Adrian’s birthday came on the Wednesday before their first match. He woke up to find presents and cards piled at the end of his bed. Dorian was already awake, and after a few minutes, he chucked him something wrapped in gold paper. –Happy Birthday,†he said gruffly. –I bought this over the summer and thought you may as well still have it.â€
–Thanks,†Adrian replied awkwardly. The two boys had started to speak more often when they were alone in the dormitory but it was never more than a couple of sentences and never about anything more serious than whether they should turn the light out. This was definitely the closest they had come to talking about anything personal.
He wasn’t really sure whether he was supposed to open his presents in front of Dorian or not. In previous years, whenever someone in the dormitory had had a birthday, they would all gather round their bed watching as they opened their presents. Somehow, it didn’t really feel right this year.
Before he had to make a decision though, Dorian got up off his bed and headed for the door, muttering something about finishing homework before breakfast.
Adrian barely had time to acknowledge the fact that he was now all alone before the door burst open and Duncan and Hector tumbled in.
–Happy Birthday!†Hector shouted.
–We were waiting in the common room for you, and we saw misery Whitbread come down so we figured he’d probably left you up here all alone,†Duncan explained. –Have you opened your presents yet?â€
Adrian shook his head. –Well what are you waiting for?†Hector replied. He tossed another one on to the pile. –This is from us. Sorry, it’s only small. We had to get via owl order as there haven’t been any Hogsmeade trips yet.â€
–Thanks, guys,†Adrian replied, grinning. He really hadn’t been expecting anything from the two boys. Yes, they had become close over the past few weeks but more than once he had worried that they hung out with him out of pity rather than friendship.
–Sometime today, or we’ll miss breakfast,†Hector said impatiently, and Adrian turned to the first present on the pile. He hadn’t looked too closely at them before, but now as his eyes scanned the pile he saw a long box and he heart leapt. He immediately grabbed it and tore the paper off. Sure enough, inside was a box containing a brand new broomstick.
Duncan and Hector’s eyes were like saucers. –Wow,†said Hector. –It’s a Firebolt one point five series!â€
–Seriously?†Adrian asked, studying the gold lettering on the handle for himself. He had known his parents would never be able to afford the two series and he had told them he’d be happy with an original, but the one point five had all sorts of minor improvements on the original; it was faster and turned slightly more sharply.
–This is going to make you unstoppable!†Duncan said. –Wait until the others see it at practice tonight.â€
Adrian opened the rest of his presents. Dorian had given him a new wireless record from one of their favourite bands - the Screaming Vampires - while Duncan and Hector had had a parcel of Honeydukes’ finest delivered. In addition to his broom, his parents and Samuel had also sent some chocolate, some new flying gloves and a new set of casual robes.
Thrilled with his haul, and already munching on some of the chocolate that he had shared out with the other two boys, Adrian headed for breakfast.
The look on Summerby’s face when he heard about the broomstick was incredible. Adrian didn’t think he had ever seen anyone grin so widely.
–Good work, Radley,†he said, giving him a pat on the back. –Happy Birthday!â€
–Thanks,†Adrian said, secretly thrilled at how happy his Captain was with him. He made a mental note to send his parents a letter later on telling them just how grateful he was.
As he was eating breakfast, he caught sight of Gemma staring at him. She looked almost sad. Suddenly Dorian said something to her and she turned her head quickly, her face returning to normal.
Adrian couldn’t understand it. After all, she was the one who had stopped being friends with him, not the other way around. He couldn’t help it if he’d found new friends rather than staying miserable and lonely all year.
Adrian actually quite liked his timetable on a Wednesday. He had Transfiguration and History of Magic first, followed by Ancient Runes, and then that afternoon the fourth year Hufflepuffs had a double Potions lesson. He enjoyed most of his subjects, even if he wasn’t exactly top of his class. He tried his best and, according to his dad, that’s what counted.
He went straight from Potions to his dormitory, quickly changed his clothes and grabbed his new broomstick before hurrying down to the pitch. He was itching to get on the broom and it was all he could do not to jump straight on it as soon as he left the castle. He waited though, not wanting to spoil the moment he pushed off for the first time on the pitch itself.
Everyone crowded round to have a good look as soon as he arrived. Cadwallader had an original Series One Firebolt and they lay the two brooms next to each other, taking note of every detail, every difference in the wood.
Eventually Summerby called them all to order, and directed them into the air. Everyone watched for a moment as Adrian mounted the new broom.
The feeling when he kicked off was incredible. His old broom was by no means bad, but he had never experienced this kind of acceleration before. He was at goal height in seconds. Cadwallader followed quickly and Smith was soon there too.
The next hour and a half was the best practice they had ever had. Adrian wasn’t sure if it was because the new broom was actually better, or if he was just feeding off the excited energy that surrounded its presence on the team, but he was flying better that he had before. In fact, the whole team seemed to have upped their game. It didn’t stop Summerby from working them as hard as he possibly could.
–This is the best damn team I’ve seen while I’ve been at Hogwarts,†he said at the end of the practice. –However nothing is guaranteed yet. I don’t want anyone thinking that one new broom is going to win us the cup, but if everyone flies like they just did in this practice, then it will be our for the taking. When we beat the Ravenclaws on Saturday, we’re going to show Hogwarts exactly what Hufflepuffs are made of!â€
The whole team cheered.
–Now back to the castle for cake,†proclaimed Duncan. His statement was greeted by another cheer.
It was tradition for the kitchen to send up a birthday cake to dinner when anyone had a birthday, and they could share it with whoever they liked. This year, the whole Quidditch team, including the reserves who had been training hard with them, gathered round Adrian to eat his cake. They sang a rowdy chorus of Happy Birthday during which Adrian thought he might die of embarrassment, and then all tucked in. People from the other houses were looking over curiously, to see who was having so much fun, but Adrian ignored them all. There was nothing left by the time all the players had eaten, and he was almost relieved he didn’t have to go through the awkwardness of offering it to the rest of his housemates.
It was true, however, that no one seemed to be having much fun that year. The older students always seemed to be walking around frowning or having hushed conversations. The two Carrow professors had been placed in charge of punishment and it seemed that they had given out record numbers of detentions that year. Adrian hadn’t had one, however, and he couldn’t really understand how some people managed to get so many. He was generally well-behaved and did all his work on time. Seeing the way that Gemma and some of the others spoke to the Carrows, he wasn’t really surprised they were being punished. None of them would dare speak to McGonagall that way.
Still riding high from their successful practice, the Quidditch team spent the evening together, sitting in the common room, telling stories of earlier matches, and other amusing things that had happened since they had been at the school. A lot of them had happened before Adrian started at Hogwarts and so he hadn’t heard them before. They spoke also spoke a bit about the Hufflepuff’s last Seeker - Cedric Diggory.
The faces of the older students darkened when Cedric’s name was mentioned and there was a pause in the boisterous conversation. Adrian knew who he was of course. He had been in his first year the year that he had died. Cedric Diggory was a hero to the Hufflepuffs. He had been their champion in the Triwizard Tournament and he had been one of their best ever Quidditch players.
–When we win the cup this year,†Summerby said quietly. –It will be for Cedric Diggory. We’ve got the team he never had now. We’ve got the chance to make it right.â€
The team were silent for a moment while they reflected on quite how important victory would be for them. Then Summerby looked at his watch. –Right, younger ones, it’s too late for you to still be up. I don’t want any of you getting into any trouble before the match. Happy Birthday, Radley,†he added as Adrian stood to leave. –Well done on the new broom.â€
Adrian, Hector and Duncan left the three seventh years and Bethany to it. They headed to the fourth year dormitory where Adrian broke off from the other to and went to his bed. He was shattered, but it had been a great day. He spent a few minutes writing a letter to his parents, making sure he expressed exactly how grateful he was for his present.
Dorian was still up, reading in his bed.
–Thanks for the record,†Adrian said as he climbed into his own bed.
–Oh, no problem. Like I said, I bought it in the summer, so I just thought.†He trailed off. –I’ll turn the light off in a minute, if you want to sleep,†he said.
–That’s okay,†replied Adrian. –I’m shattered anyway - I’ll probably sleep with it on.†He pulled the curtains closed around his bed and lay down, a faint smile on his face. He wasn’t about to tell Dorian that he knew he was lying about the record. He had looked for it himself when he had been in Diagon Alley buying his school things, and the man in the shop had said it wasn’t being released until the week before Adrian’s birthday, which meant Dorian must have bought it less than a week ago. His best friend didn’t completely hate him, but he obviously wasn’t ready for Adrian to know it.
The next two days passed agonisingly slowly. There was no Quidditch practice on Friday - Summerby wanted them all fresh for the match - so Adrian had nothing to distract him. All he could do was wait nervously for Saturday morning.
On the morning of the match, the team sat together once again. Summerby forced them all to eat breakfast and then they headed off to the pitch together. Adrian hadn’t expected to feel quite so nervous, but suddenly the thought of the entire student body of Hogwarts watching him was rather daunting. He knew no one was expecting too much of the Hufflepuffs and he was determined to prove them all they were wrong.
The stands were filling up early as the team changed in the dressing room. The first Quidditch game was the highlight of term. It was still some weeks away until a Hogsmeade weekend and so this was the only opportunity for a bit of excitement the students had had since returning to school.
Summerby began his pre-match talk by delivering a piece of news.
–I’ve heard,†he said, –that Ginny Weasley has been banned from playing Quidditch all year.â€
This immediately caused an outbreak of chatter among the team. The Gryffindors were seen as one of their biggest threats, but obviously they had already lost Harry Potter this year and now with Weasley out as well, they would be even weaker. Adrian wondered what an earth she could have done to get a whole year ban.
–This is good news for us,†Summerby continued, –but it doesn’t mean we’ve won. The Slytherins have a strong team and they haven’t lost any of their players this year.†There was a derisive laugh from Cadwallader. It was common knowledge that while Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were each missing a substantial number of their student population, there were only a handful of students missing from Slytherin. But it made sense, Adrian reasoned. Muggleborns didn’t usually get sorted into Slytherin.
–Anyway, I wanted to tell you in case someone else comments on it, but it’s still vital that you play your best today. We have been training harder than any other house, especially Ravenclaw. Stay focused today and we will win, I’m sure of it.â€
The team cheered and Summerby ordered them to line up. Positioned behind Smith and Cadwallader, Adrian did his best to keep his breathing steady. He knew that all the training in the world couldn’t prepare them for them for this next moment. This was the first chance they had to face another team and to test out their moves and defences against people who wanted to win almost as much as they did.
He heard the commentator announce their names and suddenly, he was swinging his leg over his broom and soaring up into the stadium. The noise from the crowd was deafening but surprisingly after a couple of minutes, he was able to block it out and focus on his team. Cadwallader gave him an encouraging nod, and the three of them lined up.
The first few minutes of the match passed in a blur for Adrian. He couldn’t remember the whistle being blown, or seeing Smith dive to get first touch of the Quaffle. His mind went into autopilot. They began to execute the drills they had practiced so often in training. The Ravenclaw Chasers did their best to keep up, but they just couldn’t intercept the ball. As they approached the goal, Adrian snapped back in reality just in time to realise they were within scoring distance and Smith was about to throw him the Quaffle.
For a moment he thought he might be sick. But then he remembered Summerby’s words and Cadwallader’s smile and everything seemed to slow down. When the ball landed in his hand, he wasted no time in lobbing it as hard as he could towards the far right ring. The Ravenclaw Keeper went left and completely missed the save. Adrian’s aim was true, and the Quaffle went sailing through the centre of the ring.
The crowd went wild. Above the cheers, he could just about hear the commentator, –Radley scores the first points of the game and the score is ten to nil to the Hufflepuffs!â€
There was no time to celebrate though because almost instantly, the Quaffle was back in their possession and they were streaking towards the goal again.
For half an hour, the Chasers continued to dominate the game. It wasn’t only the Hufflepuffs - the Ravenclaws got in a few goals too, but Bethany Jones was a good keeper and kept them mostly at bay. The score stood at ninety to thirty, but as far as any of them could tell, there was no sign of the snitch.
The Hufflepuffs had just regained possession of the Quaffle after an unsuccessful shot by Ravenclaw when suddenly the sky went pitch black, and total darkness enveloped the players. Adrian felt panic rising in his chest. He could hear the crowds shouting, and his teammates calling out to each other in confusion, but he could not see even a centimetre in front of his face. He heard voices of their Professors, trying to calm down the crowd, but the noise seemed to be coming from all sides. He could do nothing but hover where he was. If he moved in any direction he risked bumping into another player or seriously injuring himself.
Just as he was starting to wonder exactly how long they would be left hanging in the darkness, the sky was suddenly lit up by hundreds of fireworks. They were high above the players, and Adrian was able to crane up his neck and see that they spelt out a message:
DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY LIVES! RECRUITING NOW!
The fireworks faded, and almost instantly, the darkness vanished, almost as if the whole incident had never happened at all. Adrian looked around to see the other players looking just as scared as he had. One of the Ravenclaw Chasers was hovering only metres away from him, though he’d never have known it. A couple of players had attempted to land through the darkness and were now standing safely on the grass. Adrian saw Summerby gesturing for the rest of the team to join them down there.
Before Adrian could reach his team however, the headmaster’s voice began echoing across the stadium, drowning out even the loudest of the crowd.
–This match has been cancelled. All students will return immediately to their common rooms and remain there until further notice.â€
Adrian’s heart sank. It was to be expected really, that such an incident would stop the game, but he had hoped they would just restart, or have a time-out.
The rest of his team looked equally dejected. No one spoke as they changed and headed back to the castle. They were the last of their house to return to the common room and a few people broke into half-hearted rounds of applause when they entered.
–What happened, Bethany?†asked one of the sixth year girls. –The pitch just went completely dark and then there were all those fireworks.â€
–That’s about all we know,†said Bethany. –Didn’t the stands go dark as well?â€
–No it was just the pitch. We thought you might have all disappeared.â€
–Did you see what it said?†asked a boy.
–What’s Dumbledore’s Army?†asked another student, who looked like he was only a first or second year.
–We don’t know,†replied a prefect quickly.
Adrian saw a couple of the older Hufflepuffs glance at each other uneasily. It was clear that they knew exactly what it meant. He did too, or at least he sort of did. He hadn’t heard the name in over a year though, since the end of his second year, and he couldn’t understand what it meant now.
Before anyone could say anything else, the common room entrance opened again and this time the Headmaster himself stepped through the doorway.
–The act committed today by a small number of students has had serious consequences to the rest of the school,†he said. He hadn’t bothered to magnify his voice. The room had gone so quiet at his entrance that every word seemed to reverberate round and round in the silence.
–This reckless practical joke put student’s lives in danger, and there will be serious consequences. Every member of this house will be questioned about their whereabouts before and during the match by Professor Carrow.†He nodded to the male Carrow professor, who looked oddly excited at the thought.
–Finally, to ensure the future safety of all students, and as a consequence for the actions of the students responsible, there will be no more Quidditch at Hogwarts.â€