𝕿𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗 - ʳᵉᵍᵘˡᵘˢ ᵇˡᵃᶜᵏ

Chapter 7: World War Girls Dorm

[ October 8th, 1977 ]

THE QUIDDITCH match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff—and the second match of the year—was the biggest train wreck Theona had ever laid her eyes on. Emmeline Vance had reached an all time low. While her dreadful attempt at commentary had been bad to begin with, this time around it had managed to do more than cause confusion amongst the crowd; it had created chaos amongst the players.

When Emmeline said Dirk Cresswell was diving for the snitch, he was really keeping the hoops, and when she said Bertha Jorkins hit a bludger, she was really scoring a goal. The captains could hardly keep track of their own players, as their ears and eyes betrayed each other.

The game ended at a disappointing 150-0 after the Ravenclaw seeker, Gilderoy Lockhart, finally caught the snitch with a smug smirk. The Ravenclaws didn't even have it in themselves to celebrate, as they were still trying to decipher exactly what had occurred.

As a result, Emmeline had been fired from her position of commentator, and Minerva McGonagall was on the lookout for a replacement.

Theona had noticed the not-so-subtle glances the professor shot her across the Great Hall, however, she had managed to avoid being cornered by the woman up until that point. Mercilessly, it seemed her luck had run out.

"Oi, Minnie's looking for you!" James announced, approaching the shadowy patch of grass on which the girls had found themselves that Saturday afternoon.

"You never saw me," Theona murmured, propping herself up on her elbow with one arm and shielding her eyes from the sun with the other. It was a relatively warm day, considering it was the beginning of October. "Tell her you couldn't find me or something."

"What'd McGonagall do to you?" Marlene snickered.

"She's been staring me down during meals. I think she wants me to replace Vance," Theona explained with irritation.

"What's so bad about that?" James queried, settling down next to Lily on the grass. The redhead tried her best to hide her blush, but anyone with half a brain (not James) had noticed.

"Watching your games is depressing enough. I don't want to watch the entire season knowing I should be playing," Theona frowned and glared down at her traitorous hands.

"We get it, you were a god on a broom. Doesn't mean you can't do something quidditch related," Mary chided, pulling her yellow sunglasses down the bridge of her nose.

"I'm the bitter shell of the woman I once was," Theona sighed dramatically, woefully resting the back of her hand on her forehead. "Others' joy only brings me misery and all that jazz."

"Bitter women don't use the phrase 'all that jazz'," Dorcas teased, as her fingers meticulously weaved the flower crown she was making for Marlene.

"I'm the bitter one here, I think I'd know," Theona poked her tongue out, childishly.

James stretched his leg out to kick her in the side, ignoring her pained gasp and instead reminding, "dodging a professor's summoning can land you in detention, y'know? And the Head Boy and Head Girl are here to witness your crimes."

"Nark," Theona groaned, but still, she stood and stretched, brushing off the grass clippings that had stuck to the back of her thighs. She didn't bother asking what a Head Boy or Girl was. "I hope you know, James Potter, I will get you back for this."