Quidditch
Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field,
"Why?" Luna asked, tilting her head. All around the hall, people turned to look at her.
"So that the brooms aren't frozen and are able to be used," Ginny told her gently.
"No, I meant why do they have to be defrosted? Why are they frozen at all?"
"Everything freezes in winter here," Ron said.
"But why isn't there a warming charm or a set of wards around the broom shed to prevent the brooms from freezing?" Everyone stare at Luna at that comment.
"That is actually quite a good idea," Filius said, making a note to start creating a ward scheme for the broom shed.
On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin.
"The best match of the season," many of the Quidditch fanatics said.
"The most violent match," the teachers said.
But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow,
"Nothing stays secret in Hogwarts." The trio exchanged smirks at that, knowing that they had kept some pretty impressive secrets throughout their time at Hogwarts.
and Harry didn't know which was worse — people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.
"Why is it a question. It would be the one with the mattress," Charlie said, getting a shrug in response.
"I didn't want to let anyone down."
He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do.
"What do you mean by that?" Mrs Weasley asked.
"If Hermione didn't remind me about my homework and help me make a schedule for each subject's homework, I wouldn't have got through everything or even remembered that we had homework," Harry replied with a shrug.
Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473;
"That would have been a great match."
"Wish I could have seen it."
"How does that even happen?"
"One of the more unknown ghosts was a player during that match and he said that a foul would be being committed as another was taken. And at one point they had to pause play for half an hour to get through all the fouls that had been racked up," Harry said, leaving out the fact that said ghost had been able to show him the memory of the game one night; he had stumbled into the corridor that many ghosts spent most of their time in towards the end of first year and had visited often after first finding the corridor, and none of the ghosts that were there were opposed to him being there and some had commented that they enjoyed talking to him; the ghosts didn't want the fact that they could show their memories to the living to get out, so he had only told Hermione and Ron about seeing the match, since they sometimes accompanied him but hadn't been there that night.
that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them;
"Which is why they rarely play offensive. They get fouled and injured enough as it is," Charlie said, raising an eyebrow at Harry, who only grinned in response.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view; they were sure it wouldn't be allowed.
"It would be actually. As long as it wasn't done in the corridors. Magic isn't allowed in the corridors so that no one gets hit by accident since the corridors are so narrow," Minerva said as Filius marvelled at the fact that a first year had been able to produce the bluebell flames.
"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."
"It wasn't even a library book. It was Hermione's that she leant to me. He didn't even check before taking it," Harry said with a huff.
"He's just made that rule up,"
"No, it is actually a rule. Madame Pomphrey enforced it rather forcefully during our school years because of the number of times your mum and I would be reading library books outside only for it to start raining," Remus said.
She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.
"They never actually copy; Ron just made the comment once about how many people would want to copy my work because of the marks I get. They're both a lot smarter than they think. I simply look over their work to make sure it makes sense and is legible, as well as to check spelling mistakes and other simple mistakes, like mishearing something when we learn about it," Hermione said in response to the glares they had gotten from the adults around them at the thought of the boys copying her work.
Harry felt restless.
"Ah, that makes sense. I was wondering why you weren't concentrating on your work very much," Hermione said as Ron gained a similar look of understanding. They both knew that when Harry got restless, he could never focus on anything, and it was better to not keep him cooped up and to let him walk it off; many of his pranks occurred when he was feeling restless and went for a walk and needed something to do with his hands.
Why should he be afraid of Snape?
"Because he's terrifying?" many of the Gryffindors said, staring at Harry, wondering if he was completely sane.
Snape and Filch were inside, alone.
"Eww. The images," Fred cried.
Snape was holding his robes above his knees.
"My innocence," George cried.
"I just wondered if I could have my book back."
"You still asked?" Neville asked in amazement.
"I really wanted the book back. It was Hermione's," Harry replied, shrugging slightly.
In a low whisper, Harry told them what he'd seen.
"No secrets between the Golden Trio," George and Fred said in a singsong voice.
"True … wait, what?" Harry said, before the name they had used registered.
"The Golden Trio. Didn't you guys know that's what the school calls you?" Ginny asked.
"No, we did not," the trio said.
Although, it makes us seem much more innocent than Marauders does, Ron signed.
The name does make it sound like we follow the rules, Hermione agreed, giggling slightly.
"But I don't need another name," Harry complained as he watched Ron and Hermione's signed messages, even if he did agree with their points.
And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"
"Should have taken that bet," Ron said with a fake pout. Harry elbowed him.
"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," snapped Ron.
"No, I don't. I also think that some teachers are toads," Hermione quipped. Her response got laughs from all those who heard her, especially when they noticed that she was glaring at Umbridge.
"I don't want anything."
"Of course, you didn't," Ron sighed.
"I'm not hungry."
"You really need to work on that Harry," Hermione sighed.
"What?" Remus asked.
"Whenever he's nervous, he stops eating or barely eats."
"Thanks, Seamus," said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.
"I appreciate it Seamus," Harry called sarcastically.
"Happy to help."
"Okay, men," he said.
The Quidditch team didn't give the book any time to continue, instead standing up and continuing the speech on their own.
"And woman," Angelina said.
"And woman. This is it," Alicia said.
"The big one," said Katie.
"The one we've all been waiting for," George said.
"We know Oliver's speech by heart. We were on the team last year," Fred said, knowing that he had added that despite it not being actually part of the speech.
"Shut up you two. This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it," Harry said.
"Or else," Katie added, even adding the glare that Oliver used.
"Right, it's time," Alicia said.
"Good luck," Angelina finished before the team sat down again and let the book continue reading.
"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years.
"Unfortunately," the other Quidditch teams muttered.
He glared at them all as if to say, "Or else."
"Or else I'll make you wake up before dawn to train," Fred said.
"And you'll never miss a scheduled session, regardless of the weather," George added. The team exchanged glances before they collectively shuddered in remembrance.
"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."
Many people throughout the hall were looking at the team in awe at the fact that they recited the whole speech perfectly, including the interruptions.
Madam Hooch was refereeing.
"Of course. She always does," Bill agreed, not noticing the small looks exchanged between those who had been at school that year.
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor — what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too —"
The hall was filled with laughter as Lee's commentary began, everyone loving Lee's additions to his commentary.
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve — back to Johnson and — no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes — Flint flying like an eagle up there — he's going to sc— no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle — that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger — Quaffle taken by the Slytherins — that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger — sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which — nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes — she's really flying — dodges a speeding Bludger — the goal posts are ahead — come on, now, Angelina — Keeper Bletchley dives — misses — GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"
Everyone in the hall was eagerly listening to the book, getting into the game as much as they had the first time around, especially those who hadn't been there to see it. The Gryffindors and Gryffindor supporters all cheered along with the book as the goal was announced.
Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to join them.
"Oh no. Shit, shit, shit," Hermione said under her breath. Ron and Harry, the only two who heard her, turned to look at her in concern; they knew it was bad when she reverted back to her muggle curses rather than using wizarding curses.
"Are you alright Hermione?"
"It changed perspective," she whispered.
"Yeah, so?"
"You know what I did during this game," she hissed, looking terrified. Both boys gulped, clearly remembering what she had done.
"Bloody hell. Oh Merlin, you're so dead," Ron said.
"You'll be ok Mione. He can't punish you for anything that happens during the books," Harry assured her, even though he didn't believe himself. But it didn't change how scared Hermione was; Snape was terrifying, and she didn't want to know how he would react to finding out she had set him on fire.
"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."
"I liked it when you didn't have much to do," Hermione complained; watching Harry play Quidditch really wasn't good for her nerves.
"But that's boring."
"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin',"
"That's very true," Ron agreed and Harry scowled playfully at the comment.
he caught sight of a flash of gold, but it was just a reflection from one of the Weasleys' wristwatches,
"You don't wear gold during a match," Charlie scolded.
"Forgot to take them off," the twins said together.
A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.
"Amateur," many of the Quidditch players said, with the Slytherin's shaking their heads in disappointment at their old player.
Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch — all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in mid-air to watch.
"Why did you guys have to do that?" Harry asked his team. He really hadn't enjoyed the 5-hour training session and Wood's rants that they had to endure because of that. Especially because he hadn't stopped to watch.
WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below
A similar roar of rage swept through the Gryffindors gathered in the hall.
"So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating —"
"Gotta love Lee," the twins grinned. Lee grinned back at them.
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure,
"Of course," Ginny agreed, rolling her eyes even as she grinned.
It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning dangerously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch.
"Wait, what?" Remus asked quickly, staring at Harry in horror even as the teen in question tried to ignore the feeling in his stomach from the sudden lurch.
It was as though the broom was trying to buck him off.
"What? Why's it doing that?" Remus demanded, looking panicky.
Lee was still commentating.
"How did no one notice" Mrs Weasley demanded.
"I was up quite high, trying to find the snitch again, so I wasn't near the game play, so no one was watching me," Harry replied with a shrug even as his stomach continued to lurch and jolt.
He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.
Harry quickly stood from where he was sitting, ignoring the sick feeling that had risen in his stomach from the acrobatics of the broom, and the ache in his arm from the abrupt fall off his broom, and moved to sit on the ground in front of Remus, leaning against the werewolf's legs and pulling Snuffles onto his lap. His position meant that he was preventing Remus from getting up, since his legs were firmly pressed into the chair, and he was preventing Snuffles from doing anything, since he was hugging him quite tightly.
"He's doing something — jinxing the broom," said Hermione.
"He's what?" Remus demanded as Snuffles growled, causing Harry to tighten his grip on the canine.
"We only had our suspicions. We find out what really happened at the end of the book," Hermione said.
Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing.
"Git," Ginny muttered, making sure her mum didn't hear.
Hermione had fought her way across to the stand where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrell headfirst into the row in front.
"Wait, I did what?" Hermione asked in horror.
"Knocked Quirrell headfirst into the row in front of him," Ginny replied.
"Oh Merlin," she said, Ron and Harry reacting in similar ways as they all realised the same two things. One, she had knocked over Voldemort. And two, if she had gone a different way, Harry could have died.
Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.
Severus scowled down at the witch sitting with her friends in anger. She had set him on fire. And there was nothing he could do to punish her.
It showed how scared everyone was for Harry, and how tense they all were, especially Remus, Sirius, and the twins, that they didn't react to the fact that Hermione had set Snape on fire.
Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.
"Thank you Mione," Harry said with a significant look, and they both knew he was thanking her for knocking into Quirrell, not for her setting Snape on fire.
"I'm just glad I did it," Hermione replied.
Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.
"Thanks for caring Neville."
"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.
"You caught the snitch in your mouth," Charlie said blankly.
"Of course. Hasn't everyone," Harry asked, smiling innocently.
"I don't even know how to reply to that."
Harry heard none of this, though.
"Why?" Lee asked.
"I was slightly more concerned about who had just tried to kill me," Harry replied blandly.
"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.
"Fluffy?" was exclaimed all around the hall.
"Of course. The ones with the cute names are the dangerous ones," Ron said, as if that were something that everyone should have known. And if they were friends with Hagrid, it really was.
"Yeah — he's mine — bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year — I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the —"
"He gets way too many interesting pets from people he meets in pubs," Harry said with a sigh.
"At least he knew who this one was," Ron said.
"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher,
"So was Quirrell," the trio all grumbled quietly, quiet enough that not even Remus or Sirius were able to pick up on what they had said.
You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all,
"And the same's for counter-curses. I just hadn't learnt that yet," Hermione added when many students, especially those in the DA, turned to glare at Snape.
You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel —"
"Hagrid," many of the teachers sighed.
Hagrid looked furious with himself.
"We'll be stopping for another break now. Please be back in half an hour," Dumbledore announced and everyone in the hall started moving around, many of them leaving the hall, either individually or in groups.