By the end of February, Harry had finally gotten his Firebolt back, just as he'd hoped. Gryffindor had finally found the last piece of the puzzle they needed to lift the Quidditch Cup. Next up was their match against Ravenclaw.
The players' hard work had paid off. The girls worked together seamlessly, giving Gryffindor a decisive advantage. Suddenly, Harry darted toward something off to the side. This was the third time he'd spotted the Golden Snitch. Cho Chang was a tough opponent, and she knew Ravenclaw was trailing.
Competing with Harry for the Golden Snitch put her at a disadvantage, so she focused on blocking him and making him lose sight of it for a moment. It was a perfect plan—but with the Firebolt in hand, Harry had an overwhelming advantage.
Once Gryffindor had built up a comfortable lead, Harry accelerated toward the Golden Snitch. Cho Chang, trailing behind him and ready to risk everything, suddenly spotted three figures in black robes below, watching Harry. She hurriedly called out a warning.
"Harry! Watch out!"
But Harry kept speeding up. He'd spotted the three figures below, the ones who had once terrified him. But the Golden Snitch was right in front of him. He couldn't back down. More importantly, he couldn't live forever in the shadow of the Dementors.
He reached for the Golden Snitch with one hand, drew his wand with the other, and shouted,
"Expecto Patronum!"
A clearly defined silver-white stag burst from Harry's wand, and Gryffindor won. As for the three Dementors below, they were just a few of Pansy's lackeys in disguise.
That night, the Gryffindor common room was awash with joy. They were now just one step away from lifting the Quidditch Cup: beating Slytherin.
Since they had classes the next day, the celebration ended before