"Let's get ready to PARTAY!" Fred yelled over the railing of our landing in Gryffindor Tower. The boys down below all cheered, and the sixth- and seventh-years above us just sighed.

Half an hour later, and every single person in the boys' dorms in Gryffindor Tower was either drunk or high or swinging from the ceiling.

It was great banter.

Then, the next night, everyone that played Capture the Flag, Wizard-Style, had a midnight feast up on the Astronomy Tower. Also great banter.

Buckbeak lost the trial and is going to be executed. Hagrid was really depressed after getting the news. 

After Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid was sobbing into a handkerchief as he hurried back to his cabin.

"Look at him blubber!" 

We all whirled around. Floppy, Ash, Spieler, and Rudd (obviously having just met up) were leaning against the castle wall, smirking.

"Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" Floppy smirked.

"And he's supposed to be our teacher!" Ash agreed. "I agree, it's pathetic."

Harry, Ron, and Shannon all made furious moves towards them, Draco watching me anxiously, but Hermione and I got there first - SMACK!

Hermione had slapped Ash around the face with all the strength she could muster, and I had punched Floppy in the face. They both staggered. The others all stood flabbergasted as we both raised our hands again, having identical thoughts.

"You evil little cockroach!" Hermione shrieked.

"Don't you DARE call Hagrid pathetic - ha, YOU'RE one to talk!" I snarled.

"Hermione -" Ron said weakly as Draco said, "Daisy -"

They both tried to grab our hands as we swung them back (I still ship Romione!).

"Get OFF, Ron!" Hermione said. She pulled out her wand. I followed suit. Floppy and Ash stepped backwards. Spieler and Rudd looked to Floppy for instructions, thoroughly bewildered, though Rudd had a kind of 'You deserve this, mate' look on his face.

"Yeah, I could say the same for you Weakling." Floppy smirked at me.

I froze. What? What did he just say to me?

But Draco stepped in. "Don't you dare call her pathetic." He said quietly, his voice full of dangerous rage. "Or weak, because Godric knows that you are the most pathetic and weak person on this planet. You're pathetic because you try to hurt Daisy, use her past against her, things that aren't her fault. And you're weak because you aren't man enough to leave her alone."

We all stared at Draco with incredibly increased respect and awe.

Floppy's face turned. We watched the tension between the two cousins get bigger. He looked like he was struggling to find a suitable comeback, but he ain't gonna find one.

"Do you call yourself a man, Draco? 'Cause you're the one hanging out with filthy Mudbloods, blood traitors, and a broken, used little toy, played with by the Dark Lord, like HER." He spat, looking at me.

Draco stepped up to his cousin so that their faces were an inch apart. Him being a little taller than Floppy, he stared down into his eyes with a furious, burning hatred.

"Don't you DARE call her that, you fucking COWARD." 

It happened so fast I barely caught it. Floppy's fist flew into Draco's face. Draco retaliated, and it soon turned into a full-on fight.

Terry came dashing out of the castle with Fred and George just then. Oh, right. I had agreed to meet them after class and were probably wondering what I was doing.

They all stopped beside us. Ron started giving them an explanation.

But Floppy, even though being an inch or two shorter than Dragon, was also a lot bigger in other ways. Like muscle, as he was a Beater, and he was using that as an advantage against Draco. Floppy was winning, he had Draco pinned against the wall, this next hit would probably knock him out -

"No!" I cried, sprinting forward, Harry catching the end of my sleeve. "Harry, let go!"

I tugged out of his grip and tugged on Floppy's arm, making him drop Draco. He missed him, his fist swinging around and getting me on the side of my head instead. I dropped to the ground, black spots dancing in my vision. 

"Daisy...Daisy..." Draco shook me.

"I'm fine..." Harry tugged me up and slid his arm under my shoulders, holding me up.

Floppy was massaging his fist, looking at me with an unreadable expression. Draco stood up, looking pissed again. 

"No, it's fine, Dragon." I waved him off, my voice wavering as the world spun around me. "I'll deal with the asshole."

"No you don't." Harry tightened his grip on me.

"No, I'll deal with him." Terry said furiously. 

"Me too." Fred stepped forward.

"Me three." George said.

"No." I said. "I'm doing it."

And I lifted my hand. Floppy slowly rose into the air. He was petrified. He flapped around, trying to get back down to the ground. I turned my fist, and he turned in mid-air. He was now upside down.

"Who wants to see Floppy's panties?" I laughed coldly.

"Me, fucking definitely." Fred smirked.

"Wonder what brand of granny knickers he wears?" George sniggered.

"He probably doesn't wear any at all, the filthy bastard." Terry snarled.

I twisted my hand, and Floppy's school trousers flew off. Quite a crowd had gathered around us in a circle. Everyone was looking excitedly up at the slowly spinning, now trouserless figure above us.

"Ew, grey knickers. Does he even wash them?" Fred said loudly.

"Does he ever change them?" George said, equally loudly.

"Were they once white?" Terry said.

"Probably." I sniggered.

"Is there a problem?" A mild voice said. Lupin had arrived, looking up at Floppy with an oddly clouded expression.

"Not at all, Professor." I said sweetly, flicking my hand at Floppy. He fell to the ground.

"Right." Lupin walked away. Simple as that. He just...walked away. Why?

Floppy scurried up and away with his stupid little friends, everyone cat calling at them. I noticed that his knuckles had started to bruise from where he had struck my temple.

Harry let go of me, and we all went in a group together up to the castle. Hermione and I lingered at the back together, as we had to use our Time-Turners now. I swear I saw Snape at one of the windows, watching us with a look quite like Lupin's.

We both got to our class, then dashed up to Gryffindor Tower to do a little homework. Hermione fell asleep first. Then I felt myself drifting off too.

I woke up a while later. Shit! We'd forgotten to go to Charms!

I shook Hermione, waking her up, and we both dashed out of the portrait hole and down the stairs. 

"You don't think Floppy did something to them?" I heard Ron say anxiously.

We rounded the corner, and saw Harry, Ron, Terry, Fred, George, and Draco walking in a huddle down the corridor.

"No, we're fine." I said, halting beside them.

"No, you're not." Fred said, eyeing my head.

"Definitely not." Terry handed me a mirror, gently caressing the huge bruise that I now saw on my temple.

Then later, Hermione totally walked out of Divination. It was awesome.

We were also doing crystal balls. About a minute after she left, I saw something in mine.

"I see something!" I whisper-shouted.

"What is it?" Dean and Seamus leaned over to see, and the entire class dashed over to my table and crowded around, even though I damn WHISPER-SHOUTED. 

The blurry black image sharpened. Tom Riddle stood over a screaming me, pointing his wand down at me. I looked just a little older than I was now, maybe fourteen.

Floppy then suddenly appeared, scooping me up, and fit his mouth to mine, as Voldemort smirked and twirled his wand at me. Floppy dropped me and pointed his wand at me too, doubling the - as it looked like it - Cruciatus Curse.

Tom Riddle then stopped, and Floppy followed suit. I struggled to get up, looking terrified, but my knees gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. There were two other people in the background - Draco and his dad?! His dad was holding him back as tried to get to me. Tom Riddle looked to be saying something, then I slowly stood up, looking him in the eye. I said something that looked like, "Burn in Hell." Then - then Voldemort raised his wand - pointed it at me - and a flash of green light -

I dropped the crystal ball. It smashed at my feet. 

~~~

I hadn't told anyone what was in the crystal ball. It was now the Easter holidays. Everyone was obsessed with the Quidditch Cup. Gryffindor hadn't won since Charlie Weasley. There was also so much work we were forced to do.

"Call this a holiday!" Seamus roared at the common room one afternoon. "The exams are ages away, what're they playing at?"

Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere. By the time the holidays were over, tension between the two teams and their houses was at breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears.

I was having a particularly bad time of it. I couldn't walk to class without bastard Slytherin's sticking out their legs and trying to trip me up; Floppy and the Three Douchebags kept popping up wherever I went, and slouching away looking disappointed when they saw me surrounded by people. Oliver had given instructions that I should be accompanied everywhere, incase the Slytherins tried to put me out of action - but I was already accompanied everywhere. The whole of Gryffindor house took up the challenge enthusiastically, so that it was impossible to get to classes on time because I was surrounded by a vast, chattering crowd.

All usual pursuits were abandoned in the Gryffindor common room the night before the match. Even Hermione had put down her books.

"I can't work, I can't concentrate." She said nervously.

There was a great deal of noise. Fred, George and I were dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever. Oliver was crouched over a model of a Quidditch pitch in the corner, prodding little figures across it with his wand and muttering to himself. Angelina and Katie were laughing at Fred, George, and I's jokes. Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione.

Oliver suddenly stood up and yelled, "Team! Bed!"

~~~

The rest of the Gryffindor team and I entered the Great Hall next day to enormous applause. I couldn't help grinning broadly as I saw that both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were clapping us, too. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as we passed. I noticed that Floppy looked even paler than usual.

Oliver spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself. Then he hurried us off to the pitch before anyone else had finished, so we could get an idea of the conditions. As we left the Great Hall, everyone applauded again.

"Good luck, Harry!" Cho Chang, a girl in fourth year I - hardly surprisingly - know, called. I saw Suzanne clenching her fists.

"OK...no wind to speak of...sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it...ground's fairly hard, good, that'll give us a fast kick-off..."

Oliver paced the pitch, staring around with the team behind him. Finally we saw the front doors of the castle open in the distance, and the rest of the school spill onto the lawn. 

"Changing rooms." Oliver said tersely.

None of us spoke as we changed into our scarlet robes. I felt a nervous fluttering in my chest and my heart was pounding in my ears. What if we lose? No, Daisy, you're going to win because you're fucking fabulous. But - 

Draco, Terry, and Suzanne came in to wish us luck. Terry picked me up and whirled me around, touching his mouth to mine. "Good luck." He muttered against my lips.

Suzanne gently kissed Harry and whispered the same to him. They are so cute!

"Good luck, Daisy-flower." Draco grinned at me, already wearing his green and silver robes.

My heart fluttered when he called me that.

Merlin, Daisy, you have a fucking boyfriend!

In what seemed like no time at all, Oliver was saying, "OK, it's time, let's go..."

We walked out onto the pitch to a tidal wave of noise. Three quarters of the crowd were wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them or brandishing banners with slogans such as 'GO GRYFFINDOR!' and 'LIONS FOR THE CUP!' Behind the Slytherin goalposts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile. I saw Shannon laughing in the crowd, and she did the infinity sign to me, smirking.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" Lee yelled, who was acting as commentator as usual. "Wood, Bell, Johnson, Weasley, Weasley, Potter, and Potter. Widely acknowledged as the best side Hogwarts has seen in a good few years -"

Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of 'boos' from the Slytherin end. 

"And here come the Slytherin team, led by captain Flint. He's made some changes in the line-up and seems to be going for size rather than skill -"

More boos from the Slytherin crowd. I, however, thought Lee had a point. Draco was easily the smallest person on the Slytherin team. I doubled back as I saw that they had three new team members - yes, you guessed it - Will Ash was a Beater alongside Floppy, and Greg Spieler and Tim Rudd were Chasers.

"Captains, shake hands!" Madam Hooch said.

Oliver and Flint approached each other and grasped each other's hands very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch said. "Three...two...one..."

The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. I felt my hair fly back from my shoulders; my nerves left me in the thrill of the flight; I glanced around, saw Draco on my tail, and sped off in search of the Snitch.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goalposts, looking good, Angelina! Argh, no - Quaffle intercepted by Spieler, Spieler of Slytherin tearing up the pitch - WHAM! - nice Bludger work there by George Weasley -" I looked up and saw Lee winking at George - he obviously hates the Three Douchebags too - "Spieler drops the Quaffle, it's caught by - Potter, Gryffindor back in possession, come on, Harry - nice swerve round Rudd - DUCK, HARRY, THAT'S A BLUDGER! - HE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!" 

Harry punched the air as he soared round the end of the pitch; the sea of scarlet below was screaming it's delight - Marcus Flint was flying straight for him! Fuck! 

I dived in front of Harry - "OUCH!"

I was nearly thrown from my broom as Flint went smashing into me.

"Sorry!" Flint said, as the crowd below booed. "Sorry, didn't see her!" 

Next moment, Fred had chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.

"That will do!" Madam Hooch shrieked, zooming between them. "Penalty to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Seeker! Penalty to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!"

"Come off it, Miss!" Fred howled, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Harry flew forward to take the penalty.

"Come on, Harry!" Lee yelled into the silence that had descended on the crowd. "YES! HE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER AGAIN! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!" 

I turned the Firebolt sharply to watch Flint, still bleeding freely, fly forwards to take the Slytherin penalty. Oliver was hovering in front of the Gryffindor goalposts, his jaw clenched. 

"'Course, Oliver's a superb Keeper!" Lee told the crowd, as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. "Superb! Very difficult to pass - very difficult indeed - YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!"

Relieved, I zoomed away, gazing around for the Snitch, but still making sure I caught every word of Lee's commentary. It was essential that I hold Draco off the Snitch until Gryffindor was more than fifty points up...

"Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession - no! - Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the pitch - THAT WAS DELIBERATE!" 

Spieler had swerved in front of Katie, and instead of seizing the Quaffle, had grabbed her head. Katie cartwheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but dropped the Quaffle.

Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Spieler and began shouting at him. A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Keeper.

"THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING -"

"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way -!"

"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!" 

I felt a huge jolt of excitement. I had seen the Snitch - it was shimmering at the foot of one one of the Gryffindor goalposts - but I mustn't catch it yet. And if Draco saw it...

Faking a look of sudden concentration, I pulled my Firebolt round and sped off towards the Slytherin end. It worked. Draco went haring after me, clearly thinking that I had seen the Snitch there...

WHOOSH.

One of the Bludgers came streaking past my right ear, hit by Ash.

WHOOSH. 

The second Bludger had grazed my elbow. Floppy was closing in.

I had a fleeting glimpse of Floppy and Ash zooming towards me, clubs raised -

I turned the Firebolt upwards at the last second, and the two assholes collided with a sickening crunch.

"Ha haaa!" Lee yelled, as they lurched away from each other, clutching their heads. "Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle - Flint alongside her - poke him in the eye, Angelina! - it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke - oh, no - Flint in possession, Flint flying towards the Gryffindor goalposts, come on, now, Wood, save -!"

But Flint had scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end and Lee swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him.

"Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession -"

It was turning into the dirtiest match I had ever played in. Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Ash hit Katie with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. George elbowed Ash in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams penalties, and Oliver pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty-ten to Gryffindor.

The Snitch had disappeared. Draco was still keeping close to me as I soared over the match, looking around for it - once Gryffindor were fifty points ahead...

Katie scored. Fifty-ten. Fred and George were swooping around her, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherins were thinking of revenge. Floppy and Ash took advantage of Fred and George's absence to aim both Bludgers at me; I dodged the first, but the other got me in the face; blood dripped down my face as Angelina scored. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred pelted a Bludger at Rudd, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Harry seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal: seventy-ten.

The Gryffindor crowd below were screaming themselves hoarse - Gryffindor were sixty points in the lead, and if I caught the Snitch now, the Cup was ours. I could almost feel hundreds of eyes following me as I soared around the pitch, high above the rest of the game, with Draco speeding along behind me. 

And then I saw it. The Snitch was sparkling twenty feet above me.

I put on a huge burst of speed, the wind roaring in my ears; I stretched out my hand - but -

Floppy was hurtling down at me - a dark shape was coming up behind me - him and Ash were closing in - but, the SNITCH!

They collided with me. I fell off my broom, falling through the air - how high up was I? - must be fifty fucking feet - I can't use my powers here, not in front of hundreds of people - shit I'm gonna die - I whipped my wand out of my pocket and Accio'd my broom towards me. I hopped onto it. The entire crowd sighed in relief. The two fucktards had got what they wanted - the Snitch had disappeared.

"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics!" Madam Hooch screamed. She was beside herself - her and I were quite good chums.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING BASTARDS!"

Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her fist in Floppy and Ash's direction; her hat had fallen off, and she, too, was shouting furiously.

Harry took Gryffindor's penalty, but he was so angry he missed by several feet. The Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Floppy and Ash's foul on me, were being being spurred on to greater heights. 

"Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal - Spieler scores -" Lee groaned. "Seventy-twenty to Gryffindor..."

I was now marking Draco so closely our knees kept hitting each other. I wasn't going to let Draco anywhere near the Snitch...

"Get out of it, Daisy-flower!" Draco laughed, as he tried to turn and found me blocking him.

"Harry Potter gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Harry, COME ON!"

I looked round. Every single Slytherin player apart from Draco, even the Slytherin Keeper, was streaking up the pitch towards Harry - they were all going to block him -

I wheeled the Firebolt about, bent so low I was lying flat along the handle and kicked it forwards. Like   a bullet, I shot towards the Slytherins. 

"AAAAAAARRRGH!" 

They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed toward them; Harry's way was clear.

"HE SCORES! HE SCORES! Gryffindor lead by eighty points to twenty!" 

I, who had almost pelted headlong into the stands, skidded to a halt in mid-air, reversed and zoomed back into the middle of the pitch.

And then I saw something to make my heart stand still. Draco was diving - there, a few feet above the grass below, was a tiny, golden glimmer.

I urged the Firebolt downwards but Draco was miles ahead.

"Go! Go! Go!" I urged my broom. We were gaining on him...I flattened myself to the broom handle as Floppy sent a Bludger at me...I was at Draco's ankles...I was level - 

I threw myself forwards, taking both hands off my broom. I knocked Draco's arm out of the way and -

"YES!"

I pulled out of my dive, my hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. I soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in my ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight in my fist, beating its wings hopelessly against my fingers.

Then Oliver was speeding towards me, half-blinded by tears; he seized me around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into my shoulder. I felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit us; then Harry, Angelina, and Katie's voices, "We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!" Tangled together in a many-armed hug, the Gryffindor team sank, yelling hoarsely, back to earth.

Wave upon wave of crimson supporters were pouring over the barriers onto the pitch. Hands were raining down on our backs. I had a confused impression of noise and bodies pressing in on me. Then I, and the rest of the team, were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, I saw Hagrid, plastered with crimson rosettes - "Yeh beat 'em, Daisy, yeh beat 'em! Wait till I tell Buckbeak!" There was Percy, jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder even than Oliver, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag; and there, fighting their way towards me, were Terry, Suzanne, Ron, and Hermione. Words failed them. They simply beamed - Terry giving me a big snog and Suzanne kissing Harry full on the lips first - as we were borne towards the stands, where Dumbledore was waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup.

If only there had been a Dementor around... As a sobbing Oliver passed me the Cup, as I lifted it into the air, I swear I could have produced the world's best Patronus.