𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝; 𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡.𝐩

𝓨𝓮𝓪𝓻 1, 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 9: 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓭𝓭𝓲𝓽𝓬𝓱

~  chapter nine: quidditch ~

As we 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.

The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Y/N and I would be playing in our first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, we would move up into second place in the House Championship.

Hardly anyone had seen us play because Wood had decided that, as the secret weapons, we should be kept, well, secret. But the news that I was playing Seeker and Y/N Chaser had leaked out somehow, and I didn't know which was worse - people telling us we'd be brilliant or people telling us they'd be running around underneath us holding a mattress. I felt like punching them in the face when they said that they'd be running around underneath Y/N holding a mattress, but all I could do, because I didn't want to get in trouble at the moment, was grit my teeth and clench my fists.

On a more positive note, it was really lucky that we now had Hermione as a friend. I didn't know how I'd have gotten through all my homework without her, what with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making us do. She had also lent us Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.

We 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 (and occasionally Chasers) were usually the smallest and fastest players, and that most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them (I'd be lying if I said that didn't worry me a tiny bit); 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 Ron, Y/N and I had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. The day before our first Quidditch match the four of us were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured us up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. We were standing with our backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. I noticed at once that Snape was limping, and I nudged Y/N's arm and nodded to his leg to see if she also noticed. She nodded, signifying she had also noticed.

Ron, Hermione, Y/N and I moved closer together to block the fire from view; we 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 us off anyway.

"What's that you've got, Potter?"

It was Quidditch Through the Ages. I 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, and besides, technically we're not outside the school," Y/N muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"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 their Charms homework for them. She would never let them copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers anyway.