The Prime Princess

“For crying out loud, the boy tried to kill her!” yelled outraged professor McGonagall right behind the screen that was pulled around Miss Ariston’s bed.

“Let’s not be hasty,” murmured professor Snape. He had no idea what to say to Lucius or to Moretius. An accident? That involved a dagger and crazed offspring? Like anyone would believe it was just an accident!

“Let’s not be hasty?! As a Deputy Headmistress I am obligated to be concerned about the well being of the students here at Hogwarts. This is already third time that Miss Ariston needs medical care and it’s not even been two months! I don’t want this to turn into a habit of hers! Severus, you have to do something,” commanded McGonagall, “He is in your House, by the way.”

“I’ll see what I can arrange,” muttered Snape and thought about using a Veritaserum on Draco to get to the bottom of this bloody “accident”.
***
A morning came with bustling Millicent and Pansy. They had stormed into Hospital Wing with a heap of Quidditch gear and giving no chance for Hermione to woke up peacefully, they started pulling on body-armor and clasping on protective trappings. Done with that, they drew on the green uniform and custom-made gloves.

“Can’t I have another 10 minutes of sleep?” slurred Hermione as Millicent did the laces of her boots.

“No, the game starts at half an hour. You’ll have a breakfast and then you’ll win the match,” chipped Pansy and patted on her shoulder.

“I don’t think I want to eat,” mumbled Hermione as Millicent hauled her out of bed and handed her the Thunderbird 5000.

“But you must. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” shrilled Millicent happily.

“Right, no more Cooking classes for you,” muttered Hermione and walked out of Hospital Wing.
***
At the changing-room the whole Slytherin Quidditch team sat together around the conjured table and discussed the game plans. Draco gave last minute advises and cheered for his team to win the bloody match. Hermione sat between Raiden and Tiegan and glared at Draco who had both hands in bandages. Next to them sat a very in love Tristan and LaLey who couldn’t stop smiling at each other. Vincent and Gregory were getting their good luck kisses from Millicent and Pansy was hovering over Dorian. All 14 teammates were ready to kick some ass when the time came but only 7 of them get onto the field at once.

“Right, lets move out!” boomed Draco and sat up.

Luna Lovegood was at the commentator booth and introduced her own House.

“Here comes Chasers Stewart Ackerley, Orla Quirke and Ryan Lancaster. The Keeper Michael Corner, Beaters Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot. And our very own Seeker Mandy Brocklehurst!” announced Luna as Ravenclaw’s team marched onto the pitch and stands covered in blue banners roared into life as housemates applauded for them.

Hermione gripped her broom tighter and walked out of the changing-room and greeted Slytherin crowd who cheered for her and for the assembled team of theirs.

“And here comes Slytherin! BOO!” shouted Luna and got warned by professor Snape. “They have put together a creepy squad of Keeper Eris Jones, Beaters Vincent Grabbe and Gregory Goyle, some Chasers of Tiegan and Raiden Rosenbaum and Nemesis Viggo. And oh don’t forget the infamous Hermione Ariston as the Seeker!”

Slytherin rumbled on the stands like crazy persons as Madam Hooch called the Captains to her for shaking hands. Hermione stared at Anthony and smirked evilly.

“You’re going down, Goldstein,” leered Hermione and tried to crush his fingers.

“We’ll see about that,” retorted Anthony. Madam Hooch released the balls and blew the whistle after freeing Snitch. The game was on and players swooshed up into the sky.

Hermione came to stop above the arena and looked around for the damn winged ball, a Bludger came by and almost hit Orla Quirke off the broom. She spotted something sparkling at the stands and gaped at what she saw.

Saga waved at her, her diamond bracelet glittering in sunlight. Hermione stared at her doppelganger, then noticed the other two – Hel and Branwen. Where they for real?

“Crap,” she cursed and swung her broom around only to see her mom and dad up in a Top Box with Lucius Malfoy. They all looked at her with Omnioculars that made her skittish and drove her a bit mad. She just hoped that no one noticed her imitators about six rows below.

“10-0! Ravenclaw leads the game!” screamed Luna at one point that made her look around. Eris Jones was hanging upside down on the broom and held her bleeding head. Arrogant Goldstein had kicked the Bludger at her.

As a Captain of Slytherin team, Hermione descended into a middle of the fight between Rosenbaum brothers and Ravenclaw’s Quirke and Ackerley. She looked up and saw Goldstein clubbing a Bludger away from Mandy Brocklehurst and it took off right at Jones who was looking at catfight for the Quaffle.

“ERIS, GET DOWN!” she screamed over Lovegood’s gibberish. The Slytherin Keeper noticed the coming black ball and ducked few feet. Orla Quirke snatched the big red ball and dashed for unguarded goalhoop but was too late. Eris was back on her post and caught the Quaffle.

Hermione rose sixty feet and scanned the pitch for some sign of the Snitch. Nothing, only the damn Brocklehurst was lurking behind her. She looked down and observed the game below. Nemesis had gotten the hold of the Quaffle and scored next 10 points. Gregory and Vincent were guarding her on the second run as she pushed past Lancaster and Ackerley.

“Orla Quirke runs Viggo down and catches the Quaffle!” yelled Luna Lovegood. “She goes for a…”

“No, she’s not,” grunted Hermione and whizzed right next to Raiden. “What the bloody hell are you doing here? MOVE!”

“OI, ARISTON!” shouted Draco from the first row at the stands and stood up waving his hands. Hermione heard him and hovered a bit closer but kept her eye on the game. Tiegan and Raiden had tackled Quirke off the broom and scored another 10 points after Vincent had chased Michael Corner away from the hoops. So far they were already leading 70 to 20.

“What?” Hermione growled and shot a dark glare at him.

“Your job is to get the Snitch not getting your head split by Bludger!” yelled Draco and grabbed at her robe to tear her away from a scurrying Bludger. She almost fell off the broom as the maddened black cannonball crashed into second row and sent a dozen students screaming for dear life.

“Yup, the Snitch,” mumbled Hermione and darted up into the sky.

“The score is unexciting 80-20. Go Ravenclaw! Go Ravenclaw!” bellowed Lovegood and got a 3 days long detention from Snape for not being impartial. Hermione wished she could just set the booth Lovegood was in into fire. Snitch, Snitch, Snitch… The blasted thing was damn missing!

Nemesis Viggo came by rushing under her and caught the Quaffle that Michael Corner had thrown away half way over the pitch. Lancaster and Ackerley were at her tail and for a split second Hermione went the other way she had planned. She dropped herself on the broom right between Nemesis and Ravenclaw’s Chasers. It was a sure collusion as she placed herself between them but at that moment she didn’t care as long as Nemesis got away with another 10 points.

The premonition showed her she’d be knocked out by Lancaster and hit to the ground by Ackerley. Seeing it coming, Hermione dodged half feet to the right, grabbed at Lancaster’s robe and swung him around to send him flying right into Ackerley. Two Chasers collided, got tangled up and tumbled down from the sky.

Madam Hooch rushed to their sides and asked if they could continue with the game. She hadn’t whistled for time-off or called a “red card” for Hermione. Orla Quirke hovered above them and looked worried as Ryan Lancaster was levitated onto a stretcher. Madam Pomfrey yelled something at the brutality of the game and toed the Chaser away after she had patched Stewart Ackerley up.

Luna Lovegood had started talking about Troll Wars as the game turned more and more into favor of Slytherin. Professor Snape had to threaten her with another assignment to get her talking about the match his House was winning.

“I’d love to clean up the Owlery, Sir!” snapped Luna and looked at the pitch. “100-20 – Slytherin leads! Are ya happy now?”

Mandy Brocklehurst started getting nervous. She had to get the Snitch soon or her House would never forgive her incompetence as a Seeker. If Slytherin scored another 70 or more points then they were officially screwed! Lancaster was out, Ackerley could barely see his own hands and Quirke was just a third year girl against mean Rosenbaums.

Goldstein and Boot noticed the same problem their team had and came up with plan B – club whoever wore green. First target was Viggo who had just scored another goal and was cheering with roaring Slytherin House that had started singing a song led by Draco Malfoy.

“Hillbillies have rods for brooms,
A real ass whooping looms!
We’ll kick Ravenclaw into mud,
Throw hillbillies under the sod!”

Hermione heard a crackling sound and looking around, she spotted Nemesis falling down and next got Eris hit by a Bludger coming from behind. Quirke used the opportunity and scored 10 points, driving Ravenclaw into deafening cheer. Slytherin raved and continued singing. Luna had given up yelling over two Houses.

The game had lasted just about an hour and it was supposed to be a middle of a day but somehow darkness wrapped itself over the Quidditch pitch. Hermione squinted her eyes as she calculated ways to save Eris and Nemesis but her mind refused to work. Coldness chilled her fingers as she gripped the Thunderbird and dashed right through Gregory and Raiden who side by side soared closer to goalhoops with a Quaffle.

Nemesis was waiting a toss from Raiden as Terry Boot came from left chasing a Bludger and missed clubbing it but hit her right across forehead. Hermione saw the blood raining down on her face and swerved her broom sideways into stop, catching crying Nemesis.

“Madam Pomfrey!” she yelled for the mediwitch standing on guard at the entrance of the arena. “ERIS! WATCH OUT FOR GOLDSTEIN!” The Keeper on the other side of the field didn’t hear her and concentrated on little Orla Quirke but not on Ravenclaw’s Captain coming from behind her with the other Bludger. Vincent was close after him.

‘Ye can’t save them all,’ drawled a heavy Scottish accent inside her head as blackness thickened before her eyes. Nausea from seeing blood made it all worse as she handed Nemesis under Madam Pomfrey’s care and went to look for the Snitch. She had to end this game or more would get hurt.

“Hillbillies have rods for brooms,
A real ass whooping looms!
We’ll kick Ravenclaw into mud,
Throw hillbillies under the sod!”

Up high above the field Hermione could breath a bit easier if only Mandy Brocklehurst hadn’t followed her up there. She wanted to get a chance to look around and win the game. Slytherin still sang out loud and quite off-key. Through the foggy vision she could make out the lines of Draco and the rest of back-up players. Somewhere in the greenish crowd were 3 weird versions of her cheering and singing like mad cows. The more she stared the battlefield under her, the more she noticed fine thunderbolts striking from high above right into ground and sticking into spot.

No one seemed to notice them or complain about the dark that surrounded the arena making it almost impossible to see anything at all. Like cobweb, the strings glowed bright violet and twisted around each other, creating something pulsing. A Ravenclaw player flew right through it like it didn’t existed.

“I have a serious concussion,” mumbled Hermione and spotted the Snitch hovering down there where the sparkling vortex was being created. “Bloody fantastic!” snorted Hermione, leaned against her broom and dashed nose down into otherworldly gleam of amethyst whirlpool. Mandy took off after her and hoped to save the game.

Both Houses were standing up on the stands to see which Seeker would catch the Golden Snitch. The noise was unbearable as both Ravenclaw and Slytherin cheered for their players. Even the professors on their reserved boxes were going wild.

Mandy had her eye on the winged beast and dived next to Hermione who blinked her eyes and tried to focus her sight on the Snitch that dashed off. The ground was extremely close and was running 252 mph right at her. She reached out her hand and leaned even more against her broom, holding her eye on the shimmering dot.

“Mandy and Ariston are side by side after the Snitch and it seems that…” screamed Luna looking the chase through Omnioculars.

Something scraped her bare fingertips and by reflex Hermione grabbed at it.

“OW! ARISTON CATCHED THE SNITCH!” cried Luna. “SLYTHERIN WINS 280 TO MEAGER 40! I QUIT THIS HOUSE!” Ravenclaw booed at screaming Slytherin as worn out player came down from the sky to be embraced by teammates and by the whole House.

Hermione gripped the Snitch in her hand and howled in victory. The darkness became pitch black as the heart of glimmering ultra violet streams exploded into supernova with Hermione in it.