Chapter 34
The New Team
Harry

After Hogsmede, Ron and Ginny went to Quidditch Training. Harry missed his firebolt, and being in the sky, flying.

Hermione, Harry and Vlad was in the Gryffindor Common Room, waiting for their return. Hermione and Harry told Vlad about what they did in Hogsmede – meeting Rita Skeeter.

Vlad smiled, saying it is a wonderful plan, and that Skeeter is now of some use. They spent their time on homework, with Hermione and Vlad finishing quickly then helping Harry.

The sun went down and the Quidditch Team was still not back.

It was an hour or so after sunset Angelina came into the Common Room with a very gloomy aura and a face that described the whole practice came in, and slowly made her way up to her dorm. Her face never looking up from the floor.

The Chasers and Beaters came in too soon after, with Ginny and Ron tagging along at the back. Fred and George followed them in too.

The Chasers too, with a gloomy look, followed Angelina. The new Beaters didn't look gloomy, but they were sweating guilty sweat. The Weasleys had gloomy looks on too. They came by where Harry, Hermione and Vlad were sitting.

"So, how was Quidditch practice?" Harry asked, even if he could guess the answer.

"It was a nightmare," Ron muttered.

"Oh come on," Hermione said, turning to face Ginny, "I'm sure it wasn't that—"

"Yes, it was," Ginny said, "It was appalling. Angelina was nearly in tears by the end of it. I'm sure you saw her face coming in here…"

"Well- yeah," Vlad admitted.

"I'm going for a bath," Ginny said, "I don't think the rest of the team is in the mood for one…"

"I'm going," Ron said, and the two Weasleys went out of the common room.

Silence.

"We were watching their practice. They're going to be slaughtered. They're complete rubbish without us," Fred broke the silence.

"Come on, Ginny's not bad," George said, "Actually, I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us…"

"She's been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren't looking," Hermione said.

"Oh," George said, looking mildly impressed, "Well—that'd explain it."

"Wait Hermione how do you know?" Vlad asked, "Wait- Ginny probably told you herself. Ignore me."

They managed a snicker, which lightened up the mood a little.

"So er, Ron saved a goal yet?" Hermione asked.

"He saves it when he think no-one is looking," Fred muttered.

"So he isn't going to be able to save any when the whole school is watching him during the real match," Vlad concluded, "Unless everyone doesn't show up."

"Yup," the twins said, nodding.

Silence again.

"You know, Quidditch was about the only thing in this place worth staying for," George suddenly said, staring out of the window.

Hermione cast him a stern look.

"You've got exams coming!"

"Told you already, we're not fussed about N.E.W.T.s," Fred said, "The Snackboxes are ready to roll, we found out how to get rid of those boils, just a couple of drops of murtlap essence sorts them, Lee put us onto it…"

"I dunno if I even want to watch this match. If Zacharias Smith beats us I might have to kill myself," George said, and yawned, stretching and staring out the window too.

"Kill him, more like," Fred firmly said, and lighted up the mood a little bit more as they laughed.

"That's the trouble with Quidditch," Hermione said, "It creates all this bad feeling and tension between the Houses."

Fred, George, and Harry looking at her with expressions of mingled disgust and incredulity on their faces.

"Well, it does!" Hermione said impatiently, "It's only a game, isn't it?"

"True, true," Vlad agreed.

"Hermione, Vlad," Harry said, shaking his head, "Hermione, you are good on feelings and stuff, and Vlad, you are good at well, basically almost everything, but you two just don't understand about the feelings of Quidditch. The feel of winning, and the disgrace of losing."

"First of all, I'm not got at everything- I'm horrible at Divination for starters, but I'll move on from me. The thing is, well, Gryffindor didn't lose a lot after you Harry," Vlad said, "Maybe er, this gives the other houses a chance. Think about it- before you, Harry, the Slytherins won everything. But then you came along and Gryffindor won everything. The other houses must be feeling what Gryffindor used to feel, don't you think? And this is just their times for a rise. Slytherin had their era, Gryffindor had thiers… maybe it's just time for Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff's."

"Well-" Harry started, but Hermione cut him off.

"I agree with Vlad," Hermione said, closing her book.

"But winning still makes us happy," Harry said, "Which is why the new team-"

"At least my happiness doesn't depend on Ron's goalkeeping ability, unlike you I see," Hermione snapped, packed up and stormed off to her dorm.

The boys left behind looked at each other in silence.

"Well- er, I'm going to sleep," Vlad said, and went up to his dorm too.

"Well then Harry, good luck with that homework," Fred said, and the Weasley twins went up to sleep too.

Harry thought about what Hermione and Vlad said. He didn't want to admit to it. He'd rather jump off the Astronomy Tower than to admit it.

His determination to not admit only not stronger when Gryffindor lost. The good things: Gryffindor only lost by 10 points thanks to Ginny, and the match ended quickly- in 22 minutes to be exact. The bad things: Ron's fourteenth failed save, Sloper missing the Bludger but hitting Angelina in the mouth with his bat, and Kirke shrieking and falling backward off his broom as Zacharias Smith zoomed at him carrying the Quaffle.

The new Gryffindor Quidditch team was well, miserable in short.

The Common Room after the match had the mood of that of a funeral. No-one laughed or smiled. Hermione seemed to be taking this badly, as she went on about how Quidditch wasn't everything again.

"Good catch," Harry told Ginny with a somewhat bittersweet smile. He was happy that Ginny did a great job but then sad that Gryffindor lost.

"I was lucky," she shrugged, "It wasn't a very fast Snitch and Summerby's got a cold, he sneezed and closed his eyes at exacty the wrong moment. Anyway, once you're back on the team—"

"Ginny, I've got a lifelong ban."

"You're banned as long as Umbridge is in the school," Ginny corrected him, "There's a difference. Anyway, once you're back, I think I'll try out for Chaser. Angelina and Alicia are both leaving next year and I prefer goal-scoring to Seeking anyway."

Harry looked over at Ron, who was hunched in a corner, staring at his knees, a bottle of butterbeer clutched in his hand. Vlad was next to him, drinking with him in silence. Vlad seemed to know that talking to Ron would only make him more depressed.

"Angelina still won't let him resign," Ginny said, "She says she knows he's got it in him."

Harry liked Angelina for the faith she was showing in Ron, though Harry wasn't sure that was a good thing or not. Perhaps letting Ron resign was better, as Ron was ridiculed one more by the Slytherins this match.

Fred and George wandered over.

"I haven't got the heart to take the mickey out of him, even," Fred said, looking over at Ron's crumpled figure. "Mind you… when he missed the fourteenth…"

He made wild motions with his two arms.

"Well, I'll save it for parties, eh?"

Ron dragged himself up to bed shortly after this, leaving Vlad behind in the corner with Ron's butterbeer bottle and Vlad's own bottle. Harry and Vlad met eyes, and Vlad gave him an awkward smile, before going to put the butterbeer bottles away.

Harry did not go up to his dorm until about a half an hour later with Vlad, as he thought Ron wouldn't really want to talk with Harry anyway. Vlad said Ron was in no mood to talk…

"I just drank with him. Best I can do to make him feel better… pep talk would've only made him more er, sad," Vlad said, "It's not just Ron. The whole of Grffindor Tower is so depressed… wonder if everyone will be smiling again tomorrow."

Harry nodded, and entered the dorm in silence. Ron was already asleep, and Vlad and Harry changed into their pajamas quietly before going to bed themselves.

-0-0-0-

KYAAAAAAAAH.

I just got to know that at the end of the latest Conan movie, there was a short teaser for the next movie (like always- its like how MARVEL always have post credit scenes) and the 2019 movie is going to be about the one and only KID-Sama! It's been so long since he was in the anime - and the manga too!

I AM SO READY TO HAVE HIM BACK.

Btw the reason I got to know this so late is cuz I live where they don't show the Conan movies (its sad). And even if they do show it, the subtitles or dub is in a language I can't read or speak or understand soooo. I am still waiting for it to come on the internet hehehhe (the 2018 Conan movie I mean).

-PotterheadNo,04