As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Ron and Hermione came hurrying over to wish Harry and Percy good luck as they entered the locker rooms. The team pulled on their scarlet Gryffindor robes, then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep talk. 

                          
"Slytherin has better brooms than us," he began. "No point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers  and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team."

                          
Wood turned to Harry."It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to." 
                          
"So no pressure, Harry," said Fred, winking at him. 

                          
As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherinbeaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard, too. Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands.

                          
"On my whistle," said Madam Hooch. "Three . . . two . . . one . . ." With a roar from the crowd to speed them upward, the fourteen players rose toward the leaden sky. Percy flew straight to the quaffle and passed it to Alicia. She then passed it to Katie and then to him. He scored. Eliciting cheers from Griffyndors and groans from the Slytherins. 
                          
But then, a bludger flew past him. Something was wrong, one of the bludgers were targeting him. He was about to intercept a quaffle but had to dive when the same bludger came. 
                          
It had started to rain;  Percy felt heavy drops fall onto his face, It had energized him but he didn't have a clue what was going on in therest of the game until he heard Lee Jordan, who was commentating, say, 
                          
"Slytherin lead, sixty points to ten—" 

                          
Where were Fred and George? Someone had jinxed the bludgers because Harry was also being chased by one. 
                          
"Someone's — tampered — with — these— Bludgers —" Fred grunted, swinging his bat with all his might at it as it launched a new attack on Harry. 
                          
"We need a time out," said George, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger breaking Percy's nose at the same time.
                          
 Wood had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch's whistle rang outand Harry, Percy, Fred, and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.
                          
"What's going on?" said Wood as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Percy scoring?" 
                          
"We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver," said George angrily. 
                          
"Someone's fixed it — it won't leave Harry alone. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it." 

                          
"In case, you haven't noticed Fred. But the bludgers are targeting Percy too!" Angelina reminded.
                          
The twins sheepishly looked at the youngest chaser.
                          
"Someone's jinxed them." Percy breathed out.
                          
"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice and there was nothing wrong with them then. . . ." said Wood, anxiously. 
                          
Madam Hooch was walking toward them. Over her shoulder, Percy could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in his direction. 

                          
"Listen," said Harry as she came nearer and nearer, "with you two flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up to my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and get the other bludger away from Percy."