It was a rainy Saturday, seemingly an omen that the gods were not in favor of Gryffindor. Oliver Wood, the team captain, wore a grave expression as the umbrellas outside threatened to be swept away by the wind. Today was supposed to be the day they played against Slytherin, but the Slytherin team had dodged the match, citing injuries to their players. The injured player in question was Slytherin's new Chaser, who had an unfortunate encounter with Buckbeak.
"Those Slytherins!" Wood exclaimed, his words laced with frustration. "They're probably hoping to see us lose to Hufflepuff!"
Harry shared Wood's anger, especially after one of his friends was punished by the head of Slytherin and tasked with cleaning the school hospital's urinals. They peered outside, where the rain fell like bullets, stinging their faces as if they were being pelted with small stones. The wind was fierce, capable of unseating any young wizard from their broom, making flight control a daunting task.
Harry donned his bright red team robes and, before entering the dressing room, caught sight of Draco Malfoy looking particularly sour, as if someone owed him a fortune. Malfoy was in the stands, flanked by Goyle and Crabbe who struggled to hold onto a parasol over him. John, who had mastered the waterproof spell, effortlessly repelled the rain from his body, and did the same for Daphne upon her request.
"You seem to be in a foul mood," John observed, glancing at Malfoy.
"Damn it, they think I'd lose to Potter," Malfoy spat out, his pride wounded. He had been determined to redeem himself, but the team's captain, Flint, had called off the game due to the injuries. This left Malfoy feeling humiliated; he had been fully prepared to prove his worth, and now his own team doubted his strength. Yet, Malfoy was not one to shy away from a challenge; in fact, he was eager to face Harry.
"When you become captain, you'll have control over these decisions," John remarked calmly.
"But... it's hard to accept," Malfoy admitted, his frustration evident.
As the game was about to start, the rain blurred the colors of the teams, but John was unfazed. "Since you can't play, let's support our friends," he suggested, nodding towards Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff's captain and Seeker, who seemed undeterred by the storm.
Cedric exchanged a respectful nod with Wood. "It's going to be a great game," he said, displaying sportsmanship that even pleased his rivals.
The whistle blew, and the game commenced. Harry and Cedric took to the skies, their eyes keenly searching for the Snitch amidst the chaos of Bludgers and rain. Harry struggled with his vision, his glasses quickly becoming obscured by the downpour, making it nearly impossible to spot the tiny, golden Snitch.
The game was intense, with Harry narrowly avoiding collisions. Suddenly, lightning illuminated the sky, and Madam Hooch called for a timeout. During the break, Harry learned that despite the adverse conditions, Wood's rigorous training had given them a 50-point lead. However, without catching the Snitch, the game could drag on indefinitely.
Harry's spirits sank as he realized his blurred vision severely handicapped him. "With these glasses, I have no hope," he lamented.
But in times of need, help often comes from unexpected places. Hermione appeared, tapping Harry's glasses with her wand and casting a spell that made them impervious to water. "There, now you won't have to worry about the rain," she said, handing the glasses back to Harry.
Wood was overjoyed at this development, his gratitude towards Hermione so immense he briefly considered an impulsive gesture of affection. However, he restrained himself, mindful of the propriety.
With his vision clear despite the relentless rain and howling wind, Harry was once again ready to face the challenges of the game. He steered his broom back into the fray, his determination renewed. Amidst the storm, Harry scanned the skies for the elusive Snitch, skillfully dodging a Bludger that nearly collided with his head, and executed a nimble maneuver beneath Cedric. The weather worsened, with lightning zigzagging through the clouds, signaling the increasing danger from nature itself. Realizing the urgency, Harry pivoted for a better vantage point. A sudden lightning flash momentarily illuminated the stands, revealing a large, shaggy black dog perched in the top row of empty seats. Harry's grip slipped, causing him to momentarily lose altitude. After clearing his vision, he noticed the dog had vanished.
"Harry, behind you!" Wood's voice boomed over the din of the storm. Harry spun around to see Cedric closing in on the golden Snitch. His heart raced with the realization that if Cedric caught the Snitch, they would lose. Dismissing the mysterious black dog from his mind, Harry accelerated in pursuit.
"Quick! Faster!" he urged himself, his voice lost in the roar of the storm. A familiar, chilling presence enveloped him—the dementors, the very creatures that had once caused him to faint on the train, were now descending onto the Quidditch pitch in droves.
From the stands, John's expression darkened as he finally discerned the cause of the disturbance. "The Ministry of Magic can't keep their creatures in check, so it falls to me," he declared, rising to his feet. Before Daphne could grasp the situation, John had already drawn his wand.
"Expecto Patronum," he intoned. The professors, sensing the anomaly, turned just in time to witness the dementors' invasion. Dumbledore's expression soured, but before he could act, a brilliant light pierced the darkness.
"The Patronus Charm?" Professor Flitwick squeaked, his excitement palpable. A majestic albatross, formed from the silver light, cleaved through the air, driving the dementors back in terror. Flitwick couldn't contain his admiration for the powerful Patronus.
John, focusing intently, extended his right hand, manipulating the rainwater to converge into a massive sphere. The crowd watched in awe as he merged his wand with the sphere and cast the Patronus Charm once more. The albatross dove into the sphere, which then transformed into a gigantic white albatross. It soared, consuming any dementors in its path, leaving none to escape. The effort visibly drained John, his forehead a mix of rain and sweat, as the magical exertion took its toll.
The giant albatross eventually reverted to water, having devoured the majority of the dementors. Professor Flitwick, overwhelmed with excitement, praised the innovative combination of the Patronus and Water Prison Charms, lamenting that if this were a classroom setting, he would award John a hundred points.
The spectacle redirected everyone's attention to John, who stood in the stands, having single-handedly averted the crisis with a display of remarkable magical prowess. John gently massaged his chest with his right hand, offering Professor Flitwick a smile that was both modest and confident. "That's ridiculous," he said, though his tone belied his awe. The words "powerful" and "elegant" simultaneously sprang to his mind, perfectly capturing the essence of the moment. Upon witnessing John's successful repulsion of the dementor, Professor Flitwick couldn't contain his excitement and let out a jubilant cheer. John, basking in the moment, suddenly remembered something crucial. He glanced upwards, only to see a figure plummeting rapidly towards the ground. It was too late for him to intervene.
"Arresto Momentum!" The air vibrated with the force of the spell, and Harry's descent halted mere inches from the ground. John's eyes quickly found the source of the timely intervention. Dumbledore, with a mere outstretched hand and no wand in sight, had performed the spell. John was no stranger to the concept of wandless magic, but witnessing it firsthand from someone as powerful as Dumbledore demanded respect. He offered the headmaster a salute, filled with genuine admiration.
Dumbledore returned the gesture with a smile, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of surprise and appreciation as they landed on the massive Patronus and the cursed water prison John had conjured. "An excellent spell variant," Dumbledore mused, silently acknowledging that even Voldemort, at his peak during John's third year, would have found himself outmatched. However, the immediate concern was Harry, who had fainted from the ordeal. As a result, Hufflepuff was declared the winner of the match, a conclusion that came as no surprise to anyone.
Cedric Diggory, upon learning of Harry's condition, was struck by a sense of unfair advantage. Driven by his strong sense of sportsmanship, he suggested a rematch. This gesture deeply impressed everyone in Gryffindor, to the point where Oliver Wood, had he been a girl, might have been moved to confess his admiration for Cedric on the spot.
The narrative, filled with moments of tension, bravery, and sportsmanship, painted a vivid picture of the complexities and camaraderie found within the walls of Hogwarts.
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If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge