Can it be? | Pansy Parkinson

XXXI- Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff

Anna's POV

It was awful. Angelina made us work our asses off but it wasn't the same. There were holes in our team. It seemed like only Ginny, Alicia and I were taking it seriously. Kirke and Sloper were probably the worst beaters we could've found, but we needed some and they were the only one present. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like anyone would be safe of the bludgers even if we had them to protect us. Ron was a good keeper. He really was, the only problem was his self-esteem. He refused to take any compliment and always minimized his work, saying Oliver would do it much better than him. While he was right about that, Oliver was also recruited for a professional quidditch team and it seemed like he lived for the sport. He had been Keeper for more years than Ron would ever be and comparing them to each other was totally unfair. Ginny's flying was amazing. She was fast and smooth and we all knew she would be able to catch the snitch. It was only a matter of how the rest of us would play and if our Beaters could keep the bludgers from her.

Nerves always attacked the team before the match, but never so much. Angelina seemed pissed half of the time, Alicia seemed desperate about our team, Ron looked like he was going to be sick and I slightly wondered if I should bring him a bucket. Kirke and Sloper seemed careless, I wanted to punch them to wake them up, but I didn't think it would actually do anything. Ginny seemed more focused than anyone and it made me smile. At least someone would be able to make a good game. 

My mind was turning every scenario around, trying to figure out everything that could go wrong and what could go right. For the first time in a long time, there were as much possibilities of us loosing than us winning. I hoped that Alicia and Angelina would play well with me. We had been playing together for three years now, but there were still times we didn't connect and lost the ball in the most stupid ways. I missed my brother and the Weasley twins, they were some of our greatest assets and we had lost them because of bloody Malfoy.

"Alright guys!" Angelina clapped her hands and we all circled around her. "This is our game, alright? We can and will win this. When Hooch sounds the whistle and you fly, you give your best. We're can win this."

"Yes! Let's go!" I encourage with Alicia but we both knew Angelina was also trying to convince herself. 

We walked onto the field and I lightly punched Angelina's shoulder, trying to make it casual. We're going to be okay. We're going to do amazing, I wanted to communicate. I thought this every game, but this time I doubted it. It wouldn't be the first time we lost to Hufflepuff, but even then we still had our beaters. The worst was Oliver trying to drown himself in the shower after that. A smiled tugged at my lips as I remembered the game.

Hooch blew in the whistle and we flew up. I speeded to the Quaffle and trusted the others to follow me so we could form a play. We tried, we really did. Alicia was hit by a bludger sent by Kirke, Ron couldn't block any goal. Every time Hufflepuff had the quaffle, I would fly as fast as possible to catch it before they threw it at Ron and Angelina slightly tried to do the same. We had to look out for bludgers more than any other time, risking to receive one from any of the four beaters in the air right now. 

I would usually be able to check on the seekers a little, be able to conveniently fly right in front of the opposite seeker when he flew towards the snitch, but I couldn't even look at Ginny. I didn't want to look at the Hufflepuff's. It was the first game against them that Cedric wasn't here to give some good competition to Harry.

I got hold of the Quaffle and flew to the opposite goal, passing it to Angelina a few times before taking aim. Just as it left my hand, a bludger hit my arm, making me lose balance for a few seconds. It wasn't much, but it was too much. I wasn't able to fly to our goal to stop their chasers and they scored. Hufflepuff was leading by 160 points. I vaguely heard the crowd getting more excited as Alicia threw the Quaffle at me so I could score. It was at my fingertips, so close. I thought I would be able to get it, get even with our opponent.