Chapter 9 : Gryffindor against Ravenclaw

The first Quidditch match of the season was scheduled two weeks after Halloween, and it opposed Ravenclaws against Gryffindors.

Akira had always admired the Ravenclaws for their calm intelligence but with this game approaching, they were all misusing that intelligence to find ingenious ways to send the Gryffindor players to the infirmary to prevent them from playing. On top of that, the Slytherins were really happy to give them a hand only to put a stop to the Gryffindor team winning its first match.

The aggressiveness between students had escalated a lot during the week preceding the game. Akira had not been particularly targeted by these attacks knowing that she was just occupying a position of replacement - which the students from the other houses didn't care about - but she heard at each meal they ate in the Great Hall all the misadventures that her teammates had experienced. Especially when Ana and Liz sat next to her to complain about the Ravenclaws' bad behavior while Akira was listening to them quietly.

"They know they are going to eat the dust so they are afraid. That's why they behave this way with us." Ana said, biting fiercely into a chicken thigh.

"It must also be said that you weren't easy on them either." Liz pointed out. "Did you really have to petrify Tuger ?"

"He was the one who tried to hex me first !" Ana defended herself.

"Maybe, but you still managed to disarm him after that so I don't understand why you had to be so harsh with him."

"You're going a little far. I wasn't harsh with him ..."

"You locked him in a broom closet and he would still be there if Professor Flitwick hadn't heard him moan."

"And I got a detention for that so you're going to stop reminding me that story? You should thank me instead. If he had been stuck in this closet until Saturday, you wouldn't have had to face him and you could have caught the Snitch for sure…"

"Wait a minute. Do you doubt my Seeker skills ?" Liz exclaimed angrily. "I train every summer with my uncle to catch a damn Gobstone that he has bewitched to fly through the air like a real Snitch so I'm not a beginner."

"Even if your uncle is a former professional Quidditch Seeker that doesn't mean that you necessarily inherited his talent. So I just wanted to give you a little help, that's all..."

"What if I don't have my uncle's talent ?" Liz exploded, jumping up from her seat to stare at Ana.

"Uh, could I eat in peace ?" Akira asked the two girls in a small voice as her plate of stew almost ended up on her knees when Liz stood up but neither Liz nor Ana were listening to her.

"I didn't mean that." Ana tried to explain to Liz to relieve the tension. "It's these Ravenclaws fault. They put pressure on us and I don't like it, it makes me say nonsense. But we must remain a united team at all costs if we want to have a chance to win."

These words calmed Liz a bit and she sat down.

At the same time, a Gryffindor Chaser had just entered the Great Hall when he ran into a group of Slytherins who pushed him. The poor student crashed head first to the ground as the Slytherins laughed at him.

"They will see." Ana whispered harshly before taking out her magic wand.

She started to stand up when Liz grabbed her arm and pointed at Professor McGonagall who was approaching the group of Slytherins who immediately stopped laughing.

"Okay, I'll calm down." Ana announced, putting her wand back into her pocket and returning her attention to her plate. "But I'm doing it only because I don't want to be kicked out of this game due to some stupid punishment given by a professor. Instead, I will show them what my Gryffindor team is made off on the pitch and they won't understand their pain."

"I prefer that." Liz agreed with a weak smile, obviously delighted that Ana decided to not get involved in trouble.

The end of the week was just as eventful. One of the Ravenclaw's Beater broke his nose after receiving a Leg-Locker Curse on his way to potions class and Ana was highly suspected to have cast it even though she swore it was not her this time. After that, the teachers had no choice but to be more severe in their punishments to prevent the students from attacking each other.

"It's sad to have to come to this extreme to stop the students from killing each other but at the same time, the situation was becoming more and more unbearable." Arcturus remarked as he and Akira went to put down their bags back to the Gryffindor Tower to enjoy their Friday afternoon free. "I even got almost hit by a spell that was intended for your Seeker. Since that event, I'm looking twice before taking a corridor to be sure that I won't meet a Ravenclaw or Slytherin student..."

"Wait, Liz was aimed by a spell ? She never mentioned it."

"Of course she didn't because your Captain would literally kill the student who did that and at the same time, Liz was quick to dodge that spell easily. You should have seen that, she's not a Seeker for nothing." Arcturus add with a smile.

Akira was a bit astonished by the news. Ana was always talking about how she will punished all the students that did – or even didn't do – something to her team but Liz never spoke about taking revenge on someone, she didn't even tell anybody about being almost injured by a spell, instead she always told to Ana to calm down. These two girls had really different personalities that matched well their position in the Quidditch team.

"Aren't you afraid of being the target of such attacks next year ?" Arcturus asked Akira all of a sudden.

"No, not really." Akira told him, shrugging her shoulders.

She had thought about it, but she was not afraid of being the target of others because she knew how to defend herself.

"You're a Gryffindor in the heart." Arcturus told her with a smile. "If I were at your place, I would be totally anxious."

Finally, the weekend arrived to the delight of the students who were eager to rest after all the courses and homeworks they had during the week. Akira couldn't wait to finally be able to see a real Quidditch match so she woke up early on Saturday even though the match was not until later in the morning. She was watching the Quidditch pitch from the dormitory window until the rest of the students woke up. She walked into the Great Hall for breakfast and there she found the whole Gryffindor team who had already put on their Quidditch uniforms. They were gathered around Ana who was speaking in a low voice and they jumped from surprise when Akira came to sit next to them.

"Ah, it's you." Ana told Akira with a sigh of relief. "I'm reviewing some strategies with the team and we would like to avoid a Ravenclaw player overhearing us."

"And you're doing this right in the middle of the Great Hall ? Wouldn't it be better to have this little meeting somewhere else because lots of students are coming right now." Akira pointed out.

"Yes, but elsewhere we wouldn't have the breakfast offered." Liz told her while biting into a toast.

The Gryffindors were talking about the tactics they developed during their trainings before leaving the Great Hall when too many people started to come in. Akira accompanied them as they made their way to the changing rooms.

"So, disappointed for not being able to play in this first match ?" Ana asked Akira, walking beside her in the frost-covered ground as an icy wind enveloped them.

"I prefer to see how a real match looks like first." Akira replied, not wanting to admit that in reality she was reassured to not have to play in front of a big crowd.

"You'll see, it's great. Of course, we are all nervous before we get on the pitch but we forget all that once we are on our broom. Plus, I have to admit it's pretty exhilarating to play in front of a crazy crowd. This is the opportunity to show what we can do and what we were training during all these Saturdays."

Akira understood that feeling. She had felt the same way when she graduated from the Academy to become a genin – the excitation to show the results of your intense training - even though she had failed the passing exam the first time due to the cloning technique. But at the same time, it wasn't her fault because with all the work she had in the hospital she didn't had time to train that jutsu enough. That's what she liked about Hogwarts, being able to focus on her studies and Quidditch practice without having to take other additional obligations.

The players gathered in the changing rooms to hear their Captain's speech. Ana was particularly inspired, using words such as "suffer", "crush them" or "won't understand their pain" when talking about the opposite team so that Liz ended up telling her to stop.

"You got the idea." Ana concluded with a smile as they heard the crowd of students and teachers who were about to settle into the spectator seatings as the game was about to start.

Akira wished the team good luck before heading back to the already busy seats. She went through the crowd of Gryffindors and spotted Arcturus next to whom she went to sit.

"THIS GAME PROMISES TO BE INTERESTING." Arcturus shouted at her as the Gryffindors cheered their team as they arrived on the pitch. "I don't think I've ever seen our colleagues be so enthusiastic. Even when Slughorn said that he would not grade our potion because I accidently pushed the box containing them and they felt on the floor."

Akira also couldn't stand still. She couldn't wait to see her team in action. On the other hand, it felt weird to not be on the pitch with them because she had always played with the team since their first day of training. And now she would just see them play while doing nothing.

The Ravenclaw team then arrived on the pitch to the applause of the other students. The two teams were now facing each other and the tension was unbearable.

"Aaaannnd here is the moment you have all been waiting since the beginning of the school year !" The commentator, a boy from Hufflepuff, announced cheerfully. "I'm Lars Farrel and I'm pleased to comment this thrilling game today."

Akira had already seen him in the corridors of the school and every time she spotted him, he was having a deep conversation with another student. What was amusing was that he always had something to say about everyone and everything so that he never stopped talking. The commentator position was therefore perfect for him.

"But we're not here to talk about me. Our two teams are ready to fight on the pitch with Orton as Goalkeeper, Erisson as Seeker, Noilseuil and Tacksten as Beaters and finally Leone, Artsbery and Bersen as Chasers for the Gryffindor team !"

When the names of their players were announced, the Gryffindors roared even louder to cheer their team on.

"Their fierce opponents will be none other than the Ravenclaws with Irf as Goalkeeper, Tuger as Seeker, Craith and Alstel as Beaters and finally Erwing, Stane and Danyl as Chasers !"

This time, it was the Ravenclaws who cried out to cover the Gryffindors and it was easy for them because the Slytherins were also on their side. Only the Hufflepuffs hadn't chosen which team they were going to support and were therefore neutral.

Madam Hooch - who was in charge of refereeing the match - was standing in the middle of the pitch and she asked the Captains of each team to shake hands, which Ana and Ed Erwing - the Captain of the Ravenclaw team who played as Chaser – did reluctantly. Each player was then able to take off into the air as Madam Hooch released the Snitch and the two Bludgers who raced across the field. After that, she threw the Quaffle into the air.

"Now that the Quaffle is in play, the match can begin ! Danyl was faster than Leone to catch it and he flies at full speed towards the goal post of Gyffindor but Bersen manages to recover the ball after a missed pass - Bersen goes up the field - avoids a Bludger intended for him and tries to score but Irf dive and deflect it. The Quaffle is once again in possession of the Ravenclaws who zigzag among the other players but what happens ? Noilseuil hits the Quaffle with her bat - no doubt she mistook it for a Bludger - and she receives a warning from Madam Hooch.

Indeed, Ana had deflected the Quaffle that had been thrown next to her by hitting it with her bat which knocked it across the field towards the Ravenclaw's goals. Madam Hooch blew her whistle to interrupt the match before warning Ana who seemed very upset that her gesture had earned her a warning.

"The match can continue. The Ravenclaws are in possession of the Quaffle - Erwing passes it to Stane who rolls to avoid Bersen then she passes the Quaffle back to Erwing who is demarcated - Erwing tries to score but the Gryffindor Keeper stands ready to interfere but he is stopped by a Bludger which passed in front of him and THAT'S A GOAL !"

The Ravenclaws started cheering for Erwing, who had just scored the first goal of the season and was flying around the pitch to greet the crowd.

"Do not rely too much on your first ten points, dear Ravenclaws, because I think Erisson has noticed something !"

While the Ravenclaw players were distracted, Liz had flown between the players to reach the middle of the pitch but Tuger pushed her out of the way, resulting in both losing the Snitch.

"The Snitch will not let itself be captured so easily. I think both Seekers lost sight of it and they are resuming their round over the pitch. Meanwhile, Artsbery has recovered the Quaffle - she passed Stane who tried to stop her and the Quaffle escapes her - it is retrieved by Leone who grabbed it with his fingertips - the latter attempts a long pass to Bersen who waits near opposing goals. Bersen receives the Quaffle but also a Bludger right on the ear sent by Craith. But he holds on and rushes towards the posts and he… oh no. The shot was deflected by Irf who recovers the Quaffle and sends it to Danyl - Danyl passes it to Erwing but a Bludger is sent right into the Quaffle by Tacksten which makes him let go the ball. Artsbery dives and retrieves it before it hits the ground - she soars up to the Ravenclaw posts and SHE SCORES !"

This time it was the Gryffindors who exploded with joy after the long minutes of waiting.

"The Gryffindors do not let themselves be distracted and they immediately recover the Quaffle near the Ravenclaw goals and THEY SCORE AGAIN !"

The Gryffindors were in high spirits after those two goals scored so quickly. Maybe a little too much because as the game progressed, the gap between the two teams points widened in favor of the Ravenclaws.

Akira could see from the bench Ana who circled furiously around the pitch after the Ravenclaws scored again. And it was even worse when one of Gryffindor's Chasers - Bersen to be exact - received a Bludger right in the head after being deviated from his path by a player of the opposite team which knocked him out.

"Ouch, the Gryffindors are left with one Chaser down and the team Captain doesn't look happy about that." Farrel commented as Ana shouted foul and Bersen was transported out of the pitch. "But Madam Hooch let the match continue and the Ravenclaws take the Quaffle."

Without their three Chasers, the Gryffindors were no match against their opponents and the points gap widened further.

"One hundred and eighty points for Ravenclaws against fifty for Gryffindors. Unless the Snitch stops playing hide-and-seek, I'm afraid that the Gryffindors will have a hard time evening the score. But I spoke too quickly, the two Seekers seem to have seen something."

Akira turned her attention back to the Seekers who were flying past the other players. They both sped towards one of Ravenclaw's goal posts where a small golden ball was shining in the middle of the hoop. Liz, being shorter and lighter than Tuger, sped faster than him through the field. Only Irf – which had not seen the Snitch or was pretending to have not seen it - was blocking her path. His attention was so taken by Liz rushing at him that he didn't notice the Bludger that Ana had thrown at him and that snapped the front of his broom. Now that the way was clear, Liz had no trouble retrieving the Snitch under the gaze of Tuger who had arrived too late.

"THE SCORE WAS REALLY CLOSE BUT GRYFFONDOR FINALLY WON THIS FIRST GAME WITH TWO HUNDRED POINTS AGAINST A HUNDRED-EIGHTY !" Farrel yelled to cover the Gryffindor cries of joy.

Both teams landed on the pitch and Gryffindor spectators ran on the field to congratulate their team. Akira tried to reach Ana and Liz. The latter had not let go of the Snitch that had made her team won and she was smiling broadly. Ana was in a happier mood too than duing the match though she couldn't help but comment on Liz performance.

"Next time, catch the Snitch faster, that'll keep me from having to send Bludgers everywhere." Ana said to Liz, teasing her.

"I told you Tuger was no match for me." Liz replied to her. "You didn't need to hex him."

"And I should have listened to you. So, the newbie, I hope you keep your eyes wide opened to see how a real Quidditch match is played and won ?" Ana said to Akira who had finally managed to join them.

"That was amazing, especially at the end when the Snitch was stagnating in the opposing goals !" Akira congratulated them with excitement.

"I hope you enjoyed the show because it will be your turn next year - or perhaps even this year if Bersen doesn't make a full recovery." Ana announced, punching Akira in the arm. "Try to learn one or two tricks each time but don't put too much pressure on yourself. Anyway, you can't do worse than Bersen…. What idea did he have to get hit by a Bludger in the head while we were missing so much points to catch up with the Ravenclaws ?"

"Rather than criticize him, shouldn't we go and see him in the Hospital Wing ?" Liz announced.

"Yes, maybe." Ana admitted as the field began to empty itself.

Ana and Liz went to take off their Quidditch robes as Akira walked to the castle. She still had stars in her eyes from this game which had been thrilling from the beginning until the very end. The anxiety she had felt so far about joining the team next year had melted away, giving way to excitement.

The Gryffindors spent the afternoon and the evening celebrating their victory much to the grief of the Ravenclaws and Slytherins who had not appreciated that the Gryffindors won by such a small point difference. But the positive thing to be noted with the end of this match was that at least the tensions between the students had ceased and they could again roam freely in the corridors without receiving spells coming from everywhere.

Hello dear readers,

Aaaannnd here is the first Quidditch match of the season ! I hope that you were OK with the names I picked for the Quidditch players because even I was struggling to not mix them together. It was very interesting to write about a real Quidditch match and I learnt about one or two rules that I didn't know, for exemple that a player can't block the Seeker from capturing the Golden Snitch.

The next chapter will be about Christmas in Hogwarts. I will publish it around December 24th but I don't know exactly when, depending on what I have planned during this period of time.