Harry Potter: Don't touch

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***

It was getting dark. It was the fifth hour of the battle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Quidditch teams. There were almost no spectators left in the stadium, only a few Quidditch fans and Madam Trick continued to watch the battle.

- Penalty kick for the Hufflepuff team! - shouted the referee. - Justin Finch-Fletchley has infringed on George Weasley!

Harry looked sullenly at the hovering corrals with bats in hand, and once again flew to comfort his friend. First on the scene, however, was Cedric Diggory.

- Justin, you idiot! Can you stop, finally, or not! - he shouted.

After more than three hundred minutes of playing the dreaded Quidditch game, even the best of the best were getting on their nerves. Especially when one player managed to bring the tenth penalty into his team's rings.

- If that halfwit keeps breaking the rules, we'll never get back to within a hundred and fifty points," Herbert Fleet remarked. - I'm tired of taking penalties, and he keeps breaking them.

- He's just tired," said Harry. - You're the seniors, you've played a lot of matches, but this is only our sixth game. It's the first time he's ever played this many games, so he's tearing up, and he hasn't been practising much lately, unlike us.

- He's just an idiot, that's all," Scotkins refuted Potter's arguments elegantly.

- Shut up, he's not an idiot," Ginny Weasley suddenly supported Potter's point of view. - It's normal for people to be tired, there's no need to be insulted because of it.

- Look, I don't support empty insults, but Bill's right now," Herbert said. - I might want to smack Bell upside the head when she fouls me on the offence. But I hang in there, we're all on equal footing, but the seven goals scored came from penalties.

Angelina Johnson came flying over.

- Fleet, get up on the rings, you're the only one we're waiting for, by the way! - she said.

- Let me guess, you're going to shoot penalties again, like the last ten? - Herbert asked.

Angelina nodded and flew to the penalty spot.

- Here we go again," Fleet sighed and walked towards the rings.

The whistle blew and a few seconds later the quaffle flew into the centre ring of the Hufflepuff team.

- Yay! - shouted the only spectator in the Gryffindor stands.

That spectator was a red-faced seventh year, with two empty bottles lying on the bleachers next to him. Perhaps those bottles were the reason why he was the only one left watching Quidditch.

- It's a hundred and eighty points again, this game never seems to end," Harry didn't realise Justin had flown over to him.

- You know that your actions don't have the team's strongest approval, right? And I even partially agree with them.

- I know all about it. Cedric explained it to me in no uncertain terms. He's taking his Potions exam tomorrow..." Justin yawned.

- You know, it would be nice if they took the bludgers out of the game after three o'clock," Harry said. - That way the hunters wouldn't be in the way of scoring goals, and the game would move faster.

- That's a low swing. We'd have to take away the quaffle, too, so the Seekers could fly around the field and have fun. And the rest of us can go home. Listen, I've been thinking, will a tie be enough for the championship?

- I don't know," Harry thought. - We've won the last two matches. The Gryffindors did too. It all depends on who scored more. Do you remember the difference between Slytherin and Ravenclaw?

- I'm so tired right now I'm not even sure what I'm playing right now," Finch-Fletchley yawned again. - If it weren't for the bats and broomsticks, I'd think we were playing football... Well, let's get into position, they're about to introduce the quaffle and bludgers....

After Finch-Fletchley stopped fouling, the game normalised. Over the next half hour, Gryffindor scored six goals and Hufflepuff eight. Then the Gryffindors took another penalty, this time the culprit was Potter himself: when a snitch flew near him, he hit it with his bat and sent it flying. As Madam Trick pointed out, such an action was not allowed by the Quidditch rules, so Angelina Johnson took another penalty and increased Hufflepuff's lead to one hundred and seventy points. After that, Susan Bones dropped out of the game: she was feeling very ill about something, so Hufflepuff continued the two-hunter match.Things got even worse for the Badgers, with Ginny Weasley scoring her thirtieth goal while Gryffindor responded with five quaffles. Then Bell got two more and the gap reached two hundred and forty points. And it was all over... The Hufflepuff team, or rather its captain finally gave up and caught the snitch he had been defending against Ron Weasley for half the game.

- What was that for? - Finch-Fletchley asked as the dejected Hufflepuff team made their way back to the castle.

- Because! - Cedric was extremely angry. - Flit, explain it to him!

- We're clearly weaker than them, it's noticeable. And with Bones out of the game, our victory has become impossible for a very simple reason - they score more against us than we score against them.

- And I can't play alone," Jeannie said quietly. - Bill can't pass much, and if it was possible to play with Bones around, it's impossible without her.

- So I'm the problem? - Scotkins was indignant.

- Not only you, but Justin, too," Diggory said. - Let's stop talking about the game and get ready for the next championship. Herbert's graduating, so we'll need a new goalkeeper... Next year will be my last chance to win the cup for Hufflepuff.

* * *

- Hey, I just remembered, I thought you were working on your cheer spell, why couldn't you use it to cheer us up? - Finch-Fletchley said, chewing on his cutlet.

- Because I only worked on it, but I didn't work on it, you know what the difference is? - Potter replied. - 'Come on hurry up and finish your food, everyone else has long gone.

Harry pointed his finger at the empty seats of Diggory, Scotkins, Weasley and Flit. The Headmaster had instructed the elves to serve dinner to the Quidditch players as soon as they were done playing. It was the right decision, and Potter was very relieved when he found out. Going to bed on an empty stomach didn't feel good to him at all, and here was just a pile of food and an empty Great Hall.

- Well, how do you know it doesn't work? Maybe you tweaked it so that it works. Have you tested it on anyone?

- No, I haven't, but I'm pretty sure it won't work, and I've had enough of that test.

- Well, what if it does! What if it works and you don't know!

- You don't know anything about Runes," Harry shook his head.

- That's right," Justin agreed easily. - Because I don't go to them. Still, go ahead and try it on me.

- Aveik! - Harry raised his wand. - How's it feel?

- It didn't seem to be anything..." he suddenly glared at the exit of the Great Hall. - Whoops! What a lot of people!

Finch-Fletchley was instantly drowsy, but the spell had nothing to do with it. Zhou Chang entered the Great Hall.

- I should go," Justin got up quickly from the table. - You've had your fill, now it's your turn to eat.

Harry watched in silence as Finch-Fletchley, who had recently said he was starving, ate half a meatball and left the Great Hall.

Chang came up to Harry.

- Why did Justin leave so abruptly? - She asked. - Did he not want to talk to me?

- No, he just felt sick, so he ran to the bedroom," Potter said the first thing that came into his head.

- Yeah? What was he sick about? - Zhou legitimately didn't believe him.

Potter pondered for a while how to characterise Justin's illness, but then waved his hand.

- 'Debiloculosis, he's got it. Don't mind him. Do you know how we did?

- Yeah, I heard McGonagall arguing with the Gryffindors who were celebrating. Don't feel bad.

- I'm not really upset," Potter lied. - I'm used to being just a few minutes away from the championship.

- Do you want to go for a walk?

Harry thought for a moment. Dumbledore had called him into his office after the match to discuss something important. Riddle had also said that he had an idea on how to make the vigour spells work. Harry's leg was also hurting pretty badly after a minor injury at the end of the match, so walking wasn't so easy for him. Plus Potter was desperate to rest after five and a half hours of Quidditch, and since tomorrow was a school day, he needed a good ten to twelve hours of sleep. But since he had to get up at seven in the morning, he had to go to bed as early as possible to avoid repeating the horrible experience he'd had while testing the invigorating spell. So when asked by someone like Finch-Fletchley if he wanted to go for a walk, Harry would have confidently stated, "No, no way in hell." But since it wasn't Justin who asked the question, but Zhou....

- Of course I do," Harry smiled faintly.

* * *

- So where are we going? - Harry asked after fifteen minutes of wandering the confusing corridors.

- A secret," Chang smiled enigmatically, and Potter's questions instantly fell away.

He calculated their rather long journey, they were clearly going from one part of the castle to the complete opposite, he had only travelled this far for astronomy lessons... Hmmm....

- Ah, well, yes, the Astronomy Tower, am I right? - Harry suggested.

- Don't you like it? - Zhou stopped momentarily and looked at Potter with a strange sadness.

- No, it's fine," Harry said hastily. - It's just that I have Potions first period tomorrow and I wanted to get to bed early, that's all.

- Potions? - Zhou was surprised. - We don't have... Oh, right, right, you're a third year.

Harry was hurt by that statement, he didn't like the fact that he was, in fact, a year younger than her and, as he started to think of what to say, a third person suddenly intervened in their dialogue....

- Well! Who's out here at night! Oh, you filthy students, you're in for a world of hurt! - came Filch's voice ten metres away from Potter and Chang.

They were both startled, but their reactions were very different: Zhou flinched and ran quickly down the corridor, while Harry was only able to stop the stun spell he had almost released at the last moment and only then ran after her. Judging by the stomping of feet from behind him, Filch, despite his age, was keeping up with middle school students. Where did he learn to run like that?

- Zhou, over here, there's a door," Harry shouted, noticing the outline of a wooden door to his left.

Chang stopped abruptly and unexpectedly, Potter hadn't expected it and ran full speed into her. They both fell to the floor, but Harry was up in a flash, pulled out his wand and pointed it at the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps:

- Conjunctivitus! Impedimenta!

The blinding spell should have prevented Filch from seeing the 'damned rascals', and the interference spell should seriously slow down the archrival. Harry picked up Zhou and carried her into the next room. Potter, without even looking round the room, slammed the door shut, pointed his wand at her and exclaimed:

- Colloportus!

Potter then began hysterically checking all the pockets of his robes in search of his invisibility cloak. He had had it with him all the time for about a month now. He couldn't have forgotten it just today, could he? He couldn't have, could he?

- Harry! - Zhou exclaimed.

- Not now, Zhou, I'm looking for an invisibility cloak, the door won't hold for long! - and, as if to confirm these words, there was a loud bang on the door.

- Harry! Look! - Chang wouldn't calm down.

- Zhou, don't you realise, Filch is already breaking in... Oh....

Potter looked to see what Zhou was pointing at, and right in front of him was the surprised face of a senior student he didn't know, who, judging by his uniform, was a Slytherin.

- 'Let me put it this way,' he began. - You pretend I'm not here, and I'll....

- Confundus! - Potter exclaimed before he could finish.

The seventh year's eyes glazed over, and he stared at Harry with even more surprise.

- Professor Snape, is that you?

Ignoring the ramblings of the man under Confundus, Harry finally fumbled for the invisibility cloak and slipped it over himself and Zhou, who was watching the unfolding events with about as much surprise as on the Slytherin's face.

After about fifteen seconds, the door swung open with a loud rumble and Filch stepped into the room, ignoring the Slytherin's surprised shriek:

- Headmasters Dumbledore, why are you grabbing me?

The man lunged at the student.

Potter and Chang, taking advantage of the commotion, left under the invisibility cloak from the office.

- You know, Zhou, I really enjoy your company, but I'm going to have to refrain from any further nighttime strolls," Harry said half an hour later as they approached the Ravenclaw's living room. - It's a miracle no one saw us, and I promised Dumbledore I wouldn't go out at night... Well, what is it? - Harry knocked on the door hammer. - 'Give me a riddle!

- What do the sine of an acute angle and shampoo have in common? - sang a little voice.

- Thank you, Harry, for not letting him catch me," Zhou said deliberately slowly.

Harry turned around to reply that he hadn't really thought much about his actions at that moment, but they were more for his own defence anyway, and now they should be thinking about another delirious riddle... But something prevented him from saying it. That something was Zhou's lips, which in some unfathomable way ended up close to his.

- I'm sorry, I-" Chang said, pulling back.

But Harry didn't let her finish her excuse. He took the initiative and reached for Zhou's lips himself. He was overwhelmed by a wave of feelings, emotions that, as in his childhood, overcame reason and took control of Potter's actions. Harry himself didn't notice that her hand was squeezing his arm, but he didn't feel any negative feelings from it. It was just him, Zhou Chang and their feelings... Well, there was also the door to the Ravenclaw sitting room waiting for the answer to the riddle, but that's another story!

* * *

It was dawn... When Harry returned to the Hufflepuff sitting room, some kind of spell had gone off, a gong sounded, Ernie Macmillan stirred, and Justin Finch-Fletchley woke up.

- I was hoping you'd be back a little before morning," he muttered angrily. - Here's a wall, hit it, or your face is too happy! We're one step away from the championship again, and you're smiling like that! Well, you can take it easy, we have Potions in a couple of hours, I'll see how you try to get some sleep under Snape's supervision.

Harry didn't say anything back, his mind was on far more important things than some evil Snape and useless potions. He went to bed, not even knowing that he wouldn't get to any Potions class, that Dumbledore would come for him in the morning and they would go to Sirius Black's trial at the Ministry of Magic. This trial would not be limited to that. Harry will first appear as a witness for Sirius Black's defence, then as a victim and witness for the prosecution already Albus Dumbledore. Then he would be involved in the case regarding the transfer of custody, and then... But that whole whirlwind would begin tomorrow. Tonight, though, he fell asleep in a happy frame of mind, not thinking of any trouble.