𝘀𝗸𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸, charlie weasley

˗ˋ 24

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
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-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH THEY KICK OFF

. . .

Pep talks behind them and shin pads attached (to their elbows, if you were Fred and George and wanting Kaida to shout at them), the Gryffindor Quidditch team approached the tunnel into the pitch. 

The covers were arranged over the wooden structure of the stands, the main tower filled with members of staff, and the lower seats filled with every student that attended the school. Most were dressed in the colours of Gryffindor - almost three quarters of the viewers were dressed in scarlet and gold, whereas the remaining few were in silver and emerald. 

It was a welcoming sight, and the excited anticipation that spread through Kaida and the rest of the team, Oliver tapping his foot against the edge of his broom as they waited for Madam Hooch to give them the go ahead to enter onto the pitch. 

 "We're going to win." Charlie nudged the Keeper with his elbow. "You're making everyone anxious. We're going to win, and we all know it."

"I'm not planning on holding it against you when you lose, Weasley." The Slytherin Captain, who was considerably ugly and seemed rather in need of a beating from Fred and George's bats, said. Marcus Flint was in the same year as Oliver, but as opposed to only holding the position of Chaser, he was Captain as well.

It wasn't as well known, but Flint had only gotten the position as Captain because the previous had managed to get himself kicked off - something so bad that even Snape couldn't allow it any further. Flint had been playing since his second year, and so Kaida and Charlie were all very much familiar with his style of play. As was Rosa and Oliver, who had joined two years before, and Fred, George and Angelina, who had all watched him play the year before. 

And Flint played dirty. His tactics didn't actually involve legitimate tactics at all, but focused solely around hitting, bashing, crashing, colliding and smashing. Most teams came of a match against Slytherin beaten and bruised, but if Charlie and Kaida hadn't worked their chosen team as hard as they did, they wouldn't have had a chance.

Now they did. They were a good team - a great team, if Kaida could be so arrogant - and they had the training to manage it. And if that wasn't enough, they had Fred and George, who already hated Slytherins enough on a day-to-day basis, and was always open to doing anything that put them in harms way. 

Armed with Beaters bats, they were practically unstoppable. 

"We'll win, Flint." Charlie replied, teeth gritted but relaxing slightly as Kaida, who was stood directly behind him, squeezed his hand, Madam Hooch's whistle blowing meaning that the Slytherin didn't get the chance to reply. 

The teams marched out onto the field, grass soft beneath their feet. Taking their places in the structure above the centre cirle, the captains faced each other, grim looks on their faces as gripped their brooms, tighter than ever.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you." Hooch began, voice sharp. "Mount your brooms." She instructed. And moments later, she blew her whistle.

They were off.

Blood pounding in her eears, Kaida kicked off from the ground as quickly as she could manage, shooting forward and catching the Quaffle as soon as it shot up out of the confines it, alongside with the two Bludgers and the Snitch, had been kept in since the previous game. 

Clutching the red leather ball to her chest, fingers curled around one of the indents as she swerved around a quickly approaching Graham Montague, who blinked once and saw his target gone, going completely off-course as she shot upwards. 

Angelina was steadily following behind, and as Callum Warrington approached, Kaida threw the Quaffle to the new Chaser, the two of them continuing this tactic of going back and forth until they came to the goal. Warrington and Montague were on their tail, and with the Quaffle flying back into her hand, Kaida dropped in the air and the two Slytherins collided.

With some very quick thinking and moving on her behalf, she ducked out of the way of the two struggling Chasers and made her move to score again, a loud cheer ringing out as the Quaffle flew through the left hoop, much to the dismay of Slytherin Keeper Bletchley.

"And the first goal of the year goes to Gryffindor!" Lee Jordan, Fred and George's friend, seemed to be trying his hand as commentator, and his voice rang out across the stands. "Scored by none other than our co-captain Kaida Phoenix. Lovely girl really, always thought that her and Charlie would have something going on by now and-"

"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall's concerned voice replaced his, ridiculing his misuse of the position, and that it wasn't a chance for gossip.

"Don't know what you're on about, Professor." Lee's voice was mischevious. "They love this sort of thing - her friends agree as well." He wasn't going to let McGonagall to stop him now.

Kaida shook her head, forcing her attention away from the commentary. She had missed this feeling, the exhilaration of scoring and hearing crowds cheering her name. It was wrong of her to do so, but she hoped the match would go on for a while, let the feeling sink in properly.

And of course, end with Gryffindor winning.

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