Gwen and the rest of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall the next morning to enormous applause. Gwen couldn't help grinning broadly as she saw that both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were clapping them too. She caught Lucille's eye across the Hall. Her sister was clearly fighting to remain impassive, but as soon as the two made eye contact, she forgot her resolve and began clapping wildly too.
As usual, the Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed. Eddie and Felix remained silent, and Gwen was grateful for that.
Wood spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to ear, while touching nothing himself. Then he hurried off to the pitch before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of conditions. As they left the Great Hall, everyone applauded again.
'Good luck, Harry!' Cho Chang called. Gwen looked to Harry, who's face had gone bright red. Gwen nudged him playfully, grinning.
'OK... no wind to speak of... sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it... ground's very hard, good, that'll give us a fast kick off...'
Wood paced the pitch, staring around with the team behind him. Finally, they saw the front doors of the castle open in the distance, and the rest of the school spill onto the lawn.
'Changing rooms,' said Wood tensley.
None of them spoke as they changed into their scarlet robes. Gwen wondered if everyone else was feeling the same thing she was feeling; as though she had eaten something extremely wriggly for breakfast. In what seemed like no time at all, Wood was saying, 'OK, it's time, let's go...'
Gwen took her place between Angelina and Katie, sharing encouraging, nervous looks with them, and the team walked out onto the pitch.
There was a tidal wave of noise. Three quarters of the stands were wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion on them or brandishing banners with slogans such as 'GO GRYFFINDOR!' and 'LIONS FOR THE CUP!'. Behind the Slytherin goalposts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Professor Snape sat in the front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile.
To Gwen's shock, in the Slytherin team, Eddie stood, his silver blond hair impossible to miss. He was easily the tallest player, decked out in his Slytherin green Beater's robes. He looked paler than usual, clearly making an effort to avoid Gwen's eye. Angelina had noticed too, and whispered, 'He'll play dirty, Gwen. Don't go easy on him.'
Eddie had left the team the year before. She had no idea he had rejoined, but as she surveyed the rest of the Slytherin team, she noticed that all the players seemed to have been replaced; they were all huge, muscly boys, holding their broomsticks and staring intimidatingly at the Gryffindor team. Malfoy was easily the tiniest player.
'And here are the Gryffindor players!' yelled Lee Jordan, acting as commentator as usual. 'Potter, Bell, Johnson, Everill, Weasley, Weasley and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best side Hogwarts has seen in a good few years--'
Lee's comments were drowned out by a tide of 'boos' from the Slytherin end.
'And here come the Slytherin team, led by captain Flint. He's made some changes in the line up and seems to be going for size rather than skill--'
More boos from the Slytherin crowd.
'Captains, shake hands!' said Madam Hooch.
Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hands very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers.
'Mount your brooms!' said Madam Hooch. 'Three... two... one...'
The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar of the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air.
Gwen's hair whipped backwards as she flew straight up, and caught the Quaffle.
'And it's Gryffindor in possession, Gwen Everill of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goalposts, looking good, Gwen! Argh, no-- Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing up the pitch - WHAM! - nice Bludger work there by George Weasley. Warrington drops the Quaffle,, it's caught by - Johnson, gryffindor back in possession, come on Angeline - nice swerve around Montague - duck, Angeline, that's a Bludger! - SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!'
Angelia punched the air as she soared around the end of the pitch; the sea of scarlet below was screaming it's delight--
'OUCH!'
Gwen watched in horror as Angelina was nearly thrown by her broom by Marcus Flint as he went smashing into her.
'Sorry!' said Flint as the crowd below booed. 'Sorry didn't see her!'
Next moment, Fred Weasley had chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.
'That will do!' shrieked Madame Hooch, zooming between them. 'Penalty to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!'
'Come off it, Miss!' howled fred, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Gwen flew forward to take the penalty.
'Come on, Gwen!' Lee yelled into the silence that descended onto the crowd. Gwen flew forward, aimed for one hoop-- the Keeper dived toward her-- she pulled up at the last second and shot the Quaffle through the highest hoop.
'YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!'
Gwen revelled in the applause from the scarlet side of the crowd. She wheeled her broom around to watch Flint, still bleeding freely, take the Slytherin penalty. Wood was hovering in front of the Gryffindor goalposts, his jaw clenched.
''Course, Wood's a superb Keeper!' Lee told the crowd as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. 'Superb! Difficult to pass-- very difficult, indeed-- YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!'
The game continued, Lee commentating every move made. Gwen had the Quaffle, streaked up the pitch-- a Slytherin Chaser rammed full speed into her-- knocked her backward and took the Quaffle-- her broom flipped in the air, but she managed to stay on, steadied herself-- Katie had the Quaffle, tailed closely by Montague--
'THAT WAS DELIBERATE!'
The cries of outrage drowned out the Slytherin cheers; Montague had swerved in front of Katie, but instead of taking the Quaffle, he grabbed her head. Katie cartwheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but had dropped the Quaffle. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Keeper.
'THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING--'
'Jordan if you can't commentate in an unbiased way--!'
'I'm telling it like it is, Professor!'
Gwen streaked after Flint, who now had possession. He was much bigger than her, and would be difficult to ram, but she had the advantage of speed. They both had a Nimbus Two Thousand and One, but Gwen was much lighter on hers.
She rammed sideways into him-- he rolled in the air, dropped the Quaffle-- she dived, took it--
Harry streak through the air in the opposite direction-- Malfoy after him-- Gwen was vaguely aware of a sickening crunch as Eddie and Bole, the other Slytherin Beater, collided when they went after him--
Gwen aimed the Quaffle, streaked through the air--
She was clutching onto her broom handle for dear life, her whole body had been thrown off and a wave of pain erupted in her nose, warm blood trickling down her face as her eyes stung from the pain. Bole had recovered, and instead of aiming for the Bludger, he had whacked her directly in the face.
'YOU DIRTY, CHEATING--' Lee's voice came, swearing and shouting as the crowd yelled wildly in anger.
She swung herself back on her broom. Her hair was now scarlet, matching her robes, fury overtaking her.
'So that's how we're playing?' she yelled after Bole as he sent her a twisted grin.
'Thought you were a Bludger!'
Madam Hooch blew the whistle, her face tight with fury, and Gwen took the penalty.
She scored. Forty-zero.
The game continued, Gwen ignoring her bleeding, broken nose as she tore around the pitch. Flint managed to score, Wood was so angry that he missed the save. There was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end and Lee continued to swear, but Professor McGonagall was too enraged herself to care.
It was the dirtiest game Gwen had ever played. Furious that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Eddie had been doing his best to avoid Gwen so far, but now, he was aiming Bludgers at her left right and centre-- Gwen was doing all she could to knock him off his broom. George Weasley elbowed Bole in the face for his earlier attack on Gwen, and Slytherin took a penalty, Wood saving it easily.
Katie scored. Fifty-ten. Fred and George were swooping around ehr, clubs raised, in case any Slytherins were thinking of revenge. Eddie and Bole took advantage of Fred and George's absence to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded.
Madam Hooch was beside herself.
'You do not attack a Keeper unless the Quaffle is within the scoring area!' she shrieked at Eddie and Bole. 'Gryffindor penalty!'
And Angelina scored. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Gwen seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal; seventy-ten.
The Gryffindor crowd were screaming themselves hoarse; Gryffindor were almost far enough in the lead that if Harry caught the Snitch, they would win. Just four more Gryffindor goals to go...
Gwen, Angelina and Katie continued to fight for the Quaffle. Eddie and Bole continued to aim Bludgers at them, Fred and George continued to circle the Chasers, whacking the Bludgers back at the Slytherin players.
Gwen scored, then Angelina. Gwen nearly got knocked off her broom again, Katie narrowly avoided being rammed out of the air, and then she too scored.
Ninety-ten. Just one more and Harry could catch the Snitch.
The next penalty was to Gryffindor, when Malfoy had held onto the back of Harry's broom to stop him from catching the Snitch. Madam Hooch had blown her whistle shrilly - 'Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I have never seen such tactics!' - and Angelina had taken the penalty, and, despite how angry she was, she made the goal.
The screams from the scarlet crowd were deafening. The match went on, George was elbowed hard in the ribs by Bole, and Fred then aimed a nasty Bludger to Bole's head. Eddie got winded when Katie flew directly into him while in possession, and missed the hoops.
The more the Gryffindor team played, the more they lost their focus, so furious at the Slytherin team that their Bludgers and Quaffle shots were going off target. The Slytherins were delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, that they spurred on to greater heights.
'Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal-- Montague scores--' Lee groaned. 'One hundred-twenty to Gryffindor...'
Harry had taken to marking Malfoy now, blocking him every time he streaked around the pitch. Malfoy had tried to fly headlong into Angelina when she was in possession, and Harry came to her rescue, heading Malfoy off at the last second.
'Katie Bell gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on Katie, COME ON!'
Gwen looked round, suddenly horrified. Every single Slytherin player, apart from Malfoy, even the Slytherin Keeper, were streaking up the pitch towards Katie-- they were all going to block her--
Gwen wheeled her broom around, gesturing to Angelina, and the two streaked after Katie, aiming to head off at least one or two Slytherins--
Harry sped past, a scarlet blur as the Firebolt whipped past, bent so low he was flat on the broom. Like a bullet, he shot towards the Slytherins.
'AAARRRGHH!'
They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed towards them; Angelina's way was clear.
Gwen's however, was not. She tried to halt her broom, slow down as her brother came speeding towards her, not looking where he was going--
They collided head on, rolling and cartwheeling in the air. Eddie dropped his Beater's club, trying to steady himself, while Gwen just managed to stay on her broom. They didn't even look at each other as they flew off in different directions.
While Gwen had been distracted, Angelina had scored. The scarlet crowd had erupted into cheers, led by Lee Jordan's amplified voice.
One hundred and one to twenty. If only Harry could catch the Snitch.
Speak of the devil, he tore past Gwen, chasing at breakneck speed after Malfoy, who was diving--
Gwen stopped in midair, watched as Harry outstretched his arm, caught up to Malfoy, was level, knocked Malfoy's hand out of the way--
'YES! YES!' Gwen screamed. The stadium exploded. Harry soared above the crowd, and Gwen dived toward him, catching him in a bone breaking, midair hug. The Snitch wriggled its wings helplessly in Harry's fist. There was thump as Wood joined, sibbing unrestrainedly on Harry's shoulder. Two more thumps as Fred and George joined, then Angelina and Katie were there. The team held each other in a many armed hug, sinking to the ground and yelling hoarsely, 'We've won! We've won the Cup!' Gwen felt herself being smushed against Harry, as noise circulated around them, bodies joining their embrace.
Then she and the rest of the team were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, Gwen could see hundreds of students wearing scarlet, Hagrid towering over them, covered in red rosettes, Percy jumping up and down wildly, all dignity forgotten, Lucille and her friends holding scarlet flags, waving and cheering. Professor McGonagall was crying harder than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag.
Gwen reached across to Harry, taking his hand and throwing up his arm.
'YOUR SEEKER!' she roared, and the crowd cheered louder and more maniacally than ever before.
Then, she saw Ron and Hermione, beaming and at a loss for words, fighting their way towards Harry and Gwen, and then the team were shuffled on top of everyone's shoulders toward the stands, where Dumbledore stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup.
As a sobbing Wood passed Gwen the Cup, she found herself drawn to tears, too.
If there had been a Dementor around, she knew she could have produced the world's best Patronus.