Chapter 13: The First Match of the Season
Several weeks later, Melissa walked into Potions with her fellow Gryffindors, yawning and rubbing her eyes. They had a party last night for no apparent reason, which went against the rules Hermione had set down for them at the beginning of the year. It ran just a little late. They finally got to bed at around 3:30. Her mouth, along with those of her friends, dropped when they stepped over the threshold.
A grinning Tonks was leaning up against the desk, wearing a black leather miniskirt and a bright blue shirt underneath her deep blue robe.
"Tonks!" Harry exclaimed, staring at the young lady.
"Hello, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Melissa," he greeted. Several people gave the pretty Metamorphmagus odd looks when they caught sight of her matching fluorescent blue hair. Ignoring them, she turned to Melissa.
"Hey, Melissa. Feeling better?" she asked, grinning. Melissa laughed and punched her lightly in the arm. She knew very well that she was feeling fine after two weeks.
"If the sentimental moment is over, can class get started?" a cold voice drawled. Hermione sighed and walked calmly over to Malfoy.
"Shut up," she announced slowly, carefully enunciating every word. Having said this, she drew back her fist, only to have it caught by Harry and Ron. She pulled back her other hand, this time having it held back by Melissa. Tonks had hidden a smile while excusing herself for a moment and disappearing into a back room.
"You guys aren't any fun," she pouted.
"We know," the three replied wryly. Melissa let go of Hermione after Ron came over and walked over to Malfoy. She snatched up the blonde's inkbottle, unstoppered it and dribbled it down a sputtering Malfoy's front.
"A gift, Malfoy, from me to you," Melissa said, dropping the bottle. It chattered into pieces when it hit the floor.
"I hate you," Malfoy hissed.
"I know," Melissa told him. A yelp and a bright flash of light from the back room distracted them from their verbal sparring.
"Tonks?" Harry called worriedly. "You okay?" Tonks stumbled back into the room, adjusting and dusting off her robes.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Tonks replied. She shuddered a bit. "I hate bugs." She shivered again and shook herself like that would make her braver against the little bug armies of the world. (A/N: She thought they were out to get her. She thought they had, like, tactics just to try and make her cry…) "Okay, so, time for class!"
Melissa and Malfoy walked away from each other, on the way, Melissa sticking her tongue out at the Slytherin in a ridiculously childish fashion. "I do not need you making trouble in my class," Tonks hissed in Melissa's ear as she passed. "I want people to like me, unlike Snape," she added, shrugging.
"Sorry," Melissa apologized. "He's making me angry." "Ignore him and let's get to class," Hermione broke in, giving them both pointed looks. Tonks nodded, then walked over to her previous position: leaning on her desk.
"Okay, class, welcome. I'm Professor Tonks" ("Well, duh," Malfoy muttered to Crabbe.) "Ten points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy, and you all are mine for the next hour and a half," Tonks introduced herself.
"B—but, Professor, I'm in your house," Malfoy sputtered. "You can't take points away from your own house."
"Wanna bet?" Tonks asked him dryly. Malfoy scowled in response. "Anyway, what have you guys been doing with Professor Snape?"
As usual, Hermione's hand was up first.
"Yeah, Hermione?"
"In Professor Snape's class, we were learning about poison antidotes," she told her. "We were supposed to be testing them this class so you can imagine how relieved we are that Snape isn't here."
"Oh, trust me, I can imagine," Tonks replied. "Well, that sounds just a little too dreary and boring. What do you guys want to study?"
Hands flew up from every seat in the room.
"Uh, yes, um, Ms. Parkinson?" Tonks called.
"I want to learn about...love potions," Pansy said, breathing the last two words and turning to stare at Malfoy and cling to his arm. Every Gryffindor burst out laughing as Malfoy looked sickened and groaned.
"Okay, uh, no," Tonks stressed.
"Parkinson, don't you know that Love Potions aren't allowed on school campus?" Hermione asked incredulously, turning around in her seat to stare at the pug-faced girl. Pansy pouted.
"Well, they should be," she retorted.
"Well, they're not," Hermione returned, turning back around and rolling her eyes.
"Gryffindor," Pansy muttered accusingly, throwing Hermione a dark look.
"Heard that," Hermione called, her back to Pansy.
"Okay! So, what does anyone else want to study?" Tonks asked loudly. Twenty hands flew into the air, and, grinning, Tonks began calling on people and writing down their suggestions. It soon became evident who the two favorite teachers were at Hogwarts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Welcome, everybody, to the first Quidditch match of the year!!!!!" Ginny Weasley yelled into the magical microphone. "Today's match is Gryffindor versus Slytherin!!!!"
"Ready, Mel?" Harry asked, turning around and glancing at his twin.
"Um, no?" Melissa's stomach felt like it had an infestation of butterflies.
"Oh, please, Melissa! You've done this stuff hundreds of times in practice," Dean snorted.
"Besides, it's time to play," Kara whispered happily next to her. The gate in front of them was rising and the deafening roar of the crowd rose steadily. All seven Gryffindors mounted their broomsticks with varying degrees of excitement and nervousness.
"Let's play!!!!!!!!" Harry shouted, kicking off determinably with Lavender next to him. Dean and Seamus followed, whooping and waving their Beaters' clubs. Getting swept up in the excitement of the others and forgetting her nervousness, Melissa kicked off with Kara and Ron on either side of her, all three screaming and cheering elatedly.
"Here comes the Gryffindor team, a fantastic display of talent and seven people that truly define the word 'team'!" Ginny introduced. "Captain Harry Potter as Seeker, Lavender Brown as Keeper, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan as Beaters, and Melissa Potter, Kara Simmons, and Ron Weasley as Chasers! Next, come the Slytherin team, who all look like they've—"
"Ms. Weasley!" Ginny was stopped from saying what he would have by Professor McGonagall giving him a warning look and calling his name.
"Okay, sorry, Professor. Anyway, the Slytherin team consists of Captain Draco Malfoy—boo—" ("WEASLEY!") "Sorry, Professor! Captain Draco Malfoy playing Seeker, Samuel Bletchley playing Keeper, Brendan Derrick and Jake Bole playing Beater, and Malik Montague, Mario Venetti, and Matthew Warrington playing Chasers! Everyone, give the two teams a big, appreciative hand, even if you don't want to applaud the Slytherin team!"
"Ms. Weasley, I'm warning you!" McGonagall shouted dangerously.
"Sorry, Professor, I couldn't help it!"
They circled the pitch several times, getting louder screams and shouts each time they completed a lap. Finally, they settled around the center starting point where Oliver was sitting on the closed, straining-to-get- open Quidditch chest.
"Okay, you guys, let's have a nice, competitive game, try not to kill each other, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy," Oliver said, eyeing the two captains, who were glaring maliciously at each other. Malfoy had been voted captain when Marcus Flint finally graduated.
(A/N: Am I the only one that realized that in book one, JKR said Flint was a burly sixth-year that looked as though he had a bit of troll blood in him, which, under the circumstance, meant that he would have been a seventh year and graduated in Harry's second year, yet he was also in book three, where he would have been an eighth-year, although there is no such year? It also said in the second book that Flint was a sixth-year. A simple mistake…or an indication that Flint was held back 'cuz he was too stupid or something? Did anyone else notice that???)
A sixth-year, Mario Venetti, had taken the Chaser position Flint had occupied. Oliver stood up and opened the chest, jumping away just in time as the Bludgers shot up into the air.
"Professor Wood unleashes the Bludgers, closely followed by the Golden Snitch," Ginny commentated. Oliver clambered up onto his broom and, before kicking off, threw the Quaffle up, signaling the start of the game. Melissa and Harry exchanged high fives and grins as a means of wishing each other good luck. They couldn't say anything because of the noise engulfing them.
/\Don't worry, Mel. You'll be fantastic/\, Harry mentally told her, quelling her anxieties.
\/You're right. I'm a Potter\/, Melissa replied, her own laugh echoing in her head. \/We're meant to be the victors on the Quidditch field. Watch it!\/
Harry ducked just in time. A heavy, black Bludger had come pelting his way and would have struck his head had Melissa not warned him.
/\Maybe we should pay attention to the game so we're not killed by a Bludger or otherwise/\, Harry suggested weakly.
\/Yeah, you think?\/ Melissa asked sarcastically. Harry grinned in response and they parted ways, Melissa to help Kara and Ron get past Bletchley to score and Harry to shove Malfoy out of the way in the search for the Snitch. Melissa bumped purposely into Kara.
"Hand me the Quaffle and I'll pass it to Ron, though I'll make like I'm hiding it my robes," she whispered urgently. "He's right near the goal." Kara nodded tersely, her eyes never leaving the leering Slytherin Keeper in front of her. She discretely handed Melissa the Quaffle as Ron and Harry, not having spotted the Snitch yet, distracted Bletchley. Melissa swooped up to Ron and secretly handed him the Quaffle before zooming off holding what looked like a lump in her Quidditch robes.
"Melissa Potter tries to swing towards the goal—duck, Melissa, Bludger behind you!" Ginny shouted defensively. "Ohhh, that had to hurt! Bole gets a Bludger in the stomach after hitting one towards Dean Thomas. Dean just hit it right back. Whoa! I don't think any of us expected that! Katie Bell scores! How the hell…? Anyway, ten points for Gryffindor! Oh! And, uh, sorry, Professor, about the swearing bit and…yeah."
An hour later, there still wasn't any sign of the Snitch for Harry. The score was 120-110, Gryffindor in the lead. Melissa had scored five goals, Ron had scored four, and Kara three. There hadn't been any serious injuries so far, unless you counted when Seamus Finnigan somehow managed to hit himself, Melissa, and Kara in the forehead, leaving all three a little dazed, but still alert. Ginny was still commentating, though McGonagall had already had to warn her over a dozen times to stay unbiased.
"Venetti swerves past Simmons and the female Potter and…come on, Alicia! He's a big, ugly a—"
"Ms. Weasley, give me that microphone!" McGonagall insisted, tugging on the magical amplifier.
"Sorry, Professor, it won't happen again! Slytherin Beater Derrick chucks a Bludger at Ron Weasley in retaliation of the last goal she made. Luckily, she dove in time. Dunno why it took him so long to figure out Gryffindor scored again. Bole slammed a Bludger towards Gryffindor Keeper Brown, blocked by Seamus Finnigan or Dean Thomas, they're too far away, I can't which tell from here. Weasley's getting close to the goal with Potter—the female one, is this confusing for anyone else? —And Simmons guarding her. She shoots down the pitch and is blocked on one side by...Seeker Malfoy?! What the hell is he doing there? Oh, sorry, Professor. Anyway, Weasley swerves around Malfoy and does a funny sort of distraction twist thing before...does he do it? YES!!!! HE SCORES!!!!"
Ron pumped his hand in the air in a victorious motion. Bole and Derrick, angry with Gryffindor for having made yet another goal on them, chucked their Beaters clubs after hitting Bludgers at Ron. They both hit him in the face and one of the Bludgers in the stomach. The other Bludger missed. A time out was called as Ron gently floated down to the ground, clutching his face and stomach in excruciating pain. (A/N: Wordly Wise word, my NDA eighth grade friends!!!!!) Melissa and Kara flew over to him and saw he got to Madam Pomfrey immediately when they landed. Up in the air, Lavender was gliding worriedly back and forth in the air and Harry was vainly trying to hold both Dean and Seamus back from murdering the Slytherin Beaters.
"Oh! And that was a penalty if there ever was one! Bole and Derrick, those FILTHY, CHEATING, SCUM-OF-THE-EARTH, WORTHLESS, PIECE-OF-SLYTHERIN- CRAP, NASTY BA—" (A/N: I'll leave you to your imagination here…) Ginny was howling into the megaphone, dancing and hopping out of any McGonagall—like teachers' grasp. Five minutes later, Ron strode back out onto the field, cleared of the blood and broken nose he had gotten.
"Here we go! Ron Weasley is back in the game, fixed and cleaned up by the wonderful, miracle worker, Madam Pomfrey!" Ginny exclaimed as Ron kicked off and met up with the rest of his team in the air. "Play is back in session and Slytherin takes the Quaffle. Immediately, Montague, Venetti, and Warrington somehow manage to score. It's now 130-120, Gryffindor. Gryffindor takes possession of the Quaffle and—wait. Was that the Snitch?" All activity ceased as both Harry and Malfoy shot after the fluttering gold ball. They closed in and dove one last effort to close the gap. Suddenly, they tumbled off their brooms landed in a tangle of arms and legs on the ground, their broomsticks lying forgotten on the ground near them. Harry's arm and Malfoy's arm rose from the fight, hands clasped together. Everyone in the stadium held their breath as they focused their Omnioculars at the two Seekers on the ground. Melissa flew over and borrowed Hermione's. She focused them on Harry and Malfoy's hands and saw…
A/N: Heh heh heh! I'm feeling decidedly evil today, so I made this chapter a cliffie! Don't worry; chapter 14 will be up soon. Just gotta finish typing it out. I'm hoping it'll be up by the 24 of August at the latest. Lots of love to all my readers and even more to my reviewers! I love you all; you totally make my day! Happy reading!
Several weeks later, Melissa walked into Potions with her fellow Gryffindors, yawning and rubbing her eyes. They had a party last night for no apparent reason, which went against the rules Hermione had set down for them at the beginning of the year. It ran just a little late. They finally got to bed at around 3:30. Her mouth, along with those of her friends, dropped when they stepped over the threshold.
A grinning Tonks was leaning up against the desk, wearing a black leather miniskirt and a bright blue shirt underneath her deep blue robe.
"Tonks!" Harry exclaimed, staring at the young lady.
"Hello, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Melissa," he greeted. Several people gave the pretty Metamorphmagus odd looks when they caught sight of her matching fluorescent blue hair. Ignoring them, she turned to Melissa.
"Hey, Melissa. Feeling better?" she asked, grinning. Melissa laughed and punched her lightly in the arm. She knew very well that she was feeling fine after two weeks.
"If the sentimental moment is over, can class get started?" a cold voice drawled. Hermione sighed and walked calmly over to Malfoy.
"Shut up," she announced slowly, carefully enunciating every word. Having said this, she drew back her fist, only to have it caught by Harry and Ron. She pulled back her other hand, this time having it held back by Melissa. Tonks had hidden a smile while excusing herself for a moment and disappearing into a back room.
"You guys aren't any fun," she pouted.
"We know," the three replied wryly. Melissa let go of Hermione after Ron came over and walked over to Malfoy. She snatched up the blonde's inkbottle, unstoppered it and dribbled it down a sputtering Malfoy's front.
"A gift, Malfoy, from me to you," Melissa said, dropping the bottle. It chattered into pieces when it hit the floor.
"I hate you," Malfoy hissed.
"I know," Melissa told him. A yelp and a bright flash of light from the back room distracted them from their verbal sparring.
"Tonks?" Harry called worriedly. "You okay?" Tonks stumbled back into the room, adjusting and dusting off her robes.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Tonks replied. She shuddered a bit. "I hate bugs." She shivered again and shook herself like that would make her braver against the little bug armies of the world. (A/N: She thought they were out to get her. She thought they had, like, tactics just to try and make her cry…) "Okay, so, time for class!"
Melissa and Malfoy walked away from each other, on the way, Melissa sticking her tongue out at the Slytherin in a ridiculously childish fashion. "I do not need you making trouble in my class," Tonks hissed in Melissa's ear as she passed. "I want people to like me, unlike Snape," she added, shrugging.
"Sorry," Melissa apologized. "He's making me angry." "Ignore him and let's get to class," Hermione broke in, giving them both pointed looks. Tonks nodded, then walked over to her previous position: leaning on her desk.
"Okay, class, welcome. I'm Professor Tonks" ("Well, duh," Malfoy muttered to Crabbe.) "Ten points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy, and you all are mine for the next hour and a half," Tonks introduced herself.
"B—but, Professor, I'm in your house," Malfoy sputtered. "You can't take points away from your own house."
"Wanna bet?" Tonks asked him dryly. Malfoy scowled in response. "Anyway, what have you guys been doing with Professor Snape?"
As usual, Hermione's hand was up first.
"Yeah, Hermione?"
"In Professor Snape's class, we were learning about poison antidotes," she told her. "We were supposed to be testing them this class so you can imagine how relieved we are that Snape isn't here."
"Oh, trust me, I can imagine," Tonks replied. "Well, that sounds just a little too dreary and boring. What do you guys want to study?"
Hands flew up from every seat in the room.
"Uh, yes, um, Ms. Parkinson?" Tonks called.
"I want to learn about...love potions," Pansy said, breathing the last two words and turning to stare at Malfoy and cling to his arm. Every Gryffindor burst out laughing as Malfoy looked sickened and groaned.
"Okay, uh, no," Tonks stressed.
"Parkinson, don't you know that Love Potions aren't allowed on school campus?" Hermione asked incredulously, turning around in her seat to stare at the pug-faced girl. Pansy pouted.
"Well, they should be," she retorted.
"Well, they're not," Hermione returned, turning back around and rolling her eyes.
"Gryffindor," Pansy muttered accusingly, throwing Hermione a dark look.
"Heard that," Hermione called, her back to Pansy.
"Okay! So, what does anyone else want to study?" Tonks asked loudly. Twenty hands flew into the air, and, grinning, Tonks began calling on people and writing down their suggestions. It soon became evident who the two favorite teachers were at Hogwarts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Welcome, everybody, to the first Quidditch match of the year!!!!!" Ginny Weasley yelled into the magical microphone. "Today's match is Gryffindor versus Slytherin!!!!"
"Ready, Mel?" Harry asked, turning around and glancing at his twin.
"Um, no?" Melissa's stomach felt like it had an infestation of butterflies.
"Oh, please, Melissa! You've done this stuff hundreds of times in practice," Dean snorted.
"Besides, it's time to play," Kara whispered happily next to her. The gate in front of them was rising and the deafening roar of the crowd rose steadily. All seven Gryffindors mounted their broomsticks with varying degrees of excitement and nervousness.
"Let's play!!!!!!!!" Harry shouted, kicking off determinably with Lavender next to him. Dean and Seamus followed, whooping and waving their Beaters' clubs. Getting swept up in the excitement of the others and forgetting her nervousness, Melissa kicked off with Kara and Ron on either side of her, all three screaming and cheering elatedly.
"Here comes the Gryffindor team, a fantastic display of talent and seven people that truly define the word 'team'!" Ginny introduced. "Captain Harry Potter as Seeker, Lavender Brown as Keeper, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan as Beaters, and Melissa Potter, Kara Simmons, and Ron Weasley as Chasers! Next, come the Slytherin team, who all look like they've—"
"Ms. Weasley!" Ginny was stopped from saying what he would have by Professor McGonagall giving him a warning look and calling his name.
"Okay, sorry, Professor. Anyway, the Slytherin team consists of Captain Draco Malfoy—boo—" ("WEASLEY!") "Sorry, Professor! Captain Draco Malfoy playing Seeker, Samuel Bletchley playing Keeper, Brendan Derrick and Jake Bole playing Beater, and Malik Montague, Mario Venetti, and Matthew Warrington playing Chasers! Everyone, give the two teams a big, appreciative hand, even if you don't want to applaud the Slytherin team!"
"Ms. Weasley, I'm warning you!" McGonagall shouted dangerously.
"Sorry, Professor, I couldn't help it!"
They circled the pitch several times, getting louder screams and shouts each time they completed a lap. Finally, they settled around the center starting point where Oliver was sitting on the closed, straining-to-get- open Quidditch chest.
"Okay, you guys, let's have a nice, competitive game, try not to kill each other, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy," Oliver said, eyeing the two captains, who were glaring maliciously at each other. Malfoy had been voted captain when Marcus Flint finally graduated.
(A/N: Am I the only one that realized that in book one, JKR said Flint was a burly sixth-year that looked as though he had a bit of troll blood in him, which, under the circumstance, meant that he would have been a seventh year and graduated in Harry's second year, yet he was also in book three, where he would have been an eighth-year, although there is no such year? It also said in the second book that Flint was a sixth-year. A simple mistake…or an indication that Flint was held back 'cuz he was too stupid or something? Did anyone else notice that???)
A sixth-year, Mario Venetti, had taken the Chaser position Flint had occupied. Oliver stood up and opened the chest, jumping away just in time as the Bludgers shot up into the air.
"Professor Wood unleashes the Bludgers, closely followed by the Golden Snitch," Ginny commentated. Oliver clambered up onto his broom and, before kicking off, threw the Quaffle up, signaling the start of the game. Melissa and Harry exchanged high fives and grins as a means of wishing each other good luck. They couldn't say anything because of the noise engulfing them.
/\Don't worry, Mel. You'll be fantastic/\, Harry mentally told her, quelling her anxieties.
\/You're right. I'm a Potter\/, Melissa replied, her own laugh echoing in her head. \/We're meant to be the victors on the Quidditch field. Watch it!\/
Harry ducked just in time. A heavy, black Bludger had come pelting his way and would have struck his head had Melissa not warned him.
/\Maybe we should pay attention to the game so we're not killed by a Bludger or otherwise/\, Harry suggested weakly.
\/Yeah, you think?\/ Melissa asked sarcastically. Harry grinned in response and they parted ways, Melissa to help Kara and Ron get past Bletchley to score and Harry to shove Malfoy out of the way in the search for the Snitch. Melissa bumped purposely into Kara.
"Hand me the Quaffle and I'll pass it to Ron, though I'll make like I'm hiding it my robes," she whispered urgently. "He's right near the goal." Kara nodded tersely, her eyes never leaving the leering Slytherin Keeper in front of her. She discretely handed Melissa the Quaffle as Ron and Harry, not having spotted the Snitch yet, distracted Bletchley. Melissa swooped up to Ron and secretly handed him the Quaffle before zooming off holding what looked like a lump in her Quidditch robes.
"Melissa Potter tries to swing towards the goal—duck, Melissa, Bludger behind you!" Ginny shouted defensively. "Ohhh, that had to hurt! Bole gets a Bludger in the stomach after hitting one towards Dean Thomas. Dean just hit it right back. Whoa! I don't think any of us expected that! Katie Bell scores! How the hell…? Anyway, ten points for Gryffindor! Oh! And, uh, sorry, Professor, about the swearing bit and…yeah."
An hour later, there still wasn't any sign of the Snitch for Harry. The score was 120-110, Gryffindor in the lead. Melissa had scored five goals, Ron had scored four, and Kara three. There hadn't been any serious injuries so far, unless you counted when Seamus Finnigan somehow managed to hit himself, Melissa, and Kara in the forehead, leaving all three a little dazed, but still alert. Ginny was still commentating, though McGonagall had already had to warn her over a dozen times to stay unbiased.
"Venetti swerves past Simmons and the female Potter and…come on, Alicia! He's a big, ugly a—"
"Ms. Weasley, give me that microphone!" McGonagall insisted, tugging on the magical amplifier.
"Sorry, Professor, it won't happen again! Slytherin Beater Derrick chucks a Bludger at Ron Weasley in retaliation of the last goal she made. Luckily, she dove in time. Dunno why it took him so long to figure out Gryffindor scored again. Bole slammed a Bludger towards Gryffindor Keeper Brown, blocked by Seamus Finnigan or Dean Thomas, they're too far away, I can't which tell from here. Weasley's getting close to the goal with Potter—the female one, is this confusing for anyone else? —And Simmons guarding her. She shoots down the pitch and is blocked on one side by...Seeker Malfoy?! What the hell is he doing there? Oh, sorry, Professor. Anyway, Weasley swerves around Malfoy and does a funny sort of distraction twist thing before...does he do it? YES!!!! HE SCORES!!!!"
Ron pumped his hand in the air in a victorious motion. Bole and Derrick, angry with Gryffindor for having made yet another goal on them, chucked their Beaters clubs after hitting Bludgers at Ron. They both hit him in the face and one of the Bludgers in the stomach. The other Bludger missed. A time out was called as Ron gently floated down to the ground, clutching his face and stomach in excruciating pain. (A/N: Wordly Wise word, my NDA eighth grade friends!!!!!) Melissa and Kara flew over to him and saw he got to Madam Pomfrey immediately when they landed. Up in the air, Lavender was gliding worriedly back and forth in the air and Harry was vainly trying to hold both Dean and Seamus back from murdering the Slytherin Beaters.
"Oh! And that was a penalty if there ever was one! Bole and Derrick, those FILTHY, CHEATING, SCUM-OF-THE-EARTH, WORTHLESS, PIECE-OF-SLYTHERIN- CRAP, NASTY BA—" (A/N: I'll leave you to your imagination here…) Ginny was howling into the megaphone, dancing and hopping out of any McGonagall—like teachers' grasp. Five minutes later, Ron strode back out onto the field, cleared of the blood and broken nose he had gotten.
"Here we go! Ron Weasley is back in the game, fixed and cleaned up by the wonderful, miracle worker, Madam Pomfrey!" Ginny exclaimed as Ron kicked off and met up with the rest of his team in the air. "Play is back in session and Slytherin takes the Quaffle. Immediately, Montague, Venetti, and Warrington somehow manage to score. It's now 130-120, Gryffindor. Gryffindor takes possession of the Quaffle and—wait. Was that the Snitch?" All activity ceased as both Harry and Malfoy shot after the fluttering gold ball. They closed in and dove one last effort to close the gap. Suddenly, they tumbled off their brooms landed in a tangle of arms and legs on the ground, their broomsticks lying forgotten on the ground near them. Harry's arm and Malfoy's arm rose from the fight, hands clasped together. Everyone in the stadium held their breath as they focused their Omnioculars at the two Seekers on the ground. Melissa flew over and borrowed Hermione's. She focused them on Harry and Malfoy's hands and saw…
A/N: Heh heh heh! I'm feeling decidedly evil today, so I made this chapter a cliffie! Don't worry; chapter 14 will be up soon. Just gotta finish typing it out. I'm hoping it'll be up by the 24 of August at the latest. Lots of love to all my readers and even more to my reviewers! I love you all; you totally make my day! Happy reading!
