Chapter Twelve
Treasure was pacing in the back of the locker room, out of sight of the rest of the team, but she could still hear Phoenix giving his pep talk. She was gripping her broom so hard that she could feel the magic energies running through the wooden fibers.
"---proud of this team. You have all shown me your heart, and that alone should award us the Cup," the captain was exclaiming to his team, "but we have to prove our love for the sport by playing well and playing like we are dedicated. Our positive attitudes will give us what we want and I think I speak for everybody when I say that we want to win!"
Loud cheers came from the other five team members. The wave of energy went through Treasure and made her smile. She caught Phoenix's eye and he winked at her. However happy that made her feel, the butterflies still fluttered around in her stomach.
Meanwhile, Severus was sitting in the Professors' Box, clad in his usual style of black robes except for Treasure's Slytherin scarf that she asked him to wear for good luck. When she walked up to him at breakfast that morning, sadness and anger took a hold of his heart. As she spoke, however, he could see that she remembered nothing about what happened a few nights before – she wasn't the same person that said those things – and his heart was released. He didn't know what he felt then as he agreed to wear the scarf. His thoughts were interrupted as someone's call caught his attention.
"Hey Sev!"
Harry Potter walked into the box, all clad in Gryffindor colors (he wore his old Quidditch robes) and sat in a seat beside him.
"Don't call me that," Severus growled at Harry, "We may be 'friends', but we aren't that good of friends, Mr. Potter."
Harry chuckled, "Well aren't we just a dancing ray of sunshine?"
Severus grumbled under his breath at Harry's sarcastic-ness and Hermione entered the box. Her husband's eyes grew large in shock as he saw that she was also, like Harry, wearing Gryffindor Quidditch robes. Hermione smiled as Harry scooted over a seat and allowed her to sit between himself and Severus.
"Why do you look so surprised, Snapey-poo," she asked and Harry laughed.
"You let her call you 'Snapey-poo' in public, but you wont even allow me to call you 'Sev'," he asked.
Severus ignored Harry completely and focused on Hermione's attire, "Traitor," he hissed.
"Am I really," she asked, "What about you, not supporting your son?"
"I am wearing what I usually wear – black."
"What do you call this," Hermione asked, taking one end of the scarf in her hand.
"I was asked to wear it for good luck."
Hermione nodded and shoved one of her Gryffindor flags into Severus' hand, "Now you can wave this – for good luck."
"You have to be off your rocker, woman," Severus spit; Hermione raised her eyebrows and he added, "I mean – bah!"
Harry smiled and, seeing that Severus was vulnerable for attack, said, "I hear Gryffindor has one hell of a team this year and with Arthur and Remus on it, I think that we will get the Cup."
"You'll be eating your words once this game ends, Potter," Severus informed him.
"Oh, really," Potter asked, "Would you care to put a wager on these words?"
"Harry and Severus, stop acting like children," Hermione exclaimed.
Severus ignored her and nodded; "Here's how it will go on my side – fifty Galleons if Chris Riddle catches the Snitch within and hour; twenty-five if she catches it after the hour mark. Ten Galleons for each player hit by a Bludger hit by Phoenix, fifteen if it is hit by Treasure and double that if the player is injured and unable to play. For each point Slytherin wins by, not including the hundred fifty for the Snitch, is one more Galleon owed to me," he finished this with a sneer and waited for Harry's response.
"Okay, if you want to play that way, here is how it will go for my side: fifty Galleons if Ani Riddle catches the Snitch within an hour, twenty five after the hour mark. Ten Galleons for each player hit by a Bludger hit by Seamus Finnigan Jr., fifteen if it is hit by Katrina Bell and double that if the Slytherin player is injured and unable to play. For each point Gryffindor wins by, not including the Snitch points, is one Galleon. Deal?"
Severus conjured a roll of parchment and, with his wand, took the words that were spoken and had them inscribed into the parchment. Under each quote, (after Harry reread it to ensure that Severus hadn't reworded it) they signed their names and shook each other's hands. Hermione shook her head as Ginny took a seat, also sporting Gryffindor Quidditch robes.
"I feel like I have just missed something," she said.
"Just an act of absolute childish ness," Hermione replied as she sat back in her chair.
"What," Ginny asked.
"Sir Snape and I placed a wager on the game," Harry explained as Ron took a seat (in Gryffindor Quidditch robes, surprise, surprise) behind him.
"No way," Ron exclaimed, "I missed a chance to gamble?"
"I regret to inform you, Mr. Weasley, that this grudge is between Sir Potter and I," Severus told him, mocking Harry, "and all of a sudden, I feel out of place."
"I can fix that," Ron said, grinning, and waved his wand, "There!"
Severus looked down and his once pale face turned as red as the Gryffindor Quidditch robes he now wore, "Mr. Weasley, I will politely warn you only once," he began, trying to keep his voice steady as most of the staff held back laughs, "get me back into my regular robes or the next meal you eat will you eat will cause you your skin to turn green, your hair to turn silver and your skin will be tattooed with the arms of the Slytherin house – permanently!"
Ron reluctantly gave Severus back his normal robes and sighed, "You are no fun."
"Severus didn't have any time to reply before a roar erupted from the crowd. The Slytherin and Gryffindor Quidditch Teams were emerging from the locker rooms.
"Welcome Quidditch fans to the first game of the 2018 Hogwarts season! I am your commentator, Amy Jordan! Playing today, in red and gold, the Gryffindor Lions and in green and silver, the Slytherin Serpents!"
Both teams took to the air, flaying a lap around the field, and then taking their positions in the middle of the field.
"Both teams this year have undergone massive changes in their line up, most notably Slytherin, who had to replace all but one person. Phoenix Flint, the new captain, looks absolutely confident, as does the new Gryffindor captain, Katrina Bell. She had to replace five of the team members, but they still look strong!"
Severus was sitting forward in his seat. He had never really cared much for Quidditch before; he only showed up for show. Now, his children were down there and Severus didn't want to miss a moment of it.
"The Quaffle is released and the game begins!"
In a rush, twelve players immediately accelerated on their broomsticks, missing each other by inches. Treasure chased after a Bludger and Phoenix was in position for a play.
"SP1, C3," Treasure yelled to phoenix, indicating that she wanted to execute Slytherin play on and was aiming to his Chaser three, who happened to be her own brother.
Phoenix raised his eyebrows and nodded. In the play, he was going to be the last one with the Bludger and would be responsible for hitting Remus. At last, phoenix slammed the Bludger as hard as he could in Remus' direction and successfully knocked the Quaffle out of his hands.
"A Bludger hit by Phoenix Flint makes contact with the Quaffle in Remus Snape's hand and knocks it out. Slytherin gains possession…"
"You've lost ten Galleons already," Severus hissed to Harry.
"No, I didn't! The Bludger didn't touch Remus!"
"It knocked the Quaffle out of his hand!"
"But it didn't make contact with him otherwise," Harry told him, "I have lost nothing yet."
Severus sat back and grumbled as the game continued, though, not as he nor Phoenix had expected. The Gryffindor Chasers had made six goals within forty-five minutes of play where as Slytherin only made two. Phoenix called a time-out and his team met with him on the field.
"What is going on our there, you guys," he asked, "We are sloppier than I have ever seen us! I guess that is partially my fault for getting your hopes up, but now we just have to work harder. Chasers, I want fast, tricky plays up there. John, guard those goals with your life. Chris, I know you cant do much more up there than what you are doing, but keep it up and Treasure, we have to get these Bludgers to make contact with people – lets knock Gryffindor out cold!"
The whistle blew to signal the end of the time-out and Slytherin got back in the air to loud cheering. Harry got a smug look on his face.
"I wonder if your little Slytherins will do any better now that they have had a breather," he shot at Severus.
"In a way, you are correct, Mr. Potter," Severus replied, "You have seen nothing yet, I can assure you. May I also inform you that Gryffindor isn't playing their best game in the world, either."
"They've been worse," Harry replied.
"True…very true."
The game continued and with Slytherin's new string of concentration, they began to play better. Treasure knocked a Bludger in Arthur Potter's direction, but it only skimmed his elbow slightly. Severus groaned and bowed his head.
'Look, your father is disappointed with you.'
Treasure knew that wasn't herself speaking and whispered, "What?"
'Just look at him.'
Treasure saw the look of disappointment on his face through his black hair and watched as her scarf fell off of his neck. Her heart was stabbed with a sharp knife that held pain at its tip.
'Hurts, doesn't it?'
"Who are you," Treasure asked.
'Lets just say I am an alter ego, back from the grave. You may call me Granger.'
"What are you doing," Treasure asked her, "Why are you there? How did you get inside of me?"
'I am here to lead you down the path of greatness,' Granger told her, 'but, that is, if you listen to me and trust me.'
"How do I know that I can trust you?"
'Would you like me to show you how to win a Quidditch game?'
"Sure," Treasure replied.
Treasure's eyes flashed red as Granger took over. She gripped the Beater's bat tightly in her hand and sped toward a Bludger. Once she had control of it, she dribbled it around and smacked it as hard as she could in Anistasia's direction. The Bludger caught Ani in the side, knocking the breath out of her and causing her to fall off her broom. Katrina spotted this and called for a time-out. Chris ran over to Ani and Granger stayed behind. Phoenix walked up to her.
"Treasure, what was that," he asked.
"That was Quidditch, Flint. Plain and simple."
"No, that is your friend over there."
"It was an accident," Granger explained innocently, "She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She will live."
Phoenix shook his head, "If Ani can't play, I refuse to let this game continue."
"Pull yourself together, boyo," Granger yelled, "Don't get all polite and thoughtful on me now! If you pull the game now, Gryffindor will win by default – they are ten points ahead of us! You want to win, don't you?"
"Not like this, I don't."
"Not like this? What do you mean, not like this? 'This' is what happens in a real game of Quidditch and 'this' is what players have to deal with. If you pull this game right now, you can pull me, too – from your line up, from your partnership and from your life!"
Phoenix bowed his head and Madam Hooch walked over.
"Miss Riddle will be good to play. She has a couple of cracked ribs, but it will be no threat to her right now. Mr. Flint, gather your team and be ready to take to the air," she said.
Phoenix nodded as Madam Hooch walked away and he looked at Treasure. He didn't say a word as he motioned for his team to get back into the air.
"After taking that massive hit by a Bludger slammed in her direction by Treasure Snape, Anistasia Riddle, the Gryffindor Seeker, gets back in the air to help Gryffindor continue cheering for a win," Amy Jordan announced.
"I hope you are counting your Galleons, Potter," Severus told him.
"Ditto."
Granger hit a couple more people, though not as ferociously as she hit Ani, and the Chasers continued to score. As she was winding up to slam the Bludger in Remus' direction, Madam Hooch's whistle blew.
"Slytherin wins," she shrieked.
Apparently, what had happened was that both Chris and Ani were going after the Snitch when Chris elbowed her sister in her cracked ribs. Ani spun out in pain and Chris' fingers enclosed themselves over the Snitch. Snape couldn't look happier.
"Lets see here, Mr. Potter. The score was 230 – 410, Slytherin winning by thirty, not including the Snitch points, Treasure hit four people making it 60 Galleons, Phoenix hit six for 60 Galleons and Chris caught the Snitch after the one hour mark for 25 Galleons. The total comes to 175 Galleons," Severus announced grandly.
Harry nodded and counted out the Galleons. The crowd around them was celebrating and flooding the field in an act of happiness for Slytherin's win. Granger gave Treasure's body back to her and Treasure was smiling.
"Thank you," she whispered. ~+~