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"Ron, you just keep playing now like you have throughout all our practices, okay?" said Alica.

"Got it."

It was the first Quidditch game of the year: Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff. Harry was a bit disappointed that it wasn't against Slytherin, but he was grateful to at least be playing in a game at all.

"So we've gone over all our strategies," Alicia mumbled worriedly, as if counting something on her fingers.

"Alica, don't worry," said Katie. "I'm sure we'll do just fine. You know that those Hufflepuffs are the easiest team to beat! They're too soft! They're afraid of the ball! It'll be a cinch--stop biting your fingernails."

"What about their beaters, though?" Alicia asked nervously. "They've got two of the toughest, best beaters around!!"

"Hey, that's insulting," Seamus sniffed. "You think that the Hufflepuff beaters are better than we are."

"Well, they've both been playing longer than you have, and I've played them several times before. Just prepare yourselves." A loud whistle sounded. "Well, that's our cue, fellow Gryffindors. Let's go!"

The stadium erupted with cheers as the Gryffindor team walked out onto the field. More cheers came once the Hufflepuffs arrived.

"All right!" said Madame Hooch. "Captains, shake hands!" They quickly did so. "Mount your brooms!"

Harry's heart pounded wildly as he stepped onto his broom. Finally, he was playing Quidditch again.

"On my whistle, then!" shouted Madame Hooch. "One! Two! Three!" She blew hard onto her whistle. The fifteen brooms launched into the air, and the Quaffle was released.

"Welcome everyone to the first Quidditch game of the year!" shouted Lee Jordan into his megaphone. "It's Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff! It seems that on the Gryffindor team, Fred and George Weasley have been replaced by Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas! Our former Chaser (and team captain) Anglina Johnson (who, as far as I know, STILL won't go out with me) has been replaced by Fred and George's sister, Ginny Weasley!!"

Hermione clapped wildly. Quidditch games were still fun to watch for her, but now she didn't have Ron to talk to about them. She jumped when Hagrid sat down next to her.

"Haven't missed much, 'ave I?" he asked.

"They only just started," answered Hermione."

"And Chaser Katie Bell has the Quaffle, flying towards the Hufflepuff goals with great acceleration. Quickly passes the ball to Alica Spinnet, who prepares to throw the Quaffle! OH NO!! A bludger has come zooming out of no where from a no-good, dirty, stinking rotten Hufflepuff beater!!"

"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall screeched. "You can't make biased comments!!"

"Right, sorry Professor. Anyhow, Spinnet drops the Quaffle to Ginny Weasley, who throws it towards the hoop. She shoots, and SHE SCORES! TEN POINTS FOR THE GRYFFINDOR TEAM!!!"

"Nice one, Ginny!" Katie congratulated.

"Thanks!"

Harry sat on his broom, above the game. His eyes darted constantly around the field, hoping for the tiniest glimpse of gold. He flew down a bit lower, scanning the air beneath him. It was there, somewhere.

Grinning, a Hufflepuff player zoomed towards the Gryffindor goal posts. Ron looked ready. Or at least he tried to. The Quaffle soared towards the hoop on his left. He quickly flew towards the ball and hit it back towards the field.

"And Weasley has the Quaffle, having caught it from Weasley, and she now streaks down the field. She passes it to Spinnet, who passes it to Bell, who shoots! Oh, would you just look at that? She missed."

The Hufflepuff keeper hurled the Quaffle to the middle of the field, and one of the Chasers on his team caught it. They flew back towards Ron, smiling menacingly. In one swift movement, he made the shot.

"Ten points to Hufflepuff!" shouted Lee. "And the Quaffle goes to Spinnet, who heads for the goal posts. She shoots, and misses! My, what a shame!!"

A few minutes later, Hufflepuff led the game 40 to 20.

"Ron, come on!" Hermione cried, waving her Gryffindor flag. "You can do it! I know you can! JUST BLOCK THE STUPID QUAFFLE!!"

"Calm down, Hermione," said Hagrid. "It ain't as easy as it looks, you know."

"But Hagrid, I know that Ron can do better! I've seen him at practices! He's a really great Keeper, but he's getting scared with all these people watching him! He's under a lot of undue pressure!!"

"I know," sighed Hagrid. "We'll just have ter hope fer the best, I 'spose."

"Come on, come, where are you?!" Harry whispered to himself, looking vainly around for the Snitch. "You aren't afraid, are you?!"

"You know, I think Qudditch is a very interesting sport," Zelda said to Link. "I mean, who would've thought? Playing a game on broomsticks!"

"Yeah, I wonder how they ever came up with the idea?" Link wondered. "Impa would go completely beserk if she saw this! But in a good way, of course. I don't think she ever fathomed people flying around on brooms!"

"And another ten points to Gryffindor!" announced Lee. "Which makes the score 40--30, still Hufflepuff!"

Suddenly, Harry streaked towards the ground as fast as he could. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Hufflepuff seeker following him. All eyes were on them.

"It seems that Harry Potter has seen the Snitch!" cried Lee with excitement. "But it also seems that Ernie McMillan is hot on his tail!"

"You're wasting your time, Potter!" snarled Ernie, squinting hard.

"Am I?" Harry asked, grinning. Ernie was looking around wildly for the Snitch. In another sudden moment, Harry pulled out of the dive seconds before he hit the ground. Ernie, of course, crashed into the ground.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!!" shouted Lee. "A PERFECT WRONSKI FEINT, PERFORMED BY POTTER!!"

Several groans came from the Hufflepuff side of the stadium, as Madame Pomfrey rushed onto the field. She pulled up Ernie's arm, and saw blood flowing from his nose and mouth. Muttering something, the school nurse. tapped his face with her wand, and all the blood vanished.

"And thank you for Madame Pomfrey for healing McMillan!" Lee shouted, though his eye was twitching. "So, as McMillan gets back into the game, the Quaffle is in Spinnet's possession..."

"Did you see that?!" Hermione cried, standing up. "He did the Winky Fant!"

"It's called the Wronski Feint, Hermione," sighed Lavender Brown, who was seated right next to her.

"Oh, well, uh...yeah, that's what I meant!"

"The Quaffle is intercepted by Hufflepuff chaser Abbott, who flies towards the Gryffindor goal posts! And a bludger comes flying towards her, hit excellently by the new Gryffindor beater, Dean Thomas!

"Swerving out of the way, Abbott accidentally drops the Quaffle! It's picked up by Gryffindor Chaser Bell, who speeds towards the Hufflepuff goal posts! She passes to Spinnet, who passes back. Weasley flies towards Bell and Spinnet to join them, as Bell prepares to shoot! Now--HEY!! THAT WAS AN ILLEGAL MOVE!!! YOU--"

McGonagall grabbed the megaphone away from Lee, who had started swearing loudly (and crudely).

One of the Hufflepuff Beaters had hit a bludger towards Ginny, who had innocently been sitting on her broom in mid-air. The bludger missed Ginny, but hit her broomstick, causing her to slide off the end.

Harry immediately withdrew his attention from looking for the Snitch, and he dove directly towards Ginny. He reached out a hand for her, and she grabbed it. His muscles straining, Harry pulled Ginny onto his broomstick in front of him.

"Ginny, are you all right?!"

"I-I'm fine, Harry," she whispered, still looking terrified. "B-but Harry, I saw it! I mean the Snitch! Look, it's right there next to Katie's leg!"

While everyone else had had their eyes on Ginny and Harry, Abbott had scored three more times. They couldn't afford to lose.

"Hang on, Ginny!" Harry whispered. "We're going to win this game!" He shot towards Katie, who was still ignorant to the fact that the Snitch was floating right next to her. Seeing Harry (and Ginny, of course) speeding towards her, she dropped down a bit.

"I've got it!" Harry thought, his arm reaching forward. The Snitch looked quickly around, as if trying to find an escape route. But before it could dart off again, Harry's fingers closed around it.

"AND POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH!!" Lee bellowed. "HE GETS 150 POINTS FOR HIS TEAM!! GRYFFINDOR WINS THE MATCH!!"

Cheers exploded from the Gryffindors, and some of the Ravenclaws (including Luna Lovegood, who was once again sporting her roaring Lion hat).

Harry was the first player to the ground, gently pulling Ginny off his broom. She tried to stand, but her feet gave way, and she fell back to the ground. She tried standing again, but it was in vain.

"I think my feet are broken," she sniffed, scrunching her eyes shut. "Before the bludger flew back off, it hit both of them. Oh, G--"

Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey both rushed up to Harry and Ginny. "Weasley, are you all right?!" McGonagall asked breathlessly.

Madame Pomfrey touched Ginny's feet gently, making the girl wince slightly. "I think she'll be all right," the nurse said, conjuring up a magical stretcher. "But she can't walk, so I'd better take her back to the Hospital wing."

As Pomfrey walked away with Ginny (on the stretcher), Ron and Hermione came running up. "Harry, I can't believe it!" Ron squeaked, looking very pale. "Ginny could've died, and you saved her life!"

"No, not really," Harry said, now starting to think. "I was just thinking quickly, like Ginny had no other chance. But now that I think about it, McGonagall or someone could've done something to help."

"Still, you were risking a lot," said Hermione. "But she'll be okay, right?"

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"But Harry," said Ron, grinning a bit. "That Wronski Feint was amazing! I bet Krum himself couldn't have done better! You had me totally fooled!"

"Me too!" Hermione added. "You even had the same look of determination that you have when you see the Snitch! I was watching you with binoculars, you know. I think Hagrid was impressed too!"

"Well, it all came from watching Vicky," Harry said, making Ron laugh.

"Oh, give it a rest, will you?!" Hermione screeched, her happy attitude suddenly gone. "His name is Viktor, and I never even ONCE called him VICKY!!"

"Who's Vicky?" asked Katie, walking towards them with the rest of the team. "Harry, that was awesome!!"

"The Wronski Feint, or the fact that he saved my sister?" asked Ron.

"Both!" Dean responded.

"And guess what happened to that Hufflepuff beater?" Seamus laughed. "McGonagall got so mad at him, she's giving him five weeks of detention, and banning him from the next Quidditch game!!"

"Well, he deserved it!" Alicia sniffed. "Ginny didn't even do anything! She was just floating there, and he hit it towards her--ON PURPOSE!!"

"At least she'll be okay," sighed Hermione with relief. "But I was worried there, for a minute, I must admit."

"C'mon, let's all go to dinner," suggested Katie. "I'm starving."

Harry was about to follow the group, when someone roughly grabbed his shoulder. He turned around and saw Malfoy--as usual, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Well, if it isn't the little hero," Malfoy sneered. "Always having to save the day for his girlfriend, right?"

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"You really think you're something, don't you, Potter?"

"I am something. I'm a human. I'm a boy. I'm a wizard. And you, Malfoy, are a little piece of dirt."

"Take that back, you Mudblood!" Malfoy growled, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Harry (who seemed undaunted).

"Put back that wand of yours, Malfoy!" came a voice.

Harry, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle turned in unison to see Zelda. "What buisiness do you think you've got trying to curse Potter?"

"He insulted me, Professor," Malfoy stated calmly, slipping his wand slowly back into his pocket.

"Did he really?" Zelda asked. "And what, Mr. Malfoy, could have possibly intrigued Potter to insult you?" She looked expectantly at him.

Malfoy tried to talk. His mouth opened slightly, then he clamped it shut again. Grimacing darkly at Harry, he and his cronies stormed away.

"So, what was that really all about?" Zelda asked, putting an arm around Harry's shoulder as they walked back to the castle. "Was Malfoy telling the truth?"

"No, he...well...kind of. But he was the one that attacked me first, Professor!"

"Yes, I didn't think you were the type just to shoot things out there. I assume that he thought you were a little goody-two-shoes hero, and started making fun of you, saying that Weasley was your girlfriend, and all that. Right?"

Harry's mouth dropped. "How did you know?"

Zelda smiled, laughing a bit. "I'm only twenty-three, Harry. I got out of school just a few years ago. I know what bullies are like. But if you want to know my opinion, I think what you did was very brave."

Once they walked into the great hall, Zelda winked at Harry and headed towards the staff table. Harry walked towards Ron and Hermione, who had saved a seat for him.

"What took you so long?" asked Neville.

"Malfoy," Harry answered simply. "He tried to start a fight with me, but Harkinian came and stopped the madness."

"Luckily for you," Ron said.

"And I guess we were right when we thought she was young," Harry said to Ron and Hermione. "She's only twenty-three. And guess what else she said?"

"What?" asked Hermione and Ron in unison.

"She said she thinks I'm brave."

"Oh, come ON, Harry," Hermione sighed. "Every teacher thinks you're brave."

"Yeah, but Harkinian's never said it before!" Ron said excitedly. "Wow, Harry! You're so lucky! I wish she'd say something like that to me."

Harry was now focusing more on eating his food. Like Katie had said earlier, the Quidditch game had left him exhausted and starving.

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pleez dont kill me if u didnt like this chapter. but also pleez review!