A Lesson in Quidditch

At breakfast the next day Ron looked more than just pale, he looked like he'd faint any moment, and wouldn't touch food. Chloe was doing her best to blatantly ignore the fact that the twins had sandwiched her in on the bench, and were discussing loudly her ability to fly.

Or lack of.

"I thought she was pretty good," Fred said, talking over her head to his brother "Compared to Gnomey anyways."

"Who's Gnomey?" asked Hermione, who wasn't doing so well in ignoring them.

"Our garden Gnome." Ginny interjected, sitting down beside Ron "Fred and George strapped him to a broom once and bewitched it to fly."

A small groan issued from Ron.

"And I thought it was just me you picked on," Chloe interjected and was met with two sneers either side of her. Harry meanwhile was trying to give Ron a pep talk for the upcoming game

"Get a grip." he said sternly "Look at that save you made with your foot the other day, even Fred and George said that was brilliant!"

Ron, if possible, turned as shade greener, his eyes tortured. "That was an accident, I didn't mean to do it- I slipped off my broom when none of you were looking and when I was trying to get back on a kicked the Quaffle by mistake."

Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise "Well a few more accidents like that and the game's in the bag isn't it?" he said recovering quickly.

Chloe grinned and turned to Fred "What position do you play then?" she asked. He grinned proudly.

"George and I are Beaters. We stop the Bludgers knocking people of their brooms and falling to their deaths."

Ron squeaked as if in pain and the twins were shot a warning look from Hermione.

Chloe strolled happily down to the Quidditch pitch with Ginny and Hermione, taking her seat, and found she was rather excited about the upcoming match, she had never seen a Quidditch game before. There was a sea of green, red, yellow and blue in the stadium overlooking the circular pitch. Three hoops on long sticks were positioned at each side and when the players came out of their dressing room applause and cheers broke out, as did significant boos. Chloe couldn't help to think of the insanity of it all, how were they ever going to fight a war together when acts of division like this were not only sanctioned but encouraged. Yet she still sat there in excited anticipation, wondering vaguely where she would be right now if Dumbledore hadn't of called her to his aid. The match began and she was unsure of where to look, players zoomed so fast on their brooms that she feared they would fall, her eyes flickered about for Harry, prepared to leap out if he should endanger himself. Though she felt a flicker of fear as she realised should he fall there was not much she could do about it. Maybe Wingardium Leviosa could help her. She refuelled her wand just in case, and cursed her inability to perform magic naturally. Then the singing started from the Slytherin team

"Weasley cannot save a thing

He cannot block a single ring

That's why Slytherins all sing

Weasley is our King

Weasley was born in a bin

He cannot let the Quaffle in

Weasley will make sure we win

Weasley is our King"

Their eyes swivelled to Ron, a lone figure by the goalposts and it wasn't long until he was put to the test. A flying Slytherin, Quaffle in hand threw it towards the goalposts Ron was guarding, he dived and missed it by centimetres as the large burgundy ball went soaring through one of the hoops. The Gryffindors groaned unanimously but the Slytherins cheered and screamed, singing that awful song even louder.

"Oh no!" Hermione said softly "Poor Ron." her eyes were fixed on him, but Chloe had turned her attention back to Harry who was circling the pitch, desperately searching for the Snitch. Another fifteen minutes into the game saw Ron let in three more goals and the Gryffindors were beginning to grow edgy. Chloe had frozen several times when a Bludger had travelled too close to Harry for her liking, Then Gryffindor scored and the tension was released somewhat, but the game was in full swing and the Slytherins were making the most of Ron's discomfort with the insistent singing. Then Harry changed direction, diving towards the ground and Malfoy was quickly on his tail, both after a tiny winged ball, glinting gold in the scarce sunlight, they swerved and dived, both neck and neck, and the crowd held its breath as one. Harry enclosed his hand around the struggling snitch and pulled to a halt. Out of the corner of her eye Chloe saw a movement, Crabbe, one of Malfoy's cronies had hit a Bludger at Harry's turned back. She gave a yelp and raced down to the pitch, but heard the crunch as it collided with him before she was even halfway there, she pushed herself faster and managed to see Harry fall, albeit only a few feet, to the ground, winded.

"Are you alright?" the team captain Angelina Johnson asked him, reaching him first on a broom. Chloe was there shortly afterwards, cursing once again her inability to fly or run faster, Harry clambered up.

"Course I am." he said taken aback at Chloe's sudden arrival amongst the Gryffindor team. She gave him a sheepish grin

"You won!" she said as an explanation and he grinned.

"Yeah we did!" The team seemed to surround him, patting him on the back and wringing his hand. Chloe joined in, playing the excited Gryffindor. Fred and George barged in punching Harry in the arm

"Well done mate!" George said doing a double take as he saw Chloe standing there "Little overenthusiastic aren't we?" he jibed. She sneered back at him

"You know me, can't keep me off a broom." and they grinned at each other. Harry however wasn't listening, his eyes were on Malfoy and soon George tuned in to what he was saying

"-we couldn't fit in useless loser either- for his father you know-" Both Fred and George stiffened at this and Chloe sent Harry a warning look.

"-but you like the Weasley's don't you Potter? Spend holidays there and everything don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles even the Weasley's hovel smells OK-" Harry grabbed George's arms to keep him from rushing up and beating seven shades out of Malfoy. Fred was being restrained by Angelina, Alicia and Katie. Chloe stood on edge, waiting for Malfoy to advance so she could have a reason to curse him with her fuelled up wand. Instead he backed away leering as he did "Or perhaps you can remember what your mother's house stank like Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it-" Harry released George and the pair of them sprinted towards Malfoy and began to punch him senseless, the snitch still clutched in Harry's fist. George was swearing loudly, calling Malfoy all sorts as Chloe found herself rushing to Harry's side, not to join in the primitive fight, but to stop it. Her first instinct was to squeeze herself between Harry and the Malfoy boy, she didn't even consider reaching for her wand. But found that doing so received her a fist in the side of the head, so with all her force she grabbed the inside of Harry's elbows and shoved him off the whimpering blond, yelling "Stop!"

He was so disorientated that he fell to the ground, but soon stumbled to his feet and tried to run back at Malfoy. Chloe scrambled for her wand pulled it out and yelled "Protego!"as Harry ran towards her, colliding with the shield, at the same time Madam Hooch sent George flying with "Impedimenta!"Harry looked as confused as he did furious. Chloe flicked a piece of hair from her face, her wand still raised in action. She only let it fall when Harry and George, who was sporting a split lip, were sent up to the castle. She sighed in defeat and gave him some credit by not following him, surely he could make it there in one piece.