The Boy Who Fought: OC X Hermione

Quidditch Tryouts

"All right! Queue up!" Carson yelled, trying to calm the crowd of hopeful students trying out for the team.

"SHUT IT!" Ginny yells, causing the commotion to end.

"Thank you Ginny. Alright. This morning I'll be putting you all through a few drills to assess your strengths. But know this, Just because you made the team last year does not guarantee you a spot this year. Is that clear?" Carson instructed, as Ron nodded, looking nervous.

"No hard feelings, Weasley, alright?" Cormac asked, Ron becoming more nervous.

"Hard feelings?"

"I'll be going out for Keeper as well. Nothing personal."

"Really? Strapping guy like you, you've got a Beater's build, don't you think? Keeper needs to be agile, quick.." Ron tried to tell, as Cormac caught a fly buzzing around.

"I like my chances. Say... think you could introduce me to your friend Granger? Wouldn't mind getting on a first name basis, know what I mean?"

"Nope. Not a chance. She has a boyfriend. Don't even try." Ron commanded, in his best stern voice. Cormac just laughed and walked off.

"Carson. I need to tell you something!"

"What is it Ron?"

"McLaggen. He's going to try something with Hermione. He asked me to introduce him to her, so he could try to date her! I told him no way and she had a boyfriend, but he just laughed and walked off!"

"Thanks Ron. I'll tell Hermione about it later."

As the quidditch tryouts commenced, two second years slammed into each other, Ginny flew swiftly with ease, Ron made a shaky save, Cormac made a brilliant save, and Katie bell caught the quaffle perfectly. Seamus sent a Bludger rocketing into the stands, scattering a group of onlookers, leaving only Neville, who sidled delicately to the right as the others legged it. Ron turned the wrong way on his broom, but still made the save. Hermione looked nervous for him, but Lavender was there to cheer him on.

"All right. Cormac. Ron. It's down to you two for Keeper. We'll decide it with a shootout. Demelza, you'll bring the Quaffle up against Cormac. Ginny, you'll take on Ron." Carson instructed, Cormac interrupting.

"Hang on. She's his sister. How do I know she won't toss him a floater?"

"Piss off, Cormac. How 'bout I toss you a floater?"

"Quiet! I'm Captain. We do it my way. Now line up. On three. One. Two... Three!"

Demelza and Ginny rocket forth. Ron weaves nervously while Cormac hovers in place, a confident sneer on his face.

"C'mon Ron..." Carson and Harry whispered, they really didn't want Cormac on the team.

Demelza hunkers over her broom once again, flying like an arrow, then goes into a wide, sweeping slide. Ginny blasts over the pitch, ginger hair streaming like flames, then rolls recklessly to the side. As one, they both let fly...

Cormac, at the last moment, inexplicably rolls his broom to the right and the Quaffle sails over his shoulder. Ron, zig-zagging crazily, nearly falls off, right himself in a panic, and deflects Ginny's Quaffle... with his forehead. As a few partisan cheers erupt from the stands, Harry grins, then has to restrain himself. Hermione opens her eyes slowly.

"Isn't he brilliant?!" Lavender yelled, as Ron smiled at her.

The tryouts ended, Ron keeping his spot on the team as the keeper. The four were sitting in the common room when Ron brought up the tryouts again.

"Have to admit, thought I was going to miss that last one. Hope Cormac's not taking it too hard." Ron told his friends, Hermione rolling her eyes at the mention of Cormac.

"Has a bit of a thing for you, Hermione. Cormac."

"He's vile. I already have a boyfriend." Hermione dismissed, Carson grinning at her words before her lips met his.

"Ever heard of this spell?" Harry asked, ruining the moment and the couple disconnected their lips before turning to his book.

The spell written inside the book was labeled 'sectumsempra - for enemies'

"No I have not. And if you had a shred of self-respect you would turn that book in." Hermione chided, Ron shaking his head in disagreement.

"Not bloody likely. He's top of the class. Even better than you, Hermione. Slughorn thinks he's a genius." Ron commented.

"Still. It could be dangerous. Harry you need to get rid of it. We don't know who it belonged to!" Carson chimed in.

"I'd like to know just whose book that was. Let's take a look, shall we?" Hermione asked rhetorically, attempting to grab the book from Harry.

"No." Harry answered, holding the book away from her.

"Why not?" Hermione pondered, becoming suspicious he knew something she did not.

"It's... old. The binding is fragile." Harry responded.

"Harry let her see the book, she's not going to destroy it." Carson reasoned, Harry still shaking his head. Luckily Ginny plucked the book from his hands.

"Who's the Half-Blood Prince?"

"The who?" Hermione and Carson ask at the same time.

"That's what it says. Right here. 'This Book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince.'" Ginny told them, Hermione and Carson looking at the book oddly.