~*Chapter Twelve*~

The Cup, Finally

            Oliver strode into the girls dormitory and shamelessly barged into the room that Angelina, Katie, Alicia, and two other girls shared. "Rise and shine!" he called, looking tense. Angelina opened her eyes immediately. She had barely slept. Today was the day of the Quidditch final. They had practiced until midnight last night and still Angelina hadn't slept.

            June and Amber, the two other roommates, raised their heads from the pillows. They're expressions turned to shocked when they realized that Oliver Wood was standing in their room. Amber burrowed under her covers. June pushed back the covers and swung her legs over the side of her bed.

            "Hi, Wood," she said, batting her eyelashes at him. Alicia groaned and got out of bed.

            "Get out, Wood, I have to get dressed," she ordered. Oliver scurried out of the room. "Sheesh," Alicia said, changing into her Quidditch robes, "he just can't handle the thought of his naked teammates."

            "Shove it, Alicia," Angelina said, tapping her fingertips against the dew-covered window.

            Katie poked her head out from under the covers. "Is it morning?" she asked, yawning.

            "No," Alicia said. "Go back to sleep."

            Katie went back to sleep.

            "No!" Angelina said, pulling off Katie's blankets. "Get up. Slytherin is waiting."

            Katie groaned and fell out of bed. Angelina gave up and joined Oliver at the breakfast table.

            "Eat, eat!" Oliver was telling Fred and George. Oliver reached over and put some more scrambled eggs on George's plate. George dumped the eggs on Fred's plate, which dumped them on Oliver's plate. Oliver didn't touch them.

            "Eat!" he urged as Angelina sat down.

            "No," Alicia replied, sitting down at her usual spot.

            "Time to go," Oliver said as Katie slumped down into her chair.

            "But I'm hungry!" Katie whined.

            "Too late now," Oliver said. Katie crammed some eggs into her mouth and followed the team out to the field. Oliver went into the locker rooms. The team sat for twenty minutes on the bench. Fred fell asleep and slumped against Angelina, who was beside him. Angelina nervously patted his head.

            "Fred, wake up," Oliver ordered. "It's time to go."

            Fred snored. Oliver threw his club at his head. Fred woke up.

            Most of the crowd was dressed in red and waving Gryffindor banners. The other part of the crowd was dressed in green and waving banners with the snake emblem on it in silver. Lee Jordan announced their names. Wood and Flint shook hands, their knuckles white. Madam Hooch blew the whistle.

            The wind whipped Angelina's hair around her face. Alicia took the Quaffle and flew up the field. A Slytherin chaser intercepted it and flew back down towards Wood, his eyes glinting with malice. George banged a Bludger straight at him, though, and he dropped the Quaffle. Angelina swooped down, stretching out her arms, feeling the rush of exhilaration- and the Quaffle dropped into her outstretched arms. She held it in the crook of her elbow and held onto her broom with the other as she leaned low, speeding towards the goal posts. She swerved around a Slytherin and around a Bludger. Fred blew around and blasted it towards the Slytherin. He looped around in the air to avoid it. Angelina threw the Quaffle with all her strength, and the Slytherin Keeper wasn't fast enough. She scored.

            "OUCH!" Angelina yelled as Marcus Flint, the Slytherin captain, came barreling out of nowhere. He crashed into her, sending her careening back towards the goal posts. She almost slipped off her broom but at the last moment she swung her legs back onto the handle.

            Fred, a very angry yet mischievous look on his face, drew back his hand and threw his beater club at Flint's head. The Slytherin's head jerked forward and his nose hit his broom handle. Madam Hooch blew the whistle, giving bother teams penalties. Alicia flew forward and took the Quaffle. She beat the Keeper and made the score 20-0, Gryffindor. Moments later, Wood pulled off an amazing save and the score remained the same.

            A few scores later, it was 50-10, Gryffindor, thanks to another score from Katie. Fred and George took to guarding her, waving their clubs about. But the two Slytherin Beaters, named Bole and Derrick, decided to aim the Bludgers at Oliver. They hit him one after the other in the stomach.

            "Wood!" Angelina cried as Madam Hooch blew her whistle. Angelina took the Quaffle and put all her anger into the throw. The Slytherin Keeper was no match for it. It whistled past his ear and into the middle hoop. 60-10. Harry suddenly whooshed past Angelina, who shaded her eyes and looked where he was going. There was a tiny golden glimmer- the Snitch! "C'mon, Harry!" Angelina yelled. But Malfoy grabbed onto the tail of Harry's Firebolt. Harry turned around and tried to shake Malfoy off, but the Snitch disappeared. "Damn!" Angelina muttered. Alicia took the penalty but missed. Slytherin scored- 70-20. Angelina grabbed the Quaffle and streaked down the field towards the Slytherin posts. Seven green blurs flew down towards her, trying to block her.

            Just then, Harry Potter came blasting out of nowhere. The Slytherin players scattered and Angelina scored. It was 80-20. Angelina smiled at Harry, who was zooming towards Malfoy. He had seen the Snitch! Angelina froze. Everyone froze, except the two Seekers. The Firebolt was gaining on Malfoy's Nimbus Two Thousand and One. Harry reached out-

            "YES!" Oliver cried.

            "We've won the Cup!" Alicia shrieked.            

            The whole team flew down and hugged. They were a knot in the field of crimson fans coming down onto the field. Someone lifted Harry and Oliver up onto their shoulders. Angelina smiled and ran beside them. Oliver reached down and took her hand. Angelina squeezed it and beamed up at him.

            "Angelina! Angelina!" someone was calling. Oliver let go of her hand. Cedric! Angelina realized. She ran over to him. He lifted her up and gave her a kiss. "You won the Cup! You WON THE CUP!" Angelina shrieked as he spun her around.

            "Look, go!" Cedric said, pointing to Wood, who was handing Harry the Cup. Angelina grabbed Cedric's hand and pulled him towards Wood.

            "Oliver, we won the Cup!" Angelina shrieked as she grabbed his hand with her free one and pulled him down. She bounced on the balls of her feet. "We won the Cup, we beat Slytherin!" Oliver laughed and jumped up and down with her.

Oliver wiped a tear of his cheek. "We won the Cup!" he yelled.