Infamous | Fred Weasley x OC |

Chapter Ten

The quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor started off terribly. As if being underprepared for the match was bad enough, we had to play in the torrential rain. Someone, through the pelting raindrops, we managed to score twice. I say 'we', but because the second years were looking tired and defeated after 5 minutes of playing in the rain, I did most of the work. Despite scoring twice, Gryffindor was fifty points ahead of us.

Through the thunder and the rain, I somehow managed to hear Madame Hooch blow her whistle. I had to squint through the rain to see Cedric beckon the team over. The canary yellow of our Hufflepuff quidditch robes did make it easy to see where the rest of the team were. Cedric was on the ground and beckoning everyone down. I flew down at the same time as Kevin. He was the only one of our team who was still smiling.

"Right team," Cedric began once everyone had flown down to join him, "We might be fifty points behind Gryffindor but there's still a chance we can pull up. Potter is their best strength so I reckon they'll be focused on getting him to catch the snitch early. Especially in this rain, they'll want to end the game and fast. That means their chasers won't be so focused. We can use our chasers to our advantage. You three need to keep passing the ball around, eventually, the Gryffindor chasers will get bored. After all, their play will be focused on Harry and not them. After that, we'll be free to score. We've still got a chance! Don't give up now!"

After Cedric's inspiring pep-talk, spirits were a little higher. The poor second year chasers were even smiling again. Then Kevin stepped up to give his speech.

"As Cedric said, we can still win," Kevin said, starting off inspiring, "So let's go out there and win! We'd better win...or else." Then it went downhill. The second years were no longer smiling.

I couldn't help but laugh. It was probably a mixture of bemusement at Kevin's 'inspiring' speech and nerves about the game. He caught my eye and grinned, probably thinking I'd enjoyed his speech. I rolled my eyes and flew back onto the pitch along with everyone else.

After the quick time out, the game managed to restart and went surprisingly well. I managed to score another point. As Cedric said, the chasers weren't as focused as they could have been. The Gryffindor chasers couldn't predict where the quaffle was going to go next, especially thanks to our two second years, who couldn't throw in a straight line. The quaffle was easily passed down the pitch and I even managed to get past Oliver Wood, who was too busy keeping an eye on Harry and the score so he could tell him when to catch the snitch.

I'd just caught the quaffle back from Hooch's throw up when a bludger whizzed passed me, narrowly missing my head. A flash of red passed by me and shouted: "Should have taken our offer, Caswell!" I didn't need to look to know who that was.

I narrowed my eyes at them, partly out of frustration at their ego but mostly because I was focusing. I threw the quaffle and it bounced right off their head. Sure, it bounced right into Angelina Johnson's arms afterwards but it was worth it.

The weather continued to worsen. The rain and thunder was quickly joined by sharp flashes of lightening. The breaks in between the crashes of thunder and the flashes of lightning were getting closer and closer together until it felt like we were playing in the heart of the storm itself. The quidditch pitch was violently illuminated with lightning bolts. The light reflecting off each raindrop. It was hauntingly beautiful but also blinding. It could barely see which way to throw the quaffle. The rain had completely soaked my quidditch robes, and I was cold to the bone. It didn't think it was even possible to feel colder still, but a sudden chill ran through me, causing me to shiver uncontrollably. Another bolt of lightning crashed down, briefly lighting up the pitch. Someone screamed. It wasn't long before the next bolt of lightning shone light onto what they had screamed at. There were dementors all around the outside of the pitch. The lightning faded, and the pitch descended into darkness. It was only a matter of seconds later that more lightning crackled, lighting the pitch up again. The dementors were now on the pitch.

Then, suddenly, everything went eerily quiet. The lightning seemed to stop and dense, black rain clouds covered the pitch sending everything into darkness. I couldn't feel the pelting of raindrops anymore and it was so dark I couldn't see where I was. Then everything was lit up for a second. I thought it was the lightning striking again but this flash was green. My mind was flooded with the image of my mother. But it wasn't like the other times the presence of dementors made me see my mum. The other times had been like a montage of memories. But this was like a film. Like I was reliving something. I couldn't make sense of it. There was a flash of green and my mother was lying on the floor. It was all so real. But how could it be? I didn't remember my mum and I certainly didn't remember the day she had died. Did I?

*

The next thing I knew I was in the hospital wing being wrapped up in a bunch of towels. Maddie was sat beside me on the bed, Kevin and Cedric were hovering behind her to make sure I was alright. Emmy, who was still in her quidditch robes and sopping wet, dripping water all over the floor, was on the other side of me. Maddie had protectively put her arm around me but was also trying not to get her uniform wet so wasn't really helping much. I was still glad she would risk dirtying her uniform for me though.

Madame Pomfrey hurried over with a warm mug of tea in her hands.

"There you are, that'll help with the shock and shivers," She said, wrapping my hands around the mug to make sure I took it from her, "You'll be alright after a good night's sleep."

"Is she allowed to leave now?" Maddie asked softly.

"Finish the tea first," Madame Pomfrey instructed, "I don't need any more people running off with my mugs." She said and hurried off to attend to the other people in the hospital wing. Turns out I wasn't the only one from the quidditch match who had ended up in the hospital wing. The rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team and about a dozen other Gryffindor students were all crowded around the bed opposite mine. Everyone had their attention focused on the poor sod in the bed. All except one.

"Emmy...?" I asked, pausing to sip my tea, "Why is Oliver Wood glaring at you?"

Oliver Wood was the only Gryffindor not looking at the bed opposite mine. He was staring directly at Emmy.

"Called me a traitor for hanging around you, now you've made the Hufflepuff team." She said as if it were no big deal, "Accused me of sharing our Gryffindor training tactics. Probably even more pissed off now since Cedric caught the snitch while Harry nearly plummeted to his death. Pay him no attention, he's mental."