Taking Flight

16: Taking Flight



Harry awoke to Ron tugging on his arm and shaking him into awareness. Groggily looking around the room and taking in the dim light, he realized it was morning, very early morning. He was disoriented and shook his head to try and clear it. He hadn’t woken up again after lying down yesterday afternoon and had slept right through the night. After sleeping in his clothes, he had that rough, slightly unclean feeling of sleeping uncomfortably. Blearily, he looked at Ron in confusion and realized his friend was holding his glasses out to him.

“You must have been really wiped out. McGonagall told us not to disturb you, but I thought for sure that you’d be up by now. Sorry to wake you, but the team is meeting for an early breakfast before heading to the pitch,” Ron explained.

He didn’t tell Harry about his annoyance when he’d learned that Harry’d had a bad reaction to his Occlumency. Ron couldn’t understand what Dumbledore was thinking, putting Harry through the ringer the day before a Quidditch match. Hermione had lit into him for that comment and had refused to speak to him for most of the night over his insinuation that Quidditch was more important than keeping Voldemort out of Harry’s mind. Ron didn’t really think that; he knew the importance of Harry mastering Occlumency. Still, he didn’t think moving the lesson one day up or back would be a bad idea, either. This was the first match of the season, after all.

“McGonagall told you not to disturb me?” Harry asked, still struggling to piece together what happened.

“Yeah. She said Dumbledore told her you’d had a hard time with Occlumency. Sorry, mate, it must have been bad to lay you out like that. You okay?”

Harry nodded absently; obviously, they had to cover the fact Harry had been with Remus. His friends were still unaware of Harry’s extra Defense lessons.

“Jump in the shower and meet me downstairs. The team is all going down together. Show of solidarity, and all that.”

Harry could almost hear Ron’s annoyance over the condition he was in, so he quickly showered and joined the rest of the team in the common room. The shower perked him up, and the idea of playing in a game pushed all thoughts of what happened the previous day from his mind. He could find out what Dumbledore said about it later. He was excited and eager to play. After missing dinner last night, he was starving and didn’t think he’d have his usual problem with pre-game jitters today. He loaded his plate with flapjacks and bacon and began to devour it ravenously. Ginny shook her head at seeing Harry’s appetite nearly rivaling Ron’s. Hermione joined them not long after they started, and the rest of Great Hall began to fill up with other students. Neville walked in with Luna, each dressed in their own House colors. Neville joined them at the table. “Morning! Luna is going to sit with us at the match, Hermione, okay?”

“Of course, Neville. Doesn’t she want to sit with her own House today, though, since it is Ravenclaw we’re playing?”

“Nah, she doesn’t get on with them very well. They aren’t very nice to her.”

Harry remembered the end of last term when Luna’s ‘friends’ had hidden her things, and he felt a surge of annoyance toward the Ravenclaws. He really wanted to beat them today. Before Hermione could respond, however, two large barn owls swooped in carrying a long, thin package between them. It was quite obviously a broom. The owls swooped down and landed right in front of Ginny.

Her eyes flew open wide in shock, and she gently took the package with trembling hands. She looked up in confusion at Ron, who looked just as surprised as she did. Harry and Hermione had equally puzzled expressions on their faces.

“Well, don’t just sit there, open it,” Ron shouted, never being one to show restraint when it came to either presents or Quidditch.

Ginny pulled the card and began to read,

Ginny,

Congratulations on making the team! We knew you would and are very proud of you. Your father and I came across some extra funds, and we decided that with the war on, it should be used for the express purpose of living. Enjoy it, Ginny. Good luck to you, Ron, and Harry.

Love,

Mum and Dad

Ginny tore the paper off a brand new Cleansweep; it was just like Ron’s broom. She ran her hands lovingly over the handle and squealed in delight. “My very own broom. I’ve got my very own broom, and it’s not even a hand-me-down.”

“We are going to be unstoppable; there is no way we won’t beat Ravenclaw today,” Ron exclaimed. “When I sent Mum that letter I never expected this.”

“What letter?” Ginny asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Just my regular note to Mum. You know, the ‘I’m fine/We’re eating/Harry’s still not sleeping well’ letters. I happened to mention that you were using a school broom, and it was rubbish. I worried it would hurt our chances.”

“What do you mean, ‘would hurt our chances’?”

“What do you mean ‘Harry’s still not sleeping well’?” Both Ginny and Harry yelled in indignation at the same time.

Ron ignored them both. “Where do you suppose these ‘extra funds’ came from? Do you think it has anything to do with the Order?”

Harry, who knew perfectly well where the funds had come from but didn’t want to get into it with Ron, jumped up from his seat. “No time for that now; the team is leaving. Let’s go, game’s on.”

Harry quickly changed into his scarlet Quidditch robes and peered out at the crowd before Ron called the team together for his pre-game pep talk. In the rapidly filling stands, he could see not only Fred and George, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, as well. In fact, there were so many red heads in that particular section Harry wouldn’t be surprised if the whole Weasley family had come for the match. Harry suddenly found himself very nervous. He didn’t want to let Ron or Ginny down in front of their family; he hoped he hadn’t lost his touch in his long absence from playing.

Squinting to try and make out the faces, he realized Remus and Tonks were also there, seated with the Weasleys. Harry felt a surge of warmth flood his veins. They came to see me play. He knew that although all the Weasleys would cheer him on, they had really come to see Ginny’s first match as Chaser, and Ron’s first match as captain. That was how it should be. Remus and Tonks, however, had probably come for him. Harry remembered how Mrs. Weasley and Bill had touched him when they came to the Third Task of the TriWizard tournament to represent a family for him. He was so grateful to them for that. This was a similar kind of feeling now.

As a kid, Harry had never been allowed to attend Dudley’s football matches; he really had no particular desire to, anyway, other than curiosity about the sport. The Dursleys had always left him with Mrs. Figg or locked in his cupboard. He had always enjoyed watching the other families as they’d arrived either before or after a game, though. Aunt Petunia would set up little finger sandwiches and snacks as the families of Dudley’s mates gathered around and swapped stories of the game.

Watching them always left Harry with an odd, empty sort of feeling, and a strong longing for something he couldn’t name. Looking out now and seeing the faces of all those people he knew and cared for filled him with an intense joy and an overwhelming desire to win this game. This is what it was like for Dudley and his friends to have family come and root for them. It felt good!

“Oy, Harry, over here,” he heard Ron call and forced his mind out of the past and onto the present. Harry made his way over and sat on the bench between Ginny and Jack Sloper with the rest of the team.

“Gather round, team; this is how it’s going to be.” Ron seemed to be a natural, standing up in front of his team. He strode back and forth with a confidence he didn’t usually possess. Ron was in his element when it came to Quidditch, and Harry was forcibly reminded that he made the right decision in refusing the captain’s spot. Ron was much better at this than Harry ever would have been . I could never get up there and give this speech , Harry thought, not considering that he had done it with the DA for over a year now.

“Here’s how it is,” Ron said. “We’ve got great conditions out there. Not a cloud in the sky, and the temperature is chilly without being uncomfortable. You know what you have to do. Go out there and fly just like we did in practice. I don’t need to tell you we need to hold on to that Quidditch Cup. We don’t want to have to face McGonagall if she doesn’t get to keep it in her office next year. This is Game One; it sets the tone for the year. Andrew, Jack, wallop those Bludgers into anything that moves. Katie, Ginny, Holly, score a lot — as many goals and as often as you can. Harry, catch the Snitch,” Ron said, flashing Harry a sly grin, “or die trying.”

Harry grinned in return. The last person to say that to him was Oliver Wood, the team’s former Quidditch-obsessed captain. Harry had ended up in the Hospital Wing missing all the bones in his arm. He hoped this game would have a less painful ending.

As they made their way onto the pitch, Harry could see by the line-up of blue robes that the Ravenclaw team was already on the pitch. He heard the tail end of the announcement for Gryffindor’s line-up, “Bell, Kirke, Potter, Proctor, Sloper, Weasley, and Weasley!”

He took his place opposite Cho, who flashed him a huge smile. He nodded and gave her a small smile in return.

Madam Hooch had Ron and Roger Davies, the captain of the Ravenclaw team, shake hands, and then she yelled, “Mount…Your…Brooms.” As she blew her whistle, Harry kicked off the ground and rose like a shot into the air. He soared back and forth the length of the pitch as the other players moved into place. Squinting against the glaring sun, he began his search for the Snitch.

Luke Donovan, a Hufflepuff fourth-year, had taken over the commentary duties for Lee Jordan, who had finished at Hogwart’s with the twins’ class the year before. Harry missed Lee’s often biased, but always colorful, descriptions of the play. Luke was more impartial, but the combination of his lack of enthusiasm with his monotonous voice tended to make him sound more like a drone.

“Gryffindor in possession, new Chaser Holly Proctor heading for goal…”

Harry noticed that Cho used her usual game strategy of tailing him rather than looking for the Snitch herself. Putting on a burst of speed, he decided to make her work for it, at least.

He dodged a Bludger that went speeding past him, then swerved out of the way of Andrew Kirke, who was chasing it. From the corner of his eye, he saw Cho dive towards the ground. He searched frantically for the elusive Golden Snitch but couldn’t see it. He suspected Cho was having him on but was afraid to blow it in front of all the Weasleys. He followed Cho in her dive but then decided to follow his own instincts and pulled out, shooting for the opposite end of the pitch.

Sure enough, when Cho thought he’d spotted the Snitch, she dropped her ruse and sped after him. Harry dove sharply towards the ground, hearing the startled gasps from the crowd. He pulled out of the dive at the last second, but Cho wasn’t as lucky and struggled desperately to control her broom. She hit the ground with a thud but quickly remounted and got back into the air. The smile was gone from her face as she glared at Harry and rose up to continue her search.

“Gryffindor’s Potter just demonstrated an excellent example of the Wronski Feint,” the monotone voice of Luke Donovan announced.

“Nice one, Harry,” Katie yelled, speeding past him with the Quaffle clutched tightly under her arm.

The game continued on, morning moving into afternoon. The score had been kept low and fairly even, mostly due to the excellent work by the Keepers on each team.

By late afternoon, all the players were beginning to show signs of fatigue, with still no sign of the Snitch. Harry was frustrated but tried to keep his focus on finding the Snitch, not on the ache in his lower back.

Ginny, Katie, and Holly all looked a bit worn. They’d been playing hard with little payoff, and both teams were getting a little sloppy.

Harry watched as Ginny caught the Quaffle from Holly and raced towards the Ravenclaw hoops. Her brow was furrowed; she was concentrating intently on getting past their excellent Keeper and didn’t notice the zooming Bludger sent directly at her by one of the Ravenclaw Beaters.

Without thinking, Harry launched his broom into the path of the oncoming Bludger and stuck out his arm, trying to divert it from hitting her. He seemed to forget that a Bludger is much bigger and heavier than the Snitch, and the force of it spun Harry around 180 degrees as he felt a searing pain shoot up his arm.

In the meantime, Ginny had managed to score, still unaware of the commotion going on behind her. Ron started to call a time-out but Harry waved, letting him know he was all right. Ron failed to realize that Harry had waved with his left arm, because he didn’t think he could lift the right. Clenching his teeth against the agony pulsing up his wrist, arm, and into his shoulder, Harry continued searching for the little flutter of gold.

The afternoon wore on; the game had gone past lunch, past afternoon tea, and was now encroaching on the dinner hour. It was the longest game Hogwarts had seen in some time. The autumn sky was growing darker, and the air much chillier than it had been mid-afternoon.

Harry’s pain settled into a dull throb, and, eventually, his wrist had gone numb. It remained that way until he tried to move it. Each simple movement would send a new wave of agony cascading over him. Harry quickly decided it was better not to move it at all, and his arm hung limp across his broom. This left him only one good arm to fly with and catch the Snitch.

As his eyes scanned the darkening pitch once more, he saw it…a tiny glimmer of gold lying on the sidelines not far from where he was flying. Trying not to arouse Cho’s awareness, he floated gently towards the ground, keeping his eyes sharply focused on the prize. When he was near enough, seeing that Cho still hadn’t followed, he launched himself towards the Snitch and reached out his left hand, balancing with only his legs.

He grabbed the Snitch before Cho even realized it had been seen. He was nearly on the ground when he’d captured it, so he jumped off his broom and shot the clenched Snitch into the air.

“Harry Potter’s got the Snitch. Gryffindor wins.”

The stands erupted with a roar, and his teammates swooped down to congratulate him. Harry could see Cho Chang glaring venomously at him with none of the sweetness she’d shown at the beginning of the match. It was only as Katie threw herself on him, and he flinched in pain, that his teammates realized he was really hurt.

Madam Hooch pulled him from their embrace and looked him over. “You need to see Madam Pomfrey, Potter.” Harry nodded his agreement and prepared to leave, not wanting to ruin the victory moment for Ron; he had worked hard for this and deserved the time to lap up the praise and admiration from his family and teammates. Harry quietly made his way off the pitch, smiling at the nods and acknowledgements he received as he went.

Madam Pomfrey set his broken wrist, relieving the pain instantly, but told him he had to stay in a bed for an hour until the potion finished its healing. He felt dirty and sweaty, not to mention starving, but knew there was no use arguing with the woman. He plopped himself down on an empty bed and shut his eyes, allowing the adrenaline to drain from his system.

He’d been there for about a half-hour when the door burst open, and all the Weasleys, Hermione, Remus, and Tonks bustled in.

“Harry,” Mrs. Weasley said, fussing with the bed covers, “are you all right, dear? Madam Hooch said you were injured.”

“I’m fine, Mrs. Weasley – just a broken wrist. Madam Pomfrey already set it.”

“You broke your wrist,” Ginny exclaimed, “and you continued playing all that time? What were you thinking, Harry?”

Ron, who was obviously still basking in the glory of the win, cast an amused, yet incredulous, glance at his friend. “Did you actually think you could just catch a Bludger?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It was aimed right at you, just as you were about to score,” Harry said to Ginny. “You didn’t see it.”

“So why didn’t you just shout at me to look out?”

Harry opened his mouth to retort but was stumped. Why didn’t I just tell her to watch out? Because it hadn’t occurred to him, that’s why. He saw the Bludger and he acted. He felt the color rise to his face; this was his ‘love of playing the hero’ showing itself again. At least, this time, no one was hurt.

Ginny noticed the bewildered look on his face and knew what was going on his head. Shaking her head, she grinned at him; it was so typically Harry.

“Nice game anyway, Harry,” Remus said, smiling and trying to rescue Harry from his discomfort. “I thought we’d be here well into the night at the rate things were going.”

“Wotcher, Harry,” Tonks grinned. “Catching a Bludger in your hand. That’s a new one on me.”

Fred and George were bouncing around the hospital wing, unable to contain their enthusiasm. “Great catch, Harry. Cho never even saw you going for it,” George exclaimed. “She was right ticked off about it, too.”

“Angelina is here, too. She went up to the common room with Katie,” Fred added.

“I have to stay for another twenty minutes, then I can join you up there,” Harry told them.

Mrs. Weasley leaned over and kissed him on the head. “We have to get back, Harry. Do what Madam Pomfrey tells you and take care of yourself.”

She turned to kiss Ron and Ginny good-bye as Mr. Weasley, Remus, and Tonks all shook Harry’s hand and said their good-byes.

Fred leaned over Harry and said conspiratorially, “George, Ange, and I are staying for the victory celebration. We’ve brought some things to get the party started off right.”

Harry grinned and nodded at Fred, then schooled his features, noticing a suspicious glance from Hermione.

“We’ll see you upstairs, Harry,” yelled George, as he and Fred followed the adults from the hospital wing.

“We’d better go, too, Ron,” Hermione said. “I want to keep an eye on those brothers of yours.”

Ron shrugged. “You’ll be okay?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be up shortly.”

Ginny gave him a small smile and mouthed, “Thanks, Harry,” as she followed Ron and Hermione from the room.

Harry leaned back on his pillows and grinned broadly . This party should be a good one .
______________________________________

A/N:
My son has been very taken with the Playstation game Quidditch World Cup (which he gave me for my birthday). He’s really interested in Quidditch and I’ve been getting such a kick listening to him. He knows so much about it, it’s scary. In the game, Oliver Wood is still captain but I told him next book, either Ron, Harry, or maybe Katie Bell would be the new captain and why I thought it would be Ron. You know what he said? He said, yeah, Harry is too busy. He has a lot of jobs like catching the Snitch and beating Voldemort. He said it in that order, too. Poor Harry!

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