Ariadne's Thread ⭒ h. potter

Potter, You Rotter

"You know, tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season." Harry said in the girl's bathroom one day while planning their Polyjuice heist. "I'll see you lot there, yeah?"

"Oh, Harry! You know Ron and I have never missed one of your games."

"'Course we will, mate! Wouldn't miss it."

Ariadne stayed silent until Harry turned to her expectantly, which was a feat considering how cramped their shared stall was. His small smile looked decidedly out of place in the gloom of the wet space, particularly given Myrtle's sniffles from the toilet over.

"Oh." Ariadne thought for a way out but had none. "I don't know..."

"You have to go!" Ron said. "Harry's brilliant on a broom, you'll love it."

Hermione observed Ariadne before chiming in. "And you'll sit with us, of course. We can meet in the Common Room before the match while Harry's getting ready."

Ariadne smiled at her, thankful. "Yes, I'll definitely be there."

Harry nodded, satisfied, though Ariadne was not. She really was thankful to Hermione– half the reason she wouldn't have gone, like with the Halloween Feast, was that she did not want to sit alone (especially amidst a crowd of her jeering peers). The other half, however, could not be fixed by this group. Although she had not spoken to Draco since, she had not forgotten that day in the empty classroom. That he'd been hurt, thinking she'd chosen Harry over him. To actively root against him tomorrow? Perhaps she had made her choice.

Still, she went to the match in her Gryffindor red and supported Harry until her voice went hoarse. Quidditch was amazing, and Harry even more so. He was incredible, outflying a bludger that chased him around relentlessly. When Harry began to make twists and turns at random in the air, the entire crowd laughed– except herself and Hermione. It was apparent what he had set out to do to shake off the bludger. But when he stopped in the sky, distracted by something she could not see, the bludger rammed into his arm, now hanging at the elbow unnaturally.

"He's broken it!" she yelled to Hermione over the crowd's gasps. Hermione only nodded back, biting her nails in fear. When the bludger headed for him again and Harry dove for Draco, Ariadne screamed.

Harry landed into the ground with a great crash. While the Quidditch stands erupted into an odd blend of smattered applause and gasps, Ariadne was on her feet in an instant, running down to the pitch while Ron and Hermione followed closely behind.

By the time she got to Harry, a crowd of Gryffindors circled around him. Ariadne, Ron and Hermione shouldered their way closest to Harry. Though Harry was unconscious, Ariadne gasped when she saw his good hand tightly wrapped around something golden.

"He's caught the snitch!" She exclaimed turning to Ron.

"Bloody hell," he added. "He's done it again."

"Does he usually catch them like this?" Ariadne didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she shook her head clear of the win, instead focusing on Harry. She kneeled down next to him, observing his arm. "Will he be okay?" She asked the person to her right, worry seeping through her words.

"It looks quite grave, but nothing I can't fix! I've encountered a similar situation back in my days as a seeker and fixed the player up right as rain. I've always been excellent with healing charms, as you know from Magical Me." A pompous voice declared. Ariadne looked up to see Professor Lockhart next to her, glittering teeth smiling down at her.

"Oh." Ariadne frowned. "Sorry, Professor. I didn't realize who I was talking to." She turned to the captain of the team instead– Wood, Ron had called him. "Will he be okay?"