The Chaser's Heart

Year 3: Hufflepuff

Three weeks later, Rowan still hadn't deciphered Jacob's code, but assured me that she was close. If it were a year ago, I might have been going mad from the waiting, but this year, I had training and Quidditch practise to keep up with on top of my homework.

Ravenclaw's first match of the season had arrived. I was nervous getting dressed that morning and was glad that Skye had told me to come to breakfast already dressed in my Quidditch robes. I didn't want to have to worry about what to wear on top of the looming match.

The whole team had a spot cleared near the top of the Ravenclaw table, so I had to walk the length of the entire Great Hall to get to them for breakfast. Many Ravenclaws offered me good luck and some even patted me on the back or else shook my hand as I walked by. The Hufflepuffs, whose table was beside ours, booed and hissed. I'd consciously chosen to walk on the Slytherin side of the table solely for this purpose.

As Skye had said, the whole team was already dressed in their royal blue robes. I was the last to arrive. McNully was there as well, seated next to Orion and the pair appeared to be in a deep discussion.

'Morning, Knight,' Skye greeted me and patted the spot beside her on the bench. 'Saved you a seat.'

'Great, thanks, Parkin,' I told her and gratefully sat down.

'You're lucky McNully's already distracted, or you'd be getting the breakfast lecture,' she said quietly and then chuckled to herself.

'What's the breakfast lecture?' I asked her curiously, sneaking a glance over at where McNully and Orion were talking.

'We could probably all recite it by heart,' she grimaced. 'But the point is that what you eat for breakfast is an important factor in the outcome of the match. So make sure you get lots of protein, no bread, and limited fruit. And no coffee or tea.'

'Right...' I said slowly and reached tentatively for a platter of fried eggs.

'There you go,' Skye nodded. 'See? You don't need the lecture.'

I managed a shaky smile and helped myself to eggs and some sausages as well as a glass or orange juice.

'Good luck today, Nora,' Charlie Weasley had wandered over from the Gryffindor table.

Gryffindor had suffered a near devastating loss to Slytherin just two weeks before. Charlie had caught the Snitch, but Slytherin had been up by too many points for Gryffindor to win.

'Er... thanks, Charlie,' I said around my mouthful of egg.

'Nervous?' He asked. I swallowed thickly.

'A little,' I admitted.

'You'll be fine once you get in the air,' he said. 'You're like me, a natural.'

I scoffed.

'Thanks.'

'Ah, I see you've had a good breakfast, Nora?'

I turned back to wards the table at the sound of McNully's voice. He seemed to have finished his conversation with Orion. Or else taken a break from it.

'Er... yeah,' I told him, shooting Skye a quick look. She was smirking, but didn't make eye contact.

'Brilliant,' he nodded. 'Well, I'm off to assess the weather conditions.'

At that, he swung himself into his wheelchair and headed up the Great Hall. He, however, was brave enough to do so on the Hufflepuff side of the table.

'I don't believe it,' Skye said beside me.

'What?' I asked her.

'That he spared you the breakfast lecture,' she said, looking back up the Great Hall at his retreating figure. 'The morning of your first ever house match!'