome effects with illustrations to match. There was a man who seemed to have been turned inside out, a woman with several arms sprouting out of her head, and another man who looked as if all of his skin had been melted away.
"Here it is." Hermione said in an excited tone as she found the page entitled The Polyjuice Potion.
The drawings were of people partly through transforming into someone else, and from the look of them, it seemed they were in intense pain. The Harry and Rose being hoped the pain on their faces was imagined, but given the effects of the other potions they'd briefly glanced at, they thought it unlikely.
"This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen." Hermione muttered as she looked at the instructions. "Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass. Well, they're easy enough, they're in the student store-cupboard, we can help ourselves... Oooh, look, powdered horn of a bicorn, don't know where we're going to get that, shredded skin of a boomslang, that'll be tricky, too, and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into."
"Excuse me, what d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it!" Ron exclaimed sharply.
"That goes in last." The Harry and Rose being stated. "Remember what I read from the catalogue before." Thoughtfully, the Harry and Rose being stared at the ingredients, then added, "Hermione, there's a lot of things on here we're going to have to steal. I doubt Shredded skin of a boomslang is in the student's potions cupboard. We'd probably have to break into Professor Snape's private stores for something like that, always assuming he has such a thing stocked. If he doesn't, we're in trouble. It'd probably be safer if I just bought it."
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Hermione asked.
"Not really, but if we want to be sure Malfoy isn't behind anything, it's our best bet, unless you know of any other way to transform us into some Slytherins." The Harry and Rose being responded.
"No, I don't." Hermione said with a sigh. "Harry and Rose being, are you really sure about this?"
"Hermione, to be honest, I'd rather scrap the entire thing. I'm not convinced Malfoy's behind it, and even if we go through this and find out that he is later on..." The Harry and Rose being trailed off. Hermione shut the book with a snap, her cheeks pinker than usual and her eyes bright with a bit of anger.
"Fine." She snapped. "If you three are going to chicken out..." She looked at Ron, who looked as if he was agreeing more with the Harry and Rose being. "I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-bourns is far worse than brewing up or purchasing a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in..."
"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules. All right, we'll do it. But not toenails, okay?" Ron said.
"How long would it take to brew?" The Harry and Rose being asked a happier looking Hermione.
"Well, since the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days ... I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients." Hermione replied.
"That's a big if." The Harry and Rose being said, and at Hermione's furious glance, added quickly, "I'll just get it, okay? Besides, it's just a little money."
"And what if it takes longer than a month?" Hermione asked.
"I'll write them and ask." The Harry and Rose being responded as they started walking from Myrtle's bathroom. "If it's longer than a month, we'll brew it. Okay?"
"Okay." Hermione responded. "Let me know, will you?"
"Of course." The Harry and Rose being said.
"You know, it'd be a lot quicker if you could just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow, Harry half." Ron said and the Harry and Rose being felt a delight at him using what they considered a proper form of address, as it wasn't something he did often.
"Well, Ron, I'll see what I can do about that." The Harry and Rose being responded with a grin.
November 7, 1992.
The Harry and Rose being woke early that Saturday morning, and as usual, found them self embracing. Carefully, the Harry half reached up and ran his hands through the Rose half's hair as they rolled over so she lay on top of him. They sighed and relaxed, thinking about the Quidditch match that they would be participating in shortly. They didn't know what Wood would say to them if they lost, and given that the Slytherins were on the fastest brooms money could buy, Gryffindor losing was likely. They wanted to beat Slytherin more than ever despite that, though, but weren't sure how yet.
To ward off some nervousness and experiment with the new level of their being a bit, the Harry and Rose being clasped their faces in the other half's hands and gently kissed, feeling the familiar thrill of pleasure. They faintly saw a golden light even as they felt their bond deepening even further, becoming even more rooted, they becoming more the single being they were naturally meant to be. Their thoughts and feelings were even closer if it was possible, their mind working a little faster than it had before.
The Harry and Rose being panted and noticed both halves of them looked a little flushed, heart pounding. They realized they were enjoying things a bit too much, perhaps, remaining still and rolling to their sides, hugging and allowing their pounding heart to calm, their breathing slowing. After a few minutes, they climbed from the bed and gazed at one another as they started to dress, noticing through the Harry half how beautiful the Rose half looked, and through the Rose half, noticing how attractive the Harry half was appearing. That was as it should be, the Harry and Rose being thought, though realized they'd probably do well to put some type of precautions in place against the inevitable attraction that would, no doubt, deepen as time passed.
Deciding to set that aside for the moment, the Harry and Rose being gazed out the window at the grounds and the dark sky. It was early enough that, under most circumstances, the son would have already risen. It looked to be a cloudy day out. They pondered for a moment on the anger that usually drew stronger around this time, though they had been rather occupied lately, and hadn't been provoked. They could feel the rage waiting for its opportunity to break free, though, and put it from their mind for now, focusing on the upcoming Quidditch match instead.
Turning from the window, the Harry and Rose being moved to the door and exited their room, heading out of the Gryffindor common room and to the great hall. There, they found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long table, which was empty. The Harry and Rose being sat down and gazed at their uptight faces, feeling nervous about the upcoming Quidditch match them self.
As eleven o'clock approached, everyone began making their way down to the Quidditch stadium. Ron and Hermione walked with the Rose half as the Harry half went to the locker rooms, saying, "Make sure the Harry half does well, Rose half."
"I'll do my best." The Rose half responded as they clambered into the stands and found a good seat to view the match.
As they did this, the Harry and Rose being noted the muggy air outside and the hint of a thunder shower in the air. The Harry half changed with his team as the Rose half peered around the stands, then indicated a good spot where they could sit and watch the match from. The Harry and Rose being both sat down afterward, the Rose half in the stands, the Harry half having finished changing and sitting in the locker room. The Rose half heard the rumble of the crowd as they talked among themselves and the Harry half listened to Wood's usual speech before the match.
"Slytherin has better brooms than us. No point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers, and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team." Wood's chest heaved with emotion and he turned to the Harry half as the Harry and Rose being heard George Weasley muttering about having not been dry since August. Wood continued. "It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to."
"So no pressure, Harry." Fred winked at the Harry half, the Harry and Rose being feeling nervous, but also determined.
As they walked on to the pitch, a roar of mainly cheers greeted them. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten as well, but the Slytherins booing and hissing could also be heard in the crowd through both the Harry and Rose halves. The Rose half focused on the Harry half and watched intently as the two teams met in the middle of the field. Madam Hooch, the flight instructor, had Flint and Wood shake hands. They did so, and as usual, they gave each other threatening stares and gripped harder than they needed to.
"On my whistle." Madam Hooch said and the Harry half mounted his broom, the Harry and Rose being's heart pounding with excitement. "Three, two, one."
They shot up into the air and the Harry and Rose being immediately began looking in two different directions, the Harry half flying on his broom, the Rose half in the stadium. Hermione noticed and gave the Rose half's arm a hit.
"No cheating!" She shouted. At the same moment, Malfoy sped underneath the Harry half and shouted, "All right there, scar head?"
The Harry half had no time to reply as a Bludger came pelting in his direction. He barely avoided it, his hair ruffling as it passed and the Rose half called, "I'm not cheating, how do you cheat when you're one person Hermione?"
"Close one, Harry!" The Harry half heard George say as he came zooming past, and at the same moment, the Rose half heard Hermione reply, "The Harry half is playing not you, so don't make it easier for him!"
The Harry half had seen Fred and George hit the Bludger toward Adrian Pucey, but in mid air, it changed direction and came heading straight back toward him. Immediately, the Rose half turned to look at him and shouted, "That's it! Something's wrong with that Bludger, I won't sit and not look!"
"What d'you mean something's wrong with it!" The Rose half heard Hermione shout over the sound of the crowd as the Harry half dropped to avoid it, looking also.
"Watch!" The Rose half shouted back as George hit it hard toward Malfoy. As directed by the Rose half, Hermione watched along with her and the Harry half as the Bludger came streaking back toward him and the Harry half zoomed toward the other end of the pitch, wind whistling in his hair.
"That's not right! What's that about!" The Rose half heard Hermione shout as she watched him and gazed around, seeing the Bludger streaking along behind him as the Harry half also tried to look for the Snitch at the same moment.
"I dunno!" The Rose half replied as Fred Weasley waited for the Bludger at the other end of the pitch.
The Harry half ducked as Fred swung his beaters bat at the Bludger with all his might, knocking it off course. Fred shouted, "Gotcha!" But once again, it came speeding back toward the Harry half who was forced to fly off at full speed, the Rose half intently gazing all around him to try and see the Snitch. The Harry and Rose being thought it wise to try and catch it as quickly as possible, since the Bludger didn't seem to be leaving the Harry half alone, as if he was a magnet for it. The weather was also picking up, starting to rain, heavy drops splattering on to the Harry half's glasses. The seating area was shielded from the rain, though, so the crowd didn't get wet.
The Harry and Rose being were only able to see around them because of the Rose half, as Fred and George Weasley were flying so close to the Harry half that all he could see was their flailing arms as they tried to keep the Bludger from attacking the Harry half, as it continued to pelt in his direction again and again. Meanwhile, the Slytherins brooms were doing their job, their team looking like little more than green blurs on the field as they scored goal after goal. The Harry half flew and swerved in various directions as Fred and George Weasley struggled to keep the Bludger off his tail.
"Someone's tampered with this Bludger!" The Harry half heard Fred grunt as he swung at it with all his might.
"We need time out!" The Harry half heard George call, trying to both signal Wood and prevent the Bludger from breaking the Harry half's nose at the same time. Wood, who had obviously gotten the message, dove to the ground as Madam Hooch blew her whistle. Fred, George and the Harry half followed, he still trying to avoid the mad Bludger as the Rose half gazed intently all around him. The team gathered in a huddle and the Rose half could see the Bludger circling.
Pulling out his wand, the Harry half tapped his glasses and stated, "Impervius." The charm was designed to repel water and immediately, the Harry half's glasses cleared. As he heard Wood starting to speak, he quietly tapped his face and eyes under and around his glasses, stating the charm again, wanting as much protection as he could get from the rain. Given Wood's practice schedules and the terrible weather they'd flown in, the Harry and Rose being were glad they'd taken the initiative to research charms to protect them against the weather.
"What's going on?" The Harry half heard Wood say as Slytherins in the crowd jeered. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?"
"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver." The Harry half heard George say angrily as the Rose half continued to watch the Harry half and the Bludger, which was concealed in wait. The Harry half heard George continue as the Rose half heard many Gryffindors in the crowd pointing and shouting to each other, speculating about the Bludger.
"I hope the Harry half is going to be okay, they should stop the match until they can figure out what's happening!" The Rose half heard Hermione shout as the Harry half heard George continue.
"Someone's fixed it, it won't leave Harry alone. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins 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..." The Harry half heard Wood say in an anxious tone as the Harry and Rose being spotted Madam Hooch walking toward the Gryffindor team, and over her shoulder, the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in his direction.
"Listen." The Harry half stated as the Harry and Rose being came to their decision. "With you two flying around me, the only way I'll even see the Snitch effectively is because I've got the Rose half to back me up, and I won't catch it with your arms flailing all around as you try to protect me."
At the same time, the Rose half said to Ron and Hermione, "The Harry half's trying to convince the team to leave him be to deal with the Bludger, he won't catch the Snitch with Fred and George trying to protect him!"
"Are you insane!" The Rose half heard Hermione shriek as the Harry half continued, saying, "Fred, George, go back to the rest of the game I'll deal with the rogue one."
"It'll take your head off!" The Harry half heard Fred say indignantly.
"No, I'm not crazy!" The Rose half responded. "Look, with me watching the Harry half can anticipate and avoid things, okay? I'll be fine!"
The Harry half saw Wood looking from him to the Weasley's, Alicia Spinnet interjecting angrily.
"Oliver, this is insane! You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry..."
"Well Hermione, Alicia Spinnet agrees with you!" The Rose half called as the Harry half said, "If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" The Rose half then stated, "But if we stop the match, we'll lose to Slytherin and I really don't want to do that!" The Harry half was saying at the same time, "I don't want to lose to Slytherin because of the Bludger I can deal with!"
"You are crazy!" The Rose half heard Hermione shout.
The Harry half was continuing to speak. "Tell them to leave me be, Oliver!"
"This is all your fault!" The Harry half heard George say angrily.
The Rose half said, "Not crazy, just determined!"
The Harry half heard George continue, saying, "Get the Snitch or die trying, what a stupid thing to tell him!"
The Rose half heard Hermione shout, "There's determined and there's crazy! You're insane!"
"No, Hermione, not when I know I can deal with this!" The Rose half shouted back.
Madam Hooch had joined the team at that same moment and the Harry half heard her ask Wood, "Ready to resume play?"
"You're just like Ron, obsessed, the both of you!" The Rose half heard Hermione say, looking at the determined look on the Rose half's face even as Wood saw the determined one mirrored on the Harry half.
"All right. Fred, George, you heard Harry, let him deal with the Bludger on his own." The Harry half heard Wood say and the Rose half clapped.
"Here goes!" She shouted.
The rain was falling even more heavily now, but thanks to the Impervius charm, the Harry half could see much more clearly now than he could before. As he kicked off the ground and flew into the air, he heard the Bludger whistling behind him and the Rose half saw it streaking after him even as the Harry and Rose being stared around for the Snitch, searching the pitch.
The Harry half flew higher and higher, looping and rolling, flipping and diving in various directions, the Harry and Rose being knowing the Bludger couldn't change direction as quickly as he could. The Harry and Rose being were getting a little dizzy from all the change in direction, but the Rose half was firmly on the ground which helped with that, and she wasn't dizzy since she wasn't flipping and performing daring moves on a broom along with him. That also helped, so the Harry half was more stable than they imagined he'd be otherwise. As the Harry half hung upside down with rain running up his nostrils, the Harry and Rose being heard the crowd roaring with laughter, though Ron and Hermione were anxiously watching the Harry half and his maneuvers. The Harry and Rose being didn't care how silly the Harry half looked, only cared about avoiding the Bludger.
The Harry half started to swerve and dive and loop around the edges of the stadium to search for the Snitch as the Rose half looked up, down, and all around the Harry half, constantly watching for the Bludger. While she did that, the Harry half flew and swerved, avoiding and looping, watching Adrian Pucey trying to get past Wood to score a goal. The Harry half swerved in a direction as the Rose half saw the Bludger heading for him again, it barely missing his ear. The Harry half rolled over and sped in the opposite direction, performing a twirl in the air to avoid it and looking rather stupid. Malfoy, having spotted him, shouted, "Training for the ballet, Potter?"
The Rose half kept her eyes on the Bludger sailing after the Harry half as he fled, then as the Harry half turned back to glare at Malfoy, he saw the snitch hovering inches above his left ear. Malfoy was too busy laughing at the Harry half and the Rose half looked at him also, the Snitch firmly in the Harry and Rose being's sight, the Harry half still as he didn't want Malfoy to look and see it.
Both things proved to be a mistake. The Bludger slammed into the Harry half at last and the Harry and Rose being felt his arm break. The Rose half flinched hard and the Harry half slid sideways on his broom, right arm dangling uselessly at his side. The Rose half looked around and saw the Bludger pelting back toward the Harry half's face and he swerved to get out of its way, then dove at Malfoy, who thought the Harry half was attacking him.
"What the..." The Harry half heard Malfoy call as he swerved out of his way and the Harry half wildly reached out with his left hand, snatching at the cold Snitch and holding it up for everyone to see, gripping the broom with only his legs.
The pain in the Harry half's arm was like the pain the Harry and Rose being felt during the Rose half's monthly transformations on the full moon, and as the Harry half headed straight for the ground, the Rose half desperately climbed down to the field, the crowd shouting as they saw the Harry half heading straight down. The Rose half was trembling from the pain and some tears rolled down her face as she gasped, then she and the Harry half grunted in pain as the Harry half slammed into the mud with a splat, his arm hanging at a strange and awkward angle. The crowd was cheering and shouting as the Rose half, finally having reached the field, broke into a sprint, splashing mud and rain over her robes as she ran toward the Harry half, the Harry and Rose being feeling the snitch fluttering in his hand. The Gryffindor team was landing and, along with some other Gryffindors, hurrying over to him, everyone gathering around the Harry half, who stared up at them with pain filled eyes.
"Stand back, stand back!" A voice shouted. "Coming through!" The Harry and Rose being groaned. They had won the Quidditch match, but Professor Lockhart coming could only mean one thing. Bad news. The Rose half knelt next to the Harry half as he made his way quickly over to him, who stared up at Professor Lockhart leaning over him, the Harry and Rose being spotting his gleaming smile.
"Not you." The Harry half groaned.
"Doesn't know what he's saying!" Professor Lockhart said to the anxious crowd of Gryffindors and the Rose half. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."
"No, I'll keep it like this, thanks." The Harry half said as the Rose half tried to help him sit up, but stopped with a grunt, the pain terrible. Hearing a familiar clicking near bye, the Harry and Rose being said loudly, "No photos, Colin!"
"Not to worry, Harry." Professor Lockhart said in a soothing voice. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times."
"I'll just go to the hospital wing, thanks." The Harry half said as the Rose half seized his left hand firmly and started to pull him up, the Harry and Rose being gasping and clenching their teeth.
"He should really, Professor." Wood said, grinning even though Harry was injured. "Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say."
"Just relax, Rose." Professor Lockhart said as he rolled up his sleeves. "And stand back.
"No, don..." The Harry and Rose being began as she let the Harry half go, who hit the ground with a thud, pain shooting up his right arm. The Rose half staggered from the pain, blinking tears from her eyes and stumbling back a little.
Professor Lockhart was twirling his wand, however, and pointed it at the Harry half's arm moments later. The Rose half stared as a strange sensation began at the Harry half's shoulder, watching as his arm began to collapse and fold in on itself. Even as this happened, the pain was leaving and the crowd was gasping, Colin taking picture after picture. The Harry half's arm didn't look or feel anything remotely like an arm anymore and the Harry and Rose being stared at it in a horrified type of fascination. It looked more like a flesh colored glove than anything. The Harry half tried to move his fingers without success.
"Ah, yes. Well... That can sometimes happen." Professor Lockhart responded grimly. "But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing, ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? And Madam Pomfrey will be able to, er, tidy you up a bit."
"No longer broken?" The Rose half said furiously as she firmly grasped the Harry half's hand and hauled him up, feeling as if things were strangely lopsided in his body. "You removed them!"
"An honest mistake, I assure you." Professor Lockhart said with a bit of a smile.
"Honest mistake." The Harry and Rose being grumbled angrily as the Rose half pulled the Harry half along, storming through the Quidditch field toward the front doors of the castle. "Why I'd like to really see how much you know. Honest mistake, sure."
"I'm sure it was." Hermione said.
"So you still think he's a lovely famous wizard, do you, Hermione?" The Rose half shot back angrily. "I don't! You're little crush is something I'd expect from a silly little girl, not from practical Hermione! Professor Lockhart knows nothing, face it!"
The anger they normally felt around this time due to the approaching full moon, which had faded to almost non-existence from the thrill and determination of the Quidditch match, was back in full force. Hot rage filled the Harry and Rose being as they stormed through the grounds, noticing but not caring about Hermione's offended look.
"No one's perfect, you have to realize that!" Hermione said indignantly.
"I should have stopped him, I really should have!" The Harry and Rose being shouted furiously. "This is not my day, I'm really quite sick of this!" Gripping hands with great force and trembling with fury, the Harry and Rose being stocked toward the hospital wing, feeling nothing but fury toward Professor Lockhart.