The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.
Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, no idea how that happened.......Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved us from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. she had conjured us up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. we were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard.Unfortunately, something about our guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.
"What's that you've got there, Potter?"
It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry showed him.
"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."
"git" I muttered under my breath
"He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"
"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.
The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.and I was reading a book I had already finished, I checked the time "I better go" I announced "What? to meet your friend?" harry spat. "Yes. Bye guys!"
I climbed up to the astronomy tower, "Hey" I called
"Hey" smiled draco "How are you"
"Oh perfectly fine. What about you?"
'great And god..those weasly twins...did you know they dyed that git Flint's hair orange?"
"I helped them do it actually"
"Wow....Ems, you get more awesome by the minuet."
My laugh was cut short......there was a voice in my head other than my own 'Kill...you must kill them both...they must die.......'
My blood drained from my face as an incredible pain shot to my scar, I cried in pain messaging my scar as I fell to the ground. Draco was there in a second , helping me up.
"What' s up?" He asked, grey eyes clouding with concern
"scar" I mumble
"Does it pain often?"
"not really......"
"Do you want to go to the hospital wing?"
"N-no...I 'm fine just....I...."
"Need rest"he finished "Can you stand.
"Of course!"
not..... I could barely wobble 5 steps without collapsing.
"No you can't" said draco, scooping me up "Wow, you're light........i'll take you to your domitory." So he did, Hermione had to wait for me out didn't she? She raised an eyebrow at my blushing face...she grinned as well. 'wipe that smirk off your face granger' I thought. "Ems, you OK? " She asked with genuine concern, she acknoledged draco "Malfoy"
"Granger" Both their voices had a certain sneer in them but I let it slide. Draco put me down, Hermione grabbed my arms and supported me. "What happened?" "Her scar started hurting" "What?" "Yeah.....Thanks Draco" "Feel better Ems!!" Hermione supported me to the common room , where harry and ron were still working. Ron spotted me first. "Bloody hell....Ems....what happened?" Harry jerked his head up, was up in a second helping me into a chair. "Did malfoy do this?" he asked sharply. "No. He helped me get here actually" "Helped how?" asked Harry suspiciously.
"Er.......supported my arms ....."
"Right" drawled Hermione, smirking "Is that what we're calling it now?" I shot her a dirty look. "Seriously though" I said turning back to Harry "I'm fine....."
"Emma-"
"I swear, I'm fine OK?"
Emma Lilith Potter" He said, voice deadly low and cold "I know your lying so will you tell me or do I have find out myself?"I sighed
"My scar hurt"
"What? B-but mine didn't isn't that supposed to happen to the both of us?"
"I dunno......"
"Well you need rest so.....Good night"
"G'night...we'll talk later" I jumped to my feet, "hey! I can stand!"
Ron looked me dead in the eye "are you sure you're OK?" he asked "Yup!"
"K....G'night Ems" "G'night Ron"
I fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow...my nightmares filled with flashes of green light.
***
By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes. "Good luck" I whispered hugging him.
MeRon and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, we painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Potter for President, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Me and Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.
The match began
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor -- what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too--"
"JORDAN!"
"Sorry, Professor."
The Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve -- back to Johnson and -- no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes -- Flint flying like an eagle up there -- he's going to sc -- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle -- that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and -- OUCH -- that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger -- Quaffle taken by the Slytherins -- that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger -- sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which -- nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes -- she's really flying -- dodges a speeding Bludger -- the goal posts are ahead -- come on, now, Angelina -- Keeper Bletchley dives -- misses -- GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"
Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.
"Budge up there, move along."
"Hagrid!" Me ron and Hermione squeezed together so that Hagrid could join us."Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"
"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."
"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry.I couldn't agree more
Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch.and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.
I sighed in relief
"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the -- wait a moment -- was that the Snitch?"
A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.
Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch -- all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.
Harry was faster than Higgs -- he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead -- he put on an extra spurt of speed --
WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below -- Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.
"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.
"GIT" I yelled "DO THAT AGAIN TO MY BROTHER. I DARE YOU"
Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.
Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.
"So -- after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating--"
"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul..."
"Jordan, I'm warning you--"
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."
It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch.
I close my eyes and when I open them..he is danging for dearlife,"Oh god" I mutter. "W-whats happening?" "Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.
"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic -- no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."
At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.
"What are you doing?" moaned Ron, gray-faced.
"I knew it," Hermione gasped, "Snape -- look."
I snatched the binoculours and saw snape not breaking eye contact and muttering under his breath "He's doing something -- jinxing the broom," said Hermione.
"What should we do?"
"Leave it to me."
Before me or Ron could say anything Hermione had disappeared. Ron turned the binoculars back on Harry. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Weasleys flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing. Harry slowly lost his grip on his broom. "NO" I scream "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA"
My drawn wand helps my brother have a steady grip on his broom. But no one is looking at him they are looking at me Student, teachers alike. "bloody Hell Emma" Muttered Ron"How-?"
"No time for question Ron"Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.
Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick -- he hit the field on all fours -- coughed -- and something gold fell into his hand.
"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.
"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference -- Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results -- Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. After that I caught snapes eye and again the voice filled my head 'Kill them.....thats all I asked...WHY DIDN'T YOU DO IT?' Then before my eyes I saw a flash of green light and heard a distant scream, I swayed on the spot.
Hermione was jumping up and down...my vision went hazy. "Oh this is amazing!!! Right Ems? Emma? Emma!!!"
"What's wrong with-Bloddy Hell! Ems" This was Ron--I think..
"Ems!! What the hell is happening? Are you OK?"
"Go away Malfoy!"
"You're not her only friend weasly!"
"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP"
"Should we get Harry?"
"It might take too much time if we--Professor! Professor, Emma!"
"What is it, Mal- Ms. Potter!"
Then everything went black