Katie Bell would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. Of course she was, why wouldn't she be? It was her first Quidditch match at Hogwarts. Not only that, she was a new find for Oliver Wood. She hadn't been on the reserve last year, but had been scolded by him when he'd seen her goofing off on the Pitch towards the end of the year before for not trying out.
"All right?" Angelina Johnson asked.
Katie nodded, silent. She was starting as a Second Year and she hadn't even been a reserve the year before, of course she was bloody nervous.
"Don't be nervous," Alicia Spinnet said, from her other side. "It's my first game too, though Angie says I'm ready." Alicia winked.
"Aren't you nervous?" Katie asked, her palms sweating.
"A little," Alicia replied honestly. "But I'm trying not to get too worked up or I don't think I'll play too well."
"Right," Angelina replied. "Alicia played footy up until she was accepted at Hogwarts and I've seen her play, she's good. Plus, she played reserve last year. Though I think in hindsight, Oliver would have rather had her than Jones. Jones only got onto the team because of her name."
"Really?" Katie asked. "Are you halfblood?"
Alicia nodded. "M'Muggle-born."
"Nice," Katie said, giving a nervous smile.
Alicia shrugged. "I've played in a few big football matches, I'll be all right and so will you as long as you don't get too nervous. Just do what we practiced and you'll be all right. At least in theory." She was grinning now. At least she was confident, Katie thought.
"Don't let Wood get to you either," Angelina said. "He gets a bit hyped up. Trust me. I played for him last year. He won't really do anything if we lose except pout and make us practice harder. Not that I want to lose to Slytherin or anything…"
Katie nodded and gulped a little. Oliver Wood seemed very imposing and she did not want to be the one who lost the game.
"He means well," Alicia said, pulling a jumper over her head.
"I think the blokes are ready," Angelina said, tying her laces. "Fred and George have started yelling or singing. Either way it sounds about the same."
"Either way we're all going to go deaf," Alicia replied. "Those boys…I swear. I can't believe Wood gets them to do anything."
"I know," Angelina replied.
"We should, um, go over then," Katie said interrupting and feeling extra nervous now. In fact, she was so nervous; she almost tripped down the stairs that led to where the boys were.
"Careful now," Angelina said, laughing a little. "Wood'll kill us all if his new Chaser gets hurt."
Katie felt herself blush a little as she joined the boys. Angelina had been right about her first game though, she had played fine, well except for the Bludger to the back of the head which had given her a headache for about two weeks. It had been a good beginning to her Quidditch career at Hogwarts and Gryffindor won, which meant Oliver Wood wasn't too horrible to live with for the next few weeks.