Chapter 37

The Consequences

James burst into the room.

"What's going on? There are people downstairs saying you're expelled!" He exclaimed.

Rangi looked up from where he was sitting on the edge of his bed looking more miserable than James had ever imagined he would be. He walked over slowly feeling cautious and on edge, "You're not expelled are you?" He asked disbelievingly.

"Worse." Choked Rangi looking back down but James was glad he hadn't been kicked out yet.

There was silence for what felt like a very long time.

"I'M NOT ALLOWED PLAY THE MATCH TOMORROW!" Burst Rangi burying his head in his knees.

James didn't know how to feel or what to say so he didn't say anything. He was just relieved that Rangi wasn't expelled; on the other hand Rangi seemed to see this as the worst possible punishment.

"Um and the next match; you'll be able to play again by then?" James asked very carefully.

"The next match! Who cares about the next match!" Spat Rangi, "If we don't win - If you don't win this match..." He continued struggling to say it out loud, "We're out of the running for the Quiditch Cup!"

James was alarmed and he was really starting to hope that Rangi didn't start crying 'cause he definitely couldn't deal with that.

"There's always next year," He soothed worriedly.

"NEXT YEAR! This is my first year as captain - we should be winning by lo-If Slytherin win-!" Rangi twisted one fist into the other.

"Should I leave?" Offered James surrendering to the fact that he wasn't going to be able to help here.

"Yes," Mumbled Rangi barely loud enough to hear.

James backed out of the room to the sound of, "I can't believe it-not this-anything would have been better-I'll kill Flint-If Lysander wins-I'll kill them both-!" and saw Rangi drape himself over the bed as he shut the door taking a deep breath and then it sunk into him how terrible this really was - An hour ago there was no way they would lose to Ravenclaw and now they had no chance!

When Albus awoke on Saturday morning he immediately assumed he had school, checking his watch on the bedside table and seeing that it was breakfast time in the Great Hall he hurriedly got up and pulled Philip's curtains open too.

Albus had thought Philip was still asleep but as he stared down at his friend he could see his big eyes were open wide.

"Al, it's Saturday." Philip informed him, it wasn't the first time Albus had woken him on a Saturday thinking it was time for school.

"Oh right." Said Albus realizing his mistake, "Oh right!" He exclaimed putting his hand up to his forehead, "The match!"

Philip nodded expressionlessly.

Albus sat back down on the bed wondering what happened when one team was missing their captain and Keeper.

"I just feel so useless." Grumbled Philip sitting properly in his bed and facing Albus.

"What do you mean?"

"If only they let first years on the team, then I could step in - no one else will! I heard them yesterday in the common room, no one wants to be blamed for loosing and no one's had any training - but I'd do it and Rangi wouldn't mind me playing his position, he knows I'm good!"

Albus nodded but he didn't know what to say. The other boys in the dormitory were starting to stir. It wasn't long before the place was as loud and disorganized as usual and Albus and Philip found themselves quite distracted.

"I heard that two of the third years are dueling this afternoon! Wanna go and watch?" Asked Isaac Anderson excitedly.

"Obviously! I haven't seen a single duel here yet." Replied Emerson brightly.

The first year boys headed for the Great Hall happily making weekend plans and laughing loudly at jokes and stories but when Philip and Albus entered The Great Hall they were hit by a wave of guilt.

The Gryfindor Quiditch team was sitting miserably at the table, Molly Weasley, who was the Vice Captain and who had obviously taken charge, was standing up at the High Table and apparently arguing with Flint. Rangi was nowhere to be seen.

Timidly Philip and Albus approached the downcast team,

"How's it going?" Philip asked.

Astra Hughes laughed a hollow laugh.

"Doesn't look like Molly's having much luck." Muttered Benito Camisso.

Albus could now hear his cousin's voice drifting across the hall.

"What do you mean? You postponed a match because of a little fight and you can't postpone it when we have no Keeper!"

"That was the Principal's call you'll find." Replied Flint silkily.

"Well then I want to talk to the Principal!" Molly argued.

"Miss Weasley, do try to keep you're temper and no you may not talk to the Principal, she has very important things to deal with and we won't go bothering her with a tiny little Quiditch issue like one missing player."

Molly's face grew slowly red, " 'tiny Quiditch issue'? I'm about to lead a captainless, keeperless Quiditch team into a Quiditch House Cup match! That is not a tiny issue!"

Flint still looked unfazed, in fact he chuckled a little, "Miss Weasley I'm sure you don't want your father hearing about this."

Completely outraged Molly spun around and stormed away from the Quiditch referee face red with fury.

"Seriously, she needs to relax." Grinned the Ravenclaw captain, Leopold Rankin, from the Ravenclaw table on Albus's other side.

He knew Molly had heard him but it was clear that he didn't care.

"Shut it, Rankin." Paddy Hyde muttered murderously as all the Gryffindor's stared him down.

But Rankin just grinned some more and turned back to his own team.

"Ugh, I hate that guy!" Molly complained sitting down grumpily.

"Flint or Rankin?" Asked Fred picking at his sausages and rashers expressionlessly.

"Both of them! Do you think I should try and get sent to the Principal's office? Then she'd have to see me."

The Quiditch team all stared at Molly, was she really offering to do something so bad that she'd be sent to McGonagall's office just so that she could argue her point. Albus was shocked; indeed everyone seemed shocked except for Fred, who was still picking at his food without eating,

"Nah, she knew what she was doing when she banned him from the match, giving Gryffindor a death sentence that is." He said disgustedly as though McGonagall's punishment was the ultimate betrayal.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." She replied.

"Dad'd kill you too, and don't say he won't find out Molly! In any case they'll probably just send you to Longbottom." Fred added looking up at her.

Molly groaned.

It was at this point that Albus realized James was missing. He muttered it to Philip not willing to raise the question himself.

"Um, where's James?" Asked Philip.

The team shrugged as one, all except for Molly who hadn't seemed to have notice either,

"If that brat has bailed on us I'll kill him!" She said jumping to her feet and scanning the rest of the table, which was considerably more full than when Albus had arrived.

"Calm down Molly, he's probably just up in the common room." Muttered Fred.

"Yeah trying to get Rangi to speak to him." Agreed Paddy.

Molly backed down but kept casting her eyes around the Hall suspiciously. Albus and Philip left the group but agreed that neither of them was hungry enough to eat and decided to go back to Gryffindor tower. The common room was silent but to their surprise it was not empty. James, Alex, Letitia and Blue were sitting in their favourite seats by the fireplace. Blue and Alex were quietly eating their breakfasts while watching James with worried eyes. James was staring straight ahead completely ignoring the bowl of cereal in front of him.

As Albus and Philip past through the common room Blue gave them the slightest of nervous half-smiles. Afraid of causing any disturbance in the stiff atmosphere they tiptoed towards the spiral staircase. Only once they were sure they would not be heard did Philip open his mouth, "You're brother doesn't look too good."

Well that was definitely clear.

"Reckon we should check on yours?" Asked Albus.

"Yeah okay."

They knocked quietly on the fifth year's dormitory but they were met with no reply. Knocking louder and still not hearing anything from the room beyond they decided to leave the Quiditch captain be.

They continued up to there own dorm where they sat quietly each wondering about what would happen at the Quiditch. Finally they realized it was pointless just sitting there.

"Great Hall?" Albus suggested and himself and Philip left again.

The whole castle seemed to be silent as they wandered through the empty corridors, silent until -

"Gryffindor is screwed - they should give up now."

A gang of older Slytherins was leaning against the corridor wall ahead.

"I smell trouble..." Mumbled Philip at Albus's shoulder.

Albus shook his head, "Just don't say anything, they'll ignore us."

He kept walking but he became less sure with every step.

"Can you believe Weasley's captaining? She'll make a right fool of herself! She definitely shouldn't be vice - she's terrible."

"Yeah but then again - they all are! Pai shouldn't have been let on the team let alone be captain."

"And how on earth did Potter make it onto the team!"

They all laughed at this and Albus's fist clenched. Okay, so he was angry at James but this just wasn't fair - James was a good Quiditch player and the rest of Gryfindor team was amazing too! They all deserved their places on the team.

They were level now, Albus kept his head down.

"Focus on the ground, don't look at them - don't get their attention."

THUD!

Philip tripped and fell, Albus looked up in alarm - THUD! He felt a firm hand against his back and found himself tumbling over someone's foot too.

The Slytherins laughed hard as the first years scrambled back onto their feet.

"Hey would you look at that," Mused one who seemed to be the gang leader, "It's Pai's brother and Potter's!"

Albus looked up at him glaringly.

He looked about thirteen, he was tall and had bright red hair in sharp-looking spikes. His friends were gathering around him peering at Albus and Philip and chuckling slightly at their luck - go to trip two random little Gryffindors and get the brother of James Potter.

"Hey Potter - how's James feeling about the match?" Guffawed the thickest-looking one.

Albus ignored him, he should leave; he turned away.

"That bad huh?" Laughed another.

Albus tried to continue ignoring them but the red-haired guy stepped in his way.

"Oy! We're only trying to talk! Looks like you could do with some manners!"

Albus clenched his teeth, "Manners? Coming from these thugs?" He turned away from the older boy again, back towards Gryffindor tower was the only way out.

"Don't be like that!" Sneered a girl, she was the only girl there, "You needn't run away!"

"Run away?" Albus felt frustrated, his instinct not to run was clashing with his instinct to keep out of trouble and he didn't know which to act on - that is he did know which would be the clever thing to do, however something was holding him back, he was not going to run away and let them call him a coward.

"So, Potter - you lookin' forward to the match?" Asked the red-haired boy slyly.

The gang of Slytherins laughed loudly. Philip nudged Albus in the side,

"That's Tybalt Tyne, Al! Robert Tyne's brother, be careful 'k 'cuz I've heard-"

But Philip had to stop because the Slytherins had stopped laughing. Albus knew what Philip meant anyway, James had warned them about the Tynes in the beginning of the year.

"Pai? What about you? How's your brother since his run in with Flint?" Grinned a third boy.

Philip's face went a darker shade as he blushed but he didn't reply either.

"Aw... look at them, two little blushing pygmy puffs!"

This of course made Philip and Albus blush worse than ever but it was then that help arrived,

"Move along people - don't be blocking up the corridors!" Said the tall figure of Professor Longbottom as he walked up the corridor towards them.

The Slytherins quickly dispersed.

"Oh Albus, Philip, I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you'd already be heading down to the Quiditch pitch - I know how much you two love Quiditch." Smiled Professor Longbottom stopping along side them.

"You mean you think we'll stand a chance!" Exclaimed Albus seeing Neville's enthusiasm about the match.

Longbottom gave him a surprised look and started walking again slowly so that Albus and Philip could walk with him, "Of course I do Albus, I'm mean sure we're missing one excellent player but we've still got six more! And Albus," He gave him a skeptical look, "It's not all about winning, I said that I knew how much you love Quiditch not how much you love it when Gryffindor wins - not that I have any problem with winning either-" He grinned, "But I expected you to be down there watching how well people were playing and picking up some tips!"

Albus thought about this - did it really matter if Gryffindor won or not? Of course it did but even if they get trashed; it's still Quiditch and of course he wanted to watch the match no matter what the result was, he could learn a lot from just watching Quiditch. His thoughts drifted to Rangi, locking himself away in his dormitory.

They walked with Professor Longbottom down to the Quiditch pitch where the first of the students had already gathered. Albus thought of James and how nervous he must be by now. He quickly put James out of his head, they were still fighting after all and he doubted James would be too worried if their roles were reversed.

"Any plans for the weekend Neville?" Albus asked politely.

Neville smiled cheerfully, "Hannah and Alice are coming up to visit this weekend; they'll be arriving soon after the match."

Alice was Neville's adorable fifteen month old daughter, usually he would go back to the Leaky Cauldron for the weekend but on Quiditch match weekends it was important that he stayed at the school so sometimes Hannah would come and stay for the weekend with baby Alice.

They stayed and chatted with Professor Longbottom until the stands were getting full and they had to run off to find some seats.

"I could always make an exception and let the two of you sit in the teachers box." Neville suggested with concern.

"It's fine." Albus protested, "We have to go find Isaac and the others, we said we'd sit with them! See you later Neville."

When eventually they did find Isaac, Emerson and Godric it was nearly time for the match to begin, luckily they had saved them seats, Rose was there too with Amanda and another girl called Tara who Albus and Philip didn't really know. Artemis wasn't there.

"Where have you two been?" Rose demanded when she saw them, "I couldn't find you at breakfast!"

Albus settled himself between Philip and Rose, "We were with Professor Longbottom and stuff." He muttered.

" 'And stuff'? What exactly?"

"It's a long story Rose." Moaned Albus already sick of Rose's bossy demands.

"Look! The teams are coming out!" Philip interrupted before Rose could demand to be told the long story.

All the first year Gryffindors turned eagerly towards the pitch - the teams were indeed emerging.

Hope you liked this chapter, the match is next, I'll have it up soon… I hope! Sorry I haven't uploaded as much as usual, thank you to everyone who has been patient and read every chapter! Especially to those who review, always makes me smile to see a new review! XD I will also be putting up lots of art for this fanfiction; my scanner broke so that's why I haven't had any new stuff recently.

Have a lovely day/night everybody!