Harry called the first Gryffindor Quiditch meeting of the season that night and met his teammates in the locker room.
"I think we're going to have a good season this year. We've got a great team and-"
"I disagree."
"What, Renata?"
"I disagree. I have a signed order from Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Madam Hooch saying that this year Co-Captains would lead the Gryffindor team. That's me and Harry. He called this meeting without consulting me and I think that if our team doesn't communicate we can't have a good year or a good team. Am I right?"
Several of the others agreed and Renata smirked at Harry.
Things went downhill from there.
Every time Harry suggested something, Renata suggested the opposite or found some kind of fault with it. The quick half an hour meeting Harry had planned turned out to be 2 hours long thanks to Renata.
Harry hung back when the others left and walked slowly with Renata.
"Hey, Ren, what'd you do that for?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb."
"Alright. I'm sorry I gave you a hard time tonight but I really felt you were out of line. You didn't consult with me before the meeting. I told you Dumbledore made us co-captains. That means we agree on stuff before hand." She smiled smugly again.
Harry gave up; arguing with Renata was no good. Renata always won. "Fine," he muttered. "Have it your way."
"I always do. Now listen I've got some great strategies for this year's team. And I drew up a practice schedule this summer. I've got diagrams back in Gryffindor Tower but for now I'll describe them."
Harry listened, her ideas were good. But of course even if they weren't good he'd have no choice but to follow them anyway. Renata certainly had a.strong personality if nothing else. He rolled his eyes.
They'd just reached the portrait of the Fat Lady when Renata asked, "You know what's odd?"
"What?" he sank into one of the comfortable chairs near the fire.
She sat across from him. "We haven't had any trouble from that ferret- faced weasel yet. Not even on the train."
"That's kind of disturbing."
"Yeah." She stared into empty space for minute before breaking out in a mad grin. "What do you say to baiting him into a fight on Monday after potions? We throw around a couple of insults that he doesn't dare let go unchallenged and then there's bound to be some sort of fight! What do you think?"
"I dunno, Renata."
"Come on! I know you don't care if you get in detention. And we'll leave Ron and Hermione completely out of it, that way we know they won't get in trouble." She glanced over in the corner where Hermione was helping Ron with his Transfiguration homework. Renata turned back to Harry, her eyes shining, "Don't lie to me. I know you like picking fights with, Malfoy. That'll return things to normal and maybe we can find out what's going on."
"But what if there isn't anything going on?"
"You don't believe that for minute, Harry. I know you don't. Besides, even if there isn't anything going on it'll give us a chance to throw a couple punches."
"I got my fill of that before school started," said Harry, remembering the scuffle inside the Leakey Cauldron.
"Fine. Then at least a couple hexes. You aren't seriously going to pass this up are you?"
"No. You win."
"I always win."
"Right, Ren."
She smiled. * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ *
That Monday Harry and Renata got to Snape's class early. Draco Malfoy was already there and to Harry's surprise, Goyle and Crabbe weren't.
"Where's the musclemen?" whispered Renata.
"I don't know."
"Do we dare a pre-class prank?" she asked.
"No, let's just start with insults." He looked in Malfoy's direction. "Malfoy! Where are your trained apes this morning? I thought you were too scared to travel from the Great Hall to the classroom without them?"
Malfoy barely acknowledged him with a dirty look and a glare before returning to writing down something on a spare piece of parchment.
"Wow. Nothing," whispered Harry. They continued to antagonize him until the rest of the class came in and then stopped. "What's wrong with him?"
"He'd never take insults like that."
"Especially from Gryffindors."
"We'll have to come up with something better after class."
Harry nodded but was prevented from saying anything else as Snape began to instruct them in the uses of willow bark.