Harry Potter and the Parliament of Dreams - 23. Slytherin Versus Gryffindor

Harry woke up less than two hours after he had fallen to sleep. He put his glasses on and grabbed his wand from the nightstand. He then dressed quietly in his boxers and sweat pants throwing a winter robe over the whole thing before wandering out of the room. Draco slept on undisturbed.

Harry drifted through the main room of the flat without making as a sound. He was pleasantly surprised at the happy feeling he got seeing Seamus and Colin tangled with each other on the couch. He padded quietly over to them and drew the blanket over them both. He beamed silently at the sleeping boys before making his way out of the flat.

He crossed the hallway and went straight up the stairs of the Astronomy tower, quietly opening the door to the roof. He was surprised to find a dark figure standing on the far edge of the roof, looking out over the grounds.

“Mr. Potter.”

“Professor Dumbledore,” Harry acknowledged.

“This place has been rather busy as of late for people not feeling at their best.”

Harry made a noncommittal grunt.

“I see you know what I mean. Times are rough and we all need to help each other if we are all going to make it through them in one piece.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry murmured agreement.

“I wish I could make it easier on you Harry. You’ve had to endure far more than any young man should ever be expected to endure.”

“I’ve had support. I’m very glad that I have Draco now because I don’t think I could keep everything together without his help.”

Dumbledore blinked and then smiled at Harry. “Your partner seems to be joining us.”

Harry, surprised, checked the link between them and found that Draco was indeed up and moving towards them. They both stood silently waiting for Draco to join them.

“There you are Harry. Why do you keep wandering off at night?” Draco said with a small amount of distress in his voice.

Dumbledore answered before Harry could, “We all have a lot on our minds. Come join us Draco.”

Draco came to stand next to Harry. Dumbledore stepped behind the two boys and wrapped his arms around them both. They stood for a long time together looking out over the grounds.

Draco felt a deeper peace than he had ever felt emanating from the Headmaster. Harry was also affected by it. Draco could see it on his face.

“It is well past time to get some sleep. There is a big Quidditch game for Harry today and he needs his rest. Good night boys.”

“Good night sir,” Draco and Harry answered together.

*  *  *

The next morning, all of the boys got up early. Seamus and Colin went back to Gryffindor tower and Draco went off to meet someone. That left Harry all alone.

Harry wasn’t sure what to do with his free time so he once again violated rules and went down to the Quidditch Pitch alone after eating a single piece of toast.

He launched himself into the air with a strong kick and soared high up over the field.

*  *  *

It had long been acknowledged, even by his enemies, that Harry Potter was a natural on a broomstick. It often looked as if he was born on one. It tended to irritate his Quidditch rivals.

And his former Quidditch rivals. One of whom was on Hogwarts grounds again today for the third time in recent memory. Unlike the last two times, however, he was here on his own. It was the first Quidditch game of the year. The first Quidditch game held at Hogwarts in over a year, actually. He had been very upset when his last year of Quidditch was canceled for that bloody Tri-Wizard Tournament.

He settled himself under the stands for a nice wait until the people started arriving later on and he could blend in with them.

*  *  *

Draco had gotten up early to go talk with his former compatriots, Crabbe and Goyle.

“Draco,” Vincent Crabbe rumbled.

“Crabbe. Goyle. I have a favor to ask of you both.”

“What is it?”

“You two are playing Beater today, are you not?”

“Yes,” Crabbe answered.

“Don’t spend much time targeting the Gryffindor Seeker.”

Crabbe gave Draco a penetrating stare.

Draco shifted uncomfortably under the strangely knowing look.

“What’s going on Draco? Really, that is,” Gregory Goyle asked slowly.

Draco looked around sharply to see if anybody was paying attention to him. There was nobody obvious, but Draco motioned with his head for them to follow. They nodded. He led them to a secret passage he knew and opened the door. They followed mutely behind him as he led them towards a small storage room. There were chairs scattered about and Draco promptly took one.

Greg and Vince followed suit and stared at Draco, as he nervously fumbled with his hands in his lap. They exchanged looks. Malfoys were never nervous.

“What is it that you want to know?” Draco asked cautiously.

“What is going on with you and Potter?”

“We’re friends,” Draco said dismissively.

“Even an idiot can see that. And even I’m not that stupid Draco,” Vince Crabbe replied.

Draco stared back at Crabbe and waited. Crabbe returned the long look.

Draco was the first to break, “We’ve become attached magically.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” Crabbe asked, his eyebrows arched.

“What difference does it make?” Draco snapped.

“We just wanted to be aware of what we were getting in to, Draco. We have already defied our fathers for you. Despite the opportunities to pummel people, we have decided to follow you. And you are following Dumbledore, which means that we are working on the side of ‘good’,” Vince explained.

“Oh,” Draco sighed.

“So, this brings us back to The Boy Who Lived. What is he to you?”

“The other half of my soul,” Draco replied quietly.

Crabbe and Goyle stared bug-eyed at Draco for a few minutes without moving a muscle.

“I thought you wanted the truth?” Draco murmured.

“I can honestly say that I never saw that one coming. Does he feel the same?” Greg asked.

“Yes. There is a real magical connection between us. We seem to have combined our magical power. So, for your own health, I’d recommend that you do nothing to hurt Harry,” Draco finished sternly; the look on his face relaying to the larger boys just what would occur if they disobeyed in this.

Both Crabbe and Goyle lowered their heads in acknowledgement and submission.

Draco smiled a half-smile, predatory like grin at them before leaving the room abruptly.

He headed back to the flat to get breakfast.

*  *  *

In the Great Hall during breakfast, Ron Weasley was talking excitedly to his brothers. This was to be his first Quidditch game on the Gryffindor team, after all.

The twins, for their parts, were smiling knowingly at their little brother. Ron, in his excitement, did not notice the patronizing looks. Hermione did though.

She snickered quietly into the book she was reading about Arithmancy.

Ron chattered on with Seamus, who had just arrived with Colin. Colin had his camera with him and was talking about getting some good pictures of his favorite Gryffindor men. Ron, both twins, and Seamus all stared at him quite suddenly.

Colin blushed almost as red as the Quidditch uniforms.

The teacher’s table was also sporting some interesting conversations.

Severus was scowling at everyone far more than was normal, which meant everyone, all the time. Percy Weasley was sitting next to him asking him questions about several complicated potions.

This momentarily distracted the Potions Master from his efforts to vaporize students with his glare alone.

Breakfast passed quickly for the whole school. Tension was building almost to the breaking point, just waiting for the Quidditch game to begin.

*  *  *

Severus had fled the Great Hall as quickly as he could. Percy was being especially annoying today and he had lost all his patience. He stormed into his room and changed into more traditional colors for the Quidditch match.

He was just tying his robes closed when a knock sounded at his door.

“Enter,” he growled.

“You are always so cheery after breakfast,” Remus purred sarcastically.

Severus narrowed his eyes at his friend and his current choice of clothing.

Remus was wearing a very nice scarlet robe with gold trim and a Gryffindor Lion emblazoned over his heart.

Remus smiled, “That is a very nice robe Sevvy. It makes you look so much better than your customary drab black robes.”

Severus smiled slightly as he turned to look in the mirror. He examined the emerald green robe with silver trim. There was a Slytherin Serpent emblazoned over his heart.

“Those are nice robes. Albus?” Severus asked when he turned back.

“Yes, from my last birthday. Yours?”

“Albus,” Snape smirked.

“You’d think that he did that on purpose so that we would look like a pair of Father Christmas’s elves.”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Severus replied dryly.

“Teacher’s section? Or with our separate houses?”

“I think it would be prudent to sit with our houses today. This could get very messy very quickly.”

“Indeed. Good luck,” Remus smiled.

“We’ll need it. Potter is going to fly circles around that foolish girl that took Draco’s place,” Severus replied.

The professors walked side by side all the way to the Quidditch Pitch before separating and heading for their respective sections.

*  *  *

Harry flew around for a quite awhile before landing and heading to the locker room to meet the rest of his team.

“Fred?”

“Yes Captain Potter?” Fred replied jovially.

Harry looked at him for a moment, “Please come over here for a moment. I’d like to talk to you privately.”

“Okay Harry,” Fred replied seriously.

After the two boys were well away from everyone else Harry turned back to Fred, “I would like for you and George to take it a little easy on Zabini today.”

Fred’s eyes narrowed, “What do you mean?”

“Blaise has sided with us in this upcoming war. All I’m asking is that you don’t spend any undo amount of attention on him.”

Fred nodded. “Is there anyone that you do want ‘undo’ amounts of attention applied to?”

Fred took a step back when Harry made a decidedly sadistic grin. “I’m sure Parkinson would like to be introduced to the mud and blood that she is so fond of.”

Fred nodded.

Harry smirked and turned on his foot and stalked off to his locker.

Fred stood a moment before following.

*  *  *

Hermione was just reaching her seat in the Gryffindor section with Colin Creevey and Ginny Weasley when she was tapped on the shoulder. She turned to see who it was.

“Would you mind if I sat with you Hermione?”

Hermione’s mouth opened and closed twice before she was able to respond with, “If you want to Draco.”

He smiled shyly at her, looking distinctly uncomfortable surrounded by all the Gryffindors.

Hermione smiled back and looped her arm around his shoulders and dragged him forward. Several of the Gryffindors glared at Draco but they all stopped suddenly when they saw a glint in Hermione’s eyes that was almost as bright as the Prefect’s badge that was gleaming on her robes.

When they were all seated, Hermione found herself between Draco and Ginny with Colin on the far side of Draco and Neville next to Ginny with his arm draped over her shoulders. Hermione smiled.

She smiled at Professor Lupin, whom she was surprised to see was wearing Gryffindor colors. She watched as he found a seat in the center of all the Gryffindors.

*  *  *

“Wizards and Witches!” Lee Jordan’s voice boomed out over the Quidditch Pitch, “Welcome to the first Quidditch game of the year! Slytherin! And Gryffindor! After a year long hiatus, Quidditch has come home!”

The applause in the stadium was deafening. Every seat was filled and it looked as if every student and professor in the school was in attendance along with quite a few of the wizards and witches from Hogsmeade.

Professor Dumbledore was sitting in the main stands with McGonagall, right behind Lee Jordan. He was wearing a very bright purple robe. The robe had many moons and stars embroidered in it. McGonagall herself was wearing scarlet red of Gryffindor.

“And the teams take to the air as Madam Hooch flies out onto the pitch!” Lee Jordan roared out.

“Captain Harry Potter, Gryffindor’s Seeker has taken position across from Captain Blaise Zabini, one of Slytherin’s Chasers. Zabini, though new to the team, got the captaincy due to his intelligence on the overwhelming stupid Slytherin team. Had they not booted Draco Malfoy, I’m sure they might stand a chance.”

The Slytherin crowd booed.

Draco Malfoy looked somewhat startled at the compliment he had gotten from Jordan.

“Mr. Jordan I will not have you slandering the Slytherin team,” McGonagall’s voice snapped out over the entire stadium.

“It is only slander when it is false professor,” Lee replied cheerfully.

The Gryffindors laughed.

Madam Hooch chose that moment to blow the whistle.

“The Golden Snitch, both bludgers and the Quaffle have been released!”

“Slytherin Chaser Zabini has the Quaffle! Gryffindor Beater Weasley nails an excellent Bludger Backbeat at Slytherin Chaser Bulstrode. The cow was somehow able to dodge!”

“Mr. Jordan!” McGonagall roared.

“Zabini shoots! Keeper Ron Weasley blocks and sends Quaffle the straight to Chaser Finnegan!”

Fred and George managed to get near a bludger and near Pansy Parkinson at the same time. With perfectly timed swings, they both whacked the bludger as hard as they could towards Pansy. The bludger nailed her broom and flipped her completely over. As she had been hovering about four feet off the field, it caused her to plummet into the ground. Unfortunately for her, it was straight into the only muddy patch left on the Pitch.

“Wow! Gryffindor’s Weasley Beaters perform a perfect Dopplebeater Defense that sends the Slytherin Seeker plowing into the mud!”

The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws all broke into cheers. The Slytherins were hissing. Except for Professor Snape. He had a peculiar sneer on his face.

Meanwhile, flying high above everyone else was Harry Potter. He flew high and fast to clear his mind. He then started to search for the Golden Snitch.

“Gryffindor scores!” Lee Jordan roared.

Harry looked to the left just in time to roll out of the way of an incoming bludger. Harry smiled grimly as he spun around and made a steep dive directly towards Blaise Zabini. The boy, who had the Quaffle, was so surprised when Harry buzzed by him that he lost the Quaffle to Gryffindor.

Harry rolled just before he would have hit Blaise and then continued his steep dive, pulling up only at the last second. The dive gave him excessive speed and one hell of a major rush as he buzzed by the Quidditch Pitch at only feet above the turf. He used the speed to go into a sharp climb. He then went into a half loop to change directions.

It was only after the latest direction change that he noticed the golden glint of the Snitch. He poured everything he had into speed and roared towards the Snitch.

*  *  *

Draco was alternating between breathing shallowly and breathing deeply. He was getting one hell of an adrenaline rush as Harry played Quidditch.

On one occasion when he whimpered, Hermione placed a hand on his knee and rubbed a little. Draco turned and smiled at her.

*  *  *

Harry lost sight of the Snitch shortly after he spotted it. He then flew high over the field and brought himself into a hover so that he could survey the whole field.

“Gryffindor scores again! 30 to 0 Gryffindor!” Lee Jordan shouted.

“I must have missed one,” Harry muttered to himself.

“Talking to yourself Boy Blunder?” a very muddy Pansy asked hovering in the air nearby.

“Yes, and I was having a far better conversation with myself then you’d be able to give me,” Harry said coldly.

“Muggle loving bas… oomph!”

George waved serenely at Harry after nailing a bludger at Pansy. The bludger gave her a glancing blow, which shut her up and bloodied her nose.

“Did you know Pansy that you are covered in both mud and blood? Does that make you one of those Mudbloods you are always whining about?” Harry asked innocently.

Pansy looked infuriated. She whipped out her wand and pointed it at the spot where Harry used to be.

Harry had spotted the Golden Snitch and had taken off after it as fast as he could fly, leaving Pansy behind in her own incompetent confusion.

Pansy snarled in anger and was so upset that she didn’t see the Weasley twins both whacking bludgers at her. Slytherin Beater Goyle managed to deflect one, but the other one slammed straight into Pansy’s back, causing her to slam forward onto her broom handle. Blood sprayed everywhere.

*  *  *

Harry was on the trail of the Golden Snitch and was traveling as fast as he could. He blasted past other players and weaved in and out of all the obstacles in his path. At one point he flew past Ron and didn’t even notice when the Quaffle bounced off the back of his broom, blocking a shot that Ron was out of position for.

The snitch suddenly went into a steep climb and Harry followed suit. They climbed high, but the Golden Snitch was not fast enough to outrun the Boy Who Lived.

Harry’s hand closed around the Snitch. He had won another game.

The whistle blew, “Gryffindor Wins!”

Lee Jordan shouted out, “Gryffindor wins! 180 to 0!”

The crowd went wild.

Harry floated down to the center of the pitch. All of the stadium emptied and ran towards him.

*  *  *

Marcus Flint, out of school since June, had a little problem. He had joined up with the Death Eaters as soon as he graduated, following the footsteps of his father Frederick and his mother Stonea Flint. His most recent missions, assigned directly by the Dark Lord himself, had been successful but had still left him writhing on the floor suffering from the Cruciatus Curse.

As most people were aware, prolonged exposure to curse was not in the least bit healthy. Some people, like Neville Longbottom’s parents, became disconnected. Other people, like Marcus, simply lost their tenuous grip on reality.

And this is why Marcus found himself at Hogwarts watching his former house play his former rivals at a hair-raising game of Quidditch. Not surprisingly, he was disguised. He had snuck out from his earlier hiding spot after transfiguring his robe into a Gryffindor school uniform. Since everyone was caught up watching the Great and Wonderful ™ Harry Potter whip the snot out of Slytherin’s seeker, nobody noticed what Marcus was up to as soon as Potter won.

Students all rushed the field to congratulate Harry Potter and the rest of the Gryffindors as soon as Potter landed, the Snitch flapping weakly in his hand. Marcus went with the crowd and got as near to Potter as possible. He drew his wand.

Marcus had never believed in the whole mumbo jumbo about time slowing down at a critical moment before. Here he was at Hogwarts for the third time this school year. Unlike last time, where he was sent to deliver a personal and painful message to Zavien Higgs, this time he was on his own agenda. And time really did slow down to a crawl as he raised his wand and pointed it at the Boy Who Lived. The mad gleam in his eye went unnoticed by everyone until it was too late.

“Avada Kedavra!” Marcus cried out and then smiled madly as the green light meandered slowly towards the infamous Boy Who Would Not Die.

*  *  *

Ron, his face flush with victory, turned just in time to see the green light of death heading for Harry. Before he could do a thing about it, the death curse slammed into Harry’s chest. Harry’s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open in surprise as he fell bonelessly to the ground.

Ron continued to watch in horror as the green curse did something further. It appeared to rebound out of Harry and it then slammed into Draco, who had just skidded to a halt next to Ron. Draco’s face, which had been a mask of horror contorted into surprise as he fell into Ron. Ron’s senses felt overloaded as he saw the green light bounce again. This time it traveled back where it had come from.

Ron watched in fascination as the green light slammed into the person that produced it. The man keeled over backwards with a dumbfounded look on his face. Ron recognized him as Marcus Flint as soon as the dumbfounded look appeared on his face. He had seen that more than a few times through his omnioculars during the Quidditch games of years past.

Ron was overwhelmed by the combination of Draco’s dead weight, the excitement from Quidditch and the terror of losing his friend. He crashed to the ground backwards with Draco landing on top of him.