A/N: This is a funny little chapter; it's necessary to the plot development but forgive me for it not being more... concise. I will post the next one as soon as I'm physically able! I am still in Edinburgh, having a lovely time but unfortunately not giving enough attention to both my friends and my writing. I hope you enjoy this one. Who do you think the 'mystery' reporter is?

When the discussion of who could possibly report on the current Hogwarts Alumni/ Phoenix Orphanage Quidditch Tournament was raised at the office, my name was, I assure you, not top of the list. In fact, I didn't even make it on to the list. I do, however, have a few things going for me... I am, like many of you, a lifelong Quidditch supporter. In my prime I too played for my house team, as did my children. And I have a deep and meaningful connection to the Phoenix Orphanage. No, at this time, I'm not quite ready to reveal my identity. But I do hope you enjoy my rather... unique viewpoint on the coming matches.

A.W.W.

xXx

Gryffindor vs. Slytherin

Well, yesterday's game was pretty much what everyone expected; a thrilling, controversial, fun and foul- ridden match between the two great house rivalries. Pitching Potter against Krum was surely something those with a keen eye for international Quidditch were watching closely and, to be fair to the young Tornadoes signing, he held his own.

With the unusual tournament structure meaning points were the name of the game, rather than number of games won, it was perhaps inevitable that this match lasted for a full 93 minutes before Potter completed a sprint from one end of the pitch to the other to snatch the snitch from under the nose of the Slytherin Keeper.

The Chasing teams on both sides were exceptionally strong and the Gryffindor/ Puddlemere Keeper Wood was on the best form of his career. Rather than a sentimental choice, as many first assumed of Potter, the appointment of Wood to the team now seems a clever tactical move.

The strong lead the Team Gryffindor have amassed early in the game is the gauntlet thrown, challenge issued to the three teams still to play, lets see how well Team Hufflepuff fare against Team Ravenclaw tomorrow in Pembrokeshire.

The final score: Gryffindor 420 to Slytherin 300

Slytherin vs. Weasley

It was impossible to anticipate what sort of support Team Weasley would have amassed by the time their first game, versus Team Slytherin, occurred on a bright and breezy Brighton Saturday afternoon. What no one expected was for their support to come in the form of players, sponsors and supporters of every other team in the tournament (except their immediate opponents) to come out to support them.

The faithful support of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes customers was clear as a sea of orange and purple stripes met green, players on both teams wearing black armbands in respect to the fallen Weasley brother, Fred, after whom the team is officially named. Commentating this match was one of Fred's school friends, Lee Jordan, whose wife Jenny is playing for Team Ravenclaw. To the delight of the crowd, Jordan introduced the team as "Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, Delacour- Weasley, Weasley aaaaaaaand… Weasley!"

The Slytherins were on top form, clearly out to prove their worth after their loss to Team Gryffindor last week. (Incidentally, Potter watched the match not sporting green to support his partner, but orange and purple. Make of that what you will.) The Slytherins racked up an early lead with an eighty point lead before George rallied his team together and the tour de force which was Ginny and Fleur sinking no less than nine goals in thirteen minutes.

The weak link on Team Weasley was by far Percy, the manager of Phoenix Orphanage who frankly looked like he couldn't tell one end of the broom from the other, dropped more than he caught and generally showed no understanding of even the concept of the game.

Nevertheless, Team Slytherin deserved their victory, coming in at only forty points ahead of their opponents.

But make no mistake, it is too early to discount Team Weasley from the competition.

Final score: Slytherin 360 to Weasley 320

Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff

As seems to be too regularly the case in this country, the unseasonably warm weather yesterday threw the teams more than driving rain and sleet would have. The crowds, at least, enjoyed the picnic atmosphere during a match which was slow to get underway.

Unfortunately for both Chang and Smith, their team choices were overshadowed by the appointments of Potter and Malfoy although when they were in the air, it is not unfair to say that they made equal (if not slightly better) choices than their former schoolmates.

The strength of Chang's Team Ravenclaw lay in her defence; perhaps she (correctly) anticipated that her rivals had placed their power in their Chasers and Seekers. Without a doubt the stars of the match were the Beating team of King and Halethorpe although in the end, the textbook Ravenclaw team fell to the skill of the Hufflepuffs.

Smith's team were the first to be announced and from what this commentator has seen so far, they appear to be by far the most well practiced. They pulled off a series of set moves hitherto unseen in the competition and put away goals with ease.

With no little shock, so far, Team Hufflepuff is the one team to watch.

The final score: Hufflepuff 330 to Ravenclaw 140

Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff

After such an impressive display last weekend against Team Ravenclaw, it was Team Hufflepuff's chance to show Team Gryffindor exactly what they were made of.

That chance, really, was blown up like a house of exploding snap cards.

Team Hufflepuff were well and truly thrashed by Team Gryffindor.

Even from the off, for some reason (intimidation, perhaps, which Team Gryffindor are throwing out in abundance) Team Hufflepuff looked slow and sluggish compared to their slick performance last week. Johnson and Spinnet, playing even better than last week with William Parker proved to be an inspired team as they worked together to make some spectacular goals.

With Hufflepuff trailing behind and making some feeble attempts (the Quaffle only passed Wood five times in the entire match), Potter looked set to put Smith and his teammates out of their misery after only half an hour of play.

Team Gryffindor storm ahead with a second win behind them.

Final score: Gryffindor 350 to Hufflepuff 50

Gryffindor vs. Weasley

It wasn't the first time Harry Potter had played against his opponents on Team Weasley, but this time it mattered. His best friend, ex- girlfriend, the manager of the charity the tournament is supporting… and four others he considers family. It couldn't have been easy, however few in the crowd missed the playful tongues stuck out at the Weasley's backs as Team Gryffindor took to the sky.

For the first half of the game, one would be forgiven for thinking that this was a simple Sunday morning game in the park for the two teams, with George Weasley refusing to unseat his fiancée, Team Gryffindor Chaser Angelina Johnson, even when she was headed straight for goal (which she dutifully scored).

The change in the tone of the match came after forty minutes when Team Weasley Chaser Percy was injured by a Bludger to the back of the head, something Team Weasley vehemently deny was a pre- arranged sabotage (Percy's performance on the pitch has not improved since his first match. In fact, if anything, it got worse.) With their third Chaser receiving medical attention it looked for a moment like Team Weasley would be forced to continue on with six men, until the crowds parted to allow another Weasley family member to enter the field.

Weasley matriarch, Molly, played Chaser for Gryffindor house in her own schooldays, although she herself will be the first to admit that this was twenty five years ago. Totally unrehearsed, unprepared and unidentified as a substitute (seemingly even to members of her own team), Molly was given a set of spare robes and Percy's discarded broom, a two minute tactical talk from her son, then joined the rest of the team.

I wish, more than I wish for a self- stirring cauldron, that her contribution to the game was influential in their success. But, alas, it was too little, too late. Even though Mrs Weasley put away a respectable three goals in the following forty five minutes of play, Team Gryffindor were tighter, faster and slicker, and scooped the snitch to finish on 470 points, earning their place in the final.

Final score: Gryffindor 470 to Weasley 390

xXx

So, with every team now playing each other, it's time to review the leaderboard and announce a result that we were all expecting, if we're honest with ourselves. There's barely a hair's breadth between the two leaders and Team Weasley are only a handful of points behind, making it difficult to try and determine a clear winner from the bunch. Despite a promising start, Team Hufflepuff let themselves down after a disappointing defeat to Team Gryffindor, and Team Ravenclaw, who finished only 100 points behind Team Weasley, should be pleased with their performance.

It has been announced this morning (again from Miss Granger, who is fast becoming this reporter's favourite person associated with the tournament), that thus far, from the ten initial games, the total amount raised has topped over ten thousand galleons. The decision has now been made to split these funds and any more raised during the tournament, between the Phoenix Orphanage another children's charity and a war hero's fund, details of which will follow later.

With the final round of the tournament looming we look to next weekend's matches.

The first game to be played on Friday evening will pitch Team Slytherin versus Team Gryffindor. On Saturday lunchtime Team Slytherin will play Team Weasley. On Sunday morning Team Weasley will play Team Gryffindor, at which point the team with the lowest number of points will be dropped from the competition. Then, on Sunday night, the two teams with the highest points will play each other for the title.

Tickets for the match on Sunday evening are already sold out and it is rumoured that Hogwarts are already looking at how to expand their viewing platforms to give more people the chance to see the game.

The three teams left in the competition are very different, and as such, it is difficult to try and compare them against each other. Team Slytherin have the technical ability, Team Gryffindor the close- knit teamwork and Team Weasley the underdog spirit, each quality good enough to warrant them a place in the final. With this in mind, it's near on impossible for a winner to be picked from the bunch.

(Although I'm rooting for Team Weasley.)