Since the disastrous episode of the pixies, Professor Lockhart had not brought live creatures to class. Instead, he read passages from his books to them. Y/n never paid attention to them however choosing instead to read from his own Defence Against the Dark Arts textbooks.
Sometimes Lockhart reenacted some of the more dramatic bits of his books. He usually picked Harry to help him with these reconstructions. so far, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager whom Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse, a yeti with a head cold, and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with him.
Harry was hauled to the front of the class during their very next Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, this time acting a werewolf. Y/n had to remind him that they had a very good reason for keeping Lockhart in a good mood, otherwise Harry would have refused to do it.
"Nice loud howl, Harry, exactly and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced...like this...slammed him to the floor, thus with one hand, I managed to hold him down and with my other, I put my wand to his throat. I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm, he let out a piteous moan, go on, Harry, higher than that...good. The fur vanished, the fangs shrank and he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks."
The bell rang and Lockhart got to his feet.
"Homework, compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!"
The class began to leave. Harry returned to the back of the room, where Y/n, Ron and Hermione were waiting.
"Ready?" Harry muttered to them.
"Wait till everyone's gone." said Hermione nervously.
Y/n looked over his shoulder as watched the last student leave the room. "All right...It is clear." He told Hermione.
Hermione approached Lockhart's desk, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand, Y/n, Harry and Ron right behind her.
"Er...Professor Lockhart?" Hermione stammered. "I wanted to...to get this book out of the library. Just for background reading." She held out the piece of paper, her hand shaking slightly. "But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it...I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in Gadding with Ghouls about slow acting venoms..."
"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" said Lockhart, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her. "Possibly my very favorite book. You enjoyed it?"
"Oh, yes." said Hermione eagerly. "So clever, the way you trapped that last one with the tea strainer..."
Y/n just rolled his eyes at the exchange.
"Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student of the year a little extra help." said Lockhart warmly, and he pulled out an enormous peacock quill. "Yes, nice, isn't it?" he said, misreading the revolted look on Ron's face. "I usually save it for book signings."
He scrawled an enormous loopy signature on the note and handed it back to Hermione.
"So, Harry." said Lockhart, while Hermione folded the note with fumbling fingers and slipped it into her bag. "Tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're a useful player. I was a Seeker, too."
Y/n just furrowed his brows as Lockhart seemed to completely disregarded the fact that Y/n was now also on the team. Having had enough of Lockhart and gotten what they wanted Y/n began to leave the classroom with Ron as Hermione followed.
"I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces. Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players..." Lockheart boasted. Harry just made an indistinct noise in his throat and then hurried off after Y/n, Ron and Hermione.
"I don't believe it." Harry said as the four of them examined the signature on the note. "He didn't even look at the book we wanted."
"It is like I said, he is a brainless git." said Y/n. "But who cares, we have got what we needed..."
"He is not a brainless git." said Hermione shrilly as they half ran toward the library.
"Just because he said you were the best student of the year..." Ron grumbled.
They dropped their voices as they entered the muffled stillness of the library. Madam Pince, the librarian, was a thin, irritable woman who looked like an underfed vulture.
"Moste Potente Potions?" she repeated suspiciously, trying to take the note from Hermione, but Hermione wouldn't let go.
"I was wondering if I could keep it." Hermione said breathlessly.
"Oh, come on." said Ron, wrenching it from her grasp and thrusting it at Madam Pince. "We'll get you another autograph. Lockhart'll sign anything if it stands still long enough."
Madam Pince held the note up to the light, as though determined to detect a forgery, but it passed the test. She stalked away between the lofty shelves and returned several minutes later carrying a large and moldy looking book. Hermione put it carefully into her bag and they left, trying not to walk too quickly or look too guilty.
Five minutes later, they were barricaded in Moaning Myrtle's out of order bathroom once again. Hermione had overridden Ron's objections by pointing out that it was the last place anyone in their right minds would go, so they were guaranteed some privacy. Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her stall, but they were ignoring her, and she them.
Hermione opened Moste Potente Potions carefully, and the four of them bent over the damp spotted pages. It was clear from a glance why it belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions had effects almost too gruesome to think about, and there were some very unpleasant illustrations, which included a man who seemed to have been turned inside out and a witch sprouting several extra pairs of arms out of her head.
"Here it is." said Hermione excitedly as she found the page headed The Polyjuice Potion. It was decorated with drawings of people halfway through transforming into other people.
Y/n looked to the page to see a long complex set of requirements. "Hermione, I think this might take more time to make then we originally thought..."
"I agree, this is the most complicated potion I've ever seen." said Hermione as they scanned the recipe together. "Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass." she murmured, running her finger down the list of ingredients. "Well, they're easy enough, they're in the student storecupboard, we can help ourselves... Oooh, look, powdered horn of a Bicorn...don't know where we're going to get that, shredded skin of a Boomslang that'll be tricky, too and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into."
"Excuse me?" said Ron sharply. "What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it!"
Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard him. "We don't have to worry about that yet, though, because we add those bits last..."
Ron turned, speechless, to Harry.
"D'you realize how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione? Shredded skin of a boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if this is a good idea..." Harry began to say.
Hermione shut the book with a snap. "Well, if you are going to chicken out, fine." she said. There were bright pink patches on her cheeks and her eyes were brighter than usual. "I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in..."
"Who would have thought we would see the day when it is you persuading us to break rules." Y/n chuckled.
"All right, we'll do it. But not toenails, okay?" Ron was quick to add giving in now.
"How long will it take to make, anyway?" said Harry as Hermione, looking happier, opened the book again.
"Well, since the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty one days... I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients."
"A month?" blurted out Ron. "Malfoy could have attacked half the Muggleborns in the school by then!"
But Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously again.
"This is the only plan we have got Ron." Y/n reminded him still looking over the potion with Hermione again. "Unless you can think of a better one?"
Ron just shook his head.
With the the plan now decided they decided to leave the bathroom. Hermione went first to check that the coast was clear for the boys to leave the bathroom,.
"It'll be a lot less hassle if one of you can just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow." Ron muttered to Y/n and Harry reminding Y/n that tomorrow would be his first ever Quidditch game for Gryffindor.
It was early on Saturday morning and Y/n was sat up in his bed stroking Noctis behind the ears for a while as he thought about the coming Quidditch match. He was now slightly nervous, It didn't help that he had only gone through a few practice sessions and that while most of the pressure was on Harry to catch the snitch he still didn't want to let his house and his friends down. Especially when Harry, Fred and George had all vouched for him. Y/n was also thinking about Slytherin's new brooms and Attcius's attitude. He had never wanted to beat Slytherin at something so badly before. Harry begin to stir in a bed near his now breaking his thoughts.
"Did you sleep well?" Y/n asked.
"I guess." Harry replied. It wasn't much but it was enough to tell Y/n that Harry was as nervous about the match as he was.
The two got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast early, where they found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much.
As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Ron and Hermione came hurrying over to wish both Y/n and Harry good luck before going to find their seats.
Y/n and Harry entered the locker room now and joined their team in pulling on their scarlet Gryffindor robes, then they sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre match pep talk.
"Slytherin has better brooms than us." he began. "No point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers..."
"Too true." muttered George Weasley. "I haven't been properly dry since August..."
"And we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team." Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Harry. "It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to."
"So no pressure, Harry." said Fred, winking at him.
"Y/n you're still new to the team." Wood began. "But I've taken you through the plan for today's game. If you think you will lose the Quaffle then pass it to Johnson or Bell, we can't let it fall into Slytherin's grasp."
Y/n just nodded.
"Slytherin are known for playing dirty so you all might need to keep a closer eye on their beaters too." Wood advised.
As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted them, mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard, too. Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.
"On my whistle." said Madam Hooch. "Three... two... one..."
With a roar from the crowd to speed them upward, the fourteen players rose toward the leaden sky. Y/n flew up to be level with his teammates while Harry flew higher than any of them, squinting around for the Snitch.
The Slytherin's new brooms had proved to be a problem as it was not 10 minutes into the game and they were already leading Gryffindor 60 to 0.
Y/n had been working hard to try stop the opposition chasers but it was hard to keep up with their brooms.
"Close one, Harry!" Y/n heard George call out and he looked up to see George give a Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in midair and shot straight for Harry.
"What on..." Y/n began to say as it began to rain.
"Y/n!" He heard Katie Bell cry and quickly looked to see her tossing the Quaffle towards him.
Y/n caught it with ease as he began to speed off towards the hoops of Slytherin.
"Get the little one!" Y/n was sure he heard Marcus Flint cry out.
Y/n put the Bludger out his mind for now, he had his own obstacles to dodge. One of the Slytherin chasers was hot on his tail and catching quick, Y/n didn't want to admit it but his Nimbus 2000 was not fast enough to out run the newer 2001 model. He looked behind him to spot that Angelina Johnson was following behind all be it slower as well, Y/n knew he wouldn't make it to the ring in time and contemplated throwing the ball to her but the risk was too high. Then, an idea formed in his head and instead of going forward he went up...
"What's he doing?" Angelina pondered but she soon realised as the Slytherin chaser followed after Y/n and she shot forward.
Y/n shocked the Slytherin chaser when he threw the Quaffle downwards instead of forwards. Straight into the receiving arms of Angelina Johnson who now had a free shot on goal. She wound her arm back and was ready to release the Quaffle but just as she did the rogue Bludger from earlier flew past her and caused her shot to go wide.
"Damn!" Y/n said annoyed.
"We need time out!" George called out now, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger that seemed to be chasing after Harry at the same time.
Wood had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Y/n, Harry, Fred, and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.
"What's going on?" said Wood as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring? Y/n had just set her up with a perfect Porskoff Ploy. "
"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver." said George angrily. "Someone's fixed it...it won't leave Harry alone. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it."
"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then..." said Wood, anxiously.
Madam Hooch was walking toward them. Over her shoulder, Y/n could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in Harry's direction.
"Listen." said Harry as she came nearer and nearer, "With you two flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."
"Harry do not be stupid!" Y/n said to him annoyed.
"It'll take your head off." Fred told him.
Wood however was looking from Harry to the Weasleys.
"Oliver, this is insane." said Katie Bell angrily. "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry..."
"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" said Harry. "And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!"
"This is all your fault." George said angrily to Wood. "'Get the Snitch or die trying,' what a stupid thing to tell him!"
Madam Hooch had joined them. "Ready to resume play?" she asked Wood.
Wood looked at the determined look on Harry's face. "All right." he said. "Fred, George, you heard Harry...leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own."
"You cannot be serious..." Y/n said angrily but it was no use.
The rain was falling more heavily now. On Madam Hooch's whistle, Y/n kicked hard into the air and heard the telltale whoosh of the Bludger behind him that meant it was chasing after Harry.
Y/n's hands gripped so tight on his broom it was a miracle it didn't snap in half. He couldn't stop Harry now as he watched the Bludger chase after to him. Y/n wouldn't admit it but Harry was certainly not making it easy for the ball.
Y/n turned his head back to the game, if he was going to be this annoyed he might as well use it to his advantage on the Slytherins. His eyes quickly caught ahold of a Slytherin chaser that had a hold of the Quaffle and luckily he was still with in reach. Y/n rushed forward on his broom as he barged into the side of the surprised Chaser and causing them to drop the Quaffle.
"You little Blood traitor!" The Chaser called out to Y/n angrily, but Y/n paid them no mind, he had long since left. Katie Bell had caught ahold of the dropped Quaffle and was making her way to the hoops.
"Bell look out!" Y/n called out to her as he noticed the two other Slytherin Chasers attempting to block off her path. Katie was sharp however and she tossed the Quaffle over her shoulder and towards Y/n who caught it and now had a free run at the hoops.
Y/n locked eyes with the Slytherin Keeper as he wound his arms back and thrust the Quaffle forward with all his pent up anger and might. The ball soared through the air and straight through the hoop!
"Y/n Grindelwald draws one back for Gryffindor!" Lee Jordan cries as the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw spectators burst into cheers. "Fantastic link up play with the wonderful Katie Bell to make it 60-10 but what's this...It's Harry Potter!" Lee Jordan commentated.
Y/n's moment of elation didn't last long as he heard Lee Jordan and then he heard the crowd gasp. His eyes darted around to look for Harry and soon they found him lying on the ground now.
Madam Hooch blew he whistle. "Potter has caught the snitch, Gryffindor wins!" She called out.
Y/n immediately sped down to the ground now and dismounted his broom beside Harry, he could see Lockhart was also rushing towards them now from the sidelines but he couldn't care any less about him.
"Harry are you alright!?" Y/n called out to him and waiting for a response
A few moments went by but Harry came around, rain still falling on his face and lying on the field. "We won..." He said tired but triumphant."
"I am going to kill you if you do that again..." Y/n said angrily as he felt relieved to see Harry was okay
Lockhart now reached them began leaning over Harry. He saw a glitter of teeth.
"Oh, no, not you." Harry moaned.
"Doesn't know what he's saying." said Lockhart loudly to the anxious crowd of Gryffindors that had come down from the stands are were pressing around them. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."
"No!" said Harry. "I'll keep it like this, thanks..." He tried to sit up, but the pain was terrible. He heard a familiar clicking noise nearby. "I don't want a photo of this, Colin." Harry said loudly.
"Lie back, Harry." said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times..."
"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" said Harry through clenched teeth.
"He should really, Professor." said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help grinning even though his Seeker was injured. "Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say... and excellent work with Bell Y/n."
"Now is not the time Wood." Y/n told him. He was happy they had won but he was still angry because Harry had gotten hurt to do so. He heard the sounds of struggling and looked to the side where he saw Fred and George Weasley, wrestling the rogue Bludger into a box. It was still putting up a terrific fight.
"Stand back." said Lockhart, who was rolling up his jade green sleeves.
"No Wait!" Y/n called out to ty and stop him, but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm.
The crowd gasped and Colin Creevey began clicking away madly. Harry's arm looked like a thick, fleshcolored rubber glove now and Y/n was sure it bend in unnatural ways.
"Ah." said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind."
"Broken!?" Y/n repeated the word. "There are no bone left to be broken!" Y/n pointed out.
Lockhart just gave a nervous chuckle. "Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing...ah, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, would you escort him? and Madam Pomfrey will be able to, er...tidy you up a bit."
"Come on Harry I will help you up and away from this idiot." Y/n said making no attempt to hide his annoyance with Lockhart now, he put his arm out for Harry to grab onto with his one still working hand and pulled him up.
Y/n could tell Harry felt strange on his feet and was trying not to look at his arm. Y/n put Harry's free arm around his shoulder and supported his weight as they began the walk to the hospital wing.
Ron quickly ran to recover Y/n and Harry's broomstick and then he and Hermione caught up to them.
Madam Pomfrey wasn't at all pleased when Y/n arrived with Harry.
"You should have come straight to me!" she raged, holding up the sad, limp remainder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm. "I can mend bones in a second...but growing them back..."
"You will be able to, won't you?" said Harry desperately.
"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful." said Madam Pomfrey grimly, throwing Harry a pair of pajamas. "You'll have to stay the night..."
Hermione waited outside the curtain drawn around Harry's bed while Y/n and Ron helped him into his pajamas. It took a while to stuff the rubbery, boneless arm into a sleeve.
"How can you stick up for Lockhart now, Hermione, eh?" Ron called through the curtain as he helped pulled Harry's limp fingers through the cuff. "If Harry had wanted deboning he would have asked."
"Anyone can make a mistake." Hermione tried to say.
Y/n just opened the curtain now and stood face to face with her. "Hermione...the man is a complete idiot..." He said fed up now. "How many times will you come to his rescue before you see him for what he is? A narcissistic moron who has no idea what he is doing."
"Professor Lockhart is not a moron." Hermione challenged him back. "You've read his book, all the things that he's done..." Hermione then interjected.
"Things that he has claimed to have done." Y/n cut her off crossing his arms and staring down at her. "I have my doubt and reservations on if those claims are true."
Hermione just looked up at Y/n annoyed.
"It doesn't hurt anymore, does it, Harry?" Ron asked hoping to defuse the situation.
"No." said Harry, getting into bed. "But it doesn't do anything else either." As he swung himself onto the bed, his arm flapped pointlessly.
Hermione and Y/n turned to Harry now as Madam Pomfrey came towards them holding a large bottle of something labeled Skele Gro.
"You're in for a rough night Potter." she said, pouring out a steaming beakerful and handing it to him. "Regrowing bones is a nasty business."
Harry drank the medicine but immediately began to cough and splutter.
"Well what did you expect Pumpkin juice?" Still tut tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam Pomfrey retreated, leaving Y/n, Ron and Hermione to help Harry gulp down some water.
"We won, though." said Ron, a grin breaking across his face now. "That was some catch you made Harry. Malfoy's face... he looked ready to kill!"
"I want to know how he fixed that Bludger." said Hermione darkly.
"We can add that to the list of questions we'll ask him when we've taken the Polyjuice Potion." said Harry, sinking back onto his pillows. "I hope it tastes better than this stuff..."
"If it's got bits of Slytherins in it? You've got to be joking." said Ron. "Y/n you were amazing on the pitch too." Ron added now. "You were like a different person on the pitch, full of anger and determination. It was bloody brilliant..."
"I was just angry about Harry sacrificing himself for the team..." Y/n said brushing off the comment about his anger. "But it was nice to score my first goal." Y/n then said with a small smile as Hermione and Ron smiled with him.
The door of the hospital wing burst open at that moment. Filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team had arrived to see Harry.
"Unbelievable flying, Harry." said George. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing."
"We also caught sight of Atticus as we were leaving he didn't seem too happy." George said to Y/n next.
"Well it serves him right. I have spent years trying to fix my relationship with Atticus but the truth is I am not the one who broke it. I am not the one who worries about who I associate with. I am not going to go out of my way to antagonize him but from now on I am just going to keep my distance like he wanted. My loyalty lies with my Grandmother, My house and most importantly...my friends." He gave a smile to Harry, Hermione and Ron.
"Well said!" Fred said wrapping his arm around Y/n and pulling him into a light headlock before letting him go.
"You played really well for you're first game." Angelina Johnson started to say now. "A lot of chaser's only think of scoring goals themselves but you created a great opportunity for me, I'm just sorry I missed it."
"Well. we just have to score more in the next game then." Y/n joked and she nodded.
"Nice goal too by the way, Those chasers really had me cornered." Katie Bell told him.
"While it's great we won, there's still lots we can improve on...we conceded far too many goals to Slytherin out there today." Wood said next.
"We thought stopping goals was you're department Wood." Fred joked now as everyone started to laugh.
The team had brought cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice as they gathered around Harry's bed and were just getting started on what promised to be a good party when Madam Pomfrey came storming over, shouting. "This boy needs rest, he's got thirty three bones to regrow! Out! OUT!" And Harry was left alone, with nothing to distract him from the stabbing pains in his limp arm.