Chapter 103

Chapter 103

“What’s wrong with that Bludger?” Jordan’s roar echoed across the Quidditch pitch.

Suer could not resist digging a finger into his ear. Professor McGonagall’s Amplifying Charm was far too effective.

“A new Slytherin trick?” Jordan bellowed. “Beautiful! A tremendous strike from George Weasley sends the Bludger targeting Harry Potter flying!”

“I’m Fred!” Fred, hanging upside down with his bat in hand, twisted round and shouted. Whether Jordan could hear him in the commentary box was another matter.

Whoosh!

“Look out!” the real George yelled from the other side of the pitch.

The young wizards watching intently from the stands cried out as well.

Harry forced his broom down and twisted desperately in mid-air, only just evading the Bludger as it screamed past.

Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the crazed Bludger turned and hurtled towards him again.

“Have Slytherin put a magnet on Harry Potter’s broom? I strongly recommend that the referee stop the match at once and conduct an inspection!” Jordan’s voice seethed with indignation.

In a Quidditch match, the Seeker was the most important position, for the Seeker determined whether the match ended. Now Harry was being severely hampered by a Bludger.

“There’s something wrong with that Bludger,” Hermione told Suer. “I think someone has put a spell on it.”

“I’ve noticed it isn’t chasing anyone else. It simply won’t leave Harry alone.”

“The Slytherins must have tampered with it,” Ron said from her other side.

That was exactly what had happened. Suer nodded silently and scanned the stands, but found nothing.

Drip…

The clouds that had been threatening for so long finally succumbed to the oppressive heat, and a single raindrop fell squarely onto Suer.

“It’s raining.”

Unfortunately, perhaps because they had arrived too late, only a few uncovered stands still had seats. Many of the young wizards had anticipated the change in weather and claimed the sheltered stands early.

Suer drew his wand, pointed it at Hermione and himself, and cast the spell.

“Impervius.”

An invisible film kept the falling rain away.

“Do me too, Suer,” Ron said. He did not want to be soaked either.

The rain suddenly intensified, as though someone in the sky were endlessly emptying a bucket full of water over them.

At that moment, Gryffindor’s captain raised a hand.

Shrill…

Madam Hooch blew her whistle, suspending play. The score stood at sixty to nil, with Slytherin in the lead.

The two teams gathered in separate huddles. Even through the curtain of rain, the grim expressions on the Gryffindor players’ faces were plain to see.

Madam Hooch walked over to them.

A moment later, the match resumed.

Gryffindor seemed to have changed tactics, leaving Harry to dodge desperately from side to side as the deranged Bludger pursued him.

“Why are they still playing? There’s obviously something wrong with that Bludger.” Hermione stared anxiously into the sky.

“If they ask for an investigation, the match will end,” Ron said. “They clearly don’t want to let Slytherin win.”

The rain fell harder and harder until the drops nearly merged into solid lines.

Suer had to renew the Waterproofing Charm.

“Harry!” Hermione suddenly cried.

Like a bird with a broken wing, Harry plummeted straight towards the ground.

Shouts of alarm rose one after another.

Thud.

He struck the ground hard, sending standing water spraying in every direction. One arm was bent at an unnatural angle, but his uninjured hand stretched rigidly towards the sky. Against the darkness, the flash of brilliant gold shone like a lamp in the night.

“We won!” Ron shouted.

“This is no time to talk about that.” Hermione glared at him and hurried down from the stands, with Suer close behind.

They had been sitting far from Harry, however, and by the time they reached the pitch, a ring of people had already formed around him.
“Excuse me. Let us through.” Suer stepped forwards, placing himself in front of Hermione as he pushed into the crowd.

When the two of them reached the centre, they saw Lockhart roll up his emerald-green sleeves. He flourished his wand in a circle, then pointed it at Harry’s crooked arm. A flash of purple light followed.

“Oh my goodness.” Hermione could not help recoiling.

Suer turned his head away as well. It was too dreadful to look at.

Lockhart was still explaining. “These things do happen sometimes, but the essential point is–the bones have been reset. You must be sure to remember that.”

Harry struggled to his feet, his broken arm dangling and swaying in front of him… He glared furiously at Lockhart.

But any young wizard with eyes could see that the bones in Harry’s arm had not been reset at all.

Lockhart looked around and spotted Hermione and Suer at the front of the crowd.

“Aha… Miss Granger, Mr Bones. Would you mind taking him to the hospital wing? Madam Pomfrey can–tidy him up a little more.”

“I’ve just remembered that I have some business to attend to.”

Lockhart flashed his gleaming teeth and swept away without the slightest sense that he had done anything wrong.

Ron squeezed through the crowd, panting. When he saw Harry supported between Suer and Hermione, his mouth fell open.

“What happened? Harry’s arm…”

“Never mind that. We need to get Harry to Madam Pomfrey at once,” Hermione interrupted. She anxiously helped Harry away, and the crowd parted of its own accord to let them through.

“You should have come to me straight away!” Madam Pomfrey said angrily, lifting Harry’s fleshy, lifeless arm. “I could have mended the bone in a second–but now it will have to grow back by itself–”

“You’ll have to stay here overnight,” Madam Pomfrey told Harry. “This is going to hurt.”

Harry remained in the hospital wing, and the irritable Madam Pomfrey chased the other three out.

“A patient needs peace and quiet while his bones grow back. You may leave.”

…

“Professor Lockhart probably didn’t mean to do it. Everyone makes mistakes…” Hermione could not help muttering as they walked along the corridor.

“You’re still defending Lockhart?” Ron said angrily. “He always makes a mess of everything. He’s an idiot who can do nothing but flash that stupid smile at a camera.”

Suer nodded in heartfelt agreement.

For once, Hermione did not argue.

“Well, at least we won the match,” Suer said. “Madam Pomfrey will heal Harry. We might even see him tomorrow.”

He had no intention of changing Hermione’s opinion of Lockhart just yet. The truth would come out in the end.

It did not matter. The old bumblebee would step in anyway.

Thump, thump, thump…

Colin Creevey rushed past the three of them, clutching his camera in both hands.

“Colin,” Suer called.

Colin Creevey skidded to a halt and turned round.

“Where are you going?” Suer had been about to say something else, but changed the question at the last moment.

“Oh, hello, Suer. I’m going to the hospital wing. I want to take a photograph of Mr Potter,” Colin said excitedly. “It was brilliant! He was willing to fall off his broom and hurt himself just to catch the Golden Snitch. Mr Potter is so brave.”

Suer was silent for a while. “All right. Off you go, then. But you’d better be careful. Madam Pomfrey isn’t in a very good mood just now.”

Suer had originally meant to warn Colin to be careful over the next few days. If he remembered correctly, Colin was the second victim.

But Suer feared that if he did, the plot might change, and someone who ought to have remained unharmed might die…

“All right. Thank you, Suer,” Colin said happily. “I’ll be going, then.”