The roar of the crowd was deafening.

Sia tightened her grip on her broomstick, hovering just before the goalposts as the whistle blew.

It was one thing to play in tryouts, with only her teammates watching. This—this was something else entirely. The sky above was wide and endless, the green of the Quidditch pitch stretching below like a vast sea of shifting movement. Hufflepuff's team was already passing the Quaffle between them with sharp, practiced ease.

And at the center of it all, circling like a hawk, was Ludo Bagman.

Sia had never seen him play before, but she had heard enough. A Beater with reflexes like lightning. He had a natural sense for the game, predicting plays before they happened. She hadn't thought much of it before—but now, watching him maneuver effortlessly on his broom, she understood why people said he would play professionally one day.

The Quaffle shot towards her, and she reacted too slowly.

A streak of yellow—a Hufflepuff Chaser—sent it soaring straight through the left hoop.

Cheers erupted from the Hufflepuff stands.

Sia clenched her jaw.

"Focus."

But before she could properly steel herself, another Chaser came hurtling forward, flicking the Quaffle toward the center hoop.

She dived for it—too late.

Another goal.

A few of her teammates shot her looks, one muttering something under his breath. Her stomach curled.

Then—CRACK!

A Bludger whizzed past her ear.

She spun sharply to see Bagman grinning as he pulled his bat back, already targeting someone else.

So that was his game. He wasn't just playing offense—he was trying to rattle her.

Gritting her teeth, she turned to one of the Slytherin Beaters—the one who wasn't Macnair.

"Stay near me. I need cover."

To her relief, he nodded, gripping his bat tightly.

The next time a Hufflepuff Chaser shot towards the goal, Sia was ready.

She blocked it.

And the next one.

And the next.

Minutes blurred into an hour, and then two. She barely noticed the pain in her muscles, or the way her hands ached from gripping the broom too tightly. She only knew the rush of wind, the sharp thud of the Quaffle against her gloves, the satisfaction of seeing another attempt fail.

Andromeda was everywhere, weaving through the air, scoring again and again.

When the score hit 170-20 in Slytherin's favor, the game had stretched longer than anyone expected. Both Seekers were darting through the sky, scanning desperately for the Snitch.

Then—they dived.

Gasps echoed across the stands. Every eye turned to them—except Andromeda's.

She saw the distraction. She took the chance.

With only two seconds left, she shot forward and—

SCORED.

And at the very same moment, the Hufflepuff Seeker closed his fingers around the Snitch.

The crowd fell into stunned silence.

What just happened?

The announcer stammered through the calculations. The Snitch was worth 150 points—but Slytherin had already been 150 points ahead.

Which meant—

A deafening cheer erupted from the Slytherin stands.

They had won.

Even Macnair—who had barely spoken to her outside practice—was grinning as he rushed off to his friends. Avery and Rosier clapped him on the back, celebrating. Behind them, Severus stood still, watching her.

Before she could react, Andromeda tackled her with a hug.

"You were brilliant!" she exclaimed, breathless.

"Me?" Sia managed, still dazed. "You scored a hundred points on your own. And the one that actually made us win!"

Andromeda laughed, pulling away. "And we would've lost if you hadn't stopped them from catching up. We make a good team."

The team landed, still buzzing with adrenaline. As they walked back towards the changing rooms, Andromeda slung an arm around her shoulders.

"You do realize what's waiting for us in the common room, right?" she said.

Sia hesitated. "What do you mean?"

Andromeda gave her a knowing look. "The party, of course. You don't think Slytherin lets a victory go by without celebrating, do you?"

Sia swallowed. She wasn't sure why, but something inside her felt oddly reluctant. Would she even be welcomed like that?

She wasn't sure.

And then, stepping through the entrance to the dungeons, she walked in with her team.