49 The Rogue Bludger

"Arth?"

"Yes?"

Arth turned around a saw a blonde haired girl coming over his way.

"Oh, Hello Luna, nice to meet you here."

"Oh yes, it is nice to meet you here too, the Wrackspurts inside the castle were getting a bit too excited you see, I thought it was a good idea to get some air. Oh, I'm supporting Gryffindor by the way... although it seems a bit unfair doesn't it."

"Very."

As the players walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard, too.

Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.

It was a very familiar sight.

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

With a roar from the crowd to speed them upward, the fourteen players rose toward the leaden sky.

The first few minutes were ok, until the Slytherins started to score in mass.

Soon the score became 60 to zero.

Arth switched his view towards Harry instead.

Harry and Malfoy started to have what looked like a one sided verbal battle, with Harry being the one who was silent.

Harry ignored Malfoy and dodged a heavy black Bludger came pelting toward him.

George gave Harry a thumbs up before streaking past him with his club in his hand, ready to knock the Bludger back toward a Slytherin.

Arth saw George give the Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in midair and shot straight for Harry again.

Harry dropped quickly to avoid it, and George managed to hit it hard toward Malfoy. Once again, the Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Harry's head.

Harry put on a burst of speed and zoomed toward the other end of the pitch. Arth could see the Bludger whistling along behind him.

Arth frowned.

What was going on? Bludgers never concentrated on one player like this; it was their job to try and unseat as many people as possible...

Arth glanced at the other Bludger that was being ping ponged around by the Slytherin beaters. He winced when he saw a Bludger hit Angelina square in the stomach.

Fred Weasley was waiting for the Bludger at the other end. Harry ducked as Fred swung at the Bludger with all his might; the Bludger was knocked off course.

"Gotcha!" Fred yelled happily, but he was wrong; as though it was magnetically attracted to Harry, the Bludger pelted after him once more and Harry was forced to fly off at full speed.

It had started to rain.

"Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero."

The Slytherins' superior brooms were clearly doing their jobs, and meanwhile the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Harry out of the air.

Fred and George were now flying so close to him on either side that Harry could see nothing at all except their flailing arms and had no chance to look for the Snitch, let alone catch it.

"The freaking Bludger is rigged." Said Arth with a groan. "I swear Harry has a trouble magnet attached to him."

"What? No way!"

"Look. It's as if the Bludger has a deep rooted hatred for Harry."

"Hmmmm, It seems so."

George signaled to Wood and tried to stop the Bludger breaking Harry's nose at the same time.

Wood had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Harry, Fred, and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.

There was a lot of arguing from within the Gryffindor team before they decided on what to do. Wood had a complicated expression while Fred, George and Alicia flew off with an angry and concerned look.

The rain was falling more heavily now.

On Madam Hooch's whistle, Harry kicked hard into the air with the Bludger behind him. Higher and higher Harry climbed; he looped and swooped, spiraled, zigzagged, and rolled.

Harry suddenly turned himself upside down, avoiding another fierce dive from the Bludger. Arthur could hear laughter from the Slytherins and narrowed his eyes.

Suddenly Arth froze.

"It's the god dam snitch."

"What?"

"The snitch."

"Where."

"Above Malfoy's ear."

"Impossible!" Said Ron, But then he saw it — the Golden Snitch. It was hovering inches above Malfoy's left ear — and Malfoy, busy laughing at Harry, hadn't seen it.

"...I swear, if Malfoy doesn't know about the switch being on his ear, he will be the dumbest person I have ever met in my life."

"Nah, he should notice any moment now-"

But Malfoy didn't.

But Harry did.

Harry hung in midair, not daring to speed toward Malfoy in case he looked up and saw the Snitch.

WHAM.

He had stayed still a second too long. The Bludger had hit him at last, smashed into his elbow, and the Bludger came pelting back for a second attack.

Harry swerved out of the way, before diving for the shimmering, the snitch.

Arth could almost see what malfoy was thinking in his head.

"What the —" Malfoy gasped, careening out of Harry's way.

Malfoy thought Harry was attacking him.

"... he is the biggest idiot I've ever seen."

Harry took his hand off his broom and made a wild snatch, and fell off his broom.

With a splattering thud Harry hit the mud and rolled off his broom. His arm was hanging at a very strange angle. Overall, he looked pretty bad.

Arth, Hermione, Luna, and Ron made their way down the stands and towards Harry.

But someone had beaten them to the chase.

"Oh, no, not you," Harry moaned.

"Doesn't know what he's saying," said Lockhart loudly to the anxious crowd of Gryffindors pressing around them. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."

"No!" said Harry. "I'll keep it like this, thanks..."

Harry attempted to sit up, but failed.

Arth heard a familiar clicking noise nearby.

"Harry probably doesn't want a photo of this, Colin," he said with a sigh. "Put the camera away."

"Ohhh... um, ok." Said Colin Who begrudgingly put his camera away.

"Lie back, Harry," said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times-"

"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" said Harry through clenched teeth.

"He should really, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help grinning even though his Seeker was injured.

"Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say-"

"Is this really the time to feel happy Wood? Your seeker has been injured."

"Your right! I should be worried about our brilliant seeker who won us a lost match!" Said Wood with a bright smile.

Arth turned his eye towards Fred and George Weasley, wrestling the rogue Bludger into a box. It was still putting up a terrific fight, almost like a father who was desperately fighting to save his child. Or a wounded lion protecting his cubs.

"Stand back," said Lockhart, who was rolling up his jade-green sleeves.

"No — don't-" said Harry weakly.

"Professor Lockhart, I think it's best for us to leave it to Madam Pomfrey with his injury."

"Oh it's ok Arth my boy. I am also an experienced professional. Leave it to me and he won't be pain in his arm in an instant."

"I'm not questioning your skill, I just think that-"

But Lockhart wouldn't listen. He was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry and Arth who was standing in between the two.

The spell slightly deviated from its original path due to the heavy rain and instead of Harry's broken Arm, it made its way towards Arth.

Arth opened his eyes wide as the spell hit him on the hand. Instantly, a strange and unpleasant sensation started at Arth's shoulder and spread all the way down to

his fingertips. It felt as though his arm was being deflated.

"Ah," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. However, it might have also been influenced by the fact that Mr. Kingscrown has no broken bones to begin with. So it's perfectly understandable that my skill is not in the question. Right?"

Arth wanted to retort back when the strange feeling came back and assaulted his other arm.

This feeling came back twice more and soon Arth had no feeling in his Arms and legs.

Arth couldn't hold himself up anymore and fell face first into the mud.

There was inaudible yelling coming from where Arth's face was within the mud before silence.

"...Ah, I must be a little too excited today. My magic is acting quite uncontrolled. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing I think it's best to let Madam Pomfrey shine in the spotlight for once. And as for you Arth-"

Lockhart looked around before spotting the tow worried girls next to Arth.

"Ah, Miss Lovegood, Miss Granger, would you escort him? — Madam Pomfrey will be able to — er — tidy him up a bit."

Hermione and Luna sent a glare at Lockhart before picking up Arth and dragging him across the field with a stunned Harry in tow.

Arth was covered in mud head to toe and was stupefied.

It wasn't until they had reached the hospital wing when Arth decided to speak up.

"...That teacher... is a god dam fraud."