After Halloween, the weather got cold fast. The mountains around the castle became an icy gray and the lake began to freeze over. Every morning, the ground had a layer of frost on it. One thing to look forward to, the quidditch season had begun. The first game was on Saturday and it would be Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Slytherins were very excited about this, however, they got a shock when they found out that Harry Potter would be the new Gryffindor Seeker. Draco wasn't surprised by this news, Harry got a new broomstick and it wasn't immediately taken away, and of course, why let the fact that Harry Potter was a first-year stop him from being the special Seeker for Gryffindor's quidditch team because Harry Potter was just so grand at everything that they could bend the rules for the famous Harry Potter. Yes, Draco was irritated. He wasn't in a good mood all week leading up to Saturday and when it finally came, Jade had to convince him to go watch the quidditch match to support the Slytherin team.
"Come on," She tugged at his cloak as students started to leave the Great Hall and head down towards the field. "It'll be fun." She smiled and he glanced at her, "I'll paint your face." She offered and he laughed,
"You will not." Draco rose from his seat and Jade followed, "It's cold out, I'm going to change and I'll meet you out there." He told her and Jade nodded. She put on her winter cloak and coiled her Slytherin scarf around her neck. Jade headed down to the field with a small group of Slytherins and made their way up high in the stands. The game was played high up in the air and getting up on the stands helped but many kids had binoculars and Jade hadn't grabbed a pair from the dormitories. The large crowd roared to life and caught Jade's attention, the two teams were walking out of their locker rooms and heading onto the field to meet Madam Hooch who was refereeing. The Gryffindors were waving an awful looking banner that had 'Potter for President' on it. The banner was tattered with holes scattered on it. "Awful looking thing." She heard a voice to her right and Draco was scowling at the banner. The teams were beginning to mount their brooms and Madam Hooch blew her whistle. The brooms levitated into the air and then they took off, Jade watched the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint, zoom past one of the Weasley twins.
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor, what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too-"
"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall screeched at Lee Jordan who was doing the commentary on the game.
"Sorry, Professor." The Gryffindors were laughing at Jordan's comments. "And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve. Back to Johnson and… no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes. Flint flying like an eagle up there, he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood." The Slytherins groaned in disappointment, "and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle. That's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and, OUCH, that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger." Draco was watching through a pair of binoculars and noticed Jade squinting up in the air. He tapped her on the shoulder and passed the binoculars to her,
"I'm okay," Jade told him but he just nudged her with the binoculars. Jade reluctantly took them, "Thank you." Jade could now make out the players separately instead of red and green dots in the air. "Quaffle is taken by the Slytherins. That's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which. Nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead, and off she goes. She's really flying, dodges a speeding Bludger, the goalposts are ahead. Come on, now, Angelina. Keeper Bletchley dives, misses, Gryffindors score!" Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with groans and protests from the Slytherins. Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, no doubt keeping an eye out for the snitch. A Bludger came whizzing towards Harry and he quickly dipped to the left to avoid getting hit. "Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the, wait a moment, was that the Snitch?" Jade's eyes darted around trying to find the SNitch for herself but it was too fast she couldn't find it. She handed the binoculars back to Draco and watched all of the players. Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear. In a great rush, Harry dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker, Terence Higgs, had seen it, too. Terence and Harry were neck and neck as they chased after the Snitch, even the other players hung in midair to watch. Harry was faster than Higgs. A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below, Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose. It wasn't a clean move but it was a smart one as Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.
"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors. A few of the Slytherins started shouting back over at the Gryffindors and Professor McGonagall had to yell at all of them, threatening to have the game stopped. Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. While everyone was arguing and Harry was recovering, the Golden Snitch had disappeared. Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.
"So, after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating-" Jordan had begun,
"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul-"
'Jordan, I'm warning you -" Jade found Professor McGonagall's and Lee Jordan's banter just another enjoyable part of quidditch.
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue to play, Gryffindor still in possession." As the game continued, Harry's broom gave a sharp lurch. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. It happened again.
"Draco, what's going on up there?" She asked him since he could get a better view. "Potter, he's moving funny." Draco focused on Harry. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. Harry tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal posts. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him. It seemed that Lee Jordan hadn't noticed Harry's spastic movements.
"Slytherin in possession, Flint with the Quaffle, passes Spinnet, passes Bell, hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose." Jordan quickly looked at Professor McGonagall, "only joking, Professor. Slytherins score." The Slytherins were cheering, no one else seemed to notice Harry jerking around up in the air except Jade and Draco. Suddenly the broom began moving away from the game and people noticed and started pointing at him,
"What is he doing?" Jade asked and Draco followed him with his binoculars,
"Guess he decided he wasn't as good of a Seeker as he thought, now he's just leaving." Jade rolled her eyes,
"No, Draco." She grumbled. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. "What do you call that?" Jade asked as she stood up. Harry's broom had given a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand. "Oh my gods." The Weasley twins flew towards Harry and tried to pull him safely onto one of their brooms but once they got close the broom jerked further away, Harry struggled to hang on. The twins dropped lower intending on trying to catch him if he fell. Harry's broom ceased its struggling and Harry took the opportunity to climb carefully back onto his broom. He quickly headed for the ground, probably going to land safely before his broom started freaking out again. Harry slapped his hand to his mouth, it looked like he was going to be sick. He didn't land gracefully, he fell onto all fours and began coughing. When Harry pulled his hand away from his mouth, something gold appeared. The crowd was silently watching, Harry's team came flying down to his side.
"I've got the Snitch!" Harry shouted, waving it over his head, his team was celebrating but everyone else was confused. Lee Jordan was announcing the end of the game while the teams retreated to their locker rooms. The students slowly poured out of the stadium and headed back up to the castle. Draco and Jade were walking up to the castle and Pansy quickly caught up with them,
"Well, that was interesting." She said as she crossed her arms closer to her chest to keep warm,
"We lost," Draco mumbled, they were silent until they were back within the castle walls.
"Do you think Potter's okay?" Jade asked, "His broom was freaking out."
"Brooms don't just freak out, he was probably doing it for attention." Draco spat. Draco was right in the fact that brooms don't usually just go crazy on their own but Jade didn't think Harry was doing it on purpose. It was definitely odd. As they began to warm up near the fire in the Common Room, Pansy and Jade were studying for a Herbology quiz while Draco was talking to Crabbe and Goyle about the loss of the quidditch game. "Flint was scoring while Potter was dangling around on his broom and it still wasn't enough."
"Who knew roses had so many uses," Pansy said looking through her textbook, "I mean other than romantic gestures and a beautiful smell." Jade glanced up and smiled at her as she wrote notes down.