MAJOR SPOILER! Don't read if you haven't read Deathly Hallows!!!
Note: I felt I had to write the scene, because we really have the whole "Team Wood" back at Hogwarts for the final battle, don't we? I was so glad (and certain) they'd come back, bless Jo. I have never written an Angelina-fic, and it really isn't Angelina-centric, but about the whole "Team Wood". You'll see. English is just a language I'm learning at school and I kind-of really hurried to write my thoughts down, so... yeah, cunstructive critism is always appreaciated.
Disclaimer: Alas, it's not mine.
The Team
Voices forced their way into my ears, light streamed through my eyelids. My first thought was, that this had been one nasty blow. I whole-heartily hoped that the ref had given a penalty. Although my body hurt like it had never hurt before, I told myself that it was all worth it, considering that Puddlemere United would perhaps win this year's season.
When I opened my eyes, I saw my Captain.
But he wasn't up in the air and we weren't on the pitch outside of Hunningmoore.
All around me, people ran and yelled, the Great Hall was pure chaos.
The Great Hall.
I was in Hogwarts, and Oliver Wood, my Captain, Wood, who had put us through more dawn-practices than anyone else, Wood, whom we had loathed back then, whom we had loved back then, who had trained me to get better, to react faster, to not give up, the exact same Oliver Wood seemed to be ready to surrender. It wasn't anything like Wood and it wasn't about this year's Quidditch Cup.
He wasn't looking at me, his gaze seemed to be drifting away through the Hall, he was sitting slumped on the ground, his knees drawn to his chest, eyeing the scene with utter dolefulness and I could see that lifeless bodies were put down in the middle of the room.
Lifeless and cold.
I stared back at Wood, who looked so different and so forlorn, whose world had been Snitches and Quaffles, soaring and training, Quidditch Cups and media – but of course this world had changed, just like everything had changed this past year.
Just like Katie had changed, I thought, when my eyes met hers. She was leaning against a wall and nodding at me. Her hands trembled a bit; cute, little Katie Bell with her short blonde hair and her tiny freckles. She had been such a laugh all the years, so witty and so bright, so daring. Who would have imagined that she might be attacked, might be so close to death that even she would be scared after all.
I remembered the day we had walked to Hogsmeade, had joined 'Dumbledore's Army'. It had been Alicia's idea.
I could see her now, talking to some witches I didn't know, and she wasn't beautiful and proud like I had always seen her, heard her, remembered her. Her shoulders heaved with every breath she took and her hair seemed to be burned on the left side. I bit my lip and watched her wiping what seemed like tears from her eyes, but that couldn't be, because Alicia never cried.
We had been an awesome trio, Katie, Alicia and I. Everyone had known that. We had been so proud to be Chasers for Gryffindor, so proud when Wood had declared us all to be the best guys he had ever had the honour to work with after we had won the Cup in his last year. Even then, Alicia had not cried, even though 'Team Wood' had fallen apart because we obviously just couldn't call it like that anymore after Oliver Wood had left Hogwarts.
I wondered if Harry Potter had ever felt the same about our team, when I saw him descending the stairs into the Great Hall. Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One – to me, he had always just been our Seeker. I could barely make out his face, still it was obvious it was him, but he looked so much different, to grown, so experienced with things I was sure I didn't want to experience.
Dumbledore's Army.
When Fred and George had informed me that we had to act, I had been at Oliver's, celebrating his roommate's birthday. What were really just hours ago seemed to have happened last week.
Fred and George. The Unbeatable Beaters. I took my eyes off Harry and searched for the two missing members of 'Team Wood'.
They had to be somewhere. They had to be here. They had to be –
"Angel?" a voice asked and I turned a bit to see Oliver, who was watching me with empty eyes. "Are you alright?"
I started to speak. "I… where are… George and…"
He shifted and for a second his shoulder didn't block the view.
Red-haired. Red-eyed. The Weasleys.
My heart stopped beating, the world stopped turning.
So easy to tell now.
"… Fred."
Somehow, I got up, my legs were trembling, I was staggering, leaping to the middle of the Great Hall, to him, it couldn't be true, he couldn't be…
"Angel."
Strong arms gripped me, held me close, I struggled and cried out, oh Fred, oh the seven of us, the team, the two of you, unbeatable.
Our first ride to Hogwarts, the twins, Alicia and I in one compartment, in one house, in one team. Team Wood. Blowing up the dungeons. Hogsmeade in the middle of the night. The Yule Ball, oh, Fred, dancing until the sun rose, having the time of our lives.
Dumbledore's Army.
Give her hell from us, Peeves.
Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.
Potterwatch.
I couldn't breathe, fell down, caught by my Captain and I saw Fred's eyes, his lips, his nose, his hair, his freckles, turning to me, meeting my gaze, my tears. He collapsed, the whole world collapsed, and when he turned around there it was, the undeniable evidence.
One ear, one twin.
Oh, George.