“Hello and welcome to this fine leap day in February. I’m Melody Song.”
“And I’m Lee Jordan.”
“And we’re here once again to take you through this pivotal fixture in this year’s Quidditch Championship between Hufflepuff . . .” Melody paused as cheers erupted from the Hufflepuff section of the audience.
“. . . And Gryffindor!” Lee Jordan screamed. This resulted in a similar level of noise from the Gryffindors. As the cacophony of noise started to subside, he continued. “I think I can say for everyone that this a huge match for both Houses with the winner odds-on favourite for the cup. This would be Gryffindor’s first since '85-'86, when the Charles Weasley-inspired Gryffindors won the cup at Slytherin’s expense, the only time in the past seven years it has not gone to Slytherin. Even more remarkable is Hufflepuff’s wait for the cup which spans all the way back to the '62-'63 school year!”
“Indeed, Lee, but before we go into our predictions in more depth, I’d just like to mention how relieved we must all be for the clear blue skies after last week’s dismal drizzle.”
“That’s the truth.” Lee chuckled. “Anyway, as the teams prepare to enter the pitch, Melody, can Hufflepuff really defy the odds again?”
“ARE WE GOING TO WIN!” Melody bellowed in response into her microphone. The Hufflepuffs in the crowd gave their biggest cheer yet, along with a stream of fire from Apple Bloom. “That a good enough answer?”
“It certainly was. Today’s key player?”
“Snape. When has he ever refereed a Quidditch match? Plus, he hates Gryffindor more than us, so he'll penalise them more, especially as it will benefit Slytherin’s chances of winning the Quidditch Cup."
“A fair point. It certainly does seem an odd choice. Now hello, what’s going on down there, then? The two captains seemed to be locked in a heated debate as they exited the tunnel, and now they’ve locked heads!”
*
Scootaloo took a deep breath and stood at attention along with her team in their yellow Quidditch robes, waiting for the Gryffindor team to emerge from their own changing room. It had been an intriguing past two weeks since Valentine’s, and as the news had slowly filtered around the school about the surprising choice of referee for their fixture, her team had not been in the highest of spirits when they’d arrived at training the following Monday. She’d spent a lot of time in their final training sessions simply boosting morale and reassuring her team that Snape would be just as much out to get the Gryffindors as he would them. Thankfully, this time around, she’d had no bizarre dreams, seizures, or premonitions to warn her that something bad was more than likely going to happen, which she was very grateful for, considering her workload. Ever since they’d returned from the winter holidays, the professors had gradually been piling more and more homework onto them. Combined with Quidditch practice, this meant she’d barely had a moment to herself the past two weeks, let alone any alone time with Hermione. The other girl had understood the situation, though, and had remarked that she’d just have to make do with the plush version for the time being. No matter what happened in the game, Scootaloo had promised her girlfriend that tonight was theirs to spend together and alone. Right now, though, she needed to concentrate on the match.
“Huh, anyone seen our opponents for today? All I see is a bunch of preschoolers.” A voice sparked her out of her thoughts.
“Real original, Wood. Do you know what happened to the last captain who taunted my team? Heidi back there shoved the words back down her throat within a minute of the game. I’d watch myself if I was you.”
“Ooo, I’m really scared,” Wood mocked as Snape started to lead the two teams out onto the pitch. “At least I don’t shack up with one of the best friends of an opposing player just to try and get inside information.”
“I’m warning you!” Scootaloo growled, grinding her teeth together.
“Filthy traitor," the other captain muttered under his breath.
Scootaloo was immediately in Wood’s face. “You are really starting to get on my nerves. I just hope your game's as good as your mouth. Wouldn’t want to be embarrassed by a bunch of preschoolers now, would you?” And with that, she peeled away to her team with a vicious smile as Snape came over to split the two quarrelling captains apart.
“What was all that about?” Sweetie asked as Scootaloo returned to her team.
“Anthony, Susan, if either of you get the chance, knock some sense into their keeper. Twenty galleons to either of you who manages to do it. Now, let’s play.”
*
“Oh, my word, is Snape going to take no action? Despicable action from the Hufflepuff beaters who have deliberately and callously targeted Gryffindor’s captain from the off. Poor Wood looks like he can barely see straight after that bludger to his face and another to his ribs.” Lee Jordan bellowed from the stands. “And another one! The Gryffindor keeper is down, folks, and I’m not sure he’ll be getting up again as Heidi Macavoy breaks away and scores into the empty rings.”
“Really Jordan, that is kind of one-sided. I’d personally say the Hufflepuff beaters have made an excellent start,” Melody argued as the Hufflepuffs celebrated the early lead.
“There’s playing the game and then there’s clear gamesmanship and abuse of the rules. Oh my, that’s another one.” Lee replied
“Well looks like you are getting your wish Lee. Yep, Snape’s intervening, but not as you would like. Only two minutes in and the Gryffindors have lost their captain and keeper, who is being helped off the turf and onto a stretcher. This game just got a whole lot trickier for the Gryffindors whose chasers will now have to act as sweeper keepers as Macavoy races through and scores a second! Oh, make that three, as in retaliation for not penalising the relentless Hufflepuff beaters, George Weasley misdirected a bludger into Snape, who awards a penalty to Hufflepuff in response, which is easily converted by Diggory into the unguarded rings.”
“This is totally bogus!” Lee exclaimed in annoyance as the Hufflepuffs cheered once again.
Up in the clear blue sky above, Scootaloo was perched on her broom, scanning everything below her for any sign of the Golden Snitch. In all honesty, she couldn’t have dreamed of a better start, but knew it would all be for nothing unless she caught the Snitch first. Harry, on his own Nimbus 2000, had opted to circle the sky, instead, in his pursuit of the Snitch. Thankfully, Snape had yet to try anything aside from constantly penalising Gryffindor, and after she’d noticed Dumbledore watching as they came onto the pitch, Scootaloo was pretty sure the potions professor wouldn’t be so rash or stupid to try anything. Still, she could sense her counterpart wanted this match over with as quickly as possible, which meant that she needed to find the Snitch fast. And then, just as Hufflepuff scored their fourth goal in the opening five minutes from another questionable penalty, it happened.
The unmistakable grotesque face flashed before Scootaloo’s eyes once more, followed by a dark, skulking character that lurked through the halls of Hogwarts in what seemed to be the dead of night. Fractured pieces of a jigsaw puzzle slowly pieced themselves together in her mind and a growing sense of horror and dread etched its way across her face.
Gasps and cheers from the crowd snapped her back to reality.
“I’m unsure what’s wrong with Prewett, but Potter’s spotted the Snitch!” Lee Jordan yelled jubilantly.
“Shit,” Scootaloo groaned before diving at a ridiculous speed in an attempt to catch up with Harry.
“Wow, look at Prewett go, although it might be too late to catch Potter and the Snitch,” Jordan commented.
“Come on, Broomy!” Scootaloo pushed her Nimbus 2000 to its limits. She was closing the distance but would she be fast enough?
Snape froze in horror as the two seekers streaked past on either side of him, one after the other, barely missing him by inches.
The crowd held their breath. The game had practically stopped; the other players were too engrossed in the dueling Seekers, aside from Macavoy, who scored another simple goal.
Apple Bloom released a jet of fire.
Hermione was on her feet watching with bated breath, unsure whom to root for, even though Scootaloo had told her she had to support Harry and her house. She paid no attention to Ron grappling with Draco beneath her seat or Neville being tossed around like a sack of spuds by Goyle and Crabbe behind her.
“Come on, Harry!” Hermione finally managed to force out.
Scootaloo was closing rapidly, but she wasn’t going to make it in time; the Snitch was Harry’s, unless . . . Scootaloo grabbed the tail of her opponent’s broom and pulled back hard, just as Harry was about to grab the Snitch in his right hand. It was a dirty, despicable and underhanded trick that Scootaloo would never have ever considered in normal circumstances. These were not normal circumstances though.
“What on Earth?” Harry said in confusion.
“Fou . . .” one of the Weasley twins started to cry as Scootaloo shot past Harry and grabbed the Snitch in her own right hand.
An ear-piercing screech cut him off.
The pain was unbelievable. It felt like her whole hand was on fire as veiny inky blackness took a hold of it and started to streak up her arm. Scoootaloo grimaced and somehow forced herself to remain conscious, ignoring every last bit of noise around her and just concentrating on getting safely to the ground. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she managed it as an array of teachers and students flocked onto the pitch.
“STAY BACK!” she screamed with the last of her strength as she dropped the Snitch onto the ground. “It’s been cursed,” she finished weakly, falling to her knees with tears in her eyes as they found the object of their desire. She smiled up at Hermione, the other girl struggling valiantly with Professor McGonagall to get at her.
“I love you,” she mouthed before collapsing onto her side, gradually losing consciousness.
“Diffindo”
Darkness engulfed Scootaloo.
*
Where was she? Scootaloo wondered, looking around to see she was, for some bizarre reaso,n now located in a tree. Wait, wasn’t she playing Quidditch a moment ago? How’d she gotten here? Before she’d had any opportunity to figure things out, voices sounded from below. Was that Snape and Quirrell down there? What in Celestia’s flank was going on?
“. . . d-don’t know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus.” Quirrell’s voice quivered even more nervously than usual from below.
“Oh, I thought we’d keep this private,” Snape replied in an icy tone. “Students aren’t supposed to know about the Philosopher’s Stone, after all.”
Scootaloo felt herself lean forward, attempting to catch something Quirrell was mumbling but Snape swiftly interrupted him.
“Look, with that seer out the way, now’s the perfect time. So, have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid’s yet?”
“B-b-but Severus, I . . .”
“You don’t want me as your enemy Quirrell,” Snape threatened as he took a step towards the other wizard.
“I-I don-t know what you . . .” Quirrell stammered once more.
“You know perfectly well what I mean,” Snape growled.
An owl hooted loudly overhead and Scootaloo had to stabilise herself to prevent herself falling out of the tree. She just managed to catch the last part of what Snape said.
“We wouldn’t want you ending up like the girl now, would we?”
Darkness started to shroud Scootaloo’s vision once more, and she was unable to catch the remainder of the conversation.
*
Scootaloo opened her eyes and realised she was kissing Hermione on that fateful night before the end of term once more; the night when they had expressed their feelings for one another for the very first time. Wait, how’d she get here? This wasn’t right, she thought to herself as the face twisted and contorted into that nightmarish monstrosity that had often plagued her dreams this year. Scootaloo tried to detach her lips and scream, but couldn’t. Slowly, the face engulfed her and darkness took hold once more.
*
More distorted memories came, each more twisted than the last, and every time she could do nothing but watch. Instead of her father and uncle under the Imperious curse fighting to the death, it was Apple Bloom and Sweetie. She witnessed Harry fall to his death from his broomstick during his first Quidditch match, Snape gleefully torturing Hermione alongside Filch, Professor Sprout, Molly, and others all calling her a failure and a disappointment, Susan and all her other friends murdered instead of her family members. She saw countless scenes with friends all subjected to pain and misery, from the prefect’s bath being replaced with boiling acid to Sweetie’s potions mishap killing everyone. There was even the terrible accident to befall Hermione a week back, which turned out to be simply her slipping on the wet floor in the main entranceway. Instead of it simply being a case of embarrassment and the devastation of a sodden book, the girl had banged her head, and her lifeless eyes had stared mournfully into Scootaloo’s as her blood stained the cold stone floor. That one was the last straw.
“STOP!” Scootaloo bellowed wondering how in Equestria she could get out of this nightmare. “Please, no more,” she wailed with exhaustion.
The memories stopped, and she was alone once more in the void of nothingness.
The grotesque face appeared out of the gloom, only this time attached to a body wearing the blackest robes. Many others followed behind him.
“Cruciatus.”
Scootaloo writhed and howled in pain.
*
Everywhere she ran, they found her. Sometimes it was him personally; other times it was one of his lackies. No matter where she tried to hide in the darkness, they found her and inflicted even more torture. Yet, whenever she turned to face them, they were gone. In the end, she gave up and screamed into the void.
“Here I am. Why don’t you stop with this charade and just end it already?”
Lucius Malfoy sauntered mockingly out of the blackness with a leering smile.
“As you wish. Avada Kedavra!” he commanded.
Scootaloo waited for the inevitable. It never came. The darkness was gone, replaced with fluffy white clouds all around.
“Hello?” she queried in confusion.
What came next caught her completely by surprise.
“Hush now, little witch don’t you cry, Momma’s gonna magic you an apple pie. And if that apple pie shouldn’t dry your eyes, then momma’s gonna have to magic a shooting star in the skies.”
Scootaloo spun around to see a brown-haired, brown-eyed woman, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere.
“Oh, how you’ve grown my darling baby. We are both so, so proud of you, me and Fabian.”
“Mum?” Scootaloo said in complete shock before she wrapped her mother in a warm hug, tears starting to cloud her vision.
Marlene nodded her head sadly, wrapping her own arms around her daughter. “I’ve missed you, too,” she said lovingly. “I’m so sorry we couldn’t be there for you as you’ve grown up, but we’ve watched you always from afar, and as long as you keep us in your heart, the two of us will always be watching over you.”
“Wait.” Scootaloo suddenly realised something. “Where am I? Am I dead?”
“No, my dear, but we need you to fight, okay? What you did was such a noble and selfless act, to sacrifice yourself for the safety and wellbeing of others, but there are still so many who need you right now: Professors Sprout and Trelawney whose faces you’ve managed to put a smile back on. Aunt Molly, who had long thought her family to be all gone. Discord and the growing bond he has developed with you. He may not admit it, but he loves you as much as we do, and if you departed now, it may very well break him. Rainbow Dash back in Equestria who loves you like an overly protective big sister. All your friends, especially Sweetie and Bloom, and lastly Hermione. Your blossoming relationship brings great joy to the both of us, and we couldn’t be happier for the two of you. To find that special someone at any point in your lifetime is hard enough, but to find them so young is a truly unique and wonderful occurrence that should see every moment be treasured and cherished.”
“But I don’t want to leave you; I don’t even know anything about you.” Scootaloo wept inconsolably.
“I’m sorry, my dear. Don’t think I wouldn’t like our time to be longer, but it is what it is. Please don’t be sad, though, for the both of us shall always be here to guide you, and when the time is right, we shall be here to greet you.” Marlene’s voice slowly drifted away.
The Hogwarts Express hurtled towards Scootaloo.
Scootaloo awoke with a start and sat up in the darkness. Slowly a grimace crossed her face. Her right arm hurt. scrap that; the pain was pure agony. On the plus side, at least that meant she was alive. Now, she just needed to find out where she was. Soft snoring drew her attention to a brown fuzzy lump of hair on the right-side of the bed she found herself in. She attempted to give Hermione a shove and ask her what had happened after the Quidditch match and how long she’d been out for.
That’s when her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light of the room, and she realised her right arm and hand were gone. All that was left was a small stump extending from her shoulder.
“Oh fuck,” Scootaloo swore, suddenly going very pale.
“Five more minutes mum,” Hermione’s voice murmured from her mass of frizzy hair.
“Firstly, I’m not your mum, and secondly, you’re not the one who just woke up and found you’re missing an arm,” Scootaloo retorted with a little bit of her usual cockiness returning.
“Scootaloo, that you?” An excited voice called from across the room.
“Molly, what are you doing here? More importantly, where is here, and what in Celestia' cake-fattened rump happened?”
Hermione’s head shot up, and her eyes burst open. She attempted to launch herself at Scootaloo, only for Molly to grab her in a bear hug.
“Oh no you don’t. You know as well as anyone how serious her injuries are. No roughhousing. Dear, you’re in the Hogwarts infirmary. You’ve been here for more than three days after Professor Sprout did an emergency amputation and cauterisation of your arm on the Quidditch pitch. You’ve been in a feverish half-conscious state ever since,” she finished, lowering the struggling Hermione to the ground. “I came as soon as I heard and haven’t left your side for more than five minutes since. Neither has your girlfriend.” She finished giving her niece an inquisitive glare before lighting a lone candle on the bedside cabinet.
“We n-nearly lost you. If the dark magic had got any further up your arm . . .” Hermione broke down in tears, unable to finish the sentence as she sobbed uncontrollably into Scootaloo’s bed covers.
“It was touch and go for a while,” Molly explained as Scootaloo could only watch as her girlfriend cried her eyes out. “You had us all so worried. Discord destroyed a mountain; he was so angry with himself over what happened, you brave, foolhardy, and stupid girl. I’VE ONLY JUST GOT YOU BACK INTO MY LIFE, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!” she unleashed with a scream before collapsing onto the other side of Scootaloo’s bed. “I’m sorry, I . . .” She couldn’t finish what she was going to say, instead, she wrapped the girl in a gentle hug as tears streamed down her face. “You mean more to me than you’ll ever know,” she whispered into Scootaloo’s ear. “Now, tell me everything about this girlfriend of yours.”
Scootaloo’s face started to turn red before she gave a mighty sigh. “I’m sorry I’ve not told you sooner; we’ve just been trying, even if not very well, to keep things quiet. Hermione tells me such relationships are often frowned upon in your world.”
“Pfft. Nonsense. If anyone gives the two of you any grief, you just let your Aunty Molly know. Now, start from the beginning; when did you first discover you had feelings for each other?”
Hermione had slowly established control over her emotions and was now blowing her nose into a hanky as Scootaloo started their tale to her aunt.
“Well it all started during a snowstorm,” Scootaloo began.
*
Over half an hour later, the two girls had snuggled up next to each other as Molly wrapped up the story of how she'd tried to brew a love potion in one of the girls' toilet. The door to the infirmary creaked open.
Molly’s light-hearted and cheery demeanour changed instantly. Wand drawn, she dropped silently from the bed.
“Molly, it’s just me and Professor Discord. Is it true she has woken up? It would have to be in the middle of the night, wouldn’t it? Getting a 2am wake-up call from Professor Discord is not what I’d call fun, especially when I haven’t been getting much sleep the last few nights,” Professor Sprout grumbled before letting out a mighty yawn. She was still dressed in her nightgown and cap.
“Yes, Pomona. We were just catching up before heading back to sleep,” Molly replied, dropping her wand to her side and settling back onto the side of the bed.
Scootaloo’s stomach growled. “Any chance of something to eat first?”
“I’ll see if any of the elves are up shortly. How you feeling?” Professor Sprout answered in return.
“Thanks professor. Horrendous, but at least I’m alive. I hear it’s your quick thinking I owe that to?”
“Yes, well I think we all wish that this could have been avoided entirely,” Professor Sprout said glumly. “We’ll talk more about serious matters in the morning.”
“All I want to know is will I ever get my arm back? And what happened in the Quidditch match?”
Professor Sprout couldn’t help but let out a hearty chuckle at that last question. “Trust my captain to be more interested in the Quidditch score than the fact she’s lost an arm. Wood graciously defaulted a 200-0 win when he’d gotten over his concussion on Monday and heard what had happened. I’m guessing there’s no way I’m going to stop you playing in the last game.”
“You know me too well.” Scootaloo chuckled in reply before becoming deadly serious. “But am I going to be able . . .”
“No.” It was Discord’s voice in an unusually sombre tone that reverberated round the infirmary. “To expel dark magic from one’s body like I did with your wings is easy, but regrowing body parts taken by dark magic is simply impossible. Although I was not at the game, this sounds like incredibly dark and dangerous magic that even I may not have been able to rid your body of. It is truly a miracle you are here with us now in some form due solely to Professor Sprout’s quick thinking. I will most certainly be keeping a better eye on you from now on to avoid any similar incidents in future.”
Scootaloo saw the fire blaze within her father’s eyes, but she also saw through the anger to the guilt that harboured and festered inside of him.
“Hey, Dad,” she said with a heavy sigh, pushing down her own worries and fears for the time being. “This wasn’t your fault, and blaming yourself won’t bring my arm back. Now come here and give your daughter a hug.”
Discord looked at his rebellious tomboy for a moment, completely taken aback by the bluntness of her words.
“Well, I’m waiting.”
Molly slid off the bed to allow Discord the space required.
With a broad smile, he walked over and wrapped his daughter into a loving embrace as for one of the few times in his life, the God of Chaos cried pure, genuine tears.
“I’m so, so sorry. I should have been there to protect you,” he whispered into Scootaloo’s ear.
“You can’t always be there to protect me, and you know it. What shall be, shall be. I’ll get over this; just you wait and see,” she replied before turning to Professor Sprout. “Besides, I’ve still a Quidditch Cup to win. They’ve had two sessions of already; they won’t be getting a third. Professor, I expect you to inform them that I expect to see them all back out on that training field Thursday.”
Professor Sprout let out another hearty laugh and wiped a tear of her own from her face.
“I’ll tell them. Now, I’d better see to that food because I’m guessing Madam Pomfrey is less than pleased about this late-night disturbance.”
“Usually, I would be, but truthfully, I’m just glad my patient is awake and in high spirits despite the nasty shock she must have had upon realising she’s now missing a limb. Even so, she still needs her rest. Professor Discord, please take Hermione back to her own quarters for a good night’s sleep, doctor’s orders. Professor Sprout, please see to that meal, and Mrs Weasley, you can stay. I agree we still need to keep an eye on Miss Prewett just in case. Something is definitely not right at Hogwarts this year,” the matron commanded in her own set of pyjamas.
Hermione looked like she wanted to argue but Discord didn’t allow her to; releasing Scootaloo he took hold of the other girl’s arm and snapped his fingers.
After they’d gone, Scootaloo managed to get a quick meal of some soup, scraps of chicken, and some bread which she wolfed down before gradually, tiredness overtook her again, and she soon drifted off into a relaxing and rejuvenating sleep.
Yawning, Madam Pomfrey did a quick check of the girl and all the wires and equipment that protruded from her single remaining arm.
“Poor girl,” she said sadly to Molly as Professor Sprout returned to her small cottage and her bed. “I hope whoever did this to her is found and sent to Azkaban for life.”
“You and me both, you and me both,” Molly growled.
“Alright, everything is as it should be. I’m going back to bed. I’ll see you in the morn,” Madam Pomfrey said as she disappeared into the darkness of the infirmary.
“Night, Matron,” Molly called after the matron before she blew out the candle next to her soundly sleeping niece and returned to her chair to resume her lonely vigil.