PRANKSTER [1] ↝ C. DIGGORY

six

"Clary, let's go!" Vasantha called as the redheaded girl quickly attempted to run a brush through her hair before giving up and throwing the unruly strands into a ponytail. "We're going to be late and have to sit in the back of the stands again."

"I'm coming," Clary said, pulling on the maroon cardigan her mother had knitted for her last Christmas and following her out the door and down the steps towards the common room. "and it's really not that bad having to sit in the back row of the stands. The game's up so high, you know?"

"There they are," Fred said with a grin. "we were beginning to think you weren't going to show."

"Clary's fault," Vas said, chuckling.

"Well I'm here now, so let's go," Clary said, gesturing for George and Lee to stand up off the couch and lead the way.

The Gryffindor common room wasn't as buzzing as it normally would be if Gryffindor had been playing in that day's Quidditch match, though the excitement of it being a Quidditch Saturday was still there. The die-hard fans of the sport, such as Clary and her friends, Ron and his friends and Oliver Wood were ready and raring to go, the latter anxious to map out how both Hufflepuff and Slytherin were playing this year.

"Five sickles on Slytherin," George said as the Gryffindors exited the castle and began to head towards the Quidditch pitch, a small spot of red in the sea of green and yellow. "ruddy snakes will cheat their way to the top."

"You're on," Vas piped up, trying her hardest to keep up with the crowd. "the badgers won't let me down."

The two shook hands as the group neared the pitch, spying Oliver already seated with a group of his friends in the second row of the stands. There were a few seats open two rows back from where he was, and Clary, Vasantha, Fred and George quickly bid goodbye to Lee so he could take his seat down in the commentator's area while the others quickly sat down, where Clary turned to Vasantha with a smug grin.

"Told you we wouldn't be in the back row,"

"Oh shut up," Vasantha said as students continued to file into seats all around them.

Clary watched eagerly as Madame Hooch stepped out onto the field with the sports equipment, and the teams quickly followed from their respective ends of the field. She quickly caught sight of Newt and Cedric, Vas nudging Clary with a smirk as the latter entered the field, but she shrugged it off, still watching the two boys.

"Welcome everyone to today's Quidditch match!" Lee shouted into his microphone. "Today's match: Hufflepuff versus Slytherin!"

Cedric mounted his broom with ease, a smile written across his face as he watched Madame Hooch, waiting for the Snitch to be released. Newt lifted off into the air to join the other Chasers, hovering above where Madame Hooch stood, opening the chest and setting the Snitch free, Cedric trying his best to watch as well as Draco Malfoy on the Slytherin team as the tiny golden ball disappeared from sight. The Bludgers came next, shooting into the air with an angry cry before Madame Hooch picked up the Quaffle.

"Now, I want a nice, clean game," Madame Hooch said, blowing into her whistle and throwing the Quaffle into the air.

"And the game begins!" Lee yelled into the microphone as Newt quickly dove down towards where Madame Hooch stood, catching the ball in one hand and tucking it under his arm as he shot back up towards the Slytherin goal.

"Newt Scamander quick to catch the Quaffle," Lee commented into the mic, "and he passes it to Malcolm Preece, who's going straight for the goal..."

The crowd could only watch as the Chaser sped straight for the goal, throwing the Quaffle towards the left ring as their Keeper, Miles Bletchley, tried to move over but just missed it as it went soaring through the hoop with a ringing sound.

"Malcolm Preece scores! Ten points to Hufflepuff!" Lee exclaimed animatedly. "And amazing return with a high-five to teammate Newt Scamander. Looks like this will be a great day for Hufflepuff, folks!"

"Yeah, you hear that, George?" Vasantha asked the boy to her right with a smirk.

"It's not over yet, little missy," George said, turning back to where Marcus Flint now had the Quaffle and was racing towards Herbert Fleet, Hufflepuff's Keeper. "we're just getting started."

The match was full of back and forths between the two teams, Cassius Warrington from Slytherin being taken out by a Bludger fifteen minutes into the game. However, Slytherin remained strong, both Cedric and Draco on opposite ends of the pitch looking around aimlessly for the Snitch, which neither had located yet.

"And what's this?" Lee called as Cedric did a sudden nose dive, shooting at a diagonal angle towards the middle of the pitch. "Cedric Diggory seems to have gotten on the Snitch's trail!"

At the mention of the opposing Seeker's name, Draco took off in the opposite direction, moving towards Cedric at an alarming rate. Clary looked a bit ahead of where Cedric was flying, catching a glimpse of the Snitch's wing reflecting off the glare from the sunlight. With his arm outstretched, Cedric lurched forward, catching the Snitch in his right hand before holding it up proudly.

"He's got the Snitch!" Lee exclaimed proudly. "Cedric Diggory has caught the Snitch, earning Hufflepuff one hundred and fifty points!"

Madame Hooch blew her whistle then, flying up and around where the players were.

"Hufflepuff wins!" she yelled, and the stands erupted into cheers from the Hufflepuff players.

"Thank you," Vasantha said with a proud smile as she took the five silver coins from George's outstretched hand.

"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it," he said, rolling his eyes. "ruddy lucky the badgers got, didn't they?"

As the players returned to the ground, cheering, and the stands began to clear out, Clary took note of one wash of blue against the yellow sea as Cho Chang hurried over towards Cedric. She greeted him with a hug and a proud smile as the two of them took off back towards the Hufflepuff locker rooms.

"Clary..." Vas said, waving a hand in front of her friend's face and bringing her out of her thoughts. "Earth to Clary..."

"Sorry, what?" Clary asked, shaking her head and looking over at Vasantha.

"We're going to the Great Hall for dinner, are you coming?" she asked.

"Yeah," Clary said, glancing over one last time to where Cedric and Cho had disappeared from view. "I'm coming,"