SOME KIND OF DISASTER ─ oliver wood

[ 034 ] win some

Oliver blocked the goal before it could get within a foot of the hoop.

With the Quaffle in Gryffindor hands, the Hufflepuffs found a new surge of determination. Angelina and Sanchez were neck-to-neck, and with Sanchez sticking so close, it was impossible to make a pass or take a shot. One of the Weasley twins closed in on Sawyer, but before he could intercept the Bludger she was gunning for, Sawyer shot past him, checking him in the shoulder vehemently before she swung her bat sharply, the Bludger connecting with a loud thunk, before it soared through the air. If Katie hadn't ducked in time, the Bludger would've blown a hole through her head. The crowd let out a collective wince at the close shave.

Adrenaline coursed through Sawyer's veins as she went after the second Bludger that would've definitely killed Irene had Sawyer not intercepted its warpath and sent it on a killer-collision course towards Angelina instead. Terror overcame Angelina's face as she rolled clear. The Chasers were grappling with the Quaffle again, and it was getting harder and harder to keep track of who was in possession of it. As the storm only grew harsher, as the players grew more and more violent with each other, the Gryffindors scored eight times, which put them in the lead against Hufflepuff's pathetic four. Driven by frustration and helplessness, they kept pushing and pushing, drawing vigour from the stampeding crowd. Lurching towards a Bludger, Violet slammed it into one of the twins, who'd started taking her seriously after she'd managed to nearly decapitate Angelina thrice. He veered out of the way, but the Bludger clipped the handle of his broom, sending him spinning out. When he regained control, he rushed at Violet, fury contorting his features, and Sawyer retaliated, swooping in between them. One glimpse at Sawyer's interference had him backing off, hands raised in mock surrender.

As the Gryffindors carried the Quaffle towards the scoring line, Sawyer heard the whistle of an approaching Bludger before she saw it. She didn't have time to lock on a target, so, leaning into the momentum of her flight, she slammed it into the first person in red that was in her line of vision. One of the Weasley twins made a rude gesture, which she ignored. In the midst of her distraction from the match, Angelina had escaped Sanchez and Florence and was taking a shot at goal. The crowd held their breath as she wound her arm back and lobbed the Quaffle into the furthest goalpost. In a flash, Herbert was at the last hoop, diving to save the goal. He caught it just before it could pass through, and a loud cheer erupted from the Hufflepuff stand.

The Hufflepuffs had possession of the Quaffle again, but the Gryffindors made them work to keep it. Oliver blocked the next shot, looking generally unimpressed with the Hufflepuffs' efforts.

Each successive minute tapped deeper into their desperation and grit. The point gap was impossible to close at this point. Even with one Chaser down, the Gryffindors were still superior, but the Hufflepuffs had spent too long with the gravel from rock bottom in their mouths to give up at this point. Losing was not an option. Irene and Sanchez were playing pass between each other, zipping like flies to evade assault from Angelina and Katie while Florence interfered with the Gryffindors. The three Hufflepuff Chasers had faced close calls with the Bludger too many times, but were saved by the skin of their teeth by Violet and Sawyer, who were waging war against the Weasley twins. They seemed less focused on incapacitating the Chasers and had, in a vindictive moment, had turned to attacking the Hufflepuff Beaters instead. Violet's face was scrunched up in concentration. With their track record of collateral, the twins were easily the most nightmarish contenders the Hufflepuff team had ever faced. But, as Nia had said some years ago, the Hufflepuffs had a nightmare of their own.

"Irene, on me!" Sanchez roared, when she found herself stuck between Angelina and a hard place, unable to move the Quaffle. She feigned a pass at Irene, who pitched her broom into a steep dive with Katie dogging mercilessly at her heels, but Florence was waiting below her, unguarded, and the Quaffle dropped into her hands without fuss. They'd conconcted this new passing strategy last week. With the momentary distraction, Florence shot off towards the goal, but Katie was faster. Soon, the Gryffindors had the Quaffle again and the Hufflepuffs were left in the wake of their weak offense.