Wow... it's certainly been a long time... Well, I was gonna try to bridge the gap between the last chapter and this one, but no inspiration came to me, so I'm just gonna get on with it and post. So, yeah... Here ya go, hope ya like.
Time passed quickly over the next few months.
Harry and Draco slowly became, to say the least, very close friends, and even Ron and Hermione warmed up to the Slytherin.
Without its famous rivals, the school was much friendlier. Students from the opposing houses very rarely attempted to kill each other.
And now, it was the day of the first Quidditch match.
Slytherin versus Gryffindor.
The Gryffindor Quidditch team walked out on the field to roaring applause, Ginny Weasley as the new Keeper and Alicia Spinnet as the new Captain.
The players from both teams mounted their brooms and took their positions as Madam Hooch opened the crate containing the balls.
She released the Snitch and the Bludgers, and then, finally, the Quaffle.
"AND THE GAME BEGINS, AS MADAM HOOCH HAS RELEASED THE QUAFFLE! IT'S GRYFFINDOR IN POSESSION AS SPINNET GRABS THE QUAFFLE! SHE PASSES TO JOHNSON, BACK TO SPINNET, SPINNET TO BELL, BELL TO JOHNSON, JOHNSON SHOOTS, AND, SHE SCORES! GRYFFINDOR IN THE LEAD, TEN TO ZIP… AND TEN GALLEONS SAYS THAT'S THE WAY IT'LL STAY, TOO!"
"Lee," Professor McGonagal said warningly.
"SORRY PROFESSOR. SLYTHERIN HAS THE QUAFFLE, I'D SAY THE NAMES, BUT I DON'T KNOW THEM… I HATE SLYTHERIN!"
(A/N: Yeah... that was just because I don't know the Slytherin team's names….)
"LEE!"
"ONCE AGAIN, SORRY PROFESSOR…. I GET THE FEELING I'LL BE SAYING THAT A LOT TODAY…. SLYTHERIN STILL IN POSESSION, I BELIEVE CAPTAIN MARCUS FLINT HAS THE QUAFFLE. HE COMES UP ON THE GOAL POST, HE THROWS IT, AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BLOCK BY THE YOUNGEST WEASELY! WE CAN ALL SEE THAT GINNY WEASELY DEFINITELY HAS TALENT! HMM… NOT A BAD LOOKER, EITHER."
Harry laughed as Ginny blushed several different shades of red. He tuned out the rest of the commentary as he searched the pitch for even the slightest glint of gold. He flew higher and higher until he was at least four hundred feet in the air.
Suddenly, a voice from behind startled him.
"Spotted the Snitch yet?" Draco had followed him… unnoticed, amazingly.
"No, and even if I had, I wouldn't be likely to tell you!"
"Ooh… ouch… someone's competitive…."
"I see someone else isn't," Harry retorted, still searching the air below.
Draco had just opened his mouth to reply when he saw the Snitch about a hundred feet below. He immediately did a nose-dive with Harry in hot pursuit.
Draco chanced a look behind him at Harry. "Too bad slow and steady doesn't win the race!" he called.
That's when Harry saw it. He tried to warn Draco, but there wasn't enough time.
The Bludger came out of nowhere, hitting Draco hard on the side of his head.
Draco was instantly knocked unconscious and slipped off the side of his broom.
As soon as Harry saw Draco slide from his broom, his instincts took over. He forced his broom down toward the other boy faster and faster. He was right next to the falling body when he saw the Snitch.
It was down to the worst. Catch the boy and risk losing the game, or catch the Snitch and risk losing a life.
There was no question. Harry wrapped his right arm around Draco and pulled him as best he could onto his broom.
It was very difficult to keep the other boy with him in his downward spiral, but an opportunity had appeared.
The Snitch had stopped moving. If it would just hold still for a few more seconds….
Harry stretched out his free hand. He was less than twenty feet away. Closer, closer… just a little more.
And he grabbed it.
He did his best to slow his broom down; it was very hard, considering he had no hands to pull it up with, but he finally managed it and made a safe touchdown.
He freed the Snitch, knowing that no one would have missed seeing the catch, and carefully laid Draco's still body down on the ground.
People came rushing at him from every side. His teammates, coming to congratulate him for his spectacular win; teachers to tend to his opponent; and fellow students for both reasons.
This had definitely been the most interesting game he had played.
Please review... you know how much I like reading those... And if you don't know, well, then, a lot.