moon-struck....harry james potter

3.9| the quidditch cup

And Angelina scored. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Alex seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal —seventy-ten. The Gryffindor crowd below was screaming itself hoarse— Gryffindor was sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the Snitch now, the Cup was theirs. Harry could almost feel hundreds of eyes following him as he soared around the field, high above the rest of the game, with Malfoy speeding along behind him.

Alex saw Harry rush above, in great spead. Suddenly she gasped—Malfoy had thrown himself forward, grabbed hold of the Firebolt’s tail, and was pulling it back.

“Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I’ve never seen such tactics.” Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!” Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall’s reach. “YOU FILTHY, CHEATING BAST—” Professor McGonagall didn’t even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her finger in Malfoy’s direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously. Katie took Gryffindor’s penalty, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. The
Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy’s foul on Harry, were being spurred on to greater heights.

“Alexandria Black gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Alex, COME ON!” Alex held the Quaffle tightly in her arms, another hand on the broom's handle. She zoomed through the field. “AAAAAAARRRGH!—SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty Points to twenty!

Alex saw Harry throw himself forward, took both hands off his broom. He knocked Malfoy’s arm out of the way and—

“YES!”

He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight in his fist, beating its wings hopelessly against his fingers. The whole stadium erupted into ear deafening cheers. Then Wood was speeding toward him, half-blinded by tears; he seized Harry around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder. Harry felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit them, finally Alex hugged him, tightly squeezing the daylight out of him, grinning widely, unshed tears in her eyes from happiness. He hugged her back, unfortunately he had to let her go as the crowd came rushing in.

Wave upon wave of crimson supporters was pouring over the barriers onto the field. Hands were raining down on their backs. Alex had a confused impression of noise and bodies pressing in on
her. Then she, and the rest of the team, were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, she saw Hagrid, Plastered with crimson rosettes—

“Yeh beat ‘em, yeh beat ‘em! Wait till I tell Buckbeak!” There was Percy, jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder even than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag; and there, fighting their way toward Harry, were Ron and Hermione. Words failed them, They simply beamed. Cepheus a slytherin—was also there, congratulating them. Alex was borne toward the stands, where Dumbledore stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup. A sobbing Oliver passed Alex the cup—she raised it into the air, the crowds growing we again, Alex was grinning widely—so much that her cheeks pained from grinning so hard.

_

Alex's euphoria at finally winning the Quidditch Cup lasted at least a week. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all anybody felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps playing a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of the lake. But they couldn’t. Exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George Weasley had been spotted working; they were about to take their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the highest qualification Hogwarts offered. As Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room in the evenings. In fact, the only person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione.