The day of the Quidditch match had been looming. On that final morning none of the team spoke, they just drifted around, their heads filled with tactics and remembering Wood's elaborate team talks.

Oliver came down the stairs at a jog, then he noticed Harry Potter, sitting all by himself at the table, staring down at the bacon on his plate. He's not going to eat that. Oliver thought, as he made his way over.

"Potter," He said, sitting down opposite the boy. "What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing… I'm just nervous, I guess."

"Aw, come on, Malfoy's a piece of work, yes, but he's nothing on the pitch compared to you. You know that," Oliver re-assured him. Harry smiled weakly.

"Eat something." A voice said from behind him. Sandy grinned at Oliver before turning her attention back to the matter in hand.

"I'm not hungry," He said stubbornly. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Eat the damn bacon." Sandy told him, walking around the bench, then perching herself next to Oliver, who casually slipped his hand through hers.

"What are you worried about anyway? What's the worst that could happen?" Sandy asked him, taking a sip of juice.

"Yeah, it's not like they're gonna jinx a Bludger or something, is it? They're not that smart." Oliver said, half laughing. Harry smiled back.

"I guess so… but it's just Malfoy," He replied quietly, checking that no one else was listening. Practically the whole team was listening.

"Ha, yeah well, he had to buy his way in, like your mate said. So he can't be that good, can he?" Sandy assured him. Harry nodded and looked back down at his plate.

The team stepped out onto the pitch, and took their positions in the air. Alicia smiled at Oliver as he swept past her. He pretended not to see it. Sandy, however, did not.

"Watch it, Alicia," She warned her.

"What?" She retorted, trying to sound innocent.

Katie glanced over at the other Chasers.

"Come on, you two, stop arguing. Now's not the time! … And Alicia, for Heaven's sake, stop flirting with Oliver!" Katie told her sternly, before focussing her attention on the case of Quidditch balls below them. Madam Hooch stepped out onto the pitch, and Lee Jordan began commentating.

"And Madam Hooch is on the pitch… she's unlocking the case… and the Quaffle is released! The game begins! … And that's Katie Bell with the Quaffle, passes to Sandy Harper, passes back to Bell… and she scores! One - nil to Gryffindor!"

Harry Potter smiled at the goal, but concentrated on scanning the pitch for the golden snitch. Draco Malfoy seemed to be hot on his case.

Slytherin were playing to their usual standards - brutal, hard-hitting and unfair. As Marcus Flint almost kicked Sandy off her broom to re-gain the Quaffle.

"Oi! Watch it, Flint!" Sandy yelled back at him. He simply smirked back as he approached the goals. He threw it to the nearest hoop - Oliver blocked it, throwing it back to Sandy, who tore off up the pitch.

"And that's Harper with the Quaffle, she passes to Bell, Spinet, Harper… and that's another goal for Gryffindor! Two - nil to Gryffindor!"

A bludger soared above Sandy, as she had to duck to avoid it. She whipped around, whoever had hit that would have been remarkable strong. Sandy looked back at the Slytherin beater, he didn't seem aware that the bludger was even anywhere near her, and the other beater was locked in a swearing match with George Weasley. They'll be fowled in a minute. Sandy thought. The whistle blew. There it is.

"And that's a penalty for Slytherin," Lee Jordan said, sounding disapointed. "Although really, I think that Lucian Bole actually started that one…"

"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall snapped.

"Ehem… so anyway, that's a Slytherin penalty," Lee Jordan continued quickly. "And that's Adrian Pucey taking the Penalty, against the Gryffindor Keeper, and Captain, Oliver Wood. He's advancing, he shoots… and Wood just can't keep up. That's a goal to Slytherin… though they wouldn't have if they didn't get the penalty -"
"Jordan!" McGonagall warned him for the second time.

"Sorry, Professor," He muttered.

A bludger flew whipped past Sandy, and she spun around again, slightly suspicious of it. It was heading straight for Harry Potter. He saw it and ducked just in time.

"Training for the ballet, Potter?" Malfoy teased, grinning menacingly at his opponent. Harry didn't react.

Back at the goals Oliver watched the events, worried about his Seeker. He's not going to be so lucky when they hit that back. They're not going to give up.

"Hey, Sandy!" He called over to her. She looked back at him. "Keep the goals!" He said, not giving her time to reply, and zooming off in the opposite direction.

"No!" Sandy yelled back stubbornly, but then reluctantly perched in front of the goals, after she noticed that he was not coming back.

Oliver wasted no time in rushing to the aid of his Seeker.

"And it seems that Gryffindor have made a sudden change… What on Earth is Wood doing? He's left Harper in goal, and gone off onto the pitch. I heard there's something going on between them two, actually…"

"Oi! Jordan!" Sandy screamed at him, loud enough so he could hear her. He grinned back and nodded.

"But we'll say no more about that," He added, winking at her. She smiled back.

Oliver found the Seeker.

"Watch yourself, Harry!" He shouted down to him. The boy nodded, then his eyes widened.

He barely had a chance to yell "Wood! Look out!" before his Captain was knocked squarely off his broom, and sent crashing to the floor.

"Oliver!" Sandy screamed from the goal, as she watched him hit the grass. The whistle blew. She immediately left the goals, and flew down to the ground, dismounting before she reached the floor, and jumping a half metre.

Madam Hooch was already helping Oliver off the floor. He could barely stand up.

"I think… my ankle… is broken…" He said slowly, as he balanced against Sandy. "Agh… my head's spinning…"

"I'll deal with this, Harper, you just get yourself back onto that pitch. Who's your reserve?"

Sandy sighed. "Ashley Wicklaw," She told her.

The game ended with Gryffindor for the win, but only thanks to Harry Potter's spectacular performance and drama against Draco Malfoy, who was knocked off his broom by a bludger. Both the Gryffindor team and supporters liked that… a lot.