The first quidditch game between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor was on the first Sunday of November, and Avalon's entire family had come to see her and her brother play.
Her mother and father, as well as her aunts, uncles, and grandparents were there, and her Aunt Narcissa even came to wish her well.
The Bishop-Weasleys were a quidditch family, through and through. Every one of them had played the sport at one time or another, and her aunt Ginny had even gone on to play professionally for the Hollyhead Harpies.
So when Avalon walked onto the pitch, the sight of a hoarde of redheads in the stands brought a smile to her face.
The two teams faced each other on the pitch, the captains on one end of a line and the Seekers on the other end.
Avalon was opposite a small Hufflepuff girl who was the year below her—Megan Shepherd, she remembered. Megan was a viscious Seeker, known for her daring and risky plays in order to catch the Snitch.
At least, that's what Avalon saw every time Megan played another team. For some reason, whenever Hufflepuff was set to play Gryffindor, Megan would either be sick, injured, or unable to play due to another random excuse.
Hell, maybe Megan was scared to play her—because she knew she wouldn't win.
Avalon put on her best fake smile as she shook hands with Megan, squeezing the other girl's fingers just a bit too tight.
Now, Avalon was not a mean person. Sure, she loved causing trouble more than anything, but she would never go out of her way to harass anyone or make them uncomfortable.
Except, of course, when it came to quidditch. All rules were off the table, and even during the quidditch matches she used to participate in as a child with her siblings and cousins, her parents had given her express permission to use whatever tactics she had in order to win.
The referee blew her whistle, and Avalon shot into the air on her broom.
She made eye contact with Oliver across the field, and she held two fingers to her forehead in a small salute the two of them had come up with when they both started playing quidditch. It was their little acknowledgement of each other, promising to do their best to not seriously harm or injure the other.
So when a Bludger came so close to Avalon that she could feel the leather of the ball against her skin, she glared at her brother. He was a Beater for the Hufflepuff team, and while she knew if he really wanted the ball to hit her, it would have, it was still a bit annoying for him to tease her like that.
Come on, she thought. If you're going to intimidate me, actually do it right.
The match went on for almost an entire hour without even the slightest hint of the Snitch, and Avalon was beginning to go crazy.
She flew around the stadium approximately seven times before she got bored of that, deciding to sit on her broom high above where everyone else was flying around. She figured as long as she had the best view, it wouldn't be hard to see the Snitch from up here.
And she did see it, the tiniest little glimmer of gold, right next to Teddy Lupin's head.
It turned out that Megan Shepherd had also caught sight of the Snitch, and the two girls were neck and neck in their pursuit of the Snitch.
Oliver sent a Bludger her way, hoping to hit her and knock her off her broom. Avalon, however, was too quick for that and dodged it with ease.
Unfortunately, Megan dodged it as well.
Megan was smaller, more aerodynamic, and no matter how fast Avalon's broom was, the Hufflepuff had the upper hand, getting closer and closer to where the Snitch was flitting around Teddy's head.
Avalon had an idea—a crazy, insane idea that might get her killed, but an idea nonetheless. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins, giving her the courage to do it.
"Teddy!" She shouted. He looked up at her, away from the match, with a startled expression. "Catch me!"
The crowd in the stands went dead silent as she shakily stood up on her broom, feet parallel to it as if it were a balance beam. However impossible, she thought she heard her mother's gasp from the stands.
And suddenly, Avalon was flying through the air, propelled by a leap from her broom. Her hand was outstretched towards the Snitch, and a split second later, the little golden sphere was locked in her grasp.
And then she was falling.
Until she wasn't.
Teddy's hand closed around her wrist, and the force with which he had grabbed her caused her shoulder to pull out of its socket.
He pulled her up onto the back of his broom as gently as he could as to not cause her more pain, since she was already whimpering.
He flew the two of them down to the ground, helping her off of the broom, while the announcer's voice boomed around the stadium, announcing Gryffindor's win.
"Are you stupid? Like, you must be so bloody daft." Oliver was screaming at her from the moment her feet touched the ground.
With tears of pain in her eyes, she held up the Snitch in her hand and gave him a wink.
"I may be stupid..." Avalon said to her older brother. "But at least I'm a winner."
alternatively titled avalon is her mother's daughter