Chapter Two

1988

Oliver

"I think he's waking up." A voice said, close to my left side.

"Perhaps, dear." I opened my eyes to two blurry figures. One by my left side, though blurry, was unmistakably a girl, while the other, standing tall at the end of my bed, was clearly madam Pompfrey.

"Ha, he is." My eyes cleared and I stared up at madam Pompfrey. What the hell was I doing in the hospital wing? The last thing I remember was the steady roar of the crowd during the game. My very first Quidditch game in fact.

"What happened?" I barely registered how hoarse my voice was before Pompfrey answered.

"Bludger dear. Hit you in the head, hard. You've been out for nigh on a week. Minerva sent the young one to look after you and make sure you got back to the common okay when you woke. Poor lass has been sitting here when she didn't have lessons." I turned to face the girl at my bedside. Her pale face was framed with dark locks that curled past her shoulders. She wore her school uniform, obviously lessons had finished recently. Her light green eyes watched me wearily, she looked quite tired. In fact, she looked like she might need help back to the common room.

"Hi!" I exclaimed as soon as we exited the hospital wing. She rolled her eyes and sped up a little.

"Hi." I grinned at her as we passed the statue of Boris the Bewildered.

"My names Oliver. What's your's?" She glanced at me for a second before shaking her head.

"Isabella. Now, any idea how to get back to the common room from here?" I raised an eyebrow and looked around.

"So that's why we're on the fifth floor! Actually, you got it almost right. We just have to turn here," We turned a sharp right into a brightly lit corridor, at the end of which was the Grand Staircase.

"Huh. And I thought I was heading in the wrong direction."

"Alright Wood?" I looked up as my Quidditch captain, Charlie Weasley, bustled forward looking slightly anxious.

"I'm fine." Isabella rolled her eyes.

"Pompfrey said he needed to rest for another week, but after that you can have him for training. Personally I don't see the appeal. I mean, what's the point?" The entire Quidditch team – which had been following Charlie – groaned impatiently and started dragging Charlie away from us.

"You know that was stupid right?" She smirked at me and scoffed.

"I love Quidditch. I just knew that if Charlie thought he was dealing with someone who hated Quidditch he would see that no matter how much I love it I'm not going to let you leave my sight for the next week." I lifted an eyebrow and she glared at it.

"Yes you can go to the toilet on your own, just as long as you don't climb out the window with your broomstick clutched in your hands." I chuckled as she rolled her eyes once more and muttered "Boys" under her breath. I grimaced as I entered the common room. Was everything usually this loud?

"IZZY!" Two others tackled the girl next to me. One with straight blonde hair and ice-blue eyes and the other with frizzy, copper-coloured hair and brown eyes. The blonde looked up at me and winked.

"Oh, and who's this?" She asked Isabella, never taking her eyes from my face.

"Carrie, leave Oliver alone. He's the all Quidditch type, probably not interested in dating at all." The blond, Carrie, rolled her eyes and turned to the red head.

"Oh, yeah, they're good for each other. Add in stubborn and self-righteous and they'd be the same person."

"You forgot the whole god complex thing."

"I told you last time, I. DO. NOT. HAVE. A. GOD. FREAKING. COMPLEX." Iz enunciated, glaring at her two supposed friends. "If anything you do Jessica." The other girl rolled her eyes.

"I hate that. Every time we fight you use my full name, it sucks. I mean, you like your name so I can't use that, so maybe I should just call you by your middle name. Hello, Francesca." They all cracked up laughing simultaneously and fell to the floor.

"Fine Jessie, you win."

"Um…" Isabella's eyes shot open and she stood up, leaving the others still incapacitated on the floor.

"Sorry." I nodded and glanced back at the large group of friends I had collected since the first week.

"I can tell this is going to be a fun week."