• • •
There was a time,
I used to look into my father's eyes
• • •
Rose Potter had grown fond of quidditch after playing the sport for four years. She had worked hard to be the team's co-captain, and she adored playing in specially hard weather because she could prove to herself that she was as good at quidditch as anyone else in the team. However, staying up in the cold of the night to train for an upcoming quidditch match wasn't her favourite thing in the world.
In the morning of the match, as expected, the whole team was cranky. The Hogsmeade trip had been postponed all the way to Hallowe'en, which made everyone feel a little better because Hallowe'en meant Sunday, the day after the match.
"Rose!" A voice called after the redhead when the Gryffindor was leaving for the first match of the season. As Rose turned, she came face to face with Cedric Diggory.
"Hey, Ced," Rose greeted as the rest of the team walked down the pitch.
"Morning, Rosie," he smiled, kissing her cheek. "Are we still on for tomorrow?"
"Of course we are," Rose said as if it was the most obvious thing ever. "nine?"
"Perfect," Cedric chuckled. "I'll meet you outside Gryffindor common room?"
"Sounds good," she agreed. "Good luck on the match."
"Good luck," Cedric kissed her cheek again and walked away. Rose jogging to keep up with her team who had already entered the changing rooms.
"Alright, everyone," Oliver Wood said, starting with his pre-match ted talk. "Hufflepuff's got different techniques, they're faster and play with wit not strength. And their new captain, Cedric Diggory, has put up a brand new team."
Angelina, Alicia and Rose giggled from where they were sitting.
"What's so funny?" Oliver asked, annoyed.
"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina, nudging Rose playfully whilst she felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
"Strong and silent," said Alicia with a sigh, and they started to giggle again.
"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently receiving a glare from Rose. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuffs are pushovers. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"
"I've heard he makes you feel quite special," sang Alicia, still on the Cedric topic and ignoring Fred's comment.
"Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff's golden boy and Rose Potter's first boyfriend," announced Angelina, teasing Rose.
"He's not my boyfriend," Rose blushed.
"Well, you two are going on a date," Alicia began.
"And you seem excited," Angelina continued.
"Yup, he's your boyfriend, alright," Alicia laughed, making the other two girls giggle.
"OK, back on topic, ladies!" Oliver yelled, his eyes frenetic. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin are trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"
"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."
"Some of a little too seriously," Angelina whispered.
"Oh, shut up," Rose insisted, smacking Angelina's arms as the latter laughed quietly.
"Alright, team," Oliver clapped his hands. "Let's do this!"
• • •
Within five minutes of Rose kicking off the ground, she was soaked wet. The weather in which they were playing was terrible, she could barely see anything. She was sure she had scored, but she, nor the teams, could hear Lee's announcement, merely bits and pieces.
Rose kept losing control over her broom, it was getting harder and harder to keep it straight. So much so, that George almost hit Rose in the face thinking she was a bludger. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. Twice Rose nearly hit another player, without knowing whether it was a team-mate or opponent; everyone was now so wet, and the rain so thick, she could hardly tell them apart ...
With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; Rose could just see the outline of Angelina through the thick rain, gesturing the team to the ground besides Oliver. The whole team splashed down into the mud.
"I called for time out!" Oliver roared at his team. "Come on, under here –"
The team huddled at the edge of the pitch under a large umbrella; Rose let loose her robe into the ground, picking it off and drying it off with her hand whilst Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.
"What's the score?" She yelled through the wind.
"We're fifty points up," said Oliver, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."
"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.
At that very moment, Hermione appeared at his shoulder; she was holding her cloak over her head and was, inexplicably, beaming.
"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"
He handed them to her and, as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "Impervius!"
"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"
Oliver, and the rest of the team, looked as though they could have kissed her.
"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after her, as she disappeared into the crowd. "OK, team, let's go for it!"
"Wait, Oliver, we should try that on the robes," Angelina said, holding her coat close to her.
"Yes," Rose insisted. "We've got no chance if they keep getting in our way."
Quickly, the whole team performed the impervious charm on their robes, which Oliver insisted that it was not foul play. Luckily for them, Hermione's spell had done the trick. Not only were they not freezing cold anymore, but they had better mobility without their robes sticking to them.
Soon enough, Angelina, Alicia and Rose had kept their score up, and the redhead lost sight of Harry, meaning he was probably close to catching the snitch.
But something began to feel odd again, Rose felt herself freezing. Like actual ice was growing inside her robes and into her skin. As she looked up, she saw the most horrifying scene ever; Harry was falling out of the sky as quick as lighting whilst at least a hundred of dementors were flying above him. She pulled up her wand, but not fast enough, Harry was about to hit the ground.
"HARRY!"
• • •
"Luckily the ground was so soft." Fred murmured as the Gryffindor team, and Hermione and Ron, huddled around the thirteen year old boy looking as if they had just swam in mud.
"I thought he was dead for sure." Alicia said.
"But he didn't even break his glasses." Angelina commented.
"Must've been the spell Hermione put on them," Rose said, looking at the pale image of her brother lying unconscious on a hospital wing bed.
"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life," Angelina shuddered. "Rose, are you sure you're alright?"
"As soon as he wakes up, I will be," Rose assured the team, rubbing Harry's hand with her knuckles.
Harry's eyes snapped open.
"Harry!" said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath the mud. "How're you feeling?"
"Oh, thank you, Merlin," Rose sighed. Smiling at her brother with a sense of guilt.
"What happened?" he said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.
"Harry, lay back down," Rose insisted, pushing him back into his pillow. However, she used her hand as a help to pull himself up better. This time, she didn't push him back.
"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been – what – fifty feet?"
"We thought you'd died," said Alicia, who was shaking.
"Alicia!" Rose gasped.
"It's true!"
"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we having a replay?"
No one said anything. The horrible truth sank into Harry like a stone.
"We didn't – lose?"
"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realise what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a re-match. But they won fair and square ... even Wood admits it."
'Where is Wood?' said Harry, suddenly realising he wasn't there.
"Still in the showers," said Rose sadly.
"We think he's trying to drown himself," added Fred.
Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly and Rose took a seat in his bed.
"Don't beat yourself up, Harry," Rose said with her sisterly voice.
"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."
"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.
"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin ..."
"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.
"But if they beat Ravenclaw ..."
"You're gonna give him a headache, boys," Rose said, but she turned back to Harry. "But they're right, love, it isn't over."
"Everyone, he needs some rest," Madam Pomfrey announced.
"We'll visit later, alright?" Rose said, kissing his head as they walked out.
'Really, don't beat yourself up, Harry," Fred insisted. "You're still the best Seeker we've ever had."
The team trooped out, trailing mud behind them. Angelina and Alicia mumbled something about getting soup at the Great Hall, George left with them. Leaving Fred and Rose to walk back to the common room on their own.
"You're really good to him, you know?" Rose said after a while. "With Harry, I mean. Really brotherly."
"I was just stating facts," Fred shrugged. "He looked devastated."
"He was," Rose assured him, but stopped walking, making Fred stop with her. "But thank you, Fred, I think you made him feel better."
"He's your brother, Rosie," Fred said quietly. "And seeing him sad makes you sad. I was just doing what is right."
Rose said nothing else, instead, she pulled Fred in for a hug.
• • •
"Is Harry alright?" Amara Morgenstern asked as soon as Rose exited the shower in her dorm.
"He's alright, Ames," Rose assured her. "Reckon he's spirit is more hurt than his bones."
"That takes longer to heal," Amara said, sitting besides Rose as she tried to detangle her hair. "Avalon and I meant to come and see him but we didn't think it would be appropriate."
"I'll tell him you asked for him," Rose said, grunting as she pulled on her hair.
"Have you talked to Diggory?" Amara asked.
"About the match?"
"Yeah."
"Yes, I did," Rose answered. "He was furious that Madam Hootch didn't let him have the rematch. Told him it was alright, that he had won a fair winning, but he didn't seem that assured."
"I can imagine," Amara agreed, jumping out of her seat and walking over to her night table. "Oh, I almost forgot. Jamsie left a few letters for you earlier."
"Thank you," Rose said, taking the letter from Amara and opening up the first one. Courtesy of Seraphina Morgenstern.
Dear Rose,
Even if it's October, Christmas is around the corner. Jacob and I would be pleased to have both, you and Harry, here for the holidays. I have talked to Amara and Avalon and they seem to think it's a brilliant idea.
Please let me know if it would be possible.
With all my love,
Seraphina Morgenstern.
"Your mum what's Harry and I over for christmas," Rose whispered in awe.
"She mentioned she would write to you about it," said Amara. "What do you think Harry will say?"
"I don't know," Rose responded. "Harry doesn't really know you that well, and we had a spat about it a couple of weeks back, but I don't see why he would refuse. I'll tell him as soon as I can."
"Brilliant!"
"There's a letter from Mcgonagall here," Rose realised.
Dear Miss Potter,
Please meet me at the three broomsticks tomorrow for tea. There is something I have to discuss with you. Please don't tell Mr. Potter.
Good day,
Minerva McGonagall.
"She wants to have tea with me tomorrow," Rose said, passing over the letter to Amara.
"What do you think she wants to talk about?" Amara said, clearly in shock over the letter.
"Sounds like bad news."
And, oh, how right had she been.