Ellie Collins and the True Heir of Slytherin

Chapter Six: the Quidditch Match

Ellie woke early on Saturday morning, laying for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match. She was nervous, mainly at what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also the fact, after what happened at the dueling club, what would happen to the crowd watching. She imagined they would be saying things such as, "Ellie Collins, the Dark Lord's assistant." or something crazy like that.
Eleven O Clock approached, and the whole school was making their way down to the Quidditch stadium. Ellie, for the first time in a while, secured her hair in a high ponytail.
It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air.
"They've got better brooms than us," Wood began. "No point in denying it. But we have better people on our brooms.We've been training harder than they have - flying through all wether." He paused. "We will make them rue the day they let that slug, Malfoy, buy his way onto the team."

As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflpuff were anxious to see slytherin get beaten.

"On my whistle," said madam hooch. "three... two... one!"
The fourteen players rose toward the leaden sky. Ellie flew higher than any of them, squinting around, looking for the snitch.
"All right there parselmouth?" yelled Malfoy, flying a circle around Ellie, as if he wanted to show off.
Ellie had no time to reply. At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting toward her; she avoided it so narrowly that she felt it ruffle her hair as it passed.
"Close one Collins!" Wood yelled, streaking past her. Ellie glanced over to see one of Gryffindor's beaters give the Bludger a good whack, but the Bludger changed direction in mid air and went straight for Ellie again.
Ellie dropped quickly to avoid it, but yet again it came back toward her.
Ellie put on a burst of speed and zoomed toward the other end of the pitch. She could hear the Bludger whistling along behind her.
It wasn't long before Ellie felt heavy drops of rain fall onto her face, splattering onto her broom. She didn't know at all what was going on until the announcer announced that Slytherin was winning 60-0.
The rain was falling more heavily now. Higher and higher Ellie climbed; she became slightly dizzy, nevertheless she kept her eyes wide open. She began kind of a roller-coaster ride around the edges of the stadium, squinting through the silver sheets of rain to the Gryffindor goal posts.
"Training for the ballet Collins?" Yelled Malfoy as Ellie pulled her broom to a hault, barley avoiding the Bludger. Ellie glared back at Malfoy with hatred, then, she saw it - the snitch. It was hovering above Malfoy's left ear- and Malfoy hadn't seen it.
CRACK
She had stayed still for too long before she felt the impact of the Bludger hitting her in her right forearm, feeling it snap in two.
Ellie could feel the tickle of tears in the back of her eyes. Dimly, dazed by the searing pain in her arm, she could see Malfoy's -to her surprise- worried expression. However, she didn't let that stop her from fighting against it.
She raced past Malfoy before he could ask any questions, toward the snitch. Through a haze of rain and unbearable pain, she swooped low to the ground, following the snitch. Propping her broken arm on her thigh, she made a wild grab in the air; she felt the cold touch of the snitch, but was now only holding on by her legs.
With a splattering thud she hit the mud and rolled of her broom. She was now laying on her side, in pain, still clutching the snitch in her left hand, before fainting.
-
Madam Pomfrey wasnt pleased at all.
"I can't believe you kept playing! You should flown straight her once you heard the bone snap!"
The door of the hospital wing creaked open. Soaking wet, stood Oliver Wood. Ellie immediately sat up a little straighter.
"Unbelievable flying Collins." Wood smiled approaching her hospital bed.
Madam Pomfrey scurried over. "At maximum you have 10 minutes." She raised an eyebrow at Wood as if he had any ideas of some sort.
When she left Ellie and Oliver sitting alone Ellie immediately became flushed. Her cheeks became warm with embarrassment yet happiness. She didn't know why she liked Wood so much, but she just did.
"How are you feeling?" He asked her quietly, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Now that it's all wrapped up, I feel fine really. At least when I don't move it." Ellie smiled.
Oliver giggled placing his hand on her left shoulder. "You won us the game you know that?" Ellie looked intensely at Oliver, studying his facial expression. "I thought we were loosing that game, but thanks to you..." Oliver paused to sit on the edge of the bed next to her. "we won."
Ellie felt her face igniting, as if it was in flames. She knew he saw it, there was no hiding how much she was blushing.
"Listen, Ellie," She got butterflies in her stomach when she heard him call her by her first name. Oliver continued. "I-"
He paused at the sound of footsteps frantically running toward the hospital wing's entrance. Ellie's smile faded.
Standing in the doorway, huffing and puffing from running a great distance, was Malfoy. Malfoy paused, looking at who was sitting next to her. He stopped in his tracks as if he wasn't expecting Oliver to be there with her.
And like that, he was gone, running the opposite direction.