Slytherin v. Ravenclaw

                                    

                                          
Oliver:
                          
	Breakfast on Friday was chaotic to say the least. Both the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables were completely decked out in house colors, students had their faces painted and a Slytherin even managed to make green fireworks come out of his wand (though they were quickly stopped by an annoyed-looking professor McGonagall.) There was lots of cheering and booing from both tables. No one would have even guessed that these were the same two teams who had been celebrating with one another only a week earlier.
                          
 Even though the game was tonight, both houses were sporting their pride throughout the day. It was amusing to see all the painted faces in our classes. In the last period, Professor Binns didn't even try to deal with the excited Ravenclaw students and just let us out early. Students poured from the classrooms, the Slytherins and Ravenclaws not able to contain their excitement, and headed down to the Great Hall to hangout before dinner.
                          
	At dinner, the Great Hall was in even more of a frenzy than this morning. I glanced over at the Slytherin table to see Ivy surrounded by a sea of green. She was bombarded with cheers from her friends and everyone was trying to talk to her. She was poking her food while talking to the other Slytherins but not actually eating anything.
                          
 The seven players from both teams left the hall partway through dinner to head to the locker room. Still, both tables were booing each other even after the players had left the hall for the pitch. 
                          
After dinner finished, masses of students from all four houses walked out of the hall down to the pitch bundled in coats, hats, and scarves. It was already dark out, so the game would take place under the lights. It was fucking cold out. That was an understatement. I felt bad for both teams whose fingers would likely be blue by the end of the match. I walked with the rest of Gryffindor house up the stairs to the designated Gryffindor bleachers. While we were not required to sit in any certain part of the stadium, I always wanted to have my team together so we could discuss the game. 
                          
"Oi Ollie," Angelina Johnson, called me. The six other members of my team beckoned me over and I joined them. 
                          
"It's bloody freezing," I said, rubbing my hands as I sat down next to them. The crowd was booming, flags of blue and flags of green waving in the stands. The bright stadium lights shone down, illuminating the pitch. 
                          
At that moment, both teams walked out from opposite ends of the pitch. The Ravenclaw team was wearing robes of deep purple and the Slytherins were wearing their emerald uniforms. I immediately spotted Ivy, the lights reflecting off of her shiny ponytail. The cold made her cheeks rosy and her robes made her green eyes stand out. She looked powerful as she walked confidently up to Davies and shook his hand. I felt another twinge of jealousy when I saw her smile at him but ignored it. Both captains walked back to their teams and soared into the air, taking their positions. Madam Hooch blew the whistle and the game began.
                          
 I tuned out the cheering from the stands and focused on each player, picking out weaknesses and strengths. While I had already played against Slytherin, I hadn't really gotten the chance to look closely on the playing style. I had been far more preoccupied. Now, I was able to carefully pick apart each play.
                          
"You see Rey, the way he only beats with his right arm?" I pointed out one of the Slytherin beaters to my team. "That's something we can use if and when we play them in the finals." I watched as two Ravenclaws passed the quaffle back and forth, only to be intercepted by Ivy who grabbed the ball midpass and sped underneath both players. I watched as she swerved and glided both aggressively and gracefully. It was beautiful to watch. She scored on the keeper a few seconds later. 
                          
"Wow, she's insane." Katie bell remarked to us.
                          
"She's not that good Katie, right? Oliver you're a lot better than her aren't you?" Matilda said from behind us, smiling at me. Her friends agreed. My team all shot around to face her.