Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Harry Potter and the Bad Wish ❯ Magic Days and Ways ( Chapter 18 )

Chapter 18: Magic Days and Ways

 

 

Now that spring had come Quidditch training had resumed. After losing two games in a row, in the same season, and with him as Captain, Harry wanted no problems this game. “Come on Neville, have to be a little faster on blocking the Bludgers, every second gives us an advantage.”

 

“I know I know I'm trying Harry.” Neville was running himself ragged, he had been doing a Beater training round for nearly twenty minutes, in the Room of Requirements.

 

“Good, Slytherin sucks, even more then what they usually do, but we can't let that go to our heads. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff are undefeated, they will play each other this weekend, while us and Slytherin, two teams who haven't won a game this season, will be playing against each other. And while it is a long shot we still have a chance to win the Cup!” Harry flies his broom over to where the Chasers and Keepers are. It is five Chasers against two Keepers to get everyone on the team training. “How's it going over here?”

 

“Monica is starting to tire out, Jim isn't as good as she is and she is trying to help him.” Ginny was trying to be nice, not play as well as she could, but the other four Chasers were wearing the two Keepers out.

 

“Ok everyone break for five minutes, no point in getting injured before the game.” The Gryffindor Quidditch team flies down to the stands and sit, taking a much needed rest.

 

“Gee Harry worried about this next game?” Ginny laughs, she was starting to be glad she had lost the bet or she would be the Captain of the worse Gryffindor team in over fifty years.

 

“Of course I am I worried about all the games.” Harry didn't appreciate the jokes, or humor, it was getting to him that his first year as Captain might be his last, no way the others would make him Quidditch Captain next year if they lost the next one, they might not anyways. Ginny was doing a good job herself, Harry was almost starting to regret winning the bet.

 

“Don't worry Slytherin is horrible, Hufflepuff beat them by being better then Slytherin and not just getting lucky.”

 

“Luck had nothing to do with it Monica, they played well, against our secondary team, and we had some problems.” Ginny looks down at her feet feeling guilty about it, Harry had gone off to see where she was, if she hadn't been so stupid that game they might of, would of, won it.

 

“We? Got a mouse in your pocket?” Monica reaches over and puts her hands in Ginny's pockets. “Nope, so who is this `we' you speak of?” Monica laughs showing she was joking.

 

“Its ok Ginny, that was my fault to, I should have asked you if that was what you wanted to do, not tell you to do that. And the second game was entirely my fault if only I had stayed in…”

 

“Or I had a better broom, or the Snitch went a different way, Harry Quidditch is a sport but it is a game, why play if you don't have fun?” Ginny yawns, she is tired after all the training they had been doing the past week, and studying for her OWLs, and her relationship, and life in general. “Can I go? I still have a lot of studying to do for my OWLs.”

 

“Ok, anyone in the fifth year…” That was stupid; Ginny was the only one on the team in the fifth year. “Never mind, let's end this practice, go to bed or something.”

 

“Something? Gee Harry while you have `something' to do I have to listen to Devin talk in his sleep.” Neville laughs a little, a little jealous of Harry, and annoyed with Devin.

 

“He's talking in his sleep? Why didn't he tell me?” Monica is concerned; if Devin said something he shouldn't while he was asleep it could be bad. “What does he talk about?”

 

“Can't make most of it out, but think they are about girls, keep hearing a girls name anyways.” Neville blushes a little not wanting to imply what he had.

 

“Oh one of his dream girls, wonder what Luna thinks about that?” Ginny and Monica laugh, Luna and Devin weren't dating, yet, but they were trying to get the two together.

 

The next morning Harry wakes up next to Hermione. “Get up sleepy head.” He kisses her on the lips.

 

“I'm awake.” She rolls over away from Harry.

 

“Being awake and being up are two different things. We have school today and if you sleep much longer won't have time for a run and things.”

 

“What kind of things do you have in mind Harry?” Hermione rolls back over facing Harry smiling.

 

“Not now Mione, I'm still a little tired from last night, we need a run, a shower, and food.” Harry gets up finding his boxers to put them on.

 

“I know, but you are so warm, the bed is so soft, I love waking up next to you.” Hermione yawns, stretches her back and legs, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “A run, yeah, I guess.”

 

“You don't have to if you don't want to.” Harry felt like he had to, he noticed that after not running over Christmas break he had gained weight, and not muscle weight, and his stamina was off a little. One of the drawbacks to cutting Voldemort off meant not being able to build muscle, and keep it, as easily as before. Sometimes his eyes went back to how they use to be and his hair would go crazy, one time nearly sending him to the infirmary when during a Potions class his hair grew so long it went into his cauldron and made it overflow. But if it meant keeping Voldemort out Harry was more then willing to run in the morning to stay in shape. Hermione and Harry get dressed for running, joining Monica, Devin, and Ginny.

 

“If it gets warmer out soon we can go back outside for this.” The group was talking after a good hard run and now doing stretches and other warm down exercises. “Not have as much of an audience.” Ginny hated how the boys would stare at her, and even more at how they would stare at Monica. She tried to get Monica to wear something different but Monica liked the attention, both from the boys and the way Ginny worried over her.

 

“I just wish the rest of the Quidditch team would join us, you two both have better stamina, and so do I, from running. If we all ran together it would help build a, uh, what ever it's called.” Harry was trying to think of the word, it was on the tip of his tongue and he just couldn't get it out.

 

“Comradely?” Hermione knew the word Harry was thinking of.

 

“Yeah, how did you know that was the word I was thinking of?” Hermione stares down at his hand, he had been rubbing the ring while trying to think of the word and she heard the gears going in his head. “Oh, well, we all need a shower, Devin want to use the Prefect Bathroom?”

 

“Sure, why not.” Devin had been doing other exercises, trying to get back in shape, and had almost gotten back to the shape he was in before the attack.

 

Today was Harry's favorite class, Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Dumbledore. “Today we will be mixing things up class, we all know offensive a defensive spells but how do they compare to what Muggles have?” Most of the class stares at each other, what did Dumbledore mean? This wasn't Muggle Studies why would they care about Muggles? “Us wizards use magic, they use other means, can anyone name something that Muggles use that we don't?” Hermione's hand shoots up in the air.

 

“Electricity.”

 

“Very good, but I want offensive and defensive Muggle things not general life things. Anyone?”

 

“Nuclear Warheads, tanks, fighter jets, body armor, Ak-47, canons, torpedoes, uh, grenades, trying to think of more.” Monica tries to think of more as the class, except for Devin, stares at her.

 

“Very good, all of those things are offensive and defensive items used by Muggles, quite the list you had.” Dumbledore writes something down on a piece of parchment. “Anything else?”

 

“Land mines, you always forget land mines, oh and fighter jets, hmmm, biological warfare is pretty nasty, chemical to.” Devin named more; Devin liked Muggle warfare, one of the things he learned about when he was in a Muggle School after being kicked out of the Magic School. “Nothing like a B-52 Bomber to make your enemy submit, although submarines are pretty cool to.”

 

“Yes very good, thank you, now can anyone besides them a situation where those weapons, any of them, were used?” Harry raises his hand.

 

“Uh, the Americans used two bombs to end the second world war, in Japan.” Harry remembered what Hermione had told him.

 

“Yes, what two cities, and what kind of bombs?” This Harry didn't know but Hermione sure did.

 

“Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and they were Atomic Bombs or A-Bombs for short.”

 

“Very good, ten points to Gryffindor. Now how does magic compare to those weapons?” This time a Hufflepuff student answers.

 

“Its far better of course, those Muggle contraptions can't do half the things magic can.” He was a pure blood, and while not snobbish enough to be a Slytherin thought rather little of Muggles.

 

“What can magic do that a Muggle weapon or `contraption' can't do?” The student was stumped, he didn't know enough about Muggles to answer.

 

“This isn't Muggle Studies, why should we deal with such rubbish?”

 

“Because a Death Eater may not use magic to hurt you, or kill you. A piece of steel going through your chest can and will kill just as well as the killing curse.” It was what Harry thought of, and true, maybe Dumbledore was trying to find something else not just teach the class.

 

“Yes Harry and a bomb will destroy just as much property as a rampaging Manticore. Now I want an essay on the difference between Muggle weapons and our weapons, magic spells and swords, staves, the likes. The library has the books you need.” This class wasn't as exciting as some were but it was over with more then half the time left. Harry and Hermione used Devin and Monica for detailed information on different Muggle weapons, it seemed to Harry and Hermione that American wizards were in much better connection to Muggles then the English wizards were.

 

The weekend was fast approaching, as was the last day of school. The last of the Quidditch games were going to be the last week of March, the undefeated Hufflepuff versus the undefeated Ravenclaw, and the two teams who hadn't won a game the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin. “So Harry who do we root for in this game?” Hermione and Harry were sitting in the stands waiting for the Quidditch game to start.

 

“Both, but hope for a quick game, the fewer points they score the better.” For Gryffindor, they could still win the Quidditch Cup, slight chance, but they could if this game went their way.

 

“I'm rooting for Ravenclaw then, for Cho.” Hermione uses her wand to make a flag with Ravenclaw colors. “Go Ravenclaw!” The game starts and the two teams go at it. Harry watches with both excitement and concern, the longer the game went the more points scored the less of a chance Gryffindor had of winning the Cup.

 

“She dives, pulls up at the last second, score!” Will Flitwick was calling the game and was going nuts as Hufflepuff took the lead. “Boo! That was a penalty!” The Hufflepuff fans agreed after a Ravenclaw Beater nearly took the head off of the Hufflepuff Seeker.

 

“They're playing dirty, like they did against us, they don't want to lose.”

 

“Are you sure? They never played like that before…”

 

“They don't want to lose, they are playing for Cho, and they will do almost anything to win.” Harry wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or not, he was almost desperate to win a game, would he be tempted to play dirty at tomorrow's game?

 

“Oh, well, go Ravenclaw!” Hermione cheered for Ravenclaw while Harry cheered on Hufflepuff, one of them was sadly disappointed.

 

“No! Ravenclaw gets the Snitch!” Will Flitwick and half the stadium exploded in anger while the other half exploded in excitement, the game ended 110-290. Hufflepuff's winning streak came to an end while Ravenclaw all but guaranteed the Cup for their house.

 

“Go Ravenclaw! Good for them, maybe Cho was helping them.” Hermione looks up into the sky.

 

“I don't know, Dumbledore said…”

 

“But you saw her go; who are you going to believe?” The Quidditch field was swamped with students, cheering soon turned to screaming. Many Hufflepuff students knew their chance to win the cup was gone and weren't happy about it as Ravenclaw hadn't played the cleanest game.

 

“Stop it! Stop it now! You…” Professors came down trying to break the fight up between dozens of students. After a few minutes of brawling the Professors were able to separate the students as best they could, even with magic they couldn't do everything. “Everyone back to they're Common Rooms now!” The students, many with bruises and cuts, go back to their Common Rooms, Ravenclaw to celebrate, Hufflepuff to mourn their loss, and the rest to worry about their teams tomorrow.

 

The next day even before the sun was up Harry was awake. He had slept in his own bed not wanting to be tempted by having Hermione next to him last night. Harry was worried about the game, if they lost he would have to give up being Captain, even if it was unofficial. Neville was sleeping, Harry had disappointed him badly after Neville had finally tried out for the team and made it. Harry realized something as he left the dorm room, this would be the first Quidditch game against Slytherin without his nemesis Malfoy since his first year, and without Ron cheering for him. Gloomy, almost into depression Harry walks out of the Common Room and goes out to Hagrid's cabin.

 

Knocking on the cabins door Harry hears a loud meow followed by scratching at the door. A couple seconds later it opens as Hagrid lets Snowie out. “Oh hi `Arry, come in come in, nervous about today's game?”

 

“Kind of, I don't want to lose, but this game, it is different from the others.”

 

“The rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor doesn't make it different `Arry.” Hagrid sits down in a chair and offers Harry some tea.

 

“No, but this is without Malfoy on Slytherin, or Ron in the stands…” Harry sighs and takes a sip from the tea. “I keep screwing things up with the team and even though I'm not really the Captain, no badge, I am the leader and it is my fault.”

 

“Oh `Arry don't worry about it if you get much worked up you won't be focused, here Snowie.” The large black cat, no longer a kitten, comes in through an open window. “So are you going to win or are you going to worry bout losing and make it happen?” Hagrid scratches the large cat on the head which starts to purr.

 

“I, I can't lose.” It would be the last nail in the coffin of his Captainship. “How much bigger will Snowie get?” Snowie was already the size of a medium size dog.

 

“Bout a bit bigger, put on a few more pounds.” Hagrid puts Snowie down on the floor and finishes his tea. “Still early `Arry should try to get more sleep.”

 

“I can't sleep now, to excited about this game, thanks Hagrid.” Harry finishes the rest of the tea and gets up. “Bye Hagrid, I don't know if you should cheer for Gryffindor at the game, I might screw up again.”

 

“Don't worry about it `Arry lead the team and win or not you won't be blamed by anyone.” Harry hoped so for his sake, he didn't want to lose but if he did, he couldn't.

 

Nearly three hours later after breakfast the Gryffindor Quidditch team was getting ready for the last game of the season, their last chance to win, and with needing more then 370 points to win the Cup Harry was crossing his fingers and wishing for a victory. “Ok, we beat Slytherin but we take our time, enough time to get as many goals as possible. The more the better, don't play with them, don't get to bold just play as hard as you can. We need a lot of points to win the Cup but we need to focus on this game not the Cup. If we, if we lose, Ginny will be the new Captain.”

 

“Don't say that Harry.” Ginny on the inside was excited; if they lost he would give the Captain job to her? But she didn't want to lose, not even to be the Captain.

 

“Come on we can do this, just a lot of scoring, and Beaters protect me so I can take my time getting the Snitch. They leave the locker room and go out onto the field pumped and ready.

 

“Here they are the two teams who normally do so well but are currently without a win. Slytherin doesn't stand a chance to win the cup and neither does Gryffindor this game will be to see who is the worst team this year.” Will Flitwick still disappointed over Hufflepuff's loss to Ravenclaw hope he was wrong, that one of these teams would get enough points to snub out Ravenclaw but doubted it.

 

“Now!” The two teams shoot off into the air. “It seems Gryffindor is going with its classic team, no change up in positions, but that could all change like we saw last game.” Ginny quickly gets the Quaffle and scores. Gryffindor cheers, Slytherin boos, Harry was trying to lose himself in the game instead of worrying about everything else.

 

“Ginny gets the Quaffle back, she charges ahead, oh no!” A Bludger had just knocked into another Chaser knocking them off their broom. This was exactly why Harry had a secondary team, he just didn't want to have to use them during this game.

 

“Hey, get in there! Ginny, watch your back!” Harry directs a team member to get in the game looking for the Bludgers. “Duck!” Before the new player could even get into position a Bludger comes in and smacks them from behind.

 

“Another Chaser goes down!” The Chaser hits the ground with a sickening thud.

 

“No!” Harry sticks his hand out to stop the next person from coming out. “Are they possessed?” The Bludgers weren't moving now, why was that?

 

“Harry what do we do, we only have one more reserve left, if he gets hurt…”

 

“He won't, I'll make sure of that.” Harry was about to do the one thing he said he wasn't going to do. “Ginny, no, you stay in as Chaser, I'll take the next Chaser spot, and we don't need a Seeker right? With you and me as Chasers we will score more then enough points.” Ginny nods, sounded like a good plan, as Harry went to Madam Hooch to tell her the new line up.

 

“It looks like they are changing things up with two Chasers down, who is going to be the Seeker?” The crowds in the stands looked but no one came off the bench to take the Seeker position, was the Gryffindor team going without one?

 

“Ginny left!” Ginny dodges a Bludger as Harry dodges the other, the Slytherin Beaters were focusing all their attacks on the Chasers, and the Bludgers seemed to be helping them! “Neville, help!”

 

“Trying Harry!” Neville hits a Bludger as hard as he can only knocking it a few feet before it goes off after Harry. “Behind you!” Harry ducks on instinct as the Bludger flies over him.

 

“Harry and Ginny have their hands full, but why didn't a new player take the Seeker spot? Its only 50-0, if Slytherin got the Snitch it would be over and Gryffindor would lose again!” Will Flitwick is trying to stay calm; this game was getting heated as the third Chaser on Gryffindor team goes down, leaving Harry and Ginny to play. “How will Gryffindor continue with so few players? They have players on the bench but aren't sending any others in, why?” Harry and Ginny score more goals while the crowds start to cheer louder and louder leaving Will Flitwick drowned out.

 

“Ginny move left!” A Bludger zooms by her after Harry warns her. “Quaffle!” Ginny passes it to Harry as he dodges both Bludgers scoring again. “This isn't right; they are focused on the Chasers!” Harry feels the air move as a Bludger passes just centimeters from him.

 

“Harry help!” Ginny rubs her shoulder after a Bludger hits it, it wasn't broken but wasn't feeling great. Harry dives forward distracting the Bludgers which go after him leaving Ginny alone.

 

“Ginny catch!” Harry passes the Quaffle just barely getting it past a Slytherin Chaser and into Ginny's hands. The Bludgers immediately leave Harry and go after Ginny. “Wait, they aren't going after us they're going after the Quaffle?” Who could enchant the Bludgers like that? Dobby could, Harry had a painful memory of that from his second year, but he wouldn't do that now. “Ginny Quaffle!” Ginny passes it to Harry who passes it to a Slytherin Chaser with a satisfactory result.

 

“And Mark is knocked off his broom by a Bludger just after Harry lost his grip on the Quaffle and passed it to him, what luck for Gryffindor who get the Quaffle back!” Slytherin didn't have a second string; they now had two Chasers like Gryffindor.

 

“Here you go.” Harry who had the Quaffle hands it to another Slytherin Chaser who is slammed by both Bludgers visibly breaking his ribs. “No! I didn't want that…” Harry grabs the Quaffle before it hits the ground and gets the Bludgers after him. “Sorry!” The Bludgers were getting violent, Harry just wanted to give the Chaser a scare, maybe knock him off his broom, nothing like that.

 

“Madam Pomfrey is already on the field helping Alex, man that looks painful.” A rib bone was sticking out through the skin; thankfully Alex had passed out from the pain. Slytherin down to one Chaser was hopeless, but their Seeker was still flying, and the game could end if, when, he caught the Snitch since there was no Gryffindor Seeker on the field. “That score makes it 190-0, the team of Ginny and Harry is unstoppable! Even with several players out of the game Gryffindor is taking a commanding lead.” Ginny scores again getting the crowd to cheer, it was now 200-0.

 

Harry and Ginny dodge the Bludgers, sometimes taking a hit, but hanging on, they score left, right, center, charging down the field and striking from anywhere, the Slytherin Keeper was getting a real workout. “What's this? Payne is celebrating?” The crowd looks for the Slytherin Seeker and see him pumping his fist in the air. “Did he do it? Yes he did! Payne got the Snitch! Payne got the Snitch!” Slytherin students exploded with cheers until the score was given. “That means Gryffindor 260, Slytherin 150, even though they caught the Snitch Slytherin still loses! Gryffindor wins!” Now Gryffindor students were cheering, they finally ended their losing streak, against their rival, even if they weren't going to win the cup they had won the game! “Early Spring brings a victory for Gryffindor, I know 7s supposed to be lucky, but for Gryffindor it seems the Sixth is lucky!”

 

“Watch out!” Harry, lost in the glow of victory, forgets that he is holding the Quaffle, and the Bludgers.

 

“Harry is knocked off his broom, but the games over, the Bludgers should go back to their box…” Will Flitwick is lost, as are many students, even as Harry fell the Quaffle was still in his hand and had a Bludger slam into him. The Quidditch players are to shocked, both by the win and that the Bludgers are still active to fly and help Harry, when another Bludger slams into Harry's back someone finally snaps out of it and goes to help.

 

“NO!” Jim on his broom flies out towards Harry. “Get away from him!” Jim knocks the Quaffle out of Harry's hand causing the Bludgers to chase after the falling Quaffle. Harry slams into the ground, unconscious, as Jim flies down crying. “No, no, wake up, wake up!”

 

“Madam Pomfrey, is she still back at the castle with Alex?” Ginny came flying down to check on Harry. “Jim don't shake him he might…”

 

“Shut up! I won't let this happen, Harry, please wake up!”

 

“Out of the way, out of the way, let me through, he needs medical attention.” Madam Pomfrey had been called by Dumbledore and saw her most common patient lying on the ground. “He'll be ok just let me…”

 

“No he won't, he isn't moving, come on Harry wake up!” Jim is still crying, shaking Harry trying to make him wake up.

 

“He will just let him go, this sport was always so dangerous and now I have two patients to look after.” Madam Pomfrey motions to Ginny to help get Jim away.

 

“Jim, Madam Pomfrey has cared for Harry before, I bet Harry just started to feel homesick and wanted to go back to the infirmary.” Ginny tries to make a joke, get Jim to laugh, why was he taking this so hard? Harry may be injured but it wasn't anything Madam Pomfrey couldn't sure was it? Ginny was kicking herself inside, Jim had been smart enough to scare the Bludgers away, if they kept hitting Harry he could have been killed but she was to busy celebrating with Monica and the other team members, was to shocked to move.

 

“Let him go now Jim, Harry will be fine but we need to talk.” Dumbledore had come down to check on Harry and get Jim.

 

“I'm sorry Mr. Dumbledore, Dumbledore, I didn't mean…”

 

“You didn't but you have and we need to talk.” Dumbledore takes Jim away from the field as Madam Pomfrey takes Harry to the Infirmary.