Chapter 16

"Oy! Potter!"

Harry looked up to see Marcus Flint standing over him, frowning. Draco was hovering behind the hulking sixth year, looking embarrassed and indignant.

"Yes, Marcus?" Harry asked sweetly. Behind him, Neville gave Draco a curious look.

"Malfoy here-" Marcus cast the blond an angry look "-has gotten himself banned from Quidditch for the rest of the year. I need a Seeker. You up for it?"

"Are you asking me because you want to beat Gryffindor," Harry mused, "or because I'm a good Seeker?"

"Both," Marcus said bluntly.

"Good answer," Harry said dryly. Neville chuckled. "I'll do it. Draco, sit," he added. Draco instantly plopped into the chair beside Neville's. "You're dismissed, Marcus."

The large boy bowed slightly before walking off.

The Slytherins, since discovering Harry was the Lord and Heir of Hogwarts, had had mixed reactions. For the most part, they treated him with respect and awe. Some of them were furious that 'The Boy Who Lived' now had control over them. Marcus had been one of the few that treated him with a sort of blunt friendliness, except when he gave a direct order.

"Draco," Harry said lazily, amused, "how did you get banned from the match?"

"I was looking around Myrtle's bathroom," Draco replied. "It's just down the hall from where they found that stupid cat. The Prefect Weasley caught me and told a teacher he'd found me trying to drag a girl into it-" Harry felt a flash of anger "-so I've got a month of detentions with Filch and I'm banned from Quidditch for the rest of the year."

"Did anyone else see you going into the bathroom?" Harry asked.

"The portraits, probably, but-" He broke off when Harry held up a hand and closed his eyes.

Sir Redundant, Harry thought, contacting one of the portraits in that hallway.

"No, Lady Harry?" came an amused voice. Harry opened his eyes to see Sir Redundant standing in the portrait of Merlin's dog.

"Did you see Draco entering Myrtle's bathroom?" Harry asked.

"I didn't," Sir Redundant replied.

Harry, knowing Sir Redundant had been cursed to tell the opposite of what he meant, said, "Please tell Professor McGonagall that Draco did not try to drag a girl into the bathroom."

"I won't, Lady Harry," Sir Redundant replied with a nod.

"Who the heck was that?" Draco asked, looking both amused and appalled.

"Sir Edric Redundant," Harry said, chuckling. "He was cursed in life to always say the opposite of what he actually means to say, and the curse passed to his portraits. I like him; he's cheerful and very helpful."

Neville laughed. "You should hear his jokes. Since he says the opposite of what he means-" Draco laughed, interrupting him.

"Did you find any clues?" said Harry warmly, and Draco jumped, blushing.

"Yeah, I did, but it didn't make any sense," Draco responded. "I saw a whole bunch of spiders climbing out the window and heading in the direction of the Forbidden Forest."

"Fleeing spiders," Harry mused, closing his book. What snake was the enemy of all spiders? He would ask Tom later.

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On Saturday morning, Harry, Fred, and George went down to the pitch with Adrian Pucey, Miles Bletchley, Marcus, and Theodore Nott. Adrian and Miles were arguing about Quidditch teams; Theo had a book inches from his nose; Marcus was muttering strategy to himself; Fred and George were whispering about ⎯ well, Harry didn't want to know.

"You sure you don't want to borrow Malfoy's broom?" Marcus asked Harry desperately when they arrived at the pitch.

"I am used to this broom," Harry responded calmly, holding up his Nimbus Two Thousand. "My broom is still better than the Gryffindor team's brooms."

Marcus huffed, making the twins, Adrian, and Miles snicker. "Fine! Get dressed!"

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was standing beside Miles, the Keeper. Fred and George, who were admiring their new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones, stood in front of them, followed by the three Chasers, Marcus a little ahead of the other two. He could hear the stands chattering excitedly.

"Ready?" Marcus barked, silencing Adrian and Theo, who had been arguing about Chaser techniques. When everyone nodded, he led the way out onto the pitch to a roar from the crowd.

Madam Hooch and the Gryffindor team were waiting for them. Harry rolled his eyes as Marcus tried to smash Wood's hand. For Merlin's sake...

"On my whistle," Madam Hooch barked. "Three... two... one..."

With a short blast, both teams were in the air. Harry and Dean Thomas, Gryffindor's new Seeker rose higher than the rest of them.

"Hey, Harry," Dean called, struggling behind him on his Shooting Star. "How's your new House?"

Knowing Dean was being friendly and not trying to distract Harry from the Snitch, Harry replied, "Much better than my old one." He kept his eyes on the skies, not looking at him.

"Well, that's good," Dean said, surprising Harry. "Seamus and I could tell you were miserable."

"You're Not mad I switched Houses?" Harry asked curiously, without stopping his search for the Snitch.

At that moment, the black form of a Bludger shot towards them, and Harry did a barrel roll in midair to avoid it.

"No, Slytherin is cool," Dean responded.

The Bludger came shooting back, and Harry shot away. To his utter annoyance, the ball continued to follow him.

Fred tried to hit the Bludger away from him, towards Wood, but it swerved around and aimed at Harry again. Harry rolled again and sped in the opposite direction.

It began to rain. That, combined with the Bludger that kept trying to attack Harry and Fred and George were now following Harry around incredibly closely, there was no way he could find the Snitch.

"...Slytherin in the lead, sixty points to zero..." Lee was saying.

"What ⎯ the heck's ⎯ wrong ⎯ with this ⎯ Bludger!" George growled, whacking it with all his might.

"We need a time out!" Fred shouted to Marcus, waving his arm and trying to keep the Bludger from smashing Harry out of the air.

Marcus signaled to Madam Hooch, looking a mixture of angry and worried, and the team landed in the mud a moment later.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Someone's fixed the other Bludger," Harry said stiffly. Fred and George were still whacking the black ball away from him, so he knew it had been cursed that way; the Bludgers were supposed to stop attacking the players during a time out.

Marcus' eyes blazed. "How the heck are we going to keep playing with that thing? The twins can't keep following you around, our players will get mauled, and you won't be able to catch the Snitch!"

"Fred, George, bring me that Bludger," Harry ordered. Instantly, Fred slammed the angry Bludger to the ground and the twins dragged the struggling ball over to him.

"Madam Hooch!" Harry yelled.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked, frowning when she saw the Bludger.

"This Bludger has not left me for the entire game," Harry said, gesturing to the struggling ball. "It is also trying to kill me, not just unseat me."

"Well, we can't have that," Madam Hooch said sharply, pulling out her wand. She tapped the Bludger with it, and it stopped struggling so hard. "Ready to resume play?" she asked as the twins released the Bludger. It flew back up into the air.

Harry nodded to Marcus, who said, "Yes, we are."

They all shot back into the air, Harry joining Dean above the game once more.

"You okay?" Dean shouted over the rain and the roars of the crowd.

"Fine," Harry replied loudly, looking for the Snitch once more.

"Training for the ballet, Potter?" one of the new Gryffindor Beaters yelled, whacking a Bludger towards Marcus, who dodged it expertly.

Harry laughed coldly and opened his mouth to retort, before he saw the Snitch. It was hovering right next to the Beater's ear.

WHAM!

Harry, staring at the Snitch, hadn't seen the Bludger heading in his direction. It smashed into his arm, and he heard a loud crack. He winced in pain, then shot at the Beater.

He yelped in alarm and shot away, thinking Harry was attacking him, and Harry snatched the tiny ball out of the air with his working hand.

"Slytherin wins!" Lee yelled. "400 to 200!"

"They cheated!" Wood was roaring as they all landed. Harry glared at the Gryffindor captain as he handed Fred his broom and clutched his broken arm.

"Potter, how the heck aren't you screaming in pain?" Marcus asked, looking pale. Harry glanced down.

"Oh lovely, there's bone." Harry looked up again. "Would someone fetch Madam Pomfrey?" As Adrian and Theo fled over to the staff, he turned to Marcus. "To answer your question... let's just say my old Muggle guardians weren't the best."

Marcus, if possible, turned even paler.

"Harry!"

Draco and Neville had joined them, looking horrified, followed by the Gryffindor team and-

Harry groaned. "Not you."

"Doesn't know what he's saying," Lockhart declared, pulling out his wand. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."

"I do not give you permission to use magic on me," Harry spat. "Madam Pomfrey is a proper Healer and doesn't have a brain the size of a walnut." Some of the Slytherins laughed, but most were still giving him worried looks.

"Stand back," Lockhart declared, ignoring Harry. He raised his wand.

"Stop-!" Harry began angrily, but the idiot was already casting the spell.

An incredibly unpleasant sensation spread up and down his arm. At first, Harry thought it had worked, because there was no longer bone poking out of his arm, but the hole was still there, and he was bleeding freely. Then he realized that his arm was much limper.

"You idiot," Harry hissed, grabbing a fistful of robes to stop the bleeding. "You removed all of my bones!"

Most of the Gryffindors burst into laughter, not seeing the livid looks from the Slytherins. Dean had turned green.

Lockhart smiled sheepishly. "Ah. Well, that can sometimes happen-" He stopped when he saw the deadly furious looks on the Slytherins' faces.

"LOCKHART!" Pomfrey screamed in fury, and the idiot cowered, going whiter than Marcus. "YOU ARE NOT A LICENSED HEALER! I WILL NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE HEADMASTER FIRES YOU AFTER THIS!"

"Poppy," Dumbledore said calmly, "there are no other applicants-"

"Yes, there are," Harry said coldly. "Sirius Lupin-Black-" he ignored the whispers that sprung up from the name "-will be applying in the morning."

Fred and George exchanged smirks at the Headmaster's furious look.

Pomfrey cast Dumbledore an icy look, making him blanch, and turned to Harry. "Let me stop the bleeding first, Mr. Potter," she said briskly. "Severus, he'll need a Blood Replenisher."