Stellar | ENG

chapter 22

<Oliver's pov>

It was the day of the game against the Hufflepuffs and I was as nervous as ever, even though the team and I had been practicing like crazy, and Hufflepuffs don't play as dirty as Slytherins, I was still ANXIETY!

I got to the locker room first, I was early as always, and checked the strategy board one last time.
Meanwhile, the team was starting to arrive.

It was 10 minutes before the match was due to start, which meant it was time for my historic pre-match speech, everyone had arrived except.... Rose.

How was that possible?

She was always among the first to arrive, 30 minutes early at the very least.

"Have you seen Rose?" I approached the twins.
"Last time at lunch" they replied at the same time, and I went over to the girls "Do you know where Rose is?" when they too shook their heads I started to get a little panicky.
What if something had happened?

"Harry, have you seen Rose?" I went over to the last player, hoping he knew where the girl was.
"No, she's not-" but he quickly cut him off.
"No, she's not warming up yet, that's why I'm worried about."
"Wood we have to go" shouted one of the chaser.
Panic.

"Bell you have to play!" and I started to walk towards the exit, but the twins stopped me, holding me by the shoulders, and turned me around.
I came instantly as if awakened.
"Right, right," I remembered I had to make my usual speech, took a deep breath and said two words to cut it short.
I wasn't worried just because I didn't have the best chaser on the team, but because she was also my best friend, and skipping a game like that from the null was unusual for her, she didn't even skip practice, she was almost as fixated as I was.

"Come on!" I said more to encourage myself than the team.

I had barely stepped outside when I saw Professor McGonnagal coming towards me.
"Professor McGonagall," I said surprised.
"This match has been cancelled," she said sternly and tensely.
"You can't cancel quidditch" I said in a firm tone, but extremely confused.
Cancel quidditch? NEVER.
Quidditch is sacred. ~rather kill me~ I immediately thought.

"Silence Wood" ~what? I won't shut up you don't cancel quidditch let's not joke please~ but nothing came out of my mouth, just an open-mouthed expression, I was too shocked.

"Come with me. There's something you should see," and so saying she motioned us to follow her.

We all followed her in silence. Through the corridors students were returning to their common rooms.
We arrived at the infirmary and before they opened the door I was extremely doubtful and worried... What if?

We continued to quickly follow McGonagall until we came to a specific bed.
My arms fell off.

I saw her there, motionless, in her Quidditch uniform and her eyes full of fear. Rose.
"We found her just now on the second floor. She was probably on her way down to the pitch."
No one said anything, we were all too upset.

Fred with his mouth clamped shut, hardly seeming to be able to process.
George looking distraught, like his dog had just died.
Angelina looked like she'd just been beaten up.
Katie with her eyes wide open, looking like she'd just seen a ghost.
Harry with glazed eyes trying to hold back tears.
And me with my mouth wide open, making no sound, no longer seeing how long the tears had been building up in my eyes, ready to spill at any moment.

"Don't worry, the Mandrakes will be ready soon. Now excuse me, but I have to take you back to the tower."
Immediately I embraced Rose's petrified body, it was as cold as a corpse's, without a pulse.
~She'll be fine, she'll be fine in a while~ I kept telling myself ~she's not dead! isn't she? ~

"Wood, we have to go" McGrannit repeated.
As soon as I looked into her eyes I saw the pain in her words.

I quickly wiped away the tears, which by now had slowly, rubbing my wrist under my eyes.

I looked at my teammates and saw tears also on Fred, George and Harry's cheeks, the girls' cheeks were red, they had probably rubbed the tears furiously away.

We all silently walked out of the infirmary when I saw Pucey and Rivera enter.