A/N: I'll be out of town 'til Wednesday and won't be able to post until then. See you in a few days. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 4 Hidden
Saturday morning Ginny opened her eyes to rain steadily pelting the windows.
"Gah!" she said under her breath. "Bloody weather!"
Today was the day that Gryffindor would meet Slytherin on the pitch this year. In years past, they had been able to scrap out wins most of the time, usually owing to Harry's seeking ability. Slytherin's team had a stronger reputation this year and Ginny knew that it would require a full team effort if they wanted to win this one. Hopefully, they could avoid any nasty scenes today like the ones that had occurred in the past after matches with the Slytherins. She wasn't looking forward to playing against Draco. She had mostly managed to avoid him this past week after seeing him with that foul Pansy Parkinson.
Realizing she had overslept a bit, Ginny got up and dressed quickly hoping to eat breakfast with her teammates. She hurried down to the Great Hall and spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione along with Lavender, Seamus, Dean and Colin.
"Sorry I'm a little late," apologized Ginny.
"S'alright. Sit down and get some breakfast," Ron motioned with his hand. "I was just going over the strategies we've been practicing for today's match. I think we're well set but let's make sure our plans are clear. Visualize yourselves flying the patterns and playing your best," he directed them.
Ginny smiled at him. Ron was doing really well as Gryffindor's Quidditch captain. His ideas for the team had been insightful and they were becoming an even stronger team under his guidance. Ron had used colors to name their strategies so that their opposing teams wouldn't have any idea what to expect as he called plays for Gryffindor during matches.
"What?" Ron knitted his eyebrows at Ginny's lingering smile.
"Nothing…just glad to be here," she replied grinning at him.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Alright, then…we've got about ten minutes 'til we need to head out. Everyone relax for a bit more and then we'll go."
Ginny finished her food just as everyone was getting up from the table. Luna wandered over to wish the Gryffindor Team good luck.
"Where's your lion hat?" Ron asked with a smirk. Ginny shot him a quelling look and he pulled a face back at her.
"Well, it was really too heavy and uncomfortable last time I wore it so I left it at home this year," she responded dreamily not seeming to notice Ron and Ginny's exchange. "I'll still be cheering for Gryffindor, though. Good luck, Ronald." And Luna drifted back to the Ravenclaw table humming 'Weasley Is Our King'."
Ron shook his head at Luna's retreating form. "She's a nutter, that one is."
"She is not!" Ginny responded hotly, banging down her fork.
"Yeah, right, and I suppose everyone else acts just like her," Ron retorted as he kept eating.
"Ron," Harry interjected quietly, "there are things about Luna you don't know. Yes, she's different but she sees things others don't see."
"Yeah, Thestrals!" Ron said but then blanched as he realized his mistake. "Sorry, Harry-I didn't mean it like that…"
Harry shook his head irritatedly. "Ron, did you ever wonder why Luna can see Thestrals? You might want to look a little below the surface before you make up your mind about her."
Ron nodded, subdued. "Sorry."
"Look, Ron, neither of us is the most sensitive of guys. Just give Luna a chance, okay?" Harry looked at his watch. "We need to get going really soon, Captain-I think the Slytherins have already left."
Ron looked across the hall and saw that the other team had indeed gone. He got up quickly. "All right, Gryffindor, let's go." The team members got up and began to make their way out of the Great Hall.
"Good luck, everyone!" said Hermione.
Ginny noted Hermione giving Harry's hand a quick squeeze and exchanging a not-so-friends-only look as they left. Ginny caught Hermione's eye and smiled as she raised an eyebrow in silent question. Hermione returned a small smile and headed back to Gryffindor's tower to grab her jacket.
'Hmm…Hermione has some explaining to do.' Ginny smiled to herself.
Almost an hour later, the two teams slogged out onto the muddy pitch and waited for Madam Hooch's instructions. Fortunately, the rain clouds from earlier had broken and pale sunlight was beginning to wash over the grounds. The teams faced each other. Draco fixed a mocking stare on Ginny, which she met with disdain. Madam Hooch required the usual handshake of the captains and then, "Mount your brooms!" A shrill whistle sounded and the teams soared upward following the four balls that had just been released.
Ginny, Lavender and Colin raced after the Quaffle while Dean and Seamus kept watch for the Bludgers. Lavender caught the Quaffle and raced toward the three Slytherin goal hoops. She had almost made it when a Slytherin chaser blocked her. She quickly hurled the Quaffle to Ginny who promptly launched it through the right hoop for a Gryffindor goal. The Slytherins hissed and booed but the rest of the stadium erupted in cheers and clapping. "Go, go Gryffindor! Go, go Gryffindor!"
"And the first goal goes to Gryffindor! That was Ginny Weasley earning those ten points!" yelled Ernie MacMillan. He had taken over Lee Jordan's announcing job as Lee had graduated last year. Ernie was clearly enjoying his responsibilities in the limelight.
Ginny skidded her broom back around to catch up with the Slytherin chaser. She rolled over to avoid a Bludger that Crabbe had smashed at her and tore down the field in hot pursuit.
"And its Warrington with the Quaffle working his way to the Gryffindor goal!" shouted Ernie.
Ginny saw Ron set himself determinedly to defend the hoops. Just then, Lavender swerved directly in front of Warrington and he dropped the Quaffle. Colin, who had proven to be a better chaser than anyone expected, was right there to seize the red ball. He burst down the field dodging a Slytherin chaser and heaved it through the center hoop.
"Another ten points for Gryffindor! Colin Creevy earning the goal that time!" The chants and cheers from the stands grew louder.
"Way to go, Collin!" Ginny yelled to him as she punched the air.
Just then she heard another Bludger zoom by her head. She shot a look at Crabbe who was maliciously grinning as he pointed at her. 'Fine!' Thought Ginny. 'Let him try!' Sending a reproachful glare at Seamus (who mouthed "Sorry!") she flew off down the field as a Slytherin chaser was heading toward Gryffindor's hoops. Just then she heard a gasp from the crowd and wondered if Harry was diving after the snitch. A disappointed sigh from the crowd let her know that the snitch was still loose.
"And Slytherin scores their first goal!"
Cheers and clapping were heard from the Slytherins and groans of dismay came most everyone else.
"Come on!" shouted Ron to his team. "Gold!"
He hurled the Quaffle out to Ginny who nodded just before she spun round and rocketed down the field with it. She saw Lavender swing fast out to the right as Colin soared up a bit and to the left setting up for Ginny's pass at the end. Warrington was flying too close to her, bumping her and she tucked the Quaffle more securely in the crook of her arm. Ginny gathered herself to make the pass to Colin. Just then she heard the crowd react excitedly and knew that the seekers were probably pursuing the snitch again.
Ginny kept flying full out toward the Slytherin goals. Strangely, Warrington pulled away from her suddenly at midfield as the crowd gasped. 'Why are they…?'' To her right, Ginny saw a green blur swoop down beside her and then Crack! The Slytherin player next to her was leaning over his broom a look of intense pain on his face as he held on to his broom with his left hand. She saw his right arm clutching his ribs and could hear the crowd making anxious noises.
"Draco!" Ginny dropped the Quaffle and reached out to him as they continued to fly.
"Don't touch me!" he yelled back through gritted teeth.
"Draco Malfoy has just been on the receiving end of a Bludger sent by his own teammate! He looks to be injured! I hope he can make it to the ground alright!" Ernie's magnified voice gasped.
Ginny saw him aim his broom towards the pitch and rode down with him. She saw that he was going too fast and watched helplessly as he hit the ground with a nasty thud and his body was thrown from his broom to the turf. He laid completely still, his face white and his arm at an odd angle. Ginny quickly landed and ran to him, throwing herself to the ground beside him.
"Draco-" she began but was then shoved roughly aside by some other Slytherins.
"Sod off, Weasley!" said Crabbe angrily.
Ginny backed up a few feet but continued to watch as Madam Hooch descended to the group of Slytherins now surrounding Draco who appeared to be unconscious. Professor Snape was also hurriedly making his way to the Slytherin team from the stands.
"Looks like he's out cold and his arm is broken-compound fracture-broken ribs, too," said Madam Hooch shaking her head as she examined him. "At least the pitch was soft from all the rain or he'd be even worse off!"
"Nice work, Crabbe!" Warrington flung at his beater with an ugly look.
"We need to get this boy to the hospital wing!" Madam Hooch said tersely. She conjured a stretcher, which Draco was placed upon, and asked Snape to take accompany him to Madam Pomfrey.
Crabbe turned on Ginny furiously. "That Bludger was meant for you, weasel! Just wait. You'll get yours." He stumped off angrily.
Ginny barely registered what Crabbe had said. She was standing watching miserably as Snape and the stretcher bearing Draco made their way across the grounds to the castle.
"Come on, Ginny, let's go back to the changing room," Ron gently guided his sister.
"What do you mean?" Ginny looked confusedly at Ron. "The match isn't over yet."
"Well, Harry caught the snitch just before Malfoy got hit by the Bludger, so it is. Can't figure out what Malfoy was doing out of position like that…"
They reached the changing room where the rest of the team was removing their team robes and putting them up for cleaning.
"It was the strangest thing," Harry was recounting to Dean and Seamus, shaking his head, his eyebrows knit. "We saw the snitch at the same time. He and I were neck and neck as usual, fighting to reach the snitch and suddenly, he just dove. I was able to reach the snitch easily seconds after that. What was he thinking?"
Ginny turned and rushed out the changing room door. She leaned against an outside wall, tears streaming. Hermione was waiting for her. She put an arm around Ginny and they walked back to the castle in silence.