read my new story : American Fast & Furious NSFW
The encouragement in the library didn't stop the rain outside. On the contrary, the weather grew even more violent.
In the blink of an eye, the Gryffindor Quidditch match arrived.
"Visibility less than ten meters, ground muddy and slippery." Rove stood in the stands, wrapped in a thick raincoat. "This weather is perfect for an Orc ambush squad."
"Rove, can you sit down?" Justin Finch-Fletchley shouted beside him, trying to be heard over the wind. "You're blocking my view! Even though I can't see much anyway..."
"Stay vigilant, soldier." Rove didn't sit; instead, he leaned over the railing. "I have a bad feeling. I feel like someone has locked onto this location..."
Suddenly, Madam Hooch's whistle blew. Fourteen broomsticks shot into the grey sky like arrows from a bow.
The match began.
Almost simultaneously, a red warning box popped up on Rove's System interface.
> [Warning: High-Risk Projectile Detected]
> [Type: Enchanted Tracking Missile]
> [Target Lock: Ring-bearer]
"There!" Rove jerked his head toward a corner of the sky.
A black Bludger wasn't flying randomly around the pitch as usual but was diving straight for the back of Harry's head as if it had eyes.
"Harry! Six o'clock! Evasive maneuvers!" Rove shouted at the top of his lungs, but his voice was instantly drowned out by thunder.
Harry had clearly noticed something was wrong too. He banked sharply, barely dodging the lethal blow; the Bludger whistled past his ear. Before he could catch his breath, the Bludger braked hard in mid-air and charged back like a boomerang.
"That defies physics!" Hermione screamed from the stands. "Bludgers shouldn't move like that!"
"That's Dark Magic enchantment!" Rove yelled. "The Eye of Sauron is controlling it! Ordinary bats can't block it!"
For the next ten minutes, the entire audience witnessed a hunt.
The crazed Bludger completely ignored everyone else, even ignoring Malfoy who was close by, and doggedly pursued Harry. George and Fred tried their best to protect Harry, but the ball seemed tireless, its attacks more vicious each time.
"Timeout!" The whistle blew.
Just as Harry landed on the grass, a yellow-and-black figure rushed down from the stands.
"Resupply is here!"
Rove slide-tackled onto the field. Ignoring everyone's surprised looks, he pulled that extra-large cast-iron skillet from under his robes and shoved it into George Weasley's hands.
"Use this!" Rove roared. "Throw away that toothpick! Facing siege weapons, you need a shield!"
George stared blankly at the heavy pan in his hand. "Cool... but is this regulation?"
"This is war!" Rove pointed angrily at the sky. "The enemy is using guided weapons! We need heavy armor!"
"Mr. Baggins!" Madam Hooch flew over furiously. "What are you doing? Get off the pitch! And absolutely no using... kitchenware... as a bat!"
"That's a buckler!" Rove tried to argue but was held back by two Gryffindor players.
"Just go, Rove, don't worry." Harry panted heavily. "I can handle it. I'm catching that Snitch no matter what."
Rove looked at Harry's determined eyes (System showed [Ring-bearer Willpower Check: Critical Success]) and finally sighed.
"Alright, for the Shire." Rove took the pan back. "But if you die, I'll bury you on the sunniest hillside."
The match resumed.
An even wilder chase unfolded in the rain. Harry was like a storm petrel struggling in the tempest, and the Bludger was the Grim Reaper's scythe.
Finally, in a heart-stopping dive, Harry reached out.
CRACK!
The Bludger smashed viciously into Harry's arm. But he didn't let go; his left hand gripped the Snitch tightly as he plummeted to the ground like a kite with a cut string.
"Harry!"
Rove was the first to rush onto the field. When he arrived, Harry was lying in the mud, pale-faced, his right arm bent at an odd angle.
"Don't move! Don't move!" Rove knelt beside Harry, quickly checking the injury. "Comminuted fracture. We need splints... Hermione! Find two planks!"
"Move, move!"
A figure in bright blue robes pushed through. It was Gilderoy Lockhart.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this." Lockhart rolled up his sleeves confidently. "Just a minor injury. I've dealt with worse fractures in Ouagadougou; just a simple charm..."
"No!" Harry shouted in terror. "Don't let him..."
"Lie still, Harry." Lockhart didn't listen at all. He raised his wand and twirled it over the broken arm. "Brackium Emendo!"
A flash of pale purple light.
The swollen, bent arm didn't return to normal but instead went limp. Like a deflated rubber tube.
Dead silence fell over the field.
Colin Creevey even forgot to press the shutter.
Rove stared at the boneless arm, his eyes widening. In his System vision, this scene was marked as a terrifying Dark Magic ritual.
> [Warning: Biological Mutation Detected]
> [Judgment: Bone Dissolving Spell / Undead Transformation Ritual (Basic)]
> [Caster Intent: Deprive target of mobility, transform into Slime]
"You..." Rove's voice trembled.
"Ah, maybe a bit too much," Lockhart smiled awkwardly. "But look, no more pain, right? No bones, no pain..."
"You fallen wizard!"
Rove jumped up, drawing his wand and pointing it straight at Lockhart's nose.
"That was his arm! You made it disappear!" Rove roared, killing intent exploding from him. "You used a Dark Ritual on him! What did you want to turn him into? A Slime?!"
"Rove!" Hermione screamed, rushing up and hugging Rove's waist tightly. "Calm down! It was just a failed healing charm!"
"Failed? This is murder!" Rove struggled desperately, trying to rush forward and punch Lockhart. "I sentence you in the name of Gondor! You lackey of Saruman in human skin! You deprived a warrior of the right to swing a sword!"
Lockhart retreated in fear, nearly falling into a mud puddle. "Th-this is a misunderstanding! It's very educational..."
"I'll turn you into fertilizer!"
The scene was chaotic. Harry groaning in pain, Rove going berserk, and professors trying to maintain order.
Finally, Madam Pomfrey arrived. When she saw the arm that looked like a rubber glove, she let out a scream even angrier than Rove's.
"Are you trying to cripple the boy?!"