Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Twenty-Six: Slytherin vs. Gryffindor

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It was the fastest I had ever flown in my life, ducking and dodging as Bludgers were hit at me left right and center, shooting the Quaffle through the rings at the end of the field, the screaming of students a hundred feet below me ringing through the air.

"It's all tied up! Sixty points for Slytherin; sixty points for Gryffindor!" I heard the commentator, a sixth year Gryffindor student I didn't know, call over the field. "Crane has the Quaffle, and seems to be calling out a play to her teammates."

He was right, I wanted now to be the moment we secured a lead. Nerida was swooping through the pitch, on her hunt for the Golden Snitch and the game had been too close for my liking. Imelda caught my eye and nodded from across the pitch, and within seconds, my teammates were closing ranks on me as I shot across the pitch towards Garreth Weasley. Malfoy and Black flanked behind me, Malfoy just barely managing to keep two well aimed Bludgers from making contact with me.

"Oi! Mind your club, Malfoy!" Imelda shouted from behind me as we rocketed across the field.

"I am!" He shouted, displacing another Bludger from Gryffindor beater Eric Potter, a bespectacled boy with rather messy black hair.

Rolling my eyes, I glanced at the Quaffle in my gloved hand, smiling at the silver embroidered message on them.

For luck S. Sallow

"Mind the distance to the hoops!" I shouted, heart racing as I rocketed across the field, getting within range. Turning my head I saw Imelda and Flint had fallen in right on queue, closing in tighter and I knew it was time to make my move.

A burst of speed, shouts from the crowd below, and a startled look on Garreth Weasley's face as Imelda shot out from the tail end of our moving serpent formation was all the fuel I needed to push forward and rocket the Quaffle through the middle of the three hoops.

"Ten points to Slytherin!" The crowd below shouted as I rounded the goal posts, watching Arcturus catch my throw, the other Gryffindor chasers circling trying to get in close enough to take the Quaffle right out from under us.

Arcturus managed to get the ball right back into Imelda's hands and she launched it through the shortest hoop, right past Garreth's left ear, his freckled face whipping up to me where I had caught Imelda's throw and immediately rocketed around to throw it back to him as Imelda shot off down the field, Flint in hot pursuit to continue to safeguard her from any Bludgers.

"Another ten points! Slytherin leads eighty to sixty!" The crowd roared in delight. "And what's this? The Slytherin Seeker Nerida Roberts appears to have spotted the Snitch!"

Arcturus whipped his head over to me, concentration lost. I could have murdered him right there.

"Throw it, you idiot!" I shouted as I blocked two Gryffindor Keepers from him. He blinked and turned towards to goal post, released the Quaffle aiming at the tallest of the hoops, Garreth shooting across to meet it-

It went through, Katie Wood, seventh year Gryffindor chaser on the other side to catch it.

Thirty point lead secured.

I smirked, wheeling over to take off down the pitch and guard our own turf, when I was met face to face with a Bludger.

"Shit!" I bellowed, pulling up hard on the handle of my broom, climbing even higher. The Bludger followed in its violent pursuit, and I wasn't fast enough. I felt the ball make contact with my knee- a roaring pain searing through my leg as a very loud crunch ripped through the air.