Lottie ⇢ Fred Weasley

7| "FLIGHT OF DEATH"

seven flight of death

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AS NOVEMBER PROGRESSED, so did the transition from autumn to winter; the weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor Quidditch team were training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch, which gave Charlotte frequent opportunities to disappear down the hidden passage under the Whomping Willow to visit Sirius without Fred and George's knowledge. Charlotte and her uncle would share meals and memories and let the minutes pass by as they tried to make up for the years that had been stolen from them.

At lunch on the day of the Gryffindor team's final training session before Saturday's match, as Charlotte was filling the pockets of Fred's robes with the crusts of her bread secretly to confuse him later, Oliver Wood gave some unwelcome news.

'We're not playing Slytherin!' he told them, looking very angry. 'Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead.'

'Why?' chorused the rest of the team.

'Perhaps it's because their wimp of a Seeker can't get his act together,' Charlotte suggested to Harry's approving nod. 'We've all seen how bad he is at catching the Snitch.'

'Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured,' said Oliver, grinding his teeth angrily. 'But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances ...'

There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Oliver spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.

'There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!' Harry exclaimed furiously. 'He's faking it!'

'I know that, but we can't prove it,' Oliver muttered bitterly. 'And we've been practising all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory —'