It's All in How you Play
By SilvyrWing
Chapter One – Slytherin Versus GryffindorIt had been a few years since anyone had played Quidditch. Some said eight, others said nine. The truth was actually somewhere around eight and a half, but the time didn't matter as much as the fact that, well, it just hadn't been played. Professional teams still met, of course… The players were even known to say that the risk made it all the more entertaining. Of course, the games were always rather secretive, though, and it wasn't until a day before a contest was actually played that anyone knew where it was going to be. It was, after all, for everyone's personal safety.
School matches, however, were a different story. With He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on the loose, most headmasters and headmistresses thought it better if the sport was just cut out of school schedules altogether. There was protest, of course, but there was always a chance that He could get in… And while security of the world's magical schools had never been breeched, the Ministry of Magic had decided unanimously that the Quidditch field was (If there was such a place) the most dangerous place on school grounds. They strongly urged the individual institutions to heed their warnings – or face heavy repercussions.
The Ayers Rock Academy of Sorcery in Australia pulled their program first, followed by the Salem Witchcraft and Wizardry school in North America. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons held out until almost the very end, and it wasn't until the Ministry visited Hogwarts personally that their program went down.
All because of the fear of a wizard. True, it was a wizard-gone-bad, but still, just a wizard. Paranoia ran high in those days, and it wasn't until an infant somehow defeated the Dark Lord that order started to return among those that practiced magic.
It was almost two years to the day since Lily and James Potter had died; two years since young Harry Potter went into hiding. Two years since Voldemort disappeared…
And Quidditch was returning to Hogwarts.
Bradley Orff held a yellowed, nearly disintegrating copy of the Daily Prophet out to his team so they could see the headline right on the front page. He had folded and unfolded the paper so much, that the words were almost unreadable… But no one actually had to focus on the body of the text; it was the headline that the captain of the Slytherin team wanted the others to see.
They were assembled in the locker room, all fully robed in emerald green. Their dragonhide gloves and boots were well-polished, and those that actually had their own brooms were still putting the finishing touches on their before-match upkeep. There was a long silence as they all looked at the front page… It wasn't that they hadn't seen it before, it was just that none of them could really believe it was true. "Quidditch Flies Home to Hogwarts" was clearly printed above the smiling faces of the four house captains.
"We have a lot to prove, I suppose," Brad said, finally lowering the paper. The rest looked at him, almost stunned by the presence of a voice in what had been a quiet locker room. He let that sink in… It was rumored that You-Know-Who had been, at one point in his life, in Slytherin house. The rest of the school knew it, and Slytherin wasn't exactly the most popular house in which to belong. Brad's dark eyes briefly rested on Lucas…
Lucas Redmond, perhaps, had the most to prove. His family supported Voldemort, and while they weren't Death Eaters, they certainly weren't reformed sinners. It was a wonder Luc turned out the way he had. He was quiet, sitting in the farthest corner of the locker room, hood pulled up almost over his blue eyes. A couple strands of blonde hair fell across his face. Despite the fact that he was quite shy, the boy nearly always accomplished what he wanted. Though somewhat of a follower, he was physically strong, and made a great Beater. He nodded a bit, indicating that he'd understood the captain's meaning. Brad moved on.
"This is the first game played at Hogwarts in almost nine years. I want you to have fun… But not too much fun." His eyes moved to Ryan Delveccio, one of his Chasers. The boy was quite a practical joker… Even looked the part. His long red hair was currently tied back, and his green eyes, usually alight with some sort of mischief, were currently focused and serious. Hopefully that seriousness would carry on through the game. Though Brad noticed the green and silver bumblebee-striped socks that stuck out above the top of the Chaser's boots, he thought it wise not to mention that they were against team dresscode – lest he find a creative hex on his broom during the next practice.
"I want a clean game," he said, looking next to another of his Chasers – Alexia Valenteen. She was known to have a rather nasty temper at times. "No hexes, illegal hits, or unsportsmanlike conduct. I mean it, Lex," he added, as she rolled her pale eyes. Her hair, too, was tied back. It was quite long, and as they'd been practicing in the rain, it looked almost black instead of its usual deep brown.
"You, too, Green," he continued, turning his attention to his last chaser. Viridian Green preferred to go by his last name for obvious reasons. Tall, dark, and powerful, he preferred to use intelligence rather than force to evade and stump his opponents. Brad was sure he'd figured out a way to use hexes, or at least some kind of potion, as their last practice has sent the other two Chasers to the infirmary with sneezing fits. Alexia chuckled a bit; Brad had a feeling she knew exactly what Green did, and she certainly wasn't telling.
"We're hoping for a quick game, since it's a bit stormy out…"
Green stood up, waiting to be addressed. Brad nodded to him. "I'm just wondering how you intend to do that, Brad. It's pouring out there."
Kylee Hasek stood, too. She was a little girl, and only in her second year at Hogwarts. Her skin was pale, and was, perhaps, made even lighter by very dark hair and eyes. She was also known to come down with some sort of illness and reside in the hospital wing for long periods of time. The fact was, she was fast, and she was dedicated, and Slytherin could not have asked for a better Seeker. When she spoke, her voice was soft, but firm. "It's been raining here constantly for… What? A month now? I think I'll be able to find the Snitch. I mean, I've been practicing in weather like this."
"That's the spirit, Kylee," Ryan interjected. He turned his attention toward the window, which was covered in a sheet of water. "'Course, I'm going to have a bit o' trouble findin' the Quidditch Pitch, myself, and that's a lot bigger than—"
"Alright, Ryan," Brad snapped. Green and Kylee sat back down on the bench as their captain paced a bit. "Positive. We need to think positive. And we need to win this game to prove that we're not the awful house everyone thinks we are."
Alexia stood. "Well, if you'd just let us—"
"No. No, I want this done fairly. That's how it's gonna be, guys. No questions. But I'm also not going to accept Slytherin walking off the field without a win, so figure out another way."
Somewhat miffed, Alexia thumped back down into her seat, glancing at her watch. "Twenty minutes left 'til we're due on the field."
"Which means a half hour 'til gametime," Brad finished, pacing in the other direction. "Cory, keep the Quaffle out of the rings."
"That's my job, Cap'n." He mock-saluted, tossing a bit of light brown hair out of similarly-colored eyes as he did so. Cory Emiz, tall and quick, was a superb Keeper… But he'd never been tested in a game situation before. Brad was afraid he'd crack under the pressure.
"I guess that's it, then," Brad shrugged, turning around to get the bats out of a locker. Keeping one, he threw the other to Lucas, who nearly dropped it before catching it. Hopefully, that wasn't a sign. The last thing they needed was to be dropping things all over the place while they were out there. He was about to send the team out to the field, but when he turned, he noticed Ryan standing importantly in front of the others, looking ridiculously pompous.
"I'd also like to remind our Chasers to score, our Seeker to seek, and our Beaters to… Well, I suppose it'd be unsportsmanlike to try to hit people with bludgers, wouldn't it? So I'd like to kindly remind our beaters to string together some flower chains while we're up there…"
"Legal hits," Alexia chuckled, beaning Ryan with a practice Quaffle as she pushed past him and headed toward the field. The tension was broken, and the others followed her, laughing and talking as if none of them had even heard a word their captain had said. Picking up the Quaffle, Brad studied it momentarily, before stuffing it in a locker and heading out toward the Pitch.
All he wanted was a win.
---
There were fourteen of them hovering above the field, dressed in robes of red and green. From the stands, it almost looked as if there were living Christmas decorations gracing the very sky. Flags and banners of similar colors popped up here and there among the students who had come to watch the game. Some were rooting for Slytherin, while others clearly cheered on Gryffindor. Most were bewitched in some way, and Brad, for one, found the flashing colors somewhat distracting. It wouldn't be easy to block them out, and with the roar of the crowd around them, it wouldn't exactly be easy to give mid-air direction to his team, either. At least the rain had let up to a drizzle. Grey clouds still hung in the air, but they wouldn't have to worry about getting the sun in their eyes.
He stared across the field at their rivals, and was satisfied to note that they, too, looked a bit nervous. One of their number – Brad wasn't quite sure which – went by the name of Charlie Weasley, and was supposed to be superb in nearly all the positions on the field. He was the one to worry about, as rumors spread through the school like wildfire about how he was going to easily crush Slytherin into powder, then sweep the pitch with their broomsticks after the game.
"Captains, shake hands," Madame Hooch called from below them. Brad almost forgot about that little formality, and was caught so off guard by it, that he dipped his broom a little too fast, and almost toppled himself right onto the field. There was a bit of laughter from the Gryffindor stand… He ignored it.
A tall red-haired boy approached him as he finally managed to jump off the broom and safely onto the grass. Their dragonhide gloves met in a handshake, the leather creaking as one tried to break the others' fingers… Neither was sure who'd initiated the spur-of-the-moment wrestling match, but it took Madame Hooch's intervention to pull them apart. They stared each other down for a moment, and the red-headed captain finally offered a slight smile and a nod, before mounting his broom and kicking back into the air. A moment later, Brad did likewise.
It happened in the blink of an eye… Hooch tossed the Quaffle into the air as she kicked open the restraints holding down the Bludgers. Two black iron objects went hurtling past Brad's head, just as Green claimed the Quaffle and headed down into the Gryffindor Zone. The Snitch, likely, had also been released, but it wasn't Brad's job to watch for that.
It wasn't until he was in formation behind Green that he even noticed that someone was commentating the game. The boy's voice – whomever it was – was nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
"What a beautiful day it is today, folks! And the very first Quidditch game in years! Traditionally, the first match of the season pits Slytherin against Gryffindor…"
Green passed the Quaffle off to Alexia, who lost it to one of the Gryffindor chasers. In some sort of move he'd likely invented on his own, Ryan leaped over the opposing Chaser, seized the Quaffle, and continued on his merry way down the field. It actually took Gryffindor a moment to realize they were no longer in possession, and by the time they did, Ryan had scored. A roar went up from the Slytherin stands.
The commentator continued. "That's ten points to Slytherin, folks. Goal by fourth year Ryan Delveccio, whom if I'm not mistaken, is also famous within Hogwarts for his ineptitude with transfiguration—"
Again, Brad tuned him out as the Gryffindor keeper lobbed the Quaffle down the field to a rather slender female chaser. Wheeling around, he got as near as he dared to a flying Bludger, which changed direction to pursue him. Smacking it toward the slender girl, his breath caught in his throat as Alexia got just a bit too close, and would have gotten hit if it weren't for the Gryffindor Beater defending his own Chaser. Lex veered out of the way, completely missing the opportunity to defend, and Cory found himself blocking his first shot.
Lex circled the hoops, and Cory tossed the Quaffle to her, whispering something as he did so. She nodded, and circled the hoops once more as Lucas caught up so he could flank her down the field.
It was about then that they all heard the unmistakable sound of a Bludger being launched from the bat of one of the Beaters, and Alexia quickly passed to Ryan, who passed down the field to Green. As Alexia managed to get clear, Lucas counterattacked, sending the Bludger back toward the beater who'd launched it in the first place. Green passed the Quaffle back to Alexia, who had, in that time, slipped through the other team's Chasers, and she got her first shot away. It was, unfortunately, stopped.
The game went on this way for over an hour. Certainly, neither team wanted to back off, and by the time Brad finally raised his hand to call for a timeout, the score was dead even at eighty to eighty.
Tired beyond belief, the Slytherins landed at the base of their goal posts as far away down the field from the Gryffindors as they could manage. Brad looked at his team, noting the redness in their faces, and the heavy breathing. This was normal, due to the high-contact nature of the game. What wasn't normal was the fact that Kylee was also looking winded, and she'd spent the entire game circling the field looking for the Snitch. Not exactly a tough job…
"You all okay?" Brad asked, mostly for his Seeker. They all nodded. "This is going to be one of those games where the winner's the one that gets the Snitch…"
"They're almost all like that, you doof," Ryan spat. It was possible that he was attempting to be humorous, but he came off as being severely annoyed.
Brad continued. "This one especially. Kylee, have you seen the Snitch at all?"
"Only once, at the edge of the field. I lost it once I started after it." She was doubled over, trying to catch breath that shouldn't have been absent.
Momentarily taken aback, Brad paused before saying, "Well. Keep on it."
She nodded.
"We can do this, guys. I'm proud of you… You know Gryffindor's supposed to be the favorite this year, and we're holding 'em at a standoff. Let's finish this." Brad put his hand into the middle of their huddle, and they all followed suit. It wasn't until he'd counted to three that he realized that he hadn't told them what to shout; that was okay. Each figured out something to yell to make noise… Whatever Ryan shouted sounded suspiciously like "Pork Patties."
Hooch blew her whistle, and they all took to the sky again, feeling much better after their short break.
---
Ten minutes later, there was a great cry from the stands as Kylee spotted the Snitch. Determined not to lose it this time, she dove after it, following the movement of the tiny golden ball with her eyes as it weaved in an out of Chasers and Beaters. Some of them had stopped to watch the game, while others listlessly carried the Quaffle back and forth on the field to make it at least look like they were doing something. Feeling a sudden rush of air beside her, she saw that the Gryffindor seeker was neck-and-neck with her… And out of the corner of her eye, she could also see that he was on a Comet Two-Sixty. Her broom was outclassed by several years.
He was speeding up beside her, red hair tossed about by the wind they were creating between them. It was distracting, though she couldn't tear her eyes away from the tiny silver fluttering wings just in front of her. She had to concentrate. Had to keep on it… But he was pulling ahead, and Kylee's broom was already going as fast as it could go.
She barely registered the encouragement of her team as she went soaring around the Gryffindor rings, just a jump behind the red-haired chaser. The maneuver cost him in speed, as he was a bit larger than her. Kylee was able to surge ahead…
She reached out her hand, just about to close her fingers around the Snitch… It was close, so close, getting closer. She could detect the other Chaser nearing it, too, just off to her side. If she didn't get it now… Stretching a little farther with her left arm, she was just in the right position to grab it when the exertion caused a familiar tightening in her chest. Suddenly, Kylee was incapacitated by a coughing fit and had to pull out of the chase
When she next looked up, the rest of the Gryffindor team was mobbing the red-haired boy, congratulating him for netting them the first Quidditch win at Hogwarts in almost nine years.