The Lion and the Serpent (OP)
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The Lion and the Serpent is the nineteenth chapter of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Contents |
Protean
It becomes easier for Harry to live under Umbridge's suffocating regime after the formation of the D.A.. Instead of reading Wilbert Slinkhard's book in class, he dwells on the memories of the last meetings—Neville has Disarmed Hermione; Colin has learned the Impediment Jinx; Parvati managed to cast a good Reductor Curse on a table in the Room of Requirement...
It's almost impossible to have regular meetings, due to Quidditch practices (OP16). Hermione casts a charm on fake Galleons, which she had enchanted so that the numbers around the edge of the coins (normally a serial number referring to the goblin who minted the coin) reflected the time and date of the upcoming meeting. The coins' temperature increases when Harry changes the date in his coin—she's cast a Protean Charm so that all coins will mirror his.
Terry Boot voices his wonderment at the fact that Hermione can do a NEWT-level spell. He asks her why she's not in Ravenclaw, and she replies that the Sorting Hat did consider it, but eventually decided on Gryffindor.
Harry mentions that the Galleons system reminds him of the Death Eater's Dark Marks (GF33). She admits that that is where she had the idea; "but you'll notice I decided to engrave the date on bits of metal rather than on our members' skins."
Quidditch preparations
The first Quidditch match of the year—Gryffindor versus Slytherin—draws nearer, and the D.A. is put on hold. Angelina Johnson requires her team to practice almost daily. The fact that there wasn't any Quidditch at Hogwarts the previous year (GF15) heightens the interest of Hogwarts students on the outcome of this match.
Even the Heads of House support their teams as much as possible. McGonagall doesn't give any homework to the fifth-year Gryffindors on the week before the match. Looking at Harry and Ron, she says, "I've become accustomed to seeing the Quidditch Cup in my study, boys, and I really don't want to hand it over to Professor Snape, so use the extra time to practice, won't you?"
Snape is, of course, openly partisan. He ignores reports of Slytherins trying to hex members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team in the hallways; Keeper Miles Bletchley, for instance, hits Alicia Spinnet with a jinx that causes her eyebrow to grow so much that it covers her eyes and mouth—despite fourteen eye-witnesses from the library, Snape maintains that Alicia tried a Hair-thickening Charm on herself.
Ron has been working hard to improve his playing skills. His main problem is nervousness and the loss of confidence when he happens to fail once. Comments like Pansy Parkinson's "Hey, Potty, I heard Warrington's sworn to knock you off your broom on Saturday." roll off Harry after four years of taunting; Ron, on the other hand, grew nervous and angry when Draco Malfoy attempts to insult him.
Match
November starts and so does winter, forcing students to wear dragonskin gloves. The morning of the match dawns cold: Ron is as pale and sweaty as he did when he accidentally cast a Slug-vomiting Charm on himself (CS7). Harry convinces his best friend to accompany him to the Great Hall for breakfast.
They passed by the Slytherin table. In addition to the usual green and silver scarves and hats, all Slytherins are wearing a silver crown-shaped badge—they speed by the table before Harry can read what's written on them.
Ron is obviously very nervous; he regrets ever joining the Quidditch team. Hermione says his nervousness is a good sign ("I never feel you perform as well in exams if you're not a bit nervous.").
Luna Lovegood approaches the Gryffindor table, wearing a hat in the shape of a real lion's hat. "I'm supporting Gryffindor," she states the obvious, and touches the lion with her wand. It opens its mouth and roared very realistically. "I wanted to have it chewing up a serpent to represent Slytherin, you know, but there wasn't time. Anyway ... good luck, Ronald!"
Angelina, Katie and Alicia come to meet them in order to descend to the pitch. When the team starts to leave the Great Hall, Hermione pulls Harry aside, and whispers that he mustn't let Ron see the Slytherins' badges.
Hermione kisses Ron on the cheek and wishes him good luck. Harry catches a glimpse of the badges: "Weasley is our King" is engraved on them.
The team gets dressed (Ron puts his robes back-to-front for a while, until Alicia decided to help him). Angelina announces the Slytherin Beaters: Derrick and Bole, the previous Beaters, have left, and were replaced by Crabbe and Goyle.
The Gryffindor team mounts their brooms and fly to the open, where indistinct singing and cheering greets them. Their opponents—including Montague, the new Captain, and Draco, still the Seeker—are also wearing the silver badges. At Madam Hooch's orders, Angelina and Montague shake hands (he applies the most force that he can, but she does not wince).
The match
The balls are released, and the fourteen players fly up. Lee Jordan is commentating the match. It's increasingly harder for him to make himself heard above the Slytherins' chanting.
- Crabbe hits Angelina from behind with a Bludger;
- George has a Bludger hit Montague in the head;
- Bletchley saves a goal of Angelina's;
Meanwhile, the Slytherins cheerfully sing:
Weasley cannot save a thing, He cannot block a single ring, That's why Slytherins all sing: Weasley is our King. Weasley was born in a bin He always lets the Quaffle in Weasley will make sure we win Weasley is our King.
- Warrington approaches the goals; the Slytherins sing louder. Ron misses, and the Chaser scores;
- The Snitch is nowhere to be seen. Draco and Harry pass one another in the pitch, and Harry hears him singing along with his fellow Slytherins. When the Gryffindor speeds by the opposing team's goal, he hears Bletchley singing as well;
- Warrington passes the Quaffle to Pucey; it returns to Warrington; one of the twins beats a Bludger in his direction; Katie gets it; she drops it; Montague gets it;
- Pucey gets the Quaffle and scores.
Harry looks down and sees Pansy Parkinson conducting the Slytherins.
Ron allows two more goals. Harry starts panicking.
- Katie ducks the Slytherin Chasers and passes the Quaffle to Angelina, who scores.
- Goyle hits a Bludger in Katie's direction, and Pucey gets the Quaffle.
Harry sees the Snitch, near the ground at the Slytherin end of the pitch, and dives. Malfoy soon follows.
The Snitch flutters away from Harry, and closer to Draco. Despite that, the Gryffindor catches it. Just then, a Bludger from Crabbe hits Harry in the back, and he falls off his broom.
Draco approaches. "Saved Weasley's neck, haven't you? I've never seen a worse Keeper ... but then he was born in a bin ... did you like my lyrics, Potter?"
Harry looks away to the rest of the team; all but Ron are cheering.
"We wanted to write another couple of verses! But we couldn't find rhymes for fat and ugly — we wanted to talk about his mother, see... We couldn't fit in useless loser either — for his father, you know —"
Fred and George freeze, and turn around to look at Draco. Angelina immediately tries to prevent the upcoming disaster. Malfoy continues to taunt Harry and the Weasleys.
" — but you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter? Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasleys' hovel smells OK —"
Harry grabs George. The three Gryffindor Chasers hold Fred in place.
"Or perhaps you can remember what your mother's house stank like, and the Weasleys' pigsty reminds you of it —"
A moment later, both Harry and George and lunging towards Malfoy. Harry punches him repeatedly, as hard as he can, still holding the Snitch in his hand.
Educational Decree Number Twenty-Five
A whistle blows. Madam Hooch yells, "Impedimenta!" and orders Harry and Ron up to McGonagall's office. Minerva is livid; she points out that Draco had just lost—of course he would try to provoke them.
Suddenly, a familiar "Hem, hem" interrupts the lecture. Dolores Umbridge offers to help. "I thought you might be grateful for a little extra authority," she says. Minerva refuses.
McGonagall gives them a week's worth of detention. Umbridge interrupts her once more, voicing her opinion that the two boys deserve worse punishment than that.
"Unfortunately, it is what I think that counts, as they are in my House, Dolores."
"Well, actually, Minerva, I think you'll find that what I think does count. Now, where is it? Cornelius just sent it ... I mean," she laughs, "the Minister has just sent it ... ah, yes ... Educational Decree Number Twenty-five."
Umbridge notes that it was McGonagall herself who made her see the need for an amendment, when Minerva overrode her on the matter of the Gryffindor Quidditch team (OP18).
The new decree states that "the High Inquisitor will henceforth have supreme authority over all punishments, sanctions and removal of privileges pertaining to the students of Hogwarts, and the power to alter such punishments, sanctions and removals of privileges as my have been ordered by other staff members. Signed, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, Order of Merlin First Class, etc., etc."
Umbridge then decides to prevent Harry and George from playing Quidditch ever again. As a precaution, Fred will be banned as well; had his teammates not restrained him, he would have attacked Draco as well. Their broomsticks will be confiscated, and kept in Dolores' office.
Bad news
Angelina is terrified and lost: she has lost her Seeker and her two Beaters. It is a manifestly unfair punishment: Crabbe, who hit a Bludger after the match ended, got lines.
The Snitch Harry caught earlier on is zooming around the Gryffindor common room; Crookshanks is trying to get it.
The team goes to bed. Harry and Hermione are left alone by the fire, both remarking Ron's absence. At that moment, the Fat Lady swings forward, allowing him inside. He claims to have been walking outside in the snow, and apologises for thinking that he can play Quidditch. Ron promises that he will resign first thing in the morning.
Harry disagrees with the idea. Hermione tells Ron the full story, and the boy looks even guiltier.
"Look, drop it, will you!" Harry yells. "It's bad enough without you blaming yourself for everything!"
Ron miserably says, "This is the worst I've ever felt in my life."
"Join the club," Harry replies.
"Well, I can think of one thing that might cheer you up," Hermione says, smiling. "Hagrid's back."
Quotes
- On the other hand, Harry had seen Ron make some truly spectacular saves when he was on form; during one memorable practice he had hung one-handed from his broom and kicked the Quaffle so hard away from the goalhoop that it soared the length of the pitch and through the centre hoop at the other end; the rest of the team felt this save compared favourably with one made recently by Barry Ryan, the Irish International Keeper, against Poland's top Chaser, Ladislaw Zamojski. Even Fred had said that Ron might yet make him and George proud, and that they were seriously considering admitting he was related to them, something they assured him they had been trying to deny for four years.
- '"That was an accident." [Ron] whispered miserably. "I didn't mean to do it — I slipped off my broom when none of you were look¬ing and when I was trying to get back on I kicked the Quaffle by accident."
- "And it's Johnson — Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me —"
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