A/N: Hey guys! I felt sooo bad that I missed my update during my Spring Break, so I decided to treat you with an early update. Don't worry, I will still update on Sunday as originally planned. I am very proud of this chapter. My sister and I couldn't stop laughing while writing this as we imagined your reactions.
I actually researched some of the Hufflepuff Quidditch players to make it more exact.
I underlined a little section that comes from a hilarious movie that we watched over Spring Break. If you can guess where it's from, I'll give you a shoutout in the next chapter as well as my profile.
Enjoy! ;)
Ava:
I am overcome with nerves. I mean, who wouldn't when you're about to actually play a real game of a sport that you have only read about and imagined? Luckily, my incredible demigod team had my back and was ready to kick some Hufflepuff ass.
"Any last words of encouragement, Ava?" Piper asks me hesitantly as we walk towards the Quidditch pitch after we got dressed out.
"Um…" I mumble, trying to put on a brave face for my team. "Just try your best. Whatever you do, just try not to fall off of your broom. It hurts a lot."
My team shot me skeptical looks. "How do you know? This is your first game too." Leo asks me.
"I read all about it. Harry fell off his broom more times than I can count over the years," I reply. The demigods all nod, knowing by now that I would never mess up a Harry Potter fact.
Suddenly, cheers erupt outside the locker room and Harry comes barging in.
"Since you guys have never played Quidditch before, Dumbledore and McGonagall said that I can quickly give you lot a few pointers," he says, adjusting his glasses. "So, when they call your 'House', you enter the pitch through that passage way," Harry points to a path. "Once through, the team captains, in your case it's Ava, will stand on either side of Madam Hooch while everyone else is in in the air. Percy, you will be flying a little higher than the others since your Seeker. Now, like you've practiced, the quicker you catch the Snitch, the quicker you win. Sound simple?" Harry says as Lee Fletcher announces for us to enter the pitch. "That's your cue, good luck!"
With that, Harry hurried out of the locker room and left us to enter the pitch.
"Ready guys? It's now or never," I say loudly, so my teammates can hear me over the roar of the crowd.
"We've got your back Ava," Jason says warmly. I smile before turning and leading the way through the passageway Harry indicated and onto the Quidditch pitch.
Once we enter the pitch, the audience's cheers escalated and grew in volume until it was almost unbearable. We walk, almost as if in a dream (which in my case it felt like one), until we stood, or flew, in the places that Harry indicated.
"Now," Madam Hooch says, "I want a nice, clean match." We nod and she bends down and picks up the box of Quidditch balls.
"Ready? Go!" With that, the Zacharias Smith, the Hufflepuff captain and I quickly hop on our brooms and soar into the air. Once I get high enough, I frantically search for Jason and Annabeth, my fellow Chasers. I let out a sign of relief, they already have the Quaffle and are maneuvering it between them. I pick up speed and quickly join them as we dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge the other Chasers and the Beaters who are trying to kill us with their bats and the Bludgers. Luckily, on the front of the Beater situation, Leo and Frank work in surprising tandem as they knock the other team's Beaters and Chasers away systematically.
Very soon, we manage to make six goals on Hufflepuff while Piper manages to block every ball with grace and precession. It looked as if the other team's Chasers were hitting the balls directly towards her so that she can hit them back to us, or on occasion into the other team's goal. Huh. Almost like magic.
Jason also seemed to be having a really easy job when it came with the Quaffle. Whenever the other team's Chasers tried to maneuver the Quaffle around Jason, it somehow flew directly into his hands. Again, almost like magic.
After about another 5 minutes, we reached a score of 150 to 0 without catching the Snitch. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Percy since the match started…
Percy:
I look around calmly for the Snitch. Even though our Chasers are outstanding (mostly due to Jason's little trick with the air currents), we could still lose if the other Seeker caught the Snitch before I did, but, based on our team's score, I didn't worry too much.
Suddenly, the sunny day turns dreary when thick clouds move to block the sun and thunder crackles in the air. Lightning bolts flash in the distance as rain starts to come pouring down.
Shit.
My calm search quickly turns frantic. I had to get that stupid Snitch and get out of the air sooner rather than later.
Luckily, as a lightning bolt strikes near me, the flash illuminates the tiny, golden menace that loomed a few feet ahead of me. Finally.
I shoot towards the Snitch as the blonde superman swoops in and hovers right in front of me, allowing the Snitch to soar away.
"You need to get that Snitch fast. Dad must be pissed at you for something. What did you do?" he yells over the wind and rain.
"I would have caught it if you hadn't decided to swing by for a chat. By the way, he probably is mad cause I'm in the air," I shout, pushing his broom away from mine before continuing my search for the Snitch.
"Hurry then!" Jason shouts as I leave him in the storm behind me with a smirk on his face.
I look around frantically again, luckily seeing the Snitch in the distance being pursued by the other Seeker.
I lean forward on my broom and shoot over to the other Seeker. Summerby, the Hufflepuff Seeker, was diving after the Snitch as I pulled up alongside him. Within a few seconds, Summerby falls behind me and I'm left alone to catch the Snitch.
The Snitch and I rise up high above the center of the pitch as lightning strikes around us, causing us to be illuminated for the audience. The stands gasp and I believe I hear a distant whistle being blown but I ignore it all. I push my broom forward and close my hand around the Snitch as the mother of all lightning bolts strikes me in the back, turning my world black.
A/N: I wanted to end here to drive you crazy, but my sister (annoying this time) talked me out of it. :(
Ava:
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. The storm just keeps getting worse and worse. I'm proud of how great my team is doing, but come to think of it, I haven't seen Percy in a while. I hope he's ok. Annabeth seems to be just as nervous as I am for our seaweed brained friend's safety.
Jason gracefully glides over to me after scoring yet another goal. "Hey Ava, I think my dad might be a little mad at Percy for something. We should try to end the game soon. I've never seen him make a storm this bad unless they REALLY pissed him off," he yells to be heard over the roaring wind.
"I agree. I'll call a timeout to talk to Madam Hooch now. Have you seen Percy?" I respond, yelling just as loud.
"Yeah, I just saw him. He's going for the Snitch up there," he points to the sleek figure gradually making its way higher into the horrendous storm.
"Why would he go higher? It's a lot worse up there," Frank yells, coming over after knocking a Bludger away from Jason.
"He's stupid, that's why," Jason exclaims. "Ava, go now. It's getting really bad now."
"Got it. Please keep an eye out for him. I don't want him to get hurt," I yell as I turn and fly towards Madam Hooch, who was watching the game with fear evident in her eyes.
"Madam Hooch!" I shout. "Can we get a timeout, or end the game? The weather is dangerous! I don't want anyone to get hurt. I know that with Quidditch, we're expected to continue to play even if the weather is awful, but these conditions can and probably will be fatal to the players if we continue any further. We can move the game to next we-"
Madam Hooch blows her whistle, shouting, "GAME OVER DUE TO THIS DANGEROUS AND UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER! PLAYERS, PLEASE HURRY DOWN TO THE GROUND AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE!"
The crowds and the players look relieved as the message gets across. Suddenly, a voice from the crowd shouts, "WAIT! PERCY JACKSON HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH!"
Everyone turns and looks up in surprise to see Percy just as a huge lightning bolt connects with his back, knocking him off his broom. As Percy falls, the violent storm miraculously clears up to reveal the previously sunny day. The crowd gasps in horror as Percy's limp figure plummets to the ground like a rag doll.
Annabeth cries out in fear, "FRANK! JASON! GET YOUR ASSES UP THERE AND SAVE HIM!"
Jason immediately drops his broom and flies up to his compadre as Frank morphs into a pterodactyl. Jason, who reaches Percy first, grabs him to slow his speedy descent while shouting, "FRANK! GET UNDER HIM! I CAN'T HOLD HIM FOREVER!"
Annabeth and I hold our breaths as Franks gracefully flies under the dynamic duo and Jason slowly releases his grip on Percy. Percy flops onto Frank's back while Jason lands next to him to secure him.
Within a few seconds, the Frank the pterodactyl lands next to us as deposits the package. The demigods, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, and I rush over and gather around Percy, Jason, and a now human Frank. Annabeth and I kneel down next to his prone body as Dumbledore checks for a pulse.
"He's alive," Dumbledore announces to the gathered crowd with a breath of relief. Suddenly, Percy jerks awake as a thick cloud of smoke erupts behind me. A cold hand rests on my back as all of the demigods beside Percy and Annabeth get on their knees.
"Lord Zeus, a pleasure," Dumbledore says warmly as he kneels down himself.
"This is what the idiot gets for being in my terrain. Since I know how 'important' you quest is, I only stunned him this time. Next time I won't be as generous," Zeus says from behind me, lifting his hand off of my back.
"Hey Thunderbreath," Percy calls up weakly. "Why didn't you zap me during the many practices we had throughout the week? Why wait till the game where you completely blew our cover?" Annabeth smacks him while he rolls his eyes, mumbling, "Hey, it's the truth."
Zeus turns me around, whispering, "Are you sure you need this one for the quest? His arrogance is insufferable. Worse than that of his fathers."
When the last word leaves Zeus' mouth, another cloud of water erupts and deposits Poseidon.
"What are you saying about arrogance, brother?" Poseidon rumbles calmly, winking at Percy and me.
"Well I.." Zeus starts before I interrupt.
"Excuse me, Lords," I say hesitantly, causing both of them to stare at me curiously. "Why did you come here and blow our cover?"
"Silly mortal," Zeus bellows, causing me and everyone else to flinch in fear. "Did you really believe that their secret would not be blown? These particular demigods aren't exactly stealthy."
"Fair point," I agree, not seeing any point in arguing with the King of the Gods.
"Hmmmmm," Zeus says, staring at me hardly. I try not to cringe away from his fierce gaze. "You are very unique. Never in all my years have I seen a mortal like yourself stand up to us and live to tell the tale. You have a great, but trying destiny, Ava Crowley. Try not to let your present company screw it up for you." With that, Zeus and Poseidon zap out of the Quidditch pitch, leaving the Hogwart's student body to stare at us like we're aliens.
I turn to the audience. "Some game huh? Go Exchange?" I say hesitantly. When met with a blank, but frightened stare from everyone, I amend my statement.
"We can explain!"
A/N: Mwahaha! Sorry for the cliffy... well, not really. Hope y'all liked it! Remember, reviews are always appreciated! Time for everyone's favorite... Review Responses!
Finwitch1: Wonder how what worked? Please review again so I can clear up whatever you mean.
xXMoonyLightXx: Awe! You're so sweet! Thanks so much for your constant support and love. I updated my profile with you in mind. Check it out!
Lexi Evans908: Thanks for reviewing! I made sure that you didn't have to wait too long this time. And I did both- they won while failing. Oh how I love loopholes!;)
: Finally someone likes cliffys as much as I do. Thanks for your review!