https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL1u6ATEOEw

{Season 1|EP. 7}

Vodka and Wendy joined Scotch, Gin, and Tequila the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Alice, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers, Vodka's pet rat had ruined. It said Alborona for President, and Tequila, who was good at drawing, had done a large lion underneath. Then Wendy had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Alice and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlett Flying armor. (the other team would be playing in green would be playing in green).

William cleared his throat for silence.

"Okay, men," he said.

"And women," said Chaser Amanda Johnson.

"And women," William agreed. "This is it. "

"The big one," said Felix Weasley.

"The one we've all been waiting for," said Gabriel.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Felix told Alice, "we were on the team last year. "

"Shut up, you two," said William. "This is the best team White Swans had in years. We're going to win. I know it. "

He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else. "

"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you. "

Alice followed Felix and Gabriel out of the locker room and, hoping her knees weren't going to give way, walked onto the field to loud cheers.

Whiskey was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. Alice noticed that she seemed to be speaking particularly to the Grimoire Heart Captain, Milo Flint, a sixth year. Alice thought Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the fluttering banner high above, flashing Alberona for President over the crowd. Her heart skipped. She felt braver.

"Mount your brooms, please. "

Alice clambered onto her Nimbus Two Thousand.

Whiskey gave a loud blast on his silver whistle.

Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Amanda Johnson of the White Swan Team -- what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too--"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Miss Cherry. "

The Jackson twins' friend, Lee Jordan, was doing the commentary for the match, closely watched by Miss Cherry.

"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver William's, last year only a reserve -- back to Johnson and -- no, the Grimoire Hearts have taken the Quaffle, Grimoire Hearts Captain Milo Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes -- Flint flying like an eagle up there -- he's going to sc -- no, stopped by an excellent move by White Swan Keeper Michel and the White Swans take the Quaffle -- that's Chaser Katie Bell of White Swan there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and -- OUCH -- that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Defender -- Quaffle taken by the Grimoire Hearts -- that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Defender -- sent his way by Felix or Gabriel Weasley, can't tell which -- nice play by the White Swan Corp Hitter, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes -- she's really flying -- dodges a speeding Defender -- the goal posts are ahead -- come on, now, Amanda -- Keeper Bletchley dives -- misses -- WHITE SWANS SCORE!"

White Swan Corp members cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Grimoire Hearts.

"Budge up there, move along. "

"Hayden! Vodka and Wendy squeezed together to give Hayden, a Gold Swan member, the second highest rank you can have in the Swan Corp and close friend of Vodka's, enough space to join them.

"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hayden, patting a large pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Golden Swan Ball yet, eh?"

"Nope," said Vodka. "Alice hasn't had much to do yet. "

"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hayden, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Alice.

Way up above them, Alice was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Golden Swan Ball. This was part of her and William's game plan.

"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Golden Swan Ball," William had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be. "

When Amanda had scored, Alice had done a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now she was back to staring around for the Golden Swan Ball. Once she caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Rodriguez' wristwatches, and once a Defender decided to come pelting her way, more like a cannonball than anything, but Alice dodged it and Felix Weasley came chasing after it.

"All right there, Alice?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Defender furiously toward Milo Flint.

"Grimoire Hearts in possession," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Defenders, two Rodriguez, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the -- wait a moment -- was that the Golden Swan Ball?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.

Alice saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Grimoire Hearts Seer Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Golden Swan Ball -- all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.

Alice was faster than Higgs -- she could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead -- she put on an extra spurt of speed --

WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the White Swans below -- Milo Flint had blocked Alice on purpose, and Alice's broom spun off course, Alice holding on for dear life.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.

Whiskey spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for White Swan. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Swan Ball had disappeared from sight again.

Down in the stands, Tequila Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, Whiskey! Red card!"

"What are you talking about, Tequila?" said Vodka.

"Red card!" said Tequila furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"

"But this isn't soccer, Tequila," Vodka reminded him.

Hayden, however, was on Tequila's side.

"They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Alice outta the air. "

Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.

"So -- after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating--"

"Jordan!" growled Miss Cherry.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul. . . "

"Jordan, I'm warning you--"

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the White Swan Seer, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to White Swan, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, White Swan still in possession. "

It was as Alice dodged another Defender, which went spinning dangerously past her head, that it happened. Her broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. For a split second, she thought she was going to fall. She gripped the broom tightly with both her hands and knees. She'd never felt anything like that.

It happened again. It was as though the broom was trying to buck her off. But Cumbluis Two Thousands did not suddenly decide to buck their riders off. Alice tried to turn back toward the White Swan goal-posts -- she had half a mind to ask William to call time-out -- and then he realized that his broom was completely out of his control. She couldn't turn it. She couldn't direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent swishing movements that almost unseated her.

Lee was still commentating.

"Grimoire Hearts in possession -- Flint with the Quaffle -- passes Spinnet -- passes Bell -- hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose -- only joking, Professor -- Grimoire Hearts score -- A no. . . "

The Grimoire Hearts were cheering. No one seemed to have noticed that Alice's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying her slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.

"Dunno what Alice thinks he's doing," Hayden mumbled. He stared through his binoculars. "If I didn't' know better, I'd say she'd lost control of her broom. . . but she can't have. . . "

Suddenly, people were pointing up at Alice all over the stands. Her broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped. Alice's broom had given a wild jerk and Alice swung off it. She was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Gin whispered.

"Can't have," Hayden said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic -- no kid could do that to a Cumblius Two Thousand. "

At these words, Wendy seized Hayden's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Alice, she started looking frantically at the crowd.

"What are you doing?" moaned Vodka, gray-faced.

"I knew it," Wendy gasped, "Lesley -- look. "

Ron grabbed the binoculars. Lesley was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Alice and was muttering nonstop under her breath.

"She's doing something -- jinxing the broom," said Wendy.

"What should we do?"

"Leave it to me. "

Before Vodka could say another word, Wendy had disappeared. Vodka turned the binoculars back on Alice. Her broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for her to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching, terrified, as the Rodriguez's flew up to try and pull Alice safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good - every time they got near her, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath her, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Milo Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.

"Come on, Wendy," Vodka muttered desperately.

Wendy had fought her way across to the stand where Lesley stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Celia headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Lesley, she crouched down, pulled out a match, and lit it. She hovered the match over the hem of Lesley 's robes.

It took perhaps thirty seconds for Lesley to realize that she was on fire. A sudden yelp told her she had done her job. Scooping the fire off her into a little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row -- Lesley would never know what had happened.

It was enough. Up in the air, Alice was suddenly able to clamber back on to her broom.

"Scotch, you can look!" Vodka said. Scotch had been sobbing into Hayden's jacket for the last five minutes.

Alice was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw her clasp her hand to her mouth as though she was about to be sick -- she hit the field on all fours -- coughed -- and something gold fell into her hand.

"I've got the Golden Swan Ball!" she shouted, waving it above her head, and the game ended in complete confusion.