penalties, and Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the
score forty-ten to Gryffindor.
The Snitch had disappeared again. Malfoy was still keeping close to
Harry as he soared over the match, looking around for it once Gryffindor
was fifty points ahead
Katie scored. Fifty-ten. Fred and George Weasley were swooping around
her, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherins were thinking of
revenge. Bole and Derrick took advantage of Fred's and George's absence
to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after
the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom,
completely winded.
Madam Hooch was beside herself
259
"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN
THE SCORING
AREA!" she shrieked at Bole and Derrick. "Gryffindor penalty!"
And Angelina scored. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a
Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle Out of his hands; Alicia
seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal -- seventy-ten.
The Gryffindor crowd below was screaming itself hoarse -- Gryffindor was
sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the Snitch now, the Cup
was theirs. Harry could almost feel hundreds of eyes following him as he
soared around the field, high above the rest of the game, with Malfoy
speeding along behind him.
And then he saw it. The Snitch was sparkling twenty feet above him.
Harry put on a huge burst of speed; the wind was roaring in his ears; he
stretched out his hand, but suddenly, the Firebolt was slowing down -
Horrified, he looked around. Malfoy had thrown himself forward, grabbed
hold of the Firebolt's tail, and was pulling it back.
"You --"
Harry was angry enough to hit Malfoy, but couldn't reach -- Malfoy was
panting with the effort of holding onto the Firebolt, but his eyes were
sparkling maliciously. He had achieved what he'd wanted to do -- the
Snitch had disappeared again.
"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics." Madam
Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his
Nimbus Two Thousand and One.
"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone,
dancing
out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B --"
Pprofessor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off She was
actually shaking her finger in Malfoys direction, her hat had fallen
260
off, and she too was shouting furiously.
Alicia took Gryffindor's penalty, but she was so angry she missed by
several feet. The Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the
Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, were being spurred on
to greater heights.
"Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal -- Montague scores
--" Lee groaned. "Seventy- twenty to Gryffindor..."
Harry was now marking Malfoy so closely their knees kept hitting each
other. Harry wasn't going to let Malfoy anywhere near the Snitch....
"Get out of it, Potter!" Malfoy yelled in frustration as he tried to