Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix [93]
“Harry!” yelled George, brandishing an envelope. “This came for you just before we got here. It was on the ground.” He handed Harry the envelope, and Harry tore it open. It read:
Dear Harry,
How have you been? I haven’t seen you much since our date to Hogsmeade, and I would like to catch up on what we missed. After you win the match against Slytherin, meet me inside the Great Hall. We can talk about a dance that’s rumored is coming up, and the Dueling Club, which I am anxious to join.
Lots of love,
Cho
The letter was just what Harry needed. He immediately felt better about his match, and was ready to go. The promise of seeing Cho afterwards gave him renewed happiness.
“You okay Harry?” asked Fred, seeing Harry’s dazed expression.
“What? Oh, yeah! Let’s go!” said Harry, stuffing the letter in his pocket and walking out to the middle of the field. Marcus Flint came up to Harry from his side, and glared down at Harry. He was like a younger version of Hagrid. He was extremely large, bulky, and muscley, but he didn’t have any of Hagrid’s ever present warmth and joy.
“Shake hands captains,” said Madam Hooch, the referee. Harry immediately shot his hand out, and Flint grabbed it as if it was a bug he wanted to crush. He squeezed it so hard, Harry was surprised his hand didn’t explode. All the while, Flint had a smile on his face.
“Mount your brooms,” said Madam Hooch. Flint let go of Harry’s hand, and Harry started rubbing it to try and get rid of the throbbing pain. He mounted his broom, and the rest of the team came up next to him.
“One… two…” said Madam Hooch with the Quaffle, Bludgers and Snitch in her hands, ready to be thrown up, “three!” She tossed all three into the air, and Harry immediately shot after the Snitch, trying to stay with it, but it flew out of sight within half a second.
“What, is the Snitch too fast for you Potter?” yelled Malfoy from his broom.
“I didn’t see you anywhere near it Malfoy!” yelled Harry back, and zooming off before Malfoy could say anything. Just as he was flying away, though, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, as though a Bludger had just hit him.
“Ow! Fred, George, where are you?!”
“Sorry Harry!” yelled Fred, flying by. “I didn’t know we had to keep an eye on Quaffles too!”
“What?”
“That was a Quaffle that hit you Harry, not a Bludger and- watch out!” the Quaffle was zooming back towards Harry, and he just barely moved aside, doing it.
“What’s going on?” yelled Harry. Just as the Quaffle flew by him, it stopped, turned around, and shot back towards him. “There’s something wrong with this Quaffle!”
It was true, the Quaffle wasn’t going anywhere on the field except around Harry. It seemed to be trying to hit him, but that was what Bludgers were supposed to do.
“What should we do?” asked George, coming over to try and help.
“Hit it!” yelled Harry. George soared over to the Quaffle, which was on its way back to hit Harry, and whacked it with all his strength. But, for all the good his hit did, he might as well have used a feather. His bat did not stop the Quaffle in the least. It was still on a collision course with Harry.
“Keep moving Harry!” yelled Angelina. The entire Gryffindor team was surrounding Harry now, and the Slytherin team was gathered at the other end, laughing. “If you keep moving, it may not get you!”
Harry took her advice, and shot off in whatever direction he was able to go. The Quaffle chased after him, and it was not slowing down. What was going on? Harry looked through the entire Slytherin stands, to see if anyone was jinxing the Quaffle. He saw them