Chapter Three: Carrol of Hufflepuff
A groan rippled throughout the Gryffindor team at the sight of the Quidditch field. A
mist was hovering over it, the area above the goal posts completely covered in a thick white fog.
"If the Snitch just stays below the goalposts, I'll be fine," Harry muttered sarcastically;
Ron echoed his sentiment.
With the fog thickest just at the goalposts, he would have a difficult time seeing the
Hufflepuff chasers until they were right on top of him. Just peachy. As if it wasn't enough that it
was his first Quidditch match, it had to be foggy. Life certainly had stacked up the odds against
him. Sixth in a long line of brothers, best friend of famous Harry Potter, poor, playing Quidditch
in a fog...it couldn't possibly be any worse, could it? His own thoughts amused him so that he
started laughing almost maniacally. It took Harry two kicks in the shins to shut him up and even
then he still had a dopey grin on his face. It remained there all throughout Lee Jordan's introduction
of the two teams though his ears tunred a bright red when Lee proclaimed,
"Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Weasley. The third and
youngest Weasley taking over for Oliver Wood as Keeper after a spectacular save in his try-out
that..."
"Jordan," Professor McGonagall interrupted as usual and Lee promptly changed gears,
all the jest vanishing from his voice as he said,
"Before the game begins, the Hufflepuff team asks for a moment of silence in memory
of their former Keeper and Captain, Cedric Diggory, whose many achievements included being
the only Seeker to ever catch the Snitch before Harry Potter. Whether they win or lose, the
Hufflepuff team dedicates this match to Cedric."
A heavy silence filled the field in honor of Cedric. Ron saw Harry's gaze drift, along
with countless others, towards a crying Cho in the stands and smiled wryly. He regretted thinking
of Diggory as the enemy while Harry was competing with him during the Tri-Wizard Tournament
last year. Despite his disgusting level of perfection, cedric had not deserved to die so young and at
the hands of You-Know-Who. He hoped Harry wasn't still blaming himself or the game was lost.
Inconspicuously touching Harry's shoulder with his broom, Ron smiled when his friend turned to
look at him and saw the relief spreading across Harry's face. There was a soft cheer from the
Hufflepuffs once the moment was over and the Gryffindor team looked at one another helplessly.
They were all thinking of throwing the match simply to give the Hufflepuffs a victory but to win
unfairly would not honor Cedric.
"Captains, shake hands," Madam Hooch barked a moment later.
Smiling grimly, Katie went to shake the hand of the newly appointed Hufflepuff
Captain, saying something kind about Cedric in passing.
"Mount your brooms. Three...two...one..."
Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the two teams rose into the air. Flying towards
the goal posts, Ron watched as Harry disappeared into the mist and began to fly back and forth
across them in order to steady his nerves.
"And it's Gryffindor in possesion, Katie Bell of Gryffindor with the Quaffle...it seems
the teams are having a bit of trouble seeing in the fog...there's a Bludger there, Katie!"
Lee's commentary and the following sigh of relief assured Ron that she had either
dodged or his brothers had gotten there in time and he hovered in front of the center hoop,
listening carefully.
"Johnson now has the Quaffle, now it's Bell, dodge Katie, Spinnet takes it...and it's
saved! I don't' believe it. Still tied at zero, Hufflepuff in possession..."
Cursing that the Hufflepuff Keeper was not hindered by the fog, Ron braced himself
for the oncoming attack. Two seconds later he saw Fred and George emerging from the fog, hot
on the trail of a Bludger which Fred promptly sent spinning towards a Chaser, knocking the
Quaffle into the hands of a waiting Alicia. Waving good-bye as they headed back down the field,
the twins soon disappeared into the fog and Ron continued to fly back adn forth across the goal
posts. Once Harry flew past him, shaking his head and looking grim. Time after time, the
Gryffindors tried to score, the combination of the fog and Hufflepuff Keeper preventing them
from having any success. Every time the Hufflepuffs got near enough to score, Fred or George
descended and Ron had not had a chance yet to make any saves. Boredom would cause him
nothing but trouble, however, and he kept himself moving while Lee continued to comment on
the Gryffindor onslaught of the Hufflepuff goal.
"And there's Spinnet making her fifth attempt and...it narrowly misses. I can't take
much more of this. Carrol, the new Captain of Hufflepuff, in possession, zzoming towards the
untried Gryffindor Keeper..." Lee moaned.
Ron started, looking desperately into the mist for any sign of Carrol and instead saw
Harry and the Hufflepuff Seeker locked in a neck-and-neck dive for the Snitch. For a moment he
forgot that he was a player instead of a spectator and was still watching Harry when Carrol burst
out of the fog, his way to the goal posts completely clear. He didn't have time to think. Pushing
backwards, Ron flew back towards the goal, analyzing Carrol and realizing which hoop he
intended to aim for. He veered off, pretending to have the right instead of the middle hoop in mind,
and spinning aroudn, zoomed forward in time to catch the Quaffle. A cheer rose up among the
scarlet supporters and Ron dazedly wondered what had become of Harry when Lee's voice
boomed out,
"Both Bludgers were sent at each of the Seekers, causing them to veer off course...
meanwhile, Weasley makes the first save of his career during Hufflepuff's first real offensive
drive."
Ron grinned even though no one could see him...the fog was getting better the longer
the game went on. Maybe if they played until nightfall they would finally be able to see. He
laughed again at his own thoughts and hovered in front of the center hoop as the fog lifted a
little further and he could actually see fuzzy flying figures at the other end of the field. The
Quaffle was being thrown rapidly between Angelina and Alicia, Lee was nearly shouting in his
excitement...Alicia scored. The scarlet side of the stadium wasin a frenzy. Now if Harry could
just find the Snitch again...
"Carrol of Hufflepuff in possession, heading back for his second attempt against
Weasley..." Lee's voice proclaimed.
Turning, Ron blinked and saw a Bludger headed straight for him. Diving to avoid it,
Ron veered to the right and cursed as Carrol appeared above him...with a straight shot at the
goal. There was no possible way that he could get back in time to block it. Carrol knew it, too, for
he grinned rather saucily at Ron before throwing the Quaffle through.
"Hufflepuff scores after a cunning hit by Gable, sending the Gryffindor Keeper away
from his post. Nice dodge though, Ron. And it's Bell in possession for Gryffindor..."
Carrol finished circling the Gryffindor goal posts and grinned cheekiliy at Ron before
flying down-field. Ron contented himself with saying only one of the phrases rushing to his mind,
his good mood returning when he imagined the scandalized look on Hermione's face if she had
heard it. Katie missed again and somehow that snake Carrol--he should have been in
Slytherin--got the Quaffle again. Gripping his broom, Ron watched for another Bludger, expecting
a similar attack, when a glimmer of gold caught his eye instead. There, just above the left goal post
was the Snitch...where was Harry?! Cursing again, Ron looked back at Carrol, still in possession
of the Quaffle, zig-zagging past all the other players and deftly missing the Bludger George hit at
him. Desperately Ron wished that he were Seeker, just for an instant, and his wish only intensified
when the Hufflepuff Seeker appeared...and saw the Snitch.
Harry was no where to be seen. Ron couldn't grab the Snitch himself but he could
knock the Hufflepuff Seeker off his course...and allow Carrol to score again. No one else had seen
the Snitch but himself and the Hufflepuff Seeker...where was Harry?! Ron turned and headed for
the Seeker, hearing the cries of shock from the crowd as he left Carrol an open shot, but not caring.
Intent on his goal, the Seeker didn't even see Ron coming and the two of them collided, Ron
veering off to the left where the Snitch had been and finding it gone. Heaving a sigh of relief, Ron
simply smiled back at the astonished looks his teammates sent him.
"Carrol scores again, tieing the game at twenty. Penalty shot for Hufflepuff due to the
insanity of the Keeper colliding with the Seeker."
Lee's amazement was only echoed by the faces he saw around him but Ron just smiled.
Harry appeared from above, patches of fog clinging to his robes and he flashed Ron a look of
comprehension.
A bit shaken from his collison, Ron prepared himself for the penalty shot--that blaggard
Carrol was taking it, didn't he ever let someone else handle the Quaffle? Carrol feinted left and
threw center, Ron easily blocked it. Lee let out a wild cheer, echoed softly by the Gryffindor
supporters who seemed to still not understand why he had let Carrol have a free shot. Hufflepuff was
only ahead by ten, there was nothing to worry about. Angelina promptly scored, tieing the game,
and Hufflepuff was back on the offensive. Through the rising fog, Ron was finally able to
understand the Hufflepuff strategy: the other two Chasers were positioned directly behind Carrol,
swerving in front of him whenever a Bludger was sent in his direction that the Beaters had missed.
Criminy. Gritting his teeth, Ron glanced at Fred and George, both currently engaged in a Bludger
war with the Hufflepuff Beaters, and realized that he was on his own. Carrol was grinning again,
heading straight towards him. Narrowing his eyes, Ron watched for any sign of a feint, staying in
front of the center hoop. If there was anything he had learned about Carrol today, he favored the
center. Swerving from left to right, Carrol pretended to throw a few feet from Ron, fully
expecting him to go after it. Ron didn't. Carrol crashed straight into him. Somehow, he never knew,
not even when he played it over and over in his head, in the midst of the collision Ron reached out
and knocked the Quaffle out of Carrol's hand. He saw it fall and a smile of satisfaction stretched
across his face before he wobbled and flipped over on his broom. Dimly he heard Madam Hooch's
whistle and Carrol protesting truthfully,
"I thought he would move!"
Everything looks funny upside-down. Fred's legs are on top of his head...so are
George's...so are everyone's. Ron began to laugh as he continued to hang upside-down on his
broom, his teammates calling a time-out and clustering around him. The twins exchanged a
worried glance and Fred moved forward towards Ron,
"Ron..."
"I'm fine," Ron answered in a high-pitched voice.
"Why are you still upside-down, then?"
"Am I upside-down? I didn't notice," Ron replied, flipping himself right side up.
All the blood that had been previously rushing to his head left it and he wobbled, nearly
tipping over again until George shot out a hand to support him.
"He can't keep playing," George said somberly.
"Yes...I...can..." Ron muttered, shaking his head to try and clear it.
"No," the twins said together.
Shaking his head a second time, Ron blinked and pushed them away, stubbornly
keeping himself upright as he said,
"I'm not letting that Carrol fellow have all the free shots he wants. Take my penalty shot
and keep playing."
Ron glared fiercely at anyone who tried to protest and the Gryffindor team had no
choice but to leave. A loud cheer rose up across the entire stadium as Ron did a loop around the
goal posts to show that he was all right and he positioned himself in front of them, gripping his
broom so tightly his knuckles were as white as the rising fog. He still felt dizzy...two hits in a row
and both because of his own stupidity...but it had served Carrol right, the Quaffle-hog. Katie took
his penalty and scored...the Hufflepuffs seemed a little shaken up. Gryffindor had never had a
reputation for playing rough before, even when Fred and George got a little too Bludger-happy, and
now...he was changing all that. Going after the Seeker had just been stupid and Carrol...he only
hoped Harry found the Snitch soon...he wouldn't survive another onslaught.
The Hufflepuffs were in possession once more, though the Quaffle-hog had finally
elected not to assault him. Ron hovered a bit unsteadily and squinted ahead at the other two
Chasers who were now approaching him. Tossing the Quaffle back and forth while Carrol played
decoy, they were obviously trying the same thing, Katie, Angelina and Alicia had during his
try-out(see Quidditch, Questions, and Quips). Very well, he'd just have to do it again. Or were
they? Ron drifted towards the far end, the same end that they were heading to, and stopped. No, it
was too easy...everyone had heard about his move, they wouldn't deliberately try to get him to do
it again unless...unless that was the point. Chuckling softly at the ingenuity of the Hufflepuff team--
he'd have to say nicer things about them in the future--Ron started to set up his move, by all
appearances bracing himself for a mad dash around the goal posts. Pushing off, he watched out of
the corner of his eye as the farthest Chaser suddenly passed to the one on the other end who threw
it to Carrol.
"Quaffle-hog," Ron muttered, bending low over his broom before turning and flying
in-between the two hoops. Startled, Carrol prematurely threw the Quafle and dodged out of reach,
lest Ron collide with him again. The Quaffle flew straight into Ron's outstretched hand and he was
about to give it back when Harry, speeding towards the ground in one of his infamous dives, caught
the Golden Snitch. It was over.
Ron released the Quaffle and descended. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he
flopped off his broom and simply lay there with his eyes closed. All around him he could hear the
cheers of the Gryffindors in the stadiaum along with his teammates shouting at Harry. He had
survived...he didn't even know how.
"Sorry about that, Weasley."
Wearily Ron opened one eye, seeing a figure hovering over him that looked vaguely
like the Quaffle-hog.
"I won't hold it against you," Ron muttered.
"Maybe you should," Carrol replied, a faint smile on his face before he walked away.
Raising his head slightly to watch Carrol walk away, Ron wondered what he possibly
could have done to tick the guy off so much and fell back on the grass. If he never rode a broom
again, he would die a happy man. Through with congratulating Harry, the rest of the team slowly
formed a circle around him, the expressions on their faces a mixture of amusement and amazement.
"Ron Weasley," Katie said firmly. Ron wearily sat up to receive his sentence. "Either
you're insane or...you're just insane...but good. Are you all right?"
Grinning somewhat foolishly, Ron nodded while Katie simply shook her head. Stepping
forward, Harry, too, was grinning and offered a hand to help Ron up. Taking it, Ron was heftily
pulled to his rather wobbly feet.
"I got lost in the fog...I owe you one," Harry murmured.
"No kidding," Ron retorted, gesturing to an imaginary lump on his head that might not
be so imaginary in the morning and receiving a shove from Harry in the process.
Ron grinned again, too tired to even think about retaliation. Wearing similar grins, Fred
and George clapped him heartily on the back and gestured behind them. Dazed, Ron looked past
the twins and found a pale Ginny, accompanied by an even paler Hermione and a beaming
Charlie.
"My favorite brother," Ron said wearily, taking a step towards Charlie and falling into
the supportive arm he put out.
"Where is Percy when you need him?" Charlie joked, firmly supporting Ron even
though he was taller by almost a head.
"Answering to the name of Weatherby," George put in.
Ron laughed and swayed slightly on his feet.
"You may have to carry me back to the common room," he murmured to Charlie as
he tried to smile reassuringly at Hermione and Ginny.
"Float," Charlie corrected, pulling out his wand and pointing it at his little brother.
Ron barely had time to wave before he was propelled upon his back by invisible little
hands and sent zooming back to Hogwarts. Clasping his hands behind his head, Ron closed his
eyes, not even looking at the astonished expressions of everyone he pased. Next time he'd let the
moronic Hufflepuff Seeker get the Snitch, who cared about winning and earning points for
Gryffindor? He did...but that was inconsequential. The moment he was set down in one of the
armchairs by the fire, he fell asleep.
Don't worry, there's still more to come...Hermione hasn't apologized yet and I'm not through
with Charlie :)
A groan rippled throughout the Gryffindor team at the sight of the Quidditch field. A
mist was hovering over it, the area above the goal posts completely covered in a thick white fog.
"If the Snitch just stays below the goalposts, I'll be fine," Harry muttered sarcastically;
Ron echoed his sentiment.
With the fog thickest just at the goalposts, he would have a difficult time seeing the
Hufflepuff chasers until they were right on top of him. Just peachy. As if it wasn't enough that it
was his first Quidditch match, it had to be foggy. Life certainly had stacked up the odds against
him. Sixth in a long line of brothers, best friend of famous Harry Potter, poor, playing Quidditch
in a fog...it couldn't possibly be any worse, could it? His own thoughts amused him so that he
started laughing almost maniacally. It took Harry two kicks in the shins to shut him up and even
then he still had a dopey grin on his face. It remained there all throughout Lee Jordan's introduction
of the two teams though his ears tunred a bright red when Lee proclaimed,
"Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Weasley. The third and
youngest Weasley taking over for Oliver Wood as Keeper after a spectacular save in his try-out
that..."
"Jordan," Professor McGonagall interrupted as usual and Lee promptly changed gears,
all the jest vanishing from his voice as he said,
"Before the game begins, the Hufflepuff team asks for a moment of silence in memory
of their former Keeper and Captain, Cedric Diggory, whose many achievements included being
the only Seeker to ever catch the Snitch before Harry Potter. Whether they win or lose, the
Hufflepuff team dedicates this match to Cedric."
A heavy silence filled the field in honor of Cedric. Ron saw Harry's gaze drift, along
with countless others, towards a crying Cho in the stands and smiled wryly. He regretted thinking
of Diggory as the enemy while Harry was competing with him during the Tri-Wizard Tournament
last year. Despite his disgusting level of perfection, cedric had not deserved to die so young and at
the hands of You-Know-Who. He hoped Harry wasn't still blaming himself or the game was lost.
Inconspicuously touching Harry's shoulder with his broom, Ron smiled when his friend turned to
look at him and saw the relief spreading across Harry's face. There was a soft cheer from the
Hufflepuffs once the moment was over and the Gryffindor team looked at one another helplessly.
They were all thinking of throwing the match simply to give the Hufflepuffs a victory but to win
unfairly would not honor Cedric.
"Captains, shake hands," Madam Hooch barked a moment later.
Smiling grimly, Katie went to shake the hand of the newly appointed Hufflepuff
Captain, saying something kind about Cedric in passing.
"Mount your brooms. Three...two...one..."
Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the two teams rose into the air. Flying towards
the goal posts, Ron watched as Harry disappeared into the mist and began to fly back and forth
across them in order to steady his nerves.
"And it's Gryffindor in possesion, Katie Bell of Gryffindor with the Quaffle...it seems
the teams are having a bit of trouble seeing in the fog...there's a Bludger there, Katie!"
Lee's commentary and the following sigh of relief assured Ron that she had either
dodged or his brothers had gotten there in time and he hovered in front of the center hoop,
listening carefully.
"Johnson now has the Quaffle, now it's Bell, dodge Katie, Spinnet takes it...and it's
saved! I don't' believe it. Still tied at zero, Hufflepuff in possession..."
Cursing that the Hufflepuff Keeper was not hindered by the fog, Ron braced himself
for the oncoming attack. Two seconds later he saw Fred and George emerging from the fog, hot
on the trail of a Bludger which Fred promptly sent spinning towards a Chaser, knocking the
Quaffle into the hands of a waiting Alicia. Waving good-bye as they headed back down the field,
the twins soon disappeared into the fog and Ron continued to fly back adn forth across the goal
posts. Once Harry flew past him, shaking his head and looking grim. Time after time, the
Gryffindors tried to score, the combination of the fog and Hufflepuff Keeper preventing them
from having any success. Every time the Hufflepuffs got near enough to score, Fred or George
descended and Ron had not had a chance yet to make any saves. Boredom would cause him
nothing but trouble, however, and he kept himself moving while Lee continued to comment on
the Gryffindor onslaught of the Hufflepuff goal.
"And there's Spinnet making her fifth attempt and...it narrowly misses. I can't take
much more of this. Carrol, the new Captain of Hufflepuff, in possession, zzoming towards the
untried Gryffindor Keeper..." Lee moaned.
Ron started, looking desperately into the mist for any sign of Carrol and instead saw
Harry and the Hufflepuff Seeker locked in a neck-and-neck dive for the Snitch. For a moment he
forgot that he was a player instead of a spectator and was still watching Harry when Carrol burst
out of the fog, his way to the goal posts completely clear. He didn't have time to think. Pushing
backwards, Ron flew back towards the goal, analyzing Carrol and realizing which hoop he
intended to aim for. He veered off, pretending to have the right instead of the middle hoop in mind,
and spinning aroudn, zoomed forward in time to catch the Quaffle. A cheer rose up among the
scarlet supporters and Ron dazedly wondered what had become of Harry when Lee's voice
boomed out,
"Both Bludgers were sent at each of the Seekers, causing them to veer off course...
meanwhile, Weasley makes the first save of his career during Hufflepuff's first real offensive
drive."
Ron grinned even though no one could see him...the fog was getting better the longer
the game went on. Maybe if they played until nightfall they would finally be able to see. He
laughed again at his own thoughts and hovered in front of the center hoop as the fog lifted a
little further and he could actually see fuzzy flying figures at the other end of the field. The
Quaffle was being thrown rapidly between Angelina and Alicia, Lee was nearly shouting in his
excitement...Alicia scored. The scarlet side of the stadium wasin a frenzy. Now if Harry could
just find the Snitch again...
"Carrol of Hufflepuff in possession, heading back for his second attempt against
Weasley..." Lee's voice proclaimed.
Turning, Ron blinked and saw a Bludger headed straight for him. Diving to avoid it,
Ron veered to the right and cursed as Carrol appeared above him...with a straight shot at the
goal. There was no possible way that he could get back in time to block it. Carrol knew it, too, for
he grinned rather saucily at Ron before throwing the Quaffle through.
"Hufflepuff scores after a cunning hit by Gable, sending the Gryffindor Keeper away
from his post. Nice dodge though, Ron. And it's Bell in possession for Gryffindor..."
Carrol finished circling the Gryffindor goal posts and grinned cheekiliy at Ron before
flying down-field. Ron contented himself with saying only one of the phrases rushing to his mind,
his good mood returning when he imagined the scandalized look on Hermione's face if she had
heard it. Katie missed again and somehow that snake Carrol--he should have been in
Slytherin--got the Quaffle again. Gripping his broom, Ron watched for another Bludger, expecting
a similar attack, when a glimmer of gold caught his eye instead. There, just above the left goal post
was the Snitch...where was Harry?! Cursing again, Ron looked back at Carrol, still in possession
of the Quaffle, zig-zagging past all the other players and deftly missing the Bludger George hit at
him. Desperately Ron wished that he were Seeker, just for an instant, and his wish only intensified
when the Hufflepuff Seeker appeared...and saw the Snitch.
Harry was no where to be seen. Ron couldn't grab the Snitch himself but he could
knock the Hufflepuff Seeker off his course...and allow Carrol to score again. No one else had seen
the Snitch but himself and the Hufflepuff Seeker...where was Harry?! Ron turned and headed for
the Seeker, hearing the cries of shock from the crowd as he left Carrol an open shot, but not caring.
Intent on his goal, the Seeker didn't even see Ron coming and the two of them collided, Ron
veering off to the left where the Snitch had been and finding it gone. Heaving a sigh of relief, Ron
simply smiled back at the astonished looks his teammates sent him.
"Carrol scores again, tieing the game at twenty. Penalty shot for Hufflepuff due to the
insanity of the Keeper colliding with the Seeker."
Lee's amazement was only echoed by the faces he saw around him but Ron just smiled.
Harry appeared from above, patches of fog clinging to his robes and he flashed Ron a look of
comprehension.
A bit shaken from his collison, Ron prepared himself for the penalty shot--that blaggard
Carrol was taking it, didn't he ever let someone else handle the Quaffle? Carrol feinted left and
threw center, Ron easily blocked it. Lee let out a wild cheer, echoed softly by the Gryffindor
supporters who seemed to still not understand why he had let Carrol have a free shot. Hufflepuff was
only ahead by ten, there was nothing to worry about. Angelina promptly scored, tieing the game,
and Hufflepuff was back on the offensive. Through the rising fog, Ron was finally able to
understand the Hufflepuff strategy: the other two Chasers were positioned directly behind Carrol,
swerving in front of him whenever a Bludger was sent in his direction that the Beaters had missed.
Criminy. Gritting his teeth, Ron glanced at Fred and George, both currently engaged in a Bludger
war with the Hufflepuff Beaters, and realized that he was on his own. Carrol was grinning again,
heading straight towards him. Narrowing his eyes, Ron watched for any sign of a feint, staying in
front of the center hoop. If there was anything he had learned about Carrol today, he favored the
center. Swerving from left to right, Carrol pretended to throw a few feet from Ron, fully
expecting him to go after it. Ron didn't. Carrol crashed straight into him. Somehow, he never knew,
not even when he played it over and over in his head, in the midst of the collision Ron reached out
and knocked the Quaffle out of Carrol's hand. He saw it fall and a smile of satisfaction stretched
across his face before he wobbled and flipped over on his broom. Dimly he heard Madam Hooch's
whistle and Carrol protesting truthfully,
"I thought he would move!"
Everything looks funny upside-down. Fred's legs are on top of his head...so are
George's...so are everyone's. Ron began to laugh as he continued to hang upside-down on his
broom, his teammates calling a time-out and clustering around him. The twins exchanged a
worried glance and Fred moved forward towards Ron,
"Ron..."
"I'm fine," Ron answered in a high-pitched voice.
"Why are you still upside-down, then?"
"Am I upside-down? I didn't notice," Ron replied, flipping himself right side up.
All the blood that had been previously rushing to his head left it and he wobbled, nearly
tipping over again until George shot out a hand to support him.
"He can't keep playing," George said somberly.
"Yes...I...can..." Ron muttered, shaking his head to try and clear it.
"No," the twins said together.
Shaking his head a second time, Ron blinked and pushed them away, stubbornly
keeping himself upright as he said,
"I'm not letting that Carrol fellow have all the free shots he wants. Take my penalty shot
and keep playing."
Ron glared fiercely at anyone who tried to protest and the Gryffindor team had no
choice but to leave. A loud cheer rose up across the entire stadium as Ron did a loop around the
goal posts to show that he was all right and he positioned himself in front of them, gripping his
broom so tightly his knuckles were as white as the rising fog. He still felt dizzy...two hits in a row
and both because of his own stupidity...but it had served Carrol right, the Quaffle-hog. Katie took
his penalty and scored...the Hufflepuffs seemed a little shaken up. Gryffindor had never had a
reputation for playing rough before, even when Fred and George got a little too Bludger-happy, and
now...he was changing all that. Going after the Seeker had just been stupid and Carrol...he only
hoped Harry found the Snitch soon...he wouldn't survive another onslaught.
The Hufflepuffs were in possession once more, though the Quaffle-hog had finally
elected not to assault him. Ron hovered a bit unsteadily and squinted ahead at the other two
Chasers who were now approaching him. Tossing the Quaffle back and forth while Carrol played
decoy, they were obviously trying the same thing, Katie, Angelina and Alicia had during his
try-out(see Quidditch, Questions, and Quips). Very well, he'd just have to do it again. Or were
they? Ron drifted towards the far end, the same end that they were heading to, and stopped. No, it
was too easy...everyone had heard about his move, they wouldn't deliberately try to get him to do
it again unless...unless that was the point. Chuckling softly at the ingenuity of the Hufflepuff team--
he'd have to say nicer things about them in the future--Ron started to set up his move, by all
appearances bracing himself for a mad dash around the goal posts. Pushing off, he watched out of
the corner of his eye as the farthest Chaser suddenly passed to the one on the other end who threw
it to Carrol.
"Quaffle-hog," Ron muttered, bending low over his broom before turning and flying
in-between the two hoops. Startled, Carrol prematurely threw the Quafle and dodged out of reach,
lest Ron collide with him again. The Quaffle flew straight into Ron's outstretched hand and he was
about to give it back when Harry, speeding towards the ground in one of his infamous dives, caught
the Golden Snitch. It was over.
Ron released the Quaffle and descended. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he
flopped off his broom and simply lay there with his eyes closed. All around him he could hear the
cheers of the Gryffindors in the stadiaum along with his teammates shouting at Harry. He had
survived...he didn't even know how.
"Sorry about that, Weasley."
Wearily Ron opened one eye, seeing a figure hovering over him that looked vaguely
like the Quaffle-hog.
"I won't hold it against you," Ron muttered.
"Maybe you should," Carrol replied, a faint smile on his face before he walked away.
Raising his head slightly to watch Carrol walk away, Ron wondered what he possibly
could have done to tick the guy off so much and fell back on the grass. If he never rode a broom
again, he would die a happy man. Through with congratulating Harry, the rest of the team slowly
formed a circle around him, the expressions on their faces a mixture of amusement and amazement.
"Ron Weasley," Katie said firmly. Ron wearily sat up to receive his sentence. "Either
you're insane or...you're just insane...but good. Are you all right?"
Grinning somewhat foolishly, Ron nodded while Katie simply shook her head. Stepping
forward, Harry, too, was grinning and offered a hand to help Ron up. Taking it, Ron was heftily
pulled to his rather wobbly feet.
"I got lost in the fog...I owe you one," Harry murmured.
"No kidding," Ron retorted, gesturing to an imaginary lump on his head that might not
be so imaginary in the morning and receiving a shove from Harry in the process.
Ron grinned again, too tired to even think about retaliation. Wearing similar grins, Fred
and George clapped him heartily on the back and gestured behind them. Dazed, Ron looked past
the twins and found a pale Ginny, accompanied by an even paler Hermione and a beaming
Charlie.
"My favorite brother," Ron said wearily, taking a step towards Charlie and falling into
the supportive arm he put out.
"Where is Percy when you need him?" Charlie joked, firmly supporting Ron even
though he was taller by almost a head.
"Answering to the name of Weatherby," George put in.
Ron laughed and swayed slightly on his feet.
"You may have to carry me back to the common room," he murmured to Charlie as
he tried to smile reassuringly at Hermione and Ginny.
"Float," Charlie corrected, pulling out his wand and pointing it at his little brother.
Ron barely had time to wave before he was propelled upon his back by invisible little
hands and sent zooming back to Hogwarts. Clasping his hands behind his head, Ron closed his
eyes, not even looking at the astonished expressions of everyone he pased. Next time he'd let the
moronic Hufflepuff Seeker get the Snitch, who cared about winning and earning points for
Gryffindor? He did...but that was inconsequential. The moment he was set down in one of the
armchairs by the fire, he fell asleep.
Don't worry, there's still more to come...Hermione hasn't apologized yet and I'm not through
with Charlie :)