It was the first Quidditch game of the season, and spirits were high. Bedecked in their scarlet and gold finest, the Gryffindors made their way to the Quidditch field to cheer on their team.

"Come on, Harry!" Rachel cried, waving a scarlet pennant around in the air.

Down the row in the stands a little ways was Haley, cheering on her unofficial boyfriend of four days, Oliver Wood; and Ron Weasley, cheering his brothers Fred and George.

"I love Quidditch!" Tanya cried. "I talked to the seventh year Chaser—I might get on the team!"

Rachel grabbed a corner of the handmade sheet-banner the boys had made that was blowing in her face. "I really want to be a Beater—maybe Fred'll let me take turns." She handed her corner back to Seamus. "I think—come on, Angelina! —that Professor McGonagall might—" Her voice was drowned out as Gryffindor scored.

"Take that, Slytherin!" Seamus yelled. They moved down the row for the gamekeeper, Hagrid, and he punched a fist into the air. They watched for a minute, then—

"Was that the Snitch?"

The crowd went wild as the Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs and Harry hurtled across the field. Harry had almost got it when—

Wham!

The trollish Marcus Flint slammed into Harry, sending him spinning away like a top.

"Interference!" Katelyn, Hannah, Rachel, and Tanya cried. Farther down the row they heard Dean shouting something about soccer and the red card.

It was an uneventful game for the next few minutes, as far as Quidditch goes, with no more goals except the foul. They all relaxed slightly, each privately sure that their team was going to win.

Rachel sneezed suddenly, and her wand fell to the floor with a clatter. She ducked down to retrieve it, and when she returned to a standing position, Harry's broom was jerking around in an odd manner. "What's he doing?"

"Something's wrong with his broom!" Katelyn shrieked.

Seamus tapped Rachel on the shoulder. "Hermione wants your attention."

Hermione motioned vigorously to her. "Come on!"

"All right, all right, I'm coming," Rachel said, following her out of the stands.

"Snape's jinxing Harry's broom," Hermione panted as they raced to the next tower.

"What? Hermione, have you eaten your socks by mistake?"

Ignoring this slight on her mental health, Hermione said, "He's not blinking, and you need eye contact to jinx someone. Now stay here and don't let anyone up." She ducked behind the voluminous cloaks and disappeared from view.

A minute later she reappeared, looking flushed. "Run!"

They raced back down the stairs, up their tower, and took their seats, panting, faces pink from the cold.

"Where were you?" Seamus asked. "Och, no, and something else is wrong with Harry. Look!"

Rachel looked where he was pointing. There, on the ground, was Harry. He lurched, opened his mouth and—

"It's the Snitch!" Rachel screamed. "He's got the Snitch! We've won!"

"Ah, do tell me what's goin' on," Seamus pleaded, nonplussed.

"Harry got the Snitch!" she cried, jumping up and down. "We won! We won!" She threw her arms around him in her exhilaration.

He got the gist and hugged her back, joining the thunderous applause and cheering.

------------------------------------

"You won! You won! You won!"

Harry was engulfed in hugs from all the first year girls. "I didn't win," he tried to protest, but no one would hear of it.

"Nonsense," Rachel said airily.

"We saw you. The whole team did great!" Tanya said jubilantly.

"Especially Oliver," Haley said from a corner where she was sharing a chair with said Keeper.

Hannah rolled her eyes in disgust. "You did awesome, Harry."

Hermione nodded. "When's your next game?"

He shrugged. "Dunno."

Katelyn beamed. "We'll support you all the way, Harry."

"Totally."

"Utterly."

"Downright."

"Absolutely."

"Unconditionally."

"No strings attached."

"I get the idea," Harry said dryly. "Thanks anyway."

"No problem."

"None whatsoever."