Grindelwald's Burden (Books 1-7)

6. Qudditch

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots.

Y/n had told Harry, Ron and Hermione what Dumbledore had wanted him for and both boys were impressed. Hermione however had become slightly jealous that Y/n was being taught advanced magic and she wasn't being given the chance despite her grades in charms. Her attitude improved however when Y/n promised to try and teach her whatever Flitwick would teach him.

The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.

Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse people telling him he'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him holding a mattress.

It was really lucky that Harry now had Hermione as a friend. He didn't know how he'd have gotten through all his homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent him Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.

Harry learned that there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473, that Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; that although people rarely died playing Quidditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.

Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Y/n, Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the four of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard.

Harry noticed at once that Snape was limping. Harry, Ron, Y/n and Hermione moved closer together to block the fire from view, they were sure it wouldn't be allowed. Unfortunately, something about their guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over. He hadn't seen the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?" Snape asked him.

"It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Harry showed him.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school." said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

"He's just made that rule up." Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away with the book.

"No it is a real rule I imagine, but I do not think taking points was necessary." Y/n told him. "Though I wonder what is wrong with his leg did you see him limping?" He asked the others.

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.

The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, Y/n and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy telling them "How will you learn?", but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway. Y/n never needed Hermione's help with homework but the two were now often comparing their work together and giving each other feedback.