I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Note: Thank you all for the kind words. I've had a rough week and seeing all the nice things people said encourage me to post more often. I originally only planned to post once a week but it's nice to see people read and comment and it made me feel better to post more for you.
I am glad the last two chapters were so well received. I know it is tricky to portray what Harry is going through respectfully and not gratuitously. I want to make it believable but not make it too much. Sometimes I wonder if I am overdoing it and will try to keep it at this level.
I always had a soft spot for Percy. To me his is an understandable character. He wanted to do well, he wanted to rise above the rumors and reputation of his family. He made decisions that went against what others thought of him and in the end, he came back. He was easy to dislike but I always thought what he did was understandable. I'm glad people like how I am portraying him so far.
I hope everyone continues to enjoy and have a wonderful day!
The Family that Chooses You
Chapter 10 – First Among Firsts
"It's game day!"
Oliver Wood was the embodiment of enthusiasm. Already dressed in his Quidditch robes, the Captain of the team had a smile from ear to ear. He bounced with unquenchable energy and everyone around him seemed to be drawn into his positivity.
All save a few people.
Alicia glared at him. "Yes yes we know, calm down or you'll need a nap before the game starts."
"Aww don't be like that Alicia," Oliver said. He grabbed her cheeks with both hands and playfully tugged. "Give me that big Spinnet smile! Come on!"
"One of these days she's going to bite your fingers off," Katie said as she munched on some toast. "I'm surprised she hasn't yet honestly."
Alicia slapped at Oliver's arms and chest, pushing him away. "That's because he needs them to catch the Quaffle, despite all ten of them being thumbs," she said with a sharp smile, one that showed off all her teeth.
"Not even you two can bring my mood down today," Oliver said. "Perfect weather today. We play the first game of the season. We have one of the best teams in the school. The only thing that would make this better than perfect is if others would share my joy."
"Oh there's one coming, I can hear her," Alicia said as she reopened her copy of the Daily Prophet.
Angelina came bounding into the Great Hall. "Game day!" she yelled.
"Yes! Right here!" Oliver held his hands up and Angelina slapped them hard. "Finally! An enthusiastic team mate."
"You two have more than enough for all of us," Katie said with a smile. "But don't worry, we're excited too."
Alicia did not look up from her paper but she held a pointer finger up and made a very tiny circle with it. "Yay Quidditch," she said blandly.
Oliver made a sound of mock suffering. "What are you even doing on the team?"
"Because a weedy third year begged me to try out with him and despite my best efforts, I'm still on it."
"I don't believe for a minute that Oliver has ever been 'weedy'," Angelina teased.
"He still begs though. Begs us to practice, begs us to take things seriously, begs for good conditions," Katie said and the three girls dissolved into giggles.
"Beset on all sides," Oliver complained. "Where the lads at? I need some help here."
"The Twins are already at the pitch planning the after party," Alicia said. "Harry's down the table with the other firsties."
"How's he looking?" Angelina asked.
"A bit nervous but alright I think," Katie said. "Just like any of us before our first game."
The four players looked down the table. Harry was sitting next to Ron and across from Hermione. He did look nervous but it was a surprisingly normal expression. He too was wearing his Quidditch robes, sticking out from his friends.
"Has he eaten yet?" Angelina asked.
Alicia and Katie shook their heads.
Oliver reached past Alicia and grabbed a slice of bread from the serving platter. He then put a spoonful of scrambled eggs on it and filched half a sausage from Alicia's plate. He ignored her shout of indignation and folded the bread over making a rough sandwich.
"Potter!" he exclaimed, walking over. He tossed the folded sandwich at the Seeker.
Despite being startled Harry caught it before it opened fully and spilled its contents.
"Eat up Seeker! That there is the secret to my success. Always eat at least one half sandwich like that before a match and you'll have a good one. Because that's the breakfast of champions. And what does that make us?"
Harry grinned, his nervousness ebbing. "Champions?"
Oliver stuck his chest out. "Champions!" He bowed as the Gryffindors cheered and waved jauntily at the booing Slytherins.
He turned back to Harry. "You finish that up and join us at the pitch."
Harry had already gotten up from the table, the sandwich held in his mouth like a dog holds a bone. "No I'm coming now!" His voice was muffled from the food.
"Harry, that's terrible manners," Hermione protested weakly, shooting Oliver an annoyed look.
The older boy ignored her, making another sandwich for himself and then holding it in his mouth like Harry. "Let's go!" he said, voice equally muffled.
The two left the Great Hall still eating. Angelina joined them swiftly with her own sandwich while Alicia and Katie followed at a more sedate and dignified pace, without sandwiches.
-0-
Harry was having the time of his life.
At first he was terribly nervous. All those people watching was a far cry different from practicing with the team. He knew some thought he did not deserve to be on the team. That plus the blatantly hostile looks the Slytherins gave him ate away at his self-confidence.
All that fear and nervousness went away as soon as he kicked off and flew into the air. It was like he literally left his problems behind. Up here in the fresh air he was free. He could play. He could fly. He could be a part of a team that wanted him there.
He was still getting used to being wanted for anything. His whole life the Dursleys treated him as an unwanted thing, worse than a pest. He was often chosen last for teams while he went to Muggle school, usually due to Dudley's influence. No one wanted him around.
Here it was day to his past's night. Not only did the team want him, they liked him. They treated him like a valued member. They were nice to him. Ron and Hermione were nice to him too. They wanted him around. It was incredible.
He did a tight turn and flashed right past the Slytherin Seeker, making him flinch and fight to control his broom. Then he dashed into a Slytherin Chaser's line of sight, making him stop for a moment and be hit by a Bludger.
"Way to go Harry!" Fred called as he hit the Bludger at another opposing Chaser.
Harry smiled the widest he ever had before.
-0-
Oliver grinned. The game was going incredibly well. The Gryffindor Chasers were playing perfectly, having scored in rapid succession. He had blocked three attempts so far keeping the Slytherins off the scoreboard. Fred and George were living up to their titles as "human Bludgers'' and had made excellent plays.
Harry had been doing great. He flew wonderfully and was able to keep the Slytherin Seeker guessing while helping the others on the team by being a distraction. Something that Oliver had not taught him yet.
He was incredibly proud of his team.
As with most good things unfortunately, it had to come to an end. He heard his name being called and looked at a visibly panicked Katie flying towards him.
"What's up?" he called as he waited for her to approach the goal rings. A good keeper never left them unattended, not for a very good reason.
"Call time out!"
"Why? What's wrong?"
She pointed up.
Oliver looked and he gasped. Harry was having trouble with his broom. He was floating far above the ground and his broom was bucking like a wild thing. The boy was barely holding onto the broom, the erratic movements almost completely unseating him.
"Madame Hooch!" Oliver bellowed as he flew straight to her. "Time out! We need a time out!"
Rolanda Hooch, flying instructor and Quidditch Referee looked puzzled at Oliver and Katie. "What for?" she asked.
They pointed up at Harry.
She gasped and blew her whistle. Players stopped and soon everyone was watching the drama unfold midair. All save for Marcus Flint, Chaser and Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, who grabbed the Quaffle and proceeded to score points for Slytherin.
Fred and George tried to approach Harry but the broom kicked even harder.
"Get back here!" Angelina shrieked.
The twins did, clearly reluctantly, but the broom kicked less as soon as they did.
"Wood, what do we do?" George asked as he zoomed down to them. His face was twisted with concern.
"If we get closer that thing might knock him off completely!" Fred said.
"We can't leave him up there alone!" Alicia cried. "He looks like he's about to fall as it is!"
"Fred, George, you two go get that big tarp from the locker room. Run it out between you and hold it tight in case he falls." Oliver pointed as he talked, making eye contact with each team member. "Katie go with them, you're lighter but faster and you can pull it with them. Alicia, you and me will be ready with wands out. We can cast Slowing Charms. Angelina, try to catch him if the tarp isn't ready. It's a tall order but you got the speed and the eye to try and snag him. At the least you can slow him down for us to charm him and he can land in the tarp. Go!"
The twins and Katie flew off with the last word in the air, streaking for the locker rooms. Angelina slid sideways, never once taking her eyes off Harry. She flexed her free arm, ready to grab Harry should he fall. Oliver looked at Hooch who nodded approvingly.
"A solid plan, Wood. I will be with you and Spinnet," she said, her wand at the ready.
She, Oliver, and Alicia moved away from each out, their wands out and at the ready.
Unknown to them at the time, the source of the kicking broom was a muttered curse from a very disturbed Professor possessed, figuratively and literally, with the desire to send Harry falling to the ground below. Were it not for the counter curse being incanted by another Professor, and the interference by a bushy haired young witch, the curse would have succeeded.
Harry felt the broom stop jolting about and behaving erratically. He pulled himself back onto the broom, arms shaking from the strain from holding on for so long. His whole body ached from stress and effort and looked moments away from fainting.
"Harry!" Oliver yelled, still not daring to fly closer in case the broom started to buck again. "Are you okay?"
Harry nodded, exhausted.
"Down! To the ground, now!" Oliver yelled, gesturing wildly to the ground. "Angelina! Pace and escort!"
Harry dove towards the ground, his movements slightly shaky. Angelina followed closely behind and at an angle, ready to adjust her course if any, further, emergencies occurred.
Harry's mouth was wide open, desperate for air. He wanted nothing more than to be on solid ground right now. Hanging up in the air on a broom that did not listen to him was a terrifying experience. He had never felt that helpless before. The only thing that had given him hope was seeing the team flying about him. It was obvious they cared and were trying to help him.
He dove closer to the ground, trying not to speed too fast in case the broom kicked or stopped. He panted heavily and something flashed in front of him. His hands flew to his mouth and throat as he started to choke. He could not bring the broom up from the dive so when he was a bare few feet over the ground he half jumped and half tumbled off.
Angelina dove as soon as she saw Harry fall off, leaping off her broom as soon as she could and rushing to Harry who was knelt over the ground. The rest of the team and Hooch cried out and sped to the ground as fast as they could.
"Harry! Are you okay?" Angelina slid next to him. She saw he was choking; his hands were grasping at his neck. She slapped him on the back, hard.
Harry coughed and felt something come flying out his mouth, finally allowing him to breathe. His reflexes were still there despite the duress and he caught it as it flew out.
"Is that?" Angelina gasped.
"No way," Harry said softly, eyes wide and round as he looked down at the spit-covered Snitch.
Fred, George, and Katie had flown in, still carrying the tarp. Katie also leapt off her broom to kneel beside Harry but Fred and George remained aloft. They cackled and started to fly around Harry in a circle, letting the wind catch the tarp like a celebratory streamer. "Potter caught the Snitch! Gold for Gryffindor!"
"Foul!" Marcus yelled as he zoomed down. "That doesn't count!"
"Why not?! He caught it," Alicia argued.
"First he didn't catch it, he practically swallowed it," Marcus said incensed. "Besides, we were on time out!"
All eyes turned to Hooch. She looked at Harry before giving Marcus a considering stare. "I can cite several games where a Seeker caught the Snitch using different parts of their body, Flint," she said coolly. "It's just easier to catch it using your hands so that's the usual method. To address your complaint that we were on time out," she looked up at the magical score board. "That did not seem to stop you from scoring multiple times."
The Slytherin Captain flushed an ugly red. "I, uh, didn't hear you blow the whistle," he stammered.
"Then you conveniently realized it was time out after you've scored several times? You can't have it both ways Flint." Hooch blew on her whistle. "Harry Potter caught the Snitch, Gryffindor wins 170-60!" She waved her wand and gold and crimson sparks flew out of it.
The students in the stands erupted in cheers and applause. The mighty juggernaut that was the Slytherin Team was finally laid low. The Gryffindors, after literal years of losses, had earned their first win.
The Gryffindor team landed. Fred and George ran in circles, still trailing the tarp and chanted "Potter swallowed the Snitch!" again and again. Oliver and Alicia embraced, the two danced about lost in victory.
Harry still stared down at the Snitch, still in disbelief. The sound from the stadium was almost overwhelming. The entire school was staring down at him. Elation warred with embarrassment. He wanted to hide from all of the attention.
Then Katie hugged him. She was so happy, so excited, that she hugged him as hard as she could, momentarily forgetting how Harry typically reacted to physical contact.
He went stiff. Again he wanted to flee, to break away and escape. Then he realized that this was something far different from being struck and beaten. This was much nicer. Much softer. It made him feel happy and safe, something he had scant few memories of. The most recent being him falling asleep on the couch with his head in Katie's lap.
He had been horrifically embarrassed when he woke, apologizing profusely. He thought about hiding from her for a while, thinking he had done something bad. It took considerable time and reassurance from the girls that what he did was fine. That he did nothing wrong.
It was perfectly normal to receive affection.
For a moment Katie thought she had over reached, went beyond his comfort zone. She immediately started to loosen her grip.
Harry hugged her back.
It was her turn to stiffen. This was the first time he had ever initiated any kind of physical contact. He always accepted back pats and rubs like a wary dog, like an animal who was unused to being touched and always expecting the worst. He was the one that waited for someone else to initiate a high five. He was always the waiter, the watcher. No matter how confused, no matter how wistful.
It was a small hug. It was not the full-bodied hug that Angelina typically gave. It was not the one arm plus a fond squeeze that Oliver favored. It was not the tight and warm Alicia hug. It was not the either overly formal with air in between joke hug or the comfortable family style hug the Weasley twins gave.
It still was, no question about it, a hug.
If Katie was not crying from joy due to winning the match, she was certainly crying now.
Angelina was shocked. Here was a boy that had screamed in terror from getting a congratulatory pat on the back willingly reciprocating a hug. She was so happy for him, so proud of him. All the time they gave him these last weeks, the reassurances, the attention, it was bearing fruit.
That did not keep her from looking a little wistful at Harry and Katie hugging.
Even though he was shorter than Katie, Harry could just see over her shoulder. He looked at the taller girl, the one that had scared him so the first time he met her. He remembered her look of utter shock that day. He saw how ever since then she was very careful around him, treating him like a delicate porcelain doll. She had been respectful.
Overcome with emotions he could not quite describe yet, he whispered something into Katie's ear, a question.
She cried even more now but her smile was genuine, she wiped her eyes and nodded happily at the younger boy, releasing her grip on him.
Harry turned and faced Angelina. With a hesitant, shy, but sincere smile on his face he held his arms open to her. A clear invitation. Permission. A question. All in one open gesture.
Angelina practically picked him up off the ground. She hugged him hard, grateful that his head was beneath hers so he could not see her tears of happiness.
She cried harder when he squeezed her back.
The others came crowding in for a giant group team hug. Katie wrapped her arms around Harry and Angelina. Alicia jumped in with Oliver trying to wrap them all up. Then Twins threw themselves into the group and they fell to the ground laughing while the watchers stormed the pitch.
Harry had never been happier.