A/N: hi everyone...meg here. um, this is my first Harry Potter fic, i have decided to write it on Oliver Wood...interesting chap, that one is. have fun!
CHAPTER ONE"Alright everybody, I just did a little research, and if we win this game, we are going to beat Ravenclaw for the twentieth time in a row." Oliver Wood proudly announced to his team. The Weasley twins did a little jig, while the girls exchanged high-fives. Only Harry seemed a little down in the mouth about it. "Oh come on Harry. This is history we're making. Can't you be a little happy?" Oliver asked. Harry nodded weakly, but it wasn't because he was upset. It was because in a matter of minutes, he would be facing Cho Chang, and for now, he had butterflies doing a spin cycle in his stomach.
" We go on in a few minutes, might as well get on." Oliver briskly said, his own heart thumping. It wasn't because he was afraid that his team would lose, but because he had his own matter of the heart to deal with. For one of the replacement Chasers, Mae Hargrove was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, with her dark brown hair and smiling eyes. From the first time he had seen her walking to class last month had he fell flip forward in love with her. " Oliver mate, let's get going! We don't want to fly out missing a Keeper. The girls will be a little disappointed." Fred smartly said.
As they all assembled in front of the gate, Oliver's heart did a little flip-flop. He had a recurring image of Mae in his mind, flying out on her broom, with her hair flying out from her ponytail as it always did. Oftentimes, he wished he could tuck those loose hairs behind her ear himself.
A loud bell sounded out, and the gate went up. The Gryffindor team flew out and did a little formation flying before coming to a stop in the middle of the field, facing the Ravenclaw team. Madam Hooch said, "Clean and fair game everyone." Then upon blowing her whistle, she tossed the Quaffle up into the air.
"And there goes Angelina after the Quaffle. She's got the fastest instincts I've ever seen on a Quidditch player….look at her go!" Lee Jordan bellowed into the microphone.
Angelina swooped down the field, picking up speed and dodging other players as she went. Oliver zoomed to his spot down at the goalposts, narrowly missing a Bludger as he went. Angelina passed the Quaffle down to Katie, who caught it and pitched in at the goalposts. It flew through the hole, barely skimming the palm of the Keeper.
"Yes! The Quaffle is in! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Lee shouted. The Gryffindor side of the field screamed with delight.
"Uh-oh, what's this? It looks like Ravenclaw has intercepted the Quaffle! The substitute Chaser Mae Hargrove's gotten the Quaffle right through the air! She's making for the goalposts…nothing seems to be in her way!" Lee squealed through the megaphone.
"Somebody stop her!" Oliver shouted at the players. Fred and George scrambled to bat the Bludgers her way. But odd enough, he was hoping she wouldn't get hit. In fact, the whole world seemed to have slowed down in front of his eyes. He watched Mae fly towards him, with her eyes fixed onto his face. He was entranced, with the way her hair flew out of her ponytail as the wind whipped her face. Her arm pitched back as she got ready to toss the Quaffle through the goalpost.
"Mae Hargrove seems to have dodged the Bludgers and is about to chuck the Quaffle through. But she has one more obstacle: Keeper Oliver Wood, who has an impeccable record these days at Quidditch. But today, he's looking a little disoriented, if I say so myself. Wake up Wood!" Lee apprehended. Oliver snapped back to his senses, just as she let go of the Quaffle. It was a clean pitch, but he managed to block the goalpost in time, batting it out onto the field again with the tail of his broom. Mae looked a little flushed, and Oliver gave her a diabolical wink out of sheer instinct.
Meanwhile, Harry was looming above the field, feeling queasy. He still hadn't seen the Snitch, but he knew it was somewhere close. He could feel it.
"Harry! Head's up!" a voice called to him. He looked to his left, and a Bludger came barreling towards him. He drew back, with George flying after it. "Watch yourself mate!" he called. Giving a slight nod, he focused his glance back onto the action.
"Katie goes off, Bludger in hand! There is no stopping her these days, like last week when she slammed her book near my-hey!" Lee grunted when Professor McGonagall yanked the megaphone off his hands.
The Gryffindors roared with laughter at Lee's bluff, but now, Oliver's skin was clammy with sweat. The Gryffindor Chasers were definitely doing their job now, scoring goal after goal. Lee nearly yelled himself hoarse after taking his megaphone back from McGonagall and promising not to swear again. Mae was nearly livid, as Oliver could see from his vantage point.
Harry was no less tense. He had already seen the Golden Snitch, but a Bludger had forced him to move away. He was lucky though, since Cho hadn't seen it. But now, he had caught a glimmer of gold near the bleachers. Like a rocket, he was off. At the corner of his eye, Cho was closely tailing him. The Snitch was about ten feet away from his outstretched arm.
"The scores are tied now, and it looks like Mae's got the Quaffle! Nothing seems to be in her way right now…block it Wood, or I'm losing this bet I made…only joking Professor." Lee sheepishly said.
Oliver's nerves were in knots. Mae was coming closer now, and he could almost see a maniacal glimmer in her stunning brown eyes. Where on Earth was Harry, and why hadn't he gotten the Snitch?
Harry pressed his Nimbus farther on. Only two feet to go…Cho was nearly on his heels…
"RAVENCLAW SCORES!! WOOD, HOW COULD YOU NOT HAVE SEEN THAT FLYING PAST YOUR HEAD?! I JUST LOST TEN SICKLES, YOU IDIOT!" Lee screamed into the megaphone, prompting Professor McGonagall to wrestle it from him. Harry's mind fell apart except for one thing: To get to the Snitch before Cho did.
Cho was actually right beside him, her arm level with his. It took everything not to fall off his broom just looking at her, but with a burst of energy, he lunged forward and his fingers closed over the Snitch.
"Potter's got it! Potter's got the Snitch! Gryffindor wins! Five Galleons to mee!" Lee crowed over the megaphone. The Gryffindors were wild with happiness, raising a noise so loud, the bleachers nearly rocked with their weight and jumping around.
Oliver's heart was pumping. His team had just made Quidditch history, and he had gotten to his closest encounter with Mae today. "Team captains, shake hands." Madam Hooch called from down below. He flew down to the center of the field and shook hands with the team captain of the Ravenclaw team. He was feeling awfully lightheaded, what with Mae looking on.
Harry was delirious with happiness. Although he hadn't really meant to be so happy, he just couldn't help it. He spotted Cho descending to walk back to the shower rooms when he followed her. "Cho!" he called. Her head turned to face him. "Oh hi Harry. Congratulations…and it was a good game." She sighed. Harry blushed. He hated it when he was in a position above her and she was feeling bad about it. "Erm, thanks Cho. It was a good game, and you really, uh, played well. I'm sure the Ravenclaws will, uh, be very, erm, happy with you. Um, bye!" he blurted out before flying, his cheeks blazing red.
Oliver was flying down to meet his team when he saw Mae flying near him. "Good game Wood; that's going to be something that Hogwarts will remember for a bit." She called to him. "Thanks Hargrove. For a replacement, you've got a lot going for it." He cheekily called back. He saw Mae suddenly look away, and he knew that he had embarrassed her. He mentally slapped himself. Why did I tease her now, when she just lost the game? He reprimanded himself. When he was about to open his mouth to apologize to her, when Fred hooked an arm around his neck and dragged him off to the locker rooms. "We're having a party in the common room tonight Wood after dinner, so don't stuff yourself too much. You'd better start preparing your speech too." He said. "What speech?" he asked, puzzled. "Well, you are the team captain of this team Wood. It's only proper that you thanks your faithful, loving fans for their support." George winked at him. "I am not the hero of this game. Ask Harry to do it." He grunted, feeling the lack of circulation in his brain from Fred's stranglehold. "Sorry mate; wish we could, but he's not team captain. Just acknowledge him in the victory of the game, while you, Wood, make the speech." Fred said, letting him go.
The twins linked arms and began a lively jig down the hall to the shower rooms, whistling a tune. Oliver sighed. The only speech he wanted to make was one of apology to Mae. Taking his towel, he wrapped his robe around him and proceeded to go take a shower.
