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Crystal Cheyenne

Charmedfanatic3000

Alexandra the half-wolf

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Prophetess of Hearts

Catlimere

Chapter 19 - Quidditch

Wednesday morning Buffy was sitting eating her breakfast when she heard a scratching at the ivy covered kitchen door. At first she ignored the noise; the weather had been getting increasingly worse and she assumed it to be the ivy scratching on the door, but after a while she realised that something was making the noise.
 "Who's there?" she said nervously, standing up and making her way to the door. "I'm armed y'know and I'll stab you or something if you're a big bad." No answer came except more scratching so Buffy moved forward and grasped the door handle.
In one sudden move she threw open the door and a bedraggled-looking cat walked sedately into the kitchen. Buffy's heart was pounding but she laughed at her foolishness when she saw the cat.

 "Hey again kitty," she said, recognising the cat as the one they had seen yesterday. The cat looked up at her with big yellow eyes. Buffy petted it and then picked up the milk.

 "Looks like its black coffee for Sirius," she murmured as she poured the milk into a dish and gave it to the cat who began to lap it up delicately.
 "Hey Sirius," she called. "That cat's back." Sirius appeared in the kitchen shortly.

 "I wonder if I can get it to understand me," he said watching it. Buffy eyed him incredulously, but he transformed into his dog form and approached the cat.

The cat recognised him and mewed when it saw him.
The two touched noses briefly and then Sirius began to make small growling noises to the cat. Buffy watched fascinated as the two appeared to be communicating.

After a while, Sirius transformed back.

 "Well?" Buffy said impatiently. "What did it say?"

 "It didn't say anything," Sirius said with a grin. "But it told me that there's a rat in the castle that isn't actually a rat. Which therefore must be Wormtail. And I told it to bring me the rat if it could, or find out the password for the Gryffindor common room, where it lives."
 "And did it agree?" Buffy said, folding her arms.
 "Yes, it seems to trust me." Sirius said, still grinning at Buffy's sceptical look. "It belongs to a Gryffindor girl. If we feed it, it will keep coming back." As he finished speaking, the cat padded to the kitchen door and looked expectantly at Sirius. He opened the door and the cat trotted out of the Shrieking Shack.

Buffy took a walk into the village later, to post her letters to Giles and her mother and to get some more milk. Sirius came with her, padding along at her side. On the way back from the post office, Sirius suddenly ducked into a side street. Buffy peered after him curiously.

 "What was the point of that?" she said crossly, still looking into the dark alley and trying to see Sirius. She glanced up the street and saw Minerva McGonagall approaching, accompanied by an ill looking Remus Lupin. Silently, Buffy waited til they'd passed and then began to tail them once again.
 ".Of course I'm hoping Gryffindor will win this Saturday." Minerva McGonagall was saying. "Hufflepuff have got a strong team, and Wood tells me they've been practicing to play Slytherin. Still the team is the strongest it's been since the days of Charlie Weasley. The Weasley's are magnificent beaters, and Harry is the best Seeker I've ever seen."

"It would be nice to see a Gryffindor victory," Lupin replied mildly. "Not that I'm biased, but you always favour your old house don't you?" Minerva McGonagall gave him an appraising look.

 "Has Severus prepared the potion for you?" she asked him and Buffy slunk along behind them quietly.
 "Yes, he's been very obliging," Remus replied with a sigh. "I'm beginning to feel a little worn down though; I always do before the full moon."
 "Let's head back then," Minerva McGonagall said and the two turned abruptly. Both their eyes fell on Buffy who quickly bent down to pretend to tie her shoelace. They looked at her curiously for a moment, and she flashed them a quick grin before they continued their walk back to the castle.
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief and was shortly joined by Sirius who led her back towards the Shrieking Shack.

"Quidditch on Saturday night, we have to go," Sirius said excitedly. "And Gryffindor is playing! And Harry! I have to watch him fly!"
 "Are you sure it's wise?" Buffy said, acting as the rational one.
 "Yes, yes it will be fine." Sirius said, waving his hand dismissively. "We can go to the top of the stands; no one ever sits up there. Come on, you'll love it, Quidditch is the most incredible sport!" Buffy smiled and allowed herself to agree.

Buffy felt a little more sceptical when she found herself seated on the top row of wooden stands in the driving rain on Saturday. She and Sirius, and the entire school apparently, were waiting for the match, and Buffy wasn't feeling particularly spirited. Sirius on the contrary was barking occasionally and chasing his tail excitedly.

Buffy watched as the tiny figures of the players walked out onto the pitch carrying their brooms. She watched as the captains shook hands and the players mounted their brooms. It was bizarre to watch for Buffy, these broomsticks supporting these people and flying around ion the air. Quickly she became as excited as Sirius, enjoying the game and the art of flying. She watched the players take a time out and then rise back into the air. From what Sirius had told her of the rules, she could follow what was happening. She watched the Gryffindor team in scarlet play, the girls with the Quaffle, passing seamlessly. She recognised the beaters as the two similar looking boys who kept thumping the black flying balls. She watched the keeper, saving goals. Her eyes kept moving back to Harry, circling the pitch. Even with her extremely limited knowledge of Quidditch, she admired the way he flew and could see he was a talented flyer. He scouted the pitch for a sight of the Golden Snitch.

A clap of thunder made Buffy jump and it was followed by a flash of lightning. Harry was very close to them, circling their end of the pitch and Buffy watched him closely. The lightning flashed again and in that instant, Buffy and Harry locked gazes.

For a split second they stared at each other, then Harry's hands slipped on the broom and it wobbled slightly. Buffy took the opportunity and ducked behind the seat in front, out of sight, pulling Sirius the dog with her.

She remained there for a while but a strange silence was falling over the stadium so she slowly rose. Gazing down at the pitch she saw a mass, at least a hundred, dementors on the pitch, gazing up at the players above them. Sirius was standing up, staring at the pitch urgently too. Buffy watched as Harry stopped in mid air on his broom. He went limp, fainting and Buffy grabbed Sirius as he tensed to jump down the stands.
 "Wait!" she yelled watching in horror as Harry slipped from his broom. He fell towards the ground and Buffy saw a man run onto the pitch and slow him down with his wand before he hit the ground. The man used his wand to create some silver shapes which caused the dementors to drift away. He then picked up Harry and carried him hurriedly off the pitch.
 Sirius was still straining against Buffy's arms and she bent down to talk in his ear so he could hear over the storm.
 "Sirius, chill out, you can't go down there," she said softly and felt him relax a little. "Come on, let's go back."