"We need a time out," said Roger, trying to signal to Martin and stop the bludger breaking Harry's nose at the same time.
Martin had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Harry, Paul and Roger dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad bludger.
"What's going on?" called Martin as the Ravenclaw team huddled together. "We're being flattened. Paul, Roger, where were you when that bludger stopped Cho scoring?"
"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other bludger from murdering Harry, Simon," said Roger angrily. "Someone's fixed it. It won't leave Harry alone. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. Someone's done something to it."
"But the bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then..." said Martin, anxiously.
Madam Hooch was walking toward them. "Listen," said Harry as she came nearer and nearer, "With you two flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."
"Don't be thick," said Paul. "It'll take your head off!"
Martin was looking from Harry to the two beaters.
"Simon, this is insane," said Eddie Carmichael angrily from the other side of the huddle. "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry."
"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" said Harry. "And we're not losing to Hufflepuff just because of a crazy bludger! Come on, Simon, tell them to leave me alone!" Madam Hooch had joined them.
"Ready to resume play?" she asked Martin.
Martin looked at the determined look on Harry's face.
"All right," he said. "Paul, Roger, you heard Harry. Leave him alone and let him deal with the bludger on his own."
The rain was falling more heavily now. On Madam Hooch's whistle, Harry kicked hard into the air and heard the telltale whoosh of the bludger behind him. Higher and higher he climbed. He looped and swooped, spiralled, zigzagged, and rolled. Slightly dizzy, he nevertheless kept his eyes wide open, rain was getting in his eyes and ran up his nostrils as he hung upside down, avoiding another fierce dive from the bludger. He could hear laughter from the crowd. He knew he must look very stupid, but the rogue bludger was heavy and couldn't change direction as quickly as he could. He began a kind of roller coaster ride around the edges of the stadium, squinting through the silver sheets of rain to the Ravenclaw goal posts, where a Hufflepuff chaser was trying to get past Carmichael.
A whistling in Harry's ear told him the bludger had just missed him again. He turned right over and sped in the opposite direction. "Training for the ballet, Potter?" yelled the chaser as Harry was forced to do a stupid kind of twirl in midair to dodge the cursed thing. He fled with the bludger trailing a few feet behind him; and then, glaring back at the bludger in hatred, he saw it - the Golden Snitch. It was hovering inches above the chaser's left ear and she, busy laughing at Harry, hadn't seen it. For an agonizing moment, Harry hung in midair, not daring to speed toward her in case she looked up and saw the snitch.
WHAM.
He had stayed still a second too long. The bludger had hit him at last, smashed into his arm just above his elbow. He felt his arm break. Dimly, dazed by the searing pain in his arm, he slid sideways on his rain-drenched broom, one knee still crooked over it, his right arm dangling useless at his side.
The bludger came pelting back for a second attack, this time zooming at his face. Harry swerved out of the way, one idea firmly lodged in his numb brain: get to the snitch.
Through a haze of rain and pain he dived for the shimmering girl's face below him, and saw her eyes widen with fear. She thought Harry was attacking her.
"What the..." she gasped, careening out of Harry's way.
Harry took his remaining hand off his broom and made a wild snatch; he felt his fingers close on the cold snitch but was now only gripping the broom with his legs, and there was a yell from the crowd below as he headed straight for the ground, trying hard not to pass out.
With a splattering thud he hit the mud and rolled off his broom. His arm was hanging at a very strange angle. Riddled with pain, he heard, as though from a distance, a good deal of whistling and shouting. He focused on the snitch clutched in his good hand and held it aloft.
"Aha," he said vaguely. "We win!" And fainted. He came around, rain falling on his face, still lying on the field, with someone leaning over him. He saw a glitter of teeth.
"Oh, no, not you," he moaned.
"Doesn't know what he's saying," said Lockhart loudly to the anxious crowd of Ravenclaw players pressing around them. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."
"No!" said Harry. "You're not a bloody trained healer!"
He tried to sit up, but the pain was terrible.
"Lie back, Harry," said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times..."
"No, I said!" said Harry through clenched teeth. "Get Madam Pomfrey!"
"She's coming, Professor," said a muddy Martin, who couldn't help grinning even though his Seeker was injured. "Great capture, Harry, really spectacular."
Through the thicket of legs around him, Harry spotted Roger Davies and Paul McCutcheon, wrestling the rogue bludger into a box. It was still putting up a terrific fight.
"Stand back," said Lockhart, who was rolling up his jade-green sleeves.
"No! Don't!" said Harry weakly, but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm.
Harry just managed to roll out of the way. "Arrgh!" he screamed, as he rolled over the injured arm.
"Naff off, you moron!" he screamed out. "Point that naffing wand at me again and I'll shove it up your arse!" "Ah," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, it appears the pain he's feeling is making him a little nonsensical. Best to leave it to Madam Pomfrey then. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing. Ah, it appears your friends are now here. Would you escort him? Madam Pomfrey will be able to - errr - tidy him up a bit."
As Harry was assisted to a standing position by a clearly puffed Neville pulling on his left arm, he felt a bit wobbly on his feet. Taking a deep breath he looked down at his right side. What he saw nearly made him pass out again.
It looked like he had two elbows. He tried to move his fingers but very little happened and the pain almost made him pass out again.
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