chapter seven :  grim defeat

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"I think it's time for breakfast," Harry said, after what seemed like forever.

Juniper glanced at her watch before nodding and the two of them headed through the portrait.

"Stand and fight, you many cur!" Sir Cadogan yelled.

"Oh, shut up," Harry yawned.

The both of them woke up over a large bowl of porridge and by the time they'd started on toast, the rest of the team had turned up.

"It's going to be a tough one," Oliver said, who wasn't eating anything.

"Stop worrying, Oliver," Alicia said soothingly from next to June, "we don't mind a bit of rain."

But it was considerably more than a bit of rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns towards the Quidditch pitch, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went.

The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Oliver's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned them to follow him.

The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the pitch. If the crowd was cheering, June couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder. Rain was making her hair clutch to her face and she wondered how on earth they could play in this weather.

The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the pitch, wearing canary-yellow robes.

The captains walked up to each other and shook hands, Cedric smiled at Oliver but the latter now looked at though he had lockjaw and merely nodded.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch's mouth formed the words.

June pulled her right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over her Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant — they were off.

Angeline managed to grab the Quaffle and the three of them were off into their first play. June managed to score and got almost blasted off her broom by the wind.

Within five minutes, she was soaked to her skin and frozen, hardly able to see her team-mates. Alicia managed to take the Quaffle from the other team and once again, the three of them headed back towards the goals. Juniper threw the Quaffle to Angelina who managed to score.

It went on like that until Oliver called for a timeout. June splashed down into the mud next to Harry. The seven of them huddled at the edge of the pitch under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.

"What's the score?"

"We're fifty points up," Oliver said, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."

"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.

Juniper took my wand out of her robes, took his glasses and tapped it with her wand. "Impervius! There!" she said, giving the glasses back, "They'll repel water!"

"Brilliant!" Oliver called hoarsely, kissing her fiercely on the cheek, making June's cheeks go red. "OK, team, let's go for it!"

Angeline, Alicia and Juniper soared back into the air, more determined than they were before. June narrowed her eyes, trying to make out her teammates. A red blurry thing came her way and she caught the Quaffle before flying towards the goals. The wind made it hard for her and she barely missed a Bludger. June mumbled some unpleasant words before throwing the Quaffle. The Hufflepuff Keeper didn't try to stop it, instead, he was focusing on something behind her. Juniper glanced over her shoulder and her eyes widened upon seeing Harry fall from the sky. Before she could do something, Dumbledore had already cast a spell that slowed down his fall.

A shiver went up her spine as she dived down at him.

"Harry!"

She shook his shoulders, trying to wake him up.

"Harry!"

"June!" Fred said, who landed next to her. "June, look up!"

June's hazel eyes flashed towards the sky. Hundreds of Dementors flew onto the Quidditch Pitch. Her hand went to a pocket in her scarlet robes and she pulled out her wand. However, before she could do something, a silver Phoenix flew towards the nearing Dementors, scaring them away.

Juniper turned back to Harry and bowed over him. He still had his eyes closed but she was relieved when she realized he was still breathing.

"Out of the way, Miss Black," Dumbledore said, nudging her gently but urgently aside. He took one look at Harry before summoning a stretcher.

Juniper grabbed her broom and hurried after him. Her hazel eyes looked worried as she eyed her cousin, hoping he'd be all right.

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Juniper held Harry's hand so tightly that it might fell off. She sat down on a chair next to his bed and held her head against their hands, praying for Merlin that he'd wake up. Slowly, his chest rose and fell, something that eased her worry slightly.

"I thought he was dead for sure."

"But he didn't even break his glasses."

"That was the scariest thing I've seen in my life."

Juniper ignored the voices around her. She squeezed Harry's hand ever tighter as she took a deep breath. However, her breath stocked as Harry squeezed back.

"Harry?" Juniper stood up and placed a hand against his cheek before feeling his forehead. His eyes opened and she sighed in relief. "How are you feeling, cousin?"

"What happened?" he asked, sitting up so suddenly that June's hand flew towards his shoulder to stop him.

"You fell off," Fred said, who stood behind her. "Must've been — what — fifty feet?"

"We thought you'd died," Alicia said, who was shaking.

"But the match," Harry said, trying to catch June's eye but the black haired carefully avoided his eyes. "What happened? Are we having a replay?"

When no one spoke up, realization fell over him.

"We didn't — lose?"

"Diggory got the Snitch," George explained. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a re-match. But they won fair and square . . . even Wood admits it."

"Where is Wood?" Harry said, looking around to look for their captain.

"Sill in the showers," Fred replied. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.

"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."

"There had to be one time you didn't get it," George added.

"It's not over yet," June said, trying to sound hopeful. "We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff lose to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin . . ."

"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," George said.

"But if they beat Ravenclaw . . ." Fred said, trailing off.

"No way," George argued back, "Ravenclaw are too good. But if Slytherin lise against Hufflepuff . . ."

"It all depends on the points — a margin of a hundred either way . . ."

When Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave Harry in peace, June refused to leave his side.

"We'll come and see you later," Fred said. "Don't best yourself up, Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had."

The team trooper out, trailing mud behind them. Madam Pomfrey shut the door behind them, looking disapproving as Hermione, Ron and Juniper moved nearer to Harry.

"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione told Harry in a quaking voice. "I've never seen him like that before. He magicked you onto a stretcher and walked up to school with you floating on it. Everyone thought you were . . ." Her voice trailed off and a shiver went up June's spine. Losing Harry was her worst fear.

"Did someone get my Nimbus?"

Ron, Hermione and June looked quickly at each other.

"Er . . ."

"What?" Harry asked, looking at the three of them.

"Well . . . when you fell off," June began, hesitating, "it got blown away and — and it hit the Whomping Willow."

"And?" Harry asked.

"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," Ron said, scratching his neck. "It — it doesn't like being hit."

"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came round," Hermione said in a small voice.

Slowly, June reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside-down and tipped a dozen of splintered wood and twig onto the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Harry."

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Published 08.09.2020

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