𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄 | ᴇʟɪᴢᴀʙᴇᴛʜ ᴘᴏᴛᴛᴇʀ

009~Qᴜɪᴅᴅɪᴛᴄʜ

The four students gathered around the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, satiating their hunger before the impending Quidditch match.

"I still can't believe you put yourself in danger to fight that troll alone, Ellie," Harry murmured protectively. However, his sister seemed oblivious to his concern, swiftly devouring her meal.

"Come on, Harry, eat something," Ron implored the Gryffindor seeker. Elizabeth glanced up at her brother, who lacked any appetite, while she felt an insatiable hunger that could have easily consumed half of the Great Hall's offerings.

Laughter erupted as the girl spoke with her mouth full, "Eat, Harry, now!" With a tender smile, Harry took a slice of toast from the table.

Unbeknownst to Elizabeth, Professor Snape approached their table, though she remained entirely engrossed in the delectable pumpkin cake before her. "Oh my god, guys," she murmured with a mouth full of cake, "this cake is so good." Regrettably, no one responded.

Perplexed, she turned around, her gaze meeting Professor Snape, who hovered near her. "Good luck today, Potter. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you. Even if it is against Slytherin," Snape uttered devoid of emotion.

Elizabeth regarded him with suspicion as Harry interjected, "That would explain the blood," eliciting perplexed expressions from the trio. "Didn't you see, Snape was limping. And yesterday I saw a bloody cut on his leg. I guess he tried to get past the three-headed dog and got himself bitten. He wanted to steal whatever the dog is guarding."

Elizabeth looked up, remarking, "The dog is guarding whatever Hagrid took from vault 713. He said it was secret, and then somebody broke into Gringotts to steal it. That must be a valuable thing" she elucidated.

Suddenly, Hedwig and Veri arrived in the Great Hall, carrying parcels. "Bit early for mail, isn't it?" Harry queried, leaving his sister bewildered by their unanticipated delivery. Hastily unwrapping the packages, the twins revealed two exquisite broomsticks, leaving them awestruck. "That's the Nimbus 2000!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes brimming with admiration.

Elizabeth glanced up, her gaze meeting Professor McGonagall, who smiled serenely while caressing Veri's feathers. The girl reciprocated the smile, filled with gratitude.

~~~

Harry and Elizabeth entered the tower unitedly with their fellow players, preparing themselves for the upcoming Quidditch match. "Scared, Potters?" inquired Oliver Wood with a grin. "A little," replied Harry. "That's alright, I felt the same way before my first game," the twins were comforted.

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked with piqued curiosity. "I don't really remember. I took a Bludger to the head two minutes in. Woke up in the hospital a week later," Oliver recounted. The twins' eyes widened in shock. The door swung open. Each player mounted their broomsticks and soared out onto the massive pitch.

The audience erupted with fervent applause as the mellifluous voice of Lee Jordan, the Quidditch commentator, reverberated throughout the stadium, "Hello and welcome to Hogwarts' first game of the season! Today's game Slytherin vs. Gryffindor!" The players took their positions. Harry ascended to the highest heights.

Elizabeth gathered with her fellow chasers in a circle. She cast her gaze upon her brother, who bequeathed her a confident smile, to which she reciprocated. As the Quaffle was released, the clash commenced.

Gryffindor swiftly seized possession of the ball, and Angelina Johnson, a chaser, swiftly zoomed past the Slytherins toward their goal, successfully throwing the ball and securing a score. Gryffindor erupted in jubilant cheer as Lee Jordan jubilantly proclaimed, "Ten points for Gryffindor!"

Marcus Flint valiantly charged toward the Gryffindor goal and released the ball, but Oliver promptly deflected it. Angelina Johnson caught it, then relinquished it to Elizabeth. Elizabeth dashed toward the Slytherin goal, deftly maneuvering around the bludgers. With precise aim, she threw the ball and scored.

"Gryffindor's new chaser scores! Another ten points for Gryffindor!" exclaimed Lee Jordan, eliciting a resounding cheer from the crowd. Elizabeth cast a glance at her brother, exchanging a radiant smile of triumph, to which he responded in kind.

Suddenly, Elizabeth's broom began to act abnormally. It twirled and spun uncontrollably, rendering the young chaser powerless. Panic filled her eyes. She emitted a blood-curdling scream, yet it seemed as though nobody took notice. Her broom ascended higher and higher into the atmosphere. The air became thin, making it hard for the young girl to breathe. Abruptly, a sinister silhouette materialized before her. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she struggled to discern the mysterious figure.

In a deep, raspy voice, it intoned, "You shall fall, Elizabeth Potter. Darkness is your destiny."

Terror gripped the young girl as she struggled to maintain her grip on the handle of her broom. "No! I won't let you!" she cried out, her voice trembling with fear. The air around her seemed to crackle with malevolent energy. She fought to break free from the figure's hypnotic gaze, but it was futile.

"Foolish girl," the dark figure hissed. "You cannot escape your fate. You belong to the darkness. You will fall."

With a sinister chuckle, the figure released a black mist from its hands. The mist engulfed Elizabeth, obscuring her vision and filling her lungs. She felt her grip on her broom loosening, and her body began to grow heavy.

Fear gripped the girl's heart as her broom plummeted downward, the wind whipping through her hair, until finally she crashed into the pitch, and everything faded into deepest blackness.