The day we met

Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff

'Where's Harry?' Oliver Wood walks through the Gryffindor locker room. 'We didn't see anymore since Draco got that accident, Oliver,' Fred and George say. 'We need our Seeker!' Oliver gets worried. 'How are we supposed to play without a Seeker?'

Harry suddenly stops walking. 'What's wrong Harry?' I ask. He looks shocked at us. 'Gryffindor plays today!' he says. We all shocked. 'What do we do now?' Ron asks. Hermoine and Harry think for a moment. 'I don't know...' he says. "Shall I go further with the hunt or shall I help my team?" goes trough his head. 'I can go', I suddenly say. The other three look at me. 'What do you mean?' Ron asks. I sigh. 'I mean that I can go in Harry's place. I can play for Seeker!' I say. Harry seems to think about that. 

'Would you really do that?' he asks. I nod. 'Of course! ... only if that's okay with you, of course', I say. 'Hmmm... I don't see why not,' he says. He looks asking at Hermoine and Ron. They shrug their shoulders. 

'Alright then. You can substituate for me,' Harry says. I want to run back to the hatch, but Hermoine stops me. 'Remember to play music when you pass Fluffy and to use light or fire against the Devil's Snare!' she says. I nod as sign of understanding. Harry hugs me one more time before I finally leave. 'Be careful and good luck!' I hear him saying and then I can't hear them anymore.

I arrive at the Gryffindor lockerroom. Oliver walks to me. 'Gryffindors only,' he says. 'Are you the Gryffindor teamcaptain?' I ask. Oliver nods. 'Yeah, why? Do you know where our Seeker is?' Oliver asks hopeful. I shake my head. 'He only told me that he had to do something-' 'what on Merlin's beard can possibly be more important than Quidditch?!' 'I don't know. He only told me that it was important', I say. Oliver sighs. 'I'm sorry. I'm just-- we can't play without him,' he says. 'That's why I came here, actually,' I say. 

Oliver looks up. 'Yeah?' I nod. 'Harry asked me to substituate for him', I tell the Captain. Oliver thinks for a moment. 

'I don't know. How do I know that you don't spy for Slytherin?' he asks. I sigh. I knew that this moment would come. 'Look, I wouldn't be here if Harry didn't mean so much for me. And since Quidditch means a lot for him, I agreed to help him,' I say. 'Means much to you, how?' Oliver asks. I swallow. 'I'm just kidding,' he says. 

'So, can I join?' I ask, relieved that I don't have to explain how much or in which way Harry means a lot to me. Oliver thinks for a moment again. 'Alright then, but only because we don't have much of a choice,' he says. I look happy at him. 'I'll let Madam Hooch and the Hufflepuff team know that we play with you as Seeker. Wait here,' Oliver says, after which he walks away.

Oliver comes back and gives me a Gryffindor Quidditch uniform. Harry's uniform. His number seven is now on my back. I feel somewhere guilty. Then we're called to the fields. I stand in front of Hufflepuff's Seeker. 'Are you gay now, too?' I hear a Slytherin saying. I swallow. 'Ignore them. They're just jealous that you can play with the best team,' Alicia says. I smile softly. 'Jealous... yeah...' I mutter. 

Then Madam Hooch whistles and both teams take off. I see the Quaffle getting released, just like the Bludgers. 'You better protect me for those, or Harry'll kill you',' I say with a wink to Fred and George. They nod.

Gryffindor has 10 points and Hufflepuff has 20 points. I look trough the sky. There's no golden blur to be seen. Relieved I fly a little through the sky. 

Suddenly a Bludger comes at me. I can barely dodge it. 'That was a close one!' I hear Lee saying. 'Sorry!' Fred and George apologize. 

Then I see a golden blur right in front of me. I urge my broom and fly after it. The Hufflepuff Seeker found him too. 'Another three points for Gryffindor!' I hear Lee saying. "Gryffindor is good indeed". The Snitch may be fast, but I can still see it. My eyes are following every move it makes.

 'Hufflepuff scores! Five points for Hufflepuff!' Lee says. I can almost grab the Snitch, but so can the Hufflepuff Seeker. "I can't let Hufflepuff win. I need to win... for Harry", goes trough my head. 

Suddenly I feel the Snitch in my hand. I hold it in the air and the game stops. 'Gryffindor has the Snitch! Gryffindor wins with 160 against 150 from Hufflepuff!' Lee says. A happy feeling goes trough my body. "I won... I won because I thought of Harry", I think. I land on the field and give the Snitch back to Madam Hooch. 

Suddenly, the Slytherin Captain stand behind me. He taps me on the shoulder. I look behind. 'You were good out there. Wanna join our team as Seeker?' he asks. There's that happy feeling again. 'I uhm...' It was always a dream to play Quidditch as Seeker, and now I get that chance!

'Yeah,' I say. 'Good, that's settled then. See you by the trainings next year!' the Captain says and then he walks away. I can't believe that I'm actually the next Seeker of Slytherin! I suddenly realize that I need to go back to the others. I run back into the castle and back to the hatch. Back to the others.