Chapter 5
Beaten By A Bludger
Harry, and Ron, after realising what has happened, stopped from studying and began trying to catch out who they thought it was red handed. Each and every time they had no luck, and only found people like Neville dropping his books, or Ron's twin brothers, George and Fred, placing fake wands on the floor so when one of the teachers picked it up, would turn into something like a rat or a rubber chicken. Each night Harry went to bed he kept thinking about what the person was planning to get him in trouble with next or why he's even here.
The only time he had even forgotten was on the first Quidditch match of the season, in the morning at breakfast. It was going to be Gryffindor against Slytherin, which is what happened at least once year. In this case, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff wanted Slytherin to lose so badly that they would root for Gryffindor instead.
Ron and Harry were talking and Hermione had her nose buried in Standard Book Of Spells: Grade 2, trying to memorise a Happiness Charm.
'I don't know what I'm going to do about the match,' Harry was telling Ron, prodding at a piece of bacon on his plate, 'I haven't practiced at all since last year! And now I'm really nervous.'
'Don't worry,' Ron said picking up another piece of toast and shoving it in his mouth, 'I fink your a gret seeker!'
Harry smiled at him, and ate the bacon. At the end of breakfast, everyone left the Great Hall and headed to the Quidditch pitch. Harry said goodbye to Ron and Hermione to go and get ready for the match. It was a clear sunny day, just perfect for a match with Slytherin, and every student was seated or standing in the surrounding stands. Ron and Hermione went into the middle of the Gryffindor stands to position next to Hagrid.
'Hullo there, haven't seen you fer a bit' He said as they approached him,
'Sorry we haven't visited since we arrived, it's just that there is an impersonator running around the castle pretending to be Harry' Hermione politely told him,
'An impersonator? Impersonatin' Harry?' Hagrid replied, 'Wull he does have a lot of admirers, that boy'
Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione, just as the Slytherin team came flying out onto the pitch, followed by the Gryffindors with Harry.
'Oh loo', there he is now!' Hagrid told them passing Hermione his binoculars.
'I see him!' Hermione said, moving the binoculars to the Slytherin team.
'Who is seeker for Slytherin?' Ron asked, and Hermione gasped,
'Oh great! Guess who?' Hermione turned to Ron, 'Draco Malfoy!'
'Your kidding!' Ron yelled, leaning over the ledge just as Hagrid grabbed him and hauled him back. He said a bad word that caused everyone around them go quiet for a moment.
'Harry doesn't look too worried' Hermione told him, pressing the binoculars to her eyes towards Harry sitting quite anxiously on his Nimbus 2000 seventy feet above the ground. Malfoy sniggered at him and wickedly smiled.
'What's the matter scarhead? Afraid you'll lose?' He yelled, but Harry just frowned back.
Madam Hooch walked onto the field below them, carrying a chest. It hurled open and she stepped back as the two black Bludgers shot straight up into the air followed by the snitch, which Harry saw for a minute before it disappeared. Hooch picked up the brown Quaffle and held it up in the air.
'Now on my whistle!' Madam Hooch called, 'Three ... two ...one...'
Up went the Quaffle and the teams zoomed directly for it and up into the air, followed by a series of cheers from the crowds.
Harry glided as high as he could on his broom, as Malfoy sped past him to dodge a Bludger, hit at Malfoy by one of the Beaters, George Weasley,
'Next time, don't move!' Harry yelled over the cheers at Malfoy, who had halted immediately.
For a time, Harry sat and watched the game, still on the lookout for the snitch. Over the loudspeaker he could hear the commentator, Lee Jordan, defining the match.
' ...and an excellent pass by Adrian Pucey, now Gryffindor in possession of the Quaffle...they shoot.....and score!! Gryffindor Ten, Slytherin Nil!' The crowd went wild, Harry was closely watching Malfoy who was inspecting something very strange at the end of the pitch. Then Harry spotted it. There it was the snitch, a glint of gold directly near the Gryffindor goal posts. Malfoy evidently didn't see it.
Harry shot of after it and Malfoy followed, streaking towards the white goalposts. The snitch sped off and Harry and Malfoy edged around after it. Then it gave Harry an idea. He suddenly turned off in the reverse direction the snitch was going, and Malfoy copied, thinking Harry was still on it's tail. They zipped in and out of Bludgers and players, trailing towards the other end of the pitch. Malfoy was closing in on Harry, right on his tail.
'Uh oh, he's almost got him!' Hermione cried,
But instead, Harry came to a perfect halt right before the Slytherin goalposts, grasped the front of Malfoy's broom handle, and swung him round into the post, and he plummeted straight off into the sand below. The entire crowd cheered and screamed.
'What was that! That was incredible! Harry Potter just gave the new Slytherin Seeker what he deserved! I think that'll be a penalty to Slytherin!' Jordan bellowed over the speakers.
Harry gazed down at Malfoy and sinisterly smiled, sped off into the middle to watch the penalty shot. Down below, there were long bearded wizards that came hurrying onto the field with vials of potions. Harry decided to use this time to look for the snitch.
Slytherin used their penalty shot and scored.
'Gryffindor Thirty, Slytherin Twenty!'
Malfoy got up off the ground below and brushed off the sand. He got back on his broom, Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and the game was off again. Harry reclined for a while, still searching for the snitch.
'You'll pay for that Potter!' Malfoy barked across the pitch.
' ...In possession of the Quaffle is Flint ... passes it ... shoots ...oh and great defending skills by Keeper, Wood!'
While Malfoy was staring evilly at him, Harry detected the snitch again, it flew directly past him, and he streaked on after it.
It was edging closer to the ground, and closer, and closer, till it flew up and Harry pulled right up on his broomstick straightening out, back up into the air. Malfoy behind him was edging closer, the snitch was almost skimming the tip of his broomstick.
Harry tested himself and slid slowly to the end of his broom, reached out and closed his hand with the snitch struggling inside.
' ...and the snitch has been caught by Potter! The game is over! Gryffindor wins! 190 to 30!' Jordan shrieked over the roaring screams of the crowd.
But, Harry was too far at the end of his broom, and began to plummet towards the ground. He quickly slid back to pull himself up and without watching where he was going, WHAM. Immediately everything went black and he felt himself falling. The whole crowd gasped and fell silent. He was hit in the head by a single bludger. Hermione and Ron saw him drop 60 feet from the air and hit the ground.
Harry, and Ron, after realising what has happened, stopped from studying and began trying to catch out who they thought it was red handed. Each and every time they had no luck, and only found people like Neville dropping his books, or Ron's twin brothers, George and Fred, placing fake wands on the floor so when one of the teachers picked it up, would turn into something like a rat or a rubber chicken. Each night Harry went to bed he kept thinking about what the person was planning to get him in trouble with next or why he's even here.
The only time he had even forgotten was on the first Quidditch match of the season, in the morning at breakfast. It was going to be Gryffindor against Slytherin, which is what happened at least once year. In this case, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff wanted Slytherin to lose so badly that they would root for Gryffindor instead.
Ron and Harry were talking and Hermione had her nose buried in Standard Book Of Spells: Grade 2, trying to memorise a Happiness Charm.
'I don't know what I'm going to do about the match,' Harry was telling Ron, prodding at a piece of bacon on his plate, 'I haven't practiced at all since last year! And now I'm really nervous.'
'Don't worry,' Ron said picking up another piece of toast and shoving it in his mouth, 'I fink your a gret seeker!'
Harry smiled at him, and ate the bacon. At the end of breakfast, everyone left the Great Hall and headed to the Quidditch pitch. Harry said goodbye to Ron and Hermione to go and get ready for the match. It was a clear sunny day, just perfect for a match with Slytherin, and every student was seated or standing in the surrounding stands. Ron and Hermione went into the middle of the Gryffindor stands to position next to Hagrid.
'Hullo there, haven't seen you fer a bit' He said as they approached him,
'Sorry we haven't visited since we arrived, it's just that there is an impersonator running around the castle pretending to be Harry' Hermione politely told him,
'An impersonator? Impersonatin' Harry?' Hagrid replied, 'Wull he does have a lot of admirers, that boy'
Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione, just as the Slytherin team came flying out onto the pitch, followed by the Gryffindors with Harry.
'Oh loo', there he is now!' Hagrid told them passing Hermione his binoculars.
'I see him!' Hermione said, moving the binoculars to the Slytherin team.
'Who is seeker for Slytherin?' Ron asked, and Hermione gasped,
'Oh great! Guess who?' Hermione turned to Ron, 'Draco Malfoy!'
'Your kidding!' Ron yelled, leaning over the ledge just as Hagrid grabbed him and hauled him back. He said a bad word that caused everyone around them go quiet for a moment.
'Harry doesn't look too worried' Hermione told him, pressing the binoculars to her eyes towards Harry sitting quite anxiously on his Nimbus 2000 seventy feet above the ground. Malfoy sniggered at him and wickedly smiled.
'What's the matter scarhead? Afraid you'll lose?' He yelled, but Harry just frowned back.
Madam Hooch walked onto the field below them, carrying a chest. It hurled open and she stepped back as the two black Bludgers shot straight up into the air followed by the snitch, which Harry saw for a minute before it disappeared. Hooch picked up the brown Quaffle and held it up in the air.
'Now on my whistle!' Madam Hooch called, 'Three ... two ...one...'
Up went the Quaffle and the teams zoomed directly for it and up into the air, followed by a series of cheers from the crowds.
Harry glided as high as he could on his broom, as Malfoy sped past him to dodge a Bludger, hit at Malfoy by one of the Beaters, George Weasley,
'Next time, don't move!' Harry yelled over the cheers at Malfoy, who had halted immediately.
For a time, Harry sat and watched the game, still on the lookout for the snitch. Over the loudspeaker he could hear the commentator, Lee Jordan, defining the match.
' ...and an excellent pass by Adrian Pucey, now Gryffindor in possession of the Quaffle...they shoot.....and score!! Gryffindor Ten, Slytherin Nil!' The crowd went wild, Harry was closely watching Malfoy who was inspecting something very strange at the end of the pitch. Then Harry spotted it. There it was the snitch, a glint of gold directly near the Gryffindor goal posts. Malfoy evidently didn't see it.
Harry shot of after it and Malfoy followed, streaking towards the white goalposts. The snitch sped off and Harry and Malfoy edged around after it. Then it gave Harry an idea. He suddenly turned off in the reverse direction the snitch was going, and Malfoy copied, thinking Harry was still on it's tail. They zipped in and out of Bludgers and players, trailing towards the other end of the pitch. Malfoy was closing in on Harry, right on his tail.
'Uh oh, he's almost got him!' Hermione cried,
But instead, Harry came to a perfect halt right before the Slytherin goalposts, grasped the front of Malfoy's broom handle, and swung him round into the post, and he plummeted straight off into the sand below. The entire crowd cheered and screamed.
'What was that! That was incredible! Harry Potter just gave the new Slytherin Seeker what he deserved! I think that'll be a penalty to Slytherin!' Jordan bellowed over the speakers.
Harry gazed down at Malfoy and sinisterly smiled, sped off into the middle to watch the penalty shot. Down below, there were long bearded wizards that came hurrying onto the field with vials of potions. Harry decided to use this time to look for the snitch.
Slytherin used their penalty shot and scored.
'Gryffindor Thirty, Slytherin Twenty!'
Malfoy got up off the ground below and brushed off the sand. He got back on his broom, Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and the game was off again. Harry reclined for a while, still searching for the snitch.
'You'll pay for that Potter!' Malfoy barked across the pitch.
' ...In possession of the Quaffle is Flint ... passes it ... shoots ...oh and great defending skills by Keeper, Wood!'
While Malfoy was staring evilly at him, Harry detected the snitch again, it flew directly past him, and he streaked on after it.
It was edging closer to the ground, and closer, and closer, till it flew up and Harry pulled right up on his broomstick straightening out, back up into the air. Malfoy behind him was edging closer, the snitch was almost skimming the tip of his broomstick.
Harry tested himself and slid slowly to the end of his broom, reached out and closed his hand with the snitch struggling inside.
' ...and the snitch has been caught by Potter! The game is over! Gryffindor wins! 190 to 30!' Jordan shrieked over the roaring screams of the crowd.
But, Harry was too far at the end of his broom, and began to plummet towards the ground. He quickly slid back to pull himself up and without watching where he was going, WHAM. Immediately everything went black and he felt himself falling. The whole crowd gasped and fell silent. He was hit in the head by a single bludger. Hermione and Ron saw him drop 60 feet from the air and hit the ground.