The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. The third years had never had so much homework during their time at Hogwarts, especially not over break. Josephine had never been so stressed between classes and homework, daily Quidditch practices, and dementor lessons with Snape, which doubled as a sort of awkward bonding time. Sometimes, he even helped her with Arithmancy.
Neville seemed close to a nervous collapse, and he wasn't the only one.
"Call this a holiday!" said Seamus. "The exams are ages away; what're they playing at?"
Nobody had as much to do as Hermione. Even without Divination, she was taking more subjects than anybody else. She was usually the last to leave the common room at night and the first to arrive at the library in the morning. She seemed constantly close to tears and refused to do anything other than homework.
Josephine and Ron had taken over responsibility for Buckbeaks's appeal. When they weren't doing their own work, they were pouring over thick volumes discussing the morality of hippogriffs.
She couldn't tell if Quidditch or schoolwork was stressing her out more. Wood was constantly drilling her about scoring more goals since Slytherin was leading the tournament by exactly two hundred points. While Angelina and Katie were both good Chasers, they didn't score nearly as much as she did, so they were saved from Wood's lecturing.
"Harry can only catch the Snitch when we are more than fifty points up," he told her constantly. "Which means you must score at least ten goals or more, preferably much more, Josephine!"
She was already jittery. "Wood, the more you talk to me about it, the more you stress me out," she snapped.
The whole of Gryffindor House was obsessed with the coming match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley had been Seeker. Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere. By the time the holidays were over, the tension between Slytherin and Hufflepuff was at a Breaking Point. A number of small scuffles broke out in corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears.
Never had a match caused such a highly charged atmosphere. By the time the holidays were over, the tension between the two teams and their Houses was at a breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident where a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears.
Josephine couldn't walk to class without Slytherins sticking out their legs and trying to trip her up or students trying to hex and jinx her. Crabbe and Goyle kept popping up wherever she went and looking disappointed whenever people surrounded her.
Every night, she'd leave her Firebolt locked securely in their dormitory and check on it throughout the day, afraid it'd go missing.
The night before the match, the common room was full but not nearly as loud as it typically was.
Josephine slept poorly the night before the match, tossing and turning, waking every hour. Even Hermione put down her books, overwhelmed with anticipation.
No one wanted to attend a Hogwarts where Slytherin won the Cup. They'd be insufferable for years, maybe even decades.
"I can't work; I can't concentrate," she said nervously, slouching into the chair.
"Your nerves are making me more nervous," muttered Josephine.
"Joe, you'll do great tomorrow," Ron assured confidently. "As long as Fred and George do their jobs." He sent them a pointed look.
YOU ARE READING
No Goodbyes \ Ron Weasley
Fanfiction"You said it was unimportant, Joe! This is monumentally important!" "A foe like she'd never known." "Friendship was going to be the only way to get through this." "He looked at her, actually looked at her, and wondered how anyone who saw her didn't...
