Chapter 13 - The Quidditch Final
James had been wrong when he'd thought this trick was going to get them a detention. There was simply no proof that the 'Marauders' had had anything to do with it. Professor Flitwick had ushered Snape off to the hospital wing, fortunately he'd been too preoccupied as he rushed past, wriggling frantically, to notice four boys, all doubled up in silent laughter. The thing with muggle tricks (as Sirius gleefully informed them all) was that wizards didn't have a clue how to handle them, and often they were just as effective as magic ones. James agreed with him, he had never seen anything as funny as Snape's writhing.
The next Saturday was the Quidditch final, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. Gryffindor had pummelled Slytherin into the ground at the last match, and the entire Gryffindor house was really looking forward to winning, it had been a long time since the team had won the cup. James was really looking forward to the game, especially as he knew he would be playing in the first game next year.
The Gryffindor stand went wild as the team walked onto the pitch in their scarlet Quidditch robes. James and his friends were, of course, among them. He was sitting quite high up with Sirius, Remus and Peter. A few seats away from them, he spotted Lily sitting with her friend, James didn't know what her name was. He didn't know why he'd noticed this. He shook himself and turned his attention back to the match.
The commentary was being provided by a 7th year Hufflepuff who played beater on the house team, Ludo Bagman. He always seemed to love commentating, and his big round face seemed even redder and rounder than usual when he had the magical megaphone in his hands.
"And they're off, Gryffindor takes the Quaffle." James was really enjoying the match (especially since Gryffindor had pulled ahead by 50 points in the first ten minutes. Lider had been right when he'd said their chasers were good. The Ravenclaw three didn't seem to be able to get a look in. Lider was particularly good, he had scored three of the five goals so far, and all his manoeuvres and orders seemed to be working well. The Gryffindor beaters were very good too. The Ravenclaw chasers were looking distinctly bruised and battered.
He glanced over at Lily (why did he keep doing that?), and he noticed she was pointing to something. He followed her arm to a point on the pitch, and at first he couldn't understand what she was looking at, and then he saw it, a tiny glint of gold in the distance, the snitch. He never would've seen it if it hadn't been pointed out to him. He couldn't imagine how Lily had managed to see it. He didn't have time to think about it, however, as with a cry of;
"Oh, I do say" from Bagman, he watched as the two seekers streaked down the field, chasing the tiny, winged golden snitch. They were neck and neck, neither seemed willing to stretch out an am to try and grab it in case to hindered their speed. The crowd gasped as one, as a bludger shot towards them at high speed. The Ravenclaw seeker doubled over as it smashed into her stomach, causing her to roll over on her broom only just hanging on. In her pain, she had lost the snitch, but fortunately for her (and not so lucky for the Gryffindor team) she had smashed right into the Gryffindor seeker and both of them lost sight of the snitch. There was a huge groan of disappointment from all corners of the stands (except for the Slytherins, who laughed nastily, they didn't really want anyone to win).
"And after that, er, rather unfortunate incident," Bagman resumed commentating with a distinctly flustered tone "we resume play, Ravenclaw has the quaffle."
Delighted with the fact that Gryffindor hadn't got the snitch, the Ravenclaw chasers were playing much more aggressively, Gryffindor was a very good team, and Ravenclaw knew they had their work cut out for them. They were pulling back, 50 points to 20, to 30 and very soon it was even. James looked over at Lily again, and she was, once again, pointing to the snitch. At least, he assumed it was, he couldn't actually see it. He grabbed his binoculars and scanned the pitch where Lily was pointing, and, sure enough, there it was. How on earth could Lily see that with the naked eye? This time only one of the seekers had seen it. The Ravenclaw one, as James realised with a start. The Gryffindor seeker soon realised and gave chase, but it was too late. With a triumphant cry and a victory lap of the pitch, the Ravenclaw team had won the Quidditch cup.
The team and its supporters walked dejectedly back to the Gryffindor common room.
Back in the common room, they met a very strange scene. Sybill Trelawny, a 5th year, was sitting by the fire, surrounded by he three friends (James didn't know their names) and they seemed to be holding something like a séance. Sybill stood up and greeted the gathering crowd (who were all looking on incredulously) in her incredibly misty voice.
James noticed that she looked remarkably like an insect. Perhaps a firefly or something like that. She was tall and thin and delicate looking and she wore huge glasses that made her eyes at least three times as big and reflected the flames from fire. She was wearing countless gold bangles and chains; she looked like a walking jewellery shop.
"I would like to invite anyone interested to have their fortunes read. I believe there are secrets among you that my inner eye can lay bare." Sirius snorted with laughter before volunteering. James joined in too; he thought it'd be fun. It was certainly something to do. Peter seemed quite worried but sat down too, Remus looked more scared and flustered than James had ever though possible, and he practically ran up to their dormitory, and Peter, looking relieved, ran after him.
James couldn't figure out what was so terrifying about Sybill Trelawny. She was a bit weird (okay, very weird) but she was just a girl. Anyway this whole fortune-predicting thing could be funny. Sybill had a reputation for believing herself to be brilliant at Divination and had told everyone she was a 'Seer'. It was rumoured that her great great grandmother (or something like that) had actually been a real Seer, but it didn't seem like Sybill had the gift somehow. She told Sirius he was going to settle down, marry a nice girl and get a respectable job. He was going to be trampled down by a rampaging Hippogriff when he finally met his end. He'd told James his end would be much nearer, indeed, she said she saw the grim in her crystal ball. This would ordinarily have disconcerted James. The Grim was a huge dog that haunted graveyards and was believed by most wizards to be the worst omen of death. But Sybill had said Sirius was going to get a respectable job, so James didn't really think much of her skills at predictions. He didn't really believe in fortune telling anyway.
He wondered a lot about Remus, about why he'd ran off like that. Maybe he really did believe that Sybill could see the future and was afraid of what she might see. Perhaps he had a secret he didn't want her to 'lay bare'. He went up to talk to him, but he was asleep, or at least, it looked like he was. He decided he'd ask him tomorrow.
James had been wrong when he'd thought this trick was going to get them a detention. There was simply no proof that the 'Marauders' had had anything to do with it. Professor Flitwick had ushered Snape off to the hospital wing, fortunately he'd been too preoccupied as he rushed past, wriggling frantically, to notice four boys, all doubled up in silent laughter. The thing with muggle tricks (as Sirius gleefully informed them all) was that wizards didn't have a clue how to handle them, and often they were just as effective as magic ones. James agreed with him, he had never seen anything as funny as Snape's writhing.
The next Saturday was the Quidditch final, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw. Gryffindor had pummelled Slytherin into the ground at the last match, and the entire Gryffindor house was really looking forward to winning, it had been a long time since the team had won the cup. James was really looking forward to the game, especially as he knew he would be playing in the first game next year.
The Gryffindor stand went wild as the team walked onto the pitch in their scarlet Quidditch robes. James and his friends were, of course, among them. He was sitting quite high up with Sirius, Remus and Peter. A few seats away from them, he spotted Lily sitting with her friend, James didn't know what her name was. He didn't know why he'd noticed this. He shook himself and turned his attention back to the match.
The commentary was being provided by a 7th year Hufflepuff who played beater on the house team, Ludo Bagman. He always seemed to love commentating, and his big round face seemed even redder and rounder than usual when he had the magical megaphone in his hands.
"And they're off, Gryffindor takes the Quaffle." James was really enjoying the match (especially since Gryffindor had pulled ahead by 50 points in the first ten minutes. Lider had been right when he'd said their chasers were good. The Ravenclaw three didn't seem to be able to get a look in. Lider was particularly good, he had scored three of the five goals so far, and all his manoeuvres and orders seemed to be working well. The Gryffindor beaters were very good too. The Ravenclaw chasers were looking distinctly bruised and battered.
He glanced over at Lily (why did he keep doing that?), and he noticed she was pointing to something. He followed her arm to a point on the pitch, and at first he couldn't understand what she was looking at, and then he saw it, a tiny glint of gold in the distance, the snitch. He never would've seen it if it hadn't been pointed out to him. He couldn't imagine how Lily had managed to see it. He didn't have time to think about it, however, as with a cry of;
"Oh, I do say" from Bagman, he watched as the two seekers streaked down the field, chasing the tiny, winged golden snitch. They were neck and neck, neither seemed willing to stretch out an am to try and grab it in case to hindered their speed. The crowd gasped as one, as a bludger shot towards them at high speed. The Ravenclaw seeker doubled over as it smashed into her stomach, causing her to roll over on her broom only just hanging on. In her pain, she had lost the snitch, but fortunately for her (and not so lucky for the Gryffindor team) she had smashed right into the Gryffindor seeker and both of them lost sight of the snitch. There was a huge groan of disappointment from all corners of the stands (except for the Slytherins, who laughed nastily, they didn't really want anyone to win).
"And after that, er, rather unfortunate incident," Bagman resumed commentating with a distinctly flustered tone "we resume play, Ravenclaw has the quaffle."
Delighted with the fact that Gryffindor hadn't got the snitch, the Ravenclaw chasers were playing much more aggressively, Gryffindor was a very good team, and Ravenclaw knew they had their work cut out for them. They were pulling back, 50 points to 20, to 30 and very soon it was even. James looked over at Lily again, and she was, once again, pointing to the snitch. At least, he assumed it was, he couldn't actually see it. He grabbed his binoculars and scanned the pitch where Lily was pointing, and, sure enough, there it was. How on earth could Lily see that with the naked eye? This time only one of the seekers had seen it. The Ravenclaw one, as James realised with a start. The Gryffindor seeker soon realised and gave chase, but it was too late. With a triumphant cry and a victory lap of the pitch, the Ravenclaw team had won the Quidditch cup.
The team and its supporters walked dejectedly back to the Gryffindor common room.
Back in the common room, they met a very strange scene. Sybill Trelawny, a 5th year, was sitting by the fire, surrounded by he three friends (James didn't know their names) and they seemed to be holding something like a séance. Sybill stood up and greeted the gathering crowd (who were all looking on incredulously) in her incredibly misty voice.
James noticed that she looked remarkably like an insect. Perhaps a firefly or something like that. She was tall and thin and delicate looking and she wore huge glasses that made her eyes at least three times as big and reflected the flames from fire. She was wearing countless gold bangles and chains; she looked like a walking jewellery shop.
"I would like to invite anyone interested to have their fortunes read. I believe there are secrets among you that my inner eye can lay bare." Sirius snorted with laughter before volunteering. James joined in too; he thought it'd be fun. It was certainly something to do. Peter seemed quite worried but sat down too, Remus looked more scared and flustered than James had ever though possible, and he practically ran up to their dormitory, and Peter, looking relieved, ran after him.
James couldn't figure out what was so terrifying about Sybill Trelawny. She was a bit weird (okay, very weird) but she was just a girl. Anyway this whole fortune-predicting thing could be funny. Sybill had a reputation for believing herself to be brilliant at Divination and had told everyone she was a 'Seer'. It was rumoured that her great great grandmother (or something like that) had actually been a real Seer, but it didn't seem like Sybill had the gift somehow. She told Sirius he was going to settle down, marry a nice girl and get a respectable job. He was going to be trampled down by a rampaging Hippogriff when he finally met his end. He'd told James his end would be much nearer, indeed, she said she saw the grim in her crystal ball. This would ordinarily have disconcerted James. The Grim was a huge dog that haunted graveyards and was believed by most wizards to be the worst omen of death. But Sybill had said Sirius was going to get a respectable job, so James didn't really think much of her skills at predictions. He didn't really believe in fortune telling anyway.
He wondered a lot about Remus, about why he'd ran off like that. Maybe he really did believe that Sybill could see the future and was afraid of what she might see. Perhaps he had a secret he didn't want her to 'lay bare'. He went up to talk to him, but he was asleep, or at least, it looked like he was. He decided he'd ask him tomorrow.