FLIPPED - harry potter

• 10 - eagle versus lion

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| EAGLE VERSUS LION |

— "Your hair looks really good
up, you know?" —

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ALORA DIDN'T STOP TALKING TO HERMIONE LIKE HARRY AND RON DID, she knew that the girl only meant well, and was trying her best to protect her friends. But that didn't stop her from being annoyed at the girl, she had just gotten every Quidditch players dream — and it had been taken from her within two hours of her having it.

Ron was probably to most mad out of everyone, he was furious with Hermione — when the holidays had ended and the castle became crowed again, Wood had sough out Harry and Alora the night before term started.

"Had a good Christmas, you two?" he said, without receiving an answer he sat down and lowered his voice, "I've been doing some thinking over Christmas. . . Harry, after the last match, you know. If the Dementors come to the next one. . . I mean. . . we can't afford you to — well —"

Wood broke off, looking awkward.

"I'm working on it," said Harry quickly, "Professor Lupin said he'd train me to ward the Dementors off. We should be starting this week, he said he'd have some time after Christmas."

"Ah," said Wood, his expression clearing, "Well, in that case — I really didn't want to lose you as Seeker, Harry. And have you ordered a new broom yet?"

"No." said Harry,

"What!" Wood's voice broke, "You'd better get a move on, you know — you can't ride that Shooting Star against Ravenclaw!"

"He and Alora both got Firebolts for Christmas." Ron said.

"A Firebolt? No! Seriously? — A real Firebolt?"

"Yeah," Alora smiled, but then she remembered the neither her and Harry possessed their Firebolt anymore, "They were taken, though."

Harry explained all about how they were being checked for jinxes or anything dangerous.

"Jinxed? How could they be jinxed?"

"Sirius Black. ." said Harry quietly, "He's supposed to be after us. So McGonagall reckons he might have sent them."

Oliver Wood looked at them with furrowed brows, did he seem to care that a famous serial killer was after their thirteen year old Seeker and Chaser, clearly not. But he said, "But Black couldn't have bought a Firebolt! He's out on the run! The whole countries looking for him! How could he just walk into a Quality Quidditch Supplies and buy a broomstick?"

"I know." Harry said, "But McGonagall still wants to strip it down—"

Wood went pale.

"I'll go and talk to her," he said, "I'll make her see the reason. . . Firebolts. . . real Firebolts, on our team. . . she wants Gryffindor to win as much as we do. . . I'll make her see sense. Real Firebolts. . ."

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LESSONS STARTED AGAIN THAT DAY, the last thing anybody felt like doing was spending two hours in the grounds on a raw January morning — but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment. The first Divination lesson of the term however — was not so fun, Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry and Alora they had the shortest life-lines she'd never seen.