Immortal Magic (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Allison's Point of View.

''Another ten points to Gryffindor,'' Lee Jordan announces as Angelina sends the Quaffle soaring cleanly through the hoops.

Rain lashed against my face as I twisted sharply to avoid an incoming Bludger. The wind fought against every movement, but months of practice with Katie and Angelina paid off. We moved almost effortlessly around one another, passing the Quaffle between us before I shot forward.

I threw the Quaffle with all my strength. It sailed straight through the left hoop. "And another score from Allison Weasley! Gryffindor extends their lead!" Lee Jordan shouted excitedly through the storm.

The Gryffindor section roared. Above us, Harry and Malfoy were locked in pursuit of the Snitch. Every player on the pitch seemed to glance upward at the same moment.

"Potter and Malfoy are neck and neck!" Lee yelled. "Looks like Potter's gaining," Harry suddenly dove. With one final burst of speed, he stretched out his hand and caught the Snitch.

The whistle blew. "GRYFFINDOR WINS! TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY TO TWENTY!" The entire stadium exploded into cheers.

I barely remembered landing before I was running across the pitch toward Harry. The moment I reached him, I threw my arms around his neck while his wrapped tightly around my waist.

"We won!" I laughed breathlessly as he spun me slightly in excitement. "We actually won!" Harry laughed back, his glasses crooked and hair soaked from the rain.

The rest of the team crashed into us moments later. Fred and George nearly tackled Harry while Angelina pulled me into another hug. Wood honestly looked seconds away from crying.

Soon enough, students flooded the pitch from the stands. People were shouting, cheering, and clapping us on the back. Someone lifted Fred into the air while Katie nearly lost her broom in the chaos.

Harry and I barely had time to breathe before the Quidditch Cup was shoved into our hands. Wood grinned at us both proudly. "Go on," he said. "You two earned it."

With a grin, Harry grabbed one handle while I took the other. Together, we raised the Cup high above our heads. The crowd erupted again. For one perfect moment, everything felt happy. Then my eyes caught movement near the edge of the stands.

A large black dog stood between two shadowed sections of seating. Its shaggy fur blended into the darkness, but its pale eyes were fixed directly on me.

My breath caught. Before I could properly focus on it, the team dragged Harry and me back into the celebrations. When I looked again, the dog was gone.

As June approached, the weather finally began warming. Unfortunately, none of us actually had time to enjoy it.

Exams loomed over the castle, turning nearly every student into a stressed-out mess. Hermione and I practically lived in the library, buried beneath mountains of books and parchment.

"Hermione, can you pass me that one?" I asked tiredly, pointing toward a thick textbook stacked across the table. Without looking up, she handed it over immediately.

I had just opened it when I felt someone hovering beside me. Harry picked up my exam timetable while Ron grabbed Hermione's. There was a long pause.

"Uh," Ron said slowly. "Are you two sure these are right?" Hermione immediately snatched hers back while I took mine from Harry. "Of course they're right," Hermione and I answered at the same time.

Harry stared at us suspiciously. "Is there any point in asking how you're both sitting two exams at once?" I smiled sweetly at him. "Not particularly."

Harry sighed dramatically while Ron muttered something about us being insane. Before either of them could continue, Hedwig swooped through the open window.