Chapter XVI: Final.
A/N: No, it doesn't have anything to do with the end of the story. It has something to do with the start of this chapter!
'Potter dives… Will he catch McMillan? He accelerates; it looks like Potter might get this… It's… McMillan! Gryffindor win, but Hufflepuff get the snitch!'
For the second time in as many games against Hufflepuff, Harry Potter had missed the snitch, and lost.
Slytherin had their final round match that night. Ron Weasley had the news: 'If Slytherin wins by one hundred points; there will be a playoff. If they win by more than one hundred and fifty, then they win the cup. Looks like we're going for Hufflepuff.'
'Yeah – we'll be pushing it… Malfoy's looking better than ever, and he's going to do anything to win the cup.'
***
Harry didn't watch the match. He was feeling the worst he had ever felt. It was his worst ever Quidditch performance, and he couldn't even blame the Dementors on it! He had gone straight to bed and in his dreams he kept on reliving that fateful night back in third year when the Dementors flocked to the Quidditch Stadium and fell off his broom. The dreams kept hitting him, so morning came as quite a shock for him.
'Harry! Hufflepuff We drew with Slytherin! You'll get to pay Malfoy back for that cheap shot in the first round!'
'Great, when's the final?'
'The Thirty-First of April!'
'Call for training this evening at six.'
'O. K, Captain!' This had certainly raised Harry's spirits. He had gone to bed knowing that Slytherin would win outright. He went for a morning flight around Hogsmeade, and when he got back, he decided to make up for the horrible night's sleep.
***
The entire Gryffindor Quidditch team was at the pitch,
looking significantly brighter than they had leaving the pitch the previous
afternoon. Seamus had his fastest lap
of the pitch yet, and Ron's skill as a keeper seemed only to improve.
The Creevey Brothers hit eighty-five of their moving targets and that was their
best score this year.
Harry finished his training session early, so that he could talk to Dumbledore.
***
'I understand you've noticed some unusual things going on, Harry.'
'Yes, Professor. I've been having a lot of dreams about the Dementors lately.'
'The Dementors have always been the mark of the dark wizard, Harry. These dreams tell us that Voldemort will come to Hogwarts before this year is up. And because you were the one who had this vision, then you must be the one to confront him.'
'Thank you, Professor,'
***
Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower to find an enormous spread in the common room. Harry turned it down. Again.
***
A/N: Oh, dear! Not another short chapter. I've been amazingly tied up these last two weeks, so I haven't had much time to write a chapter. I don't have much to say about this chapter.
Will Gryffindor win the Quidditch? I can't remember what I'm talking about… OK, just read the next chapter – Hopefully in March. Maybe early April.