Heart of the Shell

Chapter 1: Press

July, 2001.

Oliver Wood was anxious. It was Puddlemere United's first day of pre-season training, and as he jogged around the pitch with his teammates in the morning fog, he dwelled on that fact that there were only six of them running together. Which meant their coach still hadn't found a replacement for their retiring Beater, Brayden Kilkenny. Which meant less effective group drills, and days or, Merlin forbid, weeks adjusting to one less player, only to adapt to someone completely new. With that kind of disadvantage, it could hinder performances for their opening match, and more work for the team through the season, which meant…

'Wood! You can stop running now.'

Oliver slowed to a halt. He turned around to the speaker, a lean young man, who was standing against the goalpost, puffing hard. He shot a cheeky freckled smile at the Keeper.

'What planet are you on today?' he teased.

Oliver huffed. 'In case you haven't noticed, Leo, we're one person short.'

A taller man waved him off. 'Coach is working on it. I won't worry if he's not worried.'

'Well watch out, because he looks worried.' said Leo, nodding to the figure marching towards them. Their head coach, Dante Luis Benito, was a long-retired Beater in his fifties, who still had plenty of muscle to keep up with his protégées. His curly grey hair stood out against his brown skin, and his dark eyes scanned his surroundings like a hawk. He adjusted his dark green 'Venezuela' cap, then folded his arms.

'Not bad, everyone. Good to see you've all still got some gusto in you. Leo, less talking, more stretching. Wilda, keep those strides even, you don't need to beat the boys. Andrei, you've slowed down since the start of summer.'

'It's 'cause that girlfriend of his feeds him so well.' said a shorter man with a blond buzz-cut, poking his teammate's stomach. Andrei swatted him away.

'That girlfriend is my future wife, and will be thrilled that you compliment her cooking.' he replied with a thick Eastern European accent.

'You can feast after we've won our first match. Finish your stretches everyone, then upstairs to the training room.' Benito said gruffly, turning on his heel, and disapparating off the pitch.

The team frowned at each other, and as one, made their way inside the stadium.

'What's he so strung up about?' asked Wilda, the lone woman of group.

The man with the buzz-cut came up behind her. 'Bet my chocolate frog collection it's something to do with the Arrows press conference.'

Oliver's ears perked up. 'What's that, Benjy?'

The man, Benjy, shrugged. 'Not a clue. They only called it an hour or two ago. Least, that's what my brother said when we left this morning.' Benjy Williams was from a long line of Quidditch players; him playing Seeker for Puddlemere, and his older brother playing Keeper for the Wimborne Wasps.

Leo smirked. 'If they're selling nude calendars, I'm in.'

The tall man whacked Leo over the head, 'Getcha head out of the gutter, will ya?'

'What? Apart from the Harpies, they've got the most chicks.'

'I heard there's been a management reshuffle. It's no secret they've had staffing issues, even during the Euro Cup.' said Wilda.

'Third place is nothing to hang your head for.' Oliver piped in. 'They're clearly doing something right.'

.

As they entered the large training room, they found Benito fiddling with the dials of a radio. 'Hey Coach, can we listen to the Arrows' press pit?' asked Benjy.

'Sure. Long as you keep your mouth shut.' Benito grumbled. Cussing, he tapped the radio with his wand, humming in satisfaction when it began to make noise. 'Alright. In the meantime, passes and sit-ups, twenty reps each in pairs.'

As the group got to work with the practice Quaffles, laughing and joking through their drills, the radio's music ended and morphed into a flurry of voices. After a lull in the chatter, a man's voice came over the speaker.

'Good morning and thank you for joining us today. I'll pass over to Arrows Head Coach, Elwood Flagstaff.'

There was a shuffling of seats, replaced by Flagstaff's Welsh tones. 'Thank you. Morning all, I'm sure you're all wondering why we've called this meeting, so… um, we'll get to it.'

'He sounds nervous. D'you reckon Caerphilly's finally snatched him back?'

'Shush, Leo, for Pride's sake!' the tall man whispered. He took off his beanie and ran a hand over his bald black head.

'We at Appleby are immensely proud of the squad following our success at the Euro Cup, and look forward to championing that success in the upcoming season. Despite our hopes that our first-grade line-up would remain unchanged, we regret to announce that Yianna Vasokopoulous will not be returning this season as our Open-Side Beater.'

Cameras clicked and quills scribbled furiously in the background as Flagstaff continued.

'Yana's departure is a great loss to the club, and she will be greatly missed by the Arrows, where she has represented the Arrows for the last three years.'

.

Leo dropped his Quaffle. He and the rest of the team exchanged looks of curiosity and confusion. Benito remained quiet as he sat near the radio.

'Well, that came out of nowhere.' said Wilda.

'I don't understand,' Benjy murmured, 'She's one of their best players. What's brought that on?'

The reporters were clearly wondering the same thing, talking over each other with a flurry of questions.

'Mr Flagstaff, why exactly has Vasokopoulous left?'

'Has she resigned or has she been stood down from the team?'

'Are the rumours true that she's been in negotiations with international clubs Mykonos and Braga?'

'What are her reasons for walking out on the club?'

'Will Vasokopoulous be staying in the British League?'

'Has she recovered from injury after the Euro's?'

'Miss Vaso has left the club on her own terms and decided not to renew her contract, which ended in May.' Flagstaff replied, clearing his throat. 'In light of this, we are excited to welcome Barnaby Krane in her place, making his first-grade debut for Appleby. Mr Krane has demonstrated an exceptional record as a reserve for-'

But whatever Flagstaff had hoped to achieve by changing the topic, it hadn't worked. The reporters continued to vie for the coach's attention.

'Can you confirm that Vasokopoulous has re-signed with another club?'

'No, no I can't.' Flagstaff answered. 'But I have no doubt she will do what's right for her.'

'So why isn't she here to tell us herself?' a reporter called out.

A hush fell over the room. Over in the Puddlemere training room, everyone looked dumbfounded. Andrei shook his head. 'Wait- she's not at her own press conference?'

'The hell's that about?' said Wilda. On the other end of the radio, Flagstaff was already answering the question.

'…is still recovering from the shoulder injury she received in the quarter-finals of the Euro Cup. But she has released a statement that she's asked me to read on her behalf.'

He cleared his throat again. 'After three years with the Appleby Arrows, I have decided to move on from my original club in order to expand my potential as a professional sportswoman. I look forward to whatever opportunities arise in the future, and would like to thank the Arrows fans for their constant support.'

'You reckon she wrote all that herself?' Benjy muttered.

'Oh, shush.' Wilda hissed, shooting him a dirty look.

'What?' he shot back. 'I have literally never heard her speak. Even in print.'

'Quiet, you lot.' Benito interrupted, as another voice was heard through the radio.

'We'll only be taking further questions regarding Mr Krane's appointment from now on, and then wrap up. Thank you for your time.'

.

Benito turned off the radio and started pacing the room. There was a long silence.

Leo let out a low whistle. 'Whoa.'

'Changing Beaters this close to pre-season, that's pretty risky, especially for Appleby.' said Oliver.

'Well, we're not much better now, are we?' Benjy said angrily. 'Brayden's gone, so where the hell does that leave us?'

'Actually, that's something I've been meaning to discuss with you all.' Benito said, stopping in his tracks. He looked around at his team, and he gave a wide toothy smile. 'We've got ourselves a Beater.'

There was a collective cheer and applause from the group.

'Now he tells us!' Andrei exclaimed.

'Go on, don't keep us in suspense!' Wilda urged him. 'Who is it?'

Oliver spoke before Benito got to open his mouth. 'It's Vasokopoulous, isn't it?' Everyone's eyes turned to the Keeper. 'That's why you wanted to listen to the press conference.'

Benito nodded in assent.

'How come they didn't announce it just now?' said Andrei.

'Because she signed the contract first thing this morning.' Benito said. 'I couldn't guarantee it would be announced today, and by the sounds of things, the Arrows don't know yet. Though I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't tell them at all. We'll release a statement later in the week, and spin the publicity to our advantage. The PR team are already working on it. What I've told you today does not leave this room until Deverill gives the green light.' Philbert Deverill was the manager of Puddlemere United, who'd brought about several progressive reforms to the club since his appointment.

'Why all the secrecy?' asked Benjy.

Benito shrugged. 'Vasokopoulous asked to keep it that way. I'm no seer, but she seems damn relieved to be out of the Arrows. But that's not our business.'

'It is if she causes disharmony amongst a team. How do we know she's right for us?' Oliver challenged. He knew she had a fierce reputation as a player, but like everyone else on the Puddlemere team, knew next to nothing about her as a person.

'Solomon, what do you think of all this?' Andrei said, diplomatically. All eyes turned to the giant of a man that was Solomon Brodie. He was not only their Blind-Side Beater, but Puddlemere's Captain and most senior player. Right now, his opinion mattered more than anyone else's.

'No issue here from me. She had a great try-out and she seems like a decent sort of girl. I'm satisfied, and so are the other coaches.' he answered.

'Wait- you were at her try out?' Oliver spluttered.

'And you didn't tell us?' Benjy exclaimed.

Solomon raised his hands in surrender. 'Just doing what I'm told.' he said.

'So what's she like?' Leo asked, eagerly.

Solomon chuckled. 'Well, I wouldn't trust anything Witch Weekly says about her.'

'Meaning…?' said Leo.

'She's quiet, but she knows her game. Different style to Brayden, but she's strong and willing to adapt. I think we'll make it work.'

'So, when do we meet her?' said Oliver.

'Tomorrow.' Benito replied. 'We're going give it a week before we allow reporters in to watch us train. Give you all a chance to get to know her first, and work out your new dynamic. The media are going to be watching us very closely.' He stood up from his seat. 'That's all from me for now. Armstrong and McGovern are waiting for you on the pitch. They've got you till lunch. Don't expect them to go easy.'

'Wanna bet? Everyone's easy compared to you.' Leo muttered under his breath, ducking just in time to miss a Quaffle flying towards his head. The others made their way out, trying hard to hide their smiles.

.

As they made their way out to the pitch, Leo walked backwards in front of the group. 'So does anyone actually know anything about Yianna Vasokopoulous? Wilda, you read the magazines, right?'

Wilda rolled her eyes. 'Only for the crossword and recipes. Benjy the bitch for gossip.'

'I heard that.' called Benjy.

'She'd be about your age, right Oliver?' said Wilda. 'Were you two at school together?'

Oliver shook his head. 'She's a few years younger, but she's the only female Beater I'd ever seen at school.'

As they grabbed their brooms ready for take-off, Oliver thought hard about the last time he'd seen Yianna Vasokopoulous. Last year's season gala? They'd crossed paths on several occasions, sure, but he couldn't recall if they'd ever actually spoken to one another. He wasn't sure they'd exchanged words back at school. Just shots on the Quidditch pitch…

.

Hogwarts, September 1989.

'Congratulations, Oliver. Good to have you back.'

That was one of the great things about Charlie Weasley; he took every chance to shed formality and call his peers by their first names.

Oliver could barely contain the grin plastered across his face. He'd made the Gryffindor Quidditch team again, for the third year in a row. His hand practically twitched in anticipation to write home to his family.

Charlie's encouraging smile quickly turned to a glare at the two red-headed boys standing next to Oliver. 'And you two. Don't make me regret this.' he said sternly.

'Yes boss.' said the two boys at the same time.

'Answering to you and Bill…' said one.

'What a dream.' said the other.

'We'll see about that.' Charlie said, shaking his head. 'Three Weasleys on one Quidditch team. What have I gotten myself into?'

They were interrupted by a tall girl sprinting towards them. Persephone McKay was another member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, in the same year as Charlie Weasley.

'Hey Charlie, have you seen? Huffelpuff's announced their team for this year. Ravenclaw and Slytherin's should be up by tonight.' she said.

'Thanks Seph. Fred, George, Oliver- care to join?' Charlie said to boys.

They arrived at the noticeboard next to the giant hourglasses that represented the each house's points. Charlie shouldered through the growing crowd gathered in front of the board and scanned the list up and down several times. 'Only two new recruits.' He paused over one name and harrumphed, 'Now would you look at that?'

Oliver elbowed his way to the front of the crowd to see for himself. He frowned.

'A girl Beater?' Oliver exclaimed.

Charlie shrugged. 'It's not unheard of, just not as common.'

'Wait a tic-' said Fred,

'-Yianna's in our year.' finished George.

'Hold up, they're letting a twelve-year old girl play Beater?!' said Persephone. 'My mum would kill me before the Bludgers do.'

'Should we go to Professor McGonagall?' Oliver suggested.

'And say what? It's not like she can do anything about it.' Charlie answered. Oliver suddenly felt very stupid.

'She must be good.' said Persephone.

'Or have some serious anger issues she needs to let out. I wouldn't worry though, we don't play Huffelpuff till January.' said Charlie.

As Oliver followed his teammates to lunch, he couldn't help thinking that Huffelpuff had made the wrong decision. Sure, they were his opposition, but a female Beater in second year? The poor kid was going to get eaten alive. Especially with the promising line up Gryffindor had just announced…

.

.

Barrowman Bay, England. 2001.

'Ooh, look who made the front page! Will we have to start paying for autographs now?'

A young witch with bright purple hair and a sly grin slid a copy of The Evening Prophet across the kitchen counter. The headline read: 'Shock resignation of Arrows Beater. Mystery surrounds future.' accompanied by a moving black-and-white image of a young woman standing with her broomstick in one arm and a Beater's bat tucked under the other. She glared at the camera with intimidation, her dark features and tight braid adding to her demeanour of severity. Yianna Vasokopoulous appeared equally as displeased in person as she looked at her housemate with brown eyes and an arched brow.

'How bad is it?' she said, through a mouthful of stir-fry.

'Scandalous, darling.' replied the purple-haired witch. 'Honestly, I don't know what you were thinking, missing your own press conference. You should've heard the girls at the salon today. Merlin, I never knew old ladies were so interested in you.'

'They're not interested in me, just the drama.' Yana replied, scanning the article. 'Pass the chilli sauce, please.'

Her housemate rolled her eyes and tapped her long, red nails against the counter. 'So, where were you this morning instead of lapping up the spotlight?' she prodded.

Yana twirled some noodles on her fork, murmuring something about 'Signing a new contract at Puddlemere United.'

Gwen choked on her food. 'You sneaky Niffler! Tell me everything!'

At that moment, there was a whooshing sound, as another witch appeared in the nearby fireplace among a flurry of green flames. The young Asian woman dusted herself off, and walked across the threshold to the kitchen.

'Something smells good. What have I missed?'

'Yianna's in the paper.' Gwen sung out, waving the Prophet around.

'Oh shush. Have some stir-fry, Mei. It's your recipe.'

Mei, their third housemate, was also undeterred by Yianna's attempted distraction. 'They announced your resignation? About time.'

'Mei, can you please tell Yianna to enjoy her fifteen seconds of fame for once in her life?'

'I think it's admirable that you keep your private life away from the press.' Mei said to Yianna. 'All you need to do now is start having a life.'

Yianna scrunched up her face. 'Whoa, ouch.'

'You see?' Gwen said smugly. 'People want to know you, like actually know you.'

'What are you talking about? You girls know me.' Yianna frowned.

'We live with you. That's different.' Mei said.

'Have you met your new teammates yet?' said Gwen.

'Just Solomon Brodie, the other Beater.' Yianna replied. 'He's the Captain too. Nice bloke, older than the others, but I can tell he's respected. Apart from that, I only know the others by reputation. Aside from Oliver Wood, we played each other at school.'

Gwen's blue eyes went wide. 'Ooh, I remember him! Gryffindor. He was a fanatical Keeper.'

'Don't you mean fantastic?' asked Mei. She often asked for clarification on English words, as Mandarin was her first language.

'No, darling. Fanatical.' Gwen said, shaking her head. 'This boy practically lived and breathed Quidditch. He talked about nothing else.'

'Pretty sure he still does.' Yianna added.

'Sounds like a normal wizard boy to me.' Mei said.

'I wonder if he's seeing anyone.' Gwen said.

Yianna smirked. 'I didn't think Quidditch players were your type.'

Gwen laughed. 'Oh no, babe, not for me, for you!'

'We are so not having this conversation.' Yianna groaned as she took her bowl to the sink. 'Just let me get through day one of training, then we can deal with my other life problems.'