No one spoke as we changed into our scarlet robes. In what seemed like no time at all, Wood was saying, 'OK, it's time, let's go …'

We walked out onto the pitch to a tidal wave of noise. Three-quarters of the crowd were wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them or brandishing banners with slogans such as 'GO GRYFFINDOR!' and 'LIONS FOR THE CUP!'. I could see Luna and Magda sat together holding one of them. Behind the Slytherin goalposts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Professor Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile.

And here are the Gryffindors!' yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as commentator as usual. 'Potter, Bell, Johnson, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best side 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 line-up and seems to be going for size rather than skill –'

More boos from the Slytherin crowd. I, however, thought Lee had a point. Malfoy was easily the smallest person on the Slytherin team; the rest of them were enormous.

'Captains, shake hands!' said Madam Hooch. Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hands very tightly, though thankfully no fingers were broken this time.

'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.

'And it's Gryffindor in possession, Ginny Weasley of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goalposts, looking good, Ginny! Argh, no – Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing up the pitch – 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 round Montague – duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger! – SHE SCORES! TEN–ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!'

Angelina punched the air as she soared round the end of the pitch; the sea of scarlet below was screaming its delight – '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!'

Next moment, Fred had 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 them. 'Penalty to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!'

'Come off it, Miss!' howled Fred, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and I stood up to take the penalty. 'Come on, Ginny!' yelled Lee into the silence that had descended on the crowd.

I focused all my senses on making this shot as powerful and accurate as possible, this was by far the most important penalty I'd taken in my life until that point. I flew forward in a zig zag pattern to try and put the Keeper off, and it worked, as I fired the shot through the right hoop and he was fooled, going towards the left hoop.

'YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY–ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!'

I turned sharply to watch Flint, still bleeding freely, fly forwards to take the Slytherin penalty. Wood was hovering in front of the Gryffindor goalposts, his jaw clenched.

'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!

'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 pitch – THAT WAS DELIBERATE!' Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie, and instead of seizing the Quaffle, had grabbed her head. Katie cartwheeled 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 Keeper.

'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!'

I then saw Harry brilliantly trick the 2 Slytherin beaters into colliding with each other.

'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 to- wards the Gryffindor goalposts, 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"

I was carrying the Quaffle now, and it became clear that the Slytherins were going to resort to anything in order to stop us. Bole proceeded to hit me in the face with his beaters bat and claim he thought I was a Bludger. I was going to retaliate with a spell, but George got there first, elbowing Bole in the face, which resulted in another penalty for both sides. I scored our penalty and Wood saved theirs, meaning it was now 40-10 to us.

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 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; I seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal: seventy– ten. Now, if Harry caught the Snitch, the Cup was ours!

He then dived for it, but Malfoy grabbed onto the back of his Firebolt and held on, which slowed him down and the Snitch got away.

"FUCK YOU MALFOY!" I yelled at him

'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 Malfoy's direction; her hat had fallen off, and she, too, was shouting furiously. I took Gryffindor's penalty, but I was so angry I missed by several feet. We were 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 …

'Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Angelina, COME ON!' Every single Slytherin player apart from Malfoy, even the Slytherin Keeper, was streaking up the pitch towards Angelina – they were all going to block her –

Harry then came out of no-where, flying straight towards them, and they all scattered.

'SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor lead by eighty points to twenty!'

Then, Harry and Malfoy were both diving towards the snitch, Malfoy was ahead, but Harry's faster broom made the difference, as he was able to draw level, knock his arm out of the way, and WIN THE CUP FOR GRYFFINDOR!

A DOUBLE VICTORY! WE HAD DONE IT!

I landed and at that moment, everyone dressed in scarlet burst on to the pitch, and I ran with all my teammates towards Harry, Wood and the whole team was lifted onto the shoulders of the crowd, there were all my mates, Demelza, Amy, Hermione, Andrew, Magda, Luna, Stefan, everyone was throwing us up and down in the air in celebration. Ron, Fred and George were holding Harry aloft, this result was down so much to his brilliance.

Dumbledore passed Wood the cup and he held it aloft, generating the biggest cheer I'd ever heard at Hogwarts so far. We all got our turn, and then there were the celebration photos, both individual and collective. I knew I'd be hanging those above my bed at Hogwarts and at home, I could never ever forget this day!

Just when I had thought that things could not possibly get any better though, they did. The crowd was starting to clear, everyone was heading back up to the school, the Gryffindor clad crowd singing "CHAMPIONES, CHAMPIONES, OLE, OLE, OLE" on repeat. Eventually, only the Gryffindor first team remained. Professor McGonagall now had the cup, which she would proudly display in her office until we were dethroned, whenever that may be. The whole team headed inside to change, apart from Harry and I, who hung back.

I don't know what was making us do it, or why, but Harry and I just seemed to know, that it was right for us to approach each other. We stopped when we were only about a foot apart from each other.

"Nice catch" I said "You're the hero once again, Harry"

"Oh it wasn't all down to me, you were brilliant too Gin, everyone was, you played a huge role in us being 50 points up"

"Always the modest one aren't you"

"Always the honest one" he replied

We took a step closer to each other, and I felt something strange, but incredible all the same, warmth, warmth like nothing I'd ever experienced. And before I knew it, before I'd even had time to think or process it, it happened.

We kissed.