"Ginny? 'Ren, she's coming to! Gin, it's Bill. You're going to be all right."
Ginny partially lifted her eyelids. The colourful blur slowly shaped into an unfamiliar room. Her brother was standing by her bed, his handsome face clouded with worry and guilt. On the other side of the bed was Lauren, her eyes very red. Seeing Ginny awake she gingerly clasped her hand over hers ("Oh, Ginny!"). Ginny felt her right leg throbbing, though it was not as severe as it had been before. An ocean of thoughts flooded her mind; When was before? How long had she been here? The game…was the game over? Had they lost the cup due to her negligence? She remembered the bludger now; she remembered it agonizingly well. How could she have been so careless? Her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. She wanted to cry-no- she needed to cry. The Airbornes had surely lost, and had lost because of her. Warm drops of salt blurred her vision once more and then coursed down her cheeks.
"Bloody hell, Gin, your leg's still hurting you, is it? Nurse Dawes said its nearly healed," Bill reassured her, trying to conjure an everything's-fine smile. He turned to call the nurse.
"Bill, don't."
He turned back, and she searched his eyes for the truth.
"What is it, Gin?"
Dread coursing through her body, she managed to choke out,
"The Airbornes. Is…have they lost the game?" She couldn't bring herself to saying, "lost the Cup".
Bill gave her a reassuring grin.
"'Course not- they're still out there. See, Benjy flew up there the second you were safely on the ground. He didn't catch the snitch, but he did a wicked job keeping it from Nikki."
Ginny felt her heart being brought back to life by a delicate glimmer of hope. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands, looking up at her brother.
"Did the nurse say how long it'll be for my leg to heal?"
"Her exact words were 'not too long'. Don't worries, Gin. I'm sure it can't be more than an hour."
"You were really, really lucky, Ginny," Lauren blurted. "If your brother hadn't placed the Featherweight Spell on you before you reached the ground…" she trailed off, her eyes becoming moist.
Ginny did feel grateful. She had been at the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match when a hundred Dementors had caused Harry to faint in midair. She would never forget the horror and helplessness she had felt as she watched him fall, watched his broom tumble into the Whomping Willow and get battered to bits…
"Harry's broom!" she gasped. "Bill, where's the Firebolt!"
"Uh, right next to you," he said, pointing to the bedside table.
And there it was, perfectly intact and beautiful as ever. She picked it up, running her fingers along the ash handle.
"How-" she began, her eyes still meticulously scanning the broom.
"The Firebolt isn't like most brooms," Bill cut her off, explaining. "If its rider falls off, it doesn't drop down to the ground right away. It has a defence mechanism, lowering itself down very slowly until it senses its only about five feet above the ground, and then it lets go."
Ginny glanced up, in total awe.
"When you said I was lucky…you weren't kidding," she said meaningfully.
Lauren leaned over and gave her a hug.
"The Melbourne Mobs are waiting outside," she informed her. "They're really anxious about you, think I could let them in?"
"The Mobs? Yes, sure...that is, where are we?" Ginny asked, bewildered.
"It's a hospital tent they set up right outside the pitch."
"Right outside,"' repeated Ginny slowly. "Right outside. And the game's not over…Bill, I have to go back."
Bill raised his eyebrows in surprise but before he could reply, the Mobs all surrounded Ginny's bed, talking at once.
"Hey Weasley! You're alive!"
"'Thought you'd be knocked out for days."
"Does it hurt a lot? I'll bet it does."
"Give her some air, mates!"
"She don't need air, she's got us!"
"Bloody shame about your leg, Ginny."
"Yeah, that Les Callaghan's gonna pay," Joe swore vehemently. Glancing at Lauren, he added, growling fiercely, "I could take that bloke apart with my bare hands, y'know."
"You're so full of it, Joe."
"Am not! I meant it, that bloke doesn't know what's comin' to him."
Ginny ended the argument by throwing off her covers and saying nicely,
"Sorry Joe, would you mind moving over? It was so lovely of you all to visit me, but I really must be going."
Joe obediently stepped aside, and for a few moments everyone simply watched her gingerly walk on her injured foot. But as she tested her weight on it, Ginny winced.
"Careful Gin," Bill said, hurrying over and offering his arm for support. Ginny shook her head. "You really shouldn't be up yet," he reminded her.
"I'm alright, honest. I've got to finish what I started."
"Have you gone mad?" Joe exclaimed.
"You can't play injured, Ginny, it's too risky," Lauren told her.
"She wants to play in her condition?" came a hysterical voice from behind her. Nurse Dawes had returned and looked horrified to see Ginny standing up.
"I'm not injured," Ginny insisted. "My leg's quite recovered, and-"
"No, no no, you've got to give the potion time to completely do its job, young lady!" said the nurse firmly, ushering Ginny back to bed.
"I can't let you go out there Gin," Bill said, discomfited. "Mum would kill if I let you go out there like-"
"Let go of me!" Ginny cried, wriggling out of the nurse's grasp. She turned back to Bill. "Mum's not here so leave her out of this," she snapped.
The room fell silent. Ginny sighed.
"I'm sorry Bill. And I'm sorry for not listening to any of you. You just don't understand- I didn't fly a million miles on a broom just to be told I can't get on one, alright? I didn't come here and join a fantastic Quidditch team just to let them down when they need me most. And I definitely didn't come to lie in a hospital bed." She swallowed hard. "I'm going to play, and I'm going to win. The Airbornes are going to win. Because I did not come to Aus to get beaten by a snooty, idiotic bunch like the Stings."
The Mobs cheered loudly. Bill stuffed his hands in his pockets and beamed at her.
"I…take that back. If Mum could see you right now she would be proud. Worried as hell," he put in as an afterthought. "But proud."
"Let's go squash those blighters, shall we?" Ginny told everyone.
As she stepped out of the dimly lit tent and onto the pitch the sun greeted her with its warmth and radiance. Ginny climbed her broom, flying low until she reached the commentator, as a burst of applause came from the Stings section.
"Taylor, what's the score?" she asked him.
He cupped his hand over his wand.
"60-50. Bloody Stings just scored. You coming back in?"
"Too right I am."
"Brilliant, I'll call the ref." Into his wand, he announced, "Will Ref Pullit and Benjy Cunningham please come down right away, thanks."
As soon as Benjy saw Ginny, his face lit up.
"You're coming back to play and you're alive! This is the best day of my life!"
Ginny smiled.
"Reckon I shouldn't have made you go up there in the first place. But if we win this game, it'll have been because of you."
His already flushed cheeks became several shades brighter. He was about to protest when Ryan landed his broom right behind him and rushed at Ginny, his eyes expressing a motley of contrasting emotions; relief, anxiety, hope, and something else more tender that Ginny couldn't identify but made her blush regardless.
"So you're a'right then?" he gasped, looking like he was fighting the urge to hug her.
"Yes, I'm fine," she reassured him, touched by his obvious concern.
"Right," he said gruffly, the tough captain once more. "Well, 'like I said. I'll have no injured players on my team." He searched her face carefully, as though to ascertain that she really was okay, and finally planted his hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks for coming back."
"Never should've left."
The referee walked up to them and said,
"Ms. Weasley, if you mean to return to the game, you better fly up there right away."
"G'luck Ginny," Benjy told her, wiping his forehead with his sleeve.
The Airbornes cheered loudly as she and Ryan made their way back up. The Stings were livid. Ginny paused as Ryan returned to his place in front of the golden hoops. They grinned at each other, though she sensed the veiled nerves behind both their smiles.
Once back up in her position she found Nikki a few feet away, her frigid blue eyes endeavouring to unnerve her. Ginny smiled brightly and waved - Nikki promptly looked away. The whistle was blown, the Quaffle back in the air.
"Maguire seizes the Quaffle," Taylor announced. "Being followed closely by Holden. She attempts a pass…ooh! Thwarted by Holden. Looks like a struggle now…both chasers are fighting for possession of the Quaffle- come on, Maguire! I mean…Anderson pelts a bludger at Holden, gets him square in the back of 'is head, and Maguire's free! And she may be on her wayto scoring her fourth Quaffle today!"
Beneath them their fans were whooping excitedly, as Danny dodged bludgers and made her way towards Glocks. When she finally reached him, several chasers following her, she swiftly came to a halt. Danny glanced behind her and spotted Audrey, made a back flip and threw her the Quaffle. Audrey caught it, hurried past her, and scored. 70-50.
The spirit dampened by Ginny's injury came alive once more. Fans jumped up and down in their seats, cheering them on, and Ginny and her teammates felt that victory was back in their grasp.
"And Khoo grabs the Quaffle!" shouted Taylor as the game resumed. "Passes it to Maguire, Maguire on her way to Glocks…oh! Intercepted by Rewter! Rewter heads the other way, Maguire and Khoo tagging behind her…Rewter passes to Binnfield…oh blast- Buchanan ducks a bludger- Binnfield scores! And the Stings are catchin' up! What a tight game this is turning out to be!"
The noise coming from the crowds were overpowering. On one side, the Airborne fans clapped, cheered, hooted. They waved huge banners; one very long one, held up by eight pairs of hands, read "Airbornes r Ace!". Another gigantic one lit up a simple yet heartening message: "BORNE TO WIN". The Melbourne Mobs began chanting "Bornes, Bornes, Bornes" which soon caught fire amongst the other fans. Opposite them, the cheerleaders seemed exhausted. They punched their pompoms in the air, yelling, "Go Stings, Go Stings! Go and clip those Airborne wings! Though they try, they can't fly, so Go Stings Go!" They were running out of cheers, and indeed, of breath. At one point the Airborne crowd was getting so irritated with them that the Mobs, taking note of this, conjured a pile of rotten kiwis and hurled it at them. "Ew! You guys like, totally ruined our outfits!" they shrieked, and hurried off the pitch, to everyone's great relief. The Stings' posters, bedecked in black and yellow, read things like, "Stings are Kings" and "Stings Sydney's ONLY Champions!" As the Airbornes chanting grew louder the Stings commenced their own. The vibrations were felt by the players, as was the intense ambience. Nikki snuck up behind Ginny.
We're all just dying to see the Wronsky, you know, you being such an expert at fainting."
Ginny gritted her teeth but remained silent, knowing Nikki would love nothing more than to see her words had made their mark. Gripping the Firebolt tightly, she watched Nikki fly away looking smug. As she saw her go, she noticed something small and shiny flutter past her. The snitch's tiny wings flapped violently as it descended at top speed. Ginny pressed the Firebolt's handle downward and shot after it, headed for the ground.
---
Nikki observed Ginny and laughed aloud. Who did she think she was fooling? Yet there was a chance- however slim- that Ginny was not attempting any sort of feint. And she could not afford to take that chance.
---
To Ginny, everything seemed out of focus. Her bad leg, her nerves, the wind against her face- she felt nothing. Her mind and vision were bent on catching the snitch. Getting closer, Ginny outstretched her hand. Come on, her mind screamed as the snitch evaded her. She suddenly sensed someone close behind her and knew Nikki was on her trail. Pulling her arm back, Ginny increased the Firebolt's speed. From the corner of her eye, she saw Nikki drawing alongside her. The next second, Nikki was right near her, thrashing against her, slowing her down. Moreover, it renewed the startling pain in Ginny's leg. She cried out, outraged though determined to ignore it. Ginny crouched and kept her eye on the elusive snitch, pushing the Firebolt further, faster, Nikki's broom pressed against her own. The ground a mere few feet away, Ginny stretched out her arm again. Nikki followed suit.
You're almost there…catch it! Catch it!
Feeling the supple wings brush the palm of her hand, Ginny gave the Firebolt's handle one last tug, and, simultaneously, curled her fingers around the snitch. She heard Nikki shriek, "Nooo!" and then immediately ram into her, knocking her off the Firebolt. Ginny tumbled headlong into the dust. She lay there motionless, her eyes closed.
"Ginny!" Ryan yelled, precipitating towards her. Danny, Audrey, Wirrinun, Tommy and Wirruna hurried behind him.
Ginny felt something she never had before: terrible pain and sheer ecstasy at the same time. Mustering up all her strength, she opened her eyes and rolled out of the dust, lifting herself up using her good leg. She looked up at her team and thrust the snitch in full view.
"WE WON! WE WON!" she cried out.
The deafening roar behind her shook the entire pitch. Exuberant fans cheered themselves hoarse as the Airbornes reached the ground. Ryan chucked his broom aside, scooped Ginny into his arms and spun her around once before putting her gently back down, while the others encircled Ginny, jumping up and down and cheering madly. Her face inches away from his, Ginny noticed Ryan's eyes possessed a startling brilliance that made his entire face radiate with heightened exhilaration, and expressed true reverence and recognition. Ginny gazed back at him, and as if they were able to read each others thoughts, both started to half-shout, half-sing:
"Cause I was born, to fly!
On a Comet or a Nimbus, I will fly!
Yes I was born, born to fly!"
The Airbornes put their arms around each other's necks and joined in passionately. Blue fireworks went off and spelled out AIRBORNES in the sky above them. Their fans were up on their seats, and soon hundreds of voices were singing along, but with an added twist: The word 'born' was accentuated upon and the blue and white banners waved, so that the word quickly evolved into Borne, and unanticipatedly, the song, like the moment, was theirs. Without bothering to remove the Sonorus spell from his wand, Taylor enthusiastically sang along as well.
When Ryan was at last presented with the lustrous, silver Quidditch Cup, he seemed too moved to speak. Instead, jaw tightly set, he raised the Cup high over his head, so that all the Airbornes could bask in the pride of seeing it amongst them. The team broke into loud cheers- indeed, it was gloriously rewarding, knowing that all their painstaking efforts, all their ceaseless practice had finally paid off. Ryan passed the Quidditch Cup to both Danny and Ginny, who held up the Cup together, causing the crowd's cheers to escalate in volume. The Cup was then handed around from player to player, and each of them, in their wearied but euphoric state, was engendering a paradox: Down Under, yet on top of the world.
The Stings slowly left the pitch. Les Callaghan threw down his broom and glowered at them, yet when Nikki approached him he refused to speak to her. She ran after him, screaming things he didn't want to hear. She finally gave up and found her brother and a scornful looking man (none other than Mr. Bartelby Price), only to be censured by them as they all scurried away from the overjoyed Airbornes.
Pretty soon, family and friends of the players made their way onto the pitch. There was more hugging, more cheering, more crying. When Ginny spotted Bill she knew instantly that this day was the best day of her life. His eyes shone with such fervent pride as she had never seen before, such happiness that I dare not express in words. She realized then and there that it was all she'd ever wanted, not so much acquiring approval, but rather making a difference. Taking in the jubilation around her and knowing she was partly responsible for it recompensed all the sweat, bruises, tears and toil that she had sustained that summer.
Giving Ginny a huge hug, Bill shouted over the celebratory din,
"I wish the rest of the family could have been here to see it."
And quite unexpectedly, something inside Ginny replied:
I wish Harry had.
