Er...I need to apologize for a little mistake I made in the previous chapter...the Holyhead Harpies? Yeah, they're an all-girl team...which I forgot...so, uh...let's just pretend that they're the Wimbourne Wasps instead, all right? Thanks. :)
Chapter 3: An Unexplained Mystery
Oliver raced across the hallway and was downstairs in ten seconds flat. He skidded to a halt in front of Jemima and Imogene's flat to find the door open and several members of the (newly reformed) Department of Magical Law Enforcement already standing inside.
Slipping in, Oliver spotted a flash of Imogene's blonde hair as she leaned over the trembling form of Jemima, who was sitting on a red chintz loveseat.
"Move!" Katie hissed, and Oliver realized he was blocking the doorway. He strode over to where Imogene and Jemima were and sat beside them.
"Who are you?" One of the wizards asked. He was a tall man with thick grey hair and round spectacles perched on a rather long nose.
"I'm Oliver Wood, sir." he said. "I live upstairs, above these two. This is Katie Bell, our friend."
The wizard nodded. "I'm Randolph Mullins, current Head of the Department of Magical Enforcement. Can you produce an alibi for the past two hours?" he asked, and both Oliver and Katie nodded.
"Wha' happened?" Oliver asked Imogene, not really looking forward to the answer.
She looked up at him, unshed tears sparkling in her blue eyes. Oliver was struck once again at how much the two cousins looked alike. Both had blonde hair and blue eyes, but while Jemima's hair was curly and short, Imogene's was longer and straight. At the current moment, however, Jemima's face was marred by a few deep gashes and several bruises. There was also a ring of bruises around her upper arm, as if someone had grabbed her in a tight grip. Her usually well groomed hair was tangled and dirt-streaked, and her clothes were ripped and torn.
"Well," Imogene said in a shaky voice. "We got home after eating dinner and it was only around eight-thirty or so, so Jemima said she wanted to go for a run. She usually does that on cooler evenings, so I said that I would stay home and finish cleaning up while she ran. She got dressed and that took her a little while, and then we got to talking, so she didn't leave until around nine-thirty. After she went downstairs, I was doing the dishes when I heard her scream. I ran downstairs and found her lying in the street, and saw a figure running away. I tried to Stun them, but they were already too far away and I was worrying too much about Jemima." she stopped and rubbed at her eyes tiredly.
"It seems as if the attacker didn't use a wand." Randolph Mullins said. "It's supposed that he saw Miss Jeffries here and hit her several times with something before running away. However, we cannot confirm this yet, as Miss Jeffries is still unable to speak just yet."
Oliver looked at the shaking Jemima, who shook her head and buried her face in her cousin's shoulder. Imogene stroked her hair soothingly, murmuring words of comfort. He had a sudden, strange desire to laugh; this was the first time he had ever heard her quiet.
The desire passed quickly, however, and Oliver was grateful. Now was not the time. He turned to Imogene. "Is there anything I can do for ye?" he asked quietly.
She attempted a weak smile. "No, but thank you Oliver. We will call you if we need help."
He nodded and stood back up. Katie was still waiting by the doorway, leaning against the wall, her arms across her chest. As he walked out, she took his hand in a gesture of comfort.
"This is jus'…" Oliver muttered. "I mean, who would attack a girl like Jemima? Voldemort is dead and gone, Harry saw through to tha'. The Ministry o' Magic has caught all the known Death Eaters that were supportin' him. Who else is there?"
"Unfortunately, there are still some wizarding scum out there." Katie said darkly as they headed back up to Oliver's flat. "Even if Voldemort is gone. Not all the wizarding world is good."
Oliver sighed. This wasn't how he had planned to spend his evening. He had wanted to sit and relax, have a little Firewhisky, maybe spend a little time reading his Quidditch Teams Around the World book that he had borrowed from Harry. Now his building was swarming with Ministry officials and there was absolutely no chance for peace and quiet. At least not yet.
Katie noticed his glum silence. "Cheer up, Wood." she said as he pushed open his apartment's door. "It could have been worse."
"Yes, I suppose it could've." Oliver gave a long, unexpected yawn. It was only a little past ten, and he tried to hide it, but Katie noticed anyway.
"Bed." she said, shoving him in the direction of his room.
"What are ye, me ma?" he asked good-naturedly.
"Close enough." she said as she pushed him onto his bed. "Now, get some rest. I'll be here in the morning and we can go to Quidditch practice together."
Yawning again, Oliver just nodded and burrowed down beneath his covers, sleep already overtaking him.
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Oliver woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. Rubbing his forehead, he staggered out of bed, wearing only a worn pair of navy blue sweatpants, the Puddlemere United emblem sewn onto the right side pocket. He clutched his blanket around him like a cloak and wandered out into the kitchen.
"Don' ye ever sleep?" He mumbled, not surprised in the least, to Katie, who was standing in his kitchen making sausages. "Yer like a mad housewife."
"Nope, I'm actually a vampire in real life." Katie said cheerfully. "Anyway, I've made you some breakfast; it's on the table. Sit, eat, enjoy."
Oliver yawned and flopped down in the chair, blanket and all. He managed to free one hand long enough to fork some eggs into his mouth, then said "Have ye talked to Imogene or Jemima yet?"
"No." said Katie, now pouring hot water into a tea kettle. "But the Ministry officials say that they're putting protection spells around the building to help. Now," she said. "Finish eating and then go get dressed, it's almost time to leave."
"Yes, Mum." Oliver said dryly, but Katie just laughed.
As they traipsed down onto the Puddlemere United Quidditch field a little while later, Oliver heard someone call his name. He turned to find Ginny Weasley running down after them, her long red hair flying behind her like a scarlet curtain.
"Oliver!" she said breathlessly. "I just heard-there's been an attack on a girl in your building?"
"Yeah." Oliver said. "How did ye know? It only happened las' night."
She waved a gloved hand. "Oh, I know everything that goes around. Plus, since Harry's been helping out the Ministry a lot lately, he heard it from Randolph Mullins of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"Oh." said Oliver, unsure of what else exactly there was to say.
"Well?" said Ginny. "Have they caught the guy who did it?"
"No." Oliver said as he pulled on one of his sleek, dragon-hide gloves. "Not yet. But they're workin' on it."
Ginny started to ask more, but Philbert Deverill, Puddlemere's manager, yelled at them to get their behinds in gear.
Once on his broom and up in the air, Oliver felt a rush of excitement. This was his life. This was what he wanted to do more than anything. Flying gave Oliver a feeling of contentment like no other, and playing Quidditch professionally had always been his dream.
After Quidditch practice, exhausted, muddy and exhilarated, Oliver, Ginny and Harry, (who had come to watch, as he always did) went out to lunch. Katie had declined politely, saying she had to get home.
As they sat in the tiny pub, toasting each other with butterbeer, and scarfing down sandwiches, Harry said lightly "So, Oliver are you coming to the Burrow tomorrow?"
Oliver looked at him. "Why am I coming to the Burrow? Did George burn it down or somethin' again?"
Ginny let out a snort of laughter and Harry smiled. "No," he said. "But we're having a rehearsal dinner for George's wedding."
"Again?" Oliver said. "I thought we got it down pat the firs' four times we did it. And the weddin' is still more than five months away. "
Harry grinned at him. "Well, you know Mrs. Weasley. She's always got to be on top of things. And since you're one of George's witnesses, you have to be there for everything we're doing."
Oliver sighed. "Well, I guess…I suppose I have to go, don' I?"
Ginny nodded, sipping her butterbeer. "Yeah, unfortunately. Life in the Weasley family is sometimes quite eccentric."
"Sometimes?" Oliver said without thinking, but Ginny just laughed.
"Okay, always. Now," she said, looking down at her empty plate. "Who's up for some desert? I'm in the mood for chocolate cake."