Chapter Eleven

I was lonely, there was only Katie, Ange and I in the Common Room as the rest of our group was in detention from the Battle of Hogsmeade incident. It was getting late when they finally came through the Portrait hole.

"How was it?" Katie asked, seeing the state in which Alicia and George had come back in.

"Well, I got paired with Abby, weeding Hagrid's pumpkin patch. The pumpkins were absolutely massive and their green leaves swayed. Scattered amongst them were overgrown vine like plants the colour of wet mud. The tips curled back and were covered with angry-looking spines and occasionally (and without warning) the plant would snap back and whip out at anything that wandered into its reach, whether it be an unfortunate insect or another vine testing its territory. Hagrid wanted me and her to pull them all up, hence my robes." Alicia made a point of pointing to her damaged clothing. "That's not either half of it, I ended up in Hospital Wing and only just this minute been released that's when we met up with these, but I wait till after George to tell you the rest."

"Nice." I scarcastily replied, but I wanted to know what happened to make her come back in that state.

"I got stuck with Pucey cleaning the toilets, the muggle way; but surprisingly had a pleasant conversation with him." Wood explained.

"Not all Slytherin's are bad Ollie." I said from my spot on the crouch, which caused Fred to snort. "Come on then, explain your detention."

"Flint in the library. I had to sweep the dust from the floors, while Flint had to haul piles of heavy books and return them to their proper places in the stacks; meant he had free range, including the Restricted Section. That is when it hit me, the Restricted Section - has all the books in which we could use to get ideas in which to get back at the Slytherins. So I tossed a pair of dungbombs towards the area in which Pince was sitting. Flint was struggling to breath, his eyes were watering and he kept casting threatening glares in my direction, like I care. Pince on the other hand, her face was priceless. She was delicately holding a large linen handkerchief over her hooked nose and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. She tried to open a window, I saw Flint turn his back to stop her from catching him laugh, but had to ask him to open the window; whilst I edge my way towards the Restricted Section. The next moment, I heard him swear I watched with great interest as Pince tried to remain composed under Flint's gaze, but she could not and he ran out of the library. This caused her to turn her attention to me and made sure I did not do anything stupid. I glanced out the window and saw the reason why he had run out."

"Why did he run out?" I asked keen to know.

"I believe we are going to find out," Ange asked nodding towards George.

"Higgs and I had been set the task of cleaning the mess our dear ickins Ron had left on the Qudditch pitch. Hagrid had handed us each a bucket and sent us on our way. I decided to have a little bit of fun, grabbing some of the slime I threw it at Higgs and denied doing it, saying he must have missed the bucket. I then asked how he felt about being replaced by Malfoy when splat; he had thrown some slime at me. That was it a slime war broke out, up until Hagrid showed up and shouted at us. That's when I found out that you were with Flint, Fred. Then an awkward silence occurred between us which was broken by a piercing scream; Higgs said it sounded like Abbey's, then not long after, a shout came from the same place, followed by a mixture of barking and frantic cries for help, which I recognised as Licia. So we both took off towards Hagrid's hut. Alicia explained what happened and told us about the plants; the thorns contained paralyzing enzyme acting as a muscle relaxant and they are carnivores. We had to get both the girls out, but especially Abbey. That's when Flint showed up, we explained to him, he asked for Licia's blazer, once he had distracted the whips, and I dragged both Abbey and Higgs out. As I just put Higgs down next to Flint, he decided to kick me back into the Pumpkin-Prickletip patch, releasing the whip from which he was holding with his foot; leaving both me and Alicia there, until Hagrid returned." George finished explaining.

Looking around, I could see the shock expressions which were on all our faces.

"The dirty, rotten bastard." Both Fred and I said in unison.

"Slytherin, guys. What do you expect?" George scowled.

"But still, after you had helped him out." I tried… but George just shook his head.

"Wait, till I see him." Ollie said before disappearing into his dormitory with an expression I had never seen on his face before. Giving Fred a kiss; with the help of Ange, together we hauled Alicia up the stairs to our dormitory, who was still a little stiff.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

"Flint!"

The crowded hallway parted and all eyes were on Ollie, as he stalked through the sea of Students towards the group of Slytherins. Accompanying him were Ange, Licia, Katie, Fred, George, Lee, Phe and I.

"What's the idea, leaving Alicia and George high and dry last night?" Ollie demanded.

"What is it to you, Wood?" Flint replied casually.

"Mess with my team, Flint, and you mess with me," he returned.

"Ooh," Flint mocked, setting the rest of his group sniggering. "I am dead scared now. Please do not hurt me, Olly-ver." Ollie, however, stood his ground and though he was not as big as Flint, he still cut an imposing figure. Flint's demanor one-eightieth and he stared right back, "As I said last night: them Weasleys –"

"Bring whoever you want into this, Flint," Ollie interrupted him. "Make it about Fred and Abbey, throw George, Alicia and Liesal in – blimey, I can make this about your mother if you like. Sure she is charming as ever."

"Don't you ever –"

"Fact is," Ollie cut him off again, obviously recognizing he'd won the rare prize of rattling Marcus Flint and thus had gained the upper hand, "this is about you and me, as it's always been. And we will settle it as we always do: on the Quidditch pitch. Did you get the season schedule this morning? We play you our first match?"

"I saw," Flint sneered.

"Good," Ollie replied. "Because I am looking forward to beating you lot again. So I can count on you to show, then?"

"We will be there, Wood."

"Right. Well, I will leave you to it then," Ollie smirked. "Just remember what I have said." He turned away. Flint's eyes were on him until he was out of sight, blocked by the Gryffindor's that followed. Before following, I sent Flint a flirtatious wink and kiss.