The Other Cullen (Book One)

1.1

The next day, on November first, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school turned icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. It was quite pretty, actually.

Quidditch Season had begun. On Saturday, I would be playing in my first match after Wood has been getting me up at 6 in the morning to train. The first match was Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, we would move up into second place in the House Championship.

Lily and I had become best friends. Not nearly as close as the boys, but pretty close. She was like the sister I never had and she put in good words about me to Landon, even though he wouldn't listen to her, just like I put in good words about James to her. She and Remus had been helping me with all my Homework that I would not have been able to get finished. James had actually gave me his Quidditch Through The Ages, which was a very interesting read.

I had learned that there were seven hundred ways of continuing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473; that seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and the most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.

Also, I had become quite close with Jasper, Alice, Peter and Charlotte. They were like the parents I always wanted.

The morning at breakfast was bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a Quidditch Game. I was sitting by the boys and I had somehow managed to get Lily I sit with us. I had made James promise not to ask her out while she was sitting here.

"You've got to eat some breakfast." Remus said with a concerned look.

"I don't want anything." I said.

"Just a bit of toast," Lily encouraged.

"I'm not hungry."

"El, you need your strength," said James.

"Please eat?" Sirius pleaded.

"It'll make you less nervous." Peter sad in a sing song voice.

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out on the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats may be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

All my friends had sat up in the west Ham Fan up in the top row. As a surprise for me, the boys had painted a large banner. It said Ellie for President, and Lily had performed a tricky little charm so that it would change colors

Meanwhile, in the locker room, I was changing into my Scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green).

Wood cleared his throat for silence.

"Okay, men," he said.

"And Women," I added.

"And women," wood agreed. "This is our year!"

"We can do this!" Cheered A boy I didn't know.

"If only we believe in ourselves," finished another.

"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor has had in a long time. We're going to win."

He glared at us all as to say "or else."

I followed the team out into loud cheers.

Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the teams, her broom in her hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once we were all gathered around her. I looked o the smiling face of my friends and I felt courage flow through me. They believed in me.

"Mount your brooms, please."

I clambered onto my nimbus 1974.

Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.

Fifteen brooms rose high into the air, and we were off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Devon Rink of Gryffindor--- what an excellent chaser that boy is! And he's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Aliyah Bell, a good find of Wood's, back to Rink and ---Oh no! The Slytherins have got the Quaffle. Slytherin captain Winton Lestrange gains Quaffle and of he goes--- Winton is flying like an eagle up there--- he's going to sc--no, stopped by an excellent move by Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle-- chaser Aliyah Bell takes the Quaffle, nice five around Lestrange, off up the field and OUCH! That's got to hurt, hit in the back of the head by a budget--- Quaffle taken by Slytherins--That's Carl Smith speeding off towards the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second blusher-- and Rink back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off he goes-- he's really flying-- dodged a speeding bludger-- the goalposts are ahead--- c'mon Devon--- Winton dives--- misses--- GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

Gryffindor cheers filled the field along with moans from the Slytherins.

I looked around the field, trying to catch sight of the snitch. I caught a glint of silver and gasped. In a gush of excitement, I dived down after the gold snitch. Slytherin Seeker Jared Abernathy had seen it also, and was racing right after me. All the chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch. Abernathy shoved me with his broom. I jerked to the side and then came back and shoved him back. Abernathy Glared at me and I noticed the snitch was right behind him. My eyes widened as I sped towards him. He gasped as I almost hit him. My arm reached out as far as it could as my fingers wrapped around the snitch and then, I felt a hard shove and I was hurdling to the ground.

"Foul! Abernathy pushed Cullen off her broom! That's a nasty foul! How dare that rotten Slytherin!"

No one stopped the commentator.

I stood from the ground and held out my hand. Inside was the snitch. The Gryffindors were quiet for a moment before cheering loudly.

"Cullen had caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins!" The commentator yelled loudly.

My friends came running from the stage as I ran into their arms.

"We won!" James cheered as he picked me up and span me around. "You caught the snitch!"

We cheered the rest of the way back to the Common Room.