Chapter 14 : The X-Bolt
The three friends returned from Hogsmeade later that afternoon and they were on their way to the Great Hall for dinner when Hermione announced that she needed to go to the bathroom first. She made her way into the Girls room as Harry and Ron went to dinner. She was about to open a door to one of the stalls when a familiar person met here.
"Um...hi...Cho," she said, not wanting to look her in the eye.
"Hermione." Cho answered coldly. "So, I hear you're going out with Harry?"
"Yeah, I am."
"I must say I'm surprised, especially after all those things Harry said about you."
"What?" asked Hermione, suddenly curious.
"Oh, I thought you would know what he said about you by now. It was last Valentine's Day when we went for coffee. He said how controlling and bossy you were, and how he got really annoyed with you sometimes but couldn't say anything to you because you were so emotional."
"I don't believe you, Harry cares about me." Hermione stuttered, holding back her tears. It was true that she was very emotional.
"Oh and you keep telling yourself that dear," Cho started, she then put an arm around Hermione's shoulder before continuing, "but just remember those things that I just told you, because that is something that you really deserve to hear.
Anyway, I better be off, bye." With that Cho left Hermione alone to role Cho's words around in her head.
*
Harry and Ron sat together at the Dinner table awaiting Hermione.
"So, Quidditch tomorrow, I'm looking forward to mashing those Slytherins into the ground, how about you?" asked Ron.
"Oh I don't know about mashing, I prefer the term beating those Slytherins into the ground," answered Harry joyfully.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up." Harry and Ron turned around to see the slick haired Draco Malfoy.
"Oh hello Draco, come to get a look at the seeker that's going to leave you for dead tomorrow morning?"
"I wouldn't be so confident Weasley, after all, your friend Potter isn't the only one with a fast broom. Which brings me to my next point. Potter, would you care to come to the Quidditch pitch for a moment?" sneered Malfoy.
"What for?" Harry asked, getting up from his seat.
"I just want to show you something that is going to ensure us victory tomorrow."
"A new seeker?" asked Ron. Malfoy scowled at him.
"Ok, I'll come," said Harry.
"Me too," added Ron.
*
When they reached the doors to the Quidditch Stadium, Malfoy muttered the Alohomora spell and they made their way inside to the changing rooms. Malfoy opened the door and Harry saw something that made his mouth open slightly in awe.
"Bloody hell!" murmured Ron.
Harry glared at seven black coated broomsticks engraved with silver writing on the end of the broom was the word "X-Bolt."
"Yes Potter, the newest version of the Firebolt, anyway you've seen enough, get out!" hissed Malfoy.
"This won't make you win Malfoy," Harry taunted as he left the stadium with Ron.
"I can't believe Malfoy's got an X-Bolt!" cried Ron, as they returned to the Great Hall, where they saw Hermione sitting alone quietly. "Ok Hermione?" asked Ron, sitting down next to her. She didn't say anything.
"Herm, what is it?" asked a concerned Harry.
Hermione looked away from him as she got up and left the table. "Nothing," she muttered as she left.
*
Michael Corner was walking down the hallway past the girl's bathroom when an arm pulled him inside. "Cho!" he cried, and then a smirk developed on his face. "Couldn't you resist me?"
"Save that for later, for now all I want from you is a favour. First drink this." She handed him an ugly looking Potion.
"Polyjuice Potion?"
"Yes, I want you to drink it, turn into Harry Potter, take me to wherever Hermione Granger is and kiss me senseless."
"Cool," he answered, and he swallowed the Potion.
"Great, come on quickly." They made their way down a few corridors when Cho spotted Hermione; she quickly made her way to another corridor, which Hermione would pass next. "Right, take me," ordered Cho. Michael (Harry) pushed Cho against the wall and pressed his lips to hers, Cho wanted to make this as believable as possible and started making a lot of heavy breathing noises, even more so when she heard Hermione's footsteps. "Make it more believable," she whispered. He bent his head down and started kissing her neck gently; she let out a soft moan and then turned to face Hermione. She gave her a sly smile as tears began to squirm from Hermione's eyes as she ran back to the Prefect Common Room.
*
Harry woke the next morning; he still hadn't seen Hermione since she had left him at dinner. He didn't have time to worry for long though because before he knew where was he was standing in the Quidditch changing rooms talking to his team.
"I know that some of you will be a little nervous as this is your first game, but trust me, once you are out there and you are beating those pathetic little Slytherins all the fear will go away."
"But what about their X-Bolt's?" asked new chaser Bruce Grimplehorn.
"If there's one thing I've learned about Quidditch, it's that not only the broom helps you win a match, you need spirit. And we have that, so lets go out there and give the best game we ever have!"
They strode out onto the Quidditch Pitch as Harry felt the cold air chill his spine. He flew up high and focused his attention on the crowd in desperate search for Hermione. But she was nowhere, she never missed one of his Quidditch matches, even though she didn't like Quidditch she always support him and Ron. He turned his attention back to the match when the whistle blew. The Quaffle was released, then the Bludgers and then the Golden Snitch.
"The Snitch has been released, and that means the game has begun," called new commentator Dennis Creevey. The quaffle was collected by Ginny first, she flew forwards as fast as she could in an attempt to beat the Slytherin beaters but she was struck in the arm by a bludger, a Slytherin chaser caught the quaffle and zoomed forward towards Ron, who had no chance of stopping it. 10-0 Slytherin.
"Where were you all!" yelled Ron, waving his arms about frantically.
Slytherin put the Quaffle past Ron four more times, it appeared that the new team were struggling to cope with the X-Bolts with the score 50-0. Harry knew he had to catch the Snitch. As the thoughts entered his head he caught a glimpse of some gold about ten metres ahead of him, he sped forward towards it, closely tracked by Malfoy, who was gradually edging ahead due to his new broom. Harry pushed as hard as he could until he got slightly ahead of Malfoy who began tugging on his robes, they were now neck and neck as Malfoy pushed harder against Harry. He didn't know what had made him do it but he swung an elbow out at Malfoy catching him square in the nose, he clattered off his broom and Harry head Madam Hooch's whistle blow.
"Harry Potter, you are out of this game due to Violent Conduct," she announced. Harry didn't even bother to argue, he knew he had done the wrong thing and that he had cost his team the game, he watched Malfoy scramble back to his broom and fly to catch the Snitch easily.
Authors Note : I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I thought I would bring some more characters into the fic a little. Now that I have done my part in posting this chapter, I want you to help me. I would like it if in your reviews you told me what you would like to see more of, and what you would like to see less of from now on in the fic.
And I bet you all say : Less Cho !