Chapter Two, finally! Sorry for the long wait, I kinda lost inspiration for writing this story for a while. But, tis inspiration is back! So you better believe that you shall see more chapters soon. Thank you so much for all the reviews!
Tammy: Finally it's continuing! I'm sorry I never finished it on the boards. I'm glad you like it!
Menolly: Thank you for reading!
Quarter to Eleven: I had a huge writer's block... I mean major, thanks for sticking around if you read this!
SuperEvilCube: Merci. And I hope you are still reading this.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except my original characters, everything belongs to JK Rowling
Chapter Two
Soon, Harry found that Devyne was staying in Hermione's dorm and she had won almost every Gryffindor over with her charm. With only the second day of classes passed, Harry discovered the Durmstrang transfer quite cozy with a bulky Ravenclaw out on the Quidditch Pitch. And with the girl in almost all his own classes (except for Astronomy and Divination, which are extra classes she was taking), the urge to bind a rope around her neck became stronger each day.
"Devyne has mixed the perfect poison," Professor Snape announced to the class on their first day of Potions. Harry glanced in front of him to Devyne's table and watched a light purple smoke rise from her cauldron; the exact colour that was described on the board. The boy glanced down at his own to find it a slight darker purple and not too his surprise, Snape caught his mistake.
"Mr. Potter, on the other hand, seemed to have forgotten that the root of asphodel goes after the essense of belladonna," he sneered and Harry could've sworn he heard Devyne say, 'Duh,' up in the front because the Slytherins all broke out in laughter. "Class, settle down," Snape said without effort as he went to the front of the class and marked something down in his book.
The bell rang not to long after and the class cleaned their areas and reluctantly handed in a sample of the poisons. Harry caught up with Hermione and Ron at the door and rolled his eyes to find Hermione calling over Devyne.
"Hey!" The redhead hurried over and smiled at her. "You're going to have to go to lunch without me today, I'm going to go with Draco, Rebecca and Stephanie to the grounds. They want to show me something at the lake."
"Yeah, like how their Dark Marks are probably stinging," Harry muttered under his breath and started walking out of the dungeons when he suddenly met the stone wall head on.
Harry bounced off the wall and dropped all his books holding his forehead tightly and turned to search for the person who pushed him and didn't have to look far. Devyne had already shoved him back up against the wall (this time he hit his back), and was holding his shirt. If Harry's head didn't pound with such ferociousness, he would've wrench out of her grasp, "You don't know them, Potter. Don't judge them."
She dropped his shirt and her pressure against him and walked away, meeting Malfoy and her Durmstrang friends at the top of the stairs.
"I wonder how they could treat her so normal," Ron pondered outloud while he helped Harry regain his possessions. "I mean, she was sorted into the opposite house as them. No doubt that Malfoy would've told them of the rivalry."
"They're all probably in the league with Voldemort," Harry snapped still rubbing the sore spot on his head as he collected his books from Ron's arms. Just as quickly as Devyne had knocked his books out of his arms, they flew once again to the ground and the boy felt a stinge on his left cheek.
Hermione gave a loud noise of disgust before storming ahead of him, "Hermione?" Harry called and she wipped around, her face boiling with colour.
"You don't know her, Harry, just as she said. Stop hating her so much just because you're jealous of what she has, which is really nothing at all," she snapped and disappeared around the corner of the stairs.
"Two girls storm off within ten minutes, Mr. Potter?" the drawling voice caused him to turn around without picking up his books. "I believe that you've started them both?"
"No, professor, you see--"
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Snape sneered and went back to glaring at Harry. "Ten points from Gryffindor."
Harry sighed and bent over to pick up his items feeling quite enraged as Ron tried to argue, "Wait! First Devyne pushed--"
"Fifteen, if you would like more, please continue," he snapped and after a silent moment, he sped up the steps with his cloak swishing behind him.
Harry sighed after finally collecting all his books again, "Well this sucks."
----
"Harry!" Ron dodged threw a couple of groups of people to reach his friend. It was just after their last class of the day (which Harry and Ron had separated) and everyone had flooded out onto the grounds to enjoy the rest of the light. Harry was just trying to get into the castle so he could begin on his work (believe it or not), he needed a head start.
"Hey," he said to Ron who was out of breath from trying to catch Harry.
"Oy mate, we've got to talk about Quidditch."
"I know, I was going to do that tonight with you after I finished up some work," Harry said and begin walking again.
Ron sighed, "We've got to fill two Chasers and a Beater position," he seemed to muttered to himself.
"Yeah, I can't believe Andrew's parents wouldn't allow him to come to school this year," Harry resituated his books under his arm and then grabbed the door into the school before it slammed shut on him. Ron helped his friend after agreeing and they entered the castle to meet the devil.
Devyne gave Ron a small, flirtatious smile and then her gaze turned to Harry and he could tell it was all fake, "Potter, I heard that you are the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain?"
Harry stared not answering. He intended to pass her right up and keep his pace continuous to the Gryffindor Common Room but Ron clasped his hands onto his friend's shoulders, holding him in place, "Yeah, he is."
"Are you on the Quidditch Team?" she asked Ron and he nodded.
"Full-fledge Keeper and Harry is the Seeker. Ginny is a Chaser, and Jack is the Beater."
"A Beater, Keeper and two Chasers," Devyne calculated out loud; Harry resisted the urge to mock her because Ron's grip tightened. "Are you holding tryouts?"
This time, Ron squeezed the boy's shoulders tighter and then relieved him of the stress, giving him the signal to talk, "I'm going to talk about it to Ron and Madam Hooch to see when we can book the Pitch."
Devyne smiled, "Just curious." And with that she walked off with a small wave towards a group of her Durmstrang friends.
"Just curious, right," Harry muttered as Ron and he were on their way up to the Common Room, unhalted this time.
----
"You're sure they'd let us do all this Quidditch stuff this early?" Ron sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I mean, it is only the fourth day of classes and Quidditch Season usually doesn't start till October."
"Professor McGonagall will allow us to start early, you know how much she wants to see us win the Quidditch Cup again," Harry replied, also leaning back in his chair. His eyes were still on the notice that he was hoping would go up on the Gryffindor Message Board soon, one of Quidditch Try-Outs.
Ron nodded sitting straight in his chair again and spun the notice around for him to read, "You know she'll come to these, right?"
"Who said she'll be any good?" The boy pushed back his chair and stood facing Ron. "We'll talk to McGonagall and Madam Hooch tomorrow, since it's a Saturday. And then hopefully by next Friday afternoon, we'll have our try-outs--"
"And a full Quidditch Team," Ron ended, grinning.
The boys turned in for the night and the next day received permission to begin the Gryffindor Quidditch Team tryouts on Friday afternoon just as the boys had planned. Yet when the afternoon rolled around, they had visitors they didn't expect.
"Look, Gryffindor is going to bite this year in Quidditch. You see all the people here? I bet they can't even fly..." Malfoy caused a group of Slytherin Quidditch Players to make loud, boisterous laughter, including Devyne.
Ron snorted and stared at the clear blue sky as if to calm his anger, "I don't understand why Devyne hangs with them," he muttered threw clenched teeth.
Harry shook his head; have gotten used to Devyne laughing at Malfoy's pathetic jokes didn't seem to phase him that much anymore, "Who knows. Let's just get this over with," he mounted his broom and flew up above the crowd of Gryffindors (and Slytherin Quidditch Team), scanning everyone's face. Ginny and Jack rose with him and Ron, glancing out over the crowd also.
"Beaters or Chasers first?" Ginny asked, smiling at the people who were watching them.
"Same time, I'll watch everyone. Take them threw a practice run, in other words, we need four beaters and six chasers on the field. I'll charm their shirts to show different teams and Ginny, you know everyone's name, right?" The girl nodded to Harry, "Good. Ron and Jack, make it hard for the chasers, I want to see their dodging abilities too."
With Harry's instructions, they all nodded and lowered to the ground. "Chasers on the right and Beaters on the left!" Ginny shouted over them and the whole group began to separate; Harry couldn't help but notice Devyne filing with the Chasers.
Finally, the tryouts began. Harry flew high over the short games (only to fifty points, since there was no snitch) and examined each player in turn. Before the third and last game started, Harry knew his next Beater and only one of the Chasers; and then Devyne came in the last game.
Harry tossed the Quaffle up as high as he could to begin the game and before he could even process which Chasers dove first Devyne was out of the group and in the air with the Quaffle under arm. She was riding on a Nimbus 2000, something a lot of people called the past, but this girl made it look like a brand new Firebolt. She weaved in and out of the Beaters and Bludgers easily and applied a strong arm when Devyne passed it to another Chaser on her team. Ginny (the good Chaser she was) came swooping out of no where when a Bludger knocked the Quaffle out of the girl's arm. The Weasley snatched the ball from mid-air and completed a one-eighty before heading towards Ron at the goals; neither Ginny nor Harry saw Devyne coming. The redhead dove over the front of Ginny's broom, grabbing the Quaffle from her arms and landing back on her Nimbus and scored the first goal of the game smoothly pass Ron.
"Bloody hell," Harry cursed under his breath.
The game ended quickly, Devyne kept her Chasers ahead of the game and helped them score most points along with her scoring the first one. All the skills needed in a Chaser were contained in the girl; devising, dodging, quick movements. She thought on impulse and Harry knew that she could be on the Gryffindor Quidditch with a snap, but he didn't want the rest of his life to evolve near her.
"I liked Michelle," Harry said after the Friday's auditions. The whole team of Gryffindor was seated in the locker room going over the people for the team. "She could dodge really well and has a highly strong arm."
"Yeah, if she were to slap someone," Ron muttered, causing Ginny to snicker a bit. "She wouldn't be able to pass a Quaffle a fourth of the field for her life."
Harry just shrugged and they eventually decided on Ferra Williams for the second Chaser and everyone agreed with Tim Mullen for the second Beater. Ron and Ginny knew that he was avoiding speaking about Devyne - but Jack Sloper didn't catch on to much.
"What about that redhead girl? Destiny... Or something?" he asked, his eyes squinted in thought, though he looked more like someone stabbed him.
Ron grinned, "Her name's Devyne," he turned to Harry. "And what about her, mate?"
Harry shook his head, "No, her dodging skills varied... And the way she always gave up the Quaffle --"
"You mean teamwork?" Ginny begin to laugh.
"No, not like that!" the captain scowled deeply, staring at the Weasley. "She could be right in front of the goal and she would pass it to another Chaser, which could cost us a game sometime."
Ron sighed, "She only did that because it was the auditions. She showed off the first goal so show her skills, and then let everyone else have a chance. And you have to admit, she was good." Harry didn't argue; he didn't want to. He knew Devyne was the closest they would ever get to the perfect Chaser for their team, but he couldn't help to not want to be around her.
"Harry..."
"Fine, I don't care," Harry snapped at Ginny's testing voice. He picked up his broom and left the locker rooms. He knew he was going to regret her on the team.
The three people that made the Gryffindor Team were announced broadly on a banner that Ginny hung in the Common Room; Harry, unfortunately, happened to be there when Devyne saw her name beaming down upon her. She noticed Harry just off the stairs and she walked up to him before he could protest in any way.
"They force you?" she asked with a huge grin plastered on her face. Harry kept silent and passed her by, which only made Devyne smile more, "Thought so."
September soon disappeared under the pressure of Quidditch Practices and especially horrid weather that drowned out many chances for the Gryffindor Team. Not too long after the first of October had passed, a sign had appeared on the message boards around the castle declaring the first Hogsmeade Trip. Halloween.
"Ron! Harry!" Hermione's voice met the boys' ears over the noise of the Common Room. She caught up to them smiling broadly, "Are we on for the Hogsmeade Trip?"
Ron grinned, "Definitely. I have to get more sweets soon."
Before Harry could let in his bit about Hogsmeade, a booming voice echoed throughout the common room, "Oh Potter! My dearest Potter!"
The boy felt an intense rush of rage flash through his body. He could see himself launching off the couch when his wand extended and curse her with everything that came to mind. His hands itched just thinking of it when he perceived Devyne standing just beside him and all eyes of the Gryffindors upon them. Harry didn't reply to her call and was pulsating with too much anger to even glance her way.
"I'm terribly sorry to bother you," she apologized with thick sarcasm. "But there seems to be a loose Snitch on the Pitch and--"
"You set it loose, didn't you," Harry snapped suddenly causing a couple of younger students near him to recoil.
Devyne pulled off a feigned look of shock, "Oh no, Harry! I would never do such a thing. Madam Hooch locks them up, remember? I wouldn't be able to get to them. But I was sent to fetch you--"
His grip on the side of the couch became tighter, "You're a superb flyer, why didn't you catch it?"
"Oh I simply couldn't!" her voice was higher in fake worry than Harry had ever heard in his life, "It was too much for my old broom to handle, but you, I know you have a Firebolt! And you could catch it so easily!"
Harry had enough. His grip on the couch had become so tight with rage that his hands developed a tingling sensation that let him know they were numb. His teeth gritted together, Harry didn't dare say another word to her knowing that if he heard her voice once more...
"So, Harry, will you--"
She was stopped short with Harry's sudden launch off the couch and his hand flicked out his wand quicker than anyone ever saw. Yet, before a single curse could slip off his tongue, the doors of the common room swung open to reveal Professor McGonagall, her eyes bloodshot and tired.
"Devyne have you -- Oh good. Mr. Potter, I'm sure Miss Rose has informed you of our crisis. If you could please set your work aside for just a moment and practice Charms when you return?" The professor said more in a half-begging half-demanding tone.
Harry darted his eyes from Devyne and then to Professor McGonagall shocked that she wasn't pranking him. His eyes locked onto Devyne's which were tinted with the 'I told you so!' remark. He lowered his wand and restored it to his pocket and agreed to help the Professor. The elderly woman nodded and turned around sweeping out of the common room and Harry passed Devyne, bumping into her shoulder purposely. She stepped aside as if bowing to his superiority and he dared to glance over his shoulder to see Devyne holding her wand lightly and waving to him as some of the Gryffindors laughed. His gaze went back to his path out the door and he couldn't help but ponder where her wand came from for he never saw her reach for it and he knew it wasn't in her hands as she spoke with him.
----
Wind rushing through his hair, his cloak bellowing behind him angrily as he chased the Snitch on the Pitch. Less than two minutes later, the Golden Bird lied in his fist as he handed it off to Madam Hooch.
"Thank you, Potter," Madam Hooch praised and locked the trunk tightly, giving it her own charms.
Harry gave a soft smile, "You're welcome, Madam Hooch," and he left the Quidditch Storage Room, heading for the Gryffindor Common Room. Not too far down the hallway, he heard whispering from an open classroom.
"Stephanie, take a deep breath for me, okay? We cannot talk about this here," it was Devyne's voice. Sniffles were heard from the cracked door as Harry crept closer so he could hear well.
"I can't do this anymore, Devyne, I'm so scared," Stephanie, one of the Durmstrang transfers sniffed and began to cry harder.
Devyne soothing voice worked its way into the girl, "Look, I promise you, after this meeting next week, you will be out. I promise you with my life, you know I can do that."
Stephanie's tears slowly came to an end as Harry shook his head, hating every word that Devyne spoke. "Let's go, Stephanie. And don't speak of the meeting until we are there."
Harry dodged to his right and behind a curtain as the old classroom's door squeaked open and the two girls left down the hallway. The eavesdropper grinned, "Finally, she'll get what she deserves."