Chapter 35 - Harry's first game

After the exhilarating game, Thomas and his friends found themselves surrounded by a crowd of cheering Ravenclaws. High-fives, hugs, and pats on the back were exchanged as everyone celebrated the victory. As the crowd began to disperse, Thomas's roommates made their way over to him, beaming with pride. "Tom, that was amazing!" James exclaimed, clapping him on the back.

"I can't believe you caught the Snitch!" Michael added, his eyes wide with excitement.

Adam chimed in, "You were like a blur out there, man. It was incredible."

Thomas felt a warm sense of happiness as he looked at his friends. He knew he couldn't have done it without their support and encouragement. "Thanks, guys," he said, feeling a lump form in his throat.

Hermione walked up to them, a huge smile on her face. "Congratulations, Tom! That was a fantastic game."

"Thanks, Hermione," Thomas replied, feeling a sense of gratitude towards her. She had been a great support to him ever since he had met her on the Hogwarts Express.

As they were talking, Harry and Ron joined them, both looking thrilled. "That was amazing, Thomas!" Harry exclaimed, giving him a congratulatory hug.

Ron added, "Yeah, we were all cheering for you. The whole game was an absolute blast!"

Thomas felt his face flush with pride at the compliment. "Thanks, Harry, Ron. "

As they all began to make their way back toward the castle, Thomas couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness and contentment. This was what he had always dreamed of, being part of a close-knit group of friends who supported and encouraged each other through thick and thin.

As they walked, James suggested they all head to the Great Hall for a celebratory feast. "I heard the house elves have prepared a special menu for the occasion," he said, his eyes sparkling in anticipation.

However, Harry, Ron, and Hermione' smiles faltered when they realized that they had to decline the invitation to join their friends at their table for the Ravenclaw celebration. "I'm sorry Tom, we have our potion class and we can't risk angering Snape by being late," Hermione explained, looking apologetic.

Thomas understood, "No worries, Hermione, we'll catch up with you guys later," he said with a smile, before turning back to his Ravenclaw friends.

James, Michael, and Adam continued to congratulate Thomas, with Michael saying, "I can't believe we're friends with the best seeker our house has ever had!"

"Hey, hey, Mickey, don't raise the bar. Andrew is still a good seeker, and while maybe not as extraordinary as our friend, he's still a good one." James remarked

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean no harm ."

"Anyway, you were amazing out there, Tom!" Adam chimed in, nodding vigorously.

Michael added, "I'm so glad we're roommates and friends with you. You really made our day, man."

Thomas smiled at his friends, feeling grateful for their support and encouragement. "Thanks, guys. I couldn't have done it without all of your support," he said sincerely.

Meanwhile, the Gryffindor trio made their way to their potions class, they couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that they couldn't stay and celebrate with their friend and his team. "I wish we could've stayed longer, it looked like so much fun," Ron said with a sigh.

"Yeah, but we don't want to risk Snape taking points off us, especially after we just won so many for Gryffindor," Hermione added, her practical nature kicking in.

Harry nodded in agreement, "Yeah, we'll catch up with them later. Maybe we can plan something to celebrate together."

At the same time, Thomas and his roommates reached the great hall and soon they were all seated at the Ravenclaw table talking with their fellow housemates. The atmosphere was electric, with everyone still buzzing with excitement from the game.

While they were chatting and laughing, a small figure approached their table. It was Professor Flitwick, the charms master, and head of Ravenclaw house. "Congratulations, my dear boys!" he squeaked, his face beaming with pride.

"Thank you, Professor!" Thomas replied, feeling honored that their head of the house had come to personally congratulate them.

"I must say, I haven't seen such an impressive game of Quidditch in a long time," Flitwick said, his eyes twinkling. "You all played exceptionally well. And Thomas, catching the Snitch with such speed and precision was truly a sight to behold."

Thomas felt his cheeks flush with pride as Flitwick continued to praise them. He had always looked up to the head of his house, and it was an incredible feeling to have him acknowledge their hard work and success.

Not long afterward, Flitwick bid them farewell, and the boys turned their attention back to the delicious feast laid out before them. There were all kinds of dishes, from roast beef to pumpkin pasties, and everyone eagerly dug in, still buzzing with excitement from the game. The rest of the day passed without too much hassle, with Thomas and the Ravenclaw team being praised and congratulated by their whole house.

The next day, Thomas woke up with a jolt, feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Today was the day he had been waiting for. It was the day of the big Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and he couldn't wait to watch Harry in action. But most importantly, he couldn't wait to see which house would be his opponent in the finals for the house coup.

Strangely enough, his roommates seem to have waked up earlier than him, once again, making Thomas smile to himself.

[It seems that this peaceful life is what you needed, Thomas. Despite your lack of proper and constant training, your magical powers have steadily increased little by little .]

"Bahamut? You were silent for so many weeks that I almost forgot about you. What happened?"

[That sudden transformation made the heaven's system go into some strange state cutting my access to your sacred gear. Luckily, for you, nothing bad happened in that time or else I wouldn't have been able to help you at all.]

"You said something about my powers increasing?"

[You are young and that means that until you reach your adulthood you will continue to grow stronger to a certain extent for a human, though I start to doubt you are still a human anymore. After all, while I can't yet scan your body, I'm more than certain that Rerek did something to you so that you would grow stronger than a normal human wizard would ever dream of becoming.]

"I do hope that's the case, after all, I want to become a powerful wizard."

[You will become one, that's certain. Though your path will not be easy, Thomas. Being my host would definitely bring you some unnecessary enemies as well as some potential conflicts that believe me, it would be by no means easy to settle, but I'm more than sure that you will grow as a person in the end. Now go, live your life at this school, as much as you can because soon, your first real training would start.]

Being reminded by Bahamut, Thomas quickly got dressed and headed out of his room, eager to see what his friends were doing. As he walked down the winding staircase that led to the common room, he could hear the sound of excited chatter and laughter growing louder with each step he took.

Finally, he emerged into the common room and was greeted with a sight that filled him with pride. The room was filled with Ravenclaw students, all talking excitedly about yesterday's match, where Thomas had led their team to victory against Hufflepuffs.

"Hey, Thomas! Congratulations on yesterday's win" called out one of his classmates.

"Thanks, it was a team effort," replied Thomas modestly.

The Ravenclaw common room was buzzing with excitement. There was a palpable energy in the air as the students chattered excitedly about the upcoming match. Everyone was dressed in Ravenclaw's colors of blue and bronze, and there were banners and posters with slogans like "Go Ravenclaw!" and "Blue and bronze forever!" hanging from the walls.

Taking a closer look around the room, Thomas quickly saw his roommates and walked over to them, who were sitting on one of the sofas, their eyes glued to a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Morning guys, what's the news?" he asked, as he sat down next to them.

"Morning, listen to this!" exclaimed Michael, as he read out loud from the newspaper. "'Ravenclaw's victory against Hufflepuff yesterday has made them a serious threat to the Gryffindor Quidditch team's chances of winning the Hogwarts Cup this year.'"

Thomas felt a thrill run through him as he heard this. Mostly because he now understand why his friend was so excited for him, and hopefully the next year, James would stand by his side playing against the other houses.

"We've got Gryffindor game against the Slytherin later today. And whoever wins, will face us for the trophy. Tom, my dear friend, we need to keep up the momentum and show everyone what we're made of. So let's go and watch our rivals!"

Thomas smile in response before he nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. We can't afford to let our guard down. What do you say, boys, fancy some spying and at the same support our friend from another house?"

James, Adam, and Michael exchanged a quick glance before grinning in agreement.

"You know us too well, Thomas," James said, chuckling. "Spying and supporting Harry? Count us in!"

Adam nodded eagerly. "It'll be fun to see how Slytherin and Gryffindor are doing before the game. And who knows, maybe we can even pick up some tips to use against them in our own matches."

Michael, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "I don't know about spying, but I'm definitely up for supporting Harry. He's a good guy, and he deserves our cheers."

Thomas beamed at his friends. "That's the spirit! Let's get ready and head out to the pitch. I have a feeling this is going to be a great game."

Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way to the Great Hall, eager to fuel up before Harry's game against Slytherin. The smell of fried sausages wafted through the air, and Harry's stomach growled in response. Despite his nerves, he knew that he needed to eat something to give him the strength he needed to play his best.

As they started to eat, Ron and Hermione peppered Harry with questions about his strategy for the game.

"What do you think about Draco becoming the seeker for Slytherin? Hermione asked, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.

Harry rolled his eyes at the mention of Draco's name. "He's just a show-off. Thinks he's better than everyone else. I bet he begged his daddy to buy his way into the seeker position, unlike me or Thomas."

Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and he's always trying to get under our skin. But he's got nothing on you, Harry. You're going to show him who the real seeker is."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, well, it's interesting that you want to compare him to Tom, since, unlike Malfoy, Tom doesn't seem to boast or show off like he does. "

Harry and Ron exchanged a surprised look. They had to admit, they hadn't really paid much attention to Thomas during their previous encounters. But Hermione's words made them see him in a new light.

"You're right Hermione," Harry said. "Thomas was amazing in the game yesterday. He really carried Ravenclaw to victory."

"And he's a great guy," Ron added. "Not like that git Malfoy."

Hermione smiled. "Exactly. It just goes to show that talent and character don't always go hand in hand. And it's important to focus on the game, not on trying to show off or belittle others. While it's true that he's our friend, my opinion still stands."

As they finished their breakfast, Harry could feel his nerves start to ramp up again. The Gryffindor team had already headed to the changing rooms to get ready for the game, and Harry knew that he needed to join them soon. He took one last sip of pumpkin juice and stood up from the table.

"Good luck, Harry! We'll be there to support you!" Hermione said, giving him a quick hug.

"Yeah, go get 'em, mate!" Ron added, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder.

Harry smiled at his friends, feeling a surge of confidence. He knew that he could do this, that he could lead his team to victory. With a final wave, he turned and made his way to the changing rooms.

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said Potter for President and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors. A few minutes later, with Hermione's help, Thomas and his friends made their way to the front row where the Gryffindors had their banner.

Thomas beamed as he saw Hermione and Ron sitting in the stands. "Hey, guys! Great to see you here," he said, waving at them.

James, Adam, and Michael grinned and waved back. "Nice job on the banner, guys!" James called out.

"Yeah, it looks awesome!" Adam added.

Michael nodded in agreement. "You guys really went all out for Harry."

Ron chuckled. "Well, we had to show our support for our favorite Gryffindor, didn't we?"

As they settled into their seats, Thomas couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement since this was his first game where he would watch rather than play on the field, and the experience was something new for him.

As they waited for the game to begin, Hermione turned to Thomas and asked, "So, how do you think you did yesterday?"

Thomas smiled at her, "I think Gryffindor has a strong team, but Ravenclaw isn't going to give up easily. I mean, I don't like to brag, but I'm definitely better than Malfoy and maybe even Harry, thought that would have to wait until our game to see which one of us is the best, I'm looking forward to a good match between our houses."

Hermione's eyes widened slightly at Thomas's confident words. She had always known he was a talented Quidditch player, but to hear him speak so highly of himself was new. She couldn't deny the twinge of admiration she felt for him, but she also couldn't help feeling a bit put off by his words.

"That's quite a statement, Tom," she said, trying to keep her tone neutral. "I'm sure Harry will give you a run for your money, though. He's been practicing a lot and he's a natural talent."

Hermione didn't want to sound dismissive of Thomas's skills, but she also didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he was better than Harry. She couldn't help but compare him to Draco, who was always boasting about his own abilities and looking down on others.

Thomas quickly responded, not wanting Hermione to think that he was underestimating Harry or trying to sound like someone with "daddy issues".

"Oh, I don't mean to sound like Malfoy," Thomas said with a grin. "I just meant that I'm confident in my abilities, but I know Harry is a great player too. I have a lot of respect for him and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do today. It should be a good match."

Thomas didn't want Hermione or anyone else to think that he was arrogant like Malfoy. He genuinely believed in his skills, but he also recognized that Harry was a formidable opponent.

Hermione couldn't help but feel a flutter in her stomach as she watched Thomas's face light up with enthusiasm. She had always found him charming and funny, but now she was starting to see him in a new light. She couldn't quite put her finger on when it had happened, but she was starting to realize that she had developed feelings for him.

Trying to push those thoughts to the back of her mind, Hermione smiled at Thomas and said, "I'm really looking forward to seeing you play. It's going to be a great match, and I'm sure you'll do Ravenclaw proud."

Thomas only smiles in response. Meanwhile, as the two of them continued to talk, Ron, James, Adam, Michael, Neville, Seamus, and Dean watched them with interest. They had all noticed the chemistry between the two of them and Ron couldn't help but tease them a bit.

Ron leaned over to James and whispered, "Looks like Thomas and Hermione are hitting it off."

James elbowed him in the ribs and muttered, "Don't be daft, Ron. They're just talking about Quidditch."

But Adam and Michael had caught on to what was really happening. "Oh come on, you guys," Adam said with a grin. "It's obvious they like each other."

Neville and Seamus nodded in agreement, and Dean chimed in, "Yeah, I mean look at them. They're practically glowing."

Ron rolled his eyes and muttered, "You lot are hopeless romantics."

But just as Thomas was about to respond to Hermione's last comment, Ron shouted out, "Oi, Hermione! You coming to the Three Broomsticks with us later?"

Hermione jumped at the sudden interruption and turned to look at Ron, annoyance clear on her face. "Ron, can't you see I'm in the middle of a conversation?"

Thomas also looked annoyed at the interruption, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

Ron shrugged and said, "Sorry, just wanted to make sure you're coming. We're leaving right after the game."

Hermione let out a huff and turned back to Thomas, trying to pick up where they left off.

(The next part will be practically ripped from the book for the most part of it)

Meanwhile, in the changing rooms, Harry and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes.

Wood cleared his throat for silence.

"OK, men," he said.

'And women,' said Chaser Angelina Johnson.

"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."

"The big one," said Fred Weasley.

"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry. "We were in the team last year."

"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it."

He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."

"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."

Harry followed Fred and George out of the changing room and, hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the pitch to loud cheers.

Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the pitch, waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Harry noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint, a fifth-year. Harry thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Potter for President over the crowd. His heart skipped. He felt braver.

"Mount your brooms, please."

Harry clambered on to his Nimbus Two Thousand.

Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.

Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.

"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 Weasley twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Professor McGonagall.

At the same all of Thomas' friends as well as Harry's friends

"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 cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

"Budge up there, move along. "

"Hagrid!"

Thomas and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them, making their friends smile knowingly at them.

Hagrid lumbered over to them, a wide grin on his face. "Well done, Thomas!" he boomed, patting the Ravenclaw seeker on the back. "I saw yer flyin' out there yesterday. Yer got some real talent, ya have."

Thomas beamed at the compliment, feeling a surge of pride in his chest. "Thanks, Hagrid."

Hermione nodded in agreement, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She was happy to see Thomas receiving recognition for his skills, and she knew how much Hagrid's approval meant to him since Thomas really consider the half-giant a friend.

Ron, who had been watching the exchange with interest, leaned over to Hagrid. "Hey, Hagrid, did ya see the size of that Bludger that nearly took Harry's head off?" he asked, eager to shift the focus away from Thomas for a moment.

Hagrid chuckled. "Aye, that was a close one. But Harry's got quick reflexes, he does. He'll be fine."

The group settled into an easy conversation, discussing the game and the upcoming exams. As they chatted, James couldn't resist teasing Hermione about her close proximity to Thomas. "Looks like you're getting pretty cozy there, Hermione," he said, smiling her playfully.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the slight blush that crept up her cheeks. She glare at him as he earned himself a punch in the shoulder from Adam and Michael.

Meanwhile Ron and Hagrid continue their conversation. "Bin watchin' from me hut, " said Hagrid, patting a large pair of binoculars round his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh? "

"Nope, " said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet. "

"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin', " said Hagrid, raising his binoculars and peering skywards at the speck that was Harry.

Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. This was part of his and Wood's game plan.

"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch,' Wood had said. 'We don't want you attacked before you have to be. "

When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let out his feelings. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once he caught sight of a flash of gold but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches, and once a Bludger decided to come pelting his way, more like a cannon ball than anything, but Harry dodged it and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.

"All right there, Harry?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously towards Marcus Flint.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying. "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.

Harry saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downwards after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled towards the Snitch – all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in mid-air to watch.

Harry was faster than Higgs – he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead – he put on an extra spurt of speed –

WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below – Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose and Harry's broom span off course, Harry holding on for dear life.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.

Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight again.

Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"

"This isn't football, Dean," Ron reminded him. 'You can't send people off in Quidditch – and what's a red card?"

"Ah, feckin' hell!" James exclaimed, his Irish accent slipping out in his frustration. "That was a bloody foul if I ever saw one!"

'They oughta change the rules, Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air.'

Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.

"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 puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

It was as Harry dodged another Bludger which went spinning dangerously past his head that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, he thought he was going to fall. He gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees. He'd never felt anything like that.

Meanwhile, Thomas clenched his fists in frustration as he watched the Slytherin team blatantly breaking the rules. It was infuriating to see them get away with so many fouls and dirty tactics, but he knew that losing his temper would only make things worse. Instead, he tried to focus on his own game, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming match against Slytherin.

Beside him, Hermione was muttering under her breath about the unfairness of it all, while Ron and Hagrid were shouting angrily at the referee. James's Irish accent was coming out in full force as he cursed at the Slytherin players, and Adam and Michael were exchanging angry glances with each other.

Neville, usually a quiet and timid boy, was surprisingly vocal in his support of Gryffindor, cheering loudly every time Harry caught the Snitch. Seamus and Dean were jumping up and down in excitement, waving their Gryffindor flags and chanting Harry's name.

It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off. But Nimbus Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Harry tried to turn back towards the Gryffindor goalposts; he had half a mind to ask Wood to call time out – and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it. He couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air and every now and then making violent swishing movements, which almost unseated him.

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 …"

The Slytherins were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.

Michael, who was sitting on the edge of his seat, leaned forward, squinting his eyes to get a better look at Harry's broom. He frowned as he noticed that it was behaving oddly, jerking and twitching in the air. He leaned over to Adam and whispered urgently, "Do you see what's happening to Harry's broom?"

Adam, who was engrossed in the game, turned to Michael and followed his gaze. His eyes widened as he realized that Harry's broom was malfunctioning. "What's going on?" he muttered, looking around to see if anyone else had noticed.

Michael shook his head, his expression grim. "I don't know, but we need to do something. He's going to fall off if he doesn't get it under control."

He glanced over at Thomas, who was also staring intently at Harry's broom. "Thomas," he said urgently, tapping him on the shoulder. "We have to do something. Harry's broom is malfunctioning."

Thomas nodded, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He knew he had to act fast before Harry fell off and got hurt. He quickly stood up and shouted, "Professor, Harry's broom is malfunctioning! We need to stop the game!"

The other players and the crowd looked up in confusion as Thomas's voice rang out across the pitch. But before anyone could react, Harry's broom gave a sudden, violent jerk, and he was almost thrown off. The crowd gasped in horror as Harry struggled to hold on, his body jerking and twisting in the air.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.

"Can't have,' Hagrid said, his voice shaking. 'Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark Magic – no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand."

At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd.

"What are you doing?" yelled Ron, grey-faced.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped. "Snape – look."

As Hermione pointed out Snape in the crowd, Thomas quickly passed the binoculars to James, who shared them with Adam and Michael. They all saw Snape muttering something under his breath and flicking his wand towards Harry's broom.

While Ron and Neville tried to get Hagrid's attention, Thomas and the others quickly formulated a plan. They knew they had to do something to stop Snape's jinxing.

Without a word, Thomas and Hermione sneaked under the stands and made their way towards Snape. They managed to get close enough without being noticed and pulled out their wands.

In a swift motion, they cast a flame spell on Snape's robes, causing them to catch fire. The sudden burst of flames startled Snape, and he lost his concentration, causing the jinx to be lifted from Harry's broom.

The crowd gasped as they saw Snape struggling to put out the fire on his robes. Meanwhile, Thomas and Hermione slipped back into the stands, where they were greeted by James, Adam, Michael, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean, who had been watching the whole thing in amazement.

"That was brilliant!" exclaimed James, clapping Thomas on the back.

"Honestly, I don't know how you did it," added Adam, grinning from ear to ear.

However for Harry, it was enough. Up in the air, he was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.

"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.

Harry was speeding towards the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick – he hit the pitch on all fours – coughed – and something gold fell into his hand.

"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference – Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the result – Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty.

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