A/N thanks for the reviews: thank you as well to the Guest who reviewed, it was very nice but unfortunately i can't PM you! hahahah hope you enjoy! :) xx

Chapter Fourteen

The Quidditch Final

"He send me this," said Hermione, sniffling and held out a letter. Amara took it from her and straightened the damp parchment.

'Dear Hermione,

We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed. Beaky has enjoyed London. I won't forget all the help you gave us.

Hagrid'

Amara's stomach jolted downwards and she suddenly felt very sick. Execution date to be fixed.

"They can't do this," said Harry. "They can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous."

"Malfoy's dad's frightened the Committee into it," said Hermione, wiping her eyes. "You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope... Nothing will have changed."

"Yeah, it will," said Ron fiercely. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help."

"Oh, Ron!"

Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. Finally, Hermione drew away.

"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers..." she sobbed.

"Oh-well-he was old," said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him. "And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now."

Amara followed them into the common room, where the occupants seemed to have no worries. They all sat by the fire, like normal, and discussed Buckbeak's appeal.

However, what they really wanted to do was speak to Hagrid. But there were even more security measures now that Black had escaped a second time, making it impossible for them to visit them, with or without the Invisibility Cloak, which, according to Harry, was still down the passage he used to get to Hogsmeade.

The only time they could speak to Hagrid was during their very boring Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em..."

"There's still the appeal!" said Ron fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!"

The class had finished and they were walking back up to the castle together – it was now getting slightly warmer, too, which Amara was pleased about. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle kept laughing and looking behind them.

"S'no good, Ron," said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that..."

Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.

"Look at him blubber!"

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.

"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

"Lay off, Malfoy!" growled Amara, starting forwards, getting ready to punch him. Ron and Harry were with her, but Hermione stormed in front of them and SMACK! She had slapped him across the face.

Malfoy staggered. Amara, Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.

"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul-you evil -"

"Hermione!" said Ron weakly, and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back.

"Get off, Ron!"

"I'd leave her to it," Amara commented.

Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered.

"C'mon," Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons.

"Cowards," sniffed Amara.

"Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.

"Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Hermione said shrilly. "You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"

"We're due in Charms," said Ron, still goggling at Hermione. "We'd better go."

They hurried up the marble staircase toward Professor Flitwick's classroom. Amara was still in shock with Hermione, and she walked behind her all the way. But as they walked in, Hermione slowed down and Amara over took her and into the classroom.

"You're late, boys – Miss Matthews!" said Professor Flitwick reprovingly as Harry opened the classroom door. "Come along, quickly, wands out, we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today, we've already divided into pairs -"

Amara went to the desk she usually shared with Hermione and looked behind her. Ron seemed to have done the same thing, for he said:

"Where's Hermione gone?"

Amara realised that Hermione had not even entered the classroom. This worried her a lot – what if the Time Turner had gone wrong?

"That's weird," said Harry. "Maybe-maybe she went to the bathroom or something?"

But Hermione didn't turn up all lesson. Amara was very worried, and had not performed as well in Charms because of it.

"She could've done with a Cheering Charm on her too," said Ron as the class left for lunch, all grinning broadly-the Cheering Charms had left them with a feeling of great contentment.

But Hermione wasn't at lunch either. Amara's Cheering Charm, which was quite weak, made by Sophie (she looked dreadfully scared when they were partnered up) started to worry before Harry or Ron. She lost her appetite and did not eat much.

Finally, Ron and Harry seemed to get panicky as well, so they headed upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.

"You don't think Malfoy did something to her?" Ron said anxiously.

"He can't have," said Amara. "He ran off, remember? He's too much of a coward."

They passed the security trolls, gave the Fat Lady the password ("Flibbertigibbet"), and scrambled through the portrait hole into the common room.

Hermione was sitting at a table, fast asleep, her head resting on an open Arithmancy book. They went to sit down on either side of her. Harry prodded her awake.

"Wh-what?" said Hermione, waking with a start and staring wildly around. "Is it time to go? W-which lesson have we got now?"

"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes," said Harry. "Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?"

"What? Oh no!" Hermione squeaked. "I forgot to go to Charms!"

"But how could you forget?" said Harry. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"

"I don't believe it!" Hermione wailed. "Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and I lost track of things!"

"You know what, Hermione?" said Ron, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. "I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much."

"No, I'm not!" said Hermione, brushing her hair out of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. "I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry... I'll see you in Divination!"

Amara decided to follow her out of the Common Room, worried for her friend's emotional levels.

"Hermione!" she said, noticing the bushy hair. "Hermione!"

"Amara!" Hermione said. "Oh dear – do you think Professor Flitwick will be angry?"

"Hermione, calm down!" Amara said. "Seriously, this is not doing you any good! You have to stop doing so much work!"

"No! No, I'll be fine! It was Malfoy's fault!"

"No it wasn't," Amara said. "You've bitten off much more than you can chew. You're going to get yourself in the Hospital Wing if you're not careful!"

But Hermione wouldn't listen, and hurried off to see Professor Flitwick.

She joined them at the foot of the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom twenty minutes later, looking extremely harassed.

"I can't believe I missed Cheering Charms! And I bet they come up in our exams; Professor Flitwick hinted they might!"

Together they climbed the ladder into the dim, stifling tower room. Glowing on every little table was a crystal ball full of pearly white mist. Amara, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down together at the same rickety table.

"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term," Ron muttered, casting a wary eye around for Professor Trelawney, in case she was lurking nearby.

"Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry," Harry muttered back. "I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hands."

"Yeah, but now she's going to see it in the crystal balls …" Amara whispered to them.

"Good day to you!" said the familiar, misty voice, and Professor Trelawney made her usual dramatic entrance out of the shadows. Parvati and Lavender quivered with excitement, their faces lit by the milky glow of their crystal ball. Amara rolled her eyes.

"I have decided to introduce the crystal ball a little earlier than I had planned," said Professor Trelawney, sitting with her back to the fire and gazing around. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice."

Hermione snorted.

"Well, honestly... 'the fates have informed her' who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!" she said, not troubling to keep her voice low. Amara, Harry and Ron choked back laughs.

It was hard to tell whether Professor Trelawney had heard them as her face was hidden in shadow. She continued, however, as though she had not.

"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art," she said dreamily. "I do not expect any of you to See when first you peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start by practicing relaxing the conscious mind and external eyes"-Amara and Ron made eye-contact and started sniggering uncontrollably, meaning they had to bite their tongues to stop it escaping-"so as to clear the Inner Eye and the super-conscious. Perhaps, if we are lucky, some of you will see before the end of the class."

They stared into the Crystal Balls, Amara feeling very much like an idiot. She saw nothing, just swirling mists inside the ball, and she joined Ron in giggling every now and then, but she didn't know why she found it so funny.

"Seen anything yet?" Harry asked them after a quarter of an hour's quiet crystal gazing.

Yeah, there's a burn on this table," said Ron, pointing. "Someone's spilled their candle."

"This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed. "I could be practicing something useful. I could be catching up on Cheering Charms -"

Professor Trelawney rustled past.

"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bangles.

"I don't need help," Ron whispered. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight."

Amara, Harry and Hermione burst out laughing.

"Now, really!" said Professor Trelawney as everyone's heads turned in their direction. Parvati and Lavender were looking scandalized. "You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!" Amara snorted. She approached their table and peered into their crystal ball. Amara knew exactly what was coming and rolled her eyes.

"There is something here!" Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something moving... but what is it?"

Amara started shaking with suppressed laughter as Ron started doing an impression of Professor Trelawney behind her back. Parvati and Lavender glared at them with a look of pure evil.

"My dear," Professor Trelawney breathed, gazing up at Harry. "It is here, plainer than ever before... my dear, stalking toward you, growing ever closer... the Gr -"

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" said Hermione loudly. "Not that ridiculous Grim again!"

Professor Trelawney raised her enormous eyes to Hermione's face. Parvati whispered something to Lavender, and they both glared at Hermione too. Professor Trelawney stood up, surveying Hermione with unmistakable anger.

"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class my dear, it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane."

There was a moment's silence. Then -

"Fine!" said Hermione suddenly, getting up and cramming Unfogging the Future back into her bag. "Fine!" she repeated, swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair (Amara stifled a snort at his expression). "I give up! I'm leaving!"

And to the whole class's amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight. Amara gazed after her, wishing she too had the nerve to do that.

It took a few minutes for the class to settle down again. Professor Trelawney seemed to have forgotten all about the Grim. She turned abruptly from Amara, Harry and Ron's table, breathing rather heavily as she tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her.

"Ooooo!" said Lavender suddenly, making everyone start. "Ooooo, Professor Trelawney, I've just remembered! You saw her leaving, didn't you? Didn't you, Professor? 'And one around Easter and one at the end of term, two of our number will leave us forever' You said it ages ago, Professor!"

Professor Trelawney gave her a dewy smile.

"Yes, my dear, I did indeed know that Miss Granger would be leaving us. As well, there is another one ready to leave, but not until the year is over. One hopes, however, that one might have mistaken the Signs... The Inner Eye can be a burden, you know..."

Lavender and Parvati looked deeply impressed, and moved over so that Professor Trelawney could join their table instead.

"Some day Hermione's having, eh?" Ron muttered to Amara and Harry, looking awed.

"Yeah..."

-OOOOO-

The Easter Holidays did not give them a break. The teachers had piled on so much homework, they were rarely out of the common room, unless if it was to the library. Neville seemed close to a nervous collapse, and he wasn't the only one.

"Call this a holiday!" Seamus Finnigan roared at the common room one afternoon. "The exams are ages away, what're they playing at?"

"Tell me about it," said Amara. "I thought this was meant to be a break from schoolwork!"

They still didn't have to do as much as Hermione, though, for she was always in the common room and library. She had bags under her eyes and was close to tears constantly.

Ron had decided to take over Buckbeak's appeal. Amara sometimes helped, but Professor Babbling had given them pages of Rune Translations to do, meaning she could not help that much. Ron was always poring over The Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology and Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality when he wasn't doing his own homework.

Harry couldn't help them either, for he had to fit in Quidditch Practise as well. According to his complicated explanation, he could only catch the Snitch if they were more than fifty points up, because Slytherin were two hundred points ahead, and the Snitch was worth one hundred and fifty.

The whole of Gryffindor House was obsessed with the coming match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley (Ron's second oldest brother) had been seeker. It was all very exciting, especially to Ethan, Eddie, Piper and Flick, because they hadn't seen tension like it before.

"Oh, we'll win," Eddie said confidently. "From what I heard, Harry definitely knows not to catch the snitch if we're fifty points down or up."

"Yeah, but Slytherin has a strong lead …" Piper began.

"Say anymore, twin, and you'll be disowned," Eddie said seriously.

"I'm just saying!"

"Well don't! Don't say you want Slytherin to win!"

"I didn't say that! You know I want Gryffindor to win! Well, actually, I wanted Ravenclaw, but obviously, they're such a bad team …"

Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere. Once the holidays were over, the tensions grew so much, lots of scuffles between the two houses erupted, meaning lots of patients in the Hospital Wing. Eddie and Ethan received Detention for getting into a fight with one first and one second year Slytherin. Ron was very impressed that they 'won' the fight, considering the first-year was out cold and the second-year had suspicious looking boils on his face. Eddie and Ethan, however, came out nearly unscathed, but Ethan received a black eye, and Eddie a cut lip.

Because Wood was scared that Harry was going to get killed before Saturday, he told the Gryffindor's to watch out for him, meaning the whole house surrounded him and took him to each class, which Amara found hilarious.

Everyone stopped their usual plans the night before the match. Even Hermione said she couldn't concentrate, which, as Ron said, was a first.

Fred and George were making even more noise than normal, which meant it as impossible anyway, and the other team members were doing various things.

"You're going to be fine," Hermione told him, though she looked positively terrified.

"You've got a Firebolt!" said Ron.

"Yeah..." said Harry, his stomach writhing.

Wood suddenly stood up and yelled, "Team! Bed!"

"This is ridiculous," said Amara as Harry went off. "The tension is growing!"

"I'm so worried," Hermione said. "I don't know why – I mean, he'll be fine, right?"

"Of course," Amara said, reassuring herself. "I mean – Firebolts can do no wrong!"

Amara went to bed soon after, because the common room had gotten rather flat once Fred and George had left.

The next morning, however, she woke early (along with Hermione) and they went into the Great Hall together. It was already crowded, and they had eaten a healthy breakfast by the time the Team had shown up.

The whole Hall clapped as they entered, all of them grinning.

As they had started to finish they're breakfast, all of them suddenly looked raher pale.

"Good Luck, guys!" Amara said, grinning, and giving Fred a hug. "You'll all do brilliantly!"

They hurried back up to their dormitories to deck out in Gryffindor colours before joining the crowds of students swarming like bees to the Quidditch Pitch.

Eddie, Ethan, Piper and Flick were practically bouncing down, all overly-excited and probably had too much sugar at breakfast. They all carried flags, waving them like hooligans and booing at the Slytherins making their way down to the pitch.

As the teams rolled onto the field, the crowds went wild – waving their flags and banners, green on one side, red on the other.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan.. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years -"

Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of "boos" from the Slytherin end.

"And here come the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's Made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill -"

More boos from the Slytherin crowd. Amara laughed with the Gryffindors at the Slytherins' faces.

"Captains, shake hands!" said Madam Hooch.

Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers.

"Mount your brooms!" said Madam Hooch. "Three... two... one..."

The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Amara screamed with the rest of the crowd, anticipation building inside of her.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spinner of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Alicia! Argh, no - Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing UP the field - WHAM!-nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by - Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession, come on, Angelina - nice swerve around Montague-duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger! SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

Angelina punched the air as she soared around the end of the field; the crowds wen wild with happiness of the first goal.

"OUCH!"

Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her.

"Sorry!" said Flint as the crowd below booed. "Sorry, didn't see her!"

A moment later, Fred chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.

"That will do!" shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between then. "Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!"

"Come off it, Miss!" howled Fred, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Alicia flew forward to take the penalty.

"Come on, Alicia!" yelled Lee into the silence that had descended on the crowd. "YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

The crowd cheered once more, Amara bounced up and down on the wooden seat, waving her flag like a madwoman.

"'Course, Wood's a superb Keeper!" Lee Jordan told the crowd as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. "Superb! Very difficult to pass - very difficult indeed - YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!"

Amara watched the game intently, noticing Harry flying around the top of the pitch, ready to throw Malfoy off the Snitch's tail if they weren't fifty points up.

"Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession - no! Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the field - THAT WAS DELIBERATE!"

Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie, and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed her head. Katie cart wheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but dropped the Quaffle.

Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Seeker.

"THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING -"

"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way -"

"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!"

Suddenly, Harry pulled his Firebolt around and sped off toward the Slytherin end of the field - Malfoy went haring after him, determination etched on his face.

WHOOSH.

One of the Bludgers came streaking past Harry, hit by the gigantic Slytherin Beater, Derrick. Then again:

WHOOSH.

The second Bludger grazed Harry's elbow. The other Beater, Bole, was closing in. Harry turned the Firebolt upward at the last second, and Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch.

"Ha haaa!" yelled Lee Jordan as the Slytherin Beaters lurched away from each other, clutching their heads. "Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle - Flint alongside her - poke him in the eye, Angelina! - it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke – oh no - Flint in possession, Flint flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts, come on now, Wood, save -!"

But Flint had scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end, and Lee swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him.

"Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession -"

The game had suddenly taken a very dirty turn – the Slytherin's were playing anything but nice. Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. George elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams penalties, and Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty-ten to Gryffindor.

Amara watched the game from the stands, cheering at the right moments, and booing at the Slytherins, who were seemingly not-caring if they tried to kill the Gryffindors.

Then, Katie scored. Fifty-ten. Fred and George were swooping around her, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherins were thinking of revenge. Bole and Derrick took advantage of Fred's and George's absence to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded.

Madam Hooch was beside herself

"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!" she shrieked at Bole and Derrick. "Gryffindor penalty!"

And Angelina scored. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle Out of his hands; Alicia seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal-seventy-ten.

Amara screamed so loudly, her ears felt like they were going to burst, but nobody else even winced, for they were hollering just as loud. If Harry caught the Snitch now, they'd win the cup. Suddenly, Harry put on a huge burst of speed and shot up, but Malfoy grabbed onto the tail of his broom, obviously slowing him down.

"NO!" yelled Amara furiously. "YOU –"

"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics." Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B -"

Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her fist in Malfoys direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously and seemed to be being rude as well.

Alicia took Gryffindor's penalty, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. The Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, were being spurred on to greater heights.

"Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal-Montague scores -" Lee groaned. "Seventy-twenty to Gryffindor..."

Harry was staying so close to Malfoy it was obvious he was getting annoyed.

"Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Angelina, COME ON!"

All the Slytherin team were crowding around Angelina, ready to get the Quaffle off her. Amara gripped her flag tightly, for even the Keeper had streaked forwards. Harry zoomed towards them on his broom, straight at them.

"AAAAAAARRRGH!"

They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed toward them; Angelina's way was clear.

"SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty Points to twenty!"

Just as Amara was cheering for their goal, she noticed, with dread, that Malfoy was shooting towards the ground, hand outstretched … ready to catch the snitch. Harry turned and shot after him, gaining speed every second, finally becoming level with him.

"YES!"

He came up out of the dive and flew around the stadium. The whole crowd, minus the Slytherins, exploded with cheers and shouts.

"WE WON!" screamed Amara, hugging Ron, then Hermione, then Dean all in a row. "WE'VE WON THE CUP!"

Ethan and Eddie were doing a victory dance on top of their seats, flicking their legs out and cheering.

"GO, GO GRYFFINDOR!" they yelled in jubilation. "GO, GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINDOR!"

As the team sank back down to earth, the Gryffindor supporters poured onto the pitch, shouting in triumph. They were hoisted into the hair, all of them grinning like mad, all being smacked on the back by wave upon wave of grinning fans. Percy was dancing like a loony, McGonagall was sobbing even than Wood, who had hugged Harry many times. Amara, Ron and Hermione pushed their way forwards eagerly.

"YOU DID IT HARRY!"

Then Harry was lifted over the crowds and placed on the stands where Dumbledore was standing with the enormous Quidditch Cup.

They passed it found between them - the Slytherin Team looking extremely sour - and finally, it was given to Harry. He lifted it up into the air, grinning broadly and Amara felt like her mouth was going to burst. It was one of the best days here, she thought as she danced around with Eddie, Ethan, Piper and Flick, and she couldn't wait to have another.