I kicked off the ground hard, Will's broomstick responding to my command as the wind tore across my back and face. What little moisture that I had in my eyes dissipated. But the thrill was what gave me the pleasure-- I was hundreds of feet in the air and I savored the adrenaline rush. From here, I had a view of Hogwarts, of the field, and the two shimmering colors of red and gold. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
"Alright, let's see what I can do," I whispered and I zoomed around the stadium in a burst of energy; distracting the Chasers from the other team. I could hear the rampant cheers from Hufflepuff, and the murmur of dissatisfaction from Gryffindor, but Izzy drowned them all out with her war cry.
"Go kick those Gryffindor buttocks, Addie!" she shouted with enthusiasm.
I winked at her, then spiraled upwards; past Roger Fellows, who scowled darkly at my skill. "You won't win, Robins!" he roared and shooting upwards with all his might, he searched for the Golden Snitch. Frankly, I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his skull.
I glanced at the scoreboard. Hufflepuff was up by ten points-- we needed to end this fast, before Gryffindor could recover. I forced Will's faithful broomstick to hover higher and higher until my breath caught in my chest. The air was thin to the point of breaking glass. I could hear the faint voice of Nobert Shanty, who was continuing to commentate on my unusual maneuver.
"It seems that Hufflepuff's newest seeker is trying to suffocate herself," he observed, "but who knows? Maybe that's why Durmstrang students are thicker than they look." I felt indignation prickle at me. He had no idea....
I caught a flash of gold in the air. The Golden Snitch was glittering in multiple flashes from the sun; right near the Hufflepuff goal posts. My stomach lurched. Roger Fellows was speeding as fast as his broom allowed; his eyes trained on the miniature Snitch.
"NO!" my mind exploded, my hands gripping so hard into Will's broomstick that I could have left imprints. Hurtling downwards, I gathered velocity-- accelerating the broom to a suicidal rate. The crowds gasped. I could feel my skin burn like fire, but I didn't stop. I calculated, the ground eating the air before me; before I pulled upwards. The added velocity fueled my speed-- sending me bulleting towards Fellows, who, in a stroke of luck, turned to see the projectile zooming towards him. His eyes widened....
"NOW!"
My arm shot out, stretching forwards and feeling the cold metal kiss my fingertips. With a last effort, my fingernails ensnared the wings until I held the struggling Golden Snitch; shaking violently between my thumb and forefinger. "Yes!" I hissed, but I had spoken too soon. One of the Gryffindor Beaters had hit a Bludger in desperation. There was a "whoosh" of air and a slamming impact in my arm. I went numb, then pain swallowed my body as I crashed into the ground; rolling onto the ground like dead weight.
I saw a worried Thomas and his Hufflepuff Team, who all stared down at me. Their faces blurred like oil paint on canvas. "Hey, at least we got the Snitch," I said weakly. Then, I blacked out.
***
When I awoke, it was not to the face of Izzy or Madame Pompona, the school nurse. My eyesight still bleary, I turned my face slightly on the pillow. I expected to see Will on the nearby hospital bed, but the curtains were drawn. That struck me oddly. Turning my face to the left, I immediately felt irritation bubble up inside of me.
"You know," I said, "you would expect to see a diversity of faces in Hogwarts....how come I always see yours, Tom Riddle?"
He smirked, his full lips upturning attractively. It was official. His looks had to be banned. "I simply came on Professor Spilt's orders," he lilted, lifting up a stack of heavy textbooks and dropping them with an unceremonious thud. "She wanted to see that you got a full recovery and in the meantime, you could pass the time reading Chapters 5 through 7 and writing three rolls of parchment, summarizing the details."
"And so, out of the multitude of students, she chooses you to deliver the joyous news of peace?" I asked sarcastically.
"Don't shoot the messenger, Robins," Tom replied smoothly, before he got up from his chair and swept out of the Hospital Wing, but he had the nerve to end with a pompous, "Good luck."
One day, I was going to poison his soup with rat spawn.
***
Sorry for the really short update but I didn't have the inspiration. I will try to make the next one longer. Thank you for your convenience and I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Please let me know your thoughts below. Thank you:D