red velvet cupcakes are her favorite
The first quidditch match of the season was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin the next day. Unfortunately, since someone bribed the entire team with new fancy brooms, the Slytherin team was a lot faster than many of our players. It was currently 90 to 30, and we were losing.
Suddenly a bludger came flying towards Harry and he ducked to avoid it, thankfully, but it came back around, breaking Olliver's broom and sending him flying to the ground before continuing to follow Harry like a target missile.
It didn't matter which way Harry went, the bludger followed.
"Blimey!" Hagrid stated, peering through his binoculars. "Harry's got himself a rogue bludger. That's been tampered with, that has."
"I'll stop it!" Ron said bravely pointing his wand.
"No," I said, pushing his arm down. "Not with that broken stick."
"Even with a proper wand, it's too risky," Hermione corrected. "You could hit Harry."
Harry continued to try and swerve away, but nothing he did worked. The bludger broke through the towers, leaving holes in its wake. Harry somehow got it away by swerving at the last second, sending the ball into the wood under the stands.
"Thank goodness," I muttered. Then he took off and Draco took off with him.
"They must've found the snitch!" Hermione said excitedly. Draco quickly zoomed past Harry, shoving him to the side.
They both flew quickly, but unfortunately, Draco's broom was faster. The bludger has also decided to target Harry again, and I bit my nails nervously. Harry somehow caught up to him and they were neck and neck.
"I can't watch!" I said covering my eyes with my hands. I still opened my fingers though, peering through them because I couldn't not watch either.
The bludger came flying from the other direction, aiming directly at Harry. Harry ducked, causing the bludger to hit Draco's broom and send him flying off of it. He bounced across the field before landing roughly on his crotch. He laid there, his face twisting in pain, as Harry got closer to the snitch.
He reached his arm out, and suddenly the bludger returned with full force, hitting him in the arm. I could tell he was in a lot of pain, but he didn't give up until he fell off his broom from trying to use it with one arm, landing sharply on his back in the sand under the hoops.
The three of us gasped loudly before making our way down to the field with Hagrid.
"Harry Potter has caught the snitch!" Lee announced over the speaker, and I turned around to see him smiling widely, holding the snitch in his good hand.
"No bloody way," I laughed. We ran down onto the field as the bludger continued to slam down, trying to land on Harry.
"Finite Incantato!" Hermione said, aiming her wand at the bludger, causing it to explode. We ran over to him quickly.
"Are you okay?" I said crouching down next to him.
"No," Harry said, "I think...I think my arm is broken."
"Not to worry, Harry!" Lockhart said, crouching on the other side of him. "I will fix that arm of your straight away." For some reason, I had a bad feeling about this.
"Not you," Harry seemed to agree with me.
"Poor boy doesn't know what he's saying," Lockhart chuckled as he rolled up Harry's sleeve. It was definitely broken. "Now this won't hurt a bit."
"Brackium Emendo!" Lockhart said, aiming his wand at Harry's forearm. He picked it up after the spell was cast and it was like a limp noodle. Harry's eyes widened and so did mine.
"What on earth did you do?!" I shouted.
"Yes, well, that can sometimes happen," Lockhart brushed it off. "But the point is...uh...you can no longer feel any pain, and very clearly, the bones aren't broken." Lockhart bend Harry's hand back until it folded and touched the top of his forearm.
"He hasn't got any bones now!" I screamed.
"Much more flexible though," Lockhart commented as he released Harry's hand, causing it to straighten out.
"You—" I started angrily, standing up, but Ron grabbed onto me and pulled me back as I tried to get in his face.
"You can't attack a teacher, Harper," Ron whispered in my ear, trying to calm me down.
"Watch me," I grumbled, trying to free my arms from his grasp.
"A little help," Ron said, looking over at his brothers. The two twin beaters easily stilled me by grabbing onto my shoulders.
"Let's get him to Madame Pomfrey," Hermione said. Hagrid picked him up and began walking away. Lockhart had disappeared as quickly as Harry's bones had.
I grumbled and stopped resisting, so the Weasley twins finally let me go.
"Come on, Harper," Ron said, grabbing my wrist and guiding me behind Hagrid and Hermione. My angry expression changed to worried as we ran to catch up with them.
"Out of my way, out of my way," Madame Pomfrey said, pushing through the crowd of people surrounding Harry's bed. "Should have been brought straight to me. I can mend bones in a heartbeat, but growing them back?
"You will be able to, won't you?" I asked worriedly.
"Oh, I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful," she replied. Harry's face dropped. "You're in for a rough night, Potter. Regrowing bones is a nasty business." She handed Harry a glass of something and he began drinking it before immediately spitting it out all over everyone.
"Well, what do you expect, pumpkin juice?" Pomfrey asked incredulously. We sat with Harry for a while, talking about how great he played in the Quidditch game and how much I wanted to kill Lockhart before Pomfrey kicked us out.
"He's gonna be okay," Ron said to me, noticing my worried expression. I nodded.
"Do you want to go down to the kitchens?" he suggested. "I know food always makes me feel better."
I smiled at him before nodding and standing up, letting him grab my wrist and pull me to the dungeons. He tickled the pear just like I had shown him, opening the entrance to the kitchens.
"Mr. Weasley and Miss Potter," a house-elf called Krafty greeted us. "How may Krafty be of service?"
"Harper needs some sweets to cheer her up," Ron said simply.
"What sweets would Harper like?" he turned to me.
"Red velvet cupcakes are her favorite," Ron smiled.
"How'd you know that?" I asked him, confused.
"I don't know, I guess I pay attention," Ron shrugged as my cheeks went pink.
I smiled as Krafty returned with a tray of cupcakes. Ron and I both grabbed one and sat on the counter together. I swung my legs back and forth as I ate my cupcake happily. Ron was right, food does make you feel better.
"Thanks for this," I smiled at him. I looked over and noticed he had icing on his nose and began giggling.
"What's so funny?" Ron questioned, tilting his head slightly.
"You've got icing all over your face," I laughed.
"Hey, so do you!" Ron retorted.
"Really?" I said, quickly becoming embarrassed.
"Yeah," Ron said, leaning closer to me. Soon our faces were very close together and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach.
Then, Ron wiped icing off his fingers and onto my cheek and began laughing.
"Hey!" I shouted, laughing with him. I quickly grabbed icing off my cupcake and smeared it onto his cheek in return.
Soon we both ran out of icing and settled for just smearing the icing on each other's faces, laughing obnoxiously with each other.
We both stopped laughing after a minute until we looked back at each other. Ron made a silly face at me and soon we were hysterical messes again.
"Stop, stop, my stomach hurts from laughing," I said, bending over and holding my stomach.
"Mine too," Ron said, trying to stop laughing.
"Would Miss Potter and Mr. Weasley like Winky to get them a napkin?" a house-elf approached.
"Yes, please," I said, still smiling. She returned and Ron and I wiped our faces off.
"Thanks, Ron. You always know how to make me feel better," I smiled at him.
"Anytime, Harper," Ron smiled back. I thought I noticed a hint of redness on his cheeks.
We snuck back to the common room and went to bed. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, thinking about my best friend.
I woke the next morning and had another boring day of classes before the four of us met in the abandoned girls' lavatory. Hermione began brewing the Polyjuice we watched.
Harry explained to us that last night Dobby came back and told him that he was the one who closed the entrance to the train and sent the bludger on him because bad things are about to happen and he wants Harry safe.
"Glad to see he cares about the rest of us," I scoffed. Harry continued explaining how they brought in a student who had been Petrified and Dumbledore said the Chamber of Secrets has been opened again and Hogwarts is no longer safe.
"Again?" Hermione repeated. "You mean the Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?"
"Of course, don't you see?" Ron said. "Lucius Malfoy must have opened it when he was at school here, and now he's taught Draco how to do it." I tried to listen, but all I could focus on was the fact that Ron had unbuttoned the sleeves of his button-up and rolled them up, along with his jumper. Something about it made him look rather attractive as he leaned one shoulder against a stall.
"Maybe. We'll just have to wait for the Polyjuice potion to know for sure," Hermione said, adding more ingredients.
"Enlighten me. Why are we brewing the potion in broad daylight...in the middle of the girl's lavatory?" Ron asked her. "Don't you think we'll get caught?"
"No, no one ever comes in here," Hermione shrugged.
"Why?" he asked.
"Moaning Myrtle," Hermione answered.
"Who?" Ron asked.
"Moaning Myrtle," Hermione repeated, nodding her head behind him.
"Who's Moaning Myrtle?" Ron asked.
"I'm Moaning Myrtle!" Moaning Myrtle screamed in his face, causing him to jump. "I wouldn't expect you to know me. Who would ever talk about ugly, miserable, moping Moaning Myrtle?" She screamed loudly before flying into a toilet, creating a splash.
"She's a little sensitive," Hermione explained.
"Harper!" Harry snapped in my face, bringing me out of my trance.
"Yes?" I turned to him abruptly.
"You've been too quiet," Harry joked.
"Oh, I'm just...thinking," I answered, feeling my cheeks blush red with embarrassment.
"About?" Harry prodded.
"Don't worry about it," I replied, turning my gaze back over to Ron who was looking at me quizzically. I gave him a reassuring smile back.
"Gather round! Gather round!" Lockhart commanded the next day, stepping onto the long table in front of us. We all squished in and someone was being very pushy, so Ron got shoved straight into my back with very little room to spare. He tried to take a step back, but he didn't have anywhere to go either. I stood there with butterflies in my stomach as Ron's chest was pressed against my back.
"Can everyone see me?" Lockhart continued strutting.
"Look at that ridiculous outfit he's wearing," Ron whispered in my ear, his hot breath fanning my face as I laughed.
"Can you all hear me? Excellent. In the light of the dark events of the recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works."
"No shocker he's making it about himself," I whispered back to Ron, causing him to smirk and roll his eyes. Lockhart took off the robe he was wearing and threw it into the crowd, causing the girls to gasp and one girl to catch it and hold on for dear life.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart said, pointing to him as he made his way onto the table.
"Would you look at that, my two least favorite professors about to duel," Ron joked in my ear.
"I can't even decide who I want to win," I whispered back.
"He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you, youngsters, to worry. You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear."
Lockhart approached Snape and the two stood face to face before pulling out their wands and holding them in front of their faces. They swiftly brought their wands back to their sides and bowed to each other before turning around and walking away from each other.
They turned around abruptly and assumed their fighting stances.
"One...two...three," Lockhart called out.
"Expelliarmus!" Snape called out, pointing his wand at him. With that, Lockhart went flying backward, landing flat on his back on the table.
Ron and I couldn't contain our laughs.
"Do you think he's alright?" Hermione asked.
"Who cares?" Ron responded, still laughing.
"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape," Lockhart said, standing up and walking back over to Snape, "but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. And if I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy."
"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, professor," Snape retorted.
"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape," Lockhart agreed. "Well...let's have a volunteer pair. Potter and Weasley? What about you?" He didn't specify which Potter he was referring to, likely because he forgot of my existence, but he didn't need to, really, as Harry immediately stepped forward.
"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells," Snape responded, and Ron's face fell. "We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house? Malfoy, perhaps?"
Ron and I gave each other a look. "This should be good," I muttered as Malfoy and Harry approached each other on the table.
"Wands at the ready," Lockhart called out, and Harry and Draco copied Snape and Lockhart's movements until they were far apart in a battle stance, facing each other. "On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent, only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here."
On two, Draco stepped forward, shouting, "Everte Statum!" and sending Harry flying backward, even doing a couple of flips in the air before falling abruptly at the end of the table. Draco smirked as the Slytherins laughed. Harry got up angrily before pointing his wand, shouting "Rictusempra!" which sent Draco flying back as well after a few twirls and landing on his arse.
Ron and I exchanged a proud grin and laughed. Snape grabbed Draco by his robes and pulled him up, throwing him in front of him and back into the duel.
"I said disarm only!" Lockhart said as both Harry and Draco stared at each other intently, wands aimed at each other.
"Serpensortia!" Draco called out, completely ignoring him, as a snake flew out of his wand. The snake slithered quickly over to Harry.
"Don't move, Potter," Snape said, stepping forward, "I'll get rid of it for you."
"Allow me, Professor Snape," Lockhart said because he couldn't bare the attention being on anyone else. "Alarte Ascendare!"
This sent the hissing snake flying into the air. He fell back down and would've looked incredibly angry if snakes had facial expressions. The snake began hissing around the room. Harry walked up to the snake and began hissing back. The snake turned to a Hufflepuff student and began hissing in its face. Harry continued hissing until the snake turned to Harry as if it was listening to him.
"Vipera Evanesca," Snape called out, causing the snake to disappear.
"What are you playing at?" the Hufflepuff student asked. Everyone stood around shocked and looking at each other before we were dismissed. The four of us ran back to the common room.
"You're a Parselmouth?" Ron asked incredulously to Harry. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"A parselmouth?" I repeated.
"I'm a what?" Harry asked.
"You can talk to snakes," Hermione explained.
"I know," Harry replied.
"You set the python onto Dudley at the zoo!" I realized, the pieces fitting together. Harry had asked me if I heard the snake talking, and I thought he was crazy.
"So what? I bet loads of people here can do it," Harry defended as Ron and Hermione looked at him with shocked expressions.
"No, they can't," Hermione corrected. "It's not a very common gift, Harry. This is bad."
"What's bad?" Harry and I said at the same time.
"If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin—" Harry started.
"Oh, that's what you said to it," Ron realized.
"You were there, you heard me," Harry said.
"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," Ron replied. "Snake language."
"I spoke a different language?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Harry, it sounded like you were hissing back at it," I said.
"How can I speak a language without knowing I can?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, Harry. But it sounded like you were egging the snake on," Hermione answered. He looked over at me and I nodded in confirmation. "Harry, listen to me. There's a reason the symbol of Slytherin house is a serpent. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth. He could talk to snakes too."
"Exactly," Ron said, "Now the whole school is going to think you're his great-great-great-grandson or something."
"But I'm not!" Harry replied. "Harper can't speak Parseltongue!"
"It's rare," Hermione shrugged.
The next day, the four of us were working on some work in a classroom with lots of other students. They continuously kept staring at Harry but would look away once he saw them.
"I'll see you back in the common room," Harry said, standing up and grabbing his things. We nodded in understanding. The entire room watched him leave, their eyes trained on him the whole time. This continued for weeks, people nervously watching Harry, waiting for his next move.