Chasing The Keeper

Slytherin Defeat

February came rather quickly, yet time felt to drag on day today. Walking alone was no longer permitted, and everyone had to stick to large groups. The Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin match was rapidly approaching. I was training my team harder than ever, and I could feel their slight resentment to the early morning and late evening practices. Snape was exceptionally on edge, and with the amount of homework he assigned, I wouldn't have been surprised if I finished the entire stack four years after graduation. I heard fifth and seventh years groan about how exams were coming up every couple of minutes in the dining hall.

I woke up early on the morning of the match, feeling rather hesitant to face Slytherin. They played dirty in their match against Gryffindor, who's to say they wouldn't do it to us.

Rain crashed against the dorm window, and visibility outside was low. Lower than I've seen it in my entire quidditch experience.
"I needn't worry yet." I thought to myself as I slipped into my quidditch uniform. It was only six am and the match started at eleven. Chances are the rain would stop by that point, or at least subside into a sprinkle.

Boy was I wrong. So wrong in fact, that I bit my cheek to the point of drawing blood on the way down to the pitch with my team. It did lighten up around ten am, but just as the clock struck ten-thirty, the rain came down tenfold, seeming even worse than it did in the morning.

"Alright team," I said in the locker room, looking around at my equally worried teammates. "I won't sugar coat it, this match seems like it will be the equivalent to literal fucking hell."

This was received by numerous loud groans from everyone.

"However, try to treat this as a learning experience." I continued. "We have been practicing almost every day in nearly every kind of weather. Sure this might be worse than anything we've seen at practice, but our practices should have prepared up nicely for this. Make sure to wax your broomstick handle with a few extra layers, chalk up your gloves as much as possible, and you should be fine."

"How am I supposed to catch the snitch in this weather?" Cho asked meekly.

"Good thing I'm not a seeker because that's not my problem to handle but yours." I cheerily clapped her on the back. "You'll figure it out."

I glanced down at my small wristwatch before covering it with the sleeves of my uniform layers.

Eleven am.

"Alright, time to head out," I yelled, grabbing my broomstick and slinging it over my shoulder.

The rest of my team put on brave faces and marched after me. We stepped onto the field, and immediately the rain began mercilessly whipping my face. I could barely make out the blurred silhouette of madam hooch, and the only thing that helped make her out was her body in contrast to the green blur of the Slytherin quidditch team.

I glanced over to where I knew the stands were located, and I could barely make out the green and blue shadows of the umbrellas nearly everyone had up.

We mounted the brooms to Madam Hooch's whistle and quickly soared upwards.

I could barely see anything more than a few arms lengths away, and the rain had whipped my face raw within minutes of being out in it, so it came as a surprise when I felt the quaffle fly into my lap. I didn't take time to think it over, and continued speeding towards the Slytherin goalposts. I couldn't see anyone around me, and to my glee, no one was following me. The visibility was so low, that no one had seen or heard me grab the quaffle, and so I was free to cruise all the way to the goalposts. The top goal posts were uncovered, and I spotted the keeper somewhere near the bottom hoop. I took my chance and flew right through the hoop.

"I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING, BUT STONE HAS JUST SCORED TEN POINTS FOR RAVENCLAW!" I made out Lee Jordan's voice from the speakers, muffled by the rain, and loud cheering and booing from the crowd.

I slowly returned to the ready position, giving the ball to Madam Hooch. The rain was unrelenting, and I couldn't feel my own fingertips, despite being aware of how tightly they clutched the broom handle.

The quaffle was thrown up once again, but I couldn't see where it went. It was just my luck that I saw a Slytherin chaser speed past me with it in his hands, nearly knocking me off my broom. I quickly pulled my broom hands and reversed, hurling myself after the quaffle.

The game continued with a great effort to make it playable, but it was about as successful as playing with a blindfold. When we had reached forty to twenty points after an hour, I was beginning to feel very tired. I was unrelenting of course, but after bumping into the enemy players seeker several times, one can begin to experience annoyance. The weather had not changed in the slightest, and I could feel tears caused by the wind streaming down my face along with the raindrops, feeling burning hot against my skin.

Suddenly somewhere next to me I heard a loud OOMF, and a cry of pain, followed by an audible thump.

"What was that?!" I tried to yell out but felt my voice break.

I flew down to where I heard the noise. On the ground, I saw a black dot, and the closer I got the more I could make out the outline of our seeker.

I quickly landed next to Cho, who looked like she was in a lot of pain.

"Bludger?" I croaked as loudly as I could muster my voice could go.

Cho nodded, noticeable tears welling in her eyes, which was impressive because the amount of rain made it hard to tell the two apart.

"Can you continue playing?" I asked, knowing it was a pointless question, seeing as her knee looked to be dislocated, and her wrist slightly mangled.

She managed a tearful grin and unclutched her hand.

Inside was the golden glimmer of a subdued snitch.

~~~~

I sat shivering wrapped in several blankets June produced for me in the Ravenclaw common room. Cho was in the hospital wing, and despite the team's initial attempts to sit by her bed until she awoke, Madam Pomfrey told us that she wouldn't wake up until tomorrow and that it was best for her to remain alone to recover.

"What are you going to wear for tonight's victory party?" June asked, aimlessly transfiguring her hair every few seconds to different lengths and colours, an obnoxious poof ringing out every time she did so.

"I'm not sure really," I said, taking another sip of hot tea, every gulp making my throat feel better.