Quidditch - There Is Nothing More Important
Pick-Up Quidditch, Revenge and The Great Christmas Broom Scandal
Everything you recognise belongs to JKR. Unfortunately.
Beta'd by Dorothea Greengrass and Thundercracker-TC much appreciated.
—Quidditch—
Sunday morning began bright and early for Rolanda Hooch. As was their long standing habit, Minerva had accompanied her down to the pitch before any student had left their toasty warm beds to do a safety check on the Quidditch pitch before the Skills workshop and mini-matches. She would perform a flyby on the hoops, a containment check on the bludgers in their cases, and inspect the locker rooms.
The locker room check had two aims. One for tidiness and cleanliness which was usually redundant due to the house elves, and second, an illicit activity check, which was the official reason that Minerva accompanied her.
"Who's your bet for the student most caught in broom closets this year Minnie?" Rolanda asked.
"McLaggan I think. He was a close second behind Jones of Ravenclaw last year. I've had him in my office twice already for being too familiar." McGonagall replied, the complaining tone in her voice the closest Rolanda had ever heard to a whinge.
The main reason the two were leisurely strolling down the grassy path by the Black Lake with a broomstick over her shoulder was simple. It was relaxing and well away from any noisy child.
"My brother is coming up from Wales next weekend. He was wondering if you'd like to join us for dinner at that little Italian in Fraserburgh on Saturday night. Can you ask Septima to wrangle your lions?"
"Oh! I haven't seen Bertie in ages! It would be lovely to see him again. I'm sure I can convince Albus and Septima to stay in the castle. Yes, it would be a pleasure."
Their conversation meandered on and lasted until they were at the edge of the trimmed verdant grass of the Quidditch pitch, not a blade out of place.
"Those two young elves you assigned have done a marvellous job around here. It's immaculate!" Rolanda commented as she glanced around, yellow eyes darting.
"I'm glad Rolanda, Miffy did recommend them highly. Locker rooms first, then the quidditch chest?" Minerva replied satisfied.
"Why don't you head that way and I'll check the rings." Rolanda put action to words and kicked off and soared into an un-professorial loop-de-loop.
"Oh do grow up Rolanda!" Scolded Minerva.
In the few minutes she spent in careful inspection, Minerva had reached the first locker room and disappeared inside.
Rolanda descended in a smooth glide and dismounted in the doorway; she had to stop walking as Minerva had halted on the threshold and was gazed at the mess inside.
"What on earth-" she began but cut herself off. "Who was here yesterday?"
"You don't know? I thought there was a schedule and you held to it religiously." Minerva questioned.
"There is and I do. It's blank for all of yesterday." Rolanda paused and scratched her head.
"Pilly! Punky!" She called.
Two pops sounded as a pair of young floppy eared elves appeared in front of them.
"Hows can we be helping Rolly Hoochy this morning?" The elf on the right said.
Minerva opened her mouth and closed it again and Rolanda gave her a suspicious stare.
"When was the last time you cleaned here Punky?" She asked instead.
"Wednesday as Miffy told us to. We've been up in the owl home since," Punky replied.
She had been looking around like her fellow elf was and gasped.
"We've not blaming you Punky. Thursday night was Slytherin reserve tryouts." Rolanda assured the elf.
"They left it late this year, it seems someone was not at all happy at the team selection." Minerva added.
"Honestly Minerva, it's like herding cats!" Rolanda told her long time friend.
"You're not funny, Rolanda." Minerva said and scowled at her colleague, who chuckled away merrily.
"You two put this place to rights and I'll go see Severus. Goodbye Minnie, I'll tell Bertie to book for three?" Rolanda said.
"Yes, please do Rolly," Minerva huffed. "I'll make an announcement in the morning and tell the captains this is their one and only warning. Herding cats!" She muttered the last two words and stalked off.
Rolanda moved to check the chest and began to giggle, Minnie was sensitive about her alter ego.
—Quidditch—
Oliver arrived at the quidditch pitch just as the airborne students descended. It looked like the Quidditch workshop had just finished and the real fun was about to begin.
"Pick-up game number one," Madam Hooch paused to drink from a hip flask and consulted a notebook. "Anitas Newts against Slyther-Wright-In."
Childish sniggers caused her to pause, "I'm just going to ignore that." She continued, "Let's keep it a good clean game, you've only got thirty minutes so make the most of it. I don't want to be calling for blatching at all today. I'm looking at you, Wright, I called six last Sunday just in your game."
Oliver listened to the lecture with half an ear as he sidled over to Anita and lowered his head.
"Who did you get to replace Sloper and McLaggan?" he whispered.
Anita harrumphed and turned her head slightly.
"I can't believe those idiots 'forgot' three assignments, and the detentions they had with Filch. There wasn't much choice at such short notice." Anita trailed off.
"Well? Who did you get?" Oliver's voice raised in exasperation.
Anita just smirked and nodded towards the quidditch locker rooms.
Harry and Katie sat on the bench between the two locker room doors tucked back under the shade of the slanted roof. They waved as he looked over and returned to their conversation, fingers intertwined.
"When did you get those two? Are the twins going to climb out of the chimney?" Oliver asked amused.
"A little bit of gamesmanship, Wright really annoyed me this week and I saw an opportunity to stick one to that slimy snake. Sloper told me at breakfast this morning, bloody McLaggan was watching by the doors. The ringers were sitting next to me and I asked if they were busy. They said no at the same time, that's creepy by the way, far too like the twins, and said they would meet us here." Anita smugly told him.
"So who are the beaters? You want Harry to try? I'm not sure he's held a bat in his life." Oliver said and smirked towards Wright.
"Actually I was thinking you and me, Ollie, let Katie lead the chasers with Harry and Kenny Towler and Jenny Turner is the seeker, Ron Weasley is the keeper."
"I've not met Jenny yet." Oliver said.
"She's been in the workshops with me this year, good enough for seeker." Anita told him.
"Ask Harry to give her a few pointers, he won't mind. So she's a fourth chaser?"
"Yes, I-" Anita was interrupted by Madam Hooch.
"When you two are quite finished, where is the rest of your team, miss McDuff?" Madam Hooch had an amused twinkle in her eye.
"We're all here Madam, my chasers are just in the locker room." Anita replied innocently.
"Scared are they? Ha, you'll need more than Wood to beat the team I've put together!" Thomas Wright bragged. He opened his mouth to start again when he glanced at the locker room for the first time and saw Harry and Katie. His eyes grew wide and he visibly gulped.
"My team Madam Hooch, Ron Weasley as keeper, Myself and Oliver Wood as beaters, my chasers are Katie Bell, Kenny Towler and Harry Potter and the seeker is Jenny Turner."
Harry and Katie had joined the teams in the centre by now and they were eyeballing their opposite player. Jenny Turner didn't have a very high intimidation factor but she did try.
"Very good Miss McDuff," Madam Hooch could barely keep a straight face and took off before the players.
"What! You've got ringers in your team! You can't do that!" Wright complained.
"You can bring any player you want who's a current student, you can even pick a Gryff if you could convince Harry to play in green. Good luck!" Anita offered sweetly and took off after the referee.
Anita's Newts rose after their captain and gathered around her in a huddle.
"Wright's mob is shaken with the late addition of our ringers," she began.
Anita nodded towards Harry and Katie floating side by side.
"As Katie is our professional she is leading the chasers. Take your cues from her Kenny, stay alert Ron and don't drift off, Wright's a knob but he can play so there will be chances to show off. Harry, do you have any advice for Jenny? Ollie, Katie?"
Harry cleared his throat and looked Jenny over.
"You're half the size of Farrell but on a similar broom, so you'll be faster in a head to head, wind resistance will count here. Don't forget the bludgers and be aware of dirty tricks." Harry advised.
"Kenny I won't be calling plays unless it's a specific one that Harry or Ollie will be a part of. There's too much to know. Always think to be in position to receive a pass and push your broom if an attack is on. Defend like your life depends on it. Don't forget about the bludgers and don't forget that any slytherin is born to cheat." Katie added.
Oliver took a breath and glanced around at the team around him. Not his team but still dressed in red.
"Look out for each other, this is your family even for only half an hour. Think about how much pleasure 'Nita will have laughing in Wright's face." Oliver finished.
The team grinned and all looked towards Anita.
"Let's have some fun!"
They broke apart and drifted over to Madam Hooch and took their positions arrayed opposite the Slytherin team. The bludgers gently circled the pitch awaiting the spell from Madam Hooch to send them on their first collision course.
The quaffle was tossed high into the air and Katie shot through the space the quaffle occupied as quick as a flash then descended rapidly to avoid a clumsy challenge from Theodore Nott, quaffle tucked securely in the crook of her arm.
"What did I just say, Nott? Not even a minute into the game!" Madam Hooch called from the spot she had thrown the quaffle from.
Katie swooped towards the slytherin hoops and shyed the quaffle in front of a spooked Wright into Kennys waiting hand, he fumbled it once, twice then pinned it against his chest and pushed his cleansweep faster.
Kenny's sloppier pass was intercepted by Braithwaite who had the quaffle belted out his hand courtesy of a well aimed bludger from Anita.
"Yes! Go on Newts!" The distance chants of Ron could be heard over the gusts of wind.
Oliver had his head on a swivel using his hard trained awareness skills to keep track of both bludgers and the other eleven players, he analysed the play that blossomed before him, took careful aim and swung.
The bludger clipped Wright's broom sending him into a flat spin which gave Harry a split second to make his shot. A seasoned chaser would have sunk it in their sleep but Harry's attempt bounced off the rim, Katie collected the rebound and looped a shot at the far side hoop.
"Newts ten to Slyther zero!" Madam Hooch called.
—Quidditch—
"Newts seventy to Slyther forty!" Madam Hooch shouted. "Five minutes left!"
"What's that!?" a panicked yell rose from the bleachers, followed by a scream.
Madam Hooch reacted quickly and disabled the bludgers and descended towards the noise.
Oliver twisted on his broom to see and clenched his left hand which had become suddenly cold, his teeth began to chatter and he looked around.
All the players had begun to drift and everyone had become very pale. Oliver looked up towards Jenny and was shocked to see she had begun to sway on her broom. He could faintly hear shouting and he felt uncharacteristically panicked and twitchy. Oliver gave his head a shake and drifted up to see if she was alright.
"Hi Jenny," Oliver said through chattering teeth. "You okay?"
"No Ollie, my tummy hurts." Jenny said softly and pitched alarmingly to the side.
Luckily it was towards Oliver who managed to gather her to his chest and look around in alarm for the other students. Jenny's broom carried on its lazy path unguided.
Katie and Harry were side by side heading down and all the other broom riders were below them.
Below at pitch level three hooded figures seemed to absorb the light around them, the lower he got the worse Oliver began to feel. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his free hand around the shaft of his broom.
Oliver glanced down at Jenny and was dismayed to see that gone limp and her eyes were closed.
"Come on Jenny wake up, you need to open your-," Oliver was interrupted by a heartrending scream.
Katie was laid flat on her broom, both hands clasping Harry's arm, he was hanging limp and lifeless twenty metres above the ground, his broom nowhere to be seen. Oliver's rapid breathing spiked and he glanced down at Jenny again. There was nothing he could do.
Two red robed broom riders hurried to Harry's side and managed to take his weight just as Katie lost her grip. Kenny pulled Harry onto his broom bridal style and held onto his robes in a deathgrip.
Oliver breathed out and realised he had been holding it.
"My god," he cursed, "why am I so cold?"
McGonagall ran onto the pitch in a rage, swiftly followed by the Headmaster, several aurors and Minister Fudge.
Oliver managed to descend to ground level and adjusted his hold on Jenny, broom discarded on the floor for a more important burden.
Animals of light that Oliver had only read about zoomed about the pitch and Oliver was approached by Professor McGonagall who conjured a stretcher as she jogged up to him.
McGonagall reached out and felt Jenny's head and pulse before saying anything.
"She didn't fall Oliver? Place her on the stretcher please." She asked, relief shone on her face at his head shake.
"No Professor, I noticed she was swaying on her broom and managed to reach her when she passed out. I think Harry's in a similar boat." Oliver replied sombrely.
"Bless you Oliver, I am very proud of you for thinking about your fellow students." She told him, emotion choking her voice, she placed a shaky hand on his shoulder briefly.
"What are those things Professor? I feel terrible." Oliver asked. His teeth chattered less with the appearance of the Patroni but it was still not pleasant.
"Minister Fudge has deemed it appropriate to station dementors at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade because of the Sirius Black threat, and he says he does not have enough Aurors." Disapproval coloured her voice.
"Surely not around the children!" Oliver protested.
"That has been my and the headmasters' argument for weeks now. He's unilaterally decided to ignore our advice and common sense and I quote 'to be seen doing something'." McGonagall fumed. "You have my explicit permission to tell everyone you know. Warn the students and tell your father."
"Yes Professor I will." Oliver promised. He was beginning to feel better as the dementors had been herded away.
Professor Lupin hurried into the stadium, looked around and called a house elf. The elf appeared, was given orders, disappeared then a different elf was in front of Oliver and the Professor offering them both bars of chocolate and one for Jenny. All across the stadium elves bearing sweets popped in and out.
Ron jogged up to Oliver in a slight panic.
"Alright Ron?" Oliver asked, he offered the boy some of his chocolate but Ron waved him off and held his own up.
"I'm good Ollie thanks. We might have a problem. I've been looking for brooms. I found Jenny's over in the bleachers but Harrys has floated off and it's disappeared." Ron told them worried.
"I'll go with you, okay Professor?" Oliver said.
"You go Wood," she replied, "I've got Miss Turner."
—Quidditch—
"What is it, Ollie? Why do you look like Filch kicked your puppy?" Angelina asked him as she picked over her roast potatoes.
Oliver heaved a deep sigh.
"Have any of you seen Harry?" He asked morosely.
"Might still be in the dorm. I haven't seen him since breakfast actually, what's happened?" Alicia asked him.
"We had a pick-up game this morning against Wright, all was good and we were winning but the Ministry brought three dementors to the stadium and we all were affected. Jenny Turner and Harry passed out and their brooms floated away. Ron found Jenny's in the bleachers but Harry's made it all the way to the Whomping Willow and-" Oliver broke off.
"Harry is he?" Angelina asked horrified.
"Dunno. Hospital wing I guess. I'm heading there now." Oliver replied.
His reply was the scraping of wood on stone as many students rose to join him.
—Quidditch—
"Fred, why are you limping?" Oliver asked him as Fred and George arrived late to a Thursday night practice.
"I've just been released from the hospital wing. Someone cursed me when I was taking a piss. Pomfrey said it shortens the ligaments in the legs, it's borderline dark and she reported it to Dumbledore." Fred groused.
"Did she sort it?" Oliver asked, worried for his friend and not just his beater.
"Yeah, I'm just sore now. It's like a permanent body bind jinx, there's no counter curse which is why it's borderline. You've got to get each ligament stretched individually and if you miss one it can rupture."
"Are you okay to fly?" Alicia asked worried, he was her on again boyfriend but they were always friends.
"Yeah I'll just have to ease into it." Fred replied with a wince.
"No, you sit this one out. I was going to practice plays for if a beater is taken out soon anyway and today is as good as any." Oliver decided.
"Oh goody." George deadpanned. "Lucky me. You can be planning our revenge while you warm that bench over there." He prodded his brother.
"Do you know who did it?" Harry asked.
"I know at least two, they were laughing as they ran around the corner. Weren't quiet about it either. I'd recognise Boles' braying laugh anywhere. They'll get theirs." Fred replied, "Are you still using Lee's broom?"
"I am. It's a decent broom, just-" Harry trailed off and stared at his trainers.
"It's not the same, we all understand that Harry." Fred consoled his friend.
"Okay Lions, while Fred limps over there we are going to do some suicides to warm up and try Charlie mark two." Oliver ordered and the players held their brooms across their shoulders and stood on the white chalk line he conjured. A corresponding line ten metres away was the target. A second flick caused a ping to sound in the air and they were off.
There was no question of how many, Oliver wouldn't tell them but it was always between twenty and twenty five. The pings sped up as they fatigued until they were flat out sprinting and feeling like they wanted to commit either murder or suicide. He called them suicides to dissuade them from the former.
—Quidditch—
A seeker could handle the quaffle as long as he didn't enter the scoring area around the hoops, and Charlie Mark Two took advantage of this. The play required Harry to join in the chaser attack; it wasn't complicated enough otherwise.
Charlie mark one had Harry make two carries, a reverse fade which had the defensive chasers scramble across the field to block Angelina's charge. The new revision Oliver had made required Harry to make a deep dive as though in pursuit of the snitch to pass close to the chaser in possession where a hand off was made.
A surreptitious hand off like this was more difficult than at slower speeds. Adding in the angle and speed of Harry's approach made implementation almost impossible. The only chaser who had managed it with any success in seven out of the ten attempts had been Alicia. It made it a no-brainer for Oliver to appoint her as lead chaser for this move.
"Okay team bring it in," Oliver called and as they gathered around him Fred floated down from his station in the stands to join them so they could debrief.
"Good session today. I like this move for if we are down a player." Oliver began.
"To be fair Ollie, we can use it if we are down a chaser as well. We really only need one chaser if everyone is chasing after Harry and he lobs it back to me, or leaves it in the air for me to fly onto. I'd just mosey on through." Alicia suggested.
—Quidditch—
"Shush, keep it down. You sure you want to come, Ollie? This isn't usually your thing." George asked.
"They hurt my friend, I'm not sitting on the sidelines for this one. Besides it was you who said as it was my idea I should come along." Oliver hissed crouching down in the cramped tunnel.
"I didn't say that!" George denied.
"Yes you did!" Oliver's voice rose slightly.
"Shush! It was me. You were in detention with Snape for that thing." Fred interrupted.
"Oh yeah," George smiled beatifically. "Well worth the howler that was."
"It was. And it was Ollie's idea on how to get Boles and Derrick back for my cursing, plus we needed three for this." Fred got serious.
"Ready?" Oliver asked.
George gently bumped the cage he was carrying against his leg and waved his wand and a fluttering tweet echoed in the space.
"What was that?" A muffled voice asked.
"What was what?" Came the equally muffled reply.
"Dunno a tweet? Like those Cornish pixies from a few years ago."
"You're losing it. Come on, Flint said he wants us to meet him down here."
Oliver reached down and gingerly opened the cage, Fred caused a gust of wind to blow away from them and George raised a barrier to guide the Pixies down the tunnel towards the illusioned gap. They had agitated the pixies then placed a silencing charm on the cage to hide their buzz.
"But why here though? Can't be for Quidditch.."
"What the hell!"
"Pixies?! I told you I heard pixies!"
"Argh, they're in my hair! They've got my wand!"
The panicked grunts and yells faded as the two boys ran away.
The three boys sat in the dust as their chuckles echoed around them. High fives were exchanged.
"Curse my beater will they," Oliver said.
—Quidditch—
Today's practice had been cancelled due to popular demand. Oliver sighed, the weather had been abysmal for the last two weeks and even he had baulked at the walk across the rain sodden grass to the lightning lit quidditch pitch. They stood dressed in their jerseys, brooms in hand Fred and George held the Quidditch chest between them.
"Ollie?" Alicia pleaded.
"Yeah, erm. Theory time I think. I'll go get my mini pitch." Oliver agreed as he puffed out his cheeks.
"Oh thank god," Angelina whispered. "Can we get changed first? I've got too many layers on, I'll cook in your little room." She said in a louder voice.
"Yeah okay. You two take that back to Hooch?" Oliver asked the twins.
"Course Ollie, it's only the Snakes that just dump it." Fred confirmed.
Two days prior the Slytherin team had stood on that exact spot and said "Nope," dropped the chest, cancelled their session and went back to their common room.
The school caretaker Argus Filch had stumbled back in from Hagrid's hut half an hour later, they had had to move the chickens to a more secure and drier area. Filch had not seen the quidditch chest at all with his head tucked into his chest against the cold and rain. His surprised shriek had frightened the five first years and Professor Grubbly-Plank had jumped out of her skin distracted as they were in an attempt at luring a fat rat out from underneath a wooden sideboard.
It was unknown who had cast the freezing charm on the water that had coated the full length of the corridor right up to the Slytherin common room entrance but it was effective. Students all the way up in the entrance hall had heard Filch cackle and whoop.
—Quidditch—
Argus Filch had fallen over the chest in the dark hall and given himself a concussion. The Slytherins had complained about biassed punishment when Filch demanded to oversee their detention himself. Apparently his dancing and exclamations of revenge were inappropriate. He had made them scrub the stone floor of the corridor outside the Slytherin common room directly after dinner so their housemates passed them as they scrubbed away.
"Glacius." A whispered voice sounded from behind Filch's shoulder. He whipped his head around but there was no one there. When he looked forward again he whooped and hollered with joy.
"That's how it feel!" He yelled in glee, "Never mind Bambi on ice, that's a Malfoy on ice!"
—Quidditch—
"Harry, what are you smirking at?" Katie asked her boyfriend as they trudged back to the Gryffindor Tower.
"Hmmm, oh just a fond memory." Harry told her, "oh yeah, can I have my Jersey back? I've only got two and this ones still damp from that last thunderstorm Ollie had us out in."
"Yeah of course Harry, I'll get it for you tomorrow." Katie replied with an enigmatic smile on her lips.
"What's this?" Oliver asked, "you gave her one of your Jerseys? Why would you do that?"
"I gave her nothing, Ollie. She stole it, then told me it looked better on her." Harry replied.
"Stole is a harsh word there Harry," Alicia scolded him gently.
"Borrowed? Can I have it back Katie?" He asked her.
"No."
"You do know you won't be getting it back, don't you Harry?" Angelina informed him bluntly.
"I've already sent Hedwig off for a new one." Harry confirmed. "Can I have one of yours in return then?"
"Course you can, Harry, I'll get it for you tomorrow." Katie said.
"Any word on a new broom?" Oliver asked his seeker.
Harry sighed.
"I was talking to McGonagall about it. She said probably just after Christmas. She owled the Quidditch shop in Diagon and there was an order queue as long as a nifflers snout." Harry told his team.
"Bummer…"
—Quidditch—
"Colloportus!" Oliver brandished his wand as Harry entered the classroom closest to the Gryffindor tower.
"Mufilato!" Angelina said and a pale pink spell impacted on the now closed classroom door.
"Cave Inimicum!" Fred intoned also.
"What does that do George?" Alicia asked, "haven't heard of that one."
"Puts up a boundary that hides us from the outside world." Fred answered.
"But we've locked the door." Angelina said slowly.
"We found it last year but haven't had the chance to use it. I'm using it now." George told her firmly.
"Ookay." Angelina replied slowly and exchanged looks with the other chasers.
The next few minutes were spent casting detection charms around the room, finally satisfied they moved chairs into a circle and with a flick of his wand Oliver levitated his miniature quidditch model. Another flick and the small broom riders all zipped back to line up next to the hoops. Seven red ones at one end and seven green ones at the other.
"Did you change the colours, Ollie?" Harry asked.
"Of course he did. He's obsessed with bright colours and large numbers." Angelina groused.
They had done the hill run twice more since the 'lake incident' as Fred and George had dubbed it. Harry and Katie sniggered.
"So, our first play is," Oliver said loudly, cheeks reddening, another wand flick followed. "Hawthorn, A hawkshead splice with Katie dropped down with the quaffle, Fred tucks up next to her to bat away the bludger if any comes, she lifts up to sling a pass to Angie who will be here. We know that Flint, Montague and Warrington see Angie as the bigger threat."
"What do you mean by that?" Angelina asked in a spiky voice.
"For all Slytherins bang on about subtly and cunning, they're straight forward simple blokes. You're taller and stronger than these two, therefore the bigger threat. We'll use that. Our last game had the 'Claws marking Katie pretty aggressively. It gave you more room to maneuver didn't it? Got you a couple of extra goals."
"Yeah you're right Ollie, sorry. I'm tired. Not sleeping too well with this Black thing. A convict in our tower?" Angelina shuddered.
"Ron's been charming his bed on a night ever since." Harry said. "We still don't know why."
"Come on," Oliver said. "Let's get through these plays and I'll beat you all at gobstones. I haven't played since that tournament in October."
"You liar, Oliver Wood! Lee said he saw you at the weekend wiping out a couple of second years!" George argued.
"Ollie You hustler! You never told me that. Where was my invite!" Alicia demanded. The two of them had a racket going to hustle the other houses of as many sickles as they could.
"As they close in on Angie she'll pass to Alicia who will be here by then and should have a free shot on Bletchleys top hoop." Oliver coughed and continued. "I've thought of a modification we can make to Scramble…"
—Quidditch—
"Are you all packed for Christmas Harry?" Oliver asked him on the morning of the first day of the Christmas holidays.
"No Ollie, I'm staying here with Hermione and Ron. Merry Christmas." He offered his captain his hand.
"Merry Christmas Harry, I'll see you in a few weeks." Oliver replied.
Angelina and Alicia gave Harry warm hugs and ruffled his hair.
"Merry Christmas Harry." They said in unison.
"You're as weird as the twins." He deadpanned at them. "Merry Christmas." He smiled impishly.
"Come on Ollie let the love birds say goodbye." Angelina pulled him away.
"Goodbye? It'll only be a couple of weeks." Oliver said confused as he was dragged away.
"You need a girlfriend again if you can't remember last Christmas. You whinged all the way home." Alicia said.
"Nope, not this year. I'm staying single to concentrate on Quidditch." Oliver firmly told them.
"Don't you mean your NEWTs?" Angelina asked him, her eyes gleamed in humour.
"Bite your tongue young lady. Who cares about stinking NEWTs!" Oliver stared at her as if he didn't know her.
The chasers burst into laughter.
—Quidditch—
Christmas Day was crisp and bright, the ceiling in the great hall showed a clear day, no candles were required at all to see the bacon and eggs in amongst the toast racks and teapots.
The smaller table had made a reappearance as it had last year and all the castle occupants were seated around it.
"Merry Christmas Professor." Harry said politely.
"Merry Christmas to you too Mr Potter," Professor Dumbledore said. "Did you receive many presents?"
"I did, sir thank you for the Woolly socks, I have them on now." Harry replied, a Ravenclaw first year sat opposite sat wide eyed.
"You get presents from the teachers?" He asked awed.
Harry and Professor Dumbledore laughed merrily.
"No, only the Headmaster. It is a joke. He once told me that in all the Christmases he's had, no one had ever sent him the one thing he truly wants in the winter, Woolley socks." Harry told the table.
"Indeed, this is our third year now, a nice tradition I think Mr Potter." Professor Dumbledore added. "Oh, eggnog I did wonder if the elves were listening when I asked for some last year."
"Will we have owl post today or will it be delayed until tomorrow?" A first year Gryffindor muggleborn asked.
Harry considered it a fair question for someone who's only experience is the muggle postal system.
"Owl post never rests, young man." Headmaster Dumbledore assured the small boy. "Come sleet, come rain, et cetera. Maybe another few minutes but they always wait until breakfast, Mr Taylor."
"Oh, thank you Professor. Mum and dad said they would send me some chocolates with my presents and I didn't want to wait until tomorrow." Mathew replied.
"If I can ask Mathew, why didn't you go home for Christmas?" Harry asked him.
"They're both at sea, it was an amazing opportunity for them. They're both marine biologists and when they found out I was coming here for the school year they accepted positions on a ship going to the Arctic." Mathew told them, pride clear in his voice.
"That was fortuitous, Mr Taylor." The Headmaster said to the boy.
He regarded Mathew down his long nose for a moment then asked the question that every magical person in earshot was dying to know.
"If I may, what is a marine biologist?"
Harry hid a smirk behind a slice of toast. The two worlds he existed in could be so remarkably different at times.
Before Mathew had a chance to reply a cacophonous hooting overrode all other sound and the owls descended.
"Yay chocolate!" Mathew cheered.
"Harry?" Hermione asked from across the table.
"Yes Hermione? Didn't I say merry Christmas? Sorry I I forgot. Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you too, but yes you did. Ron was just telling me about your new broom…"
—Quidditch—
"Cheer up Harry, she'll be back soon." Hermione sidled up to Harry's arm chair in front of the fireplace in the common room on Boxing Day, she hoped that Harry hadn't decided he was still annoyed at her. She really had thought it was the best idea to tell professor McGonagall about the mysterious firebolt broomstick he had gotten that morning in his pile of presents. Maybe she could have approached it better?
He had talked to her again by mid afternoon but Ron had given her the cold shoulder ever since.
"You've talked to McGonagall, Hermione?" Asked Ron hopefully.
"What? No, I was talking about Katie." She replied confused.
"Really why? We know when she's coming back." Ron replied insensitively.
"Ron!" Hermione replied aghast.
"It's alright Hermione, I'll use Lee's broom for the time being. He owled me yesterday. Said the twins had asked him, he has two and said I could have the other one." Harry reassured his friend he pulled her down into the chair next to him. They stared into the flames for a long minute.
"I'm sorry Harry, an expensive present like that turning up out of the blue and no idea who sent it? You do understand, don't you?" Hermione explained, worried. She chewed her lip and waited for his response.
"I get it 'Mione. It's okay." Harry smirked.
"Yeah 'Mione, we get it." Ron smirked.
Hermione's eye twitched slightly. She hated that name.
—Quidditch—
"Any word on your broom Harry? It's been almost a month." Fred asked his young friend.
"Think she's sick of me asking." Harry replied morosely. "Lee's broom is good enough but…"
"Bloody dementors. Why would any sane wizard think having them near a school is a good idea." Angelina said, "pass me the salt please Ollie."
This was their weekly meal together, as per Oliver's standing order once a week they would sit as a team and bond.
"It's not just you, she's sick of hearing from Harry. How many times did you ask this week, Ollie?" Fred smirked at his friend.
"I'll have you know that she said he would get it back tomorrow!" He sniffed.
"Really?" Harry asked with sudden excitement in his eyes.
"Well…"
—Quidditch—
"Do you even want us to win the trophy this year Professor?" Oliver asked Professor McGonagall after his transfiguration class.
"Mr Wood!" McGonagall exclaimed, then paused. "I'll see if we can get it back tomorrow."
"Good afternoon, Professor." Oliver said with a nod of farewell.
"Don't push your luck Mr Wood. I still haven't decided who froze the dungeons." She raised an eyebrow at him.
"It wasn't me and my players haven't mentioned it." Oliver defended himself.
"I notice you didn't say that you thought they didn't do it." She said, "Argus said he heard the spell whispered but there was no one behind him when he looked. The headmaster's whiskers twitched when he said that, I suspect he knows something."
—Quidditch—
"…and I left before she gave me a detention for breathing. Or she could have been about to laugh, I'm not sure. You alright Harry?" Oliver asked him.
Harry had doubled over coughing, he gasped and took a drink of water.
"I'm fine," he wheezed. "Wrong hole. They're still looking for who did it? I thought it was one of the Snakes."
"Dunno about that, still, it was almost as funny as Bole and Derrick running through the castle being chased by Cornish Pixies. Snape was beside himself, magical scratches needed some special paste Pomfrey didn't have. She wasn't happy either, how those two got scratched in unmentionable places I'll never know." Alicia said with a shudder, she had been in the great hall when they ran in and all hell broke loose.
Oliver smirked proudly. It had taken him seven years for him to become a prankster.
"Oliver Wood! What do you know?" Angelina had her suspicions before but called him on it now.
"George this is your fault, you were meant to train him." Fred said, face in his hands.
"Me? When did we have that conversation? He could never keep a straight face back in Ottery." George replied unhappily.
"Oi!" Oliver said at the betrayal. "I know nothing Angie."
The three chasers and Harry just stared at him flatly.
"It was his idea," George said quietly. "Revenge for cursing Fred's legs."
"Send them a letter from Flint to get them to a quiet area near a tunnel. Put an illusion on the opening and when they walk past, Release The Pixies!" Fred said in a low dramatic voice. "Pure genius."
"Ollie you should take some of that subtleness onto the Quidditch pitch." Angelina patted the side of his head.
"Oi!" Oliver said again as the table laughed at him. No respect.
T.B.C
—