"Ah, Wood," says Professor McGonagall crisply. He takes his seat across from her and hands over the badge, then fidgets with his sleeve until she speaks.
"And your recommendation?"
"Angelina Johnson," says Oliver. "I think she's the- not the best. They're all excellent. But the most capable."
"I trust your decision," says McGonagall.
There is a pause, and then she holds out a cookie tin. "It's been a good three years," she says. "And thank you, for putting that back in my office." She gestures towards the Quidditch Cup on its shelf. It is in a place of honour, next to an ancient photograph of McGonagall herself as Quidditch Captain.
"I was happy to win it, Professor," says Oliver. "Believe me."
Hey Oliver-
How is it? Puddlemere United! I'm so proud of you. I keep telling the other fellows how my Keeper went big. I'm sure they're all sick of hearing about it, but I'm not sick of telling them about it yet, so they'll have to be sick of it a little longer.
Got to see your Seeker in action a few days ago. He outflew a dragon. An honest to God dragon. It was incredible. I guess all that flying in the rain paid off. He only got a bit singed. Brilliant, all around.
Good luck against the Bats!
Charlie
"She's sort of a bitch now she's in charge," Alicia says in an undertone.
"Definitely," agrees Katie.
Luckily, Angelina does not hear them, too busy being angry with Harry for antagonising Umbridge. She folds her arms and squints at him and he gets too obviously defensive. Angelina scowls.
"Is she super attractive right now or is it just me?" says Katie thoughtfully.
"It's definitely just you," says Alicia.
Oliver,
Remember when you told me Quidditch was life or death? I think you were sixteen and I was fourteen and I thought you were the stupidest person alive. I might have even told you so, I don't remember. I definitely said something sarcastic. Anyway, I take it back.
Love,
Angelina
"Could I use some of your weird vomit candies to get out of this?" says Alicia as they're flying laps.
"I doubt it," says Fred. "We tried selling to Angelina and she knows all of the effects now. You're better off actually breaking your nose."
"Ugh," says Alicia. "You're no help."
Harry and Ron pore over Angelina's list of strategies for twenty minutes before either of them speaks. Harry jabs a finger at one- "The Magpie Pinch? That's so specific. You need really, really specific conditions to work that."
"Every single one of these things only works two times out of a hundred," agrees Ron. "Here, quiz me. Ask me one of them."
Harry scans the list. "If the Slytherins are coming at you with two Chasers alternating the Quaffle between them and the Beaters flanking them-"
"Er... I hover center so I'm not caught on the wrong side," says Ron. "And I hope that the Chasers will help me with the Goose Feint. Merlin's pants, who names these things-"
"If the Snitch is near you?"
"That's not my problem, that's Ginny's. Why is that on the list?"
"It's your problem now," says Harry. "Angelina said so."
"Have you made any new ones?" says Alicia, hovering just by the stands where Fred and George are watching miserably, firmly bundled in their coats.
"New- oh. No, not yet. There's one in development but it's got some nasty side effects so far."
"Damn it," says Alicia.
"You could just fly within thirty feet of Kirke," says George. "I guarantee he'll knock you out of the practice within ten minutes."
Angelina-
Sorry to hear about the twins and Harry! I hope you can find good replacements. Remember- most important thing for Beaters is how well they work together. Good luck.
Try running drills in the rain, too. It builds endurance.
Oliver
"I can't believe I used to like Quidditch," says Jack Sloper. "I thought this would be fun."
"Idiot," laughs Andrew Kirke, and he snaps a towel at Jack jokingly. "This is life or death, Sloper."
"I sometimes think Johnson actually believes that," says Jack.
"Oh," says Andrew, "No, she absolutely does."
"What's it say?" says Harry, leaning over Ron's shoulder.
Ron looks at the note. Don't forget to read up on the Quidditch victories during the 1800s. There were some good Keeper moves in the 1850s when Rubenstein was Keeping for the Castles.
He passes the note over to Harry without a word. "It says I'm never going to see a shred of free time, is what it says."
"Was Rubenstein the one who died in the middle of a game? I swear I read that somewhere."
"Did he really?" bumbles Ron, who is less than pleased with Angelina's bequest now that he knows Rubenstein's moves apparently killed him. "Holy Merlin's- really?"
"They're not even playing," complains Katie. She shoots a sour look at the Slytherins. They have choreographed parts of the song now and it is insufferable. "Wish they'd just shut up."
"Slytherins don't shut up on their own," says Ginny sourly. "We have to make them." She pounds her fist into her own thigh.
"Well that's aggressive," says Katie. "I like it. Good spirit."
"How is it you can't spot the Bludgers? They're the size of your head!"
"They're moving," whines Jack. "They're hard to spot!"
"That's why you're supposed to be looking around all the time-"
"I do," says Jack. "They come up behind me-"
"Looking all around! Not just left and right!"
Oliver,
Quidditch and I have a contentious relationship. I can't live with it and I can't live without it. It's a curse. I'm taking it more seriously than anybody else on my team and I hate that. Again, I must apologize for how little I understood you as a captain. Also, I have run drills in the rain, thank you very much.
In slightly better news, our replacement Seeker's good.
Love,
Angelina
"I'm going to die," says Ron.
"You'll be fine," says Ginny. "Chin up."
Ron sticks his head out to look at the crowds. "No," he says with finality. "I'm going to die."
"Who's your king now?" Ginny is hooting at the crowd. She makes obscene gestures at the greater part of Slytherin House until Katie knocks her out of the air. Ostensibly in a hug but really just to get her to stop. "Who was born in a bin now?"
"Bin doesn't even rhyme with king," remarks Lee Jordan to an uninterested Ravenclaw.
"We did it!" Angelina says, trying to wrap her head around it. "Oh my God, we did it! We just did that!"
"You better believe it," says Alicia, and Angelina laughs as the team slowly makes its way back to earth.
