The Lion's Den (Book One of The Savior Fables)

Chapter Ten

Pretty straightforward, folks . . . the first Quidditch game of the season!

***

The next morning in the Great Hall, the friends, along with the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Daphne and Blaise, were sitting at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast. Harry's twirling his food on a fork, his nerves too high to eat anything. The first Quidditch game of the season was today, and it was his first time playing in an actual game, and he was worried about how he'd do.

"Take a bit of toast, mate, go on." Fred said, handing him the piece of bread. "You're going to need the energy, Harry."

"Fred's right, Harry. You're gonna need your strength today." Hermione placed her hand on his hand, smiling at him.

"I'm not hungry, Mia," Harry sighed, but took a bite of his toast when he got several disapproving looks from the team and his friends.

Behind them, Severus appeared, placing his hand on Draco's shoulder discreetly, nodding his head to Harry. "Good luck today, Mr. Potter-Swan. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against Dumbledore, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you...even if it is against Slytherin." After a final nod at the group of Gryffindors and three Slytherins, he walked away and out of the Great Hall, limping as he went. He saw a flash of pain cross his face before he was fully turned away from them, and Harry frowned, concerned.

"Snape is limping," he commented, looking at his friends.

Draco looked up from his pumpkin juice, eyes wide. "What?" His voice was calm, but Harry and Hermione both could see that he was worried.

"Yeah, he was limping. I think he's one of the professors who was helping with guarding whatever the dog is guarding, so maybe he got hurt?" Harry explained, lowering his voice so only Neville, Draco and Hermione could hear him.

A thoughtful look crossed Hermione's face. "But why would anyone go near that dog?" she asked, looking towards the door Snape had gone through.

"Maybe whatever they are guarding is something that if fallen in the wrong hands, could destroy what they've built here, and someone tried to take it, so the professors protected it and he got hurt?" Harry hypothesized.

"But what could they possibly be guarding that's so important?" Neville pressed.

Harry went to respond, but an owl's screech interrupted him, and he saw Hedwig as she entered the Great Hall. She was carrying a very large, long parcel and she dropped it off at the table in front of Harry.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Bit early for mail, isn't it?"

"Harry!" Draco grinned, nudging him. "It looks like a broom box!"

"Open it!" came Ron Weasley's obnoxious voice from a little ways from down the table.

Harry and Draco both roll their eyes, tearing the paper off of the package. "You were right, Draco! It is a broomstick!"

"That's not just any broomstick, Harry. It's a Nimbus 2000!" Ron shouted, and Harry winced at the volume.

"Yes, Ron. I know. Thank you. But who would-" He paused when he noticed Professor McGonagall up at the head table, stroking Hedwig as he ate a piece of bacon. She smiled at him, and Harry nodded back, a small smile on his face at the professor's kindness.

***

Two hours later, the Gryffindor Quidditch team was inside a tower on the edge of the pitch. The Gryffindor team was marching towards the starting gate and when they reached it, they stopped behind a closed double door that leads out to the vast Quidditch pitch.