Disclaimer: Hahahah that last chapter was awesome! Didn't you think so? Well folks, I'm not sure whether or not you've been waiting for this but...it's the showdown between the two captains, Gryffindor's Artemis Beoulve and Raveclaw's Cho Chang. Bring the _itch fight on! Oh, and if you would like to see more of Scotty's accent, please tell us in the review section! _itch, meaning you fill in the blank. Erm...oh yeah; we don't own Harry Potter. That's what we were supposed to say all along wasn't it? Ah, well, tally ho!
Chapter 4: Drop Out!
Ravenclaw had won the game of all games...they had beaten the all-mighty Gryffindor. They couldn't believe it. An hour after the game they still couldn't believe it. And after graduation, they probably still wouldn't believe it. Never had any other seeker, other than Harry, pulled a stunt to get the snitch. Never had a referee been knocked out. But then again, that referee happened to be Oliver Wood who built his reputation on being knocked out "tooh minets into tha game" and was thus nicknamed the "Bludger-beated Scottie Hottie." (AN: © Natasha Lifa, 2002 all rights reserved.)
So while the Gryffindors were licking their wounds between the le---uurrr...and making a new strategy for certain victory, Ravenclaw was up in celebration down on the field. There was shouting and yelling and yes! Even stripping of robes! And, by the Olli Olli oxenfree yells of bizarre people, (I spelt that wrong, didn't I? >_>) there was even BUTTERBEEER! In all the frenzy of Butterbeer drinking and slipping and sliding and stripping, a member was left in the air unnoticed.
"Rookie." Madame Hooche muttered as she helped escort Wood's prone form for a visit to Madame Pomfrey's. Oliver moaned in resentment then slipped back into unconsciousness. One would have thought he said "Arse."
Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Arin Toran, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter (the new Gryffindor team) were descending slowly, mounted on their brooms but eager to get off. It had been a lousy game. None of them so much as glanced at each other as they neared the floor. It was a lousy game. None of them noticed a member was also missing from their team. Casting an instinctive solemn gaze upward, they found not only their teammate and Captain Artemis Beoulve but the Ravenclaw captain as well, Cho Chang.
Arin nudged Dean. "Eh laddy boy Dean, me thinks that there be a fight about tah happen, arrghhh." (Note: Arin is a swashbuckling Irish pirate at the moment.)
Still decked in their uniforms, the two were facing each other while ever so slowly circling. This wasn't predator and prey...this was heads on predator and predator. Both were giving the other a death glare that sent shivers up the spines of all the boys staring 1,000 feet below. The glare was so intense...too intense... as if any more intensity to the stare would cause either one to self-destruct. Maybe that's what they were hoping for. But on the other hand, blobs of blood-streaked flesh on the field wouldn't be a pretty sight.
After further reflection, Arin nudged Dean again and pointed to Harry. "Me thinks the Pottah boi is looken up Cho's knickers, dun cha think so?" Dean looked at where Arin had pointed and chuckled. "Arin, you've got a sharp eye." "Eh, it's good for many a things. Hahaa." The two laughed and exchanged high fives then went to have a look. "Suhweet! Hahaa!"
Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, curious as to why the two captains were still mounted on their brooms, 1000 feet in the air joined the rest of the Gryffindor team. They probably had a faint idea as to why the two were up so high and all alone, but there hadn't been a broom battle since...well, before their times at Hogwarts.
"Uh oh. I think Cho and Artemis are going to have a quidditch showdown..." murmured Neville.
"D'in ah just sei that, Neville lad?" inquired Arin, arching a brow.
"Oh, yeah."
"GREAT CANONS, THEY'RE GOING TO GO AT IT!" Ron whooped. Harry rolled his eyes and then fwapped Ron behind the head. The last thing he wanted to see was Cho get hurt.
"Oh bloody hell..." Harry cursed. He knew it was going to happen sooner or later but he cursed nonetheless. It was no use stopping Artemis either. Once she had her mind set on something, it had no choice but to be done. 'Cho...' he thought, '...you better come out in one piece. I still need to pull you away from the dark side and ask you to the Yule Ball...not that you'll say yes but maybe...hm...okei maybe you might say no too.'
Seamus was slipping his hand into the inner pocket of his robe.
"...I wager on Cho," muttered Seamus, trifling with his robes to find some money.
"No way, it's definitely Artemis," countered Dean, fishing for his own money.
"Hahaa, we're so evil."
"Riight."
"Ugh, I can't believe you two!" scolded Hermione. "We've got to do something! They'll rip each other apart! Not to mention I can't let Artemis injure her hand...she still has to fill out my recommendation form for Head Girl!"
Draco smirked at Hermione. 'She's so cute when she's worried about her status and academics.' He began scanning the bleachers for a good view of the battle and instantly became delighted when he found one. Taking Hermione's hand, he led her to the seats.
"Draco, do something!"
"Peanuts, Hermione?"
"Ooh...alright!"
And soon, the rest of the Gryffindor team followed suit and took seats among the stadium, all munching peanuts and placing bets. Meanwhile...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~1000 feet in the air~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Just what the hell were you trying to pull back there, Chang?" demanded Artemis, now riding her Firestorm somewhat lady-like, crossing her arms. "First you try to maim my Seeker and next you could've cared less whether or not yours came out like a pancake, which, by the way you're very lucky he didn't."
"Don't you think Lanz realized that?" replied Cho, eyes narrowed into slits and wearing a slight smirk. "Just because your team isn't as determined to win, don't take it out on me."
"Oh?"
"As for Lanz, he's been dying for the position of Seeker. So I gave it to him for one game. Heh, maybe I should let him keep it, the way he plays. That Quidditch Cup is as good as ours."
"Yeah, a sicko Goth _itch like you wouldn't mind endangering her players, would you Cho? Oh wait a minute, they probably wouldn't mind being kamikazes either, eh? After all, you all are just a bunch of suicidal wackos."
Cho's eyes flared for a brief moment, then she regained her composure.
"Ah...the lioness rears her ugly head I see...name calling is about the only attack you have."
Artemis began to shake violently but focused her energy on the handle of her broom, in which her hands were grasping rather tightly (due to the fact that she was imagining it was Cho's neck) thus resulting in her knuckles becoming white. Cho continued with her verbal assualt.
"And what about you, Artemis? What's the deal with your aunt? Everyone knows you didn't get captain for raw talent. Harry should've been captain."
Artemis immediately stood up on her broom, balancing perfectly. She knew it would take more than a grudge and a flaring temper to take Cho down and she was up for the challenge.
"Gee Cho, I can pretty much surf on my broom. That's a decent amount of talent if I've seen any." Artemis answered rather smartly.
Cho rolled her eyes. "Give me a break Five-O (AN: Miss Congeniality! XD), you and I both know you don't have the skills to save your sorry-AAAAAAAAAAAHH!"
~~~~~~~~~~~ Post-Ravenclaw Party ~~~~~~~~~~~
"BY THE GREY LADY!" Felis yelled out of nowhere.
"Felis, what in the dickens are you yelling for?!" Azure growled, massaging a sore ear. "You might want to be careful and not get someone deaf? Me in particular!"
"IT'S CHO!" he yelled yet again, this time pointing to a dark figure up high in the night sky.
"Oh yeah...we've seemed to have forgotten our dear captain..."muttered Lanz sheepishly after taking a good look at the team.
"SHE'S IN THE BLOODY AIR WITH THAT BLOODY TWIT BEOULVE!"
"Felis, I swear if you don't pipe down I'm gonna shove my broom up your-"
"AAAAAAAAAAHH!" Cho's scream echoed throughout the halls.
The Ravenclaw team immediately looked out the window where Felis was situated. Cho was hanging on for dear life with her two feet. A mix of anger and fear for their captain rushed across their faces. They uttered a stream of curses then glanced at each other and nodded.
"Let's go." Jeffers muttered, hand on broom and already on the way out.
"Sweet." Lanz grinned. "We win the game and we also get to kick the Gryffs' butts!" Lanz smirked and cracked his knuckles. The others turned their faces to each other and smiled a wry smile. A party and an after-party fight. Suhweet.
~~~~~~~~~~ In the Gryffindor bleachers ~~~~~~~~~~~
"BLOODY BRILLIANT CAPTAIN! KNOCK THAT WITCH OF HER BROOM!" Ron cheered. Harry caught his breath.
Artemis had stood on her broom and executed the same stunt in the game, a forward flip now added with a slight twist, grabbed the handle of her Firestorm and swung with all her might at Cho's side and then mounted again. She grinned at her handiwork. Cho on the other hand, spun quite a bit before sitting straight up on her broom once more. She held her head in her hands and moaned a little before her retaliation.
"BEAUTIFUL!" Dean roared. "That'll be 10 sickles, my man."
"All in good time my friend," Seamus answered. "The battle has just begun."
"True true, but our beloved captain swung the first blow." Dean said. "And that's an automatic 10 sickles in my pouch!"
Neville looked at the two in disbelief. Hermione and Draco were too busy feeding each other peanuts. Harry...Harry was asking why in Godric's name this was happening to him. Arin had fabricated a camera out of mid-air and was taking pictures for the Hogwarts newspaper. This would be front cover page! Not to mention, it would also make a good comic strip. Oh, the possibilities, arr har har har!
~~~~~~~~~ Quidditch Commentating Box ~~~~~~~~
"Hey, thanks for the free advertisement, Amatsu!" said a grinning Fred, now climbing over some seats to reach her.
"No problem. I still get 10% right?" replied Amatsu coolly, arching an eyebrow as if to add "And if I don't, you'll be sorry."
"Oh sure! Anything for a girl like you!" grinned George. He couldn't help being a Casanova here and there. It just came like that.
"Hey people..." muttered Fred, rolling his eyes a bit from his twin's charismatic phoniness.
"Ho Fred! Nani?" Amatsu asked.
"Pssst...George, get out those Hopping Mad subtitle strips we just developed..." Fred whispered to George.
"Oh, oh right." George reached deep into his robes and pulled out a long, black strip of paper. He then made a fist with his hand and pounded it onto the air. So basically, there was a hovering strip of black paper somehow stuck to the air.
"Sore wa nan da?" asked Amatsu, staring at the black strip of paper and then seeing "What is that?" appear in luminescent white on it. 'Ah, so it does work...hmm, maybe I'll get one of those too so I can watch my anime! Oh ho ho ho!' thought Amatsu.
"Hey you guys..." Fred motioned for Amatsu and George to come closer to him. "What's Artemis and Cho doing?" Fred pointed out the window of the commentator's box, his eyes fixated solely on the two. Amatsu and George strolled on over and peered out the window.
"HOPPING MAD! THEY'RE HAVING A BROOM DUEL!" George hollered, delighted to see an actual fight on broomsticks.
"Amatsu!" Fred quipped.
"Hai?"
Black strip of floating paper: "Yes?"
"Can you commentate? It's always exciting when you do!"
"Riiight, free advertisements for you guys huh?"
Black strip of floating paper: "Riiight, this means I get more discounts huh?"
The twins grinned at her, and Fred flipped the microphone on to max volume. Free advertisement, indeed!
"That's going to be ten more percentage discounts on your part, you know?" added in Amatsu.
Black strip of floating paper: "That means I get to have two shopping sprees at Hopping Mad, you know?"
"I like her. She understands our language." George said rather affectionately as he read the strip and stiffled a laugh, then gazed at Amatsu as if she were some adorable puppy.
Amatsu grimaced, "Uhm. No."
Black strip of floating paper: "Don't even think about it, buster."
"Hey Amatsu?" Fred piped up.
"Yesh?"
Black strip of floating paper: "What is it now?"
"How about some battle music?"
"Yeah!" George said, getting more so excited now.
"What..? I thought you wanted me to commentate."
Black strip of floating paper: "I still get to have that shopping spree right?"
"We know...but we think it'd be fun to have some song playing while they duke it out." George quipped.
"Oh alright." A now disgruntled Amatsu began to look through her compilations.
Black strip of floating paper: "I'm going on a free shopping spree anyway! Hah!"
"OOH!" cooed Fred.
"EYAGH!" Amatsu shrieked. "Next time you decide to creep behind my back, warn me first!"
Black strip of floating paper: "AAHHH! You're like some freaky stalker! Stop before I backhand you!"
"This one, THIS ONE!" Fred said, jumping up and down and pointing to a CD.
"Let me see..." George said, coming around from the other side.
Amatsu rolled her eyes.
"Oh yes, excellent selection B1!"
"Why thank you B2!"
"I give up."
Black strip of floating paper: "They're hopeless."
Leaving the twins at the window, Amatsu went to put the selection in the system.
"Here we go..."
Black strip of floating paper: "Cover your ears..."
"You ready for another round?" Artemis called from one side of the field.
"Oh yeah, bring it on you cracked up bint!" Cho yelled from the other side. After that first stunt pulled by Artemis, she was ready for payback. 'No way in hell is that _itch gonna get away with that.'
"Heh, let's dance." Artemis grinned.
With a quick burst of speed Artemis flew straight at Cho.
"BY THE BIBLE OF QUIDDITCH! THEY'RE GONNA CRASH!" Ron yelled.
Harry's head immediately jerked back to the air, eyes locking on the two. He took out his wand just in case... Neville covered his face. Dean and Seamus were on the edge of their seats, money and popcorn in hand. Draco and Hermione had their jaws dropped, peanuts hanging here and there. Arin was mounting someone's broom, ready to take close up pics and hoping not to end up getting smacked in the head with a high-tail, gone-wild broomstick.
Harry could see it. They were both flying at each other at such an alarming speed that within the next two seconds they'd crash...
"Bloody hell..." he cursed, his wand pointed at the two.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"DIE, BEOULVE!" Cho screamed as she headed straight for her rival.
"ON A COLD DAY IN 'ELL, CHANG!" was the reply.
Just as the two looked like there were about to get into a collision course that would make the crash test dummies proud, a techno song blasted through the speakers, stopping the duelers dead in their tracks.
"What the-" Cho began.
"-Hell?!" Artemis finished.
"WOOOOOOOO! DROP OUT, BABY!" George and Fred yelled in unison, laying each other high five's.
"BLOODY HELL! SCOOOOOORE!!!" roared Arin, jumping to the ground and executing random dance moves consisting for the most part of head banging.
Everyone else simply covered their ears and chewed on peanuts. Cho and Artemis raised eyebrows and blinked at each other.
Amatsu rolled her eyes. (AN: Drop Out is one of Arin's favorite maniac DDR songs, and Arashi just thinks it's so kuol when Arin goes psycho trying to hit all the steps. Arashi: Hai, de gozaru yo.) "Who in the world dances or fights, for that matter, to-"
"THIS?!" Artemis cried in disbelief. Cho would've said the same if her attention weren't diverted to Arin. She doubled up in laughter and could barely keep a steady balance on her broom. Artemis stared at her in confusion and irritation.
"What the 'ell is it now, Chang?"
"Don't (gasp) look (wheeze) now (choke) Beoulve (sputter)" Cho barely managed to say. "But (cough cough cough) your (big breath) teammate Toran looks as if he's gotten the Cruciatus Curse!" she finished rather quickly before rolling in the air, laughing like a madman (er...woman).
Artemis was too afraid to look. She just couldn't. Okay, she finally did and instantly regretted it. Then looked down again. 'Oh god, that dork!'
Cho was right, lo and behold on the field in all his dancing glory was Arin, busting moves like there was no tomorrow.
"Arin..." she groaned. "Of all the blasted songs, they go and pick a DDR one! And it just so happens to be Drop Out!" Artemis just shook her head and was about to resume colliding with Cho until she couldn't find her anywhere. "Where the devil did she run off to?" she wondered aloud.
"CHOOOOO!" Harry yelled.
"Eh?" Artemis jerked her head at Harry and then noticed his gaze. Cho seemed to have fallen off her broom. 'No...something's wrong here...how come she's not moving...?'
"Someone do something!" Lanz called as he and the rest of the Ravenclaw team scuttled onto the field, only to find their captain plummeting towards earth.
'Hey she's...fainted?!' Artemis concluded before mentally grinning and scolding herself. 'Must do something...can't have her flattened like her chest. Not to mention I'd probably be expelled though it was Arin's stupid fault, the silly git.' And with that, she went into a nosedive to save her rival, almost regrettably.
Cho continued her hell-bound descent and Harry watched in horror until he remembered he had his wand out. Thinking quickly, he found a suitable charm.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" he cried, while aiming his wand at Cho's form, slowing her fall a bit. Artemis then swooped up and caught her with her outstretched hand and nearly fell overboard. She then held Cho by the waist with one arm dragging to the bulk and flew over to Harry. 'Someone's been snacking on fudge.'
"Take her Potter before I drop her or get some kind of lethargic goth germs."
Harry quickly removed Cho out of Artemis' care before any harm could come to her. Having been slightly moved around a bit, Cho began to stir and soon enough, she found herself looking at her whereabouts...that is, until she locked eyes with Harry. And Harry gazed back.
CLICK.
"Could you lean in a bit more Harry? Cho, I think you should tilt your chin up a bit more but you two have that glazed look down just fine and-" said Arin, while snapping photos.
At this, Cho immediately shoved Harry away and turned the other direction, both blushing furiously.
"TORAN! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING OUT THERE?!" Barked a rather infuriated Artemis, having gained back her fury at the mere sight of her dancing teammate. She then took Arin by the ear and led him around the bleachers for some lectures about dancing like a maniac and disrupting a broom duel.
"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow."
"You dork! I know you're my right hand man but still?! Drop Out?! Ugh!"
"Well just think Artemis, I could've possibly saved you two from bashing into each other's skulls? Eh heh..."
"Jessi's going to hear of this," snapped Artemis sharply.
"Aaahhh...well wait. That's better than being kicked off the team."
"Not the way I'm going to tell it."
Arin stuck his tongue. Artemis rolled her eyes.
----------The Field------------
"That's 5 galleons." Dean told Seamus.
"What in Godric's knickers are you talking about Dean? It's a bloomin' draw! No one won!" cried Seamus, though he knew better.
"Cho didn't last. Artemis won."
"Bloody hell she didn't! Cho knocked herself out! According to a Broom Duel, the other player has to do that!"
"Fine. Make that 3 galleons at least."
"ARE YOU MAD?"
"More peanuts, Hermione?"
"Why thank you Draco. That's so sweet of you."
"Mmhmm. Open up."
Finally, Cho turned to face Harry once more.
"Um...Harry?" she asked.
"Yeah?" he said rather too quickly.
"Did you...you know...save me?"
Arin decided to ruin the romantic moment somehow by singing Remy Zero's "Somebody saaaaaveeee meeeee! Let your warm hands break right through. Somebody saaaave meeee! I don't care how you do it Just staAaAy (stay with meee) Stay C'mon, I've been waiting for youuuuu..."
Artemis arched her brow and looked to Harry and Cho. Nope, that didn't even manage to dent the moment.
Harry nodded and blushed a bit more. Cho smiled just a little.
"Artemis helped too. I used a levitation charm, she caught you." Harry added, hoping to patch things up between the two.
Cho's smiled disintegrated faster than sugar in boiling water.
"Oh." Was her reply before casting her gaze to the side, obviously for some contemplation. 'Damn, she probably knows I've been snacking on fudge.'
Just as Cho was about to speak again, the Ravenclaw team finally made the climb up to the Gryffindor bleachers. They were relieved to see their captain alive and well. Until they saw Harry mere inches away from her.
"Get the hell-"
"Jeffers, shut up." Cho ordered.
"But-"
"Don't make me order you to swim the lake with that squid. During winter. Buck-naked."
Jeffers immediately stopped.
"I don't get it. Are they not the enemy?" asked a rather confuzzled Azure.
"Not anymore...they saved my life. And they're only enemies when we're having a game..." Cho admitted quietly.
Lanz glared at the ground in utter disappointment. He was really looking forward for some lion meat. 'Ah well, badgers aren't so bad...'
The Ravenclaw team helped their captain up and shook hands with Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team and called it a truce. Cho glanced back one more time and gave him a grateful smile. She turned to Artemis and nodded her head. The Gryffindor team watched the Ravenclaw team escort their captain to the dorms and turned their attention to Artemis.
"Artemis I'm really sor-" Harry began but was cut off by Artemis' hand.
"Potter, it's alright. I know we lost the match and no, I won't kick you off the team."
"But I had the chance!"
"Harry. You win some, you lose some. Everyone knows you're the best damn Seeker Hogwarts could ever be proud of. That I could ever be proud of."
Neville and Ron nodded in agreement. Arin grinned a little grin and arches his eyebrow. 'Wow, she's getting rather deep.'
"I bet you 5 sickles Artemis is going to cry," whispered Dean.
"You're on." Seamus grinned.
Artemis sniffled. Dean and Seamus watched her intently. Ron, Neville and Harry patted their captain's back. Arin found himself in a leg-locker curse as punishment for ruining Artemis' brawl with Cho. Draco and Hermione were...
"More peanuts Hermione?"
"Mmhmm..."
Black strip floating paper: 'Well, he does have sexy fingers even if I am rather full...'