It was the morning of the Halloween Ball. I wasn't dreading it like I thought. Being with Oliver tends to have that effect on me. More importantly today was the match against Slytherin. After the match anyone who didn't have clothes for the ball tonight would go. Thanks to Oliver's idea of skiving, I had nothing to worry about.
I awoke around seven for the game scheduled for nine-thirty. Oliver and I always awoke early for matches. I knew he'd be waiting in the common room for me without even asking because he'd waited for me in the common room before every quidditch match since we made the team in second year.
I pulled my robes on quickly as well as my quidditch boots, and I grabbed the padding I'd bought the other day as well as my gloves and made my way down to the common room. Unfortunately, the stairs didn't remain stairs…
SWOOSH!
"Arrg!" Some idiot had tried to come up the girls' staircase…damnit. I reached the bottom and hit Oliver…so it had been my idiot to turn my stairs into a slide. "Oliver, why the bloody hell did you do that?" I asked, agitation showing in my voice.
"I heard you coming down the stairs and I couldn't resist. Besides, maybe I just like putting you on your ass," Oliver said.
"Well help me up," I said with a grin. Oliver offered me a hand, which I took and he helped pull me up.
"C'mon, lets go down to breakfast and then we can head down to the pitch and check the conditions," Oliver suggested, though it was unnecessary. This had been out routine for six years now.
I simply nodded in response and we made our way down to the Great Hall. As per usual, both of us ate a ton of food. Who cares if we'd be a bit heavier? It wouldn't actually hurt anything.
After we filled our bellies we walked out of the castle before kicking off quickly and flew slowly towards the pitch. By flying slowly we could better assess the air conditions.
The air wasn't thick at all today which was perfect. We slowly took laps around the field first clockwise and then counter clockwise. We did several dives, corkscrews, and anything else we could think of to test the air. With a nod to each other we landed heavily on the grass in the center of the pitch. We kicked off about four times to get a good feel of the ground. It was hard and dry. Great for kick off. Horrible to fall on. It'd be the equivalent of falling on to a floor of bricks.
We made our way to the locker room. I noticed out of the corner of my eye a trickle of red coming down the hill from the castle towards the pitch. I assumed that would Katie, Angelina, and Alicia. Fred, George, and Harry would be down in a bit.
"What you think of the air quality for dives?" Oliver asked as we entered.
"The air itself was good, but I felt there was a slight drag to the left, like the wind was blowing from the right," I replied.
"That's what I thought," Oliver nodded his head in agreement. This was why we learned the positions of the whole team. We weren't as good as them at their positions (except me at chaser and Oliver is the keeper, so yeah….) but because we knew their positions now, we could understand the condition of the environment for them too. It made us more able to understand our own team.
"What'd you think about the ground?" I wanted to see if he agreed.
"Hard. Good for kick off, but it could be disastrous if any one took a fall from too high," Oliver replied. I nodded my head in agreement.
"Which direction was the wind blowing from guys?" Alicia asked as she entered the locker room.
"South," We answered simultaneously.
"And the ground?" Angelina added.
"Hard, good for kick off," I began
"But disastrous for a fall," Oliver finished.
"How thick is the air?" Katie asked.
"Nice and thin, no worries about the humidity," I replied with a smile.
"How was the light though?" Alicia added. Oliver and I looked at each other; we hadn't had a chance to discuss that one.
"I'd be happy with a few more clouds," I decided aloud.
"I'd be happy with A LOT more clouds," Oliver challenged. In other words, it was too bright.
"Hmm, that will throw off our aim," Angelina said thoughtfully. Just after she said this Fred, George, and Harry walked up, and we went through the whole ask about the conditions all over again.
"Wait, I think I've got an idea," Alicia said with a laugh. She was a muggleborn, so what she said didn't surprise me. "Sunglasses." With that in mind each of us transfigured something quickly into a pair of sunglasses. Well, except for Harry, who did not yet know how to do it. Katie noticed this and said a spell to make his normal glasses darker.
"Why are you just standing here? Lets get warmed up shall we?" Oliver ordered. We all kicked off the ground and flew slowly around the field at first, then sped up. Then we switched and went the other direction. After about twenty minutes, we were done, and people were beginning to enter the stands, meaning it was time to go into the locker rooms.
"Team," Oliver began, "This is three of us on this teams' last year here at Hogwarts. We have narrowly lost the cup for the past two years. This year, I want it. This is my, our last shot at the cup. Now we're playing Slytherin, and there not going to give us anything, so lets go out there, and take this." Oliver's speeches were usually good. This was no different. The team lined up to go out. Normally I go out side by side with Oliver but Braeden pulled me back for a moment.
"Fallon, promise me you'll be careful out there," Braeden ordered.
"Aren't I always careful?" I asked him seriously.
"No. You are often a risk taker and a daredevil. You'll do anything for the point. Not this year Fallon. Its not safe for you anymore," Braeden pleaded.
"Braeden I'll be fine, I promise," I replied encouragingly. This wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but it was definitely better than nothing.
With that I made my way back to the front of the line and stood beside Oliver. We opened the doors just as we heard Lee Jordan starting up.
"AND WE HAVE THE GRYFFINDOR TEAM!" He roared. We walked out of the changing rooms, mounted and kicked off the ground. We began flying slowly at first in two lines. The lines were parallel. We flew slowly at first; waiting for what we knew Lee was going to say. No one knew it, but we had a bit of a show cooked up.
"This year," Jordan began. Oliver and I knew what he was about to start up on, as did everyone else from out team. We spaced out so we'd have room for what we were about to do. "The Gryffindor team is stronger than its been in years. They have a strong starting team," Those of us on that starting team did a tight flip mid-air (on brooms) in unison. "And a back-up team that could probably beat any other houses starting squad." The substitutes in back took there turn to flip. "Also, they have two Captains this year, co-captains Oliver Wood and Fallon Greir!" The crowd roared as Oliver and I pulled a huge stunt. Neatly we stood on brooms, pulled a back flip, and landed just as neatly. Not even our own team was aware of what we'd been planning. As Jordan announced the names of the players on the rest of our team they performed their own stunt. Each pair of people in the lines had their own stunt. The rest of us continued circling the pitch as Jordan and our team did their thing. Once everyone was announced we landed in the center of the pitch and waited for the Slytherin.
Of course they'd prepared something too, and of course, it was almost equal to ours. So they landed on the field and Madam Hooch appeared with the case of balls. First she released the snitch followed by the bludgers.
"I want a clean game…" Madam Hooch began and then looked pointedly at the Slytherins, "Out of all of you. Captains, shake hands." Oliver and I hadn't thought about that one. We looked at each other, then at Flint, and we silently decided we'd both step up.
He shook Oliver's hand first, as if trying to break it. Oliver though, did not retaliate. I stuck a hand out to him. He sneered and started to turn away muttering something about, "Girls don't make quidditch captain." Oliver, myself, and Madam Hooch all saw this. Before she could say anything though, Oliver grabbed Flint by the shoulder.
"Flint, you've forgotten the other captain. How forgetful of you." Flint grabbed my hand and attempted to crush it in a handshake. Unlike Oliver, I didn't control my emotions nearly as well, and he'd pissed me off…. really bad idea. So, I returned the favor and pretty much crushed his hand. Oliver grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to talk to me quickly before we began.
"Fallon, normally I tell you to not tire yourself out completely early on. But now you're better conditioned, so play full out entire game," Oliver ordered with a serious look on his face, "Besides, I don't think I could stop you if I wanted to after what Flint just did. Yeah, I know you're pissed….sucks for them."
"All right, players, kick off," Madam Hooch ordered. The keepers and Chasers all gathered in a circle in the air above Madam Hooch, and the beaters and seekers waited on the outside. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and tossed the quaffle in the air. Game on.
I shot through the circle, grabbed the quaffle and flew straight up to get out of the mob. Then it was like a race between myself and the Slytherin Keeper to see who could get to the Slytherin goals first as he'd been down in the circle same as everyone else who handles the quaffle.
I won. I put on a burst of speed, beat him to the goal hoops and jettisoned the quaffles through the left goal hoop. And, I even managed to grab the quaffle and toss it up to Angelina before the Keeper could get it. So within the first five minutes of the game Gryffindor was up by twenty.
After Angelina scored though, the Slytherin Keeper grabbed the quaffle. He tossed it to Flint who rocketed down the pitch. I was right behind him. I flipped over and flew underneath him without him even noticing. The crowd roared and Lee commented on my excellent tactic, but Flint couldn't figure out what was going on. In his confusion he loosed his grip on the quaffle. I loosed a hand from my broom, reached up and grabbed the quaffle. I threw it to Braeden, who was below me just waiting to receive the quaffle. He knew this play. Then he flew fast down the field where Angelina was waiting. I flipped myself over and waited near our goal posts for defense.
Braeden and Angelina pulled a feint and scored. Thirty to zero. Flint was not happy and seeking revenge. He wasn't going to have it though, not if I had anything to do with it. He saw me and adjusted his grip. I knew I couldn't get the quaffle from him like that. So, I decided to use what I knew he didn't have: nerve. I flew straight at him, high speed, and I was bent low onto my broom. My position clearly said what I was thinking: I'm not getting out of the way and I'm not stopping. In fact, you're going to have to dodge me. So he tried, and managed but he lost some of his grip in doing so. Braeden saw this, plucked the quaffle from him and threw a long pass down to Angelina on the other end of the field. She caught it and she and the Keeper were now in battle for the goal. The keeper caught it and tried to pass to one of his chasers down field. Braeden intercepted though and made it seem as if he were doing a long pass to Angelina but was actually shooting and then, scored. Forty to zero, zip, nada. The Slytherin keeper managed to complete a pass to one of his chasers who failed to score on Oliver. Oliver tossed the quaffle back to me and I flew hard down field.
When I wasn't expecting it a bludgers was flying down field at me. I saw it in the nick of time, but had trouble dodging it. I flipped over on my broom, let go with my hands to dodge. The bludgers missed, but barely. I righted myself and flew on. Flint was not happy though. He caught me and managed to steal the bludgers from me. I chased after him and accidentally overshot. I flew at him, now facing the Slytherin goals, but rather close to Gryffindors. I flew at him and as I was grabbing for the quaffle. He punched me in the stomach, hard. I stopped what I was doing and gripped my broom for dear life, but I was about to puke. Flint had managed to hit that spot that could stop anyone dead in the tracks. I couldn't help it, I fell. Oliver had seen the whole thing though, and sped beneath me and caught me. Madam Hooch blew her whistle, but Flint had already scored twice.
"Fallon? You all right?" Oliver asked, concerned. Madam Hooch had just assumed we wanted the time out, which we did.
"Yeah, I-" I started, but leaned over the side of the broom and puked.
"That's it, you're out of the game," He ordered, and was already waving Alicia over from the bench.
"Hell no! Flint's ass is mine!" I argued and looked around for my broom. I knew my broom would be hovering somewhere. I saw it just below us and I jumped off Oliver's and landed on mine.
"Fallon, c'mon, you just puked on the pitch!" Oliver argued in frustration
"Oliver! I don't give a fuck! I can play now, and I'm not coming out of the game," I argued back. He just shook his head and Alicia went back to the bench.
"Fallon, be careful. I'll attempt to catch you to bring you down if I have to," Oliver warned. I nodded.
Oliver tossed me that quaffle. I was mad. Really mad. And I took it out on that Quaffle. I tossed the quaffle up in the air, and sent it flying with a hard kick. No one was expecting it, but the keeper managed to grab it, but it was kicked so hard that I sent him flying through the hoop. Madam Hooch called it fair, and the score reached fifty to twenty.
The Slytherin Keeper threw the quaffle to a chaser who tossed it to Flint at midfield. Then Flint began making his way towards the goals. Before, if I thought it was too hard, I'd let Oliver deal with it, but now this was my deal.
I flew at him and, despite a wicked looking grip I grabbed the quaffle and ripped it away from him. I threw it to Angelina who passed to Braeden who scored.
All of this in the first thirty minutes! The game pressed on. The Slytherin beaters became wicked, but our plan for our beaters was proving effective, but we were still getting some hits.
Of course, my luck, I was getting most of the hits. I normally was aimed for most anyway. I took a bludgers to the shoulder, wrist and knee. Gloves and my new padding helped with the first two, but for the latter, it was only the thin layer of cloth of my pants between the bludgers in my knee.
I was getting cut and beat up, and Oliver was demanding I leave the game but I refused. Finally, Fred was determined I wouldn't get hit by another bludgers…but then Braeden broke his nose from a bloody bludgers and his substitute, Ginny had to come in. (Our substitutes were whoever played most like us, unless our normal substitutes have to substitute and we're not ready to come in. Poor Alicia never gets to play, being my substitute and all)
I caught out of the corner of my eye Harry diving after the snitch. It was closer to Malfoy though. Harry needed a slight distraction. I blasted off straight past that snarky git and he couldn't help but look to see where I was going…to notice that I wasn't really going anywhere, just off, where no one was. Then realizing what it was he snaked his head around looking for Harry, but it was too late, Harry grasped the snitch just as Malfoy found him. It was over, we won.
The team flew to the field and the stadium erupted into cheers. But, little did I know at the time, someone was plotting revenge….