"Bloody Hell, that boy can run," I exclaimed as Oliver darted to the top of the stands in the Pitch 'just to be sure nobody was going to show up late'.
It was late in the afternoon and we had been forced to sit around all day for the Quidditch try-outs to find out who would be our reserve Seeker in the game. So far not a single person had showed up.
"What do you suppose we'll do if no one tries out?" I asked the rest of the team shaking my head as Oliver dejectedly came back down the stands.
"Oliver will blackmail someone into playing Seeker," Alicia suggested.
"I think he'll make you play Seeker Katie," Angelina put in her two cents.
"That's probably the most likely," Fred agreed, "We'll probably go with just two Chasers and you'll have to wing it at Seeker."
"Katie?" Oliver asked sadly as he walked up to the group debating crazy things Oliver might do to find a Seeker.
"Or he might…" George exclaimed as I turned away from the conversation.
"Yes Ollie?" I questioned looking my disappointed friend and Captain in the face, "What is it?"
"I need you, Katherine Ann Bell," Oliver started.
"I know you need me, Ollie," I teased.
"No, I need you to play Seeker tomorrow. Then we won't lose as badly."
"Thanks for the confidence in my abilities," I retorted sarcastically.
"No problem," Oliver replied, missing my sarcasm.
"Oliver," I said comfortingly throwing my arm around him, "It's not the end of the world. There's always next year to win the Quidditch Cup."
"As long as my Seeker doesn't get himself killed," Oliver moaned, refusing to cheer up.
"You, Oliver Wood, are a pessimist." I reprimanded, "Repeat after me, I, Oliver Wood, will look at things with an optimistic spin or my best friend, the well loved and highly respected Katherine Ann Bell, will place an eternal cheering charm on me."
Oliver mumbled, "I, Oliver Wood, will look at things with an optimistic spin or my best friend, the well loved and highly respected Katherine Ann Bell, will place an eternal cheering charm on me."
"Thank you," I nodded and guided Oliver back to the rest of the team, "Now, how about we pay a team visit to our favorite Seeker and the saver of the world as we know it, my own adopted brother, Harry James Potter!"
"I still don't get the 'adopted brother' thing," Alicia muttered to George, "How can he be her 'adopted brother' if her parents didn't adopt him."
George sighed and rolled his eyes, "Don't hurt yourself Alicia."
"AND THEY'RE OFF! WOOD ESTABLISHED POSSIBLE THE GREATEST TEAM IN GRYFFINDOR HISTORY AND THEY WILL PROBABLY BE STEAMROLLED BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF POTTER IN THE POSITION OF SEEKER. POTTER, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW," Lee Jordan started his commentary of what was sure to be a quick Quidditch match, "ATTACKED AND BEAT OUR VERY OWN PROFESSOR QUIRREL WHO WAS IN LEAGUE WITH YOU-KNOW-WHO."
"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall warned.
"YES, WELL, BACK TO THE GAME. GRYFFINDOR'S YOUNGEST AND I THINK BEST LOOKING CHASER…"
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall growled menacingly.
"KATIE BELL," Lee continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "HAS AGREED TO PLAY SEEKER FOR POTTER IN THIS FINAL MATCH AGAINST RAVENCLAW. IT'S A SHAME, REALLY, THAT POTTER IS CURRENTLY UNCONCIOUS AFTER SAVING THE MODERN WIZARDING WORLD; ESPECIALLY SINCE GRYFFINDOR WAS A FAVORITE FOR THE QUIDDITCH CUP THIS YEAR. IT APPEARS THAT SLYTHERIN WILL PROBABLY TAKE THE CUP YET AGAIN.
"JOHNSON AND SPINNET ARE FLYING REMARKABLY WELL FOR MISSING ONE OF THEIR KEY PLAYERS. THEY HAVE MANAGED TO STEAL THE QUAFFLE AWAY FROM RAVENCLAW'S HINKEY AND ARE PASSING BACK AND FORTH IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO SCORE.
"SPINNET SHOOTS AND THE SHOT GOES WIDE! I GUESS ALL OF THE GRYFFINDOR TEAMMATES ARE A LITTLE BUMMED ABOUT TODAY'S PROBABLE OUTCOME, BUT NONE MORE SO THEN CAPTAIN OLIVER WOOD WHO JUST FAILED TO SAVE A REMARKABLY EASY SHOT.
I hovered in the air when the thought occurred to me that I should probably circle the pitch and look for the Snitch. I squinted around in the bright sunlight and realized exactly how much I preferred the larger and more visible Quaffle to the tiny and impossible to find Snitch. I felt a renewed appreciation for Harry.
"You're going down, Gryffindor!" a Slytherin I recognized as that 1st year prat Malfoy yelled.
"You're probably right," I muttered but motioned to Fred to hit a Bludger into the stands right there which he gladly did.
"I'm sorry, meant to hit it the other way," Fred called to Malfoy who had dived rather clumsily to avoid the Bludger.
Malfoy just sneered and Fred smirked as he flew off to help Oliver in any way he could. Oliver seemed to have lost hope in all things Quidditch; as soon as I realized that I knew we were doomed. If Oliver had lost hope then there was no hope left to hope.
"RAVENCLAW SCORES MAKING IT, WELL IT'S NOT A VERY GOOD NUMBER FOR GRYFFINDOR," Lee said lamely, "EVEN IF BELL WERE TO CATCH THE SNITCH NOW I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD WIN. BUT THEN NUMBERS AND MATH NEVER WERE MY STRONG POINT. ANYWAYS, HINKEY SCORES AGAIN AND GRYFFINDOR SEIZES POSESSION OF THE QUAFFLE. BELL IS LOOKING HOPEFULLY FOR THE SNITCH. NORMAN APPEARS TO HAVE SPOTTED THE MINISCULE WINGED BALL. HE'S DIVING; HE'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH, RAVENCLAW WINS. I HOPE NONE OF YOU BET THAT GRYFFINDOR WOULD WIN THIS MATCH. WHAT A DISSAPOINTING WAY TO END A SCHOOL YEAR." Lee sighed and switched the magical microphone off.
"Bloody Hell," I sighed as I landed next to Fred and George.
We walked to the locker rooms silently and changed just as silently. Then we left the pitch and walked slowly up to the castle. We had just suffered possibly the worst defeat in Hogwarts Quidditch history.
"Dammit," Fred muttered, "My shoe's untied."
"Well tie the bloody thing and let's go," Angelina snapped.
"Maybe I will," Fred retorted angrily.
"See if I care!"
"I bet you do!"
"SHUT IT, BOTH OF YOU!"
This last remark was me, losing what little sanity I still possessed. I whirled around and everyone froze in their tracks and gaped at me.
"I've had enough!" I lectured, "We've been feeling sorry for ourselves since yesterday. If we hadn't have lost hope maybe we wouldn't have suffered the worst defeat any of us has ever seen! Even Oliver lost hope!
"If you're going to go on feeling sorry for yourselves, then crawl into a corner where nobody will bother you! As for me, I'm going to walk into that school with my head held high because while the rest of you gave up I still tried my hardest. I didn't give up! I knew that if I could spot that Snitch before Norman we could still win the match!
"But the rest of you gave up, Oliver let in easy goals, Fred and George started sending Bludgers at butterflies, Alicia shot without looking, and Angelina didn't bother to steal the Quaffle.
"I'm disappointed in you, not because you let me down, but because you let Harry down! Our Seeker, a little brother for many of us, just saved the wizarding world as we know it! And how do we, his strange yet happy 'family' thank him? We give up! What kind of people are we?" I whispered the last part and ignored their shocked faces.
I turned around and walked into the school with, in fact, my head held high. And when I got up to Gryffindor Tower I was met with a wonderful sight. There stood the entire House, cheering as if we had won. A couple of friends hugged me and others patted me on the back. I smiled and joined in the festivities and didn't even notice when the others came into the Common Room.
"Kat?" Oliver asked quietly from behind me.
I turned to face my team. I glanced at their guilty expressions and raised an eyebrow as if inviting him to go on.
"We just wanted to say that you're right. I gave up," Oliver managed to get the words out, but said 'I gave up' like it was the dirtiest thing in the world.
"We all did," Alicia said quietly.
"That was some speech," Fred exclaimed breaking into a wide grin.
"I say we should name Katie the Queen of Gryffindor's Quidditch Team!" George suggested enthusiastically.
"I second that," Angelina and Alicia shouted.
And so, I was hoisted up on the shoulders of most of Gryffindor. I'm telling you, that one day did wonders for my social life. I think Jeremy Mattson even shook my hand and promised to talk to me later, and let me tell you, after I managed to put eggs in his shampoo and the birds started attacking him, that's saying a lot of a guy. (It was for revenge for failing me that his shampoo was now egg-poo, in case you were wondering.)
The remaining time at Hogwarts went by quickly until it was the day before the Hogwarts Express would be picking us up and taking us home. I managed to break away from my new found social life to talk with my 'adopted brother'. It was an unspoken agreement between us never to mention the Quidditch Match, although I think that the twins may have mentioned my speech to him over the summer.
I sighed as I packed. I sure would miss this old place over the summer. It had become more than just a school, it was a home. Sighing again I attempted to close my trunk. It wouldn't shut all the way.
"It figures," I muttered.
"What figures Katie?" Angelina called.
"My trunk won't shut," I replied as I slammed the lid repeatedly in hopes of getting it to latch.
"I'll help you with that!" Angelina eagerly hopped onto my bed and sat on my trunk, "Try it now."
"We need more weight!" I exclaimed hopping onto the trunk and then trying to latch it, "Argh, Alicia, hop up here! Not like it'll do much good, you're a stick!"
"Why thank you," Alicia replied, "but I'm not helping unless you promise to explain the how Harry is your 'adopted brother' if your parents didn't adopt him."
"Fine," I sighed, sticking out my hand to shake on it.
"And, you have to be patient and nice about it," Alicia added as she eyed my hand.
"But that's no fun."
"Well then you'll just have to close your trunk on your own." Alicia informed me stubbornly.
I looked from my trunk to Angelina to Alicia, "Fine, I'll be nice about it. Just hop up here already!"
"Okay!" Alicia exclaimed, eagerly hopping onto my bed.
It turns out she may have hopped a little too eagerly. As she jumped onto the trunk it slid off the bed and the three of us on top of it ended up underneath it. Amazingly it bounced off of us without killing us and bumped completely shut on the floor. Everything had stayed in. Fearing it would unlatch itself at any moment; I wasted no time in slamming the latch down and locking it.
"Thanks Alicia!" I exclaimed happily, "Now about that 'adopted brother' thing…"
But Alicia's face suddenly lit up in understanding, "I got it Katie! It makes sense now! I feel so stupid!"
"Way to go Alicia!" I shouted, joining in the happy dancing around the room.
Angelina rolled her eyes, "Guys, we have to go and eat, it's time for the feast."
"Okay Ange, but can we skip dinner and go straight to dessert?" Alicia asked bouncing out the door and sliding down the banister.
"NO!" Angelina shouted, "NO SUGAR FOR YOU OR KATIE!"
"Hey," I said as I stood poised to slide down the banister too, "I want my chocolate!"
"Katherine Ann Bell, you are too hyper as she is. Besides, you are getting pudgy and certainly don't want to be eating anything with that many calories!"
"Well then," I replied, sliding down the banister.
I landed at the bottom on the floor quite hard. My poor butt, I don't think it will ever be the same again. I groaned as Alicia pulled me up off of the floor and spotted Oliver and the twins laughing hysterically at me.
"God, I can't believe you agree with Angelina. Maybe I should go anorexic!" I bellowed at them, faking being upset. Then I sprinted out of the Common Room.
"Go after her Oliver," Fred said as I let the Portrait Hole close behind me.
I threw myself on the floor beside the stone gargoyle and put my head on my knees, pretending to be crying. I was ready not a moment too soon because Oliver came out of the Portrait Hole a second later.
"Katie," Oliver said softly, "We weren't laughing because of what Angelina said. In fact, we didn't even hear her say that. We just thought it was funny that you and Alicia both landed on your butts."
"My fat butt, you mean," I replied sniffling.
"Katie, look at me," Oliver commanded grabbing my chin and turning my head so that I faced him, "YOU ARE NOT… wait, you're not crying!"
"I got you!" I screamed as I ran off towards the Great Hall, "Whoever's last has to give whichever person the other chooses a big fat kiss!"
Oliver raced after me but I had too much of a head start. I stood trying to look calm and to catch my breath right outside the Great Hall. I was looking around for Oliver when he stepped out of the shadows and smirked at me.
"Wow Bell, maybe Angelina is right. You are getting fat! What took you so long?" Oliver asked without a trace of being out of breath.
"What?... How… did... you… get… here?" I panted.
"I have my ways," Oliver replied smirking, "Now, who does Katie have to kiss?"
"Oh God, no," I begged, "Oliver, I was planning to make you kiss me or something, don't pick another girl, please!"
"Katie!" Oliver exclaimed in mock surprise, "I'm appalled that you would even think I might stoop to such levels! I'm going to make you kiss, Jeremy Mattson!"
"Okay," I replied suddenly much calmer, "That's not so bad. I was thinking you might say Malfoy or something."
"That's a much better idea," Oliver agreed.
"Too late!" I shouted as I spotted Jeremy Mattson and his friend Nathan coming down the stairs and into the Entrance Hall.
"Oy, Mattson!" I called, "Come here for a second!"
"You beckoned my lady," Jeremy replied as he bowed gracefully.
"I have something to give you."
"What's that?" Jeremy asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me.
"A 'kiss'," I replied quietly, trying not to laugh at his surprised face.
"W-what?" He stammered.
"Relax you idiot," I said chucking a thimble at him, "Here's your 'kiss'. Haven't you ever heard Peter Pan?"
I turned and left a dumbfounded Jeremy Mattson and a hysterical Nathan in the Entrance Hall. Oliver hurried to keep up with me as I skipped to the Gryffindor table.
"That was cheap," Oliver hissed as we sat down.
"Yeah, I guess it was," I replied, "I'll give you a 'thimble' if you want."
"No thanks," Oliver said hastily, "I don't need a thimble, I don't sew!"
"Oliver, have you ever heard Peter Pan?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
"No, I haven't."
"Ollie," I sighed; Oliver had never been one to turn down a kiss from me before. "In the story Peter Pan Wendy gives Peter a thimble and tells him it's a kiss. Later she gives him a kiss and tells him it's a thimble."
"Oh," Oliver said as comprehension dawned on him, "Yes, I would like a 'thimble' Katie."
"Too bad, you've ruined it," I sighed dramatically and turned away.
"Bloody Hell," Oliver murmured as the feast started, "What a waste of a perfectly good kiss."
Dumbledore spoke about Harry and his friends and awarded them points for all of their triumphs against Professor Quirrel and You-Know-Who. When he was finished we were tied with Slytherin for the House Cup.
"If only he had given Harry one more point!" I exclaimed, "We would have had the House Cup! He deserved it too!"
"SHH, Katie," everyone hissed as Dumbledore started talking again.
"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottm." (HPSS pg. 306)
"Way to go Neville!" I screamed as the minor explosion sounded in the Great Hall.
I practically dove onto the poor boy in an attempt to hug him. He was going to be suffocated by the entire Gryffindor House if we weren't careful.
"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, "we need a little change of decoration." (HPSS pg. 306)
Dumbledore waved his wand and suddenly the entire mass of green, sliver, and serpent banners and flags and streamers were replaced by scarlet and gold and lion banners and flags and streamers. We all cheered and McGonagall looked like she was going to faint.
"Have a wonderful feast and summer," Dumbledore called and waved his arms yet again and the feast appeared.
The Gryffindor students stopped attacking Neville in joy and instead directed their energy to eating that entire marvelous feast.
"I'm so happy I could give Neville a 'thimble'!" I shouted to nobody in particular although Oliver heard me and almost choked on some chicken.
"You must be happy then, Katie!" He yelled back.
"Yep," I shouted, "Want a 'thimble now?"
Oliver didn't hear me but I grabbed his robes and pulled him down to my level anyways. I gave him a huge kiss on the lips and let go of him. I started eating again completely ignoring the stupid grin plastered on his face. I did, however, notice that a certain Jeremy Mattson was looking about ready to kill a certain Scottish Quidditch Captain. Hmm, what was that look all about?
AN/ That's not the end of the story, just her first year, well the train ride still has to come. I think I'm going to write about that. I really have to go, it's time for bed and I have school tomorrow. Tear, I miss Winter Break already!
Love From,
MotherCrumpet
P.S. Please Review (grins angelically) and leave any ideas as to mischief on the train! or over the summer!or when school starts again! or whenever really! Ok, you get the point! PLEASE REVIEW!