Chapter 165: Chapter 165: "Evelyn Rosier"
As Harry sat on his dorm bed that night, his mind was entirely focused on the information he'd pieced together about the girl he was now certain was possessed by Tom Riddle's diary Horcrux. Through his discreet inquiries throughout the day, he had learned that her name was Evelyn Rosier, a third-year Gryffindor student.
The Rosiers, Harry discovered, were once a prominent pureblood family, traditionally associated with Slytherin and rumored to have Dark leanings. However, the family had fallen on hard times since many of its members died in the two wizarding wars fighting for the dark side, their wealth and influence waning over the years. This decline had profoundly affected Evelyn's upbringing, leaving her caught between her family's tarnished legacy and an uncertain future. Her unexpected sorting into Gryffindor had apparently caused quite a stir when it happened two years ago.
From what Harry gathered, Evelyn's sorting could have made her a prime target for bullying, given her family's reputation and the Gryffindor house's traditional rivalry with Slytherin. However, Harry's efforts to combat bullying in his first year with pranks seemed to have had a lasting impact. Due to this, Evelyn wasn't actively tormented by anyone. However, Harry learned that even without the bullying, she did not have an easy time, and that Evelyn remained somewhat isolated within Gryffindor, her family name creating an invisible barrier between her and her housemates.
The bits and pieces of description Harry had collected painted a picture of a petite girl with long auburn hair that often looked unkempt. Several students had mentioned her hazel eyes, describing them as sad or tired-looking. Her robes, while clean, were noticeably second-hand, hinting at her family's reduced circumstances.
As Harry pondered the situation, he considered how Tom Riddle's diary might have found its way into Evelyn's possession. Most likely, Harry thought, Lucius Malfoy had a hand in giving her the book. It showed how cruel he was, even to people on the same side. Sending to potential death a member of an already dying pureblood family seemed particularly heartless.
Evelyn Rosier's family's declining status and her isolation within Gryffindor could have made her vulnerable to such a manipulative magical object. Her heritage also explained her mind shields, which Harry had sensed during his subtle attempts at Legilimency. These shields clarified why the Chamber was opened and the basilisk was let out for the first time only on Halloween, not before, like in the books when Harry heard the voices in the walls days before the attack. Evelyn likely didn't trust the diary so much at the start, but her loneliness might have won out in the end. It was well known that Tom Riddle had a way of charming vulnerable people. Also, Evelyn's mind shields meant that possessing her took time, ensuring Harry's detection wards at the Chamber triggered for the first time only on Halloween.
However, despite knowing all this, Harry was not going to put an immediate end to the events surrounding the Chamber of Secrets. He had already decided to cause some trouble for Dumbledore, and he was determined to go ahead with this plan.
There was, however, one change he was going to make. Harry was not going to drag everything out to the end of the year like in the books. The possession by a Horcrux was not good for the poor girl's soul. So Harry planned to let the attacks happen, cause some trouble to expose everything to the outside world, get the Ministry and Aurors involved quickly, and when the soul of Tom Riddle in the diary got anxious, end the whole thing himself. This would ensure that Evelyn was not affected too much, and Harry planned on taking her to Cordelia later to ensure no lasting effects of possession were left behind.
And this time, Harry was planning to take the credit. Since he had already shown his skills to the world and planned to participate in adult dueling tournaments next year, there was no need to hide his strength anymore. He could now openly take credit and earn some honors for himself.
With everything planned, Harry resumed his normal routine at the school. Classes, apprentice work with his master Flitwick, and then following Evelyn Rosier around whenever Harry noticed her near the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. For her other actions like killing roosters, he did not follow. Just following to ensure the basilisk did not kill anyone was enough. Harry's tracking charms ensured he knew her every movement.
Days flashed by with nothing much happening. No attacks. The castle also returned to some calm since there was really not much harm caused by the Halloween incident. Everyone learned that it was just chicken blood that wrote the message on the wall and that Mrs. Norris was not dead. So all the fear from that night dissipated rather quickly.
As the tension from Halloween faded, the excitement of the approaching Quidditch season began to take over the school. The anticipation of upcoming matches pushed thoughts of the Chamber of Secrets to the back of everyone's minds, bringing a welcome distraction to the castle.
There were some major changes in the Quidditch teams this year. Draco Malfoy, for reasons unknown to all the students in the school, got into the Slytherin team as their seeker. He didn't have to buy his way onto the team, which many people found odd. Harry was also surprised by this change. He had no idea what had happened to cause this shift from the canon. However, this meant that the Slytherin team was not upgraded with Nimbus 2001s for every player, which would have made them overpowered. Draco did get himself one, though, and his strength using that broom made it so that the Slytherin house accepted his entry into the team despite the suspicious circumstances.
In Gryffindor, Charles got his spot as a chaser again. Despite the team not wanting him after his last year's performance, he won his spot fair and square during the Quidditch trials, and no one could deny him the position. Another change was that Ginny Weasley, a first-year, outperformed Katie Bell and all other competitors for the seeker spot and got herself selected. Many were surprised by this, even her brothers. They didn't know she knew how to play Quidditch as well as she showed during the trials. The fact that first-years were now allowed to participate in the matches worked out well for her.
Harry had paid some attention to Ginny Weasley this year and was surprised to see the changes in her behavior, which was quite different from that in the books. For one, she was not a fangirl of the Boy Who Lived, Charles Potter. She walked and talked calmly around him. They were good friends, though, and Harry could feel a childhood sweetheart kind of vibe in their relationship. Also, since she was not possessed by the diary Horcrux in this world, she was having a very good school year.
Another new addition to one of the Quidditch teams was Susan, who won her place as a chaser for the Hufflepuff team. Harry watched her trials and was very proud of the skills she showed. If not for her young age that limited her physical strength, she was the best one in skills from all the chasers that tried for the Hufflepuff team. Cedric was very excited about getting a good seeker for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.
No prominent change was there in the Ravenclaw teams. Harry was asked to join the team, but he declined since he knew for sure that the matches would be cancelled soon due to the attacks. Also, he didn't have any interest in the game anymore. However, to ensure that he got his name engraved in the history books and also ensure Ravenclaw won the Quidditch cup for once, he planned on playing in the year Roger becomes the Quidditch captain. It would be good to get a cup for his house for one year.
The first Quidditch match of the year was going to be exciting, and it was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. With the new lineup on both teams, the match promised to be unpredictable and thrilling. However, Harry's excitement wasn't for the game itself, but for what he knew Dobby was planning to do during the match. He anticipated the house-elf's misguided attempts to protect Charles, wondering how it would play out in this altered timeline.
As he lay in bed that night, Harry couldn't help but wonder how the events would unfold, and how they would differ from what he remembered from the books. Would Dobby's interference be as dramatic as before? How would it affect the match's outcome? With a mix of anticipation and caution, he drifted off to sleep, ready to face whatever challenges the next day might bring, both on and off the Quidditch pitch.
Chapter 166: Chapter 166: "The Rogue Bludger"
The morning of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin dawned bright and crisp, the anticipation in the air almost palpable. If you asked any student about the incident at Halloween, they would likely respond with a confused, "What incident?" Nothing mattered to them in the face of such an exciting matchup.
As Harry made his way to the Quidditch pitch, he couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and excitement for what was to come. He knew that Dobby would act today to 'save Charles', but the changes in this timeline made the specifics uncertain. Mainly because Charles was a Chaser and not a Seeker like Harry from the books.
The stands were packed as the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams took to the field. Harry's eyes were drawn to Charles, looking determined in his Chaser's robes, and then to little Ginny Weasley, her face set with concentration as she mounted her broom. On the Slytherin side, Draco Malfoy's blonde hair gleamed in the sunlight, his new Nimbus 2001 held proudly.
As Madam Hooch blew her whistle, the players shot into the air. Harry watched intently, waiting for any sign of Dobby's interference. It didn't take long.
Barely five minutes into the game, a Bludger suddenly changed course mid-air, homing in on Charles with unnatural precision. Charles dodged it skillfully, but the Bludger kept coming back, ignoring all other players.
"That's not right," Cedric muttered next to Harry. "Bludgers aren't supposed to focus on one player like that."
Harry nodded, "The Bludger has gone rogue, it seems. I don't know what the rules are regarding rogue Bludgers. It looks like my little brother isn't going to get a chance to perform in this game. Poor boy. It's as if some higher being doesn't want him to excel in Quidditch."
Roger agreed, "I know. Your brother seems cursed to not have a good Quidditch match. I'm also confused about the Bludger rule. Let's see what Madam Hooch does."
With that, the crowd watched as Charles was forced to spend more time evading the rogue Bludger than participating in the game. The Gryffindor team was essentially down a Chaser, putting them at a significant disadvantage. Madam Hooch checked the Bludger once for any problems but, seeing nothing wrong, let the play resume.
So Charles still had to continue dodging the Bludger throughout the game. The Weasley twins tried to help by beating the Bludger away from him, but seeing it wasn't working and the other Chasers needed their help, Charles told them to go and leave him alone.
Despite this, the match remained surprisingly close. Ginny proved to be an excellent Seeker, her small size and quick reflexes allowing her to outmaneuver Draco several times. The other Gryffindor Chasers, Angelina and Alicia, stepped up their game, compensating for Charles's forced absence. The game was neck and neck, with each goal the Slytherin side scored, the Gryffindor side launching a counterattack and equalizing.
This was quite different from the books since in the original timeline, with their superior brooms, the Slytherin side was dominating in a one-sided manner. Here, with their usual teams and less skill, the Slytherin Chasers were not that strong.
As the game progressed, the crowd's cheers became increasingly punctuated with gasps of concern every time the Bludger nearly struck Charles. Harry could see Lily Potter in the teacher's stands, her face a mask of worry as she watched her son narrowly escape injury time and time again.
Just as it seemed Charles might make it through the game unscathed, disaster struck. The Bludger caught him off guard, striking his arm with a sickening crack. Charles, clearly in pain, lost his grip on his broom and began to fall.
A collective gasp rose from the crowd, but before anyone else could react, Lily Potter was on her feet, wand out. With a swift incantation, she slowed Charles's descent, gently lowering him to the ground. But the danger wasn't over – the Bludger, seemingly intent on finishing the job, hurtled towards the fallen Chaser.
Lily's eyes flashed with maternal fury. She stepped onto the field, her wand a blur as she cast a powerful Shield Charm, deflecting the Bludger mere inches from Charles's chest. With another flick of her wand, she immobilized the rogue ball, ending its reign of terror.
That was very dangerous. Harry didn't know what Dobby was thinking, letting the Bludger have a go at Charles like that. It could have seriously injured Charles and caused him a lot of pain. In the Muggle world, such an impact could have been fatal. Harry was thankful he didn't have Dobby trying to save his life.
The crowd erupted in a mix of cheers for Lily's quick action and concerned murmurs for Charles's condition. But the game wasn't over yet.
High above the drama unfolding on the ground, Draco Malfoy had spotted the Snitch. Ginny, momentarily distracted by Charles's fall, was a split second too late in noticing. The superior speed of Draco's Nimbus 2001 gave him the edge he needed. With a triumphant grin, he closed his fingers around the tiny golden ball, securing the victory for Slytherin.
As the Slytherin stands erupted in cheers, Harry made his way down to the field. He had no particular reason to go to the field, but he was glad he did.
As Harry reached the field, pushing through the crowd of concerned students and faculty, he arrived just in time to see Lockhart, his golden hair gleaming in the sunlight, approach the injured Charles Potter.
"Not to worry, I can fix that arm in a jiffy!" Lockhart announced, brandishing his wand with a flourish.
"No!" several voices shouted in unison. Harry noticed Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor team captain, looking particularly alarmed. Even Lily Potter, who was by her son's side, tried to intervene.
"Professor Lockhart, I really think we should wait for Madam Pomfrey," Lily said, her voice tight with concern.
But Lockhart, ever confident in his abilities, ignored the protests. "Nonsense! I've done this countless times. Stand back, everyone!"
Before anyone could stop him, Lockhart twirled his wand and uttered a spell. There was a strange squelching sound, and Charles let out a yelp of surprise rather than pain.
Harry watched with a smile as Charles lifted his arm. Instead of being broken, it now appeared to be made of rubber, flopping uselessly at his side. It looked very amusing, and Harry had another idea for a prank he could use on Sirius.
"Ah," said Lockhart, looking slightly abashed. "Yes, well, that can sometimes happen. The point is, the bones are no longer broken."
"Broken?" Lily Potter's voice was dangerously quiet. "There are no bones left!"
In a flash of maternal fury, Lily's hand connected with Lockhart's cheek in a resounding slap. The impact sent the flamboyant professor stumbling backward, his perfect smile finally faltering as he landed unceremoniously on the grass.
Harry struggled to maintain his composure, fighting back the laughter that threatened to burst forth. The sight of the pompous Lockhart sprawled on the ground, his carefully coiffed hair in disarray, was almost too much to bear.
Lily, ignoring Lockhart completely now, gently helped Charles to his feet. "Come on, sweetheart. We need to get you to Madam Pomfrey right away."
As Lily guided her son off the field, his boneless arm swinging like a rubber glove, Charles's friends hurried after them. Ron and Hermione's faces were a mix of concern and disbelief as they followed the Potters towards the castle.
With the excitement over, the crowd began to disperse. Students and teachers alike filed out of the stadium, their conversations a buzz of speculation about the rogue Bludger, Slytherin's victory, and Lockhart's disastrous attempt at healing. The Gryffindor side was also very sad. Some complained about Charles, but seeing that he was hurt, most had to reluctantly hold their tongues.
Harry solemnly made his way back to the castle. He was not in a solemn mood about what had happened on the Quidditch pitch, but about what was to come next. If Harry remembered correctly, in the books there was an attack by the basilisk tonight. This meant Harry was going to have a long night following the heir and ensuring that nothing went wrong. Just like in the books, he hoped the victim would be luckily petrified and not killed. With this weighty thought on his mind, Harry prepared himself for the challenges that lay ahead.
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