𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐀 → hermione granger

10: quiddich

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.

  The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Raven and Harry would be playing in their 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 Raven or Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Raven and Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that Harry was playing Seeker and Raven was the new Chaser, had leaked out somehow, and the twins didn't know which was worse—people telling them both they'd be brilliant or people telling him they'd be running around underneath them holding mattresses.

  It was really lucky that Raven and 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 Harry, Apollo and Ron had saved her and Raven from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. The day before Raven and Harry's first Quidditch match the five 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. Raven noticed at once that Snape was limping. Raven, Harry, Apollo, Ron, 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, Potters?"

  It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Raven 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. "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. Raven, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Apollo had joined them. Hermione was checking Raven, Harry and Ron's 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.

  Raven felt restless. She wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back to read with Harry and to take her mind off the nerves about tomorrow. Why should she be afraid of Snape? Getting up, she told Ron, Apollo, and Hermione she was going to ask Snape if she could have it and pulled Harry along with her.

  "Better you than me," they said together, but Raven had an idea that Snape wouldn't refuse if there were other teachers listening.

  They made their way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. Raven knocked again. Nothing.