Chapter 10

Gryffindor versus Slytherin

When Harry told Roxanne about Cho later that evening in the Library, she didn't mind.

"I'm just amazed you've only been out with one person. I thought I would have to beat girls off of you!" was all she said as she untangled her hair from Ebony's claws.

Harry felt a great weight lift off his shoulders and then it came back again, but in a more literal manner. He looked up and saw Hedwig, sticking out her leg in his face. He took the note, quickly moving his head aside so her large wings did not hit him in the face and read the short sentence on the parchment.

"I've been made captain!" he said suddenly.

"Really? Wow!" said Roxanne, wide eyed.

"Excellent…we're playing Slytherin in a few weeks. I wonder why I wasn't told earlier?"

"Hard decision I guess, Katie Bell is great as well."

"Yeah…so I guess I'd better get try outs ready…"

"Oh yeah…that's what I was meaning to tell you," said Roxanne, running her hand through her hair. "Because one of Slytherin's Chasers has left…I was asked to take his place and I couldn't refuse."

"I'm gonna be playing against you?"

Roxanne nodded meekly. "We did our try outs a few days ago."

"Well you better wear extra padded trousers," he said.

"Why?"

"Because its going to hurt when you get knocked off your broom!" he said smugly.

"Whatever!" said Roxanne, giving him a soft slap across the head.

"Its true actually," said Ron, entering the Library.

"You two are so full of yourselves!"

Ron started doing a war dance around with Roxanne shouting loudly;

We're gonna win!

We're gonna win!

We're gonna beat Slytherin,

We're gonna win!

Then Harry started calling "Weasley is our King!" at the top of his voice while Roxanne scowled at them.

"Get out! Get out! Get out!" screeched Madam Pince, charming their quills and books to chase them out of the library.

Try outs were held the next day, which was good as a match with Slytherin was not far off. It aggravated Harry slightly that they would not fit in as much practises, but he was glad to be captain. The turn out was troublingly large. All years had come to try and it took him fifteen minutes to shoo out the first years. First he checked the chasers and narrowed the twenty down to two. Katie Bell, Ginny Weasley and a girl Harry had barely ever seen called Berenice Tawford, who had shoulder-length chestnut hair and rather large ears and nose.

The new beater was harder to get. Out of the ten most were small, weak or could barely fly. In the end he chose Neville Longbottom, who was so happy about the news he almost toppled off his broom. Harry hadn't the heart to tell him that the only reason he was chosen was not because of his flying abilities, but due to the fact he was quite large and strong.

Ron performed the amazing feat of saving every goal shot at him and thus became Keeper. This caused some hassle with the other hopefuls, who accused Harry of choosing his close friends.

"No, they were simply better than you," he had argued, sending the burly fifth years away.

Practise went smoothly, unless they had a crowd, then Ron failed in everything. The cold weather didn't help either. The morning before the match, Harry felt that familiar fluttery feeling as he made his way down to the Great Hall. He was glad he was a Seeker, which meant he wouldn't have to come into contact with Roxanne.

For the Slytherin team, Goyle and Millicent Bulstrode were the Beaters. No one mentioned why Crabbe wasn't at school but Millicent had taken his place. Rathrold had left to be replaced by a seventh year called Damon Rathrold, a chaser along with Pucey and Roxanne. A lad called Bletchley was the Keeper. Malfoy had still made it as the Seeker, and apart from Roxanne, was the smallest on the team.

As Roxanne walked out of the changing rooms her stomach lurched as she saw Ron and Harry a few metres away from her. Ron grinned and pointed at her and then tapped his hip. Roxanne took this as a 'we're-gonna-kick-your-ass' gesture. She stuck her tongue out at him and gripped her own Nimbus 2001 -her aunty had bought her last Christmas- even harder. Lee Gordan had left school and now his younger cousin who was in third year, (Ravenclaw) Jedd, was doing the commentating.

"Good morning people!" he boomed down the microphone, "let me introduce to you the Gryffindor team, where you will see faces new and old!" The Gryffindor team flew out, waving their hands at the crowd. "Potter, the new captain and still the best seeker Hogwarts has seen for a while, Bell, Weasley and Tawford are the chasers, all girls 'eh? Ron Weasley has kept his role as the keeper and you can see Longbottom and Sloper as the Beaters!" Roars and cheers echoed through the stadium and Harry did a loop-de-loop on his broom.

"We're sure to win now if Longbottom's playing!" said Malfoy loudly, clapping along with the rest, but it was a derisive applause.

"Shut up," Roxanne said to him.

Jedd continued, "And now the Slytherin team! A new face, Damon Rathrold has become the new chaser and captain. I've been told he's a brilliant player, must've been hibernating for the past six years!" The crowd laughed and Damon scowled at the commentator. "-Winters and Pucey along with him. Keeper Bletchley, Goyle and Bulstrode as beaters, Malfoy has held the position of Seeker."

The Slytherin crowd yelled and applauded.

"Captains shake hands," ordered the referee, Madam Hooch, as Harry and Rathrold reached each other. Harry remembered seeing the opposite team always trying to hurt the other person's hand when shaking. He attempted this but Rathrold's hands seemed to be made of steel.

"Mount your brooms." Madam Hooch placed the whistle on her mouth and blew.

The balls were released and fourteen players shot upwards. Harry was too busy watching Roxanne to see how good she was on her broom to check which way the Snitch went.

"And they're off! Tawford with the Quaffle…passes to Bell who passes to Ginny Weasley – what an amazing block by Winters! She passes to Pucey…passes it back to Winters – she's going to score! No! Excellent save by Ron Weasley!"

Ron, grinning proudly, through the Quaffle back to his sister.

"I'll get you next time," Roxanne shouted to him, winking.

"Weasley to Bell…passes it to Tawford – watch out for that Bludger!"

Goyle had hit a Bludger with all his might to Berenice. It hit her full on in the face – she managed to stay on her bloom but she couldn't see for a few seconds.

"That looked painful. But it was fair and square… Slytherin's in possession of the Quaffle… Rathrold to Winters, avoids a Bludger from Sloper – YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

As he had failed hitting Roxanne with a Bludger, Sloper attempted to hit her with his bat. He even missed that but still whacked the Quaffle out of her grip.

"Penalty to Slytherin, Roxanne puts it away no problem. This is gonna be a long match, folks!" Jedd added cheerfully.

Meantime, Harry was getting annoyed with Malfoy always behind him.

"Can't you look somewhere else?" he snapped.

"Can't bare the fact that your girlfriend's beating you?" he sneered.

Not knowing how to answer this, Harry sped of to the opposite side of the pitch.

"Weasley to Tawford, I think she's ok now – Tawford passes it back to Weasley. Dives around Keeper Bletchley – my she's good on a broom! GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"

Cheers from three houses fill the air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

"Excellent goal, Ginny!" Roxanne shouted to her.

"OI WINTERS! You're on the Slytherin team! No cheering on the Gryffindors!" Rathrold yelled at her.

"I was just complementing a friend!" she shouted back. "Jerk," she muttered under her breath.

After half an hour the score was Gryffindor fifty and Slytherin sixty. Harry was furious; he could not lose his first game as captain! But there was no sign of the Snitch and Malfoy had obviously been practising.

"Winters to Rathrold…to Pucey – wait a minute – was that the Snitch?"

There was a murmur of excitement from the crowd. But Harry had already seen the Snitch. Unbeknown to Roxanne, it was floating around the end of her broom. Harry zoomed towards her, followed by Malfoy. She looked at him confused and then glanced at her broom. Automatically, she smacked the Snitch with the end of her broom so it flew off to the other side of the pitch and disappeared. Harry stared at her dumbfounded. The other three houses hissed loudly.

"'Er…according to Professor McGonagall that's not against the rules…let's continue shall we?" said Jedd, clearly angry too.

"Well done Roxanne!" said Malfoy and the other team members.

Harry scowled and flew off to where he saw the Snitch fly.

"Gryffindor in possession. Weasley to Bell… Rathrold's coming up behind her. Come on Gryffindor!" Jedd bellowed, "She throws it…Bletchly dives, misses – IT'S A GOAL!"

Malfoy cursed.

"So its sixty all! Winters to Rathrold to Pucey to – Ginny Weasley has it! She passes to – Winters takes it again," he muttered in a bored voice, "passes Weasley, passes Bell. Pucey grabs it back –what a swerve- throws to Rathrold – gets hit hard in the face by a Bludger from Longbottom, hope it broke his nose – only joking Professor – Rathrold drops the Quaffle. Tawford grabs it – what are the Seekers doing?"

Harry was racing towards the stands were the Ravenclaws were watching. They all gasped and ducked. The Snitch raced in between their legs and out the other side, with Harry hot on pursuit, followed by Malfoy. Harry reached out his hand – it was so close! All the other players had stopped to watch this go on. Except for Roxanne. She took the Quaffle straight out of Tawford's hands and raced to the goal.

"The Snitch just an inch from Harry's hand. What? Oh…a goal to Slytherin," he said bluntly, "must have missed that. Sorry Professor."

This snapped the other players out of their trances. Just as Pucey threw the Quaffle to Roxanne, the audience erupted into applause and screams. Harry had caught the Snitch. Without thinking, Roxanne threw down the Quaffle angrily and sped off towards the changing room.