She thought her life was over – but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, running around Hogwarts with James Potter and his friends, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible…
Marauder's Phase
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Playing Quidditch
I stood there on the Quidditch pitch, clutching James' Nimbus 1700 which, he had assured me was reliable and, by far, the best. Well, yeah, maybe because the Nimbus 2000 and Nimbus 2001 and Firebolt hadn't all been invented yet.
By my side were the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, whose names I can never ever remember and who were all much taller than me. Two beaters, three chasers, one keeper and then there was me, the seeker. All of us wore bright scarlet red Quidditch robes, and safety gear but, I'd noted, no crash helmets. I wasn't scared. Just…apprehensive.
There was no pressure, really…unless you counted the hundreds of screaming students yelling: "Gry-ffin-dor! Fry-ffin-dor!" Or Lily Evans, sitting up there in the stands with Peter, Sirius and Remus, biting her fingernails. Or the words of advice spoken to me this morning by James, that the Slytherin team would be likely to use the fact that I'd just gotten out of the hospital against me. Or the fact that I had never played a proper game of Quidditch in my life before.
Not much was riding on this match at all, really…except, well, the Quidditch Cup…and the House Cup…oh, and eternal glory too…the respect of my school peers…honour as a Gryffindor…
Facing us were the Slytherin Quidditch team, all boys, and all dressed in green. They were all taller then me, too.
I made the mistake of looking at them all, and my heart turned inside out when I saw that they were all sneering at me. Their eyes read 'get her'.
Well, except for Regulus' eyes. His eyes, which are so much like Sirius', were guarded.
I stared at him, and he stared at me. 'Don't let him psych you out…' I told myself firmly, and forced myself to look elsewhere. But I could feel Regulus' eyes on me the whole time we were on the ground, but things were different when we finally took flight.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle. "Now I want a nice, clean game from all of you." She said, as our captains shook hands. She was looking mainly at the Slytherin team as she said this.
We all mounted our brooms, and kicked off, rising into the air in a circle.
Madam Hooch opened up the large crate, and undid the ties on two mean-looking black balls.
"And the bludgers are released!" Shouted our commentator, a black sixth year student by the name of Ryan Jordan…I think I knew who he was, or at least who his son was going to be…
WHOOSH!! The bludgers flew up into the air. I'd been hit by one before, and knew how hard they could be. I hoped our beaters, a seventh year boy and his sixth year sister, would do their jobs.
Madam Hooch then opened up a small compartment in the crate, and a small golden ball with wings flittered out from within it.
"And there's the golden snitch!" Ryan said.
The snitch flittered around Regulus for a second, before flitting over and touching me on the nose for a second, and then it seemingly vanished. I gulped. I hoped I could find the bloody thing again.
Aware of Regulus' eyes on me, I forced myself to look down, as Madam Hooch took out the quaffle and, with a sharp tweet of her silver whistle, threw the quaffle high into the air.
***
"And the quaffle is taken immediately by Angelique Jacobs, what an excellent Chaser that girl is and rather attractive too…"
"JORDAN!!" Professor McGonagall shouted.
"Sorry Professor, just telling it like it is…and Angelique passes to Morris Bells – ooh, no it was intercepted by Caltrops of the Slytherin team, he passes to whats-his-name and he's going to sc-, no, stopped by an excellent move of Gryffindor keeper Rains – Slytherin in possession of the quaffle, going around for another try and – OH, Turntile's been hit by a bludger! Gryffindor in possession of the quaffle again, passes to Jacobs – she's blocked by a bludger but Jiles Markers' sister hits it toward the advancing Slytherin chasers – Jacobs is really flying, the goal posts are up ahead – come on, now, Angelique – keeper Cartstones dives – misses – GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"
Gryffindor cheers filled the air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.
High up above all this, I was gliding over the game, keeping an eye out for the snitch. James and I had devised to keep up and out of the way, so as not to be attacked until need be.
James' broomstick had excellent stability and control, it was quite a comfy ride, actually. I just hoped that nobody would decide to jinx it.
Suddenly, I caught a glint of gold – the snitch!? The team and I had realised that we just needed to catch the snitch, earn the one hundred and fifty points, and multiple victories were as good as ours.
At the same time as I saw this, Ryan Jordan said: "Is that the snitch?"
It was – and I dived, heading toward the left side of the field, where the snitch was fluttering around the goal posts.
"And reserve seeker Emma Pax hurtles toward the source of gold!" Ryan exclaimed, as the Gryffindors in the crowd began to cheer. "She only just got out of the hospital last night and has never played in a Qudditch match in her life – but man, can that girl fly! Go Emma!"
All the chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing, as they hung in mid-air, watching me dive for the snitch – and then I saw Regulus too, a blur of green, coming in from my left…I needed to go faster…I put on an extra spurt of speed and…
WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below, as I felt stunned – Robert Cartstones had blocked me on purpose and, with a rush of fear, I slid off my broomstick, and was left dangling from it with one hand, some seventy feet off the ground!
"Emma!!" I heard Lily scream. Perhaps it was that which gave me strength I did not possess, because I counted to three and then flipped myself back up and onto my broom, and the Gryffindors – and some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs too – all cheered.
I maintained a firm grip on the broom, and looked quickly at the goalposts.
But, of course, in all the confusion, the snitch had disappeared, as Madam Hooch spoke angrily to the Slytherin keeper, and awarded us a free shot which we took easily.
By the time I'd regained control of my senses, the game was halfway through and Slytherin were leading, ninety points to seventy.
I just had to get the snitch, I just had to!
And then I saw it…glittering directly in the centre of the field, directly in level with the eyes of myself…and of Regulus Black.
Both of us looked at each other – and took off toward the snitch.
"Both seekers have spotted the snitch and are heading towards it!!" Ryan shouted, and everyone began cheering and yelling, supporting their own sides.
The wind rushed in my ears, all I worried about was catching the snitch. I didn't worry about what would happen when neither Regulus nor I could stop. I didn't worry about being blocked by a Slytherin…and then it happened, and Robert Cartstones was back, the Gryffindors in the crowd screamed…
I pushed myself up and off my broom, using forward momentum so that I flew through the air without my broomstick, which flew underneath of Cartstones as I flew over him, and I landed safely back on the broom and the Gryffindors screamed. I could almost hear Lily gasping in relief. I kept my eyes focused on the snitch the entire time.
Vaguely, I was aware of one of our Chasers seizing the quaffle and scoring three times without anybody noticing, which I only found out about later of course.
Then, everyone gasped, because the snitch had suddenly dropped, flying directly down to the ground in a death drop.
Without a moment's hesitation, Regulus and I began our nosedives too.
Both of us were heading toward the ground – him a streak of green and me a streak of red. People watching were in silent shock. Neither of us was pulling out, we were going to go all the way, it was do or die, the snitch was there, we were almost there, the ground rushing up to meet us…
WHAM!!
With a sickening crash Regulus and I collided with the ground and with each other. I felt my fingers close around the struggling golden snitch – at the same time that Regulus' did. We both landed on the ground, hands still clutched tightly around the snitch, which was struggling, as were we, because we'd both caught the snitch at the same time.
"They caught it at the same time!!" Ryan Jordan shouted, followed by a moment of incredible silence – and then there was a stampede, as our fellow Quidditch players landed on the grass and stormed toward us, and people began leaving the stands, thundering down the stairs and out onto the pitch.
Everyone wanted to get a closer look at what Regulus and I were doing.
The snitch was still struggling in both our gloved hands, and neither one of us was letting go.
As people closed in to form a circle around us, the Marauders (minus James of course) and Lily pushed their way to the front.
"Emma, we won!" Lily cried.
"Not if Regulus doesn't let go of the snitch!" I responded, staring hard into Regulus' eyes. He was looking at me. The warning seemed to pass between us again, and neither one of us was letting go of the snitch.
"No, Emmy," Sirius sounded elated. "Morris Bells scored three times just before the snitch took a nosedive – which means…"
"Which means…" I said, as the comprehension dawned on me and Regulus at the exact same moment. "That…"
"Slytherin finished on two-hundred and forty points, and Gryffindor two-hundred and fifty points!" Ryan Jordan announced. "GRYFFINDOR WINS!!!!"
"Better luck, Reggie." Was all I had time to say to my rival seeker, before I was enveloped by a mass of happy, screaming people, and I got lost in a sea of maroon and gold.
Mine and Regulus' hands were wrenched apart – and he finally let go of the snitch.
That was the biggest victory for me, believe it or not, as I was hugged by my very best friends, and heard people screaming things like 'party' and 'Gryffindor common room' and 'Butterbeer'!!. Through the haze, someone was repairing my bloodied face – Remus was smiling at me, congratulating me. Lily was hugging me tighter than anybody else, Sirius kissed me. Peter was cheering along with everybody else. Molly and Alice, and even Serilda, were cheering and clapping. The Gryffindor team was hoisted high into the air, and carried toward where Dumbledore was waiting, beaming, with the gleaming Quidditch cup.
The cup was handed to me as I stood there after being let down, and I held the cup high in the air with one hand; the other hand was still closed tightly around the snitch.
"Gryffindor!" I shouted hoarsely.
"GRYFFINDOR!!" Came the responding bellow, and cheers broke out again, and I was blinded by happy tears. I hadn't been this happy in a long, long time.
I smiled. I was very, very, happy.
The snitch fluttered in my hand.
***
No One's P.O.V:
James approached the portrait of the Fat Lady apprehensively that evening, he'd been wondering about the match all day. Emma playing seeker against Regulus…so much at stake…Emma against Regulus…
"Bees Wax?" James asked the Fat Lady.
Her face was unreadable. "You'll see." And she swung forward.
James crawled through the portrait hole.
Silence greeted him and, for one horrible moment, he thought they must've lost.
Then, something gold flew straight at him and, of course, with his lightning-fast reflexes he reached out and caught it.
He looked.
In his hand, was the struggling golden snitch.
He looked up. "Does this mean…?"
He caught sight of Emma sitting on the table. Next to her was the gleaming Quidditch Cup. James looked at Emma.
"We won." She croaked simply, with the voice of someone who has been yelling happily for hours.
The power of speech failed James, as everyone began cheering again, and he was hugged too, for winning them most of the other matches during the year.
Sirius and Peter suddenly appeared behind him, carrying armfuls of Butterbeer bottles, pumpkin fizz and bags of Honeydukes sweets. A huge cheer went up, and the party went into full swing.
"Gryffindor, Gryffindor, hear our mighty, mighty roar! Slytherin have slipped away, the Quidditch Cup is ours today!!"
***
Later that night, or maybe it was early the next morning, as the party was finally dispersing, Remus said he had to show me something. He took my hand, led me up to the boys dorms, and shut the door.
We sat together on his bed, and he handed me the Marauder's Map without a word.
Wordlessly, I took it from him, glanced at it, and then took out my wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good?" I said, tapping the map with my wand tip.
And, from the wand's tip, appeared these words: Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, and Madam White-Fang,
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
Are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP.
But, I only got as far as –Fang, before I threw my arms around Remus's neck, he looped his arms around my waist and then, quite suddenly, we were kissing.
Warmth spread up and down my entire body like I'd just downed twelve Butterbeers in one go. All thoughts of Sirius and guilt flew out of my mind, because this was what mattered to me now.
The tingling feeling, which I actually forgot I felt whenever I kissed Sirius like this, was buzzing around in my body, as Remus drew me closer to him, like he never wanted to let go, like he had been waiting for this…
It was a kiss like almost no other…
And, suddenly, we drew apart as we heard footsteps on the stairs. We glanced at each other in a mixture of shock and wonder, my heart was pounding, he was smiling at me.
Then I said: "Well…goodnight…my Remus." And I handed him back the map and skipped toward the door, nearly colliding with James who was coming in. "I'm off to bed now!" I announced chirpily, and danced my way down the staircase.
"Who spiked her Butterbeer?" I heard Sirius asked in amazement.
"Oh, no one," Remus replied, a tad smugly. "I just showed her the improvements to the map is all."