HP 6 - A different Half-Blood...

The Dirtiest Match Ever

There was a hailstorm of owls the next day when the news broke out. The replacement guards of Azkaban were being controlled by the Imperious Curse and were forced to report that their prisoners were still there. All the Death Eaters that had been captured, escaped, including several others that had less than virtuous reputations.

However, that was not the only thing that they reported. The attack on the Quidditch pitch was beneath the photos of the escaped Death Eaters. There were hundreds of owls from terrified parents demanding to know if their children were safe. Upset parents actually sent Howlers to the Head table, which Dumbledore silenced with a wave of his wand, before they emitted their message. A few hysterical parents actually showed up and demanded to see their children.

Seamus's mother actually pulled him aside and whispered to him excitedly, and he looked very grave. Two mothers cried as they hugged their children and threatened to bring them home. The Heads of Houses tried to calm the fearful parents as best they could. None of the students were pulled from school, though their parents still threatened to take them.

Both the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams continued to practice the rest of the week under the watchful, hawk-like eyes of Madam Hooch and the tiny Professor Flitwick. However, their presence was actually not a downside; it was an improvement. With the Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick watching, the Slytherin team could not intrude on their practice or try to take over the pitch.

As a result, however, Ron drilled them mercilessly on their new offensive strategies until they worked as a well-disciplined unit. Off the pitch, was a totally different 온라인카지노게임 altogether.

With the loss of the pitch as a battleground, they stepped up their attacks in the castle. Warrington had sprouted an extra arm from his head. Ginny hit Pucey with her Bat-Bogey hex, after he called her a blood traitor. Seamus came to Katie Bell's rescue, when Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode cornered her in the hall, but the Quidditch teams were not the only ones fighting. Nott was put in detention for hexing Williams and Sloper in the Great Hall, and various scuffles and duels broke out throughout the school. Both Slytherins and Gryffindors lost so many House points that Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were both ahead of them now.

Moreover, all the students developed a mental block to learn anything in their classes. Their professors desperately tried to draw their attention back to their studies, especially with the news of the breakout, but they eventually realized it was impossible.

Professor McGonagall, who did not usually allow herself to bend to the will of her students, managed to refrain from assigning homework, along with Flitwick, Sprout and Hagrid. Snape, however, showed his favoritism toward his own House more than ever before, by giving everyone but the Slytherins extra homework. Lucky for Ron, he did not have Snape for Potions. The rest of the team, however, was bogged down in a mountain of homework.

Much to the entire class's surprise, Professor McGonagall burst into Snape's class and almost had it out with him right there. She somehow managed to regain her composure, but point out demanded that Snape "reconsider" his decision. Snape glared at her and then gave the Slytherins the homework, too. Snape stared intensely at Professor McGonagall, and she turned on her heel and walked swiftly out without looking back.

Though amazed that their professors come almost come to blows, they were faced with the bitter truth that they had to finish it. Without Hermione, neither Ron nor Harry could have completed their work, which Snape made them turn in on Friday under threat of a detention during the match.

After a long grueling practice on Thursday night, they headed up to the castle. Ron, who had been holding up until then, was cracking under the pressure. He had been unusually quiet during practice. Both Hermione and Harry knew what was wrong with him and silently agreed to give him space. Last year, Ron froze up so much the first two matches that he let in every shot on goal, until the last game when they won the cup. Harry really hoped that it was not going to happen again.

Ron went straight up to bed early, and Harry and Ginny sat down by the fire. Hermione stayed for a while, but since Ron was not there, she decided to go to bed, too.

"Maybe you should go up and talk to him," Ginny said.

"You think so?" Harry said, looking at her.

"Definitely," Ginny said, smiling.

"Alright," he said, glancing over to see Neville, Dean, and Seamus were still in the common room and decided to go on up.

He said goodnight to Ginny and headed up to the dorm room. Ron was lying in his bed pretending to sleep, but Harry was not falling for it.

"Wake up, mate," Harry said throwing a pillow at him.

"What?" Ron said angrily, sitting up, but avoiding Harry's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Nothing, trying to sleep," Ron said feigning a yawn and went to lie back down.

"No, you weren't. Everything's going to be fine, tomorrow," Harry said, walking over to Ron's bed.

"I don't know, Harry. The Slytherins are out for blood," Ron said, dropping the act completely, and sitting up again.

"They always are, but we've held them back before. We have to fight them. It is not always just about Quidditch. It's more important to fight now, more than ever," Harry said.

Ron looked up into Harry's eyes and only nodded. The Slytherins had been at him all year. It was payback time. They did not say anything else, but lay down their beds and after a long silence, they both fell into a restless sleep.

No one said anything when they woke up. They moved slowly out the door and headed down to the common room. Harry stowed his wand up his sleeve and just in case, his mother's wand, too, went down stairs and ate breakfast with Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

It was excellent Quidditch conditions as they walked out into the pitch. Hermione wished them good luck as they went to the changing rooms. Harry saw that Filch had repaired the stairwell up to the stands and he gave a cautious look to the Forbidden Forest before heading to the changing room. They silently changed and then the team looked to Ron for direction. He took a few deep breaths and glanced around at his team before finding his voice.

"This match is going to be the hardest one we ever have played. There is no doubt about that. The Slytherins are going to get tough and they are going to play dirty. We have to play just as hard. Capitalize off their attacks. They'll focus so hard on hurting us that their offense will crumble," Ron gulped. "Be careful, watch yourselves," he added nervously.

They all nodded their heads in agreement.

"Let's go do this thing," he said, determinately.

They opened the doors and rode their brooms out into the sunlight.

"Here comes Gryffindor! Weasley, Weasley, Finnigan, Bell, Sloper, Williams and... Potter!" Colin shouted loudly through the megaphone.

Harry saw Hermione and Hagrid in the stands cheering them on, as they circled the field once before landing near Madam Hooch in the middle of the pitch.

"Alright, guys..." Ron said.

"And girls..." Ginny interjected.

"...and girls... let's put their face in the dirt. Remember half, if not all, of their team's parents are Death Eaters. This is our match," he said.

"And here comes the Slytherin team, who has changed their lineup, yet again, with some heavy hitters," Colin announced, as the green and black players flew out of their doors. "Pucey, Crabbe, Goyle, Warrington, Bulstrode, Bletchley... and Malfoy," Colin finished, somewhat lazily.

Boos met each one of the Slytherin team members from the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff members of crowd, but none was louder than for Malfoy. He did not respond to them, but fixed his pale eyes on Harry, when his team landed. This was a match between him and Malfoy more than anything, and Harry was more than ready for it.

"Captains shake hands," Madam Hooch said formally, and Pucey strode forward, with a weird sort of smile on his face.

Harry felt a deep sense of loathing toward him, for whatever he was planning was bound to be despicable. Ron approached hesitantly and was not happy at all. They faced each other, staring each other down.

"Shake hands!" she repeated angrily. Ron moved his hand reluctantly forward, but Pucey had something else in mind.

"Wait a second..." he said coldly, and quietly, and pulled out a glove and put it on. " Wouldn't want to get anything on my hands!"

He laughed nastily and moved his hand forward. Ron jerked his hand back and spat at Pucey's feet. He turned and strode back to the rest of the team swearing under his breath. Madam Hooch was calling him back and awarded a penalty shot for Slytherin before the match had even started.

"Don't worry about it Ron. It was worth it," Ginny said.

Madam Hooch gave up and whistled them in the air for Slytherin to take the penalty shot. Pucey shot towards Ron and tried to put it through the left hoop, but Ron saved it and threw it to Ginny. Pucey glanced furiously back at Ron before tearing after her.

Ginny maneuvered through the Slytherin defense and put it in easily. Then she followed it with two more and within seconds, the match progressed into the dirtiest match Harry had ever seen. The Slytherins' tactics had even outstripped themselves from their match in the third year.

"Warrington takes the Quaffle and passes it up to Bulstrode, but Weasley intercepted! And she passes to Finnigan... Crabbe shoots a Bludger at him, but he reverse passes back to Weasley! She caught it and Pucey is right behind her... Watch out! Wait what is he doing!?!" Colin shrieked.

Harry, who had been looking for the elusive Golden Snitch turned quickly to see Pucey sending a yellow blast right at Ginny. She froze in midair with the Quaffle under her arm, but Pucey did not bother taking it, because Madam Hooch was already blowing her whistle furiously.

"Never in all my years!" she shouted at him and gave Gryffindor a penalty shot.

As that was happening, Goyle sent a Bludger right at Ginny, and since she was frozen, it hit her directly on the side of her head. She slid off her broom, but Harry was already flying toward her and caught her before she hit bottom. He pulled up and landed as she was coming out of the Impedimenta Curse.

"Ow, thanks Harry," she said, rubbing her head, which was now bleeding, as Ron flew down to see if she was alright. "I'm fine! Get up there and stop Sloper and Williams from getting a penalty!"

Sure enough, Sloper and Williams were taking George and Fred's traditional possessive roles and were fighting tooth and nail to get to Goyle. Katie and Seamus were trying, but not succeeding, to hold them back. Madam Hooch, who was absolutely livid now, had flown over to admonish Goyle and gave another penalty shot.

"Wow! I can't believe the tactics... the Slytherin team is digging deep in the bag of underhand tactics to win this game! Nearly creaming the Gryffindor Chaser when she couldn't even move! And after that open and revolting foul the Gryffindor team gets two penalty shots," Colin half-shouted.

"Creevy!" McGonagall warned, as the Slytherin crowd booed him.

"...but..." Colin continued unnerved, "...it looks like the Gryffindor team doesn't think that is enough and the Gryffindor Captain is forced to restrain his own teammates. They better stop before they get a penalty!" Colin said, more to the team than the crowd.

Ron managed to stop Sloper and Williams, and Ginny was able to return to play. Harry flew to the top of the field and saw Malfoy. He had been searching the entire field in the chaos, which is exactly what the Slytherin team wanted. Malfoy might be the most hated student in the school now, but he was still a decent Seeker.

"Finnigan takes the first penalty and he gets around the Slytherin Keeper Bletchley to score 40 nil!" Colin yelled out and Katie took the second penalty and easily put it in.

When play resumed, the Slytherin on-slot continued. Their main target seemed to be Ginny. Every Bludger was hit at her, so Williams and Sloper spent most of their time protecting her. Unfortunately, the Slytherin team was counting on this, too. Crabbe and Goyle then shot both Bludgers right at Harry. He turned into the first one, which hit him right in the stomach, and as he doubled over on his broomstick, the other hit in his the back of his head. He felt as though he broke a few ribs and the back of his head ached painfully. He recovered slowly, allowing his eyes to come back into focus.

"And the Gryffindor Seeker gets the wind knocked out of him and Gryffindor is awarded another penalty shot taken by Ginny Weasley, who is flying up the middle quickly and taking the Keeper off guard.... She's within scoring range.... HEY! That was the most open foul I've never seen!" Colin announced angrily, shaking his head in amazement. Crabbe had launched a Bludger right at her during a penalty shot.

"YOU CAN'T ATTACK THE CHASER DURING A PENALTY SHOT!!!" Madam Hooch shouted, awarding two penalties to Gryffindor, but Sloper and Williams had had enough. Sloper hit one Bludger at Crabbe and Williams knocked the other into Bletchley.

"And now the Slytherin gets two penalty shots! Weasley takes it for Gryffindor and scores! Finnigan swerves... and misses... ah.... Now, Warrington takes the first penalty, he went for the left hoop, but changed directions at the last second.... Slytherin scored," Colin groaned. "Fifty-ten."

Harry tried not to watch. He had to find that speck of gold before Malfoy, who was also searching relentlessly.

"...Pucey takes it and goes for the center hoop, but Weasley saves it!" Colin announced.

The crowd went wild and Ginny took the Quaffle from Ron, and shot up the middle, but before she could score, the Slytherin team halted play again.

"The Gryffindor Keeper is getting pummeled!" Colin shouted, signaling Madam Hooch to whistle.

Pucey, Crabbe and Goyle had surrounded Ron and were hitting him with Beater clubs and fists. They scattered when Madam Hooch and the Gryffindors shot towards them.

"GET BACK HERE!!!" Madam Hooch shouted loud enough for the whole stadium to hear.

Harry was worried about Ron, but continued looking for the Snitch. Ginny, Seamus and Katie helped Ron to the ground, and Sloper and Williams had their clubs raised threateningly. The rest of Slytherin team was laughing. Harry dived down for a flyby and saw Ron had a bloody nose and a cut above his eye, but in all other respects, he was ready to get back into the game and take revenge on his attackers.

"Looks like the Gryffindor Captain is going to return to play after being BLATANTLY attacked by three members of the Slytherin team, who seem to be reaching new lows in cheating!" Colin announced furiously.

McGonagall did not bother telling him off, because she had to duck as Goyle launched a Bludger right at the announcer's booth. Colin got out of the way just in time as the Bludger exploded through the podium and was magically pulled back into the stadium by the pitch's innate Inhibiting Spells. McGonagall shakily got to her feet and pointed threateningly at Goyle, with a heated face and an off-skewed hat. Colin recovered timidly and went on announcing, somewhat more cautiously.

Katie and Ginny both scored on the penalty shots and play resumed with Ginny, Katie and Seamus pulling off the Hawkshed offensive formation. Luckily, Sloper arrived in time to hit away the two Bludgers that were sent in retaliation at Ginny and sent them right back at the Slytherin team.

Ginny thanked him and Gryffindor quickly scored two more times, but by that time, any restraint the Slytherin team had was gone. Crabbe and Goyle were now hitting anything within reach, with Bludgers or their bats. After Sloper managed to save Katie from a Bludger, Crabbe came up from behind him and hit him right on the back of the head with his club, which put him out of play for the rest of the game. Both Katie and Seamus were hit badly, but recovered. Crabbe and Goyle swung at Harry a few times, but he easy dodged them.

The Slytherin Chasers were also throwing all offense strategy out the window and singling out one person: Ginny. They were intent on eliminating the Gryffindors' best scorer and distract Harry, but did not waste an opportunity to put another Gryffindor player out of action. She spent the rest of the match either taking penalty shots or maneuvering in and out of the Slytherins' attacks. Seamus and Katie, however, used the situation to their advantage by scoring on the virtually abandoned goalposts. Bletchley, who was the only one had not joined the fray, was the only Slytherins' defense.

Neither Harry nor Malfoy had seen the Snitch, yet, but Harry was starting to get desperate. One team member was already out and they were after Ginny with a vengeance. The team would not last much longer in this virtual mêlée. He went back and forth looking fanatically around the pitch. Malfoy was also losing his patience looking for the lightning-fast Snitch and flew up alongside him.

"You better go save your girlfriend! Doesn't look like she can handle playing with her superiors!" he yelled.

"Shove off, Malfoy! If you're so superior, why is it that no one comes within five feet of you? And at least I got a girlfriend or friends for that matter!" Harry snarled angrily and tore off toward the Slytherin side of the pitch without looking back, but then he saw it.

It was zooming back and forth above the Slytherin goalposts. He did not want to take his eyes off it, but Malfoy was right behind him and Bletchley was below it. He shot towards it as fast as he could go, but Bletchley saw him and moved to block him. Harry was too quick, he went to the left of Bletchley, but Malfoy had caught up.

"Inflagrimus!" Malfoy shouted, sending fire right at Harry.

His aim was a little short, but still caught the back Harry's broom on fire. Harry hastily pulled out his wand and extinguished the fire, but the Snitch had vanished.

"YOU CAN'T USE MAGIC AGAINST YOUR OPPONENT!!!" Madam Hooch screamed furiously. "PENALTY SHOT TO GRYFFINDOR!!!"

Harry saw Malfoy smirking as he flew off to look for the Snitch on his own. Harry felt a surge of anger go through him, as he looked at his burned broom, but he then went high above the pitch to get a better view. Madam Hooch was now yelling at Ron, who had apparently flown into Warrington "accidentally" and gave Slytherin a penalty shot, too.

"And Bell misses... and Warrington takes the ball.... Slytherin score... 110-20.... Play resumes with Ginny Weasley taking the Quaffle from her brother and captain, and takes it up the middle and passes to Seamus... to Katie... back to Seamus, who throws it.... Bletchley saves it. Ouch! Williams takes a bat to the head! And it looks like he's hurt!" Colin said, nervously.

Ron went to see him, but then called everyone down for a timeout. Harry reluctantly went down.

"Ron! Malfoy's still up there!" Harry said indignantly.

"He can't get the Snitch till our timeout is over!" Ron half-shouted at him, while he surveyed his team's condition. Williams groggily got back on his broom, but was not as coordinated.

"Everybody... don't let them get close, remember those evasive moves. If they get through the line just... let them. I can pull off a few saves. They're huge and they can do a lot more damage than we can do to them," Ron paused, as he looked through his own black eye at Ginny and Williams, who were the smallest ones on the pitch.

"Alright you all get up there. Seamus, take the penalty...." Ron finished.

They team launched off the ground, but Ron followed Harry up.

"Harry, we're getting creamed out here. Find that Snitch," he said, desperately, looking into Harry's eyes.

Harry nodded and watched Malfoy intently as he dashed back up, but Malfoy had not seen it. Seamus missed his shot again, and play resumed, but stopped with Slytherins failing to score, but also failing to stop, as Pucey flew straight into Ron as the price for blocking his shot. Harry saw that Ron was free-flowing blood again and Goyle hit Ginny with another Bludger, but she stayed on her broom. Warrington and Millicent Bulstrode both managed to put the Quaffle through the rings, as Ron was still dazed. Harry had to find it, now and looked wildly around for the Snitch.

Malfoy had flown up behind him and was following him, again. Harry was going to make him pay for it. Harry flat-lined straight down to the bottom of the pitch and Malfoy followed him desperately trying to keep up, but he suddenly reared up. Malfoy thought Harry was faking and flew back up to the zenith of the pitch.

Harry smiled and came up as he grazed the grass line, because he just saw the Snitch on the other side of the field just above the grass. The other players were not anywhere near him. He resisted temptation to shoot right toward it. He innocently moved toward it at first, but soon tore off after it. A Bludger grazed the back of his head, but nothing was going to stop him. He reached out, clasped his fingers around the struggling Snitch, and raised his arm up high.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!!!" Colin shouted enthusiastically, but Malfoy was not finished. He was flying straight to him and landed, sliding quickly off his broom.

"Potter!" Malfoy screamed irritably, charging him.

Harry calmly pulled out his wand and said, "Impedimenta!"

Malfoy froze just as Ginny had earlier. By then, Ron and the rest of the Gryffindor team had flown down to meet him and the crowd was rushing onto the field. Most of them taunted the temporarily frozen Malfoy as they passed. When he was freed, he stalked off the field with the rest of the Slytherin team that was still being reprimanded by Madam Hooch for their tactics. The Gryffindors laughed Malfoy and the Slytherins off the field, but they were more interested in celebrating.

"Harry you did it!" Ron said, with blood still pouring out of his nose, as he pulled Harry into a group hug with the rest of the team.

"No Ron, you did!" Harry shouted over the crowd.

Ginny fought her way over to him and kissed him. Hermione came down hugged Ron, Ginny and Harry in turn. Katie, Williams and Seamus were all half crying and cheering with the rest of the Gryffindors. Colin, still covered with dust, led McGonagall and Dumbledore down to them with the silver cup. Ron was crying tears of joy as Dumbledore presented the Quidditch Cup to him and the tearful Professor McGonagall.

"Fine work, Mr. Weasley," she said, with some reverence.

Ron held the cup up high and passed it on to the rest of the team. Hermione pulled him into a tight embrace and kissed him for a very long time. He smiled dim-wittingly and kissed her again.

They celebrated for the rest of the night bruised, bleeding, and in Sloper's case, unconscious. They let off another crate of Fred and George's Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-Bangs to make sure no one else in the castle would sleep for a while, as they brought the party to the common room for a late-night celebration. Harry, for a good reason, had a very difficult time emptying his emotions that night.