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missjosie27 · 4 years

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Year 2 Part 5- Quidditch for the Ages

Hey, guys!

Welcome to my 5th chapter for Year 2. Spoiler Alert: it’s my first time writing a Quidditch match so I hope I did it justice.

As a warning, I do hope my readers who are Slytherin can forgive me xD But in all seriousness what happens in the story now is a backdrop for growth and understanding later. Especially for David. I do not intend for Slytherin to be the ‘evil’ house in this story. But it will take time.

Enjoy!

For the second Halloween in a row David found himself in the hospital wing, only this time it was for an injury suffered by someone else, notably his best friend.

Madam Pomfrey had appeared suspicious when he gave the explanation for what happened, which was basically that Rowan wasn’t feeling well and was exhibiting ‘flu-like’ systems. This was definitely stretching his fibbing ability, as common colds and the flu could be cured readily by most trained mediwizards and staff. But though Rowan woke up, he was still shivering heavily, multiple blankets wrapped around his body, sipping hot chocolate to warm his body. Thankfully, the head of the Hospital Wing didn’t ask too many questions, allowing him to stay for a brief period.

“I’m sorry this happened, Rowan,” David apologized in a low voice, so Madam Pomfrey couldn’t hear them. “It’s my fault.”

“D-Don’t worry about it,” the Indian preteen reassured him through chattering teeth. “We both wanted to find this vault, remember? It’s important to you.”

David rubbed his hands together and looked away. Rowan would be fine, but an unpleasant guilty sensation spread through him. Losing Jacob had already been painful enough and that had been his fault too. He didn’t want to gain back a brother but lose a friend.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, honestly, trying to redirect the feelings of shame.

“Like I g-got hit with the Knight B-Bus,” Rowan responded, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. “One made out of pure ice.”

“Madam Pomfrey will have you out of here in no time. She’s never failed anyone.”

Rowan smiled to again assure his friend he was not angry nor sore over the situation.

“I t-told you, d-don’t worry about me. I should b-be back in a day or s-so. Go out and l-learn as much as you c-can in my absence.”

The talk came to an end as Madam Pomfrey gently ushered him out, saying that her patients needed rest (though most simply needed buckets after eating too many sweets). As soon as the hospital wing doors were shut, he was surprised to see Penny standing outside. Her normally bubbly features were colored with worry and even a bit of disappointment.

“David, what happened?” she asked simply.

“Merlin’s beard, Penny, how did you know where we were?”

“You forget, I know almost everything around here. But it wasn’t exactly hard to figure out. You and Rowan didn’t show up for the feast.”

David smacked a hand in the middle of his forehead. He should have known Penny of all people would be the first to notice them gone, given that her group of friends and his were virtually synonymous. She had an eye for this sort of thing.

“I assumed you were going after the vaults again,” she continued when he didn’t respond.

“You caught me, okay?” he admitted, not bothering to lie. “Are you angry or something?”

“I’m not angry, Dave,” Penny told him, taking a few steps forward. “I was just worried and wanted to make sure two friends of mine were okay. I take it Rowan isn’t?”

“He’s fine but it’s still my fault. We found the vault door, and I became reckless. I touched it and it immediately began firing off some kind of freezing spell and one them hit Rowan. Got him here as fast as I could.”

“Well that’s good he’s okay, but wasn’t Madam Pomfrey suspicious?”

“She was, but as far as I know she didn’t alert Dumbledore or any of the other Professors. Told her he was feeling ill and left it at that.”

Penny breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s strangely fortunate. You definitely don’t want anyone else finding out, there’s enough competition out there as it is. Especially with Merula. I keep hearing rumors about her and none of them good. They say she’s recruiting her own gang to try and find the vaults and still wants you out of the way.”

“What else is new?” David groaned. “Well, anyway, thanks for letting me know about this Penny.”

But she stopped him again as she gazed into him with those sparkling, blue eyes that reminded one of an innocent doe.

“Dave, you can’t keep doing this by yourself.”

“That’s why I have Rowan with me.”

“He’s just one person and he narrowly avoided getting seriously hurt. What if you’re next?”

The twelve year old Gryffindor wasn’t really concerned with his own safety, not in the conscious sense. He had never considered he might become injured or fall victim in the quest to find this vault. Jacob was the main focus, not him.

But then again, Penny also had a point.

“You’re right. I do need to be more careful, but I promise nothing will happen to me.”

“We both know that’s a promise you can’t keep,” she told him seriously. “I’m only asking you one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t keep me out, Dave. Next time you plan on entering a cursed vault, let me know so I can help.”

The offer was so genuine, it overrode his desire to protect her. How could one turn down Penny Haywood? Moments such as these showed why she clearly was a Hufflepuff through and through.

“Okay, Penny. I will.”

An enormous hug and an even bigger smile indicated from the blonde indicated all was well.

“Thanks, Dave! Please tell me when Rowan gets out of the hospital wing.”

Despite the warm and fuzzies from Penny, there were more questions to be asked and many more to be answered. What was inside the vault? Did it have anything to do with the vision he received when he touched the door? And what did Voldemort have to do with this?

Is this what Jacob went through when he tried to find the vaults?

Deciding he didn’t want to know the answer, suddenly realizing he was quite famished David shoved his wand back into his pocket and went to see if there was anything left to eat at the feast. Maybe Tonks had saved him a treacle tart or two.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Tension ran high within the school the next few days, but for once the reason was not due to cursed ice. The first Quidditch match of the season was coming and it featured the two biggest rivals within the interhouse competition: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.

Anyone who knew anything about Hogwarts knew that the two houses had a history going back to the infamous duel between Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin, which eventually led to the latter of the two leaving the school. In the modern context, students of each house generally disliked each other, and it sometimes graduated to outright hatred. Throw Quidditch into the equation and that animosity often boiled over into war. The bold, brave, athletic lions versus the cunning, calculating, underhanded serpents.

David, being on one side of that rivalry, was not exactly unbiased but he didn’t particularly care. His experience with Slytherin was not a positive one thus far, the primary culprit being Merula Snyde and her constant antagonism towards him and his friends. Being a mere second year, he was not the main target of any of the older Slytherins’ ire but it seemed that no matter what he did, she would never cease in her relentless bullying and badgering. The afternoon potions class Friday prior to the match only served to fuel his own animosity towards the silver and green.

Rowan had still not been released from the hospital wing, so he was left on his own to complete the brew Snape gave them for the day. David was not unskilled in the subject but it was difficult to focus on your potion when there was a constant thorn in your side sitting at your table.

“Where’s Khanna, Grant? I still see he’s noticeably absent.” Merula taunted him through the steam of the bubbling cauldron.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” David shot back, doing his best to ignore her. She was one of only a few people capable of getting underneath his skin and to do so now would be unwise with Snape watching.

“Oh, please. It doesn’t take a genius to know you and that four eyed creatine were off searching for the vaults during the feast. He’s probably still trying to unfreeze himself in the hospital wing.”

“Well we agree one thing, Merula, you’re certainly no genius.”

The Slytherin girl ducked as Snape walked by, adding a pinch of unicorn horn to her potion before returning to her taunting.

“Full of jokes but no substance as per usual, Grant. You’ve found nothing, but I’ve been investigating the vaults myself and you wouldn’t believe what I found.”

“I’m sure it’s quite fascinating. Much like your inability to shut the hell up.”

But true to form, Merula was both stubborn and relentless.

“Khanna is gone but I’ve been working with people to locate and break the vault curse before you. Whatever is inside will belong to me, so you may as well give up now.”

So, Penny was correct in her information that Merula had her own little posse. Of course, the Hufflepuff was rarely wrong but to hear it from the Slytherin herself was more concerning. At the risk of going down the rabbit hole, David took the bait and indulged her.

“What makes you think you’re going to open the vaults before me? I bet you’re no closer than I am.”

“I’m willing to whatever it takes, Grant. That’s the difference between you and I.”

“The difference,” he said, while stirring his cauldron counterclockwise. “Is that I’m merely trying to find my brother. You on the other hand are like every other Slytherin that ever lived- selfish, deceitful, and power hungry. So stick that in your pipe and smoke it.”

Merula gave him her usual nasty leer.

“You’ll be regretting those words soon enough.”

“Or what?”

“Or else,” cut in a smooth, silky, dangerous voice. “I shall have to give both of you detention for not finishing your work on time and disrupting my class.”

Their conversation had gone on far too long, evidently, as the greasy, beaked nose of Professor Snape bore down upon them, his expression far from pleased.

“Sorry, Professor,” David apologize in an attempt at damage control. Snape was not quite as passionate a Quidditch fan as McGonagall, but he never passed up any chance to humiliate or show up the other houses. Non-Slytherins were extra careful not get on his bad side leading up to a match.

“I don’t need your sniveling excuses,” he dismissed sourly. “But what I do need is an explanation. Several ingredients from my private storeroom have been stolen in the last few days and I’ve received word you are the culprit. What do you have to say for yourself?

Dave couldn’t help but deliver a tongue in cheek response.

“And what makes you think it was me of all people?”

“Perhaps it’s in connection to your search for the cursed vaults? Or because you, like your brother, insist on testing the boundaries of this school and my patience? Whatever the reason, I have no desire to know what goes on in your warped, tiny mind. Give me one good reason I shouldn’t give you detention for the rest of the year.”

The rest of the class’s eyes were on them now, Ben looking quite afraid, while Charlie looked on apprehensively (Jae was already asleep by this point). But it wasn’t their reactions David keyed in on, rather it was Merula’s that gave everything away. Her eyes were alighted with malicious glee, a knowing smirk plastered across her face. It was then and there he knew she was the one behind this.

“I don’t know. But I would ask Merula given that she looks as though Christmas came early.”

That threw the second year Slytherin in for a loop as the malicious glee quickly evaporated into a frantic denial.

“Only someone as pathetic and desperate as you would try and pin this on me, Grant! You’re just as loony as your brother!”

Snape looked over at his pupil.

“Is this true, Miss Snyde? What credence do you give this accusation?”

“None,” she said but her response did not meet her eyes. “If I want to see him expelled it’s because he’s a disgrace and a danger to Hogwarts.”

David fully expected Snape, the most blatant in expressing favoritism towards his own house, to simply take Merula at her word and be done with it. Which is why what happened next came as a shock to everyone.

“I genuinely wish you weren’t lying.”

Merula’s eyes looked as though they might pop out of her head.

“Excuse me?!”

“As I have stated before you are an absolutely atrocious liar, especially for a Slytherin. You will stay after class to receive your punishment. The rest of you, finish up your potions, put them on my desk and get out.”

No one needed to be told twice. David, hardly believing his luck, was content to do as Snape instructed and followed the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins out of the door while Merula was forced to remain behind. But as he was about to head down the hallway, the preteen gave into temptation and placed himself at the edge of the stone wall close to the door. He needed to hear why he was not assigned the blame, and his rival faced the brunt of the potion master’s wrath.

“Professor,” he could hear Merula use a falsely innocent tone she only used to get out of trouble. “I don’t understand why I’m the one being punished. It was Grant, not me.”

“Save your pathetic explanations for whichever idiot among your posse has the time to listen.”

“But…I-”

“Do you really think I was blind to the fact that this was a scheme cooked up by you and your housemates? Or that when I was tipped off by that gigantic oaf Mr. Lee, I failed to notice traces of Boomslang skin on his hands? No, this was an ill-advised, foolhardy endeavor that was unworthy of even the lowliest of our house. And as such, you will come by every Friday evening to clean the storeroom you stole from until Christmas. Is that clear?”

Evidently, she did not, because Merula continued to argue.

“But Professor! You hate the Gryffindors and Grant! Why do I have to serve detention?”

“That is neither here nor there,” Snape growled, the anger increasing in his voice. “Our house prides itself on cunning and ambition. You possess the latter but not the former, Miss Snyde. Grant saw right through your attempt to frame him and the fact that he did means you didn’t even bother to cover your tracks. Consider today a test, a test that you failed.”

“But-”

“The next ‘but’ to come out of your mouth will ensure another Friday added to your lengthy detention sentence. Now, begin cleaning at once lest you continue to test my patience.”

That was all David needed to hear and the reaction was one of slight surprise and relief. Snape was punishing his own student not out of fairness but for being sloppy, which he supposed made sense. It also meant that he had time to visit Rowan later in the evening and with any luck, they’d be able to watch the Quidditch match tomorrow.

As he exited the dungeon, he came across an unsettling sight, however. Standing in the hallway, chewing some Drooble’s gum was the Slytherin girl known as Ismelda Murk, the one who had attacked Charlie on the train earlier in the year. She said nothing as he walked by, but carried a most wicked, frightening smile and never took her visible eye off him, her other eye shrouded by her shoulder length, black hair.

“Creepy,” David muttered to himself, but gave it no further thought as he made his way towards dinner. There was a Quidditch game to be played tomorrow and now more than ever did he want to beat Slytherin.

The lion did not concern itself with the schemes of snakes.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

At last the day came and the sunny, crisp November morning was pulsing with excitement. Gryffindors and Slytherins alike donned their colors- jackets, jumpers, scarves, gloves, hats, flags, banners- it had all the feel of a classic in the making featuring Hogwarts’ two biggest rivals.

It was all the more surreal for David, who grew up listening to Quidditch but had never seen a match even at the most rudimentary level. It was another activity his mum severely restricted growing up. But there were no parents here to tell him ‘no’ and little to contain his excitement. He was ready for this.

Adding to the general atmosphere was the fact that the Gryffindor Quidditch team had two new extraordinarily talented members in Charlie Weasley and Skye Parkin. True to his word, it was the skill not the broom that earned the second eldest Weasley the spot of seeker. So proud was Professor McGonagall, she ended up ordering him a new comet series for proper matches. David had only heard rumors, but anyone who witnessed Charlie play was floored by the speed, quickness, and precision he possessed. True to his humble nature, his friend never talked much about his own Quidditch abilities but retained quiet confidence. If half of those rumors were true, Gryffindor was in good hands.

The second name among the new arrivals was Skye Parkin and this one generated even more buzz than Charlie. Skye was also a second year and was from the famous Parkin family, a clan hailing from the high hills of Scotland legendary for their long line of successful Quidditch players. So prominent they were, they had even founded their own Quidditch team, the Wigtown Wanderers.

Unlike most of the old families, the Parkins did not belong to any particular house and were spread out evenly at Hogwarts spanning the centuries. Her brothers had been placed in Ravenclaw and Slytherin respectively, but Skye was the only child who had inherited her father Ethan Parkin’s Gryffindor courage. Every bit as talented as her brothers, she was placed as a chaser and excelled in the natural instincts required for the spot- passing, positioning, and speed. So anticipated was her debut that some were saying she was better than her father at the same age.

In David’s personal opinion, that was quite a lot to put on a single twelve-year-old girl but he had seen Skye in class and at the lunch table on numerous occasions. She was truly fearless and did not blink at a challenge, even from older students. Notorious for her poor grades, she was not an academic favorite among the staff, but McGonagall had given her enough tutoring to ensure her grades were adequate enough to join the team, so determined she was to win the cup.

In addition to this good news was that Rowan was finally well enough to leave the hospital wing. Though Quidditch was not his forte, David managed to convince him some fresh air and healthy competition would be good after being cooped up in a ward for three days. Not to mention Bill would also be there cheering on his brother so it provided an extra incentive.

Waking up that morning, David wasted no time in getting dressed and making sure Rowan did the same.

“Ironic. I’m usually the one trying to get you out of bed,” his best friend grunted.

“Yeah but that’s for boring stuff. This is Quidditch!”

“Remind me again, why I should care?”

In a sequel of their first day at Hogwarts, it was David’s turn to throw a pillow at Rowan.

“Because we need to be there when we kick Slytherin’s arse.”

“….”

“Also, Bill’s going to be there.”

“Coming.”

It didn’t take long for the boys to get dressed, fill up on a breakfast of sausage and eggs, then head down to the pitch where the entire student body filed in. They found their seats in the Gryffindor section alongside Bill, Jae, Ben, and a few others.

“Dave, Rowan,” Bill greeted warmly. “Good to see you both. Grab a spot.”

“We’ll be standing up most of the time anyway,” Jae told them. “If this is anything like most Quidditch matches.”

“Or if you want to see,” Ben pointed out.

“Well I’ll certainly be on the edge of my seat given this is Charlie’s first match. He’s been dreaming of this moment for years, so I know how it important it is for him. Plus, I promised Fred and George full details in my letters.”

“Fred and George?” David asked, puzzled as to who he was referring to.

“My younger twin brothers,” Bill elaborated. “Tricky little devils they are, always up to no good. Constantly driving mum crazy,” he added with a laugh. “But they’re also aspiring Quidditch players themselves. They can’t see Charlie in person but it’s the next best thing.”

“Is this really such a big deal?” Ben wondered aloud. “I mean, I know we aren’t friends with the Slytherins but still.”

A half second later, one of the bigger Slytherins from the bleachers parallel to theirs shouted “Gryffindor sucks Abraxan cock!!!” while the rest of his friends laughed hysterically, pointing and jeering.

“Does that answer your question?” Bill asked rhetorically.

“Crushing Slytherin is the only thing that matters,” David affirmed. “Personally, I wouldn’t mind rubbing it in Merula’s face if only to get her to shut up.”

“You and that girl are something else,” the eldest Weasley chuckled. “But in all seriousness, we have the best chance at the cup this year since James Potter last played for Gryffindor. Skye Parkin is quite the sensation and my brother isn’t too shabby himself.”

“He’s that good?” Rowan pipped up.

“You guys don’t know Charlie like I do. Unless dragons are involved, Quidditch is his primary passion. He was zooming around the house with a toy broom from the time he was three. Trust me, he’s very good.”

A tap on the shoulder alerted them to the presence of Penny and her group consisting of Chiara, Tonks, and Diego, all of them donning the Gryffindor red and gold for this occasion.

“Hello you courageous Gryffindors,” Tonks quipped. For this occasion she had morphed her hair into a spiky, red and yellow mullet which was quite the sight to behold.

“Hey guys!” David said cheerfully. “Glad to see you’re supporting our side today.”

“Are you kidding? No one in their right mind would support Slytherin over Gryffindor,” Penny remarked making a sour face.

“Most of our house is supporting you today. As are the Ravenclaws,” Chiara informed them.

Indeed, she was right. Though not all of them chose to wear red and gold, most of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students were choosing to sit far from the Slytherins, who were congregating in their own little sphere.

“The Slytherins are, shall we say, not well liked among the rest of the school,” Diego shrugged. “They tend not to play fair or with honor, so I am told.”

“You’re giving them too much credit,” Penny replied to him, her normally chipper face again turning disdainful. “Slytherins almost never play fair.”

“Be that as it may, they still usually field a decent squad year after year,” Bill spoke sagely. “And they came in second last year to Ravenclaw. Titus Hammersmith is going to go the extra mile to ensure that doesn’t happen again.”

“Yeah well Titus can sit on a pin. Personally, I’m just excited to watch Skye Parkin for the first time. I’ve heard she’s amazing!”

That caught David’s attention as he gazed over at the blonde.

“I didn’t know you were such a Quidditch fan, Penny.”

“Are you kidding? I know everything there is to know about it! And the Parkins are legends. That’s another reason I’m supporting Gryffindor today. Her dad is incredible, and I know she will be too.”

David laughed before glancing over at Rowan who looked noticeably uninspired.

“Cheer up, will ya?” he said while elbowing him playfully. “Match hasn’t even started yet and you already look as bored as I do in History of Magic.”

“I’m sorry, Dave. I guess sports just aren’t really my thing, you know? I’m more of a thinking kind of person when it comes to fun.”

“Just you wait, Rowan,” Bill encouraged. “By the end of the day you’ll have an appreciation for this. Quidditch is like nothing ever experienced before.”

Just then a loud, booming voice cut across the chatter, so loud in fact, it echoed across the pitch.

“Ladies and gentlemen I’d like to welcome you all to the beginning of the 1985-86 interhouse Quidditch season! With the first of the six matchups yet to come I can guarantee a 98.7 percent chance of excitement! Especially with these two notorious rivals, Gryffindor and Slytherin!”

Peering up into the booth, David saw a burly blond boy seated next to Professor McGonagall, megaphone in hand, the Sonorus charm in full effect. The enthusiasm espoused was only matched by the look of pure joy in his face, as though talking Quidditch was just as exciting as playing it.

“Who’s that?” Ben asked aloud.

“Murphy McNully,” Bill answered straight away. “Third year in our own house. Absolute nutter when it comes to Quidditch. Don’t get him started or he’ll never stop talking.”

“Why doesn’t he just play himself?” David joked.

“Because that chair isn’t just for kicks.”

Diego handed him the binoculars and indeed Murphy was not merely seated in a common chair, rather it appeared the chair was his main method of transportation as it was coupled with wheels on each side.

“Why does he need a wheelchair?”

“No one knows,” Jae said, tossing up his yellow hoodie to keep warm. “The way I heard it, if you ask why he clams up. Just about the only thing that gets him to shut his hole.”

“Rumor it was dark magic during the war,” Tonks whispered.

The speculation ended as a sudden whoosh alerted them to the arrival of the first team from the lockers.

“And here come the Gryffindor squad!” McNully announced with gusto. “Parkin, Barrett, Blishwick, McLaggen, Weasley, and Brown. Captained by Orion Amari!”

Cheers went up from seventy five percent of the stadium with only the hisses and boos from the Slytherins spoiling the unanimity. For David, the sight was amazing as he awed at witnessing actual Quidditch players race around the pitch. The red was quite distinctive, even in the glistening sun, the seven starters flying in an impressive V formation.

Another whoosh of wind announced the arrival of the infamous opponent which Murphy wasted no time in pointing out with almost equal gusto.

“And here are the Slytherins! Radcliffe, Rowle, Rosier, Chapman, Fernsby, and Burke. Captained by Titus Hammersmith!”

The cheers and jeers reversed this time, as the boos became louder while the screams of support were largely drowned out.

“This Orion Amari bloke looks like he already got hit with a bludger,” Tonks snickered as she passed the binoculars to Chiara and Penny who also giggled.

David couldn’t deny that she had a point. Upon closer inspection, the Gryffindor captain had the face of someone who was ready to soak up sunshine at a beach, not an intense, grueling Quidditch match.

“Orion is a bit eccentric; I’ll give you that,” Bill laughed. “But looks can be deceiving, he knows the game and he knows how to get the best out of people.”

“So how come we only won a single game last year?” Rowan asked.

“He was only made captain halfway through his fourth year. Plus, they didn’t have my brother or Skye Parkin,” the eldest Weasley added with a confident smile.

The referee Madam Hooch approached the center of the pitch to release the bludgers and the snitch while simultaneously giving warning to each team.

“I don’t need to remind you I want a nice, clean game. Captains, shake hands.”

Orion and Titus did so, though the latter definitely looked like he was trying to crush the former’s hand. However, if Orion felt anything, he did not show it, his mellow expression unchanging. For the lanky, blond Slytherin, his face turned to a scowl indicating his displeasure and dislike.

Without further delay, Madam Hooch threw the quaffle into the air and the match was on.

“And there goes Slytherin in their main line of attack with the three R’s, better known as Radcliffe, Rowle, and Rosier, a top of the line chaser squad from last season who nearly set the record for the most goals in a single season with fifty seven. Rowle ducks and passes it to Rosier, dodges the bludger and flips it to Radcliffe, she shoots...!”

Thankfully, for the Gryffindors, the keeper Liam Brown punched the ball away and into the hands of Orion who headed up the field.

“Spectacular play by the Gryffindor keeper, and there was only about a 37 percent chance of a save there!” McNully continued to ramble. “And there goes Amari and my word folks, he’s broom surfing!”

Indeed, it was an impressive display of skill as Orion smoothly navigated his way past the Slytherin defense despite their attempts to knock him off his broom. But instead of taking a shot on goal, he feigned a throw, cutting back around and tossing it back to a wide open Skye Parkin, who took the quaffle and put it through the main hoop for the first points of the game.

“And there you have it, folks! Rookie sensation Skye Parkin, daughter of the world famous Ethan Parkin, with the first points of the game and of her career here at Hogwarts!” McNully shouted excitedly. “Gryffindor leads 10-0.”

David and company cheered loudly while Penny jumped up and down screaming, “I told you she was good! I told you!”

And that wasn’t the end of the scoring. Bill had proven correct about Orion and his methods. Though he was unorthodox, the sheer unpredictability of his moves meant that the Slytherin beaters were constantly missing their mark and the chasers could move with ease. Before long, he and the other Gryffindor chaser, Ruth Barrett, had scored another goal apiece, making the score 30-0 in the Lions’ favor.

“It’s really something, isn’t it?” David yelled over the noise to Rowan.

“Orion and Skye are amazing,” came the agreement.

Indeed, the fireworks only continued from there. Slytherin did manage to put a goal past Liam Brown to get on the board, but the celebration was short lived as Skye managed to punch the quaffle out of Rowle’s hand, snag it, and race single handedly towards the goal. Dodging the attempted bumps from Deanna Radcliffe, Skye slipped underneath her resurfacing on top and scored on the right-hand hoop for her second goal.

“Did you see that?! Merlin’s beard did you see that?!” McNully exclaimed. “By George what a move that was!”

It was so crafty, no one on Slytherin had any time to react. And judging by the look on Skye’s face, David knew she was loving every second of this. She was truly in her element.

The Gryffindor defense continued to remain solid throughout the game with the beaters McLaggen and Blishwick scattering Slytherin’s three Rs time and time again. But the real story was Skye, Orion, and Ruth, who as a collective were nearly impossible to stop. Seeing a live game for the first time, David began to get a grasp of what made this unit so incredible. Orion was fluid and freelance, but always aware of where his teammates were, his passing skills exemplary. Ruth Barrett was a model of efficiency, there was no aspect of her game above the others, rather she was simply consistent at everything- passing, scoring, and flying. And then there was Skye. Just twelve years old, she was running circles around the Slytherins, too fast to catch and too agile to hit with a bludger. Together, the three were making their opponents look silly. It wasn’t until the first dirty play of the game that Skye’s one weakness was exposed.

After scoring her fourth goal to make the score 90-20 in favor of the Lions, she failed to notice Hammersmith coming straight towards her whilst she celebrated.

WHAM!

“Look out folks! The Slytherin captain has just attempted to knock Parkin off her broom and into next week! That’s an obvious foul which no doubt Madam Hooch will be quick to call!”

He was on the money as the hawk eyed referee began to berate Hammersmith for the foul while Skye attempted to stop herself from careening off the pitch. Eventually she managed to hang on and right herself, flustered, but otherwise unharmed.

Boos rained down on Hammersmith, who snarled at his detractors.

“I told you they don’t fight fair,” Diego remarked.

“Crawl back to your hole, wanker!” Penny screamed down at him, causing some of the boys to raise their eyebrows.

“She really is a fan,” Jae muttered.

But she wasn’t the only one. David was yelling insults too and even Rowan got in on the act at the blatant attempt at sabotage. Some of the Gryffindors began throwing food and other objects as Madam Hooch tried to wrest the situation back under control.

Though Skye was not hurt, her teammates did not take kindly to the insult. In retaliation, Henry McLaggen crushed a bludger at Hammersmith while the penalty shot was being set up, catching him painfully in the stomach. Rowle then flew up and punched him in the back of the head while Liam Brown rushed over and caught the Slytherin with a right hook.

At this point, things were getting out of hand and Hooch was screeching her whistle for the ruckus to cease, but it was an unlikely source who stepped in to prevent an all out brawl. Orion flew down to the commotion and put himself in the middle, separating Gryffindor and Slytherin alike. David couldn’t tell what was saying but it had the desired effect as his teammates eventually backed down, as did their opponents.

“What on earth could he have said to diffuse that?” Ben asked, shocked as everyone else.

“I have no idea, but whatever it was, he deserves a medal for special services to the school,” Bill observed, grabbing the binoculars from Diego.

“Are the Slytherins always this dirty?” Rowan asked him.

“Not always. Sometimes they’re so good they don’t need to. But Hammersmith doesn’t fool around. If he can gain a psychological edge, he will.”

“I just hope Skye is okay,” Chiara said quietly for the first time.

“She better be,” Penny growled. “Or else I’m going to pay a personal visit to the Slytherin common room tonight.”

David, however, looked up at Skye and saw that not only was she fine, she was glowing. Far from being angry, she gave a laugh and took the quaffle for a penalty shot. Calm and collected, she easily punched the ball past the Slytherin keeper Jessica Burke to make the score 100-20.

“Seems fine to me,” he said aloud.

Nothing confirmed this more than what Skye did next. A confident smirk plastered across her face she rushed past Hammersmith, causing him to flinch which garnered a laugh from the crowd.

“She’s more than fine,” Tonks snickered. “She’s got the whole Slytherin team eating out the palm of her hand.”

Play resumed and with Madam Hooch on the lookout for any more shenanigans, both sides did not attempt any more roughhousing. However, the Slytherin defense seemed to double their efforts as Hammersmith and his counterpart Malcolm Chapman kept hitting bludgers furiously at the Gryffindor chasers to keep them at bay. This paid off in the end as Felix Rosier snuck a goal past Liam Brown putting the score at 100-30.

“We’re up by seventy but I’d feel better if this ended soon,” Rowan groaned.

“Are you still not enjoying yourself?”

“Are you kidding? Of course! I want to win this thing!”

David and Bill shared a knowing smile, quite pleased they had converted their friend.

“Well don’t hold your breath,” the eldest Weasley told them. “Quidditch matches can last for days if need be. No one goes home until the snitch is caught and Gryffindor’s lead isn’t large enough to make up the difference if Slytherin gets to it first.”

“They’d need to be up by one hundred and fifty points,” Penny explained to Rowan. “Personally, I could watch Skye score goals all day.”

While that was true, David had a feeling that Charlie would have to come up clutch. Lost in the hoopla of the scoring and scrappy play was the fact that the snitch had not been seen once over the course of the match. The second Weasley patrolled the skies, tailing Douglas Fernsby, the Slytherin seeker now and again but there was no luck so far.

“You think he can pull it off?” he asked Bill, who was scouring the field for his brother.

“Trust me, he can,” came the confident reply. “Once he spots that little golden ball, it’s game over.”

Suddenly, the roar of the crowd rose a few decibels as people began pointing.

“And here we go, the first attempt to end the game!” McNully boomed into the microphone. “Charlie Weasley, the promising Gryffindor seeker has gone into a full long sprint for the snitch!”

Seekers occasionally feigned going after the snitch to throw off their opponent, but this was not one of those times. From a distance, David could see that Charlie had a determined, hungry look on his face. A tiny glint of light confirmed that was indeed after the snitch and closing in fast.

“He’s going to do it! He’s going to do it!” Bill yelled over the noise, grabbing onto David in excitement. “Come on, little bro!”

The snitch was notorious quick and difficult to see, but the young Gryffindor seeker was not to be deterred. Fernsby of Slytherin was on the other side of the pitch and had no chance whatsoever. It was simply a matter of seconds.

“Look out!” someone yelled.

Out of nowhere the the Slytherin chaser, Rowle, came in like a bullet with the clear intention of knocking Charlie off his broom. But in a stunning display of broomsmanship, the Gryffindor simply slipped underneath his broom, hanging upside down as Rowle crashed into the ground. Righting himself, Charlie regained his focus, stretched out and caught the little golden ball in his right hand, ending the match.

“WE WIN!” Bill screamed to the heavens as the rest of the Gryffindors began jumping up and down like maniacs.

“And the match has ended!” McNully said hoarsely into the megaphone. “And what a stupendous display from the young Gryffindor seeker! Simply amazing I don’t think I’ve seen a move like that in all my years watching Quidditch and I’m thirteen years old! Gryffindor wins, 250-30 in the biggest route of Slytherin in fifty years!”

The commentary was soon drowned out by the increasing tidal wave of cheers and roars from the crowd. Many Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws joined in the celebration, Penny chief among them, who was almost as ecstatic as the Gryffindors.

For his part, David whooped and hollered in the celebrations, being engulfed in a tidal wave of hugs and high fives, food smuggled from the Great Hall raining down on his head. The solemn faces of the Slytherins were long forgotten as the stands began to clear out and the party headed back to the Gryffindor common room.

Victory did indeed feel good, and for a short time, it was enough to overlook any complications involving Merula, the vaults, or Slytherin in general. They could hide in the grave of Salazar himself. Fortune favored the bold.

It was time to celebrate, courtesy of two brave Gryffindors in Skye Parkin and Charlie Weasley.

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