Azkaban's Youngest Prisoner

Ch. 20

Chapter 20:

I couldn't help but feel off about Cedric, I'd be lying to myself if I said I wasn't avoiding him. He was a good guy and all but the fact that he just stood there and let Ben attack Draco like that hurt me a bit. I figured it would be best for me to stay away from him as a whole. Especially today, we had our quidditch match against Hufflepuff. It didn't help that Cedric was Hufflepuff's seeker, even worse Ben was one of their beaters. But if there was one thing I knew I was solid at, it was catching a damn snitch.

"Malfoy!" I turn around to face Marcus Flint, the captain, as I finish putting on my glove. "You got this. Diggory's fast, you know that. But you're smaller and swifter, you know what to do?" I nod. "Let's go!" he calls out to the team and we make our way out to the pitch. Clutching my Firebolt, the Slytherin team makes our way out to face the Hufflepuffs.

"I want a clean, fair game, got it?" Madam Hooch says. "Captain's shake hands." Marcus glares at Cedric as he gives his hand a firm shake. "Positions! Aaaand GO!"

"And they're off!" yells Lee Jordan as quidditch players shoot up into the air. Immediately Graham Montague, grabs the quaffle and scores in Hufflepuffs goal, passing the keeper. "Montague scores! Slytherin is in the lead with 10 points!" As the game goes on for about 20 minutes, both Cedric and I are high up in the air, searching for the snitch. Suddenly, across the field, I see a small glint of gold flutter by the Gryffindor stands. Immediately, I dive across the field heading towards the snitch. Unfortunately, Cedric wasn't daft and chased after it too. We were neck in neck, he was on my right chasing after the same thing I was. I reach my hand out, just about to grab the snitch. Out of nowhere, something pounds into my shoulder and sends me off my broom as I plummet to the ground.

"Ben Harris has hit Tessa Malfoy with a bludger! That's got to hurt!" Lee Jordan calls out.

"Time out! Time out!" I hear Marcus call from the air as I groan, rolling over.

"Malfoy! You good?" Adrian Pucey says as he helps me sit up. Instead of replying, I pop my shoulder back into place and wince. By now not only was the Slytherin team gathered around us, but so was Hufflepuff. I guess Cedric had headed down instead of trying to catch the Snitch after I fell.

"Do you need to sit out Malfoy?" Marcus asks. I look over to my right and grab my broom with my good arm and stand up.

"Hell no."

"Malfoy, your shoulder is fucked up," Adrian points out.

"I don't care. I want to win," I say simply. Marcus sends thumbs up to Madam Hooch, signaling we're going to play.

"Looks like Malfoy's okay! Strong girl, she is. The game is tied, someone needs to catch the snitch to win this game!" Lee Jordan announces.

"Tess are you-" Cedric starts, but I push past him heading to the center of the field. I need to focus. There's no way we're losing this game, not on my watch. Madam Hooch blows the whistle once again and we shoot up in the air. I have to admit, it's a bit harder to fly around with my shoulder injury, but at this point I can't give up. I decided to go with the method that helped me win the last quidditch game I played before I left. I fly up higher and higher into the pitch until I am not seen.

"It looks like Malfoy is going for an overhead approach?" Lee Jordan says, confused murmurs surface after. I watch below in the clouds as my teammates throw the Quaffle back and forth. But most importantly, I watch Cedric spot the snitch. I watch him as he goes after it, while from the clouds I follow above him. Just as he is about to wrap his fingers around the snitch, I dive in at the last second from above and grab it before he can even blink. "And Tessa Malfoy catches the snitch! Slytherin has won the game!" I make my way down to the ground and hop off my broom. My team cheers as I proudly hold the snitch up in the air.

"I knew you could do it Malfoy!" Marcus says grabbing my injured shoulder, he lets go immediately after he realizes what he did. "Is your shoulder okay?" I gently pull down the left part of my uniform revealing my shoulder that is extremely bruised and purple.

"We should probably get you to the hospital wing," Adrian says, I nod in agreement. I might've popped out my shoulder, but I won this game, that's all that mattered.