"Welcome, Hogwarts, to an afternoon of thunder, drama, and the sort of weather that makes you question your commitment to inter-house sports. On the pitch, the rain is coming down sideways, the wind could peel a hippogriff off its perch, and the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams are squinting so hard I am not sure even the enchanted scoreboard can keep up.
Today, all eyes... and quite a few pairs of omnioculars... are fixed on Slytherin's newest recruit: Altair Black, making his debut as Seeker. That is right, everyone, it is not every day a first-year is thrown into the storm and told to chase the Snitch in front of the whole school, but Slytherin have never been known for subtlety. With a heritage as legendary as his... and a reputation that already has the rumour mill spinning, expectations are almost as high as the wind speed out there.
Gryffindor, on the other hand, will be hoping experience can outfly raw talent. Their Captain is looking particularly determined... or perhaps just cold and wet. Difficult to tell from up here, but hopefully not traumatised from the beating he was handed by Cedric Diggory last week. He does have a new broom, though. Nimbus 2000, the same as that of the Slytherin Seeker. If the rumours are true, his older brother gifted it to him in hopes that he can attract the attention of the English Quidditch Team.
It's all set up to be a thrilling encounter.
So, for those watching in the stands, I suggest a warming charm or three. For those on the pitch… may the best flier win, and may someone please tell the weather to take it down a notch."
Felix leaned in, lowering his voice for dramatic effect, but mindful to stay beneath the enchanted umbrella.
"And for Altair Black: no pressure, but Slytherin's record for youngest Seeker to catch the Snitch stands unbeaten. Just a casual reminder."
"Let us play Quidditch!"
The Slytherin team took to the sky, and so did the Gryffindors.
Madam Hooch looked at them one last time, and spoke in warning.
"No funny business." She meant what she said, and they all heard her words, even in the raging storm, and nodded their heads.
"No OmniVisors, Altair?"
Altair gave her an okay sign, and she did not insist. Some Seekers preferred not to wear them, and they were not mandatory.
As soon as Madam Hooch blew the whistle and threw the Quaffle up, the Slytherin and Gryffindor Chasers nearly collided with each other, jostled, and Adrian managed to slip away with the Quaffle.
He passed it to Damien just in time, and then Marcus caught up and worked together to send it past Oliver Wood and into the hoop.
The crowd cried out in excitement, but the clouds rumbled hard and made them flinch and fall quiet again.
Altair, in the storm, kept looking around the pitch and above for the Snitch, and even though he was not wearing OmniVisors like Charlie, he was able to see well enough.
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow flying up, and he instinctively gave chase.
Charlie had spotted the Snitch in the air, and he was madly chasing it.
Altair squinted as the rain and wind intensified, his vision hindered even more, but he kept a lock on the golden Snitch he could now just make out.
The two of them soon disappeared into the storm and up into the clouds, and those on the pitch could not help but feel their hearts thumping in their chests.
How reckless and brave did one have to be to pierce the stormy clouds?
Charlie was brave, everyone knew that, but Altair was just as fearless and only eleven...
On the pitch, the match continued and the scores remained even, with both Houses taking turns sending the Quaffle through the hoops. It was all set to be a game that would ultimately be decided by the brilliance of the Seekers.
Up in the clouds, with bolts of lightning flashing around, Charlie and Altair still chased the Snitch as if their lives depended on it.
And it seemed like the little golden menace too was intent on getting them killed today. It was too fast, too quick.
The Snitch kept climbing higher and higher, and Charlie's heart dropped when the electricity surged through him at one point, and even Altair was not spared the electrocution as they passed through the storm cloud.
The Gryffindor glanced at the young Seeker, who was struggling, and was not surprised when he saw Altair dive and decide to escape the cloud.
He glanced at the Snitch, but then made the wise call and dived as well. However, suddenly, the lightning flashed and he saw a shadow shooting up from the distance.
It was a feint. Now the young Black was much closer to the Snitch than he was.
He wanted to rush back up but was suddenly electrocuted again, and then gritted his teeth and continued his dive, not believing that the younger boy would be able to hold on for much longer.
The crowd turned even more silent when Charlie appeared in their sight, and Madam Hooch's heart was pounding against her chest like mad.
Suddenly, in the clouds, a golden light shone, and at the same time, lightning rocked the sky. She instinctively blew her whistle, bringing an end to the match, and kept her eyes up, waiting for Altair.
The tally, which stood at 70-60 in Slytherin's favour, suddenly turned to 220-60, and all the banners in the stadium magically transformed into Slytherin banners.
Felix was about to speak into the mic when roaring cheers erupted, but soon they turned into screams and cries as they watched Altair falling down, with his broom in one hand and the Snitch in the other.
He seemed to be unconscious, and the staff leapt to their feet and readied their wands.
However, just over a hundred metres above the ground, the boy stirred into life and flipped over.
With one hand, he managed to pull the broom beneath him, and then pulled up, braking hard.
He still seemed weak, very weak, but managed to slow down considerably.
His broom came to a halt only half a metre above the ground, and then he fell off it onto the wet pitch, losing consciousness again but not letting the Snitch leave his left hand.
Madam Hooch and the Slytherin team rushed to him, and even the reserves charged over.
They gathered under the magical shield that Madam Hooch created, and only an instant later, Andromeda apparated by their side, kneeling next to Altair.
Just one look at his broom, which was damaged, was enough to tell them what had happened.
He had been struck by lightning.
"Diagnosio!" Andromeda cast the spell and the ethereal light surrounded his body.
Everyone held their breath for the next half a minute, and Cho's eyes were brimming with tears as she saw how pale Altair looked.
Aurelia was holding on much better, but her body too was trembling, not from cold but from fear.
"There are no injuries, he is fine. Let him sleep for a while." The Healer's words were exactly what they needed and wanted to hear.
They all heaved sighs of relief, and then Damien and the Professor picked up Altair and his belongings and walked away.
Madam Hooch announced the result and then informed the staff that Altair was fine.
Cheers broke out in the stadium as everyone seemed to have regained their spirits, and as Felix Merriman said, even the Gryffindors had to bow to such a display of bravery and recklessness.
The closing remarks from the commentator flowed as the stands started to empty.
"Slytherin wins it, 220 to 60. But there is not a soul in these emptying stands who cares about the score right now.
We all just watched Altair Black, First-Year, first match, catch the Snitch at the heart of a thunderstorm, get struck by lightning and fall thousands of metres from the sky. Barely conscious, but still holding onto the Snitch. For a moment, it felt like all of Hogwarts held its breath. It seemed as if time itself stopped.
And then, somehow, Altair managed to pull himself back from the edge, regained control over his damaged broom just enough to land safely and drift off to sleep. The Snitch is still clutched in his hand as he is being taken away...
I have never seen the Quidditch pitch so silent, and I doubt I ever will again.
Madam Hooch has just told us he will make a full recovery soon. He is not injured. I do not know if anyone out there believes in luck or fate, but after today, I think I might.
Gryffindor was giving it everything, but this was not just a match... it was a moment none of us will ever forget. Better luck next time, lions. And pray you do not have another young Seeker in your next match.
I am Felix Merriman. Take care on your way back in. I think we could all use a bit of warmth tonight..."
Altair, however, was not aware of anything that was happening around him.
When he lost consciousness, he found himself drifting away, eventually finding his way to the Lovegood Cottage, where he heard the screams and wails of a man.
Worried and curious, he rushed in, and the next moment, he was inside Aunt Pandora's lab, where she was working on removing a terrifying dark curse from an amulet.
There was an eerie atmosphere in the room, and he could not help but sense that something was not right. Something bad was about to happen...
He glanced around to make sure everything was fine, and it was seemingly perfect.
The room was filled with protective wards, some very powerful enchantments isolating the artefact, and the curious and talented witch was on the verge of succeeding... but then his fear came true and something unexpected happened.
Somehow, little Luna found her way into the lab, getting past those barriers outside the lab undetected.
Her arrival made Altair's heart thump hard against his chest.
"No..." he whispered, realising the danger, and just as he was about to protect Luna, Pandora phased through his body and shielded her child as a terrifying explosion occurred, charring the room and painting it black, leaving it lingering with death.
Altair felt dizzy as he saw the lady fall lifelessly, her wand damaged beyond repair, and Luna, shocked by what had just happened, frozen in her place.
His heart felt suffocated as he saw the little girl unmoving, not even shedding tears, and then the space around him twisted and everything moved faster, including time.
It was just a memory...
When everything stabilised, he saw what was happening in the present.
Xenophilius Lovegood was in the room, holding his late wife's body and wailing his heart out. It was his wails and cries he had heard from outside the cottage...
Luna was still where she had been standing earlier, and a lone tear finally slipped from her eye.
Altair rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her, sensing how much pain she was in. It was so much that it even suffocated him, and he was scared what it would do to her. Somehow, he was able to wrap his arms around her and even felt her warmth.
He sensed her tense up at getting the invisible hug and planted a kiss on her head.
She probably mistook him for her mother, because her heart instantly calmed down, her pain lessened, but then Altair heard her take a name.
"Altair..."
His soul, against his will, almost as if it was banished, shot through the space and rushed back into his body.
"Luna!" He shouted as he shot up in bed, and his outburst startled everyone in the room.
Aurelia and Andromeda did not know why they felt such a sinking feeling in their hearts, but both stepped forward at the same time.
"Altair..." Cho panicked when she saw a tear slip from his eye and his body tremble in grief.
His complexion was paler than before, and his lips quivered as he shut his eyes, trying to hold back the flood of tears that still broke through.
"What happened?" Andromeda grabbed his shoulder and shook him, and then she raised her voice a little. "Altair! What happened?"
"Aunt Pandora... she was working on removing a curse... Luna slipped into the lab, the wards failed... she... she died protecting her... Luna... she saw her mother die in front of her eyes... the lab is cursed... they need to get out of there..."
He spoke in broken sentences, but everyone understood exactly what he meant.
"Altair..." Aurelia probably thought it was a nightmare, but Andromeda knew better and rushed out, her heart racing in fear.
The room turned eerily silent as Altair sobbed, and Cho stumbled back against the wall, not knowing what to say.
Damien and Gemma were in the room too, and whilst the former respectfully exited, the latter remained in her place.
Aurelia just stayed, hugging Altair, and failed to hold back her own tears.
She could not understand what was breaking her fiancé. He was always calm and composed, but right now, it was almost as if he had lost his own mother...
Unbeknownst to her, it was exactly that. The young Black had subconsciously shared Luna's pain to protect and comfort her, and his emotions were no longer under his control.