Chapter 32
HERMIONE GRANGER
The stands around the pitch were filled to the brim as the whole school gathered to attend the final match of the year's Quidditch season. Amongst the Sea of students, yellow and purple were the dominant choices of color, as the rest of the Houses coalesced around Ravenclaw, for nobody really liked the Slytherins.
Hermione herself wore a yellow and purple scarf around her neck as she sat with Harry and Ron, who were bouncing up and down, screaming and shouting as they all waited for the teams to show up.
Daphne and Tracey were on a separate part of the stands with the rest of their House, holding banners in support of their own House.
"AND SO HERE WE ARE!" began Dean Thomas, the anointed commentator for the match.
"IT IS THE DAY OF THE FINALS OF THE QUIDDITCH SEASON! AND FEW HERE COULD HAVE PICKED THIS MATCH UP FOR THE FINALS, BUT HERE WE ARE!" And indeed, before the year had begun, House Gryffindor were considered the favourites, with Slytherin and Hufflepuff being the next two.
None had ever thought that House Ravenclaw would see a massive shift in their fortunes with the addition of a simple player. But now they were in the finals, competing with a Slytherin team armed by Malfoy gold.
"AND THE TEAMS ARE HERE!" and out stepped the two teams and shook hands with one another, as Dean introduced them.
"AND IT SEEMS THE MALFOY TWINS ARE NOT EVEN FOOTING! DRACO MALFOY IS RIDING HIS VALUED FIREBOLT, WHILE THE YOUNGER ONE IS STILL STUCK WITH A NIMBUS OF THE LATEST GENERATION! A RESPECTABLE BROOM, BUT ONE THAT IS NO MATCH FOR THE VAUNTED FIREBOLT!"
"Damn it!" Ron cursed as his face contorted.
"He didn't get a firebolt," and Ron had been hopeful that Cassius could somehow get his hands on a firebolt as well, yet in the end, his hopes had been dashed.
"Draco's going to smoke him on that Firebolt," he chided as Madam Hooch called the captains for the toss.
"The Nimbus is not too bad. It has good pace," Harry added, and while she knew much about the game itself, her knowledge about brooms was lacking.
"Maybe, but the maneuverability sucks on the Nimbus. Draco would leave him in the dust on a sharp turn," and Harry had no retort for that, unlike herself.
"He will be fine," she added as they both turned to face her.
"Cassius would know about the weakness about the brooms. He must have planned for them," she added, and Ron nodded.
"I hope he has, because I cannot stand House Slytherin winning another championship," nor could the rest of the school, most of whom were all cheering for the underdogs, wearing purple and yellow scarf, raising slogans and banners.
WHEEE!
"AND WE ARE OFF!" and the players blurred in an instant, as Hermione's fists balled up.
The movements of the Ravenclaw team were familiar, as Cassius made a beeline for the Slytherin players, reminiscent of how he had played against the Hufflepuffs earlier in the term.
WHOOSH!
"AND THE RAVENCLAWERS HAVE GONE BACK TO THEIR STRATEGY OF ACTIVE SEEKING!" and just as it had seemed that a collision between Cassius and Montague, the Slytherin chaser, was impossible to avoid, Cassius tilted his broom slightly to the side as he whipped past him, leaving behind a tumbling Montague.
"AND THEY SCORE! THEY HAVE PUT ONE BEHIND FLINT! NOW THEY JUST HAVE TO PUT IN ANOTHER HUNDRED AND FIFTY!"
And the Ravenclaw scored in the blink of an eye as Draco circled the field from above.
"AND HE'S DROPPED IT!" and just as the match resumed, Cassius made a beeline for another Chaser, forcing him out of the passing line as the Slytherin team dropped the Quaffle.
"AND THEY SCORE AGAIN!" and so it continued as Ravenclaw team scrambled to put up points, and as the score line became 100-20, the Slytherin team changed tactics.
BOOOOM!
"GAH!" and the scream could be heard all across the stands, as Madam Hooch blew her whistle.
"AND THE SLYTHERIN BEATER HAS SWUNG HIS BAT AT CASSIUS MALFOY! THE RAVENCLAE SEEKER IS SCREAMING!"
"BASTARDS!" "COWARDS" CHEATERS!" and she did not know when she was on her feet cursing at the Slytherin players as Madam Pomfrey rushed towards Cassius who was on the ground.
"He is bleeding!" Harry added, and her heart twisted as she saw blood dripping down his face.
"THE REFREE WANTS THE MATCH TO RESUME! TWO THROWS TO RAVENCLAW!" and the team missed one, putting them 90 points ahead of Slytherin.
"AND THE MATCH RESUMES WITHOUT THE RAVENCLAW SEEKER!" and without him buzzing around, interfering, and stopping Slytherin plays, House Ravenclaw failed to maintain their advantage as Slytherin scored twice in quick succession.
"AND HE IS MOVING! DRACO IS MOVING!" and her heart lurched as Harry and Ron both cursed from the side, as the Pitch turned quiet.
"HE HAS SEEN IT! HE HAS SEEN THE SNITCH!" and the Ravenclaw beaters sent bludgers towards him in desperation.
"OOOH!" Dean's oohed as Draco made a sharp turn as the bludgers hit the walls of the pitch.
"THAT WAS SOME FLYING! THOUGH ONE WONDERS HOW MUCH OF IT WAS HIS DOING AND HOW MUCH OF IT WAS THE FIREBOLT SHOWING ITS CLASS!"
And just as the match seemed over, the snitch raced towards the sidewall, and running out of space, it was set to turn one side.
"AND HE IS UP! CASSIUS MALFOY IS UP! BUT HE IS NOT HEADING FOR THE SNITCH! WHAT IS HE DOING!"" Dean's voice was a whisper as she saw Cassius whip through the air.
"BUT DRACO IS ALMOST THERE! HE IS ALMOST THERE! IS THIS IT!"
"AND THE SNITCH TURNS RIGHT AND DRACO MALFOY TURNS!" and just as he did, Cassius flew straight into his own brother as Madam Hooch's whistle interrupted the play once more.
"Foul on Slytherin Seeker! One throw to Slytherin!" but it was all drowned in the cheer and the noise.
"HE TOOK A CHANCE! THE BASTARD TOOK A CHANCE!" and she could hear Professor McGonagall chiding Dean for his words as the stadium roared in cheer, as Montague stepped up to take the penalty.
"CASSIUS MALFOY TOOK A GAMBLE ON WHICH SIDE THE SNITCH WOULD TURN AND HE WINS IT! HOW THE IN MERLIN'S BEARD DID HE DO IT!" and the entire stadium was thinking the same.
And much to their dismay, Montague put away the penalty bringing the scoreline to 150-40.
"AND CASSIUS MALFOY IS STILL BLEEDING YET HE HAS REFUSED ANYMORE TREATMENT!" and she saw him waving at Madam Hooch as he gripped his broom.
"HE IS GOING TO CONTINUE LIKE THIS!" and it was risky, yet in the end Madam Hooch blew the whistle as the match resumed.
The Ravenclaw team found their second wind, but with the Slytherin had made a clear plan as the beaters began to assault Cassius.
"AND AGAIN! GOYLE HAS HIT HIM IN THE BACK!" and the Ravenclaw seeker is down once more. Crabbe and Goyle were extra mean as the whole crowd booed the Slytherin team.
"Bastards! They are trying to kill him!" she shouted, as Ron screamed as well.
"SEND THEM OFF! RED CARD! RED CARD!" though in his rage, he seemed to have forgotten that this was Quidditch and not soccer.
Cho put away the penalties, putting them up by 130, as the match resumed once again as Cassius joined in once more and began to harass the Slytherin chasers again.
"He has slowed down," Harry added, and indeed he had slowed down. He seemed to be struggling a bit as he whipped through the air, but even then, he was a menace to the opposing team.
His team, though, seemed to feed off of his energy, as Davies made three crucial saves and it was here. They were finally up by 150.
"THIS IS IT! THE RAVENCLAW ARE UP..." but just as Dead was mid-way through his sentence, Draco Malfoy flew down, and for a second it felt as if he was chasing after the snitch.
"No. He has not seen the snitch," Harry added from the side, and as he flew straight towards Davies, his intentions became clear as the whistle sounded for a Slytherin goal.
"AND SLYTHERIN SCORES AGAIN TO CLOSE THE GAP TO 140..."
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DRACO MALFOY
Draco had always felt proud of being the eldest twin and basking in all the perks that came with it. Yet, he was not so blind to see that his Cassius was better than him in most things. Studies, spell work, making friends and so forth, his younger twin often beat him out in most things, yet one thing where he prided himself in being better than Cassius was Quidditch.
For all his talents, the two of them were nearly equal when it came to flying, or more specifically, Draco was marginally better. Perhaps it was because of his twins' lack of interest in the sport, but Draco still was proud of himself for being better than him at one specific thing.
And yet, today's match was testing even this.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" he screamed as he turned to face his team as they huddled up for a penalty.
"You have let them put up 220 over us!" he screamed at the team, and Flint was equally furious.
"Who are you to scream at us? We wouldn't be here if you had just caught the snitch!" and his side still ached because of the tumble he had taken as Cassius had flown into him.
"You have right to blame us for your own mistakes!" they turned upon him, as his fists balled up.
"They were up by 150 just now! If I catch it now, we will lose!" he screamed, and thankfully, Montague put down the penalty, bringing the gap to 130 again.
"Now we are down by only 130," chided Flint as the captain snarled at him, and the entire team seemed to be against him.
"Catch the snitch, Malfoy, and leave the rest to us!" he said, clicking his tongue as he saw no support from these bastards. And a few months ago, all of them were earing out of his hands. Heck! The brooms they were using were all paid for by his money, and yet now they had all turned their backs on him.
Even Crabbe and Goyle stood back as Draco glanced over and saw the Ravenclaw team huddled together in a circle, with his own brother seeming to scream instructions at them.
Cassius had always been blessed with a brilliant mind. And it seemed that his brother had no difficulty putting it to use even in Quidditch, as Draco sighed and jumped off of the ground.
"Do whatever you want!" he said as he took his position in the air, as the teams got into their position once more. And he looked at Cassius whose eyes were focused on Flint, and just as the whistle blew up, he raced straight at the their keeper, the small breather had given him some time to recover as he flew a circle around Montague forcing Crabbe and him to collide with one another, as Ravenclaw scored once more.
He clicked his tongue as he stopped focusing on the scoreline and turned his attention to the skies. The snitch had been rather mischievous today and was much difficult to spot as he circled the ground and tried to search for it.
The match had already run for around two hours, and had been one of the longest games in some time as Draco heard the crowd cheer once more. Yet he ignored it all, as his eyes caught a blur of golden in one corner of the field.
He did not think of the scores or the players as he twisted his broomstick in the air and leaned forward. The Firebolt reacted to his command as he cut through the air and made a beeline for the golden glimmer buzzing in the air.
As if sensing his approach, the snitch turned away and began to fly straight up in the air, as Draco tilted up the broom and made to follow. The sounds and cheers all dulled as Draco cut through the clouds, and believing in the superiority of his broom, he refused to glance back at all as he chased after the snitch.
And yet, in an instant, the Snitch stopped, and just as he made to reach for it, he turned to the side, and just like before, as he made to follow it, he found himself shoved from the side as he lost control of his broom.
"SHIT!" he screamed, as he spun in the air.
"You can be a real prick, you know!" he screamed, and yet as he looked back, he saw that the impact had affected Cassius more than him, as his brother seemed to have lost control of his broom and was racing to the ground.
"Cassius!" he screamed, his heart lurching as he saw him tumbling towards the ground yet in that moment, he saw it again.
The Snitch.
It was a few yards away from him, buzzing in the air. He reacted on instinct as he stabilised himself and whizzed through the air, as he raced towards the snitch, and this time, there was no interference, and after a simple twist and turn, he lunged forward and clasped his hands around the snitch.
"YESSS!" he screamed triumphantly as the voices finally returned.
"HE HAS THE SNITCH! DRACO MALFOY HAS THE SNITCH! BUT IT IS MEANINGLESS!" and his heart sunk as soon as he heard those words, as he looked to the ground and saw the Ravenclaw team gathered in a circle around a singular spot.
"THAT LAST LUNGE FROM CASSIUS BOUGHT HIS TEAM ENOUGH TIME TO PUT IN TWO MORE GOALS! RAVENCLAW WINS! 280-270!" and his fist balled up as his feet touched the ground.
The cheers were deafening as the Ravenclaw team all jumped up and down in joy.
"AND IT IS ALL BECAUSE OF ONE MAN! GIVE IT UP FOR CASSIUS MALFOY!" and his brother lay on the ground, a loose bandage covering his head, with some of it caked on his face as he heaved.
"AND IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE FLIES WE WILL EVER SEE! AND THIS JUST PROVES THAT CLASS MATTERS MORE THAN BROOMS!" and he was tired and defeated, and felt his eyes well up, as a heavy feeling swelled up in his chest.
"What the hell was that!" he heard a scream from behind and saw Fline roaring at him.
"Why the hell did you catch the snitch!" he screamed, as Draco's lips thinned in rage.
"It's not like it would have mattered much!" he taunted, refusing to bow down to the bastard who snarled at him.
"You li..." but before he could take a step forward, a chilling voice cut through the air.
"That will be enough!" he looked up and saw the Potions Professor standing behind him as the entire team straightened up, for all of them knew of the dire consequences of angering the man.
"Back to the dressing rooms," he said, looking at Flint and the rest, and with a final glare, they all turned away and headed to the changing rooms as Draco sat there, too tired to move.
"That was some flying out there," and the man looked down as he addressed him. And it was rare for him to hear the praise anyone.
"But in the end, it all came down to planning. And the Ravenclaw team was better prepared," and indeed, they had practised a dozen maneuvers and had made a rather expansive game plan, unlike his team, which had done nothing.
"Go and rest, while I go and see the state your brother has landed himself in," and with that the man turned around and headed towards the crowd which was celebrating.
And after a quick glance, he made to follow after him. Such was his presence that the students all moved to the side to make way for the Potions Master, as they reached the centre of the circle where his brother sat with a clearly frustrated matron buzzing around him.
"Such recklessness! I have not seen it in years! All for just a sport!" she buzzed as she waved her wand at Cassius, who was surrounded by both his friends and team. Some slapped him, others simply cheered loudly as his brother lay there smiling.
"Congratulations," he said as Cassius looked up at him.
"Thanks, it was quite a fly, wasn't it?" he said with a smile as he extended his hand, and after a moment's hesitation, Draco took it, nodding.
"Yeah, that was some flying out there, you bastard," his brother chuckled, and Snape cut in.
"What do you need, Poppy?" he asked as the matron turned towards him.
"His fractured his ribs and skull! I will need to mend them, but I cannot do it here like this. I need to take him to the Hospital Wing," but the massive crowd meant that it was not easy to move him.
Professor Snape nodded as he raised his wand, and immediately his brother's body flew into the air.
"Clear the way," and he did not need to raise his voice, and the students parted ways giving him a path. Though the Ravenclaw captain stepped forward, trying to stop the man.
"But the Cup and ceremony?" he asked, and the black-haired professor was not convinced.
"I believe bones are more important..." and with that, he moved past them as Cassius was carried away, as Draco turned around and headed towards his changing room all by himself.
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