"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was. And he's been off-colour for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly, one swallow, he probably didn't feel a thing." Fred told his younger brother.
"Fred!" Ginny said to her.
"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself." said George.
"He bit Goyle for us once!" Ron said miserably. "Remember, Harry?"
"Yeah, that's true."
"His finest hour," Fred said as he tried to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat, what's the point of moaning?"
"Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end -- you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows, a Pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too." Madam Hooch looked over Harry's broom.
Oliver finally interrupted her, "Er, Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Harry has the Firebolt back? We need to practice."
"Oh, right, here you are, then, Potter." Hooch said to them. "I'll sit over here with Weasley."
"Harry, I've just found out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. It's Cho Chang. She's a fourth year, and she's pretty good. I really hoped she wouldn't be fit, she's had some problems with injuries." Oliver said, showing his displeasure, "On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt. Okay, everyone, let's go."
"Harry, I'm letting the Snitch out!" Oliver called out.
The practice went perfectly, the whole team were in high spirits and were very hopeful about the upcoming match. "I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow!" Oliver asked, "Not unless - Harry, you've sorted out your dementor problem, haven't you?"
"Yeah."
"The dementors won't turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledore'd go ballistic," said Fred confidently.
"Well, let's hope not," Oliver told him. "Anyway, good work, everyone. Let's get back to the tower. Turn in early."
"I'm staying out for a bit; Ron wants a go on the Firebolt." Harry told Oliver as the whole team made their way back inside. Eliza walked with the twins inside.
In the morning, Eliza was sat down with the team when everyone turned to look at Harry's Firebolt, Cedric came over and congratulated Harry on having acquired such a superb replacement for his Nimbus, and Percy's girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asked if she was allowed to hold the Firebolt. "Now, now, Penny, no sabotage! Penelope and I have got a bet on," Percy told the team. "Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!" Percy then whispered to the young boy, "Harry, make sure you win! I haven't got ten Galleons. Yes, I'm coming, Penny!"
At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team all set off for the locker rooms, the weather was clear with a little breeze and there would be no problems with not being able to see. Eliza changed quickly into her Quidditch robes and turned to watch Oliver, "You know what we've got to do," Oliver said . "If we lose this match, we're out of the running. Just, just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be okay!"
They walked out and met loud applause, the Ravenclaw team were already stood in the middle of the field, Cho Chang was the only girl on their team. "Wood, Davies, shake hands," Hooch said and the two captains shook hands with one and other. "Mount your brooms, on my whistle, three, two, one."
"They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship -"
"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted Professor McGonagall's voice.
"Right you are, Professor, just giving a bit of background information, the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and -"
"Jordan!"
"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Eliza Dawlish of Gryffindor, heading for goal." Eliza successfully scored the first goal of the match. "Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn -- Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision- balance is really noticeable in these long-"
"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"
Ravenclaw was starting to get back into the game, they had scored three goals but Gryffindor were still fifty points ahead.
Just as Eliza went to grab the quaffle when a flash of something went across her head, it was as though she was seeing something for the first time, rubbing her head she heard a voice, "Eliza, my dear, run, Eliza, run." And then a picture, Evelyn Dawlish was in front of her, shaking her lightly, "Go Eliza, please run."
And then a man appeared from behind them, alongside her father who was staring at them sadly, Evelyn was hit by the Cruciatus curse, a scream slipping out of her mouth as she fell down in front of Eliza. Tears ran down her face as she watched her aunt slip away from her, "Nooo." Sobs escaped her lips as the man revealed his face. Voldemort.
He simply said. "AVADA KEDAVRA."
Evelyn hit the ground, her eyes lifeless and Eliza was on the ground holding her aunt's hand, the little girl had witnessed the most important person in her life die.
The memory stopped and Eliza let out a loud scream as she relived the memory over and over again and to the shock everyone she fell from her broom and carried on towards the floor. Everyone froze, no one knowing what was going to happen next. Cedric stood horrified as he stood in the stands and then Oliver flew down quickly, going to the rescue of the girl he loved. "Eliza!" Suddenly, he was underneath and caught her easily before landing with a bump onto the floor, "She needs help!" Oliver yelled loudly, "Come on El."
Harry landed on the ground with the snitch in his hand and went to celebrate until he saw Eliza lifeless on the floor, Oliver was screaming over her body and the rest of the Quidditch team landed to see what was wrong with their best friend. Angelina and Alicia held onto each other as the twins joined Oliver beside her, they were shaking her trying to wake her but nothing was working. "What's wrong with her?"
"What happened?"
Lupin and Dumbledore hurried over to the group and the latter stared worriedly at her, "She needs to go to the Hospital Wing immediately."
"I'll take her." Oliver said to him. "I'll go now."
"We'll come with you." The twins said to him.
Eliza carried on dreaming about her aunt's death where she remembered how her father watched over as her aunt died and did nothing to help his screaming child.
Oliver placed Eliza down before Pomfrey shooed him and the twins out of the room and as soon as they left they heard loud screams coming out of her mouth. Scream after scream, she didn't stop, it was as though she was in agony.
Madam Pomfrey tried to calm the screaming girl over but to no avail, tears ran down her face and she tossed and turned. It was as though she had been forced to do it, her body rejecting the memories.
Dumbeldore rushed past the three boys in the corridor and into the hospital, Madam Pomfrey stared at him sadly, "She remembers."
Dumbledore nodded his head sadly, "I fear she has." And then he reached his hand out so it covered hers and shushed her gently, "It's okay, it's okay." And then after a couple of minutes, everything went silent as she stopped moving completely.