𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 (𝖽𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖿𝗈𝗒 𝗑 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋)

chapter thirty-two

I took a deep breath, adjusting my Quidditch uniform slightly. Thoughts raced through my mind as I moved around the locker room to grab my broom; Was Draco hiding something? Would this match go well? How was Harry doing?

"Hey, Y/n," Goyle, one of the Beaters, said, "uh, good luck out there."

"You too," I said, at least thankful to have been pulled from my thoughts. I grabbed my broom and walked out of the locker room, unprepared for the harsh wind immediately finding me.

The wind howled in my ear, drowning out the sound of the cheering crowd. I had to look at the stands to even see that they were there.

I walked up to Madam Hooch, who stood in the middle of the field awaiting the teams. We approached her, mounting our brooms at her command.

"I want a clean match, like usual," the professor stated, looking at Crabbe and Goyle. "Three, two, one!" she yelled. She threw the Quaffle up into the air, and we took off, racing for them.

Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker, and I ascended straight above the field, looking around for any trace of the golden Snitch. As I was scanning the area, I noticed the other plays going on. The Beaters were hitting Bludgers with no problem, not caring what—or who—they hit. The Slytherin Chasers were doing their usual great job of scoring goals, helping to ensure our win even if I failed to catch the Snitch. And, of course, the Keeper was blocking any Ravenclaws from scoring.

I moved to the other side of the field, hovering in the air to continue looking for the Snitch. As I did, I followed more of the game, starting to finally understand why so many students came to watch.

Things began to take a turn for the worse for the Slytherin team. Crabbe took a hit from a Bludger, unable to block it in time. Dizzy, he slowed down, waiting behind Goyle while he regained control over his head and broom. Then Goyle was hit too, and both Beaters began tumbling around in the air.

The Ravenclaw Chasers stopped trying to score for a moment, giving me brief hope, but they doubled back after observing the Slytherin Keeper's methods. The Chasers began faking right and scoring left, or the other way around, as well as sending multiple Chasers in at once to score on our goals. The Keeper, a fourth-year named Charlie Buson, was unable to block all of the goals and the Ravenclaws had eventually scored multiple points.

The Slytherin Chasers were even beginning to falter. The Ravenclaw Keeper was doing an excellent job of blocking each of their scoring attempts, making it hard for my team to score anything.

Suddenly, I remembered that I, too, was a player, and took off, chasing after the Ravenclaw Seeker. She was flying around in circles, looking for the Snitch, and I followed her.

We passed the stands, and only then could I hear the cheering over the intense wind. Professor McGonagall was being the announcer since the usual guy had graduated last year.

"Another point to Ravenclaw!" she yelled. "That makes the two teams tied at 70!"

The students in the stands began cheering for their teams, eager to see how the game would play out.

Then, as the wind howled through my ears again and drowned out the crowd, I noticed a small, golden glint at the bottom of the arena. Instantly, I dove for it.

The Ravenclaw Seeker must have noticed my sudden movement or the Snitch, because she dove as well, racing me for the tiny ball. I was still reasonably ahead of her, but the distance was decreasing at an alarming rate.