Unfortunately my question was never answered. Neither Harry nor Ron would divulge why Hermione looked like a cat, and Hermione was too upset and embarrassed to tell me why either. They did ask me not to tell anyone, which I agreed to. But the whole incident had left me totally lost.
I didn't have long to think on it however. Almost as quickly as they began the Christmas holidays came to an end, and with them came the return of Anthony, Lisa, and the rest of the school.
"Sarah!" Lisa said excitedly as she rushed over and pulled me into a giant hug.
"I missed you too." I replied, while Anthony walked over calmly.
"We were so worried about you. Have their been any more attacks? We noticed Hermione missing? Is everything okay?" Lisa asked frantically
"Relax Lisa, everything's fine." I said, trying to assure her. "As for Hermione, she had an incident..."
"What kind of incident?" Anthony asked with a raised eyebrow, as both looked at me intently.
"I really can't say...she made me promise not to tell." I replied, rubbing my arm. "Sorry."
Both Lisa and Anthony looked at each other in confusion, then nodded.
"She wasn't attacked though?" Lisa confirmed, and I nodded.
"No, she wasn't."
As the days passed, and more students noticed Hermione's sudden disappearance, rumors started to spread. Some said she was attacked, others said that was unlikely because Harry would never go after Hermione, while Smith had a different theory...
"Clearly you attacked Hermione because you're jealous that she's a better witch than you. Not to mention Harry spends more time with her." He accused the first time we passed in the corridors.
"Happy new year to you to Smith."
Outside of the missing Hermione, school resumed as normal, which meant intense Quidditch practice for our game against Slytherin which was coming up at the end of January.
And the weather was still lousy.
"Come on you two! Faster!" Roger roared as Duncan and Jason causally stopped the bludger from hitting Cho.
"Oh lay off it Roger." Jason demanded.
"Yeah, calm down mate. The snow makes it hard to see." Duncan added, which only made Roger angrier.
Roger took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself as we all watched the trio through the blazing snow.
"Are you two forgetting that in two week time, we will be facing a Slytherin team, desperate for their first victory, coming off a game they should have won, and all of them have Nimbus 2001 broomsticks." Roger said, each word tinted with stress and worry.
"We know Roger, the Slytherin team has a bunch of fancy brooms." Jason replied, still not looking the least bit stressed.
"Yeah, it doesn't mean we're going to lose. I mean, everyone thought Gryffindor would lose, and look what happened." Duncan added, and Roger just sighed in annoyance.
"That's because their seeker didn't see the snitch flying right beside him! And I assure you that Flint, even if he is an idiot, will make the Malfoy boy's life a living hell for it. The short of it is, we can't rely on dumb luck to win. Now, I'm asking again, faster."
Duncan, and Jason both sighed. "Fine."
The rest of practice passed and we trained in the raging snow. By the time we were done, all I wanted was a good cup of coco, and a warm book.
"Well that was fun." I said as me and Cho made our way back up towards the castle.
Cho chuckled. "You should have seen last year's January practices. You couldn't even touch the ground without stepping into three feet of snow. "
"Oh merlin." I replied, rubbing the back of my head. "Why do we have to play this time of year, while the Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's get to wait until march?"
Cho just shrugged. "That's just how the schedule is." She replied nonchalantly, as we entered the castle, and passed by the Hospital wing. I noticed curtains had been placed around Hermione's bed.
"What happened to Granger anyways?" Cho asked as she curiously looked, trying to see what had happened.
"She wasn't attacked, I can assure you of that." I answered. "But I'm afraid I can't say anything else...she asked me not to tell."
Cho nodded. "I can respect that. Still, It astonishes me that your brother, and his friends always manage to get themselves into trouble." Cho said, and I shrugged.
I smirked. "I promise you Cho, it astonishes me as well."
The two of us separated in the entrance hall. Her going to the common room, while I had promised to meet Lisa, Anthony, Harry, and Ron in the library. The latter two had come to us to help with their homework, given that Hermione was not available outside of the strict visiting hours that Madam Pomfrey allowed.
I made my way to the library, and found the four of them sitting in a table towards a back corner of the library. Seeing as the entire school still suspected Harry, and to a lesser extent me, we had decided to stay as far away from people as possible.
"Hey Sarah." Harry said as he saw me walk up.
"Hey guys." I replied as I sat down. I noticed Lisa try to suppress and laugh as she saw me, and I frowned.
"What is it?"
"Your nose, is so red." She said, now laughing openly and I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, because it's freezing outside, not to mention the snow..." I replied, rubbing my hand together, to which Harry gave me a sympathetic wince.
"I know how you feel. Yesterday Wood made us do laps because Fred and George started throwing snowballs at each other...my knees may never recover."
"I don't know how you two do it." Anthony interjected looking between the two of us. "I mean, Quidditch is great when the weather is nice, but in weather like this?"
Harry just shrugged. "That feeling of victory is addicting."
I nodded. "Indeed it is." I added remembering the rush I felt when Cho caught the snitch and victory was secured.
For the next several hours we worked on homework ranging from worksheets, to essay's. Finally, as dinner neared, Harry, Ron, and surprisingly me sped off to see Hermione in the hospital wing.
Seeing as I already knew what she looked like, Hermione had allowed me to visit her as well. Though I didn't go every night like Ron and Harry, who brought her the the classwork for the day, I did go three of four time a week.
"So, how's she doing?" I asked as we approached the hospital wing.
"All the hair on her face is gone." Ron told me. "She in a better mood now."
"Well that's good." I replied, remembering the first time I had visited. She had barely said anything, and did her best to cover her face.
The three of us entered the hospital wing, and I did my best to ignore the wide away of beds hidden by curtains. It still made me shutter that we were standing so close to the petrified students.
"Hey Hermione." Harry said as we approached her bed. She looked up at us, an excited look on her face.
"Their you are, I've been waiting for you, I hope I didn't to much today. What has Professor Flitwick assigned today..."
Harry handed Hermione her homework as she began to scan through it, while I noticed her face was in fact devoid of any cat hair, and her regular hair seemed to be fading back to it's normal color.
"You're looking a lot better." I told her, and Hermione looked up from her papers.
"I know, Madam Pomfrey sure does know what she's doing." Hermione said thankfully. "She say's I should be out of here within a couple of weeks."
Hermione then returned to her schoolwork, which made Ron and Harry look at each other, eyes wide.
"If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work," Ron said, placing more textbooks at the bedside table next to Hermione.
"Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up," Hermione replied firmly, looking over the new worksheets, before looking around as if to see if Madam Pomfrey wasn't around, which made me frown in confusion.
"I don't suppose you've got any new leads?" Hermione asked
"Nothing," Harry replied in a gloomy tone.
"I was so sure it was Malfoy," Ron added in frustration, and I looked at the trio in confusion.
"What are you three talking about?" I asked, and Harry turned to me.
"We...started eavesdropping on Malfoy a couple of weeks ago." Harry began, as Ron and Hermione nodded.
"Yeah, we thought he could have been the heir, and wanted to see if he said anything to give himself up." Ron added.
"But we overheard him tell Crabbe and Goyle that he didn't know who the heir was." Hermione finished, and the trio all looked at me, in a way that said they were telling the truth, but keeping something from me.
"Is this what your secret was?" I asked, and Harry nodded.
"Yep, that's all." He said, and I turned to Hermione, feeling as if the trio was hiding something.
"And does this have something to do with how she turned into a cat?" I asked, and Hermione looked down avoiding eye contact, and mumbled a response I couldn't make out...
"What's that?" Harry asked suddenly, clearly trying to change the subject, as he pointed to something golden under Hermione's pillow.
"Just a get well card," Hermione replied quickly, also seemingly embarrassed by this. She tried to slide the card further under her pillow and out of site, but Ron was to quick and grabbed it, and opened.
"To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award."
Both Ron and Harry looked at Hermione in disgust, while I felt like it was sweet.
"You sleep with this under your pillow?" Ron asked in horror.
"Come on guys, it's sweet. "I replied, But before we could say anything else Madam Pomfrey came storming over.
"Visiting hour are over, the three of you out." She said, before sweeping us out of the hospital wing.
"Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron asked as we began walking up the stairs. Me towards Ravenclaw tower, and Harry and Ron to wherever Gryffindor tower was.
"Oh come now Ron. Surely at this point Professor Lockhart has proven himself a brave, and caring Professor." I replied, while both Ron and Harry turned to me in annoyance.
"I'll give you he's a good wizard, and when he's actually teaching he's not half bad. But his personality is insufferable." Ron replied, Harry nodding along.
"Yeah, not to mention that he still rarely leaves either of us alone during class." Harry added motioning between me and him. "Or when he sees us in the corridors, or on the grounds."
"He just cares about us. Nothing wrong with that." I defended.
And in all honesty it was true. Anytime during the last several weeks that someone had accused Harry or me of being the heir, and Lockhart was around, he would quickly deduct points, and hand out detentions. Calling Harry a "Good lad." Or saying anyone who thought I was involved had "An IQ lower than the banshees I vanished." Before finishing by saying that he was sure he was closing in on the real heir, and they would be found soon.
It was inspiring.
"They only reason he likes us is because we are famous Sarah." Harry replied. "Remember when we first met him in the book store, how he made me pose with him for a photo. That's all he cares about, boosting his oversized ego."
"Oh come on Harry, you really need to let that go."
"No." Harry replied firmly, and I sighed.
"Let's just agree that we disagree." Ron interjected. "Anyways Sarah, have you finished the essay on Hair Raising Potion?" Ron asked.
"Yeah."
"Good, and do you remember how many rat tails you're supposed to add to it?"
"I think three, but I'll have to check my notes..."
"WHO DID THIS!"
I was cut off by the loud, angry voice of Mr. Filch, who sounded to be on the floor above us. Instantly we all three looked at each other in worry, all thinking the same thing.
Had their been another attack?
"That's Filch," Harry muttered as him and Ron hurried the stairs.
"Where are you two going?" I asked, as they turned back to me.
"To see what happened, what if Filch is being attacked?" Harry replied, before he and Ron continued up. And made me facepalm.
Damn Gryffindor heroics. Trying to save a man who clearly hates us.
I chased after the pair as we rounded two sets of stairs and arrived on the floor where Filch shout came from. And hid out of sight, I looked around nervously as we all listened.
"You don't think someone else's been attacked?" Ron asked nervously.
I shuttered "God, I hope not." Before we listened to Filch's ranting.
"Even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to Dumbledore —"
The footsteps of Mr. Filch faded into the distance, and soon enough we heard a door slam.
We all looked around the corner from where we had been hiding, and were greeted with a familiar sight. We were at the same place where Mrs. Norris had been attacked, where Filch had been so obsessively keeping guard. Where all this horror had begun so many months ago.
Further down the corridor, it was obvious was Filch was complaining about. Water covered the floor of the corridor, and further down we could see the water was rushing out underneath the door of Moaning Myrtle's who in the distance could be heard wailing like usual.
"Now what's up with her?" Asked Ron.
"Probably the usual." I replied, frowning in annoyance at the sound of the ghosts wails.
"Let's go and see what's wrong," Harry suggested, and my eyes widened in alarm.
"Harry, that's the girls lavatory." I said, and he shrugged.
"Hermione say's no one uses it." Harry replied, and I nodded.
"Yeah but-"
"Good, then lets go." And with that Harry and Ron began making their way towards the bathroom and again had to resist the urge to facepalm.
"Harry, I just want you to know this in incredibly stupid." I told him, and I heard Ron groan.
"You don't have to come you know." He said, and I sighed.
"I know, but if I'm with you, and you are caught maybe I can make up a story about how I fell in their and you two just happened to pass by and save you from trouble."
Harry looked back, a appreciate look on his face. "Thank you." He said, and I nodded.
"But I still don't know why you care to look. She always cries like this."
As we approached the door we picked up our robes over our ankles so they didn't get soaked. Harry, Ron, then I opened the door, ignoring the OUT OF ORDER sign, Harry and Ron seemingly not caring like they'd done this before.
We entered a lavatory that was soaked, dark as said water had extinguished all the candles in the room, and filled with the wretched screams of a girl long since dead. It took all of my will power not to cover my ears, or turn around and leave Harry and Ron to their devices.
What's up, Myrtle?" Harry finally asked Myrtle, who was hiding in her usual toilet.
"Who's that?" Myrtle replied miserably. "Come to throw something else at me?"
Harry began to wade towards the ghosts stall, while I turned to Ron.
"Do you think Fred and George would?"
"No, even they have some limits." Ron replied, I nodded and the two of us began to follow
"Why would I throw something at you?" Harry asked as he finally reached her stall.
"Don't ask me," Myrtle roared, coming up from her toilet and making even more water spew onto the floor. "Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me…"
"But it can't hurt you if someone throws something at you," Harry replied, trying to reason with her. "I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?
Myrtle clearing didn't see reason as she started shrieking, as the three of us again had to cover our ears.
"Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha, ha, ha! What a lovely game, I don't think!"
"Who threw it at you, anyway?" Harry asked.
"I don't know… I was just sitting in the U-bend, thinking about death, and it fell right through the top of my head," Myrtle replied, glaring at us. "It's over there, it got washed out…"
The three of us turned where Myrtle was pointing and their was indeed a book. It was thin, and had a clearly worn black cover and, like everything else in the room, was soaked to the core.
Harry started forward to pick it up, but Ron held out a hand to stop him. As both me, and Harry turned to him in confusion.
"What?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Are you crazy?" Ron replied. "It could be dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Harry replied with chuckle "Come off it, how could it be dangerous?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah Ron. I'm usually the cautious one, but I don't see how a book can be dangerous?"
"You'd be surprised," Ron replied, who was looking at the book wearily. "Some of the books the Ministry's confiscated Dad's told me — there was one that burned your eyes out. And everyone who read Sonnets of a Sorcerer spoke in limericks for the rest of their lives. And some old witch in Bath had a book that you could never stop reading! You just had to wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one-handed. And —"
"All right, we've got the point," Harry replied, while I felt myself go several shades paler.
"Books...can be dangerous." I added. Just now comprehending how my favorite hobby, could be anything other than joyful.
We all stared at the book silently for a couple moments until Harry finally broke the silence.
"Well, we won't find out unless we look at it," He said, before ducking under Ron's arms and walking towards it.
"Harry wait." I said.
"Don't worry Sarah, I'll be fine." He replied, and I sighed, realizing that nothing I could say would stop him.
"Just...be careful." I said, Harry nodded before turning towards the book and picking it up off the floor.
Both me and Ron waited with baited breath as we watched Harry look at the books cover, before opening it up.
"T M. Riddle" He finally said. Ron nodded, and me and him cautiously approached Harry and looked over either of Harry's shoulder at the book, which clearly looked like a diary.
"Hang on," Ron said, seemingly remembering something. "I know that name… T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."
"How on earth d'you know that?" Harry asked in amazement.
"Yeah, even Anthony wouldn't know a fact that random." I added.
"Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention," Ron explained, resentment clear in his voice. "That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it, too."
Harry began to turn the pages of the diary and quickly found them totally blank.
"He never wrote in it," Harry said disappointedly.
"Well that's anticlimactic." I added, inwardly laughing at myself, thinking this thin book was dangerous.
"I wonder why someone wanted to flush it away?" Ron asked curiously.
"Yeah, it's weird. Maybe someone wanted to play a prank." I added with a shrug.
Harry looked at the back of the diary and saw that it was purchased in Vauxhall Road, London.
"He must've been Muggle-born," Harry said thoughtfully. "To have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road…"
"Well, it's not much use to you," Ron replied, before leaning towards us and adding in a whisper "Fifty points if you can get it through Myrtle's nose."
Harry however didn't throw it at Myrtle. He simply placed it in his bag, as me and Ron cast him curious glances.
"You never know. It is from fifty years ago, maybe it has something to do with the Chamber." Harry explained as we exited the lavatory. I remembered back to what Draco had told me, Lisa, and Anthony, how the Chamber had been opened fifty years ago, and for a moment I wondered how Harry knew that...
Must have been when he was spying on Draco, I told myself.
Finally we arrived at the stairway where we went our different ways.
"Hmm. Well anyways, I need to get going. I promised Lisa I would help her with that potions essay." I explained, both Harry and Ron grimaced.
"Good luck." Ron said in disgust at the assignment.
"Thanks. Well, see you two in the morning. Good night."
"Good night Sarah." Harry replied, as I went one way, and they went the other, to our respective common rooms.
Once I reached the common room, and made my way over the Lisa and Anthony. Both of whom were deep into homework.
"Where have you been?" Lisa asked in an worried "You were supposed to help me with this cursed essay?"
"Finding out that books can be dangerous." I replied and Anthony looked at me thoughtfully.
"You didn't know that?" He asked, and I shrugged.
"No." I replied, while Lisa's eyes widened.
"Wait, books can be dangerous?" She asked, and Anthony nodded.
"Yeah. For example The Monster Book Of Monsters is literally living and can bite your fingers off unless you know how to open it correctly."
"And how do you?" I asked.
"I have no idea." Anthony admitted. "Unlike Morag I've never been that into magical creatures. You'll have to ask her."
"And where is she?" Lisa asked. Anthony shrugged.
"Who knows with that girl." I replied chuckling. "Probably off on the grounds somewhere...anyways. Let's do this essay."
Lisa looked down at her parchment in annoyance. "If we must...let's get it over with."
"That's the spirit." I said as I pulled out my copy and we got to work.
The next several weeks passed and the snow didn't let up. Once again we entered a sustained period with no attacks. This time however no one let their guard down, and most still seemed to suspect Harry. Ernie MacMillan and Smith had now formed sort of alliance in potions class, working together and clearly thinking that me and Harry were working together to purge the school, though deep down I knew Smith was doing this just to get at me.
As the last weekend of January arrived the horror and fear that had set in on the school subsided slightly as we approached the Ravenclaw Vs Slytherin Quidditch match. As Roger had done when we restarted term, he continued to train us hard, making sure we were prepared for a determined Slytherin team.
As for said team's seeker, ever since Christmas I hadn't heard a peep from Draco, but this time it wasn't unexpected. Not only had I probably angered him because I rejected his horrid beliefs on blood purity, but we were also rivals. All positive interactions had to be thrown out the window, at least for now, as the both of us focused on the match ahead.
If we won, we would be 2-0, and would basically mean that we would win the house cup if either Gryffindor lost to Hufflepuff in March. But if we both won, us and Gryffindor would decide that cup. A feat that both me and Harry were praying for.
"You win this weekend. We win against Hufflepuff, and then may the best team win." Harry told me the Thursday before the match eagerly.
"Oh I know Harry." I replied. "I want that just as much as you do."
"And to top it all off you can show it to Malfoy." Harry added with a grin. "Make him feel even worse about his Quidditch skills."
"Isn't that a little cruel Harry." I replied, and he shrugged.
"It's Malfoy." He replied, and I nodded. Secretly hoping Harry did the same thing to Smith and Hufflepuff when Gryffindor played them.
And so the entirety of Ravenclaw waited with bated breath for the last Saturday of January to finally arrive.
The last Saturday of January brought with it a massive snowstorm that made even the most diehard of Quidditch fans shiver. Both Michael and Terry had asked why the game couldn't be postponed, and Professor Flitwick had told them them weather had no impact on the Quidditch schedule.
So as me and the rest of the team sat around for breakfast that morning, everyone but Roger taking horrified glances out the windows at the conditions they we would be playing in, Harry came over and gave me the same comforting pat on the shoulder I always gave him before his matches.
"Good luck today." He said as he looked out the window at the horrid conditions.
"Thanks." I replied, patting his hand. "I'll try my best."
"I know you will." He replied with a comforting smile, before Harry turned to the team as a whole, and I realized that this was one of the few times he'd talked to any of them. "Please win." He begged, casting a dirty glance towards the Slytherin table.
Roger chuckled. "Oh, we'll try Potter. " He replied. "We want that end of year match just as much as you."
Harry nodded, gave me one last comforting pat, then strode back to the Gryffindor table. Leaving me to stew, a mix of excitement, but also worry.
"So." Lisa said from her spot next to me. "First game where we know you'll be playing, how you feeling?"
"Better than last time, that's for sure." I replied, thinking back to how nervous I had been. "Still, the weather is dreadful, and Slytherin looks eager."
Me, Lisa, and Anthony all took glances across the hall at the Slytherin team. Flint looked ready to kill somebody, and had barely touched his food. While Draco was looking wide eyed down at his plate of untouched food. The rest of the team wore similar expressions of anger, determination, and eagerness.
"They're all so big." Lisa said, looking at me nervously. "Be careful." She said, and I nodded.
"Oh I will don't worry. Roger has told me all about Slytherin's cheap tricks already." I replied, thinking back to one of Rogers many speeches. How the Slytherin team loved to knock opponents off their brooms, or use their size advantage and strength to knock people of their brooms. "They won't work against me." I assured her, and Anthony.
"Good, I don't want to have to visit you in the hospital wing like Harry and Ron have to do with Hermione." Lisa replied.
"Speaking of which." Anthony interjected. "How much longer until she's let out?"
"Soon, though Madam Pomfrey still hasn't given a firm timetable." I replied. "She wished us good luck when I talked to her last."
"That's nice." Anthony replied. "I hope she gets let out soon, it will be good when she get out."
"Yeah, and we can finally go back to studying without having to help Ron through every essay." Lisa added with an annoyed grimace. "I swear to god that boy sometimes has the attention span of a fly."
The rest of breakfast passed, and soon enough me and the rest of the team started making our way through the snow filled grounds, and down towards the Quidditch pitch. The snow reached up above my knees, and it got so hard to move that Cho had to start clearing the way with her wand.
Still, despite the weather the student population still seemed quite eager to watch, and was also making it's way down towards the stands. Once we finally made it to the Ravenclaw locker room, and changed into our Quidditch robes, Roger gathered us all around, a determined glint in his eyes.
"Okay everyone. This is it, the big moment. For the first time in decades we are starting the year with two straight wins. After today we'll be in the drivers seat for the cup."
"You got that right mate!" Jeremy cheered, and Cho nodded.
"We got this." She added.
"I like the optimism, now remember our game plan." Roger replied. "We need to keep up with the scoring as much as possible. I know it will be difficult with them all having a Nimbus 2001, but we have a more experienced seeker. Not to mention they'll be desperate, force them into mistakes early, get in their heads."
Roger turned to Duncan and Jason. "You two got that?" He asked with a weary face.
"Yes, we got it." Duncan replied.
"Don't stress about us." Jason added.
Roger sighed, and I sensed that he hadn't stopped stressing about Jason and Duncan. Finally he turned to me and Cho. "Potter, Chang, you two are the most important pieces. Potter, you are the only one who can hope to match their Chasers speed, so liked we've talked about, you'll be handling the quaffle the most of any of us. You still good with that?"
"Yes Roger." I replied. Roger nodded and turned to Cho.
"Chang, you need to find that snitch as quickly as possible. Malfoy will most definitely be more focused during this match, and if he finds it before you, it will be hard to keep up. Once you do, give me the signal and I'll try and distract Malfoy enough so doesn't, and we win. Any questions?"
No one had any, Roger nodded, and we all made our way out onto the pitch. It was still snowing heavily, yet the stand were still roaring and lively. I noticed Harry in the Gryffindor section with Ron, while Anthony, Lisa and the rest of my housemates were all watching eagerly from the Ravenclaw section.
From the other side of the pitch emerged Slytherin in their green robes. Draco walked behind the rest of his teammates, and I noticed he was looking at the ground and mumbling to himself.
The rest of the Slytherins were much more intimidating. They were all larger up close they I expected, and all wore nasty expressions. I saw some cast quick glares at me, and Cho leaned down.
"Don't forget, your brother has beaten them in heroic fashion they last two times he played them. Their going to try and take some of that anger out on you." She warned, I looked at her, then back at the large Slytherins, then back at her, then shuttered.
"Oh goody."
Madam Hooch came over as the two teams gathered around, while Roger and Marcus Flint both faced each other in the center of the pitch, staring each other down.
"Are the teams prepared?" Madam Hooch yelled through the soaring snow. Both captains.
"We are." Roger replied.
"More than." Flint replied, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
"Good, then mount your brooms." Madam Hooch ordered, we did so and looked towards the flying instructor and awaited her signal.
"No dirty tricks." She warned both sides, glancing mostly at the Slytherins. "A clean game. And with that she released the snitch, then grabbed the Quaffle. "Three, two, one...START!"
At Madam Hooch words we all kicked off from the ground and the match began.
Flying through the snow and the wind was difficult enough to begin with. But when you have a bunch of angry Slytherin boys, all of which are much older and larger than you. It became almost impossible.
It quickly became clear that the Slytherin strategy was to focus on me. Whether that was because I was the only one with a broom that could keep up with them, or the fact they just wanted to get back at Harry through me. I didn't know, maybe it was a little of both.
So for the first part of the game I could do nothing but dodge the Bludger's that the Slytherin beaters kept sending my way. While Slytherin started scoring quickly, and within a minute of the game starting it was already twenty to nothing.
Both Jason and Duncan were struggling to respond to the Slytherin Beaters, and through the snow I could seen Roger frown in annoyance, clearly thinking that the twos lackluster practice habits had come back to haunt them. By the time we finally scored, which came from Jeremy sneaking one through due to the Slytherin focusing to much on me, it was Fifty to Ten.
"Time out!" Roger called. Madam Hooch stopped the game as we all landed on one side of the pitch, and huddled together.
"We're getting killed out here." Roger said angerly before turning to both Jason and Duncan. "And you two are hardly offering any protection at all!"
"They're to fast." Duncan defended.
"Yeah, we can barely get near the Bludger's without them getting hit in the opposite direction." Duncan added.
Roger had to take a couple of breaths to calm himself as he noticed Madam Hooch starting to walk over. "Okay, new plan. Potter, since their clearly after you, distract them as best you can. Me and Jeremy will do the scoring. Chang, find that Snitch and end this before it get's to out of hand. Understood?"
"Yes captain." She replied, as we all looked around and nodded.
"Are you ready to continue?" Madam Hooch asked. Roger nodded.
"We are." Roger replied. Hooch nodded as we and the Slytherins all remounted our brooms, Hooch sounded the whistle and the match was back on.
For the next several minutes I raced back and forth, avoiding Bludger's heading my way, and doing my best to attract as much attention to myself as possible. Roger's new strategy seemed to be working enough to keep us in the game. As the score reached Seventy-Thirty, we were now keeping pace, and all we needed was for Cho to find and catch the Snitch before Draco could.
And finally, it appeared.
"Their it is, the Golden snitch!" We all heard Lee Jordan shout through the snow, and sure enough, towards the end of the pitch was a tiny ball of gold. Cho was closer to it, but Draco was faster as they both made their way towards it.
"Come on Cho." I muttered under my breath as I dodged another bludger, and watched as Cho and Draco both approached the snitch at around the same time.
"Got you!"
I barely had time to register that someone had said something before I felt a a bludger hit me square in the back, as I fell off my broom and fell towards the ground, the last thing I remember being the shocked gasps of the crowd.
The first thing I felt was soft, and could barely hear what sound like concerned voice overhead. Slowly I opened my eyes, and started to make out what was being said.
"She's waking up."
"Thank god."
"Everyone give her some space."
When my eyes finally adjusted to the light I realized I was in the hospital wing, and that I was surrounded my the concerned faces of my teammates. The second thing I noticed was that I hurt all over.
"Ow." I finally said, stretching my hurt neck.
"Sarah." Cho said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Oh Merlin, we were so worried about you. How are you feeling."
"Like I got run over by a dump truck." I replied, trying to stretch my aching muscles. "What happened?"
"Lucian Bole, one of the Slytherin beaters, Hit you with a bludger just as the match was ending, and you fell off your broom." Roger replied, his face twisting in disgust. "Madam Pomfrey said nothing broken though, you didn't fall to far, and landed in snow pile."
I nodded. "I figured, and the match?" I asked, and instantly I noticed the downcast faces of the team. "We lost?"
"Yeah." Cho replied. "Both me and Malfoy were reaching at the Snitch the moment you were hit. I turned to see what had happened, and Malfoy grabbed the snitch."
I scowled, realizing that my mistake had cost us. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Jason assured me. "Everyone had stopped moving to watch Cho and Malfoy, it just so happened that Bole decided to take some of the Slytherin anger on Harry out on you."
"Like we figured they would." Duncan added.
I sighed, trying to accept what had happened. "Where's my broom?" I asked nervously.
"In the broom shed." Cho assured me. "It fell into the snow as well, and wasn't damaged in anyway."
"Well, that's a relief."
For the next several minutes I asked different question, until Madam Pomfrey came over and kicked the team out. A couple of minutes later Harry, Ron, Anthony, and Lisa arrived. All wearing worried expressions.
"Sarah!" Lisa said worriedly, rushing over and rapping me in a massive hug, only making me hurt more.
"Ow." I replied, and instantly Lisa let go.
"Sorry." She replied.
"It's fine." I replied looking between the concerned faces. "Well Harry, sorry we lost."
"Don't apologize." Harry replied, clear anger in his eyes. "That horrid Slytherin attacked you for no reason, that's not your fault." Harry finished and I could also see a tint of guilt in his eyes.
"Don't blame yourself Harry, injuries happen in Quidditch." I told him, and Harry sighed.
"I know, but we both know if you weren't my sister, the Slytherin's wouldn't have been so eager to go after you."
"Harry, the Slytherin were going after me no matter what. Considering I had the only broom that could keep up. "I replied, trying to assure him.
"I guess." Harry replied. "Still, everyone know what the Slytherins think of me."
"Well that their problem, not yours." Ron assured him, and Harry gave a weak smile.
"I guess."
"Ron is right. Don't blame yourself for Slytherin's being...well, Slytherins." Anthony added, and Harry still didn't seem totally convinced, but finally nodded.
"I'll try." Harry replied, before turning to Madam Pomfrey who was halfway behind a curtain surrounding Hermione's bed, and I realized that it must have been put up so no one could see her. "How long will she be here?"
"A couple of days at most." Madam Pomfrey replied. "In fact both her and Miss Granger should leave around the same time. Speaking of which both Miss Potter, and Miss Granger could use some rest, so I'll have to ask you all to leave."
"But we just got here." Lisa replied.
"Out." Madam Pomfrey demanded and soon enough the group all left. Lisa complaining all the way out. As soon at the group left, Madam Pomfrey opened the curtain and I saw Hermione, who looked at me worriedly.
"I heard what happened. Are you okay?" She asked, and I nodded.
"Just a little sore." I replied, before turning to Madam Pomfrey. "Are you sure I can't leave tonight."
"Absolutely not." She said in a strict tone. "You may look fine, but I still want to keep you a couple of days just to assure you have no internal injuries. But if everything goes well, both of you should out on Monday."
"Finally." Hermione said, who had been in here over a month. "I've been going crazy."
"Now both of you relax." Madam Pomfrey ordered, and left to attend to some of the petrified students all around us.
"So, you're finally almost out." I said, noticing that she looked normal to me. "Why haven't you left yet?"
"Madam Pomfrey just wants to be extra sure." Hermione replied. "Same reason you're staying really."
I nodded. "Well, at least you're not alone anymore. It must be...awkward laying here, surrounded by the petrified bodies."
"It is." She replied. "I mean, I don't see them, but still."
For the next several hours me and Hermione talked until Madam Pomfrey walked over and ordered us to sleep. As I drifted off I couldn't help but think how odd it was to be surrounded by petrified bodies, and thanked merlin it would only be for a night or two.