v

05

W I N G A R D I U M L E V I O S A

( wing - GAR - de - um leh - vee - OH - sa)

" to levitate "

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WHEN FRIDAY ROLLED around, word had spread about Lyra's DADA antics and her mystery uncle had finally been named - Severus Snape. The never-ending questions Lyra got asked started to get on her nerves. However, a certain tradition on the first Friday back was the only think keeping Lyra sane.

The Midnight House Pride Quidditch Match.

The first Friday of the school year, a group from each house sneak onto the Quidditch Field to play a friendly game. Lyra and Luna usually cheered from the sidelines, although they took it one step further. The two would fly around the edge of the field to cheer on their friends.

Her uncle had told her over the summer that every teacher knew this went on. They never disrupted it due to Dumbledore's orders - the matches brought house unity and he didn't want that to stop. Besides, no student had ever ended up with a late trip to the hospital wing, either.

The games mostly consisted of male quidditch players from each house, along with five girls: Lyra, Luna, Ginny, Hermione and Cho. Hermione refused to fly with Luna and Lyra - Luna usually gave in and sat with Hermione in the stands.

Lyra waited patiently for Cedric in the Hufflepuff Common room. It was usually just the two of them as the other Hufflepuffs preferred their sleep over sneaking out after curfew.

Cedric arrived in his very own Hufflepuff jumper and black drawstring bottoms. The professors all knew the children would be sneaking out at this time, and opted to turn a blind eye (although, they did ask Hagrid to keep a close eye on them.)

"Ready?" Lyra whispered, skipping towards the portrait hole. Cedric nodded profusely and followed after her.

They slipped through the corridors unnoticed, which was a miracle since they both donned yellow jumpers. The pair let out hushed giggles, the clouds of their frozen breath mingled into one.

The distinguishable sound of shoes echoed through the first floor corridor. The footsteps were too heavy to be a students, or even a female professor.

"Who's that?" Lyra susurrated, her answer came when an unmistakable 'meow' come from around the corner. "Go! Go! Cedric, run!"

Cedric slipped his hand into Lyra's, interlaced their fingers. He nodded slightly and sprinted on the stone floor, the soles of their shoes told Flitch exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Stop!" Fitch shouted from behind them, but it was no use, he couldn't keep up to them.

As Cedric and Lyra rounded a corner, both heaved and Lyra gasped for breath. Theolder boy chortled at his friend before taking off again. Lyra let out a squeal as he dragged her along the final corridor.

Everyone waited for Cedric and Lyra to arrive, they were already seven minutes late - Oliver Wood had kept count.

"Honestly." Wood exasperated, "Why can't we just start without them?"

Fred and George were the first to reply. "You want to play without Pretty Boy Diggory?"

"And Sunshine, she cheers for everyone!"

As thought the two Hufflepuff heard the conversation, Lyra and Cedric barrelled onto the pitch. The former doubled over and tested her hands on her knees and attempted to catch her breath.

"Here! We're -." Lyra coughed and huffed, "Merlin, I'm unfit."

Cackles erupted from the large group. Blaise wrapped an arm around Lyra and she lent into him for comfort. Fred winked dramatically.

"Very well then." Hermione started. "Hufflepuff and Slytherin against Gryffindor and Ravenclaw."

Lyra looked at the teams and laughed along with Ginny. "So it's Gryffindor and Cho against Slytherin and Diggory? Brilliant." Ginny chuckled.

Luna and Hermione set off to sit in the Ravenclaw stand, Lyra hovered on her Nimbus 2000 Cedric had passed onto her. Her housemate caught her eye and sent her a wink and a small wave.

"Alright Pyjama witches and wizards." Lyra shouted, getting a few chuckles, "Play nice, this is a friendly game. Rules apply. And - go!"

Boys and a few girls in red shot across the pitch. Most of the Slytherins were clad in green or black. The only thing the match was missing was the shouting voice of Lee Jordan over the tannoy.

Lyra hovered on the side lines and occasionally watched as Hermione and Luna kept score. Lyra cheered whenever anyone scored, currently, Slytherin were winning.

Harry spotted the snitch seconds before Draco. The two zipped across the pitch, eventually they disappeared into the clouded sky. Lyra gazed to the stars with bated breath. Usually, stargazing was a relaxing pastime for Lyra. The wait for Draco and Harry to return was far from a relaxing sport.

By this point, Gryffindor had caught up to Slytherin - the scores now neck and neck. The snitch reappear from the opaque clouds. Draco emerged first, Harry a hairsbreadth behind.

Lyra had stopped observing the match, instead her eyes were fixed of the snitch, watching the two boys attempt to catch it.

A bludger was on track for Theodore Nott, the makeshift beater for the Slytherins. With a blind swing, Theo managed to sent the iron ball flying away - it's new track headed straight for Lyra.

Oliver Wood was the first to notice, then George and Fred. It became a surreal slow motion ten seconds. Everyone watched, rooted to their brooms, unable to move. Oliver shot a spell at the ball to slow it down, but the speed was still enough to cause damage.

"Lyra!" Blaise screamed.

The redhead turned her broom to face Blaise. The iron ball collided with her stomach, she toppled off her broom, heading straight for the hard ground.

"Wingardium leviosa!" A voice called.

Lyra was gently lifted to the ground by Draco Malfoy. She whimpered in pain, unable to catch her breath. A group of Gryffindors and Slytherins sprinted towards the castle to get the professors.

The garbled voices flowed into Lyra's ears, but she couldn't make out the jumbled words. She usually could somewhat see without her glasses, but all she could make out was the colours of her schoolmates hair.

Professor McGonagall arrived with a red, tartan dressing gown wrapped around her body. Professor Snape, Flitwick and Moody all arrived outside to see Lyra.

"Oh, poor child." Flitwick sighed, "We'll have to render her unconscious for movement."

Professor Snape dent most of the students away, letting Draco, Luna, Harry and George remain. Theo was the last to leave, beside himself with guilt.

"I'm sorry, dear." Snape muttered before placing the tip of his wand on her head, a glimpse of his black hair was the last thing Lyra saw.

"Get her to the hospital wing!" McGonagall shouted.

Students and teachers alike used the simple levitation charm to carry an unconscious Lyra through the school.

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It had been two days since Lyra took a bludger to the stomach. Her friends took it in turn to sit beside her. Hermione eventually drew up a rota for who could see her and when. After dinner in the Great Hall, it was Fred and George who sat at her side until Madame Pomfrey turfed the away.

The two discussed their recent pranks, they particularly enjoyed reciting how McGonagall punished Peeves for pranks he didn't pull.

When the night began to crawl into the sky, a face the twins didn't expect arrived in the hospital wing.

A barley put together Draco Malfoy sauntered into the room. Multiple presents balanced in his arms. The three greeted with an awkward air. Draco let the various sized present boxes fall onto the table beside Lyra. A note attached to each of them.

Draco scratched the back of his neck, his gazed locked on the floor. He fiddled with his hands and cleared his throat. "Will you tell me when she wakes up? She's my potions partner and Snape's breathing down my neck."

"You've got a crush, Malfoy." Fred announced with a snicker.

"We'll tell you when she's up and give you some alone time." George wiggled his eyebrows, when Draco flushed a soft pink and scowled, George just chuckled and called it a joke.

"Thanks, least annoying Weasleys." Draco smirked, taking one last glance at the sleep girl before he left.

"Sunshine and Slytherin Prince. Nice." George drawled comedically.

"She could do with a Slytherin." Fred laughed, "Someone to Slyther-in with her."