Chapter 6: Nazis
Once we had returned to Hogwarts, I was officially worn out. Being let loose in your favorite shop in the world with money sitting in your pocket, yelling at you to spend it, and yet not being able to was definitely exhausting.
I sat down on my bed and ran my hand over the burgundy sheets. It was amazing how quickly my first five years at Hogwarts had come to pass. Remembering my first day was no difficulty at all as it seemed it was just last week. I remembered being scared to death before we entered the Great Hall, worried about which house I would be sorted into. I remember being entirely relieved when the Sorting Hat called out Gryffindor. I also remember a small, skinny, brown-haired boy being called very last on list and being sorted into our house. He had walked proudly over to our table and sat down directly across from me, outstretching his hand.
"Hi, I'm Oliver Wood," the boy spoke to me and I placed my hand in his above the table, shaking it firmly.
"Katie Bell."
However, an incessant tapping on my bedroom door interrupted my lovely walk down Memory Lane.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"Oliver Wood and to speak to you," the familiar voice that only seconds before had run through my head.
I sat up from my lying position on the bed and called him in.
"What can I do for you, Wood?" I questioned as he opened the door slowly, as if nervous.
"Talk to Harry," Oliver blurted out before taking his first full step into the room.
"About what, Wood? Last time I checked, you were fully capable of speaking," I cocked my eyebrow waiting for an answer.
"But - he won't listen to me!" Oliver whined.
Damn him! He was too cute!
"And what were you trying to speak to him about?"
"Getting a new broom. Our next match is coming up and if he doesn't get a new broom, then he'll have to fly on the shit the school provides us with and when it's time for us to play Slytherin, it's going to be a tough match. He's being so pigheaded about it too. Hasn't even begun looking . . ."
I shook my head I disbelief. I mean, I knew Oliver was a Quidditch fanatic. He had no life other than that on a broomstick, but still. Our next match wasn't for over a month and here he was stressing over Harry getting a new broom!
"Harry's an excellent flyer. We both know that. If he has to get through a few practices without a new one, then so be it. I'm sure he'll order one in plenty of time for the game. Plus, it may do him some good to be on a broom that's not top quality. It will challenge him. Now, please Oliver, stop stressing. Harry's a responsible player. So, shoo! Get out of my room and off of his back before we start proclaiming you the Hitler of the Pitch," I waved him out of the door with my hand and a resigned sigh.
"Hitler?" Oliver looked at me, confusion written all over his face.
"Library. World War II. Read up on your world history." With that, I reached for my wand, which was resting conveniently in my pocket and waved the door shut, closing Oliver in it in the process.
"Ouch!" he called before scooting himself into the hallway.
"And stay out!" I yelled, collapsing back on my bed.
I actually managed to rest for a good ten minutes straight. It was amazing what ten minutes of having absolutely nothing to worry about could do for your sanity. I felt the stress slipping slowly out of me as I drifted off to sleep . . .
Tap, tap, tap.
I jerked out of my comfortable position and growled at the tan owl pushing its beak against my window. Climbing out of bed slowly, I wondered who would be stupid enough to send me mail on a Saturday. Saturday means nap day. Everyone knows that!
I ripped the piece of parchment off the owl's leg and began to read. Of course, I should have figured. It was Diggory.
Dear Katie,
I went up to my dorm, like you said, and the bracelet loosened. But, what am I supposed to do at dinner? I can't go down there and ignore all females; they're everywhere. Then again, I can't skip dinner. Anyway, thank you for all of your help and I hope you can reply before dinner.
Cedric
Again, I felt the urge to growl rise in my throat, but instead I reached for the parchment and quill, scribbling a quick note in reply.
Cedric,
Figure something out own your own, damn it! I said I had heard about them, not gotten myself in deep enough to get seriously stuck in one. Let me get to sleep now! Please?
Katie
I tied the letter to the foot of Cedric's bird, which was still flapping its over-sized wings outside of my window before lying back down on my bed. No more distractions. Just sleep. I sighed and hugged my pillow closer to me.
"Oh my gosh, Kate, guess what!" Alicia bounded into our room, Angelina right behind her.
"Go away!" I mumbled. "Damn sleep Nazis."
"You'll never guess what Fred and George did!" Angelina squealed.
"Do I even want to know?" I asked, lifting my head yet again from the comfort of my pillow. . . my nice, soft feather pillow. . .
"Yeah, definitely," Alicia laughed.
"So, tell me already," I raised my eyebrows impatiently
"You know those toffees that they made that make the back of your head flash 'kick me'?" Angelina gave a wicked grin.
"Well," Alicia continued, "We were playing Do my Dare or Die with Fred and George and we dared them to give one to Snape and to make sure he ate it."
"You did not!" I sat up, eager to hear the rest of the story.
"Yeah, we did," Angie laughed.
"So, anyway, Fred and George snuck into the kitchens and were talking to the house elves. They managed to convince one of them that Snape wanted two of the melted toffees put in his drink tonight!" Alicia jumped up and down anxiously.
"I can't wait to see this," Angelina said before moving over to her bed and digging through the messy drawers of her bedside table.
"What are you looking for?" I asked.
"My camera," Angie laughed maliciously. "As if I would pass the opportunity to catch this on film up!"
I got up from my bed, all pretense of falling asleep forgotten and hurried out of the door behind Alicia. Dinner started in five minutes and we most certainly didn't want to be late. Angie hurried out behind us, rushing just a bit too fast. She ran into my back, pushing me forward into Alicia, and we all three went tumbling down the stairs.
"Ouch!"
"Ooph!"
"Gerrof me!!"
All three of us jumped up off the ground and took off through the common room, out the portrait hole, and down the many flights of stairs to the Great Hall. Dinner had obviously started only moment ago, for there was food on the table but not everyone was present. However, Professor Snape was already there, speaking to Professor Dumbledore.
Alicia, Angie, and I took our usual spots across from Fred and George and smiled excitedly.
"Did the house elf do it?" Alicia asked.
"We'll find out in just a second," Fred nodded his head to the front of the Great Hall, where Snape was raising his goblet to his lips. One sip - two sips - and then he set the silver cup back on the table.
"That should be enough," George whispered as we all awaited Professor Snape turning his head.
By then, the rest of the school had filed into the Great Hall, obstructing my view of the Faculty Table, however, I didn't have to wait long. Only a minute or two after he had set down the goblet, Professor Snape stood up and headed toward the entrance of the Great Hall. As he passed the heads of the House Tables, chuckles followed him and sooner, all out laughter. The Weasleys were successful again.
As the professor passed us, I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips. There, amidst the chunk of black grease, written in bright pink, were the words 'kick me.' It was just too perfect. It was even pink. Professor Snape turned around and gave then entire Great Hall the death glare, but that only increased the laughter. The professor then hurried out of the hall, leaving the room still full of laughter. Fred and George smiled proudly at each other before picking up their forks and beginning to eat.
"We're geniuses," Fred muttered in the middle of his first bite.
"Unappreciated geniuses at that," George agreed.
All I could do was shake my head. These were the moments. I didn't exactly know what kind of moment it was, but it was one. And that was all that mattered.
Once we had returned to Hogwarts, I was officially worn out. Being let loose in your favorite shop in the world with money sitting in your pocket, yelling at you to spend it, and yet not being able to was definitely exhausting.
I sat down on my bed and ran my hand over the burgundy sheets. It was amazing how quickly my first five years at Hogwarts had come to pass. Remembering my first day was no difficulty at all as it seemed it was just last week. I remembered being scared to death before we entered the Great Hall, worried about which house I would be sorted into. I remember being entirely relieved when the Sorting Hat called out Gryffindor. I also remember a small, skinny, brown-haired boy being called very last on list and being sorted into our house. He had walked proudly over to our table and sat down directly across from me, outstretching his hand.
"Hi, I'm Oliver Wood," the boy spoke to me and I placed my hand in his above the table, shaking it firmly.
"Katie Bell."
However, an incessant tapping on my bedroom door interrupted my lovely walk down Memory Lane.
"Who are you and what do you want?"
"Oliver Wood and to speak to you," the familiar voice that only seconds before had run through my head.
I sat up from my lying position on the bed and called him in.
"What can I do for you, Wood?" I questioned as he opened the door slowly, as if nervous.
"Talk to Harry," Oliver blurted out before taking his first full step into the room.
"About what, Wood? Last time I checked, you were fully capable of speaking," I cocked my eyebrow waiting for an answer.
"But - he won't listen to me!" Oliver whined.
Damn him! He was too cute!
"And what were you trying to speak to him about?"
"Getting a new broom. Our next match is coming up and if he doesn't get a new broom, then he'll have to fly on the shit the school provides us with and when it's time for us to play Slytherin, it's going to be a tough match. He's being so pigheaded about it too. Hasn't even begun looking . . ."
I shook my head I disbelief. I mean, I knew Oliver was a Quidditch fanatic. He had no life other than that on a broomstick, but still. Our next match wasn't for over a month and here he was stressing over Harry getting a new broom!
"Harry's an excellent flyer. We both know that. If he has to get through a few practices without a new one, then so be it. I'm sure he'll order one in plenty of time for the game. Plus, it may do him some good to be on a broom that's not top quality. It will challenge him. Now, please Oliver, stop stressing. Harry's a responsible player. So, shoo! Get out of my room and off of his back before we start proclaiming you the Hitler of the Pitch," I waved him out of the door with my hand and a resigned sigh.
"Hitler?" Oliver looked at me, confusion written all over his face.
"Library. World War II. Read up on your world history." With that, I reached for my wand, which was resting conveniently in my pocket and waved the door shut, closing Oliver in it in the process.
"Ouch!" he called before scooting himself into the hallway.
"And stay out!" I yelled, collapsing back on my bed.
I actually managed to rest for a good ten minutes straight. It was amazing what ten minutes of having absolutely nothing to worry about could do for your sanity. I felt the stress slipping slowly out of me as I drifted off to sleep . . .
Tap, tap, tap.
I jerked out of my comfortable position and growled at the tan owl pushing its beak against my window. Climbing out of bed slowly, I wondered who would be stupid enough to send me mail on a Saturday. Saturday means nap day. Everyone knows that!
I ripped the piece of parchment off the owl's leg and began to read. Of course, I should have figured. It was Diggory.
Dear Katie,
I went up to my dorm, like you said, and the bracelet loosened. But, what am I supposed to do at dinner? I can't go down there and ignore all females; they're everywhere. Then again, I can't skip dinner. Anyway, thank you for all of your help and I hope you can reply before dinner.
Cedric
Again, I felt the urge to growl rise in my throat, but instead I reached for the parchment and quill, scribbling a quick note in reply.
Cedric,
Figure something out own your own, damn it! I said I had heard about them, not gotten myself in deep enough to get seriously stuck in one. Let me get to sleep now! Please?
Katie
I tied the letter to the foot of Cedric's bird, which was still flapping its over-sized wings outside of my window before lying back down on my bed. No more distractions. Just sleep. I sighed and hugged my pillow closer to me.
"Oh my gosh, Kate, guess what!" Alicia bounded into our room, Angelina right behind her.
"Go away!" I mumbled. "Damn sleep Nazis."
"You'll never guess what Fred and George did!" Angelina squealed.
"Do I even want to know?" I asked, lifting my head yet again from the comfort of my pillow. . . my nice, soft feather pillow. . .
"Yeah, definitely," Alicia laughed.
"So, tell me already," I raised my eyebrows impatiently
"You know those toffees that they made that make the back of your head flash 'kick me'?" Angelina gave a wicked grin.
"Well," Alicia continued, "We were playing Do my Dare or Die with Fred and George and we dared them to give one to Snape and to make sure he ate it."
"You did not!" I sat up, eager to hear the rest of the story.
"Yeah, we did," Angie laughed.
"So, anyway, Fred and George snuck into the kitchens and were talking to the house elves. They managed to convince one of them that Snape wanted two of the melted toffees put in his drink tonight!" Alicia jumped up and down anxiously.
"I can't wait to see this," Angelina said before moving over to her bed and digging through the messy drawers of her bedside table.
"What are you looking for?" I asked.
"My camera," Angie laughed maliciously. "As if I would pass the opportunity to catch this on film up!"
I got up from my bed, all pretense of falling asleep forgotten and hurried out of the door behind Alicia. Dinner started in five minutes and we most certainly didn't want to be late. Angie hurried out behind us, rushing just a bit too fast. She ran into my back, pushing me forward into Alicia, and we all three went tumbling down the stairs.
"Ouch!"
"Ooph!"
"Gerrof me!!"
All three of us jumped up off the ground and took off through the common room, out the portrait hole, and down the many flights of stairs to the Great Hall. Dinner had obviously started only moment ago, for there was food on the table but not everyone was present. However, Professor Snape was already there, speaking to Professor Dumbledore.
Alicia, Angie, and I took our usual spots across from Fred and George and smiled excitedly.
"Did the house elf do it?" Alicia asked.
"We'll find out in just a second," Fred nodded his head to the front of the Great Hall, where Snape was raising his goblet to his lips. One sip - two sips - and then he set the silver cup back on the table.
"That should be enough," George whispered as we all awaited Professor Snape turning his head.
By then, the rest of the school had filed into the Great Hall, obstructing my view of the Faculty Table, however, I didn't have to wait long. Only a minute or two after he had set down the goblet, Professor Snape stood up and headed toward the entrance of the Great Hall. As he passed the heads of the House Tables, chuckles followed him and sooner, all out laughter. The Weasleys were successful again.
As the professor passed us, I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips. There, amidst the chunk of black grease, written in bright pink, were the words 'kick me.' It was just too perfect. It was even pink. Professor Snape turned around and gave then entire Great Hall the death glare, but that only increased the laughter. The professor then hurried out of the hall, leaving the room still full of laughter. Fred and George smiled proudly at each other before picking up their forks and beginning to eat.
"We're geniuses," Fred muttered in the middle of his first bite.
"Unappreciated geniuses at that," George agreed.
All I could do was shake my head. These were the moments. I didn't exactly know what kind of moment it was, but it was one. And that was all that mattered.