Chapter Ten

Retribution

Harry slept late the next morning, it was almost ten o'clock when he finally awoke. It took him a while to remember the events of the day before, and he did so with mixed emotions. He was happy that Gryffindor had won, but his triumph was tinged with regret that Babs had been hurt. As his friends had often commented, Harry had a keen sense of responsibility towards anyone close to him. Babs wasn't a close friend, not like Hermione or Bird or especially Ginny, but she was his team-mate and Harry didn't want her hurt. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, as it was Sunday there were no classes. He hurried down to the stairs, pausing outside the sixth year girls' dormitory. <Mare, are you up?>

<Of course,> replied Harry. <I'll be with you in a minute.>

True to his word, it was just over a minute later when Harry dropped into his usual seat beside Ginny, looking around he saw that most of the senior Gryffindors were present, the only ones missing were Babs, Jane and Neville.

“Good game Harry.” said Dean, through a mouthful of sausage as Harry helped himself to some breakfast.

“Yeah, it was.” said Harry dully, picking at a bowl of porridge.

Dean looked at him curiously. “We won, didn't we?”

Harry nodded, but didn't say anything else.

“What's wrong?” asked Ginny, worried.

“Babs got hurt, maybe even badly.” he replied.

“That's not your fault, mate,” said Ron from his place opposite Harry.

Harry shook his head, “I know. It just…”

“Takes some of the triumph away.” finished Hermione.

“That's right.”

“Well, a win's a win.” declared Dean, then he dug into his pocket, and took out a fistful of Galleons. “I really should stop taking bets on Gryffindor matches, I always lose money.” he lamented, staring at the gold. “There you are Harry. You put five Galleons on Gryffindor to win by more than 250 points at 6-1. That means I owe you thirty Galleons.” Harry accepted the money reluctantly, after some prodding from Ginny. “Has anyone seen Babs or Jane?”

Nobody had. “Have you checked the… you-know-what?” asked Ron.

“No,” Harry admitted, then he paused. “I didn't see Jane at the party either, did any of you?”

Again they all shook their heads. “I think Babs stayed in the Infirmary overnight, so Jane probably stayed there to be with her.” offered Roger.

“Probably,” said Harry. “Forget this, I won't be able to eat until I know if she's okay. Who's coming with me?”

“I will,” said Ginny, getting up and linked her arm in Harry's. “She's my team-mate too.”

“We will.” The cousins told him, standing also.

Roger also got to his feet. “I shall accompany you to ascertain the health of our fair comrade.”

The others stayed seated. “Ron, Hermione?”

They shook their heads. “Not really our place Harry,” Ron told him. “See you later?”

“Of course.”

The five Quidditch players got up and headed for the door. When they passed the part of the table were the fourth years were eating, Harry asked Eric and Sonja if they wanted to come up to the Infirmary, they both declined.

“I hate the Infirmary,” admitted Sonja. She pulled a face. “It reminds me too much of hospitals.”

Paul however, got up eagerly, saying goodbye to his second year friends as he did so.

It was a silent party that trooped up to the Infirmary. Harry knocked on the door. Madame Pomfrey opened it. “What do you want?”

“We were wondering how Babs is.” Harry told her.

Madame Pomfrey opened the door and allowed them to come in. She motioned them into a side room, where Neville was busy brewing up some soothing herbs into a drink. The year before, when some of the students had come down with a mysterious bug, it had been Neville who had figured out the herbs that were needed to cure them. Since then he had been doing some work in the Infirmary as part of his Advanced Herbology & Healing NEWT.

“Sit down,” The matron told them. Most of them did, though Peter stayed standing and Roger perched on a low chest. “Before you go in, I feel I should tell you that she is in a serious condition. She sustained several broken bones, both from when she was hit with the bat and during the fall, they have almost healed. However, when she was punched in the face, several bone fragments were pushed up into the skull, it didn't damage the brain but it was touch and go for a while there.”

“She's okay now though?”

“Not yet, but she will be. I had to ask Madame Harker to come down here and give her a dose of Devil's Blood.”

Harry was shocked. They had studied the Devil's Blood, which the Harkers carried in their veins, in Potions the week before. It was the only known antidote to a vampire's bite and a powerful, but rarely used, general restorative. “She can't be that bad surely?!”

“When she was struck in the stomach, her spleen was ruptured, she almost died. If we hadn't been able to give her the Devil's Blood she would have.” she paused for a moment to let that sink in. “However, she is over the worst now, you can go in to see her.” They got up and followed her into the main part of the Infirmary. “Only a few minutes mind. She's still delicate.”

As they expected, Jane was there, holding her friend's free hand, and talking quietly to her. She looked up as the others joined her. Roger went to stand at her side, his hand rested reassuringly on her own shoulder. “Hi Harry, guys. Sorry I missed the party, but I wanted to be with Babs.”

“That's okay Jane,” Harry assured her. “We understand.” The others nodded.

Babs opened her eyes. “Did we win?” she asked weakly.

Harry nodded. “340 to 10. A new Hogwarts record according to Ron.”

“Good.” Babs replied and turned her head to look at her friend. “You should get something to eat and some rest Jane.”

“But, I don't want to leave you…”

“I'll be fine. Come back and see me this afternoon.”

“Okay.” Jane let go of her friend's hand and laid it on the blanket. The team chatted for a while and then moved to leave.

“We'll get Goyle for that and Malfoy.” Harry told his injured Chaser.

“I know you will,” she murmured as they walked out the door.

As soon as they left the Infirmary, the gang began to try and think up ways to pay back the two Slytherins. Most of the initial ideas were too childish, too much like pranks. “Is there any point complaining to Professor Dumbledore or Professor Moody?” asked Jane, after a while.

Harry thought about it for a minute. “Maybe,” he decided. “We could try, but I want something else…” He snapped his fingers. “I've got it.” he turned to the cousins. “The house-elves like you guys don't they?”

“Oh yeah, even more than Dobby likes you.” agreed Tom. “They'll do anything for us.”

“I'm thinking that maybe they could not do something for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Slytherin common room is in the dungeons right?”

“I think so.”

“So it's cold?”

“Yes.”

“What if the house-elves assigned to take care of the fires were needed for… other duties?”

The half-merman grinned, “I like it.”

“Can you do it?”

“I'll try.”

“Good.” said Harry, <Phoenix?>

<Certainly. Would you like anyone else to be there?>

“I'm going up to Dumbledore's office to talk with him about the game, specifically Babs' injures. Who wants to come with me?”

“Peter and I could go and get onto the house-elves angle?” suggested Tom.

“Do it. Roger, Jane, Paul?”

“I would like to accompany you if I may?” replied Roger.

“Me too.” said Jane.

Paul shook his head. “I'll go and tell everyone she'll be okay.”

Harry nodded. “Let's go.” He strode off up a flight of steps and Roger and Jane hurried to catch up.

They proceeded silently for a while then he looked back over his shoulder at his team-mates, “Any ideas how we can get back at Goyle? Punishment and discomfort aren't going to mean much to him.”

Roger snorted. “It would be accurate to say that Goyle is a bully, correct?”

“Yes.”

“So he clearly understands pain?”

“Certainly,” said Harry. “What are you getting at?”

“Make him feel the pain he has inflicted on others.”

Harry looked shocked, “Roger! I don't want to almost kill him!” Jane didn't look so sure, but she nodded agreement anyway.

“I am not suggesting causing him permanent or even temporary physical damage Harry. On the contrary, I am merely suggesting that he feel the pain. Half-a-dozen precisely calculated precision strikes, should activate the proper nerve clusters to allow him to experience the pain without the danger of loss of health.”

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, “Can you do it?”

“Certainly, I thought that the sixth and seventh year Double Non-Magical Combat class on Tuesday would be the most auspicious time.”

“Good idea. We don't want to get into any real trouble over it.”

“We will not.”

A few minutes later, they arrived Dumbledore's office. “Sugar Quill.”

The gargoyle opened and the three students were able to ascend to Dumbledore's office. <Can we come in Phoenix?>

<Certainly Lion, we have been waiting for you.> Harry opened the door and motioned over Roger and Jane to enter, they did, then Harry came in and closed the door after them.

The headmaster's office had changed little since the last time Harry had been there, the photos of former headmasters still decorated the walls, the Sorting Hat lay on a shelf and Fawkes was sitting on his perch behind the door. The only thing that was missing was Gryffindor's silver sword, which was now locked up in Harry's own trunk back at Gryffindor Tower.

“Sit down,” Dumbledore told them. “I take it that it is not the result of the game, you object to, Harry?” he asked, perfectly seriously.

“Of course not,” replied Harry. “We won.”

“Then it would be the injuries to Miss Parrington?”

“Yes,” confirmed Harry. “I know Quidditch is a dangerous game... Merlin knows, I've gotten enough injuries myself over the years... but what Goyle did was out of order.”

“I see.” said Dumbledore, he turned to the Hogwarts nurse. “Poppy?”

“Miss Parrington could have been killed Professor,” the nurse replied. “If Mr Potter hadn't slowed her down she would have, and without Madame Harker's assistance she would have died anyway from a ruptured spleen. I can do a lot, but I don't think even St Mungo's best surgeons could have saved her without the Devil's Blood.”

“Xiomara?”

“I didn't realise it was that serious Headmaster,” Madame admitted. “Mr Potter is correct, Quidditch rules allow some physical contact but deliberately causing serious injury to an opposition player, except by contact with a Bludger, is illegal under the rules as outlined by the International Association of Quidditch. The question is, did he mean to hurt Miss Parrington?”

“He did.” said Harry with certainty, Jane nodded in agreement.

“Alastor, your thoughts?” asked Dumbledore

“I'm with Potter and Masters, Albus.” The scarred old wizard admitted. “Goyle's a thug, so is Crabbe. They like to hurt people, especially Gryffindors.”

“Poppy, do you believe it could have been an accident?”

“I don't see how, Albus.”

“In that case, I believe he should be removed from the team,” said Madame Hooch firmly.

“Done,” growled Moody. “He's already got a week of evening detentions and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement authorised a fine of 800 Galleons against him, this morning.”

“No hearing?”

“No, I was there, so were Orion and Sphinx. Richards didn't think a hearing would make much difference against the word of two well respected Ministry operatives and an ex-Auror.”

“Are you satisfied Harry?”

“Yes, Professor.” Dumbledore looked at Jane, she nodded. “Thank you.”

“Well then, if there is nothing more?” The three teens shook their heads. “You can go, I shall see you at lunch.”

They got up and walked out of the door. They all agreed to meet up at the 'team spot' at the Table for lunch and went off in separate directions.

Harry watched Jane long enough to be certain that she wasn't heading for the hospital wing and then headed down the stairs to the dungeons. He wanted to talk to Sirius.

----

It was Tuesday morning before Harry thought anymore about their revenge plot against Goyle and Malfoy. It was brought the forefront of his mind by something Malfoy said. “Those house-elves, can't they ever do anything right? The common room's been freezing since Sunday morning.”

Harry looked at his friends and gave the cousins an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Tom grinned. “Roger, are you ready?”

The stocky boy nodded. “Most assuredly.”

“Good.” said Harry, glancing down the table at the empty chairs usually filled by Babs and Jane. They quickly finished their breakfast and went back up to their rooms to get their weapons.

Harry paused for a minute, as he was about to unhook his sheathed long sword from its peg, then reached down, unlocked his truck and took out Gryffindor's sword. Smiling to himself, he walked back out into the corridor just in time to meet Hermione as she was coming out of her own room. “How're things going 'Mione?” he asked her as they walked down the stairs. “I haven't had much chance to talk to you for the last few weeks, we've been so busy.”

“Don't worry about it Harry,” Hermione told him. “I've been very busy too. I like Sirius much better as a Potions teacher than Professor Snape.” she admitted after a moment.

“Me too, although I must say sometimes Snape's tamer potions would be nice.” admitted Harry, thinking of the mayhem that had been caused the lesson before, Lavender had put too many drops of salamander blood in her Exploding Solution and the resulting explosion had wrecked half the room.

“You have a point.” Hermione admitted, and smiled slightly as she recalled the incident.

By the time they reached the Common Room they had been joined by most of the rest of their group, and the other seventh and sixth years though they hung back. The only seventh year that was missing was Neville. Professor McGonagall had decided that it was pointless trying to teach him the fighting arts and had assigned him extra classes with Madame Pomfrey during that period. Privately, Harry agreed with McGonagall, but he had never told Neville that.

When they reached the Great Hall, Malfoy and his gang were standing by the open doors. “Well if it isn't the Mudbloods Appreciation Society. Found any good pigsties lately Granger?”

Hermione and Ginny were just about able to hold back Ron as he lunged for Malfoy. Harry scowled at the blond-haired Slytherin. “That's enough Malfoy.”

“What are you going to do Potter? Curse me?”

“Don't tempt me.”

Malfoy pulled out his wand. “He's coming you know Potter, you and your friends will be the first to die.”

“Put away the wand Malfoy, before I take it from you.”

“Mud-bloods and Muggle-lovers first!” laughed Malfoy.

Harry could feel the angry boiling up inside him. “Shut. Up. Malfoy.”

Malfoy pointed his wand at Harry, “Stupefy!”

Harry ducked and the curse missed him, Harry thrust his leg out under Malfoy and he fell to the ground, his wand flew out of his hand and rolled away. Crabbe picked it up. “No magic in the corridors Malfoy,” said Harry sternly. “Ten points from Slytherin.” Crabbe and Goyle moved forward as if they wanted to object, but Ginny and Hermione had let go of Ron, and Roger and the cousins had moved to stand beside Harry, so the two Slytherins merely scowled at the Gryffindors and backed off, leaving Pansy to help Malfoy to his feet. “This isn't over Potter.”

“Don't waste my time Malfoy,” growled Harry, his eyes flashed angrily and his lips curled into a snarl. Startled Malfoy hurried into the Hall, Crabbe, Goyle and the other Slytherins followed him quickly.

<Careful Lion,> said Ginny, putting her arm on his to try and calm him down. <Don't let Leo's temper get the better of you.>

Harry nodded, breathing deeply for a few seconds to steady himself, Sirius had warned him that his Animagus' emotions might sometimes come through. <I'll be fine. Let's go in.> He opened the doors and they followed him in.

“Greetings class,” said Evelyn, she was standing on the podium where the Staff Table was normally. “We'll be doing hand-to-hand combat today. Just for a bit of variety, I thought we might do team fighting in groups of three. I have already decided on the teams.” she announced, forestalling the obvious question. “The first match will be Malfoy, Goyle and Blade, against Potter, Falco and Monk.”

Harry began to stretch his muscles in preparation for the fight.

“Any rules?” said Malfoy.

“No breaking bones. Bruise only.”

Harry turned to his two partners. “Roger, you'll take Goyle?”

“Naturally.”

“Bird, can you handle Blade?”

She thought more a minute, “I think so. He's strong and fairly big, but he doesn't practice much and I'm faster.”

“Malfoy's mine then.”

“Ready?” asked Evelyn.

All six students nodded. “Good luck Harry,” said Ginny.

“I'll be fine.” he told her and turned to face Malfoy.

“Begin!”

Before any of the Slytherins could move, Peter crouched down and then sprung into the air. She did a double aerial somersault and landed on Goyle's shoulders. Surprised, he tried to shake her off.

Then Roger punched him in the stomach, causing him to wobble and then fall backwards, as Peter leaped off his shoulders and towards Blade. She flipped in mid-air and dropkicked him in the mid-section. He staggered and swung his fist at her head, she ducked and punched him twice in the stomach.

Meanwhile Harry was occupied tackling Malfoy, Harry was in better shape and was probably the more skilled fighter, but Malfoy fought dirty. Harry dodged to the side as Malfoy tried to kick him between the legs, and then thrust at Malfoy, clipping his ear with his fist, causing him to swing around. Then stepping back to balance himself he kicked at Malfoy, catching him in the stomach.

The best defence is a good offense, he remembered from Evelyn's first lessons, Moody's too know he thought about it. Malfoy leaped at him. Unfazed, Harry waited until Malfoy was almost on him and then crouched down, catching Malfoy's chest across his back. He pushing up strongly with his legs, and he threw Malfoy into the air, slamming him into one of the walls of the hall and knocking him unconscious. Harry rose looked around at his two partners. As he watched, Peter laid out Blade with a perfectly executed crane-kick, then both Gryffindors looked over at Roger and Goyle.

Goyle was looking decided worse for wear, his nose was oozing blood and he had a big bruise on his left cheek. He was clutching his side as he lunged at Roger with his other arm, and one of his feet was draggling along the floor. Roger on the other hand seemed to be enjoying himself. He leaped high into the air to avoid Goyle's swing, then he grabbed Goyle's outstretched arm and flipped in mid air, twisted behind his back. “Pain is not so much fun when you're at the receiving end is it Goyle?” he observed, he pinched one of the large muscles in Goyle's arm. The big bully moaned in pain. “That's for Babs.” Shifting his weight, Roger pulled Goyle around, swinging him a couple of times then releasing him, Goyle fell to the ground, he didn't get up.

“Retribution found.” stated Roger, looking down at the fallen Slytherin.

The other Gryffindor 'teams' did reasonably well: Hermione, Parvati and Seamus faced Millicent Bulstrode, Konrad Heidler and another sixth year boy, Parvati lost but Hermione and Seamus managed to pick up the slack; Ginny, Ron and Tom defeated Crabbe, Pansy Parkinson and Mark Grantham; and Richard Naga and two of Pansy Parkinson's gang defeated Lavender, Dean and the one of other sixth year girls.

At the end of the lesson, the Gryffindors waited, nursed various bruises, while Evelyn fixed up Lavender, who despite her instructions, had been given a broken arm by Naga. “Everyone is dismissed,” she told them, once she was finished. “Go get showered before your next lesson.”

They hurried off to obey.

Ch.11 Halloween