As the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, drew nearer, their D.A. meetings were put on hold because Angelina insisted on almost daily practices, and since more than a quarter of the D.A. was somehow involved in Quidditch, they couldn't concentrate on practising defensive spells.
The fact that the Quidditch Cup had not been held for so long added considerably to the interest and excitement surrounding the forthcoming game. Because Gryffindor had not lost one match to Slytherin over the last four years, Allison doubted that it would turn out different this time.
She was more so worried about Ron's well-being. In comparison to his other teammates, he had never endured a relentless campaign of insults, jeers, and intimidation before. When Slytherins, some of them seventh years and considerably larger than he was, muttered as they passed in the corridors, "Got your bed booked in the hospital wing, Weasley?" he did not laugh, but turned a delicate shade of green.
When Draco Malfoy imitated Ron dropping the Quaffle (which he did whenever they were within sight of each other), Ron's ears glowed red, and his hands shook so badly that he was likely to drop whatever he was holding at the time too. It happened more than once that Allison - obviously out of sight of Snape or Umbridge - sent a hex after the Slytherins, making their ink jars blow up in their face or letting them trip over their suddenly untied shoes.
October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bit at exposed hands and faces. The skies and the ceiling of the Great Hall turned a pale, pearly grey, the mountains around Hogwarts became snow-capped, and the temperature in the castle dropped so far that many students wore their thick protective dragon skin gloves in the corridors between lessons.
The morning of the match dawned bright and cold, and after Allison, Ginny, and Hermione had gotten ready - dressed in red-and-golden scarfs, gloves, and jumpers underneath their coats - they walked downstairs to the Great Hall, the conversations louder and the mood more exuberant than usual.
Whenever a Gryffindor student passed the Slytherin table there was an upsurge of noise; nearly everyone there was wearing, in addition to the usual green-and-silver scarves and hats, silver badges in the shape of what seemed to be crowns.
"You saw that?" asked Allison through gritted teeth. Hermione, whose eyes had scanned the Gryffindor table for Ron already, turned to her.
"What?"
"The crowns! 'Weasley Is Our King'!" said Allison, gesturing towards the Slytherins, and Hermione's eyes widened.
"Oh, I hope Ron hasn't seen them yet!" Hermione whispered anxiously as Ginny reached for her wand. "What are you doing?"
"Setting them on fire," Ginny said at once. "What was the spell for that? Ince-"
"No!" Allie slapped her hand down. "I mean, yeah, but at least wait until there is no teacher around!"
Hermione shook her head and proceeded to drag the two girls away from the crowd of silver and green and over to their table, where Ron sat beside Harry, looking as though he were facing his final meal. His palish green face unwillingly reminded Allison of that one time in second year where he had accidentally put a slug-vomiting charm on himself.
"How are you feeling?" Allie asked Ron as they sat down opposite them.
He was now staring into the dregs of milk at the bottom of his empty cereal bowl as though seriously considering attempting to drown himself in them.
"He's just nervous," Harry said.
"Well, that's a good sign, I never feel you perform as well in exams if you're not a bit nervous," said Hermione heartily.
YOU ARE READING
WE'LL TAKE ON THE WORLD ; h.j.p.
Fanfiction─ "i won't let go with you by my side, the calm, the storm we'll face it all." She had read about love all her life. Never had she imagined she would ever experience it herself, especially with dark forces rising to power and a war approaching fast...
