Memories Of Them

Chapter 3 - The Woman in Black

Cassie had stood for the entire game, occasionally leaning over the balcony of the box to get a better view of what was happening below. Her omnioculars came in handy, almost constantly glued to her face, especially as the Bulgarian team appeared to play particularly dirty; there had been plenty of penalties that she had rewound to get a look at all of the gory details.

The last five minutes of the game had been nail bitingly close, it was clear that the Bulgarian seeker, Viktor Krum, had been holding back, allowing time for his chasers to score points so that they were able to win. However the Irish chasers were in a league of their own, they appeared to be able to read each other's minds, completing plays without any communication whatsoever. Krum seemed to have lost interest in the game and was beginning to get frustrated, he began playing a game with the Irish seeker, gracefully dropping into a quick dive as if he had spotted the snitch and pulling up at the last moment. The fifth time he tried this he pulled off an incredible Wronski Feint, causing Lynch to smash into the pitch, going at least 60mph. The crowd let out a round of gasps and groans as they watched the mediwitches take him off on a stretcher, clearly unconscious.

It didn't then take Krum long to locate the snitch, racing across the pitch at the speed of light with his hand outstretched grasping for the tiny golden winged ball that danced just beyond his fingers. The Irish Beaters however wanted revenge, sending a careening bludger straight into the face of the Bulgarian seeker. It was clear from the amount of blood pouring down the man's face that his nose was broken, however he couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face as he held the snitch high in the air, for all to see.

A cacophony of ear splitting noise erupted from the stands as the whole stadium cheered, the Irish supporters screaming and chanting in celebration. Ireland had won 170-160, even though Bulgaria had caught the snitch. Cassie couldn't quite believe it, throwing her arms around Bonnie and Odette beside her, the girls began jumping up and down screaming with excitement. The Irish National Anthem was blaring from the speakers around the stadium, the Irish supporters were standing with their arms around each other, swaying slightly and screaming the words at the top of their lungs.

Behind her Henry kept muttering "what are the odds?" tears appeared to be glistening in his eyes.

Cassie decided to sit down for the medal ceremony, her legs were beginning to ache and the adrenaline that had been coursing through her veins was beginning to wear off making her feel sleepy. Turning in her seat she laid her head on Bonnie's shoulder, snuggling in.

"Alright Cas?" whispered Bonnie in her ear.

"Tired," she moaned.

"Well you can't sleep here sweetheart, let's head back," said Mrs Carlisle, gently stroking the top of Cassie's head.

The group of teenagers all began to groggily stand, following Mr and Mrs Carlisle out of the box and back into the corridor. It was a lot busier now, families and groups of wizards and witches were walking in a steady flow towards the exit, all talking excitedly about the incredible match.

"Krum might be the best player in centuries, but nothing was going to beat such a tightly knit Irish team," a gentleman walking in front of the group was saying.

"Of course not, Bulgaria have only got this far because Krum was able to catch the snitch before the games ever really began. You can't just rely on one good player," his shorter companion said in agreement, shrugging his shoulders.

The journey back down the stairs was slow going, as everybody tried to leave the stadium all at once. Cassie was relieved to get outside and out of the stuffy, oppressive halls of the stadium. Breathing in the fresh air, and feeling the cool evening breeze blanket her skin helped to lift the haze of exhaustion that had threatened to overwhelm her before.