Days flowed into weeks, and weeks into months. Eric dedicated himself to his classwork and personal projects in a desperate attempt to escape his situation, even if only in his mind. Halloween had come and gone with not more than the usual nonsense. Sure there was the troll, but Halloween was usually good for some minor crisis or disaster. At least this time it wasn't the Weasleys ( or at least their alibi held ). Eric was fairly sure that it really wasn't them anyway – the twins were usually good for a laugh and an elaborate gag, but never anything that could really hurt someone.
Meanwhile, Eric's contempt for Slytherin house had reached it's limit. He had long since reached the point where he hoped Slytherin tower would break it's foundations and crash to the ground. The fact that it could take him with it would've been a minor annoyance. Malfoy and his cronies were getting to be completely intolerable. Worse, search as he might, he couldn't find another soul in the house who felt like he did. At first he thought they were trying to hide out like he was. That thought ended when he went through the house tenants one at a time to pick out anyone else like himself, only to find them all in one vicious circle or another.
Finally, it was time for the first Quiddich match of the year: Slytherin vs Gryffindor. Eric decided to volunteer for the ground crew: students that would wait to care for anyone knocked out of the sky. A good ground crew meant a quick recovery for the players, and it was a way he could participate without having to share the sky with Marcus Flint.
The game started well enough, and it was easy enough to tuck next to the Slytherin stands so that none of the others could see him cheering as Gryffindor took an early lead. If Harry was really as good as Oliver Wood seemed to think he was, he'd make a real good showing this game. Meanwhile, the snitch was zipping back and forth across the field. It was hard not to get too wrapped up in the game, but he wasn't there to watch and cheer – he was there in case of an emergency.
Of course, Quiddich being what it is, one plopped right in his lap within the first few minutes when a Gryffindor chaser caught a bludger to the head, knocking her dizzy and dropping her to the ground like a stunned pigeon. Eric was at her side as soon as she landed, asking her questions and checking for blood. She seemed well enough, just dazed.
Eric pulled out an emerald potion. "Here, drink this – it'll help you shake the hit." Katie Bell looked at him for a minute, suspicion filling her eyes. Knowing how the Slytherins were playing, Eric did his best not to be offended. "That would be cheating."
Testing the potion at first, she downed it in a shot. Almost immediately her balance improved, and the dizziness cleared, and her expression changed from uncertainty to confused gratitude. "Um, thanks."
"It's why I'm here. Just be careful." Eric waved her back in into the game, where she quickly rejoined her teammates in harassing Adrian Pucey. It was interesting watching how the game rolled, spun, then stopped while the Seekers went for the Snitch. Eric couldn't decide what part of the game was more exciting when Marcus Flint decided to put a stop to the Seeker's chase. Even with the foul and free shot for Gryffindor, Eric wished there was more he could do to make up for his house's despicable acts.
Just as Eric began thinking on this, Harry's broom started jumping back and forth. Eric could see the Gryffindor players giving up the game to help him, while the Slytherins took the opportunity to score points. Eric decided to prepare himself: the best tactic would be to grab Harry in a levitation spell and use it to keep him out of trouble, just in case the broom went after him. Eric had to wait, though: grabbing him while he was holding on to the broom would've negated the spell or worse. Harry had to be in freefall first.
Yet Harry didn't fall. Even though it heaved and jumped, Harry seemed to be able to maintain a deathgrip on the handle. It seemed an eternity of searching for an opportunity to act, only for it not to come. Harry's broom steadied and he got back on it, and with a flurry of speed, skill, and a little dumb luck, the game was over and Gryffindor had won. Eric couldn't help but be thrilled, shouting and applauding for Harry and his team as if they were his own. That's when it happened - the worst thing that could have possibly happened in the whole of the year: Marcus Flint saw him cheering.
Eric knew this would be the last straw in a pile of slights that the house had gathered up against him over the entire term. Once again, his actions had started a torrent that was about to pound against him worse than a November gale, and there was nothing to do but to prepare for it.