meant to be (2)

28

I woke early on Saturday morning and lay for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match.

I was nervous, mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms gold could buy.

I had never wanted to beat Slytherin so badly. After half an hour of lying there with my insides churning, I got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast early, where I found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much.

As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium.

It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Ron and Hermione came hurrying over to wish Harry and me good luck as we entered the changing rooms. We pulled on our scarlet Gryffindor robes, then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep talk.

"Slytherin have better brooms than us" he began, "no point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers-"

"Too true" muttered George. "I haven't been properly dry since August!"

"-and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team."

Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Harry.

"It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to!"

"So no pressure, Harry" said Fred, winking at him.

"You'll be fine" I said quickly as I noticed Harry's look of horror and offered him a fist bump. He accepted and smiled at me.

As we walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted us. The whole school wanted to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard too.

Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.

"On my whistle" said Madam Hooch. "three... two... one..."

Harry and I exchanged smiles and with a roar from the crowd to speed us upwards, we rose towards the leaden sky.

"All right there, Scarhead?" I heard Malfoy yell.
Harry had no time to reply. At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting towards him; he avoided it so narrowly that he felt it ruffle his hair as it passed.

"Are you alright, Harry?" I shouted in his direction

"JULIE!" Oliver cut across. "Stop focusing on Harry and play Quidditch!"

"Sorry, I'll focus now." I said, but it was easier said than done. Slytherin played dirty and Harry was constantly being followed by the mad Bludger. It also started raining which made playing a lot harder.

"Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero!" Lees voice rang through the stadium. I groaned loudly.

I had just gotten the Quaffle when Madam Hooch whistle rang out.

Our team huddled together, while all the Slytherins in the crowd jeered. Harry pulled me closer to him and swung his arm around me. I immediately felt warm and safe.

"Were being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Julie scoring?" Oliver snapped angrily.

"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger murdering Harry, Oliver" answered George, sounding equally angry. "Someone's fixed it - it won't leave Harry alone, it hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it"

"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then..." said Wood, anxiously.

Madam Hooch was walking towards us. Over her shoulder, I could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in Harry's direction.

"Listen" said Harry, as she came nearer and nearer, "with you two flying round me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one!"

"Don't be thick" said Fred. "It'll take your head off!"

Wood was looking from Harry to the Weasleys.

"Oliver, this is mad" I exclaimed angrily. "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry-"

"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match" said Harry. "And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a mad Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!"

"This is all your fault!" George snapped " 'Get the Snitch or die trying' — what a stupid thing to tell him!"

Madam Hooch had joined us.

"Ready to resume play?" she asked Wood. Wood looked at the determined look on Harry's face.

"All right" he said. "Fred, George, you heard Harry - leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own!"

The rain was falling more heavily now. Harry and I exchanged quick smiles. On Madam Hoochs whistle, I kicked hard into the air, spluttering mud everywhere. I scanned the pitch for the Quaffle. Then I suddenly saw it in one of the Slytherin's chaser hands. I flew next to Pucey and snatched the Quaffle right out of his hands. I quickly flew towards Slytherin's goalposts and threw the Quaffqle through the left hoop.

"Julie Clarke scores!" I heard Lee cheer, but I was quickly distracted by Malfoy laughing at Harry while he was hit by the mad Bludger. It hit Harry right into the arm. He looked as if he was in a lot of pain.

Harry than suddenly dived and grabbed the Snitch but he was now only gripping the broom with his legs. The whole crowd including me screamed in horror. With a splattering thud he hit the mud and rolled off his broom.

I quickly flew to him and kneeled down next to him. He loooked like he was about to pass out and his arm was hanging at a very strange angle while the Snitch was clutched in his left hand.

"We've won, Jules." he said, smiling weakly at me.

"I know, how are you feeling?" I asked him in worry.

"Excellent now that you're next to me." he answered before he fainted right on my lap.