The Saturday air was thick with heat and humidity, the kind that clung to your skin and made every breath feel heavy. The sky rumbled faintly with distant thunder, but the oppressive weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of the Hogwarts students. The Quidditch season had begun again, and the first match was the highly anticipated showdown between Gryffindor and Slytherin.
The stands were packed with students, their cheers and shouts rising above the occasional growl of thunder. Ron, seated next to David, suddenly shot up from his seat, his face alight with excitement. He peered through his binoculars, then grabbed David's shoulder, shaking it urgently.
"David, look! There's something wrong with the Bludger! It's been targeting Harry!"
David shifted his gaze from the players battling near the goalposts to Harry, who was darting through the air on his broomstick. Sure enough, the Bludger seemed to have a mind of its own, relentlessly pursuing Harry despite Fred's attempts to knock it away. Each time Fred sent it spinning off course, it would arc back through the air, homing in on Harry with unnerving precision.
Quidditch matches involving Harry were never uneventful, David thought wryly. He scanned the crowd with his binoculars, searching for any sign of someone casting a spell, but found nothing suspicious.
"David, what are we going to do?" Ron asked, his voice tinged with anxiety as Harry narrowly dodged another attack from the rogue Bludger.
The sky rumbled again, and rain began to fall, first in scattered drops, then in a steady downpour.
"Should we call a timeout?" Hermione suggested, her brow furrowed with concern.
"That's not our decision," David replied, his eyes still scanning the stands. He was determined to find whoever was behind this.
A few minutes later, a sharp whistle pierced the air, signaling a timeout. Ron jumped to his feet. "They called a timeout! But why is the Bludger still after Harry? This is blatant cheating! Madam Hooch should disqualify Slytherin!"
"Absolutely!" Neville chimed in, his usually mild demeanor replaced by uncharacteristic anger.
David glanced toward the center of the pitch, where the Gryffindor team had gathered to strategize. After a brief discussion, they mounted their brooms and returned to the air, clearly determined to continue the match.
"What are they doing?" Hermione asked, baffled.
"Wood must have said something to Harry earlier," David speculated. "He's not going to let Gryffindor lose because of this."
The game resumed, and the rain intensified, creating a shimmering curtain that obscured David's vision. He continued his search, determined to uncover the culprit.
Finally, he spotted something—a house-elf, dressed in a tattered pillowcase, standing under one of the stands. The elf was waving his hands frantically, his large eyes fixed on Harry.
"That's him," David muttered. "Stay here. I'll be back."
He moved quickly, weaving through the stands, but the slippery steps slowed him down. Suddenly, a collective gasp rose from the crowd. David looked up just in time to see the Bludger narrowly miss Harry, who wobbled precariously on his broomstick.
This was taking too long.
Without hesitation, David vaulted over the railing, dropping through the air. Several students screamed, reaching out to grab him, but he was already too far. As he fell, he pulled out his broomstick, slowing his descent just enough to land safely on the ground. He sprinted toward the spot where he had seen the house-elf.
"Stop!" David commanded, pointing his wand at the trembling creature.
The elf—Dobby—flinched but continued to mutter under his breath, his hands still moving as if casting a spell.
"Why are you trying to hurt Harry?" David demanded.
Dobby's eyes widened in horror. "No, no! Dobby would never hurt Harry Potter! Dobby is protecting Harry Potter!"
"Protecting him? By trying to knock him off his broom?" David retorted, his voice sharp.
Before Dobby could respond, a roar of applause erupted from the pitch. David turned to see Harry clutching the Golden Snitch, his teammates sprawled on the ground, battered but victorious.
"Is this your idea of protection?" David asked, gesturing toward the scene.
Dobby's ears drooped, and he began to mutter, "Dobby is protecting Harry Potter... Dobby is protecting Harry Potter..." He started banging his head against a nearby pillar, his small body trembling with distress.
David reached out to stop him, but Dobby snapped his fingers and vanished before David could grab him.
"Damn it," David muttered, turning back toward the pitch. He hurried to where Harry and the others were gathered, only to find Professor Lockhart attempting to "heal" Harry's broken arm with a poorly executed spell.
"Don't!" Harry protested, but Lockhart waved his wand, and a flash of light later, Harry's arm went limp.
"There you go, good as new!" Lockhart declared, oblivious to the horrified expressions around him.
David stepped forward, his wand glowing as he repaired the damage Lockhart had caused. "You should be more careful," he said, his tone laced with irritation.
"David, you can do healing spells too?" Ron asked, impressed.
Hermione, who had been fawning over Lockhart, looked momentarily conflicted before joining the group as they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room.
Once inside, David turned to Harry. "That house-elf—Dobby—he was the one controlling the Bludger. Do you know him?"
Harry nodded, his expression grim. "He came to my house over the summer. He warned me not to return to Hogwarts, said something dangerous was going to happen."
"The Chamber of Secrets," Hermione said immediately. "He must know about it."
David frowned. "If Dobby knows, then his master must be involved. Who does he belong to?"
Harry's eyes widened. "Malfoy. He belongs to the Malfoys."
Ron's face lit up. "So Malfoy's behind this!"
But David shook his head. "It's not that simple. Malfoy didn't open the Chamber, but his family might be connected. We need to talk to Dobby again."
Later that night, under the cover of darkness, Harry and David met Dobby in the Forbidden Forest. The house-elf was hesitant but eventually revealed that he had been trying to protect Harry by driving him away from Hogwarts, where a dark plot was unfolding.
David used his abilities to glimpse Dobby's memories, uncovering a conversation between Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. They had discussed a mysterious diary and a plan to unleash the monster within the Chamber of Secrets, with Harry as the primary target.
As Dobby disappeared into the night, David and Harry exchanged a determined look. The stakes were higher than ever, and they knew they had to act quickly to uncover the truth and protect Hogwarts.
The storm outside mirrored the turmoil within as they prepared to face the challenges ahead. The game had only just begun.