Chapter 34: A Nice Clean Game

Phoenix followed Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson out of the locker room, stopping when the field and stadium came into view. She heard loud cheers as Harry and the other boys walked onto the field. Her face paled, bile rising in her throat.

"Hey Phoenix, are you okay?" asked Katie, who noticed Phoenix had stopped.

Angelina watched Phoenix closely. "Yeah Phoenix, you look like you are going to be sick."

"I shouldn't have eaten breakfast." Phoenix moaned, swallowing some bile down. Her face continued to go white, looking more like a ghost.

"I thought you said you played muggle sports?" asked Katie.

"I did." Phoenix let out.

"So what is the problem?" Angelina said.

"The problem is the stadiums weren't replicas of the Roman Coliseum!" She ran over to the edge and threw up, her nerves easing. She wiped her mouth and chin, then walked back over to Katie.

Katie gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, you will be fine."

"Let's go, they are ready for us." Angelina urged.

As they walked onto the field, Phoenix took her spot next to Katie. She felt better after she threw up. Looking over at Harry, she noticed him fidgeting.

'He must still be nervous.'

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you." Madam Hooch yelled.

Phoenix noticed Madam Hooch was not addressing everyone. She was eyeing the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a sixth year.

'Wow, he is one ugly dude!'

Phoenix closed her eyes and eased her mind. She wanted to block out everyone except her team mates and Hooch. That was how Phoenix concentrated on her games. If she heard nothing, then there was no one to watch her. When the sound was blocked, Phoenix opened her eyes. She was in game mode.

"Mount your brooms, please."

Phoenix mounted her Cleansweep Seven and waited. Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. Fifteen brooms rose, high, high into the air. She looked over at Angelina who nodded at her, making sure she was ready. Phoenix nodded back and nodded at Katie. When the Quaffle was in the air, Angelina snatched it. Gryffindor was in charge.

The Chasers had a plan. Angelina and Katie knew how dirty the Slytherins played. Phoenix had some idea but didn't realize how dirty. So the three of them made a plan, and they were hoping it would work. Phoenix saw Angelina speed down the field. She leaned forward, gaining speed herself, slipping past the Slytherin Chasers. Being a first year, they didn't see her as a threat. That was what Angelina, Katie, and Phoenix hoped.

Phoenix made her way in front of the chase. She looked over, seeing if Angelina was ready for the first pass. Angelina quickly glanced over, giving Phoenix the signal. Phoenix sped up, getting in front of Angelina. She threw the Quaffle to Phoenix, who caught it with ease. Phoenix slowed her pace. The Slytherins didn't catch this and sped right by her.

Phoenix smiled to herself. She kept going, not minding anyone. keeping her eyes forward, scarlet robes went past her. It was Angelina and Katie. She looked behind her, seeing Slytherin Chasers.

'Wow, they are like a pack of hungry wolves!' Phoenix thought.

She looked in front of her, making sure one of her fellow Chasers was ready. Katie shook her head and slowed down, letting her know to give the Quaffle to Angelina. Phoenix looked over to Angelina and tossed it to her. She caught it with no problem, but before she could take off, a Slytherin Beater ran into her, making Angelina lose her grip on the Quaffle. The Quaffle was now Slytherins.

'Dang it!' Phoenix thought, seeing the Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint, flying away with the Quaffle.

Katie gave Phoenix a shrug and chased after the Quaffle. Phoenix followed suit. The Slytherins were tossing the Quaffle back and forth. The Gryffindor Chasers right behind them. When they were close to the goal posts, Flint kept the Quaffle.

'Oh, please don't let him score! Come on, Wood!'

Flint threw the Quaffle towards the posts, but Wood, who was the Gryffindor Keeper, blocked it. Katie caught the Quaffle and flew off. She dived, avoiding the Slytherins, and kept possession of the Quaffle. Phoenix was on top of her noticing a brown cannon ball coming towards Katie.

"Katie, look out!" Phoenix yelled.

Katie looked but couldn't make out what Phoenix was talking about until. WAHM! A Bludger hit Katie right in the back of the head. Phoenix reached for the Quaffle, but Slytherin Chaser, Adrian Pucey, beat her. She was right on top of him, reaching out to snatch the Quaffle from his hands. WAHM! Another Bludger went flying by and knocked Pucey out of the way, giving Phoenix the possession of the Quaffle. She quickly glanced around and one of the twins waved. Phoenix had a clear getaway. It was just her and the Keeper. She made her way to the posts, dodging a Bludger. The Slytherin Keeper, Bletchley, dived in front of her. Phoenix, with no problem, threw the Quaffle into the middle post. The Quaffle went in, tens points for Gryffindor.

"PHOENIX MATTHEWS SCORES! TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR" Phoenix heard Lee Jordan announce. The Gryffindors roared with excitement, making her feel good inside. She looked up, seeing Harry doing some loop de loops for her, but she needed to focus. She couldn't let the excitement get to her.

The Slytherins had possession of the Quaffle. They flew towards the Gryffindor goal posts. All the Chasers surrounded the player with the Quaffle. The Slytherin Chaser threw the Quaffle to his fellow Chaser, but Phoenix intercepted it and threw it to Katie, giving out a smirk to the Slytherin Chaser. Katie tossed the Quaffle back to Phoenix, who tossed it to Angelina. The Gryffindor Chasers were on their way to the Slytherin goal posts. Angelina tossed the Quaffle to Katie. Katie tossed it to Phoenix, but she could not catch the Quaffle. Marcus Flint plunged his broom into her stomach, taking her breath away. Flint gave Phoenix back a smirk. Slytherin had the Quaffle.

'Holy Crap! That ugly troll took the breath right out of me!'

"Shake it off, Phoenix! You can do it!" Phoenix heard someone yell from the stadium.

'I'll show Slytherin what a daughter of a Charmed One can do!'

The players headed toward Gryffindor's side. Phoenix was catching up to the Chaser who had the Quaffle. A Slytherin Beater saw Phoenix gaining up to Flint and smacked a Bludger towards her. Phoenix sensed it, twisted on her broom, and saw her opportunity. She flicked her wrist, sending the Bludger to Flint and the Quaffle to her.

"What a good dodge by Phoenix Matthews! Did anyone see what happened to Flint? Was it something I ate? Did anyone see something blue and white? Oh well, Gryffindor has the Quaffle!" Lee Jordan announced.

Phoenix sped ahead with Angelina and Katie behind her. The Slytherins did not understand what happened, but turned around to chase the first year. Phoenix tossed the Quaffle to Angelina, who sped right by her and tossed the Quaffle to Katie. Katie and Phoenix played hot potato between the stadium columns. As they came close to the Slytherin goal post, Katie gave one last toss to Phoenix. She caught the Quaffle, threw it right through the middle post, and scored.

The Slytherins were not happy. This first year was more of a threat than they thought. The Slytherins were in control. No one was standing in their way. All the Slytherins made their way to Gryffindor's side. Katie intercepted a toss from Slytherin, but got slapped in the face with the end of a Slytherin broom and lost control of the Quaffle. Slytherin gained the control. One of the Slytherin Chasers headed towards the Gryffindor goal post. He threw the Quaffle towards the middle post, but Wood intercepted. He threw it back to Angelina, and the game was in Gryffindor's hands.

Flint was not happy. Phoenix noticed Flint getting hold of one of his Beaters bats and smacked a Bludger right into Wood. Wood took the hit in the stomach and fell onto the sand underneath the posts. This left Gryffindor's goal posts wide open. Flint handed the small bat to his Beater and headed after the Quaffle. She heard moaning and groaning from the Gryffindors, and cheering from the Slytherins.

A Slytherin Chaser had hold of the Quaffle. He tossed the Quaffle to his fellow Chaser. Phoenix tried to get a hold of it but got rammed by the Chaser. He caught the Quaffle, rammed into Phoenix one last time, and sped off. Phoenix lost control of her broom, then gained back her control and went after the Chaser. It was too late. The Slytherin Chaser went right up to the wide open goal post and scored, ten points for Slytherin.

Gryffindor was in charge of the Quaffle now. Angelina had the Quaffle tightly snuggled into her chest. Phoenix held back, watching the Slytherins. Katie was ahead of Angelina, making sure none of the Chasers came towards her. Phoenix watched Flint tell one of his Chasers something. She noticed Flint pointing the Chaser to one side while he was on another. They were gaining on Angelina.

Phoenix took matters into her own hands. She leaned into her broom and sped as fast as she could. She was above the Slytherins and hoped they have not spotted her. When she saw Flint and the Chaser sandwich Angelina, Phoenix made her move. She sped right in front of Flint and slowed down so fast, Flint didn't have time to react. He ran smack into the back of her broom. Phoenix flicked her wrist, making the other Slytherin smack into the pillar and fall to the ground.

This freed Angelina. She threw the Quaffle to Katie. Katie was on her way to the Slytherin goal post until a bludger hit her hard. The other Slytherin Chaser took the Quaffle and went to the Gryffindor goal posts. Phoenix was neck to neck with the Chaser, only to get smacked in the face by the Chaser's arm. She flew backwards, her nose going numb. The Chaser flew on and scored another ten points.

Phoenix had the Quaffle. She was on her way towards the Slytherin goal post when her senses tingled. She looked around her and what she saw made herself and everyone else stop. Harry and the Slytherin Seeker were neck and neck chasing the Snitch.

'No, that wouldn't make my senses go off. It must be something else.'

Unfortunately, Harry was hit with a Bludger and off he went. The Slytherin Seeker took one glance at Harry, and the Snitch was long gone. The Slytherin's took the advantage and grabbed the Quaffle from Phoenix.

Losing her attention, Phoenix stayed where she was and watched Harry fly off. Suddenly, Phoenix noticed Harry's broom going crazy. It looked like his broom was bucking him off. 'This makes little sense. His broom shouldn't be doing that.'

Phoenix looked into the crowd for the professors. Then she saw him, the one causing Harry's broom to go crazy. It was none other than Professor Quirrell. She saw Professor Quirrell muttering something, but couldn't see what. Phoenix looked back at Harry and sped over. He was completely off of his broom, holding on with one hand.

"Harry, hold on!" Phoenix yelled, getting under him. "Harry, let go!"

Harry did, landing behind Phoenix. She reached behind her, steading him, and froze Harry's broom. "Phoenix, there is the Snitch!" Harry told her.

Phoenix took a deep breath and rushed after the flying gold sphere. They didn't know if it was against the rules, but Harry didn't have time to jump back on his broom, and the Slytherin Seeker spotted it too. The three of them were neck and neck. Phoenix kept her concentration on the Snitch. They got lower and lower to the field until Phoenix could reach out and touch the ground.

Phoenix noticed the Slytherin Seeker rear back and leave. She pulled up, becoming level with the ground, and sped beside the Snitch. She felt Harry ease himself to his feet like a surfer and lose his footing. Both he and Phoenix plunged to the ground. She heard everyone in the stands gasp, then...

"HARRY HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"