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𝐀𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐀 and the rest of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall the next day to enormous applause. Marina couldn't help grinning broadly as he saw that Pavarti and Lavender were cheering the loudest. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed. She noticed that Malfoy looked even paler than usual.
Wood spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself. Then he hurried them off to the field before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of the conditions. As they left the Great Hall, everyone applauded again.
"Good luck, Harry!" called Cho. Harry felt himself blushing.
"Good luck Harry!" mimicked Marina.
"No need to be jealous Marina." Angelina laughed.
"Oh shut it Johnson before I tell everyone you fancy George." Marina teased.
"Okay — no wind to speak of — sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it — ground's fairly hard, good, that'll give us a fast kickoff —" Oliver blurted nervously.
Wood paced the field, staring around with the team behind him. Finally, they saw the front doors of the castle open in the distance and the rest of the school spilling onto the lawn.
"Locker rooms," said Wood tersely.
None of them spoke as they changed into their scarlet robes. Marina wondered if they were feeling like she was: as though he'd eaten something extremely wriggly for breakfast.
In what seemed like no time at all, Wood was saying, "Okay, it's time, let's go —"
They walked out onto the field to a tidal wave of noise. Three quarters of the crowd was wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them, or brandishing banners with slogans like "GO GRYFFINDOR!" and "LIONS FOR THE CUP." Along with Lavender, Pavarti, Neville, Seamus, and Ginny holding a banner that said, "MARINI THE QUDDITCH GENIE."
Behind the Slytherin goal posts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Professor Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile. Of course, Marina already had enough to brag about. Even McGonagall was holding a little flag with Marina's initials on it.
"And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as commentator as usual. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, pretty Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years —"
Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of 'boos' from the Slytherin end.
"Quiet!" McGonagall shouted to the Sytherlins. The boos quieted.
