Harry stood in front of the Quidditch team without his uniform and looked the vice-captain straight in the eye as she glared at him. Jessica Toxton was a sixth year and a good tactician and Harry knew she could lead the team. Having all but passed out the previous day Harry had not been sure he could make the practice, but the second day did not seem to be so bad, and after a little persuading from Draco he had taken a nap in a free double lesson in the afternoon. Harry felt quite refreshed even though he had been dreading the team meeting all day.
"But it's not as if Malfoy is going to be on the other team," Jessica said pointedly, "why can't you play?"
"Because I'm not allowed to," Harry really didn't want to have to explain in detail and he had hoped that he would just be able to tell them. "You have no idea how much I want to play, but I can't."
"Spari is nowhere near the Seeker you are," the girl complained, "no offense Spari."
"None taken," the team's reserve Seeker said honestly; the girl had talent, but she was only a fourth year and she had had nowhere near the practice Harry had.
Harry sent a pleading look at Ron and Ginny to help him out, but neither seemed to have much idea what to do. This was getting them nowhere and, in a desperate attempt to finish one of the most painful conversations in his life, Harry kicked open the Quidditch box. He then pulled out the snitch and set it free.
"See that," he said as the enchanted object flitted around the team, and he lowered his barriers carefully.
Jessica looked at a loss to know what he was doing but nodded anyway. Harry held out his hand and connected with the magic in the snitch and it flew straight into his fingers.
"That's why I can't play," he pointed out firmly. "It's what's known in the business as an unfair advantage and put that together with the fact that, if I let it, the snitch glows like a neon sign, it's not exactly difficult for me to spot it."
The members of the team who were not privy to inside information just stared at him for a while.
"How the hell did you do that?" Jessica finally asked, her expression a little awed.
Harry realised unhappily that he was not going to get away without giving an explanation, so he went for the shortest one he could think of.
"Magic's attracted to me," he said, "all I had to do was connect to the right bit and the snitch came straight to my hand."
"Wow," was Jessica's concise opinion.
There was an awed silence for a moment and then reality made it back into the room.
"Oh hell, we'll never be ready in time, our first match is in less than a week and it's Slytherin," the girl bemoaned the team's fate.
"Well they'll have a new Seeker as well," Harry pointed out, not willing to be the cause of so much despondency. "Draco's not allowed to play either, even if they hadn't thrown him off the team and I'd be happy to help Spari with some intensive training sessions if you like. Oh, and she's welcome to borrow the Firebolt."
The vice-captain appeared slightly confused.
"But you're not allowed to play," she said slowly, and Harry realised his housemates were being a little too literal.
"Not allowed to play in competitive matches," he clarified quickly, "I can fly a broom like anyone else, although it might be a good idea to make sure I don't land on my head, Draco might get upset."
"Then why aren't you in your uniform?" Jessica asked pointedly. "You are still our Captain aren't you?"
"Well I didn't know if," he saw his vice-captain's face take on a look of disbelief and then harden, "what with everything, that you'd..." he trailed off. "I'll be right back," he decided quickly and, handing the snitch to Jessica, ran in the direction of Gryffindor tower.
YOU ARE READING
Gold Tinted Spectacles (Hecatemus Book #1)
Fanfiction(Drarry) Harry Potter is about to enter his seventh year, and things are not quite what he expected. He is no longer the angry boy who watched his world fall apart at the end of his fifth year, but neither has he completely found his place yet. He i...
