Dodging a Bludger

Gryffindor Vs. Slytherin

"Have you found the vault yet?" Penny asked Sarah as they fertlized their ginger roots in Herology. She looked as worn out as Sarah felt.

"Not yet, Penny. I'm doing everything I can," she answered.

"Well you're not doing enough!" Penny shouted.

"Kindly keep it down, Miss Haywood," said Professor Sprout, more stern than Sarah had ever heard before.

"I'm sorry," Penny called to her. "I'm sorry," she repeated quietly to Sarah. "It's just that I go to see Beatice everyday, and it seems like everyday she struggles more to recognize me. To understand what I'm saying to her. To hope for a way out."

Her eyes welled with tears.

"I know, Penny. But you have to believe that I will find a way to get her out of that portrait. Rakepick told me last night about a magical map that can somehow help us find the vault. Jae's going to help me find it."

Penny manage to hold back the tears and even smile. "Ooh, Jae Kim again," she teased. "Rowan's told me all about that."

"Rowan!" Sarah whisper-shrieked down to her friend.

Penny laughed. Sarah didn't mind being the butt of the joke as long as Penny found a glimmer of happiness.

"Don't worry, Sarah. I know you. Your affections do not lie with Jae Kim."

"Thank you," said Sarah. "You're the only one who believes me."

"I also know you don't like to talk about your romantic feelings, but when you are ready, I'd like to discuss the boy you are crushing on."

Sarah stammered, but Penny merely smiled as she tended her ginger root. She was right. She knew Sarah too well.

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Finding the Marauder's map proved to be a difficult task, even with Jae at her side. They finally tracked it to a man called Mundungus Fletcher, someone Jae knew to frequent Knockturn Alley. They'd decided to use Floo Powder to get there, and Rakepick was supposed to set them up with a fireplace they could use.

But she was taking a long time doing it.

In the meantime, she had OWLs to study for and quidditch to train for. McNully gave them the odds of beating Slytherin at the end of their last practice.

"Their two strengths are their speed and of course, Lee," he said. "But we've got the best keeper in the league and the best team of chasers." Skye offered Sarah and Charlie high-fives. "Plus, my sources, aka face-paint-kid, tell me that Lee hasn't been quite up to par his last few practices. Playing like something's in his head. That puts our odds of winning up from 53.3% to 56.8% at least."

Sarah grimaced. "That slim?"

Murphy was unperturbed. "That's quidditch for you. It's anyone's game."

"I'm not worried," said Skye. "With me on the team, the odds go way up."

Murphy opened his mouth, probably to explain precisely how Skye's presence on the team effected them, but Charlie spoke first.

"Slytherin may have speed and strength, but we've got heart. You can't calculate that."

"Actually, you can," said Murphy, then bored them all to death with the precise calculations.

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Before long, the match was upon them. Sarah awoke with the usual mix of nervousness and excitement in her belly that she always felt on match days. She dressed and headed down to breakfast.