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Twelve crimson and jade blurs ploughed at each other from opposite ends of the pitch, Blaise Zabini shoving the Quaffle out of Ginny's grip before making a beeline down to the goalposts, flanked on all sides by his Beaters and fellow Chasers.
Lori flew at him, dodging underneath the front two players and coming up at the ball, punching it out of his hands, dropping it to Demelza as a pair of green-robed arms made a grab at her.
Robins had no time to react as all six of them came at her at once, one of the Slytherin Chasers triumphantly bearing the Quaffle aloft, before hurling it at the right goal.
"He shoots..." new Quidditch commentator, Zacharias Smith, roared, "but it's blocked by Keeper Ron Weasley!"
After another three saves, Lori nodded at Ginny and Demelza, the three of them flying off in a line, Lori with the Quaffle as the two Beaters fell in behind them.
Slytherins raved at them, Lori breaking off and skimming the icy ground with her robes as two of their Chasers followed her. Putting her free hand on the frozen ground, she flew in a tighter curve, one of them wiping out behind her.
She rose, the ball on her fingertips before she launched it through the air, both the Keeper and one of the Chasers colliding with the goalposts in a futile effort to save it.
With the Slytherins in possession, the Gryffindors flew at them from above and behind, the twelve of them colliding in the air as Demelza grabbed the Quaffle from Blaise.
She didn't have it for very long, another Chaser colliding with her and wrapping his hands around it, launching it through the post.
Ron's foot kicked it away, the stadium roaring with excitement as Harry caught the Snitch seconds later, the Gryffindors 250 points in the lead.
*
"Weasley! Weasley! Weasley!" the Gryffindors in the Common Room roared at Ron as he stood on a box above them, red and gold confetti falling from the ceiling.
Lori and Hermione stood either side of Harry, the fifth year prefect sighed, "You really shouldn't have done it."
"I know." Harry shot a look at her, "I suppose I could've just used a Confundus Charm."
"That was different. That was tryouts. This was an actual game." Hermione insisted as Lori gasped at them, now only realising why McLaggen had missed her last shot so badly.
Harry delved into his pocket, showing her the unopened bottle of Felix Felicis.
"You didn't put it in." Hermione muttered, "Ron only thought you did."
