(1) Lux Brumalis (R. Weasley)

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Slytherin changing room is a buzz of activity as the team puts on the last of their kit, always saving the pads and anything else till now. Pixie is already fully ready to go, poking her head out of the closed tent flaps, staring up at the crowd. The entire school has turned out. Mostly to see Harry Potter play his first game but it still makes Pixie nervous. Mostly because it is about to reveal to her friends that she kept this a secret from them. She clutches to her broom, holding it against her chest. Flint whistles for silence in the changing rooms and Pixie pries herself away to join the rest of the team.

"Okay," Flint starts and looks between all of them. "Men"

"And women," Pixie argues, Flint looks at her.

"And women" He agrees. "You know what to do...Win or else" He then walks away to the blackboard with the game's plays on. Pixie blinks and looks at Adrian at her side.

"That's it?" Pixie asks him, he snorts and nods.

"What were you expecting?" He counters with a sly smirk. "Shakespeare?" She looks at him surprised but he just shrugs back. "I'm dating a half-blood" He points out. "She likes the Bard"

"Oh," She whispers and takes a deep breath.

"You good to go, Stark?" Flint asks, she nods and turns to look at him.

"Yeah" She assures him. He hums a little, glancing over her.

"Still too small" He argues.

"I'm eleven" She counters and shakes her head. "You know we get bigger right?" Terrance snorts behind her.

"Oh, come on, Flint, give her a break...you've watched her train, you know she's good for this" Flint grumbles under his breath as he moves to the tent flaps. Terrance pats Pixie's shoulder as he passes her. Flint grunts something at the team about taking up their places behind him. Adrian whistles for Pixie to join him just as Flint pushes through the tent flaps followed by the rest of the team, Pixie and Adrian right behind him as his fellow chasers. Crick Shabes and Karl Branstone behind them as their beaters, followed by Terrance and then Miles, their keeper.

......

The Slytherin team walk onto the pitch to loud cheers from the Slytherin side of the stands. The Gryffindors then erupt as their team leave their own changing room across the pitch. The two teams of seven cross towards the centre where Madam Hooch is waiting on them, her broom in her hand. The teams gather around her, Gryffindors on one side. Slytherins on the other. Pixie's fingers clutch to her broom when she senses eyes on her before she looks up. Catching the gaze of Harry who is straight out staring at her. She waves her fingers at him and he appears surprised when she basically confirms that this is actually her standing on the pitch with the Slytherin team. She can hear the victorious snarl that comes from Flint close by, clearly watching for Harry's response, but the Weasley twins appear surprised too. Unlike Harry's place on the Gryffindor team, Pixie's place was actually managed to keep a secret.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," Hooch warns the two teams, but seemed to be lingering more to Flint. "Mount your brooms, please." Pixie mounts her broom and waits for the signal. Terrance and Adrian had talked her through how it works here, slightly different from the professionals because they are all a bunch of children playing after all. Hooch blows on her whistle and suddenly all fifteen brooms take to the sky. And the game suddenly takes off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by....is this right?" Lee Jordon commentates on the game but pauses when he reads the name on the team sheets in front of him. "Pixie Stark of Slytherin" He reads, but he sounds doubtful about that. He looks at McGonagall at his side who nods. "Apparently Slytherin has a new chaser in the form of a first-year, making Stark the youngest chaser in Hogwarts history.....oh and she loses the Quaffle to Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor....what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too..."

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor." Lee offers. "And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve, back to Johnson and.....no, Slytherin have taken the Quaffle back, Slytherin captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes, Flint flying like an eagle up there....he's going to sc....no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and Gryffindor take the Quaffle, that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and...OUCH – that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger...Quaffle taken by Slytherin...Stark speeding off towards the goalposts, but she's blocked by a second Bludger...sent her way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which....nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead...Stark comes out of nowhere to take the Quaffle back....and off she goes....she's really flying....dodges a speeding Bludger....the goalposts are dead ahead....she shoots.......Keeper Wood dives....misses....Slytherin Score" The Slytherin stand erupts into applause and cheers and Pixie leans forward on her broom with a small smile. This is a lot more exciting than she thought it was going to be. Adrian flies to a stop next to Pixie and nods at her before raising his hand, asking for a high five, she rolls her eyes a little but does give him it. Gloves slapping together.

..............

On the Gryffindor stands, Hermione and Ron stand with Neville and the rest of their year, a banner for Harry hanging over the edge of the stand to show their support. Neither of them thought anything of Pixie not being with them, just assuming that she'd have joined the Slytherins to show house solidarity. Obviously, they were wrong.

"Budge up there, move along" Ron and Hermione turn as they hear a familiar booming voice behind them. Hagrid makes his way through the crowds.

"Hagrid" They both greet and then squeeze up to make space for him at their side.

"Bin watchin' from me hut," Hagrid admits as he pats the large binoculars hanging around his neck. "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"

"Nope," Ron answers. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet....unlike Pixie" He grumbles, he and Hermione were both as surprised as Harry to find Pixie on the field but Ron seems more annoyed somehow.

"She's fast that'un" Hagrid offers.

"Yeah, and sneaky" Ron counters, folding his arms over his chest. Hagrid frowns at him and then looks at Hermione.

"We didn't know Pixie was on the team" She offers. "She didn't tell us" Hagrid nods, understanding now why Ron seems to be in a mood about it. Hagrid then lifts his binoculars and peers up at the sky to find Harry, a speck against the sky.