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The Opening Match (Prongs)



October moved along quickly as the first year Gryffindors stayed busy with classes and homework. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter managed to get through mapping the first two floors of the castle, having marked off all the basic landmarks along the corridors on a couple of large sheets of parchment that Sirius kept locked in his trunk. Despite their efforts, however, to be sure they opened every door and looked in every nook and cranny, they still felt that they were missing parts of the castle. It seemed that Filch could materialize from one part of the castle to another instantly.

“Perhaps he’s disapparating?” James suggested one evening as they walked across the grounds to the pitch for flying lessons.

Remus shook his head, “Bilius said there isn’t any apparating on school grounds. That’s why they’re scheduled to practice out in Hogsmeade.”

“Well bloody hell,” mumbled Sirius, who had been quite excited by the idea, “How is he doing it, then?”

The others were getting quite good at flying in their lessons on the pitch with Madam Hooch - though the only one who came close to flying as well as James was Lily, who had actually proven to be rather good naturally. But that wasn’t much of a surprise as she was the best in every other subject as well. Professor Slughorn simply adored her, doting over every potion she brewed as though she were some sort of prodigy. All of the teachers were forever marvelling over Lily and her talents.

“Why don’t they just go on and coronate her and get it bloody over with?” groaned Sirius after a particularly arduous Transfiguration class, upon the conclusion of which Professor McGonagall had shown them Lily’s perfect china pie bird, transfigured from an actual bird. “It wasn’t even that clever,” he grumbled. “Anyone could’ve thought to make a pie bird out of a real bird, couldn’t they?”

Meanwhile, James and Sirius were becoming known less for their marks and more for their talent of getting in (and out of) trouble. The boys were always up to some sort of no good and the teachers were endlessly keeping their eyes on them, both in and out of classes. It wasn’t uncommon to be sitting in the Gryffindor common room and hear a shriek of surprise as some unfortunate soul happened upon a booby trap or a practical joke of some kind that they’d set up. One of their favorites had been a spell Sirius had found in a book in the library which set a little rain cloud on Peter Pettigrew that wouldn’t stop pouring down upon him. This had been quite funny until the counter-charm had failed to work and the boys had to present their tomfoolery to Professor McGonagall in order to get the rain turned off. She’d been most disapproving and taken five points from Gryffindor for it.

The first quidditch match of the season was a hot topic around school come the middle of October. It would be between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and there was a lot of speculation about the teams, which both had apparently been granted a new captain over the summer because their prior captains had graduated. It was to be an exciting event and, to triple the excitement, it was on the day before Halloween, on which there would be a great holiday feast.

Day of the match came and it was rainy and bleak outside. James and the boys bundled up to brace themselves against the cold, refusing to miss the match over a spot of poor weather. They weren’t the only ones to brave it, either, it seemed most of the school was trooping down to the pitch in their galoshes and rain jackets. James used the impervious charm to keep rain from getting on his maroon-and-gold trainers.

Despite the rain, the stands were alive with anticipation and Sirius had saved a box of Bertie Botts for them to share in the stands while they waited for the game to begin. The boys laughed and swapped beans with one another, daring each other to eat the ones that looked as though they may taste nasty. They were just starting to get antsy, bored after Peter refused to eat another one of the nasty beans no matter how many triple-hippogriff-dare-yous they issued him, when there came a ripple of excitement through the crowd.

Madam Hooch had stepped onto the pitch below… the doors to the locker rooms were opening up… and there came the Hufflepuff team… and then the Gryffindors…

“Welcome everyone to the first match of the 1971 Hogwarts House Championship Quidditch Season!” The commentator was a Ravenclaw fourth year named Oskar that James recognized only because he’d stopped the boys in the hallway one of the days they’d been mapping the first floor corridors. “We begin this season with a match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor!” A considerable applause went up for each of the houses, though the Slytherins booed mightily for the Gryffindor team and nobody had booed for Hufflepuff.

“Gits,” muttered Sirius, scowling toward the little huddle of green and silver at the end of the pitch.

“New captains Wally Jones and Derek Bell approach one another for the customary handshake… and the snitch is released! We’re off!” Oskar’s voice picked up with excitement as he offered up a play-by-play of the action.

James and Sirius leaped about on the stands, shouting manically at the players, waving their arms in glee. Derek Bell was fantastic as chaser, moving with speed amongst the other players in his scarlet Quidditch robes. “Bell with the quaffle,” said Oskar’s magically magnified voice over the pitch’s full stands, “Dodges Jasper Kensington’s bludger -- ‘round to keeper, Jones -- and shoots and --- ten to zero, Gryffindor!”

The Gryffindor side of the pitch went wild as Derek’s throw went through the gold hoop at the end of the pitch and James did a sort of jig in his seat. Even Lily and Alice, who were sitting at the far end of the row the four boys were in, seemed impressed and clapped for Derek’s good job done. They’d come mainly to root for Derek, who’d confided exclusively in his little sister that he was nervous about his first game as captain, and of course Lily was eager to help Alice in cheering up her brother. James’s eyes flickered over to Lily as she clapped and he smiled.

Following James’s glance, Sirius smiled, too, and announced boldly, “Just think, mate, next year it’ll be you that’s star and they’re all clapping for.” James laughed as Lily looked their way. “You’ll be the star of the Quidditch team,” Sirius roved on, “And you’ll have the girls queuing up to be ‘round you in no time. Anybody looking to be with you ought to have a go at it now, while you’re still available!”

Lily sniffed and turned away.

“Bloody hell, Sirius,” laughed James, “What are you going on about? I’d give’em all a shot, if they’d have me,” he said, side-eyeing Lily, who, although she’d turned away, was clearly still listening.

“Maybe we could hold a lottery,” Sirius said, “Like the muggles do with their pounds… only instead of galleons you’d be the prize.”

“I wouldn’t even pay a knut,” whispered Lily to Alice.

Oskar’s voice broke over them, ending the conversation. “Rowling blocks Roekby’s attempt at the quaffle… it goes back to Bell -- to Weasley -- off to Bones… Quaffle’s in Hufflepuff’s possession now. Bones with the quaffle… down the pitch…. Aims… Rowling dives but Bones scores! Tied game!”

“Damn!” shouted Sirius.

“Watch your tongue, Mr. Black,” came Professor McGonagall’s voice from behind them, making all four boys jump in surprise, having not realized that McGonagall was so close at hand… directly behind them, to be exact!

The game’s action only picked up as the quaffle moved about the pitch from player to player. Bilius Weasley scored and the Slytherins booed loudly - a cry led by the pale-faced Lucius Malfoy, which set Sirius’s teeth on edge. He yelled something that angered Bilius, and Derek Bell had to hold Bilius back from marching off the pitch into the stands to clobber Malfoy.

“T’aint worth it, mate,” they heard Derek shouting at Bilius.

The score was climbing steadily, though, despite Slytherin’s nasty attitude, and soon the game was 110-90, Gryffindor only just holding onto the lead throughout. It was then that James spotted it - the gold snitch, hovering near by, seeming to watch the game itself from a high vantage point. The rain made it damn near impossible to see it, as the sun wasn’t reflecting off it’s gold shell but James knew what he saw. “There’s the snitch,” he said to Sirius, pointing, but Sirius couldn’t see it. Neither, for that matter, could either of the seekers.

It was mighty frustrating for James, knowing exactly where the snitch was and being unable to help out and grab hold of it!

“Blimey, why can’t they see that thing, it’s right there!” wailed James as the seekers zipped about, searching without seeing.

“I think you’re the only one that can,” Remus said, squinting in the direction James was frantically pointing.

“There -- right there --” he said, “By Tinnamin’s shoe! OI! TINNAMIN!” James shouted, waving at the snitch with all his might.

The seventh year seeker for Gryffindor team, Andy Tinnamin, only just heard James’s shout over the pounding rain and he looked over, trying to spot him through the rain. James was pointing… pointing down… and Tinnamin looked and he saw the snitch and with a dive that would’ve blown the minds of most anyone, Tinnamin shot forward and snapped the snitch up in his palms faster than you could say the word quidditch.

“I don’t believe it!” yelled Oskar, “I don’t believe it! Gryffindor wins with the snitch 160-90! Good try, Hufflepuff!”

The crowd went wild and people were chanting out the Gryffindor seeker’s name with enthusiasm. Sirius glanced back over his shoulder and hissed, “Let’s go.” James looked, too, and Professor McGonagall looked torn between anger that James had interfered and revently thankful that he had, kind of all mixed up together.

James nodded, “Yes, let’s; before she decides how she feels ‘bout this all.” He nudged Remus and the three of them slipped away from the stands before McGonagall could turn on them for James pointing out the snitch to Tinnamin.

Later that night, the common room was a buzz with excitement, even after everyone had started to settle down and relax for the night. The four first year boys were laying on the carpet in front of the fire doing their revisions when Derek, Bilius, Andy, and the other players of the Gryffindor Quidditch team came in through the portrait hole. Bilius carried a bag stuffed with sweets and treats from the kitchens, a bottle of butterbeer in his fist, a grin on his face as he waved his arms about excitedly for everyone to see. “Hey, mates! Snacks on the Gryffindor win!” he shouted as the house leaped back into excited action around him, collecting their treats and butterbeers from the sack as though he were Father Christmas or something. “To Tinnamin!” shouted Bilius excitedly, cheersing to Andy.

Andy raised his bottle, but before taking a sip he said, “Really we owe it all to Potter!”

“To Potter?” Derek asked in surprise as half the room turned to look at James.

“I hadn’t seen the snitch and he spotted it from the stands and shouted and pointed it out to me,” Tinnamin explained, turning and raising his glass to James instead. “To you, Potter.”

“To Potter!” Bilius cried out. Everyone who had grabbed a butterbeer already shouted ‘here, here!’ and Sirius grinned, miming lifting a glass with his empty hand.

“Ruddy good job, Potter!” Derek exclaimed proudly.

Andy grinned, “I reckon you lot won’t have any trouble replacing me next year at this rate,” he said, winking at James.

The players were submerged in excited Gryffindors collecting their snacks and shouting congrats to them and thanking James. Sirius elbowed James with pride, “Sounds like you won’t even be needing to try out next year.”

James grinned, quite excited at the prospect of his exciting future in Quidditch.

Meanwhile, across the room, Lily and Alice Bell were sitting on a couch, Lily doing homework while Alice read Teen Witch’s new issue. Lily scowled, watching everyone make such a big deal about James. She rolled her eyes, “Can’t they see Potter’s ego is large enough without their help in making it even bigger?” she groaned. “Honestly!”

Alice didn’t even look up. “James is really good at quidditch,” she said, “Of course they’re going to make a big deal about it.”

“He makes out like he’s some great gift to Hogwarts - and Sirius with all that bloody racket about girls lining up for him… he’s just an arrogant git. He’s not even that good looking with that awful, messy hair of his…”

Alice’s eyes traveled over the edge of the magazine and landed on James across the room. She shrugged, “I don’t know… He’s not exactly a troll,” she said slowly.

Lily looked over at Alice in disbelief. “You like him?” she demanded.

Alice shrugged again, her cheeks turning pink. “I don’t know. I mean… he’s young yet but… but he’ll probably be handsome when he gets a bit older… I’m just saying.”

Lily turned back to her spellbooks, frustrated, annoyed that even her best friend was under whatever spell it was that James Potter had cast on the entire Gryffindor house.