acatalepsy [Fred Weasley]

24 - Quidditch

"Ready for the first match?" Fred asked Atlas with a nudge to her arm, ever so slightly knocking her off balance as they prepared to walk out to the pitch.

"When am I not?" She smirked back but he could see the nerves behind her eyes and her shaking hands despite them being hidden in her gloves.

"Ali-" Fred starts, grabbing her shoulders, forcing her to face him "-I know you can do this. You're the best Chaser we've got. Actually, scrap that, you're the best Chaser at this school."

"Don't think Ginny would be too pleased to hear you say that." Atlas laughed.

"I'm not!" Ginny called from behind them.

"Oops. Besides, maybe I'll give you a special treat if we win." He winked at her.

"Well, if there's one way to motivate a girl, that's definitely it," she laughs as she grips her broom, making their way to the middle of the pitch.

The match started and it was extremely tense, not only for the players but also for the crowd because someone decided that the best way to start the year was Gryffindor vs Slytherin and everyone was on the edge of their seat.

Slytherin was leading 90-60 despite Atlas, Ginny and Alicia being in control of the Quaffle for most of the game. The Slytherins were playing dirty and their team pretty much had three Keepers, using two of the Chasers to guard the other two hoops, making it almost impossible to score.

It was Ron's first game as Gryffindor Keeper and he was doing really well, especially seeing as he was actually adhering to the rules of the game. Fred and George had managed to 'accidentally' knock out one of the Slytherin Chasers and a sub had to be brought on for the rest of the game.

Atlas could see a Bludger heading straight for her so she threw the Quaffle to Ginny in hopes that she could score whilst she tried to dodge it. The twins were both at the other end of the pitch dealing with the other Bludger so she knew she had to deal with it herself. Once her hands were free, she gripped onto her broom, wrapped her ankles around the other end and hung underneath it in the 'Sloth Grip Roll' position.

The Bludger barely missed her, if she'd done it half a second later, it would have hit her in the head. Suddenly the other Bludger started making it's way to her but she didn't have enough time to move. Luckily, Fred had started making his way over to her when he'd noticed it. He put himself between her and the ball and waited for it to come with his bat in hand. Just as he was about to beat it away, a Slytherin Chaser came up behind him and kicked the end of his broom, jolting him forwards.

He missed the Bludger and it smashed into Atlas' broom in between where she was holding onto it at either end. It snapped in half and she fell fifty feet to the ground, the sound of the crowd gasping being the last thing she heard.

"ALI! ATLAS!" Fred shouted as he flew to the ground as quickly as he could, running over to her.

"Atlas..." he breathed out as George joined him. The two of them tried to gently wake her up knowing that she's at least broken a few bones from that fall but it was no use, she was out cold.

"Away! Everyone move away!" McGonagall shouts as she rushes over to Atlas with Madam Pomfrey.

The crowd that had gathered around them backed up a few steps except for Fred and George "Mr Weasley, I really need you to back away," Pomfrey told Fred who was running his hand through Atlas' hair.

"I'm not leaving her!" Fred yelled as he cupped her face with his free hand, tears starting to form in his eyes at the fact she's not waking up.

"Fred..." George starts, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder "Let her do what she needs to."