THE ROGUE BLUDGER
The Slytherins’ superior brooms were clearly doing their jobs, and meanwhile the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Harry out of the air. Fred and George were now flying so close to him on either side that Harry could see nothing at all except their flailing arms and had no chance to look for the Snitch, let alone catch it.
“ Someone’ s— tampered— with— this— Bludger—” Fred grunted, swinging his bat with all his might at it as it launched a new attack on Harry.
“ We need time out,” said George, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger breaking Harry’ s nose at the same time.
Wood had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch’ s whistle rang out and Harry, Fred, and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.
“ What’ s going on?” said Wood as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered.“ We’ re being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?”
“ We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver,” said George angrily.“ Someone’ s fixed it— it won’ t leave Harry alone. It hasn’ t gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it.”
“ But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch’ s office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then....” said Wood, anxiously.
Madam Hooch was walking toward them. Over her shoulder, Harry could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in his direction.
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