Soon, it was time for the final of the Hogwarts Quidditch House Cup.
On a winter afternoon, a warm sun hung in the sky. Its light spilled across Hogwarts' broad Quidditch pitch, which resembled an ancient arena, gilding the grass below and the old stands.
And, of course, the crowds of spectators as well.
The stands were packed, and the noise was deafening. The Slytherin and Gryffindor students in particular waved their House flags with all their might, shouting excitedly to cheer on their teams in the House Cup Quidditch final, which was about to begin.
The students who weren't cheering were from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Naturally, they had come to watch, too.
After all, a clash between Gryffindor and Slytherin, two Houses that were like sworn enemies, always fired up the students. Even though their own Houses had been eliminated, that didn't stop them from coming to see the excitement.
"..."
Over on the Gryffindor side of the pitch, Harry Potter, their Seeker, was dressed in Gryffindor red and geared up for the match. He nervously inspected the Nimbus 2000 he had chosen.
After seeing that it was much like his own broom—brand-new, just purchased by the school, and seemingly without any problems—he took a deep breath. His eyes shone with determination behind his glasses as he silently vowed to win this crucial match for Gryffindor.
After all, today's match could be considered his first and last official game of the year. He'd be playing for a full hour, too, and he certainly wasn't going to pass up a chance to show what he could do.
"Remember!"
Meanwhile, team captain and Keeper Oliver Wood gave the players—everyone except Harry—a stern look as he laid out their final tactics.
"Listen up, everyone!"
"We're a team! I want every one of