Chapter 134: "The Rise and Fall on the Quidditch Pitch"

The opening game of the Quidditch season was a match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, sparking an electric atmosphere filled with anticipation. The rivalry between these two houses was well-known throughout Hogwarts, yet this game was particularly charged with excitement. This was due in part to Charles Potter, the youngest chaser ever at Hogwarts and the first first-year to play in official house matches, making his debut. Despite his popularity having dipped following the troll incident, this game was viewed as his opportunity to showcase his unique talents and reaffirm his special status.

The stands were packed with students, and Harry sat among them with his friends. He would have preferred to spend his time elsewhere, but he had promised himself to attend all major events of the canon to ensure nothing went wrong. After the troll incident, he was determined to keep a close eye on things to ensure nothing unexpected happened.

Cedric leaned over, trying to get Harry's attention. "How do you think your brother is going to perform?"

Harry shrugged, his gaze fixed on the field. "I don't know, I have never seen him play. However, his weak body against those rough Slytherins isn't going to be a fair matchup."

The Quidditch match kicked off with an explosion of energy. Gryffindor's chasers, Angelina and Alicia, started strong, playing with aggressive tactics and great teamwork that quickly put them ahead. The crowd erupted with cheers for every goal scored, adding to the thrilling atmosphere. With Lee Jordan, a friend of the Weasley twins, providing lively and humorous commentary, the match became even more entertaining.

However, the tone of the game soon shifted as it grew more intense and physical. The Slytherin players began using aggressive tackles that were almost fouls, making it increasingly difficult for Gryffindor's chasers to move forward and maintain their lead. This aggressive strategy allowed the Slytherin team to regain momentum and start scoring goals. Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's keeper, put up a valiant effort to block the shots, but the pressure was mounting.

Amidst all this, Charles was struggling to demonstrate his skills. The overwhelming pressure of performing well in front of a large crowd and proving his worth was visibly affecting him. His gameplay suffered considerably; he found it challenging to maintain possession of the quaffle, often losing it to rough tackles from Slytherin players. Every time he received the quaffle, he was quickly overpowered, and Slytherin regained control.

As the game progressed, Slytherin's lead grew stronger. Twenty minutes into the match, the score was already 100-40 in favor of Slytherin, leaving Gryffindor in a precarious position.

Then, the atmosphere of the game took a drastic turn. The crowd gasped in shock as Charles's broom began to spin uncontrollably, twirling over and over. Charles clung to it desperately, struggling to stay mounted. It seemed as though the broom had taken on a life of its own, defiantly ignoring Charles's commands and seemingly intent on throwing him off.

"Potter seems to have lost control of his broom. I guess the Gryffindors were wrong to use a first-year. Shows why no team in history had ever used a first-year player," Jordan announced, making it clear to those few who hadn't already noticed.

As Jordan's words echoed through the stands, all eyes turned toward Charles. The crowd began to murmur among themselves, speculating about what was going wrong.

Cedric, looking concerned, furrowed his brow. "What's happening to him? Is he just nervous, or could the broom have been damaged during one of those rough tackles?"

Roger shook his head, equally confused. "It's hard to tell. He might have just lost control, or maybe someone is messing with his broom. But that seems unlikely—he's riding a Nimbus Two Thousand, and those are really tough to tamper with."

Meanwhile, Harry watched silently, his focus on Professor Quirrell, who was intensely staring at Charles without blinking. Nearby, Snape was muttering what appeared to be a counter-curse under his breath. Harry recognized these developments; they were unfolding just as they had in the canon, so he wasn't particularly worried.

Despite the danger Charles was in, Harry chose not to intervene. He was confident that Dumbledore was keeping a close watch and would step in if Charles's safety was truly at risk.

Charles's battle with his broom dragged on for several tense minutes. During this distraction, the Slytherin team took full advantage of Gryffindor being a player down, scoring one goal after another. The imbalance on the field made the game heavily one-sided. Gryffindor supporters could only watch in despair as Slytherin widened their lead, feeling the sting of each goal scored against their team.

Just when things seemed bleak, Harry noticed a small puff of smoke rising from the area where the professors were seated. He suspected Hermione had taken action, just as she had in the canon. Quirrell's visibly angry expression confirmed Harry's guess. Shortly after, the jinx affecting the broom was lifted.

With the spell broken, Charles managed to regain control of his broom. His return to stable flight was met with loud cheers from the Gryffindor fans. However, their relief was short-lived. A Slytherin beater, seizing an opportunity as Charles tried to rejoin the game, struck a bludger directly at him. The bludger hit Charles's arm with a harsh thud, knocking him off his broom once again.

The crowd gasped in horror as Charles began to plummet toward the ground, but Madam Hooch acted swiftly, slowing his fall with her quick reflexes. It was clear, however, that Charles had broken his right arm in the incident. The injury was severe enough that he couldn't continue playing, and since team substitutions were not permitted, Gryffindor had to proceed with one less player.

Now at a severe disadvantage, Gryffindor struggled to keep up. Slytherin, already ahead, pressed their advantage aggressively, dominating the game.

All hopes were now pinned on Gryffindor's new seeker, Katie Bell, but although she spotted the Snitch several times, she struggled to maneuver herself to catch it. It looked obvious that she wasn't meant for the seeker position.

Ultimately, the Slytherin seeker seized the opportunity and caught the Snitch, clinching victory for their house. The final score stood at 380 to 60, marking a decisive defeat for Gryffindor.

As the game concluded and the teams exited the pitch, the mood among the Gryffindor players and supporters was gloomy. Charles was promptly taken to the hospital wing for treatment, and the rest of the team, disheartened by the day's events, slowly made their way back to their changing rooms.

Meanwhile, the stands buzzed with ongoing discussions and analysis of the game, as students continued to talk about the dramatic events they had just witnessed.

Harry felt a little sympathy for Charles. This was the boy's one chance at reclaiming some of the fame that he had lost, and due to Quirrelmort's actions, Charles couldn't shine in the game. If Dumbledore came out and said Charles's broom was jinxed by someone during the game, things would be a little better, but now to everyone, it looked like Charles got nervous and couldn't play his best in the game.

Harry knew Dumbledore well enough to understand that such a disclosure was unlikely. Therefore, it was up to Charles to prove himself in the next game if he wanted to restore his reputation.

As life at Hogwarts returned to normal in the following days, Harry continued to keep a watchful eye on Quirrell and the Forbidden Forest. For now, all was quiet; the acromantulas kept to themselves, and the unicorns remained unharmed.

Quirrell, meanwhile, was making no progress in his quest to reach the Stone, which suited Harry just fine. He preferred that Quirrell stay at Hogwarts for as long as possible. From Voldemort, Harry was learning a great deal about both light and dark magic. Although he wasn't ready to practice dark magic, he took to recording everything he learned in a book for potential future use.

Charles was busy too, trying to uncover the secrets of the third-floor corridor. Despite Harry's warnings to Neville to stay out of trouble, Neville was still worried about the safety of his classmates and friends.

Neville had taken to eavesdropping on their conversations, concerned they might venture into the dangerous third-floor corridor. One day, Neville shared with Harry that he had overheard Charles mentioning a search for someone named Nicholas Flamel and that the name of the three-headed dog was Fluffy.

Harry thanked Neville for this information and promised to keep an even closer watch on Charles and his friends to ensure they didn't get themselves into any dangerous situations.

Soon it was time for the Christmas vacation, and Harry signed up to go back home, although he had plans to return to the castle each night using the vanishing cabinet to keep a close eye on Quirrelmort. While he had the Marauder's Map, which was helpful, it didn't provide updates on the physical conditions of the people within the castle.

Harry knew he needed to be vigilant about any changes in Quirrell's condition. He had to inform the centaurs immediately if anything seemed wrong, especially if he was away from Hogwarts. The centaurs were relying on Harry's signal to start their patrols. If Quirrelmort caught them off guard and caused significant harm, it could severely damage Harry's relationship with the centaurs.

The Weasley children were staying at Hogwarts over the holidays just like in the canon, as their parents were traveling. Charles, however, felt a strong need to leave. He wanted to stay with his best friend Ron, but the recent events and the way people now perceived him at Hogwarts made him uncomfortable. He no longer enjoyed the way he was being treated and felt the need for the comfort his parents could provide.

Going home also meant attending the annual Ministry balls that the Potter family frequented, which Charles dreaded now. He planned to convince his parents to skip the events this year, citing his discomfort with reporters and the attention he might receive due to his waning popularity.

When the time finally came to leave, Harry, along with most of the students, departed Hogwarts for their homes, leaving behind those who had chosen to stay for various reasons. The castle quieted down significantly with many of its inhabitants away for the holidays.