chapter 29:Testing

"Hey, Tom!" Arthur Weasley waved to the proprietor of the Leaky Cauldron. "I see you've rearranged things."

"Testing out a prototype." Tom grinned, indicating the pedestal-mounted model of a Quidditch pitch located in the middle of the now-expanded room. "There's one at the Hog's Head as well."

"It looks very well made." Molly noted as Ginny half-crouched to look at the small broom-rider models set in small racks on one side of the model. The figurines each had different colors of hair and their robes boasted colored highlights indicating the team that they were on. "Will it really show the game?"

"Should do." Tom noted. "As you can see, we have several people from the Daily Prophet in that corner to watch the first ever relayed match. I heard Xenophilious and his daughter are watching at the Hog's Head."

Ginny gave her mother a pleading glance, only to sag as Molly shook her head. "No, dear. You're staying with us. The Hog's Head can be rather rough at times and I don't want you to get hurt."

Ginny sighed, but turned back to examining the figures, paying very close attention to the Ravenclaw Keeper.

"A bottle of your finest firewhiskey, my good man." A familiar voice drawled and Arthur stiffened as he recognized it. Turning slightly, he saw Lucius Malfoy claiming one of the corner tables, holding the chair for his wife to sit down in before taking his own and draping his cape over the backrest. Tom bustled over and Lucius gave an approving nod as he perused the label of the proffered bottle.

"An excellent vintage, Tom. And since we are here to watch the glorious game, a single round of beer for those who wish it."

A loud cheer rose from the assembled witches and wizards, as well as a round of applause which Lucius graciously acknowledged with a regal nod.

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"Alright people, this is it!" Roger Davies stated. "Our last game of the season and it's going to be watched and listened to by pretty much all of Wizarding England, so let's give them a show!

"We've gone through the statistics and probable actions of the Gryffindors, we've created new plays to help us get past their defenses and blunt their own attacks, so let's get out there and do this!"

Harry joined in with the cheer before scooping up his broom and following his team down the tunnel to the pitch.

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Tom touched his wand to a newly-carved rune on the underside of the bar and the floor of the pub started to sink, forming very wide steps leading down to the newly-formed pillar on which the Quidditch model stood. The lowering of the steps meant that Ginny found herself at eye-level to the pitch when she stood up straight and the witches and wizards crowded round, the raised levels meaning that they could all just about see the pitch with the now-mobile models.

The noise of the Wizarding Wireless spluttering into life sounded from the large sheet of parchment that Tom had stuck to the ceiling, then the voice sounded.

"…and now the teams are coming out onto the field.

First it's the Ravenclaw team, led by their Captain and Chaser

Roger Davies flanked by his fellow-Chasers Ana Gedes and…"

The voice faded for an moment and Tom cursed before sending a couple of spells at the radio.

"…Seeker, Cho Chang, and their keeper, the Boy-Who-Lived,

Harry Protego Potter!"

A loud cheer sounded as the models finished detaching from their holding rack and moving out onto the field to join the model of Madam Hooch which was already hovering just above the midpoint of the pitch.

"Next come the Gryffindors led by their Captain and Keeper

Oliver Wood. Behind him are the Chasers Angelina Johnson,

Alicia Spinnet an…kkkzzzkkktttkkk"

Tom's wand flashed into action again.

"…llowed by their Seeker, Percy Weasley and the Beaters, the

twins Fred and George Weasley!"

Ginny jumped up and down in excitement at hearing her brothers names on the radio. Her father had been looking at Lucius Malfoy at that moment and caught his sneer.

"The Captains have landed and are being joined by Hogwart's

own flying instructor and referee, retired from the professional

circuit, Madam Rolanda Hooch, carrying the box holding the balls

that are to be used. She's put down the box and the captains are

shaking hands. Now the teams are taking to the air… and the balls

have been released!"

Ginny wasn't the only one who gasped as four pinpoints of light rose from the middle of the model. The gold one seemed to flicker out almost instantly while the two red ones arced away, starting their endless ricochet around the pitch. The purple one was intercepted by one of the Gryffindor Chasers, who started to glow with an aura to indicate that she was holding the Quaffle.

"Gryffindor take possession of the Quaffle while the Weasley Twins

deliver synchronised smashes to the Bludgers, firing them ahead of

Johnson to clear the way for an early shot at the Hoops! She races

down the pitch and… Gedes does a classic Hyppogryph Hijack and

snatches the ball from Johnson's hand! They're weaving through

the Gryffs with an inverted triangle side-pass and Davies shoots!

Wood barely manages to block the shot, but it's quite a daring

move from the Ravens who usually play a reactive game at this

point! Wood passes to Johnson, who passes to Spinnet… but it's

intercepted by Gedes doing a Rising Hawk! She aims, shoots… and

Davies intercepts and redirects, catching Wood off-guard! It's Ten

points to the Ravens with the first goal of the match!"

Ginny stared in wonder at the swooping and climbing models. Listening to it on the radio was exciting enough, but actually being able to see the tactics used at the same time took it up to a whole new level of awesomeness.

"…and Weasley dives, heading towards the Gryffindor Hoops with

Chang in hot pursuit! Weasley rolls, flaring his robes out so that she

can't see past him and… he slows and grabs the post! It's a Slingshot

and Chang goes straight past as Weasley heads for the Snitch down

the left side of the pitch! Chang hopelessly out of position as Weasley

closes in on the Snitch… and he's forced to roll out as both Bludgers

almost hit him! The Snitch vanishes, but Weasley managed to decoy

Chang out of position with almost professional ease!"

"That's my boy!" Molly announced proudly with a huge smile on her face.

"…and the Gryffindor team shoot… and Potter blocks the shot! He

throws the Quaffle to Davies who does an over-and-under, then he

passes the Quaffle… it's a perfect one-two-three-four and the Lions

are targeting the wrong Chaser! They missed the last pass and Gedes

sneaks the Quaffle past Wood, who is looking furious with himself for

letting it happen! Gryffindor regain control of the Quaffle and… are

they? Yes, they are! The Lions are doing an almost perfect Centaur's

Arrow, the Beaters keeping position at the ends of their Arrowhead

while the lead Chaser acts as a shield, keeping the Ravens guessing

as to which of the other two has the Quaffle… and there's the Spinning

Drill, the Beaters peel off, the Chasers each head for a different Hoop…

And Potter got it right! He pulls a scything roll and snatches the Quaffle

right from the Chaser's grip! The Gryffindors are all completely out of

position, only Wood stands between the entire Ravenclaw team and

his goals… and the Ravens have scored! Thirty points to zero already!

The Gryffindors are regrouping… and off they go! The twins are herding

the Bludgers… Oooh! Ravenclaw forced out of formation by a fantastic

one-two-smash! Both Bludgers sent down exactly the same path to

open the way for the Gryffindor… no! Spinnet is clipped by a Bludger

and drops the Quaffle, straight into Gedes' hands! Gedes races to the

Gryffindor Hoops, the Chasers after her… and the Weasley Twins are

using a Bludger to block her! Gedes slows… and she doesn't have the

Quaffle after all! A perfect Ghost Pass! We completely missed it and so

did the Gryffindors! Wood frantically tries to get into position to block

the shot and… so close! The Quaffle bounces in off the inside of the

Hoop! That's another ten points to Ravenclaw and… Chang seems to

have spotted the Snitch, she's raced past Weasley who has spun to

follow her. Chang is on a Comet S2, but Weasley's S3 is slightly faster

and he's gaining on her… Chang is diving, Weasley in hot pursuit as she

dives even steeper, rolling as she does so… has she seen the Snitch? No!

Chang pulls out in a textbook Wronski Feint and Weasley tries to follow,

but he can't pull out as fast and clips the ground! Percy Weasley is down!"

"NO!" Molly gasped, going pale and Ginny gasped in shock.

"Wait, he's getting back to his feet and… he just saluted Chang! What a

Gentlewizard he is! He's back on his broom and rising back into the game!"

Molly exhaled, both hands clutched over her chest as she watched the model that represented her third-born son rise back into the game.

"We raised him well." Arthur whispered to her and Molly nodded, tears of pride in her eyes.

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This has to be one of the most spectacular games I have seen in years." Albus noted as he picked another Lemon Drop from the bowl hovering by his chair. "I see young Percy is keeping to the best traditions of the sport."

"He always remembers the rules." Minerva supplied as covertly she filched a Lemon Drop from the Headmaster's supply. "That's one of the reasons I appointed him as Prefect."

"And why I kept him on as one." Septimus Vector added. "I did have to point out to him that Prefects are meant to deal with issues before they become so, but he's got the idea now."

"It would seem that should he fail to get a career with the Ministry, he may have a future in Quidditch." Albus smiled, then his eyes moved to a different flyer. "And I see that young Potter hasn't lost his taste for dramatic moves. That was quite a save he just pulled."

"At this rate, Severus, I can see the Quidditch Trophy moving to my office for the next seven years." Flitwick chuckled, causing the Potions Master to give him a look.

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Ginny took another sip of her Butterbeer as she watched the action on the table.

"…and with that shot, the Ravens are in the lead by one-hundred and

fifty points to zero! This is looking to be one of the worst losses that

the Gryffindor team have… wait, Weasley accelerates, diving towards

the right of the pitch… and Chang goes after him, but she was on the

wrong side! Weasley accelerating faster than Chang, he swerves and

only just misses the stands as Chang closes in… Weasley's down! Hit

on the leg by a Bludger, but he's raised his hand! Is that…? Yes it is!

Percy Weasley pulls victory out of almost certain defeat as he catches

the Snitch, earning Gryffindor a hundred and fifty points, winning the

game in the process! The final score is Gryffindor one hundred and

fifty, Ravenclaw one-hundred and fifty but Gryffindor finished with

the Snitch, meaning that victory goes to them! A dead heat in points,

but Gryffindor have the Snitch! This has been the closest game I can

ever remember commentating on, ladies and gentlewizards, but it's

over and Gryffindor! Have! Won!"

Ginny leapt up and down in joy, then she felt herself swept into a joyful hug by her father, a hug which her mother joined in with.

"Well done, Percy!" Molly wept happily. "Well done!"

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"Nice one, bro." Charley whispered from his position beside Hagrid in the Teacher's box. "I knew you could do it."

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"He's going to be insufferable, isn't he?"

"Indeed he will, my brother, indeed he will."