A/n- anyone notice how Ed's slowly becoming happier? Just wondering; that was the main idea of being friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, not just because they're all main characters. I think Ed's childish character comes out in this chapter the most, the one he had in the earlier episodes. He's also getting attached, despite his not wanting to. Anyway, reply please! The best is still to come, so keep reading!

Chapter 14- Quidditch

In the days remaining until the match, Ed worked with George to perfect his technique of both flying and beating. Wood became more optimistic by the second; he saw Ed's skills as perhaps two notches below Fred's. Edward himself was getting sucked into the game; he decided to put his research on hold until Fred returned to the team. It wasn't as if he had been finding anything anyway, he reasoned.

Saturday came quickly with all the excitement. As dawn broke and the sun took its place in the sky, the students of Hogwarts knew it was the perfect day for a Quidditch game between two rivaling teams.

Edward was nervous as he went down to breakfast, but not so much so it'd rid him of his appetite; he still ate with as much vigor. Harry, however, was only able to nibble on his toast; he had an extra person to worry about today.

Half an hour later, both teams faced each other on the field, the Gryffindors glaring at the Slytherins as they shot insults, mostly directed toward the new player in the attempt to throw him off game. Ed was not amused in the least.

"You'd better watch out or a Bludger could knock out some of those precious brain cells of yours!"

A vein popped in Edward's forehead and he exploded in rage, waving his fist at the insulter.

"I'd better watch out! I'm gonna knock your head off your shoulders and pop it like a balloon!"

This said, he got on his broom and the rest of the team followed. Harry and George wore similar smirks at Ed's threat; they had a sneaking suspicion it'd come true. The referee blew the whistle, threw the Quaffle in the air, and the game began.

Edward immediately searched for the Bludgers and saw one hovering dangerously around one of the Gryffindor chasers, Angela, who at the moment had a hold of the Quaffle. Ed took after her and succeeded in hitting the Bludger, which accidentally flew off and hit the Slytherin who'd insulted him in the head. The force knocked the boy off his broom and into unconsciousness where he was levitated safely to the ground by Madame Hooch and onto a stretcher heading to the hospital ward.

Ed smirked; he'd gotten his revenge and now Slytherin was down a chaser. However, this act did not please Crabbe and Goyle, who played the opposing beaters. They charged at Edward, bats thrashing, in formation to sandwich their quarry and send him flying.

Ed didn't need years of experience playing Quidditch to see this coming. He pretended to be oblivious to this onslaught and waited for the perfect moment to swerve upward, causing Malfoy's goons to head butt each other. Each moaned in agony and glared at Ed for duping them, in which he presented them with an arrogant smirk.

The game progressed with less violence and the score rose quickly, favor switching back and forth between the two teams excruciatingly. Now the score was even: 80 all. Whoever managed to swipe the snitch would pull the win.

In a flash of gold, both seekers rocketed forward, neck and neck, only Harry was above both the Slytherin seeker and the snitch. This meaning, of course, that he had more of a distance to cover. However, the wind was stronger higher up and Harry was slowly loosing the millimeters he gained on the snitch.

Unless something happened, Slytherin would win. Ed knew this, but he also knew he couldn't shoot a Bludger directly at the Slytherin seeker. That would only result in a penalty. Hitting the seeker's broom would merely cause it to wobble and therefore would not buy Harry the time he so desperately needed.

'Maybe if I…' he thought fleetingly; there was no time to ponder it more. Edward shot off toward a nearby Bludger, took aim, and hit it with all he had.

Five pounds of magically enhanced, compact leather shot toward the golden snitch at possibly seventy miles an hour, knocking it upward to Harry, who put on a burst of speed and caught it with his left hand.

Both cheers and roars of anger sounded from the bleachers as Harry held up his hand and landed with Edward beside him, beaming.