I'm back! Hello all a miracle has happened. I've updated when I intended to instead of leaving it ten years. Not only that but I've already planned the next chapter. I've checked the skies and no, there are no flying pigs. Apparently I'm finally a bit organised. Who knew that was possible?
From now on I am intending to update once a week from now on (key word there being intending, I make no promises).
Disclaimer: I own nothing, not for lack of trying I swear!
Chapter Seventeen:
By Rosa241
Percy POV:
"Hey…um…can we talk?" He drops his Quidditch gear onto the ground in a heap.
Moment of truth.
"Yeah, course." He takes a seat on his bed and we descend into silence for a moment. "How was practice?"
"Crap. Seriously if we win tomorrow it'll be a miracle." He shakes his head and finally looks up at me.
"You'll be fine, you'll win." Our eyes meet and for a moment he just stares.
"You know that do you? That we'll definitely win?" There's no anger this time, just curiosity and confusion. After several minutes of wondering how to respond I finally speak.
"You won last time." Something inside him changes with my words and he rises from his bed. He shuffles along to sit beside me.
"How?" Again confusion laces through his words.
"Harry catches the snitch." He nods his head before we fall back into silence. Why couldn't I have just kept that stupid list!? Why did I have to leave it lying around?
"I still don't know what to believe Percy. Everything you've said is crazy. Time travel and fate…by all rights I should be getting you seen to." I can't argue with him there.
"I know. I know that asking you to believe me is asking a lot but you have to understand I'm not making this up. Why would I?"
"No idea. That's what's driving me mad. I just can't work out why you'd make this up, why you'd lie…but then…" Oliver trails off before looking up at me. "If I believe this is all a bunch of crap then I have to believe that you'd lie to me. On the other hand if I believe that you're telling me the truth then…then I have to accept that you've been sent back from the future. The whole things insane."
"I know. I wish there was a way that I could prove it to you. I wish there was a way that I could show you that I was telling you the truth." How can I prove it? How can I show him that what I'm telling him is real?
"What about those…those…fate things that you talked about?" If only…
"Honestly I don't even know how it works. They just sort of show up every now and then." If they wanted to just show up now then I'd be eternally grateful. Of course that would make my life just too easy.
How?
How can I…
My thoughts trail off as I catch sight of his Quidditch gear lying on the floor.
"The match." He stares at me like I've grown a second head before I elaborate. "I know exactly how to prove that I'm telling the truth."
"How?" Why didn't I think of this earlier?
"The match tomorrow. I'll tell you exactly what's going to happen and when it does you'll have to believe me." At this he nods. As I sit back on the bed and tell him everything that's going to happen tomorrow one thought races through my mind.
I really hope that I haven't changed anything.
Harry POV:
I'm going to be sick.
I'm actually going to be sick.
I can't do this.
I really can't do this.
"Okay men." Wood clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention.
"And women!" Protested Angelina.
"Yes and women. This is it-" Oliver was cut off as Fred and George started up.
"The big one." Fred sighed as he spoke but there was a hint of a smile on his face.
"The one we've all been waiting for." George butted in as Oliver glared at them both.
"We were on the team last year, we know Oliver's speech by heart." Sighing our captain's voice rose.
"Shut it you two. Now listen I know practice hasn't been going so well this week and that's mostly my fault." Both twins stared in shock as Oliver carried on. "I've been distracted and I've let that affect the team. But no more! We've got to be focused from this moment on. We are not losing to Slytherin! Not happening!"
"Too right. We'd never hear the end of it." Angelina piped up again.
"We've got this in the bag. Let's go." As I grabbed my broom I could feel myself shaking. This is going to go so badly.
"Don't be nervous Harry." Oliver said as we lined up to go out into the stadium. "You'll be fine I know it." He sounded so sure, so confident that I could feel myself believing him. As we walked out into the stadium I could feel my legs shaking and my stomach churning.
This place didn't feel so big when we were practicing.
"Now I want a nice clean game…from all of you." Madam Hooch's eyes lingered over the Slytherin team for a moment before the whistle was between her lips. As the piercing whistle rang through the air the game began.
McGonagalls POV:
"And Angelina takes the quaffle straight off, what an excellent chaser she is…rather attractive too, you know-"
"JORDAN!" He winced slightly before mouthing an apology. As he continued with the commentary I turned my attention back to the game.
My heart leapt into my throat as Marcus Flint threw the quaffle towards the goal.
"What a wonderful stop there from Gryffindor captain Oliver Wood. He throws the quaffle out to Katie Bell – another wonderful player – who dives around Flint before – ouch! Hit to the back of the head by bludger!"
"Oh dear I do hope she shakes it off." I whispered to myself. As entertaining as it was this game was far more dangerous than I was comfortable with.
Oliver POV:
"Yes! Well done Angelina!" I cheered to my chaser, even though I knew she would hear me from this distance. Although I was trying to keep my mind on the match I couldn't help but think about Percy's words last night. His logic was sound of course and so far everything he'd said would happen had.
My eyes drifted above to Harry who was currently busy doing a few loop de loops. Despite the situation I could feel myself chuckling.
"Hang on was that the snitch!" Lee Jordan's commentary threw everyone for a second and Pucey dropped the quaffle in response to the flash of gold that flew past him.
Before I could say anything Harry had seen it and was racing towards it. Unfortunately for him so had Higgs.
"Come on, come on." I was half hoping that Percy was wrong but his words came back to haunt me as Flint slammed dangerously into Harry's side. Shaking of the shiver that ran up my spine I focused my attention on the match.
Don't get distracted Oliver.
"What a disgusting bit of cheating there from-" Lee Jordan's voice was interrupted as Professor McGongalls voice filled the arena.
"Jordan!" She growled.
"Fine, a revolting and down right-"
"Jordan I'm warning you!" Chuckles filled the arena as McGonagalls voice came through the microphone once more.
"Alright, alright! Foul from the Slytherin captain and a penalty to Gryffindor, which Spinner puts away nicely. Gryffindor back in possession…"
My attention was grabbed as Flint suddenly grabbed the quaffle and came speeding my way. In all my confusion I'd allowed myself to be dragged away from the goal.
"Damn." Wasting no time I raced towards the goal post, barely managing to grab hold of the quaffle before it went through the hoop. "Too close."
Flint snarled at me before turning away. It was then that Percy's warning came back to me.
"You get hit by a bludger and take a nasty fall. Watch out for Flint."
My eyes caught the bludger in question moments before it came careering towards me. Yanking the broom sideways I just about managed to get out of the way as the thing skimmed past my head.
"Dirty cheating git!" Fred – or maybe George – spat as he hit the thing with all his might, aiming straight for Flint. I barely had time to think about the fact that another thing Percy had told me had come true before the crowd gasped as one. Looking upwards my eyes caught onto Harry who was lurching out of control.
It's actually true.
Hermiones POV:
"What's happening?" Ron yelled as he snatch Hagrids binoculars.
"I don't know." Percy stared upwards to where Harry was struggling to keep hold of his out of control broom. My own eyes drifted, quite of their own accord, towards where the teachers were sitting. A sudden thought drifted into my mind as I grabbed the binoculars off Ron.
"Its Snape he's jinxing the broom!" Rons face fell as stared hopelessly towards Harry.
"What do we do?" He whispered.
Jinxes…think Hermione what do you know about jinxes?
Jinxes…
Eye contact that's it!
"Leave it to me. I know what to do." Racing off I could only hope that Harry could hold on.
It took longer than I would have liked to reach the right stand, although since I hadn't heard anything else I could only assume (hope) that Harry had managed to hold on. By the time I got up the stairs I was breathing hard and my legs were on fire but I had to carry on. Spotting Snapes robes through the bleachers I crept forward quietly.
I hope this works.
"Lacarnum Inflamarae." My whispered words did the trick as Snape shot up to stamp out the flames. Finding an opening in the side of the stand I looked out just in time to see Harry climb back onto his broom.
Thank god for that.
Oliver POV:
As Harry dove towards the ground I could feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest. Of course I wanted to win but part of me wanted Harry to miss it, to pull up and not catch it. If he catches it then it means that Percy is telling the truth. If Percy is telling the truth then…then that means that…
Don't go there.
Shaking my head I turned my attention back to Harry who barely managed to pull up his broom before hitting the floor. Higgs had very bravely pulled up rather than take the risk. In a move that shocked me, despite knowing he was going to do it, he stood on the broom.
Several heart wrenching moments past before Harry spat the golden snitch into his hands.
He's telling the truth.
And that's that folks. Not really happy with this chapter but the more I look at it the more my brain shuts down. Apologises but I promise the next one will be better.