Tens of thousands of people had filled the stands of the quidditch stadium at Hogwarts for the championship match. Even Sammy's parents Frank and Lisa had made it to the game. Draco paid for their flight over and invited them to his skybox. The team could hear the roar of the crowd from the locker room.
Outside the concession stand, Rita Skeeter stalked a redheaded woman wearing sunglasses.
"I knew you couldn't stay away, Ronnie," Rita said, tapping her on the shoulder.
"Rita?" Ronnie said. "How did you recognize me?"
"It doesn't take Columbo to recognize the redhead with sunglasses standing awkwardly outside the stadium."
"Well, fine," Ronnie said. "You're not looking for an interview, are you?"
"No, no," Rita said, pulling out her notebook. "Just some fact-checking. I'm working on a story about Hermione Granger, and I'd just like to read you some of her quotes about you."
"I can tell you right now that everything that wench says is a lie."
"Just let me read some of these quotes, ok? 'Ronnie was the kindest person I've ever known … had a heart bigger than Secretariat … the only woman over 30 who can pull off a middle part without even trying … a more skilled witch than anyone realized … She loved Hogwarts more than any else and deserves to be welcomed back … the best friend I ever had.'"
Rita looked up from her notebook. Ronnie was holding back tears.
"She said that — about me?"
"That, and a whole lot more."
Ronnie sniffled. She looked like she wanted to say something, then shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Rita, but I have to go."
Ronnie grabbed a popcorn bucket from the concession stand and pushed her way through the crowd.
Hermione, meanwhile, sat nervously in the newly refurbished stands. Hogwarts hadn't seen greatness like this in years. If the team won the game, if she had shredded enough documents, if the ministry didn't shut down Hogwarts, and if something didn't go wrong in the next 24 hours, maybe — just maybe — the school would be saved.
As she looked out over the crowd, the cheering fans, the proud alumni, there was only one person on her mind: Ronnie. There was no one she would rather watch this game with. Ronnie loved Hogwarts more than anyone Hermione knew. She would love to see the campus resplendent in glory — just like when they were all kids together.
If by some stroke of magic, Hogwarts survived another year, Hermione promised herself that she would reach out to Ronnie, and bring her back to the school.
Meanwhile, the quidditch team huddled in the locker room. It was the same room where legends like Angelina Johnson, the Weasley twins, and Oliver Wood had once suited up. The moment was not lost on any of the players.
Tanya was rubbing eye black on her cheeks. Derek was doing push ups. MJ was rubbing his puka shell necklace for good luck. Jarvis was psyching himself up in the mirror.
"Who's the sexiest quidditch keeper alive?" Jarvis asked himself. "Oh, that's right, Jarvis FUCKING Weasley."
Sammy was going through her binder of plays when she looked up at the clock. It was ten minutes to kickoff and she hadn't seen Jerry since they came back in the locker room after warmups. He should be doing pre-game bong rips by now.
Sammy went out into the hall and found Jerry exactly where she expected him to be. Jerry was standing in front of the portrait of Harry Potter in his quidditch uniform. The painting hung right outside the locker room. The scar was prominent on his forehead and the golden snitch was in his hand.
"I wish I knew him, Sammy," Jerry said without turning around.
"I know, bro," Sammy said. "Wherever he is, you're making him proud. There's something I want to give you."
She handed him a Hogwarts Raiders jersey. Instead of McCallister, the name on the back read "POTTER."
"I know you had to get out of your father's shadow. I think Shades McCallister helped you do that," Sammy said. "But you don't need to get out of anyone's shadow anymore. You're Jerry freaking Potter. And you own that name no matter who your dad is. You cast your own shadow."
"How do you always know exactly what to say?" Jerry asked her.
"It's cause I'm the greatest quidditch manager of all time," Sammy said with bravado. Then she cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "But it's actually because I have the greatest brother of all time. I love you, man, and I'm sorry I almost accidentally poisoned you this morning."
"Yeah, I'm still not totally sure what happened. I love you, too, sis," Jerry said. "Now, let's save Hogwarts!"
They went back into the locker room. Jerry hit his bong. Sammy paced around, then came to a stop. The team quieted.
"I've probably watched ten hours of Vince Lombardi speeches over the past week, memorizing his words and how he said them. I got so nervous for this game that I think I tried to be someone I'm not. I'm not Vince Lombardi. I'm Sammy. And if this season and what we've been through hasn't inspired you already, then no speech of mine will. Do you remember the beginning of the year? We were losers. An island of misfit toys. A menagerie of broken coat hangers. A jazz quartet of wet sandwiches. Jerry could barely fly a broom. Derek was a ballhog. Tanya was secretly undermining the team as part of an evil plot to destroy Hogwarts. There was even a game when Jarvis had to play on a Swiffer, fer chrissakes! Each one of you has had to find yourself this year. You've all overcome obstacles. You've all grown and become something better than yourselves — a team. Don't win this game for your dad or Hermione or your family or Hogwarts or even for me. Let's win this game for us. Believe in us. And who are we?"
"The Raiders!" the team cheered.
"Who are we?" Sammy yelled.
"The Raiders!" they screamed.
"Who the fuck are we?" Sammy screamed back at them.
"THE RAIDERS!" they shouted.
"NOW GET ON THAT FIELD AND WIN A FUCKING CHAMPIONSHIP."
The team grabbed their brooms and ran out onto the field. Sammy stayed behind. Once everyone had left, she ran to a bucket and vomited. Her hands were shaking and her palms were sweaty.
"Nervous before the big game, eh? I've been there."
"Professor Jordan! I didn't see you there," Sammy stammered. "It's nothing, probably just a ham sandwich that went bad."
"Sammy, that was an amazing speech. Better than any of mine. You've done an incredible job coaching this team. I'll be with you in the manager's box in case you need anything," Lee said. "Maybe there's a career for you in the majors one day. C'mon, I bet the team is waiting."
Sammy hocked a loogie, wiped her mouth, gritted her teeth, and followed Lee outside. She stood next to Jerry as the International Wizarding Anthem began to play.
"This is crazy," she whispered to Jerry. "This is the most people I've ever seen."
Camera flashes sparkled throughout the stands. Fans held homemade signs with Jerry and Sammy's face on them. Someone had made hundreds of Hogwarts quidditch scarves. Sammy squinted and saw their parents waving to her and Jerry from Draco's skybox.
"I can't believe we only had to win like three games to get to the championship," Jerry said.
"I know, right?"
The anthem ended and "Seven Nation Army" started up. The team got on their brooms and kicked into the sky. Sammy hurried back to the manager's box. The din of the crowd grew into a deep rumble that only broke when the referee blew her whistle.
The most important game of their lives had just begun.
"Remember the formations," Sammy called out. "Striker, Striker, Striker! Then Red 47 and hold!"
The Hogwarts Raiders would have to play a perfect game to defeat the Bristol Pirates. The Raiders were a scrappy, physical, and speedy team, but the Pirates were methodical, bruising, and cutthroat. The team would do anything to win — and they had.
The Pirates had been accused of using performance-enhancing potions and their seeker once got caught with pine tar on her hand. But those scandals hadn't stopped the Pirates from winning three straight championships.
Tanya had gotten the quaffle from the tipoff. As the Pirates closed in, she tossed the quaffle back to MJ on an endaround. Derek knocked a defender away with a bludger, then set a pick for MJ. MJ hurtled toward the rings. He pulled up right before firing a shot. The keeper dove to the right to block his shot, but MJ had already given a no-look pass to Tanya for the easy bucket.
But before she could make the easy toss for 10 points, a Pirates chaser slammed into her, nearly knocking her off her broom.
"That's gonna leave a mark," the announcer said.
The crowd gasped and booed, but there was no whistle. The Pirates advanced the quaffle downfield while the Raiders were still regrouping. Two Pirates beaters batted bludgers directly at Jarvis, who took both of them in the nuts. The Pirates chaser fired the quaffle through the middle rings for the first 10 points of the match.
Sammy called timeout. The team was already breathing heavy. Tanya was spitting blood. A tooth had been knocked loose.
"You gotta shoot that MJ! No hesitation! We can't wait for perfect shots. Not with these guys, or else you're gonna get killed. The refs ain't gonna blow the whistle for small fouls in the championship," Sammy said. "Speed of play, speed of play! That's how we're gonna win. Let's give 'em the barrel roll. Hands in. Hogwarts on three. One, two, three!"
The Raiders inbounded the quaffle and flew downfield. MJ, Tanya, and Derek started weaving among each other, tossing the quaffle between themselves expertly. The trio started moving so fast it was hard to see where the quaffle was. The Pirates tried to play a man-to-man defense, but they kept running into each other as the Raiders sped past. The Pirates keeper had no idea who even had the quaffle until Derek wound up and hurled a heater. It sailed through the left ring untouched, 10-10.
The crowd roared. A surge of confidence filled the Raiders. The game was on.
"I don't think I've seen two teams so perfectly matched," the announcer called. "You are witnessing greatness on the quidditch field."
The Raiders and Pirates continued to spar, with the Raiders relying on their speed and the Pirates relying on brute force. There were seven lead changes in the first hour of the game. Neither team ever got more than 20 points ahead of the other. Jerry, meanwhile, was facing a challenge unlike any other he had seen before. The opposing seeker seemed less concerned about catching the snitch. Instead, she tried to knock Jerry off his broom at every opportunity. She ripped bits of straw out of the end of his broom, tore at his jersey, and clawed at his sunglasses.
At one point, she gave him an uppercut that left Jerry spinning on his broomstick.
"Quite a shot to the jaw of Jerry Potter," the announcer bellowed, "but the refs seem to have missed it. Is anything a foul these days?"
Jerry stopped spinning in time to see his parents, Frank and Lisa, cheering from Draco's skybox. They had never missed a single one of his football games. Jerry was battered, bruised, and tired. His high was fading. For a moment, he wanted to give up. But then he remembered three eternal truths: Pain heals, chicks dig scars, and glory lasts forever. He grabbed his cassette player and put in the tape of the theme music to "Rudy" and hit play.
"C'mon, Jer!" his father called. "Give 'em the old razzle dazzle!"
"Go, Jerry!" his mother called.
Jerry kicked off and flew toward the snitch, speeding past the Pirates seeker. The crowd erupted. His teammates hooted and hollered as they saw Jerry close in on the snitch.
"He's gonna do it, Professor Jordan," Sammy said, clapping Lee on the back.
"Goddammit, Jerry Potter," Lee said, a tear rolling down his cheek. "You smooth son of a bitch."
Jerry was within arm's reach of the snitch. He was flying faster than he ever had in his entire life. He felt like he was part of the broom.
"Jerry Potter must be out of his mind," the announcer said. "That's the fastest flying I've ever seen!"
From the corner of his eye, Jerry could see the whole game had come to a standstill to watch him streak like a meteor across the field. He was seeing everything in slow motion. There was Tanya cheering and shouting his name. Sammy was jumping up and down like a wild woman. His parents were holding onto each other for dear life. In the blink of an eye, it all hit Jerry, he had a girlfriend, a loving family, friends, and they were all here to witness him clutch victory for Hogwarts.
Everyone in the stands stood up. Mouths were agape, corn dogs were dropped, a few people even peed a little. Jerry smiled and reached out to grab the snitch. And that's when it really hit him.
The keeper for the Pirates had left his rings, flew straight at Jerry, and cleated him in the face.
Jerry plummeted to the earth like a bird with clipped wings. He hit the ground with a thud that resounded throughout the stadium.
Jerry wasn't moving.
"By Dumbledore's beard, I've never seen such a dirty, rotten play," the announcer said.
The refs ejected the Pirates Keeper. A medical team flew down with a stretcher. Sammy ran out from the dugout. Both of Jerry's legs and maybe an arm were broken. He was bleeding from the head.
"Jerry, oh God, Jerry," Sammy said, kneeling over her brother. "You're gonna be all right. We're gonna get you back in this game."
"No, Sammy," Jerry said, coughing up blood. "I need to give you something."
With his one good arm, he reached around his neck and pulled off the quidditch medal that his biological father had won years ago — the medal that Sammy had given to him.
"Take this, Sammy," Jerry said weakly. "And find a way to win. You always do. I love you."
The medics whisked Jerry away, and Sammy stumbled back to the dugout, wiping away tears. Play resumed, but the Raiders looked lost, defeated. The Pirates whizzed by them and scored an easy 10 points.
"Sammy, you've got to put in another seeker," Lee said, nudging her. "What are you waiting for? Call a new formation. You can't win without a seeker."
"Take this," Sammy said, tossing her clipboard to him. "We're gonna run 28-right, jet sweep hooks. It's like novocaine. Just give it time. It always works."
Sammy pulled a jersey over her head and grabbed a broom.
"And where the hell do you think you're going?"
"I'm gonna go a catch a fucking snitch," Sammy said as she ran onto the field.
"Sammy! Sammy!" Lee yelled after her, but she was already out of earshot.
The crowd cheered as Sammy ran onto the field. The Raiders looked at her, puzzled. Had their manager gone crazy?
"Have you jabronis never seen a seeker before?" she yelled. "Get back in formation. We got a game to win."
Sammy continued running on the field with the broom between her legs, grunting and jumping occasionally.
Hermione ran down to the manager's box.
"Lee, what the hell is going on? I know we're going to lose, but at least let's lose with dignity."
"Hermione, I don't understand what's going on. But I know we can't afford to lose."
"No, Lee. It's fine," Hermione said smiling. "Between today's ticket sales and the flood of alumni donations, we've raised just over a million galleons. It's a miracle. Hogwarts isn't going to close!"
"Hermione, you know I've always been honest with you about my gambling problem, right?"
"Where is this going, Lee?"
"Well, I had a few butterbeers last night … and I bet the school's remaining assets on Hogwarts to win the game. I figured there was nothing left to lose, so why not go big? The odds were 10-1!"
"You what?" Hermione shrieked. "Oh, you deadbeat, no-good, dumbfuck, son of a biscuit-headed dog."
"Ow, ow, ow!" Lee cried. "Stop hitting me!"
"So you're telling me the only chance Hogwarts is for that little non-magical to catch the snitch?"
Hermione covered her face with her hands and crumpled to the ground.
Sammy couldn't hear any of that shouting from on the field. She was in her own world. She had no idea what she was doing. She looked like a kid playing horsey on the broom. Some people in the stands were starting to laugh. But deep in her heart she had heard a voice. It told her to go out on the field and think of her brother, Jerry.
Sammy kept sprinting, then leaping. Each time she fell to the ground, she got back up and started sprinting again. Sammy swore she was getting a little higher with each jump.
"Hey, Hermione," Lee said. "Remember what you told Sammy that one time?"
"What's that?" Hermione said, lifting her head up.
"In your office, you once told her that love was the most powerful magic of all."
"Lee, I was just lying to her to be nice."
"Maybe you weren't," Lee said, his voice shaking. "Come look."
Hermione staggered forward to the railing.
"Sweet mother of Merlin," Hermione said, gasping.
Sammy had just leaped into the air. She closed her eyes and braced for impact. But the impact never came. After a few seconds, Sammy opened her eyes and realized she was gliding across the field a few feet above the ground.
"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit," Sammy said.
"Holy shit," Lisa and Frank said together.
"Holy shit," the announcer said.
"Holy shit," Ronnie said from the back row of the nosebleed section.
Sammy grabbed hold of the broomstick. She pulled up with both hands and shot forward into the sky.
"I'm flllyyyyyyyying!" Sammy shouted. "Hahahaha, this is incredible!"
For the second time in the game, everyone stopped to watch the Hogwarts seeker.
"I'm getting a note from my staff," the announcer said. "The new seeker for Hogwarts is their manager, Sammy, who is — oh, this can't be right. She's a non-magic?"
The crowd gasped.
"C'mon, focus on the game," the Pirates captain yelled to his team. "Finish them!"
Play resumed. Sammy started to pick up speed as she adjusted to the flying mechanics. She was a natural.
"This is the most incredible turn of events in a quidditch match I have ever seen," the announcer said. "I'm still not sure I understand what's going on."
"Go, Sammy, go!" her parents cheered.
Tanya intercepted a pass between the Pirates. MJ and Derek got into formation behind Tanya and the trio flew downfield. Then Sammy shot in between the three of them.
"Haven't y'all ever seen a non-magic on a broom before?" she said.
Sammy flew away and spiraled through the air, making beautiful loops and executing hairpin turns. The crowd was going wild. Then she saw it. A golden flash at the opposite end of the field.
Sammy turned her broom, kicked her heels, and shot like a bullet toward the snitch. She blew past the other seeker, but couldn't seem to catch up to the snitch. The harder she pushed and grunted, the slower she seemed to go. Then she remembered: love.
She closed her eyes and thought of the moment back in their kitchen when Hagrid arrived. He was telling Jerry it was time to leave Iowa and come to Hogwarts. But Jerry was insistent. "Either Sammy comes, or I don't."
Sammy knew then she would do anything for her brother. When she opened her eyes, she was speeding along the sky like a peregrine falcon and the golden snitch was resting in her open palm.
Sammy gently closed her hand, turned back to the center of the stadium, and held the snitch aloft.
"Hogwarts wins!" the announcer cried. "Hogwarts wins! Hogwarts wins!"
Sammy landed in the middle of the field. Immediately she was mobbed by her team. Wizards and witches started streaming down the stands to rush the field. Fireworks exploded in the sky. Jarvis was popping champagne bottles. From the dugout, Jerry hobbled out on crutches.
"You did it, Sammy!"
"No, Jerry. We did it."
The team gathered around and lifted Sammy on their shoulders.
Hermione came to midfield for the trophy presentation, but was accosted before she could speak.
"Not so fast! Headmistress Hermione, you are under arrest for tax evasion," Neville Longbottom said, reaching for his handcuffs. "Hogwarts has failed to pay taxes to the ministry for 10 years."
"Wait, wait! Stop!" Lee cried out. He was running from the gambling counter with a wheelbarrow full of gold. He was panting as he reached Neville.
"It's the winnings… from … (huff)... the gambling," Lee said. "Five million galleons!"
Neville eyed Lee suspiciously. He picked up a galleon and felt its weight in his hand. Everyone waited in suspense for him to speak. He put the handcuffs back on his belt and cleared his throat.
"As a special agent of the Ministry of Magic, I declare that Headmistress Hermione Granger is ..." Neville said, pausing, "cleared of any wrongdoing! This is more than enough to pay back the debts."
"HOORAY!" everyone shouted.
"I love GAMBLING!" Lee shouted.
"Hogwarts is saved!" Derek shouted.
"I'm afraid not," Neville said. "Hermione may be free to go, but not back to Hogwarts. After discovering years of unpaid taxes, the ministry repossessed Hogwarts. Someone has already bought the school and informed the ministry it will be turned into an outlet mall."
"Noooooo!" Sammy screamed.
Jerry burst into tears. MJ fell to the ground. Hermione looked as though her heart had been ripped in two.
"Who would buy Hogwarts just to destroy it?" Hermione asked.
"Why I think the new owner is right there," Neville said, nodding to the edge of the field.
Everyone gasped as Ronnie strode through the crowd.
"Ronnie?"
"Don't speak, Hermione," Ronnie said. "As of this morning, I was bent on destroying this place. Now, I want to come back, and I don't care what JK Rowling has to say about it. I miss Hogwarts."
A hush fell over the crowd.
"Folks," the announcer said. "I believe we are witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime reconciliation."
"Ronnie," Hermione said, tears streaking her cheeks. "I will never be able to fully apologize for what I did to you. I should have stuck up for you. You will always be welcome at Hogwarts."
"Really?"
"On one condition," Hermione said. "Will you be my co-headmistress?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Ronnie said.
She ran into Ronnie's open arms and the two friends embraced.
"Hogwarts is saved!" Ronnie yelled, and everyone cheered.
Hermione and Ronnie jumped up and down with joy. Tanya kissed Jerry. Draco hugged MJ. Sammy grabbed the microphone and yelled, "Hogwarts is stayin' open, mothafuckas!"
Sammy dropped the mic as a beautiful, green-eyed woman stepped through the crowd.
"Cassandra?" Sammy said, mouth agape. "I haven't seen you in months!"
"I've been studying, you sexy goofball," Cassandra said, hitting Sammy in the shoulder playfully. "You know you were amazing out there."
"Enough small talk," Sammy said. "Let's make out."
Sammy and Cassandra snogged furiously as everyone cheered.
Hermione opened up the Great Hall to host a rager. Even the house elves, the paintings, and the ghosts joined in the celebration. The rest of the night was a blur of emotion, happy tears, laughing, lots of champagne, and some light recreational drug use.
At one point in the festivities, Hagrid came up to Jerry, who was still clutching the quidditch trophy.
"Ya know, lad," Hagrid said. "That ain't no trophy."
"Really?"
"It's a bong," Hagrid said. "The Sorcerer's Bong. It's got special powers. Try it."
Sammy packed the bowl. Tanya cast incendio. Jerry took the biggest, longest rip he could. It felt like he was riding a unicorn over a rainbow.
When he exhaled, the smoke curled in front of his face and lingered. Slowly it formed into a human face, the face of an old man with a long beard.
"Jerry Potter," Dumbledore's ghost said. "I've been waiting a long time for you. Your father, Harry, is still alive, but is in grave danger. And so is the entire wizarding world. You must find him, Jerry. Find him and save Wizardom."
Dumbledore's face started to blur. The smoke faded away. He was gone.
"Holy shit," Sammy said. "Was that Gandalf?"
"My dad's still alive?" Jerry said, dumbstruck.
"Looks like we got another adventure," Tanya said. "I can't wait for sophomore year!"
TO BE CONTINUED...