Well, here is my first attempt at a fanfic in the Harry Potter universe! I
have been writing fanfiction for years though, my most recent attempt being
the Lord of the Rings Universe. So I would love it if you could send me a
review, letting me know if you like this story or not, it would mean a lot
to me, thanks!
DISCLAIMER: I own NOTHING. The only thing that is my property is the character of Vera Shields; all else belongs to JK Rowlings. So don't bother suing me, the lawyer will cost you more than what you'd get in return.
Warning: This story is set around the character of Oliver Wood during the second book. There are spoilers for all FOUR books here, so be warned. Okay, enough of me talking, on with the story!
Chapter 1 Meetings
Lightening flashed across the sky, or what would appear to be the sky, in the dining hall at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Great Hall was filled with the loud voices of the students who were enjoying the welcoming feast. Yet, at the table filled with those from the house of Gryffindor, the noise was not as loud as it could be.
Three seats remained to be filled, even after the sorting had taken place. Two of those seats had yet to be occupied by either Ron Weasley or Harry Potter. The third empty seat was a mystery to those that wondered.
"Harry is coming right?" asked Oliver Wood rather nervously. He glanced over his shoulder at one of his chasers, Katie Bell, who currently had her arm swathed in bandages and a sling. She had injured it only a few days prior to the start of the school term in an accident with some sort of animal, and neither Katie, nor Wood were very happy about it. His concern for Harry was quite understandable as a result; he couldn't afford to lose his seeker.
"I don't know where he and Ron are," said Fred with a shrug. "They should have been on the train."
Wood sighed and continued to eat the food on his plate, though he found his appetite to be waning. In the middle of the feast, Professor McGonagall calmly walked over and spoke quietly to Percy Weasley so none could hear. Percy then rose and quickly followed the professor out a side door.
"Wonder what that was all about?" asked George, eyeing the closed door. "Maybe Percy is finally going to get a reprimand for something."
"For what, having his robes too perfect?" asked Fred. They stopped talking when the door opened again with Professor McGonagall and Percy. Behind them both, walked a girl that no one at the Gryffindor table recognized. Long black hair flowed past her shoulders and framed her slightly pale face. Two ice blue eyes glanced around her, appraising her surroundings. The professor whispered a few hushed words to her before moving back to the main table.
Percy led the girl to the Gryffindor table and smiled. "This is Vera Shields. She is a sixth year and has transferred from Beauxbatons and will be studying here with us." They both sat down with Vera smiling slightly uneasily at those around her. "Oliver, I can solve all of your Quidditch woes in a few seconds if you let me."
Wood tore his eyes away from the new arrival seated across from him and looked over at Percy hopefully. "What is it?"
"Well, it seems that both Ron and Harry are here, they are just in horrible trouble. They missed the train and flew father's car here, but ended up crashing into the Whomping Willow-"
"Ron did that?" exclaimed George excitedly. "Right into the Whomping Willow?"
"Oh, what I wouldn't have given to be there!" replied Fred. "I would have gladly missed the train for that."
"That's quite enough," interrupted Percy indignantly. "Thankfully, they're both all right, so you'll have your seeker. As for your chaser," he nodded pointedly over at Vera who was listening to the whole conversation curiously. "Vera is a pretty good chaser herself."
Wood looked over at her again, his eyes wide. "Really?"
Vera shrugged. "I think that Percy's overestimating me, but I do play."
Percy made a noise that resembled a snort. "I am hardly overestimating you. From the brief bit that Professor McGonagall has told me, you won the Quidditch cup last year at Beauxbatons."
"It wasn't that big a deal," replied Vera, becoming more comfortable with the passing seconds. "Quidditch over there is a joke."
"Well then you wouldn't mind playing for the Gryffindor house team would you?" asked Wood hopefully.
Vera looked at him for a moment, seeing the near pleading in his brown eyes. With a smile she said, "No, I wouldn't mind."
Wood grinned and would have hugged her had there not been a table in his way. In minutes, this mysterious girl had just saved his Quidditch season. Determined to learn more about his newest chaser, he listened as questions were thrown her way.
"You said you came from Beauxbatons?" asked Lee Jordan, a friend of the Weasleys' and a commentator for the Quidditch matches. "Then how come you don't have a French accent? Do you speak French?"
Vera shook her head and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I know some French, but not enough. I move around a lot so that's why I was given a Language Charm early on. I simply performed it every morning and I was fine. It's come in handy quite a bit."
"Why do you move around so much?"
Vera nervously pushed a strand of raven hair behind her ear. "My parents work in the field for the Ministry of Magic."
Fred and George leapt in with their own questions, which proceeded to make her squirm even more if it was possible. "Which department? Our father works in the department of The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
Vera blinked as if she had never heard of the department before. "They um, work in the department of.The Control of Muggle Knowledge. You know, they handle what the Muggles know and don't know. Busy job."
"So they move around and control any situations that come about?"
Vera nodded. "Time consuming job. But moving on, do you guys like it here at Hogwarts?"
Everyone launched into tales of their exploits at the school as Vera tried to keep track of each story and each person. By the time that the feast had finally come to a close, she felt as if she had just been thrown into a hurricane.
Vera stretched and waited till the hall had been mainly clear before starting out herself. She gave a reassuring smile to Professor McGonagall and headed out the door, slightly disoriented.
"Need help getting to the common room?" asked a voice and Vera jumped slightly, her hand automatically going for her wand as she turned around. Wood held up his hands defensively. "I didn't mean to scare you. Percy had asked me to act as a sort of guide while he took care of the first years."
Vera nodded. "Thanks. I was just wondering how I was going to get to.wherever I'm supposed to be going."
Wood laughed and turned into a hallway. "You seem like you've done this before, this whole starting over thing."
Vera sighed. "I've gone to a different school every year. That's why the Language Charm is probably the most valuable thing that I've learned."
"You don't have any place that you just stay at?"
Vera shook her head. "It's best to keep moving. So who is this Harry that Percy was talking about?"
Wood grinned. "Harry Potter, our seeker. Amazing kid. We would have won the Quidditch cup last year had he not been unconscious for the final match."
"Harry Potter?" asked Vera in the awed voice that all had when first hearing the name. "Why was he unconscious?"
"He had a run in with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
Vera promptly stopped in her tracks, her face pale. "The Dark Lord?" she asked, her voice turning into a high-pitched squeak.
Wood nodded solemnly. "But it's all right, he was defeated again. It's not that easy to take down Harry Potter." Studying the sixth year's horrified expression, he smiled understandingly. "It's all right Vera. He's long gone now. With both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore here at Hogwarts, You-Know-Who doesn't stand a chance." Mistaking her fear for knowledge of the stories that were told all throughout the magical world, Wood grabbed her hand and gently pulled her further down the hall.
"Where's the common room?" asked Vera when they reached the end and she looked around.
"Behind the portrait," responded Wood with a smile. Looking at the picture of the fat lady in a pink silk dress, he said clearly, "Wattlebird."
The portrait swung open and Vera took a step back on instinct. Inside lay the common room of Gryffindor House, filled with the students of Hogwarts. Wood pulled on Vera's hand again and led her into the common room.
Students crowded around them, some with hardly a passing glance as others stopped to ask questions about the new transfer student. A loud yowl caused a brief moment of silence as a black cat streaked through the crowd and landed on Vera's shoulder.
"It's all right," she assured those that were watching. "It's just my cat, Athena."
"You have a cat named Athena?" asked Angelina Johnson.
Vera nodded. "She goes with me everywhere. She was a gift from my aunt. She won't hurt anyone if that's what you're wondering."
Angelina nodded, slightly unnerved by the emerald green stare of the cat. "Anyway, Vera I'll show you to the room. I'm Angelina by the way, also a chaser on the team."
Vera smiled and released Wood's hand to follow the girl up a staircase. Wood sat quietly and watched before Fred and George came jumping over, bombarding him with questions. "You okay Wood?"
Wood broke his gaze and looked at the two redheaded twins. "Why wouldn't I be?"
The twins laughed before going off to conjure up some mischief.
~*~*~*~
DISCLAIMER: I own NOTHING. The only thing that is my property is the character of Vera Shields; all else belongs to JK Rowlings. So don't bother suing me, the lawyer will cost you more than what you'd get in return.
Warning: This story is set around the character of Oliver Wood during the second book. There are spoilers for all FOUR books here, so be warned. Okay, enough of me talking, on with the story!
Chapter 1 Meetings
Lightening flashed across the sky, or what would appear to be the sky, in the dining hall at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Great Hall was filled with the loud voices of the students who were enjoying the welcoming feast. Yet, at the table filled with those from the house of Gryffindor, the noise was not as loud as it could be.
Three seats remained to be filled, even after the sorting had taken place. Two of those seats had yet to be occupied by either Ron Weasley or Harry Potter. The third empty seat was a mystery to those that wondered.
"Harry is coming right?" asked Oliver Wood rather nervously. He glanced over his shoulder at one of his chasers, Katie Bell, who currently had her arm swathed in bandages and a sling. She had injured it only a few days prior to the start of the school term in an accident with some sort of animal, and neither Katie, nor Wood were very happy about it. His concern for Harry was quite understandable as a result; he couldn't afford to lose his seeker.
"I don't know where he and Ron are," said Fred with a shrug. "They should have been on the train."
Wood sighed and continued to eat the food on his plate, though he found his appetite to be waning. In the middle of the feast, Professor McGonagall calmly walked over and spoke quietly to Percy Weasley so none could hear. Percy then rose and quickly followed the professor out a side door.
"Wonder what that was all about?" asked George, eyeing the closed door. "Maybe Percy is finally going to get a reprimand for something."
"For what, having his robes too perfect?" asked Fred. They stopped talking when the door opened again with Professor McGonagall and Percy. Behind them both, walked a girl that no one at the Gryffindor table recognized. Long black hair flowed past her shoulders and framed her slightly pale face. Two ice blue eyes glanced around her, appraising her surroundings. The professor whispered a few hushed words to her before moving back to the main table.
Percy led the girl to the Gryffindor table and smiled. "This is Vera Shields. She is a sixth year and has transferred from Beauxbatons and will be studying here with us." They both sat down with Vera smiling slightly uneasily at those around her. "Oliver, I can solve all of your Quidditch woes in a few seconds if you let me."
Wood tore his eyes away from the new arrival seated across from him and looked over at Percy hopefully. "What is it?"
"Well, it seems that both Ron and Harry are here, they are just in horrible trouble. They missed the train and flew father's car here, but ended up crashing into the Whomping Willow-"
"Ron did that?" exclaimed George excitedly. "Right into the Whomping Willow?"
"Oh, what I wouldn't have given to be there!" replied Fred. "I would have gladly missed the train for that."
"That's quite enough," interrupted Percy indignantly. "Thankfully, they're both all right, so you'll have your seeker. As for your chaser," he nodded pointedly over at Vera who was listening to the whole conversation curiously. "Vera is a pretty good chaser herself."
Wood looked over at her again, his eyes wide. "Really?"
Vera shrugged. "I think that Percy's overestimating me, but I do play."
Percy made a noise that resembled a snort. "I am hardly overestimating you. From the brief bit that Professor McGonagall has told me, you won the Quidditch cup last year at Beauxbatons."
"It wasn't that big a deal," replied Vera, becoming more comfortable with the passing seconds. "Quidditch over there is a joke."
"Well then you wouldn't mind playing for the Gryffindor house team would you?" asked Wood hopefully.
Vera looked at him for a moment, seeing the near pleading in his brown eyes. With a smile she said, "No, I wouldn't mind."
Wood grinned and would have hugged her had there not been a table in his way. In minutes, this mysterious girl had just saved his Quidditch season. Determined to learn more about his newest chaser, he listened as questions were thrown her way.
"You said you came from Beauxbatons?" asked Lee Jordan, a friend of the Weasleys' and a commentator for the Quidditch matches. "Then how come you don't have a French accent? Do you speak French?"
Vera shook her head and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I know some French, but not enough. I move around a lot so that's why I was given a Language Charm early on. I simply performed it every morning and I was fine. It's come in handy quite a bit."
"Why do you move around so much?"
Vera nervously pushed a strand of raven hair behind her ear. "My parents work in the field for the Ministry of Magic."
Fred and George leapt in with their own questions, which proceeded to make her squirm even more if it was possible. "Which department? Our father works in the department of The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
Vera blinked as if she had never heard of the department before. "They um, work in the department of.The Control of Muggle Knowledge. You know, they handle what the Muggles know and don't know. Busy job."
"So they move around and control any situations that come about?"
Vera nodded. "Time consuming job. But moving on, do you guys like it here at Hogwarts?"
Everyone launched into tales of their exploits at the school as Vera tried to keep track of each story and each person. By the time that the feast had finally come to a close, she felt as if she had just been thrown into a hurricane.
Vera stretched and waited till the hall had been mainly clear before starting out herself. She gave a reassuring smile to Professor McGonagall and headed out the door, slightly disoriented.
"Need help getting to the common room?" asked a voice and Vera jumped slightly, her hand automatically going for her wand as she turned around. Wood held up his hands defensively. "I didn't mean to scare you. Percy had asked me to act as a sort of guide while he took care of the first years."
Vera nodded. "Thanks. I was just wondering how I was going to get to.wherever I'm supposed to be going."
Wood laughed and turned into a hallway. "You seem like you've done this before, this whole starting over thing."
Vera sighed. "I've gone to a different school every year. That's why the Language Charm is probably the most valuable thing that I've learned."
"You don't have any place that you just stay at?"
Vera shook her head. "It's best to keep moving. So who is this Harry that Percy was talking about?"
Wood grinned. "Harry Potter, our seeker. Amazing kid. We would have won the Quidditch cup last year had he not been unconscious for the final match."
"Harry Potter?" asked Vera in the awed voice that all had when first hearing the name. "Why was he unconscious?"
"He had a run in with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
Vera promptly stopped in her tracks, her face pale. "The Dark Lord?" she asked, her voice turning into a high-pitched squeak.
Wood nodded solemnly. "But it's all right, he was defeated again. It's not that easy to take down Harry Potter." Studying the sixth year's horrified expression, he smiled understandingly. "It's all right Vera. He's long gone now. With both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore here at Hogwarts, You-Know-Who doesn't stand a chance." Mistaking her fear for knowledge of the stories that were told all throughout the magical world, Wood grabbed her hand and gently pulled her further down the hall.
"Where's the common room?" asked Vera when they reached the end and she looked around.
"Behind the portrait," responded Wood with a smile. Looking at the picture of the fat lady in a pink silk dress, he said clearly, "Wattlebird."
The portrait swung open and Vera took a step back on instinct. Inside lay the common room of Gryffindor House, filled with the students of Hogwarts. Wood pulled on Vera's hand again and led her into the common room.
Students crowded around them, some with hardly a passing glance as others stopped to ask questions about the new transfer student. A loud yowl caused a brief moment of silence as a black cat streaked through the crowd and landed on Vera's shoulder.
"It's all right," she assured those that were watching. "It's just my cat, Athena."
"You have a cat named Athena?" asked Angelina Johnson.
Vera nodded. "She goes with me everywhere. She was a gift from my aunt. She won't hurt anyone if that's what you're wondering."
Angelina nodded, slightly unnerved by the emerald green stare of the cat. "Anyway, Vera I'll show you to the room. I'm Angelina by the way, also a chaser on the team."
Vera smiled and released Wood's hand to follow the girl up a staircase. Wood sat quietly and watched before Fred and George came jumping over, bombarding him with questions. "You okay Wood?"
Wood broke his gaze and looked at the two redheaded twins. "Why wouldn't I be?"
The twins laughed before going off to conjure up some mischief.
~*~*~*~