Venus

16- The First Quidditch Match

Venus unwillingly handed the broom in to McGonagall who promised that she would take care of the broom. But that left Venus to ride her comet 100 in all of the practices in November.

But after Halloween Venus noticed that teachers were finding excuses to walk with her down corridors and the twins seemed almost attached to her at the hip.

"Why won't you guys leave me alone!" Venus whirrled on them after they had waited for her outside a bathroom for ten minutes as she hid to try and shake then off.

"Mum threatened us," Fred explained.

"She told us to look out for you," George shrugged.

"I'm going to kill you," she glared at them.

"Miss Weasley!" McGonagall rounded a corner, "I have just spoken to Mr Potter."

Venus internally groaned.

"We came to the conclusion that you can't practice Quidditch unless there is a teacher present," McGonagall said, "it's just not safe otherwise."

"Professor!" Fred complained, "if we want to win the cup this year then we can't have a babysitter at every practice!"

"I should think that you would want your sister to be safe!" McGonagall snapped at him, before continuing her walk down the corridor.

"Ve what does she mean?" George frowned. "Why is everyone so worked up about you being alone?"

"It doesn't matter George," Venus began to walk in the opposite direction to McGonagall.

The twins exchanged glances and hurried after her.

********

The first Quidditch match was rapidly approaching and the weather was steadily worsening.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" Oliver Wood sat down at the Gryffindor table one morning.

"WHAT?" The Quidditch team demanded.

"Flint's excuse is that their seeker's arm is still injured, but they just don't want to play in this weather." Oliver growled.

"He's faking it!" Harry said angrily.

"But we can't prove it," said Oliver, "so we're playing Hufflepuff."

"We beat them fine last year," Fred crossed his arms.

"They've got a new Captain Cedric Diggory, he's put a strong side together. Don't underestimate them." Oliver continued. "We've just got to be faster and better than them."

Venus hadn't told anyone on the team about the Firebolt. Infact no one but Ginny, Mali and McGonagall knew about it.

The twins, who were still following her around everywhere, were becoming more and more suspicious of something and Venus didn't think she could last much longer.

The day of the Quidditch match was just as rainy as the rest of November. Venus pulled on her new Quidditch robes in the changing room with the rest of the team and sat down waiting for Oliver's pep talk.

"Look, this year is our year," Wood said, "We've got two excellent beaters..."

"Stop it Wood," Fred grinned, "you're making us blush."

"Three superb Chasers," Wood grinned at Katie, Angelena and Venus. "And a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Harry grinned, "and me." Wood added.

"We think you're really good too Oliver," George added.

"Cracking Keeper!" Fred gave Wood a smile.

"So let's go out there and win this match." Wood picked up his broom.

The team cheered and jumped to their feet, picking up their own brooms and hurrying out onto the pitch.

Rain was coming down in sheets and Venus was already soaked before they even made it to the middle of the pitch.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. This was her first real Quidditch match.

Cedric Diggory and Wood shook hands and then the teams mounted their brooms and kicked off of the ground.

Immediately play began.

"And it's the newest addition to the Gryffindor team Venus Weasley starting with the Quaffle!" Lee Jordan's voice could be heard over the wind. "She throws it to Johnson, Johnson to Bell, Bell back to Johnson, Johnson to- Good Bludger deflection by Weasley! Johnson to Weasley, Weasley scores!"

The match went on and on for hours, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were neck and neck.

A whistle blasted, signalling time out.

The team landed and huddled underneath a large umbrella.

"Harry if you don't catch the snitch soon we're going to be playing into the night!" Oliver yelled over the wind.

"I've got no hope with these on!" He was trying to clean his glasses furiously on soaking robes.

Hermione appeared out of nowhere and took Harry's glasses, she tapped them with her wand and muttered something.

"They will repel water now," She told him.

"Brilliant!" The team grinned after her as she hurried away.

"Right, Harry, catch that Snitch or die trying!" Wood told Harry.

Another whistle signalled that time out was over.

The team returned to the air with renewed force. They were still soaked and cold, but now their seeker had a chance of actually catching the snitch.

The game went on and it grew darker and colder.

Then a strange silence seemed to settle over the pitch. The wind blew but seemed to forget to roar, the crowd had fallen silent.

Venus was clutching the Quaffle when she spotted the dark shadowy figures.

She stopped mid air as one of them swooped towards her.

She was hit in the stomach with a Bludger and dropped the Quaffle.

The dementor came closer as she coughed up some blood.

"MARLENE!" a voice yelled, "NO MARLENE! COME BACK!"

"VE!" a far away voice yelled, "VE!"

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Venus felt herself slipping as the darkness embraced her.