The Chaser's Heart

Year 5: Hufflepuff

A couple of days later was the match against Hufflepuff. It was both houses' first match of the year, and after Gryffindor's devastating loss against Slytherin just two weeks prior, the school was hungry for another upset and we were eager to prove that we were a worthy team to be defending the Quidditch Cup.

The morning was overcast and seemed undecided on whether it wanted to rain or not. It was chilly in any case. I dressed in my warm Quidditch gear and then headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Orion had always insisted that the entire team sit together for breakfast the morning before a match and that day was no different. I met Skye in the common room and we walked down together, discussing the new Hufflepuff players and how Alexander Green would do during his first match as team Captain. They had a new Beater, Chaser and Seeker. Ravenclaw were at an advantage having the same Chasers as the year before where Hufflepuff only had a few weeks to train together before their first match. Their new Seeker, a Cedric Diggory, was also only in his second year, which could only mean one of two things: he was just that good, or Green had had no other option. According to Skye, they were struggling a bit. How she knew this, I didn't know and didn't know if I cared to. It may not even be true. I knew better than to get lulled into a false sense of security.

Orion, Siobhan, Paul and Everett were already seated near the middle of the Ravenclaw table. There were excited cheers from the other Ravenclaws and boos and hisses from the Hufflepuffs the moment Skye and I entered the Great Hall, already dressed in our royal blue Quidditch robes, as there usually was on the morning of a match. The atmosphere was charged like lightning, Quidditch was fairly popular at Hogwarts and the rivalries ran deep. House Team members were practically celebrities among the other members of their houses and even in the other houses if they were particularly good, and not about to play against their own house.

Skye was definitely good. I spotted some Gryffindors and even a couple of Slytherins cheering when we walked in. I kept my head down. I hated drawing attention to myself. I'd thought that joining the Quidditch team would offer me some anonymity, or a shot a reputation other than trouble-maker or curse-breaker if anything, especially as a Chaser. I hadn't forgotten about the Vaults since joining the Quidditch Team, but they were slowly becoming less important than they used to be. Especially now that McNully and I were officially dating, as he put it. I had to remind myself that the Vaults were still important. They just didn't consume me like they did in my first- and second-years. And they were only important until I'd got to the bottom of what happened to Jacob.

Maybe that's what happened to Jacob. He let the Vaults consume him, take him over until all he lived and breathed for was breaking into them.

I gave my head a little shake. I could dwell on Jacob later. I just wanted to try to be normal and pretend like the match this morning was the most pressing matter in my life. And in a way, it was.

Skye sat down next to Siobhan and I sat next to her, across from the boys.

'It's a bit cloudy today,' Orion remarked, looking up at the ceiling. 'Visibility will be good.'

'So long as it doesn't start snowing,' Siobhan grimaced.

'What's wrong, Coughlan?' Paul taunted her. 'Is it hard to see the Quaffle in a little bit of snow?'

'I hope you freeze to your broomstick,' Siobhan frowned at him. He only laughed and helped himself to more sausage. The boys may try to conceal it, but Siobhan was easily the best-looking female member of the Ravenclaw team. Plus she was funny and nice, it wasn't exactly a secret that Paul and Everett both fancied her.

'Good morning,' came McNully's familiar voice.

I turned around in time to catch him swinging himself from his wheelchair into the spot next to me on the bench.