Chapter 5
Hermione waited a few minutes, and then followed Harry downstairs, keeping her distance until she saw him meet up with a tall, burly boy with light brown hair and brown eyes waiting with a trunk.
"Ah, there you are, Harry," the boy said.
Hermione saw Harry smile and hold out his hand. "Hello, Wood."
Hermione swallowed as she watched them. So that was Oliver Wood. As she watched, Oliver's smile faded as he let go of Harry's hand and looked around. Hermione quickly ducked out of sight.
"What is it?" she heard Harry ask him.
"Well, you're here, Potter," Oliver replied to Harry's question. "But where's -"
"Here I am!" Hermione called rounding the doorway. "You must be Oliver."
"Ah, hello lass," Oliver greeted her with a smile. "Right you are. I was wondering."
Hermione stepped up and offered her hand to him, and he shook it. She couldn't help but laugh to herself when she saw the strange look Harry gave them out of the corner of her eye.
"It's good to finally meet you," Oliver said, letting go of her hand at last.
"You as well," Hermione answered with a nod of her head.
"Well," Oliver said. "Shall we?"
"Ex-excuse me a moment, Oliver," Harry interrupted and Oliver nodded. Harry turned and grabbed Hermione by the arm, dragging her a little ways away, and she stumbled slightly.
"Harry!" she cried out in protest as she nearly fell but caught her balance and shook his hand off her arm. "What iswrongwith you?"
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked with a hiss, keeping his voice low as he glared at her. "I told you that no one was supposed to know about this! Wood wanted to keep it a secret, and how do you know him anyway?"
"I know him because we've been writing since our first night!" Hermione growled back, glaring at him. "Not that you or Ron care, but he's my friend, and I told you that I never said I was coming along for you. Heinvitedme," she finished in a dangerously low voice, making Harry blink in surprise. "You're going to be late," she reminded him, and gestured toward Oliver, who she saw out of her peripheral vision was shuffling his feet, kicking at the grass, his hands in his pockets as he waited for them.
"Fine," Harry spat. "But you could have told me why you insisted on coming."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Like you would have listened."
"Alright," Harry said finally, not admitting that she was right. "Let's just go."
"Are you alright there, lass?" Oliver asked when they headed back toward him.
"Yes, I'm fine, Oliver," she answered with a smile. "Thank you for asking."
Oliver nodded and then looked at Harry. "Ready?" he asked.
"Yeah," Harry answered.
"Alright then," Oliver said. "Grab an end and let's go."
Harry grabbed the other end of the trunk, and they headed down the lawn toward the pitch, Hermione walking on Oliver's other side.
"So, Oliver," Harry said as they walked. "I know Professor McGonagall said that she found you a new Seeker, when we met, but I'm not really sure what that is."
"Have you ever heard of Quidditch, Harry?" Oliver asked.
"Well, no, not really," Harry admitted. "Just what Ron said. He said it was wizards' sport, the best game there was, but he didn't actually saywhatit was."
Hermione laughed beside Oliver and they both looked at her. "Since when has Ronald ever been able to describe anything?" she asked, rolling her eyes.
Oliver blinked and Harry couldn't hold back the snort of laughter. "Well, that's true," he admitted.
"Quidditch," Oliver said. "Is easy enough to understand. There are three kinds of balls. Three Chasers, two Beaters, a Keeper — that's me," he paused and grinned, winking down at Hermione who laughed. "And a Seeker," he said, looking at Harry. "That's you."
They'd reached the Quidditch pitch and both Oliver and Harry sighed as they set down the trunk.
"Um, Hermione," Oliver said, looking at her. "Why don't you go on up and take a seat, we'll be here till nearly dark. I'm sure you don't want to be just standing around," he said with a grin. "And we can talk after?"
Hermione nodded with a smile. "Okay, sure," she said and squeezed his hand briefly. "I brought my book to read, so I'll be good for a while. Thank you for it, by the way."
Oliver nodded. "You're welcome, lass. I'll see you in a while then."
Hermione smirked, shaking her head when she saw Harry's odd look out of the corner of her eye and headed up into the stands.
"Now, as I said," Oliver's voice rang up toward Hermione as she sat down to read. "There are three kinds of balls." Hermione heard the creak of the chest as it was opened.
"This is the Quaffle, now the Chasers handle the Quaffle, and try to get it through one of those three hoops. The Keeper — that's me — defends the hoops. With me so far?"
"Yeah," Harry's answer carried up to Hermione's spot. "What are those?"
"Here," Oliver answered. "You better take this."
Hermione looked up suddenly as something went soaring passed her up into the air making a strange noise, and blinked as she saw it change course and head back down just as fast.
"Look out," she heard Oliver's voice from below her. "It's coming back now."
She blinked and realised that Oliver wasn't talking to her but rather to Harry and went back to her book, but jumped slightly when she heard the sound of a bat connecting with something.
"Not bad, Potter," she heard Oliver praise after the hit. "You'd make a fair Beater. Oh, look out now, it's coming back..." There was a grunt and the sound of someone falling, then a groan and finally a relaxed sigh.
"What was that?" she heard Harry ask in alarm.
"Bludger," came Oliver's reply. "Nasty little buggers. But you are a Seeker. The only thing I want you to worry about is this... the Golden Snitch."
"Oh, I like this ball," Harry said.
"Ah, you like it now," Oliver's voice came knowingly and Hermione couldn't help smiling. She'd already checked out Quidditch Through the Ages and read up about how difficult the position Harry would be playing really was. "Just you wait," Oliver continued. "It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see."
"What do I do with it?" Harry asked.
"You catch it," Oliver replied. "You catch it before the other team's Seeker. You catch this, Potter, and we win."
Hermione was able to tune them out and get into her book after that because they moved further away. Harry had to get up on his broom and track down the Snitch after they lost it because it went too high for Harry to grab from the ground.
After he found it, they returned it to the trunk, ready to carry it back up to the castle and then worked with tennis balls, Oliver throwing them as fast and hard as he could in all directions for Harry to catch. She knew this because she'd look up from her book once in a while to watch before going back to reading.
"Ah," Oliver said, walking up the steps and sitting down next to her after a while, rolling his shoulders from how long he'd been throwing the tennis balls for Harry. "How are you, lass?"
Hermione blinked, looking up at him with a smile. "I'm doing alright, and yourself?"
Oliver grinned. "I'm good," he replied. "I really think we have a chance this year. You were right, you know..."
"I was?" Hermione asked, arching a brow.
Oliver nodded. "I didn't see anyone better than Potter."
"Ugh." Hermione blinked and looked over to see Harry drop down on her other side. "My arms feel like they're going to fall off!" he whined.
"Your arms?" Oliver asked. "Who was throwing for you, you little guttersnipe?"
"Okay, okay," Harry said. "Alright. Are we finished?"
"Aye," Oliver answered. "We're done. You ready?" he asked looking at Hermione.
"Yes," she replied. "I'm stopping." She placed a bookmark in her book and closed it before standing up and heading down the steps. "Well, are you coming?" she asked, turning back to look at them curiously when she didn't hear them behind her. She received twin groans in response and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Boys.
"Oi, Potter," Oliver said when they reached the bottom. "We've got to carry the trunk back up to Madam Hooch."
Harry sighed, having walked off without it. Hermione shook her head as she watched his shoulders slump before turning around and heading back to help them.
"I can carry your broom, if you want," Hermione offered.
"No," Harry replied. "That's alright. I got it. Thanks though."
He and Oliver walked in front of her up to the castle. On the way up the hill, tired of hearing the grunting, and noticing that they almost stumbled, Hermione took her wand out and waved it, muttering something under her breath. Suddenly, the trunk was lighter and both boys paused and turned to look at her in surprise.
"What?" she asked, looking at them uneasily, feeling cornered.
"What did you just do?" Harry asked.
"Nothing," Hermione said quickly, but didn't hide her wand fast enough when their eyes travelled from her face to her hand.
Suddenly, the trunk regained its weight again and Harry and Oliver were nearly pulled to the ground as it fell.
Hermione winced and looked at Harry. "Sorry," she apologised.
"What was that?" Harry asked again, shaking his arm to ease the tension.
"It was, um, Wingardium Leviosa," Hermione replied, looking guiltily between Oliver and Harry.
Oliver burst out laughing and smacked his knee as he doubled over.
"It was what?" Harry asked, Hermione rolled her eyes, swearing that he was a broken record sometimes, he was so thick.
"A charm, Wingardium Leviosa," she said again. "It's a levitation spell."
Harry scrunched his face in confusion. "But... we haven't even learned that yet."
"Oh, honestly," Hermione said with a peeved expression. "Don't you ever read?"
"It's alright, Potter," Oliver said once he'd recovered. "You go on, I'll get this."
Harry looked at them with uncertainty.
"Go ahead," he said. "We'll meet you up in the common room. It won't take long."
"Oh, alright," Harry said. He turned with his broom on his shoulder and gave one more look back at Hermione before heading inside.