Catch The Snitch

Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005

It was the day after a huge swath of the Forbidden Forest had burned to the ground, including most of the path to Hogsmeade. Many creatures had perished, and many had been displaced. Rumors were flying as to the cause of the fire, and details were hard to come by, though from what she'd heard, somehow all of Hogwarts' hippogriffs, unicorns, and thestrals had been safely evacuated from the paddocks by the new CoMC professor, an auror, and that kind-hearted, quarter-giant Hufflepuff girl.

As usual, Quinn was up at the crack of dawn to practice her broom-flying. The weather had long since turned cold, so she was dressed appropriately, complete with her favorite knit fingerless gloves, but the temperature didn't dissuade her from flying barefoot as she preferred to be; she merely applied a warming charm to each leg before setting out.

Normally, she'd fly laps around the castle ramparts, or between the Quidditch pitch and the Owlery, or spiral around the length of the rickety wooden bridge spanning the gorge (flying over and under and over and under...), but today she wanted to get a closer look at what was left of the forest. Some Aurors were scattered around the grounds already, but they were well aware of Quinn's daily routine, and likely wouldn't pay much attention to her if she were to deviate from her common flight paths.

There was a thick fog--correction, smog--which she hoped would minimize the chance of her being spotted out of bounds, but it prevented her from seeing the full scope of the devastation from afar. It wasn't until she drew near the edge of the forest that she could make out the individual dead trees. The air was still acrid with the smell of ash and burning. Some trees were still smouldering.

When she spotted the carcass of a fawn that had become entangled in some bramble, she could no longer hold back her tears. The forest was such a huge part of the Hogwarts experience, and she knew it would never be the same...

Nixa had heard about the fire in the forest but she had been so caught up in an argument with her parents about Christmas that she hadn't know details or how bad it was. Now she was stressed to the point where she needed to blow off some steam. She thought that she could go for a run, maybe rub by the forest and see how bad it was. She pulled her blond hair back into a ponytail and slipped into her running gear. The stress of her parents telling her that she would be spending Christmas alone again because her parents were going to a party and would be away for Christmas.

It not only hurt Nixa to know that they would rather go to a party than see their own daughter, it made her extremely angry. No loyalty, not a care for their daughter. She shook her head and grabbed her jacket before heading outside.

Once out on the grounds she took off like a shot and headed around the grounds, down the hills and towards the forest. She could already smell the strangling stench of ash and smoke. Her heart started beating faster and her muscles tightened. Which wasn't good for her running. As she rounded the lake she saw the smoldering trees, the dark ash and the horrors for those who lived there.

A choke caught in her throat and tears stung her eyes and she watched the smoke still billowing from the tragedy. She was so focused on the fear and pain that illuminated from the forest that she didn't see what was coming up. Her foot caught the edge of a root and it twisted her ankle at an awkward angle. The fall had her tumbling downward toward the forest. She let out a yelp as she rolled a little further. Her eyes were still on the forest though and not on the excruciating pain in her ankle. She bit into her lip and shook her head as she took it all in.

Her own pain she could deal with, but this was so much more than that. Tears started to stream down her face and as hard as she tried she couldn't rip her eyes away from the horrific sight. Her ankle was also twisted and at an angle that meant it was surely broken.

As Quinn wiped her tears away with her sleeve, a faint yelp broke the pervasive silence. Alarmed, she turned her broom around and darted off in the direction of the sound, flying low. Not long after, she spotted a girl on the ground at the base of a hill near the edge of the forest.

She veered toward the girl. When she drew close, she winced at the sight of the foot twisted at an unnatural angle. "Ouch!", she uttered reflexively.

Quinn hopped off her broom and got down on her knees beside the girl, who she now recognized as one of her counterparts on the Slytherin Quidditch team. "Swan, your ankle--it's surely broken. Are you OK otherwise? I can find an auror to summon the school nurse, or I can fashion a splint for you--I know muggle first-aid--and I can give you a ride to the hospital wing. Whatever you want." She paused for a moment as she took a closer look without touching the leg. "I imagine that hurts like hell..."

"Do you want help sitting up?, she asked as she extended a hand. "Try not to move your leg if you can avoid it."

Despite not really knowing the Slytherin, she was offering to help just the same as she would anyone else.

Nixa didn't even notice the girl come to her at first. She was too focused on the site in front of her. It was devastating, to see The forbidden Forest in ash and ruin. Tears started to fall from her eyes as she looked on to the site.

It wasn't until she heard the girls speak that she looked up. Her eyes glassy with tears she turned her head towards the girl and shrugged her shoulders. At this point, Nixa had yet to feel the pain in her ankle. She hadn't noticed that she had broken her ankle because of the site that laid before her. But when the words out came from her rescue his mouth she turned to look at her ankle.

She shook her head at the girl and she looked at her ankle at an awkward angle. "Honestly I didn't even notice the pain. But no, I'm not okay otherwise. The forest it's...sad to see it in the state. I guess I never thought I'd see the day where the forest would be in Ash." She forced a small smile at Quinn. "now that I acknowledge it I can't really say that it feels wonderful to have a broken ankle. But I think I'll be okay if we just get to the hospital wing. I really appreciate your help I was so distracted by the smoldering ash from the forest that I didn't even see whatever I tripped over. Could have been my own two feet to be honest."

She smiled a Quinn taking her hand and slowly starting to sit up. Small Rush of pain shot down her leg through her ankle and she went a little. "Okay, that hurts just a bit." she had to tear her eyes away from the forest again and she looked at the girl in front of her. If she was being honest with herself a ride back to the school to the hospital and wouldn't be a bad idea she wasn't sure she could walk. And hobbling on one foot when she was far from the school probably wasn't the best idea.

"The splint and a ride back to school sounds like a great idea. Thank you for stopping to help I probably would have been in a lot of pain trying to get back to the school without help." She looked down at her ankle again and frowned. Clumsy....normally she would be embarrassed but she didn't know this girl well. Even so, it wasn't without anxiety.

Since Nixa commented about it, Quinn turned her head to take in their bleak surroundings. "Yeah, it's a tremendous loss. It'll probably be decades before the forest can recover from this...unless maybe Professor Fah can figure something out to jumpstart the process?"

"Making it back on your own would've been a real slog," she agreed. "I couldn't just leave someone who was hurt to fend for themself."

"All right, I'm going to find something suitable to make a splint, I'll be right back," she announced as she stood up. After a few minutes of searching, she returned with a tree branch of appropriate size, with a sharp bend in it.

Once situated beside Nixa's foot, she untied the shoe and made the laces as loose as possible. Slowly and carefully, she slipped the shoe off, moving the foot as little as possible in the process. Then she placed her branch parallel to the lower leg and foot, with the bend next to the heel. After that, she reached up and unraveled her gold-and-maroon Gryffindor scarf, and proceeded to wrap it tightly around the branch, and Nixa's foot and lower leg, finally tying the two ends together. "This is about as good as I can make it with what I've got to work with," she said. She reached for her broom, and tied the loose shoe to its handle using its own laces.

Finally, she stood up once more, and offered both hands to pull Nixa up. "Let me help you up, and once you're balanced on one leg, I'll turn around and you can use my shoulders for balance," she advised. "Then I'll float my broom to my hand and slip it beneath us."

Nixa couldn't bring herself to smile, not genuinely anyway. The forest was in bleak condition and there was nothing they could do about it. "You think Professor Fah could do that?" A glimmer of hope sparked int Nixa's eyes as she looked up at the older student. She knew her face, but how? Quidditch, yes but there was another way but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She nodded in agreement. Quinn! Her name was Quinn and she played flute in the orchestra with Nixa! She remembered now and as she looked at the girl, she saw the kindness in her eyes. "Well, I appreciate the help, Quinn."

Nixa adjusted her body slightly and nodded. "Okay, I'll be right here." A sad attempt at a little joke to try and lighten the mood just about. If not for Quinn's benefit then for her own. She watched as the other girl looked for something to support her ankle. In all honesty, Nixa was starting to feel the embarrassment that she should have felt right away. Now that the forest had been addressed, she was starting to see what a dumb mistake she had made.

Nixa watched as the other girl splinted her ankle, working quickly with confidence. "Where did you learn to do all this?" She tilted her head when the Quinn finished and tied her shoe to ber broom. She offered a small smile and grabbed the girls hand pulling herself to her feet. A sharp pain spread through her ankle and she winced trying to keep the pain out of her face. It was humiliating.

She kept her broken ankle up and pivoted on her good foot using Quinn's shoulders for stability. "You just think I'm a complete Klutz. Who breaks their ankle running?" She frowned but still tried to keep the pain and embarrassment out of her features.

"I'm not sure, but if Professor Fah can't do something, I don't know who could," Quinn replied. "Our professors are experts in their respective fields. For all I know, there could be some obscure spell to promote plant growth over a large area, that she might be familiar with. Either that, or a pagan ritual or something."

"I'm muggleborn," she went on to explain. "There's an activity programme called the Girl Guides that I was involved in before I came to Hogwarts. They teach you all sorts of things, including survival skills and what you can do in emergencies, like when someone is injured and there's nobody around to help. When you're in the woods, you're kindof limited to primitive technology, but oftentimes, it works."

"Nah, it's easy to hurt yourself when you're distracted while doing something physical," she countered. "All of the forest near the castle is gone, it's really depressing to see it in such a state, and so suddenly."

Quinn passed the broom between their legs and set it hovering. "All set?", she asked before kicking off the ground gently and steering them toward the castle. "I forgot how sluggish it is to turn when you're riding a broom tandem," she commented as they made a large-radius turn. "I'm so used to making sharp turns when playing Quidditch..."

Nixa nodded at Quinn and offered a smile. "I really hope there is something they can do. It would be a real shame to see the forest just ash and ruin for the next few years." She tilted her head when she said Pagan ritual. A smile crossed her face once more but she didn't say anything on the matter. "There has to be something like you said. A spell or even a potion that could jumpstart it." She thought it was just heartbreaking that in the meantime the animals were displaced and all of that growth was just...burned away.

"That is absolutely incredible. I mean, I guess we aren't always going to have magic to help us huh?" She nodded in approval as she spoke of what she did before Hogwarts. Nixa was unaware that such programs existed. "I just didn't know that things like that were out there." She smiled. It was impressive what one could learn from another if they were only open to it and didn't prejudge them before even getting to know them.

Well, at least the girl didn't think she was a complete klutz. "I'm glad you think so. I just can't believe I fell hard enough, or in this case, awkward enough to break my dang ankle." She let out a sigh and looked back at the forest one last time. "Yes, extremely. I mean, I had heard there was fire, I just didn't know how bad it truly was."

"All set." She nodded as the broom went between their legs and lifted Nixa slightly off the ground. "Sorry, my fat tushy back here is weighing you down. But I really want you to know that I appreciate it so much." She smiled when she mentioned Quidditch. "I've seen you play, you're pretty darn good. Not as good as me of course." She laughed to let the girl know she was only joking. She wasn't sure who would win in a match against just the two of them.

"I'm sure there's something, I just don't know what. I can't believe wizardkind hasn't had to deal with something like this before and worked out something to at least help to restore things."

Quinn smiled. "Muggles have lived without magic since the dawn of man, so of course they've figured out how to do things with what they had to work with," she replied. "Honestly, this is pretty basic stuff, but muggles have advanced science and technology to a degree that would shock most wizards who've spent their entire lives dismissing muggles as being primitive." She herself thought wizards were primitive in many ways, but didn't say as much for fear of insulting Nixa.

"I've hurt myself a number of times, so I can sympathize," she reassured her. "I've broken both my left arm and right leg, on separate occassions. Sports injuries--playing footie*."


"Hmmm. I guess we'll see the next time our teams are playing against each other. Honestly, I think I enjoy the tricky flying and high-speed maneuvers and the attention more than the game itself," she realized. "And the comraderie that comes from playing together."

They were flying at an incline now, heading up the hill to the castle. Quinn was doing her best to keep the broom stable with her passenger.

* soccer

She had to agree with Quinn. There was no way that the wizarding world hadn't dealt with something like this before. There had to be a way to bring it back without waiting years for it all to come back. "You're right. There has to be something that can be done about it." It made her feel a little better about it, but the fact that the animals and creatures that lived there would be displaced until then, made her heart break a little.

She laughed a little, understanding muggle things was interesting. Of course, they would have a way to mend bones and tend to injuries that wouldn't take magic. "I guess that makes sense. We use magic in our everyday lives, whereas, muggles don't have that. So, to think that they have their own advancements would just make sense. Do they have...potions like we do? I don't know, to deal with illness and injury?" It was all fascinating and it wasn't something her family would ever talk about. Why would they, they barely even acknowledge that they have a daughter. Speaking to her about anything except what party they were attending next would be absurd.

"Oh...Well I'm sorry you've had to go through that. Not to be rude, but did you use magic in that case or the muggle ways of healing? I just...I find it so interesting that they have things smiliar and different to our ways. Could you...tell me more?" She was honestly curious as to how the muggles did things. She never really thought about it much until now. She had grown up in a high class wizarding family so the facts of muggles never really came up. "Also...whats footie?"

"I can't wait to see how we play against each other. I'm sure it will be a challenge and I am always up for a good challenge." She grinned and nodded in agreement, even though Quinn couldn't see her. "Yes, I enjoy the skill it takes, and my teammates. Makes you feel good that the team needs you."

"Muggles don't have potions exactly, but they do have medications, that can come in either liquid or pill form. They can either relieve symptoms, or sometimes cure an illness completely. But the more powerful medications always have side-effects you have to watch out for, and not everybody responds to the same medication in the same way. What works for one person might not work for another. Some people even have allergic reactions to some medications. The strong medications have to be approved by a doctor--that's a muggle healer--because they're not right for everyone, and they can be abused. I guess some potions can be abused too, though, but it's a lot easier to go to an apothecary on Diagon Alley and get anything you want," Quinn explained. "For something like your ankle, a muggle doctor would probably put in a cast or make you wear a 'walking boot' to restrict the ankle's movement for a while, and maybe give you a mild painkiller."

"Footie, or football, or I suppose soccer in the United States because they have a completely different game called football, is a game where two teams each try to kick a ball into goals on opposite ends of a field. It's kindof like Quidditch, but without brooms, and only one ball, and you're not allowed to use your hands," she said. "It's wildly popular. There's even a world cup."

They landed in the courtyard adjacent to the hospital wing. "They keep giving me detention for flying my broom in the corridors, so I suppose we should walk in. You can lean on me for support," she offered.

She listened as Quinn spoke of muggle cures and doctors. She was fascinated by it all, then again, why wouldn't muggles have ways to help their sick. "That all sounds incredible. I never would have thought that there would be so much that is different between muggles and magical communities. Different types of ways to help...It's just...I'm amazing I suppose." She shrugged at the thought of how she would have been helped in the muggle world. "That sounds like a long process. I'm hoping it's not that long here, or I won't be able to play quiddtich." That thought scared the heck out of her.

"Without brooms?! So what, they play on foot?" Which would make sense, since it was called football. "I think I would like to see this game you speak of. It sounds rather interesting and if it's like Quidditch, I would probably enjoy it." A world cup..."A cup... Like quidditch then. That's incredible. How do you watch such things, are they like in person too? Where can we see one?"

When they landed her ankle gave a jolt of pain and she sucked air through her teeth and winced a bit. She quickly regained her composure though and nodded at her. "Flying through the corridors sounds like fun. Wish I had thought of that." She grinned at the other girl and hobbled onto one foot until Quinn stated she could lean on her for support. "Thanks I appreciate that very much. Still can't put a lot of pressure on it." She wrapped her arm around the other girls shoulder and leaned into her for support putting all her weight on her other leg. "Again, I do apologize for being such a bother." She said as they made their way toward the hospital wing.

"I expect the nurse will have your ankle fixed pretty quickly. As backwards as the magical world seems at times, at least magic works a lot faster than muggle doctors and medicine, and usually without side-effects."

Quinn let out a snort at the 'without brooms' bit. "Of course without brooms; muggles don't even know that flying brooms are a real thing. The people who run the events will broadcast the games so everyone can watch them on the tele, er, television. It's kindof like the Wizarding Wireless but with moving pictures and not just sound. They also record the event so they can re-play portions of it if something notable happens."

"It's no bother. Let me know if I'm walking too fast or too slow," Quinn said as she tried to walk at a comfortable pace for her injured friend.

She nodded in agreement to her comment. "I am grateful for that. I can't miss quidditch practice or anything. I need to be there and be able to play in the games. I'm not sure what I'd do if I couldn't play." She frowned at the thought of it. Quidditch was something she thoroughly enjoyed at Hogwarts and if she couldn't do it, she might as well be dead.

Nixa blushed a bit as Quinn snorted at her comment. She didn't know a lot about the Muggle world. She was sure is sounded silly but she really was ignorant to most of their practices and customs. "Really? Not a real thing, well that's a bit strange. It's so odd to find out how different we really are." Her eyes widened a bit as she spoke of moving pictures and what not. "Really? That sounds exciting! Although not as exciting as actually being there, I suppose."

A small smile played at Nixa's lips as she nodded to Quinn. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind. I think I'm alright for now." She walked with Quinn towards the Hosptial wing, and once they arrived she looked around. "Bit quiet isn't it?" She didn't often find herself in the clutches of the Hosptial wing, in fact it was really her first time here in five years of being here. "Never been here before, to be honest."

"Do you have any interests outside of Quidditch and being part of the orchestra?", Quinn asked. She could relate to Nixa's love of Quidditch, of course, though she had sufficient other interests that she felt she could accept not being able to play should the situation arise.

"Yeah, I've come to accept that non-muggleborns tend to think muggles are living a hundred years in the past, when in reality, they're about a hundred years ahead of wizards. And no, it's not quite the same as attending an event in-person, but then again, you do have the luxury of watching in the comfort of your own home, and not having to wait in line to use the loo," she elaborated.

"I think it's only quiet because it's still early on a Sunday morning. Most of our classmates are sleeping in or still at breakfast right now."

She helped Nixa to one of the empty cots.

"Really, you've never been here before? Wow, that must be a record for a Quidditch player," she teased. "Maybe your beaters are just that good at protecting you."

Her question caught her off guard but she smiled and nodded. "Of course, I also love to write. I journal and also write stories for fun. None of them are that good, at least in my opinion but it helps me deal with real life, you know?" It was the way that she coped with the real world and her world at home. Being neglected and ignored wasn't something that any child liked, but she had taken it to the extreme and almost ruined her own life by acting out in her pervious years at Hogwarts.

"Hm, you're probably right. There are things that we do that make me question our grip on the past." She let out a small laugh before shrugging. She didn't know a lot about muggles but she knew they had electricity and didn't use candles as a way to light their way as they did. "Ahhh, that does sound nice, but I think I'd rather get out of the house. Maybe attend a real game or a party. You know, dress up in your best and dance the night away?" She laughed but was serious, as she had watched her parents dress to the nines to go out for their fancy parties and she had always wanted to go as well but was never allowed.

"Oh, right. I guess I forgot how early it was. I haven't eaten breakfast yet. Have you?" She looked over at her new friend and perked a brow. She hoped she wasn't keeping her from eating or something else important. After taking a seat on one of the empty cots she looked up at Quinn and smiled. "Thanks."

"Yeah, never been here before. I guess I hadn't thought of it that way. Perhaps they are really good, or I'm just lucky." Or she was really good at quidditch there was always that option. "I'm guessing you've been here a time or two?"

"Oh, you write? That's awesome! I write as well...mostly poetry and songs, articles for the Hogwarts Times, and the occasional short story. I sing and dance too. Frequently I find that something can be of intense interest one week, and of no importance the next. Maybe I'm just scatter-brained and unable to focus on any one thing for long."

"Oh, definitely, there's nothing quite like experiencing a live event for yourself. But if multiple things are happening at the same time, or in different or distant places, by watching on the tele you don't have to prioritize. It's convenient that way."

"No, I haven't had breakfast yet myself. I like to get my flying practice in before people wake up, that way I don't have witnesses if I make a mistake." She smirked. "But also it's fun to have free run of the grounds without having to worry about anyone's safety. Sometimes I manage to spot a certain wolf when I fly, I call him Ralph. As soon as he sees me, he leads me on a chase, and I always manage to lose him...I haven't figured out where his den is, yet. He never comes out when there are students around."

"Me? I'm what they call a 'frequent flyer' here, I'm practically on a first-name basis with the nurse. Mostly on account of the crazy flying stunts I attempt."

"You're a writer too?" She grinned really wide and couldn't keep the shine out of her eye. She hadn't met a lot of writers. Most people thought it was silly or a dead-end job, her mother and father didn't know it was something she wanted to do after graduating. They wouldn't have listened anyway. "Think I could...." She wondered if it would be rude to ask if she could read some of her writings. "Erm...I mean if you'd be okay with it, maybe we could exchange some of writing sometime?" She shook her head. "I don't think your scatter-brained. Maybe you just have a lot of interests and want to try new things."

"That makes a lot of sense. I guess, if you had do like, clean the house, or maybe cook dinner and wanted to watch the match then you could. Without having to be there and feel guilty about not doing your daily chores at home." She giggled a little and adjusted herself on the bed. Her ankle was aching but talking to Quinn took her mind off the pain.

"Ahh, I haven't eaten anything either. I usually eat after my morning run, but it's only a piece of fruit or some yogurt. I don't like to eat a lot after a run, mainly because it upsets my stomach." She frowned a bit when she mentioned others' safety. "Sorry 'bout that. I sort of ruined your flying session." She listened intently as she spoke of the wolf that she followed. "Sounds like you made a friend." She grinned. Her eyes scanned the room, wondering when she would be tended to. She also felt bad that Quinn hadn't yet eaten anything and was here with her in the hospital wing. "If you want...You could erm...go eat breakfast. Or maybe I could get them to bring us a bit of food?"

"An aspiring writer, at least," Quinn replied. "I'm not sure that what I produce is all that great. The school newspaper hasn't fired me yet though, so there's that. It would be fun to show each other what we've written though." She had to smile at Nixa's optimism that maybe Quinn was more curious than scatter-brained. "I hope you're right about that."

"Don't worry about it, helping others is its own reward. It's not like I'm hard-pressed to find time to practice or anything."

"I haven't thought of Ralph as a friend, but I suppose you're right. Sometimes he seems to have fun taunting me. One time I actually found him in the Ravenclaw stand of the Quidditch Pitch, he was watching me, but when I tried to get close, he disappeared into the underpinnings and I lost him."

"Hmm. I guess I am getting hungry. How about if I go grab breakfast for both of us and we eat here and continue this conversation?"

"Aspirations can lead to all sorts of opportunities, Quinn. Don't count yourself out." She smiled at her and nodded. "I would love to share our writings. We could even, maybe, give each other advice about how it could be better? I always find that a second mind helps in the writing process."

She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, if he's playing games with you, he obviously enjoys the chase. Can't say I know better word for it." She chuckled a bit at the game Ralph was playing. "Yes, it certainly sounds like a friend to me. Even if you never catch him, you know that he will always be there for a good chase."

She nodded. "That sounds lovely. Thank you again. My stomach is sort of rebelling at the moment." She smiled and looked up when the nurse walked over. "I'll be here...eagerly awaiting your return.

"I'd like that. I'm often hesitant to show my creative writing to other people, but it would be nice to get some honest feedback, and I'd be happy to reciprocate," Quinn said, apparently quite receptive to the idea.

"Heh. Maybe I'll write a story about Ralph. I could make up some silly explanation for why he's always hanging out around the castle, like maybe he's secretly one of the staff here or something, regularly surveying the grounds for possible dangers to the students."

"Cool, I'll pop down to the Great Hall and get back here as soon as I can," Quinn promised. She got up and disappeared through the giant double doors. She'd left her broom leaning against Nixa's bedside table. Closer inspection would reveal it to be an older Firebolt model, with its share of scrapes and scuffs and some repairs to the bristles. The handle was wrapped with some rainbow-colored paracord to make a softer grip, and the letters "QR" were carved into each side of the handle just past the paracord.

Fifteen minutes later, Quinn returned carrying a tray with two plates and two cups of juice. "Did the school nurse pop in while I was out?", she asked as she drew close to Nixa's cot.