Chapter 10
The quidditch game was a gruelling one. Slytherin was playing
very well, and as the afternoon wore on, the score was 140 to 35
in Slytherin's favor. Both teams were two players short because
of strikes from bludgers. If Slytherin got a few more points even
if Harry caught the snitch it wouldn't be enough for them to win.
Malfoy had accidentally knocked Harry off his broom once. He had
managed to recover, make a hard landing, and get back into the
air. Malfoy had taken a bump on one of the viewing stands, but
was still in the game. But for several minutes while the others
played around them neither one of them could locate the snitch.
Then Harry spotted it coming right behind a bludger. He took up
pursuit but the bludger turned on him, and nearly took him in the
face! And Malfoy was gaining on the snitch. Harry went around one
of the viewing stands and came up underneath Malfoy. The snitch
doubled back. Harry got a grip on it, tried to maintain control,
but ended up going into the viewing stand, ending up under a pile
of Hufflepuff viewers! But when they finally pulled him to his
feet he held up the snitch!
The whistle was blown and the game was over. When he got to his
family Dudley remarked "And I thought soccer could get
rough!"
Harry smiled, got cleaned up and took the family on the tour
before he took them back to the train.
"We must do this again, Harry!" his uncle complimented.
"I used to say some very bad things about this place. I
suppose it was jealousy. But it is a quite pleasant school!"
"Right now a school with problems," Harry remarked.
"Somehow," his uncle assured, "I don't think it
will be any problems that you and your friends can't
handle." Harry returned his smile and headed back for
Hogwarts. As he was nearing the dock to catch a boat a beautiful
woman approached. Harry wasn't paying much attention to her so he
didn't see her withdraw a wand from beneath her cloak. Suddenly
someone else cried an incantation, a bolt of energy hit the woman
knocking the wand from her hand and sending her spinning into the
water!
It only took moments to realize she couldn't swim! Harry whisked
out his wand and levitated her back to the dock, where she gasped
for air. Cornelius Fudge appeared with another wizard Harry
didn't know.
"Get her out of here!" Fudge snapped. The other man
snatched up the woman as Fudge levitated her wand out of the
water and quickly stored it away with his own. "What was
THAT about?" Harry asked.
"Someone we've been looking for," the minster of magic
answered. "I'm glad we found her when we did! Don't worry
about it, Harry, we'll take care of it!"
Harry looked at him and sighed. "She was going to kill me,
wasn't she?"
The minister bowed his head. "These are
bad times, Harry. Voldemort can find people's greatest
weaknesses, make them believe his power is the greatest, and if
they don't join him they'll be destroyed. Every one of his
followers we capture, two more seem to take their place. They're
preying on muggles all over the world. We're doing our best to
combat them. But we're being run ragged, Harry. If you'd excuse
me I have to deal with things."
"Thank you!" Harry complimented. He got a boat and
returned to Hogwarts. Hagrid was waiting at the dock.
"I'll walk you to the gate!" he piped with his biggest
smile. Harry got to bed. The next day their lessons seemed to be
a little subdued. They were going to their defense class when
they saw Madame Hooch being assisted to the hospital by Gretel! A
student ran up, panting. "She was attacked!" he
explained, "By a hawk! Several owls appeared and drove it
off! They think it may have been some kind of scout. They're
warning people not to fly alone, to always have a
companion."
Everybody looked at each other in stunned disbelief. When they
got to the practice grounds they found the professor sitting in a
chair with another chair before him. "Boys over here,"
the professor remarked, "girls here! We're going to have a
little ceremony, nothing too serious. Just something to increase
your power. Miss Granger, would you come here, please, and sit
down?"
Hermione looked petrified but she went over and sat down before
the professor. He took her hands. "Our Fathers, who art in
Spirit," the professor began, "holy be Thy names. Thy
wisdom come, thy glory done on Earth as it is in Spirit. Oh,
Blessed Mothers, Divine Light of love and truth, help me, oh
Blessed Ones, to give unto this one what has been given unto me.
We are one. We are one body, we are one mind, we are one soul. We
are one body, we are one mind, we are one soul. We are one body,
we are one mind, we are one soul. We are one. We are one body, we
are one mind we are one soul. We are one. We are one body, we are
one mind, we are one soul.
I give unto you all that I am, all that I have ever been, all
that I will ever be. We are one. We are one body, we are one
mind, we are one soul.
We now separate one from the other, but we will never be separate
because now part of you dwells within me, and part of me now
dwells within you. We are one forever! So must it be!"
The professor let go of Hermione's hands and she stared at him,
wide eyed. "Hermione," the professor continued,
"can you remember the spell that was just performed?"
"Yes sir!" Hermione managed.
"Will you kindly go to Mr. Potter and give him what I just
gave to you?"
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