Time seemed to fly the next few weeks, leaving in its trail a blur of
indistinct memories. Harry vaguely remembered his first visit to A Cauldron
Maker's Best. He could only recall going there with Ron and Hermione and
settling down in front of a simmering cauldron. The owner of the small shop
was an old, frail-looking wizard named Aetius. He was Greek, always wore
long, baggy pants, long, baggy shirts with long, baggy sleeves, and spoke
with a heavy accent.
He had asked Harry to concoct a potion called the Draught of Air, which gave the drinker a certain matter of time that he could survive without oxygen. Too bad I didn't get this in the Triwizard Tournament, thought Harry. It had been very easy, though that might have been simply because there was no Snape to breath down Harry's neck and taunt him as he worked.
He had hardly any memory of their Quidditch practice, only remembering that their first match was. . . .
"Five minutes now," said Katie. Harry woke out of his stupor. He was in the Gryffindor dugout changing into his uniform.
"Right," continued Katie, who had obviously been giving a prep talk.
"Right, so if you have any problems with our idea then just wave your arm or something, and we'll change to what's best, okay Emma?"
Emma nodded shortly. Harry suddenly remembered that this was her first game. He decided to give her some pointers.
"Hey Emma," called Harry, "come here a moment."
She obliged by sliding tightly off her seat and walking over to Harry. Harry suddenly realized that he was the most experienced player on the team. He had been on as long as Katie, he realized. Hadn't Lee said at Harry's first game that Katie was a reserve the year before? And Katie for sure hadn't a record as clean as Harry's— only one loss out of all his games.
And, thought Harry wryly, nobody had tried to kill her during a match, nobody had magicked a Bludger into following her during a match, nobody had sent dementors after her during a match, and the list went on.
He definitely was the most experienced player on the team. He wondered vaguely why Dumbledore hadn't chosen him for Captain, but Harry didn't feel too perturbed by it; he would have declined anyway.
"Emma," he began, "Listen. Why are you so nervous; Quidditch is all fun?"
"Well it's my first game," she said. Her voice was a little squeaky, and she seemed to be shaking slightly.
"Don't worry about that. If you remember, my first game was, well, it was bad, so don't get so pressured now." He didn't feel like explaining the terror and shock he had gone through in the first game.
"Most of the old team is gone already, there's no need to feel more scared or nervous than me or Katie. Just focus on the flying, on your speed, maybe try some stunts, it lets off pressure far more than just sitting there with a closed mouth.
"I mean it, just let go of everything and it'll be great. And, why should you do badly? You're one of the best Chasers I've ever seen."
Harry suddenly noticed that his arm had been moving unconsciously up Emma's shoulder and he quickly removed it. Emma opened her mouth for a second, but no words came out. She opened it again and whispered, "Thank you Harry," and she sat back down more calmly.
Suddenly Katie said, "Okay, good luck team," and as the doors creaked open, they mounted their brooms and shot off into the air.
Madame Hooch stepped out onto the field as the Hufflepuff team shot into the air from the other side of the pitch.
Before Harry knew the game began, and he shot off in search of the walnut sized, small golden ball. After several minutes he stopped and listened to the commentary. Lee Jordan, it seemed, had stayed as commentator for the match, even though he was officially out of school.
"And Gryffindor leads twenty to nothing, and look at Weasley! His best game since he's been on the team, four saves, and no goals for Hufflepuff yet. Right now, Smith with the quaffle. Zacharias Smith of Hufflepuff flying in with the quaffle, heading for the goalposts, come on Ron, block him. . .and he shoots and Ron . . . yes, I don't believe it, he's saved it again!
"He hits it to Captain Katie Bell. Katie Bell of Gryffindor streaking up, looking good Katie — she passes to Ginny Weasley and she zooms up the pitch. She shoots and she, she — " Lee swore loudly, "— It's blocked.
"Smith, Zacharias Smith of Hufflepuff going up, passes to — oh, intercepted by Emma Bowman, and she goes up the field. And — ouch, hit by a bludger in the back and drops the quaf — and oh I say!"
Harry and the Hufflepuff Seeker, George Edison had gone into a dive. Harry was gaining on the Snitch; he could see it fluttering right in front of him. Harry reached out and opened his hand wide, when suddenly his scar seared with pain. Harry lost control of his broom and lurched forward. He accidentally swerved into Edison's path. Edison twisted aside to avoid hitting Harry, and spiraled off. The pain in his scar suddenly receded.
Harry looked around and saw — nothing, the Snitch had again disappeared. Harry flew a little farther, but it was truly gone.
He soared back up and continued playing. He flew around the pitch, not really listening to Lee's commenting. A roar in the stands and Lee's sudden yell of, "Gryffindor is currently leading the match one hundred twenty to thirty and— " his voice was drowned out by booing from half the crowd.
Harry's spirits soared; they were crushing Hufflepuff by ninety points, and if he caught the Snitch now, they would win Gryffindor's biggest win in six hundred fifty years! At least, Quidditch Through the Ages stated that.
Harry was gazing absentmindedly when he saw something yellow drop into the midst of all the Chasers in a straight dive. His heart dropped, it was Edison. Harry tore after him, but Edison was gaining on the Snitch, he would catch it any second! Harry urged his broom faster and faster, but Edison was still ahead. Suddenly there was a loud thwack and a Bludger from Colin Creevey came pelting straight at him! He swerved out of the way and Harry, who had just caught up with him, got knocked out of the air.
Harry fell off his broom. The world was going by very slowly, and Harry could see his broom plummeting down almost in slow motion. Suddenly he remembered his wand, which had been stuck up his sleeve. As he fell he pulled it out and, pointing it at himself, he yelled, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Harry rose in the air, and the stadium seemed to freeze, and he stretched out his wand and shouted, "Accio Broom!"
The Firebolt came flying to him, and in the air he mounted it. Cheers erupted from almost the whole stadium as he mounted and flew back up into the air.
Play continued. Gryffindor pulled ahead by four more goals, one from a penalty from Harry, and two more by superb plays from Ginny and Emma, where Ron had given it to Ginny, she had flown past everybody except the Keeper, but instead of aiming, through it sideways, directly at Harry himself, but Emma had swooped down and catching it one-handed, heaved it into the goal posts.
Harry forgot what the other one was, he was having more trouble with Edison, who was marking him so closely that their knees kept bumping, and he could just hear Edison's voice swearing in a continuous, annoying murmur.
But suddenly Harry spotted something . . . the Snitch!
Harry tore after it, putting on all his speed. He had overtaken it within seconds. He stretched out his hand, and could almost hear the silence from the crowd as he plunged downward towards the speck of gold. With all his concentration directed at the little speck of gold, he didn't see Edison fly in and knock Harry's outstretched hand away. Harry pushed Edison with his shoulder and continued flying, the Snitch mere feet from him. Edison dropped back for a moment, but Harry, with all his focus directed at the golden ball in front if him, didn't notice. Suddenly Harry's Firebolt jerked sharply.
Harry lurched forward off his broom with an odd fluttering in his chest. It felt quite good. He stayed suspended in the air for a second, then fell fifteen feet down and collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
* * *
He had asked Harry to concoct a potion called the Draught of Air, which gave the drinker a certain matter of time that he could survive without oxygen. Too bad I didn't get this in the Triwizard Tournament, thought Harry. It had been very easy, though that might have been simply because there was no Snape to breath down Harry's neck and taunt him as he worked.
He had hardly any memory of their Quidditch practice, only remembering that their first match was. . . .
"Five minutes now," said Katie. Harry woke out of his stupor. He was in the Gryffindor dugout changing into his uniform.
"Right," continued Katie, who had obviously been giving a prep talk.
"Right, so if you have any problems with our idea then just wave your arm or something, and we'll change to what's best, okay Emma?"
Emma nodded shortly. Harry suddenly remembered that this was her first game. He decided to give her some pointers.
"Hey Emma," called Harry, "come here a moment."
She obliged by sliding tightly off her seat and walking over to Harry. Harry suddenly realized that he was the most experienced player on the team. He had been on as long as Katie, he realized. Hadn't Lee said at Harry's first game that Katie was a reserve the year before? And Katie for sure hadn't a record as clean as Harry's— only one loss out of all his games.
And, thought Harry wryly, nobody had tried to kill her during a match, nobody had magicked a Bludger into following her during a match, nobody had sent dementors after her during a match, and the list went on.
He definitely was the most experienced player on the team. He wondered vaguely why Dumbledore hadn't chosen him for Captain, but Harry didn't feel too perturbed by it; he would have declined anyway.
"Emma," he began, "Listen. Why are you so nervous; Quidditch is all fun?"
"Well it's my first game," she said. Her voice was a little squeaky, and she seemed to be shaking slightly.
"Don't worry about that. If you remember, my first game was, well, it was bad, so don't get so pressured now." He didn't feel like explaining the terror and shock he had gone through in the first game.
"Most of the old team is gone already, there's no need to feel more scared or nervous than me or Katie. Just focus on the flying, on your speed, maybe try some stunts, it lets off pressure far more than just sitting there with a closed mouth.
"I mean it, just let go of everything and it'll be great. And, why should you do badly? You're one of the best Chasers I've ever seen."
Harry suddenly noticed that his arm had been moving unconsciously up Emma's shoulder and he quickly removed it. Emma opened her mouth for a second, but no words came out. She opened it again and whispered, "Thank you Harry," and she sat back down more calmly.
Suddenly Katie said, "Okay, good luck team," and as the doors creaked open, they mounted their brooms and shot off into the air.
Madame Hooch stepped out onto the field as the Hufflepuff team shot into the air from the other side of the pitch.
Before Harry knew the game began, and he shot off in search of the walnut sized, small golden ball. After several minutes he stopped and listened to the commentary. Lee Jordan, it seemed, had stayed as commentator for the match, even though he was officially out of school.
"And Gryffindor leads twenty to nothing, and look at Weasley! His best game since he's been on the team, four saves, and no goals for Hufflepuff yet. Right now, Smith with the quaffle. Zacharias Smith of Hufflepuff flying in with the quaffle, heading for the goalposts, come on Ron, block him. . .and he shoots and Ron . . . yes, I don't believe it, he's saved it again!
"He hits it to Captain Katie Bell. Katie Bell of Gryffindor streaking up, looking good Katie — she passes to Ginny Weasley and she zooms up the pitch. She shoots and she, she — " Lee swore loudly, "— It's blocked.
"Smith, Zacharias Smith of Hufflepuff going up, passes to — oh, intercepted by Emma Bowman, and she goes up the field. And — ouch, hit by a bludger in the back and drops the quaf — and oh I say!"
Harry and the Hufflepuff Seeker, George Edison had gone into a dive. Harry was gaining on the Snitch; he could see it fluttering right in front of him. Harry reached out and opened his hand wide, when suddenly his scar seared with pain. Harry lost control of his broom and lurched forward. He accidentally swerved into Edison's path. Edison twisted aside to avoid hitting Harry, and spiraled off. The pain in his scar suddenly receded.
Harry looked around and saw — nothing, the Snitch had again disappeared. Harry flew a little farther, but it was truly gone.
He soared back up and continued playing. He flew around the pitch, not really listening to Lee's commenting. A roar in the stands and Lee's sudden yell of, "Gryffindor is currently leading the match one hundred twenty to thirty and— " his voice was drowned out by booing from half the crowd.
Harry's spirits soared; they were crushing Hufflepuff by ninety points, and if he caught the Snitch now, they would win Gryffindor's biggest win in six hundred fifty years! At least, Quidditch Through the Ages stated that.
Harry was gazing absentmindedly when he saw something yellow drop into the midst of all the Chasers in a straight dive. His heart dropped, it was Edison. Harry tore after him, but Edison was gaining on the Snitch, he would catch it any second! Harry urged his broom faster and faster, but Edison was still ahead. Suddenly there was a loud thwack and a Bludger from Colin Creevey came pelting straight at him! He swerved out of the way and Harry, who had just caught up with him, got knocked out of the air.
Harry fell off his broom. The world was going by very slowly, and Harry could see his broom plummeting down almost in slow motion. Suddenly he remembered his wand, which had been stuck up his sleeve. As he fell he pulled it out and, pointing it at himself, he yelled, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Harry rose in the air, and the stadium seemed to freeze, and he stretched out his wand and shouted, "Accio Broom!"
The Firebolt came flying to him, and in the air he mounted it. Cheers erupted from almost the whole stadium as he mounted and flew back up into the air.
Play continued. Gryffindor pulled ahead by four more goals, one from a penalty from Harry, and two more by superb plays from Ginny and Emma, where Ron had given it to Ginny, she had flown past everybody except the Keeper, but instead of aiming, through it sideways, directly at Harry himself, but Emma had swooped down and catching it one-handed, heaved it into the goal posts.
Harry forgot what the other one was, he was having more trouble with Edison, who was marking him so closely that their knees kept bumping, and he could just hear Edison's voice swearing in a continuous, annoying murmur.
But suddenly Harry spotted something . . . the Snitch!
Harry tore after it, putting on all his speed. He had overtaken it within seconds. He stretched out his hand, and could almost hear the silence from the crowd as he plunged downward towards the speck of gold. With all his concentration directed at the little speck of gold, he didn't see Edison fly in and knock Harry's outstretched hand away. Harry pushed Edison with his shoulder and continued flying, the Snitch mere feet from him. Edison dropped back for a moment, but Harry, with all his focus directed at the golden ball in front if him, didn't notice. Suddenly Harry's Firebolt jerked sharply.
Harry lurched forward off his broom with an odd fluttering in his chest. It felt quite good. He stayed suspended in the air for a second, then fell fifteen feet down and collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
* * *