And here comes the "friendly" game between Hogwarts against Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Sorry for the delay again in uploading. AO3 met some technical problems the night I wanted to upload it, and I only recently found out it was solved.
There are songs again in the chapter. I kind of just watched a movie before writing this chapter, and I included songs from it into this chapter.
HARRY XXXII
The room was silent. The seven people in it were mute. Harry was at the far right of the bench, next to Fred and George. Then came Heidi Macavoy, Roger Davies and finally Grant Page, occupying the far left. And Angelina Johnson, their captain, was standing in front of them, wearing a black robe with the crest of the school near the left shoulder. It displayed some sort of shield divided into four sections, each displaying a different color with the animal of the house it represented.
They were all wearing the same black robes. The professors provided them some time ago after the seven of them were chosen to represent Hogwarts on this day they would face the team of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Harry had wondered what their Quidditch robes would look like. However, this question occupied very little space in his mind right now. He rather felt numb, and like his members were about to shake uncontrollably. For an entire month now, he prepared for this day. Ever since he won the trials and was designated to be the Seeker of the Hogwarts team, Harry had trained with the six other people who were selected on that day in preparation for this day.
This had proven to be difficult. Fred and George were probably those who had the easiest time of all. They were twins and used to playing together for a very long time. Their chemistry was unparalleled among Beaters. For the Chasers and Keeper, however, this was a very different story. The four of them came from different teams. They were used to play with other comrades, and to very different playstyles for most of them. Added to it were the rivalries between houses. Grant Page was the only player representing Slytherin, and this made things very difficult as Slytherins were universally despised by all other houses. To that were added the bitter sentiments between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, not only since the beginning of the year and the choosing of the champions, but also from last year and the game Dementors interrupted. Not to mention all natural rivalries between Quidditch teams.
And on top of that, there were personal rivalries. The hardest one was between Roger and Angelina. During their first practice, a few days after their team was selected, they had to choose a captain. Roger argued he should be the captain since he was the only player on their team who was the captain of his own house team. Fred and George had protested, arguing for Angelina to be the captain, since almost everyone in Gryffindor assumed she would have been captain if the season was not cancelled. The dispute had taken such extent that Heads of House were forced to intervene after the players could not agree together on a choice. Finally, on the basis that Angelina was the one who got the most approval among players (even Heidi voiced that she thought Angelina would make a better captain), the professors chose her as captain. Despite this, Roger remained bitter for a very long time, and this limited their progress during trainings.
However, things had progressively gotten better. After maybe two weeks, Roger had finally stopped arguing with most of Angelina's decisions, and instead tried to advise her in private. The rivalries between houses also proved to not be as major a problem as they would be. Heidi proved to be very accommodating and not at all set against Harry. He was almost surprised, given how close she was to Cedric. Even Grant Page, the Keeper of Slytherin, proved to be much more bearable than his teammates. Harry had to admit he didn't deal with Grant very often in the past. He never saw the guy either play unfairly during a game or initiating any unfair treatment outside the pitch. His lack of unfairness during the games could be due to his position, Keepers not being well placed to commit penalties. But outside the pitch, he looked rather quiet and not looking for company. And his behavior within the Hogwarts team was well aligned with this. He followed Angelina's instructions and respected her authority without questions. When Fred and George taunted him, he never retorted or replied in any way, and he never provoked anybody. In fact, Fred and George were those causing the most problems, taunting the three players who were not Gryffindors on various issues. At some point, Heidi lashed at them, accusing them to be unfair with everybody. The same evening, Harry surprised Angelina berating them in secret, and they were way quieter after that. Overall, the team was now playing very well together.
Still, Harry felt that all these problems were very pale in comparison to his own predicament. As seven o'clock approached today, Harry felt the pressure and stress of the entire world on his shoulders. He had been training non-stop for the past month, preparing for this match. After all, he would be the one facing Viktor Krum, something he was at the same time looking forward to and dreading. He was excited to face the best Seeker in the world, but also afraid, especially after he noticed a few dark looks Krum sent in his direction on few occasions. Harry had noticed he often received this when he was tagging along Hermione, either in the Great Hall during meals or in the corridors while heading for a lesson or to the library. Harry wondered whether Krum read Rita Skeeter's articles.
"Okay, everybody," Angelina said in her quavering voice. "This is our moment. We have the whole school, and many more people waiting for us." She wasn't being very encouraging. "We've trained, we all know each other, what we must do and what we can do. We're ready, we're in shape, and we're the best players Hogwarts has to offer. So I won't take any poor performance as an excuse today. We have the best of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang in front of us, and we're going to show them how real Quidditch players play. And Harry…" Everyone turned to him. "You catch the Snitch. I don't care that you're facing Viktor Krum. You get the Snitch before he does. Don't rely on us doing like Ireland at the Quidditch World Cup."
She really wasn't good at lifting tension. She looked at her watch.
"It's time. Follow me."
They did as she told them. Harry found himself last in line, behind Fred and George, his heart beating very fast, his legs almost faltering, waiting for the doors to open so they could fly into the pitch.
"Angelina is not serious," Fred tried to reassure him. "She knows you're playing against Krum. It's only her way to make you play the best you can."
"But she may gouge out your eyes if you allow Krum to easily get the Snitch," George said. "See it as another form of encouragement."
This really didn't encourage Harry. He looked at his own watch. There were only a few minutes left before the game officially started. Harry could hear the rumour of hundreds of people coming from the outside. According to words that circulated over the past few weeks, officials from various ministries of magic across Europe, including from the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Sweden and many others would attend the game. Ludo Bagman would be commenting it, and there were even additional tickets that were sold for the occasion, not to mention the parents of the players who were invited to the match. Harry regretted his mother couldn't come. He sent her an owl for the occasion, but Hedwig had returned empty-handed. His mother always replied to his letters in the past.
Harry wished she was there to see him playing against Krum. Well, at least his best friends would be there. And Susan, too. She told him that the choir she was a part of would be playing a part in the show before the match. And then there was Sirius, his godfather, who freed himself to attend the match too. At least, he would be there. That brought a smile to Harry, right when Bagman's voice resounded through the stadium outside.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMENT! WELCOME! WELCOME TO THIS EXHIBITION QUIDDITCH MATCH OF THE TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT!"
The crowd outside roared.
"I want to thank everyone for coming. I take a moment to remind you that the revenues from this match will go directly to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. But now, let's go to what you came for. Please welcome the Hogwarts Quidditch team!"
The door opened, and Harry was blinded like he never was. Powerful lights were directed towards them.
"I give you… JOHNSON!"
Angelina mounted her broomstick and flew out without hesitation under the cheers of the crowd.
"DAVIES!"
It was Roger's turn. They had been given specific instructions before the match to only fly up when their name was called.
"MACAVOY! PAGE! WEASLEY and WEASLEY!"
Fred and George flew out together. Harry was left alone. He had the impression that his stomach was empty while still wanting to throw up everything it might have. He was really shaking this time. He mounted his broomstick.
"And now, the Seeker of Hogwarts, undefeated to this day, champion of the Triwizard Tournament for his school and leading it on the first position after two tasks… HARRY POTTER!"
Harry took flight. He didn't understand why Bagman said all those things. Most of them were inaccurate. He wasn't undefeated. He lost against Hufflepuff last year. And he wasn't the only one in first position in the Tournament. And he didn't get why Bagman said his full name instead of only mentioning his family name. Still, he flew into the pitch under the applauses and screams of the crowd.
The stadium looked as if it was doubled in size. The towers looked taller, and many rows of benches had been added. Harry wouldn't be surprised if there were about twice more spectators than usual. It was lit by lights that seemed to be coming out of nowhere.
"And now, please welcome the Beauxbatons-Durmstrang Quidditch team! The best players of the two schools. I give you… POLIAKOFF!"
A figure in a robe made of red, gold and green flew up under cheers. Harry had been wondering how they would make the Quidditch robes of those players, considering they had to mix the coats of arms from two schools. The result was quite decent to Harry's eyes. Surprisingly, the crowd sounded as excited and noisy as for when Harry and his teammates came in. Perhaps there were many supporters from the two other schools. Or perhaps all students, including from Hogwarts, were just as excited to see all the schools play. After all, the Beauxbatons-Durmstrang team had one big advantage to sway the crowd's opinion in their favor.
"SANDBERG! DIAZ! NIEMI! IONESCU! THÉRIEN! And of course, the one you've all been waiting for… Hero of the last Quidditch World Cup… KRUM!"
The stadium exploded. Harry looked with apprehension and trepidation as Viktor Krum took flight.
Harry had played many Quidditch games in his life so far, but never, not even for his first game in his first year, he had felt so little, so insignificant next to other players, and especially next to Krum. He could hear the crowd cheering for him like madmen. Krum was flying around the pitch, just like Harry did. Their flying paths crossed once, and the Bulgarian Seeker didn't grant him a single gaze.
"Very well! Fantastic! Marvellous!" Bagman said. Harry and his teammates came to line up behind their goalposts, still in the air, like they were instructed to do. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, before the game begins, we have a great show to offer you. Please applaud some of the greatest artists in the wizarding world, accompanied by the choir and orchestra of Hogwarts."
The crowd applauded, though not with as much cheers as when the players flew in. Harry thought they might have been better to make the show then introduce the players, like they did at the Quidditch World Cup. On the other side, this would have stopped Harry and the other players from watching the show. Harry was not a huge fan of such events, but Susan was going to sing as part of it, and he would rather have an opportunity to hear her and see for what she was singing.
The magical lights that illuminated the stadium slowly faded until the whole pitch and the crowd around was plunged into darkness. Everything went silent.
(Rewrite the Stars; The Greatest Showman)
Only this time, instead of a piano breaking the silence like during the Yule Ball, it was a human voice that emerged. The voice of a man.
You know I want you
It's not a secret I try to hide
Then it seemed that the whole pitch was bathed into the blue light of the full moon. Within the central circle, a lone man stood on the grass. He was wearing a large black hat with a red costume.
I know you want me
So don't keep saying our hands are tied
He raised his hands and began to take altitude. Harry thought he was flying with a levitation spell, but he then realized that the man was standing on a broomstick that slowly brought him up.
You claim it's not in the cards
And fate is pulling you miles away
And out of a reach from me
But you're hearing my heart
So who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny?
Then the stadium seemed to be filled with luminous white points coming from everywhere, including the sky. It reminded Harry of Muggle concerts when everybody in the assistance were turning on their lighters and flashlights. Only, the lights seemed to be coming out of nowhere this time. The man began to slowly turn around the stadium, flying while standing tall on his broomstick. Harry was impressed as the orchestra kept playing and someone out there, probably one of the boys in the choir, sang.
What if we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine
Nothing could keep us apart
You'll be the one I was meant to find
It's up to you, and it's up to me
No one could say what we get to be
So why don't we rewrite the stars?
And maybe the world could be ours, tonight
Then a high white light came from above, its origin unknown. It created a small vertical hub of white shade right rising from the central circle as the rhythm of the music accelerated. And in the light, a human figure descended from the sky. Harry noticed it had to be a woman, her legs crossed, her right arm raised high. It took him an instant to realize she was holding the handle of a broomstick with her hand as she slowly came down. Then a feminine voice Harry didn't recognize began to sing as well as the woman turned around the handle of her broomstick like an acrobat.
You think it's easy
You think I don't wanna run to you
But there are mountains
And there are doors that we can't walk through
I know you're wondering why
Because we're able to be just you and me within these walls
But when we go outside
You're gonna wake up and see that it was hopeless after all
Then the woman made a huge jump and landed straight tall on the handle of the broomstick. She began to fly around the pitch as well, and the stream of light that once focused on her split in two to show both performers flying around.
No one can rewrite the stars
How can you say you'll be mine?
Everything keeps us apart
And I'm not the one you were meant to find
It's not up to you, it's not up to me
When everyone tells us what we can be
And how can we rewrite the stars?
Say that the world can be ours, tonight
Harry and the whole crowd watched as the two performers approached each other, then the girl jumped in the arms of the man, both riding the same broom. Dancing movements and acrobatics followed between them. The whole choir now sang. Well, most of it. Harry judged they had to be at least a dozen different people singing together now. At some point, the same literally carried the woman in his arms.
All I want is to fly with you
All I want is to fall with you
So just give me all of you
It feels impossible
It's not impossible
Is it impossible?
Say that it's possible
The woman was thrown into the air. Some people cried. Harry himself retained his breath as he feared she would crush on the ground. But she landed on her broomstick right before she touched the grass and flew up under cheers. The performers performed somersaults, spins, and lots of other figures while standing tall on their broom's handles, in ways that Harry would never have thought possible.
How do we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine
Nothing can keep us apart
Cause you are the one I was meant to find
It's up to you, and it's up to me
No one could say what we get to be
Why don't we rewrite the stars?
Changing the world to be ours
The points of light vanished. The two performers slowly approached each other near the central circle. Then only a girl's voice was heard singing as the rhythm of the music slowed down to a crawl and eventually vanished. Harry wasn't sure, but he thought it was Hannah's voice.
You know I want you
It's not a secret I try to hide
But I can't have you
We're bound to break and my hands are tied
The streams of white light illuminating the performers vanished on the last word, and the stadium was once again plunged into darkness. Then the crowd roared in cheers, and Harry joined them. He had to give to these people, they knew how to fly. It may not be the kind of flying techniques that could allow a team to win a Quidditch championship, but it was impressive, and Harry could only appreciate the technique.
(From Now On; The Greatest Showman)
Another song began, this time with the instruments of the orchestra playing a slow, melancholic melody. And another boy's voice raised, almost depressive now.
I saw the sun begin to dim
And felt that winter wind blow cold
A man learns who is there for him
When the glitter fades and the walls won't hold
'Cause from then, rubble
What remains
Can only be what's true
If all was lost
There's more I gained
'Cause it led me back
To you
As the voice sang so low that Harry could barely make out the words, another vertical stream of white light progressively illuminated another man with the same costume as the one in the previous song. Only this time, he was standing tall… on a broomstick at vertical position. Its tail was pointing to the ground, the curved tip of the handle, usually where a player would place his hands, was pointing to the sky, and the man somehow stood tall on this point, on a single foot. Harry noticed other people on broomsticks slowly approaching the man.
From now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight
Tonight
Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on
The music started to get more rhythmic. About two dozens of other people now surrounded the man. Some were on broomsticks, but Harry realized there were also people riding creatures. He recognized two hippogriffs, and some flying horses similar to those driving Beauxbatons' carriage. And now they dispersed around the man in red.
I drank champagne with kings and queens
The politicians praised my name
But those are someone else's dreams
The pitfalls of the man I became
Harry heard the hippogriffs screaming as the performers began to slowly move on their mounts, while the rhythm of the music kept getting faster and the singer's voice grew louder.
For years and years
I chased their cheers
The crazy speed of always needing more
But when I stop
And see you here
I remember who all this was for
And from now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight
It starts tonight
And let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on
From now on
Out of nowhere, large flames engulfed the two extremities of the line showing the centre of the pitch. Harry was surprised to realize there were two dragons that managed to get on the ground without being noticed. They kept throwing fire, illuminating the stadium as performers made mad moves on their broomsticks, hippogriffs and abraxans. And the whole choir now sang together.
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
(From now on!)
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
And we will come back home
And we will come back home (Yes)
Home, again!
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
From now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights!
From now on!
What's waited 'til tomorrow starts tonight!
It starts tonight!
Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on
From now on
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again
Only a boy and a girl then sang, a much slower version of the words of the song, as all performers gathered at the center of the pitch, on the ground, very slowly, almost religiously. Dragons stopped spitting fire, hippogriffs didn't scream anymore, horses were not neighing.
From now on
From now on
Home, again, ooh, ooh
From now on
From now on
Home, again
The crowd applauded once again as the second song ended. The performers all remained on the ground, unmoving, with their beasts. Light began to recede, but before it was completely gone, the dragons roared once again, and their flames illuminated the stadium once more.
(The Greatest Show; The Greatest Showman)
Whoa
This time, the whole choir made the exclamation.
Whoa
Whoa
They made the same outcry several times, and each time, the performers changed their positions, slowly taking altitude, and always ending in various postures. Some stood head below on their brooms. Some even stood with their feet on hippogriffs' heads. Harry didn't doubt that Hagrid was certainly impressed by this. The orchestra joined the choir after a moment. However, after a few of these outcries, Harry began to wonder when they would go forward. Until finally, a strong boy's voice resonated through the stadium.
Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for
Whoa
And again, the outcry. It wasn't the last time.
Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor
Whoa
And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore
Taking your breath, stealing your mind
And all that was real is left behind
Then the whole choir sang, and the movements of the performers became more fluid, and quicker and faster with time.
Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at you
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after
Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer
Just surrender cause you feel the feeling taking over
It's fire, it's freedom, it's flooding open
It's a preacher in the pulpit and your blind devotion
There's something breaking at the brick of every wall, it's holding
All that you know
So tell me, do you wanna go?
It was as if the stadium exploded. Flashes of light from all colors came from everywhere, fire was spit by dragons, fireworks exploded in the sky and lower, beasts' screams surrounded the crowd, while performers conducted mad acrobatics.
Where it's covered in all the colored lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
Whoa
Colossal we come these renegades in the ring
Whoa
Where the lost get found in the crown of the circus king
Harry saw one performer make a jump of over ten feet from his broomstick to fall on another that flew below at high speed right at the same moment. Another one was jumping from one ring to another in the goalposts. And some were flying through the rings, setting them on fire on the way.
Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at you
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after
It's blinding, outshining anything that you know
Just surrender cause you're calling and you wanna go
Where it's covered in all the colored lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, intoxicating you
Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
Then only the male voices of the choir were to be heard.
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be
Then only girls made the next line, in very sharp voices.
This is where you wanna be
And the choir sang together again as figures turned even more mad and dangerous to Harry's eyes. One performer even somehow managed to fly through the breath of fire of a dragon and came out of it unscathed.
When it's covered in all the colored lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you
This is the greatest show
When it's covered in all the colored lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the walls can't stop us now
I'm watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show
Cause everything you want is right in front of you
And you see the impossible is coming true
And the walls can't stop us now, yeah
This is the greatest show, Oh
This is the greatest show, Oh
This is the greatest show, Oh
This is the greatest show, Oh
This is the greatest show, Oh
This is the greatest show, Oh
This is the greatest show
This is the greatest show, Oh
This is the greatest show
The music got way softer, slower. The performers kept doing figures, but much slower and more carefully than before, and the lights faded slowly. Then a single, feminine voice that Harry knew only too well came out, clear, but growing softer and lower with each verse.
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be
It's everything you ever want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be
The last verse was barely a whisper. The crowd erupted in applauses as the performers bowed to thank them, some on the ground, others still in the air on their broomsticks and beasts. Harry looked around in the crowd, searching for the orchestra and the choir, but they were nowhere to be seen. He knew it was Susan who sang the last verses. He heard her sing before. However, for now, she was nowhere to be seen. The performers were flying away, disappearing in the night.
"Marvellous!" Bagman rejoiced. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the real show?" The crowd screamed and cheered in unison. "Very well. Players, take your positions."
Harry entirely forgot about Susan right away. He flew with his teammates to the center of the pitch, except for Page who took place in front of the goalposts. The others came to face their counterparts. And Harry found himself face to face with Krum.
After seeing Krum from close for months, Harry had thought he became quite used to his presence. However, now that they were on the pitch, and that the Bulgarian Seeker faced him, Harry felt his stomach tighten. That was it. The moment had come. He would play against the greatest Seeker in the world. Harry knew that some considered him to be the best Seeker of the school. It might be true, although he considered that Cho was a very good candidate for the position as well. She was probably in the crowd right now, observing him or Krum. He thought about looking for her in the crowd, as unlikely as it would be to spot her in this sea of people, but Madam Hooch called at this moment.
"Captains, shake hands!"
Krum flew down to shake hands with Angelina. Harry noticed that even she was blushing and impressed by the Seeker. If Angelina behaved like this, while she was about the same age as the Bulgarian, then Harry was certain that people would have no problem guessing his own state of mind. He gripped the handle of his Firebolt very tight. He emptied his mind and tried to focus on the game. He was going to play against Viktor Krum, yes, but it remained a Quidditch game. He had to give his best. He knew how Krum played. He saw him play with his own eyes. Krum might have witnessed him flying against a dragon, but playing a Quidditch match remained different. Harry still held some element of surprise. The Bulgarian Seeker came back to position himself in front of Harry. He stared at him right in the eyes, and Harry looked away. He had to focus on the game. He had to think like it was any normal match, and not to think that he was facing one of the best players in the world and that he had virtually no chance of winning.
"They're off!"
Harry saw from the corner of his eye the Quaffle being released, and he rushed forward, an instant after Krum did.
"Johnson takes the Quaffle!" Bagman commented. "She avoids a Bludger… Then avoids Sandberg… A pass to Macavoy… Then to Davies… He avoids Diaz… He's almost in the scoring area… A pass behind to Macavoy… She shoots… She scores!"
The crowd exploded as Hogwarts made the first points of the match. Harry allowed himself one moment to celebrate and clapped Angelina's hand as he flew by her. Then he took altitude to have a better overview of the pitch and swerved to avoid a Bludger that Ionescu just sent towards him.
He spotted Krum who was avoiding the other Bludger that Fred sent in his direction. Angelina had instructed the twins to focus their attacks on Krum and to not defend their own Chasers from potential Bludgers. It was a decision that Angelina took. Their strategy was to cause as many problems to Krum as they could, with the bare minimum attention to Chasers of the opposite team, just enough to bring them to be more cautious in their movements. Angelina, Roger and Heidi trained to adopt a strategy that would maximize their chances of scoring without the cover of the Beaters, hoping they could score as many goals as possible while hindering Krum's play. And Fred and George seemed very happy to cause as many problems as they could to the best Seeker in the world.
But Harry had to focus on finding the Snitch. He looked feverishly around the stadium, searching for any glint. However, since the game was taking place at night and there were many flashes everywhere, coming from Omnioculars, wands and reflections of these lights everywhere, it was very hard to find the small ball. He still had to find it though, and before Krum did, so he focused his whole attention on it.
As a result, Harry barely gave any attention to the action taking place around him, except when it affected his own play, so only when he had to avoid another player or a Bludger, or to watch what Krum was doing. Aside from that, he didn't give any attention to the score or the crowd or whatever else the others were doing. He barely heard the clings as the Quaffle got through other rings.
Harry couldn't find the Snitch. More than once, he thought he might have spotted it, but it was only a reflection of another light. Krum was searching for it as well. He and Harry crossed paths a few times, but if he noticed Harry, he gave no sign of it. He was focused on finding the Snitch as well.
Madam Hooch's whistle resonated through the stadium all of a sudden.
"Penalty to Hogwarts!"
Harry heard a part of the crowd booing. He stopped. It was no use to keep flying around the pitch when a penalty was called. He could even use the time to look for the Snitch without any danger of being targeted. He noticed that Krum did the same.
From what Harry heard, one of the Chasers in the other team had grabbed Heidi's arm. Harry quickly looked at the scoring board, to see that Hogwarts already led 40-10. And when Heidi succeeded in scoring on her penalty, Harry thought that their team clearly held the advantage right now. As soon as the Quaffle was back into play, Harry returned to flying quickly through the stadium.
He had to avoid several Bludgers during the next few minutes. From the corner of the eye, Harry noticed that Krum didn't seem to be too much hindered by them either. He even somehow managed to get George to send a Bludger in his direction, avoiding it, and the Bludger crashed against Angelina who abandoned the Quaffle as a result. Harry, on his side, avoided the bat of one Beater who got too close to him.
Harry thought he spotted the Golden Snitch all of a sudden. He rushed in this direction.
"Oh, wait! It seems that Potter found something!" Bagman declared, and Harry heard the crowd retain her breath. However, he soon realized this was only the glimmer of something attached to the ankle of a girl in the other team. He disengaged.
"Oh! False alarm. Too bad."
Harry felt stupid. He had the impression that everyone was staring at him as if he was an imbecile. Krum had not even deigned to follow him. He must have noticed right away that whatever Harry saw wasn't the Golden Snitch.
In the meantime, another penalty was called, this time for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Apparently, Roger used elbows excessively. It didn't matter for Poliakoff missed his shot and Grant stopped it. Hogwarts maintained an advance of 70-20. It was at this moment that Krum called a time out. Harry joined the rets of his team.
"Well played, everyone. Well played," Angelina told them as they gathered near their goalposts on the ground. "Don't relax. We must keep scoring. Fred, George, continue to be a rock in the boots of Krum."
"You mean the firecracker in his boot?" Fred asked. He then looked to his brother, with who he nodded. "With pleasure," they replied in unison.
"Harry, find this Snitch and catch it before Krum does," Angelina then added for him.
"I know. I'm trying," he replied.
"Well, try harder. You know who you're playing against."
She didn't have to remind Harry about this. The time out was soon over, and they were back in the air.
Harry noticed a change in the play. He stopped receiving Bludgers. Well, he still got some from time to time, but far less than before. Instead, he got something else to bother about. Krum.
The Bulgarian Seeker cut his trajectory a mere ten seconds after the match resumed. However, unlike someone like Cho or Malfoy, he remained in front of him, and slowed down, forcing Harry to do the same, blocking his path. Harry tried to fly on the other side, but Krum stopped him. Harry struggled to get free of Krum's stature, but it took several attempts. When he finally did, plunging to the ground then getting back altitude, it was to almost bump into Krum who positioned himself right over him. Harry turned right, following the edge of the pitch. He was about to turn left, but Krum was there once more, and Harry tried to outmaneuver him from the above, without success. He had to drop his altitude again, and Krum stuck him there for some time once more, before Harry could put some distance and reach back a certain level, until Krum came to block his movements once more.
Harry was getting frustrated. This was way worse than with Cho or even Malfoy. Those could block his trajectory, but never for long. Krum, however, could hold Harry in check for longer periods, sometimes going as far as neutralizing Harry for a whole ten or fifteen seconds. Harry realized that he couldn't rely entirely on the higher performance of his Firebolt or his natural talents. He was facing Krum, and it seemed the Bulgarian made it his mission to make Harry's life difficult.
It didn't take long for Harry, right when Beauxbatons and Durmstrang scored, to understand that Krum changed his strategy. He decided to cause problems to Harry, to block his path, to prevent him from chasing the Snitch. Somehow, Krum seemed to know in advance what Harry would be doing, positioning himself exactly at the right place to stop Harry from doing the moves that would make the most sense. In the meantime, Harry was sure that Krum continued to search the Snitch. With this new tactic, he could cause problems to Harry, make him slow down, distract him from searching the Golden Snitch, and increase his own chances of catching the Snitch.
Harry could also see another benefit to this strategy. Bludgers were no longer thrown in their direction. Krum's Beaters could not target Harry is their own Seeker was always around. But that held true for Fred and George too. They couldn't target Krum if they always risked hitting Harry too. Harry had to give it to Krum, he chose very good strategies. He just got rid of the nuisance Fred and George caused, while maintaining trouble for Harry.
However, Harry noticed at some point that the change of strategies did not seem to have helped the rest of Krum's team very much. With the Quaffle, this looked like a repetition of the finale of the Quidditch World Cup. Hogwarts now led 110-30. This wasn't an entire repetition, but from the glimpses Harry caught of Bagman's comments, it was obvious that his team got the upper hand. Another penalty allowed Roger to score and to bring their advance to ninety points. Maybe they could hope to score enough points to put a victory out of reach even if Krum caught the Snitch. But Harry couldn't take this risk. He had to find the Snitch, and quickly, or to stop Krum from doing so.
All of a sudden, Krum rushed down out of nowhere in front of Harry. He had been focused on getting free of Krum's blocks, but his reflexes remained intact. Harry plunged an instant later, following Krum. He reduced the distance between them, following the trajectory of his opponent as they flew almost vertically towards the ground. He could not see the Snitch though. They approached the ground very fast. Harry didn't have much time left.
At the very last instant, Harry pulled off. He turned right, his left elbow grazing the grass, and rolled to take some altitude. He looked behind to see that Krum did the same in the other direction. Harry expected to see him brandish the Golden Snitch, but his hands were both tightly gripping the handle of his broomstick.
"Oh! A Wronski Feint! And Potter managed to outsmart it!"
The crowd erupted around. Harry couldn't believe it. He saw Krum performing it, and yet, when he did it again, he fell into the trap. Krum only feigned to see the Snitch so Harry would follow him on a very dangerous drive, hoping to get him injured. Harry was relieved beyond imagination. He could have crashed like Lynch did back in August, twice.
Bagman kept indicating how it was a great feat what Harry did, but he felt mostly stupid for falling into the same trap as Lynch. He was lucky to not be in the infirmary right now.
Harry took altitude, and noticed Krum approaching him from above, but somehow not one, but two Bludgers headed in his direction at this moment. Krum had to dive.
And it was when Harry saw it. Right in the middle of the pitch, near one of the towers.
He didn't hesitate. He flew straight towards the key to victory. He didn't care about he score. He didn't know whether he would succeed to catch the small ball or not. All he cared about was giving everything he had to try and catch it. He accelerated as quickly as he could, pushing his Firebolt to its limits. He could clearly see the Snitch now. He extended the right arm, about to get his hand on the minuscule golden ball.
Then pain. Loud screaming. And darkness. A fall into darkness.
When Harry opened his eyes, it was still over darkness. He wondered who shut the lights. But when he tried to get up, he fell back into his bed, feeling a searing pain going through his head.
Harry then realized that something was wrong. He was in a bed. But he was just… What was he doing a moment ago?
He groaned and brought his hand to his head. It was covered in bandages. What happened? He tried to stand up again but winced and fell back once more.
"You must lie down. This is what my Healers would tell me."
Harry almost stood up in his bed once more, resulting in an even worse headache. He looked around. The darkness had begun to recede, his eyes getting used to it. He was in a very familiar place, one where he woke up more than once in the past. It was the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Harry was surprised that he didn't recognize the place, even in darkness, sooner, given the many times a Quidditch game brought him there.
Quidditch. Now he remembered. He was playing the match between Hogwarts and the team representing Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.
"You took a heavy blow to the head," the same voice who spoke before added. "So you better not strain yourself."
Harry reached for his glasses and found them on the small table next to his bed. When he put them on his nose, he saw way more clearly, and noticed the presence of Viktor Krum, sitting next to him. Harry was surprised to find him there, and even more to see him wearing large bandages around his head as well.
"What… What happened?" Harry asked, still confused as to how he ended in the infirmary. He now remembered going after the Snitch, but then… nothing.
"We collided," the Bulgarian Seeker said shortly.
"Collided?"
He nodded. "We came for the Snitch from different directions. I was flying up and you were flying horizontally. Our heads smashed the moment we reached the Golden Snitch. Cracked skulls as a result. Both of us."
Harry blinked several times. But after a moment, he understood how Krum ended up with an injury that was probably similar to that of Harry.
"So… the match is over?" Harry asked, knowing already the answer.
"Yes."
Harry closed his eyes. "Well, congratulations."
"What do you mean?"
Harry opened back his eyes. "Well, you caught the Snitch. Didn't you?" he asked, seeing the confused expression on Krum's face even in darkness.
"We both did," Krum answered after a moment, creating even more confusion. "I don't remember what happened. We both lost consciousness after our collision, but my friends told me we fell to the ground and that when they found us, we each held one of the wings of the Snitch in our fists. The officials decided to declare the match a draw, even though your team led by ninety points. I guess they told themselves this was not real game."
Harry wasn't sure how to feel. He was sure to lose this game and yet, Viktor Krum just told him they caught the Snitch together, at the same time. And he also nearly said that Hogwarts should have been declared the victor in the game. At the same time, Harry felt intimidated by the presence of the Seeker, sitting next to him.
"You played very well," Krum then said, having Harry even more surprised. Was this praise from Krum? "There aren't many players who can manage my Wronski Feint. I saw you flying very well in the first task. I was curious to see you play for real. You surprised me again."
"Thank you," Harry said, still not sure about how to feel. He was exhilarated in some way to receive praise from Viktor Krum, but at the same time, he kept feeling intimidated by his towering figure. Krum was thin, but very tall. And despite the fact he complimented him, Harry couldn't stop the feeling he was being threatened. So he tried to say something in return. "You played very well you too. I saw you at the…"
"What is there between you and Hermione?"
Krum asked him the question abruptly, almost out of nowhere. Harry was stunned for a moment. Out of anything Viktor Krum could have told or asked him, this was the last he expected. However, the Quidditch player looked very serious from his facial expression.
"Nothing," Harry replied, feeling both intimidated and almost wanting to laugh at the same time. This didn't seem to convince Krum though.
"Hermione talks about you very often," he insisted.
"Yes, because we are friends." It seemed that Krum could read the articles of Rita Skeeter, or at least heard about them. "Look, she's not my girlfriend and she has never been. All those articles are fake. It's Rita Skeeter inventing stuff. You can ask Hermione. She will tell you."
"She did," Krum acknowledged, but he remained suspicious. "But she talks a lot about you."
"Only because… She's my best friend, okay. But that's all. There's nothing more. I already have a girlfriend. You saw her at the Yule Ball. She's the girl I went to the ball with. Her name is Susan."
Krum looked more closely to Harry, as if he was trying to decide whether to believe him or not. "That girl with red hair?"
"Yes. She's a friend of Hermione. You can ask her. She'll confirm."
"You and Hermione have never… You have not… ever dated?"
"No."
Harry answered with such force, tired of repeating the same thing over and over again, which only resulted in another wince from the pain it caused to his neck. Krum seemed thoughtful for a moment.
"She came to see you after the match." Harry was further surprised, and a little confused about Krum's words. He wasn't sure who he was talking about. "Your girlfriend. She spent hours next to you. I know because I regained consciousness shortly after the match and she was there. I fell asleep, but when I woke up hours later and she was still there."
Harry remained confused about what Krum just told him, then his thoughts wandered to Susan. So she remained with him for hours after he was injured? Harry felt touched. He wished he had been conscious to see her. Right now, he wished he could see her.
"Hermione only stayed with me shortly, then she went to see you," Krum continued. "That's why I was thinking…" He didn't finish his sentence.
"There's really nothing between us," Harry assured him. "We've been friends since we arrived at school three years ago, but that's all. If it can reassure you, neither of us thought about inviting the other to the Yule Ball when it was announced. Even though we are best friends. And she talks a lot about you when we spend time together."
"Really?"
At that, Krum had looked up. Harry found himself in an odd situation where he was reassuring a famous Seeker about the feelings Hermione had for him.
"Yes," Harry replied trying to hide the uncertainty he felt. The truth was that Hermione avoided talking about Krum whenever Ron was around. Only when she was only with Harry did she dare to talk more about him, and only succinctly. But he didn't mention those details to Krum, who looked beaming now.
"Thank you," he said, really looking relieved and happy. "I'm sorry for bothering you with that."
"No problem," Harry awkwardly said, feeling completely out of place in such a discussion with Viktor Krum. "Were there other people who visited m… us?" he corrected himself at the last minute.
"You had many friends coming to see you," Krum answered on a lighter tone. "And then there was Cedric and Fleur who came to see us both. I talked with them a little since you were unconscious. Cedric's girlfriend had lots of questions for me. I think she is a Quidditch player too."
On that, he was right. "Yes. She almost defeated me at the trials. You could have faced her today," Harry said quickly.
"Well, let me tell you that you may have a long career ahead of you. I noticed scouts from professional teams in the crowd, and I heard one of your friends saying that they asked questions about you after the game."
For once, Harry was glad that his heart pumped faster, and he felt that this time, it was the excitement he felt at the prospect of maybe becoming a professional Quidditch player someday.
I tried to kind of imagine what a show involving magical creatures might look like in the wizarding world. I hope you liked it.
Please review.
Next chapter: Susan