Chapter 5 – Shadows and Starlight
(Block 4)
The day of Harry's first Quidditch match dawned cold and bright. Frost clung to the grass, and the towers of the pitch gleamed under the low November sun. The excitement in Gryffindor Tower was electric, but under the surface, tension simmered.
"Potter's going to fall off his broom," Draco sneered in the Great Hall before breakfast. "He hasn't a chance against the Slytherin team."
The Slytherins laughed, but their confidence was brittle. They remembered Nyxios' gaze in the sky, the way their magic had sputtered uselessly when it fell upon them. Still, arrogance was armor, and they wore it loudly.
Harry, meanwhile, tried to keep his nerves under control. Ron clapped him on the back, muttering encouragements. Hermione, though usually detached from sport, wished him luck with genuine warmth.
But Percy, Artemis, and Athena were the ones Harry sought in the crowd. Percy gave him a simple nod from the stands, calm as a mountain. Artemis offered a faint smile, serene but strong. Athena met his gaze with sharp certainty, as though silently telling him to focus, to think, to win.
It steadied him more than anything else.
The Match Begins
The stands roared as the teams took their places. Madam Hooch's whistle cut the air, and fourteen players shot into the sky.
Harry soared upward, wind in his hair, the pitch blurring beneath him. He felt alive. For a moment, nerves vanished and only the joy of flight remained.
Percy's gaze tracked him from the stands. Artemis leaned slightly into his side, her eyes never leaving Harry. Athena scribbled notes on the flow of the game, murmuring sharp observations under her breath.
"He's adapting quickly," Athena said. "Natural instincts. But watch the Bludgers—they're too aggressive."
Percy's jaw tightened. "They've been tampered with."
Sabotage
It was subtle at first—one Bludger that seemed a little too determined. But soon, it became undeniable. The enchanted iron ball pursued Harry with unnatural persistence, ignoring the rest of the players. Wood shouted orders, Fred and George chased it down, but still it returned, hammering toward Harry with deadly precision.
Gasps rippled through the stands as the Bludger clipped Harry's broom, nearly knocking him off. He clung desperately, his Nimbus shuddering under the assault.
"Sabotage," Athena hissed.
Percy stood, his presence radiating calm authority, though his hands clenched at the railing. "Wait."
Artemis's silver eyes burned. "He's in danger."
"He has to face some of it," Percy said softly. "But not alone."
The air shifted, subtle but unmistakable.
Nyxios' Shadow
At first it was only a flicker in the sky, like a star passing before the sun. Then, slowly, a vast shadow unfurled above the pitch. Wings stretched wider than the towers. Starlight shimmered across feathers and scales.
Nyxios had come.
The Bludger shrieked as though alive, its magic unraveling in the beast's presence. It veered sharply away from Harry, clattering uselessly to the ground. Gasps echoed through the stadium, awe mixed with fear.
Harry steadied himself, blinking against the sudden brilliance. When he glanced up, Nyxios' eyes met his for a heartbeat. The message was clear: I am here. Fly.
And so he did.
The Golden Snitch
With the Bludger neutralized, Harry's focus sharpened. He spotted the glimmer of gold near the Slytherin goalposts and dove. Draco tried to block him, his green robes flashing, but Harry's broom answered to his determination. He leaned low, wind tearing at his robes, and stretched out his hand.
The Snitch beat its wings furiously, but Harry's fingers closed around it just as the crowd erupted.
"Potter has the Snitch!" Lee Jordan shouted over the din. "Gryffindor wins!"
The stands exploded in cheers. Gryffindors shouted themselves hoarse, stamping their feet and waving scarves. Even some Ravenclaws cheered, impressed despite themselves.
But among the Slytherins, silence and fury festered.
Envy and Awe
That night in the common rooms, the talk wasn't just of Harry's victory—it was of Nyxios.
"He saved Potter again!" Seamus exclaimed.
"Or Percy did," Dean muttered darkly. "He's the one pulling strings. Always him."
"Maybe that beast is bound to him," Lavender whispered, half in awe. "Like Fawkes to Dumbledore. But greater."
Ron's jealousy boiled over. "It's like Harry can't take a step without them hovering! Percy, Artemis, Athena—always there, always showing off. It's not fair."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry won the Snitch himself. Nyxios only stopped the Bludger from killing him. Or do you think near-death is better for the game?"
Ron flushed, but he said nothing.
In Slytherin, Draco fumed. "It's rigged. All of it. Potter's only winning because Jackson's pet monster clears the way for him. Just wait—I'll prove it."
But even his cronies were shaken, remembering the weight of Nyxios' gaze. None dared voice their doubts aloud.
Dumbledore's Reflection
In his office, Dumbledore sat in silence, Fawkes perched uneasily nearby. The phoenix crooned softly, but it was not the soothing note of old. It was a restless song, uncertain, diminished.
Dumbledore stared at the flames in the hearth. Harry Potter had caught the Snitch, yes. But the story that would spread was not Harry's triumph. It was Percy's presence. Percy's beast. Percy's mystery.
Events were slipping from his grasp.
And for the first time in decades, Albus Dumbledore felt powerless in his own school.
Nightfall
Later, after curfew, Percy returned to the hidden chamber. Artemis leaned against him, exhaustion softened by quiet affection. Athena rested on his other side, her sharpness tempered by rare calm.
"You let Nyxios show himself again," Artemis murmured.
"I didn't let him," Percy corrected gently. "He chose."
Athena tilted her head. "And the students will talk more than ever. You know what they see—a boy with two women at his side, and a beast greater than Dumbledore's phoenix. They'll resent it."
Percy sighed. "They can resent me all they want. As long as Harry has the chance to live."
Silence fell, warm and close. Artemis pressed a kiss to his shoulder. Athena's hand lingered in his. For a moment, there was no jealousy, no suspicion, no shadows—only the bond that tied them together.
Outside, Nyxios roosted silently on the Astronomy Tower, his eyes glowing faintly like twin stars, keeping watch over Hogwarts below.