Chapter 9 – The First Quidditch Match
It wasn't long until the twins, Angelina and Alicia had their first game. Hermione descended the stairs wearing a red and gold scarf, buttoning her coat up as she followed an excited Katie down the many staircases.
"Katie! Wait up!" Hermione called out, out of breath.
"Sorry." She smiled embarrassed. "I'm just really excited."
"I can see that." Hermione said laughing as they slowly walked down the stairs.
"It's your first game, isn't it? Katie asked as she looked over to Hermione
"Yeah, I don't really know what to expect."
"Well, you've seen the try-outs, so you know it can get pretty nasty."
"God, I don't know if I'm ready for that." Hermione said nervously.
"They'll be fine!" Katie said calmly. "They have the twins on their team, they're the best beaters they had in years, so I've heard."
"I hope so." Hermione said quietly, as they reached the front doors.
"Let's go to the changing rooms." Katie said. "Wish them good luck on their first game."
"Alright." Hermione agreed as they walked the grounds.
HG
When they reached the changing rooms, they heard Charlie giving them a pep talk inside. Katie and Hermione waited until Charlie stopped talking and they all came out together.
"Hermione? Katie? What are you two doing here?" Charlie asked when he walked out the changing rooms.
"Oh." Hermione started. "We just wanted to wish you all good luck on your first game."
"Thanks girls." Charlie smiled as the other team members walked out holding their brooms. Charlie leaned closer to Hermione and Katie. "They are a bit nervous, seeing it's their first game." He whispered.
Hermione looked over Charlie's shoulder and watched the two female chasers biting their lips as they glanced over at the quidditch pitch. When her gaze shifted to the right, she saw the twins playing with their beaters bat, looking at ease on the first sight, but she saw their worried glances going over to the stands.
"Why don't you talk to the twins, I'll talk the girls up." Katie grinned, already walking away before Hermione could answer.
"Hermione, before you go..." Charlie asked as he reached for her elbow. "I know it's been a few weeks since the night I found you and Fred asleep in front of the portrait but... is everything okay? Is Fred -"
"All is good, Charlie." Hermione chuckled, glancing over her shoulders at the twins for a moment. "Since that night, we've been friends. We are still different people, no doubt but that's okay."
"Okay, good to hear but if anything happens..."
"I'll know where to find you. Thank you." She turned to go over to the twins before looking over her shoulder, smiling. "And Charlie... Show them Ravenclaws what the Gryffindors are made off."
Charlie grinned wide, placing his broom over his shoulder as he made his way to the pitch, followed by Oliver and Astrix. She looked back over to the twins, who still stood at the same place but now frozen in place, a broom in one hand, a bat the other. When she walked in front of them, she didn't get a reaction, she waved her hand in front of their eyes, which made them snap out of it.
"Hey!" She said to the both of them. "You're going to do great!"
"We know." Fred tried to say confidently but she heard the uncertainty in his voice.
"We are the Weasley twins after all."
"Hmm." She hummed as she took them in. "Just remember, you two have been playing for years if anything is true at what you two told me." She chuckled. "And Katie and I will be cheering you on."
The twins looked at her for a moment before glancing at each other grinning.
"Well, little Granger-"
"What about a comprise." George continued.
"We are going to do great, if you-"
"Take flying lessons with me or us." George grinned wide.
"I - uhm – What?" Hermione stuttered, looking between the redheads.
"Come on, Hermione. You don't want to give up on it after one bad experience, do you?"
"And if you want, I can be on the other side of the castle with my hands bound together, so I can't cause any disruptions." Fred grinned.
Hermione bit her lip, looking at the ground as she contemplated what they were saying. She had thought about it, she isn't a quitter, she wanted to try again but was afraid, afraid of falling, of failing. She looked back up at the twins and took in a nervous breath. "Alright."
"Alright?!" The twins asked surprised, eyebrows raised.
"Never mind." Hermione mumbled as she started to turn. But the twins grabbed her, resting their arms around her shoulders.
"No getting out of it, little Granger."
"We are going to make you the best muggleborn flyer there ever was." George called out, gesturing wildly with his free arm.
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" Hermione sighed rolling her eyes.
"Probably." The twins said in unison, grinning.
"Oi! Weasleys! Let's go!" Angelina called out. The boys turned to Angelina's cry and grinned mischievously before dropping their arms from her shoulders.
"Good luck!" Hermione called over to the team before going to stand by Katie. The others waved before walking up to the pitch. "Hey, Lee. Where did you come from?"
"Oh, I'm the unofficial mascot." He grinned. "Was in the changing rooms with them."
"And Charlie let you?" Hermione chuckled as they walked to the stands.
"Charlie, yes. Next year when he's gone that's another story." He laughed as they took their places by the other Gryffindors.
HG
When the players flew up in the air and took their stands, the crowd went wild, screaming and howling boomed through the quidditch pitch. Hermione glanced around, looking at all the spectators. On the other side of the stands was an older boy with dark brown hair and frosted tips, holding what looked like a microphone, next to him Professor McGonagall.
"Who's that boy next to Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked, pointing in the boy's direction. "With the microphone."
"Oh, that's OJ, Oliver-John. He's the commentator. He calls out what's happening during the game, the players, the fouls, points..." Lee answered, waving with his arm. "He's a sixth year Hufflepuff."
"Why do you need a commentator when you are seeing it live?" Hermione asked, eyebrows raised.
"You'll see. It's hard to keep track of every player and every ball. Not everyone can do it, you must have eyes everywhere. And OJ is quite good." Lee said in awe, leaning over the banister.
"I think he's in love." Katie laughed, winking at Hermione.
"Oi! I'm not in love with anyone!" Lee called out, straightening his back. "I just hope I can take his place when he graduates."
"You want to be a commentator?" Hermione asked, looking up at the sky as madam Hooch was talking to the two teams.
"Yes, I -" His sentence was cut off by madam Hooch's' whistle and the game started.
Hermione didn't know where to look, it all went so fast. She tried looking at the girls, the twins, Charlie and back to Oliver. Her head getting dizzier by the second.
"Hermione." Lee said gently. "I told you, it's a lot. Try to focus on one thing at a time and listen to OJ. You'll hear it from him when anything changed. Once you are used to it, you can switch between the positions."
"Thanks." She smiled at Lee. She choose to turn her attention to the chasers as she tried to block out the noise from the other students and single out OJ's.
It was 80 to 60 for Gryffindor, when OJ's voice rang through the pitch and her head snapped to the ones he was talking about.
"The bludger is going straight to Oliver! Can one of the Weasley twins hold it-" He was interrupted when a flash of red hair swooped in front of Oliver and smacked the ball to a Ravenclaw player. "What a safe!" OJ yelled. "We don't need any more proof that the twins got on the team for their amazing skills and not because their older brother is the quidditch captain! And there is the other twin, number 5, George Weasley then, protecting their chasers! Truly amazing work, for the newly hired players."
Hermione's gaze went to the oldest Weasley. Charlie was hovering high above the stands, looking down at the players, searching for the golden snitch. When suddenly Charlie's eyes narrowed before he leaned close to his broom and flew on high speed to the ground.
"He's seen it! Charlie Weasley has seen the snitch." Hermione screamed out, even before OJ had noticed it. Lee and Katie's head snapped to where Charlie had been flying and followed his movements. Charlie was getting closer to the ground as he lay almost flat against his broom, going as fast as he could. OJ was calling out different things through his microphone, but Hermione didn't hear anything. Her ears where buzzing with excitement as she watched Charlie chase the little golden snitch. Charlie was flying almost against the stands, low to the ground. Getting closer and closer to where they stood. Hermione was so entranced, much like all the other spectators, she didn't see one of the Ravenclaw beaters hit the bludger in Charlie's direction, their direction. Charlie zoomed by and the next second another Weasley was hoovering in front of her, his beaters bat only a few inches away from her face as he hit the bludger to the other side of the pitch. Hermione's eyes were big, her breath stopped before she heard.
"Charlie got the snitch! The game is over! Gryffindor wins, 260 to 90!"
The stands were the Gryffindors sat began the shake, from the dancing, stomping and chatting of the other students. Hermione was pulled out of her shock from the bludger as a gentle hand touched her shoulder.
She filled her lungs with air as she looked up at the red head, that still floated in front of her.
"Hermione?"
"You - you saved me."
"I might have saved you a trip to the hospital wing, but I didn't save you." He said grinning tousling his hair. Hermione smiled as she reached forward, engulfing him in a hug.
"Still... thanks George."
"That's my job." He winked before he turned to Lee. "Lee, we won. You know what to do."
"Indeed, I do." He grinned at George, saluting him before George flew over to the changing rooms.
"Wat do you need to do?" Hermione asked with a stern voice.
"Nothing illegal." Lee grinned as he wrapped his arms around the two girls, leading them out of the stands. "But I could use your help."
HG
"Where are we?" Katie asked as they walked through a corridor they had never been through. Lee only turned around when they reached a portrait of a large fruit bowl. "We've never been here."
"Well, you two have quite a lot of exploring to do." Lee chuckled as he brought his hand over to the portrait and tickled the pear. The pear jiggled a bit before the portrait swung open. Lee stepped back and gestured the girls to walk in first, offering his hand for the both of them as they stepped in. "These are the kitchens." He gestured proudly with his arms, looking over at the large room.
House elves were hurrying around, washing, cutting and cleaning the dishes with a snap of their fingers as they prepared food and drinks. Hermione turned wide-eyed to a still grinning Lee.
"Lee Jordan! You said this wasn't illegal."
"It isn't. At least I don't think so... Fred, George and I have been coming here since last year. The house elves always make us something to eat. They are really, really friendly." When he said the last part two house elves walked over in a hurry, smiling wide.
"Master Lee." The bigger house elf piped up.
"Darius. Nice to see you."
"Nice to see you too master Lee. Is there something I can get for you and your new lady friends?"
"Yes actually. Gryffindor won its first match this year, and we wanted to celebrate a little bit."
"Of course, master Lee." The smaller one said, looking up at them with big grey eyes. "Are the masters Weasleys going to be there?"
"They certainly are, Darla. Master Weasley saved miss Granger here from a bludger during the game."
"I'll bring them their favourite cupcakes then." The elf smiled as she looked at the three of them. "Masters Weasleys are very brave and kind. They helped me when I first started here on Christmas. I was so lost, they helped me find my way back."
"That was very nice of them." Hermione smiled as she bent down. "I'm Hermione Granger, this is Katie Bell." She gestured to Katie over her shoulder.
"I'm Darla, this is Darius. We'll gather some things for you. We'll be right back." And before any of them could utter another word, the two elves turned and started gathering supplies. After a couple of minutes, the two elves came back with four baskets floating behind them. Lee smiled as he grabbed two of them out of the air and Hermione and Katie took the other. They gratefully thanked the elves and climbed back out of the portrait.
"This could feed an entire army, it's way too much." Hermione said looking over the baskets.
"They always give too much. I think these two are filled with drinks." Lee grunted as he lifted the baskets in a better position.
"Wait." Hermione said as she halted them. She placed her basket on the ground and pulled out her wand. With two simple waves of her wand, an extra handle appeared on each basket. "Let us help you. I'll take this side, Katie you take the other."
Before Lee could protest the girls trapped him between them and they each reached for the handle before they walked up to the large staircase. All three looking up at the still long way they had to go.
"Alright, let's go." Lee took in a breath as they stepped together up the steps. "They are probably already waiting for us."