A Splintered Broomstick

Minerva McGonagall, a fourth year Gryffindor, stepped out onto the wide Quidditch field and waited for the rest of her team. The semi-finals had already started, and it looked like Slytherin was dominant over both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. If Hufflepuff lost, they'd have to play Gryffindor, and if Gryffindor beat Hufflepuff (knowing that Slytherin would beat Ravenclaw), then it would be Slytherin against Gryffindor in the final match; winner takes all.

Minerva glanced down at her wristwatch. It was a quarter past 6:00, and when she looked up, the rest of the team started to arrive. First the two Beaters, twins Ella and Carlos Lopez (who happened to be carrying the box that contained all the Quidditch Balls), appeared, followed Quidditch captain and Seeker, Mike Laney the other two Chasers, Kallie Lockett, and Elena Smart, and last came the Gryffindor Keeper, David Savino. He was a few minutes behind, but he was still there.

"Sorry I'm late!" he explained, jogging up. He stopped to catch his breath and then he spoke again. "I had to do an extra assignment for History of Magic class." Mike nodded.

"I hope you got it done. We need you for this next match, you know. Anyway, we all know Slytherin is going to just clobber Ravenclaw, but if there is such a thing as a miracle, and Ravenclaw wins, we'll win that silver Quidditch Cup for sure." The team always was encouraged by Mike's determination. Mike always believed that if the team stuck together and tried their best, they would win. But he didn't depend on winning either. If they lost, they lost, and they would try harder the next time and train more. Losing had been dramatic for all of them at the beginning, but now they had learned that it was really no big deal.

Their next match was on Saturday, and today was Tuesday, so they only had a few more days to practice. "All right, let's go over that play again, girls," Mike directed. He was a sixth year who had been proclaimed Seeker in his third year and Gryffindor House Quidditch Captain in his fifth. Minerva herself had been appointed Chaser just last year. She was glad she had been chosen to be on the team because it gave her something to do with her spare time than sit around in the library all day.

Minerva and her two teammates, Kallie and Elena, were practicing a famous Quidditch move they had found in Quidditch Through the Ages. They rehearsed the move until it was finally perfected. Minerva took the Quaffle and zoomed down the field towards the other team's goal posts. She flew a little to the side of the highest post, passed the Quaffle to Elena, and the girl scored from the front.

They were ready to use the move during the match on Saturday against Hufflepuff. Now they had a few extra minutes, so the three girls decided to run over it one last time. But just as Minerva was approaching the highest goal post, a white owl zoomed past her. She lost her balance, in which she dropped the Quaffle, and her broom became a bit upset, which caused her to slip forward. Now she was sitting half way on the broom handle. Before she fell, she regained her composure.

"What was that?" she asked, blushing because she had almost fallen off of her broom in front of her teammates.

"It was an owl," Kallie replied, staring in the directing the winged animal flew off to. "I think it's for someone at Hogwarts." No one had noticed the Quaffle until they saw it was on the ground. When the three of them flew back down towards the field, Mike announced that practice was over. Minerva was relieved. She put her broom away back into the shed, and walked back up to the castle.

After supper, Minerva sat for a few hours in the common room doing her homework. That night, she just couldn't seem to concentrate. When the clock chimed eleven 'o clock, Minerva gathered her things, ascended the stairs, and entered the girl's dormitory. Most everyone was asleep. Minerva crept over to her bed, put her stuff away, and, without changing into her pajamas or brushing her teeth, she collapsed onto her bed and fell into a weary sleep.