Chapter 11: The Quidditch Match
I don't own Digimon or Harry Potter
"Oh man, it's so cold." Daisuke said, her teeth chattering uncontrollably even though she wore her winter cloak, a scarf wrapped tightly around, covering her mouth and a wool beanie her mother had knitted her before she left for Hogwarts.
"Not a fan of the cold huh?" Ron asked with a small grin, the four friends huddled together in a courtyard during break, the four stood around a small jam jar, inside was a small blue flame Hermione had conjured. She said it was called the Bluebell Flame spell and it helped warm their bodies.
"Nope. Neither is Demi-Veemon, little guy is probably rugged up by the fire in the Common Room with Salem and any of the other pets our housemates have." Daisuke answered, her eyes going wide as a small gust of wind blew past making the cold feel even worse and she shrieked.
Hermione and Ron gave their friend looks of sympathy while Harry had his nose buried in a library book he borrowed from Hermione. It was titled Quidditch Through the Ages and the young boy was enraptured by all the interesting details about the sport.
"Seven hundred ways to commit fouls in Quidditch…and they all happened in the same match." He spoke softly.
He continued to read the book when they spotted Professor Snape crossing the courtyard. They huddled closer together, blocking the jar from view, yet Professor Snape limped towards them, clearly looking for something to tell them off about.
"What's that you got there, Potter?" he asked Harry who looked up from the book he was reading, he showed the cover to him, and the Professor sneered. "Library books aren't meant to be taken outside the school, give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."
The four students looked at him in disbelief as he took the book from Harry and began limping away. "He's just made that rule up!" Ron grumbled under his breath.
"I wonder what's wrong with his leg." Daisuke added, slight concern in her eyes as she watched as Professor Snape headed back into the castle.
"I don't know, but I hope it's really painful." Ron bitterly muttered.
That evening, the Gryffindor Common room was very noisy indeed, a few pops and bangs came from Fred and George who were trying out some new spells they had learned, much to the annoyance of Percy who kept groaning in frustration when the twins ignored him.
Daisuke sat in the armchair closest to the fireplace, earlier that day she had gone up to the Owlery and sent a letter back home to her parents, detailing her recent dreams and how they had become reality soon after having them. In her lap sat Salem and Demi-Veemon, both held in her arms as they kept warm by the fire.
Ron was scribbling through his Potions homework, Jun sitting beside him and pointing out errors and corrections that he needed to make. The young Weasley had improved somewhat from when he first began being tutored by Jun, she never shouted, or sneered. She was patient and kind; the exact opposite of what Professor Snape was who assumed every student he had was a complete blithering idiot.
"And done." He said in relief, Jun smiled and patted him on the back making the boy beam with pride.
Across the common room, Harry and Hermione sat together near a window, the bushy haired girl going through Harry's Charms homework. She never let Harry or Ron copy from her or Daisuke's homework, but when they asked her to read it through for them, they eventually got the right answers.
Harry meanwhile was nervous, he twitched and felt a pit in his stomach as his mind drifted to his first Quidditch game the next day. He needed something to get his mind off of it, he then thought about the book Snape had taken from him earlier that day and decided then and there to get it back.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked, seeing her friend stand up and begin walking to the portrait hole.
"I'm going to ask Professor Snape if I can have the library book he took from me back." He answered softly. "He's probably down in the staff room."
"Alright, try not to be gone too long. Curfew starts for us soon." Hermione reminded him. Harry nodded and left the Common Room, he walked down to the staff room which was on the first floor. As he reached the landing, he almost bumped into another student who was coming up from the dungeons.
"Whoa, easy there." The student said with a smile. Harry blinked and realised it was Cedric who he almost crashed into.
"Oh, hey Cedric." He greeted the older Hufflepuff student with a bright smile. "What're you doing out of your common room?" he asked.
"I forgot one of my textbooks in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, with luck the door will still be unlocked right now. And you?' Cedric asked, smiling down at the first year.
"Same, Professor Snape took a library book from me during break. I was hoping I could ask him if I could have it back." Harry answered, adjusting his glasses shyly as Cedric hummed.
"How about I ask for you?" he offered. "He's probably more likely to hand it over to me than you."
"Maybe." Harry replied, knowing Professor Snape did seem to dislike him a lot, so having another student ask for the book might yield better results and avoid Snape's temper.
Cedric nodded and both walked off to the staff room, Cedric knocked a few times, but nobody answered. Curiously, he pushed open the door and he and Harry peaked inside and witnessed a gruesome sight.
Professor Snape sat in one of the chairs, holding his robes above his knees and his right leg was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing the man bandages to wrap around the injured leg. "Blasted thing, how are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" Snape questioned angrily.
Harry's eyes widened and he ducked out of sight as Snape's head snapped towards the open door. "Diggory, what're you doing here at this hour?" he questioned, standing up and lowering his robes to cover his injured leg as he glared at the Hufflepuff student.
"Sorry for the intrusion Professor Snape, but I was asked to retrieve a library book for another student." Cedric answered calmly.
"Get out!" Professor Snape barked and Cedric quickly closed the door before guiding Harry away.
"Sorry for almost getting you into trouble." Harry said.
"Ah it's fine. I can ask him again another time if you'd like." Cedric responded. "Though what caused his injury?"
Harry shrugged quickly, but he had a good feeling on what it might be. He quickly said his goodbyes to Cedric and rushed back up to Gryffindor Tower.
The next morning, everyone was in the Great Hall for breakfast, Harry was playing with his food nervously worried about the Quidditch match. "Have a bit of toast Harry, you need to eat something." Ron told him.
"Ron's right Harry, you're going to need your energy today." Hermione said.
"I'm not hungry." Harry told them with a shrug, dropping his fork and sighing deeply. Daisuke frowned at the boy before she spotted Professor Snape moving down the Gryffindor table before stopping behind Harry.
"Good luck today Potter," he told the boy who looked up at him in shock. "I presume now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a simple game of Quidditch will be easy work for you." He sneered before limping off towards the teacher's table.
"Now I get it." Harry whispered; his attention focused on Snape before he looked back at his friends.
"Get what?" Hermione asked.
"You all know how Snape's been limping since Halloween? And how his robes were torn up when he came into the bathroom after we stopped the troll?" Harry asked his friends who shared a look before nodding and Harry continued.
"I reckon he let the troll in that night, and then while the other teachers were distracted by it, he went to the third floor so he could try and get past that three-headed dog, but he got himself bitten and that's why he's limping."
"But why would anyone want to go near that thing?" Daisuke asked him.
"Maybe it has something to do with the package Hagrid took from Gringotts, remember how I mentioned it a few weeks ago when we learned about the robbery?"
"You think that's what is being guarded and that's what Snape wants?" Ron whispered, looking at Harry with wide eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous. Professor Snape is a teacher, why would he endanger the students by releasing a troll?" Hermione whispered.
"I don't know. But we need to find out." Harry replied with determination as he glanced over at Professor Snape again whose eyes were solely focused on him.
By eleven o'clock, it seemed that the entire school had headed to the Quidditch Pitch and were piled into the stands, many of the students had brought binoculars to help them watch the match.
Daisuke, Ron, and Hermione had joined Seamus, Neville, and Dean in the front row with the other first year Gryffindors scattered about nearby. Demi-Veemon sat on Daisuke's head, the little Digimon wrapped in a scarf and wearing a small wool hat of his own to keep his ears warm.
"Is that banner ready yet?" Ron asked the others who were carrying a large rolled up bedsheet in their arms.
"Got it." Dean said, he and Seamus unrolled it and hung it over the railing in front of them. On the banner were the words Potter for President with a Gryffindor Lion drawn underneath, the words were also changing colours randomly, all thanks to a charm Hermione had read about in a book.
"Harry's gonna like this." Daisuke said with a smile, her friends nodding in agreement.
Meanwhile in the changing room, Harry nervously changed into his Quidditch Robes, that were red and gold, the colours of Gryffindor. Oliver Wood stood up once he finished changing and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"Alright men." He began.
"And women." A third year, Angelina Johnson spoke up with a smile.
"And women." Oliver said with a slight grin.
"This is it." Fred Weasley said with a smirk, standing beside his twin, both holding Beater bats over their shoulders.
"The one we've all been waiting for." George continued before leaning over to Harry and stage whispering. "We've heard this speech before. We were on the team last year."
"Oi!" Oliver called out with a glare. "Focus!" he barked, the twins sharing a grin and saluting him. He rolled his eyes and ignored them. "We're going to win, I know it. This is the best team we have had in years. Do your best out there. That's all I can ask for. Potter, a word before we go."
Harry gulped and walked over to the captain of the team and looked up at him. "Nervous Harry?" Oliver asked him.
"A little." Harry admitted.
"I know how you feel. I was the same way before my first game." Oliver told him with a grin.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"Uh, I don't really remember. I took a Bludger to the face two minutes in…and woke up in Hospital about a week later." Oliver answered before noticing Harry's terrified expression. "Ah, but you'll be fine. You've got us looking out for ya. Just focus on catching the Snitch before Slytherin's Seeker does." He quickly reassured him.
The team headed out to the Quidditch Pitch and were met by thunderous cheers. Madam Hooch stood in the centre of the pitch, her broom in hand as she waited for both teams. "Now, I want a nice clean game from all of you." She told the two teams, her gaze seemed to be focusing on the Slytherin team captain, a sixth year named Marcus Flint.
Out the corner of his eye, Harry noticed the banner dangling over the railing. His heart skipped a beat and he felt braver for it.
"Mount your brooms." Madam Hooch instructed and the two teams mounted their brooms before she blew her whistle. Both teams flew up into the air with Madam Hooch following them up on her own broom and she tossed the Quaffle high into the air and the six Chasers rushed to grab it as the match began.
Daisuke, Ron, Hermione, and everyone else cheered loudly as the voice of Lee Jordan, a friend of the Weasley Twins who was doing the commentary for the Quidditch match came through several large, enchanted speakers around the pitch. "And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor, what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too."
"Jordan!" the voice of Professor McGonagall came through the speakers, clearly the woman was keeping a close eye on Lee Jordan as he commentated.
"And she's really belting along there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find by Oliver Wood last year, she was only a reserve player during the last season and…no! Slytherin has taken the Quaffle, Marcus Flint has hold of the Quaffle and off he goes, flying like an eagle up there. He's going to score!"
Marcus threw the Quaffle towards the goal posts only for it to be caught by Oliver who tossed it over to Angelina who flew off with the ball. "What an excellent save by Oliver Wood. Gryffindor have hold of the Quaffle again, that's Katie Bell currently in possession and ouch, a nasty hit on the back of the head by a Bludger but she's still on her broom." Lee Jordan continued.
One of Slytherin's Chasers grabbed the Quaffle as it fell from Katie Bell's hand, and they flew back towards Gryffindor's goal posts only for a Bludger to come flying in, almost hitting them off their broom. "Oh, what a nice redirect of that Bludger by one of the Weasley Twins, Gryffindor are back in possession!" Lee Jordan shouted.
Angelina held the Quaffle in her arm as Marcus and the other two Slytherin Chasers pursued her, they tried to cut her off, but she ducked and weaved around them, and she was nearing the Slytherin goal posts. "Come on Angelina, she throws it and score!" Lee Jordan cheered as the Quaffle flew through one of the hoops.
"Yes!" Harry cheered from up above the other players, before yelping as a Bludger flew past him nearly knocking him backwards off his broom. He managed to keep on his broom as Fred Weasley flew up and chased the Bludger away before sending it down towards Marcus Flint.
The Gryffindor students were cheering loudly before Daisuke, Ron and Hermione heard someone moving towards them. "Budge up there, move along." It was Hagrid, the giant gamekeeper pushing through the crowd.
"Hagrid." Daisuke, Ron, and Hermione said before squeezing together allowing him to fit into the stands.
"Been watching from me hut, but it's not the same as being in the crowd." Hagrid told them, a large pair of binoculars in his hand. "No sight of the Snitch yet?"
"Not yet. Harry hasn't much to do yet." Ron answered.
"At least he's out of harm's way." Daisuke said, looking up high in the sky at the speck that was Harry.
Harry meanwhile was squinting as he looked down at the match below, looking for any sign of the Golden Snitch, Oliver wasn't kidding when he said it was near impossible to see.
"Wait a moment, was that the Snitch!?" he heard Lee Jordan cry out and just like that, Harry spotted a glint of gold far down below before diving down chasing after it, his Nimbus 2000 broom rocketing through the air like a knife through butter, both sides had stopped what they were doing to watch as Slytherin's own Seeker Terrence Higgs began chasing the Snitch as well.
The two were neck and neck as they followed the Snitch, the little golden ball whizzing through the air like a bullet, Harry began inching ahead of Higgs, his broom having the edge in speed. He reached out to try and grab the Snitch when suddenly Marcus Flint crashed into Harry sending his broom spiralling off course.
Gryffindor roared with rage as Harry held onto his broom for dear life. "FOUL!" the Gryffindor students shouted angrily, Madam Hooch blowing her whistle and flying over to Marcus, and she began giving him a stern warning before awarding a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor.
With all the confusion the Golden Snitch had flown out of sight, forgotten by everyone. "Send him off! Send him off!" Dean Thomas was shouting from beside Ron, waving his fist up at Marcus Flint.
"This isn't football Dean; you can't send someone off in Quidditch." Ron reminding him.
"They should change the rules then. Marcus could have knocked Harry off his broom with that hit!" Demi-Veemon said, jumping up and down on Daisuke's head.
As one of the Gryffindor Chasers took the penalty shot, Harry narrowly avoided another Bludger that flew dangerously past his head before his broom gave a sudden lurch. He thought the broom was going to plummet out of the sky, he held onto it with both hands and knees. "That wasn't normal." He thought, feeling the broom lurch again.
As the match continued, Harry realised he couldn't control his broom at all, it zigged and zagged through the air making wild bucking motions that almost sent him plummeting to the ground. Everyone was so focused on the match down below as Marcus managed to score for Slytherin which made the Slytherin students cheer loudly.
"What's going on with Harry's broomstick?" Hagrid questioned, looking up with his binoculars at Harry as several others throughout the crowd noticed as well, suddenly many gasped when Harry's broom lurched violently.
"Harry!" Daisuke and Hermione cried out, looking at their friend who was holding onto his broom with only one hand.
"Fred, George!" Oliver shouted to the twins who flew over to him. "Start circling under him, catch him if he falls!" he instructed.
"Right!" the twins shouted, flying off towards Harry as the young Seeker's broom continued to try and shake him off.
"Did something happen to the broom during the crash?" Demi-Veemon asked the others as they continued watching Harry struggle to hold on.
"Can't have done. Nothing can interfere with a broomstick except powerful dark magic." Hagrid answered, at those words, Daisuke snatched his binoculars, and she began to look through the crowd.
"What're you doing?" Ron asked, pale faced as he glanced up at Harry as his brothers began circling under him in case he fell which was looking more and more likely.
"I knew it. Someone is jinxing the broom, look!" Daisuke answered, handing the binoculars to Hermione.
"Snape!" She whispered, looking at the Potions master who was looking up at Harry unblinking while muttering non-stop under his breath.
"What do we do!?" Ron asked the two girls.
"Leave it to me." Hermione told him.
"Good luck." Daisuke said as Hermione rushed off through the crowd.
Everyone's attention was so focused on Harry and his uncontrollable broomstick that nobody noticed as Marcus Flint took the Quaffle and scored five more times.
"Come on Hermione!" Ron muttered in a panic, looking up at Harry with Hagrid's binoculars.
Hermione had rushed to the other side of the stands, she was moving through the row behind Professor Snape, she didn't even apologise as she bumped into Professor Quirrell sending the poor professor headfirst into the row in front of him. She crouched behind Professor Snape and pulled out her wand, she whispered some words and the hem of Snape's robes caught alight.
"Fire, you're on fire!" Someone shouted to Professor Snape who stood up and began trying to put out the flames as Hermione quickly left to avoid being caught.
It was enough however; Harry felt his broom calm down and he climbed back onto it and shot off after the Snitch, he spotted Terrence Higgs chasing after the golden ball, he almost had it clasped in his outstretched hand when Harry flew alongside him, the two began slamming into each other, trying to knock the other away, both then dived down after the Snitch, both began nearing the ground, closer and closer until Higgs grew nervous and pulled up early, Harry pulled up as well, his broom only inches above the grass as he chased the Snitch.
He stood up slightly on his broom, holding out his hand as the Snitch flew in front of him, he stepped forward on his broom slightly before he lost balance and went flying off his broom towards the Snitch, he hit the ground with a thud and rolled along the grass before getting onto all fours.
Everyone gasped and watched him in worry, he put one hand over his mouth as if he were going to throw up. "Looks like he's gonna be sick." Hagrid said, only for Harry to spit out someone gold which landed in his hands.
"I've got the Snitch!" He shouted, waving the Snitch in his hand. Madam Hooch blew the whistle loudly as she landed near Harry.
"Gryffindor Wins!" she announced, and the Gryffindor stands erupted loudly in wild cheers while the Slytherin side groaned and moaned in despair.
"Yes!" Daisuke and Ron cheered, the pair hugging each other happily as Demi-Veemon jumped up and down. Hagrid cheered, clapping his hands together and Hermione also cheered as she made it back.
Harry smiled and held the Snitch proudly in the air as the other Gryffindor players landed and lifted him into the air, cheering his name in celebration Gryffindor had defeated Slytherin one hundred and seventy points to sixty.
The end of the chapter
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