I Can Play Quidditch

Chapter 2

Harry looked completely shocked and was speechless at this. "But.. but...but how did you know?"

"Well, you were showing all the signs of being a..." Lia looks around the bus "...wizard" Lia whispered the last word in case anyone overheard them. "You were distant, keeping to yourself, looking around like a scared little boy, didn't even know what an earphone was! There was also the fact that you're... Harry Potter!"

"Well, I suppose I did look a bit suspicious. Does this mean that you're a witch then?"

"Yeah, I suppose it does."

"But where do you go to school?"

"Hogwarts of course. Hogwarts is the best wizarding school in the history of wizarding schools!"

"But i've never seen you around?"

"Well, I like to keep to myself and I'm also a Ravenclaw while you're a Gryffindor. And I'm in 4th year while you're in 5th year."

"Oh, ok... so, what are you doing here on a bus, in Australia?"

"Well, my parents have a house here so I come to Australia over the summer. My parents also want me to learn everything a muggle would learn in high school so I go to school to learn everything. We come to Australia because it's far away from everyone who could recognise me and because the school months are different, I can still take school here and in England. I just miss out on a few terms but my parents explain that one. The school is a little far from my house so I take the bus. This brings us to the question; what is the famous Harry Potter doing here on a bus?"

"Well my aunt, uncle and cousin decided to have a vacation but they told me to and I quote to 'sod off' so I kind of accidentally wandered onto this bus and here we are!"

"Oh, in that case, you can come over to my house. My parents would love to meet you!"

"I guess I could... I don't have anything else to do but I don't want to intrude..."

"No, it'll be fine! Oh, this is my stop, come on!"

Lia and Harry jump off the bus and they start walking towards her house. "Well, this is my house. Go in!" Harry and Lia walk into her house. Lia screams "I'm hoooome! Is that spaghetti I smell?" She dumps her bag to the side and gestures for Harry to go in. They walk into the kitchen where Lia's mum is cooking. Incidentally, it is spaghetti.

"Lia, where have you been? I've been worried about you."

"Well, I was just discussing my maths result with Mr Figella when he went off topic and started talking about tortoises! I mean, who does that? Anyway, that's why i'm late. I thought it'd be a little rude if I just stopped him and left. So I missed my bus and I met Harry over here." Lia finished her story with a deep breath and gestured towards Harry.

"HARRY WHO? HOW DARE YOU JUST BRING SOME RANDOM BOY INTO OUR HOME? I THOUGHT I TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN THI-" She just realised who Harry was. "Oh. This is Harry Potter."

"Yes mum, this is Harry Potter." Lia said, exasperatedly.

"Well, it's pleasure to meet you then." Lia rolled her eyes as her mother smiled sweetly at Harry. "As if she wasn't just screaming about bringing a boy into our house..." Lia thought.

"Uh, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Mrs...?"

"Oh, Mrs Diamond." She said with a smile.

"Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you Mrs Diamond."

"So we're just going to be up in my room. Call us down when dinner's ready. Is it okay if Harry stays for dinner?"

"Of course it's ok if Harry stays. I wouldn't let him go without some of my spaghetti in him!" She gives a high, tinkling laugh as Lia and Harry look at each other with their eyebrows raised. "Anyway, keep the door open!" At that, she leaves and gives another laugh at Lia and Harry's shocked faces.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Harry. I don't know what's wrong with her..."

"Uh, no, it's... fine."

"I suppose we should go to my room now."

"Yeah, um, lead the way."

Lia and Harry started the awkward trek to Lia's room with their faces tinged a light pink. Lia opened the door and Harry was bombarded with many images of hot boys playing sport on posters and sport trophies all over her shelves. There were also some magical posters of the Puddlemere United quidditch team on her walls. Lia sat down on her bed and crossed her legs. Harry walked over to her desk chair and sat down carefully.

"So, you like sport?" Harry asked with a joking tone.

"Oh yeah, could you tell?" They both laughed at this and the awkward tension disappeared.

"So does this mean you like quidditch?"

"Of course I like quidditch! It's the best game in the history of games! I would have played on the Ravenclaw team but they don't allow girls on our team." Lia said with a bit of a bitter tone at the end.

"Really? That's sexism! Why don't they let you play?"

"Well, firstly because there aren't any Ravenclaw girl change rooms and secondly, after Roger Davies became captain he thinks and I quote 'girls will distract all the guys on the team and they won't play to their best ability'."

"Wow, that's totally stupid! Gryffindor has girl change rooms! I always thought it was a little suspicious how there were no girls on the Ravenclaw team for the past few years..."

"Yeah, that's the work of Roger Davies! He's totally sexist! I love Quidditch but he doesn't allow girls to play so I have to sneak out to the Quidditch pitch after class to play the game I love."

"I know how you feel, I love Quidditch too. But if they let me play Quidditch in my first year when first years are actually not allowed to, maybe you can play as well!"

"Well, I have been thinking about asking Dumbledore but it's like Roger knows I want to because he gives me these looks whenever I think about it. It's so creepy."

"Hmm, that is a little weird... Hey, why don't you owl him now?"

"That's a totally good idea... but I don't have an owl! My mum buys me broomsticks not pets!"

"That's okay, I'll just call my owl over. You've got parchment and ink, right? Start writing while Hedwig gets here."

Harry then promptly got up and strode over to the window and opened it. He called out Hedwig and then whistled long and hard with two short whistles after. Lia stared at him in shock. "Does your owl really come after you call her? How does she know where you are?"

"Well, we've got a good relationship. We've been through thick and thin together. She knows my scent and can easily track me."

"Wow, that's special." Lia gave a fond smile. "I wish I had a pet..."

"Yeah, you should get a pet! Get an owl like me, they're really useful. But anyway, you should probably get started on your letter to Dumbledore."

"Oh yeah, but what should I write?"

"Oh, I don't know... 'Dearest Professor Dumbledore' might be a good start." Lia and Harry both burst out laughing.

"Yeah, I definitely should get started now... Dearest Professor Dumbledore..." Lia spoke the last words and mimed writing them down. Harry laughed at this. Harry then sat down again and Lia started writing. She was very engrossed with her writing and didn't notice Harry staring at her the whole time.