The Gifted Curse

Chapter 3 - Revelations

Today was the day. The one Geneva had been looking forward to all week, despite the anxiety, as she put on her robe, tightened her ponytail, grabbed her Firebolt and strode out toward the Quidditch pitch.

Try out day, at last.

Homework done, essays handed in without complaint. Finally! Geneva's grade was up and she could now focus on what she loved the best. She'd be lying to herself if she hadn't thought about Professor Snape, since detention. Some nights she lay awake, furious at herself for thinking about it, which resulted in a feeling of repulsion and hatred toward the man, though at times she felt she was forcing herself to feel it. Dammit, why couldn't she erase the feeling of his hand on her waist? Why...well because it was so unlike him.

He was there. In the stands - her head of house along with Lucius, Draco's father, and at least thirty five Slytherins, including Orah and Sophia, who had made their way into the stands to watch the team battle against each other to become Seeker. Instead of having a seeker from two opposing teams, each Slytherin member had their turn against another player whilst bludgers attempted to knock them from their brooms. It was a battle of agility and speed. The person who caught the snitch in the shortest space of time would be the one to take the title.

With fierce skills and fire in her veins, Geneva made it right down to the last two potential seekers – herself and Draco Malfoy.

For someone in the same house, Draco always bore a permanent scowl on his face whenever he came into contact with Geneva. He felt she possessed none of the qualities of a Slytherin. Nothing about his expression was any different today as they stood before each other about to begin.

"Good luck," Geneva bid him with decency, imagining a bludger pounding him in the face.

"Yeah, you're gonna need it Azur."

Madame Hooch blew the whistle and Geneva pushed off hard from the ground, soaring high into the blue sky in search of the snitch, her long tied curly hair whipping behind her. She saw it after only a few seconds and bolted straight for it, Draco at her tail, yelling obscenities, occasionally knocking into her broom. The cold air was painful on her chest as she flew against it, but she was fired up with all her might. Determined, she dipped and dodged bludgers, weaving around Malfoy, focussed solely on the glittering golden ball that was now ascending with vigour.

She bolted into the blue, defeating the cold air – up, up, higher... The sound of Draco's obscenities muffled out behind her with the belting wind as she leant forward, her arm outstretched, hand prized wide and yes...she could almost reach it! Geneva tensed, growling in determination "Come on!!"

Then...everything went black.

                                                                               <O><O><O>

Geneva's eyes fluttered enough to be awake, but not enough to open fully to see anything in front of her. Colours were blurred as though she were drugged; her eyeballs rolling around behind her lids, her body, weak yet weighed. Not knowing where she was or what was happening, her heart raced in fear. She attempted to move, but a searing pain shot right through the base of her spine to the top of her neck, rendering her in screaming alarm.

"It's ok, its okay..." came a reassuring voice of a woman. A soothing hand was placed upon her brow, stroking back her damp hair. Geneva's eyes had less clarity than before and were now flooding with tears.

"It's Madame Pomfrey, dear. You're in the hospital wing. You had a bad encounter with a bludger playing Quidditch."

Geneva was desperate to speak, but she was breathless after the pain that ripped through her body. Words failed her.

"You just rest, we'll have you on the mend, don't you worry."

Her coaxing hand stayed for a moment longer, and then Geneva must have fallen back to sleep, because when she awoke, Madame Pomfrey had disappeared. As Geneva came around from her slumber, she felt exhausted as though her body were made from tonne lead. It was difficult to breath, causing her to stir in distress and have to focus manually on inhaling and exhaling. Her eyes flitted as they had before, not quite opening fully. She could just about make out four figures standing at the foot of her bed, but had no idea who they were until they spoke, and even then their voices seemed distant as though she were dreaming, or perhaps having a vision. She couldn't tell.

It was Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey.

"It was quite a fall I understand," confirmed Madame Pomfrey, with a sincere quake in her voice. "The bludger fractured many parts of her spine. I've got plenty of Skele-grow, but it'll be a long process."

"This will ensure a much quicker healing," came Professor Snape's voice, undoubtedly.

"How did you produce this potion so promptly, Severus?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"I understand he has been working meticulouslyover the past few days to charm and speed up the process Minerva," answered Dumbledore.

"Very good of you," she praised. "Are we awarewhat caused this bludger to fly so ferociously? It must have been travelling thrice the speed to cause something like this."

"Miss Azur rides a Firebolt," Professor Snape reminded Professor McGongall – "Perhaps the bludger is not at fault when theFirebolt is clearly the fastest broom available to students, and if I may say,Azur is an exceptional flyer. One should not overlook the possibility of acollision through her own acceleration. Maybe she simply had a sense of...misdirection."

"How very sad," tutted Madame Pomfrey.

Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore alike werein agreement with Professor Snape.

"Well thank you Madam Pomfrey," said Professor McGonagall. "...for taking care of out student. Professor Snape..." The figures were now leaving the bed side, and Geneva started to see them more clearly.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight Professors."

Geneva remained in the hospital wing for a week,visited by Orah, and other members of the Slytherin Quidditch team, even Pansy Parkinson, which was surprising as she wasn't the nicest or most compassionate of girls. Geneva figured she probably just wanted to poke her nose in. Draco Malfoy also never showed. Geneva could hardly imagine him bringing her a chocolate frog and a get well balloon, with the sneer he gave her before the snitch had been released.

"Congratulations by the way. You're the new seeker!" beamed Orah.

"What?"Geneva gasped, before wincing in pain at her sudden movement. "Aoaw."

"You caught the snitch! You're the new seeker!"

Geneva smiled wide, pushing her head back intoher pillow. "I can't believe it. What was my time?"

"Four minutes twenty three seconds!"

"Before you hurled to the ground and were unconscious..." Orah added. "Professor Snape took you to the hospital wing."

Geneva's gut pulled upon hearing his name. He'd also provided her with a healing potion. Any words her Quidditch team spoke there after became inaudible with her racing thoughts. Anyone could have taken her to the hospital wing – A student, Madame Hooch, but no, it was him.