Chapter: Free Falling
"You guys ready?" Wood asked the team. "We've practiced hard. Stay tight and keep close to mitigate the wind. Remember Hermione's suggestion to cast impervious charms to your goggles to repel water."
Before long, Lee Jordan was announcing the team and Harry flew out, turning instantly from warm and dry to cold and wet. It was a poring and the wind howling so hard it even drowned out the crowd. He flew to a stop in front of Hermione, Neville and the rest of the Gryffindor cheering section.
"Great day for Quidditch, eh?" Harry asked.
"Just catch the Snitch quickly, would you?" Neville said. "We're bloody freezing out here."
"Be safe," Hermione added.
"Will do," Harry gave her what she lovingly called his Tom Cruise smile and flew off.
"You ready to lose, Potter?" Cedric asked as they took their formation.
"Why is there a third team playing I wasn't aware of?" Harry countered.
"Oh that's it," Cedric laughed. "You're going down."
"You've won one, I've won the other," Harry extended his hand. "Let's see who wins the rubber match."
"Hey that's my job," Wood cheerfully bumped Harry out of the way to shake Cedric's hand.
Madam Hooch reminded them of the rules and promptly started the game. Harry caught a glance of the Snitch once Madam Hooch released it. The Quaffle went up and the game was a go. Harry watched Katie snag the first, shooting toward the Hufflepuff goal. The keeper struggled to keep his position with the swirling winds. Katie used this to move him out of position of the left most hoop, scoring the game's first goal. A muted cheer came from the drench Gryffindor supporters. After that, Harry dove for the pitch, Cedric hot on his tail. Harry pulled up, only to have gust of wind push him perilously close to George just as he was swinging at a bludger. Harry rolled to evade the Weasley's club.
"Maybe not a day for feints," Cedric shouted as he pulled up. "Maybe."
Cedric winked at Harry and went into a dive of his own. Pulling out, his feed skimmed the turf, the wind buffeting him from above, preventing him from pulling up.
"Okay no feints," Harry admitted.
Without a doubt, it was a miserable affair. Even with the charm on his goggles, Harry couldn't see anything resembling a snitch. Cedric wasn't fairing any better. Since feints and dives were worthless, they mostly stayed close to one another, staying above the pitch in the hopes of spotting the Snitch.
They had been playing for 90 minutes when suddenly everything went from bad to worse.
An unearthly cold descended over the pitch as the rain turned to sleet, stinging Harry as he flew into it. As the rest of the world grew cold, Harry felt the spot on his arm where the Dementor touched light up, as if someone was taking a lance to it. As much as he tried, he could never get the mark to go away completely. Screaming, he turned around and locked eyes with Cedric. Just beyond the boy's shoulder, he saw the same dog, sitting and watching the match. Lightning flashed and suddenly, there was no doubt: it was Paddy. Harry had no time to ponder that as he saw the cause of the shift in weather: on the horizon, descending on the stadium was a host of 20 Dementors. Looking at Cedric, he saw the same panic on his eyes that Harry had.
As one, they both moved to dive toward the ground. That was a problem as there were three Dementors blocking their way. Harry banked hard and shook off the Dementors but it was all too much. Harry's vision grew fuzzy as the middle Dementor reached out for him. His mother's final moments played out again as Harry finally lost consciousness. He slipped head-first off his broom as the wind whipped the broom out of the stadium altogether.
Back closer to the grounds, Hermione felt the chill take place and immediately drew her wand.
"Expecto Patronum," she shouted but only a wisp of air came out. Around her, she saw other members of the D.A. doing the same with similar results. Latching onto the memory of Harry's smiling face she cast again and again. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!"
It was all for naught as she only cast a shield. That shield evaporated when a body began to fall out of the sky.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed in agony. She tried to vault the railing to catch him with Neville being the only thing keeping her from falling from the stands to the pitch below. She was so insistent on getting to him, she forgot how high up she was. Tears fell from her eyes as she watched hopelessly as Harry sped toward the ground, three Dementors chasing after him. She about lost hope when Patroni charged from the teacher's section. McGonagall sent her cat Patronus after one of the Dementors, Flitwick sent his hummingbird after another and Snape's doe pushed the last one away. A lynx and wolf Patronus also entered patrolled the field as the aurors responded to the situation. The stadium lit up with light as Dumbledore's Phoenix Patronus pushed the remaining Dementors away. He extended his other hand and shouted "Arresto Momento" to slow Harry's descent.
It was working but Harry was still going much too fast. Hermione clawed at her cheeks, wishing to turn away but finding it impossible all the same when out of nowhere a gold streak shot toward the ground and snatched Harry right before he hit the turf. Cedric slowed Harry's momentum but they both slammed onto the turf, snapping Cedric's broom as they hit. Cedric rolled Harry onto his back and started to check him out as the crowd looked on.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle; an irrelevant action since even the players had become spectators thanks to the Dementors. Hermione came to her senses and sprinted down the steps toward the pitch. Running full sprint, she slid on her knees and shook him ferociously by the shoulders just as Dumbledore flamed in with the help of Fawkes.
"Wake up, Harry," she pleaded. "Please be okay. Wake up, Harry. You've got to wake up."
Behind her, Harry's teammates landed next to Cedric, joining Neville and Luna in their silent vigil. Neville held Luna as she wept, hoping for the best yet fearing the worst.
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore's calming voice sounded. She looked up to see his blue eyes shining out of his sopping hair and beard. "I need you to let go of him; we need to get him to the Hospital immediately."
"I can do one better," Hermione said. "Dobby."
Dobby popped in instantly, concern on his eyes.
"Can you take Harry to the Hospital Wing?" Hermione asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. Dobby never hesitated, he just grabbed a hold of Harry and popped him out.
"What do we do about the game?" Wood asked.
"What do we do!?" Cedric rounded on him. "We reschedule it."
"That's never been done," Katie said.
"Then this will be the first," Cedric said. "I was promised a proper match and I want it to be a match free of Dementors causing mayhem."
"But we lost our Seeker and the Snitch hasn't been caught," Wood said. "By the book…"
"Fuck the book," Cedric said. "My broom is snapped and I am not using one of the school brooms. We'll have a tight spring schedule but I'm willing to take on that burden if you are, Wood, assuming Madam Hooch agrees."
"100 points to Hufflepuff," Dumbledore said. "50 for catching a fallen student, protecting him from serious injury or worse."
Hermione squeaked in terror at this comment.
"And then 50 points for this display of loyalty and fair play that would have made Helga Hufflepuff herself proud. Now everyone needs to get out of the elements before Madam Pomfrey's ward is filled with sick students.
"If you will excuse me, I have a call to make," warmth fled from Dumbledore's voice as he marched out of the stadium, back up toward the castle.
Hermione was hot on his heels, separating from the headmaster only when they turned to head opposite directions. She flung open the doors to the Hospital Wing and made a beeline for Harry's bed, the same one Pomfrey always gave him. She held his hand as Pomfrey scanned him.
"How is he?" Hermione's head snapped up as Luna, Neville, Parvati and Lavender joined her. Behind that, the rest of the Quidditch team, Cedric, Susan and, most shocking, Daphne and Tracey. Daphne usually looked stoic but now she was just straight up concerned. Pomfrey's voice that broke the silence.
"He will be fine," Pomfrey said. "He has some bruising, probably from your catch Mr. Diggory. acute Dementor exposure but he will recover. Daphne let her breath out and collapsed into a chair. Tracey went to her friend and wrapped her into a tight hug.
"I was so scared," Daphne said. "I thought he…"
Everyone nodded, thinking the same thing.
"Catch of the game, Diggory," George said.
"Jolly good," Fred said. "Though I'm not sure you understood the rules of the game. I know Harry's small but your job is to catch the Snitch, not him."
"You guys are a riot," Cedric deadpanned as Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Maybe the Wrackspurts told Cedric that Harry was the Snitch and that's why he dove so fast," Luna added.
"No, I think he's actually developed a crush," Tracey said. "Too bad everyone can see he's taken."
The group all looked toward Hermione who was holding his hand.
"Yeah sorry Cedric," Harry's raspy voice told them he was awake. "I meant to let you down easy."
"That's okay," Cedric actually smiled this time. "You're too pretty for me anyway, completely out of my league."
Pomfrey collected more scans with Harry awake as the collected group laughed at the repartee. Harry sat up and looked around the ward.
"Does anyone have my glasses?" Harry asked. "Without them, you're all blurry, though that's probably a good thing for Greg and Forge. You've never looked better."
"Oi!" The twins protested.
"It's a good thing you're wounded, oh great benefactor," George said.
"Otherwise we'd prank you for telling such obvious lies," Fred finished.
Dobby popped in and handed Harry his glasses.
"Master Harry is here far too often," Dobby said. "Dobby keeps checking here to find Master Harry."
"That settles it," Wood laughed and brandished his wand. A bronze plaque that read "Bed Reserved for Harry Potter" appeared above the bed. "When a house elf says you've been here too often; you've been here too often."
"Thanks," Harry replied, sarcastically to general laughter. "What happened to the match? Is everyone else alright? Why aren't Greg and Vinny here?"
"In order," Tracey said. "The match has been rescheduled thanks to Mr. Loyalty over here."
She gestured to a blushing Cedric.
"Greg and Vinny are both being punished by Snape. Apparently Malfoy laughed at you falling. They were right in front of him. Honestly surprised Draco isn't in a bed next to you."
"Thank goodness for small favors," Harry said. "The smell of Draco's hair gel would have driven everyone out of here."
Hermione couldn't help it; she dropped her head onto Harry's chest as her body shook from her laughter. Grateful to have the tension broken, Harry turned his attention to the last bit of information.
"Did anyone catch my broom?"
"Well," Harry knew he was in trouble before George finished talking. "You broom was caught… by the Whomping Willow. You know it doesn't like being hit. Professor Flitwick is collecting what's left of it right now."
"That sucks," Harry shrugged, happier to be alive than to have a broom at the moment. "It was a good broom. Guess I'll have to start shopping for a new one. There's more important things."
Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and looked at her, concern evident in his eyes.
"Is everyone okay?" Harry asked again. "The Dementors didn't attack anyone else did they?"
"No," Daphne said. "Dumbledore sent them off before they got close to the crowd."
"We're just glad you're okay," Katie said. "Don't know what we'd do without our favorite seeker."
"Thank you guys," Harry said. "All of you. Thank you for your support. I'm just glad I'm not Fudge. I'm guessing at this moment, Fudge would rather walk into the Whomping Willow than deal with what's coming his way."
Harry wasn't wrong. At that very moment, Fudge was once again cowering in the face of Amelia Bones and Albus Dumbledore.
"Harry Potter was attacked by those infernal creatures," Amelia was stomping mad. "During the Quidditch game, 20 Dementors left their posts and stormed the field. Luckily the teachers and my aurors drove them back but not before rendering Harry unconscious."
"Well the Dementors have been getting restless," Fudge tried to reason with her. "Being away from any source of food, they've been getting antsy."
"Which is why it was asinine to post them at a school, Cornelius," Madam Bones had Fudge cowering in his executive chair.
"The Dementors have terrorized my students," Dumbledore added from the fireplace. "They all thought they were going to watch one of their fellow students die, Cornelius. Send them away, Minister, I implore you."
"No, no," Fudge remained resolute. "Those creatures are the only thing between Harry Potter and Sirius Black. I will not put the Boy-Who-Lived at risk. The Dementors stay."
"Those creatures are putting Harry Potter at risk," Amelia said. "How can you not see that?"
"They stay and that's final," Fudge crossed his arms. "Now if you two would leave me, I have to ready myself for a call with the French and Bulgarian Ministers tomorrow."
"On your head be it, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "This is my last warning: the next time the Dementors cross into the Hogwarts grounds, they will not leave."
"An empty threat, Albus," Fudge condescended as he sat at his desk. "The Dementors cannot be killed."
"If they cross the castle boundary," Dumbledore's voice was dark and hard as steel. "I will put a test to that theory."
Dumbledore glared at Fudge as he popped from the fireplace while Amelia Bones turned on her heel and stormed out of his office. Fudge put his head into his hands.
They better catch Black soon, he thought. Any longer and he risked being removed from office.
(A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter this time around. I'm putting the finishing touches on the next four chapters. I've got most of the work done all the way to the but I'm struggling with one thing. In the Christmas chapters, I have no issues coming up with gifts for Hermione but for whatever reason, I struggle with a gift Hermione would present for Harry that has meaning. I would be open to suggestions.
Second, I have a thought that I'm not sure if I'll use in this fiction since it hasn't really been established but wanted to see how you all would feel about it. Patroni are all seen as having the same blue-white coloring, some brighter based on power. What if every Patronus had a different color for each caster, something like a magical aura taking form?
Thank you again for all comments, your follows and favorites.)