Chapter 12: An Unfortunate Game
Harry
He rolled his quidditch gloves in his hands, awaiting the beginning of the match. He was all dressed, broom lay beside him on the bench, ready to do battle with the Slytherin team. The mood in the Gryffindor locker room was tense, anxious to begin another game. Ron was pacing along the wall by himself across the large Gryffindor logo, fidgeting his hands and muttering under his breath. Katie and Alicia were seated side by side opposite Harry, keeping their hands busy by inspecting their brooms for flaws. Harry doubted they would find any, but it kept them focused on something.
Few words were spoken, only a short clearing of the throat, or rustling from the team's attempts to keep busy filled the locker room with radiant noise. Even the usually jovial twins were mostly silent, standing stoically in the corner adjacent to the other, shafts of their brooms held tightly to their chests. The occasional comment would leave one's mouth to attempt to lighten the mood, but it would fall on deaf ears just as quickly. It was only after Angelina burst through the door, smacking the wood against the stone wall, that everyone stood at attention.
"Alright, listen up. We haven't lost to those snakes in four years, and it better not start today, not on my watch." Angelina's finger took the time to point at each of Harry's teammates. "We're winning that cup this year, and this game is only the beginning." Thinking back on it, Harry couldn't remember ever losing to the Slytherin team. He liked to think he played a part in the dominance of their small rivalry.
"We are hands down the best chasers in the school." She had her focus on Katie and Alicia now.
"So humble, isn't she George?"
"The humblest there ever was, Fred."
"Would you two shut the bloody hell up!" She rounded on them, their comments taking her focus away from her words with her fellow chasers. The twins shared a look when she had turned her back once more but held their tongues for the moment.
"Where was I? Oh, Yes." She found her fellow chasers once again. "We're the best in the school. We know what we have to do and we do it better than anyone else… so, let's do it." Katie and Alicia nodded at her words, a hard glint entering their eyes.
"You two," She set her eyes on the twins who had earned her ire mere moments ago. "Are possibly the most annoying people I have ever met." She sighed. "But you're also damn good beaters. So, make sure their players know nothing but pain if they so much as breathe."
"Ron… Ron, are you even paying attention?" He was not. The young Weasley had been staring at anything and everything in the room, eyes darting between them as if his life were in danger. His feet refused to remain steady as well, shuffling up and down, softly tapping in the floor. The tapping of his boots was only noticeable now that everyone else had fallen silent.
"Huh? Oh, yeah… yeah I am." He managed to stutter out, his face red. Harry assumed he would be nervous for his first Quidditch game, but this seemed a little extreme. Maybe his nerves would settle after he made his first save… Harry certainly hoped so.
"Really? Because it doesn't look like it." Angelina sighed and massaged her forehead briefly. "Just… just don't let them score, alright."
"And Harry." She finally turned towards him. "Just do what you do best and end this match quickly." He nodded his affirmation to what he was planning in his head anyway. They all grouped up behind Angelina at the tunnel leading toward the pitch. He could hear the dull roar of the crowd even then. Angelina took a deep breath, her shoulders visibly rising and falling, before she began to walk towards the pitch, the team following their captain.
Harry could tell Angelina was tense. The pressure of her first time as captain, feeling like she had to live up to expectations, he was not jealous. Angelina was intense without a doubt, but she wasn't usually this wound up.
Harry watched her shoulders relax as she settled her weight onto the familiar broom underneath her. It was good that she was able to relax, he could practically feel Ron shaking beside him. He thought of saying something to his friend to help ease the stress, but honestly, Harry felt his efforts would fall on deaf ears anyway.
He heard Lee Jordan come over the speaker, his team introduction for Slytherin falling under boos from three quarters of the school. When you play as dirty as they did game in and game out, you tend to make enemies. He imagined the Slytherin section was clapping for their team, but all he could hear were the jeers of the remainder of the school not dressed in green.
Harry mounted his firebolt and joined the rest of his team to await their introductions. He was last in line, as was customary apparently, his ability to end the game bearing some importance apparently. He was just behind Ron, who had actually managed to mount his broom successfully… it was a start.
As soon as she heard Lee Jordan's amplified voice echo into the tunnel, Angelina flew off, timing it perfectly so they individually flew through the exit when their names rang across the pitch.
"Johnson, Spinnett, Bell, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley aaaaand… Potter!"
Harry burst into the light on cue to thunderous applause. He flew a few laps around the stadium to get comfortable before Hooch officially began the game. He passed every house section on his route, recognizing a few faces that stood out from each crowd; Luna with her roaring lion hat, Hermione's worried gaze flicking between himself and Ron, he even noticed Daphne's indifferent stare amongst all the hate thrown his way from the snake section - she was located directly next to Tracey, who looked much more invested in the match than she.
He passed by the staff box, receiving multiple smiles of encouragement and one sneer from the ever cheerful Snape. He spotted Percy in the stands, who offered him a quick salute before returning to a conversation with McGonagall, who was looking a smudge more annoyed than usual, which made Harry smirk.
He settled into his position, hovering a good deal above the rest of his teammates. He watched as Angelina was forced to shake the hand of the Slytherin captain, a chaser who Harry had never bothered to actually remember the name of. He could only imagine the two were trying to remove the other's hand from their wrist during the short exchange.
Angelina's feet left the grass once again and she took her place in front of Alicia and Katie. Hooch muttered a few words Harry failed to catch, getting lost in the wind before they could reach his ears. She paused a moment before sounding her whistle, truly beginning the match that was bound to become personal.
Percy
"I'm gonna be honest, I still don't understand what's happening, Mc G." Percy was just watching the players zoom back and forth, the rules of the wizard game lost to him. McGonagall had been nice enough to attempt to explain to him… unfortunately it just wasn't clicking for him. Percy could tell she was getting frustrated.
"Did you not play any sports in the states, Perseus?" McGonagall questioned, sighing. Percy shook his head while following the action, speaking to the transfiguration Professor without looking.
"Was a little too busy for sports. I did swim a bit, though."
"I see." She paused for a moment while Katie Bell's shot was blocked by the Slytherin keeper. "So you don't have much experience with this."
"I don't, but I have become quite good at body language. And I know that one mister Ron Weasley," He pointed him out with a finger. "is quite nervous over there." Ron looked stiff as a board hovering before the three massive hoops. Percy had no frame of reference except for the other players on the field, and they looked much more comfortable zooming through the air. Percy watched as Ron let the ball sail into the right hoop, far from his outstretched arm. The Slytherin section erupting into cheers as Ron's head hung low.
"Yes, perhaps you are right." McGonagall rubbed her forehead. "I had hoped Miss Johnson would have found a capable keeper…" She winced slightly as Ron let in another shot, putting Slytherin up 20 - 0. "You would have made for a good keeper, Perseus."
"Oh, no no no." Percy was quick to deny. "I'm keeping my feet planted firmly on the ground, thank you." He said, glancing up towards the clouds.
"What about your pegasus, Blackjack?"
"That is different, Blackjack gives me protection." He explained vaguely. "And he isn't mine, he's just my partner."
"Very well, Perseus." McGonagall said after a moment. Ron let another goal go by and McGonagall shook her head, muttering something incoherently under her breath.
"What was that, Mc G?"
"Nothing, Perseus." She turned to glare at him, tearing her eyes off the game for a moment. "And if you insist on calling me that, I shall be sure to make your time at this castle… unpleasant."
Weasley cannot save a thing!
He cannot block a single ring!
That's what Slytherins all sing!
Weasley is our king!
The Slytherin students had begun to chant in unison, their combined voices echoing clearly across the pitch with their 30 - 0 lead. It was obviously designed to get under Ron's skin, and it was working wonders, Percy could see his red face from his seat. Percy wondered how long they all sat in a room to compose their lyrics.
Weasley was born in a bin!
He always lets the quaffle in!
Weasley will make sure we win!
Weasley is our king!
That was unduly harsh for a sporting event, Percy thought. Mc G was of the same mind, based on the glare she was sending across the pitch. Percy looked for Harry and eventually found him hovering above the action. He hadn't moved in a while, just staring at Ron as the Slytherins continued their song.
Weasley is our king!
Weasley is our king!
He always lets the quaffle in!
Weasley is our king!
The song ended in a loud cheer as Slytherin's fourth goal sailed through the hoop. Ron made his first successful save shortly after, the ball had slipped from the chaser's grip as he was shooting. Nevertheless, it was a save. He got a tad hasty following the accomplishment, however. He had gone to throw the ball back into play, except it was to a Katie Bell whose attention was focused elsewhere.
The direct result was Katie getting walloped in the face with the ball, after whipping her head around at a last second shout to watch out. It smacked into her nose, coaxing a yell of pain from her throat as her hand shot up to her face. The ball fell towards the grass, into the waiting arms of Alicia Spinnett, who happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Percy caught Harry's sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. Angelina had flown up to him and must have screamed something, cause he suddenly was much more active in the game, darting here and there. Percy assumed he was searching for that little gold ball that was inexplicably worth one hundred and fifty points.
It wasn't until Slytherin shot their fifth goal through the hoop that Harry suddenly entered a steep dive, Malfoy hot on his trail. Their path took them on a tour of the field, even out of the field as they flew behind one of the many towers lining the stadium. Percy noticed a couple of elbows thrown between the two along the way. They were neck and neck as the golden ball led them towards the staff seating, their robes whipping in their wake.
McGonagall had slowly stood up as they approached. She cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice.
"Catch that snitch, Potter!" She remained in that pose for a half second as the wind from their brooms rustled all the robes in the section. Percy looked up towards his colleague with a raised eyebrow, amusement in his eyes.
Percy wasn't sure how she managed to look sheepish and stern at the same time, but it happened nonetheless. McGonagall cleared her throat and smoothed her robes before slowly sitting down. She clasped her hands together on her lap before answering the question that Percy didn't even have to ask.
"Yes, well… I have to support my own house, do I not?" Percy didn't relent, keeping his raised eyebrow and accompanying smirk in her direction. McGonagall pretended not to notice, eyes still focused on the chase, but her eyes darted over a few times.
"Oh, bugger off." She finally addressed his look, which sent Percy into a full blown laugh - wheezing and all. He had to brace himself against the railing, lest he fall from his seat with it feeling suddenly smaller than before, his balance affected by his mirth. She sent a glare his way from the corner of her eye, but he wasn't deterred, intent on getting his fill of amusement from the event.
By the time he collected himself, Harry and Malfoy were still zooming along the grass, following the perimeter of the field. There was a lot of bumping between the two boys, attempting to jar each other off course in pursuit of the golden ball. Percy watched as Malfoy went to throw his shoulder into Harry's side once more, except Harry had anticipated the 'move' and created space between them. The space caused Malfoy to lose his balance without Harry there to stop him, veering off course.
Without Malfoy there to provide resistance, Harry quickly sped up and closed his hand around the golden ball, apparently signaling the end of the game. The crowd erupted in cheers - well, three of the houses at least - and Harry raised his fist, flying towards the center of the stadium where the rest of the team moved to join the celebration. McGonagall was much more subtle in her celebration, giving a quick, subdued fist pump. Before the team reached him however, one of the balls that were directed by bats came from nowhere and collided with Harry's back, sending him tumbling off the broom onto the grass. It was a good thing he wasn't hovering too far off the ground.
Percy gasped and left his seat when he saw Malfoy and the other Slytherin team members heading that way. He hurried down the stairs, intent of reaching the group of players before anything egregious transpired. With Malfoy on his way, it was only a matter of time.
It took Percy longer than he wanted to make it down to the players, his unfamiliarity with the inner workings of the stadium proving challenging in his efforts. He finally made it down just in time to see one of the twins - he wasn't sure which - throw a punch that caught Goldilocks square in the jaw. It honestly wasn't a good punch - he'd have to work on that - but it was effective enough. Fred, or George's, strength overcame his lack of technique, stumbling Malfoy backwards.
He upped his pace after that display. Unfortunately, Umbridge had entered the field from the opposite side, her stride conveying poor intentions with every step. Her short strides were deceptively quick, reaching the group before Percy could.
"-hereby banned from quidditch for the remainder of your stay at Hogwarts!" Her declaration was understandably met with uproar from the Gryffindor team, their captain the most vocal of all.
"Dolores! You do not have the authority!" Percy hadn't noticed McGonagall following him to the field, but there she was, right behind him.
"But I do have the authority, Minerva. The Minister himself has seen to that. It is evident that this school has issues with children who disturb the peace by spreading lies and deceit." Umbridge huffed. "This childish and disgraceful behavior will no longer be tolerated on Hogwarts grounds, they must face punishment."
"Surely the punishment doesn't have to be so severe." McGonagall pleaded with the witch decked in pink.
"The decision is final." Umbridge stated matter-of-factly. "They must be an example for any other potential troublemakers. You three must surrender your brooms at once to Mr. Filch." She turned her back and strode off the field, her point made. McGonagall hurried after her, continuing to plead her case on behalf of Harry and the twins. Umbridge continued to ignore her as they disappeared around a corner and continued out of sight.
"Malakas." Percy muttered under his breath. Filch stepped forward to collect the three brooms, his shit-eating grin much too happy in Harry's eyes. It was disturbing how much pleasure the caretaker was getting from confiscating their brooms. The three began to protest heavily, holding their brooms away from the disheveled caretaker.
Harry looked towards Percy for support, who reluctantly shook his head. Percy was as upset at Umbridge's decision as Harry, but he knew when to not waste your energy fighting a losing battle. Harry's face fell as he slowly handed over one of his prized possessions, the twins eventually following his lead.
Percy escorted the disgruntled team into the locker room, making sure no more incidents occurred after their short lived victory celebration. They didn't even get changed, just sat on the benches in their dirty uniforms, looking at the floor. Even Percy felt awkward. He wanted to say something, but he had no clue what would help.
"Hey, at least we won your first game as captain, Ange." Katie tried to lighten the mood with some positive twist on the events of the game. It didn't work, despite the valiant effort.
"How am I supposed to celebrate when our two beaters and seeker just got banned?!"
"Merlin…" Katie muttered. "Sorry I brought it up."
"Sorry, Katie. It's not your fault." Angelina sighed. "It's just… such a load of rubbish!"
"It really is." Alicia piped up. "Did she not see Goyle hit you with the bludger well after the whistle?"
"I don't think she cares, honestly." Harry said from his spot on the bench, his head angled towards the floor.
"It's always the retaliation that gets punished." Percy supplied, having had plenty of dealings with bullies in the past. "Besides, McGonagall will fight for you. I'm sure she can figure out something with Umbitch."
If nothing else, Percy got a few chuckles from his use of the nickname. "What about you mate-?" One of the twins asked.
"Will you fight for us?"
"I'll do my best." Percy said with a shrug. "But my word doesn't carry much weight around here."
"Mate, you'd be surprised,"
"Especially with Little Katie, here."
Katie's face immediately blushed deep red and a noise of indignation left her throat. She quickly spun and backhanded the nearest twin on their shoulder, only enticing more laughs from her teammates, even Harry cracked a smile. Tonks did say something like this would happen… maybe she was right.
"I'm sorry, Professor. These two can be rather… inappropriate." Katie indicated the twins with a nod of her head.
"Is quite alright, Ms. Bell. It's good to have a sense of humor… especially in times like these."
"You know my name?" Katie perked up.
"I mean, you do take my class, don't you?" Percy put a contemplative hand to his chin. "Unless that's a different Katie Bell, but you two do look awfully similar." Cue more laughter as Katie's face continued to shine.
"No- it's not that, it's just -" Katie paused, twirling her hands as she searched for the right words. "We've never actually met, I didn't think you'd remember my name, is all."
"I can remember names, but math… that's a hard no." Percy joked, though he was unsure if they knew what math actually was. "Anyway, it's nice to meet the real Katie Bell… whether or not you have a twin sister." He stuck out his arm, intent on a handshake.
Katie accepted the gesture. "It's good to meet you, Professor." She returned with a smile.
"Great! Now that introductions are over, why don't you all change and grab something to eat." Percy suggested. "Gotta keep up the nutrition." The team all began to shuffle, entering action to follow Percy's advice.
"Oh, and Katie?" She looked back at his call. "You should probably get your nose checked out."
Katie closed her eyes momentarily before releasing a harsh glare in Ron's direction. "I suppose I should." Ron looked timid, and his shoes suddenly became the most interesting thing in the room.
"Professor," Alicia's soft voice reached his ears. "Are Fred, George and Harry really to be banned? What can we do?"
"Truthfully, I'm not sure there is anything to do." Percy admitted. "Me and McGonagall will try to work something out with that very, very," he closed his eyes and made a fist, as if holding back his true feelings, "nice woman from the ministry."
"Good luck with that, Professor." Harry said as he reached for a towel.
"We'll probably need it, she's a real piece of work." Percy replied. "And don't forget Harry, tomorrow morning, 7 o'clock." Percy heard a distinct groan coming from his general area. Percy just laughed, taking his exit from the locker room. He charted a course to find Mc G and Umbridge, hopefully to reverse this biased ruling of hers.
6:30 the next morning rolled around quickly for Percy. After the quidditch incident, he had eventually found McGonagall after quite a lengthy jaunt around the castle. She had been in Umbridge's office when Percy found her. Among the disturbingly extraordinary amount of cat portraits, continuing to attempt to reason with the uncompromising ministry agent.
Despite her and Percy's best efforts, the toad-esque woman absolutely refused to change her decision, not that it had surprised Percy at all. He had held out some hope, but knew in the back of his mind it was a fruitless effort. Umbridge stuck with her reason of having to set a precedent of punishing troublemakers. Her newly appointed status as 'High Inquisitor' somehow giving her the authority to make any changes and decisions she deem necessary.
If we let one set of delinquents run amuck in this castle, many more will follow in their tainted footsteps. She had said, a haughty edge to her voice. Gods, that sickly sweet voice really made Percy's skin crawl. He had faced down some of the most powerful beings in existence, that had been scary. Kronos, Gaea, Tartarus… their presence just made you feel small, insignificant.
Umbridge wasn't like that, but there was something about her voice that was just… unnerving. Even now, just thinking of it sent a shiver down Percy's spine. He quickly splashed cold water on his face to rid his mind of thoughts of that vile woman. The water was quick to work its magic, leaving Percy alert and ready for his morning workout with Harry.
Harry had been progressing nicely. He was able to make it two trips around the lake in a respectable time without his legs completely failing at the finish line. Percy thought he was ready to move on to more strength training, which he planned to start that morning. He had a list of exercises that would help strengthen Harry's muscles, without increasing his muscle mass too much, he still needed to be agile after all.
Push-ups, lunges, etc. These would help with physical fighting of course. You can throw a punch with all the technique in the world, but without any strength behind it, you'd only be tickling your opponent.
Percy settled in next to the lake to await Harry's arrival. He had taken up meditating not too long ago, something to give his mind a brief reprieve from the horrors he had experienced, and does experience almost every night. It had been a tough skill to master, mostly on account of his ADHD, his mind tended to wander off on its own accord quite often. He had managed, however, and it has been for the better.
He was awoken from his meditative state by the sound of footsteps rustling through the dirt and leaves of the forest floor. He looked up to find Harry, looking just as thrilled to be here as usual. "Mornin' Harry!" Percy used the most excited voice he could muster. It usually annoyed Harry, which amused Percy, and that morning was the same as every other.
Harry stopped when he reached Percy, but the rustling noises continued. Percy shifted his gaze to just over Harry's shoulder. "And… good morning, Katie?" Percy shot her a confused look. Katie gave him a short, tired wave. "I didn't know you'd be here. Good to see you got your nose fixed."
"I accidentally overheard you and Harry yesterday." Katie shrugged. "Now that I'm here though, I'm almost regretting it."
"Yeah, accidentally." Harry threw up air quotations with his hands. "No backing out now."
"I'm not gonna back out, alright."
"You said you were excited for a good workout." Harry said. "It'd be useful, you said. The other day you mentioned seven being too early for you anyway, what changed?"
"I thought it over and decided It would be useful." Katie reiterated. "Doesn't mean I'm not cold and tired."
"Oh, you'll get over that quick once we start." Percy interrupted. "How'd she get it out of you, Harry? You were able to hide it from Hermione."
"Well, it kind of ahh.." he scratched the back of his head. "It sort of just slipped out."
"I forced it out of him, couldn't handle the pressure of my superior interrogation skills." Katie joked, bumping her shoulder into Harry's, causing him to slightly stumble.
"You asked me two questions… I just wasn't paying attention." Harry admitted.
"Lucky me, I suppose." Katie shrugged again before suddenly adopting a serious expression. "Besides, I believe Harry and I want to help. He shouldn't have to do it on his own. Merlin, Umbridge isn't gonna teach us a bloody thing, might as well do it on our own. Plus, it'll make Angelina's workouts loads easier."
"You believe Harry?" Percy asked, a knowing look on his face and his eyes continued to intermittently glance at Harry.
"Of course." Katie replied. "I've known Harry for four years, Professor. He wouldn't lie about that." Percy shot a sassy told ya so look towards Harry, people did believe him. Harry just rolled his eyes.
"Well, seeing as Harry somewhat invited you, welcome to Percy's morning workout!" Percy exclaimed, throwing his hands out wide. "The more the merrier I say. I just have one rule." He looked at Katie.
She swallowed a little thicker than normal before answering. "What's your one rule, Professor?"
"You can't, under any circumstances while we're here, call me 'Professor'." Percy deadpanned. "We're not in class."
"Alright Pro-" Katie cleared her throat, catching herself before she could already break his rule. "What do I call you then?"
"Percy is fine. Never liked 'Professor' anyway, too stuffy for me."
"Alright then, umm, Percy." She said hesitantly, his name sounding weird coming from her mouth. "Let's get started shall we. What're we doing first?" Katie rolled her shoulders back, as if to show her readiness.
"First…first we do some stretching. Don't want anyone pulling a muscle." Percy said as he sat down in the dirt.
"Madame Pomfrey could fix a pulled muscle in her sleep." Katie said, confused about the need for stretching. She squatted down next to Harry, but refrained from plopping down in the dirt… unlike Harry.
"Maybe she could." Percy shrugged. "But, it saves you from walking to the hospital wing with a pulled muscle." He gestured for Katie to sit in the dirt and join the two of them. She took one hesitant look down before falling the rest of the way, a small oof escaping her as she landed a little harder than expected.
Percy led them through a round of simple stretches, the goal being to loosen their leg muscles for a brief morning run. Stretching their quads, hamstrings and calves was a vital component to not injuring anything, especially with the chill that accompanied the trio that specific morning.
When Percy finished his last stretch, he sat up, holding his arms together around his knees. "Alright. Since it's cold as…" he scrunched his eyebrows together. "I dunno, something that's cold... Anyway, it's cold, extra stretching is a must." Percy paused, adjusting in his spot on the ground to get more comfortable.
"So… are you gonna tell us what this extra stretching is?" Harry asked after a short period of silence from Percy.
"I was pausing for dramatic effect." Percy supplied dryly. "You two are going to do some partner stretches. You're able to really loosen up with someone else pushing you a little harder."
"Do you need help stretching, Percy?" Katie asked with a slightly hopeful look on her face. It disappeared when Percy shook his head.
"I'm fine, been doing this for a while now. Thanks, though." Percy rose from the ground and moved towards the two students. "Katie, lie on your back and bring your knee towards your chest." She did as Percy instructed, holding her leg bent against herself with her hair splayed out in the grass underneath her head. "Good. Now Harry, put your hand on her knee and your thigh against her foot."
Harry positioned himself so Katie's foot rested against his thigh, surely leaving a dirt mark on his pants. Harry, however, hesitated when it came to resting his hand on her knee. Katie, for whatever reason, had decided to wear tighter pants that morning, despite the cooler temperatures.
"What's a matter, Harry?" Percy asked, clearly noting his hesitation to grab Katie's leg.
His face immediately flared a bright shade of red. A color Percy has gotten used to on Harry, especially around members of the opposite gender. He felt bad for the kid. Harry obviously didn't have much, if any, experience with being close to females not named Hermione. Percy didn't blame Harry, the position they were in could be misconstrued as quite intimate. "Well, it's just… uhhh." Harry managed to stammer out.
"It's only awkward if you make it awkward." Percy said.
"Yeah Harry, it's fine. You're just helping out a teammate." Katie supplied from her spot on the ground. Harry nodded as he finally rested his hand on Katie's leg.
"Alright then. Slowly lean forward Harry, pushing Katie's leg up while pushing her knee down." Harry complied with the instructions. "Katie, let him know when to stop. If it hurts a bit, it's working, but don't push it too much."
Katie took some deep breaths and closed her eyes as Harry continued to put more pressure on her leg, forcing it further into her chest. The stretch kept forcing Harry to move closer to Katie as he pushed, and he kept looking everywhere except her face while he did it. He stopped when he began to feel tension against his movements, but Katie waved him on. "Keep going, Harry." She breathed out as her leg was forced further. "Oh yeah, right there." She grunted. "Oh, that feels nice."
Percy watched with a grin as Harry's face got progressively more red as her words reached his ears. "Umm, Katie? Could you, uh… not make those noises right now, please."
Harry's awkwardness the last few moments had been building up a laugh deep with Percy, and his stuttered response opened the floodgates. Katie joined Percy laughter as Harry released her leg, letting it flop back down to the ground. Harry's face remained red, but a small smirk formed in the corner of his mouth as he silently shared in the mirth of his two companions.
Harry progressively became more comfortable as they continued through Percy's stretching routine, jumping up quickly after finishing his round. He bounced on the balls of his feet briefly, feeling out the effects of the extra stretching in the cool morning air. "Wow, my legs do feel really loose. Feel like I could run forever."
"Why don't we just start with a trip around the lake, before we move on to 'running forever'." Percy said, shaking his legs out. "You ready, Katie?" The Gryffindor chaser nodded her affirmation and lined up next to Harry with a deep breath. Percy gave the signal and all three took off in unison, feet kicking up some dirt along the shoreline of the lake.
The slight morning breeze felt refreshing against Percy's skin along with the slight burn in his throat from the cold air entering his lungs. He occasionally felt a small amount of lake water splash onto his legs from the tide, keeping him refreshed as he continued his pace. It really was an unfair advantage, but Harry and Katie didn't have to know that.
They kept pace with Percy for the first third of the lap, but the constant splashes of lake water and the conditioning of the hardships in his life gave him the ability to gradually pull ahead of the two students. He glanced back every once in a while to assess their progress. Katie had been keeping pace with Harry, their footfalls landing in sync the longer they ran side by side.
Percy finished his lap in about seven minutes, his usual pace for running a mile. It was a solid time, but he wouldn't be running in the Olympics anytime soon, that's for sure. When he had finished, Harry and Katie still had about a third of their lap yet to go. Katie had begun to lag a little behind Harry at that point, his prior running with Percy giving him an edge over his teammate.
Katie's breathing was far more labored than Harry's when they reached Percy. Katie immediately bent over, trying to suck in as many deep breaths as possible. Harry, though, placed his hands on top of his head, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, like Percy had instructed during their first run. He nudged Katie on the arm and gestured for her to do the same. She complied and her breaths began to come more evenly.
"Better?"
"Loads." Both of their faces began to gradually lose their red tint.
"I told you that before, don't you remember?" She shot him a confused look, evidently not remembering what he was referencing. "When you were late to practice." Katie's eyebrows raised and a look of recognition crossed her face.
"Honestly, I was more focused on getting Angelina to not murder me."
"Fair enough." They both took some time to suck in a few deep breaths before Percy piped up from where he was standing just off to the side. Neither had noticed him since their lap around the lake had ended.
"Take a minute to catch your breath." He said, walking over towards them. "Then we got some more exercises to do."
"More exercises?" Harry questioned. "Besides running, you mean?"
"Yes, besides running. You're lucky, Katie. Harry here had to run his legs off 'fore he got to do anything else."
'You won't find me complaining, that was a bit tougher than I thought." Katie said with a huff. "You managed two laps, Harry? Impressive."
"Yeah, well…" Harry trailed off, drawing a line in the dirt with his sneaker. He still had issues with accepting compliments, it seems. If Percy ever got his hands on Harry's 'relatives', oh gods, what he would do…
"If you two are done flirting, we can move on." Percy said with a smirk.
"Oh no.. we're not-"
"Yeah, it's not-"
"Would you two relax, gods. I'm only joking." He waved his hand, beckoning them to come over to where he was standing. "Now get over here." They glanced at each other before quickly shuffling over towards his location in a nice section of grass.
"Either of you done a plank before?" Both Katie and Harry shook their heads. Percy lowered himself to the ground to demonstrate. "Elbows and toes on the ground, knees stay up. Make sure you keep your body straight or you're just cheating yourself." He released himself from the position and clapped his hands together to wipe away the dirt. "It's a great workout for your core muscles. You got a minute of that, then we're gonna move onto some push-ups. Another minute plank, then some squats, and we're going to finish with a minute plank. You're not getting any rest in between sets, the enemy won't let you take a breather, and you must be able to perform when you're tired."
He gave them a minute to get ready and move into the plank position before he waved his stick and a timer for one minute appeared in the air. Hecate had provided him the knowledge and ability to perform the most basic spells at least. Nothing incredibly useful, especially for combat. "Ready? Go!" He glanced at the floating timer to make sure it began counting down before returning his gaze to his students. "Keep your butt down, Harry!"
Harry
"Merlin's beard, my body hurts." Katie stated as she and Harry made their way back up to the castle. They had completed Percy's circuit of exercises three times total, with a few minutes of rest in between… It was a workout that certainly tested their limits. It left their muscles screaming and aching, craving for a shower and a nice, large portion of breakfast foods. Percy had released them with instructions of a shower, a healthy breakfast and to try and rest their muscles for the remainder of the day. Harry grunted in agreement with Katie's sentiment, his body just going through the motions on his way up the hill, unable to actually feel his legs moving on their own accord.
"They're only going to get more difficult." Harry said in his best mocking imitation of Percy. His body was exhausted by just this morning's workout, not to mention if they get more difficult what that would mean for his poor muscles. "Bloody Brilliant."
"Doesn't bother me." Katie said with a shrug. "I'm tired and sore, but there's something else too.. I dunno. After practice with Angelina, I just feel drained. Now, sure I'm still drained, but I also feel… good, I suppose, like I accomplished something, y'know?"
"Um, yeah, I suppose." Harry answered without any real conviction. The only thing his mind was begging for at the moment was for his body to be clean and food to be forced into his stomach. "The feeling isn't hitting me as strong as you.'
"But you still know what I'm saying." Harry nodded, showing his affirmation to her question without words spilling out of his mouth. "I feel like I did more in that hour with Professor Jackson than we have all year in DADA."
"That's 'cause we don't do a thing in DADA." Harry deadpanned.
"With you-know-who back, we're all screwed without DADA." Katie summarized. "That's what that class is all about, init?"
"Supposed to be." Harry paused his stride to look at spin and look at Katie. It took her a few more steps to realize Harry had not kept walking, and she turned with a questioning expression when she noticed. "You really do believe me."
"'Course I do, you'd have to be bonkers to lie about something like that."
"Seems like you're the only one." Harry sighed. He tried to stay strong, but the pressure and being the one who is constantly criticized for his willingness to tell the truth really bogged him down. It had started to get to him. Even hearing just one of his peers believed his story made his shoulders that much lighter.
"Most of the Gryffindor's believe you, ya know." Katie said softly. "Except for Seamus really, but he's never been the brightest." An amused snort from Harry followed her statement. The two finally reached the large wooden doors that marked the entrance to the castle. Katie paused before she breached the perimeter. "Harry? Are all the rumors about you true?"
Harry sighed. He really hated the Hogwarts rumor mill. "They're all exaggerated, but yes."
"Merlin." Katie took a deep breath and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She took one step into the castle before pausing again, looking around the entrance hall before looking to Harry once again. "You'd make a better Professor than Umbridge. I'd definitely sign up for that one."
"DADA is mandatory, Katie." Harry's dry sense of humor making its presence known. "You'd be forced to sign up."
"You know what I mean." She lightly hit him on the shoulder. He feigned a little pain, exaggeratingly rubbing his shoulder where her hand had made contact. She just rolled her eyes. "I'd be learning loads more, that's for sure."
"Are you going for breakfast first, or a shower?" Harry asked her, pointing each respective way, keen on changing the subject from his potential foray into the teaching profession.
"Don't think I'd enjoy breakfast without a shower, honestly."
"Good point. I'll go for a shower too, then. Do you want to uhh, go together?"
"I'll walk with you. But we can save the shower for another day, okay."
Harry's face immediately turned into a tomato for the second time that morning, Katie apparently becoming quite proficient at embarrassing him. "That's not wha-"
"Yeah, I know it's not what you meant. C'mon then, I probably smell like a dungbomb." She waved her hand and they both turned and headed towards the stairs, intent on making a beeline towards the Gryffindor common room for a nice refreshing shower to continue their day.
