Buckbeak's trial had not gone well, the decision for execution being pretty much unanimous on account of Mr Malfoy demanding it be so. I assured Hagrid that I would continue to help him for the appeal, and if things didn't go right I'd enlist Fred and George to make something work. I suggested sending stink bombs to the judges' homes, bombarding Malfoy Manor with all things disgusting and foul and outright kidnapping Buckbeak for him. "I mean, if there's no hippogriff, then there's no execution." I'd reasoned, but Hagrid didn't want to get anyone into trouble, least of all Dumbledore who had vouched for him.
He thanked me for all my help, but in the end, it still looked rather hopeless despite all my efforts to try and keep Hagrid in cheerful spirits. I felt intensely sorry for him, wondering if there was actually anything I could do to help, but he was right. It was a lost cause, by the looks of things. As worried as I was over Hagrid, I was also concerned about the finals of the quidditch House Cup. That morning no one could stomach to eat anything though Wood tried his best to make us take something, then on the pitch, he was also lost for words. In the end, he just told us with a hoarse voice that he was proud of us, believed that we were absolutely the best no matter what, and that we going to succeed.
Everyone looked wan and nervous, even Fred and George looked like they were about to throw up, so I decided to shake things up a bit. "How about we give those Slytherins a real fright?" I suggested to everyone who then frowned at me. "We'll remind them that we're lions, and lions eat snakes for breakfast. You leave it to me Wood. I'll show 'em what for." I promised then tossing my broom to Fred, dropped onto all fours and shifted. The change was seamless now, taking less than a second for me to become a lioness and instantly, everyone was gasping, yelping and staring.
It worked as a distraction, everyone who had been previously unaware that I was an animagus crowding in and drowning my senses with their questions, stroking my fur and taking a good look at me. Even Oliver managed a smile. So when we progressed outside, everyone walked around me to hide me from sight, then once we were facing the Slytherin team, they all parted ways for me to step out. Immediately they looked terrified as I growled, fixing my eyes upon them as the stands all gasped before all at once, I roared.
The sound carried as I jerked forwards slightly, prancing from side to side like I was ready to pounce, roaring repeatedly until all of Gryffindor were roaring with me, echoing my call before I then stood up and held out my hand to Fred, accepting my broom back when he chucked it over then slung it over my neck with a lazy grin at the Slytherins, who now looked rather unnerved. Blowing them a kiss, I then fell back into line as Gryffindor continued to roar, filling the rest of us with the kick we needed until finally, it was time to fly.
I took possession first, rolling to fly upside down and snatched the quaffle away from Flint as it graced his fingertips before flying up the pitch whilst Lee commentated with increased enthusiasm. A bludger came at me and glanced off my right shoulder, making me hiss but it was no more than a bruise so I kept going, George covering me and sending the bludger right back at whoever had hit it at me. Tossing to Angelina at the last second as the keeper flew at me, she scored our first ten points. We celebrated the victory, but before it could really set in, Flint flew straight into her. "HEY!" I bellowed in outrage as he smirked, insisting that he hadn't seen her.
In response, Fred tried to hit him in the back of his head with his bat which earned Slytherin a penalty shot as we were also awarded one. Well if we were going to give away a free shot, Fred might as well have knocked the prick out. I took the penalty, easily scoring another ten points and Wood expertly saved the penalty from Slytherin, passing it back to us chasers. Pretty soon it became clear that Slytherin had decided to play dirty, enacting one foul after another. Next they went for Katie, Montague grabbing her head instead of the quaffle. I could have strangled the lot of them, but whilst Hooch yelled at the Slytherin chaser, Katie scored anyway.
Thirty points up. Two more goals then Harry was free to catch the snitch. We're well on our way. Next the beaters went after Harry, but they ended up colliding in mid-air so serves them right, then they came after me. All three chasers tried to box me in but I wasn't having that. Especially considering I didn't even have the bloody quaffle! I'm not sure what they intended to do, but with a sharp pull upwards I broke free from them and as I wheeled around, I leaned heavily into my broom with my feet against the branch, holding it like I was surfing a wave in order to pull a tight circle and head back the other way instead.
Slytherin scored, damn it, but that's fine. We can still keep this on track. They were getting desperate now and it was very evident by the increasing amount of dirty tricks and fouls they were pulling. As I was flying, a beater's club suddenly came sweeping at my face so I let go of my broom and veered backwards, watching it with wide eyes as it passed just inches above my face as I gripped onto the tail of my broom with just my feet. Hooch awarded another penalty for an intentional attack, but then George in a defensive kick elbowed that same beater in the face, meaning they got a penalty too. Katie took the shot, scored, and Wood saved Slytherin's, raising the score again.
In order to keep Katie from being targeted, Fred and George stuck with her to keep any bludgers from coming her way but instead, Slytherin aimed for Wood. Thankfully I was quick and as the bludger came flying at him, I slammed into his side in order to push us both out the way before it could hit, letting it soar past us as I tossed our keeper a grin. "Keep up the good work Wood."
"Right back at you, Black." Shooting off again, I returned to the game. The attempted attack on Wood earned us another penalty, though Slytherin argued that since the attack didn't hit, it didn't count which only made Hooch all the more mad. Angelina scored, finally giving us that fifty point we needed to give Harry the all clear. Almost immediately after, Harry spotted the snitch and went for it, but Malfoy, that ferrety scumbag of a little prick, had grabbed hold of the end of Harry's broom in order to stop him from reaching it, earning Gryffindor another penalty.
To my amusement, not only was Lee shouting out profanities at Malfoy, but McGonagall was also shaking her fist and yelling fiercely in outrage of such deliberate sabotage. I took this penalty because I was the only chaser calm enough to focus, Katie and Angelina both also joining the furious outcries of protest against Malfoy's tactic. I scored, much to Gryffindor's relief, and the game continued. Slytherin scored again, then we were back in possession but when Angelina took hold of the quaffle, every member of the Slytherin team pelted towards her.
I happened to be flying near Harry at the time, and with a glance at each other we both soared forwards and dove for them. Seeing two Firebolts charging straight for them with no signs of stopping, the opposing team broke off with yells of fright and since the keeper had abandoned his post, Angelina had a clear shot at the goal posts and easily tucked the quaffle away. "Nice one!" She yelled to Harry and I, making us both grin. All of a sudden Harry's smile vanished then, without hesitation, flattened himself against his broom in order to streak forwards, nothing more than a blur of red. I completely forgot the game, holding my breath as Harry dove for where Malfoy was reaching out for something gold and fluttering in front of him.
"Come on Harry…come on…you got this…" Everyone fell silent, watching with trepidation as both seekers drew level, then all at once Harry knocked Malfoy's hand aside and seized the snitch with a burst of speed. The moment his fingers closed around it, all hell broke loose. I screamed, looping through the air before all of us crashed against one another. Wood was sobbing, hugging Harry tightly as us three girls also blubbered, hugging one another as the twins chanted in victory and the resounding roar of the house of lions reverberated around us.
Pulling my wand free, I fired red and gold sparks into the air before they burst into a giant gold lion with more scarlet and gold fireworks shooting off from it and let them continue to burst and flutter, showering us all as we sank back to earth though our spirits continued to soar. There was so much sound and noise that it became deafening, all of us jumping at one another. Wood kissed each of us girls before turning to Fred and George who jokingly told him they didn't want his kisses. I laughed, grabbed Fred by his face and kissed his cheeks firmly before doing the same to George, then I snagged Harry. I smothered him with hugs, peppering his face with kisses before all at once, we lifted him into the air with a victorious bellow.
A wave of crimson and gold powered towards us as the fireworks continued to burst, our house coming to meet us on the field where a mass scramble of limbs lifted each of us players up into the air as we all held hands and held them aloft in victory. At this point we had completely forgotten about the Cup we were so happy we'd won, and it wasn't until it was presented to us by Dumbledore himself that we remembered. Wood sobbed even harder, McGonagall also crying as she delicately dabbed her eyes with a massive Gryffindor flag.
Still being carried in the air, Wood passed the great Quidditch Cup to Harry who then held one handle and passed the other to me so we held it together, feeling a total sense of euphoria unlike any other. I didn't know how I could ever feel sadness or defeat again, not when there was a victory like this in my memory, so with a final laugh of joy I fired a final blast into the air from my wand where a great golden lion roared, creating another wave of cheers and bellows from the sea of scarlet and gold below.
