11. A Quidditch Match Gone Wrong

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Y/N's POV

That night, when we were all sleeping in the Great Hall, I overheard a conversation between Dumbledore and Snape.

"Headmaster?" said Snape. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched..."

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."

I opened my eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood, Dumbledore's back was to me, I could also see Percy's face, filled with attention, and Snape's face, which looked angry.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

"It seems, almost impossible, that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed-"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply, "I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore, "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly, "but I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster."

He then briefly looked at me and I shut my eyes as fast as I could. From then on, I tried to get some sleep.

The following days, no one could stop talking about Black and everyone had different theories. The ripped painting of The Fat Lady had now been replaced by Sir Cadogan.

"He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus angrily to Percy, "can't we get anyone else?"

"None of the other pictures wanted the job." said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."

I couldn't care less about the new painting as I had a new problem, McGonagall had summoned me to her office.

"There's no point hiding it from you any longer, L/N," she said in a very serious voice, "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black-"

"I know he's after me," I said wearily, "Harry told me, he knows as well."

Professor McGonagall seemed very taken aback. She stared at me for a moment or two, then said. "I see! Well, in that case, L/N, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed, L/N-"

"We've got our first match on Saturday!" I said, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor!"

Professor McGonagall thought about it. I knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team's prospects, it had been her, after all, who'd suggested me as seeker in the first place. I waited, holding my breath.

"Hmm..." Professor McGonagall said, "well...goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last...but all the same, L/N...I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions."

The weather worsened as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team was training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then, at our final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave us some news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told us, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.

"Flint's excuse is that their seeker's arm's still injured," said Wood, furiously, "but it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" I said angrily. "He's faking it!"

"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly, "and we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new captain and seeker, Cedric Diggory."

"I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Y/N caught the snitch in about five minutes, remember?" Issac said.

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"

"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."

The day of the match, I quickly ate my breakfast, said goodbye to my friends and met up with the rest of the Quidditch team.

"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood.

"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Angelina soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."

But it was more than a bit of rain.

The team changed into our scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned us to follow him.

"Mount your brooms." Madam Hooch said before she put her whistle to her lips and blew it, we were off.

I rose fast, but my Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. I held it as steady as he could and turned, squinting into the rain.

Within five minutes I was soaked to my skin and frozen, hardly able to see my teammates, let alone the tiny Snitch. I flew backwards and forwards across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, with no idea of what was happening. I couldn't hear the commentary over the wind.

Then I heard the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle, I could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing me to the ground.

"I called for a time-out!" Wood roared at his team.

"What's the score?" I asked.

"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."

Minutes later, the match resumed. I mounted my broom and flew up high.

"Y/N!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts. "Y/N, behind you!"

I looked wildly around. Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering between us...

With a jolt of panic, I threw myself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch.

As I went, an eerie silence was falling across the stadium. It felt like I was suddenly going deaf.

And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over me, just as I became aware of something moving down below...

At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces looking up at me, were standing beneath me. It was as though freezing water were rising in my chest, cutting at my insides. And then I heard it again...someone was screaming, screaming inside my head...a woman...

"Not Y/N, not Y/N, please don't take him!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl, let me take my grandson!"

"Not Y/N, please father, you can kill me."

Everything felt numb, what was I doing? Why was I flying? Was that my mum? Did Voldemort try and take me as a child? I had so many questions in my head.

But then I fell, and everything went black.

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