After a little speech given by the referee to the two captains, the two teams placed themselves in position and mounted their brooms. Professor Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. Fifteen brooms rose up, soaring in the air like birds of prey after their meal. The match had begun.
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor – what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too –"
"JORDAN!"
"Sorry, Professor."
The commentator was hardly going to be impartial in this match, Alexandra smiled to herself. The boy doing the commenting was Lee Jordan, the partner in mischief and pranks of the Weasley twins. If the whispers coming from the Gryffindor common room were accurate, Lee was involved in about ninety per-cent of the incidents where the prank masters used the Slytherins as guinea pigs. In a stand under the commentator and the professors, Alexandra saw a dozen or so of adults, which appeared to be taking notes and photographs. Certainly journalists or recruiters for a Quidditch team in search of new talents. The majority were paying no mind to the commentaries and were scrutinizing the participants with objects looking like a modified version of binoculars.
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve – back to Johnson and – no, Slytherin have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes – Flint flying like an eagle up there – he's going to sc – no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and Gryffindor take the Quaffle – that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and – OUCH – that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger – Quaffle taken by Slytherin – that's Adrian Pucey speeding off towards the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger – sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which – nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes – she's really flying – dodges a speeding Bludger – the goalposts are ahead – come on, now, Angelina – Keeper Bletchley dives – misses – GRYFFINDOR SCORE! GRYFFINDOR LEADS 10-0!"
Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.
For the moment, the match was a duel of chasers, with beaters and keepers taking second place. Longbottom and Higgs were circling over the other players, searching for any hint of the Golden Snitch. When Angelina Johnson had scored, Longbottom had done a couple of aerial acrobatics, but was soon back to staring around for the Snitch after a remonstrance of Oliver Wood. Longbottom narrowly avoided a Bludger, which was sent in the direction of Marcus Flint by one of the Weasley twins.
"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan said. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys and Chaser Bell and speeds towards the – wait a moment – was that the Snitch?"
A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear. Evidently, it was the tiny gold ball, and the two Seekers had seen it too. Longbottom dived downwards after the streak of gold, closely followed by Terence Higgs. They were racing towards the Snitch shoulder to shoulder in mid-air. By Alexandra's judgement, Longbottom was better and faster than Higgs with his new broom, he gained a slight advance, raised his arm...
BLAM!
A roar of rage and anger rose from the Gryffindors on Alexandra's left. Marcus Flint had blocked Neville Longbottom on purpose and Neville's broom span off course, the Boy-Who-Lived holding on the handle for dear life, all will to hunt the Snitch forgotten on the instant.
"FOUL!" Screamed the Gryffindors like a single wizard, with a few others insulting Marcus Flint, his parentage and whether his House was sleeping with trolls. Professor Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. In all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.
Not far from Hermione, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"
"This isn't football, Dean," Ron Weasley reminded him. "You can't send people off in Quidditch – and what's a red card?"
In her mind, Alexandra approved with Dean. Given how Quidditch was violent, if red cards were given, Slytherin wouldn't last half an hour before having all their players out of the game. Alas, there were no expulsions in Quidditch. What a pity. Lee Jordan as commentator had apparently abandoned his supposed position of partiality and was busy massacring the captain of Slytherin metaphorically. Professor McGonagall next to him was finding very difficult to moderate his sentences.
"So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating –"
"Jordan!" Growled Professor McGonagall.
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul –"
"Jordan, I'm warning you –"
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who marks it, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."
The score was now twenty to zero in favour of Gryffindor, and the Slytherins stopped caring about the rules, furious the Lions had taken an early advance unopposed. The Slytherin Beaters Bole and Derrick were now throwing the Bludgers with the speed of missiles towards the Gryffindors Chasers. Alicia Spinnet saw her head missed from a hair by a Bludger sent by Bole, and Fred Weasley (or was it George?) replied by returning it in the stomach of Derrick, who maintained himself with difficulty on his broom with his two hands, breathing hard.
Lee was still commentating.
"Slytherin in possession – Flint with the Quaffle – passes Spinnet – passes Bell – hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose – only joking, Professor – Slytherin score – oh no …"
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