An Art of Balance

Chapter 33: Leap of Faith

Warning: Mention on injuries and a teeny tiny bit of blood

A/N: Ira Janda, Julian Bennett, Azariah Steele, Henry McClarnon and Judith Harris aren't my own creations :)

Both teams were already waiting at the entrance of the pitch, when the three Hufflepuff Chasers joined them. The shadow of the stands overhead was concealing them from most of the crowd while they waited for Murphy to make the usual introductions. The atmosphere was so strained it could have been cut with a knife as Orion made his way to the front to stand next to Charlie. Lizzie and Skye were filing into their position in the line according to their squad numbers; out of the corner of his eyes, Orion could see how tightly Lizzie was gripping the hilt of her broomstick. She would usually have a little banter with her friends on the Gryffindor team, but today, none of the fourteen players spoke a single word.

Orion could catch a glimpse of the bright blue sky spanning the stadium. The sun was glaring down on them, its burning heat lessened by the light breeze that had picked up; the conditions were perfect for the match of the year.

"Are you ready for the last match of this year's season, the final of all finals?" Murphy's magically enhanced voice sounded through the air over the excited rumblings of the crowd.

"Going against all odds, which are standing at a remarkable 7.6 % to 92.4 %, both teams are starting into today's game with the same amount of points scored throughout the year," Murphy elaborated on the starting situation. "That means, the winner of this match will claim the House Cup and be crowned Hogwarts's new Quidditch champion! Without further ado, I present to you the first of the contenders: fast as lightning, brave as lions and daring as they come; a massive applause for Gryffindor!"

Charlie and Orion shared a short look before the Gryffindors mounted their broomsticks and entered the roaring arena in flashes of gold and crimson. Orion could feel his heart beating in his chest as they circled the perimeter of the pitch once.

When it was their turn, he felt a sudden and familiar sense of calm wash over him as he mounted his broom and led his team out into the blazing sunlight. This was it, the moment they had all been working towards was here; there was no going back now.

The teams gathered around Madam Hooch in the middle of the pitch. As she recounted the rules for them, like she would always do, Orion let his eyes wander over his team members one last time to check if they were ready to spring into action as soon as the balls were released. He and Lizzie locked eyes for a moment, his slight nod of encouragement answered by a barely visible smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"We've had a clean season so far and none of you is going to change that, do you all get me?" Madam Hooch barked, her piercingly yellow eyes sweeping the circle of players around her. "I want a good, fair game, alright? Captains, shake hands."

Orion and Charlie did as they were told, clasping their hands together with a resounding smack.

"Good luck everyone."

With the sound of her whistle, the Bludgers and the Snitch were released and Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle high up into the air; the game was on.

Skye lost no time whatsoever; shooting upwards on her Comet, she immediately claimed the Quaffle and headed for the Gryffindor goalposts. Lizzie and Orion were flying by her side before they veered off to their own assigned positions.

Just as Orion had anticipated, with the beginning of the match all his nerves had made way for an absolute clarity of mind. For the first in what felt like forever, he knew exactly what to do.