The Unknown: A Harry Potter Story

Chapter 19: Revelation

Hermione returned the day before term started and was not very happy with them. She was horrified that they had been out at night and disappointed that they hadn't found out who Nicolas Flamel was. As classes continued they returned to skimming books in the library for his name during breaks, but it was normally just Hermione and Ron, as Jason and Harry were busy with quidditch practice.

Wood was working the team harder than ever. He was so serious about winning the Quidditch cup that even the endless rain that replaced the snow didn't dampen his spirits. The Weasleys complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic, but the rest of the team was willing to go along with Wood's training schedule. Adding to their excitement, was that if they beat Hufflepuff in their next match they would overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in the last seven years.

During their last practice session, a particularly wet and muddy one, Wood gave the team some bad news. He was yelling at the Weasleys, who kept dive-bombing each other and pretending to fall off their brooms.

"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That behavior will lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, he'll take any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

George actually fell off his broom at that.

"Snape's refereeing?" he spluttered as he spit out a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

"It's not my fault," Wood told them as the whole team landed to complain. "We have to play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."

At the end of practice, the team normally hung around to talk, but after Harry gave Jason a troubling look, they both lead staring for the Gryffindor common room. When they got there they found Ron and Hermione playing chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at.

"Don't talk to me for a moment," Ron told them when they sat down next to him and Hermione. "I need to concen -" Ron stopped when he saw Harry's face. "What's the matter with you? You look terrible."

Harry and Jason quickly whispered the news to Ron and Hermione.

"Don't play," Hermione told Harry as they finished talking.

"Say you're ill," Ron advised.

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.

"Really break your leg," Ron added.

"There isn't a reserve Seeker," Harry told them. "If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all."

"You're gonna have to play," Jason chipped in. "But we're gonna need a plan in case Snape tries something."

At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he got through the portrait hole was beyond Jason, because his legs were stuck together with the Leg-Locker Curse. Jason had to fight his laughter as he imagined Neville bunny hopping all the way up to Gryffindor Tower.

Jason wasn't the only one who found it funny, as everyone in the room, except for Hermione, fell over laughing. Hermione leaped up and performed the countercurse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling.

"What happened?" Hermione asked as she motioned to Jason, the two of them helped Neville up and led him to where Harry and Ron still sat.

"Malfoy," Neville said shakily. "I ran into him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on." Malfoy had been getting more aggressive with his bullying ever since Jason and Quinn confronted him and got him to leave Frederick alone.