Chapter 52

The Greatest Game Ever

"The snitch has been released and the GAME BEGINS!" The announcer yelled into the microphone, Remus was excited, watching Quidditch was great alone, but his two best friends were up there actually playing the game. It make it so much better to actually be rooting for someone you know, rather than just your teem.

"The Slytherin team seems completely made up of new members." The announcer told the crowd, then proceeded to name the new members. All of them but the keeper and one of the beaters was new. "While the Gryffindor team only has two new members, that's going to give them a huge advantage over the Slytherins." He told them causing the Gryffindors to cheer. "The new members seem to be an odd group. Who ever thought they'd see a Potter and a Black working together? AND DOING IT BRILIANTLY! Excellent distraction caused by Black allowing Potter the first goal of the game!" Remus cheered, Sirius had hit a bludger towards one of the goal posts, causing the keeper to think that they had thrown the quaffle from far away and went to try to catch it. James made it in easily.

"The Slytherin keeper really needs to pay more attention." The announcer observed, the Slytherins hissed at him. "Hey I just tell it like I see it." He said in response.

James gave Sirius a thumbs up, and Sirius did the same in return before going after another bludger. Smith seemed to have forgotten completely about Sirius' fight during breakfast as he was happily saying Sirius was so far the best beater he'd ever had, and if Sirius kept it up he might just kiss him.

Sirius was just hoping he was kidding. He hit the bludger at Aro, who unsurprisingly was his favorite target. Aro dodged nearly hitting his sister causing both of them to fall off Dylin Johnson's tail, who now felt it was safe enough to try to score.

"GRYFFINDOR SCORES AGAIN!" The announcer continued, but you couldn't hear him over the cheers of the Gryffindors.

Remus laughed as Peter jumped on his seat in excitement. They were both cheering. Gryffindor was creaming them, creaming them so bad that Slytherin had finally resorted to cheating. Their first penalty was one of the beaters tried to hit Andrea with their bat. She managed to dodge it but somehow the other beater's broom broke in half. Madam Hooch couldn't prove she did anything to it so she didn't get a penalty. The Slytherin beater was now trying to fly on only half a broomstick, it didn't look very safe, and it didn't seem to be going where it's rider wanted it to go anymore.

Smith had nothing to say about this, he seemed a little upset though. She had every right to be angry.

James smirked at the two chasers on either side of him, then he looked at the one on top of him. They were closing in on him. He considered diving, but the fact that Sirius was racing behind him a little under him told him that if he did that, chances are he'd be hit by a bludger.

Instead James tossed the quaffle behind him and turned sharply just barely missing the Slytherin beside him, he needed both hands to steer. When he was freely away from them he turned around and saw Sirius hit the bludger into the quaffle causing the quaffle to fly straight into Ryan Ault's hands, who despite a seconds hesitation in surprise raced down the field and shot another goal. That the Slytherin keeper just barely missed.

Gryffindor was unstoppable. By the time Smith had even caught a glance of the snitch Gryffindor was up 110 to 0. Slytherin was getting desperate. There was a ton of free throws giving to Gryffindor, none of them missed. The Slytherins were getting clobbered.

James was smiling so wide he felt as though it wasn't possible for him to ever frown again. There was no way they could loose, but that doesn't mean that he was going to hold back. They shot goal after goal after goal. Aro and Anneta looked harassed and insulted, and the captain, well the captain might as well have already fainted, he was barely even trying to hit the bludger anymore. He seemed to have completely given up. The keeper had given up, he wasn't blocking anything. The only ones that seemed to be trying was the seeker, Aro, and Anneta. Though Aro seemed like he was trying to put James and Sirius in the hospital wing, more than he was trying to win the game. Dylan passed the quaffle to James and just as James was going to take another goal the announcer yelled.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS! SMITH HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH!" James looked up to see Smith.

"JAMES LOOK OUT!" He heard Sirius yell from across the field. Suddenly something hit him, hard. He flipped over the broom handle, and tried to grab it. He couldn't his arm was in terrible pain. He fell, and he could hear screaming. In all the books he'd read it said they couldn't tell it was themselves screaming, they were wrong, he knew he was screaming. He knew it until he knew no more, until everything went black.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"…. Stupid git... I swear if McGonagall hadn't... He's lucky I haven't..." James heard Sirius, but couldn't make out the words. He felt better though, knowing Sirius was beside him. At least he wasn't dead.

"How's he doing?" He heard Remus' voice next. Now he could make out what was actually being said.

"He's fine, Malfoy just hit him in the head, really hard. Pomfrey said he wouldn't be unconscious very much longer." Sirius responded. He was starting to get upset, they were talking about him like he wasn't even there. He opened his eyes intent on telling them off when he was blinded by the light coming in from the window beside him. He moaned and closed his eyes again, he wanted to cover his eyes with his hand but there was something holding it down.

"Told you so." Sirius said as he went over to close the blinds on the window, knowing exactly what was wrong without even asking James.

"Hey James. How do you feel?" Remus asked sitting by his side on the bed.

"My head hurts."

"Pomfrey said that would go away after a while." Sirius replied, sitting at his feet.

"What happened?"

"Aro ran into you, it was totally on purpose. I barely managed to catch you before you hit the ground."

"Git." he said hoarsely.

"Ya he really is."

Madam Pomfrey came to check on him.

"Oh and he broke your arm too." Sirius added as though he'd forgotten.

"Double git." James said, causing Remus to laugh.

"You should see him now, mate. He's in worse shape then you were when I caught you." Sirius said with a smirk.

"Awesome! What happened?"

"We did.." Remus said happily. "I personalty made his leg swell up to twice it's size. There's some kind of puss coming out of it too... It's the first time I've used that spell, so I didn't know exactly what it did." James' mouth fell open with shock.

"He's not lying, I saw him do it." Sirius had a proud look on their face.

"Sirius used a spell that caused him to cough up blood." Remus said, it sounded like he was tattling. James gave Sirius a hard look.

"Hey, he could have killed you, I have the right to curse him."

"That was dark arts, Sirius. And you know it."

"He deserved it."

"So you're going to stoop to their level?"

"I-um." Sirius stuttered. "I wasn't planning on, you know, kill him or anything."

"You know better than that."

"Sorry, James."

"And..."

"And I won't do it again." He promised looking at the floor.

"Good."

"James.."

"Ya"

"Thanks."

"That's what friends are for." James smiled at Sirius, who smiled back. It wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation and they knew this probably wouldn't be the last. Sirius had been taught this for eleven years, it's going to take more than one and half school years to reverse it.

What was important was that he was trying. He was trying very hard, and it showed. He was improving very well. He hardly ever said mudblood anymore, despite the fact that they kind of had to start over with that one in the beginning of the year. When everyone around you says something it sometimes gets difficult to keep from doing saying it yourself.

And of course no one is perfect... except maybe James.