Destined| The Prisoner of Azkaban: Book 3

The Match

Kiana

Honestly, all this extra work and practices and lessons with Lupin have been getting to me. I barely talk to anyone, I just get what I need and do it.

As of right now, Hermione and I are working on our many homework assignments. I heard the portrait door open and a cluster of conversation.

"Kay, I have a surprise," Harry said.

"Busy Haz," I whined.

"Fine, I guess you don't want your broom," Harry said.

I immediately looked up only to see Harry and Jake holding our brooms.

"How'd you?" I gasped.

"Don't worry, we didn't steal them, McGonagall gave them back," Harry chuckled.

"This is great new —" I began.

"LOOK!" Ron bellowed, striding over to our table. "LOOK!" he yelled, shaking the sheets in her face.

"Ron, what — ?" Hermione asked.

"SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!"

Hermione was leaning away from Ron, looking utterly bewildered. I looked down at the sheet Ron was holding. There was something red on it. Something that looked horribly like —

"BLOOD!" Ron yelled into the stunned silence. "HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"

"N-no," said Hermione in a trembling voice.

Ron threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation.

Hermione, Harry, Jake and I leaned forward. Lying on top of the weird, spiky shapes were several long, ginger cat hairs.

And this ladies and gentlemen is the end of Hermione and Ron's friendship.

******

"You know what we've got to do," Oliver said as we prepared to leave the locker rooms. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running. Just — just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be okay!"

We walked out onto the field to applause. The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the field.

Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Harry and I by about a head.

I noticed Harry blush as she smiled at Harry as the teams faced each other behind their captains. I felt my face turn red with anger. I rolled my eyes.

"Shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly, and Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw Captain.

"Mount your brooms . . . on my whistle . . . three — two — one —"

I kicked off into the air and the Firebolt zoomed higher and faster than any other broom; I soared around the stadium and around for the Quaffle which was in Katie's possesion.

"They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter and Kiana Diggory is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship —"

"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" McGonagall interrupted.

"Right you are, Professor — just giving a bit of background information — the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and —" Lee began.

"Jordan!"

"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor heading for goal . . ."

I noticed as Harry streaked past Katie and I in the opposite direction, gazing around for a glint of gold and I noticed that Cho Chang was tailing him closely.

She was undoubtedly a very good flier — she kept cutting across him, forcing him to change direction.

Wham!

A Bludger had hit me square in the stomach, knocking me off my broom.

Oliver called a time out and flew down to get me. He lifted me up with the help of Fred.

"What's wrong Kiana?" Oliver asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," I angrily snarled. "Let's play."

Oliver held his hands up in defense and we all mounted our brooms and flew into the air.

"You sure your —" Harry began.

"Don't talk to me right now," I spat.

I chased after the Quaffle and thankfully hit it into Ravenclaw's post.

"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn — Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision-balance is really noticeable in these long —"

"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

Ravenclaw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead — if Cho got the Snitch before Harry, Ravenclaw would win.

I watched as Harry dropped lower, narrowly avoiding a Ravenclaw Chaser, scanning the field frantically — a glint of gold, a flutter of tiny wings — the Snitch was circling the Gryffindor goalpost —

Harry accelerated, eyes fixed on the speck of gold ahead — but just then, Cho appeared out of thin air, blocking him —

"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" I roared as Harry swerved to avoid a collision.

Honestly, she isn't even that attractive !

"KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!" Angelina yelled.

Harry turned and caught sight of Cho; she was grinning. The Snitch had vanished again. Harry turned his Firebolt upward and was soon twenty feet above the game. I saw Cho following him. . . . She'd decided to mark him rather than search for the Snitch herself. . . . All right, then . . . if she wanted to tail him, she'd have to take the consequences. . . .

Harry dived again, and Cho, thinking he'd seen the Snitch, tried to follow; Harry pulled out of the dive very sharply; she hurtled downward; he rose fast as a bullet once more, and then saw it, for the third time — the Snitch was glittering way above the field at the Ravenclaw end. I followed them into the air making sure I kept my eye on them.

Harry accelerated; so, many feet below, did Cho. He was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second — then —

"Oh!" screamed Cho, pointing.

Distracted, I looked down.

Three dementors, three tall, black, hooded dementors, were looking up at us.

I didn't stop to think. Plunging a hand down the neck of my robes, I whipped out my wand and roared, "Expecto Patronum!"

Something silver-white, something enormous, erupted from the end.

I heard cheering from below indicating someone caught the Snitch. I was flying down until I looked into the forest to see a black dog. I looked into its eyes and felt safe.. that's weird.