Mark of Ancients

Chapter 10: FIREY QUIDDITCH

    Tuesday evening rolled around and Madam Hooch collected everyone that wanted to play on Gryffindor's Quidditch team. Harry was stunned to find out that Madam Hooch and a few other Gryffindors had appointed him,

    "Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor."

    "What?" said Harry, nervously. "Me? No." Michelle giggled. She had come to watch their practice.

    "It's final. You did so well in Fire Quidditch McGonagall and I decided it would be best." Harry had figured that game would come to bother him sooner or later. A fifth year Harry recognized at once and a sixth year that he didn't walked over.

    "The two replacement Beaters are Mr. Weasley and Kylie Randal, both of which I assure you are as good if not better than Fred and George Weasley."

    Harry saw Kylie giggle at their names. Ron a new Beater? Ron came running up with Hermione behind him. This was a pleasant surprise. Harry remembered how Ron wanted to be Quidditch Captain. During their first meet with the Mirror of Erised, Ron told Harry he was holding the Quidditch Cup and had been made captain of Gryffindor's team. Harry's stomach fell slightly. Was there any way he could convince them to make Ron the team captain?

    "The new Keeper is Craig Stone. You, unfortunately, only have this evening to practice and tomorrow afternoon as the first game of the season is Thursday evening before dinner. Slytherin has already practiced this morning and will go again tomorrow morning. It will most likely be raining so be sure you're up to scratch on flying well in bad weather!" She stepped out.

    "Well?" said Angelina Johnson, one of the Chasers.

    Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet were the other two. All three were in their seventh years. Harry and Ron were the youngest by far, everyone else was a sixth or seventh year. It seemed like the entire time Kylie would be giving Ron funny looks. She seemed to like him, but Ron tried to distance himself from her.

    "Umm," said Harry, thinking hard and fast, "yeah. So, Madam Hooch left the balls out so I guess we can just play a fake game. Alicia, you two try to get the ball through the far hoops. Katie, you try to get it through the near ones. Angelina, just help whoever had the Quaffle last. Ron and Kylie, try to hit the Quaffle with the Bludgers to make the Chasers' jobs harder."

    The last bit tumbled out of Harry's mouth before he knew what he was saying but it worked and harder, they did get.

    Ron had become quite good at knocking the Quaffle away if someone tried to pass it too far. He only hit it five times out of around twenty, but Kylie only managed to do it once. Every five minutes Harry would shout "Got it," and toss the Golden Snitch away. He had taken to using dives straight down as a good way to gain speed and then pull up rapidly, repeating the process. One time Harry found himself crossing the entire field in two seconds. He narrowly avoided a collision with a Bludger head on but Kylie hit it out of his way and flew out before the two of them collided instead.

    Angelina, Katie and Alicia had taken to leapfrogging each other from one side of the field to the other, passing the Quaffle to whoever was out in front. At one point Angelina and Katie were doing figure eights across the field as Alicia was zig-zagging in and out of them, exchanging the Quaffle randomly to someone when they all came in contact. This was a very good idea of Ron's, Harry thought, because the Quaffle changed hands very rapidly and was sure to confuse anyone.

    Another brilliant idea of Ron's was for someone to grab onto Harry as he did his diving to gain speed and let go. They would have to stop moving on their broom to keep the speed. Luckily, they were moving so fast the push from surrounding air kept them on a mostly straight line. The throws resulted in extremely high speed Quaffles which knocked Craig through the hoops on more than one occasion. Harry found it hard to maneuver his Firebolt at such high speeds but he managed to do it by taking very long turns. Besides, he was moving so fast, going out of the field by about fifty feet was no big deal. These new tactics were sure to turn a few heads. Harry had never seen a Quidditch player move as fast as he could, not even at the Quidditch World Cup, which surprised him a great deal, indeed...

    Ron and Kylie tried to grabbing onto Harry as well to gain speed. The result of one such attempt was a Bludger knocking down one of the hoops. It was then they decided their practice should stop and they needed to alert Madam Hooch.

    She didn't ask how they succeeded in snapping the hoop's stand in two pieces. She just repaired it and wished them all good luck. Harry and Ron left the Quidditch field, hardly able to contain their glee at the faces of Slytherin, who they would be playing first... again.

    Harry started to think of a few things he could say to Madam Hooch and secretly to the rest of them to make Ron team captain, each more feeble than the last. Harry owed it to him, he never would have thought of those things.

    But Harry fell asleep that night still wearing a smile.

    The next morning Harry went down to breakfast talking with Ron about how they were going to win with Slytherin having no points at all. They were totally convinced with the Chaser and speed strategies coupled with Ron and Kylie's ability to knock the Quaffle with Bludgers.

    There was another song playing on a record player up at the teachers' desks.

One voice was singing. "Fathers hands were lined with dirt from long days in the field..."

    "Hey, Harry," said Ron, "do you know this song too?"

Instruments kicked in. "And mothers hands are serving meals in a cafe on Main Street with mouths to feed."

    Harry listened, trying to remember. "No," he said. "Doesn't sound familiar."

"Just trying to keep clothing on our backs. And all I hear about... is how it's so bad, it's so bad-"

    "I wonder where Dumbledore gets these..." said Hermione, thinking deeply.

"It's too bad, it's too bad, too late, so wrong, so long... It's too bad that we had no time to rewind, let's walk, let's talk..."

    "Nickelback, Too Bad," said Michelle, winking.

"You left without saying goodbye, although I'm sure you tried. You call and ask from time to time... to make sure we're alive..."

    Harry had a sinking feeling in his stomach again.

"But you weren't there... right when I'm needing you the most! And now I dream about it... How it's so bad, it's so bad-" the instruments kicked up again.

    "So Harry," said Hermione. Harry was only half paying attention.

"It's too bad, it's too bad, too late, so wrong, so long... It's too bad that we had no time to rewind, let's walk, let's talk..."

    "What have you come up with for the game tonight?"

"Father's hands are lined with guilt for tearing us apart. Guess it turned out in the end... just look at where we are..."

    "We got some nice moves. Just wait, Hermione. Slytherin won't have a chance!" said Ron, not trying to contain himself.

"Made it out, still got clothing on our backs and now I scream about it... How it's so bad, it's so bad-"

    "See, we grab onto Harry and he does this diving thing..." he said excitedly. "I split one of the hoops in two pieces, hitting a Bludger going so fast."

"It's too bad, it's too bad, too late, so wrong, so long... It's too bad that we had no time to rewind, let's walk, let's talk..."

    "Harry?" said Ron, noticing Harry was dazing out.

    "Oh," said Harry, snapping out of it, "yeah, it's wicked. We have another practice this afternoon. Want to come watch?"

    "No," she said firmly, "I'm going to be studying for my O.W.L.s." That statement put both Harry and Ron into bitter moods. They had not done a single bit of studying for it. "I don't know how you two plan on getting any decent number of O.W.L.s." She put her goblet up to her mouth and started drinking.

    "But Hermione, we still have another week!" said Ron. Hermione spit out her drink all over Ron.

    "Another week! Another week and you'll only have a few months to cover everything from our first four years!" Ron glared at her. "Sorry..." she said innocently. Hermione handed him a bunch of napkins.

    "You're coming to the game at least, right?" said Harry.

    "Yes," she replied quickly, not catching Harry's eye.

    The day passed without anything out of the ordinary occurring. Harry was most grateful. Everyone jetted out of Divination and onto the Quidditch field. Harry and Ron made their way to the locker room and the rest of the team was already waiting for them.

    "Ok, team. We're going to tear the pants off Slytherin and hang them over the Great Hall tomorrow morning, right?"

    "Right!" the others replied forcefully.

    "Yeah, so, okay." Harry motioned for them to get changed. He had to get Ron to take over for him quick, running a team was just not his thing.

    He got changed as quick as he could and headed out to where the players are supposed to wait before a game. He got there first... followed by Angelina... Craig... Katie... Alicia and Kylie following Ron and giggling.

    "Nervous, Ron?" asked Harry, absolutely beaming.

    "A little."

    "You'll do fine. Your brothers were great."

    "Let's just hope I don't get hit by a Bludger, okay?"

    Madam Hooch blew her whistle. They mounted their brooms and charged out of the small waiting area.

    "Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the season!" shouted Lee Jordan, the usual commentator. "This afternoon's game is Slytherin versus Gryffindor!" Both teams formed a circle around the center of the field.

    Madam Hooch flew up to the center of them.

    "Let's keep this clean and without many injuries, shall we?" She flew back down to the ground, kicked open the trunk...

    "The Bludgers are up," shouted Lee, "the Golden Snitch is out, Madam Hooch throws up the Quaffle! The game begins!"

    "Showtime, Ron!" shouted Harry happily. "Rain's heavy, watch it..." It had been raining since during their practice this afternoon. Ron had a close call involving a Bludger and a sudden gust of wind. The entire team came out of practice looking like they had gone for a swim in the lake, soaked to the skin and it didn't look like their appearance would be any different after this game.

    "Gryffindor Chaser Johnson has the Quaffle! Oh, take a look at that nice formation she's doing with Spinnet and Bell! Bell... Spinnet... Bell... Johnson... Bell... Spinnet, no wait Johnson! Haven't seen the Quaffle get passed so fast since the Quidditch World Cup!" The Quaffle was getting passed back and forth so fast Lee had a hard time seeing who actually had it. "Oh who cares anymore! Down the left, dodge a Bludger, Spinnet passes to Johnson, SCORE! Ten to zero, Gryffindor!"

    Harry floated several feet above the rest of the players, squinting through his glasses, trying to catch a glimpse of the Snitch. He had bewitched his glasses to make the rain drops bounce off. Without it, it would be impossible. The rain came down so heavy it felt almost like hail.

    "Better have some nice moves there, Potter," sniggered Malfoy coming up behind him.

    "Just you wait and see," Harry sniggered back.

    "Slytherin Chaser grabs the Quaffle... passes to - HA! Very nicely aimed Bludger by Gryffindor Beater Ron Weasley! Gryffindor back in possession. There they go again passing the Quaffle. Johnson... Bell... Spinnet... Bell... Johnson... Spinnet... Johnson... Bell... Bell grabs on to Potter's broom. Potter rises up in the air, dives straight down! Oh my, he's going fast! Rises up again... dives..."

    "All right there, Katie?" said Harry, smiling.

    "Yeah, just make sure I can get a clean shot."

    "Makes a huge circle around the field! Comes through the center... Bell throws... oh, my! Slytherin Keeper gets knocked through the hoop trying to defend! Is that a score? Yes! Madam Hooch says it's a score! Twenty-zero, Gryffind - oh look at Slytherin Seeker Malfoy go! Has he seen the Snitch?"

    "Oh no you don't, Draco," said Harry threateningly as he shot at Malfoy's broom, grabbing him by the arm and shooting off with him over the stands. Several on-lookers ducked so as to not get hit by the blur that was Harry and Malfoy screaming overhead.

    "Interesting style of play by Harry Potter... Slytherin in possession, passes the Quaffle... and again... and oh, disaster! Gryffindor Beater Weasley hits a Bludger into the Quaffle sending it into their own hoops! Twenty to ten, Gryffindor!" A roar of chuckling exploded from the Slytherin crowd.

    "THANKS, WEASLEY!" shouted Malfoy from across the field. Harry flew over to Ron.

    "Don't worry, Ron. Draco isn't getting that Snitch for as long as I live," said Harry.

    "Don't say that!" said Ron, sounding worried.

    "Oh... sorry..." Out of the corner of his eye, something golden made Harry squint.

    "Gryffindor Seeker Harry Potter sets off at blinding speed! He has seen the Snitch! Wow, never seen anyone go that fast!" Harry did as he had in his practice to gain speed, diving and rising and making wide turns around the field, chasing the Snitch. One more dive... and he lost the Snitch.

    Maybe he could make it unnoticeable and make his skin glitter to see if it would let him find it easier? Harry shot up hundreds of feet in the air and plummeted down to the ground, pulling the handle of his broom up as hard as he could and ignoring the gasps from the crowd.

    Michelle had been talking to Hermione and Cho about Harry.

    "He's a damn good flier, isn't he?" said Michelle, trying her very best to keep an eye on him whizzing through the air. "Takes after dad... the best there was."

    "What's he doing?" asked Cho.

    "Don't know... he's got his mind on something."

    "Oh God! Look what he's doing!" shouted Hermione with a hand over her mouth.

    Harry stood up on his broom, one foot on the handle, the other on the tail. The Snitch seemed to gain unnatural speed and sped around the field, mocking him.

    "Just hope he doesn't hit something!" Michelle shouted, then thundered out to Harry, "HARRY BE CAREFUL!"

    Harry tried to make his skin glitter again... but to no effect. It went golden for a split second and fizzled as if the rain was washing it away. Harry felt his stomach fall faster than he had just dived. Is the mark... disappearing?

    "Score for Slytherin! Twenty to thirty!" In his absence of attention, Slytherin had scored two more times. He heard someone shout at him but the only word he got is "Crash!"

    "The Snitch is going awfully fast," said Hermione in a shaky voice. Michelle and Hermione stood up, ignoring the fact that they stepped out from under their umbrella, the hard rain starting to soak them as well.

    As Harry was flying around, a Bludger came in close contact with him. He jumped up on his Firebolt as the Bludger soared underneath his feet. He ignored it, but it was a bit too close of a call to not try to find a way to get closer the Snitch that was just out of reach of his hand. The Snitch took a dive for the ground and Harry followed. He plummeted about fifty feet down before the Snitch turned to fly straight up again. Another Bludger whizzed past his head and he had to grab onto the front handle and maneuver his way through Katie and Alicia. Strong gusts of wind and heavy rain pelting him made it hard to fly straight. His soaked clothing added extra weight further increasing the difficulty, feeling like someone had dumped buckets of water on him. Several hundred feet in the air, it dived down again, with Harry wasting no time following it.

    "Fifty to fifty, tie game!" shouted Lee from the stands.

    The Snitch turned and soared towards the ground. Harry knelt down on his Firebolt, hands clutching the handle tight. The Snitch bounced off the ground and turned upwards again. To not hit the ground, Harry pulled on the handle and thrust all his weight back, practically sending himself into a Backward Bowling Ball. A brown blur whizzed by his ear and shot off behind him. Harry was going at speeds that had to rival Fire Quidditch Quaffles. He tried to make his skin glitter again... but still it did nothing more than give off a small sparkle and fade.

    He had to make a move for the Snitch now or continue to risk being hit by Bludgers. He pulled his back foot closer to the middle of his broom, grabbed the front end with his outstretched arm, closed his eyes and kicked off...

    Harry didn't think this such a good idea after he actually did it. He cartwheeled in the air, gripping the front of his Firebolt with all his might so as to not ever let go. As soon as Harry felt something cold in his palm after flipping several times, he closed his hand tight to great cheering of the crowd.

    "Harry Potter catches the Snitch! And an amazing catch if I do say so myself!" Harry opened his eyes, grabbed onto his broom with both hands, still clutching the Snitch and climbed back on. The rest of the Gryffindor team bounced into him and grabbed whatever part someone else wasn't holding onto. "Gryffindor wins!"

    "Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor!"

    The Gryffindor crowd broke into chanting. Harry turned his attention, grinning, towards Malfoy, who was stomping his feet in the muddy ground. Harry landed onto the squishy ground; his shoes immediately became covered in mud as he landed a little harder than he intended, too happy over his victory.

    Dinner that evening was most enjoyable.

    "Where did you learn that?" asked Michelle, stuffing her face with a meat loaf peppered with pixie dust. Harry put down his cup to speak.

    "Don't know. Just needed some way to get closer. Stupid thing... seemed to be going faster than usual." He took another sip of his orange juice. Hermione was enjoying herself.

    "Yeah, it did, didn't it?" she said inquisitively. "You had a close call with some Bludgers, too." Harry chuckled, dribbling juice and trying to wipe it away with the nearest napkin.

    "After playing with fireballs and throwable high speed balls, er, this is very easy..." Cho giggled.

    "You were great up there, Harry," she said, blushing.

    "Th-thanks." Harry felt himself turn scarlet and some butterflies had found their way in his stomach. He would much rather have a touching moment with Cho alone. Trying to hide his embarrassment, Harry licked his fingers and grabbed another few shrimp to stick in his plate.

    Ron put his fork full of spaghetti up to his mouth and looked ready to put it in, but he changed his mind, took a deep breath and put the fork down. "You still plan on going to Azkaban?" he said, sighing.

    "Yes," said Harry shortly, stuffing his own face with spaghetti. The fact that he couldn't get the mark to glitter crossed his mind and he couldn't help but mention it. "I tried to use the mark three times..." he said casually, as if nothing was the matter. "It just glittered for a second then faded..."

    Ron, Hermione and Michelle stopped chewing and looked up at him.

    "Does that bother you just as much as it bothers me?" he said.

    "Yes," said Hermione and Michelle at once, in complete agreement. Ron just kind've nodded weakly.

    "You're still going to go to Azkaban with it failing?" said Hermione.

    "Do you think it's really disappearing?" said Harry. He didn't feel as worried as he thought he should be. At least if the mark disappeared, it would mean Voldemort could no longer try to control him...

    "It is known to just disappear suddenly. If it comes back... really can't say..." said Michelle.

    "I'm not worried," said Harry confidently. "If it goes away, Voldemort can't use it to control me." He ate a scallop in one bite. "And that's a good thing."

    "You make it sound like it's so simple!" said Ron. Harry could see the three of them, including Cho, looking a bit more than slightly worried. He didn't have any reasons to be, so why should they?

    "Because it is that simple," he said in a comforting voice fully confident. He full believed he was right. And he was... wasn't he? Harry sat up as straight as he could and continued to eat, not bothered a tiny bit by the mark making it's grand exit. As far as he was concerned, good riddance.

    The five of them continued to talk, but the conversation had stayed on topic about the Quidditch game. Harry's confidence seemed to radiate. It did a lot of good, for they had mostly forgotten about the worry of the mark, though Harry couldn't see how that was at all possible. Perhaps they just didn't want to think about it? Harry was in good spirits and he had good reason to be. Tomorrow after dinner he would sneak out with some Polyjuice Potion he had been working on and a rat he would transfigure into a great black dog. He had no idea what the Polyjuice Potion would be used for, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. He kept hairs from Ron, Hermione and Michelle in a small pouch with labels just in case he needed to use them.

    This was all assuming, of course, that he would transfigure the rat properly without the mark. That was the only worry on his mind all through the next day. Before leaving though, he would find out where Azkaban is from maps in the Restricted Section of the library by means of his Invisibility Cloak and Disapparate there. And he would do all of this without the mark.

    There seemed to be one small glitch. Without the mark, he couldn't Disapparate... or at least properly.