Chances To Come
Chapter Ten
Studying Possibilities
The rest of the week passed normally, though Draco had to make a few stops by the hospital wing – the first time he got quite the dressing down from Madam Pomfrey – but otherwise, he seemed to be recovering just fine.
Hermione kept warning Harry to stay on his toes just in case, but when Friday came around and Harry saw his friend looking well all through Potions, Harry was starting to relax a little. Things were going back to normal.
The bell rang and Harry and Draco headed out onto the grounds again.
"How are you feeling?" said Harry as they passed by the greenhouses.
"Pretty good, definitely up for another game of tag. Looks like Madam Pomfrey was wrong."
Harry paused. "About what?"
"Oh… right, I didn't tell you. Well, Saturday last week, she said it sounded like I had some disease called Sidus Morbus or something, but I think she was being paranoid."
Harry stopped completely and Draco turned. "What disease?"
"The Sidus Morbus. Why, have you heard of it?"
"Hermione told me about it, and I read a little from one of her books. And this Wednesday, in Astrology, I got extra homework because I wasn't paying attention to whatever we were supposed to be studying but I found that the alignment of the stars fit the description in the book."
"Oh, come on, Harry, look at me, I'm fine." Draco spread his arms wide for emphasis. "Don't go Pomfrey on me and send me back to the hospital wing – you were the one who suggested we sneak out in the first place."
"I did not; I insinuated, you suggested."
"Same difference."
"But still, I didn't know she thought that was what you had. She hasn't been wrong about anyone before, as far as we know, and from what I read, it fits. It said you can live for four years after getting it, and I don't think anyone would have wanted to live just to stay in bed, so maybe you can feel normal for certain amounts of time," said Harry as they started walking again, heading for the forest.
"Maybe. Or maybe I got a small virus that's already played its course."
"Maybe. I guess Hermione's rubbing off on me, I'm just thinking about possibilities here."
"Yeah. The only thing that's impossible right now is you catching me." Draco grinned as he changed into a dog and darted off into the trees.
Harry couldn't help but grin also as he changed into a horse and ran after his friend.
Over the following months, Harry felt himself relaxing more and more as Draco's hospital visits lessened. However, still concerned with certain possibilities, he continued reading, sometimes in the library or common room with Hermione, sometimes in his dorm with the sheets drawn over his head, using his wand as a flashlight. But by June, with the upcoming Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, he found he could hardly focus on his schoolwork, much less anything extra he had to read.
All too soon, the match day came and once again, he headed out to the locker rooms with the Gryffindor team. Regardless of all the intense training Wood had put them through, Harry felt as nervous as his first game, if not more so.
He shouldered his Nimbus and headed out onto the pitch with the rest of the Gryffindor team.
"Captains, shake hands," said Madam Hooch as she always did and Wood and the Ravenclaw Captain shook hands. Harry couldn't help but notice Wood seemed to be squeezing harder than was necessary even though the Ravenclaw Captain seemed almost polite. Inwardly shrugging is off; he mounted his broom and kicked off.
The sun was shining bright and Harry had to squint almost constantly to be able to see. More than once he was blinded due to the light reflecting off his glasses, but when he could, he put his back to the sun and he flew a little lower to try to look for the Snitch.
"Look out, Harry!"
Harry's head snapped up and though he didn't see the Bludger coming at him right away, he still ducked instinctively and it brushed his hair as it passed over his head. Fred Weasley flew over to him and knocked the Bludger away as it came back at him.
"What are doing down here?" Fred called.
"Can't see up there." Harry replied shortly but still decided to fly a little higher from then on after Fred had to fly away from him to keep Angelina Johnson from getting hit.
A glint of gold caught his eye and he jerked his head to look. The Snitch was hovering about ten feet from the ground by the Ravenclaw posts and the Ravenclaw Seeker was right across from him, but he hadn't seen it yet. Harry slowly moved over towards the posts, feigning as if he were looking around still until the last second then he went into a sharp dive and snatched the Snitch out of the air with one deft movement.
The cheers and boos seemed to level out as the Gryffindors and most of the Hufflepuffs cheered while the Ravenclaws and Slytherins booed. Harry heard none of it though. He had won the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor.
The Gryffindors carried their team all the way up to the common room, all of them giving hearty pats on the back to the team, but especially Harry.
"That was brilliant, Harry!" Hermione chirped, bouncing up and down slightly and giving Harry a hug. Wood was even more undignified than Hermione, he scooped Harry clear off the ground, yelling at the top of his lungs and crying with joy.
As soon as he could, he excused himself and left the common room, ducking into a nearby passage where he found a white dog waiting for him. He smiled. "How about another game of tag?"
The ending feast was magnificent; Gryffindor's victory against Ravenclaw had given them enough points to earn the House Cup. Harry was beaming until his face was sore but as soon as the day came to leave, his happiness ended there with a few simple words from Dumbledore.
"It is time for you to return to your aunt and uncle."
Harry and Draco both were horrified. "Why can't we stay here anymore?" said Harry.
"Because you two are students now and students go home for the summer."
"Sir, with all due respect, number 4 Privet Drive is not home."
Dumbledore shook his head. "Your relatives have been informed of this already and they know that you will be accompanied by a white dog, so there should be no problems."
Harry frowned and Draco sighed.
"Three months of being a dog. Yay…" Draco muttered sarcastically.
Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Perhaps you would rather go as you are and see how they would react to a boy who cursed them last time they met him."
Draco blushed.
"Now go on or you'll miss the train." Dumbledore pushed them along out of the castle and they slowly, begrudgingly, made their way to the Hogwarts Express.
"Well, this is going to be a fun summer," said Harry, completely monotone.
"Oh, yes indeed it will." Draco grinned. Harry raised one eyebrow. "I'm going to have fun chasing that pig around. We may not be allowed to do magic, but I won't need it."
Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "Y'know, they don't know we can't do magic…"
Draco's eyes lit up. "Oh, this is going to be a fun summer."
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A/N: Short, I know. Sorry! And I know I kind of took that out of the book, but I couldn't help it. Also, I'm a Gryffindor myself, so I couldn't help but have them win junk lol. Other reasons too (i.e. I want Harry to have some time to be a happy a bit before the next chapter.)
And another thing, please don't kill me for sending them back to the Dursleys, I have to! Sorry! :: Hides ::
Okay, now for my reviewers.
Kaaera: Well, I admit, I didn't explain it that well, sorry, but it's like an ancient curse-type thing where if the stars align in a certain way it can affect a certain person. Yeah, I know it's impossible, but that's what's great about fantasy lol. And four years is how long a person can live after getting it, yes. Also, the riddles and stuff are going to be in the next chapter. And Draco very well CAN die. Bwahaha. And I'm glad someone liked Ron and Hermione agreeing, I thought that might be a bit cheesy… but anyway, thanks!
Kage Miko: Ah! I knew that! :: Grins like a moron :: Lol, okay, no I didn't, but that's still a really cool name. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter, hope you enjoyed this one.
Dahlias: Here you go.
Ravenboy: Well, my other stories are discontinued, but I'm glad you like them anyway. Maybe, maybe I'll continue them. But for now, this one will have to do. ^.^
:: Hands out cookies :: Thanks a bundle, everyone!
~Sabre Black.