45 Friday November 1st
"Today's the day! The first Quidditch match against Gryffindor!" Noelle's roommates were shouting excitedly, having already painted their faces for the tournament.
Now, instead of a free period in the morning, where Apparition class would have been, they were expected to attend the match.
Noelle got ready also, finding fun in the makeup and paint, even though she wasn't what you would call a girly girl, nor a sports fan typically. However, there was something about the hype of the game that got to nearly each and every Hogwarts student.
The feast the night before had done wonders for the girl's spirits. Her friends and herself had slipped right back into their normal routine after Noelle had given them a brief rundown on all that had happened since she'd last saw them, leaving out the bit about Azraeyn admitting to returning her feelings, which she still wasn't sure about herself, and the confrontation she'd seen between Malfoy and Snape. She would discuss at least Azraeyn with them at a later date, without him around.
The food and company had been excellent, and the decorations that flew and hung about the room top-notch. There were the usual floating pumpkins and candles, but even the ghosts had dressed up, and tapestries of various monsters had hung from the walls.
Her friends met her in the hall on the way to the game. Brooke and Paul were dressed as normal, but Kade had the painted cheeks and his house scarf and robe. He also had sprayed his hair in alternating red and yellow stripes, which looked quite comical.
Noelle giggled. "Didn't take you for such a Quidditch fan Kade."
"Like I told them," he gestured to the others, "I'm not a huge fan, but enough of one to know that my team needs some serious support after their first practice this week. Though yesterday's was decidedly better." He conceded. "Still, the team is stretched emotionally to be sure."
Noelle nodded. "I bet." She agreed, though, having been out of the gossip loop, he wasn't entirely sure what he meant.
The game began with the Slytherin team on the offensive. They snatched the quaffle and rushed the Gryffindor goal, which sent up a cheer from the green side. Amidst the weaving and passing of the players, one shot the ball towards the goal with a vicious strike, throwing up his arms in assured victory. With that, Ronald Weasley came out of nowhere, knocking the ball away from the goal before points could be another series of moves, the Gryffindor team got ahold of the quaffle, landing it in Ginny Weasley's hands, to which she effortlessly scored a goal on the Slytherin side. There was a hushed amazement, and then a cheer from the Gryffindor side.
Noelle looked across the field to the other side, seeing Luna Lovegood with a lion head strapped to her own, and a very pleased Lavender, who eyed Ronald with obvious pride. Also, there, she saw a very unhappy Hermione Granger.
The rest of the game continued in a very similar fashion, leading to the Gryffindor's victory. Kade went back with the rest of his housemates to celebrate, while Noelle's all sulked and made conversation about how the competition felt rigged somehow. While Noelle didn't disagree that something had seemed amiss, she also knew that they often responded this way to failure, no Slytherin ever liking to be wrong or worse in any way, especially when compared to Gryffindor.
Eventually, she could take it no longer, and Noelle excused herself from the dorm, wandering the corridors outside. She still was keeping her guard up, but she didn't imagine Malfoy would bother her for a time yet after Snape's warning.
She walked past the Gryffindor common room entrance and further down the same hall. Up ahead, she could hear birds. Lots of birds.
She turned the corner and immediately turned back out of view. She was getting used to this sneaking around, listening in thing, a skill she never had found she needed until this year. Things were definitely changing, for everyone.
Up ahead was Hermione, who sat on a bench in a small room, with open windows to the outside, with birds flying overhead, a spell Noelle recognized as the Avis charm. She squinted. Her birds certainly looked intact. No mutant heads or exploded bird bits to be seen.
Content to just walk away, she stopped on hearing Hermione sniffle. Was she crying?
She watched then as Harry entered the room, looking at her curiously.
Hermione sniffed again and looked up. "Charms spell. Just practicing."
"Ah. Well… They're really good." Harry pointed out.
Hermione looked down, turning her wand over as though examining it for imperfections. "How does it feel, Harry? When you see Dean with Ginny?" Though his back was to her, Noelle knew Harry must have looked surprised as Hermione glanced at him. "I know Harry. You're my best friend. I see how you look at her."
Just then, the door burst open wide, causing Noelle to jump. Ronald and Lavender ran into the room, holding hands and grinning wide. On seeing the other two, they looked somewhat embarrassed.
Lavender pushed her hair back behind one ear. "Oops. I think this room's taken." She began to pull Ron from the room, towards the hall where Noelle hid.
Ron muttered something to Harry, raising an eyebrow.
Hermione looked up, fury on her face, and she pointed her wand at Ron, shouting, "Oppugno!"
Ron's eyes widened and he ran from the room after Lavender, the birds shooting after him like bullets. He slammed the door shut behind him and Noelle could hear dozens of tiny bodies hit the door like lead weights. The birds went silent.
Ron and Lavender ran past her hiding place, not noticing her at all. There was silence, and then Harry's voice, quiet and muffled beyond the closed door. "It feels like this."
Hermione's sobs followed Noelle hauntingly as she ran back towards her dorm.