Chapter 10
A week later, Ron and Harry were in the changing rooms, putting on their scarlet Quidditch robes.
'So, who did you say that invitation was from?' asked Harry. 'No one on the team knew that Alicia Spinnett wasn't playing today and that you'd been made a sub.'
'Well who cares? I don't know or care who it's from! I'm here, playing Quidditch again for the first time in I don't know how long!'.
Harry decided to keep his suspicions to himself. Why should he spoil Ron's fun? Hermione had already been giving Ron an ear bashing for not investigating the letter's sender. He'd just have to make sure he kept a close eye on Ron during the game. If he didn't know that Viktor was safely shut away in Azkaban, he'd have suspected that Krum was involved.
Ron however, was dancing with excitement. It felt like years since he'd played a proper Quidditch match, which, Harry reminded him, it was.
Five minutes later, the whole Leicester Snitches Quidditch team had assembled behind the door to the pitch. They were going to play against Arsenal Skrewts, so named because of the sting in their game. The trumpets sounded. The fourteen players flew into the air, to tremendous applause. From 20 feet above the pitch, Ron saw that the whole Weasley family had turned out to watch him and Harry. He whooped with delight! However, he was less delighted to see that Hermione's face was set in anxiety.
The game was fast and furious. Harry thought he had no more chance in this game of catching the Snitch than of making his hair lie flat! He had to fully focus on the game.
Ron was flying around the goalposts. He was strongly reminded of his recurring dream. But it seemed more of a nightmare. One of the Arsenal chasers had repeatedly hit him with the Quaffle, missing the goal completely. Finally, he managed to hit this chaser in the face with the large red ball. The flash of burning anger in the player's blue eyes reminded Ron of someone, he just couldn't think who. He'd never seen this player before. He had platinum blonde hair with one dark streak in it and he was heavily built.
The mysterious chaser returned for another shot. Hermione was straining to keep Ron in view. But he was obscured by the large, heavy body. She didn't see the Quaffle hit Ron full on the head. She didn't hear the sickening crack of Ron's skull. She didn't see Ron's eyes closing and his hands slipping from his broom. She only saw the far-off figure that was her husband, falling limply but slowly, to the ground.