Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!
"Katie! Katie! Wake up, it's the first match of the season against Slytherin today!" Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet bounced on her bed.
"Mmm," Katie groaned. She was not a morning person at all.
"Come on, you need your strength today!" Angelina pulled her out of bed and tossed Quidditch robes to her. "We'll see you downstairs!"
After she finished braiding a crown into her head and pony tailing it, she finally made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
"Prepare to get crushed today, Bell," a gruff, husky voice drawled as she subsequently got yanked by her ponytail. She turned to see none other than the Slytherin Quidditch captain with his usual smirk on his face.
"Break a leg, Flint. Do you mind?"
"Do I mind what?" he asked innocently.
"My hair," Katie said through gritted teeth. "Pull any harder and you'll rip it all out!"
After a few more seconds, he finally let go. "Let's see you fly in circles now. I tend to cause migraines after stuff like that."
"Ugh, leave me alone!" she grumbled and walked away.
She took a spot next to Angelina and Alicia and munched on some wheat toast with butter and a blueberry scone.
"What kept you?" Alicia asked.
"Stupid Flint grabbed me by my hair on my way down," she rolled her eyes.
"That arse!" Angelina scowled in his direction. "Don't worry, Katie. We'll rip him to shreds on the pitch today. Isn't that right, Alicia?"
"Of course," she agreed.
"Okay everyone," Oliver Wood stood in front of everyone. "This is it. This may be the first time ever we could beat Slytherin in a Quidditch match. We've got the best talent in Gryffindor history. Remember, Slytherin plays dirty so watch out and don't be afraid to draw the penalty. Clear? Alright. Let's go."
He then went to Katie, who tried not to show any signs of nervousness. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.
"Nervous," Katie admitted, thinking of Marcus Flint's threat. "They're all so big. What if they hurt me?"
"Fred and George are the best beaters we have," he assured her. "They'll be looking out for you."
She gave him a small smile as he turned to give Potter a pep-talk. She clutched her Cleansweep Seven in hand and followed her teammates onto the center of the field for the captains' handshake.
"Captains, shake hands."
Flint and Wood looked at each other intensely, trying to crush each others' fingers. While giving Wood his death grip, Flint stole a menacing, determined look at Katie Bell. She pretended not to be scared. He was, after all, four years older than her and very large in frame compared to her.
"Players, mount your brooms."
They did not have to wait for her to tell them. Everyone had already been in the air before she could say "brooms." Madame Hooch released the Quaffle and the Golden Snitch, and the game began.
Katie quickly dove at the Quaffle and sped away with it towards the Slytherin goals, passing it smoothly back and forth with Angelina Johnson. Alicia Spinnet was not far behind in between the two, ready to provide back-up. After a double-pass from Angelina and Alicia, Katie volleyed it into the goal with her foot into the second-highest post.
"AND GRYFFINDOR'S NEWEST CHASER SCORES THE FIRST GOAL! TEN POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!"
The three girls high-fived each other and started after the Slytherin chasers.
"Take him over there!" Angelina pointed towards Marcus Flint.
"Are you crazy?" Katie yelled back. "You go, you're bigger and stronger!"
"You're the fastest," Alicia called. "He won't know what hit him. Now go before he catches you!"
Katie's eyes narrowed as she came up next to him and attempted to punch the Quaffle from under his arm. He saw her and bumped her hard enough to veer her off the path. She bounced back and played him at his own game. After gaining enough momentum, she smacked into him as hard as he could. He barely moved a foot, but she had managed to knock the Quaffle out of his grip and sped towards the ground after it. She steered upwards and called out, "Alicia! Shot!"
With that, Gryffindor had scored another goal.
Meanwhile, Marcus Flint was getting furious. He sped over to his Beaters and said, "Get her square in the head. Have no mercy."
They nodded in agreement. However, Flint's orders were easier said than done. Katie was very fast and agile and had quick reflexes. It would take more than a few Bludgers to rattle her.
"I'll take care of her," Flint growled, and he sped off after her.
Katie did not have the Quaffle, but she was looking to receive a pass from Alicia, who was being blocked by the two other Slytherin Chasers.
"Alicia! Over here!" she called, but as she sped forward to catch it, Flint sped right into her extended arm in the shoulder area, jerking it backwards. "Ahh!" she cried out in pain, and had to resort to using her left arm to pass and receive while using her bad arm to hold on to her broomstick.
She glared angrily in Flint's direction, who only bared his teeth at her. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he said with utmost contempt.
Katie groaned in frustration. He did warn her, yes, but she never imagined that he would be so brutal. She was practically useless with one arm, so she simply covered for her teammates.
"How you doing over there, Katie?" Fred called.
"Eh, my right arm's busted. Aim a Bludger at Flint for me, will you?"
"My pleasure!" he said happily and whacked the nearest Bludger in Flint's direction, who missed it by inches.
"You alright there, Bell? Can you make it?" Wood called from the post.
"Yeah, I think I'll manage," she called out and proceeded to search for Angelina and Alicia.
She was distracted by the sight of Harry Potter nearly falling off his broom. "Wood!" she called out, trying to get his attention. "WOOD!" she tried again, louder this time. "OLIVER…"
But before she could finish yelling out his surname, Marcus Flint took the opportunity to take her by surprise and ram her as hard as he could against one of the spectator stands.
She did not scream or cry in pain like he had anticipated, but instead did not know what hit her. "What's…happening…to…"
Everything went black.
Okay so I've changed my mind. I think I'll extend this to end sometime around Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! Thank you to the two people who have added this story to their favorites list :] if you like this make sure to recommend it to others!