Chapter 4
THE QUIDDITCH MATCH
By the second quarter of the game on Friday night, we were winning 0 - 0. That is, Beulin Higgie and I were getting ready to score a goal.
The crowd was screaming for blood - or a goal. I always feel that it's my job to give them both these things.
I didn't look around for Pia, but I hoped she was out there watching me.
I got the quaffle and started off across the air on my broom. Beulin was there on my left, but I didn't pass the quaffle to him. I wanted to score this goal myself.
But before I could throw, two big Ravenclaw guys were after me. In a moment we were all three grabbing at the quaffle and hitting each other as hard as we could.
“You!” said a voice suddenly. “Two minutes in the penalty box!”
I looked up. The stupid referee was talking to me.
“What did I do?” I asked.
“Don't argue.” He called to the officials' desk: “Number seven, two minutes in the penalty box, for fighting.”
Angrily I flew down into the penalty box.
“Why are you sitting here when all your friends are playing?”
The voice was Pia's. I didn't answer.
“Come on, Slytherin, get that quaffle or snatch that snitch!” I shouted.
“What did you do wrong?” Pia asked.
“I tried too hard!” I replied.
Out there in the open air Slytherin was playing with only five players.
“Is that something to be ashamed of?” Pia asked.
“Pia, please. I'm thinking,” I retorted back to her.
“What are you thinking so much about?” she asked.
“About those two Ravenclaw guys. When I get back onto the air, I'll break them into little pieces,” I said.
“Do you always fight when you play quidditch?” asked Pia.
I was beyond irritated. I hated that Pia had witnessed me being thrown into the penalty box. So, I turned everything on her.
I glared at her and said, “I'll fight you, Pia, if you don't keep quiet!”
“Fine then, I'm leaving. Goodbye!” snapped Pia.
I looked round, but she had gone.
Damn! Couldn't Pia tell that I was just mad at myself? That I was being a smartass because I was embarrassed. I guess not.
Just then, the bell rang and my two-minute penalty had finished. I flew out into the air again.
“Good old Potter!” shouted the crowd.
‘Pia will hear them shouting for me,’ I thought. But where was she?
Had she left? I wanted her to hear the quidditch fans praising my name!
I saw Beulin Higgie on the other side of the field going for the quaffle. I looked over into the crowd. Pia was standing there.
I looked across the field again and saw Beulin Higgie catch the quaffle then he threw it to me. I caught the quaffle and began flying quickly towards the goal. Two Ravenclaw players were coming straight at me.
“Go, Albus, go! Knock their blocks off!”
That was Pia's voice above the crowd. It was crazily intoxicating and filled with emotion.
I pushed past one Ravenclaw player. I knocked hard into the other.
Then I passed the quaffle back to Beulin Higgie, and he banged it into the Ravenclaw goal.
The crowd went wild.
In a moment we were all shouting, hugging and banging each other on the back. The crowd was screaming with excitement. After that, we murdered Ravenclaw - seven goals to zero.
o0o
After the match I went into the men’s athletic room and lay there in a hot bath and thought with pride about the game. I'd scored one goal, and helped to score another. Now the water felt wonderful on my tired body.
Ahhhh! This felt like heaven.
Suddenly I remembered Pia. Was she still waiting outside? I hoped so! I jumped out of that bath and dressed as fast as I could.
Outside, the cold winter air hit me. I looked round for Pia. Had she walked back to her dormitory alone?
Suddenly I saw her. She was bundled up from head to toe, to protect herself from the freezing weather.
“Hey, Richie, it's freezing cold out here.” Pia said.
I was really pleased to see her, and I gave her a quick hug.
“Hey! Did I say you could hug me?” she said with a grin.
“Sorry. I was just excited,” I replied.
“Well... You're the ONLY one who feels excited,” Pia said with a laugh.
It was dark and quiet, out there in the cold. As we walked, Pia put her arm around my shoulder as if I were a long lost friend. I also placed my arm around her shoulder.
I was in a state of enthrallment. We’d won the game and I was walking arm and arm with someone that I now claimed as a dear friend.
We had begun walking towards his dormitory when I noticed she wasn’t wearing her glasses. Her dazzling blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight.
“You look much better without your glasses,” I said. “Your eyes look phenomenal.”
Pia blushed slightly and said, “Thanks for the compliment. You have really nice eyes too.”
I noticed small, white sparrows flying above us.
“So… " I said, “It’s very difficult to find a time to talk with you since you’re so busy.”
Pius removed her arm from me and placed it back into her pocket.
“There’s really not much to say about me. If you knew how far down I’m on the social ladder… you'd probably not want to hang around me," Pia said.
“Nonsense. You could tell me anything and I’d consider you a close friend,” I told Pia.
“I don’t know. Maybe we can talk about this later sometime,” Pia replied.
o0o
When we reached the basement near her dormitory, I decided not to say goodnight.
“Listen, Pia, perhaps I won't send you an owl for a few months,” I told her.
Pius was silent for a moment.
“Why?” she asked at last, her voice full of dismay.
“But then again, perhaps I'll send you an owl as soon as I get back to my dorm,” I said as I turned and began to walk away.
“You retarded Richie!” I heard Pia say with a pout. (this was the last time she called me Richie)
I turned again to face her.
I said with a wink, “You see, Pia, that's the kind of thing you would say. But when other people do it to you, you don't like it.”
I figured Pia didn't like the taste of his own medicine.
I mimed the actions of a bird flying and mouthed ‘I’ll send an owl to you,” in silence.
I then turned away to walk back to my dorm. I wished I could see the look on her face. But I couldn't look back. My pride wouldn't let me.
However, I did hear Pia retort, “Good luck calling me since I don't own an owl.”
She should have known that her lacking an owl wouldn't hinder me one bit. Besides, it only takes one owl for two people to communicate.