A/N: Written for The Houses Competition. I hope you enjoy reading!

WARNING: Major character death

House: Hufflepuff

Year: 3

Category: Standard

Prompt: [Pairing] Oliver Wood/Angelina Johnson

Word count: 1404

"Girls can't play Quidditch!" said Liam and crossed his arms. He and his friends stood in front of Angelina Johnson in a half-circle. They were sneering at her.

To think a girl had the audacity to even attend tryouts intimidates them. She said to herself sarcastically.

"Of course, we can!" answered Angelina hotly. Gritting her teeth, she glared at the boys in front of her. Of course, girls could play Quidditch! She screamed mentally. They're so immature. I thought that by now when most of us are fourteen, at least they'd be smart enough to know that. She crossed her arms, mirroring Liam's position. "And what about Thompson, then?"

Olivia Thompson was Gryffindor's chaser and the only girl on the team. Despite playing Quidditch, she was more known for her looks than her Quidditch skills.

Liam snorted and laughed. The laughter had a cold, mocking ring to it. "Thompson? She isn't a Quidditch player. She can't even pass a Quaffle without fixing her hair afterwards. The only reason she's still on the team is because everyone else are even worse," he spat out, glaring at Angelina.

A moment after, his expression changed. With chin and eyebrows raised, he appeared like a king looking down at a peasant. "But that'll change. Sam and I..." he nodded towards the boy to his left "...are going to try out anyways. We'll fill in the empty chaser position and kick out Thompson."

Angelina opened her mouth, ready to come to Olivia's defence, but the words were stuck in her throat. They are right after all. Olivia... isn't the best player. She grudgingly admitted to herself. Sighing, she took a breath. "Well, just because Olivia isn't the best doesn't mean that every girl is bad. Anyways, they…"

"Oh really?" A voice cut her off. This time, it was Sam who spoke. "Tell me: who won the Cup last year? And they year before that?" he asked Angelina.

She frowned. What was he trying to prove? "Slytherin," the girl answered truthfully.

"Exactly." He said and clasped his hands behind his back. "And Slytherin," he paused in a dramatic manner and tilted his head back slightly, "has an all-boys team."

Oliver smiled as he gazed at the Quidditch pitch. It looks beautiful, he thought, people are probably worrying about the try-outs now. I did that last year, too. But now... a gust of wind blew his hair out of his face, the smile didn't waver for a second. But now, I'm Captain. Voicing his thoughts to the air around him, he spoke proudly to only himself. "I'm Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team!"

After checking the time, he found out that it was still an hour until the try-outs were scheduled to begin. The boy stuck his hands deep down in his pockets. He figured that people would probably begin to arrive twenty minutes or so before it started, so he had around half an hour to prepare himself mentally. Narrowing his eyes, he stared with resolution out ahead. Slytherin won't win this year.

As he hadn't excepted anyone to arrive yet, his eyebrows shot up as he saw a figure approach. The student had a thin frame, and long black hair waved behind them as they walked. He guessed they were a girl.

Angelina swallowed nervously and tried to make her steps look confident as she walked towards Oliver Wood. Calm down, she told herself, he's only a year ahead of me.

The dark-haired girl reached Oliver. She smiled a slight smile at him. "Hi!" she said and tried to sound comfortable and enthusiastic at the same time, "I'm Angelina Johnson, a year under you. I'm planning to try out for the team." She decided to reach her hand out for a handshake.

Luckily, the older boy shook it and introduced himself with a smile on his lips. Angelina kept in a sigh of relief. After releasing his hand, she unconsciously picked on the hem of her jumper.

After taking a breath, she looked up at Gryffindors new Quidditch Captain. "Girls can play Quidditch too, right?" Immediately after asking, she looked down. Not bearing to look him in the eyes as he thought about her question, she stared with intent down at her shoes.

"Of course you can," the voice of Oliver Wood spoke. "Why wouldn't you be able?" he asked softly. The boy saw that the younger girl was conflicted. He guessed some stupid boys had told her that she couldn't play just because she was female. "There's a reason why the all-girls team, Holyhead Harpies, are a well-known and successful team."

Angelina breathed out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I look forward to seeing you try out," said Oliver, a sincere look in his eyes.

The try-outs begun.

Oliver looked at the crowd of Gryffindors in front of him. From what he remembered from when he was part of that crowd himself was that it was bigger this year. Smiling a satisfied smile, he clapped his hands to gain their attention. "Welcome to this year's Quidditch try-outs for Gryffindor!"

After giving his prepared speech about how he was happy about his new position and how he would make sure that Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup this year, he began with the chaser position. He had decided to replace Olivia Thompson, so he needed three new chasers. Looking at all the people who were trying out for this position, he was positive he was going to find someone.

The new Quidditch Captain smiled to himself.

Liam flew down to the ground on his broom. The people who tried out to be a chaser had just finished doing some laps. A pause of five minutes was set before they were throwing the Quaffle at the goal hoops. Sam came down right behind him. Liam sneered. The try-outs are not going well, he thought, Johnson is good. She's going to get a position on the team. The boy stepped off his broom as he reached the ground. The rest of his group stood in front of him.

"I refuse to be on a team with Johnson," said Liam and stared with narrowed eyes at his friends.

"Me too," Sam hopped off his broom right beside him, "but she's good." He lifted his eyebrows at him.

"But..." Liam paused, and leaned forward on his broom, "we can probably do something about it." A smirk played on his lips evilly.

The try-outs had gone surprisingly well, as Angelina had been one of the fastest while doing laps. And she was currently teaming up with Alicia Spinnet and a sixth year she didn't remember the name of, to score on Wood. The girl received the Quaffle from Alicia and was aiming it towards the left hoop.

"Watch out!"

A voice—she didn't know whose—shouted. Confused, Angelina slowed her speed and looked around. What? She frowned. Watch out from what? As she turned her head to the right. A scream rose up from her throat.

Oliver sat frozen on his broom as he watched the scene play in front of him. Angelina. The girl a year under him. The girl, who he had decided—the moment she left the ground on her broom—was going to join the team. Determined eyes. Flowing black hair. She was now; falling.

His limbs were frozen. His mind screamed: Catch her! Save her! But this time, his famous reflexes didn't help him. The only thing that could move was his eyes as he followed the figure down to the ground as she fell.

The girl was screaming for help. For a saviour. A knight in shiny armour. Her legs and arms thrashed in the air, as if trying to fly. Even though she screamed, the sound of her snapping neck was way louder as Angelina Johnson reached the ground.

A wide-eyed boy looked at the body of his classmate. Tears clouded his vision. "No," he whispered, "that wasn't supposed to happen." He fell on his knees, sobbing. Through his gasps for air, he said, "It was only supposed to scare her." Liam cried, sobbing into his hands. "Not this. Never this."

A letter arrived at the Johnson residence that evening.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Johnson,

Your presence at Hogwarts is urgant and required at the first opportunity you have.

-Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry

The married couple shared a look.

They had no idea.