Exciting Game
Alice, Ava, Daphne, Josef, and Michael walked outside into the chill November morning air. They were each bundled up in warm clothes and sporting a thick yellow and black scarf, though Alice and Michael were also holding small red flags. Without a word, they turned toward the Quidditch field and started forward at a brisk trot. Many other students could be seen before them, nearly all of them walking with the same quick, unconscious gait. The Quidditch season had begun!
"I wish Hufflepuff was playing," said Michael as they neared the pitch.
"I don't," said Ava. "It's better this way. Hufflepuff has more time to practice before their first game and they also get to see Gryffindor and Slytherin play before they have to play against them."
"I don't think that's really an advantage," said Alice. "I mean, the next game is Hufflepuff verses Ravenclaw, so both Gryffindor and Slytherin get to see those two teams play before they have to play against them."
"Oh yeah," said Ava.
"But the extra practice is still an advantage," added Alice.
"I'm sure it'll be a great game, regardless," said Josef. The others nodded in assent.
The Quidditch field was a different place as they walked out onto it. Of course, they had all been here many times before for their flying class, but the lawn had never been so tidily cut (Why go to such lengths to cut the grass over a field that people are only going to be flying over? thought Alice) or the stands so packed with students. The banners of red and gold or green and silver were also a new addition and added a festive feel to the field which made the five first years want to yell and cheer happily.
"Where can we sit?" asked Daphne, staring up into the rapidly filling stands.
"Look for yellow," suggested Michael.
Among all the red and green, the sparse pockets of yellow were easy to spot. Many Hufflepuffs were already sitting in the stands.
"Look, there's some second years," said Alice, pointing toward the stands on the far side of the field, a little off the center of the pitch. All of a sudden, she felt a little odd. While she was pretty close friends with Elizabeth and then again with Elizabeth's friends, not all of the first years had spent time with them, and except for Daphne, none of the friends Alice was currently with knew the second years that she was friends with very well. Still, as Alice began to head for the area of the stands she had pointed to, the four people behind her followed her lead.
"I see you've brought new friends," mentioned Tania as they all took their seats. "You must be popular."
Alice shook her head, blushing. The last thing I am is popular. I'm not sure I really fit in anywhere. If I did, I'd have a group of close friends I'm always with and I wouldn't be with different people every day.
"Leave her alone," chided Elizabeth.
An uncomfortable silence commenced, but before it could really set in, Sean stood up and pointed toward the stands just below them. Everything from the excitement in his voice to the ease of his stance revealed that he, at least, hadn't been aware of the silence at all. "Look, there they are!" he shouted.
Ava stood up as well and peered down onto the field. "Is the game going to start already? I don't see the players. Really, those people standing up in front are blocking my view anyway. There who are?"
Tania began to laugh. "Oh, don't let him worry you. The game won't start for a bit longer. And those people blocking your view of the field are the very people he's so excited about."
"Well of course," said Sean, looking down at the people sitting around him. "Who else could I have been talking about? It's the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team!"
"Really?" asked Ava, not even bothering to hide the excitement in her own voice. All five first years gazed down at the seven individuals who were taking their seats. Or, actually, only six of them were sitting. The last was standing in front of them, walking up and down the line, apparently giving a speech.
"I wish I could hear what he was saying," said Sean, looking upon the speaking Hufflepuff with awe. "Trent's a genius."
"Stare hard enough," Tania joked, "and maybe you'll miraculously learn how to read lips and then you won't have to wish any more."
Sean gave her a scathing look. Unfazed, Tania continued. "And if he were such a genius, then why did Hufflepuff come in third last year?"
"Well, it was only his first year as Captain," defended Sean.
Just then, three Gryffindors clamored up into the stands to right before where Sean was standing. "Hey bro," said one of them. "If you don't sit down, then when the game starts, no one behind you will be able to see."
"Why's everyone attacking me?" asked Sean, but he sat down. "Hi Alanna. I bet you're excited."
"Well of course!" she said. "Gryffindor is going to clobber Slytherin today, you just see if they don't!"
"Aren't you going to introduce us to your friends?" asked the short girl at Alanna's side. Seeing her long, brown hair, Alice recognized the girl instantly. How could she forget where the first feather she'd ever levitated had landed?
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Alanna. "Katleigh, this is my brother, Sean. And those are his friends," she motioned toward Elizabeth and Tania. Then, looking toward the other people sitting around, she said, "and these are some of the Hufflepuffs in our year, so hopefully an introduction isn't necessary. Everyone, this is Katleigh." Katleigh flashed the group a huge smile. Without missing a beat, Alanna took the hand of her other friend. "And everyone, this is Anne."
Introductions over, the group began to settle.
"Oh look!" said Elizabeth, pointing across the field. "Tania, can you tell who that is, in the teacher's section?"
The girl's dark brown eyes squinted across the pitch and she smiled before replying. "It's alright. It's Rice!"
Elizabeth sighed. "For a minute there I thought it was Lisa Mowat."
"Who?" asked Michael.
"Mowat," said Elizabeth. "She's one of the commentators, a Ravenclaw. But she stinks at it. May is much better."
"Testing," said a clear, loud voice, carrying to every corner of the Quidditch field. "Testing, this is May Rice, your commentator today." Then the girl went quiet.
"The game should be starting soon," said Josef, looking at the watch on his arm.
"Oh I hope so," said Anne. "I've been waiting for this day. This is really exciting!"
"Yeah, it is," said Ava. "And it isn't even Hufflepuff playing."
"No," said Katleigh. "It's even better; it's Gryffindor."
Before they could start arguing over which house was the best, Miss Rice's voice could be heard again. "Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the season! Today it's Slytherin verses Gryffindor!"
A cheer met this pronouncement and banners and flags began waving all throughout the stands.
"First, let's see the Slytherin team!" Seven Quidditch players in green walked onto the pitch, each with a broom resting on their shoulder. The stands became even louder with yells. "The team this year is captained by Caige Lorsaw."
"He's the Seeker," said Sean to the first years.
"It's his first year as Captain, so we'll see what type of team he's put together. And now, bring out the Gryffindors!" The excitement in Rice's voice was palpable.
"What house is May in?" asked Alice as the Gryffindor team walked out onto the field to more cheering.
"She's in Gryffindor," said Elizabeth.
Alice nodded. "I thought so."
"Gryffindor is captained by Amber Riley," continued Rice. "It's her third year as Captain and she led the Gryffindor team to win the Quidditch Cup last year." More cheering. Alice felt like she was drowning in red cloth as the flags around her, one in her own hand, began waving madly. Rice let off saying anything further as Madam Hooch grabbed the attention of the fourteen Quidditch players. A member from each team (The Captains, thought Alice) shook hands and then the teams lined up on either side of Madam Hooch. No one in the stands could hear was she was saying, but she must have been instructing them to get on their brooms because they all mounted up within a second of each other and then kicked off the ground to hover in the air.
"And they're off!" called out Rice, her magnified voice easy to hear over the roar of the crowd. In a flash of red and green, then indeed were off. Four players converged on the red ball that Hooch had just thrown into the air while four other players broke off quickly from the main group, two heading straight into the air (They must be the Seekers), and one heading toward each end of the field (There go the Keepers).
"And it's Riley with possession of the Quaffle – moving toward the Slytherin goal, she passes to Finnigan who passes to Stephens – no, an interception by, who is that? Ramsden, Ramsden in possession of the Quaffle. Wow, that boy moves fast!"
"Ramsden?" asked Alice. That's Juliana's last name. I didn't know she had a brother.
"Yeah," said Sean. Even with his eyes glued to the field, he apparently needed no urging to share his knowledge about the Hogwarts Quidditch teams. "He's one of Slytherin's new players this year," put in Sean. "A third year, but he doesn't look like a third year when he's on that broom. Fast!"
"And Ramsden passes to MacDougal," continued Rice. "MacDougal going for the Gryffindor goal – throws the Quaffle at the left goal – Yes! And a nice save by Taylor! Taylor passes off to Stephens, Stephens making his way down the field."
"The other new person on the Slytherin team," said Sean, aware that the first years around him had become an attentive audience, "is that big fellow with the Beater's bat. Fred Arnold. Can you believe he's a third year? He looks at least a fifth year."
Alice found herself looking for the Slytherin Beaters, but when she spotted one, she could barely believe her eyes. "Is that a girl?" she asked, pointing.
"What?" asked Sean, but then he followed where she was pointing and nodded. "Yep, that's Rachel Ryder. She's one of the best Beaters in the school; she had to be to get on the Slytherin team. I don't think they usually accept girls. But you need to watch out for her. She's been known to hit Bludgers into the stands when she's bored or when there are no good targets around."
"Baez fumbles the Quaffle – Riley now has the Quaffle, coming to the Slytherin goal, she shoots – wait – no, she passed to Finnigan, Finnigan puts the Qua – GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"
The cheer that erupted throughout the stands (and also a bit of booing by the Slytherins) actually eclipsed whatever Rice said next, but once the crowd calmed down again and the Quaffle was back in play, Alanna turned around to look at her brother. "If you know so much about all the players, why don't you tell us a bit about the Gryffindor team?"
"Alright," said Sean. "Well, any unbiased person would have to admit that Gryffindor probably has the best team this year." The three Gryffindor girls let out a cheer that had nothing to do with the Slytherin currently zooming across the field with the Quaffle. "Everyone on the team is a fifth year or older," continued Sean, choosing to ignore their glee. "Meaning they need to win this year because they'll have a harder time next year. They've been a team for three years running with the same people while all the other teams added at least one player this year."
"You need a life," said Tania. "I think Quidditch is the only thing you think about."
"There's nothing wrong with that," said Josef. Both he and Michael looked to be hanging on Sean's every word, though neither of them missed the Bludger that, at that moment, nearly took the head off of the Gryffindor Seeker.
"Woah, that was a close one!" said Anne.
"Wait, isn't that the Head Girl?" asked Daphne.
"Yeah," said Sean. "Priyanka Kumar, Head Girl, is the Seeker for Gryffindor team, but she's not the Captain! I have to admit, Amber Riley is a great Captain!" Alice giggled to herself, though no one heard her. It just struck her as funny that Sean obviously thought the title of Quidditch Captain was higher and more important than Head Girl.
"A nice dodge by Kumar," said Rice, "and now, Ramsden again, with the Quaffle. He's by Stephens and passes, no, he still has the Quaffle – Bludger! Ramsden hit by a Bludger. Good aim to – which one? – that was K. Spinner who hit the Bludger. Finnigan with the Quaffle, Ramsden still on his broom, I think he can still play."
Alice squinted at the short Slytherin Chaser, clutching his broom, but still flying, though not nearly as fast as before. She recognized his black hair now and was certain that he must be Juliana's older brother.
"Where was he hit?" asked Ava, sounding concerned.
"It looked like it just grazed his shoulder," said Michael. "Hey, how many Ramsdens are there?"
"Four," said Elizabeth, startling Alice, since she hadn't expected Elizabeth to be the person to answer. "All in Slytherin. The oldest, Jordon, is actually Head Boy. The youngest, well, I don't know her name, but she's a first year." Alice could see Jordon in her mind's eye. He had always seemed kind to her, leading students around the castle or helping a teacher to move things. She remembered how surprised she'd been when she realized he was in Slytherin at all, since he had appeared so nice on the train when he told her and the people in her compartment to get into their robes. She shook her head out of her reverie as she registered someone asking Sean about the Beaters.
"They're sisters," he said. "Aly and Kate Spinner. You know, Gryffindor is the only team with two girl Beaters, but the Spinner sisters are good. The whole Gryffindor team is strong this year."
"And Riley – did that just happen? – yes, Riley dropped the Quaffle. Baez with the Quaffle, heading down the pitch, dodges a Bludger. Wow, Bludger hit by Ryder – that nearly cracked the end off Stephens' broomstick! Baez still in possession of the Quaffle, shoots – and another miraculous save by Taylor! Taylor is outdoing himself!"
Rice's words were not nearly enough to express the actions of the Gryffindor Keeper. Alice had never seen flying like that in her life! Somehow, Taylor had lunged for the Quaffle to the side, but then, as Baez aimed lower, Taylor had let himself slip till he hung on his broom, upside down, and he caught the Quaffle, his legs wrapped tight around the broom, and then passed the Quaffle onto one of the Chasers before pulling himself right side up again. Alice's voice nearly went hoarse with all the yelling, and any more explanations from Sean were abandoned as, for about the next two to three minutes, the whole group of friends waved their flags and cheered the Gryffindor Chasers onward.
When the Gryffindors lost the Quaffle to the Slytherins again, everyone sat down. Sean began talking again. "Now Nathan Taylor, I bet he's the best Keeper in the school. He definitely has a future beyond Hogwarts. Ravenclaw scored against him last year, but that was because-"
Sean didn't finish whatever he'd been about to say as Rice's voice rose in a crescendo. "MacDougal with the – and there go the Seekers! Lorsaw followed quickly by Kumar, Slytherin end of the pitch, they must have seen the Snitch!" Rice stopped talking as everyone held their breaths, watching the Seekers dive.
"They're going to crash!" screamed Anne. Katleigh and Alanna were holding onto each other. Alice nearly closed her eyes, but she forced herself to watch the quickly descending players. A Bludger seemed to come from no where, zooming between the Seekers who swerved to get out of its way and then pulled up on their brooms, moments before they would have crashed into the ground. They separated and flew slowly back into the air.
Rice sighed and then continued her commentary. "The Snitch got away. I heard that Flitwick renewed the charms on our Hogwarts Snitch only this morning, so it should be extra fast and tricky today. And now, back to the action, looks like Ramsden with the Quaffle, is he going to try to score? – passes to MacDougal, Taylor's converging on MacDougal and MacDougal – he passed to Ramsden! Ramsden … Slytherin scores! Tied, ten to ten."
The shock was enough to quiet the Gryffindors, but many Slytherins and a few other students began cheering for the young injured Slytherin to actually put the Quaffle past the boy Sean had just dubbed 'the best Keeper in the school.' Taylor himself didn't take being scored against very well and he punched the air in frustration with such energy that he had to grab his broom quickly to keep from tumbling off. Alice and her friends sat in silence, watching to see if Taylor would do anything else while listening to Rice's commentary.
"And the Quaffle is passed off to Riley – looks like she's holding her team together well – passes to – woah, that Bludger hit the Quaffle! Arnold knocked the Quaffle away! Ramsden dives, grabs the Quaffle – Finnigan intercepts, Finnigan in possession of the Quaffle. Gryffindor moving down the field and – hey, that has to be a foul! Ryder can't do that!"
Alice turned to look. The female Slytherin Beater had flown straight into the Gryffindor boy with the Quaffle and they were currently falling while trying to untangle themselves from one another. One of the Spinner sisters, Riley, and Ramsden all converged on the two players and were able to pull them apart while they were still high above the ground and Madam Hooch blew her whistle and zoomed into their midst. She began to yell at the players and she waved her arms to motion that Finnigan would now be able to take a penalty.
"Yes," said Rice. "And Madam Hooch has verified the blatching foul. Geoff Finnigan will now take the penalty. No one other than Newcomb may interfere."
The Gryffindor Chaser, Finnigan, flew to the very center of the pitch, and on Madam Hooch's whistle, he began to fly at the Slytherin goal. As he neared the scoring area, he began to zig-zag, the Keeper trying to figure out which side he was going to come from.
"Finnigan gets past Newcomb! The score is twenty to ten to Gryffindor!"
When the cheering stopped, Ava leaned toward Alice. "I feel bad for Charles," she said.
"Who's Charles?" asked Alice.
"Charles Newcomb," said Ava. "The Slytherin Keeper. He's Blaine's brother. Blaine told me that the Slytherin team wanted to replace him with someone else but that no one showed up to the try-outs who could Keep better than him."
"Oh," said Alice, looking out at the Keeper who continued to fly slowly from side to side before his goal hoops.
Over an hour later, Lorsaw, the Slytherin Captain, called a time out and all the players landed on the grass and each team walked off to their side of the pitch to rest. Up in the stands, many of the students stood up to stretch, even though nearly all of them had stood up once or twice during the more exciting moments in the game. The current score was ninety to ten, Gryffindor in the lead. The Seekers hadn't spotted the Golden Snitch since their first dive. Madam Pomfrey could be seen rushing out onto the pitch to see to Ramsden's shoulder. A few other players had been hit by Bludgers, but Ramsden's injury remained the worst.
"How are you liking your first Hogwarts Quidditch game?" asked Sean of the first years.
"A bit too much," croaked Josef.
Tania began to laugh. "Well, if you didn't cheer every time that anything happens, you'd have more a voice left in your throat."
"I'm just wondering where the Snitch is," said Daphne, staring out at the field. "What if it's flown off somewhere? The game would never end."
"Not so," said Sean. "Golden Snitches are charmed to stay within the boundary of the Quidditch pitch."
"Yeah," said Michael. "And even if the Seekers never did find the Snitch, the Captains can always agree to end a match."
"Well that won't be happening any time soon," said Elizabeth. "Though I must admit," she pushed her arms high above her head, stretching, "I don't think we had a game this long last year."
Shortly thereafter, Rice's voice could be heard again. "The time out is now over."
All eyes turned back to the field and the students in the stands regained their seats. Just like at the beginning of the game, Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle up from the center of the pitch and the players made their way to their positions.
"Baez takes the Quaffle, already making for the Gryffindor goal – Taylor now at the hoops, he turns around – Riley and Stephens try to head Baez off – Baez flying straight into the air, looks like he's trying to fly over the Gryffindors to score, he's still flying up – wait, he dropped the Quaffle! Ramsden below. That was a Porskoff Ploy! Ramsden in possession of the Quaffle, looks like he got his speed back – passes to MacDougal – and Taylor hit from behind by a Bludger, Ryder got him with a Bludger, Taylor is falling! MacDougal scores."
It seemed like everyone was on their feet. The Slytherins were cheering, but nearly everyone else was screaming. Taylor still held his broom with one hand, but he was completely off it and falling to the ground, the magic which made the broom fly just barely slowing his descent. Even as Riley took the Quaffle to keep the Slytherins from taking any more advantage of the unguarded hoops, Aly Spinner and Madan Hooch were at Taylor's side, catching him only feet from the ground.
"The Seekers!" said Rice.
"Oh no!" said Katleigh. As they all looked to find the Seekers, Alice understood what had so upset the young Gryffindor. Lorsaw was flying straight into the air from the center of the pitch, but Kumar was no where near him. She had been by the Gryffindor goal posts, perhaps hoping to help Taylor. If Lorsaw caught the Snitch now, Gryffindor would lose.
"Come on Kumar!" said Rice, her favoritism of the Gryffindor team more evident than ever before. Kumar went shooting toward Lorsaw at a speed that nearly turned her into a red blur. Alice's neck ached from the strain of looking straight up into the air. The Slytherin Captain stopped his ascent and leveled off, flying now in the direction of the Slytehrin goal, taking him even further away from Kumar and nearly at the same speed that she was going. He reached out his hand before him. Alice fantasized that she saw a glint of gold in front of him, but she knew she was too far away to spot the Golden Snitch. Kumar was flying after Lorsaw as fast as she could go, but she was at least five broom lengths behind him and he'd grab the Snitch in the next few seconds.
"Look at Kate!" said Sean.
Alice looked and saw that the Gryffindor Beater was flying level with Lorsaw, though on the side of the field while he was flying down the middle. And coming straight at her was a Bludger. Beaters usually hit Bludgers one-handed so that they could steer their brooms, but Spinner, abandoning the need to either balance or steer, let go of her broom and swung at the Bludger with all her might, two-handed. It met with a resounding crack, the force behind her swing so great that her bat went flying from her grasp. Her broom, with no hand upon it, turned upward, causing the witch to nearly slide off the tail end, but she grabbed the broom and barely reclaimed her seat upon it.
The Bludger she had hit had been one Lorsaw had been expecting. He sped up as he heard the crack, but the Bludger still smashed into the tail of his broom, sending him into a spin. Kumar caught up with him in a few seconds and passed him up, looking frantically for the Snitch, but it was no where in sight.
After a few moments, Rice cleared her throat. She had been silent throughout the entire episode. "Ok," she said. "And K. Spinner has lost her bat – the Seekers have lost sight of the Snitch – Taylor is out of the game – and Stephens in possession of the Quaffle."
"What was she thinking?" asked Sean.
"What was who thinking?" said Anne.
"Kumar. She shouldn't have been so near the ground and the edge of the pitch at the same time."
Alanna turned to look at her brother. "You might understand a lot about Quidditch, Sean, but you don't know much about girls. Priyanka and Nathan are dating."
"Stephens passes forward to Riley," said Rice. "Riley entering the scoring area, she flies around Newcomb – Gryffindor scores! One hundred to twenty to Gryffindor!" A loud crash was heard and a Bludger smashed into Riley's side. Rice gasped. "Bludger to Riley," she said. "Ryder and Arnold hit that Bludger together! Gryffindor Captain down!"
Amber Riley, Captain of the Gryffindor team, managed to fly herself down to the ground, but as she rolled off her broom, it seemed evident that she wouldn't be getting back up.
"That takes three members of the Gryffindor team out of the game unless Spinner can find her bat," said Rice. Kate Spinner was, in fact, flying along the ground, looking for her bat. Things weren't looking good for the Gryffindor team. "Already?" cried Rice in disbelief. "Lorsaw and Kumar, they've spotted something above – Kumar is pulling ahead of Lorsaw – she's reaching up – Bludger! She took a Bludger to the arm, it looks broken." The two Seekers turned as one, both of them intent on the object they were chasing. Their path took them right by the stands where Alice and her friends were sitting. Alice could see the strain in each of their faces, but it was more pronounced in Kumar's face. She was obviously in great pain. "Kumar slowing, Lorsaw is now pulling away – he just grabbed something, does he have it?" Caige Lorsaw pulled his broom in and raised his hand into the air. The Slytherins let up a cheer. "Yes," said Rice, sounding disappointed. "Lorsaw has caught the Golden Snitch. Slytherin wins, one hundred and seventy to one hundred."