Harry Potter and the Stranded Mists of Spring

Chapter 16 - A Conversation with Bill

Harry ended his first week back to work feeling like he didn't know much more than he had when he started. And yet he knew that wasn't true. They'd been to Myst a second time. They'd found a clue that two of the missing Death Eaters might be there. They had a specialist identified and contacted to help the Auror Department find them. The Muggle situation was being worked on. Bill Lionheart knew he wanted to talk to him, though he missed him again on Friday when he tried to talk to him while he was at St. Mungo's for his appointment. Things were moving forward, though perhaps more slowly than Harry would have liked. There were weeks and days at the Auror Department during their investigations that were like that. The Saturday at the end of Harry's first week back was the exception.

Harry, along with the rest of the Weasleys, attended Ginny's Quidditch game on Saturday. The Harpies were flying well, which was a good thing. It was a very long game. The Snitch was illusive and difficult to spot for hours on end. Meanwhile the players on the opposing team continued to try to score. The Harpies first string Keeper was back for this game and very little got by her. Consequently, the other teams' score was very low, but their Keeper was also very good. The Harpies managed to score twice early in the game, establishing an early lead. They maintained it for several hours. Fresh players were rotated in, someone would score a goal, then the other team did as well, meaning the Harpies were never more than a goal or two ahead, and could lose that advantage quickly if they let their guard down. The game went on so long Harry saw Ginny rotated in two separate times and despite beginning roughly at noon, it was now night-time, and the hour was growing late. Both times Ginny rotated in, she played well. It wasn't until she was rotated in a third time that Harry realized he was getting sore from sitting so long. He tried modifying the cushion he was sitting on while Ginny was playing and that helped for a while. After an hour, he found he needed to modify it again. It was after he needed to do that a third time that the Weasleys began to notice.

"Harry, do you need to stand up?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Yeah, I'd like to, but I'm liable to be hit by a Bludger if I do that," Harry replied, just as a Bludger went sailing over their heads, just as it had off and on during the game.

"Maybe we could walk around a bit and come back?" Ron offered when Harry continued to fidget, adjusting his cushion every so often.

Harry was just considering whether he should take Ron up on his suggestion, when something gold flashed out of the corner of his eye. It happened so fast, and he was so distracted by his problem with the bench, he almost missed it.

Fortunately, the Seeker for the Harpies didn't. She went after the tiny ball, directly over their heads. The crowd ooed and aahed and ducked as the quick moving players following the Snitch flew above the spectators. Suddenly a tremendous cheer went up from the stands two sections to the left from where the Weasley's were sitting. More fans around them stood up and cheered. Harry did too, a bit more stiffly than the rest of the family. By the time he could see what was happening, it was clear the Harpies Seeker had the Snitch in her hand. The game was over, and the Harpies were still ahead. Harry cheered and whooped with the rest of the crowd. It was a grueling game on all fronts, but it was over. The Harpies won. The captain of Ginny's team would be pleased.

Harry rose from the bench where he'd been sitting for several hours, grateful that he could. The Weasleys all stood around him and began moving together towards the exits to the stands. Harry hesitated, scanning the air, wondering if Ginny might come to see them but when she didn't, he followed the family down the stairs a bit more stiffly than he would have before the game.

"You okay, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I should be. It was just a really long game," Harry lamented.