Cindy Potter: Book Two (Harry Potter fanfiction)

Chapter 8

"You can't cancel quidditch!" - Oliver Wood

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I nearly overslept. Oliver Wood was not very happy with me. He was even less pleased when Fred and George began snoring during his pep talk.

"Focus! Today we're playing Slytherin and they are not easy."

"Exactly, so we need our sleep. It's 4am, Oliver!" Angelina exclaimed.

"Wake up you idiots!" He smacked Fred and George on top of their heads. They opened their eyes, muttering profanities.

"Bloody hell, Oliver!" Wood ignored this and kept talking.

"The quidditch cup is ours! We've got the best team we've had in years! We only lost last year because of special issues." He glanced at Harry. "We have to know our technique well, there mustn't be any holes in our strategy! And our opponents have to be surprised." I nodded robotically as he droned on.

We practiced for hours until it was time for the first match of the season. We waited behind the stands as all the Professors and Lee Jordan took their places in the stands. "Welcome to the first match of the year, Slytherin VS Gryffindor!" That was our cue to fly out into the pitch. The roar of the fans broke through the crowd. "All players in their positions in the air, the quaffle is released and the game begins!" At this, Angelina and I raced for the quaffle as Harry tried to stay out of the mess until the snitch was spotted.

I grab the quaffle and race towards the Slytherin goalposts before being blocked by a Slytherin chaser. I ducked and aimed as hard as I could. The quaffle flew through the hoop, and I could hear the Gryffindors cheering. "And Cindy Potter scores the first goal of the season! Ten points for Gryffindor!" I grinned as I spotted Father in the stands, with a faint smile on his face. Suddenly at that moment, a bludger flew right across my face, missing me by centimeters. I immediately spun around on my broom.

"Duck, Harry!" I screamed. The bludger missed Harry, but acted like a boomerang and began chasing Harry down the field. I scanned the crowd and no one seemed to be keeping eye contact so it was unlikely to be a curse, like the previous year with Quirrell.

"Time out!" Wood yelled to Madam Hooch. We all gathered in the stands. Harry looked paler than usual.

"That's a rogue bludger! They're banned!"

"Let's not state the obvious." I said. "How do we stop it?"

"We can't." I looked at Wood incredulously. "But we can try to keep it away from Harry. Fred, George, I want you to stick to Harry, and keep that bludger away, you understand?"

"Aye aye, captain!" The twins answered in unison. The game began again, as Harry flew higher than us with Fred and George at his sides. I focused on chasing the Slytherin chaser for the quaffle until I heard Wood yelling.

"Cindy! Behind you!" Out of pure reflex, I shot upwards on my broom. The bludger flew right at me again and Wood was about to yell time out again.

"No!" I screamed. "I'll distract it. Harry can go catch the snitch now."

"No. You're my little sister, I-"

"Do you want the quidditch cup or not!" With that, I zoomed off on my broom with the bludger chasing me. Soon Harry had seen the snitch and was chasing after it. The bludger suddenly changed direction and flew after Harry. "Fred! Help Harry!" But it was too late as Harry flew into the stands and disappeared from view. I sat frozen on my broom until I saw Harry reemerge from the stands. He reached his hand out to catch the snitch and the bludger slammed into his wrist with a sickening crack. I screamed. Harry caught the snitch on the second try. I sighed in relief as Madam Hooch blew the whistle and Lee Jordan announced: "Gryffindor wins!!"