Of Deer and Flowers

Chapter Twenty Four

Hexes and the Snitch

Dear Ann,

I am about fed up with James Potter. Honestly who does he think he is, walking around and hexing anyone who annoys him! First it was Sirius who hexed Regulus and Bellatrix, but who didn't see that coming? Then the Lestrang brothers disappeared. I have no idea why, but rumor places at least one of them in the hospital wing after being transfigured into a newt. Just the other day I was standing at a window and I saw James outside, using jelly legs on another Slytherin. Wilks I think his name is.

Christy's been telling me that Roiser's a bit paranoid. He seems to think he's next for some reason.

Anyway O.W.L.S. are next week. You wouldn't believe how stressed I am . . .

It was the last Quidditch match of the season, and once again the entire school was excited. Slytherin and Gryffindor were at each other's throats, so the whole of Gryffindor house had taken it upon them selves to guard their team. That was why at eight o'clock Saturday morning Lily woke up the only one in her dorm. Jumping into her cloths she all but ran down to the great hall hoping she'd have time to eat.

Just as she reached the corridor before the main stairs Lily heard voices. Pausing she looked around the corner, not wanting to walk into a prematch fight. She groaned when she saw who it was. Right in the middle of the stairs stood James Potter and Even Rosier.

Taking a deep breath Lily stepped out of her hiding place intending to intervene. She was too late. James chose that moment to hex Rosier and Lily had to watch, horrified, as what looked to be octopus legs began to grow out of Rosier's face. He nearly bowled her over in his rush to get to the hospital wing.

Lily couldn't help it, she lost her temper. "How dare you! What's he ever done . . .Have you never even stopped to think you might hurt somebody else throwing hexes around like that?"

"It's reversible," James muttered.

"You're are an insufferable, arrogant git James Potter!" Not giving him a chance to say anything else, Lily stomped off.

~*~

James shouldered his broom and stood on the Quidditch Field waiting for Madam Hooch. Was he really that big of a git? Na Evans was just in a bad mood.

"Slytherin Chasers Johnson and Marks are on their last run this game. I wonder how Avery will fair with out them next year? Anderson is at the goal posts.

Beaters Kent and Eric will also be leaving soon, but they seem ready to go out with a bang!"

"Captains shake hands!" Madam Hooch called.

"Slytherin captain Adam Lawancky and Gryffindor captain James Potter are both Seekers for their team . . ."

"You're going down Potter!" Lawancky hissed as he and James shook hands.

"We'll see."

" As I already mentioned Davis has been replaced by Potter. Let's all wish the new captain luck."

James's stomach lurched as he mounted his broom. If this went badly . . .

"Gryff is also on her last year at Hogwarts. I spoke to her earlier and she seemed confidant that Jones would find a decent replacement.

"By the way I won't be here either, will anybody miss me?"

"Mathews!"

"Right professor, back to the game. Gryffindor's new Keeper is third year Mara Gryil."

James looked over his shoulder and gave her a small smile. The poor girl looked absolutely terrified. She nodded and looked up at the stands before mounting her broom.

James hadn't even known the girl before Sirius convinced him to let her try out to the team. She had, however, proven to be one of the best Keepers available.

"Chasers Heart, Landers, and Mason are one of the best teams out there, but can they hold up against the determined Slytherins."

At that moment Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the game began.

"And they're off . . . Slytherin in possession of the Quaffle. Avery takes it down the field. He passes to Marks . . . Back to Avery . . .Nice play there by the Gryffindor Beater!"

Gryff had hit a Bludger at Avery's head, causing him to drop the Quaffle in an attempt to dodge.

"Gryffindor in possession. Mason passes to Heart, who passes it to Landers. Landers takes the Quaffle down the field and . . . Intercepted by Johnson of the Slytherin team.

"Johnson passes to Marks . . . Marks is at the goal posts. Can Gryil stop it? Aaannnnnnddddd . . .YES Mara Gryil saves the Quaffle and sends it up the field to Heart.

"Heart passes to Landers . . .back to heart . . . to Mason . . . to . . .SCORE. Ten Zip, Gryffindor."

~*~

The game continued in much the same fashion for about twenty minutes. There was no sign of the snitch, and James was getting quite board. That was, until Gryil was hit with a Bludger.

"Ohhh . . .Nasty play by Slytherin, it's a foul of course . . .and . . ."

Mara Gryil was desperately trying to climb back onto her broom with Gryff's help.

"It's not a foul?"

The stands were in uproar, and James could hear several Gryffindor students shouting at Madam Hooch. Sirius appeared to be one of them, though what he was shouting James couldn't tell.

" Apparently the Quaffle was in the scoring zone when . . . Wait a minute folks! It appears Slytherin chaser Marks has seized the Quaffle and is repeatedly scoring on the Gryffindor goal . . .somebody stop him . . . Score's at eighty, no Ninety to thirty, Slytherin in the lead" There was nothing for it. James signaled a Time out.

"What just happened out there!" James yelled, "Mara?"

"I didn't see it . . .I was watching the Quaffle which was in from of me and . . ."

"It came at her from behind!" Gryff added.

James shook his head. The truth was he was angry with him self. As captain he should have seen something like this coming. "Can you fly at all?"

"I can fly, I don't know how well though. Something's wrong with my shoulder."

"Ok every one, we're switching to defense. I want you to do everything you possibly can to keep that Quaffle from our goal. I'm going to catch the snitch and hope it's enough."

Fifty minutes later James was overwhelmingly frustrated. Six more times Slytherin had scored and the Snitch was nowhere to be found. The game had become brutal. Twenty-three fouls had been committed, (each one different than the last) the Chasers were literally grabbing the Quaffle from each other's arms, and the Beaters seemed to be on a killing streak. Bludgers were every where. Three times the Slytherin Beaters had been called for trying to use the Bludgers to bump the Quaffle out of the air. The Slytherin Supporters weren't helping much either with their constant taunts.

Turning back to check on Gryil James saw it.

"This must be one of the longest games in Hogwarts History, one-fifty to thirty, Slytherin still in the lead and the Snitch is nowhere to be . . . wait a minute, Potter has gone into a dive . . .Lawancky up the field is trying to match him . . . Potter has Caught the Snitch! GRYFFINDOR WINS ONE-EIGHTY to ONE FIFTY! Ladies and gentlemen what a game!"