Welcome to the Rest of your Life

First Quidditch Match {year 2}

It was the evening before the Gryffindor match, and we had just finished Quidditch practice. We had heard that Alicia was definitely not playing tomorrow, so I had to play. Everyone else had smiles on their faces that were all real as they assured me that I would be fine. Then there was me with a completely fake smile, and that's what I wore the next morning as well as Ron and Hermione talked to me.

Neville, being my brother and all, could see through my façade. I knew that well by the scrutinizing look he kept giving me. He didn't say anything at first, but he finally got up and plopped down beside me. "Why so nervous, Leo? You'll be fine."

Ron, Hermione, and Harry all shut up, staring at me as they waited for the same answer.

"What if I lose the game for all of us?" I squeaked, removing my smile. "All of Hogwarts will hate me."

"Not true; the Slytherins wouldn't." Ron said.

I narrowed my eyes at him and flicked a bit of oatmeal at his face. Hermione giggled.

"You're a great player, Leo." Harry said. "You're going to help win the game. Besides, the games really sort of on my shoulders, if you think about it. I have to catch the bloody Snitch before the game can end."

I let a creep of a real smile appear on my face. "Good point."

"Now, I'll give you the same advice you gave me last year; you have a bigger chance of that all happening if you eat."

That one took a solid laugh out of me, making Neville smile as well.

"Oi."

We turned and looked over at Fred and George, who stood behind us.

"We should start heading up." Fred told Harry and I.

"Yeah, before Wood has a tantrum." George added.

Harry and I nodded and stood, being followed by 'Go, Harrys', 'Go, Leos' and 'You can do its.'

I swear on grindylow's toe, Leonora Longbottom, you better keep your breakfast down while you're on that broom, I thought as I followed my friends out of the Great Hall.

*

*

*

"Slytherin has better brooms than us." Oliver lectured. "No point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers, and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team."

"A better word to use would be 'moron'." I mumbled under my breath as I put my hair up. George snickered beside me.

"It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to."

"So, so pressure." Fred told him with a wink.

When Oliver turned to me, I wanted to shrink.

"Leo, I know you're new, but you play like you've been on the team for years. Just play as you do in practice, forget about everything but us. Oh, but don't forget about the Slytherins, though."

Nice pep, Oliver.

"Think they're us." Fred said.

"Yeah, so you have no problem slamming into them." George said. "I can still feel your blow from last practice." He rubbed his side for good measure, making me laugh.

We all stood, grabbing our brooms and walking out onto the pitch. The mixture of the cheers from the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs and the boos of the Slytherins made my heart pound. Not of fear this time, though – of exhilaration.