¹DAMNATION, harry potter

I. A Ruined Affair

1. A Ruined Affair

AUGUST 1994, THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP

The screams and jeers were deafening.

Victoria Reoch was shoved and pulled, caught up in the crowd trying to put as much distance between the death eaters and themselves. So focused on saving their skins, no one noticed the teenage girl curled up in a ball on the ground, protecting her head from the feet trampling on her.

Victoria shut her eyes and tried to ignore the pain of shoes landing on her body as people tripped over her. Perhaps she should have moved to the side but panic had seized her and in a fight or flight situation, she'd chosen to freeze.

Thinking it was clear, she tried getting up, opening her eyes only to see a flash of blue before something slammed into her face pushing her hard onto her back. She groaned as she felt something wet drip down her face. Rustling sounds came from her left as the person who had accidentally hit her struggled to get up before running towards the wood.

Victoria blinked rapidly as dark spots flooded her vision and her ears started ringing. Rolling over slowly, she used her hands to push herself off the ground and blundered onto her feet, swaying dizzily before finally gathering her bearings. Her fingers reached up to touch her face, coming away red.

Victoria looked around and when she saw that she was only a little ways from the woods, she stumbled towards them. Using trees to hold herself up, she limped aimlessly further into the woods.

The pain in her swollen ankle thumped throughout her leg and made it hard to focus. Soon enough she heard distinct voices and went towards them.

"...out of your pocket when we were running?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Victoria emerged from the trees and onto the path, falling onto a log, surprising the people whose voices she had heard.

"Holy shit!"

"Oh my god!"

Two people yelled out at the same time at the sight of Victoria's swollen ankle and bloody nose. She heard footsteps before someone lifted her face to get a good look at her injuries. Victoria looked up into Harry Potter's concerned face as he examined her nose while crouched down on the ground. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger stood behind him, peering down at her.

"Hi again." She mumbled.

"Hey." Harry said with a small smile at her greeting.

"Her nose doesn't look like it's broken. Here let me." Hermione pulled Harry up and took his place. The Gryffindor girl sprung into action, rummaging into a small pouch she had seemingly pulled out from thin air.

Hermione pulled a tissue from her pouch, "Hold this to your nose and lean forward."

The girl said it with such authority, that Victoria immediately did as she asked. She felt a pair of hands brush softly through her hair and hold it back.

Harry Potter was holding her hair back. This was bizarre.

Hermione passed her pouch to Ron and pinched the bridge of Victoria's nose.

"This should stop the bleeding in a few minutes."

"Thank you."

"What happened anyway?" Ron Weasley asked as he stood towards her left.

"I should be asking you that. I was walking around the campsite watching the celebrations when everyone started rushing around in a panic. I got caught up in the crowd and got stomped on. I'm lucky I got away with just a limp and bloody nose." Victoria's voice came out a bit muffled because of the tissue but the trio heard her just fine and made appropriate expressions of shock.