1.
Thess felt uneasy with so many boys in the locker room. The previous year, there had been more girls on the team, but nearly all of them had graduated. She always stepped out of the shower fully dressed, save for the leather guards that didn't take well to moisture, but the boys didn't share her modesty. They barely covered the essentials as they finished getting ready in the common area.
"Catch some sun this summer, Howard," shouted Bobby Moore, the Beater, whipping his fellow Chaser with a towel. "That backside of yours is whiter than the Grey Lady's!"
"We really need to do something about this mixed locker room," said Rosie Weasley, the captain and the only other girl left on the team, standing beside her.
"After this game, it won't be our problem anymore," said Thess, tightening the laces on her shin guards.
This was the final match of the Inter-House Quidditch Cup season—Gryffindor versus Slytherin. A win would secure not only the trophy but also likely the house points needed for Gryffindor to claim the 2023 House Cup.
"The faster you finish, the less we have to endure this spectacle."
The boys' towel war had escalated when the chaser, Heathfield, tried to regain control, but the chaos abruptly ceased when Minerva McGonagall stormed into the locker room.
"Professor in the room!" Rosie barked, making everyone snap to attention in front of their lockers, some of them awkwardly half-dressed.
"This place used to be more civilized when I played," said McGonagall.
"What century was that?" Moore muttered under his breath.
"Apologies, Headmistress," the captain stammered, staring at his feet to hide his reddening face. "It won't happen again."
"I should hope not," said McGonagall sternly. "Just because most of you won't be here next year doesn't mean we don't expect your best. Quite the opposite—use this opportunity to leave one last great achievement for your house."
"Yes, Headmistress," the team chorused.
"But I'm not here to chastise sloppy boys," she said, walking through the locker room, inspecting the team. Teddy Medcraft, shirtless, covered his nipples with his hands, causing the team to suppress their laughter. "Miss Wood, come with me, please."
Rosinha raised a curious eyebrow at her friend, who shrugged and followed the Headmistress out of the locker room.
The hallway was a colorful mess of fans dressed in bright hues. Some fellow Gryffindors called Thess's name as they saw her, but the Headmistress was heading away from the pitch. When they stopped at the familiar stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmistress's office, Thess couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer.
"Excuse me, Professor, but have I done something wrong?"
"Have you? Well, Miss Wood, I daresay you've made these past seven years rather interesting, but that's not why we're here today. We have a visitor, someone quite insistent on seeing you."
As the gargoyle revealed the spacious, artifact-filled office Thess knew all too well, she noticed two things immediately. Albus Dumbledore was smiling more broadly than usual, leaning out of his portrait to better view the guest. The person was wearing a Gryffindor Seeker's jersey with the number 7 and the name "Potter" stitched on the back.
"You're wearing my number," Thess said without introducing herself.
"That number was mine first, in my final year when I debuted as Seeker," said Ginny Potter, turning around. "But this jersey was my husband's. Mine doesn't fit anymore, and it doesn't fit him either, so I thought, why not? After all, that name's mine now too."
"Miss Wood, I imagine you know Mrs. Potter."
"I know who she is."
It would be hard to find a witch or wizard in Europe who hadn't heard of Ginny Potter. Wife of Harry Potter, war hero, former Seeker for the Holyhead Harpies, sports journalist for the Daily Prophet, and, as if that weren't enough, Rosie's aunt (one of many).
"I've heard quite a bit about you too, Thess," Ginny said. "My son talks about you a lot."
"He does?" Thess replied, trying to imagine what Albus Potter could have possibly said about her.
"Oh, yes. He hates you."
"Ah," said Thess, unable to suppress a smile.
"Headmistress," Ginny called, "do you mind if I have a private word with Miss Wood?"
"Oh, of course," said McGonagall, visibly curious and a bit disappointed. "But please be quick; the match starts in twenty minutes."
"So, the famous Thess Wood" said Ginny after McGonagall leaves. "Any relation to Oliver Wood?"
"No."
Thess's real name was Thessaly Wyrmwood—a name Ginny surely recognized, given that it was her husband who had sent Thess's parents to Azkaban when she was just five. The Wyrmwood name hadn't been well-regarded in the wizarding world since the Second Great War. That's why Thess had asked the Headmistress to change her name to Wood when she enrolled in her first year.
"Pity. I liked Oliver quite a bit; he was a great player. I was hoping for news of him."
"Mrs. Potter, is this an interview?"
"Oh, no. And please, call me Ginny," Ginny said, sitting in the visitor's armchair. She gestured for Thess to take a nearby pouf, but the girl remained standing. "Don't get me wrong, you'd make for a fascinating story, but that's not why I'm here. I wanted to talk to you about your future."
"My... future?"
"Yes. What do you plan to do after school?"
Thess was bewildered as to why Ginny Potter would care.
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
"Will you go home? Live with your parents?"
Living with her parents wasn't an option, despite having four of them. Thess had complicated feelings about the Nott family, who had adopted her. While she was grateful to them, as she grew older, she realized they still harbored many "antiquated" views about Muggles and Muggle-borns. Knowing that those views had fueled two wars and underpinned the ideology of two Dark Lords (the latter especially hypocritical), Thess thought it best to distance herself. As for the Wyrmwoods, she loved them, despite everything, but they were out of reach.
"Mrs. Potter, could you get to the point? I have a game to play."
"Of course, you're right," Ginny said with a smile. "I want to know if you're considering going professional."
Thess was momentarily thrown by the question. Of course, she had considered it before. In England, Quidditch was one of the few professions open to witches and wizards. Many of her peers hailed from old pure-blood families, heirs to vast fortunes locked away in Gringotts vaults—families like the Potters. They never had to worry about something as mundane as a career. For those who did, the typical path led to a desk job at the Ministry of Magic, but none of that ever appealed to her. Becoming a professional Quidditch player, though? That was a different story.
Playing Quidditch became her greatest passion, though it came to her later than it did for most. Honestly, she had never believed she'd stand much of a chance in the ruthless and often toxic world of professional sports.
"I'll take your silence as a yes," Ginny said with a smirk.
"Are you here to recruit me?" Thess asked, her eyes narrowing.
Ginny shrugged casually. "How long have you been playing?"
"Since my first year, in P.E."
"But only this year did you make the team."
"I tried before but never made the cut."
"Because you kept trying out as Keeper."
"There were better Keepers."
"But this year, you tried as Seeker and were a natural. Why didn't you try for Seeker from the start?"
"Seeker is too important a position."
"And you didn't want that kind of pressure... I understand. But what changed?"
"Rosie."
Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Rosie... Weasley?"
"I was talking to her in the stands during last year's final and asked why the Seekers took so long to chase the Snitch."
"Well, it's simple," said Ginny. "The Snitch doesn't appear visible at the start of the game. It takes several minutes to show up. Sometimes it's hours, even days."
"Rosie said the same thing. But the truth is, the Snitch isn't invisible, and it doesn't disapparate. It moves so quickly that it can't be seen. After a while, it slows down to allow a capture."
– "Yes, that's true, but what's your point?"
– "That is the point."
Ginny was still waiting for Thess to finish, but her eyes widened as the realization of what the girl had just said hit her.
"Are you saying you can see the Snitch the entire game?"
McGonagall returned before Thess could answer.
"Sorry, Ginny, but Thess needs to go. You can talk more after."
"Of course," Ginny said, extending a hand, looking rather thrilled.
"See you later, Mrs. Potter," Thess replied, running off to rejoin her team without taking the offered hand.