The balls were released and

The balls were released and the fourteen players shot upwards. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw Ron streak off towards the goalhoops. Harry zoomed higher, dodging a Bludger, and set off on a wide lap of the pitch, gazing around for a glint of gold; on the other side of the stadium, Draco Malfoy was doing exactly the same.

‘And it's Johnson —Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me—’

‘JORDAN!’ yelled Professor McGonagall.

‘—just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest—and she's ducked Warrington, she's passed Montague, she's—ouch—been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe ... Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and—nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that's a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell, Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse-passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's away—’

Lee Jordan's commentary rang through the stadium and Harry listened as hard as he could through the wind whistling in his ears and the din of the crowd, all yelling and booing and singing.

‘—dodges Warrington, avoids a Bludger—close call, Alicia—and the crowd are loving this, just listen to them, what's that they're singing?’

And as Lee paused to listen, the song rose loud and clear from the sea of green and silver in the Slytherin section of the stands:



‘Weasley cannot save a thing,

He cannot block a single ring,

That's why Slytherins all sing:

Weasley is our King.


‘Weasley was born in a bin

He always lets the Quaffle in

Weasley will make sure we win

Weasley is our King.’

’ —a nd Alicia passes back to Angelina!’ Lee shouted, and as Harry swerved, his insides boiling at what he had just heard, he knew Lee was trying to drown out the words of the song. ‘Come on now, Angelina—looks like she's got just the Keeper to beat!—SHE SHOOTS—SHE—aaaah ...’

Bletchley, the Slytherin Keeper, had saved the goal; he threw the Quaffle to Warrington who sped off with it, zig-zagging in between Alicia and Katie; the singing from below grew louder and louder as he drew nearer and nearer Ron.

‘Weasley is our King,

Weasley is our King,

He always lets the Quaffle in

Weasley is our King. ’

Harry could not help himself: abandoning his search for the Snitch, he wheeled around to watch Ron, a lone figure at the far end of the pitch, hovering before the three goalhoops while the massive Warrington pelted towards him.

‘—and it's Warrington with the Quaffle, Warrington heading for goal, he's out of Bludger range with just the Keeper ahead—’

A great swell of song rose from the Slytherin stands below:

‘Weasley cannot save a thing,

He cannot block a single ring ...’



‘— so it's the first test for new Gryffindor Keeper Weasley, brother of Beaters Fred and George, and a promising new talent on the team—come on, Ron!’

But the scream of delight came from the Slytherins’ end: Ron had dived wildly, his arms wide, and the Quaffle had soared between them straight through Ron's central hoop.

‘Slytherin score!’ came Lee's voice amid the cheering and booing from the crowds below, ‘so that's ten-nil to Slytherin—bad luck, Ron.’

The Slytherins sang even louder:

‘WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN

HE ALWAYS LETS THE QUAFFLE IN... ’

‘—and Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell tanking up the pitch—’ cried Lee valiantly, though the singing was now so deafening that he could hardly make himself heard above it.

‘WEASLEY WILL MAKE SURE WE WIN

WEASLEY IS OUR KING ...’