The two teams, Gryffindor and Slytherin, met at the center of the pitch. Madam Hooch said something and the captains shook hands. They then turned from each other and spoke to their teams. It was impossible for Percy to hear what they were saying, but he did see the Gryffindor team cheer and mount their brooms, not quite kicking off yet. The Slytherin team mounted theirs a moment after.
Madam Hooch strolled between the two teams, said something, and blew her whistle. The fourteen players kicked off into the air and were followed by the quidditch balls being released. Oliver Wood flew over to the goal posts on their side, Katie Bell snatched up the quaffle, and Harry rose high into the air, looking for the snitch. The start of the game was met with a loud cheer, everyone supporting their team.
"And we're off," Lee Jordan was saying through the microphone, "Katie Bell with the quaffle first, then passing it to Alicia Spinnet - nice catch - then passing it back to Bell. Oh, she misses, Adrain Pucey intercepts, who passes it to Marcus Flint. Nice bludger from Fred - or is it George, who cares - Angelina Johnson steals it," and so on. Percy, however, was completely focused on Harry, who was circling the pitch, looking around frantically.
Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan had made a large banner the night before that read Potter for President with a remarkably accurate drawing of Harry on a broomstick holding his fist up in the air triumphantly. Hermione, getting really into the whole quidditch thing, drew her wand and cast a spell, making the letters on the banner flash rainbow.
Still cheering and yelling, Percy saw Harry stop flying around and just survey the game. Gryffindor scored, making it ten to nothing. Harry clapped a bit, then kept on watching. "What is he doing?" Percy poked Ron. "Look, Ron, he's just sitting there." Ron shrugged and kept on yelling.
****
The score was seventy to thirty in Gryffindor's favor, and there had been no sign of the golden snitch. Harry had gone back to circling the pitch, eyes peeled for the little golden ball. Slytherin scored, making it seventy to forty, and then he saw it. Percy saw Harry suddenly speed up on his broom, headed for the Ravenclaw section of the stands. "Ron, Hermione, he's seen it! He's seen the snitch!" Percy was shaking Ron's shoulder violently. Lee voiced this a moment later, saying, "It looks like Potter's seen the snitch!"
Now hurtling after the little gold ball, Harry narrowly avoided the Ravenclaw stands and turned around, still following it. The Slytherin seeker, Terence Higgs, pulled up right beside Harry and smashed into him, sending the smaller boy careening to the right. Harry recovered quickly though, and smashed right back into Higgs. Cheering as loud as he could, Percy watched as Harry and Higgs pushed each other back and forth, both with their arms extended for the snitch.
Suddenly, Harry jerked up. Percy was confused. Shouldn't he still be chasing after the snitch? Harry's broom started bucking wildly, nearly dislodging its rider. Hagrid raised his binoculars. "What does he think he's doin'?"
"Let me see," Hermione said, grabbing Percy's binoculars out of his hand. "It looks like he's lost control of his broom!"
Percy reached up and behind him for Hagrid's binoculars, then focused on Harry. It was true, Harry seemed to be struggling to hold on. People all across the stands were just now starting to notice, and gasps and cries of fear could be heard as Harry lost his grip and fell, just managing to hold on with both hands. Percy looked behind Harry at the teacher's stands. It was Snape! Snape was muttering under his breath, looking directly at Harry. "Hermione, it's Snape, he's jinxed Harry's broom!"
"Hold on, I'll be back!" Hermione shoved the binoculars into Ron's arms, then dashed off in the direction of the teacher's stands. Percy focused back onto Harry, who was now holding on with only one hand, the broom still doing its best to knock him off.
"C'mon, Hermione," Percy muttered. He looked back at Snape and saw her under the stands right next to his legs. She drew her wand, whispered something, and blue flames burst forth, catching Snape's robes on fire. Hermione quickly retreated. Through the binoculars, Percy saw Snape jerk back once he saw the fire, knocking over several teachers behind him. Percy looked back at Harry and saw his broom was stable once more, and he was back to racing after the Snitch. Hermione eventually came back, and the four of them, Percy, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid, continued cheering for Harry.
****
Harry shot down to the ground of the pitch, Higgs right next to him. With the score eighty to seventy in Slytherin's favor, Harry needed to catch the Snitch or all would be lost. Through his binoculars, Percy saw Higgs look at Harry fearfully once, twice, three times, then pull out of the steep dive they were in ten feet off the ground. Harry waited a moment longer, then pulled up. His arm was extended, reaching for the snitch, but he wasn't close enough. Percy saw him shakily stand up on his broom and reach forward. But he reached too far, for his broom had dipped suddenly and clipped the ground, sending Harry flying forward.
There was a collective intake of breath across the stands, everyone waiting to see if he caught it. Harry stood up, his hands on his stomach, and seemed to gag. "He looks like he's gonna be sick," Hagrid said fearfully. Harry's head pitched forward, and out of his mouth came the snitch.
"He's caught it," Lee yelled, "Potter has caught the snitch, granting Gryffindor a victory of two hundred and twenty points!"
Everyone burst into cheers of approval, save the Slytherins, who gave groans of despair. Harry raised his fist high into the air with the snitch clutched tightly, grinning with glee. The crowd started chanting and Percy joined in, elated at the fact that they had won.
"Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor!"
****
After Harry had exited the changing room carrying his broom and wearing his normal clothes, the five of them set off to Hagrid's hut, still euphoric from the game. It only took five or so minutes to get there, during which Harry was recounting the events in greater detail. "And then the broom almost threw me off and by this time I was panicking-"
"Yeah, er, Harry, about that," Percy interrupted, "We think Snape was the one who jinxed your broom." Ron and Hermione nodded in earnest.
Hagrid gave a great laugh of merriment just then and said "Snape? Codswallop! Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher. He wouldn't do somethin' like that."
"Hagrid," Hermione tried to patiently explain, "You didn't see the way he was muttering. It's a known fact that you need to keep eye contact if you're trying to curse someone."
Percy suddenly realized something. "Wait. If Snape was the one who jinxed Harry's broom, that would mean he would want Harry gone, yeah?" Hagrid scoffed, muttering something about how Snape was a teacher, he really wouldn't do something like that, Dumbledore trusts him. "Well," Percy continued, "What if he was the one who tried to get past the three-headed dog? It would make sense - his leg's all bloody, he jinxed Harry's broom-"
Hagrid interrupted, astonished. "Hang on! How d'you know 'bout Fluffy?"
"You named that thing Fluffy? Fluffy?" Ron looked aghast.
"Well, I couldn't go an' name 'im Fang, now, could I?" Hagrid nodded in the direction of the giant dog that had its head on Harry's lap.
"No, that's beside the point, Hagrid," Hermione said, "Whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape tried to steal it!"
"No, no, no. You four had best leave things alone. What Fluffy's guardin' is none o' yer business. That's on'y between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel." Hagrid started herding them out of his hut, telling them to get back to the school, to do their homework, it was going to get cold soon.
"Hang on," Ron looked confused. "Nicolas Flamel? What does he have to do with anything?"
Hagrid just shook his head and berated himself, closing the door behind him once the four first years were outside. "I shouldn't've told you that. I should not have told you that." The four of them traipsed back to the castle with their scarves wrapped around their faces against the cold, discussing what they just learned and disappointed they couldn't learn more.
****
The next month passed quickly for the four of them, the teachers having been piling on more and more homework as Christmas break approached, Harry's quidditch practices, and all their free time being spent in the library looking for any mentions of Nicolas Flamel. Two weeks before Christmas break, McGonagall started taking names as to who would be staying over the break. Percy and Harry put their names down almost immediately, definitely not wanting to spend time with the Dursleys and subject themselves to the horror that would surely follow. Hermione was going skiing with her parents up somewhere north, and Ron said that he would be going home only if his mum and dad decided to stay instead of visiting his older brother Charlie in Romania. A week later, Hogwarts had been covered with several feet of snow, and everyone stayed indoors as much as possible. It was always a struggle going to Herbology, seeing as the greenhouses were outside.
On the twenty-first of December, the energy level in the castle seemed unusually high. Harry, Percy, Ron, and Hermione walked into the Great Hall for breakfast that morning to see eleven Christmas trees in the process of being levitated into place by McGonagall and Flitwick. Hagrid had just walked in as well, dragging in another tree covered in snow. As the four of them politely waited for the tree to pass, Percy heard a drawling voice start behind them.
"Can't the great oaf hurry up? I'm starting to get hungry."
The four of them turned and saw Malfoy complaining rather loudly to his lackeys Crabbe and Goyle. "How about you just wait five more seconds like a normal human being for once?" Ron, obviously annoyed, was scowling at the blond boy, his eyes narrowed.
"Oh, well, look who it is!" Malfoy sauntered closer to make himself more easily heard. "If it isn't Scarhead, Weaselby, Little Percykins, and the muggleborn."
"I'm taller than you, Malfoy," Percy grumbled.
"How are you this fine, fine morning? Well, it's not as if I care, is it?" Crabbe and Goyle sniggered nastily behind him. Malfoy continued. "Weasley, I know that because your family is full of blood traitors you're used to waiting, but my family is much better than yours, so-"
Ron had suddenly launched himself at Malfoy, enraged. Harry and Percy had to pull him away before he did any actual damage. Crabbe and Goyle had also surged forward and were now cracking their knuckles threateningly.
"Misters Weasley, Potter, Jackson. What do you think you're doing?" Whether Snape had been waiting for the perfect moment to interrupt or not, Percy didn't know, but his timing was impeccable. "Fighting will not be tolerated inside of Hogwarts, especially of the muggle sort." The great bat of a man was looking down his greasy nose at the three of them, sneering all the while.
Hagrid poked his head up from the other side of the tree he was dragging and defended them. "Professor Snape, sir, Malfoy was insultin' Ron's family."
Snape just humphed and said, "No matter. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor." They all waited for Hagrid to pass with his tree, then Malfoy, followed by his cronies, and finally, Snape. Percy could see the man clearly limping because of his leg. The four of them followed afterward, Ron grumbling under his breath about stupid, prejudiced teachers with Hermione trying to console him. Percy glanced at Harry, who glanced at Percy and motioned with his head at Snape's leg. Harry nodded, seeming to have come to the same conclusion as he had.
Snape was the one who had jinxed Harry's broom. Snape had tried to get past Fluffy.
****
Right. So, I know I haven't updated in forever, and that is because school has recently started up again for me. Updates will be even more sporadic now, and for that I am sorry.
On a side note though, FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM JUST CAME OUT BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HAD TIME BUT I'VE HEARD IT'S REALLY REALLY GOOD! Super excited and looking forward to seeing it!
As per the usual, comment any mistakes, hope you enjoyed.
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