7. Quidditch: Slytherin Solution
Gryffindor had already evened the score to ten points each by the time Harry reached his seat. He waved back to a wildly gesticulating Hagrid who was sitting at the back of the stand, gave Hermione a brief hello, and settled down to watch the game. Ron was sitting on her other side, already engrossed in the match.
‘Ron’s told me what you’ve been doing,’ began Hermione excitedly, ‘and that you caught him.’ She obviously wanted to start a conversation. He hadn’t seen Hermione since the Hogsmeade visit, but Ginny was captaining her first game against Slytherin. Although they had a lot to talk about, they could talk later after the match.
‘Yes,’ said Harry abruptly. He then pointedly ignored her and turned to look out over the pitch. Hermione sighed, and she, too, turned toward the game.
The Slytherin team were unlike any Harry had seen before. All three Chasers and the Seeker were girls. Only the Beaters looked like they belonged in one of the old Slytherin teams, they were a couple of burly thugs. The Keeper and captain, Aaron Wylde, was busy shouting instructions to his team, oblivious to the fact that his father had just been arrested by the Auror Office.
Harry settled back in his seat and watched the game in fascination. Sloper was hopeless, the worst Keeper he’d ever seen. Much worse than Ron on a bad day, worse even than Percy. It was obvious that Ginny was well aware of her Keeper’s shortcomings. Jimmy Peakes was playing defensively, staying close to the Gryffindor goal to provide additional cover for Sloper. On two occasions, when Slytherin looked certain to score, Peakes hammered a Bludger at the attacking Chaser, causing them to miss.
As Harry expected, Ginny and Demelza worked well together. The new Chaser and her twin, the new Seeker, were both nervous and inexperienced; nevertheless, the score soon reached 50-20 to Gryffindor. His team - Ginny’s team, he corrected himself, were out-flying Slytherin, and their lead was slowly increasing. The game would, however, almost certainly be won by one of the Seekers. Harry pulled out his Omnioculars to get a better look at them.
High above the other players the two Seekers watched and waited. The Slytherin Seeker, Pinder, was a thin-faced and lean fourth year girl. She was circling the nervous looking James Devine and talking constantly. ‘Don’t listen to her,’ Harry muttered, imagining the stream of off-putting insults coming from Pinder.
‘Penalty to Slytherin,’ the announcer boomed.
‘What happened? I was watching the Seekers,’ said Harry. He looked past Hermione to Ron, who was booing, for an explanation.
‘Ginny cobbed their biggest Chaser,’ said Ron angrily, ‘but only because she was going to cob her.’
Harry trained his Omnioculars on the Slytherins as they prepared to take the penalty. Their oldest chaser, Hockaday, looked to be about Ginny’s age, but she was a lot bigger than his girlfriend. She had a bloody nose, and was being consoled by her team mates. Then Harry noticed the other chaser, Pepperell, give Hockaday the thumbs up. He recognised Pepperell from somewhere. Racking his brain he remembered that she was a Prefect, he’d seen her in the Prefects’ carriage at King’s Cross when they were saying goodbye to Hermione. He watched the Slytherin team closely and realised that Hockaday wasn’t being consoled; she was being congratulated. But why?
Zoë Wylde took the Slytherin penalty and easily scored past Sloper.
‘Slytherin 30, Gryffindor 50.’
Ron swore. ‘Sloper’s complete bloody rubbish! Why did Ginny pick him?’
‘He was the only one who applied for the position,’ Harry said bitterly. ‘Ginny wrote and told me. She reckons that he’s marginally better than leaving the hoops undefended. She also said that she’d thought about putting him in a Full Body Bind once the game started. She reckons that he’d be better if he couldn’t move. At least then there’d be a chance that some of the Quaffles would bounce off him.’
Ron laughed sarcastically. ‘Good idea. I reckon the Cannons should try that, too.’
Harry watched the Slytherin team carefully, trying to work out their tactics. Their Beaters were targeting young Alizon Devine and trying to make her nervous; it was working. Ginny’s tactic of keeping Peakes back to help Sloper meant that Ritchie Coote was struggling to defend his new young team mate from both Slytherin Beaters.
Alizon swerved wildly to avoid a Bludger and dropped the Quaffle. Hockaday caught it and zoomed towards the Gryffindor goal. Ginny and Demelza covered her, waiting for a pass. Ginny was alongside Slytherin’s penalty taker, Zoë Wylde. Zoë moved in closer, accelerated past Ginny, slowed and raised her elbow; she was trying to cob Ginny. No chance, Harry thought, Ginny zigzagged and elbowed Zoë instead. The whistle went again.
‘Another foul by Weasley, another penalty to Slytherin,’ called the announcer.
Harry let loose a string of invective to which Hermione loudly objected.
‘I hope Ginny saw that,’ he said after he’d finished swearing.
‘Of course she did,’ Ron said, ‘she only cobbed her in retaliation.’
Harry shook his head, ‘No, Ron, that’s what the Slytherins want her to think. They’re pretending to play dirty, getting Ginny angry, and letting her commit the fouls.’
‘What?’ Hermione asked, puzzled.
Ron looked at his girlfriend, then at Harry. His jaw dropped as he, too, recognised the Slytherin team’s plan.
‘They haven’t committed one foul yet, they’ve just looked like they were going to,’ Ron explained.
‘Slytherin 40, Gryffindor 50. Zoë Wylde scores again for Slytherin.’
‘It’s brilliant tactics, Hermione. Slytherin have finally given the Captaincy to someone with brains and cunning,’ Harry said in admiration. His friends looked at him in horror.
‘Everyone expects them to play dirty, especially Ginny after last year, but they’re not,’ Harry continued. ‘The Wylde girl dropped her elbow when Ginny got close, she’d have let her fly past, but it riled Ginny enough to retaliate.’
‘They’re having trouble getting past “Mighty” Peakes’s Bludgers to score, but they’ll always be able to score past Sloper from a penalty,’ Ron added, nodding his agreement while unconsciously giving Jimmy Peakes a new nickname which whispered its way away from him into the surrounding students.
‘I just hope that Ginny figures it out,’ said Harry worriedly. ‘So far she’s the only one who’s committed any fouls.’
He returned his gaze to the game where Ginny was talking to Alizon and Demelza. When the Quaffle was released, Ginny intercepted it and hurtled towards the Slytherin goal. Both Bludgers were hit towards her. She passed the Quaffle to Demelza and the Slytherin Keeper moved to cover. Demelza dropped the Quaffle and it fell into the hands of Alizon, who zoomed in and scored.
‘Slytherin 40, Gryffindor 60. Alizon Devine scores her first goal for Gryffindor,’ proclaimed the announcer
Harry cheered while watching in fascination. The goal was a set piece, no doubt. It had been a risk, but it had paid off, Alizon’s first goal had banished her nerves and, high above, her jubilant twin had rounded on the Slytherin Seeker. If she’d missed Harry thought that could have been the end for Gryffindor.
When the game restarted, Slytherin tried their “fake foul” tactic again. It didn’t work. Harry punched the air when Ginny ignored the upraised elbow and passed the Quaffle to Alizon, who rolled under a Bludger and passed to Demelza whose shot was saved by the outstretched fingertips of the Slytherin Captain. Harry joined in the groans at the save, but Ginny’s team were flying well - they were on form and they were at last playing as a team.
Pinder dived suddenly as though she’d seen the Snitch. It was a good stratagem; James Devine followed her for a few seconds, but seemed to have realised that she was feinting. He quickly climbed back to his watching position and grinned when Pinder rejoined him.
The score slowly crept upwards. Once she had identified the Slytherin tactics, Ginny had regained her fighting spirit. She was now completely into her game and was playing brilliantly, inspiring her fellow Chasers, and inspiring her team. Ginny’s team scored goal after goal. Harry hoped that the scouts were paying attention.
‘Slytherin 80, Gryffindor 210,’ said the announcer. ‘Weasley scores her tenth goal of the game.’
Two more goals, Harry thought. Then he saw the Snitch. So did James Devine. The young Seeker dived straight for it. Harry groaned. The Slytherin Seeker was bigger, older, and more experienced. She followed James into the dive, watching the Snitch carefully. Then everything happened at once.
Shuttleworth, the burliest of the Slytherin Beaters hammered a Bludger towards James Devine. Ritchie Coote dived to try to intercept the Bludger, but he was much too far away. Ginny was closer, and her Stormcloud was much faster than Ritchie’s Cleansweep. She did the only thing she could. She desperately dived between the Bludger and her seeker, taking the full impact from the heavy iron ball on her side.
Harry leapt to his feet as the Bludger bounced off his girlfriends ribs and he gasped with the rest of the crowd. Ginny had successfully protected her Seeker but was desperately trying to regain control of her broom while tumbling and rolling towards the ground. She landed heavily, falling from the broom. Gasping for breath she struggled to remount. By the time she had the game was over.
The Snitch had suddenly changed direction and the more experienced Pinder was ready. The slim Slytherin Seeker turned quickly and sped past James with her hand outstretched. But Jimmy Peakes had abandoned his defensive position.
Peakes had been trying to keep control of the second Bludger to help defend the Gryffindor goal. He now hit it as hard as he could. It cannoned towards Pinder, but she swerved smoothly out of its way. Unfortunately for her, she moved directly into the path of the other Bludger; the one Ginny had taken in the ribs. Ritchie Coote had continued to follow his captain into her dive and had managed to catch the Bludger after it had bounced off Ginny. He had also correctly judged the way Pinder would move to avoid Peakes’s Bludger. Her right arm was still outstretched, her hand mere inches from the Snitch. Harry heard the crack as Coote’s Bludger hit Pinder’s left arm, breaking it.
Harry watched in admiration. The lean Slytherin girl faced “the Seeker’s choice”, fall from her broom while trying to catch the Snitch, or forget the Snitch and grab her broom with her remaining good arm. She did what Harry would have done, what any good Seeker would do.
Her flailing fingers failed to snatch the Snitch by little more than the thickness of her gloves and she tumbled helplessly from her broom. James Devine took the opening and, to Gryffindor cheers, he caught and held up the Snitch. Ritchie Coote, who had been following his Bludger, dived and caught the Slytherin Seeker around the waist as she plummeted towards the pitch.
‘Gryffindor win: 360 points to 80 points.’ The stadium erupted. More than half of the Slytherin supporters were cheering their team for their valiant effort, rather than booing their opponents. Harry was filled with hope.
‘Poor Ginny,’ Hermione squealed.
‘Poor Ginny?’ said Ron, astonished. ‘We’ve won, she was brilliant.’
‘She’s hurt,’ Hermione scolded.
‘She’s fine,’ Harry assured her as he watched his girlfriend leaping for joy. Ginny’s ecstatic team had landed alongside her. She hugged and kissed twelve-year-old James, then her two Beaters and her fellow Chasers. They deserved it, they had played brilliantly Harry thought, wondering why he didn’t feel even slightly jealous. Jack Sloper, the only boy in Ginny’s year, also moved forwards hopefully. Ginny ignored him and limped over towards the Slytherin Captain, her hand outstretched. Aaron Wylde shook it and they smiled at each other.
‘Merlin, I love that girl,’ Harry announced loudly in the heat of the spectacular victory.
‘Good!’ asserted Ron forcefully. At which point Harry realised that he’d actually spoken the words aloud.
‘Perhaps you should go down and tell her instead of telling us,’ suggested Hermione smugly. Harry blushed then grinned at his friends.
‘I will,’ he said determinedly. Hermione beamed at him.
Harry looked around the stands; everyone except three Aurors and their prisoner was on their feet and streaming onto the pitch. The Polyjuice Potion had worn off, showing that the man flanked by Williamson and Lister was definitely Wilberforce Wylde.
‘Potter,’ Williamson called, ‘never leave an incident until you’re dismissed.’
‘Sorry, sir.’
‘You will be, Potter,’ Williamson continued. ‘Lister and I will take Wylde to the office now. We’ll need to ask Wylde’s wife a lot more questions, too. Find her and bring her in to the office for questioning, but do not tell her or her children that we have their father. Phillipa, you’re in charge of the trainees. Potter, you’re on duty, remember! This is not an opportunity for you to socialise with your girlfriend, so you’re not going to, do you understand?’
Harry nodded, his heart sinking. This was the start of Williamson’s punishment for his leaving the arrest scene.
‘Weasley,’ Williamson added, ‘find Longbottom; he’s vanished, too. He should be here, have you any idea where he’s gone?’
‘No,’ Ron lied to their boss.
‘And Weasley, you should be here with us, not sitting with some girl. Now go and get Longbottom.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Ron pulled an unhappy face at Hermione and scurried away.
Harry and Phillipa followed the crowds onto the pitch. The Gryffindor team were in the centre of a huge scrum of people. Harry smiled as he saw Luna’s lion hat in the throng. The Slytherins were being consoled by a smaller crowd. He was desperate to see Ginny, but it would take ages to fight through that crowd. Besides, he was in enough trouble with Williamson, and he had a job to do. He led Phillipa over to the Slytherin team. As they approached, the chatter ceased and the small crowd parted. He walked up to the team. Madam Hooch was ordering Jeanette Pinder to the Hospital wing. The Seeker was pale and shaking. Aaron Wylde was consoling his weeping sister. As Harry expected, their mother stood next to them, too.
‘Good game,’ Harry said, holding out his hand to the astonished Slytherin Captain. ‘Clever tactics, too. You’ve put together the best Slytherin team I’ve ever seen. It was a closer game than the final score shows.’
‘Thanks,’ Wylde grunted, shaking Harry’s hand.
‘Hi, Harry,’ Ritchie Coote appeared alongside him.
‘Hello, Ritchie,’ Harry smiled, ‘well played! That last Bludger hit of yours won the game.’
‘Yes … sorry about that,’ said Ritchie. Harry was startled until he realised that the apology was directed at the Slytherin Seeker.
‘Let’s get you to the hospital wing,’ Ritchie continued. He pulled Jeanette Pinder’s good arm over his shoulder, grabbed her around the waist and helped her from the pitch.
Aaron Wylde watched their departure in amazement.
‘Mrs Wylde,’ began Phillipa. ‘We are here in an official capacity. I must ask you to accompany me to the Auror Office for further questioning.’
The little colour that remained fell from Mrs Wylde’s face and she staggered. Harry moved forwards to catch her, but was pushed violently out of the way by her son.
‘I’ll look after her, Potter,’ he snarled viciously.
Phillipa stepped forwards, and with a flick of her eyes ordered Harry to step back. He did.
‘You can walk to the Hogsmeade gate with us, Mr Wylde, and you too, Miss Wylde, but we do need to ask your mother some more questions,’ Phillipa said.
Harry looked over at the Gryffindor team. The crowds were thinning as they got ready to go indoors. They would soon be heading for the Gryffindor common room to celebrate their victory.
Now, he’d go and tell Ginny no matter what Williamson said! He caught Phillipa’s eyes and looked at her hopefully. She smiled and nodded.
‘Be quick, and hope that Williamson doesn’t see you,’ she ordered. Harry left Phillipa with the Wyldes and dashed nervously over to Ginny. She had her back to him, and had lifted up her shirt.
‘Ginny,’ he called.
She turned. He saw the huge purple circle of the Bludger bruise. She was brilliant, brave, and badly hurt. He had to tell her.
‘Ginny, I…’ he began. He saw the hurt and anger in her eyes.
‘Here at last, Potter,’ she interrupted, ‘had to see the Slytherins first, did you?’
‘Auror Office business,’ he explained. He lowered his head so that Ginny wouldn’t see the sorrow in his eyes.
‘Harry,’ she began very quietly, and then Alizon Devine screamed. Harry looked up, Ginny had collapsed. Blood dribbled from her mouth. Harry dashed to her side and pulled up her shirt. He looked at the bruise.
‘Broken ribs, internal bleeding,’ he diagnosed. She was hurt. He should have realised. The Bludger hit had been hard, but she’d been straight back up on her feet. He’d assumed that she was all right, and so had Ron. But she’d been celebrating on the adrenalin of the win. He was not starting his “Combat, Curse and General Injuries” course until next week. He couldn’t help her himself. He did the only thing he could; he lifted her into his arms, grabbed her broom and flew to the Hospital Wing.
‘I love you, Ginny Weasley,’ he told her unconscious form as he soared through the Hogwarts corridors. Years of experience had taught him the fastest route to the hospital wing.
‘She’ll be fine, Mr Potter,’ Madam Pomfrey assured Harry after he had delivered his unconscious girlfriend into her care. Ginny’s other team-mates dashed into the ward while Ritchie left the bedside of Jeanette Pinder, whose arm was already in a sling, to rejoin his team-mates. Harry looked at the worried faces of the Gryffindor team.
‘She’ll be okay in a day or two, don’t worry,’ Harry reassured them. ‘Well done, all of you. You played brilliantly. Good tactics, good play, and you didn’t fall into the Slytherins’ trap. You’re a great team.’ They beamed at him.
‘Quidditch,’ the school nurse grumbled, ‘first game of the year and I’ve already got two girls with broken bones.’
‘How is she? ‘Hermione cried, dashing into the ward.
‘She will be fine, Miss Granger,’ Madam Pomfrey said. ‘What she needs is rest, and I need to have a few minutes of privacy in order to treat her. So “ get out, all of you.’ The nurse looked sadly at Harry. ‘You certainly can’t stay, Mr Potter. You’re not a student, you’re not a teacher, and you’re not a relative. You should not even be inside the school buildings. I must insist that you leave my Ward.’ The school nurse began to shoo Harry away from his girlfriend’s bedside.
Harry began to argue, but Ron’s patronus arrived. ‘Where are you, mate? Phillipa’s ready to leave and Williamson will do his nut if you’re not with us when we get back.’
‘Just go, Harry,’ Hermione ordered, grabbing his arm and attempting to pull him out of the ward, ‘you’re in enough trouble with Williamson already. There’s nothing you can do here, we’ll be here for her when she wakes up.’
‘Look after her please, and tell her I’m sorry.’ Harry struggled free of Hermione and kissed his unconscious girlfriend gently on the lips. He sighed, and then allowed Hermione to escort him from the ward.
‘I’ve got to go, Auror Office business,’ Harry told Ginny’s team, who were all anxiously waiting outside. He wondered how many times he’d be telling Ginny that in the future.
Harry sprinted through the school and across the fields to the Hogsmeade gate. Ron and an embarrassed looking Neville were waiting for him.
‘How’s Ginny?’ Ron asked.
‘Broken ribs,’ Harry panted, ‘she’ll be okay.’
‘Did you talk to her?’
‘Sort of,’ said Harry morosely.
‘So much for getting paid to watch the match and seeing the girls for a couple of hours,’ frowned Ron. ‘I never thought that the git would show up. Now we’ve got all that paperwork to do, too. Today’s been a washout, hasn’t it? Except for Nev, of course, Romilda’s been giving him some exercise.’
Neville blushed scarlet. ‘We’d best get back to Williamson,’ he muttered, and strode off.
‘Let’s get out of here, eh, mate?’ Ron suggested. Harry nodded.
Aurors and Schoolgirls by Northumbrian
Chapter Notes: Rather than playing, Harry watches a Quidditch match. Can Ginny's young team beat Slytherin?
Chapter Endnotes: Thanks (in alphabetical order) to Amelíe, Andrea, Apurva and Natalie for their comments, corrections and input. Please review. Constructive criticism is always gratefully received.