As the first game of the season rolled in to play, Josh would say his team were more than ready if the intense training sessions were anything to go by. But a few of them were still left quivering in their boots about the dragons that may or may not appear. And no matter how many times Josh told them not to be so stupid, they still had a nervous edge to their play.
Josh didn't understand the fear, but then, he didn't understand much about irrational behaviour.
Louise had been amongst those who were fearing the pitch, and it was only in the last training session that Josh had allowed her to keep her position. He'd had to pull her aside and tell her that it was a necessity to perform that weekend, and the younger Slytherin had told him that she would be able to. The performance in training had been enough to show Josh that she meant it to.
But Josh was still tentative in his tactics.
As the game came in to play, both teams flying frantically and both sets of Chasers doing their best to outdo one another, Josh concentrated on his target. The Gryffindor seeker for this year had been noted as a far flyer, and despite Louise's promises to do well, Josh had to make sure. Ten minutes in to the game Lucas had smashed the opposing goalkeeper from his broom, and the points were fast racking up in Slytherin's favour. A sinister smirk touched Josh's lips as the commentator mentioned something about a broken nose and profuse bleeding.
Meaning Slytherin had a man advantage for some time, either for the mediwizard's to correct the broken nose, or Gryffindor to substitute their reserve keeper. Josh didn't wait to find out as he locked on to his own target. Tess would take care of the advantage they had, she'd always been good in that manner.
Spotting a nearing Bludger, Josh pressed himself close to his broom to collect speed, noting the opposing Seeker barely moving as he tried to find the Snitch. James, his name was James. But names didn't matter too much. Sitting up, Josh's bat swung in time to meet the Bludger, the force sending a vivid jolt through his body. The jolt that made Josh feel so good as it hurtled towards the Gryffindor. Josh was in close pursuit, pressed against his broom as he hurried after the Bludger for the second shot.
The sickening crunch of ribs shattering was enough to bring a collective gasp from the crowd - well, the Gryffindor crowd, at least. The Slytherins were cheering in their usual manner that came when Josh moved in "for the kill." A howl of pain shot up from the Gryffindor, or perhaps it was a shriek. Josh didn't have time to think about such things as he rounded the wounded seventh year, the Bludger trying to get away, only to be smashed, back handed, back at the yelping Gryffindor.
The second contact to the opposite side of the ribs came with another roar from the crowd. Gryffindor were protesting now, Josh could hear it. The whole school, except Slytherin were calling for time out. The chanting was clear, showing the idiots didn't know the rules.
A blur of green to Josh's left denoted Louise moving in on the Snitch, or so he hoped, but Josh didn't have time to check as the second Bludger headed his way, a call from Lucas denoting a "pass" of the Bludger.
The soft thwack of the Bludger was the sign of the final move in the Slytherin arsenal. The Slytherin fans chanting through the stadium as they knew what was coming. The general mumble of the rest of the school barely registering anymore as they fell silent to watch in horror.
The final shot to the face of the Gryffindor Seeker rendered the pitch silent, the ding of another point being scored not registering as James lost the grip on his broom and began to fall.
Lucas was at his side, mentioning routine three, and Josh nodded, peeling his eyes away from the Seeker who was falling to take on the next target.
Mayhem was one word for it.
The gasp of the crowd denoted the fall was complete and somewhere below teachers were moving to the pitch to try to save the boy.
"GREY CLOSES IN ON THE SNITCH! SHE'S GOT TO GET IT! GREY CATCHES THE SNITCH JUST IN TIME FOR THE SLYTHERIN TEAM TO STOP BEFORE THE WHOLE GRYFFINDOR TEAM IS HOSPITALISED!" The commentary was of course not in favour, and Josh turned in time to see Grey catch the Snitch, a pleasant smirk on his face as his team moved to congratulate her.
Josh's eyes swept around to the Gryffindor Seeker, who was silent and unmoving, his smirk growing at the sight before him.
"Let's hope he's a fighter, eh?" Lucas called, the smirk on his face mirroring Josh's in that moment.
"They have roughly five minutes to get him to the hospital wing." Josh replied, as if talking about the weather as opposed to someone's life. "Five minutes, and not a second more." He whispered, knowing his calculations had been inch perfect for maximum damage to the boy.
And without another word, Josh moved towards the changing rooms, choosing solitude over the joy of victory in that moment. It was becoming too easy, pinpointing everyone's weakness, but each scream of agony was a pleasure in itself.
It always would be the most heavenly sound to his ears.
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