Charlotte Weasley

Chapter 21 - Quidditch Match

The first Quidditch match of the season had arrived. I, and the rest of the team was pumped up after weeks of hard practicing in harsh conditions and for prolongued periods of time. The rest of the house was also really excited and some of the younger students made a few posters saying things like:

GO LIONS! LET'S HEAR YOU ROAR!

LET'S KNOCK DOWN RAVENCLAW'S DOOR!

GO LIONS! LET'S HEAR YOU CHANT!

GRYFFINDOR WILL WIN BECAUSE RAVENCLAW CAN'T!

I was very nervous and it felt like an entire zoo of butterflies had been released in by stomach. In the morning of the game, I felt oddly ready even though the night before I had stayed up imaging different scenarios where I lost the game for us. 

On the way down to the great hall the team was cheered on by Gryffindor supporters and booed mainly by the Slytherins and a few Ravenclaws.

I sat at the Gryffindor house table and downed the glass of pumpkin juice in front of me. 

"Are you ready?" Britt asked excitedly. She and the other girls in the first year were decked out in red and gold and had painted their faces with vibrant colors. When the guys walked down to the table I noticed they had done the same as well. 

"Yes. I think I am actually," I replied, catching Britt by suprise. 

Someone slid into the seat next to me and I turned to see who it was. 

It was Andrew. 

I hadn't spoken to him since the train ride over and we barely acknowledged me in the halls anymore, despite it being only the fourth week of school. 

"Uh... so I wanted to say good luck and that you shouldn't get your hopes up for a Gryffindor win because the Ravenclaws are certainly prepped and ready to go," he said, a little quicker than his normal. 

I wasn't sure how to react. I decided on pretending that we were still really close friends, "Eh, I wouldn't want to hurt your feelings, Knight, but you and your band of blue  people will be owned by Gryffindor."

Andrew chuckled and sent me another comeback. After a few minutes of playful jives, he got up to leave. 

"Oh, you don't need to leave, Andrew!" Britt implored. 

"Fine! But I should get back over to 'my band of blue people' soon." 

We had a fine breakfast but to soon it was time for me to go to the changing rooms and the others to go out to the pitch and get spots. 

The rest of the school was heading out to get seats in the stands, many carrying umbrellas because of the choppy weather lately. 

I veered off the path that everyone was taking and walked over to the small stone building separated into four sections. 

I walked around to the Gryffindor area and into the girl's changing room where Adora and Cornelia were chatting nervously on the bench, unlacing their shoes. 

"Are you guys nervous?" I asked them. 

"Definitly!" They chimed in unison. 

I got dressed quickly and waited in the hallway while the others finished up. I looked at the placks on the wall of past quidditch teams.

There were many names that I did not recongnize until I came upon one from ten years ago. 

Beaters: Jimmie Peate and Ritchie Coote

Chasers: Ginny Weasley, Demelza Robins, and Katie Bell

Keeper: Ronald Weasley

Seeker: Harry Potter (Captain)

Wow! So they were all on the Quidditch team! Ginny, Ron, and Harry! 

Harry was also a seeker. 

This gave the boost I needed, I was ready to cream Ravenclaw in the first game I have ever been in. 

Adora and Cornelia exited the changing room and we walked out to the tented area right next to where we would go onto the pitch from.

Dirk was already there, as was Fabian. We were waiting for Rob and Rufus. 

As the minutes ticked past, we got more and more anxious. 

Finally, after ten long minutes, they appeared, a little shaken but here nonetheless. 

"What's wrong?" I asked Rob as we stood behind the red and gold canvas, waiting to be called onto the field. 

"Uh.. nothing. Tell you later. "

And then Proffessor Wood called them onto the pitch. I slung my firebolt over my shoulder and walked to the pitch, my head held high. 

We walked out ot resounding cheers and boos (mainly from the Slytherins and Ravenclaws) and stopped at the center of the grassy pitch. 

The Ravenclaw team was already there and their captain stepped forward. 

The Ravenclaw captain, a tall and muscular girl named Holly Warrington shook hands with Dirk. She had an expression of determination on her face as she tried to crush Dirk's hand in one of her huge fists. 

Dirk's expression remained motionless and he stepped back. 

"Players, mount your brooms.... On a count of three I will release the snitch and then the bludgers... One.... Two... THREE!" On the last number, Professor Wood yelled out. 

The golden snitch zoomed away and within a few seconds it was lost to view. I took to the air, my eyes darting around carefully. 

I was so consentrated I had blocked out everything around me; the commentary by one of the sixth years, and the screams of the crowd. 

Soon my eyes caught on something glittering and I flew towards it to discover that it was someone's glasses. 

I glanced at the score: 80-70, to Gryffindor. We were beating them, but barely. 

The other seeker, a second year named Julius was tailing my every move. 

I saw it. It was near the ground again, much like during practice that one time. I had pulled it off then? Could I do it now?

With Julius feet behind me, I soared across the sky and started my fast plummeting to the ground. 

I had no idea where Julius had gotten to and I didn't care. All that mattered was that tiny gold ball fluttering near the ground. 

At the last second, I yanked up my broom, mere inches above the ground. 

The snitch was inches from my fingertips... And I caught it. 

I had just won the game. It took a few seconds to realize it. 

I, Charlotte Weasley, had just won a Quidditch game!

Then, the sound returned. I could hear the chants and the cries of joy. 

I landed and punched the sky with the hand that clutched the snitch. The crowd roared and the red and gold clad section of the stands pounded the floor with their feet and yelled at the top of their lungs. 

The entire Gryffindor house poured onto the field, waving red and gold flags. 

I barely noticed as I was hefted up onto everyone's shoulders, and marched back to the common room for a party. 

The rest of the team was also on the shoulders of our fans and they had huge smiles plastered across their faces. 

I didn't even know what we had won by. But it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Gryffindor had won. We had won. And I was happy.