Hogwarts is my Home

Chapter 26: Quidditch, yay! (CS CH 10)

I was not excited for the Quidditch game on Saturday. Sure, my teammates were being super supportive of me, but the captain wasn't.

Oliver was still angry that I didn't want to be his girlfriend, and was persistent that I only make passes.

The night before, Alicia and Katie- the two other Chasers- sat next to me in the Gryffindor common room. 

Alicia looked around quickly before saying, "Okay, he's not here."

"We think Wood's plan is shit. You should be allowed to score points, too."

"So, we're not gonna score any." My eyes widened at Alicia's words.

"What?" was all I could get myself to say.

"That's right," Katie agreed. "We're just gonna pass the ball back and forth between the three of us, and hopefully Oliver will realise we're protesting." She crossed her arms and leaned back into the couch cushions.

I was conflicted. On one hand, I'd love to see Oliver angry as hell, but on the other, we'd be throwing a perfectly good game. "All right, I'm in."

"Yes!"

It was rainy and muggy- not good Quidditch conditions. This didn't bring Oliver's spirits down, though. 

"Slytherin has better brooms than us, 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. We're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, but his way onto their team." He 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. We've got to win today, we've got to."

"No pressure, Harry," Fred spoke next to me, winking.

With the plan Alicia and Katie made in my mind, I aimlessly flew around and did nothing while they passed the ball back and forth.

"Someone's- tampered- with- this- Bludger," Fred grunted when I flew past. 

"We need a time out." George signalled to Wood. 

We all landed and huddled up.

"What's going on? Slytherin's beating us 60 to zero," Fred said.

"If only somebody could score some points, girls," Oliver said in our direction.

"Katie and I aren't going to be making goals until Toni's allowed to," Alicia said bravely. 

Oliver scoffed. "Now is not the time to play games," George said angrily. "Fred and I are chasing that Bludger around, trying to stop it from murdering Harry. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game, the Slytherins must've done something to it." I grabbed onto Harry's left arm.

"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practise, and there was nothing wrong with them then..." Oliver was anxious.

"Listen, with you two flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."

"Don't be thick, it'll take your head off," Fred said.

"Oliver, this is insane!" I shouted. "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! And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!" I couldn't believe what he was saying.

"This is all your fault," George said angrily to Oliver. "Get the Snitch or die trying what a stupid thing to say."

Madam Hooch was now standing behind us. "Ready to resume play?"

Wood looked at Harry and said, "All right, Fred, George, you heard Harry-  leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own."

"What?! No! He'll die."

"We don't have time for this, Toni."

"Whatever." As we all flew back up into the air, I followed Harry, ignoring Oliver's outraged attempts at getting to go in literally any other direction. 

"Toni, what are you doing?" Harry asked me.

"Helping keep you alive."

Harry saw the Snitch, and reached out to grab it. The bludger hit him straight in the arm, broke it for sure.

He flew so low to get it, that he flipped his broom over and landed on the grass. "I caught it!" he yelled as I landed. 

"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! Gryffindor wins!"

Several people rushed onto the field as the Bludger was still trying to kill Harry. Hermione ran over with her wand out and screamed, "Finite Incantatem!" The Bludger exploded.

Harry was holding onto his left arm. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I think it's broken."

"Not to worry, I'll fix it," Lockhart's arrogant voice spoke, now standing over Harry and I.

"No, not you. Anyone but you."

"The boy doesn't know what he's saying." Harry winced as Lockhart rolled up his sleeve. "This won't hurt a bit." He took his wand out and spoke the incantation, "Brackium Emendo!" I watched as Harry's arm went limp- like all the bones had disappeared. I had to cover my mouth to stop myself from being sick. Several people groaned in disgust as Lockhart held up his arm. "Yes, well that can sometimes happen. But the point is, uh... You can no longer feel any pain. And very clearly the bones are no longer broken."

"Broken? There's no bones left," Hagrid grumbled.

"I'm taking him to Madam Pomfrey," I announced.

"Good idea," Ron said.

I helped Harry stand to his feet and we started toward the castle, with everyone slowly following us.

"You should have brought him to me," she told me. 

"I wanted to, but Lockhart-"

"Enough said." She walked into the adjoining room and returned holding a white bottle with a skeleton guy on top. "I can mend bones in a heartbeat, but growing them back?"

"You will be able to, right?"

"Oh, I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful." She poured some of the liquid into a cup and gave it to Harry. "You're in for a rough night, Potter. Regrowing bones is a nasty business."

Harry took a sip of the drink and spit it out. "Well, what do you expect, pumpkin juice?"

Damn near everyone in the whole school had visited him. I stayed with him the whole day until Madam Pomfrey said visiting hours are over.

"Are you gonna be okay without me?" I asked.

"No, but I'll try."

I leaned down and kissed his forehead softly. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Once I reached the doors, Harry blurted out, "Toni, I like you."

I turned around and smiled. "Cool. Goodnight."

I plopped down in my bed. Why was it so difficult for me to accept the fact that I liked him, too. Two years is nothing! What was wrong with me?