Chapter 13
Harry was sad that he couldn't ride the Express with Hermione, but at least Ron was still in the castle and Hermione had promised to write. Ron was staying because his parents had gone to Romania to visit his brother Charlie and Harry was staying in the castle for a few days because his aunties had some loose ends to tie up.
Several hours, and many lost games of chess, later Harry was feeling restless. He wanted to run, to jump, to do anything to get the energy he was feeling out of himself. He spotted his Quidditch Captain sat by the fire and he suddenly had it - he could go fly!
"Hi Oliver. I'm going to go flying for a bit. Want to come?" Harry asked. He and Wood had struck up a kind of friendship over flying and this was a fairly common occurrence.
"You know me Harry, never one to miss a flying opportunity!" Wood replied "I think there are a few others around that might like to join in, shall I ask them?"
"Yeah that would be great."
"If we have enough we might even get a mini quidditch game going! Sound like a plan?"
"Brilliant!" Harry's grin was almost splitting his face "Hey Ron do you want to come play Quidditch?" Harry yelled across the room
"Sure Harry, I haven't flown in ages." Ron replied
"I'll meet you on the pitch in ten then. Bring your broom. I'll bring people!" Wood laughed as he left the common room.
Twenty minutes later a quidditch match was going full swing. There were ten people that had come to play and as the noise outside increased, more people came out to see, especially professors. The two teams had been picked in almost primary school style, Wood had picked Harry, Ron, Fred Weasley and Susan Bones and the other captain, a third year Ravenclaw called Kitty Blackpot had picked George Weasley, Bryce Grawpson, Katie Bell and Kalee-Ann McDugal (a Ravenclaw fifth year.)
Madam Hooch had been the first to see the goings on on the Quidditch Pitch and offered her services as referee. Once that had happened just about every other staff member had turned up as well.
"Bryce is a very good seeker." Pomona Sprout said to Minerva. "Only rarely does he miss the snitch."
"Harry's got some talent Pomona" Minerva replied "did you see how he caught the snitch in the last match?"
"Yes he nearly swallowed it - I remember Poppy's face!"
Both women chuckled and then heard a magnified voice "Fred Weasley scores! Ten-love to the Woodchips!"
"Woodchips?" Pomona asked
"Yes I do believe the other is called the Cat Litter." Flitwick butted in with a grin. "So good to see such inter-house co-operation and people trying other positions."
"The Weasley twins playing opposing chasers and Katie Bell trying her hand at beater, well I never." Minerva was looking up at the players, cataloguing their positions. "Your Kitty Blackpot is a pretty good keeper too Filius."
Pomona nodded in approval. "Susan could make a fair chaser too, she would have scored if Wood wasn't so good! We shall have to get her to try out next year."
"Twenty-love to the Woodchips!" Madam Hooch was shouting the scores to the spectators.
The spectators were then treated to a snitch chase bigger than they had ever seen. Both seekers spotted the snitch simultaneously and were neck and neck racing for it. The snitch jumped around everywhere, as if knowing that the seekers were talented and the two boys ducked and dived and rolled, turning corners sharply and having to suddenly change direction in order to keep abreast of it. All of a sudden, Harry dived vertically, Bryce next to him. The crowd held its breath as they got closer and closer to the ground, arms outstretched for the hovering snitch. With his longer arms, Bryce's fingers brushed the top of it, but Harry dived that extra inch and got a hand firmly round it before levelling out his broom, a mere inch from the floor.
The two landed on the grass and were immediately engulfed by a sea of people congratulating them on such a chase or berating them for being so reckless. During the chase, Kalee-Ann had taken the quaffle and, taking advantage of Wood's inattention to the hoops, proceeded to score five times. Thus the final score was 170-50 to the Woodchips.
Upon re-entering the castle, the students headed to the Great Hall to chat about the game and the staff headed to the staff room to do the same over tea and biscuits. They had only just sat down however when they each found an envelope addressed personally to them on their laps.
"Please make yourself available in the Hospital Wing at eleven am tomorrow for your three-yearly check up. If you do not you will not like the repercussions.
Best wishes
Poppy"
Pomona read hers out loud to the room. "I'd forgotten about that. Severus I'm sure she's added in the line about repercussions since last time because of how you avoid them every time!" Snape scowled as everyone else smirked.
"What time is yours, Severus?" Minerva asked
"Two fifteen" he growled in reply
"Accio" Minerva pointed her wand at her colleague's letter and quickly read it. "How did I guess Severus?" she asked with a sly grin "you lied. As luck would have it, mine is at twelve thirty, directly after yours so I shall come meet you in your office at ten past and we can walk up together."
Snape just scowled further. He saw no reason for this torture and Poppy was always telling him he needed to eat more and get more sunlight. He liked his dungeons thankyou very much!
"Well that's settled then." Rolanda Hooch said with a smile "what did you all think about that quidditch match?"
The rest of the afternoon passed in pleasant discussion.
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Albus was pacing his office furiously. He had received his summons to the Hospital Wing and was desperately trying to think of a way around it. He had tried stopping them completely before, but had been told that it was written in the charter that only the Head Healer of Hogwarts had the power to do that. The only thing able to change the charter was a unanimous vote by the Board and he didn't have enough influence there.
So he had to present himself at the Hospital Wing at three pm tomorrow to check that he was in a fit state to teach. The fact he didn't actually teach anything seemed a moot point. He had, in fact, an inkling that Poppy might even do a mental assessment of him as well as the physical, especially if the events of last year were anything to go by.
Then there was the arthritis. He knew he could take potions to solve all of the symptoms but the scans would show them in an instant. He had no desire for that inquisition from the stern medi-witch. So potions were out. Healing spells could work, he knew some more peculiar ones that probably wouldn't show up on a normal scan. They weren't as effective, nor did they last long but they were probably his best bet. There would probably be the "you should eat fewer sweets and more healthy food Albus" conversations as usual as well.
Now if only he could get Harry in there at the same time, Poppy would be so besotted by him being injured that she could likely forget about this annoying appointment and he could be off scot free. What could he do? Ah yes, Fluffy would do the trick nicely. He would summon Harry to his office first thing and let him overhear about the Stone, the danger of Voldemort getting it and the traps surrounding it on and beneath the third floor. Then he would leave the rest to the boy's imagination and thrill of danger. Having watched the impromptu quidditch game from his office, he could see that Harry was very like James in that respect. The higher the risk, the better.
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Harry was had just sat down to breakfast when the note came.
Harry,
Please come to my office immediately after breakfast.
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot, Supreme Muggwump of the Confederation.
"What does he want now?" Harry mumbled to himself. "Ron would you come with me to see Dumbledore please? I'm not allowed to be with him on my own."
"Course Harry. When?"
"Straight after breakfast."
Harry passed the letter to Ron and Ron read it before smirking at all the titles at the end.
"Fancies himself a bit, doesn't he?" Ron laughed
"Yeah. Come on I want to sort some stuff in my dorm before going to that."
As Harry and Ron left, Albus turned to Snape who was sat next to him.
"Severus I need to discuss the protections surrounding the Stone, having Voldemort in the castle changes things. Come to my office with me now."
Snape scowled. "As you wish Headmaster."
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As Harry and Ron climbed the spiral stairs to Dumbledore's Office they could hear raised voices. More specifically Snape's voice and it was angry.
"You knew he was in the castle and yet you still brought that Stone here?"
"Calm yourself my boy, it is well protected. Fluffy is protection enough, but-"
"Fluffy?! That Cerberus on the third floor has a name?" Snape roared
"Well it did come from Hagrid, what do you expect?" Dumbledore sounded amused
"That is irrelevant Albus! The troll?! That was a diversion! A DIVERSION DO YOU HEAR ME? He didn't manage it that time but he will ultimately and then you expect mere traps a first year could get through to protect it? Do you know what would it would be like if the Dark Lord were immortal? There would be no war!" Snape was pacing again, trying to control his temper
"It would have to be an exceedingly clever first year." Dumbledore said
"Or an exceedingly lucky one." Snape retorted "I am going to ask some other professors to add their protections since I think you have set this up as a test of some kind. Good day Albus."
Snape pulled open the door and strode out angrily. He walked straight info Harry and Ron, nearly knocking Harry down the stairs.
"POTTER!" Snape yelled "What are you doing here?"
"I had a meeting with Professor Dumbledore, sir" Harry answered with a look of fear on his face. He had seen that face on his uncle too many times and it never ended well.
"Come in Harry!" came a voice from inside. With a final glare at Harry, Snape swept past them and down the stairs.
"Good morning Harry." Dumbledore said "Thankyou for coming Mr Weasley, you may go."
Harry exchanged a look with Ron. "Please sir, can he stay? I'll only tell him everything anyway."
"Very well, if you wish. I'm very sorry you heard that Harry. Please be assured that everything is being taken care of. How are you finding Hogwarts so far?"
Ten minutes passed in small talk and when the two boys left, Harry was thinking how strange it was to be summoned for that and how there must have been something else behind it. That something, he thought, probably had something to do with the third floor corridor and he wanted to find out what.