Before they knew it, the final Quidditch match had arrived. Wood was brimming with confidence. Gryffindor had a huge lead in points, after all.
Although Slytherin had crushed Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, racking up a hefty number of points,
Gryffindor still had a considerable lead over Slytherin in the overall standings. As long as they didn't play disastrously, Gryffindor were all but guaranteed to bring home the long-awaited Quidditch Cup.
Professor McGonagall was taking the match very seriously, too. After all, Gryffindor hadn't won the championship in six whole years—not since Charlie Weasley's second year.
Though no one except Professor Snape would rub it in their faces, it was hardly something to celebrate.
On the day of the match, the Gryffindor team members arrived at the changing room early.
After reviewing the tactics with the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, Wood gave one final, impassioned pre-match speech:
"This year, our Gryffindor Quidditch Team has assembled its strongest lineup in years, and this is the closest Gryffindor has come to the Quidditch Cup in six years!
"When I was a first-year, four years ago, our final match was Gryffindor against Ravenclaw.
"The final score was three hundred to one hundred, with Ravenclaw taking the three hundred. We tragically lost the championship that year.
"I saw Charlie sitting slumped in a chair, sobbing uncontrollably. I'll never forget that sight.
"At that moment, I thought, if I could become a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, I'd win everything.
"Now the Quidditch Cup is right in front of us. I have to wonder if this is the only chance I'll ever get.
"Restoring Gryffindor to glory is our duty!
"Now, let's go! Let's bring home the glory that belongs to Gryffindor!"
With that, Wood grabbed his broom and strode out of the changing room, the other