Chapter Eight
Albus's POV
Yawning slightly, I sat down at the Gryffindor table and tucked into my bacon and eggs.
Today was the first Quidditch match of the year.
It was also the match where, as they call it, the 'lions fight the snakes'.
In other words, today was Gryffindor versus Slytherin.
Oh, the pressure of it all.
"You guys ready to kick snake butt today?" Asked Roxanne, captain of the team.
"You betcha!" Said Thalia just as enthusiastically, as she would never ever be NOT excited for a match, even if it was old grandpas playing against each other (no offense to anyone's grandpa, by the way).
Roxanne grinned, her blue eyes twinkling, standing out against her mocha-coloured skin, as the two would always share the same excitement whenever it came to Quidditch. She called Thalia her 'cheerleader that plays Chaser and would beat you up if she could'. "Alright, see you on the pitch!" She called, and went back to her spot down the table.
"Hey, Scorp, is there anything interesting on the Prophet today?" I asked as I took my contacts out (I got rid of my glasses in third year, halleluiah!), muttered Tergeo under my breath and put them back in.
My best mate shook his head. "Not really. There's a short article on the Aurors still looking for places that could be harbouring Death Eaters, but no such luck yet."
Rose sighed. "I do hope Teddy, Victoire and Lyra are going to be alright." She worried, referring to my father's godson, our cousin (who got married last summer at the Burrow) and their 3 month old daughter.
"They'll be okay, Rose. Teddy's an Auror, and a good one at that, and Victoire, well; let's just say she can hit you REALLY hard." I joked, earning laughs from my three friends, and soon I joined in. But after our fits of laughter dissolved, the pressure of the game settled back on us.
"Well, I think we should get going. C'mon Albus, Thalia, we got a game to win. See you there, Rose." Scorpius smiled at her, causing Rose to blush, causing me and Thalia to shoot each other looks saying, Will they get together already?
After we waved to Rose and promised to see her in the stands, the three of us headed to the change rooms, Scorpius and I to the men's' and Thalia to the women's.
Getting my gear on, I started to worry and maybe hyperventilate a bit. What if I didn't catch the Snitch before the Slytherin's Seeker did? What if I did catch it, but we were so behind that 150 points wasn't enough to win the match? What if I fell off my broom because of a Bludger and failed my team? What if I didn't stop worrying and hyperventilating?
These thoughts ran through my head as we got ready to enter the pitch, brooms in hand. Quickly pulling Thalia aside, because Scorpius was still in the change room getting his shoes on, I voiced my worries.
"Thalia, what if I let the team down? And get us to lose? I'll be the epitome of my family's shame! What if –" Thalia cut me off.
"Albus, you'll do brilliant. You always have and I'm pretty sure you always will. When was the only time that you let the team down?"
She had a good point. I never did let Gryffindor down, ever since I replaced the old Seeker, back in Second Year (and that guy stunk! The team had to rely on their Chasers, making sure they were far enough ahead of the other team so that, when the other team's Seeker caught the Snitch, we would win anyway).
"But what if I start letting Gryffindor down now?" I asked.
She grabbed my shoulders and looked my straight in the eye (she had to look up a bit, since I was a few inches taller) and said, "Albus Severus Potter," Strangely, that was exactly what my dad said when he was reassuring me about my Sorting, "You are a bloody amazing Seeker, and probably the best one since your dad walked this pitch. You will not let anyone down today. I'm sure of it. Now," She said, pausing to hug me, the butterflies in my stomach stirring up again, "Let's go win this match."
I smiled at her. "Thanks, Thalia. Good luck to you, too." Smiling back, she walked back to the front with the other Chasers. Scorpius came to my side and smirked. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"What are you smirking about, Malfoy?" I said in mock sternness.
"Nothing. But, I personally think, mate, that pink suits your face." He answered, walking to his spot in line.
I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from blushing anymore about mine and Thalia's hug. Yes, we did hug all the time, but ever since third year, they felt slightly more than friendly hugs to me. Scorpius keeps on telling me to 'just stop ogling her and ask her to Hogsmeade'. Then I would retort smartly, 'why don't you?' It was pretty obvious that he fancied my cousin. It was written all over his face so much that I can't see how Rose isn't noticing.
Ben Jordan's voice echoed through the stadium and named all of the Slytherins on the Quidditch team.
"Now, for the winning team!"
"Jordan!"
"Sorry, Professor Longbottom. Anyway, here they come! Roxanne Weasley, Lily Potter and Thalia Wilcox as Chasers, and my, does Roxanne look fine today!"
"Jordan...!"
"Apologies, sir. As I said, Roxanne Weasley, Lily Potter and Thalia Wilcox as Chasers, Scorpius Malfoy and Louis Weasley as Beaters, Hugo Weasley as Keeper, and here comes Albus "the Wronksi" Potter as Seeker!" Everyone cheered loudly at the sound of my name, making my stomach churn even more. Oh, Merlin.
Madam Krum stepped onto the pitch, Quaffle in hand. "Captains, shake hands." Roxanne and a burly Seventh year Slytherin, Katharine Parkinson, shook hands, looking not at all pleased to be making a form of contact. Taking their places, the rest of the team got ready to kick off of the ground, all clutching the handles of their brooms tightly.
"Alright, on the count of three, kick off. One," My heart started to throw itself against my rib cage.
"Two," My stomach was starting to churn even more aggressively as I readied my legs to spring off of the turf.
"Three!" The Quaffle was in the air, the Snitch and Bludgers released, and the players got into their positions. Hovering above the air, looking for the tiny golden ball, I heard the commentary from Ben and risked a small peek at the action below me.
"Weasley's got the Quaffle, passes it to Potter, who passes it to Wilcox," I let my eyes drift to the particular brunette who was swerving and dodging with such agility that was almost bird-like. "And look at her go! She passes it back to Potter and ooh! That's gotta hurt. Potter takes a Bludger to the leg, making her lose her balance and drops the Quaffle, into the hands of Flint. Ah, that nasty Goyle!" I saw my little red-headed sister, shake her head as if to clear it and went back into the game, following the other two Chasers who were on the opposite side of the field.
I turned my attention back to my role in the game. I circled the pitch, searching for the minute golden ball, spotting the Slytherin Seeker Steven Nott doing the same thing. He didn't seem like he had spotted it yet. Smirking to myself, I decided that it was time to have a little fun. They didn't call me Albus "the Wronksi" Potter for nothing.
I circled for a little bit more and did a show of suddenly spotting the Snitch, hopefully catching the attention of Ben Jordan. It worked.
"Oh, what's this? I think Potter's spotted the Snitch!" I smiled, taking pursuit of the imaginary golden ball, Nott on my trail. I zoomed around the goalposts and began swerving left and right, then jerking up as if the Snitch changed course. When I'd reached a certain height, I shot downwards like a bullet, gaining speed steadily, the wind blowing in my hair. As I neared the ground, I told my Firebolt to go up, causing Nott to crash down, skidding on to the turf with great speed, cursing choice words the whole way. I laughed. After all the years of playing against me, I thought that he wouldn't fall for my signature move again: the Wronksi Feint, from which I had learned from my Uncle Viktor Krum (who had married Aunt Fleur's sister, Gabrielle) and soon, I had mastered it.
"Wow! Another great Wronksi from Albus Potter! Well done, well done!" Ben's voice boomed. "Yes! Score! Another 10 points to Gryffindor! Now it's 60 to 10, lions."
I circled the pitch once more, narrowly missing Bludgers that had been aimed at me after what I had done to Nott. I observed the game below me once more. Gryffindor had scored one more goal, and I focused on one particular Chaser, with chestnut coloured hair and blue-grey eyes. I let my thoughts wander to the Yule Ball. I wanted to ask her, I really did. But I knew that there were many other guys who had a better chance than me. Besides, she just thought of me as a friend; her best friend. She would probably turn me down, and everything would be awkward between us. I sighed. Why did everything have to be so complicated?
My heart kept on fluttering in my chest and it was so loud that I could practically hear it. Wait. There was something next to my ear, fluttering its little golden wings...
I turned my head ever so slightly and saw the Snitch mere inches from my face. Trying not to make sudden movements, my hand suddenly shot out and I practically brushed the tiny ball. I set off on its hot pursuit, not letting it out of my sight.
"Looks like Potter has spotted the Snitch – again! Is Nott gonna take the bait again?"
I paid no attention to anything around me, just on the tiny golden ball that would win this whole game. It swerved up and down, and I followed the Snitch, my hand stretched out. It was nearing the ground, and we were a few feet above the green grass. I could practically feel Nott's presence beside me. I urged my Firebolt to go even faster, my hand going closer to the golden ball. I swerved the broom sideways, knocking Nott sideways, and I carefully crouched on it. Standing up slowly, something I learned from my dad when he caught his first Snitch for Gryffindor. I took a deep breath and jumped forward, clasping the little ball in mid-air, and then tumbling onto the turf under me.
The roar that came from the stands was deafening as I held up the Snitch, not paying attention to the mud and dirt on my face. "And Potter catches the Snitch, making it a 230 to 40 victory! Gryffindor wins!" The rest of the Gryffindor team lifted me up onto the shoulders and I saw glimpses of my friends' faces. I couldn't help but smile when I realized that Thalia's advice had fuelled me.
. . .
Everyone was celebrating up in Gryffindor Tower, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs alike. There were Butterbeers, sweets, and pastries, and even some Weasley's Wizard Wheezes smuggled in. Everyone was dancing, talking, some were shaking my hand, and just plain rejoicing for the first match that Gryffindor had taken the win for.
I found my friends in the entire buzz and they congratulated me. Rose and Thalia hugged me and Scorpius clapped me on the back.
"Good job, Al!" Scorpius said.
"You were bloody brilliant! You should've seen Nott's face when you pulled the Wronksi on him! It was priceless!" Thalia said.
"Good job, cousin. I'm proud of you!" Rose said, hugging me again.
I laughed. "Thanks, guys. But you guys were amazing, too."
Rose rolled her eyes. "I was in the stands, you git."
"And you were brilliant at cheering!" Everyone laughed, making the room seem brighter.
"Well, I'm gonna go get a Butterbeer. See you." Scorpius said, winking at me, saying, Now's your chance. I sighed inwardly, remembering our deal. I had to ask Thalia to the Ball and he would ask Rose after me.
Rose, getting the look that Scorpius shot her, caught on. "I'll go talk to Roxanne. I hear she's getting harassed by Ben Jordan. I guess I gotta get him off her back. Bye!" She went off into the crowd, Scorpius following.
Things were silent for a moment. I finally broke the silence.
"You're a really good Chaser, you know."
She smiled. "Thanks, Albus. And you're a really good Seeker, too."
I smiled back. "Thanks. Oh," I said, reaching over, my hand trembling, to brush off some dirt on her face. "You have some dirt there."
Was it my imagination, or did she turn pink? "Well, look who's talking Mr. Potter." She laughed as I wiped away the various grime on my face, and then joined in with her.
"Um, so, I was thinking-" I started, but was interrupted by John Schneider, a Sixth year Ravenclaw. He had dark brown hair and amber eyes, and was captain of the Ravenclaw team, also a Seeker.
"Hey, Thalia." He said, in his deep voice that supposedly made girls swoon. To my relief, Thalia's expression was neutral. "Hi, Potter." He spat my name almost viciously, and Thalia raised an eyebrow.
"What do you want, Schneider?"
"I need to ask you something. Do you mind, Potter?" He said acidly, probably remembering the first Wronksi I had pulled on him. Yeah, let's just say it wasn't pretty.
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever." As I walked away, I knew what he was going to ask her; the exact question I was planning to ask her.
By the time I reached Scorpius, I was positively fuming. How dare he steal her away from me when I was going to ask her? I was sure my face was as red as a tomato.
He raised an eyebrow. "What's got you up in a knot?"
"It's that Schneider dude. He stole Thalia away from me and then asked her to the Ball." I fumed.
"Ah," He said understandingly. "You're jealous."
I scowled. "I am not! I'm just positively peeved that he'll get the girl and I won't." I said huffily, downing some Butterbeer.
Scorpius patted my back sympathetically. "It's alright, mate. During the Ball, just steal her away from him and dance together. I'll cover for you."
I smiled. "Thanks, Scorp. You know, you still have to ask Rose to the Ball."
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know. Might as well do it now."
Just then, I spotted our dorm mate, Justin Thomas, talking to my cousin, Rose. He seemed like he was asking her a question, and I think we all know what it was. Scorpius spotted them, too and his fists clenched. "Hey, Scorp, it's okay. We'll just go with your plan, but only we place Full-Body Bind Curses on them."
He was still glaring at them, but he nodded. It looked like he was working hard to restrain himself from hexing Thomas into next Tuesday.
. . .
After the party was over and everything was cleaned up, (us Sixth Years had to do most of it because most of the Seventh Years ditched us to go snog their girlfriends or boyfriends in the corners of the room) Scorpius and I trudged up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. When we got there, a silver owl was tapping on the window with a letter tied to his leg.
"Zeus!" Scorpius said, scrambling over to the window and letting his owl in. After hastily throwing the owl a treat, he tore the letter opened it. Scanning it over, his face paled.
"What is it, mate?" I asked, looking over his shoulder.
He snatched it away. "It's just some...advice from my dad."
"It seemed like it was terrible advice, telling from your expression."
He sighed. "Half of it was advice for my doubt on my grandfather, as well as information on his activities. The other is the Aurors searched our house."
I gaped. "Why? Did they think they'd find a bunch of Death Eaters having a slumber party upstairs? While eating Bertie Bott's (A/N: Thank you for the clarification, Persephoneslove!) and Liquorice Wands? That's pretty demented, if you ask me." I knew my dad was just doing his job, but really? Draco Malfoy's house?
"Well, I guess they were told to search any house with the host who used to have ties with Death Eaters. They searched Malfoy Manor, too."
I nodded. They didn't have any reason not to search Lucius Malfoy, the ex-right hand man of Voldemort. "They didn't find anything, right?"
Scorpius shook his head. "No, and they didn't find anything in Malfoy Manor, either." He scrunched up his face. "I have no idea how."
"Me neither, mate, me neither."
Scorpius flopped down onto his bed and groaned.
"Aw, come on, mate, it's not that bad. I mean, even if your grandfather has joined the Dark Side again, everything's all pip-pip, right?" I asked.
"It's not that, it's Rose and the damn Ball! And no," He said, turning his body to face me, "it's not all 'pip-pip'!" He used air quotations when he said 'pip-pip'.
I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Scorpius. We shouldn't be worrying about the Ball. That's the girls' job. I mean, let's just wing it over there. The concept's easy. Hex Schneider and Thomas, run away, find Thalia and Rose, dance, go snog in a dark corner, and live happily ever after."
He snorted. "Whatever." He went to go change and I went to the bathroom to wash the various particles of dirt off of my face.
After I changed out of my Quidditch outfit and into a casual T-shirt and pajama pants, I flopped onto my bed and stared at the roof of my four-poster.
Scorpius got into his bed and said, "Good night, Al."
"Good night, Scorp." I answered.
He closed the curtains around his bed and muttered something that sounded like, "Go snog in a dark corner my arse."
I thought hard. Not a few hours ago, I was afraid to ask Thalia out to the Ball. A few hours later, I was determined to steal her back from Schneider, even if it was going to cost me a few detentions because of some Full Body-Bind Curses and a few other creative hexes.
A/N: Haha! So much for next week! :p Okay, only three more chapters until the Yule Ball! That means Chapter 11 is the Yule Ball! Yay! I'm going to try to write as much as I can in one week so that I can finish writing this story before school starts! So, hopefully next week is the week where I can write on of my favourite chapters-to-be!
Love, TheFanfictionInator