I didn't sleep well Friday night, I was too busy thinking about the upcoming Quidditch match and what will happen if we lost. So much pressure was on my shoulders and it made me realise why they didn't let anyone my age play the game, it was intense and dangerous. I knew we would all try our best, but even I know that facing the team with the fastest brooms was going to be tricky.
Since I fell asleep late Friday night, I was up late Saturday morning. If it wasn't for my alarm blaring I would have missed breakfast for sure. I quickly got up, dressed in a simple jeans and T-shirt combo, brushed my hair and teeth and went down for breakfast. When I arrived at the Great Hall, I saw the rest of the Gryffindor team and Harry already down there.
I sat down next to Harry and helped myself to some pancakes.
"You look as nervous as I feel," Harry muttered.
I scoff. "That's an understatement."
We didn't speak much, we were too tense.
Eleven o'clock quickly approached and the whole school started to make their way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air which made me nervous, hopefully, a storm won't come and ruin the game. Ron and Hermione came hurrying over to wish me and Harry good luck as we entered the changing rooms. I pulled on my Gryffindor robes in the girls' area and put my hair up before sitting down with the rest of the team to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep talk.
"Slytherin have better brooms than us," he began, "no point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers -"
"Too true," George muttered. "I haven't been properly dry since August"
Wood ignored him. " -and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team"
I nodded agreeing with him. The Slytherin team will be eating their pride when we win the game. Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Harry.
"It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to"
I patted his shoulder. "So no pressure, Harry"
Harry looked nervous. I gave him a long side hug and he seemed a little more relaxed after that.
As we walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted us; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard too. Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.
"On my whistle," Hooch said, "three...two...one..."
With a roar from the crowd to speed us upwards, we rose towards the leaden sky. I got into my place, making sure to keep Harry in my sights. I scowled when I saw Malfoy fly next to him and mutter something to him, I let my anger go on the Quaffle that had just been thrown in an attempt to score by Slytherin.
Cheers were heard from the crowd when I stopped another Quaffle and Wood patted me on the back. As a I dodged another Quaffle, I noticed a Bludger change directions and head straight to Harry.
"GEORGE!" I screamed pointing to the Bluder and George hit it towards Adrian Pucey.
I smiled in relief and kept my eyes on the Quaffle. But I felt as though something was wrong. When I looked up again, I saw the same Bludger head towards Harry but George hit it towards Malfoy. The Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Harry's head. I gasped.
"Wood, something's wrong!" I screamed stopping another Quaffle.
Wood looked at me. "They can handle it! Focus!"
"If something happens to Harry, Wood, I'll kill you!"
Deciding that Wood can stop the Quaffle's, I watched as Harry put a burst of speed on his broom and headed towards the other end of the pitch. The Bludger, to my horror, was whistling along behind him. Bludgers weren't supposed to do that! They never concentrated on one player like that, it was their job to try and unseat as many people as possible.
"Swan! Help me!" Wood cried out.
"Can it, Wood!" I hissed watching Harry.
Not being able to take it anymore, I left my post and grabbed a club from the Slytherin team ready to help Fred and George. The Slytherin Beater yelled at me but I ignored him as I zoomed towards Harry. Lee Jordan told the crowd what was happening and the crowd gasped in shock, not like I care. Harry was in danger and he needed me.
I stopped next to Fred and held the club high, Harry ducked as me and Fred swung at the Bludger with all our might making it knock off course.
"That's done it!" Fred yelled happily but my eyes widened. He was wrong. The Bludger went after Harry again making Harry fly off in full speed.
"What the hell!" I yelled flying after them.
And to our luck, it had started to rain. I felt heavy drops fall onto my face but I didn't care. I was too lost in trying to help Harry that I lost where we were in the game until I heard Lee Jordan say, "Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero"
Ooopss. I guess me leaving Wood wasn't a good idea...
But, it seems like the Slytherin's brooms were clearly doing their jobs and whilst the Slytherin rejoiced, the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Harry out of the air. Me, Fred and George were now flying so close to Harry that I doubted that Harry could even see where the Snitch was.
"Someone's - tampered - with - this - Bludger," I grunted, swinging my bat with all my might as it launched a new attack on Harry.
"We need time out," George said, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger from breaking Harry's nose at the same time.
"It's no point!" I hissed. "Wood won't listen!"
But to my dismay, Wood had obviously got the message. I glared at him as Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and me, Harry, Fred, and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.
"Thanks for leaving me Bella!" Wood hissed as the Gryffindor team huddled together. "What's going on? We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?"
"Oh, I don't know, Wood," George said angrily. "We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry!"
"Someone's fixed it - it won't leave Harry alone, it hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it," I pull a shaking Harry into a tight hug.
"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then..." Wood said, clearly anxious.
Good! He should be!
Madam Hooch was walking towards us. Over my shoulder, I could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in Harry's direction. Screw you! I eat snakes for breakfast!
"Listen," Harry pulled away, as Hooch came closer and closer, "with you three flying round me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve," Harry said looking at me, Fred, and George. "Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."
"Don't be thick," Fred said. "It'll take your head off."
I nodded. "For once I agree with Fred, don't be dumb"
"But Wood needs you! Like he said, we're being flattened. It's just one Bludger. I can deal with it. We need to win," Harry says.
Wood was looking from Harry, to me then to Weasley's.
"Oliver, this is mad," Alicia Spinnet said angrily. "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry-"
"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" Harry said angrily. "And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a mad Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!"
"This is all your fault," I glared at wood. "'Get the Snitch or die trying' - such a stupid thing to tell him! You're lucky I haven't attacked you yet!"
Before Wood could respond, Madam Hooch joined us.
"Ready to resume play?" She asked Wood.
Wood sighed and looked at Harry's face. Harry looked determined and I tried not to groan, come on Wood! Don't be stupid and let him do this!
"All right," Wood said. "Bella, Fred, Geroge, you heard Harry - leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own. Bella, you aren't allowed to leave your post - I need you"
I groaned. The rain was falling more heavily now. On Madam Hooch's whistle, I kicked hard into the air and took my post again. My nerves were eating me alive, what's going to happen? Will Harry be alright? Who's done that to the Bludger? Why would someone want to attack Harry? The rest of the game was a blur to me, all I remember is dodging a Bludger, getting wet, being booed by the Slytherins when I stopped a Quaffle and cheering when we scored.
I looked up just in time to see Harry hurtling towards the ground, he looked as though he had passed out. I screamed in horror and the game stopped, without even waiting for anyone, I hurried down to the ground where Harry now lay face up.
"Harry!" I kneeled beside him. "Harry! Wake up! Come on, Potter!"
I shook him a few times as a crowd formed around us. To my utter dismay, Lockhart stood next to me and Harry came around.
"Oh, no." He moaned whilst I sighed in relief. I stroked his hair. "Not you"
He means Lockhart. Not me!
"Doesn't know what he's saying," Lockhart said loudly to the nervous crowd of Gryffindors around us. I rolled my eyes. "Not to worry Harry. I'm about to fix your arm"
His arm? What? I looked at his arm and it was bent at an odd angle. Yikes! What happened?
"No!" Harry yelled. "I'll keep it like this, thanks..."
He tried to sit up, but a flash of pain crossed his face. I stroked his head again and heard the familiar clicking noise nearby.
"I don't want a photo of this, Colin," Harry said loudly.
I groan. "Someone take his camera off him!"
"Lie back, Harry," Lockhart said. "It's a simple charm I've used countless of times"
"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" Harry said through gritted teeth.
I glared at Lockhart. "Yes, why can't he, Professor?"
"He really should, Professor," Said wood. "Great capture, Harry, really spactacular, your best yet, I'd say"
He caught the Snitch? We won? When did that happen!
I looked behind me to see Fred and George wrestling the Bludger into a box and to my horror, it was still putting up a fight. Damn, someone really wants to hurt Harry. That made me feel uneasy.
"Stand back," Lockhart said, rolling up his jade-green sleeves.
"No - don't" Harry said weakly, but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm.
I closed my eyes, not being able to watch. A gasp was heard throughout the crowd and I heard Colin snapping away on his camera. What had happened? What had Lockhart done? I opened my eyes and gasped in horror, Harry's arm didn't look like an arm anymore! It looked like it had been deflated!
"Ah," Lockhart said. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken-"
"Bones?" I hissed glaring at him. "There's no bones left!"
"But that's the thing to bear in mind," Lockhart grinned, "so Harry, just toddle up to the Hospital Wing - ah, Miss Swan, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley, would you escort him? - and Madam Pomfrey will be able to - er- tidy you up a bit"
FRAUD!
I helped to Harry to his feet and held onto him as he wobbled. He took a deep breath and looked at his right side even though I told him not to. Poking out at the end of his robes was what looked to be a thick, flesh coloured rubber glove. I could see him try and move his fingers but nothing had happened.
That's because Lockhart hadn't mended Harry's bones at all. Oh no, he had removed them.