Harry Meets His Match

Chapter 11- A Strange Chapter

    It was about midnight, And Surika was out guarding the forest, and Harry was asleep, and he was having a strange dream. He was dreaming that he was at a wedding. His wedding, only, it wasn't in a church. It was underwater, and instead of a tuxedo, he was in a suit of armor, and Surika... dressed in flowers. No. Not with material. Just... lots of flowers. The aisle was made of clouds, and at the end, a large bench, like a court bench. Even more bizarre, the fact that there were birds flying through the water. The priest, or rather, judge, had already said the words, and Harry was just about to kiss Surika, when the judge began tapping his gavel on the bench.

    Harry groaned. The tapping didn't stop although the dream had. Tap, tap, tap. Came the nose again. He rolled over and slowly opened his eyes. He could see a white silhouette fluttering outside his window, continuing the frantic tapping.

    "Hedwig," he exclaimed, and hurried to open the window. He half expected her to drop a message for him, but instead she grabbed a mouthful of pajamas and tried pulling him toward the door. "What's your problem, Hedwig? Let go! Ouch," he yelped as Hedwig managed to sink her beak into his skin. Horrified at her sudden violent behavior, he flailed his arms wildly. Hedwig let out an angry screech and hooked her sharp talons into his shoulder. He stumbled forward, trying to shake her off, and that's when her heard it. A scream, definitely feminine, reached his ears from the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

    "Surika,' he yelled, and ran to Ron's bed. "Ron! Ron, wake up,' he said, shaking Ron hard. Ron opened his eyes and stared at Harry like he was half nuts. "Ron, come on! Get out of bed," Harry said, frantically.

    "W... Why," Ron yawned.

    "Surika's in trouble!" At this, Ron yawned wider.

    "So? Not my problem," he grumbled and rolled over on his other side. Harry got irritated and yanked the covers off Ron's bed.

    "Ron Weasley, get your ass out of bed, now! Surika needs help, and we're going to help her! I know you don't like her, but you're going to help, anyway! You call her stuck-up and arrogant, well if you won't help her when she needs it then YOU'RE stuck-up and arrogant, so get your lazy ass out of this damn bed before I drag you out, and I guarantee that I won't be gentle about it," Harry demanded, angrily. Ron was so shocked at his sudden attitude that he hopped out of bed promptly and slid into a pair of slippers. He and Harry both grabbed their cloaks and left the boys' dormitories, where a very impatient Hermione, tapping her foot, met them.

    "What took you so long," she rounded on them both.

    "I was waking Ron up," Harry said.

    "Well, let's get a move on! Pigwidgeon woke me up and I heard Surika's screams. She could be hurt," she exclaimed and ran down the remainder of the stairs, then out of the common room. Harry and Ron followed close behind. They got outside and ran to Hagrid's little hut. All three of them pounded on the door, but no answer came. The windows were all dark, and there was no Fang barking madly to announce their arrival. Ron peered into one of the windows.

    "Maybe Hagrid's already out there looking for Surika..."

    "Which is where WE should be," Hermione said. Ron hesitated.

    "But... There's... g... giant spiders in there," he stuttered.

    "Oh, Ron! Don't be a baby! She needs our help," Hermione snapped and grabbed his arm. "You're coming," she ordered, dragging him into the forest.

    "Ow... ow... ow," Ron complained as he was being drug deeper and deeper into the forest. Suddenly, Hermione stopped and screamed. Harry also stopped in his tracks. What he saw made his stomach lurch.

    About twenty or so little olive green creatures, two feet tall were all standing in a circle around something. They all had glowing red eyes, razor sharp teeth and fangs, long, black claws, and sharp spines all the way down the back and tail. The group was chattering madly in their own language, as if deciding what to do with something. They all raised their ugly heads, with their large, bat-like ears and stared at the trio as they approached. The creatures started whispering again, and Harry saw what they had been surrounding.

    It was Surika. Uncloaked, and almost unclothed, (her sweater was torn to bits just below the breast, and the sleeves were both torn off. Her cloak lay shredded just outside the circle.) She lay, unconscious, shivering from the cold. Seeing her just lying there, watching her blood spill onto the snow from deep gashes in her legs, arms, and chest, Harry suddenly felt very nauseated.

    "Hermione..." Harry began. "What are those?"

    "Mogwogs," Hermione said. Harry and Ron gave her blank looks.

    "What," they asked in unison.

    "Mogwogs. Forest demons," she stated, matter-of-factly. "Honestly, don't you two pay attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

    "No," was their reply. Harry looked up. The Mogwogs were advancing on them now. Surika lay bleeding and forgotten.

    "Nice, umm... forest demons... Good Mogwogs,' Harry crooned, but it didn't work at all. The biggest one, obviously the leader, jabbered something to the others, and they all sneered mischievously. They broke off into three smaller groups and advanced on the backing teenagers. Harry picked up a stick and managed a stunning blow to the one nearest to him, but the thing recovered quickly and repaid him by snapping his weapon in half with its razor sharp teeth. Harry dropped the remainder of the branch and took off running in the opposite direction, with about five or six of the creatures hot on his heels. He could hear Ron's cries of pain on the other side of the brush, and he could hear Hermione shouting spell after spell to try and ward off the things.

    "Petrificus Totalus," Harry yelled, and a blue light shot out of the tip of his wand, freezing the Mogwog leading the charge, it, however, worked only for a second. Harry blinked as the Mogwog shook its head, let out an angry snarl, and tore after him again. He yelped with pain as one of them sank its saber-like fangs into his ankle. WHACK! Harry delivered a sharp, swift kick between the Mogwog's eyes and scrambled up the nearest tree. Of course, even trees didn't slow down the critters, and they climbed stealthily up the trunk after him. Harry spent the next few minutes kicking the vicious adversaries and trying spell after spell on them, and through constant yelps of pain, he heard Hermione.

    "Harry! Ron! Use water! Mogwogs don't like water!" Harry promptly raised his wand and shouted the spell that made water spurt out of the tip of his wand. The Mogwogs let out an awful squeal and retreated down the trunk of the tree. Within seconds, they were out of sight, and Harry was able to slide down and limp back to the clearing. He got there just in time, too, for the leader was taking the liberty of finishing off what was left of the fallen. Harry shouted the spell again, and the creature quit tearing Surika's leg up and retreated as well. Harry rushed to her and knelt down, pressing his fingers to her neck. She had a pulse, but a very weak one.

    "Oh, God," he groaned, and took his cloak off to throw it over the shivering, bleeding huddle. "You're going to be all right, Surika. I won't let them hurt you further," he whispered, although he knew she couldn't hear him. She was far from being conscious. Tears began to form in his eyes. He hated to see her hurt. Whether it was physically or mentally. The crunching of snow and complaints of pain let him know that Ron and Hermione had just arrived. Ron was cradling a rather mangled arm, and Hermione looked as if she had just been through a blender.

    "Is she all right," asked Hermione, and knelt down beside him.

    "If we don't get her in and take her to the Hospital Wing, she won't be. She's near dead already," said Harry, with a hint of worry in his voice. He was still on the verge of tears. Grunting loudly, he lifted her limp, almost lifeless body and kissed her forehead.

    Little did they know, that as they carried Surika away from the depths of the trees, someone else was watching. As they left the clearing, Lucius Malfoy looked on, a nasty smile curling over his lips. He had seen Harry's reaction to seeing the girl nearly dead. By accident, he saw what the girl meant to Harry, and he had an idea. A very cruel, heartless idea, and as he was thinking of that idea, an enormous shadow loomed over him, and the owner of that shadow spoke.

    "So, ye think it's funny ter pick on unsuspecting teenagers, do ye," asked Hagrid. Lucius turned to look at the giants' angry face.

    "What are you talking about, you big oaf? I have done nothing of the sort," Lucius spat.

    "Yeah righ'! I know it was you who set them Mogwogs on Surika," Hagrid accused.

    "Rubbish! I had nothing to do with it, and even if I did, you have no proof," shouted Lucius, his eyes glittering with anger.

    "Oh, yeah? Well, tell me, what are ye doin' in the forest, then? AFTER Surika's bin hurt,' Hagrid interrogated. Lucius thought hard. He was caught in his own game. He had to think of some way to get out of it.

    "I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time! I haven't even laid a finger on the damn broad!"

    "No, but yer Mogwogs did! An' I know why ye did it, too! Yeh're still sore that yer son is a bloody disgrace to yer family," Hagrid roared.

    "Nonsense,' Lucius shouted before Hagrid picked him up by the collar and began hauling him off.

    "Let me go, you big oaf! The governors will hear about this! This is assault and battery! I'll have your job! Damn you! Let me go!"

    "This ought ter cool ye down," Hagrid said, and tossed Lucius into the lake. "Now maybe yeh'll think twice before ye go messin' with Surika. She ain't done nothin' to ye, an' she wouldn't be caught dead in a boys' dormitory,' Hagrid roared and stalked away.

    "Look at yourselves! Don't know what you were thinking, you're lucky those thing didn't kill you,' scolded Madam Pomferey as she wrapped Harry's injured ankle in bandages.

    "We had to get Surika," Harry explained, looking at the bed where Surika lay, still unconscious.

    "Yes, I know. She was mighty lucky you three showed up in time. If the Mogwogs didn't finish her off, they would have left her to bleed to death," she said, and Harry noticed a misty sort of gleam in her eyes. She finished wrapping his leg and shooed the three away. Ron and Hermione left, but Harry stayed behind.

    "May I stay with Surika? Please," Harry asked, giving Madam Pomferey what he hoped were good puppy-dog eyes. She hesitated a moment, and nodded slowly.

    "Very well, but don't wake her. She needs plenty of rest," she said, and strode away, muttering what sounded a lot like "Beautiful..."

    Harry pulled chair up to Surika's bedside and sat down. He stared at her sleep softened features, taking it all in. Her face was one of the few unscratched areas on her, and Harry thought she looked most exquisite when she was asleep. She looked so peaceful, with her long, black eyelashes kissing her face softly, like butterflies, and her mouth, with her full, coral pink lips, hanging slightly open as she slept. He watched her chest rise and fall steadily, awed by the way her slow, quiet breaths seemed to calm him so quickly. Reaching out slowly, Harry touched her face, and ever so lightly, ran his finger down her jaw line.

    "I love you, Surika... My sweet," he whispered, and planted a feather-light kiss on her lips. She stirred, and Harry pulled away quickly. A tiny groan escaped her chest and she snuggled into the soft pillow as she dreamed on. Sighing relieved that she didn't waked up, he suddenly felt very tired. Slowly, he let his head droop until it rested on her chest, near her shoulder.

    "Sweet dreams," he muttered, and fell fast asleep.