Adventures of Harriet Potter

Quidditch

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots. The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harriet would be playing in her first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championship. Hardly anyone had seen Harriet play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harriet should be kept, well, secret. But the news that she was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Harriet didn't know which was worse — people telling her she'd be brilliant or people telling her they'd be running around underneath her holding a mattress.

It was really lucky that Harriet now had Hermione back as a friend. She didn't know how she'd have gotten through all her homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent her Quidditch Through the Ages, which really turned out to be a very interesting read. Harriet learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.

Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harriet and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. The day before Harriet's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Harriet noticed at once that Snape was limping and wondered what had happened. Harriet, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway. "What's that you've got there, Potter?" It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harriet showed him. "Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor." Harriet was fuming. "He's just made that rule up," Harriet muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?" Looking between Ron and Hermione. "Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.

The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harriet, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Ron's Charms homework for him with Harriet. They would never let him copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking them to read it through, the cheeky bugger got the right answers anyway. Harriet felt a little restless. She wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back, to take her mind off her nerves about tomorrow. Why should she be afraid of Snape? Getting up, she told Ron and Hermione she was going to ask Snape if she could have it.

"Better you than me," they said together, but Harriet had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening.

She made her way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again. Nothing. Perhaps Snape had left the book in there? It was worth a try. She pushed the door ajar and peered inside — and a horrible scene met her eyes. Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages. "Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" Harriet tried to shut the door quietly, but —