Chapter Six: The Underdog
Dear Scorpius,
It's wonderful to hear that all of your hard work has paid off and that you've been placed on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. That's such an honor, Scorp - remember to play hard; you'll always have to prove yourself as a first-year on the Quidditch pitch. If you remember everything that Mrs. Aerpuff told you, I'm sure you'll bring the Gryffindor Quidditch team some glory.
You can imagine that I'm not jumping up and down at the news that you're a Gryffindor, but I'm still very proud of you. I'm a little disappointed that you won't be able to experience the mysteries and glory of the Slytherin House, but at least you're not a Hufflepuff. If you're a Gryffindor, you must be somewhat different than I was at your age; and trust me, you want to be very different than I was. In a way, I'm glad you're not surrounded by the shifty classmates you would've been affiliating with had you been placed in Slytherin House this year - you know, the students whose parents and grandparents are in Azkaban.
I've also received a letter from Headmaster Flitwick regarding the incident in the Dark Forest - I'm relieved that you're alright and immensely proud that you managed to fight off some vampires! It's great to know that you're already making a name for yourself at such a young age. The fact that you saved Mr. Potter's children and the Weasley kids is something to be proud of, as well; those families will owe you a lot for saving their kids. You're playing your cards well, Scorp!
Much love,
Dad
Scorpius read the letter through a few times, frowning. He was sitting in the Great Hall; it was only an hour from his first Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. He had been very nervous about the match until the letter from his father arrived; however, after reading the letter, Scorpius felt worse. His father was actually convinced that Scorpius had only saved the Potters and the Weasleys so that they would owe him something; this could not be farther from the truth. That's why he was a Slytherin and you were a Gryffindor...
"What's up?" Albus asked as he munched on a piece of toast. Rose was sitting next to him, reading Quidditch Through the Ages. After practice last night, she had suggested it to Scorpius, but he refused; he had already read the book multiple times. Although Rose wasn't a huge fan of Quidditch, she seemed to be completely immersed in the book.
"I just got a letter from my dad," said Scorpius, handing his letter over to Albus. "He's convinced that I'm using you guys so that your family will owe me something... typical, coming from a Slytherin, I guess..."
"Macnair!" Albus exclaimed suddenly as he read through the letter, throwing his toast onto his plate. His outburst earned him many stares from the Hufflepuff table and from the Gryffindors sitting around him. Glancing worriedly at them, Albus's voice turned into a whisper. "I just realized! His parents were arrested by my dad for performing the Cruciatus Curse on a few Muggle-borns in the Ministry. I thought his name sounded familiar..."
"What a piece of scum," Scorpius growled aloud, his eyes searching for Macnair's dark face among the Slytherin table. Macnair, however, was not present; Scorpius spotted Rowle and Wren Dolohov, but Macnair was missing. Scorpius figured that Macnair was sleeping in; what reason would the prick have to come to a Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Quidditch match?
"Really..." Albus said, tossing Scorpius back his letter. "Funny how your dad thinks you only saved us so our families would owe you something," Albus laughed, as if the fact that Scorpius was using his friendship for revenge was ridiculous. "Imagine if you told him you were friends with us!"
"It'll slip out eventually," grinned Scorpius as he felt two pairs of hands pat him on the back. Turning around, Scorpius saw James Potter and Fred Weasley smiling down at him. They, like Scorpius, were dressed in their maroon Quidditch robes.
"Ready for the big game, Scorpius?" smirked Fred, pulling Scorpius up from the table. "Oaks and Thomas are already in the changing rooms. I don't think they even had breakfast."
"Why's that?" asked Scorpius, waving good-bye to Albus and Rose as he was dragged from the Great Hall by the two cousins. Right before he exited the Hall, Scorpius saw Albus and Rose mouthing 'good luck!' to him. Scorpius felt his heart swell; their optimism made him feel more confident about the game.
"You heard what they said last night," James said, opening the front gates of the castle. The chilly fall air whipped their faces as they stepped outside. Light clouds obscured the sun as the wind whistled around the grounds. This made Scorpius feel apprehensive; they had never practiced in this sort of wind, let alone played in it. Closing his eyes from the harsh gust, James continued, "Hufflepuff has lost most of their team; they were basically a bunch of seventh-years last year."
"And with some new talent on the team..." Fred winked at Scorpius, "Oaks and Jane are hoping that we can squeeze a quick lead out of Hufflepuff and knick the Snitch before they do," Fred suddenly glanced behind the three, making sure no one was around, and added in a whisper to Scorpius: "don't tell anyone I said this, but Spence is a real drag on the team. I bet you've noticed in practice; Spence can't spot the Snitch to save his life! Oaks is too good of friends with him to let him go, though..."
"I swear he's half-blind," muttered James mutinously, kicking a stray blade of grass to let out his anger, "He's the real reason why Gryffindor has stunk the past decade and a half; the Snitch is everything in Quidditch! You'd think Oaks would see sense enough to know that Spence is a disastrous Seeker..." James sighed, shrugging. "Al's a pretty good Seeker, and that's coming from me. If only Oaks held a true tryout for all positions and not just Chaser..."
James and Fred stopped their rant when the three Quidditch players arrived at the Quidditch pitch. The trio of Gryffindors made their way over to the Gryffindor changing rooms. As they walked in, they saw that Oaks and Jane Thomas were in the middle of a heated discussion.
"If you want the team to win the Cup, Tiger, you're really going to have to consider other options!" Jane Thomas snapped at Oaks as James, Fred and Scorpius shuffled in. She looked up, surprised; for a moment, there was a flicker of fear in her eyes, but then her gaze softened. She glanced angrily at Oaks, who was looking stubborn, and nodded in welcome to Fred, James and Scorpius.
Jane Thomas kicked Oaks in the shins and he looked over at the three newest arrivals, looking highly embarrassed. "H-hello!" he stammered, immediately standing up and striding towards the center of the room, "Uh, anyway; Jane, we'll talk later..." Jane looked mutinous, but Oaks didn't seem to notice. "But we have most of our team here, so we can get started on strategies, I guess..."
For the next five minutes, Oaks went over the plays that the team had practiced the previous night. Most of them were Chaser plays, so Fred and James were hardly paying attention. As Oaks finished his third explanation for the Scottish Duck and Weave, the other two members of the team arrived. Sam Spikes was a broad-shouldered, very tough looking sixth-year; however, his looks were quite deceiving as he was very kind and cheerful. Peter Spence was an arrogant, gloating seventh-year that argued with the whole team; except for his best friend, Oaks.
"Alright, now that we're all here, let's talk about Hufflepuff," Oaks said as the two boys took their seats around the whiteboard, "Like what I said last night; Hufflepuff plays fair, but they're very tough. They're not very fast, but they can easily spot dodges and can tackle you right off your brooms. They have stellar aim with their Bludgers, so we'll have to watch out for that, as well."
Scorpius heard a loud noise that sounded strangely distant; the noise continued to grow until it became a loud, excited roar that made Scorpius's head ache. Glancing around the room, Scorpius noticed that the rest of the team had noticed the noise, too. Oaks's expression was grave as he tapped his broom on the ground; his expression softened as he nodded encouragingly to his team. "I can hear the crowd..." he said, a flicker of anxiety gleaming in his eyes, "It's time, guys. Let's go."
Scorpius, along with the rest of the team, walked over to the cubbies where their brooms, robes and clothes were stored. Scorpius grabbed his Firebolt IV and followed his team out of the changing rooms and towards the Quidditch pitch. Once the Gryffindor team emerged onto the field, they were greeted with a loud, earsplitting roar. Scorpius immediately figured out the loud noise he had heard in the changing rooms; it was the crowd, roaring and stomping. Everyone in the stands seemed to be on their feet, screaming, clapping, booing or hissing. Scorpius felt a little nauseous.
Across the field, Scorpius saw the Hufflepuff team file onto the pitch. Their robes were a bright, canary yellow with black trim. Their captain strode forward into the center of the field; her team followed her, glaring and sneering at their Gryffindor opponents. Scorpius walked away from James and Fred and took his place on the left of Tiger Oaks; his position was Left Chaser.
Oaks strutted to the center of the field; his broad-chest puffed out and his eyes narrowed at the Hufflepuff captain. The Hufflepuff captain looked strangely familiar; Scorpius felt like he should have recognized her. Oaks and the Hufflepuff Captain shook hands. After they shook hands, a voice boomed over the roar of the crowd; it was magically magnified. Scorpius craned his neck towards the scoreboard and saw a freckled, blonde-haired boy sitting next to the scoreboard. He winked at James and Fred, and Scorpius recognized him immediately: the commentator of the match was Louis Weasley.
"And the Gryffindor Captain, Tiger Oaks, and the Hufflepuff Captain, Victoire Weasley - " A Weasley! That's why I thought I knew her... " - shake hands. Yes, for all wondering, Victoire is indeed my sister but I'll be rooting against her because I'm a Gryffindor, of course! Sorry, Professor, I'll be less biased, I promise - " Louis directed his comment to an angry Professor Winston, " - break a leg, Vicky! Literally. Anyway, some fun facts before the match starts... Oaks is a Chaser while Victoire is a Beater, kind of a strange position for a girl if you ask me, but there you have it. Now, the Quaffle is about to be released by our referee today, please welcome Madame Hooch..."
A woman who reminded Scorpius of a hawk was standing in the center of the circle; one hand holding the Quaffle, and the other hand clasping two Bludgers and the Snitch. Her robes were a bright purple and had the Hogwarts crest emblazoned in the middle.
"And the match will begin in three... two... one... go!"
Madame Hooch released the Quaffle, which spun into the air; it became a red, spinning blur. Out of the corner of his eye, Scorpius saw the Snitch disappear and the Bludgers whip into the air. Focusing his attention back onto the Quaffle, Scorpius immediately swerved left when he saw that Oaks had gained possession of the Quaffle. Scorpius's broom was too fast for the Hufflepuff Right-Chaser guarding him; Grayson Robbins. Scorpius flew past the third-year and cut into the middle of the field, extending his arm to show Oaks that he was open.
Oaks was being flanked by the other two Hufflepuff Chasers; Dominique Weasley and Layden Macmillan. Spotting Scorpius, Oaks immediately released the Quaffle. The pass was aimed perfectly, the Quaffle connected with Scorpius's hand and Scorpius grabbed it, shoving it under his arm as he streaked towards the goalposts. The Hufflepuff Keeper stopped him, snarling; Scorpius recognized him as Vincent Vermont. Vermont was very wide, with huge shoulders and large, muscular arms. Using his small size to his advantage, Scorpius baited the gigantic Keeper one way and zoomed the next, easily bypassing him. Grinning with joy, Scorpius tossed the Quaffle into the center hoop and heard a 'ding!' as the goal was counted by the scoreboard.
A huge eruption of cheers greeted him from the Gryffindor stands as Scorpius was surrounded by his teammates. James and Fred each gave him a friendly punch in the arm, while Jane Thomas and Oaks hugged him. Spence was too busy looking for the Snitch and Spikes was too far away, but they each gave him a thumbs-up as the Gryffindor team made their way back to the center of the field.
"And Scorpius Malfoy scores! It's ten to zero Gryffindor - yes, Hufflepuff, you were just scored on by a first-year. Kind of pathetic, if you ask me - sorry, Professor Winston, I know you're team's losing, but - okay, I was kidding! I didn't mean to be disrespectful, sir - "
Madame Hooch paused to allow Louis Weasley and Professor Winston to settle their quarrel; a few moments passed, and Louis gained control of the commentary again. As he was leading a cheer for Gryffindor, the Quaffle was released.
This time, Grayson Robbins grabbed the Quaffle and charged forward. As Scorpius flew forward to defend him, Robbins crashed into Tiger Oaks and dropped the Quaffle. Seizing his opportunity, Oaks snatched the Quaffle and hurled it down the field to Jane Thomas, who was wide open. She easily dodged Vermont and flung the Quaffle into the left ring; there was a 'ding!' and the Gryffindor section exploded in cheers.
The Hufflepuff game was an exciting blur for Scorpius. Him, Oaks and Thomas worked perfectly together: the slow, confused Hufflepuffs were no match for the quick Gryffindor Chasers. In the middle of the game, Scorpius completely lost count of the amount of goals he had scored. The current score was one-hundred-and-eighty to zero; the Quaffle hadn't even gotten close to Spikes the entire game.
The Quaffle was released for the umpteenth time; this round, Scorpius was the one who snatched it out of the air and sprinted towards the goalposts. His Firebolt IV was unrivaled by any other broom on the field; he heard the familiar 'ooo's and 'ahh's as his broom ripped towards the Hufflepuff end. Right as Scorpius was winding up to chuck the Quaffle into the right goalpost, there was a whistle. A second after, he heard a whizzing sound and ducked right; a moment later, a stray Bludger whirled right by him.
This distraction caused Scorpius to miss the event that had caused the whistle. Louis's commentary quickly brought him up to date. "And the Hufflepuff Seeker, Ms. Sara Lampert, grabs the Snitch right under Sam Spence's nose!" Scorpius heard Louis mutter something that sounded like 'no surprise, really'. "And Hufflepuff gets the Snitch - " The Hufflepuff end began to cheer; Scorpius almost rolled his eyes. Hufflepuff had still lost even though they caught the Snitch first, why were they cheering? " - but Gryffindor wins! Hufflepuff's ten-year winning streak ends today! Your favorite underdogs, the Gryffindor Quidditch team, is victorious!"
Scorpius whooped; punching a fist in the air as he descended towards the ground. As he landed, he felt himself being tackled by an elated James and Fred. The next thing he knew, the whole team was hugging each other, thrusting their fists in the air and jumping up and down. A few seconds later, they were joined by the Gryffindor section; everyone was yelling, screaming and celebrating. Scorpius felt as if he was surrounded by a thousand people; the feeling was incredible.
Louis still clutched the magical microphone as he ran over to high-five James and Fred. He nimbly dodged Professor Winston, who was chasing after him with angry expression on his face. Sparing a moment to laugh at the scene, Scorpius then turned around to face the roaring crowd that was applauding and cheering at the top of their lungs.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first time that Gryffindor - that any team - has beat the Hufflepuff squad in ten years!" exclaimed Louis. He was now in the middle of the crowd; Professor Winston's large body wasn't able to fit through the crowd, so Louis could say whatever he wanted now. There was a smug, satisfied expression on the blonde Weasley boy's face as he spoke. "This is the first time the Gryffindor Quidditch team has won a match in five years... is that correct, Oaks? Sorry, I meant no offense - it's correct, Jane? - Alright, sorry - the first time Gryffindor has won a Quidditch match in seven years!"
The mass of gold and maroon waved and cheered at Louis's words. As Scorpius was hoisted onto Spikes's broad shoulders, he saw the Hufflepuff fans stalking away; some threw their scarves and ties on the ground and proceeded to stomp on them angrily. This brought Scorpius immense joy; he let out a triumphant yell and pumped his first in the air. The rest of the crowd was staring up at Scorpius; they looked at him punching his fists in the air and followed suit. Soon, all of the Gryffindor fans were throwing their fists in the air and whooping as if the whole House had choreographed some sort of dance. Scorpius couldn't see a single person in the Gryffindor crowd that wasn't cheering at the top of their lungs.
" - same squad as last year, except for the addition of a first-year - yes, ladies and gentlemen, I suppose a first-year does change the team quite a bit - how many goals did he score, Mr. Trent? Seven? Seven goals for Mr. Scorpius Malfoy!" The crowd erupted in cheers. "Nine goals for Mr. Tiger Oaks and three goals for Ms. Jane Thomas! Gryffindor has a pretty powerful Chaser line-up as you can see, we never really got to see Spikes's talent due to the fact that the Quaffle never reached the Gryffindor end - "
Scorpius and the rest of the Gryffindor team were lifted and dragged back to the Common Room by an elated crowd; the Gryffindor crowd's cheers echoed through the halls. The cheering was loud and raucous, but Scorpius loved every second of it. If Scorpius wasn't a Gryffindor, he would've been highly annoyed. However, Scorpius was a Gryffindor, and he was proud of it, no matter what his father thought. Scorpius wanted to remember this memory forever; he had finally found his true place at Hogwarts.
Thanks guys for the support, honestly I'd love some more followers but I figure that'll come soon; my fic is fairly new, after all. Again, I love the reviews, they really keep me going, so please continue to write them... thanks! x
