Hermione found that she didn't like the idea of Gryffindor and Slytherin being the first quidditch game of the season. It was tradition, but that didn't make it less tense. They were the school's greatest rivals after all.

She sat in the stands, watching Malfoy taunt Harry. And it was the most eye roll inducing experience she'd had all week. There was nothing too crazy about it. Except, there was something wrong with the bludger.

She tracked it, and it was slow at first. But it kept coming back to target Harry. A little faster each time. Fred and George were doing their best, but it wasn't normal bludger behavior. And they still had another one to manage.

Hermione and Ron were anxious as they watched Harry race against a rogue bludger and Malfoy for the snitch. They couldn't do anything, nor could the teachers, for fear of hitting Harry. They might listen to a time out, but it looked like Harry was determined to catch the ball.

And then, the bludger slammed into Harry's arm. Hermione winced. That had to hurt.

A few moments later, he had the snitch in hand. George managed to wrestle the bludger into the box and chain it up. Hermione was going to chew Madame Hooch's ear off later, as she expected a few people were going to be.

She understood that some people would do just about anything for quidditch. She was friends with way too many of them to not understand that. But the referee should be able to call something. Especially if she'd noticed it.

Just a few minutes later she was helping Harry into the hospital wing to have Madame Pomfrey regrow his bones. That sounded awful. She was glad it wasn't her who needed that kind of magic.