Thank you everyone who read, reviewed or visited! Here's a girls-introducing chapter. Let me know what you think.
As always, I do not own Harry Potter or his world. Everything belongs to J.K Rowling and the franchise. (I do own, however, all my OC's, so hopefully you'll like them).
Reviews letting me know about any gramar, spelling or language ingeneral will be realy appreciated.
Hope you enjoy this!
(Quidditch obsessed)
"It's brilliant" Amy whispered to Rose during History of Magic.
Usually, she'll be trying to pay attention to whatever Binns was saying, as she had found out it was the only way she could stay awake during the whole lecture. But today's hot was too much, even for her, so Rose let her talk.
"When I didn't get a single person who plays Quidditch in my group, I thought it would be a disaster" Amy explained animatedly, pulling out the little book where she kept all her Quidditch strategies and smiling enthusiastically "But then you get Nott. And better yet, Al got Scorpius Malfoy on his work group".
All of Rose's worries about her project (which were not few) were nothing, really, compared to her cousin Al's. He had been paired up with a hufflepuff boy he didn't know and with one of Ravenclaw's Chasers, which was okay; and then, Scorpius Malfoy from Slytherin, which was not.
Al didn't have a problem with Malfoy, he had assured Rose, he was a good Quidditch player and a good captain and that was enough to make him okay in Al's book. The problem, Rose understood, was the subject they would be working on. Pairing up a Potter and a Malfoy to talk about a war were his fathers, who had had a feud going on for years, had not only been in different sides, but had also developed an extrange system of debts with each other... Well, it didn't sound like the best idea.
"Rosie" Amy said in her ear "Are you listening to me?".
"Yes, Al got Malfoy in his group" Rose replied, conveniently forgetting about Nott. "And you are so excited about this because..."
"Rosie!" she exclaimed so loudly Jake Jordan, who was sitting at her other side, snapped out of his half-asleep state with a jump. Binns, as always, completely ignored the noise.
"Malfoy is Slytherin's captain" Amy continued, barely lowering her tone "And Al is gonna spend the whole year working with him".
"So what? Malfoy is gonna just spill his Quidditch secrets to him when they've been working alongside each other for long enough?"
Rose loved Amy to pieces, she had been her best friend since their first year. She was funny and smart and loyal; but unfortunately, she was also a bit obsessed with Quidditch. Rose liked the sport, honestly, but Amy was able to take it to a whole new level.
It was not her fault, really, Rosie knew it just was in her blood. Her dad was Oliver Wood, famous Quidditch player, and her mum's maiden name had been Katie Bell, quite famous herself. You couldn't grow up in a family like that without taking the sport seriously, even if it was just at a school level. (Amy's twin brother Liam was just the exception that confirmed the norm, as Rose had never even seen him on a broom since their first year).
When the Gryffindor Team Captain's badge had come with Al's Hogwart's letter that August, Rose had been really worried about Amy. Everyone knew she was as good as Al, if not better, but Rose understood why her cousin, who was calm and really good at making people listen to him, had been given the captaincy in the end. But she feared Amy, who loved the sport blindly, didn't understand. At the end, her best friend had simply demonstrated how good of a player she actually was when she had genuinely congratulated Al, and asked him to let her be the team's strategist right after.
So as a norm, Rose never worried when Amy started to babble about Quidditch like a mad woman, knowing she had just came up with a new strategy or move and that she'ld calm down as soon as she showed it to the team and Al approved. But this time she sounded a bit too much crazy.
"Of course he's not going to tell Al anything!" Amy sighed, completely oblivious to Rose's worried look "I didn't say that. What I said was that Al would be constantly close to him. And his playbook".
"Oh Merlin. You want Al to spy for you?" she could barely suppress a laugh at the idea "Have you lost your mind? Even telling white silly lies makes him go all red".
"It's not for me!" her friend replied offended "I'm sure he won't mind taking this one for the team".
"They are going to be talking about the war, Amy. Their parents have a whole history going on back then. If you want to spy on other teams, why don''t you do it?".
"I spied Slytherin's tryouts" she confessed "But Professor Longbottom caught me and now if I'm seen doing something of the sort again I'll be benched for an entire game":
"We are not getting information from our group members" Rose said in her best imitation of her mother's firm tone "That's just the opposite of what this project means to achieve".
"Fine" Amy sighed.
She went back to her business after that, and Rose decided to start a new parchment, trying to concentrate on what Binns was saying.
She wished Al was in this class, if Amy had been babbling her plans to him instead of Rose, he would have been able to take the idea out of her mind in a matter of seconds. Rose had the theory he had spent so much of her life stuck in the middle of stupid arguments and fights (he was the middle kid and the middle cousin) he had naturally developed an ability to calm everyone he met down.
But Al had dropped History of Magic in Fith Year. Rose had only continued it because it was an easy Outstanding as long as you were able to read the whole text book. Besides, during the last semester Order of The Phoenix or Dumbeldor's Army original members would come to give the lectures instead of Binns, which she had figured would be worth suffering him for five months. As she heard him now, however, she seriously doubted herself.
"One rebellion, in 1613, took place in the vicinity of Elderway Village..."
"Did you really saw the whole tryouts?" Rose whispered to Amy.
The other girl smiled evilly at her.
"The whole thing. Nott is good" she said, sounding far too pleased at the prospect, considering she was talking about her rival "And I mean really good. Malfoy has a strong team, but she's the only real challenge. Aggressive game. Fast".
"Really?".
Lyra Nott, Rose had recently (the day before) found out, was the Slytherin girl who had been so angrey in the infirmary after the fight. She was sitting at the back of the room, and her eyes kept dropping shut. Rose guessed her to be around five feet two, and in addition to being really slim, she had a round face and big blue eyes that conbined with her blonde curls made her look fifteen instead of seventeen.
"You just wait and see" Amy said, following Rose's gaze "Have you talked to her yet?"
"No" Rose said, frowning as soon as she thought about the essay.
"You should, though" Amy pointed out, with far much nonchalance for someone who, Rose was sure, hadn't even bothered to find out who her group partners were yet.
"I know" Rose sighed "Liz Hathaway talked with all of us. We agreed to meet in the library this Friday. After lunch. We'll see how that goes".
"Ah, the perks of having Head Girl in your group. She organizes everything. And you will be just fine".
"I just don't know how to approach any of them. I didn't even know who they were two days ago".
She was begging to realize for the first time she had spent almost seven years of her life sharing meals and classes and Hogsmeade trips with so many people she didn't know at all. It was ridiculous, she thought. Maybe it was time for her to do.
(Death Eater Spawn)
Lyra kept staring at her list. As if by reading it enough times it would start to finally make sense.
Goldstein, Julianne K.
Lance, Elizabeth A.
Nott, Lyra F.
Weasley, Rose N.
Goldstein. Lance. Weasley. She didn't know any of them personally, but as everyone else, she did know what those surnames meant.
Liz Lance was a muggle-born, and probably the best witch in their year, paired with Rose Weasley, whose name was enough explanation, really. And she had no idea of who Julianne Goldstein was, but she knew there had been a Goldstein in the Dumbledore's Army during the War.
She was dreading Friday.
Was she really supposed to talk about the war with these people? To talk about her family while they listened? That would work great, she thought, they could talk about being heroes and good people, about fighting on and never loosing hope and love and family. And then she would just start talking about Death Eaters and worshiping a man without a soul.
Shit.
"Shit" she heard Scorpius mutter suddenly next to her.
"I know" Lyra sighed, pointing to his list, which he was reading again, just like her. "Have you talked to any of them yet?"
"Potter" Scorpius cringed."He was not that bad, actually. It's just... Potter and Malfoy working about the war. They must think it's hilarious".
Lyra shrugged, putting away her list. In any other circumstances, she would be a lot more comprehensive about Scorp's problems, but she wasn't in the mood today. She had it almost as bad as him with Weasley.
"What about you, Sab?" Scorpious spoke again, glancing briefly to make sure Madam Pince was not looking at them.
Sabrina Greengrass, who had been until then completely engrossed with her Potions book, looked up and smiled.
"Fine, I think" she replied "I've talked to the girls and they seem okay. I'm hoping to like them".
"I think you should be hoping for them to like you instead" Scorpius told her. To Lyra, he added "And we've got the hero's kids. Wonderful".
"Oh, stop being such a pessimist" Sabrina replied, rolling her dark eyes "You sound like a cranky ninety year old".
"You sound like you think this is a some kind of making-friends group" Scorpius snapped right back. "We are talking about the people who regularly call us Death Eater spawn here".
"Not all of them! Honestly, we'll be fine". Sabrina replied, but she looked a bit more pale than usual.
"I can't believe you two are related" Lyra decided to interrupt.
In all honestly, sometimes she did doubt it, despite knowing their mothers were sisters.
"Me neither" they said, turning their nose's up in the exact same way.
(Swearing)
"Miss Goldstein, I do understand you're dealing with a Snargaluff and a Venomous Tentacula at once, but could you please refrain your mouth?"
"Sorry, Professor" Julie breathed out as she barely managed to doge a spiky vine.
Professor Longbottom usually pretended not to hear the muffled curses as he walked along the greenhouse, but he didn't like to hear any swearing out loud. Ever. Not even when your life was clearly in danger.
In her seven years at Hogwarts, Julie had found out most Ravenclaws preferred the hard-study type of subjects, like Runes of History of Magic. For example Julie's best friend, India Thomas, who had a brilliat mind for almost everything, was an absolute terror with plants. During their second year, she had actually managed to killl a mandrake, somehow. Julie never knew how she managed to pass her O.W.L, but India had never steped into the greenhouses ever since.
But Julie, for some reason, had always been better at hands-on and instinctive work. She exceeded at Potions and Charms and, of course, Herbology. So her and her love for plants were working alone instead of in a group. And the Venomous Tentacula was taking advantage of that.
That is, until Liz Hathaway and a Hufflepuff boy she vaguely recognized walked towards her.
"Hi" Liz said smiling tentatively "Need any help?".
Julie was about to tell her she could manage on her own, but right then the Snargaluff decided to shot her way a particularly spiky vine.
"Help would be great, actually" she admitted.
"Great. This." Liz said pointing to the boy, who was already taking her of Julie's Snargaluff "Is Jason".
"I'm Julie".
He offered her his hand, which was covered in something green. Julie limited herself to a smile.
"Most people call me Jase" he said.
He was nice looking, Julie decided, with dark hair and an easy smile.
So when Jason smiled brightly at her after finally filling a whole bottle of Snargaluff juice, Julie sent him her best smile.
They worked mostly in silence, which was comfortable. The only real conversation happened between Liz and Julie, when Jason was preparing the beverage for the Venomous Tentacula.
"Are you here because of the project?" Julie asked, when she had to stop cutting rots for a second "Beacuse I was hoping not having to think about it 'till Friday"
"It's not about the project" Liz replied "I was just trying to be nice, now that I know you. Sort of".
She had blushed pink, which contrasted in a funny way with her auburn hair, but she seemed genuine, and Julie smiled at her before going back to work.
For some reason, none of the plants attacked Liz at all. Which was conveniant because she cpuld approach them and help their group work faster, but still, extremly rare.
"It's been happening since First Year" Jason told her "Dangerous creatures just don't attack her. I think even they can feel she's way too nice".
None of them mentioned anything more about the project during the next hour.
"Well done, you three" Professor Longbottom told them when he stopped next to their table "You work really well together, I'm not surprised. I would let you leave but I've to hold you till the bell rings, you can wait in the classroom if you want".
They did want to.
The classroom was a small room, right next to greenhouse number 7, where they took notes sitting in proper desks before working with the real plants. They grabbed their things quickly, hurrying to try avoiding being hit by some vine most of their classmates were still fighting.
The classroom was full of Hufflepffs, of course, and Jason hurried up to take a sit next to a group of boys.
"Came on" Liz said, and Julie realized she was still at her side "Let's sit by the windows".
It sounded like a brilliant idea, until she saw who else was sting there. For a moment, Kulie cpnsidefed walking in the opposite direction and going to sit alone somewhere else, but Liz had been really nice by not leaving her alone when she so clearly could have gone sit with her fellow Hufflepuffs. So Julie followed her trying to smile.
"Goldstein" Thomas McMillan grumbled when he finally noticed her.
"McMillan" Julie replied, on perfect imitation of his cold tone.
"Hi Tom" Liz said, not sensing the tension, or maybe choosing to ignore it.
She picked up two chairs for them, and Julie ended up sitting between her and Jason, right in front of McMillan.
The McMillans had been a part of Julie's life for as long as she could remember. She had gotten being a Ravenclaw from her dad, but her mum was a Hufflepuff through and through. And so were both Ernie and Susan McMillan. Julie's and Tom's mums had been best friends since their Hogwarts years (together with Aunt Hanna, who happened to be Professor Longbottom's wife).
When their older sisters where born, there had been too many years between them both to become close friends when they were kids, seeing as by the time Julie's sister Annabel turned six, and was old enough to be fun to play with, Elise McMillan was already ten and had no interest in her whatsoever.
But Thomas and Julie had been born within a month of difference, so their mums had spent their childhoods forcing them together and trying to convince them they were meant to be best friends.
Which, let me tell you, they were not.
In fact, they could hardly endure each other's company. Family dinners usually ended with them shouting at each other, which lead to have their mums shouting at them, which lead to her fathers to hide for a while in the kitchen with the excuse of grabbing some whiskey. In Julie's defense, last time that happened McMillan had been the one who started it by jinxing her chair to move whenever Julie tried to sit on it.
Sometimes, Julie guessed, he could be alright. Like that one time, when we were ten and he had punched Griffin McLaggen because he had taken Julie's favorite book and dropped it on the mud before stepping on it. Of course, McLaggen had become one of Tom's best mates not even a year after that.
"Hey, Julie" Jason said, and she decided to stop glaring at McMillan to look at him "I've convinced Liz to come help Hagrid with some sick cups this afternoon. Wanna come? He's invited us for tea afterwards".
Julie had dropped Care of Magical Creatures after her fifth year. She had liked it enough, but she was too impatient to take good care of the most boring animals and hadn't agreed with Hagrid's opinion on what animals were harmless enpugh for fifteen years old to manage.
Still, she smiled at Jase "Sure. I'd love that"
(Maybe).
"Since when?" McMillan snorted. Fortunately, Jason had already turned around (after smiling at her) and didn't hear him.
Julie flipped her foot under the wooded leg of McMillan's chair and, in one expert move he had taught her himself, she flung it backwards.
The string of expletives that exploded from him as he hit the floor would had been enough to make Professor Longbottom have a stroke.
.
.