Snakes and Lions

Flying and Falling

Leaving the steeple was terrifying. Harry was certain he would crash, but somehow they made it down to the dark churchyard unharmed. Then Draco wanted Harry to ride behind him, but Harry's Firebolt insisted on remaining airborne, making it difficult to control. They hadn't passed the graves before it managed to pull Harry off Draco's broom.

"Let's try this," Draco said. "You get on the Firebolt, and try to just keep it level. Then grab on to the back of my broom, and I'll pull you."

This was awkward, but they made it through the residential area, that way, and out to the fields. Harry kept swaying to one side or the other, and was afraid he would pull Draco down. Draco seemed concerned as well, for he stayed low and did not move very fast. When they passed a pond, Harry could see green light reflected in it. He looked up over his shoulder. The hideous skull and snake was still hanging in the sky. Harry shuddered and unbalanced. He keeled to the left, and then, trying to correct himself, to the right. Draco swerved wildly. Determined not to take Draco down, Harry let go. He had a glimpse of Draco's broom shooting precipitously up, then he crashed.

"Harry!"

Harry decided he must have passed out, because Draco was right beside him.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Draco let out a gasp of relief. "Okay. Can you stand?"

Harry thought he was getting tired of that question. He rolled over, and realized he was covered with mud. Levering himself to hands and knees, he looked back. He'd plowed down a farmer's ditch, possibly widening it a bit. He stood. "Looks like," he commented.

Draco pulled him into the cover of a hedge. "We're not going to make it," he said. "We need to lie low, and go back later."

Harry remembered the fuss there had been after the last Death Eater attack.

"You need to get back," he insisted. He twisted out of his rucksack. "Take the cloak," he said. "Apparate to Hogsmeade, fly to school. I'll follow slowly and carefully, 'kay?"

"I can't leave you here!"

"Yeah, you can. You need to."

Draco looked with revulsion at the cloak Harry was pressing into his hands. "If they don't kill you, you'll kill yourself in a crash."

"Draco, listen. I'll get along better alone. And if they check -- this is close to school, remember? -- if they check, and I'm not there, I'm in trouble. If you are not there ..." Harry let the words hang in the air for a moment -- "they'll assume you were involved. You need to get back to Slytherin, and you need to do it fast."

Draco looked slightly less dismayed. He took the cloak that Harry was pushing at him.

"I could take this and go back, you know. I could tell them where you are."

Harry nodded. "You could. Get on, now."

Draco sighed. "Be very careful."

"I will."

Draco nodded. "Thanks," he said. "For ... well ..." He put on the cloak and drew it closed. "Disapparate!" said the empty air. There was a brief rush of power, then Harry was alone.

Afterwards, Harry wasn't quite sure how he got back to Hogwarts. He flew low, as he had promised, and fairly slowly. He crashed two more times, but more slowly and not as badly, and he didn't pass out, again, as far as he could tell. Eventually, he made it to the Hogwarts grounds, and then to the school itself.

By that time, he was feeling only slightly wobbly. He got back on his broom inside, and flew up the stairs and down the long corridors, all the while fearing that he would encounter Peeves, or worse, Snape. At Gryffindor Tower, he breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone would be at dinner now. He'd made it.

"Switchback," he said to the fat lady. She opened her eyes and yawned.

"Found a bit of mud, did you dearie?"

Harry chuckled. He was a complete mess, covered with mud, with the occasional strands of last year's dead grass, for good measure. The portrait swung in, and Harry began to step inside.

Standing by the hearth, looking directly at him, was Professor McGonagall.