The Stone

Chapter Seventeen

The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match. 

"You've got to eat some breakfast,"

"I don't want anything." 

"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.

Bella picked up a sausage and waved it in Harry's face. "What about a sausage? They're delicious" She took a bite and nearly moaned. "Come on, you know you want a bite"

"I'm not hungry."

Bella felt terrible, in a few hours they'd be walking onto the pitch and Harry hadn't eaten a thing. 

"Harry you need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Seekers are always the ones who get nobbled by the other team"

"Thanks, Seamus," Harry said and Bella glared at Seamus as she watched as he piled ketchup on his sausages. 

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Bella and HAarry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Swan and Potter for joint President and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.

Meanwhile, in the changing rooms, Bella, Harry and the rest of team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green). Bella shoved her hair up in a high ponytail and smoothed down her robes whilst taking deep breaths. 

Wood cleared his throat for silence.

"Ok, men," he said.

"And women, " said Chaser Angelina Johnson winking at Bella. 

"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."

"The big one," said Fred Weasley.

"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart, "Fred told Bella and Harry. "We were in the team last year."

"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it." 

He glared at them all as if to say, 'Or else.'

"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."

Bella followed Fred and George out of the changing room with Harry following closely behind and hoping her knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the pitch to loud cheers. Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the pitch, waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand. 

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said once they were gathered around her. Harry stood next to Bella and she noticed that Madam Hooch seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint, a fifth-year. Bella thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the fluttering banner high above and nudged Harry to get his attention. Harry grinned and they both felt braver than they did before. 

"Mount your brooms, please."

Bella clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. The brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.