IV. Meddlesome
Given to meddling, interfering, and intrusive.
A week passes after finding the Cerberus on the third floor, and Oliver takes Harry out onto the Training Grounds, both carrying a trunk to the middle before putting it down. "Quidditch is easy enough to understand. Each team has seven players. Three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and a Seeker. That's you," Oliver explains, pointing to the ravenette. "There are three kinds of balls," He picks up a red one. "This one's called the Quaffle. Now, the Chasers handle Quaffle and try to put it through one of those three hoops." The Gryffindor Captain gestures to the hoops in the Quidditch pitch in the distance. "The Keeper, that's me, defends the hoops." He throws the Quaffle at Harry, who catches it. "With me so far?" And he throws it back at Oliver.
"I think so. What are those?" Harry questions, pointing to the two squirming chained-down balls.
"You better take this," The older student suggests, handing the first year a small bat, and bends down, releasing one ball. With an angry growl, the Bludger flies off as the two boys watch it. "Careful now. It's coming back." The ball comes whizzing, and Harry cracks at it with the bat, causing it to soar off through a statue, surprisingly without damaging it. "Not bad, Potter. You'd make a fair Beater. Uh-oh," Oliver grumbles, seeing the Bludger come zooming back, and he grabs it, wriggling on the ground, trying to get it back in the box and successfully places the ball in, chaining it back up and lets out a breath.
"What was that?!" Harry questions, shocked.
"Bludger. Nasty little buggers. But you are a Seeker. And the only thing I want you to worry about is this," He replies, moving to the last ball in a small crest in the box lid. "The Golden Snitch," Oliver hands Harry a walnut-sized golden ball.
"I like this one," He smiles, looking at it in the palm of his hand, and the ball unwraps its delicate wings.
"Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see," Wood warns him.
"What do I do with it?" The spectacled boy asks, and the Golden Snitch flies off his hand.
"You catch it. Before the other team's Seeker. You catch this. The game is over. You catch this, Potter, and we win," Oliver explains, and the ball flutters, jumping into the air, and Harry keeps an eye on it.
"Whoa!" Harry marvels, his eyes moving with the Golden Snitch.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
It's been over a month since the five Gryffindors' discovery, and Harry began his Seeker training. But it seems like another morning as Jayla wakes in her bed with Hades sleeping by her head on the pillow. The young Heiress gets up from her bed, walks to her desk after getting dressed, and writes her weekly letter to her family. In this one, Jayla has much more to put in, as something terrifyingly exciting happened the night before. She smiles, writing about the day's events and tries downplaying them a little.
Friday, 1st November 1991
To My Darling Family,
I know it has come and gone. All Hallows Eve. Everybody was giggling and happy across Hogwarts. Even some of the Professors seemed to get into the mood. I bet Mason tried scaring Yazmin again, like last year. I miss you and your amazing treats, Mum, but it was an exciting day.
I didn't fall asleep during History of Magic, where we learnt the real reason the Wizarding World enjoys All Hallows Eve, which kept me awake as it was an interesting lesson.
In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall gave us a practical example of turning a Desk into a Pig, and Harry told us a story about his cousin. We should make sure Mason doesn't try this once he learns it.
Before lunch, we had Charms class, and we finally got to practise the Levitation Spell...
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The day before, on Halloween, Hermione and Jayla walk into Charms class, before lunch, with Professor Flitwick standing on a pile of books towering over the students, and the young Heiress sits in between Seamus and Ron. Jayla puts her bag by her feet and takes her books out, waiting for Flitwick to begin. "Good morning, class. Shall we begin?" The Professor greets the class, looking around the room, and the students nod before he gets on with the lesson. "One of a Wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, the ability to make objects fly. Uh, do you all have your feathers?" He glances from his perch to see around the room, and Jayla peeks at Hermione holding up her feather before sheepishly putting it back down on her desk. "Good. Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practising, hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone." Flitwick shows his wand and demonstrates the movement to the students, who pick up their own, joining in.
"The swish and flick." The class and Flitwick speak together.
"Good. Oh, and enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then." The Professor says, and Jayla looks at her feather, using the hand and wrist movement she's been practising.
"Wingardium Levio-saaa," Draco tries pronouncing the spell, using the correct wrist movements.
"Wingardium Leviosa," The class says.
"Wingardium Leviosar!" Ron says, waving his wand fast numerous times, thinking the spell isn't working.
"Wingardium Leviosa," Jayla says clearly, using the correct motions, when she gets hit in the cheek from her left, knocking her concentration and looks to her side to Ron, swinging his wand around violently.
"No, stop, stop, stop. You're going to take Jayla's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Leviosa, not Leviosar." Hermione calmly tells him, and he looks back at Jayla, who rubs the offended cheek, watching the two.
"Remember what Professor Flitwick said. Enunciate and it's not a violent flick but a gentle swish into a flick." Jayla explains, which frustrates him as she shows him the movement.
"You two do it then if you're so clever. Go on, gon," Ron snaps, watching Hermione straighten up in her seat and swish her hand in the correct movements, and he turns to the young Heiress, who uses the proper motions.
"Wingardium Leviosa," The girls say the spell together, and the feather gives off a slight glow before disappearing, lifting off the table, higher and higher, gaining the class's attention.
"Oh, well done! See here, everyone! Miss Granger and Miss Darkmore have done it! Oh, splendid!" Flitwick exclaims, and Ron grumbles under his breath, placing his head on his books, annoyed.
"Come on, Ron. It's a simple spell. Try again," Jayla encourages him, lowering the feather back on the desk, when a loud BOOM crashes through the classroom right next to her with a flash of light. She looks to see more soot on Seamus' face from another explosion.
"I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor," Harry announces in shock, making Jayla giggle before giving Seamus a tissue to wipe the soot off his face, which he takes, and she looks at the depressed Ron with a sigh.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Ron seemed very upset, but I think it was what Dad likes to call "The Male Ego" anyway. Everyone soon got the hang of it, though Seamus went through about seven different feathers before he did it without the poor thing exploding.
After class, it was another issue altogether. Hermione and I were heading to lunch with the rest of our classmates, where we overheard Ron complaining and bad-mouthing Hermione….
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Jayla walks with Hermione behind Dean, Harry, Ron and Seamus on their way across the courtyard to the Great Hall for lunch after their 2nd Period Charms class. "So what if Ron is grumpy about it? I still think he's jealous of your brains," Jayla assures her best friend.
"It's not that. It's just, well, I don't mean to come off as a know-it-all, but I just want to prove myself as I am just a Muggle-born," Hermione argues.
"Don't be daft. Some Pure-blood families have more to prove than you. And you don't have to prove anything, Mione. You just do you," She smiles, trying to ease her friend's mind.
"It's Leviosa, not Leviosar. Honestly, she's a nightmare. No wonder she hasn't got any friends!" Ron snaps with irritation, and Jayla looks to Hermione, seeing tears streaming from her eyes, and speeds past the boys, hitting the redhead's shoulder as she passes, leaving her friend behind.
"I think she heard you," Harry states, and Jayla pushes Ron forward, making him lurch in his step and catch himself before looking at the young Heiress in shock.
"You big git, Ronald Weasley, just because she's more intelligent than you doesn't mean she was trying to show you up. All she was doing was trying to help. And another thing, I AM her friend, so watch yourself." Jayla snaps at the redhead with venom and shoves him back, making Ron stumble on his back before she runs off to find Hermione.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
I couldn't believe Ron had even said that, but I think a Howler from his Mum would sort him out. Though Harry said, I did an excellent job of scaring him. I found Hermione in the girls' bathroom on the first floor. Parvati had come to find me and informed me she saw Hermione sneak into the girls' bathroom before lunch. We may have missed the rest of our classes and some of the Hallows Eve Feast. I know I should have been in class, but I think my friend needing me is more important. So I stayed with her…
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
In the girls' bathroom, Jayla remains outside the stall with Parvati while Hermione cries over what that git Ron said after their second period. "Come on out, Hermione, he's not worth it," Parvati encourages her for the hundredth time, but the bushy-haired girl continues to cry.
"No!" Hermione yells through tears, and Jayla sighs, looking at their roommate and friend, who also sighs at their stubborn roommate locked in the stall.
"You go. I'll try coaxing her out. If not, I'll get her some food before the Feast ends," Jayla tells Parvati and bangs on the stall door. "Hermione, forget about Ron. He's an idiot. Just come with us to the Feast." She looks at Parvati shaking her head, and smiles, feeling back for the young Heiress.
"I'll see you later, okay, Hermione," Parvati says, walking out of the girls' toilets.
"This is stupid. It's just Ron. He doesn't think before he speaks, and he's jealous that you showed him up." Jayla tells Hermione, who stops sobbing, her tears running low. "Do you want me to get you something to eat?"
"I'm not hungry," Hermione sniffles, but Jayla knows better, knowing her friend will want something to eat once she stops crying and the young Heiress rushes out of the bathroom towards the Great Hall for the Hallows Eve Feast with her stomach grumbling.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Jayla storms into the Great Hall, full of students with fantastic decorations across the room and heads to the Gryffindor table, where she sees Harry and Ron sitting with the others. She glares at the redhead as he eats and walks calmly over to them, grabbing a plate and piling food for herself and Hermione to share. "Where's Hermione?" Harry asks, looking around the table in concern, seeming like he at least cares.
"Parvati Patil said that she wouldn't come out of the girls' bathroom. She said that she'd been in there all afternoon… crying. Jayla is with her," Neville informs the boys, and Jayla sees Harry and Ron share a glance with guilt.
"Hope that's guilt your feeling, you big git, Ronald," Jayla snaps, and the boys sharply turn to see the young Heiress in shock at the sudden appearance.
"I thought you were with Hermione?" Ron asks, looking at Jayla with a slight frown.
"She's still in the bathroom crying because of what you said. And I'm getting us some food, so if you don't mind…." Jayla gets cut off as the Great Hall doors slam open, and Professor Quirrell rushes inside, looking frantic and terrified.
"TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! T-TROOLLL IN THE DUNGEON!" Quirrell screams in fright, stopping dead in his tracks, and the Great Hall goes silent for a second as everyone looks at him in silence at the news. "Thought you ought to know." He utters before falling faint on the floor, and the room stays quiet for a moment then everyone screams in a panic.
"SILLLLLEEENNNNCEEEEE!" Dumbledore booms over the chaos, making everyone stop dead in their tracks. "Everyone will please, not panic. Now, Prefects will lead their Houses back to the dormitories. Teachers will follow me to the dungeons." He calmly orders them, and Percy gets up from his spot, beginning to lead the Gryffindor students out with the other Houses not far behind.
"Hufflepuff, this way!" The Hufflepuff Prefect shouts, leading the House out of the Great Hall.
"Stay together!" The Ravenclaw Prefect warns them.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Don't worry. I didn't get hurt, and we returned to the dormitories all okay. Hermione luckily left for the dorms before the alert, and we talked all night. I made Ron apologise to Hermione, considering he soon got the hang of the spell. We went to bed a little late, and I'm writing to you….
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Jayla and the boys walk with Percy leading the Gryffindor students out of the Great Hall through the courtyard to the Grand Staircase. "Gryffindors… keep up, please. And stay alert!" Percy warns them, walking calmly.
"How could a troll get in?" Harry asks the ultimate question of the night.
"Not by itself. Trolls are really stupid," Ron comments, lagging behind the group. "Probably people playing jokes." Jayla stops the boys, pulling them aside as the other students keep walking. "What?"
"Hermione! She doesn't know!" Jayla notifies them and runs off with the boys close behind as they head for the first-floor girls' bathroom.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The trio of tweens make it to the corridor just in front of the girls' bathroom and stop, hearing a loud grunting noise approaching them. Harry pulls Ron and Jayla into a doorway as a shadow of the giant Troll slowly thuds across and comes into view, going into the girls' bathroom with Hermione inside.
"He's going into the girls' bathroom!" Harry whisper-yells in Jayla and Ron's ears.
"You don't say!" Jayla snaps, pulling free of his grip and runs into the bathroom with the Troll with the boys following.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Inside the girls' bathroom, Hermione steps out of the toilet stall with some tissue, wiping her eyes and sees something standing behind her and turns to see the Mountain Troll. She quickly grabs hold of herself and backs into the stall as the Troll raises its wooden club, smashing the top of the toilet stalls. Hermione lets out a scream of fright as Jayla, Ron and Harry burst into the room. "Hermione, move!" Harry shouts, making her look up at them and shuffle out of the debris, but the Troll smashes the remaining stalls.
"Help! Help!" Hermione cries out for help, and Jayla picks up pieces of the broken stall, throwing them at the Troll's back with the boys' help. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to slow or even agitate the Mountain Troll as it continues to ignore them.
"Hey, pea-brain!" Ron shouts, throwing a piece of wood and hitting the Troll on the head. Hermione escapes from the stalls to under the sink, but it spots her, smashing them, and the hit cracks the sink, barely missing the bushy-haired girl as she screams again.
"Ahhh! Help!" She cries out, making Jayla cringe at the near-miss, and Harry gets out his wand before running toward the Mountain Troll, grabbing the club, and lifting him into the air.
"Whoa! Whoa!" Harry shouts, landing on the Troll's shoulders, and tries getting the boy off, hurling around, but the ravenette's wand goes up the Magical Beast's nose.
"Ew!" Ron cringes.
"Gross!" Jayla winces, palling a little as the Troll snorts, trying to get the Magical item out of its nose and whips around, trying to get Harry off.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Harry shouts, and the Mountain Troll manages to get the ravenette off its shoulders and holds the boy by his leg, leaving Harry upside down. The Troll gears up to swing at Harry's head. Luckily, the spectacled boy pulls himself up in time for the swing, falling between the next swipe. "Do something!" Harry shouts at the others, pulling himself up as another swing comes his way.
"What?" Ron shouts back.
"Anything! Hurry up!" He shouts, and Jayla gets out her wand along with Ron, noticing Hermione waves her hand in the gesture of the Levitation Spell.
"Swish and flick!" Hermione yells, encouraging him.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron shouts, using the proper movements and lifts the wooden club into the air out of the Mountain Troll's hand. The Magical Beast doesn't seem to notice the club hovering above its head and swings at the boy, but stops, looking at its hand, then looks up, seeing its missing wooden club. The Mountain Troll glances at the club in confusion before it crashes down on its head. "Cool." The Troll wavers a little, dropping Harry, and he crawls away as the Magical Beast moves toward them, and Jayla goes for another spell.
"Everte Statum!" Jayla shouts, and the spell crashes into the massive Troll, sending the Magical Beast flying back into the bathroom wall and falling flat on its face. Hermione sees that it's safe, carefully approaches, and the young Heiress walks over, giving her best friend a hard hug, which she returns.
"Is it… dead?" Hermione asks quietly, scared the Mountain Troll will jump up and attack them.
"I don't think so. Just knocked out," Harry assures her, grabbing his wand from the unconscious Troll's nose.
"Where did you learn that spell?" Ron questions, looking at Jayla, and puts her arm around Hermione's shoulder, comforting her.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jayla teases with a smirk as Harry wipes his wand on his robes with a cringe.
"Ew. Troll bogies," Harry gags in disgust, and suddenly, Professors McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell barrel into the girls' bathroom, gasping at the sight of the place.
"Oh! Oh. my goodness! E-Explain yourselves, the three of you!" McGonagall demands, pointing at the four Gryffindor students.
"Well, what it is…." Harry and Ron try to talk together while Jayla tries to devise a convincing lie.
"It's my fault, Professor McGonagall," Hermione announces, shocking everyone.
"Miss Granger?" McGonagall gapes in pure shock at the bright Witch.
"I went looking for the Troll. I'd read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong. If Harry, Ron and Jayla hadn't come and found me… I'd probably be dead," She explains her lie thoroughly.
"Be that as it may… It was an extremely foolish thing to do," The Deputy Head scolds the bushy-haired girl lightly, glad the four tweens are alive. Harry looks at Snape, noticing blood and his trousers torn; the Potion Master catches his stare and covers it, glaring at the ravenette boy. "I would have expected more rational behaviour on your part, Miss Granger. Five points will be taken from Gryffindor for your serious lack of judgement." The four Gryffindors sigh in disappointment. "As for you three, I just hope you realise how fortunate you are. Not many first-year students could take on a fully-grown Mountain Troll and live to tell the tale. Five points… will be awarded to each of you…." The three saviours grin at each other. "...for sheer dumb luck." With that said, McGonagall storms out of the bathroom with Snape following, limping slightly from the deep cut.
"Perhaps you ought to go… m-might wake up… heh," Quirrell nervously stutters with a small laugh. Jayla pulls Hermione out of the room with boys following as the tweens walk off and hear a faint roar from the Troll and a shriek of fright from the DADA Professor.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
"How in Merlin did he become the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor!" Jayla scoffs, heading back to the Gryffindor Tower with the others, who laugh.
"No idea," Harry replies, laughing. "Good for you to get us out of trouble like that."
"Mind you, I mean, we did save her life," Ron retorts, earning a few glares.
"Mind you, she didn't need saving if you hadn't insulted her," He replies, glaring at his best friend and earning a look of surprise from Jayla.
"What are friends for?" The redhead sheepishly says, seeing the look Hermione's giving him. The pair smile at each other and carry on down the corridor to the Gryffindor Tower.
"What are friends for?" Jayla snaps and storms off, heading for Grand Staircase. "Boys! I just don't get them!"
"What's her problem," Ron mutters, and she speeds over to him, flicking him on the forehead. "What was that for?!"
"You're an idiot!" The young Heiress snaps at him, heading up the steps with the others following. "I hope you realise that we could have died tonight. And another thing, Ronald Weasley, I think you have something to say to Hermione." Jayla glares at Ron, who looks at his shoes, finds them interested, and then looks up at Hermione.
"I'm sorry for what I said. About you being a nightmare and that you have no friends. I mean, Jayla's your friend. And well, after today, I hope we can. I didn't really mean it. I guess I was just upset that I couldn't do the spell, and you could. I am sorry," Ron apologises well beyond what the others thought he would and smiles.
"I accept your apology. And I would like to be friends too," Hermione replies with a bright smile.
"So Hermione, is being expelled worse than death still?" Jayla questions, looking at her best friend with narrow eyes.
"Shut up, JD," She quips, walking over to the two-toned girl, joining her on the steps. The girls walk up the Grand Staircase.
"Mental, both of them," Ron mutters, looking at Harry, who shakes his head at his best friend.
"I heard that," Jayla shouts from the stairs.
"What is she, a bat?" He grumbles, making Harry laugh.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
I hope your day goes well, and I forgot to mention that today is the beginning of the Quidditch season. In my last letter, I told you about Harry joining the team. The first match is Gryffindor vs Slytherin today. The Lions are gonna win. I bet you saw that, Mum.
I hope yesterday was better for you both, Mason and Yazmin. I hope you didn't scare her, seeing as she's only just gotten better.
I love you all.
Jayjay / Lala / Sweetheart / Little Baby Girl
Jayla finishes her letter home and sits back in her chair, guilt washing over her, wishing she could tell her parents what happened. Still, she knows her mother would demand the young Heiress be sent home immediately. Jayla dresses in her uniform as Hermione and Parvati wake up, doing the same. "Excited for the game today?" Parvati asks them, putting on her robes.
"Of course, It's Harry's first game," Hermione answers, and Jayla nods, watching Hades play with her toy, getting a little overzealous, causing her to fall off the bed. Again.
"Jay, I fell again!" Hades cries out, and Jayla picks up the kitten, placing her on the bed again.
"Be careful, Hades, you could really hurt yourself," Jayla warns the feline, stroking her soft jet-black fur.
"Sorry, Jay, I promise to be careful," She replies, and the young Heiress nods, putting her tie on, thinking about the bitter chill signalling the beginning of winter.
"Come one, or we'll be looking at the back of other people's heads," The young Heiress jokes, making the girls laugh, and they head down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Jayla sits down in the Great Hall for breakfast, enjoying her bacon sandwich with brown sauce, but Harry won't eat anything, feeling too nervous about the upcoming game that afternoon. "Take a bit of toast, mate, go on," Ron encourages him, picking up a piece of toast from the table as Harry twirls his eggs around with his fork.
"Ron's right, Harry. You're gonna need your strength today," Hermione agrees with Ron since they're now on the road to being friends.
"I'm not hungry," Harry grumbles, disinterestedly looking at his plate.
"Yeah, if you don't eat, you might faint on your broom," Jayla warns him when Professor Snape walks over to the small group of friends, looming over the ravenette with his typical scowl.
"Good luck today, Potter. Then again, now that you've proven yourself against a Troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you… even if it is against Slytherin," Snape remarks, then leaves still with a limp in his step.
"That explains the blood," Harry suddenly says, making the others look at him with frowns.
"Blood?" Jayla asks, biting into a bacon sandwich with a look of curiosity at the ravenette.
"Listen, last night, I'm guessing Snape let that Troll in as a diversion so he could try and get past that three-headed dog. But, he got himself bitten. That's why he's limping," Harry explains his theory.
"But why would anyone go near that dog?" Hermione questions, even though the answer is obvious.
"The day I was at Gringotts, Hagrid took something out of one of the Vaults. He said it was Hogwarts business, very secret," He informs them in a hushed tone, leaning in toward them so no one else will overhear them.
"So you're saying…" Jayla replies sceptically, unsure if their Potions Professor can betray the school or Dumbledore.
"That's what the dog's guarding. That's what Snape wants," The ravenette explains, and the others don't say anything when an owl's screeching fills the Great Hall, making everyone look around to see Harry's owl, Hedwig, swooping into the room carrying a long parcel and drops it in front of the boy.
"Bit early for mail, isn't it?" Hermione questions, looking around for more signs of owls, but nothing.
"But I-I never get mail," Harry stutters in shock, looking at the parcel.
"Let's open it," Ron jumps from his seat, and the four tweens grab a piece of the brown wrapping, rugging it to reveal a new broomstick.
"It's a broomstick!" He exclaims in surprise, admiring the gift.
"That's not just any broomstick. Harry, it's a Nimbus 2000!" Ron fangirls over the broom.
"But who…?" The ravenette questions but stops, looking over to the High Table to see Professor McGonagall smiling slyly at Harry, stroking the white barn owl as it perches on her arm.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
The first Quidditch match of the year begins as the Gryffindor team waits in the Quidditch Tower, the starting gate waiting behind the closed double door for the game to begin. "Scared, Harry?" Oliver asks, trying to calm the young team member.
"A little," Harry admits, nibbling at his lip, feeling his nerves at an all-time high, even though Jayla had given him a little pep talk before.
"That's all right. I felt the same way before my first game," The older student assures him.
"What happened?" He asks, trying to ease his nerves.
"Er, I don't really remember. I took a Bludger to the head two minutes in. Woke up in the hospital a week later," Wood replies, making the ravenette grip his broomstick hard, feeling his heartbeat increase.
"God, I hope Jayla doesn't see me embarrass myself," Harry panics, gulping down some bile as the doors open and the team mount their brooms, zooming out onto the enormous Pitch.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Jayla, Hermione, Ron and Hagrid stand in the Gryffindor stands at the Quidditch Pitch, waiting for the teams to come out for the game to begin. The young Heiress turns to Ron as he talks with Neville when the Gryffindor team zooms out onto the Pitch, and the students cheer. "Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game. Slytherin vs Gryffindor!" Lee Jordan announces from his post in the Announcer's Box next to Professor McGonagall and the other facility and guests sitting around.
"Gryffindor!" Neville shouts over the cheering, and the players zoom around the field, doing a few warm-up laps, then take their positions in a circle around the centre of the Pitch. Jayla watches the players, spotting Harry weaving around, getting to the highest point of the players across Slytherin's Seeker, Terence Higgs.
"The players take their positions as Madam Hooch steps out onto the field to begin the game." Lee announces as everyone watches their Flying Teacher walk onto the Pitch into the centre below the players.
"Now, I want a nice clean game… from all of you," Madam Hooch warns the player, looking hard at the player, mainly the Slytherins. She kicks the trunk open, sitting on the ground and allowing the Bludgers to race out into the air, ready to hit someone in the face.
"The Bludgers are up… followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember, the Snitch is worth 150 points. The Seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game," He summarises, and Hooch releases the golden ball that zooms around Harry and Terence's heads, then almost disappears. Hooch grabs the Quaffle from the trunk. "The Quaffle is released…." He says, and the Quidditch referee throws it into the air, making the Chasers scramble for the ball. "…and the game begins!" Angelina Johnson grabs the ball, flying past the Slytherin players toward the goals and moving past the oncoming Chasers. Angelina nudges one of the Slytherin Chasers off by the Professors' stand and makes it to the goalposts, throwing the Quaffle into the top hoop, scoring the first points of the game. "Angelina Johnson scores! Ten points for Gryffindor!" He presses the key on the scoreboard, showing the points for each team.
"Yes!" Harry cheers, clapping as he hoovers above the Pitch, when a Bludger zooms past him, nearly knocking him off his broom. "Whoa!"
"Whoo!" Jayla shouts, watching the game, cheering along with everyone in the stands.
"Well done!" Hagrid shouts in his booming voice.
"Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle, Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint," Lee's voice booms across the Pitch as Miles passes to Marcus, who dodges the Gryffindor players, even kicks Angelina away hard before throwing the Quaffle toward the Gryffindor hoops. Oliver appears, whacking the ball away with the end of his broomstick, giving Flint a smug smirk, which earns a glare from the Slytherin Quidditch Captain. Angelina and Katie Bell pass the Quaffle back and forth, throwing it at one another as the girls move between the stands. Katie takes the ball, flying around the Slyhtherin's hoops before giving it to Angelina, who throws it, scoring another point.
"Yay!" Ron and Seamus scream, making Jayla cover her ears as she stands beside them.
"Another 10 points to Gryffindor!" Lee shouts into his speaker.
"Yay!" The Gryffindors cheer loudly, and Jayla glances at the Slytherin players, who exchange looks, dodging kicking and trying to score, but again Oliver blocks them.
"Give me that!" Flint growls, snatching the Beater's bat from his teammate, whacking the Bludger at Oliver, hitting him in the stomach, causing the Keeper to fall slowly on his broom to the sandy patch on the ground, unconscious.
"Boo!" The crowd, minus Slytherins, shout at the players while the Snakes laugh at their players' antics. The Slytherin members head off, continuing the game. Adrian Pucey jumps over George and scores another point from the defenceless hoops. Lee adds 10 points to the plaque with Slytherin's name, and they cheer while Harry scowls at the dirty tricks below.
"Take that side!" Marcus sneers, pointing away from him. Flint and Miles box Angelina in as they fly toward one of the towers, sending her into the capes covering the tower. Johnson falls to the bottom, landing on the pebbled ground below.
"Boo!" The other houses shout again at the Slytherin's dirty tricks but score another point against Gryffindor. Harry flies off on his broom, spotting the Golden Snitch, but suddenly his broomstick starts bucking and turning around in the air, seeming out of control.
"Whoa! Whooa!" He cries out, swinging around and moving uncontrollably, trying to throw him off.
"What's going on with Harry's broomstick?" Hagrid questions, frowning, and Hermione looks through the binoculars at Harry, then sharply looks down, seeing Severus watching, visibly muttering.
"It's Snape! He's jinxing the broom!" Hermione gasps, looking at her friends, and Jayla takes the binoculars from her, looking through to see Snape moving his lips and making eye contact with Harry, which are clear signs.
"Jinxing the broom? What do we do?" Ron asks, looking between both Jayla and Hermione.
"Leave it to me," Hermione assures them, then leaves while they watch Harry continue to struggle with his broomstick, getting thrown around. He's knocked harder, falling from his broom, dangling with one arm clinging to it as the broom tries to shake him off. Jayla holds her breath in fear for her friend's life.
"Come on, Hermione!" Ron prays, watching their friend struggle to keep hold of the broomstick. Hermione quickly walks across the Pitch to the announcer's box and goes upstairs. She appears underneath Snape and the other Professors' feet, coming up with a quick idea. The bushy-haired Witch grabs the Potion Master's black cloak and removes her wand.
"Lacarnum Inflamarae," Hermione whispers, and a spark ignites from her wand, catching the robes alight. Jayla puts the binoculars to her eyes, observing Snape and sees his robes catch a flame. The people around the Potion Master begin to panic, seeing the fire on his cloak.
"Fire! You're on fire!" The man beside Snape shouts, alerting the Potion Master.
"What? Oh!" Severus shouts, jumping up, accidentally knocking the man behind him, who falls into Quirrell, making the DADA Professor fall back. Snape snuffs out the fire and acts as if nothing happened while Quirrell gets back up, steadying his turban. Harry's broom thankfully stops bucking, and he climbs back on when Terence flies past after the Golden Snitch, and Harry joins the chase.
"Go!" Ron shouts, and Jayla breathes a sigh of relief for their friend.
"Get those Snakes!" Jayla shouts, joining in the cheers.
"Go, go, go!" Hagrid cheers, and Harry rams into Higgs, who rams back into him as they dive down toward the ground. Terence chickens out, pulling back early, but Harry pulls up too close to the ground, following the Snitch. The ravenette tries standing on his broomstick, taking a step forward on the tip, trying to grab the Snitch, but Harry goes too far and topples over the edge with a yelp onto the ground. Jayla gasps at the sight of her friend on the Pitch though he gets to his feet again, holding his stomach, lurching. Hermione runs down the tower's stairs, coming to the open, watching the match to see her friend in trouble. "Looks like he's gonna be sick!" The Groundskeeper shouts, watching Harry stagger, and the Golden Snitch pops out of his mouth, quickly catching it with his hands.
"He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives 150 points for catching the Snitch!" Lee exclaims through the stadium, and Madam Hooch blows the final whistle from her broomstick, signalling the end of the game.
"Gryffindor wins!" Madam Hooch shouts, finishing the game, and the crowd cheers apart from the Slytherins.
"No!" Draco groans, hanging his head.
"Yes!" Hagrid cheers the loudest, and Harry raises the Golden Snitch into the air with his teammates hovering around him, cheering with the crowd.
"Whoo-hoo!" Hermione cheers, clapping with excitement and in the announcer's box, McGonagall giggles happily with some of the other occupants though Snape frowns in disappointment.
"Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor! Go, go, Gryffindor!" The crowd cheers, and the players exit the Pitch and the group out of the stadium. Jayla races through the mass of Witches and Wizards with Ron, meeting Hermione and waiting for Harry outside the stadium and Hagrid.
⒴⒠⒜⒭ ⑴
Jayla waits for Harry with Ron, Hermione and Hagrid when the Boy Who Lived finally graces them with his presence. She can't help but smirk, seeing the Gryffindor team cheering for Harry as they clamber out of the changing rooms, with the Weasley twins being the loudest. Jayla pulls Harry away from Fred and George, who protest, but they give in after she sends them a glare, backing off and walking away. "So, how's it feel to be the new star of Quidditch?" The young Heiress asks Harry, trying to smooth over the game before Hermione brings up the near-death situation as they start walking off, heading for the castle.
"It was fun. I definitely enjoyed the game. You were right, Ron," Harry replies, but Hermione stomps in front of them, stopping them from moving with a stern look.
"You almost died. I think Snape was jinxing your broom during the game!" Hermione exclaims, gaining Hagrid's attention.
"Nonsense. Why would Snape put a curse on Harry's broom?" Hagrid disregards it, trying to make the idea sound ridiculous, but all the facts seem to point at Severus, and he definitely does not like Harry Potter.
"Who knows. Why was he trying to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween?" Harry questions, looking at the half-giant Groundskeeper.
"Who told you about Fluffy?" He demands, looking at the first years in shock.
"Fluffy?" Ron and Jayla exclaim, looking back at him in shock.
"That thing has a name?" Hermione asks in both shock and disgust.
"It's a misnomer, isn't it?" Jayla questions, frowning, thinking of the Cerberus.
"Well, of course, he's got a name. He's mine. I bought him off an Irish feller I met down at the pub last year. Then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the…." Hagrid rambles but stops before he says anymore, realising he's said too much.
"Yes?" Harry and Jayla ask, wanting to know as well as the others.
"Shouldn'ta said that. Don't ask any more questions. That's top-secret, that is." He warns the students, but their curious minds get the better.
"But Hagrid, whatever Fluffy's guarding, Snape's trying to steal it!" Harry argues, trying to reason with the half-giant.
"Codswallop. Professor Snape is a Hogwarts teacher," The Groundskeeper dismisses the claim.
"Hogwarts teacher or not, I know a curse when I see one. I've read all about them. You have to keep eye contact. And Snape wasn't blinking." Hermione reasons, putting her intelligent mind to work.
"Exactly," Jayla says, looking at the half-giant, which causes Hagrid to sigh with exhaustion from the conversation.
"Now, you listen to me, all four of you. You're meddlin' in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. What that dog is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel," Hagrid tells them, but accidentally gives the four tweens more reason to look deeper into why Snape would want to kill Harry.
"Nicholas Flamel?" Harry repeats the unknown name.
"I shouldn'ta have said that. I should not have said that. I should not have said that," The half-giant grumbles, walking away.
"Nicholas Flamel… who's Nicholas Flamel?" The ravenette wonders, looking at Hermione, the bookworm and Jayla, the knowledgeable.
"I don't know," Hermione answers and looks at Jayla.
"It does sound familiar," Jayla mumbles, and they share a look. "I guess we should hit the books." With that said, she gets mixed reactions - the boys groan and Hermione cheers.
