Harry Potter and the Goblin Rebellion

Chapter 33 - Quidditch Cup

The Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff game was held on the last Saturday of April. As all the other teams had during the year, Ravenclaw intended to use the match to run up their score against a much weaker team. However, the Hufflepuff seeker again proved adept at finding the snitch, although he couldn't beat out his more experienced opposite in getting to and catching it. When Cho Chang grabbed it, she secured a 210 - 20 point win for Ravenclaw. This gave Ravenclaw a total of 770 points toward the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup with only the Gryffindor-Slytherin game to go.

Going into the game, scheduled for the second weekend in May, both teams were looking beyond just the match to the possibility of winning the Quidditch Cup. Slytherin had 570 total points and thus needed 200 points to win it, and Gryffindor had 520 points and needed 250 points to win. Gryffindor also had to beat Slytherin by at least fifty points. Tensions were high between Slytherin and both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, but the rivalry between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw was not sufficient to overcome the camaraderie of the DA. Indeed, the Ravenclaw students were just as active as Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff's in protecting Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team from pre-game attacks by the Slytherins, particularly Draco Malfoy and his friends, who were not in the DA Their words and actions confirmed they would do anything to win.

The morning of the game was a picture perfect mid-May day. Both teams took to the air knowing full well that their plans extended beyond just winning the current game. Katie Bell pointed out to the rest of the team that Slytherin was using both Crabbe and Goyle for beaters, which usually was a sign that a very physically aggressive game was planned. Both Seekers knew that while victory depended on their abilities, they also were not to go for the snitch before their Chasers had scored sufficient points to win the House Cup. At the toss of the Quaffle, Katie Bell was able to grab it and just as she was tossing it to Ginny she was hit hard by Crabbe acting as if he was trying to knock the Quaffle away. Madam Hooch issued a warning. Ginny in the meantime had already made for the goal and scored.

On the next play, Slytherin had the Quaffle and were working it toward the goal. Ginny intercepted the Quaffle but was immediately elbowed in the nose by Goyle, causing profuse bleeding. Madam Hooch called Goyle for cobbing and Ginny was given a penalty shot, which was blocked. Slytherin retrieved it and again was working toward the goal. Harry saw Draco Malfoy give a hand signal to Crabbe and Goyle. They both ran interference to allow Slytherin to make a scoring approach on the goal, and then circled around. They both began converging at top speed on the right goal just as the Slytherin Chaser made a slow half-hearted throw toward that same goal. Ron proudly headed off the quaffle and was immediately sandwiched by Crabbe and Goyle and dropped from his broom. Harry just had time to pull his wand and levitate Ron before he hit the ground. There was a time out while Andrew Kirke retrieved Ron's broom. Harry tried to set Ron down, but Ron could only stand on one leg. Hermione, who had been serving as the team trainer since she started healer training, ran out and checked him.

"Both bones in your lower leg are broken, Ron," she said, "Madam Pomfrey can fix you up - I'll take you up to the Hospital Wing."

"NO!" shouted Ron, "Splint it. I've broken it before. I'll keep playing. I may not be the best Keeper in the world, but there are no substitutions in Quidditch, so I'm all we've got. We have no chance without a defense."

Katie looked worried. "Ron, are you sure? That's got to hurt incredibly."

"I'll be fine. I won't have to put weight on it once I'm in the air," insisted Ron.

"Well, alright, but here's an idea," suggested Katie, "we'll make Slytherin think we're going to toss the Cup Ravenclaw's way. Harry will act like he's trying to get the snitch immediately, and they'll dog him instead of you."

"Let's go further than that. Harry," said Ron, "it's time to see what kind of moves you can make. You can't last long with all three of Malfoy and his goons after you. It's time to try a Wronski feint like you did at Christmas, only this time, the real thing: put them into the ground."

"I hate to injure anyone, but I watched them plot what they did to you, so they need a taste of their own medicine: I'll do it," said Harry.

"Harry," said Ginny, with a bit of exasperation, "after what Malfoy did to you at Halloween, you shouldn't have to have trouble with motivation! Plant that troll into the ground!"

"Right!" they all shouted as they came out of their huddle.

After they were back in the air, Ginny and Katie took and made the penalty shots called on Crabbe and Goyle for blatching. Harry let the game go for awhile, during which time, Slytherin was able to score four goals. Ron was largely unable to effectively block with his leg in a splint. Harry then made a swing toward the stands and gave a poorly hidden smile, thumbs-up and blown kiss toward Marietta. He and she knew it was toward her, but to everyone else, who had known that he and Cho had dated last year, it looked like he was telling Cho that he was going to swing the Cup toward her team as a ploy to get back in her favor again. The gesture was not lost on Malfoy, who signaled to Crabbe and Goyle. Harry immediately began his snitch-hunting pattern, with Draco keeping nearby and Crabbe and Goyle patrolling just a little further off.

Soon, Harry found his opportunity. Just as Slytherin's keeper blocked a shot, Harry began a full speed stoop toward the ground, appearing for all the world like he was going for the snitch. He even made little adjustments like he was seeing it shifting position. Draco was right on his tail and Crabbe and Goyle not far behind, but losing ground because of the strain on their brooms of handling so much more weight. Harry was stretching for the snitch not twelve feet from the ground at an 80 degree angle, when he suddenly withdrew his hand, locked his legs and arms around the broom and turned sharply under so that he was hanging from his broom as it came to within two feet of the ground before arcing back upward. Draco was caught completely by surprise and plowed straight into the ground, broom and all. There were several crackling sounds, as both broom and bones cratered into the soft, but not soft enough, sod. Crabbe and Goyle, who had lagged behind, were able to brake their brooms just enough to collapse to the ground without breaking their legs.

Madam Hooch called time as Slytherin's trainer came out. Malfoy had obviously broken too many bones to stay in the game, to say nothing of having a three foot shard of broomstick through his upper thigh. He was levitated and removed toward the Castle, but not before he called to Crabbe and Goyle to "Keep on Potter." The teams took to the air again, and true to their instructions, Crabbe and Goyle kept near Harry, but took every opportunity they could to pound the bludgers toward Ron and to personally collide with Gryffindor's chasers. As the game wore on, Gryffindor was looking more and more haggard. Katie signaled to Ron who called time out.

They met at the base of the goal, not setting down due to Ron's leg.

"What's up, Katie?" asked Ron.

"Ron, Harry, team, we have to make a decision. We're getting beaten up awfully out there. You can't stop goals, and we haven't scored in almost an hour. They already have 160 and we only have 40."

"So what are you saying?" asked Ron.

"I'd rather see the cup go to Ravenclaw. They've been playing good clean quidditch. I'd rather Harry end this now, let us enjoy beating Slytherin and let Ravenclaw have the Cup.

"Katie, I can't believe you're giving up," said Ron.

"Ron, I'm a seventh-year. Having another Cup would mean an awful lot to me, but I have to be realistic. We just can't take anymore. We've all been hit by the bludgers. We haven't been scoring goals. If we wait much longer, even Harry catching the snitch won't give us the win, so Slytherin will end up with winning both the game and the Cup. I'd rather just end it as soon as Harry can catch the snitch, salvage the dignity of winning the game and let Ravenclaw have the Cup."

The rest of the team agreed, so Ron said "Alright. At least the rest of us will have next year. But at least do your best to score - maybe you can play up the fouls and get some foul shots in. Let's not entirely give up yet, alright?"

"You got it, Cap'n" said Katie, with a salute.

The break seemed to do the team some good. Sloper and Kirke began to be more effective keeping the bludgers aimed at Slytherin players, and the chasers were able to get several fouls called and made two of them. But then on a scoring pass, a Slytherin chaser blurted Ginny's broom and sent her right into the goal post. Her shoulder was visibly dislocated. She refused to leave the field, but was unable to throw or even run interference effectively. Slytherin began scoring again.

Finally Harry spied the snitch against the green of the Slytherin banner. He rocketed toward it with Crabbe and Goyle converging to where he was obviously headed. Harry saw it was going to be tight, and he would need to use the same buttonhook maneuver he had used to avoid the banner at Christmas. Just as he was about to grab the snitch, it darted to his right. He buttonhooked to the left and then around the banner to the right, coming up on the opposite side of the banner to grab the snitch. As he did, he saw Crabbe and Goyle, having already collided with each other, pound into the Slytherin banner. They lost their brooms, so they quickly grabbed onto the banner, as they were some 80 feet above ground. Harry heard a tearing and realized that the banner would not carry their weight. Suddenly it let go. They began tumbling to the ground. Harry grabbed his wand and levitated them gently down.

Gryffindor was ahead 210-190, but the acting Slytherin captain protested to Madam Hooch that Slytherin should get two penalty shots for Harry's use of his wand on opposing players. Madam Hooch ruled that as the use of the wand came after the snitch had been caught, the game was already then over and no foul was committed. A rousing cheer came up from the Gryffindor fans and a tumultuous din from the Ravenclaw fans.

Harry set down and went to check on Ginny and Ron. Hermione was attending to them, as well as the other Gryffindor chasers, preparing them for the trip to the Hospital Wing. Harry was just able to see that they were going to be taken care of, when he was seized by the Ravenclaw team and fans chanting "Coach, Coach, Coach, Coach." They lifted him up to carry him off the field. The Gryffindor team smiled and waved him on.

Katie shouted, "Go on, you deserve a celebration - catch up with us later."

Harry tossed his broom to Neville for safekeeping and allowed himself to be the centerpiece of the Ravenclaw celebration. He was among friends and he had after all just secured his own team's win in the game, if not the Cup.