Against All Odds
By Allison Stolz
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and any of the characters. If I did, I would be an extremely rich British woman named J.K. Rowling and this story would actually be in a published book. Seeing as I'm not Jo, please don't sue me. The only thing that I take credit for is the plot line, the sarcasm, and the personalities that I've put into some of the characters.
–Allie
Ch. 8
The day of the first Quidditch match finally arrived. Sally-Anne and Susan had gotten up extra early in order to get decent seats at the pitch.
"Honestly," Hannah grumbled sleepily as Susan searched frantically for her scarf "it's seven o'clock in the bloody morning. What's so special about this stupid match anyways?"
Sally-Anne, who had just come out of the bathroom, reached for the nearest pillow and smacked Hannah in the head with it.
"Hey!"
Susan and Sally-Anne started giggling. They grabbed their coats and scarves, Susan finally found hers stuffed at the bottom of her trunk, and headed out of the room.
"We'll save you seats then shall we?" Sally-Anne asked the other girls in the room. She got a few mumbled answers in response.
Both Susan and Sally-Anne shrugged. The two girls bolted down the stairs and out of the common room, ignoring the calls from Justin and Ernie.
"This is going to be the best match," Susan squealed as they walked towards the great hall at a fast pace. It wasn't very crowded yet, and most of the students there were of Slytherin house.
"I hope Gryffindor kicks their arse!" Susan muttered as a few Slytherins sneered at them. Sally-Anne didn't say anything but nodded her head in agreement.
She had noticed some odd shaped badges, almost as if in the shape of a crown, pinned to each of the Slytherins. She couldn't read the inscription but pushed it out of her mind as she sat down.
Soon the great hall was filled with chattering students. Susan and Sally-Anne spent most of the breakfast hour nattering about how Gryffindor would leave Slytherin in the dust.
"How can you be so sure that Slytherin will lose?" Chuck had approached Sally-Anne from behind and was now settling himself down next to her. She groaned inwardly but plastered a smile on her face.
"Because we all know that Gryffindor is easily the best team there is," coming from a Hufflepuff quidditch player, this was particularly difficult to admit. Sally-Anne knew, however, that Gryffindor was the best team at Hogwarts.
"Listen Perks, Hopkins talked to me this morning about you being seeker."
Sally-Anne had chosen that moment to take a sip of her orange juice. The contents came spluttering out of her as well as a few well-chosen words.
"He – huh – I'll kill – he wasn't serious – I don't - "
Chuck frowned at her until she finally decided to give up talking.
"I think it's a good idea, actually," he stood up from the table.
"You do?"
"Yes, but unfortunately, I already found somebody."
Sally-Anne felt her spirits drop just a little but refused to let it show "Oh? Who?"
"Geoffrey Stebbins." He waved and walked off to join his friends at the opposite end of the table.
"You wanted to try out for the
seeker position?" Susan asked excitedly "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"It wasn't my idea,"
Sally-Anne took a bit of her toast "stupid Hopkins and his stupid ideas."
"Stupid am I?" a highly amused voice said from beside her. She turned to look and noticed that the boys had just sat down to join them.
"Yes," Sally-Anne stuck her nose in the air but couldn't help suppress a laugh.
It was then that a number of students began exiting the hall. Susan and Sally-Anne jumped from the table and dashed out before it became difficult to do so.
"Good morning Hermione!" Sally-Anne called to the girl in front of her. Hermione turned around and smiled when she saw Sally-Anne. Harry and Ron were standing in front of her; the later looking quite pale.
"Hello Sally-Anne."
"Good luck today Harry, Ron," Sally-Anne smiled politely "we look forward to you guys slaughtering Slytherin."
Susan giggled as Sally-Anne waved a goodbye.
"Slaughtering Slytherin?" Susan continued to laugh as they walked outside and headed for the Quidditch pitch. "That's a good one Sal."
As they reached the pitch and took their seats, many other students had begun to fill the stadium. Shortly afterwards, it had become filled and Hannah had finally joined them.
"How long have you guys been sitting out here?" she demanded as she sat down and shivered. "It's bloody freezing out here."
Sally-Anne looked down to the pitch and noted that the Slytherins were already waiting in the center. She craned her neck to the opposite side, and sure enough, the Gryffindors were walking out of the change rooms.
"Come on Gryffindor!" she cheered under her breath.
The captains, Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor and Montague of Slytherin, shook hands quickly. Madam Hooch's whistle could be heard seconds later as soon as the players had mounted their brooms.
The balls were released and all of the players shot into the air. The keepers sped off towards their goalposts, the seekers flew high into the air starting their search for the tiny golden snitch and the Quaffle began to be put into play.
"And it's Johnson – Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me – "
"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall could be heard yelling.
"– just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest – and she's ducked Warrington, she's passed Montague, she's – ouch – been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe … Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and – nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that's a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell, Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse-passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's away towards the Slytherin goal posts. She dodges Warrington, avoids a Bludger – close call, Alicia – and the crowd are loving this, just listen to them, what's that they're singing?"
Lee Jordan stopped his commentary and the voices rose even louder. Sally-Anne, Susan and Hannah looked at each other curiously before listening to the song.
Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why all Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King.
Weasley was born in a bin
He always let's the Quaffle in
Weasley will make sure we win
Weasley is our King.
"- and Alicia passes back to Angelina!" Lee began shouting to the crowd "Come on now Angelina – looks like she's just got the Keeper to beat! – SHE SHOOTS – SHE – aaaah …"
Bletchley had stopped Angelina from scoring and had now passed the Quaffle to Warrington. Sally-Anne tried to concentrate on the game but that blasted song was getting louder.
Weasley is our King,
Weasley is our King,
He always let's the Quaffle in
Weasley is our King.
Weasley cannot save a thing
He cannot block a single ring …
Sally-Anne strained her ears, trying to listen to the commentary, but the song was extremely hard to block out.
"- so it's first test for new Gryffindor Keeper Weasley, brother of beaters Fred and George, and a promising new talent on the team – come on, Ron!"
The commentary ended with a screech from the Slytherin supporters.
"Slytherins score! So that's ten-nil to Slytherin – bad luck, Ron."
WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN
HE ALWAYS LETS THE QUAFFLE IN
WEASLEY WILL MAKE SURE WE WIN
WEASLEY IS OUR KING!
The singing was getting even louder. Sally-Anne shot a glare towards the Slytherins, although she figured it wouldn't do much good.
"Oh! They're so terrible!" Susan wailed as she clenched her eyes shut.
"- And it's Warrington again, who passes to Pucey, Pucey's off past Spinnet, come on now, Angelina, you can take him – turns out you can't – but nice Bludger from Fred Weasley …"
Sally-Anne started watching Harry zoom around the pitch. He looked angry and determined and was flying around frantically.
"Are they even allowed to be singing something so vile?" Hannah shot her a curious look.
She sighed, "Unfortunately, they can do whatever. They're only supporting their team, and there's no rule against team spirit."
Hannah looked crestfallen.
"I'm sure Gryffindor will still win this thing!" she added as an afterthought "they are ten times better than Slytherin."
"- Johnson intervenes, Johnson takes the Quaffle, Johnson to Bell, this looks good – I mean bad – Bells hit by a Bludger from Goyle of Slytherin and it's Pucey in possession again …"
Sally-Anne gasped. Harry was now speeding off towards the Slytherin goalposts.
"LOOK!" She screamed loudly. Many of the people around her looked to see where she was pointing, others had already noticed. A red and green blur could be seen tearing off towards a tiny speckle of gold that was suspended a few feet off the ground.
Sally-Anne watched as the snitch zoomed towards the other side of the stands causing Harry to have to turn his broom.
Susan was biting her fingernails, Hannah was looking anxious and Sally-Anne was holding her breath. It was over in matter of seconds. Harry turned his broom upwards, the snitch clenched in his grasp.
Sally-Anne gave a loud dignified screech of delight and threw her arms around the person beside her. It happened to be Justin who blushed profusely after Sally-Anne let go.
WHAM.
The sound filled the stadium, loud enough to be heard over the cheers. Harry could be seen flying off the front of his broom and landing squarely on the ground a few feet below.
The Gryffindor players gathered around and the Slytherins landed a few feet from them.
"Come on let's go," Hannah nagged them. People were pushing through the crowd, trying to be the first to leave the pitch. Sally-Anne didn't mind tagging behind though, she wanted to congratulate the Gryffindors.
Just as the three girls were about to descend the staircase that led to the ground, Sally-Anne caught sight of Harry and George lunging at Malfoy.
She grabbed Susan's sleeve and hissed, "look!"
Hannah and Susan turned just in time to see Harry punch Draco in the stomach and all the teachers run over to them. Madam Hooch's shrill whistle could be heard.
"Come on, I want to go see what's happening," Sally-Anne rushed past them and skipped down the stairs.
"You mean eavesdrop on the situation, don't you?" Hannah mumbled from behind her but followed just the same.
It was a little difficult to get any where near the crowd of quidditch players but Sally-Anne did notice when Harry and George stormed off the pitch towards the castle.
"Can we just go back to the school?" Hannah whined a few minutes later "I'm freezing!"
Sally-Anne decided that she probably wouldn't hear anything more and decided to follow Hannah and Susan back to the castle. Just as she was turning to leave, she noticed two of the Slytherins helping a boy off of the ground.
"Oh look!" she said gleefully to Susan and Hannah "look at what happened to Malfoy!"
Draco Malfoy looked like a mess. He was sporting a bloody nose and seemed to be in much pain. The two Slytherins escorting him towards the castle were none other than his thugs, Crabbe and Goyle.
"Oh come on, this ought to be fun!" Sally-Anne started to jog over towards them but Hannah pulled her back.
"Are you out of your mind?" she looked horrified and Susan just looked at her strangely.
"No, I don't think so," she continued walking towards Malfoy and was happy to see that Susan and Hannah had decided to join her.
"Malfoy!" she called when she was within calling distance "MALFOY!"
The trio of Slytherins stopped and turned to look at her. Malfoy was scowling but stopped to listen to her anyways.
"Great game, don't you think?" she was grinning widely as his scowl turned into a look of loathing " You know what they say, the best man won, or in this case, team."
She gave a merry wave and led her friends towards the school. She ignored the deathly glare that Draco sent at her and the threats that his two cronies were yelling. Once they had entered the castle, Susan and Hannah broke into a fit of laughter.
