Author's Notes: This chapter has been revised. 1- Previously, Ron was a Beater, as this chapter was pre-OotP, but I'm putting him in his rightful position – Keeper. If this is your second time reading this story, don't worry, it doesn't change much. 2- For some reason I initially said this happened in February, it's only November! Sorry if that caused any confusion. Onward!

Disclaimer: Nope, Harry Potter still isn't mine, and to my disappointment will never be. It remains property of J.K. Rowling.

Analyze This

The following Monday morning found Ginny seated in the Great Hall in all her Quidditch splendor.

Picking up her fork, she examined the silver piece, looked down at the toast, eggs, and pancakes on her plate, and then looked back up at the utensil.

Ron had generously heaped food onto her plate (in amounts that would have satisfied a hippogriff) despite her numerous protests. Today was the big match against Slytherin, and the last thing that Ginny felt she should be expected to do was eat. Her nerves were bouncing off the scale, and it was taking all of her strength to simply look at the buttered pancakes and not run for the loo.

She was resigned to shoving her food around her plate and waiting for the clock to signal her and the rest of the Gryffindor team to the Quidditch pitch.

"Fork in egg, egg in mouth, and chew. If you fall off your broom, we'll be one short," Ron said, sounding a bit surly, himself.

Ginny gave him a sour look and ignored his request. Whereas many people lost their appetite in times of fright or nervousness, Ron continued to eat like a hog, making it hard to distinguish any traces of nerves. Secretly, though, Ginny was thankful for Ron's ability to remain calm before Quidditch matches. His love of Quidditch (and winning) gave him a seriousness that kept him focused and grounded the rest of the team.

Looking over at Lark who sat on her right, Ginny received a look that asked her to follow Ron's orders.

"At least eat some fruit," Harry said. His voice sounded unusually high.

Ginny cast her eyes over Harry's plate and raised her eyebrow questioningly. Harry caught her gaze and would have blushed had he not been so green. Somehow he had managed to create stars, and assorted faces using various breakfast contents that he'd mashed, chopped, and ground together. Ginny thought that she even saw a snitch hiding out next to a bacon rasher smile.

"Sure, Harry; I'll just follow your great example. I might even be able to create a replica of Egypt's Gringotts division."

He gave her a weak smile and resumed playing with his own food.

Ginny, however, was not offended by his lack of comment. This was to be his last match against a team that he had fought against for seven years, and Ginny could only imagine what he was feeling inside. Thinking about the traditional pre-game pep talk that always ensued before a match, Ginny knew that Harry was too kind to tell them flat out that losing was not an option, and failure to comply would mean death; but it was not necessary. A captain's last Quidditch match was always the most important to him, therefore the message would already be known.

"The way I see it, Harry, you have nothing to be afraid of," Hermione remarked. Harry gave his bushy-haired friend a look that clearly said, "While I appreciate your confidence, it's difficult to listen to a person whose main fears are exams and broomsticks." Or at least, Harry's look was something like that.

"Really!" She continued. "I've watched you practice with the team, and from playing against Malfoy all of these years, you've been able to predict some of his moves and formulate plays against them. I'm almost positive that we'll win."

Ron snorted, "Almost positive. Oh, the faith she has in us."

"But," she said emphatically, both to drown Ron out and convince Harry; "You'll never be able to even Summon your broom if you don't eat anything." Harry took all of Hermione's words in, and lifted his fork to his mouth. Taking a small bite he washed it down with a gulp of orange juice.

Inspired by this transformation, Ginny began to eat some fruit herself. Looking around idly, she saw her brother fidget inside the pocket of his crimson robes for the umpteenth time that morning.

Evidently Hermione also noticed, for she asked him agitatedly, "Ron, what on earth is the matter with your robes?"

His head snapped up. "I don't know what you mean."

Hermione sighed exasperatedly, pushing her hair out of her face at the same time. "Why are you fidgeting with your hem? What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!"

Quickly, Hermione turned herself sideways so that she was facing Ron. His pocket was slightly open from his foraging, and she tried to peer inside.

Ron pushed the pocket closed, which only made her come even closer.

"Ron!"

"You'll find out soon enough!" His ears were a bit red from trying to hide what was in his pocket. "Anyway, it's time to go."

Harry had already risen from his seat and was calling for the members of the team to follow him.

"Are you ready, Ginny?" Ron asked.

Ginny nodded stiffly and pulled her wispy hair into a tight ponytail. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied. They rose from the table and followed the rest of their teammates.

"Look for Colin, Hermione, and me in the stands!" Lark ordered their retreating backs. Ginny nodded and jogged to catch up with the team, becoming part of the migrating, scarlet robes that were following their captain into battle.

"This is the moment we've been waiting for, and I don't have to tell you how much it means to me…" Harry began quietly.

The Gryffindor team was huddled together to hear the pep talk that Harry had to say. There was no arguing the fact that Harry was Captain, despite his numerous protests that it was in name only. He and Ron maintained a shared, relaxed sort of captaincy, founded on their unrelaxed Quidditch fascinations. Although it had been awkward at first, Ginny felt that they had the best-led team out of all the four Hogwarts' teams.

"But I also know that I won't have to tell you lot how to do your jobs. We've practiced tirelessly –"

"And endlessly!" Ron piped up. There were scattered chuckles in the tense silence. Harry looked gratefully at the redhead Keeper and continued.

"Yes – and endlessly. So I do know that if we work as hard as in the practices, Slytherin won't stand a chance. Money can't buy talent, and half of that team paid their way into a spot," – there were a few "I knew it!"S.

"All I ask is that you do your best. We won last year," there were shouts of happy assent, and Harry grinned, his normal coloring coming back to his face, "and there's no reason why we can't do that again."

"Or in other words," Ron said, rising to stand next to Harry, broom in hand. "Up Gryffindor!" The team laughed.

"Hear, hear!" Sebastian Chintz, a Chaser in Ginny's year, shouted.

"Let's go!" Harry said.

He walked out in front with his treasured Firebolt in hand, Ron on his right with one hand in his pocket, and Ginny in back. As soon as they stepped out into the November sunshine in the Quidditch pitch, the stands erupted.

Gryffindor jumped up and cheered wildly; Ginny looked around and spotted Hermione, Lark, and Colin on their feet cheering and screaming. She saw Parvati Patil and Neville Longbottom waving their scarlet and gold scarves in the air as if they were flags, declaring to the world that they were proud Gryffindors. Even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were clapping for the Gryffs, and Ginny was grateful for it, even if it was only because they didn't want Slytherin to win.

Booing from the Slytherin stands caught Ginny's attention. The negative comments toward her team soon became shouts of praise and raucous bellowing when emerald and silver robes appeared in the shadows across the field. As the Gryffindor team continued its journey toward the center of the pitch, Ginny could see the Slytherin captain's hair flying in the breeze.

As he advanced, Ron and Harry stiffened, immediately going on guard. Their faces hardened as they glared at the blond aristocrat. Within a moment the enemy teams were facing each other.

"So this is it, Potter," Draco spoke up seriously, looking deceptively sincere. Not rising to the bait, Harry nodded curtly. Draco gave Harry a smile.

"Don't frown like that – you'll get to polish the Cup, at least." Harry clenched his jaw and tightened his hold on the Firebolt.

Seeing that Harry was affected, Draco then turned to Ron for amusement. "You too, Weasel, and I might even deign to pay you for it. That way you can buy some talent, and with the money left over buy your Mudblood some looks. It's a win-win situation for all."

The Slytherin team snickered and narrowed their eyes at the team across from them. Ron stepped forward and Ginny made a move as if to hold him back, but he held up his hand, signaling for her to stay where she was. Ron continued to walk toward Draco until they were only a few inches apart. Putting his hand in his pocket, Ron fumbled around for something and then brought it out. It was a small figurine.

'A griffin!?' Ginny thought.

"Going to beat me to death with a toy, are you?" Draco mocked. The stands were abuzz with confusion, trying to see why the match hadn't started yet and what the Gryffindor Keeper was holding.

They didn't have to wait long; Ron threw the griffin into the air and quickly pulled out his wand. He pointed at it and shouted, "Vincemus!"

The figurine began to grow until it was the size of one of Ginny's old dolls; on its chest was the Gryffindor insignia, and it held something in its paws. Floating in the air as if it were standing on an invisible platform, the griffin held up what it was holding – a snake in Slytherin.

The snake hissed and lunged forward to sink its fangs into the griffin's coat. But the latter immediately threw the former down onto an invisible platform in the air, and pounced on top of it, its weight slowly crushing the life out of it.

The serpent uttered one last feeble hiss and seemingly died. The griffin then grabbed the "corpse" in its mouth and rose up, circling the Gryffindor stands. Opening its jaws, the griffin released a surprisingly mammoth roar and threw the snake out of its mouth as it were nothing more than a deflated balloon.

The Gryffindor stands erupted into cheers, shouts, and screams.

"Vincemus! Vincemus! Vincemus…" they bellowed.

The griffin only prolonged it war cry, the sound merging with the roar of the Gryffindor fans. After a minute it stopped its flight and burst into nothing but light. Ginny thought that she could make out the words, 'Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes' before it faded.

Amidst the incessant shouting from the Gryffindors, Draco looked at Ron, his mouth parted slightly. The Keeper, grinning uncontrollably, received thwaps on the back from every member of his team.

"Don't frown like that, Malfoy," said Harry. "Everyone already knew that you'd come to an unfortunate end." Aside to Ron he said, "That was brilliant. You're telling me about it later."

Ron only continued smiling and nodded. Ginny snorted and looked at her brother with amusement; he'd caught Hermione's eye. The older girl was trying to put on a face of stern solidarity that was somewhat undermined by the smile that kept slipping out.

Madame Hooch then came running from out of the castle. "Sorry I'm late," she apologized. "But from what I saw as I was coming down, I think that both teams have had enough time to greet each other. Mount your brooms and begin on my whistle!"

The Gryffindors and Slytherins backed up to their respective sides of the field. The stands hushed and waited with anticipation for the shrill call. As if in slow motion, Madame Hooch sounded her whistle and threw the quaffle into the air. The Bludgers were then released, along with the Golden Snitch, which zoomed away into the distance, out of sight.

Ginny immediately went on guard; the snitch wasn't what she was supposed to be worrying about – that was Harry's job. Hovering momentarily in the air, she waited until she could hear the announcer to make her move.

"Gryffindor sixth-year Chaser, Troy McGinnis, passes to Chintz, using an absolutely fabulous reverse pass to avoid the wayward Bludger that Bullstrode sent his way. Better luck next time Millie!" The new announcer was a cousin of Lee Jordan's, Kyla Jordan. Many had feared that she would not be as entertaining, but as the girl got used to her job, she relaxed into the role of Honored Commentator.

Ginny zoomed forward to look for Sebastian – this was one of the plays they had practiced. Troy would throw the quaffle to Sebastian, who would pass it on to her – she could already see him. Sebastian winked one of his hazel eyes and she knew he was ready.

Ducking under a bludger, Ginny moved forward to catch the quaffle Sebastian had just catapulted forward and deftly caught it.

She continued forward to the Slytherin goals and tried to score. Looking around surreptitiously for any competitors, Ginny tossed the quaffle in the air and prepared to hit it through the hoop with her broom tail. With an extra flourish, she soundly sent the quaffle through the silver hoop over the Keeper's head. The Gryffindors cheered, satisfied that they were awarded with the first points of the game.

From her far right, Harry caught Ginny's eye, smiled, saluted, and flew away looking for a bludger to smack. On his way, he saw Malfoy giving Ginny a malevolent look and intercepted it with a warning look of his own.

Draco remained silent and flew off. Ginny released a sigh and looked once more for Sebastian or Troy.

Forty minutes later, and one Chaser less, Ginny flew forward, staying low; she saw two Chasers setting up another play.

Earlier on in the game, a Slytherin beater had sent a fast bludger at a Gryffindor Beater, who was then sent to the Infirmary. Currently, she and the other two Chasers were flying on opposite sides of the field in front of her, and predictably, all of the Slytherin Beaters were trailing them, waiting for an opening.

They Slytherin team was getting careless because of the overwhelming lead the Gryffindors held, and left no one to guard her. Ginny watched as Troy threw the quaffle to Sebastian with a side pass, so that Sebastian would smack it through the hoop. One of the Slytherin Beaters sent a bludger for Sebastian, thinking that he could disable him before he scored more points, but was confused when Sebastian didn't hit the quaffle. He only threw it forward and ducked. Ginny rapidly came from behind and sent the quaffle flying through the hoop past the furious Keeper.

Kyla's commentary filled the air as the red and gold section of the stands erupted into cheers. "Gryffindor scores yet again! 210 to 50, Gryffindor! I'm looking forward to the celebration in the Common Room later!" Snape gave Kyla a distasteful glare; swallowing, she continued.

"Er, anyway, Slytherin now in possession!"

Ginny smiled happily and saw Harry. He gave her thumbs up with one hand, and then scrunching his eyebrows in concentration, looked for the snitch.

Ginny made a short victory loop and went back to the Gryffindor side. As soon as she turned she bumped into the front of another player. Flying backward she saw the face of Draco Malfoy smirking at her. Showing off, he sat on his broom without holding it and clapped slowly.

"Good shot, Weasley."

Surprised at Draco's daring – he was harassing her in the middle of a match – Ginny replied, "I know." She tried to swerve around him.

He blocked her.

She could see Ron peering at her and Harry looking concernedly up at her from his position closer to the ground.

Using the advantage of the distraction, Slytherin sent the quaffle sailing past the Ron, bringing the score to 60 to 210, still in favor of Gryffindor.

Ginny gave Malfoy a nasty look and swore. She tried once again to fly around the blond, but Draco was on a much faster broom, a Firebolt like Harry's, and he grabbed her arm tightly before she could get very far.

Pulling her back tightly so that she almost cried out he said, "You've got less brains than a bludger, Weasley. Don't forget that."

He released her and sped away, leaving her left arm throbbing slightly. Ginny rubbed her shoulder and dipped lower to catch a reverse sent from Troy, dismissing Draco's comment. He was nothing but an arrogant bully.

Speeding off toward the Slytherin goal post, Ginny noticed that something had gone wrong. She and Troy were exchanging passes, making their way up the field, but no Slytherin Beaters were following them. Instead of hitting bludgers at the Gryffindors, they were flying at whichever Chaser had the quaffle.

That usually meant one thing: a Centered Attack.
The Beaters would send fast bludgers at the Chaser who held the quaffle all at once, from different directions. The chances that a Chaser could avoid both bludgers were exceedingly slim.

Quickly, matters became worse. A collective gasp ripped through the air from the Gyffindors as they looked at the lower field. Draco was zipping up toward the sky from near the ground: he had seen the snitch. Harry was about the same distance from the golden ball as Draco was, except he was closer to the sky as opposed to the ground. He'd air have to fly quickly to cancel out Malfoy's head start.

Then it dawned on Ginny, and she soared through the air toward the Slytherin goal. If she scored before Draco caught the Snitch, even with Slytherins extra points, Gryffindor would be able to beat Slytherin by 10 points.

But she would have to act quickly.

Receiving one last pass from Troy, Ginny raced toward the goal post and then heard Ron shout, "Ginny, look out!"

Ginny looked up at Ron questioningly; the beaters had found their target.

In the millisecond that Ginny used to look at Ron, Millicent Bullstrode sent one bludger careening for Ginny's head from the side, while the other Beater walloped his bludger at Ginny from the other side.

Uttering a small cry of surprise, Ginny managed to avoid being hit in the head by swiftly turning her broom upside down. However, the remaining it caught her in the side, almost completely knocking the breath out of her.

Ginny closed her eyes against the pain and grit her teeth. She was upside down on her broom, one hand gripping the Cleansweep as tightly as humanly possible, the other still clutching the quaffle. Her legs were wrapped around the end of the broom. Eyes momentarily closed, Ginny didn't look up and see the remaining bludger that was coming directly at her.

"Ginny!" Ron screamed.

She opened her eyes only to see the dark blue ball coming on furiously. She tried to swerve quickly, but the pain in her ribs hindered her from moving with much agility. Righting herself Ginny had no chance to make another move before the bludger struck the back of her head with a terrible crack. With a strangled cry, her hands slipped from the broom.

Falling.

It was different from flying. She simply dropped weightlessly through the air, red hair flying, barely holding onto consciousness, plummeted straight for the ground. The screams from the stands were lost on her. All she knew was searing pain in her side and on her skull, and as blackness encroached the edges of her mind, all she could think of was a sea of scarlet and ebony. Blood and oblivion.

Her body plunged between the outstretched hands of the two enemies, and desperately trying to grasp the last reaches of consciousness or another person's hands Ginny's grabbed weakly at the air until she clutched something cold and metallic.

Madam Hooch and Professor Dumbledore shouted a levitating charm a frightening moment before she slammed into the ground.

Only a few inches above, Harry and Draco looked blankly at each other, their fists closed. Then they looked at the wilted form on the ground.

Ginny had captured the snitch.

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Femme