9
Getting ready for Quidditch games was always a blur, especially before breakfast. Anna sat next to Lily in the Great Hall. Half the room seemed to bounce with excitement and for good reasons. After all, it was the first Quidditch game of the school year and the most notorious rivalry playing- Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Annie barely got a smile before someone's arms dragged over her shoulders, locking around her neck.
"Ready to beat some snakes, Annie?"
The brunette looked up, meeting James' mischievous smile and excited stare.
"As long as you stick to Frank's plan, they don't stand a chance," Anna grinned, shrugging James' arms off her, "Now, let me eat something. I just sat down, Potter."
"So, Evans, you're obviously rooting for me, right?" James continued to lean on Anna, instead deciding to dig his elbow into her shoulder blade. She winced, gritting her teeth together.
"No, Potter, I'm cheering on Marlene and Anna like I always do, maybe Frank if he does well," Lily responded, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, come on, Evans, we all know that you'll be watching me," James egged on, his mischievous smile turning into a smirk.
"Potter! Stop digging your elbow into my shoulder, it bloody hurts!" Anna snapped, trying to twist away.
"Potter, leave Evans and my sister alone!" Frank called out, leaning back to look down at the group. James let up, releasing Anna from the pain.
"See you in the stands, Evans," He called back, walking over to join Sirius, Remus, and Peter.
"Should've hexxed him," Mary muttered.
"Still can but do it after the game, I'd much rather win with that idiot than loose to Slytherin," Marlene sighed, sipping on pumpkin juice.
"Just imagine it, him celebrating in the common room when he'd least expect it, then bam! We subtly hit him with stinging hexes. It would be perfect," Lily plotted.
"It'd be a glorious victory for all of us!" Anna waved her hands dramatically.
The group of girls broke out in giggles. Anna grabbed her glass of pumpkin juice, looking over her shoulder, feeling like someone was staring at her. She met Regulus' stare across the hall, a wave of tension falling between them. They hadn't interacted since The game hadn't started yet, and Anna felt she was already improvising moves to win.
"Annie!" Frank called out, breaking Anna's silent staring contest with Regulus as she looked at the brother and captain, "Let's go!"
Anna set her drink down as Lily gave a reassuring pat on her hand.
"I'll see you out there, Annie," Lily called out as the Gryffindor Quidditch team left together.
Anna's heart pounded in her chest. She could hear Remus over the speakers, exciting the crowd even more for the game. Frank began leading the team out, walking on the pitch. Annie took a deep breath, enjoying the crispness of the November air, contrasting with the sun's glow on her face.
She watched as Slytherin stepped out, her gaze locking onto Regulus. His gaze flickered around the crowded bleachers. Anna mounted her broom as everyone else did. Frank walked towards the centre with Slytherin's captain.
Gryffindor got the Quaffle first. Anna rose into the sky with Marlene and James, following Frank's game plan perfectly. Marlene flew under Anna, open, as Slytherin Chasers flanked both sides and James. She threw the Quaffle down and pushed herself into the chaser of the left. Marlene scored, narrowly dodging a Bludger from Mulciber.
Anna caught a glimpse of Regulus as he was searching for the Golden Snitch. She looked around; Marlene had the Quaffle, James was frantically trying to keep himself open for her to pass it, and Frank was also searching for the Snitch. Anna flew upwards, giving Marlene a different area to throw to. She heard a large crack as a Beater hit their bat against a Bludger.
It was like time stopped momentarily, suddenly hearing yelling from her team below her. She got hit hard enough to fall forward on her broom, her grip releasing. Pain bloomed in her right shoulder blade and spine. That's when she realised it was too late; the crack of the Bludger just moments ago had been aimed at her. Her other hand wrapped around herself, her fingers grazing the hit. Her broom wobbled as tears pricked her eyes. Quidditch had always been a painful and dangerous sport, but she had never been hit that hard before.
That's when she lost balance and fell, the wind whipping around her. Her hand broke away from her injured shoulder, reaching out for help. Tears blocked her vision as she heard screams from the crowd and Remus Lupin in the announcer stand. Her team was yelling, too. She thought back to her conversation with her brother just two weeks before, 'Dad would be disappointed it wasn't during a match.' What would her parents think now?
Adrenaline was mixing with her fear. How close was the ground getting to her now? She wasn't that high up, surely? Anna screwed her eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable impact. The last image she saw was Frank, James, Marlene, and Regulus' terrified faces.
After what felt like years of falling, a hand wrapped around her right wrist, pain shot through her shoulder once more, a loud pop sounding from her shoulder. She screamed as her body tried to contort in pain as it was jolted to a sudden stop in mid-air. Her voice was shot, the scream echoing across the now silent pitch.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," James apologised. Their grip was starting to loosen, and both gloves were not meant for the sort of situation they were in.
Anna couldn't respond, only crying out in pain. Two pairs of hands grabbed Anna, one around her waist and the other at her feet. Anna whimpered as the pain in her shoulder lessened slightly, the strain from the player holding her by her wrist being eased by the players below her. Her breath started to quicken, coming out in short gasps.
"We got you Annie, we got you," Frank's voice broke through the pain– he had to be the one holding her by her waist. Anna gripped the arm around her waist with her good arm, letting the pain overtake her into darkness.
Regulus stood far away, watching McKinnon and the older Longbottom set Anna on the pitch before Madam Pomfrey. Frank stormed away from his sister and team, heading straight for Mulciber, James trailing behind him. Regulus remained still, watching Frank shoved Mulciber back, shouting incoherently at him. His attention snapped over to where Anna lay before Pomfrey.
He couldn't get the image out of his head. The look of pain and fear as she fell. The way she had reached up for anyone to save her as she pummeled rapidly towards the ground. Her screams echoed in his ears, the cry as her shoulder dislocated from Potter grabbing her arm.
Regulus' attention snapped back to Longbottom, Potter, and his teammates just as Mulciber punched Frank. McGonagall began shouting as she stormed onto the pitch. Regulus felt something wiggle in his fist as he watched his teammates hold Mulciber back. He looked down, opening his fist barely. The Golden Snitch fluttered, trying to escape.
Regulus must've caught it when Anna got hit with the Bludger. He looked up slightly, his heart dropping. Slytherin had won but nearly at the cost of a classmate's life. Reg's brows furrowed as he looked up to where Dumbledore stood in the stands. He was the Headmaster, yet he wasn't coming to the pitch to check on a student? Why hadn't he tried to save Anna with the Slowing Charm?
His attention lingered back to Anna, watching as McGonagall led Potter and the older Longbottom away from Mulciber and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Frank was bringing his hand up and wiping at his nose.
Anna awoke on the pitch with her team gathered around her and Madam Pomfrey. Frank was on the ground, right beside her, holding her good hand with a bloody nose and busted lip. She furrowed her brows, her face scrunching in pain. With the Chaser gloves on, her good hand gripped the pitch as tightly as possible.
"I'm sorry, dear. I know it hurts. It'll feel better soon. Just try to relax and don't move your head," Madam Pomfrey comforted. Frank brushed his sister's hair out of her face.
"Annie, you'll be all right," Frank soothed.
"What happened to your face? Did we win?" Anna sighed, a slight warmth overtaking the pain in her shoulder and back.
She saw her brother and teammates look around at each other.
"No, we didn't win, Annie. Black caught the Snitch as you got hit," Frank answered, "I was more worried about my baby sister."
Anna hummed.
"And your face?" Anna questioned, noticing Frank's bloody nose.
"Mulciber punched me after I got him; he was the one that hit the Bludger straight for you," Frank hesitantly answered.
"I think it's safe enough for her to be taken into the Hospital Wing now, Minerva," Pomfrey spoke up, causing Anna to turn her head slightly as she saw her Head of House nodding.
Anna gritted her teeth, digging her nails into her palm.
"I know, dear, I know it hurts. I can't do as much out here as I can in the Hospital Wing," Madam Pomfrey comforted before looking at Frank, "Mr Longbottom, I need you to carefully lift your sister and be very careful with her shoulder."
Frank carefully lifted his sister, following Madam Pomfrey's instructions. Marlene quickly rushed over, supporting Anna's head after noticing the younger girl wince again. She looked sideways at the crowd as clapping erupted from them. Anna thought she saw Mary and Lily in the crowd, with Alice watching worriedly, Mary hugging Alice in relief.
"I'm sorry I cost us the game," Anna whimpered, holding her arm to her chest.
"It's not your fault, Annie. Safety is the most important thing to me, wether it's my baby sister's safety or my team's safety. Plus, we still have the matches against Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff to win," Frank consoled.
Anna hummed, wincing as the two carefully followed Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall off the pitch. She thought she saw Regulus standing away from his team and watching her. Annie shifted her gaze back up to the cloudy sky. She closed her eyes while Marlene gently rubbed small circles with her thumbs into what remained of Anna's messy braid.
"Don't worry about the game, Annie. We can get them next time," Marlene murmured as Anna felt the comfort of sleep, trying to grasp her mind with shadowy claws.
The pain was still evident, the only thing keeping her from the embrace of unconsciousness. Every other step Marlene and Frank took sent discomfort and tingling pain through Anna's spine and arm. Tears slid down the side of Anna's face, unaware she was crying until a tear rolled into her ear.