Chapter 10: That's no Bludger
The chanting of the two teams' supporters filled the area surrounding the Quidditch pitch. "GRYF-FIN-DOR!"; "SLY-THER-IN!" The two competed to drown each other out.
Oliver Wood stood in the middle of his teammates that encircled him. His confidence was high as he talked about the strategy he wanted to use this game. "We have this game, team. We won last year cause of Harry's quick catch. Now let's see if we can do this with our skill." He looked at Gohan before continuing. "Harry, don't catch the Snitch unless you see Malfoy going after it or until I give you the go ahead." Gohan nodded in response. "Okay team, let's do this!"
Up in the Gryffindor stands, sat Ron and Hermione, awaiting the arrival of their house's team and their best friend playing. "How long do you think it will take before Gohan finds the Snitch?" Hermione asked Ron.
"About three seconds if you ask me." Ron said while chuckling. "I would say that this will be a good game but we already know the outcome."
"Don't get over zealous there Ron. Something may still happen in Slytherin's favor." Hermione said. "By the way, where is Ginny?"
"Dunno, haven't seen her all day now that you mentioned it." Ron looked down the stand to see Colin taking photos of the field from up high. "Oi, Colin! Have you seen my sis?"
"Uhh, yeah. She said she wasn't feeling well so she stayed back at the tower." Colin replied.
"Odd," Ron said. "Ginny rarely missed the opportunity to see Quidditch. Even more odd since the boy she has a serious crush over is playing."
"Should we go back and check on her?" Hermione asked condescendingly. The players from both teams had taken to the field and then to the air on their broomsticks after she said that. The captains met up in the center, being circled by other members of their respected team. The referee had just waked onto the green and approached the chest. The cheer from each stand has increased dramatically.
"Nah," Ron spoke up. "She'll be fine for now. I'll check on her later."
"Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the year!" Lee Jordan spoke loudly with the Sonorus spell to increase his volume. "We are starting this year off with a bang by rekindling the two rivalries between Gryffindor and Slytherin."
The game started as soon as the Bludgers, Quaffle, and Snitch were out of the box. Flint had taken first possession of the Quaffle and made his way to the goal. Slytherin's new brooms made it almost impossible for the Gryffindors to keep up. Gohan was the only one able to keep up but he held back not to interfere with Wood's plan.
By the time Gryffindor had made a goal, Slytherin was up by five goals giving them a forty point head start. Malfoy kept shadowing Gohan as if he was waiting for him to spot it first then try to out maneuver and fly him.
"What's wrong, Potter!" Malfoy yelled from behind. "Can't keep up to us now since we got our new toys and you have that worthless closet broom?" Gohan glared at Malfoy just in time to see an oncoming Bludger heading his way. He ducked just in time for it to pass right over his head. "Watch out, Potty, don't want you to lose a head or anything even though that would be an improvement."
Gohan felt something strange coming from the castle. He hadn't felt this feeling in a while, since the night of the message actually. He looked back towards the castle but his concentration was distracted when he heard the roar of the crowed as Gryffindor made another goal.
In the shadows of the castle, a figure emerged and raised his hand into the sunlight, showing his pinkish red skin and long black fingernails. The rest of the figure's body remained hidden in the shadow. From the fingertip, emerged a ball of energy the size of a Bludger. It was quickly set out to the Quidditch field. A sinister low toned laugh followed its release as the figure's hand was placed back to his side.
Gohan looked back at the castle to see a light emitting from one of the tower's bases. He sensed that it wasn't a light and quickly moved out of the path of the energy ball. It curved upward into the sky. Oliver flew into Gohan's view. "Careful Harry!" Wood didn't see the ball come back at Gohan and the tip of his brook was immediately disintegrated. The energy ball flew after Gohan as he started flying away. It followed every turn, every move that Gohan made.
"That Bludger has been tampered with, I'd tell ya!" Hagrid said, looking through his binoculars. "Its fellowing 'Arry move fer move."
"I'll get rid of it." Ron said, pointing his broken wand at Gohan.
Hermione quickly moved Ron's wand down away from Gohan's direction, "NO!" she yelled. "Even with a proper wand it would be too risky. You could hit Gohan!" Ron nodded. "Hagrid, can I see your binoculars for a moment?"
"Sure ting, Mione." Hagrid gave her his binoculars from around his neck. She peered through looking at Gohan and the ball that followed him. She quickly looked over at Ron with a worried look. "I don't think that's a Bludger, Ron. Bludgers don't glow."
"What!?" Ron said, taking a look for himself.
Gohan couldn't shake the energy ball. It slowly gained on him and he was trying his hardest not to send a counter blast. He tried to get it into the ground by climbing high in the air and then shooting straight down towards the ground. He pulled up right before almost crashing and like he hoped, the energy ball collided with the ground.
Malfoy flew above him, taunting, "What's the matter Potty? Problems with a bludger?"
At this point, Gohan didn't care. He forgot about the idea Wood had at the beginning the game. He started searching for the Snitch. He spotted just as the energy ball ripped up from the ground. He took off for the Snitch with Malfoy beside him and the ball closely behind. Malfoy pushed and kicked at Gohan, who was ignoring the sneering blonde Slytherin for the real danger that was behind him.
"You can't beat me Potter. You are outclassed." Malfoy sneered as he gained on the Snitch. The Snitch veered down underneath the pitch where the support beams were placed for the stands. The two continued to follow the golden Snitch. As Malfoy got closer to the Snitch, the energy ball got closer to Gohan. He swatted at it with a close fist and sent it upward into the field. The pain in his hand didn't affect him. Gohan looked at were it was going and realized that it was heading right for one of the stands occupied. He had little time to act so he vanished, reappeared in front of Malfoy and captured the Snitch before Malfoy could even blink. He then vanished and reappeared in front of the stands. Malfoy was awestruck enough that he didn't realize the beam in front of him until it was too late.
Gohan appeared in front of the stands just in time to take the blast in the arm. A loud boom shocked everyone at the pitch. Cloud covered him briefly until he fell out the bottom. Red smoke trails came from his body as he plunged toward the ground. The golden Snitch was still tightly in his hand. Right before he landed on the ground, he heard the words from a familiar girl's voice "Winguardium Leviosa!" and he stopped in midair. The last thing Gohan heard before blacking out was "HARRY POTTER CAUGHT THE SNITCH!" by Lee Jordan.
Gohan awoke an hour later in the hospital wing. His arm was bandaged up and still tender from the impact. Ron and Hermione were right beside him of course. Gohan looked over at Hermione and smiled. "Thanks," he said.
"For what?" Hermione said confused.
"For not letting me fall onto the ground." Gohan explained. "It was you, right?"
"I was on the other side of the pitch when you fell, Gohan. How could I have?"
"Then if it wasn't you, who was it?" Gohan asked. Both her and Ron shrugged.
The chanting of the two teams' supporters filled the area surrounding the Quidditch pitch. "GRYF-FIN-DOR!"; "SLY-THER-IN!" The two competed to drown each other out.
Oliver Wood stood in the middle of his teammates that encircled him. His confidence was high as he talked about the strategy he wanted to use this game. "We have this game, team. We won last year cause of Harry's quick catch. Now let's see if we can do this with our skill." He looked at Gohan before continuing. "Harry, don't catch the Snitch unless you see Malfoy going after it or until I give you the go ahead." Gohan nodded in response. "Okay team, let's do this!"
Up in the Gryffindor stands, sat Ron and Hermione, awaiting the arrival of their house's team and their best friend playing. "How long do you think it will take before Gohan finds the Snitch?" Hermione asked Ron.
"About three seconds if you ask me." Ron said while chuckling. "I would say that this will be a good game but we already know the outcome."
"Don't get over zealous there Ron. Something may still happen in Slytherin's favor." Hermione said. "By the way, where is Ginny?"
"Dunno, haven't seen her all day now that you mentioned it." Ron looked down the stand to see Colin taking photos of the field from up high. "Oi, Colin! Have you seen my sis?"
"Uhh, yeah. She said she wasn't feeling well so she stayed back at the tower." Colin replied.
"Odd," Ron said. "Ginny rarely missed the opportunity to see Quidditch. Even more odd since the boy she has a serious crush over is playing."
"Should we go back and check on her?" Hermione asked condescendingly. The players from both teams had taken to the field and then to the air on their broomsticks after she said that. The captains met up in the center, being circled by other members of their respected team. The referee had just waked onto the green and approached the chest. The cheer from each stand has increased dramatically.
"Nah," Ron spoke up. "She'll be fine for now. I'll check on her later."
"Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the year!" Lee Jordan spoke loudly with the Sonorus spell to increase his volume. "We are starting this year off with a bang by rekindling the two rivalries between Gryffindor and Slytherin."
The game started as soon as the Bludgers, Quaffle, and Snitch were out of the box. Flint had taken first possession of the Quaffle and made his way to the goal. Slytherin's new brooms made it almost impossible for the Gryffindors to keep up. Gohan was the only one able to keep up but he held back not to interfere with Wood's plan.
By the time Gryffindor had made a goal, Slytherin was up by five goals giving them a forty point head start. Malfoy kept shadowing Gohan as if he was waiting for him to spot it first then try to out maneuver and fly him.
"What's wrong, Potter!" Malfoy yelled from behind. "Can't keep up to us now since we got our new toys and you have that worthless closet broom?" Gohan glared at Malfoy just in time to see an oncoming Bludger heading his way. He ducked just in time for it to pass right over his head. "Watch out, Potty, don't want you to lose a head or anything even though that would be an improvement."
Gohan felt something strange coming from the castle. He hadn't felt this feeling in a while, since the night of the message actually. He looked back towards the castle but his concentration was distracted when he heard the roar of the crowed as Gryffindor made another goal.
In the shadows of the castle, a figure emerged and raised his hand into the sunlight, showing his pinkish red skin and long black fingernails. The rest of the figure's body remained hidden in the shadow. From the fingertip, emerged a ball of energy the size of a Bludger. It was quickly set out to the Quidditch field. A sinister low toned laugh followed its release as the figure's hand was placed back to his side.
Gohan looked back at the castle to see a light emitting from one of the tower's bases. He sensed that it wasn't a light and quickly moved out of the path of the energy ball. It curved upward into the sky. Oliver flew into Gohan's view. "Careful Harry!" Wood didn't see the ball come back at Gohan and the tip of his brook was immediately disintegrated. The energy ball flew after Gohan as he started flying away. It followed every turn, every move that Gohan made.
"That Bludger has been tampered with, I'd tell ya!" Hagrid said, looking through his binoculars. "Its fellowing 'Arry move fer move."
"I'll get rid of it." Ron said, pointing his broken wand at Gohan.
Hermione quickly moved Ron's wand down away from Gohan's direction, "NO!" she yelled. "Even with a proper wand it would be too risky. You could hit Gohan!" Ron nodded. "Hagrid, can I see your binoculars for a moment?"
"Sure ting, Mione." Hagrid gave her his binoculars from around his neck. She peered through looking at Gohan and the ball that followed him. She quickly looked over at Ron with a worried look. "I don't think that's a Bludger, Ron. Bludgers don't glow."
"What!?" Ron said, taking a look for himself.
Gohan couldn't shake the energy ball. It slowly gained on him and he was trying his hardest not to send a counter blast. He tried to get it into the ground by climbing high in the air and then shooting straight down towards the ground. He pulled up right before almost crashing and like he hoped, the energy ball collided with the ground.
Malfoy flew above him, taunting, "What's the matter Potty? Problems with a bludger?"
At this point, Gohan didn't care. He forgot about the idea Wood had at the beginning the game. He started searching for the Snitch. He spotted just as the energy ball ripped up from the ground. He took off for the Snitch with Malfoy beside him and the ball closely behind. Malfoy pushed and kicked at Gohan, who was ignoring the sneering blonde Slytherin for the real danger that was behind him.
"You can't beat me Potter. You are outclassed." Malfoy sneered as he gained on the Snitch. The Snitch veered down underneath the pitch where the support beams were placed for the stands. The two continued to follow the golden Snitch. As Malfoy got closer to the Snitch, the energy ball got closer to Gohan. He swatted at it with a close fist and sent it upward into the field. The pain in his hand didn't affect him. Gohan looked at were it was going and realized that it was heading right for one of the stands occupied. He had little time to act so he vanished, reappeared in front of Malfoy and captured the Snitch before Malfoy could even blink. He then vanished and reappeared in front of the stands. Malfoy was awestruck enough that he didn't realize the beam in front of him until it was too late.
Gohan appeared in front of the stands just in time to take the blast in the arm. A loud boom shocked everyone at the pitch. Cloud covered him briefly until he fell out the bottom. Red smoke trails came from his body as he plunged toward the ground. The golden Snitch was still tightly in his hand. Right before he landed on the ground, he heard the words from a familiar girl's voice "Winguardium Leviosa!" and he stopped in midair. The last thing Gohan heard before blacking out was "HARRY POTTER CAUGHT THE SNITCH!" by Lee Jordan.
Gohan awoke an hour later in the hospital wing. His arm was bandaged up and still tender from the impact. Ron and Hermione were right beside him of course. Gohan looked over at Hermione and smiled. "Thanks," he said.
"For what?" Hermione said confused.
"For not letting me fall onto the ground." Gohan explained. "It was you, right?"
"I was on the other side of the pitch when you fell, Gohan. How could I have?"
"Then if it wasn't you, who was it?" Gohan asked. Both her and Ron shrugged.