chap14pg3

Before Harry knew it, he and his Quidditch team were gathered in the locker room. Harry was pacing back and forth, trying to speak of a pep speech.
�Any words of wisdom for us, Harry?� Ron chuckled. Harry jumped. He decided to just make up the speech as he went along.
�All right, as you know, I really want us to win, but I don�t want anyone getting hurt, alright?� he began.
�Like last time?� Fred smirked.
�Erm, exactly,� Harry said. �Anyway, I have uh... a strategy for today�s game.�
�You do?� George asked.
�Yes. Uh� I think that� Well, I was thinking if maybe while I handle the snitch, I want you two to focus on hitting the bludgers towards the other chasers. I�ll handle Cho, and I think you four can handle yourselves, right?� he said, gesturing to Ron, Angelina, Katie, and Alicia. They all nodded in agreement. �Ok, then. Well, the game is going to start any minute now�� Harry wrung his hands nervously. George smirked.
�Nervous about facing Cho Chang?� he asked. Harry shot him an angry look.
�No, you know I�m nervous before every game,� he said defiantly.
�It�s ok if you�re nervous about playing Cho, she�s really good. But I�m sure you�ll do fine, so don�t worry!� Alicia said. Harry smiled at her weakly. But he didn�t feel better. As the team stepped into the elevator that would lift them up to the field, Harry began to worry. The entire game was resting on his shoulders, and he was playing against the best seeker besides him in the school. He also knew that either way he couldn�t win. If he caught the Snitch, then he�d just be beating Cho. However, if he lost, then he�d be losing the game for his team. Plus, that would mean a girl had beaten him. Either way, Harry was going to lose. The hard part was deciding which was worse. Suddenly, someone clapped him on the shoulder. Harry turned around and looked at Fred.
�We�re counting on you!� Fred whispered. Harry nodded glumly. The doors to the field opened, and the Gryffindor team stepped out to the sound of loud cheers from the Gryffindor section of the bleachers. Harry hopped onto his broom and sped over to the circle in the center of the field. Professor McGonagall was refereeing.
�Captains to the center, please,� she said. Harry flew forward, wondering who the Ravenclaw captain was. He looked around at the players dressed in black and yellow. Suddenly, one of them flew forward, and Harry couldn�t believe who it was.
�Please shake hands,� Professor McGonagall said. Harry nervously stuck out his sweaty hand, and grasped it tightly around Cho Chang�s soft hand. She smiled at him, and then winked. He pulled his hand away nervously, and flew back into starting position.
Suddenly, Harry heard a whistle blow, and brooms began flying everywhere around him. He shot out of the action, and tried to regain his focus. Searching the field for even the tiniest glint of gold, he flew back and forth over the commencing match. Quaffles and bludgers flew every which way beneath him, as his teammates zoomed past.
The snitch was nowhere to be seen, so Harry decided to check what Cho was doing. He saw her flying gracefully over the occurring game. The wind tossed around her black and yellow robe. Harry watched her as she ran her fingers through her hair. His eyes were glued to her elegant movements. She looked up at him and smiled, and he quickly looked away.
Focus, Harry, he told himself. He looked over at Ron as he caught the quaffle inches from the goal. As the game continued, Harry searched everywhere for the snitch, to no avail. He kept an eye on Cho, however, to make sure that she hadn�t seen the snitch either. Seeing that she obviously hadn�t, he sighed deeply. The game�s score was 50-20, Gryffindor, so Harry was in no rush to find the snitch. He glanced back over at Cho. She was staring at him, still smiling. She gave him a slight wave, and he blushed deeply. He felt his face grow hot, and he stared back at her.
However, this didn�t last long, for all of the sudden, a small shimmer of gold streaked past them. Both Harry and Cho instantly turned on their brooms and blasted off in the direction of the snitch. Harry had lost sight of Cho, but he tailed the snitch closely, twisting and turning, inching closer every second. He sped passed the deafening crowd, gripping the wooden handle of his Firebolt tightly. Unexpectedly, Cho came rushing up behind him, knocking him off balance slightly. They battled head to head, pushing against each other. Without warning, the snitch suddenly took a sharp left, and Harry followed closely. He quickly glimpsed behind him, and saw that he had lost Cho. He turned back to the snitch and held out his hand. Inches away, he stretched his hand out. He edged closer, sweat dripping down into his eyes. Clenching his teeth, he put on one final burst of speed on his accelerating broomstick. He shot forward, clasping his clammy fingers around the cold metal of the snitch.
He pulled up quickly and waved the buzzing snitch around in the air. A huge cheer erupted from the Gryffindor crowd. Joy surged through Harry�s veins, as his team came around him and began celebrating along with him. He had won the game once again, and even though he had beaten Cho, he couldn�t help but feel happy.