It was now the last week of the holidays. Harry had spent his time alternating between Black Manor, Greengrass Manor and Potter Castle. The two months had been used to learn as much as possible from Alfred Potter who was delighted to teach his descendant again. Harry spent more time learning Runes and Potions from Alfred along with several spells from the family grimoire. Sirius supplemented his education by bringing Harry's Defence and Transfiguration training up to speed. He also told Harry, much to the boy's immense joy, that he would start teaching him how to become an Animagus.
In the last week of August, the book lists finally arrived. Just as he was about to head over to Black Manor, three elves popped inside the dining room. It looked like they were fighting.
"Master, Dobby is trying to sneak into the castle," cried Tippy furiously. Harry didn't miss the stark contrast in their appearance. While Tippy and Sally were dressed in proper uniforms, the other elf, who seemed quite weak and unhealthy, was wearing a horrible looking tea towel.
"Who are you?" asked Harry, with narrowed eyes. "And why did you try to break into my home?"
"I am Dobby, sir," squeaked the elf. "Dobby is coming here to warn you, sir. Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts School this year! Dark things are planned! Dobby has to protect Harry Potter!"
"Tippy, Sally, release him," ordered Harry. He kneeled down to match the elf's height and asked, "What are you talking about, Dobby? What terrible things?"
Dobby burst into furious tears at the gesture. "Harry Potter is greater than Dobby ever thought! He treats Dobby like an equal! But Harry Potter sir should not go back to school. There is a plot, a plot to make the most dangerous things happen!"
"What dangerous things? Who's plotting them?"
"Dobby cannot say, sir. Dobby's master doesn't even know he is here! Dobby would have to iron his hands for betraying his master. But Dobby doesn't care, for Harry Potter's safety is most important. Don't go to school, sir. Great danger is going to befall the castle this year. Harry Potter must protect himself and stay safe," said the elf, and snapped its fingers and disappeared.
Harry frowned. "Guys, who is Dobby's master?"
"Dobby is the Malfoy elf, Master Harry. He is treated very, very badly by his masters," answered Sally sadly.
Harry gritted his teeth. He had a soft spot for house-elves and he did not like people mistreating them. But what was Dobby talking about?
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
An hour later, Harry and Sirius were in Diagon Alley, shopping for his school supplies. Despite his godson's protests, Sirius had put his foot down and decided to pay for all their purchases, saying that it was his duty as Harry's guardian to do so. Once uniforms, potions ingredients and other stationery were taken care of, they headed to Flourish and Blotts, which was playing host to a throng of people, including the press.
"Eh, this is bad," muttered Harry. "Quick, cast a glamour on me."
"Good idea," Sirius nodded. With a wave of his wand, they were both under a simple glamour charm. It turned out to be a good thing because Gilderoy Lockhart was posing for photographs. Just after Harry finished buying his fourth and fifth-year books, there was a scuffle at the entrance of the shop. The duo looked at each other in surprise when they saw Arthur Weasley physically fighting Lucius Malfoy. Harry could hear the last bit of their conversation.
"Here girl, take your book. It's the best your father can give you," snarled Lucius, thrusting the books into her cauldron. Sirius shook his head as he steered Harry out of the store.
"What was that all about?"
"Arthur Weasley's Muggle Protection Act," answered Sirius. "There have been several raids conducted in connection with the bill. It's being endorsed by Dumbledore, actually, but the bill itself is poorly written. Lucius Malfoy is quite angry about it."
"I would be too," Harry scowled slightly. "There should be a wizard's protection act from the threat known as Muggles, not the opposite. We are the ones in danger, yet I hear no talk about that!"
Sirius tilted his head to the side as they Portkeyed to Black Manor. He observed Harry for a moment and said, "You don't like Muggles, do you?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Harry defensively. Sirius merely narrowed his eyes and his young charge flushed slightly under his stern gaze.
"I'm asking you because I need to know," said Sirius as they entered the informal drawing room. "I am your Regent and I represent you on the Wizengamot and for that, I need to know what your thoughts are. I've observed that you're not of a liberal mindset, but I never pegged you for a red-blooded traditionalist."
"I'm not," Harry corrected him, regaining control of his emotions once more. "I'm more of a centrist, from what Grandfather Charlus' portrait told me; a balance between the two. I believe we need new ideas while also retaining our magical traditions and beliefs. You have to understand that I grew up both in the Muggle and magical worlds. I have a unique vantage point. I deeply respect our traditions and I don't want to see them gone. Dumbledore's supporters have a very narrow-minded view of what they believe is dark and light. They'll convert the magical world into a replica of the Muggle world, if they have enough power. The traditionalists, on the other hand, are so deeply rooted in their beliefs that they can't ever think outside the box, from what I've read from history and observed myself. We'll crumble from within if they are in power. We need a balance between the two factions; surely there are others who aren't extremists."
"That certainly is a novel idea," said Sirius after a few minutes. "And I have to say I agree with you. But I need to ask … what are your thoughts on Muggles and Muggle-borns?"
Harry took a deep breath. "I don't have a problem with Muggle-borns; in fact, I believe they have amazing potential and unconventional thinking. Just look at some of the Muggle-borns we have today! My mother was not the only exceptional witch or wizard they had to offer; there are bound to be others who are talented too. But there are some who tend to look down upon us, saying that we're backward as compared to Muggles. I've heard a couple of Muggle-borns say that. According to Hermione Granger, an ex-classmate of mine, wizards don't have a shred of logic. She believes we are archaic while her vaunted Muggle world is perfect and that we need to change our ways and become more like Muggles." He sneered as he said, "Tell me that doesn't make you angry."
Sirius nodded slowly. "I must admit those are statements that do get me mad. You have to understand, Harry, that there are bigots on both sides, and the Death Eaters used such Muggle-borns as examples to further their agenda. Your mother was never like this, you know. She completely embraced the magical world when she came to Hogwarts. Within a few years, no one could tell if she was Muggle-raised or wizard-raised. Unfortunately, not all Muggle-borns are like that. Lily's attitude, with the way she whole-heartedly embraced our culture and traditions, was the only reason your grandparents agreed to the marriage. They were furious at first, when they realised that James wanted to get married to a Muggle-born. After several fights, James managed to convince them to meet Lily and give her a chance. The first meeting was kind of frosty, from what I heard, but Aunt Dorea had to grudgingly admit that Lily did not behave like any other Muggle-born. Several months later, after they got to know her better, your grandparents agreed to the marriage."
"I know. Their portraits told me and I've also read my parents' journals. But my point is that the traditionalists will always point out such Muggle-borns and use it against the rest. Also, Sirius, don't you think the International Statute of Secrecy is breached with each Muggle-born being informed? Each Muggle-born means two parents informed and maybe siblings as well. The more Muggle-borns, the more Muggles know about magic. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of secrecy? How can you believe that word wouldn't spread amongst the Muggles about the existence of magic? I'm genuinely confused about that."
"Harry, you are treading in very, very dangerous waters here," warned Sirius. "What you're saying is exactly what Voldemort preached."
"I know," said Harry bitterly. "That's why I never raised this issue with anyone but you, but I really do want to know the answer. I've lived with Muggles, Sirius. I have dealt with not just my relatives but also Muggles in the neighbourhood and at school. Trust me, there is a reason I don't like Muggles. None of them would react favourably if their child is born magical. Do you think I'm the only child in the world who has been abused by Muggles because of magic? There are bound to be others as well, right? Isn't there some truth to that? Isn't that also why MACUSA completely cut off from the Muggle world, banning wizards from interacting with Muggles? I've heard that it is similar in Asia and Africa as well. Why can't we do the same?"
"It's true that Magical Europe is far more liberal when it comes to wizard-Muggle relations as compared to the rest of the world. Tell me something. Are you saying all this only because of your experience with Muggles? What about those Muggles who don't hate magic? You can't just vilify all Muggles or expect others to do so just because you had a bad experience with them. That would mean you are imposing your beliefs on others, which was what the last war was all about. Think about it."
Sirius went to his room later, pondering the issue. He never thought he would see the day when the son of James and Lily was anti-Muggle. He honestly didn't know how to proceed because his godson's argument made sense.
He would have to think about this; find out more. The Black family had contacts throughout Europe, so he could do some research. Amelia also had international contacts, not to mention had access to restricted information at the Ministry of Magic. He owed Harry an answer because he himself had to admit that what Harry said was true. Being raised a Black, he had been taught the true history of why wizards had gone into hiding in the first place, not the diluted version that was made available by Muggle-sympathising historians like Bathilda Bagshot. The witch hunts back then had truly been horrifying; nothing how the school books described them.
Tens of thousands of witches and wizards, maybe more, especially defenceless children, had been tortured to death back then, in Magical Europe alone. Countless more had died all over the world. The situation had been too dire to contemplate. That was why the entire international community had teamed up to create the International Statute of Secrecy, and that was the reason it was enforced so rigidly by the I.C.W.
But he was also worried about Harry. The boy was walking down a dangerous path which others like Grindelwald and Voldemort had taken before, and Sirius vowed that he would do everything in his power so that his godson did not make life choices erroneously for something he believed was right.
Who knew parenting could be so hard?
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
The first of September dawned bright and early. Harry took his time getting ready, finished his breakfast and once done, shrunk his trunk and Flooed to the platform where he boarded the train. He spotted Daphne and Tracy already there, so he sat down and began talking. He didn't get time to read much as he was constantly pelted with questions about the duelling tournament by the acquaintances he had in all four Houses. Neville Longbottom was ecstatic because he had listened to Professor Flitwick's advice from the end of the previous term and bought a wand which suited him. He had practised magic during the summer and was quite happy with the results.
When they reached Hogsmeade, Harry gave a curt nod in the direction of Draco Malfoy who nodded back at him. The two of them didn't talk much and maintained distance, choosing to nod to each other if the other passed by. They didn't share any classes, so there wasn't much scope for them to interact, with each having a different circle of friends. Harry also spoke to the older students with whom he shared classes with the previous term. He would be their classmate for another term since he would be starting fourth-year classes this time. After the winter holidays, he would be advancing to the fifth years' class.
The sorting went on as normal and Harry soon found himself back in his room at Ravenclaw Tower. Tippy had already expanded his room and put his clothes away, so Harry simply undressed and got into bed. The next morning, he was by the lake, as usual, and ran and exercised for nearly two hours. Once done, he took a shower and got dressed. There were a lot more people staring at him when he entered the Great Hall, but he tried to not let it bother him. He received his schedule from Professor Flitwick and joined the rest of the fourth years to head to Defence class which he shared with the Gryffindors.
"I really hope he's competent," said Harry quietly.
"Why do –"
"– you say that?"
"I've read all his books and do you know what I found? Nothing. There wasn't a single incantation mentioned anywhere," explained Harry as he took his usual seat next to Fred and George Weasley. "What's the point of prescribing them as textbooks if they're not going to help us learn? I'm starting to wonder if he's faked it all, claiming fiction to be factual."
"Our mum is a big fan of dear Lockhart," said George.
"She would be heartbroken if that were true," agreed Fred.
Their Defence professor soon entered the room, wearing bright yellow robes. Harry grimaced; he would burn such clothes on principle. They were way too cheerful for his tastes.
Lockhart gave a dramatic entrance and pointed to the various portraits of him and said, "Me. Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class; Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League; five-time winner of Witch Weekly's most charming smile Award, and your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Ah, I see you've bought my complete set of books. Well done. Let's start with a quiz, shall we?"
He handed over sheets of parchment to everyone. "Now don't worry, this isn't anything difficult. You have thirty minutes, so begin!"
Harry looked at the questions incredulously. They were all about Lockhart and not one of them was related to the subject he was being paid to teach! Who the hell cared what the man's favourite colour was or what his secret ambition was? This was ridiculous! He could hear Fred and George snickering next to him, so he knew that the two of them were writing something embarrassing. He instead wrote something on the margin in his neat handwriting –
I did not sign up for a Gilderoy Lockhart class.
I signed up for a Defence class. I refuse to participate.
There. Done. He removed his copy of Curses and Counter-Curses from his bag and began reading. When Lockhart collected their answer sheets after the time was up, his eyes bulged when he saw the answers written by Fred and George, but also spotted the empty sheet that belonged to Harry Potter, except for the line at the top.
"Detention with me, Misters Weasley and Mr Potter," said Lockhart, with a beaming smile. "I'm sure you will appreciate why I give these tests once we get to know each other better."
Harry rolled his eyes. He gripped the locket that was hanging from around his neck and a notice-me-not charm activated. If the fool was not going to teach anything, there was nothing Harry could do, but he would be damned if he was going to waste time in class. His O.W.L.s were less than a year away, and he had to prepare for them.
After Defence and Charms, Harry was heading towards the Great Hall when there was a bright flash of light. Harry blinked his eyes and flicked his wand out of his holster, suspecting a threat, only to find a first-year boy looking at him with big eyes.
"Don't you think it's inappropriate to take someone else's picture without their permission?" snapped Harry irritably. Knowing that his magic was volatile, he exhaled slowly in order to calm down, and his emotionless mask was back in place a few seconds later. He gazed at the photographer with cool eyes.
The boy in question flushed, but his excitement was showing. "Hi Harry," he said eagerly. "I'm Colin, Colin Creevey. I'm a first year Gryffindor. Do you think – would it be alright if – you know – I could take a picture with you?"
Before he could answer, things went downhill. One of the seventh year Ravenclaws, who was quite vocal in his protest against Harry being in the accelerated program, began laughing.
"What is it now, Potter?" he asked snidely. "Can't handle being on the front page of the newspaper often enough that you give signed photographs now?"
Lockhart chose that moment to appear at the scene, obviously heading for lunch himself, and heard the last comment. "Oh, signed photographs? Who's giving signed photographs? Come on, Mr Creevey. A double portrait; can't do better than that. We'll both sign it for you!"
"I don't think so," Harry interrupted, pushing past the new teacher. "I don't have the time or the patience to indulge in this nonsense. Get yourself someone else to bolster your fame, Professor Lockhart. I'm not available."
Harry didn't even wait for the man's response because he was already heading towards the Slytherin table in the Great Hall. He sat down next to Daphne and began piling his plate with food.
"Trouble?" asked Daphne hesitantly.
"Some Gryffindor twit decided to take photographs of me in the middle of the corridor," said Harry angrily. "Then Jones acts like a jealous arsehole. That's when Lockhart shows up and annoys me even more. That guy is a moron. Who the hell made him a teacher?"
"I'll tell you who," Theo Nott answered as he sat opposite to them. "It's someone with a long white beard who calls himself the headmaster. Lockhart was horrible. We had him just last period."
"What did he do?"
"What did he not do?" exclaimed Daphne. "He let a bunch of Cornish pixies loose in the classroom. The pixies destroyed the room, picked up poor Neville and hung him from the chandelier and caused mayhem. The idiot professor decided to flee rather than help. Granger said he was giving us 'practical experience'."
"Any chance we could get rid of him?" asked Harry hopefully.
"No," said Blaise Zabini. "All teachers have a contract. Unless Lockhart does something drastic, we're stuck with him for a year."
"Great," muttered Harry. "Dumbledore just had to pick the worst teacher possible for my O.W.L. year. How are we going to cope?"
His question was met with silence from the others.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
A week later, Harry found himself at the Quidditch pitch for the try-outs for the Ravenclaw House team. While he couldn't be bothered if his House won the Quidditch Cup or not, he couldn't ignore the fact that he greatly enjoyed the game. So, after some encouragement from Sirius and Daphne, he decided to give it a try.
Holding his new Nimbus Two Thousand and One in his hand, Harry stood with the rest of the potential players who were trying for Seeker. The spot was already occupied by a third-year girl named Cho Chang, but traditionally, try-outs were held for all positions, except for the captain's. And since the captain of the Ravenclaw team was a Chaser and not a Seeker, he had a chance to take Cho Chang's place.
The try-outs began for Chasers and Beaters first, followed by the Keeper. Once the rest of the team was formed, the captain, a sixth-year girl by the name of Abigail Turner, turned her attention to the Seekers. After a few rounds of elimination, only two remained – Harry and Cho.
"Alright, you two, I'll keep this simple. You have to qualify two more rounds – catch the snitch once without the bludgers and catch it again with the bludgers. Up in the air!" she shouted.
Harry gripped his Nimbus Two Thousand and One as he shot off into the air. He flew to an impressive height and stopped.
"I'm releasing the golden snitch – NOW!"
The small golden snitch disappeared immediately so there was no point in looking for it. But Harry did not like waiting for the snitch to appear, with nothing to do. He flew around the pitch for a few minutes, diving and ascending. Finally, he saw the snitch near the ground at the end of the goal posts. He quickly accelerated and could sense Chang behind him. He dived at a sharp angle to throw her off, but she was relentless. He approached the ground with speed; he could hear a few girls scream in fright, but he suddenly pulled up, with his gloved fist in the air, holding the golden snitch.
He approached the captain who looked slack-jawed at his performance.
"You could have killed me!" cried a furious Cho Chang, who landed next to him. "What do you think you were doing, diving at such speed?"
"That's the point; the opposing Seeker would not be able to follow me. Captain, could you please release the bludgers?"
Abigail Turner grinned. "Boys, give him the best you've got," she said to the beaters. The Beaters took their bats and released the bludgers. Harry and Cho took their positions and Turner released the snitch again. Immediately, both Seekers found bludgers headed their way and had to dive to get away. Harry again started flying from one end of the pitch to the other. After five minutes of dodging bludgers, he spotted the snitch. He immediately darted towards it, but could sense a bludger coming his way. He slowed down, spun three hundred and sixty degrees in mid-air and hit the bludger with the tail of his broomstick so that it would trouble Chang instead, and his aim was accurate as it did hit her. He dived and caught the snitch.
When he landed, people were applauding.
"That was awesome, Potter! Not only did you get the snitch, but you sent the bludger away too! Welcome to the team," said Turner.
Harry smiled.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
On the Saturday of the second week of September, Harry donned his Invisibility Cloak over himself and slipped out of the great oak doors of the castle. Walking towards the Whomping Willow, he levitated a stick and used it to press the knot at the base of the tree, just as he had been taught by his godfather. The tree suddenly stopped being violent and Harry crawled into the secret passageway leading towards the Shrieking Shack. He removed his cloak and walked up the stairs. When he entered the room, he saw Sirius cleaning it with several waves of his wand.
"Hey, Sirius," Harry greeted him with a small smile. "I got into the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team!"
Sirius grinned proudly. He moved closer to give the boy a light hug. "Congratulations, Harry! I knew you could do it! Seeker, right?"
"Yes," said Harry, as he took a seat in the armchair. "The first match will be held soon. Shall we get started?"
Sirius nodded as he took a seat as well. After pausing to gather his thoughts, he began.
"The Animagus transformation is not as horribly difficult as people make it out to be," he explained. "The reason it is considered difficult by most is because Transfiguration itself is a difficult subject to master. You are changing the definition of the object in question, and that is significantly more difficult than Charms where you enchant an object. Until now, whatever you've learnt is inanimate or animal transfiguration and basics of elemental transfiguration, am I right?"
"Yes," replied Harry promptly. "Elemental Transfiguration is the process where you change one element to another. It is significantly more difficult than transfiguration within the same type of element. Conjuration is an example of elemental transfiguration because it transfigures air into something else. The vanishing spell does the opposite."
"Excellent, you've understood the theory. Now we can move on to Human Transfiguration, which is significantly more complex. The human body is much different from that of, say, a frog. You need to understand the differences between the animals you transfigure and also the challenges posed to human transfiguration. If you go wrong, it could be disastrous, so you are not to try it without me in the initial stages, understood?"
Harry nodded.
"The first step is to find your centre. This won't be difficult for you since you are a natural at Occlumency. When you're done, we'll start with your fingers and slowly proceed from there. Once you know exactly what your animal form is, you'll be able to complete the final transformation."
"Oh, by the way, I have something important to tell you," Sirius said suddenly, interrupting their session. He hesitated for a moment, as if unsure of how his godson would handle the news, and continued, "Amelia and I were planning to get married this winter. What do you think?"
Harry blinked once in surprise, having not expected this. Once his mind processed what he was told, he smiled genuinely. "That's great news! Congratulations, Sirius. I'm happy for you both."
The older wizard looked relieved that his young charge was not upset by the news. "Thanks, Harry. Besides you, I don't have anyone else on my side of the family except Andromeda and Narcissa, so your approval really means a lot to me. We're planning to outsource all the wedding preparations to a well-known event-organising company in Diagon Alley, but we still haven't decided on the place."
"Why don't you hold it at Black Manor?" Harry suggested. "It'll be easier to pull it off, not to mention will provide a beautiful backdrop. The ceremony can be held outside, while the reception can be held inside, in the Grand Ballroom."
"You know, that's actually a good idea," muttered Sirius, staring into the distance. "I'll ask Amelia. Good job, kiddo. I'll keep you updated on any developments. Now, let's get back to our discussion on human transfiguration."
Three hours later, Harry returned to Ravenclaw Tower, exhausted. When Sirius said the process would be draining, he hadn't been kidding. His godfather had not allowed him to transfigure anything more than his fingernails for today but told him to keep practising and also so look deep within himself to know more about his animal form. The more he knew what he was going to be, the easier it would become.
On the thirty-first of October, the traditional Samhain feast was being served in the Great Hall. Harry was strangely in a good mood after another Animagus class, so he decided to be more interactive for the night. His Housemates were all bemused at first, but no one was complaining. Harry was a goldmine of information and the people all around engaged him in conversation for hours until the feast ended. Once done, the Ravenclaws walked together towards the Grand Staircase and after several minutes, one by one they trickled into the Ravenclaw common room.
Downstairs, on the first floor, the petrified forms of Argus Filch and Mrs Norris were discovered along with the message that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
The next few days were filled with confusion and deep speculation about the Chamber of Secrets and what could have caused the petrification of Filch and Mrs Norris. Harry, like the rest, had believed that someone must have cursed them and had written the message on the wall to cause trouble, but had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he was wrong. Something about the Chamber was intimately familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Draco Malfoy had been the most vocal about the incident, saying that the attack and the supposed opening of the Chamber of Secrets was a good thing. The boy also seemed to have gotten into the Slytherin Quidditch Team as a Seeker and his father had bought the entire team new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. Harry wondered how the rest of the Board of Governors let this happen, but there was nothing against donating brooms to the school. In fact, when he spoke to Sirius, Harry was informed that there was actually a tax deduction on any donation to the magical schools of Britain, so it was sure to be a win-win scenario for Lucius Malfoy.
Harry woke up early that Saturday morning and quietly walked outside to the grounds to finish his morning exercises. Since Ravenclaw and Slytherin had been the finalists the previous year in the Quidditch matches, they would be playing the first game of the season today. Harry had trained rigorously with the Ravenclaw team and he had to admit they were pretty good. The mood had been dampened with the news of the new brooms of the Slytherin team, but the captain said that it didn't matter.
"We have faced tough odds before," assured Abigail Turner to the team as they assembled in the locker room. "This is no different. They don't know the advantage we have. We haven't let anyone know of our moves, so that should surprise them. Harry, start your game immediately. If we surprise them early on, maybe they'll lose confidence in their new brooms, and we can use every advantage we can get today."
"Understood," said Harry calmly, as he gripped his broomstick.
The seven members of the team stood at the entrance of the pitch and mounted their brooms, flying into the cloudy sky. Hundreds of people cheered from below and Harry breathed deeply to take care of any existing nervousness. Once reinforcing his mental shields, his blank mask was back in place as he flew high in the sky. Any minute now ...
"Welcome everyone to the first game of the season," shouted Lee Jordan, his voice magically enhanced. "Today we have our resident Eagles playing against the Snakes!"
"On my whistle," shouted Madam Hooch. "Three ... two ... one ..."
She blew the whistle and a mighty roar could be heard as the game began. Harry soared upward but his green eyes were focussed on the game below, not looking for the snitch. Draco Malfoy was behind him, obviously wanting to retaliate if Harry saw the snitch himself.
"And Marcus Flint has control of the Quaffle. Turner tries to take it, but – oh, that was nasty. He dodges a bludger and goes near the goal posts, he – wait – what's that?"
When Harry had a clear line of sight to Flint, he dived sharply, pushing his Nimbus Two Thousand and One to the maximum. Behind him, Draco Malfoy dived too, but Harry wasn't going for the snitch or attempting a Wronski Feint. He was heading directly towards Marcus Flint and with one powerful kick, the Quaffle was released from the older boy's hold. Harry dived and turned, grabbing the Quaffle and quickly passed it to Roger Davies who scored.
"Outstanding!" yelled Lee Jordan. "It looks like Harry Potter is playing as an interfering Seeker! That was one hell of a move! I thought it was a feint but it wasn't. Roger Davies scores and it is ten-zero to Ravenclaw!"
Harry saw a bludger coming right at him so he performed a sloth grip roll to dodge it, but the bludger immediately changed course! He flew higher, just as Jacob Samuels, one of the two beaters of Ravenclaw gave a powerful whack to the bludger towards Adrian Pucey.
"You alright there, Harry?" asked Jacob.
Just as Harry nodded at the other boy, the bludger once again flew towards him. Harry frowned as he dived to the ground to dodge it, trying to focus on the elusive Golden Snitch. Slytherin had already scored twice, bringing the score up to twenty to ten. None of them knew why the bludger was going after Harry alone, but he didn't want to forfeit the game due to an enchantment on the bludger gone bad.
"Get back to the game!" yelled Harry as the beaters came to help him. "We'll never win if you keep shadowing me. I'll be fine!"
The beaters looked concerned, but they decided to follow his instructions. Forty minutes later, the score was one hundred and thirty to fifty in favour of Ravenclaw. The rain was falling heavily now, impairing vision. Harry knew that he had to catch the snitch soon, so he made finding it his top priority. Higher and higher he went and he could hear the bludger behind him. He looped and swooped, zigzagged, spiralled and rolled.
"Training for the ballet, Potter?" called out Draco, smirking, as he tried to distract Harry while he searched for the snitch himself.
Suddenly, Harry saw it.
The snitch was glinting from right behind Malfoy's ear. Without waiting for a moment, he pushed and nearly unseated Malfoy from his broom in the process. Just as his fingers closed upon the struggling golden snitch, the bludger came back.
WHAM!