The carriage came to a gentle jolt, and the roar of the crowd echoed even before we stepped out. The Quidditch stadium loomed before us, an imposing structure of towers adorned with fluttering banners of the Appleby Arrows and the Chudley Cannons.
Lucius led the way, his black cloak billowing behind him.
"I bet the Arrows are going to crush the Cannons today," Draco practically bounced beside me, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"If the Arrows lose, I'm reminding you of this for the rest of the week," I shot back, adjusting my glasses and casting him a sideways glance.
Draco scoffed, but his grin didn't waver. "You? Remind me of anything? Please, Cassius, you barely remember where you leave your glasses."
"Funny," I muttered, giving his shoulder a light shove as we climbed toward the reserved box. Lucius shot us a disapproving look, but said nothing, merely gesturing for us to hurry.
The box was, predictably, the best in the stadium. Cozy armchairs, a perfect view of the pitch, and a house-elf serving whatever was available. Lucius sat in the center, while Draco and I flopped into the seats beside him.
The crowd roared below, but up here, we and the few other wizards—clearly wealthy ones—watched in considerable silence.
"Look!" Draco pointed toward the pitch, where the Arrows made a dramatic entrance, flying around the stadium. "See that Seeker? He's a legend! I bet he catches the Snitch in under ten minutes."
'Well... I'm here anyway. Might as well try to have fun.' I watched the man he pointed at, a veteran whose confident posture seemed to justify the hype. But then my eyes found the Cannons' Seeker — a young boy, looking more driven, with a big smile on his face as he waved to the crowd. "I bet the other Seeker will catch the Snitch."
Draco made a face, like I'd just insulted our bloodline. "No way, he's too young."
"Wanna bet?" I challenged, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes!"
"Children," Lucius interrupted, his voice calm, but with that tone that made you sit up straight. "Less chatter, more focus on the game."
"Yes, sir," we said in unison.
The whistle blew, and the game began. The brooms shot through the air, the Bludgers flew like cannonballs, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Draco leaned forward, celebrating every time an Arrows player hit a Bludger or scored a goal.
The Arrows were dominating the scoreboard, their rehearsed plays keeping a comfortable lead of 70 to 30. One of their Chasers, a tall wizard with a long braid, scored a spectacular goal, spinning in the air to dodge a Bludger before hurling the Quaffle through the center hoop.
'That guy is really good.'
The Cannons began to fight back, their Chasers scoring with fast counterattacks.
Their young Seeker flew dangerously, dodging Bludgers with reckless maneuvers that drew gasps from the crowd.
Draco scoffed at every move, convinced his favorite would catch the Snitch. "That kid doesn't stand a chance against the Arrows' Seeker."
"We'll see," I replied, keeping my eyes on the field.
The match stayed intense, the score narrowing bit by bit. The Arrows reached 120, but the Cannons closed the gap to just 30 points with a series of goals.
Then something shifted. The Cannons' Seeker suddenly dived, his broom almost vertical, slicing through the air so fast the entire stadium held its breath.
The Arrows' Seeker noticed the move and dove after him, reacting almost instantly. For a moment, it looked like he might catch up. But as the grass loomed dangerously close, he hesitated — and pulled out of the dive.
The Cannons' boy didn't. He stayed locked in, body flat against his broom.
And then, just inches above the pitch, he stretched out his arm while pulling up on the broom.
His body nearly skimmed the field, but he managed to correct his position and raise his hand.
In it, the Golden Snitch shimmered between his fingers.
The stadium erupted into a pandemonium of cheers, applause, and boos. The Cannons had won.
"I don't believe it!" Draco threw his hands in the air, his face red with frustration. "How did that rookie pull it off?!"
'That... was really cool.' I thought, only then realizing I'd been leaning forward in my seat. I straightened up and glanced sideways with a small grin. "Looks like you lost. What was it you said about him being too young?"
Draco shot me a furious look. "You just got lucky. That's all."
Lucius watched us in silence, his eyes flicking between the two of us before commenting with a trace of amusement, "Don't forget to collect your wager, Cassius."
"Father!" Draco cried, betrayed.
"Good point, Father."
Draco huffed, crossing his arms and turning his face toward the field, where the Chudley Cannons players were still celebrating, holding the Snitch high for the ecstatic crowd.
Lucius rose, adjusting his black cloak. "Settle it later. Let's go."
We obeyed, rising from our seats. We descended from the box, Draco grumbling at my side. "Just wait, Cassius. Next time, I'll pick the right team."
"Good luck with that."
***
Three years later, the day had come for my brother to buy his things for Hogwarts.
***
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.