Serendipity (Fred Weasley HP)

Chapter Twelve - Broomsticks and Boyfriends

The Quidditch match of Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw brought everyone out of their January Dumps. It seemed as if the whole school was buzzing. Everyone who'd bothered to work it out new that if Gryffindor won this match then they were back in the running for the cup. A lot hung on this match but the fact that their seeker was riding a Firebolt gave everyone a boost of confidence.

"Put it here, Harry." Wood said trying to display the magnificent broom for all to see. Fred, George, Halley and Lee were all laughing at the faces of the Slytherin team who looked like they'd been kissed by the giant squid when their eyes fell on the broom. After Cedric had come over to congratulate Harry on getting an excellent broom, he gave Halley a quick kiss then said he'd meet her at the entrance so they could walk down to the pitch together.

Halley excused herself and searched for Alex at the Ravenclaw table, some of the house members greeted her and said it was good to see her back on her feet, others who were far too competitive when it came to Quidditch just glared a little, and then there was the Quidditch team it's self who didn't really know what to say because one of their own had welcomed Halley to sit down.

"Good luck today guys, I know everyone will fly their best. How are you feeling Alex?" She addressed the group who mumbled a few thank yous then went back to their food after she'd turned her attention to her friend.

"Oh you know nervous, didn't sleep a wink. Normal pre-game stuff." Alex said and looked down at her untouched bowl of cereal which now just looked like beige mush.

Alex was like this before every match, no matter how confident she felt while flying, before every game she'd psych herself out. "You'll fly just as well as you do every match, you're a great quidditch player, everyone on your team agrees." And the team did agree with her. "See, just have fun and do your best. I'll be cheering for both teams." She hugged Alex then went back to finish her breakfast.

"What did they say? Did they look confident? Have they seen the Firebolt?" Wood grilled her when she sat back down which made her roll her eyes.

"Oliver you have got to calm down or my breakfast is going to end up down your trousers. They didn't say anything I just gave them my support and talked to my friend. Yes, they have seen the broom and I couldn't tell if they looked confident or not so give it a rest!"

Oliver looked mildly shocked, Halley had never spoken to him like that before but he had a newfound respect for her. He leant over to Fred and George but kept one eye on the Gryffindor. "I can see why she's your best friend." The brothers looked over at their friend and grinned proudly.

Match time, Cedric and Halley walked hand in hand down to the pitch, while a semi-reluctant Violet had joined Hermoine, Maisie and Ginny in supporting their friends. Ron was still not talking to Hermione and so he walked down with Dean, Neville and Seamus and stood just far enough away that it made things slightly awkward for everyone present.

The crowd broke out into applause as the two teams, red and blue strode out onto the pitch, they exchanged handshakes and before anyone could say, Snitch, they were off. Halley marvelled at the speed and precision of the Firebolt and it was clear everyone else was just as impressed seeing it in action. The Seeker for Ravenclaw, who Haley couldn't remember the name of, wasn't as good as Harry but she was very skilled in her own right and blocked Harry enough to clearly frustrate the boy, but what amused Hal the most was Lee's commentary. McGonagall kept stopping him from talking about the broom and getting him back on track with the scores, but somehow Lee found a way to slip the broom back into the mix every time.

The whole crowd held their breath as Harry went into a dive but a passing Bludger distracted him just long enough for the tiny golden ball to vanish again. The crowd made various noises of disappointment but were reassured by Lees commentary. "It's Gryffindor leading eighty to zero folks, and just look at the firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces - Changs Comet is just no match for it - The Firebolts precision-balance is really noticeable in-"