The Great Hall shimmered under its enchanted ceiling, where soft spring clouds drifted lazily across a perfect late March blue.
Sunlight poured through the tall windows, catching on silverware and house banners, turning the long tables into rivers of gold and crimson. Breakfast was in full, glorious swing. Platters of bacons, sausages, eggs, pasta, sandwiches, pitchers of pumpkin juice, milk, and other fruit juice catching the light like liquid amber. The air smelled of fresh bread, sizzling meat, and the faint sweetness of warm pastries and porridge.
At the Gryffindor table, the Quidditch team sat in their full scarlet-and-gold robes, looking every inch the warriors they were supposed to be. Oliver Wood was in full captain mode, leaning forward with the intensity of a man who had not slept since the last full moon, parchment unrolled in front of him like battle orders.
"…and when the Chasers execute the Porskoff Ploy on the left flank, Harry, you'll feint high toward the Ravenclaw hoops, draw Chang upward, then dive sharp left the moment the Beaters commit. Fred and George, you'll cover the cross with a double Bludger feint—make them think you're going for their Keeper, then redirect—"
Harry wasn't listening.
Not even a little.
He was far too busy devouring his eighth sandwich. Thick slabs of fresh bread stuffed with bacon, eggs, and whatever other kind of meat he could get his hands on, doused in smear of brown sauce. His other hand was already reaching for the ninth, this one pilled high with sausages and grilled veggies. He had already devoured a full plate of sausages and a plate of golden hash browns had vanished before that. And before that blueberry pancakes and a bowl of mixed fruit salad.
Harry ate with single-minded focus, while Wood's voice droned on in the background like a distant swishing of the Bludger through the air.
"…Alicia, you'll switch with Katie on the third wave to confuse their formation—"
Harry nodded absently, cheeks full, and reached for another rasher of bacon with his free hand. A passing house-elf refilled his pumpkin juice without being asked. He drained half the goblet in one go, then went straight back to the sandwich, chewing with evident satisfaction.
Beside him, Angelina Johnson rolled her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn't fall out. "Oliver, he's not listening. He's on his tenth sandwich. I think the only tactic he's interested in right now is how many more rashers he can fit in his mouth before the match starts."
Katie Bell snorted into her toast. "At this rate he'll be too heavy to stay on the broom."
Alicia Spinnet leaned over and poked Harry's arm. "Oi, Potter. You even awake over there?"
Harry swallowed a heroic mouthful, wiped a bit of sauce from his chin with the back of his hand, and gave her a perfectly innocent look. "Yeah. Porskoff Ploy. Left flank. Feint high. Got it."
Wood looked ready to explode with pride for half a second... well until Harry immediately picked up another big bowl of fruits laden with strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, cubes of apple, pineapple, mango, grapes etc.
Fred and George, seated across from him in matching robes, were grinning like devils.
"Ten sandwiches, two gigantic bowls of fruit salad, one full plate of sausages, one of hash browns and an entire stack of 13 blueberry pancakes" Fred observed solemnly. "New personal best before a match."
"I wonder where in his body the food goes," George added, tilting his head. "Or maybe he's planning to set a world record of some kind."
Alicia Spinnet replied without missing a beat, "Well, it certainly goes to his height, I would say. Guy is six-foot-two and he is still twelve years old."
Harry didn't even glance up. He simply speared a particularly large strawberry with his fork, popped it into his mouth, and chewed with evident satisfaction, the juice staining his lips a faint red. A passing house-elf refilled his pumpkin juice without being asked. He drained half the goblet in one go, then went straight back to the fruit bowl, occasionally pausing only to snag another sausage from the rapidly diminishing platter in the centre of the table.
Then he immediately reached for the last three sausages on the platter and stacked them onto what was rapidly becoming sandwich number eleven.
Fred leaned over to George, whispering loudly enough for the whole team to hear, "Ten Galleons says he catches the Snitch before he finishes digesting all that."
"Twenty says he catches it while still chewing," George shot back.
Alicia shook her head, laughing despite herself. "You two are terrible."
The twins grinned wider. "We prefer 'motivational'."
Wood threw his hands up in defeat, rolling his parchment with a dramatic sigh. "Fine. Just… catch the Snitch quickly, Harry. Preferably before you explode from overeating."
Harry swallowed the last enormous bite of his current creation, licked a bit of honey from his thumb, and gave Wood a lazy salute with a buttery knife. "Got it captain!"
The team finally made their way down to the Quidditch stadium, scarlet robes billowing in the crisp spring breeze. Inside the Gryffindor changing room, the air crackled with tension and the familiar smell of broom polish and leather. Oliver Wood stood at the front, parchment forgotten, voice ringing with the fire of a man who had tasted victory once and refused to let it slip away.
"Listen up!" he barked, eyes sweeping over every face. "We won the Cup last year. That does not mean Ravenclaw will roll over and hand it to us this time. They've been training like mad. We beat Hufflepuff by two hundred points last month, but that was Hufflepuff. Today is Ravenclaw. We need this win to secure our place in the final. So we play smart, we play hard, and we play like the Cup is already ours—because it bloody well will be by the end of the match!"
He turned sharply to Harry, jabbing a finger in his direction.
"And you—" Wood's voice dropped into a warning growl that had become all too familiar over the past year. "Do not—under any circumstances—catch the Snitch in the first ten seconds like you did against Hufflepuff last time just because you were pissed off with me. I swear on Merlin's grave, Potter, if you pull that stunt again I will personally bench you for the final."
Harry, still licking the last traces of honey from his fingers, gave Wood an utterly guileless look. "I won't, Wood. Promise."
Wood narrowed his eyes. This was easily the hundredth time he had delivered that exact warning since the infamous ten-second Snitch catch, that gave Harry the nickname 'The Blink', but Harry's innocent expression did nothing to reassure him.
The team marched out onto the pitch to thunderous applause. Lee Jordan's voice boomed across the stands, magically amplified and dripping with his usual dramatic flair.
"And here come the Gryffindor Lions! Captain and Keeper: Oliver Wood! Chasers: Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell! Beaters: Fred and George Weasley! And our Seeker. The one, the only, the legend who needs no introduction, THE BLINK!!!!!"
"Jordan!"
"Sorry, Professor. I mean Harry Potter."
The roar from the stadium stands was deafening.
Then Lee's voice shifted, taking on a note of genuine surprise.
"And now, for Ravenclaw… wait a minute… this isn't the roster from last year..."
The Ravenclaw team strode onto the pitch in neat blue-and-bronze robes, but every single face was new.
"Captain and Chaser: Roger Davies! Chasers: Jeremy Stretton and Randolph Burrow! Keeper: Grant Page! Beaters: Duncan Inglebee and Jason Samuels! And their Seeker… Cho Chang!"
A stunned silence fell over the Gryffindor side of the pitch.
Wood had gone deathly pale. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again. The rest of the team stared at the completely unfamiliar lineup marching toward them with calm, professional confidence.
Wood spun toward Madam Hooch, voice cracking with disbelief. "Madam Hooch! This isn't the team we prepared for! We've been training against an entirely different roster! Davies wasn't even playing Chaser last time we scouted them! This is..."
Hooch cut him off with a sharp whistle and an unimpressed glare. "The match is still on, Wood. Rules say the teams submit their final lineup twenty-four hours before kick-off. They did. You didn't check. Now line up."
Wood's face went from pale to an alarming shade of puce. His jaw clenched so tightly it looked square from sheer rage.
"Captains, shake hands!"
The two captains met at the centre of the pitch. Roger Davies extended his hand with polite professionalism. Oliver Wood gripped it like he was trying to crush every bone in the Ravenclaw captain's fingers, his face a mask of barely contained fury.
The stands erupted once more, the air thick with anticipation and the faint, electric thrill of the unexpected.
Harry, standing slightly behind Wood, simply adjusted his robe. He didn't care who was facing him, cause there was no way he was losing.
Madam Hooch's voice cut through the noise. "Mount your brooms!"
And after the whistle fourteen brooms kicked off. Harry shot upward like an arrow, wind whipping through his hair, the roar of the crowd fading into a distant thunder as altitude claimed him. Cho Chang rose right beside him, her sleek and new Nimbus 200 keeping perfect pace. She gave him a small, determined nod. Harry returned it with the faintest smirk.
He didn't care who was marking him. No one else was catching the Snitch today.
Below, the game exploded into motion.
Lee's voice boomed again. "And we're underway! Gryffindor wins the Quaffle — Angelina Johnson streaking down the pitch like a scarlet comet! She passes to Alicia — no, fake! Back to Katie Bell — oh, what a move!"
Katie dodged a Bludger with a sharp roll, lined up the shot — and fired.
"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Lee howled. "Beautiful opening goal from Katie Bell!"
But Ravenclaw answered almost instantly. Jeremy Stretton snatched the Quaffle on the rebound, threaded through Alicia and Angelina with surgical precision, and slammed it through the right hoop before Wood could even shift.
"Ten points to Ravenclaw! Davies' new strike force is already showing teeth!"
The score sat at 10-10. Then 20-10. Then 20-20. Gryffindor's usual rhythm was fractured; they kept expecting the old plays, the old formations. Ravenclaw's fresh line-up moved like they had rehearsed this exact chaos for months.
Wood's voice cracked across the pitch. "Stay tight! They're running new patterns! Adapt!"
Harry barely heard him. His eyes never stopped moving, scanning every glint of sunlight, every flicker of movement. Cho stayed glued to his tail, mirroring every turn, every climb. He didn't mind. Let her watch. The Snitch would show itself when it was ready.
And then it did.
A tiny flash of gold near the Ravenclaw stands, hovering just above the highest banner.
Harry leaned forward. His Nimbus 2000 responded like thought made steel. A sudden savage burst of speed that left Cho half a length behind in an instant.
Lee's voice spiked. "Potter's seen it! He's off like a bullet! Cho Chang in pursuit! This could be over in seconds, folks!"
The Snitch darted low, skimming the grass. Harry dove. The wind screamed past his ears. Cho cut across his path, forcing him to roll left — he answered by throwing himself into a perfect sloth-grip roll, hanging upside down beneath his broom as a Bludger whistled through the space his head had just occupied. The moment he righted himself he was already accelerating again, hand outstretched.
The Snitch jinked sharply upward. Harry followed, looping around Roger Davies so tightly the Ravenclaw captain had to yank his broom sideways to avoid collision. For one glorious second Harry's fingers brushed gold —
Then the Snitch vanished again, disappearing into a patch of blinding sunlight.
Lee let out a theatrical groan. "And it's gone! Potter was inches away — inches! — but the Snitch has decided it's not done playing yet!"
Gryffindor was now trailing 40-50. The new Ravenclaw formation was clicking perfectly; their Chasers moved in tight, unpredictable triangles that kept throwing off Angelina's rhythm. Wood's face had gone from puce to ghostly white.
Harry climbed higher, eyes narrowed against the glare. Cho rose with him, breathing hard but determined.
The second chase came twenty minutes later.
The Snitch reappeared near the Gryffindor goal hoops, glittering like a malicious star. Harry was already moving before Lee even shouted his name. He dropped into a near-vertical dive, wind tearing at his robes, the ground rushing up to meet him. Cho dove right behind.
Halfway down a Bludger screamed toward his face. Harry didn't brake. He simply leapt. Feet leaving the broom for one heart-stopping instant, twisted mid-air like a cat, and caught the broom again on the other side as the Bludger passed harmlessly beneath him. Cho had to roll beneath her own broom to avoid it.
The stadium went crazy.
Lee Jordan's voice exploded across the stadium like fireworks.
"MERLIN'S BEARD, DID YOU SEE THAT? Potter just jumped off his own broom! Mid-dive! No hands, no feet, nothing! He's hanging in open air like some kind of insane acrobat and he caught the broom again like it was nothing! The crowd is losing their minds, folks! I'm losing my mind! That was not a move! That the Plummeting Potter influence showing up again!"
The stands erupted into a deafening wave of screams and laughter. Gryffindor supporters were on their feet, chanting "Potter! Potter!" while even some Ravenclaw fans stood stunned, mouths open.
Harry surged after the Snitch again, body low over the broom. He passed Angelina in a blur. "Harry go go go!" she yelled, voice raw as she hurled the Quaffle toward Katie.
The Snitch jinked hard right. Harry followed, carving through the air so sharply his broom groaned. Cho stayed glued to his tail, her own Nimbus 2000 slicing the wind with equal fury. Another Bludger came screaming in from Jason Samuels. Harry rolled the broom upside down and let the Bludger pass beneath him. Cho answered instantly, mirroring the roll with perfect timing before snapping upright and accelerating again.
Lee Jordan's voice cracked with excitement. "Both Seekers are flying like their brooms are on fire! Cho Chang is not giving Potter an inch. That was textbook mirror flying from the Ravenclaw Seeker. These two are matching each other move for move!"
Harry's fingers brushed gold. The Snitch shot upward again and vanished into a patch of blinding sunlight.
Lee groaned theatrically. "And it's gone again! Potter was inches away, but Cho Chang forced him to hesitate just enough. Score still Ravenclaw 80, Gryffindor 70. This match is far from over, folks!"
The game ground on. Ravenclaw's new formation proved ruthless. Their Chasers moved in tight, unpredictable triangles that kept throwing off Gryffindor's rhythm. Wood's face had gone from puce to ghostly white as the score crept to Ravenclaw 110, Gryffindor 90.
Then the Snitch appeared again, hovering mockingly near the centre circle.
Harry leaned forward. His Nimbus responded with savage speed. Cho matched him instantly. They raced neck and neck, brooms screaming through the air. A Bludger came from the left. Harry stood up on the broom for one impossible heartbeat, then dropped flat again as the Bludger whistled overhead. Cho rolled beneath her own broom and came out of the manoeuvre still glued to his side.
"POTTER JUST STOOD UP ON HIS BROOM AT FULL SPEED!" Lee howled. "But Cho Chang rolled right through it like it was nothing! These two Seekers are putting on a masterclass today!"
Harry passed Katie in a flash. "Harry you mad bastard!" she screamed after him, voice cracking with laughter and adrenaline.
Cho suddenly cut inside, forcing Harry to bank sharply to avoid collision. For three heart-stopping seconds they flew shoulder to shoulder, brooms vibrating with effort. The Snitch darted low, skimming the grass. Both Seekers dove. Harry reached first. Cho's hand shot out at the same moment. Their fingers nearly touched as the Snitch jinked upward and disappeared once more into the clouds.
Lee's voice rose to a fever pitch. "Unbelievable! Cho Chang nearly snatched it right out of Potter's grasp! That was inches, people! Ravenclaw still leads 130 to 110, but this Seeker battle is stealing the show!"
The tension thickened. Wood was shouting orders that barely registered. The Chasers fought tooth and nail below, but all eyes kept flicking upward to the two figures locked in their private war.
Then the final chase began.
The Snitch burst into view near the centre of the pitch, hovering for half a heartbeat before streaking toward the Ravenclaw end like a golden bullet. Harry and Cho launched at the exact same instant.
They flew side by side, brooms screaming in perfect unison. A Bludger came screaming from the left. Harry stood up again. Cho answered by rolling her broom and coming out on his opposite side. They both kept going, neither willing to yield even an inch.
Lee was losing his voice. "This is it! Both Seekers are neck and neck! Cho Chang is flying like a woman possessed. Potter's throwing everything he has at her and she's giving it right back!"
The Snitch dove toward the ground. Both Seekers followed in a near-vertical plunge. Wind tore at their robes. The ground rushed up. Harry's hand stretched forward. Cho's hand stretched at the same moment.
At the last possible second the Snitch tried to jink left. Harry kicked off his broom entirely, launching himself into open air. For one terrifying heartbeat he was in freefall, robes whipping wildly. Cho, refusing to be outdone, pushed her own Nimbus into a desperate corkscrew to cut him off.
Harry twisted mid-air like a cat, caught the broom with his free hand, and wrenched it sideways in one fluid motion. The Snitch fluttered right into his palm.
His fingers closed around it.
The tiny golden ball fluttered frantically in his fist as he pulled out of the dive so sharply the air itself seemed to protest.
The stadium exploded.
Lee Jordan screamed into the megaphone. "HE'S GOT IT! HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS! 310 TO 130! THE LIONS TAKE THE MATCH AND SECURE THEIR PLACE IN THE FINAL!"
The Gryffindor stands detonated. Players streaked toward him from every direction. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie screaming with joy. Fred and George whooping like banshees. Oliver Wood looked like he might cry and hex Harry at the same time.
Cho Chang touched down a few feet away. She was breathing hard, cheeks flushed, but she met Harry's eyes and gave him a small, genuine nod of respect. Harry returned it, still clutching the fluttering Snitch.
Wood grabbed him by the shoulders, voice cracking. "You absolute madman! I told you not to do anything stupid and you jumped off your broom again!"
Harry shrugged, still catching his breath. "It worked, didn't it?"
The roar of the crowd still thundered across the pitch as Harry touched down lightly in the centre of the field, the Snitch still fluttering weakly in his closed fist. Scarlet robes swarmed him instantly. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie crashed into him with delighted screams. Fred and George tackled him from both sides, nearly knocking him off his feet. Oliver Wood looked like he was torn between hugging Harry and strangling him.
But Harry's eyes found Cho Chang first.
She had landed a few feet away, breathing hard, cheeks flushed from the chase. Her Nimbus 2000 hovered obediently beside her as she brushed wind-torn hair from her face. Even in defeat, she carried herself with quiet grace.
Harry stepped away from the pile of celebrating teammates and walked over to her, Snitch still clutched in his hand. The noise of the stadium seemed to fade for a moment.
"You fly really well, Cho," he said, voice sincere and warm. "I loved competing against you out there. That was one of the best Seeker duels I've ever had. You almost had me twice."
Cho's eyes widened slightly, then she broke into a genuine, tired smile. "Thanks, Harry. You weren't exactly easy to keep up with either. That mid-air jump off your broom… I thought I was seeing things."
Before Harry could reply, a loud, theatrical voice boomed from the edge of the pitch.
"OI! POTTER!"
Cedric Diggory came striding across the grass, Quidditch robes still on, looking every inch the tall, handsome Hufflepuff captain. His face was twisted in exaggerated fury, eyes blazing with mock rage as he pointed an accusing finger straight at Harry.
"You tell my girlfriend she flies brilliantly and that you loved competing against her? After that performance? You're making moves on my girlfriend right in front of me? In front of the entire school?!"
Harry paled instantly, eyes growing wide. "Cedric.... Wait... what? —I didn't... I was just"
Cho turned toward her boyfriend with a perfectly straight face, though her lips twitched with barely contained laughter. "Cedric, love, he's right. Harry did fly better. Maybe you should take notes."
Cedric threw his hands up dramatically. "Huh? First he steals the Snitch from under your nose and now he's flirting with you? I'm supposed to just allow that?"
The surrounding players and students who had drifted closer burst into loud laughter. Even some Ravenclaws were cracking up.
Draco Malfoy, who had wandered down from the Slytherin stands with a smirk plastered across his face, decided to pour oil on the fire. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loud enough for half the pitch to hear.
"Go on, Cedric! Defend your honour! Potter's clearly trying to steal your girl after stealing the match! Challenge him to a duel! Right here! Right now!"
Harry's face went from pale to mortified. "Draco, you absolute git! We're cousins."
"Exactly!" Draco called back cheerfully. "That's why I can't let my cousin steal someone else's girl. I have got family name to defend. Help me teach him a lesson, Cedric!"
Cedric stepped forward, still in full dramatic mode, pointing at Harry again. "You hear that, Potter? Even your own cousin thinks you're out of line! Apologise to my girlfriend right now or I'll — I'll —"
Harry threw up his hands, backing up slowly. "Whoa, whoa... I wasn't flirting at all. It was just a compliment on her flying!!!"
The laughter around them swelled. Fred and George were doubled over. Angelina had tears in her eyes. Even Wood was grinning despite himself.
Draco wasn't done. He shouted again. "Don't worry, Diggory. I'll be your second if you want to settle this like proper wizards. We can do it at dawn. Wands at the ready. Or brooms. Whatever hurts Potter's ego more."
Cedric finally broke character and burst out laughing, pulling Cho closer. "Relax, Potter. I'm just taking the mickey. You flew brilliantly today — both of you did. Though I still think my girlfriend had you sweating there for a minute."
Harry exhaled in relief, rubbing the back of his neck. "She did. Nearly had me twice."
Draco grinned wickedly. "See? He admits it. Diggory, you should be worried."
"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry groaned.
The entire stands dissolved into fresh laughter as the teams began drifting off the pitch, the playful teasing following them all the way back toward the castle.
The entire Gryffindor common room had transformed into a riot of scarlet and gold. The party was on full swing. Every couch, armchair, and table had been pushed back to create a wide open space in the middle where students spun and jumped to the beat of music blasting from a set of charmed speakers the twins put up. The Fat Lady's portrait swung open every few minutes to admit more excited Gryffindors, many still wearing their match robes, faces painted with lions and Snitches.
Tables groaned under mountains of food and drink. Towers of Honeydukes sweets rose in colorful pyramids. Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean, Sugar Quills, Chocolate Cauldron, Pumpkin Pasties. But those were only the beginning. Crates of Muggle soda that Harry pulled from his personal reserve sat chilling in charmed ice buckets. Butterbeer flowed freely from self-refilling barrels, golden foam spilling over the sides. Alongside them stood pitchers of Bubble Brew that sparkled with floating silver bubbles, Frostfire Mead that left faint trails of blue flame when poured, and a deep crimson Elixir of Euphoria that made whoever drank it burst into uncontrolled giggles for a solid minute.
Snacks covered every available surface. Muggle crisps in bright packets sat beside trays of barbeque, grilled veggies, meat pies, sandwiches, burgers, pizza. Everything. There were even trays of desserts.
In the middle of it all, Harry's extended group had claimed the largest couch and several surrounding armchairs. Considering the entire Gryffindor house was in the common room, the common room had expanded to fit them all and somehow even spawned furniture to match the numbers.
Harry leaned back in his chair, a cold can of Coke in his hand, watching the chaos with a small, content smile. Abigail reached over and stole another strawberry from his plate. He didn't even protest.
Ron raised his can in a lazy toast. "To Harry. For catching the Snitch. Again. And for somehow not dying while doing it."
Everyone cheered and clinked whatever they were holding.
"To not crashing into the stands this time!" Abigail echoed and the cheer became louder with laughter.
Harry looked at her, and she winked back, certainly not letting him breathe easy.
Ginny grinned wickedly. "And to Cho nearly giving you a run for your money. I saw her almost snatch that Snitch twice. She's good."
Harry chuckled. "She is. Really good. That was one of the toughest duels I've had."
Draco smirked from his chair. "Careful, Potter. Keep praising her like that and Diggory might actually challenge you to that duel he was joking about."
Pansy leaned forward, "So tell us, how does it feel knowing you almost ended up in a duel because of your cousin?"
Harry took a long sip of Coke, "Well, the git was quite provocative. He almost egged Cedric to curse me then and there."
"Well I aim to please," Draco smirked sipping his Coke.