Chapter 10: Cannons vs. Harpies
Harry clutched his broomstick tightly in his hands. This was the first match he would be playing in that Ginny and Natalie were going to be watching… he was so nervous he couldn't breathe.
"Harry, you need to relax. This isn't a game to worry about, it's just the Harpies," said a comforting voice from behind him. Harry turned to look at his teammates and he saw them all grinning at him.
"What?" he asked nervously, clutching his broom even tighter.
"If you snap your Firebolt, you'll have to ride one of the league standard brooms," Brie McKean, one of his chasers, teased him. Harry made a face as he thought of riding one of the league brooms. They were slow and weighty, not exactly the best broom for a match. He sighed and released his choke hold on the broom.
"I think I'm going to be sick," he muttered. It wasn't that Ginny had never seen him play before, because she had. They had played on the same team at Hogwarts. He was more worried about how his daughter was going to see him. Would she think that he was a good player? Would she enjoy the game?
"I think you just need to relax, we have the best team the Cannons have seen in over 100 years. There isn't any reason to get worried now," said King and he patted Harry on the back. Harry nodded and took a deep breath.
"All right team, just try to stay focused today. The conditions are cloudy, so we won't have to worry about the sun getting in our way. This is our home pitch; we know it and every weakness in the enchantments around it. There is no reason we shouldn't win this match," he said seriously, trying to cast all of his doubts to the side. His team beamed at him, this was the captain they knew. "Now get out on the pitch and show the Harpies what we are made of!"
The team cheered and everyone picked up their brooms and headed outside toward the pitch. Harry took a deep breath and then followed his team out; it was going to be an interesting game.
"Where is daddy?" Natalie asked impatiently as she sat in the stands beside her mother. Ginny was trying to keep her still but was about to give up. Her daughter had too much energy to keep her still for long, especially where her father was concerned.
"I'm not sure Tallie, but the match should begin soon, so I assume he will be out on the pitch soon," Ginny said. Natalie sighed and turned to her Uncle Ron.
"Will you read to me?" she asked and pointed at the program that he was leafing through. Ron chuckled and put his arm around his niece.
"This isn't a story, sweetheart. This is a list of all the players and their backgrounds," he explained.
"What's a background?" she asked interestedly.
"It explains where the person is from, who their family is; if they have played Quidditch before and how many years they have been on the team. The Holyhead Harpies are the only all girl team in the world," he told her.
"Can you read me my daddy's background?" she asked.
Ron leafed through the program until he found Harry's page. "Harry Potter is the captain and seeker for the Chudley Cannons. He has been with the team for seven years and been the captain for three. He has taken the team to the Britain and Ireland Cup Championship six out of seven years and won all six matches. He has been named the Most Important Player of the League for the last four years, and is the most popular choice again this year."
Natalie grinned and then her attention was caught by an orange flicker from the corner of the field. "Look!" she cried and Ron and Ginny turned to see what she was pointing at.
There were two men shooting orange sparks from their wands from the right side of the field, the home team's side. "That must be how they announce the team's entrance," Ron said excitedly and sure enough under the shower of sparks walked seven people in bright orange Quidditch robes. The crowd began to cheer loudly as their team's entered the field; Ginny thought her ear drums were going to explode from all the noise.
"Welcome to the semi-finals of the British and Irish League Championship," a loud booming voice was suddenly heard throughout the stadium, "This match will determine which team moves onto the finals in a fortnight. There are only eight teams left remaining in the semi-finals of the championship, The Chudley Cannons, The Holyhead Harpies, The Appleby Arrows, The Falmouth Falcons, The Tutshill Tornados, The Wimbourne Wasps, Pride of Portree, and Puddlemere United. The Cannons and the Harpies aren't strangers to the League Championship, so let's get the match started. Fans make some noise!"
Ginny laughed as she realized who the commentator was. It shouldn't have taken her as long to figure out who it was as it did, because she had heard his voice during more Quidditch matches than she could remember. She turned to make sure she was right and saw Lee Jordan in the commentator booth. It felt just like old times at Hogwarts.
"Mum, look at daddy," Natalie cried excitedly. Ginny turned her attention back toward the field and she saw Harry and the rest of the Cannons zip by on their broomsticks. She yelled so loud that her throat felt as if it was on fire, but she didn't care. This was Quidditch, and Harry was seeking for the match… she couldn't wait for it to begin.
"The teams meet on the center of the field," Lee began and everyone quieted down as Harry shook hands with the Harpy captain Gwenog Jones. "The teams rise into the air… and the balls are released! Barlow of the Cannons takes the Quaffle and hands it to McKean who tosses it to Farley…"
Ginny watched as the Cannon chasers took total control of the field. She remembered how it felt to have a strong connection with your fellow chasers, you had to know their minds intimately or else you'd be just another team. She saw the lone female chaser score the first goal of the game and she screamed excitedly. She had missed Quidditch in her life.
The last professional Quidditch match she had gone to had been the Quidditch World Cup, and this one was no less exciting. This was fast paced action and fluid movements that set each team against the other. Ginny could feel her heart racing in her chest as the green clad Harpy Chasers rushed by them, passing the Quaffle back and forth. "Branstone shoots… and King saves it! That was an amazing move by the Cannon's Keeper!" Lee said and the crowd went wild.
Ginny's eyes moved over the pitch until she found Harry. He was sitting on his broom near their end of the field, his eyes roaming around to find that small flash of gold that would indicate the snitch. He looked right sitting up there, like the king of the pitch. She could almost imagine that this was just another Hogwarts house match. Harry had only lost one game in his whole history at Hogwarts, and it was because of the Dementors. He was easily the best Seeker in the league, and she was proud to be part of his life once again.
"Mummy, look at those ladies!" Natalie squealed and Ginny averted her eyes from Harry to look at what Natalie was pointing to. The three Harpy Chasers were in the complex cobbing move… which was an illegal play. They were coming in on one of the Cannon Chasers from all sides, their elbows held out to hit her sides. They succeeded in their move and the Cannons Chaser fell to the ground and dropped the Quaffle.
"They were cobbing!" Ron shouted angrily, "I hope Lee saw that."
Ron got his wish, "Oh no, the Harpy Chasers performed the cobbing move, that was banned by the National Quidditch League over a hundred years ago!" Out on the field the Referee helped the Cannons Chaser up off the ground and awarded the Cannons two penalty shots for the Cobbing foul. The game resumed and the Cannons scored both of their penalty shots. The score was 30 to 0, Cannons in the lead.
Ginny lost herself in the match, it was intense and exciting and Harry was spectacular. He flew around the pitch as though he were born on it, knowing the smallest wind streams that flew through it. At one point in the match he performed the Wronski Feint, flying so close to the ground that Ginny thought he was going to crash, but he pulled up just as his handle brushed the grass below him and the Harpy Seeker did a spectacular face plant. Natalie screamed and cheered for her father, though Ginny knew her daughter had no idea what was really going on in the game.
Two hours later the score was 270 to 0, Cannons still holding a firm lead. Ginny couldn't believe how well they played together; it was almost as though they had always been a team. You could almost forget that the Cannons had held a 400 year losing streak.
Suddenly, out on the field Ginny glimpsed a snatch of gold and then she saw Harry tear after it and knew the game was near the end. "Harry, fly faster!" Ginny screamed excitedly. Harry reached out his hand; he was only inches from it. "Come on, Harry… reach!" His fingers closed over one wing and the crowd went crazy. Just as the referee blew the whistle to signify the end of the match, the Harpy Seeker slammed into Harry and snatched the Snitch from his loosened grip.
Ginny screamed in indignation, as did more than half of the stadium. "She can't do that!" Ginny yelled angrily.
"That was uncalled for," Lee said angrily, "It doesn't matter though, the Snitch was caught by the Cannons Seeker and the match was ended on that note. My best bet is that the offending Seeker will be taken out for the rest of the Season," he predicted.
Ginny's heart was beating frantically as she watched Harry's team gather around him and help him up. "Is he okay?" she asked quietly. Natalie's eyes were filled with horror as she looked down at her father who was covered in blood.
Without even thinking about it Ginny left her seat and ran down to the pitch. No one tried to stop her amazingly enough, and she reached the circle of orange clad people huddled around Harry. "Let me though," she cried anxiously and the crowd parted.
Harry was sitting on the ground, his hand held to his forehead. He looked up at Ginny and cracked a small smile. "It was a dramatic finish, I suppose," he said in a hoarse voice. A half-sob, half-laugh erupted from Ginny's chest and she flung herself into his arms.
"Now you be good for your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione," Ginny told her daughter as she and Harry were dropping her off. Natalie sighed.
"Why can't I come with you guys?" she complained. She had been sulky ever since Harry and Ginny had informed her that she would be staying with her aunt and uncle for the weekend. It was obvious the child knew that they would be spending the time together and she wanted to be there too.
"We need some time to ourselves, sweetheart," Harry explained as he brushed a kiss to her forehead. Natalie's head fell until her chin touched her chest and he heard her dejected sigh. He put his hand on her chin and tipped it up so she had to look at him. "I promise that next weekend we will all go and do something as a family, all right?"
She raised her eyebrow thoughtfully, "Can I choose where we go?" she asked.
Harry chuckled and ruffled her hair, "You can choose where we go," he promised. Her eyes lit up excitedly and she hugged her father tightly. Harry and Ginny both kissed her goodbye and Ginny told Ron they would be back to pick her up on Sunday evening, and then they apparated to Harry's apartment.
They arrived inside his suite this time instead of outside of the building. Ginny assumed that it was so the time between arrival and entering the bedroom would be lessened. This thought should have made her smile, but instead she felt her heart flutter nervously. She and Harry hadn't made love in almost seven years; she wasn't sure how to go about it.
"Would you believe that I'm nervous?" she asked with a weak laugh. "This was all my idea and now I can't stop shaking."
Harry didn't say anything; he just pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. His lips trailed down her temple to her cheek, and then across her cheek and down to her lips. When his lips finally met hers she was shivering with anticipation. Harry's kisses always drove her wild, and this one was no exception. "I think that helped," he whispered against her lips.
Ginny laughed and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "You always knew how to warm me up," she teased. Harry nodded solemnly and swung her up into his arms. "Harry, where are we going?" she laughed.
"There is this room in my suite that you haven't seen yet, I think you'll like it," he whispered softly.
"Does it have a bed?"
"It has a very nice, large, feather bed."
"What are we waiting for then?"