'Cordelia! CORDELIA!'
Cordelia opened her eyes. She shut them again at once, for the sunlight was shining directly onto her face. She stood up, then opened her eyes. 'What is it?'
'Quidditch! It's today!' Alvie shouted at her. 'You're supposed to be down there now!'
'Wha - oh, blimey! I forgot! I just dozed off!'
'Take these!' Alvie thrust Cordelia's Quidditch robes at her.
'Thanks - OK, bye!'
'I"ll come down to watch it!'
'OK, good!' Cordelia stumbled out of the common room, then ran down all the moving staircases, towards the Quidditch pitch.
'CORDELIA! You're LATE! Didn't you remember what I said to you? Be down at the Quidditch pitch at nine! And guess what time is it now? Ten thirty!' Montague roared at her.
'Big difference,' said Simon Jordan, rolling his eyes.
Montague actually lunged at him.
Simon dodged him, laughing harder than ever.
'Get into your Quidditch robes! NOW!' roared Montague.
Cordelia glanced at him - she had been avoiding his gaze, but now she looked directly at him - he looked slightly mad.
After a few minutes, she was ready.
Montague had calmed down - he spoke in a quiet voice to them, but he still seemed dangerous. 'Get onto the Qudditch pitch now, with your brooms - and Cordelia, I advise you to get a better broom.'
'I'll do that,' said Cordelia immediately. 'I'll - um, try and get one next week.'
'Captains, shake hands!' said Madam Hooch.
Montague gripped hand very hard - he looked as though he was trying to break it.
'Now, mount your brooms,' said Madam Hooch.
Cordelia mounted the Shooting Star - everyone else did the same.
Then Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle into the air - and the game began.
Cordelia kicked off the ground and almost caught the Quaffle, but a Gryffindor boy got it before she did.
He flew towards the goalposts, narrowly missing a Bludger.
'And Brandon has got the Quaffle!' said the commentator. Cordelia looked up at him, to see the Hector, the boy who had helped her!
Cordelia avoided his gaze quickly, for he had looked down at her.
'Annnnndddd......he scores!' said Hector. 'Ten to zero.'
Cordelia gritted her teeth - she needed to score. She glanced around at the Slytherin Seeker, Terence Higgs. He was looking around frantically for the Snitch.
Cordelia saw a sandy haired Gryffindor throw the Quaffle to a Gryffindor girl, but she just missed it.
Then Cordelia dived for it.....and she caught it! She flew towards the goalposts, then scored.
'Ten to ten!' Hector shouted.
Then another Slytherin caught it and scored. Ten to twenty!
The game went on. Soon Cordelia had made five scores and the game was neck to neck - fifty to fifty!
Then Cordelia stopped in the middle of the air on her broom. She was watching Higgs fly towards a tiny gold ball with wings - the Snitch!
But the Gryffindor Seeker was flying towards it as well! Then suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, the snitch flew towards Cordelia! The two Seekers crashed into each other, then everything was fuzzy. She suddenly had the Snitch in her hand, she did not know how, then suddenly she was on the ground, and Professor McGonagall was striding towards her.
'Miss Colt,' she said to Cordelia. 'You are a Chaser, not a Seeker! Higgs is the Slytherin Seeker.'
'I know that, but -'
'Yes, so why did you catch it?'
'But -'
'Even if you were so eager to win, you didn't have to do Higgs job for him!'
'But I didn't - it just somehow went - went into my hand!'
'It can't just fly into your hand - don't talk nonsense!' said Professor McGonagall.
'But I promise, Professor!'
But McGongall didn't seem to be listening to her.
Montague came over. 'Professor,' he said, 'So who wins the game? Surely it must be us?'
Professor McGonagall looked at him. 'Well, I'm not sure, Montague. If the Seeker did not catch the Snitch....well, this is for Madam Hooch to decide.'
Madam Hooch decided that the game would restart.
'What! But -'
'NO buts,' said Madam Hooch.
'You stupid girl, we could have won if you hadn't caught it yourself! You just wanted to prove that you could be the seeker!'
'No - Montague -' started Cordelia, but Montague walked away.


The game restarted and finished quickly. To Cordelia's anger and disappointment, Gryffindor won.
She walked back to the Slytherin common room, fuming.
Alvie was in there. 'I heard about the match.'
'I don't want to talk about it,' said Cordelia grumpily, flopping onto one of the sofas.
'OK.' Alvie bent over her essay, and began to write.