Because of the Rat

The Quidditch Game

The long awaited day of the Quidditch competition finally arrived. The seats were all filled with students from the different houses of Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Even the teachers and staffs were there to witness the anticipated game of lions against the snakes.

The air was thick and the atmosphere is intense as everyone roared, cheering for their team. These two houses seemed to be in a sense of competition as always.

"Blimey, I hope Gryffindor wins! I've made a huge bet on those guys."

"Yeah, me too! I don't want to lose ten galleons…"

Hermione Granger turned her head as she overheard a conversation between two men from behind. Along with the rest of the Gryffindors, she held her hands tight to herself, afraid of losing the game. Little did she know, she was more terrified of losing to her rival-- Draco Malfoy.

Suddenly, Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor team Captain, entered their locker room and immediately, all his teammates gathered around. He cleared his throat and began talking.

"Now, now… this is the moment we've all been waiting for," Wood spoke in enthusiasm, "we've worked hard for this. We trained for this day! And now, all our hard work will be paid off!" 

Their eyes filled with excitement and pride with every word Oliver Wood spoke, Harry nodded in agreement. Day and night they practiced quidditch.

"We can't let our minds wary off just because we won against them the last time!"

The Weasley twins, Fred and George, sniggered. Fred spoke, "We won't, Oliver," then George, "Don't worry too much. Besides, we've got the best seeker."

Harry felt his ears warmed up. Everyone's counting on him.

"Alright, let's give it all we've got!"

And they entered the field, broomsticks in their hands. So we're the Slytherins. 

Everyone's voices and applauses were loud and clear to their respective houses. Flags of scarlet and emerald waved frantically into the air. Harry then met Draco face-to-face as they both were the Seekers of their teams.

"Are you ready to lose, Potter?" Malfoy scoffed at Harry, who shot him a glare.

"You're not the best seeker, Malfoy. And you should be the one getting ready to go home crying." Harry replied.

"We'll see about that, scarhead," Draco snarled. "I'm not gonna get beaten up by Granger in a silly bet.

"Gryffindor versus Slytherin, who's going to win this match!" The commentator, Lee Jordan, shouted.

Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint took each other's hands and shook them.

"I assume you already know the rules of the game, just play fair and square, everybody!" Shouted Madam Hooch as she counted from three to one, finally blew her whistle. Immediately, the players kicked off of the ground and were now floating on air.

The players flew fast as light as they tried to grab the quaffle in the air. Before the Gryffindors could keep it up, the Slytherins already snatched the ball! They gave playful smirks as they headed on to the goal.

The snitch was finally released, and both eyes of the seekers were glued to the flying golden ball with wings fluttering in the air. 

Draco made the first move and quickly followed the golden snitch, Harry did the same as well.

"Just quit, Potter. I'm gonna win this time!" Boasted Draco who just went past Harry, getting nearer and nearer to the snitch.

But the golden snitch doesn't want to be caught that easily, and it went in another direction, shifted straight up above the two.

Following the snitch, Draco took a rough turn to catch up with it, but Harry was quicker and lighter, and now he's the one on the lead. He flew in an almost ninety degree angle, and he could hear Malfoy calling him names.

"Another ten points for Slytherin! Now, Gryffindor in possession-- OH! That bludger almost hit Angelina-- WAI-WAIT! OH NO, ANOTHER TEN POINTS FOR SLYTHERIN!" Exclaimed Lee Jordan as the Slytherin players high-fived one another. However, a sigh of exasperation could be heard in the Gryffindor crowd, including from Hermione herself.

"Come on, Gryffindor, you can do it." Mumbled Hermione. Beside her sat the orange-haired Ron, looking at her, curiously.

"Eager to win against Malfoy, huh, aren't you?" Ron stated plainly.

"What, no, of course I want Gryffindor to win, as always." Hermione said, trying her best not to choke at her words. At the back of her mind, she'd agreed with Ron.

"Just curious," Ron tried opening up a conversation with Hermione, and it made her uneasy knowing where it will lead to, "is there something going on between you and that Malfoy?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ron," she can't look at him in the eyes for either she's embarrassed or he's right.

"I've been feeling something weird with you two lately, and even Harry knows it! And he's always giving you the glances--"

"Maybe you're feeling wrong, there's nothing going on in between me and Drac-Malfoy." She sat up stiffly, trying to ignore Ron, pretending she's focused on the game.

"Oh shoot, that was missed!" She exclaimed, waving a scarlet flag.

Ron didn't took another question on her as he's already confirmed her guilty.

"Another ten points for Slytherin with 80-60, Slytherin on the lead! It looks like catching the snitch is the best chance to end this game now, lions!"

Draco and Harry had been following the golden snitch all over the heights of the field, yet no one had thought of giving up.

The golden snitch flew its way under the seats of the audiences where the two seekers followed quickly. They have done their best to avoid the diagonal wooden rafts.

Harry, finally on the lead of catching his prey, took his game of catch into another level. He held the broomstick handles tight and slowly moved his feet, then confidently stood on his broomstick. He had already done this stunt before in a past game of Quidditch.

He had all his eyes focused on the golden snitch that he hadn't seen the wooden rafter below him and-- OW! His broomstick hit the rafter! He lost his balance and almost fell, but fortunately had his two strong arms carry his body, gripping tight on his broom.

But what happened to Harry distracted Draco that he, too, had his broomstick caught on one of the rafters that sent him flying through and rolling across the middle of the field.

Everyone gasped at the sight of the accident as Madam Hooch ran towards Draco, his left hand held tight on his somehow broken arm.

Something was trying to escape his right hand, and when he opened it, the golden snitch flew across Madam Hooch's face and everyone from Slytherin cheered in unison.

"The golden snitch has been caught, and the winner for today's match is-- SLYTHERIN!" Cheered Jordan.

Draco, although injured, beamed while being taken by his teammates out of the field and into the hospital wing.

Harry revealed from under the seats where he almost fell from his broomstick.

After seeing Draco being egressed from the field and Harry sighed because of defeat, Hermione doesn't know what to feel. Should she be glad that Draco won their game, or anxious because he got himself injured, or sad that they lost to Slytherins? She's had all her feelings and emotions mixed up.

--

Ohhh, this one really took a rough time to be done because I'm not really too familiar with the Quidditch rules!

But now that I've also re-read a chapter about Quidditch, I think I made a quite good job? Oh I hope so.

Anyway, thank you for reading. There might be one or two more chapters before this officially ends.

Thank you! I love you all.