"He looks a bit peaky, doesn't he?" Ron whispered. The entire quidditch team stood over Harry, pale, wide-eyed, and shaky. He had just fallen almost a hundred feet, Madam Pomfrey was mumbling how he was lucky to be alive.
"Peaky?" Fred demanded, glancing at his younger brother.
"What do you expect?" George shook his head, annoyed.
"He fell over one hundred feet."
"Let's walk you off a tower and see what you look like."
"Probably a right sight better than he normally does," Harry muttered, opening his eyes. Tori felt a wave of relief float over her.
"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life." She told him, rubbing her arm repeatedly. Her eyes were red and tired and she was positive she pulled something while catching Harry, but it wasn't important.
"Scariest..." Angelina shuddered.
"How're you feeling?" Fred said, who looked extremely white underneath the mud. "What happened?" Harry asked, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped
"You fell off," Fred said. "Dumbledore managed to slow you down. Lay back down, mate."
"We thought you'd died," Tori's voice was hardly a whisper, she was still shaking. "But the match," Harry said. "What happened? Are we having a replay?"
No one said anything.
"We didn't— lose?"
"Diggory got the Snitch," George sighed. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a re-match. But they won fair and square... even Wood admits it."
"Where is Wood?" Harry asked suddenly realizing he wasn't there. "Still in the showers," Fred replied. "We think he's trying to drown himself."
Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly. "C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."
"There had to be one time you didn't get it," George replied. "Besides, you're alive."
"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."
"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," George pointed out.
"But if they beat Ravenclaw..."
"No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff..."
"It all depends on the points— a margin of a hundred either way—"
Harry lay there, not saying a word. Tori elbowed Fred in the gut with her good arm, glancing at Harry with a glare. The twins immediately stopped, looking sheepish.
After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave him in peace.
"We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself up, Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had."
"Miss Silvers? I want to check your arm out." Madam Pomfrey called. Angelina patted her on the back, "See you later." Tori took a seat on an empty bed, leaving mud behind. Madam Pomfrey glanced at all the mud and scowled.
"What happened to your arm?" Harry asked her, Tori made awkward eye contact with Hermione. "Nothing, just a bad pass." She lied, taking a vital from the nurse. It tasted like pumpkin juice and she could almost immediately feel her muscles relax. Tori drank the whole thing, doing as Madam Pomfrey instructed. Her shoulder hurt like hell, but she didn't want to complain.
"Did someone get my Nimbus?" Harry asked, glancing between Ron and Hermione. They looked quickly at each other. "Er—"
"What?" Harry said, looking from one to the other. "Well... when you fell off, it got blown away," Hermione said hesitantly.
"And?"
"And it hit – it hit – oh, Harry – it hit the Whomping Willow."
Tori bit her lip as Madam Pomfrey handed her another vial. The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree that stood alone in the middle of the grounds.
"And?" Harry said, Tori could hear the dread in his voice.
"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It— it doesn't like being hit."
"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came round," said Hermione in a very small voice. Tori felt very uncomfortable and hoped to get out of there quickly.
Slowly, Hermione reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside-down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed, the only remains of Harry's faithful, finally beaten broomstick.
✧ ✦ ✧
Madam Pomfrey kept Harry in the Hospital Wing for the entire rest of the weekend. Tori had gone to visit him several times with the team and Ginny. Wood even came on Sunday, though he spent most of the time brooding over their defeat.
Tori visited him with Hermione and Ron Monday morning before breakfast. Harry was now sitting upright, dangling his legs off the bed. Tori took her usual seat. He seemed to be in a much better mood than the previous day.
"Hey." Harry greeted her. Tori looked at him cheerfully. "Hey! You're getting out today! How ya feeling?"
"Uh, Better. I, uh, wanted to... thank you,"
Tori tilted her head confused, "For what?"
"Saving me. Hermione told me what actually happened to your arm." Tori through Hermione a look. The third-year only shrugged, crossing her arms stubbornly. "Thank you," Harry said.
Tori smiled, shrugging. "It's not that big of a deal. Dumbledore was the one who was slowing you down, or I wouldn't have been able to grab you."
"Still,"
"Well, you're welcome. Besides, I like you and we need you, Wood would throw a fit if you died."
They laughed and Madam Pomfrey came over to do any final check-ups on him. Tori took another pumpkin juice flavored vile for her shoulder and then bid the trio a farewell. She made her way down towards the Great Hall.
Avalon Silvers, her older brother, was standing at the entranceway looking for someone. He spotted Tori and clenched his jaw like he was debating whenever he should say something. He decided to.
"How's your arm?" He asked, glancing at her shoulder. Tori blinked a few times before shrugging. "Fine. How's Malfoy's?"
"Better." The two stood in an uncomfortable silence and Tori decided she had enough, she proceeded to enter the Great Hall but, Avalon called out to her.
"You could've gotten really hurt."
Tori glanced over her shoulder. She shrugged once again, "That's Quidditch for you."
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