Chapter 23

"GO JAMES GO!" Lily shrieked, her red hair flying furiously away from her face as soon as James flew past with the Ravenclaw chaser close behind. James was currently holding the quaffle and twisting and turning through the other players.

"Potter scores!" Lily squealed with enthusiasm as the commentator spoke those words. She was a small first year but had enough out-spoken comments to keep the entire crowd entertained. "Good job, James! Of course, what else can you expect but for Gryffindor to score first? After all they are defiantly the biggest and the strongest-," Lily giggled as the little girl was cut off.

"Nymphadora Tonks!" McGonagall screeched. Lily had lost count the number of times the Transfiguration teacher had said these two words. The purple haired girl scowled at the offending name.

"JUST TONKS!" The little girl squealed, her purple hair quickly turning a flaming red. "I hate my name!" The viewers of the game resumed their watching. Alyssa was looking quite bored down at her end of the pitch. Most of the games commenced this way. James, Sirius, and Remus were quite talented enough to keep the quaffle tucked safely in their own hands. Even if the quaffle slipped and the opposing team caught it, Wyatt and Christopher were more than able to quickly get it back using their beater methods. Brutal beater methods if one asked Lily. Lily looked towards Alaina who was looking paler than normal. Lily knew exactly why, too. Sirius had supposedly cornered her after they had all left the Quidditch Pitch yesterday, and what he had said had been obviously surprising.

"Once again, Gryffindor scores. This time by Lupin. Sixty to zero, Gryffindor," Tonks yawned out to the crowd. She was obviously taking the boring approach to annoy Professor McGonagall. It was working.

"I don't understand this," Brittney whispered to Peter. Lily smirked slightly as she listened in on the conversation, whilst she still kept her eyes on the black haired boy. "Why do guys make this game such a big deal? Of course, Quidditch is the best game on the planet, but seriously!" Peter's eyes widened at Brittney's words and he laughed nervously.

"That's because it is a big deal!" Peter exclaimed as he looked towards Brittney as though she was not from Earth. "Quidditch leads to the essential..." Peter paused. "Get back to me later." The three girls giggled at Peter and he blushed. Lily was defiantly beginning to see why Brittney liked him.

The suddenly, Lily's attention was taken back by the game as James scored again. Lily grinned enormously. "I do not understand how he does it all..." A voice whispered in Lily's ear. She was so focused on James and the game that she did not bother to look and see who it was. "Quidditch Captain. Headboy. Marauder. Stalking you." The voice paused briefly. "Quite cute, isn't he?" Lily just nodded her head and murmured her approval.

Then, she froze. Had she really just spoken her attraction to James Potter out loud? And that voice...it did not sound like the one she normally conversed with in her head. "Alaina!" Lily squealed, as Wyatt hit a bludger towards the Ravenclaw seeker, Drew Barron. "I-I didn't mean, I-I was just-," Alaina just let out a squeal of laughter that suddenly turned into a supporting yell. Matthew Christensen, the Gryffindor seeker, had pulled into a dive. Barron had been thrown of course by Wyatt and had missed the snitch flying past him. Matthew caught it before Barron had even been able to recover from the bludger.

"AND GRYFFINDOR WINS TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY TO ZERO!" Tonks yelled, her hair now a bright pink. "Of course we knew they would!" The Gryffindors were all standing up, their hands thrown up in the air. Lily looked towards Alaina who was slumped in her seat, her hand clenched over her heart.

"I can't believe they won," She whispered, her blue eyes a glow with happiness. "Sirius won." Peter and Brittney laughed greatly, but Lily could not help but frown at Alaina.

"Sirius was not the only one who won!" Peter exclaimed as Brittney gave him a hug. She was very clearly caught up in the joyous moment of the match. Peter immediately stopped laughing and blushed a dark red. However, Brittney failed to notice this and returned to cheering on their friends.

Lily kneeled down next to Alaina who still sitting in shock. "You know, Lainy, you don't have to-," Lily was cut off by Alaina jumping up in horror.

"Sirius!" She screamed. Lily quickly spun around and was indeed frightened by the sight she saw.

Sirius and the rest of the team had started a sort of group hug in the middle of the pitch. They were still high up on their brooms when Jake had hit a bludger towards Sirius, who was facing away from him. When Alaina screamed, Sirius had turned towards her with a look of worry on his face. Unable to see Jake, he had been hit on the back of his head by the offending bludger. Sirius slipped off of the side of his broom and tumbled towards the ground.

The pitch went deadly silent when Sirius hit the hard Quidditch ground. He bounced twice before his body finally came to a stop. Sirius was face down in the grass, and not moving a inch. One look towards her left, Lily was able to decipher that Alaina had already gone racing down the stands to get to Sirius before the crowd reached him. Peter was also tearing after her.

Brittney looked absolutely shocked, her hands were over her mouth. Lily slumped back into her seat, unable to stand any longer. 'Oh god,' Lily thought as tears threatened to spill over her eyes. This was defiantly the worst Quidditch accident that Lily had ever seen. "Is he dead?" Lily voiced the question she had held inside her. Brittney did not make any gesture or say anything. She just passed Lily and followed the crowds footsteps down to the pitch. Lily followed, too, and all she was thinking about was getting to James before he killed Jake. Lily and Brittney pushed past the crowd to get to their friends. Remus and Peter were busy trying to hold back James as he rushed towards Jake, who was being greatly reprimanded by Madam Hooch, the Quidditch referee. Alyssa was standing beside Sirius' immobile body, pale and unmoving.

"No!" Alaina yelled determinedly as Professor McGonagall attempted to wrench her off of Sirius. Alaina had turned Sirius over as soon as she had reached him, and after checking for a pulse, had cast several spells to try and wake him up in her state of turmoil. She had done this until Remus had pulled her wand away before she did damage accidentally. Then, she had started to sob deeply into the man's slowly moving chest.

"Ms. Riley!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, looking deeply unnerved. "You will be able to see Mr. Black in the hospital wing, and unless you wish him to stay in this position forever, I suggest you get up!" At this point of view, Alaina quickly detached herself from the black haired boy. Lily wrapped her arm tightly around her shoulders as Alaina gave a shaking defeated sigh.

"MR. POTTER!" Madam Hooch shrieked. Lily spun around and witnessed James running towards Jake with his wand out. Obviously, Remus and Peter had not been able to grasp him any longer, and they were both sitting on the ground looking weary. Alyssa knelt beside her boyfriend with worry in her eyes. With a quick flick of her wand, Lily sent a trip jinx towards James. He fell to the ground and his wand scattered a few feet away. James seemed to realize what Lily had done, because he glared back at her with anger. Lily retreated back to the safety of her other friends. She could not explain the sudden feeling she had in her heart. James was mad at her?