The sky over the Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch had turned a deep steel grey, clouds swirling as if stirred by excitement itself. The grandstands were overflowing, students wrapped in scarves and cloaks of red or green, faces painted, voices raised.
Lucan sat beside Darius and Marcus Flint, who was practically vibrating with energy.
"This is it!" Marcus shouted, punching the air. "We're gonna crush them!"
The booming voice of Lee Peakes, a seventh-year Hufflepuff who often volunteered as a commentator, echoed through the enchanted megaphone:
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first match of the year! Gryffindor versus Slytherin! Let's meet the teams!"
The Gryffindor team soared into the sky first, red-robed and determined. At the front was their Captain, Fiona Roscoe, a fierce sixth-year Chaser with wild red curls and a temper to match.
The Slytherin team followed next, sleek and intimidating in green and silver. Their Captain, Julius Crane, was a seventh-year Beater with the build of a troll and a stare that could make first-years cry. Lucan had seen him once in the Great Hall, always quiet.
Darius leaned forward, "That's Julius. He's the reason nobody wants to mess with the Slytherin team."
"LOOK AT THEM!" Marcus screamed over the crowd, cupping his hands around his mouth. "CRUSH 'EM, JULIUS!"
The rest of the Slytherin team formed up behind Crane:
Cassia Bletchley, a fourth-year Seeker with hawk-like eyes and a vicious streak.
Alric Nott and Velma Vaisey, Chasers with seamless coordination.
Orin Mulciber, the second Beater, quiet, but deadly accurate with a Bludger.
And finally, DarianTravers, the Keeper, tall and twitchy but fast as lightning.
Madam Hooch floated to the center of the pitch, whistle in hand. "Now, on my whistle!"
Lucan gripped the rail as the Quaffle, two Bludgers, and the Snitch were released into the air.
FWEEEET!
The game exploded into motion.
Chasers dived and twisted through the air like arrows. Bludgers roared past players' heads. The crowd's roar became a tidal wave of noise.
Slytherin scored first. Then again.
"YEEEES! KEEP IT UP, NOTT!" Marcus bellowed, practically climbing over Lucan.
But Gryffindor wasn't backing down. Fiona Roscoe slammed a goal in and pumped her fist toward the stands. "We're not scared of snakes!" she shouted.
The match raged on, fast, brutal, and filled with near misses and nasty Bludger hits.
Cassia Bletchley, Slytherin's Seeker, looped tightly in the air, searching. Her movements were sharp and deliberate, not graceful like most Seekers, more like a predator. Lucan noticed it first, the slight jerk of her head, the shift in posture.
Cassia went into a dive.
The crowd surged forward. Fiona Roscoe shouted for her Beaters to block her, but Julius Crane intercepted them, slamming into a Gryffindor Chaser so hard the entire stadium winced.
Cassia twisted mid-air, dodging a Bludger by inches.
And then —
SNAP!
Her fingers closed around the Snitch.
The whistle blew.
The stadium went wild, well, half of it.
"SLYTHERIN WINS!" Peakes screamed, his voice echoing through the clouds. "190 TO 130! WHAT A MATCH!"
Marcus nearly lost his mind. He leapt up, shouting, "WE RULE! DID YOU SEE THAT?! WE'RE UNSTOPPABLE!"
Darius whooped beside him, slapping Lucan on the back. "Brilliant. Just brilliant."
Lucan smiled faintly, eyes still fixed on Cassia as she soared triumphantly above the pitch.
As the crowd poured out of the stands, Marcus still shouting about joining the team one day, Lucan walked quietly behind them, hands in his pockets.
Something about that match had stirred him. The precision, the teamwork… the strategy.
Author's Note:
Hey everyone! I know this chapter was a bit shorter than usual, but I still wanted to give you a fun and intense Quidditch match. More character development, magic, and plot progression coming in the next one! As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to leave feedback, I'm always looking to improve!