Chapter 20 – Friends
Lydia, Freddie and Sophie were in the Joint Common Room when the rest of the students arrived from the Hogwarts Express. They had spent most of the day there, apart from lunchtime. Freddie had been disgusted to find that Sophie had done all of her homework over the first few days of the holidays. He was happy for her, of course, but disturbed to find that, "his two best friends" were "homework-loving weirdos". Jimmy and Oddy had joined them after lunch, but the second-years had gone back to Ravenclaw Tower. They had spent their afternoon telling each other funny stories about their families and people they knew. Lydia had tried to explain the many ways her uncle could find to be annoying. She left out the one she found the worst: his alleged relationship with McGonagall. That was too painful to describe and too hideous to contemplate. They had enjoyed their time together and got to know each other better, the ever-quiet Oddy being the only exception.
About five o'clock Freddie had slipped away for some time only to return with a picnic hamper full of food. There were sandwiches, pies, scones, cheese straws, vegetable pasties, sausage rolls, buns, cakes, and a tray. They looked from the tray to Freddie and back.
Jimmy voiced the question they were all pondering. "Why the tray, Freddie, man?"
Freddie placed the tray on a separate table. "Just you wait and see."
He would say nothing more. They waited and watched the tray for a full minute and more.
"Freddie, what…" Jimmy began again.
Several plain brown bottles appeared on the tray. Jimmy reached out an took one. There was no cap on it and it was warm to the touch, he pointed out to the others.
Oddy enlightened them. "Butterbeer, of course."
Freddie nodded and grinned. "I have friends in high places. Well, low places, really – the kitchens. I pointed out to the elves there that dinner would be late, because of waiting for the Hogwarts Express. So, they took pity on the poor, thirsty, starving students in the JCR."
"How did you even find the kitchens? They're supposed to be hidden," Sophie pointed out.
Freddie gave them a supercilious look. "Extreme cleverness, of course."
Xander, who was on Oddy's lap, gave Freddie a warning hiss.
"Oh, all right," he confessed. "Xander showed me where it was weeks ago. I started waiting around outside until one of the elves turned up and showed me how to get in. Thanks for spoiling my moment, Xander!"
Xander turned around and wiggled his rear end at Freddie with his tail held high. The others laughed.
Most of the group had never had butterbeer before and it was unanimously enjoyed by them, as was the food.
The arrival of the other students was unmistakable, as the Joint Common Room opened onto the Entrance Hall balcony. As the rest of the school poured in through the great front doors the clamour of excited people flooded into the common room.
Freddie excused himself from the group to go down to the Hufflepuff common room and welcome his classmates back. Jimmy went up to Ravenclaw Tower to do the same. Sophie looked uneasy.
"Lydia, if you want to go that's fine by me," she assured her new friend.
Oddy looked to Lydia. Xander, in Oddy's lap did the same.
"No, I'll stay here, if you lot don't mind," she shrugged. "Shona and the others will know to find me here once they've unpacked."
Sophie smiled. Freddie had once said something about Sophie not smiling often enough. He was right. Lydia thought Sophie's face lit up beautifully when she relaxed and smiled.
It was not long before Shona, Tina, Maisie and Mel sought Lydia out in the Joint Common Room. Lydia introduced Sophie to them all, although the girls knew her from classes they shared with Gryffindor. Shona launched into a long and tortuous tale of all the people she had seen over Easter. It was littered with the names of people none of them knew in real life, but who they were getting to know from Shona's previous reports. Sophie listened politely along with all the others. Oddy concentrated on stroking Xander with one hand and turning the pages of his book with the other. Tina, who had long since become the timekeeper of the Ravenclaw girls, broke into Shona's stories to remind them that dinner would be about to start.
They swarmed down the marble staircase to the floor of the Entrance Hall, Lydia and Sophie trailing them side-by-side.
"Is Shona usually so talkative?" Sophie murmured so that only Lydia would hear.
Lydia nodded. "I think she's a bit scared of being forgotten about. Maybe her parents didn't pay her enough attention, or made her perform for relatives. I don't know. It does all start to make sense, eventually. You work out who all these people are and how they relate to each other. She seems to assume you know, even though she hasn't really told you, you know? She is the sweetest person, though, really kind and helpful."
Sophie gave Lydia another smile. They had reached the Great Hall and had to go off to their house tables.
"I'll see you in Flying Lessons tomorrow afternoon anyway," Lydia said. "But if you're free after lunch I'll be in the JCR."
Sophie nodded enthusiastically. "See you at lunchtime, if we don't bump into each other earlier."
Dinner was always a late meal when the Hogwarts Express brought the majority of students back to the castle. Professor McGonagall addressed the school because of the upcoming exams. She exhorted all to do their best and not to cause problems for others. She also gave the dates for the two remaining House Quidditch Tournament matches. They were to be Saturday 1st of May for Hufflepuff vs Slytherin, and Saturday 29th May for Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor. There was a buzz of excitement around the hall. Each team had won one match and lost one and the point differences were within a spread of thirty points. Any one of the teams could win.
"Statistically Hufflepuff would be the favourites," Oddy informed them, "though they are ten points behind Gryffindor."
"If that's based on the past ten years' performance," Dean countered, "then it's not really valid. Hufflepuff had Llinos Pritchard for five of those ten years. And they lost to Gryffindor in their last match. Ravenclaw beat Slytherin in their last match. I reckon it'll be down to the last match, Gryffindor vs Ravenclaw."
Oddy actually looked up at Dean. "Of course, it will be down to the last match. The champions will be between the winners of the fifth match and the sixth match on points difference."
"Yeah," Dean agreed. "So, I was right."
Oddy sighed and returned to whichever book he was currently reading, muttering, "I never have this from the cat."
Lydia waved to Sophie on the marble staircase as the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws went up to their respective towers after dinner. They met again, with Freddie, on their way into the Great Hall for breakfast the following morning. They arranged to meet outside after lunch. However, as Lydia was leaving Herbology before lunch, Tessa Gudgeon was waiting outside the greenhouse.
"Lydia," she hissed. "You have to come with me to see McGonagall. Downstairs staff room, quick. Come on."
Tessa grabbed her by the elbow and marched her away.
"What…" Lydia began.
Tessa's face was a mask of worry. "No talking until we get there. Oh, gods! I'm so sorry, Lydia."
She gripped Lydia's arm more tightly. Lydia was churning inside with panic. She tried to think what she had done to get herself into this much trouble.
They arrived at the staff room door. Tessa knocked.
"Enter."
McGonagall's voice sounded hoarse to Lydia. They entered.
Inside the staff room were McGonagall, Flitwick, Draco, Stephano Verdi, and Uncle Ambrose.
"Stand outside and guard the door, Gudgeon!" the headteacher barked.
McGonagall paused for a moment before she cast a charm on the door.
"I will not have anyone listening, either," she growled to herself.
"Professor?" Lydia forced out a plaintive croak.
"I think it would be well for you, indeed for us all, to take a seat," Ambrose suggested, indicating an armchair to one side.
The chair was not empty. Xander hopped up onto the arm to make room for Lydia. She dropped her schoolbag by the armchair and flopped down into it. Xander stepped down onto her lap.
The adults drew up chairs into a circle with Lydia's. Professor McGonagall sat across from Lydia, face on. Uncle Ambrose sat beside Lydia and took her hand in his for a few seconds.
McGonagall sighed. "I met with a delegation from the townsfolk of Hogsmeade this morning. They were concerned that we had, amongst our student body, a person who had been made magical by muggle experimentation."
Lydia took a moment to allow the news to sink in. "So, I haven't done anything wrong?"
Ambrose chuckled and held her hand again. "Good Lord, no, Lydia. Or rather, if you have then this meeting is not concerned with any such misdeed."
"No, indeed," McGonagall assured her. "We brought you here to let you know what has developed and what we are doing about it."
"The situation stands thus," Ambrose continued. "The people of Hogsmeade had been given the rumour by someone working for the Death Eaters. He in turn had gained the basic information about you from Tessa Gudgeon."
"Her new boyfriend? The bad boy. Was it him?" Lydia asked.
"Quite so," her uncle confirmed. "It turns out he really was a bad boy. He has been arrested, as has the infiltrator in the Improper Use of Magic Office. The citizens of Hogsmeade have been reassured. They have been given the story that your friend, Harry Potter, had enlisted you to pretend to be a muggle. It was intended as a test for former headteacher, DeKelley Lee. Harry himself confirmed this while he was here making the arrest. The Minister for Magic is preparing an official statement. It is to say that Professor Lee was a Death Eater sympathiser leading a plot against the Ministry and that she has since been arrested in the USA."
"The situation is under control, we believe," Professor McGonagall explained. "However, it is to be expected that there will be some repercussions. Rumours will certainly abound."
Rumours did abound. By the following day, Friday, Lydia was getting all the stares and muttered comments of "Freak" that she had been getting before. What seemed even more stupid was that Freddie was getting the same treatment, though for different reasons. Now that hatred was back in fashion who needed to think about reasons? Once people realised that Sophie was hanging around Lydia and Freddie the claims of "posh" and "snooty" were being wheeled out again. These were being taken up by students who had never met her nor knew anything about her. Lydia would have expected Sophie to distance herself from Freddie. Sophie did nothing of the sort. Lydia noticed that her new friend was happier than she had ever seen her. Freddie remarked to Lydia how much better Sophie looked now that she was smiling more. Freddie himself appeared to be able to shrug off most of the animosity. He was saddened and disappointed by it but he never seemed to be angry or worried. Lydia's other friends and classmates were no different towards her but many of the older Ravenclaws gave her funny looks in their common room.
The official statement came out from the Ministry. It was referenced by McGonagall in an address at the Friday night dinner in the Great Hall. At Lydia's Tuesday night meeting with Draco, he told her that Kingsley's statement seemed to have helped with the wider public. He was aware the situation in the school was different. The only advice he could offer Lydia was for her and all her allies to treat the accusations as ridiculous. The hope was that the hatred would burn itself out. Lydia confided that she was concerned that the worry would affect her scores in the end-of-year tests. Draco reassured her that the tests were not of lasting importance. Anyway, the professors were all on her side and prepared to take any difficulties into account.
If anything, the disapproval of other students pulled the trio of Lydia, Freddie and Sophie closer. They spent most of their time outside lessons together, either in the Joint Common Room or out in the grounds. Sophie was the best flyer in their Flying class and, according to Madam Hooch, the best in their year. She persuaded the others to go along with her to watch the Gryffindor quidditch practice sessions. She admitted to them that the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team had already asked her to try out for the team next school year. They were delighted for their friend.
Neither Lydia nor Freddie was a great fan of quidditch but, for Sophie's sake, they were keen to learn about the game. By the time the last House match of the season came around Lydia understood it enough to finally appreciate what they were watching. Freddie had a head start on Lydia, coming from a traditional magical family background. He also had the advantage that the match was between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. As Slytherin had beaten Hufflepuff in their match, Freddie had no vested interest in the outcome. Sophie and Lydia were, understandably more partisan in their views of the match.
Gryffindor's secret weapon was chaser Tom Fletcher, a fifth-year who was a sensational player. Freddie's cousin Fenella had been selected for the team again but this year was playing as a chaser. She was not regarded as being particularly good. But, as she had been in Fletcher's shadow all season, it was hard for anyone to tell. Gryffindor's seeker, Oliver Dawlish, was also exceptionally good. He had been unwell over the past couple of weeks and it was said that he was not playing his best. One rumour was that he was in love but had been turned down by the person in question. In the normal course of events, Fletcher and Dawlish were enough to make a decent team. With the question mark over Dawlish, Ravenclaw could see the possibility of a win. And if they won by forty points or more, they would lift the Quidditch Cup.
Ravenclaw's team was well-balanced. There were no astonishing players but nor were there any who were less than fully competent. Their captain, Poppy Naismith, had them working together as a team better than any of the other house teams. Many saw Ravenclaw's team as plodders, without a star player, but their consistency had kept them up to the standard of the other teams this season. The general feeling was that the game still hinged on Gryffindor stars, Fletcher and Dawlish. If they played well Gryffindor were unlikely to be beaten.
"Ooh, it's exciting!" Freddie observed as they took their seats in the stand. There was no pre-match show. The sole focus of attention on the pitch was the box which held the various balls for the match.
"You're getting sporty in your old age, Freddie," Sophie told him.
Freddie gave her a look. "Sporty? No. I'm just excited to see which one of you gets the biggest sulk on when it looks like your team is falling behind."
It was not a wise move for Freddie to have said this. He was sitting in between the two girls and they retaliated by tickling him without mercy. Freddie was saved by a roar from the crowd as the two teams walked out onto the pitch and took to their brooms.
The teams and their players were announced as they flew around the stadium in formation. Madam Hooch walked out onto the turf and called the players to their starting positions with a blast from her whistle. She opened the equipment chest and the two bludgers shot out, straight up into the air. The snitch followed, dodging along its twisty path. Madam Hooch lifted out the quaffle and the players and audience alike tensed and fell silent. Hooch cast the largest ball upwards between the teams. From the way it rose, there seemed to be more levitation than throw. The teams swirled around each other and the game began.
It soon became clear that Naismith had a clear tactic for dealing with Gryffindor's Fletcher. Two of the Ravenclaw chasers were dodging around him all the time, marking him closely and trying to prevent him from getting the ball. One of the Ravenclaw beaters was dedicating all their effort to sending bludgers at Fletcher. Lydia grinned to see that her 'friend' Briony Perks had been chosen for this task. If anyone in Ravenclaw came close to being outstanding, it would be Briony for the power and accuracy of her bludger hits.
At first this tactic worked well. Briony was adept at sending bludgers between the two chasers marking Fletcher. This made it hard for him to see and dodge the bludgers. Meanwhile, the two remaining Gryffindor chasers seemed lost without their star player. They passed well between themselves but were not fast enough or accurate enough to outwit the Ravenclaw goalie, Poppy Naismith. Despite having only one active chaser Ravenclaw soon managed to be forty points ahead of Gryffindor.
Then Gryffindor scored for the first time. The two chasers were galvanised by this success. They flew and caught and passed and tackled and shot at the goal as if they were a double act. The points started to mount. After Gryffindor took the lead, Naismith pulled one of the Ravenclaw chasers away from marking Fletcher. A direct bludger hit had left the Gryffindor star groggy and Ravenclaw pulled back level. But with only one marker to contend with. Fletcher broke away and Gryffindor got into their stride. Briony Perks nearly unseated one of the other Gryffindor chasers and Gryffindor missed one chance of a goal. Despite that, Gryffindor pulled ahead. With Ravenclaw scoring only one more goal Gryffindor racked up an eighty-point lead.
A huge roar went up from the crowd. The two seekers were onto the snitch. They swooped and soared and dived and spun, high above the rest of the game. From the stands they looked like two swifts sparring with each other, the snitch visible to the crowd as an occasional glint in the sky. If Ravenclaw could gain the snitch before Gryffindor got too many more points, they could win the whole competition. Gryffindor's lead became ninety points, a hundred points, a hundred and ten points. Ravenclaw needed the snitch now. The audience's attention flitted between the goals and the dogfight between the seekers. Gryffindor scored again. Ravenclaws throughout the stands groaned, their chance of winning the season seemed lost.
Madam Hooch's whistle shrieked. Most people looked up to see if the snitch had been caught. The cause for the whistle was lower down. One of the Gryffindor beaters had obstructed Naismith as she tried to save a shot from Fletcher. The goal had been disallowed and a penalty given to Ravenclaw. Poppy Naismith herself elected to take the penalty, facing her opposite number, Aidan Kavanagh. She scored, skimming the inside of the centre ring with the quaffle. Now, if only the Ravenclaw seeker…
A scream of triumph came from high above. The two seekers swooped down to join the rest. Blue-clad Judith Podmore, Ravenclaw's seeker was holding her fist aloft. She had beaten Oliver Dawlish to the snitch seconds after Poppy Naismith had got the points difference down to a hundred. Ravenclaw had finished fifty points ahead of Gryffindor and had beaten Slytherin to the Quidditch Cup by twenty points. The Ravenclaws, team and supporters, went wild. The Hufflepuffs cheered, too, to see such a tight finish. The Gryffindors were consoled to see Slytherin miss out on the title. The Slytherins were split between those politely applauding and the others who were already leaving the stands.
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