Chapter Ten

The next morning, everyone was talking about what happened to Pansy. Harry and his friends sat around the table eating their breakfast trying to ignore the stares and whispers around the hall.

"I can't wait for the game." Pansy grumbled.

"Really?" Harry asked, eating his fourth slice of bacon, "Why are you so eager?"

"Because when we crush Gryffindor it'll give people something else to talk about." She grumbled. Draco wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug.

"It'll be OK." He told her, kissing the top of her head.

"Harry, Draco, Daphne a word?" Severus asked, coming up behind them.

Harry nodded cheerfully and got up. Severus led them out the hall to a quiet corner.

"The game teams today have been changed." Severus told them, "It's now Ravenclaw against Hufflepuff."

"But that game was the scheduled for December the first." Draco huffed.

"I know. Mr Weasley is still saying his arm is too bad to play and Professor McGonagall requested the change, which was approved." Severus told them.

Harry let out a loud huff, "You know he's putting it on."

"Well as a teacher I couldn't possibly comment." Severus told them levelly.

"What if his arm isn't better by December?" Daphne asked, "We shouldn't have to keep postponing it forever; apart from anything else it will throw off the whole system if Gryffindor can't play the match."

"Professor McGonagall seems confident that Mr Weasley's arm will be better by then but Mr Wood has told staff he's going to begin to train a substitute just in case." Severus told them.

"Well I guess that's that then." Harry grumbled, he was now feeling very stupid wearing his Quidditch robes.

"Yes there really is nothing more to do. Finish your breakfast and I'll see you all out there." Severus said, with a small smile.

Draco and Daphne walked back towards the hall.

"Aren't you coming Harry?" Daphne asked.

Harry shook his head, "I'll be there in a moment. Da… Professor Snape could I have a word."

Severus smiled and nodded, he walked Harry down into the dungeons and into his office.

"What can I do to help?" Severus asked.

Harry sat down on one of the large comfy green sofas, "Have you heard anything from Mum? About me going to Hogsmead at the end of term?"

Severus shook his head, "No, I'm sorry Harry. Last I heard she's still thinking about it."

"Has she said anything about wanting to take me out of school again?" Harry asked nervously, "I get all the letters from her but they never tell me what I want to know."

Severus let out a small chuckle, "I understand. As far as I know Lily has no plans to take you out of school at the moment, but it is very difficult for her. Especially after what happened to Pansy she's worried it was an attack on you."

"Pansy wasn't with me." Harry said.

"But she normally is." Severus explained, "And they don't know what happened yet, Hagrid looked through the forest last night and didn't find any trace of quick sand or a Hinkypunk."

"We don't normally go to the forest; we go down by the lake. Pansy left because Ron and Ginny were driving her nuts." Harry looked down at his fingers, "Do you think it was an attack on me?"

Severus shook his head, "No. Or if it was, it wasn't very well thought out. Lots of students take part in the holiday celebrations."

Harry felt a little better, he didn't want to admit it but Professor Trelawney's constant predictions of his death were starting to get to him but when you hear the same thing for an hour four times a week, it starts to get into your head.

He gave Severus a hug and went back to the hall to finish breakfast.

"You OK?" Daphne asked, watching him stuff the last of his toast into his mouth.

Harry nodded, "Yep everything is fine." He checked his watch, "Come on lets head out and get a good seat."

Harry, Daphne, Astoria, Pansy and Draco walked out to the large stadium that stood on the Hogwarts grounds.

" 'Ello you lot." Hagrid said, as they walked into the stadium, " 'Ow's thin's?"

"We're fine." Pansy smiled.

"Good, glad to 'ear it. I'm sorry wha' happened to yea." Hagrid said, looking sombre.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine now." Pansy smiled.

"Fancy sitting with us for the game?" Harry offered.

Hagrid nodded his bushy head and smiled, "Aye tha' would be lovely."

They'd just reached the entrance to the stadium when someone called Pansy's name. She turned around and smiled.

"Hi William."

"Who's this?" Harry asked, confused. What was a Ravenclaw Quidditch player wanting with Pansy? He was also a year above them so it couldn't be about school work.

"This is William, my gallant rescuer." Pansy grinned.

"Well, we're all really grateful." Draco said, holding his hand out for William to shake.

William shook it and smiled, "It wasn't any trouble. Actually I was wondering if I could borrow Pansy for a few moments?"

Pansy nodded and told Draco to save her a seat. She followed William out of the stream of people entering for the game.

William reached into his pocket feeling a little awkward, "I went back out to where I found you and I managed to summon these."

He held up a green and silver friendship braid anklet with four of Pansy's charms on.

"I hope you like it, and feel free to replace the braid, it's just what I had. You're lucky I had the those colours, normally I only have bronze and blue in stock for fixing my robes."

Pansy smiled and took it off him, "This is so kind, thank you so much. You really didn't have to, I mean you saved my life after all."

William smiled at her, "Well you seemed really upset and I know how much these things can mean to you. I have a stuffed toy rabbit that was once my grandmother's. He still comes with me to school every year and sits on the end of my bed. I can't imagine what I'd do if I lost him."

Pansy smiled, "I'm so grateful." she looked over the charms running her fingers over each one in turn.

"I couldn't find your Swan charm though. I was kinda confused by that because it's the only one I actually knew what it was meant to look like." William said, running a hand through his hair.

"That's strange," Pansy muttered, she felt a small sadness in her heart that she hadn't gotten that one back as well. She shook her head and smiled, "But it doesn't matter really. I'm so very grateful. Thank you."

She ran her fingers over the charms again, "Can you put it on my wrist? Tights and anklets don't really work."

William nodded and carefully tied it in place and smiled, "Wish me luck today?"

Pansy grinned, "I don't know, might go better for Slytherin if you loose, Gryffindor always looses to Hufflepuff after all."

William laughed, "Yeah Diggory is a brilliant Seeker, even Harry would find it a tough match against him."

Pansy smiled and checked her watch, "You'd best finish getting ready. Good luck." she said, she gave him a quick wave and went to go find her seat. She found them easily and moved past the people who had already made themselves comfortable on the seats, making sure to stand on Millicent's toes on the way past.

"What's that?" Daphne asked, pointing to the bracelet.

"William made it for me; I lost my anklet yesterday and he went out and found the charms for me."

"That's so sweet." Astoria said, "I couldn't imagine ever loosing my charm bracelet."

"I was really upset." Pansy nodded, "He couldn't find my swan one though."

"You might have some competition." Harry said, giving Draco a playful nudge.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Yeah OK. Not really all that worried."

Pansy laughed, "Really? Not going to lock me in a tower?"

"I'll lock you in the divination tower if you want." Draco smirked.

"Now that's just to cruel!" Pansy gasped in pretend shock. She cuddled into Draco's arm to watch the match.

Pansy clapped and cheered along with everyone else. William really was really very good in the air. His broom wasn't as new as many of the other ones on the field but not as old as the cleansweeps the Weasleys rode around on.

Pansy felt very guilty though, she couldn't take her eyes off William. Halfway through the game a well aimed bludger from the Hufflepuff team knocked William off his broom.

Pansy gasped and was on her feet, leaning forward over the stands.

"Is he all right?" Harry asked, leaning forward as well.

"He'll be fine." Pansy said, "He'll be fine, he's not that high up."

Cho Chang, the pretty Ravenclaw seeker swooped over and helped haul William back onto his broom but the back of his robes.

"You good?" She shouted.

William nodded, "I'm good. Thanks."

Cho nodded and flew quickly away, circling high above the pitch.

"Wow, that could have been nasty." Draco said, Pansy sitting back against his arm again.

Pansy nodded, "Yeah. Wouldn't have been pleasant to fall that far. He's a good flyer though."

Draco smiled and nodded, "Well Ravenclaw have always been our big competition. Hufflepuff have a couple of good players, but Ravenclaw is more of a solid team."

Harry nodded, "Not sure who will win this one though, Hufflepuff are playing really well today."

"I think Ravenclaw will win." Pansy said, trying not to blush.

Ravenclaw did win the match by twenty points, Pansy was rather happy with that.