Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with JK Rowling in any way. Anything similar to her works is hers. I own Maria and what little plot I had added to the story.
Maria did not sleep well at all. She was the last to get down to the Great Hall, meaning she was near the door. The professors would come to check on the students every hour, and came in the Great Hall front entrance. Despite how quiet they thought they were, they still woke Maria. The stars glowing in the Great Hall ceiling made it too bright to sleep. Students kept talking despite Percy telling them off (and Percy's scolding did nothing to help the noise). The noise combined with the light was the reason why Maria was up at 3 am.
Professor Dumbledore walked in and approached Percy by the Gryffindors. Maria had her eyes opened trying to watch their body language when an "ahem" made her eyes go wide.
"And why aren't you asleep Miss LeCleu?" Professor Snape drawled quietly from above her.
"If I knew the reason why I wouldn't be awake now would I?" Maria responded. She was too tired to care about decorum and tact.
"Five points from the Headmaster's House for cheek," Snape snapped at her. Maria just shrugged groggily. Snape sighed dramatically before stalking over to the headmaster. The professors had a tense conversation before Professor Dumbledore walked to the door.
"Professor Snape informed me of your inability to sleep," Professor Dumbledore said to Maria with a shine in his eyes. "I do not think Sirius Black would know about your bedroom, do you think?"
After saying that, Professor Dumbledore walked off. Maria nodded sleepily, and quietly got out of bed. She put on her slippers and made her way up to the Headmaster's tower, hoping to get a good night's sleep.
Sirius Black was the topic of conversation at breakfast the next morning. In fact, Sirius Black was all anyone could talk about for the next few days. Maria was having none of the nonsense theories. Apparating? Into Hogwarts of all place. She found some conspiracies rather funny (turning into a flowery shrub), but it soon got old quickly.
What made matters worse was the new portrait guarding the Gryffindor Tower. Sir Cadogan, the outlandish knight that had helped Maria to Divination, was the only portrait that volunteered for the job. He changed the passwords twice daily. This was inconvenient for Maria because she had to find a Gryffindor to get the passwords. If not for the first Quidditch match approaching, she would've avoided the common room altogether.
Quidditch was going well, the hard training helping them prepare for their first match of the season. The weather was slowly getting more and more dreadful. The match was looking to be rained out nearly. And the last day of training before the match on Saturday, Oliver gave some very unwelcome news.
"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."
"Why?" the rest of the team asked.
"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," Oliver said furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances. . . ."
"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's faking it!"
"I know that, but we can't prove it," Oliver said bitterly. "And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory-"
Angelina and Katie giggled while Maria blushed furiously.
"What?" Oliver asked them, confused.
"He's dating Maria, isn't he?" Angelina said.
"And he's very handsome," Katie said.
"Oi!" Maria said whacking her arm. Oliver glanced over at them, exasperated.
"I don't know why you're worried Oliver," Fred said impatiently. "Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"
"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"
"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."
"Oi!" Maria chirped and whacked Fred in the arm. "That's one of my houses you're talking about! Cedric has been putting a lot of time into his Quidditch plays. They are a serious threat, and not only that, the weather will be dreadful! Take things seriously for once."
"Thank you, Maria," Oliver smiled at her. "Now our plan-"
The rest of the training session was spent revising their plays to better suit Hufflepuff's strategies. It was raining the entire practice, and by the time they were finished, the entire Gryffindor team was soaked.
Maria had forgotten to use the Impervius charm before practice so she was shivering and dripping her way to her room.
"Maria!" she heard a voice shout from behind her. She turned around and instantly smiled. Cedric was approaching her. "What happened to you?"
"O-Oliver f-freaking Wood," Maria shivered. "I-is the m-most insane Q-Quidditch C-Captain I'v-ve ever had. H-how come y-you didn't t-tell m-me w-we're g-going to p-play ag-gainst each other?"
"I only found out after your practice had started," Cedric explained. "Go get you some dry clothes, okay?"
Maria nodded and shivered, too tired to respond properly. Hopefully, Oliver wouldn't bother her too much about dating Cedric.
Maria was wrong about Oliver not bothering her about Cedric. The day before the game, anytime that Maria was alone, Oliver would appear behind her. She was getting very aggravated and by the fourth time he tried to convince her to distract Cedric, she snapped at him.
"Oliver," Maria said harshly, "you are a great captain and all, but I would rather play for Hufflepuff right now, because of your suggestions. If it happens again I will ask to switch teams."
Oliver paled and that was the last Maria ever heard about "using her woman-ness too distract Cedric."
When Maria arrived for Defense Against the Dark Arts, she was shocked to see Professor Snape instead of Professor Lupin.
"Is Professor Lupin sick today?" Hermione asked him and was answered with a sharp nod. The rest of the class began to fill in and started whispering about their absent professor.
"Silence," Professor Snape called as the bell rang signaling the start of the lesson. "Professor Lupin is indeed ill, and the Headmaster thought I was best suited for the job, any questions? No. Good now, let us begin."
Professor Snape was about to start the lesson when Harry burst into the classroom.
"Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I —" Harry started only to pause when Harry realized Professor Snape was teaching the class.
"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."
But Harry didn't move.
"Where's Professor Lupin?" he said.
"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," Professor Snape said with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?"
But Harry stayed where he was.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing life-threatening," Professor Snape said, looking as though he wished it were. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."
Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Professor Snape looked around at the class. Maria groaned, of course, Harry would put Professor Snape in a bad mood.
"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-"
Maria knew this was false. She had seen Professor Lupin's lesson plans, and they were very detailed. Professor Snape must be either ignorant, or he wants to teach them something very specific. While she had been wondering what the Potions professor could possibly want to teach them, Hermione and Dean had defended Professor Lupin. Typical Gryffindors, Maria thought to herself. It was obviously a fight they would lose, to an authority figure no less.
"Today we shall discuss werewolves," Professor Snape said.
"But, sir," Hermione said, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks."
"Miss Granger," said Snape in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced around again. "All of you! Now!"
The class had slowly opened the books, all of them were mumbling bitterly between each other. Maria wasn't necessarily shocked by Professor Snape's rudeness to the Gryffindors, it was something that she'd become used to in her past two months at Hogwarts. She knew the Gryffindors were just as hateful to Professor Snape as he was to them. At Beauxbatons her teachers would be known to change up the lesson plan.
"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" Professor Snape asked the class.
Hermione's hand shot up in the air as per usual. Maria herself knew the answer, they had briefly covered the topic in DADA last year at Beauxbatons. But she didn't raise her hand, she had a feeling Professor Snape was feeling extra cruel today.
"Anyone?" Professor Snape said, ignoring Hermione, and confirming Maria's thoughts. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between-"
"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on —"
"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are. . . ."
"Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf —"
"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."
"You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?" Ron exclaimed.
"Detention, Weasley," Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."
Maria had had enough with the way Professor Snape was treating the class and raised her hand.
"Miss LeCleu," Professor Snape said, "what on earth could you provide to this enlightening conversation?"
"Werewolves have shorter snouts, more human-like eyes, tufted tail, and their need to hunt humans when the full moon is out," Maria said sharply. "This was something that I've learned back at Beauxbatons last year. You are correct in saying that this class is behind in its lessons-" she was cut off by noises of protest from the Gryffindors. She glared at them.
"But that is not the fault of Professor Lupin. We have had to catch up two years' worth of learning in two months and you expect everyone to know all of that material? They hadn't had a practical lesson in a Defense class, from what I understood until this year! So if you would kindly stop criticizing the teaching style for a class you don't teach, that would be great. We both know the flaws in the material you teach. Oh and Accio Professor Lupin's Lesson Plans."
Professor Lupin's plans flew into Maria's hands and she smiled smugly.
"Ten points from the Headmaster's House," Professor Snape barked at her. "And detention!"
"Fair enough," Maria conceded. She did criticize a teacher pretty heavily and publicly prove him wrong. However, she did realize she was lucky to only lose ten points versus the fifty she would've if she had been a Gryffindor.
The rest of class was spent with the third years taking notes from the textbook. Professor Snape watched over them like a hawk, in between critiquing Professor Lupin's grading techniques. The bell couldn't come soon enough, and when it did, Professor Snape held them back.
"You will each write an essay, to be handed into me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, LeCleu, stay behind, we need to arrange your detentions."
"Weasley, you are to scrub out the bedpans in the Hospital Wing," Professor Snape drawled. Ron looked outraged even before Professor Snape said, "Without magic!"
Ron stormed out of the classroom practically raging.
"Miss LeCleu," Professor Snape addressed her. "You will be assisting me in making potions for the Hospital Wing. I'm afraid that I have little time to prepare all the potions necessary."
Maria was shocked, to say the least. She was expecting a more relaxed punishment than Ron, but the opportunity to brew potions that would be used practically. She would love the chance to do so.
"Sir," Maria asked bewildered, "may I ask why? This isn't exactly a punishment, not that I'm complaining."
"I have already said that I have little time, and you are competent enough at potions, that you can be trusted to brew what is required for the Hospital Wing."
"Thank you, Professor," Maria beamed she was almost all the way out the door when she heard Professor Snape call after her "Ten Points to the Headmaster's House for correctly identifying the differences between werewolves and true wolves."
Maria was smiling as she was greeted by a certain Gryffindor trio.
"Why are you smiling?" Harry asked her.
"My detention is brewing potions for the Hospital Wing," Maria explained.
"No way!" Hermione exclaimed. "But that can't possibly be a punishment."
"Of course it is," said Ron. "Who would want to brew potions for an entire night with Snape in the room?" Harry nodded in agreement.
"I would," Maria said. "Well I'd rather not with Professor Snape there, but one of my dreams is to get a Mastery in Potions."
"So I have to clean the Hospital Wing bedpans without magic and you get to do something you actually like?" Ron asked her. "Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office eh? He would've saved me from a terrible detention."
Maria awoke on the day of the first Quidditch match very refreshed. She stopped by the Hufflepuff table explain to Brendon that she would be eating with the Gryffindors.
"You're going down," the first year Hufflepuff told her.
"We'll see about that," Maria laughed at his antics. "How about if Gryffindor loses I have to bring you back a Honeydukes sweet, and if Hufflepuff loses you have to try to do a Potions essay on your own?" Maria wouldn't force him to do an essay on his own, but Brendon didn't need to know that.
"Placing bets on you losing?" Cedric said from behind her.
"More like on me winning," Maria winked at him. "I am the only person with a Firebolt in the whole match."
"Be careful out there," Cedric told her, concerned. "The weather's awful right now."
"I don't mind a bit of rain," Maria scoffed at him.
Okay, in hindsight, it was more than a bit of rain. Despite this, the whole school still showed up for the game. They had the luxury of umbrellas and jackets, while the teams only had their uniforms. Of course, Maria used her trusty Impervius charm to stay dry. The Gryffindor team had gotten ready and waited for Oliver's infamous pre-game pep talks. It didn't happen though, all they got was some opening and closings of his mouth and a gesture to follow him.
The wind was very strong. Strong enough to sway Maria a bit as she walked. She was glad that she placed a sticking charm on her bun earlier, otherwise her hair would be flying all around her. The Hufflepuffs approached from the opposite side of the field. Cedric walked up to Oliver and smiled as he offered his hand. Oliver just nodded and as they released hands, Cedric winked at Maria. She rolled her eyes at his antics and mounted her broom on Madam Hooch's command. She rose quickly on the whistle and snatched the Quaffle.
Maria's skills, combined with Angelina's passes and Katie's offensive skills, the Gryffindor Chasers dominated the field. The Hufflepuff Chasers were quite good themselves and did control the Quaffle some of the time. Within the first thirty minutes, they were fifty points, but Oliver called a timeout.
"What is it?" Maria asked him.
"I called for a time-out!" Oliver roared over the wind. "Come on, under here-"
The Gryffindor team huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.
"What's the score?" he asked.
"We're fifty points up," Oliver said, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."
"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly while waving his glasses.
"I can't believe I forgot!" Maria said. Unlike the rest of her team, she was completely dry. "Harry, can I see your glasses?" He handed her the glasses and she cast a quick Impervius spell on them. "They'll repel water now! I cast this charm on myself before the game. That's why I'm dry!"
Oliver looked like he could have kissed her.
"Hold on, I'll also cast it on our gloves and Fred and George's bats," Maria said. Oliver looked like he was going to cry out of happiness.
The team took to the field, full of fresh determination. The gamed resumed. The Gryffindor team maintained a fifty point lead, but the game wouldn't end until Harry caught the Snitch.
All of a sudden, Oliver shouted, "Harry! Harry, behind you!"
Maria shook her head at her friend's lack of attention and caught the Quaffle from a pass from Angelina. The chasers attention on both teams seemed to be averted above. In fact, the whole stadium seemed to be watching as dementors swarmed the field. The enthusiasm from the crowd and both teams' players seemed to die down. Maria knew they were experiencing the effects from the dementors above, even though she didn't experience such a thing. Katie was zoned out, but so was Hufflepuff's keeper so Maria scored again.
She turned her Firebolt around when suddenly she saw a red mass falling to the ground. Madam Hooch blew the whistle right as Harry fell. Cedric had caught the snitch. Maria didn't care so much about the game as she watched in horror as Harry sped towards the ground. All of a sudden he slowed to the ground as Dumbledore held out his hand. Harry landed with a soft thud. The Gryffindor team crowded him.
"Shoo," Madam Pomfrey said as she approached them. "I have to get Mr. Potter to the Hospital Wing."
With that Harry was lifted into a stretcher and rushed to the Hospital Wing. Maria looked around sullenly at her team. They had lost. Even if it was only by 100 points. She saw Cedric over arguing with Madam Hooch. The rest of the Hufflepuff team looked ecstatic. Maria walked over to Cedric.
"Why can't we have a rematch?" Cedric asked Madam Hooch. "Harry fell off his broom because of the dementors, I didn't realize! If I had I wouldn't have caught the snitch."
"I'm sorry Mr. Diggory, Mr. Wood," Madam Hooch said, "there's nothing in the rule book that dictates a rematch after the Snitch was caught, fairly at that. Now if you'll excuse me-" she stalked off the field to dry herself off.
"Congratulations," Maria smiled weakly at Cedric. "You played well."
"I don't deserve congratulations. Harry would've caught the Snitch if it weren't for the dementors," Cedric said angrily.
"You don't know that," Maria said to him.
"Harry has always caught the Snitch, of course, he would have," Cedric said. "Anyways-" he was caught off by Maria kissing him.
"Shut up and go celebrate with the rest of your team," Maria smiled softly at him. "I'm going to go make sure that Harry is okay."
"Tell Harry I'm sorry," Cedric said. "I'd go with you if I wasn't so sure of the Gryffindor team beating me up."
The pair shared a smile before Maria ran after the Gryffindor team.
"Hurry up lover girl!" Fred shouted at her from up at the castle.
"Yeah, we want to get to the Hospital Wing to wake up Harry!" George smiled at her.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Maria smiled at them while picking up her pace. "Where's Oliver."
"We reckon he's trying to drown himself in the showers," Angelina said. The team took off to the Hospital Wing, tracking mud and dripping water everywhere. Well, besides Maria, who had used the Impervius Charm on herself before even going outside.
When they arrived at the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey looked like she was going to throw a fit with all the dirt. Ron and Hermione were already there, looking like they'd taken a dip in the Black Lake.
"How come you're so dry?" Angelina asked her.
"Impervius Charm," Maria said before looking down at Harry.
"Lucky the ground was so soft," Katie said.
"I thought he was dead for sure," Fred remarked to George.
"But he didn't even break his glasses," George replied back.
"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life," Hermione whispered, her eyes bloodshot.
"Harry!" Fred exclaimed when Harry's eyes snapped open. "How're you feeling?"
"What happened?" Harry said while sitting suddenly. The team gasped at the sudden movement. Their seeker was okay.
"Harry, take it slow okay?" Maria said to him worried. "You fell off your broom. Must've been around fifty feet?"
"We thought you'd died," Katie said quietly. Hermione made a small, squeaky noise in agreement.
"Lucky Dumbledore is quick on his feet," Ron said.
"But the match," Harry said, more concerned about Quidditch than his wellbeing. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"
No one said anything as they watched the horrible truth sink into Harry.
"We didn't- lose?"
"Diggory caught the Snitch," George said. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened."
"When he saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off," Maria explained for Cedric. "He was arguing with Madam Hooch from the moment he noticed that you passed out. He wanted a rematch, but according to Madam Hooch they won fair and square... even Oliver admits it."
"Where is Wood?" Harry asked, realizing the captain wasn't there.
"Still in the showers," Fred said. "We think he's trying to drown himself."
Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.
"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."
"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.
"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin . . ."
"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.
"But if they beat Ravenclaw . . ."
"No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff . . ."
"It all depends on the points — a margin of a hundred either way —"
"Harry don't blame yourself," Maria demanded him. "It's no one's fault other than the dementors, or Sirius Black's for that matter. Besides, you saw how everyone else played, we were fifty points up! If we continue like this, we have a serious shot at the cup."
Harry merely nodded. The rest of the team kept debating the ways that they could win the Quidditch Cup for the next ten minutes before Madam Pomfrey shooed them away.