-Rivalry Forged in Unity-

Rivalry Forged in Unity-Chapter 8; Unexpected Allies

A few days later, I was walking to a grassy area outside the Quidditch pitch with Oliver Wood. I was helping him carry a trunk. I had on a black sweater, black leggings, and gray sneakers.

"Quidditch is easy enough to understand." Wood started. "Each team has seven players. Three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and a Seeker, that's you." He told me.

I nodded. We set the trunk down. He knelt down and opened it.

There were three balls in there, one bigger one in the middle, and the other two the same kind but different than the middle one.

"There are three kinds of balls." Wood spoke, tossing the red, larger ball to me as I caught it. "This one's called the Quaffle." He informed me. "The Chasers try to get the Quaffle, and put it through one of those three hoops." He said, pointing to the three large hoops in the pitch.

"The Keeper, that's me, defends the hoops." He told me. "With me so far?"

I nodded. "I think so." I said. "What're those?" I gestured to the other two balls, moving a lot in the trunk. Both were held down by a chain.

"You better take this." Wood said, handing me a bat. He opened the chain and the ball flew into the air.

"Careful, now, it's coming back." He warned me. When it came back, I whacked it with the bat. It flew right between the swords of a statue.

"Not bad, Lancaster. You'd make a fair beater." He told me.

I smiled softly. The ball came back and Wood caught it, struggling to get it back to the trunk. He got it back though and locked it in tight.

"What was that?" I asked, amazed.

"Bludger. Nasty little buggers." Wood said. "But you are a Seeker." He said. Wood opened the Hogwarts badge thing in the trunk, pulling a small golden ball out of it. "The only thing I want you to worry about is this. The Golden Snitch." He said, handing it to me.

"I like this ball." I said, admiring it.

"Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see, my friend." Wood told me.

"What do I do with it?" I asked.

"You catch it, before the other team's Seeker." Wood told me. "You catch this, the game's over." He said. "You catch this, Lancaster, and we win." He smiled.

"Woah..." I muttered as it flew from my hands.

Soon, it was the day of Halloween. October 31st. It was my favorite day probably — aside from my birthday, of course.

I was in Charms class.

"One of the wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation," Professor Flitwick began. "or, the ability to make objects fly." He said. "Do you have your feathers? Good." He said.

"Don't forget the wrist movement we've been practicing. The swish and flick. Everyone." He instructed.

We practiced waving our wands. "Swish and flick." We all said.

"Good. Oh, and enunciate." Flitwick spoke. "Wingardium Leviosa. Off you go then."

Everyone began trying to do the spell. I was still struggling a little. Malfoy snickered from across the room, watching me.

Hermione was the first to make the feather float. Then, more people got it. Seamus blew himself up, again. But, I was still the one person unable to get it for some reason.

After class, Malfoy was walking with his friends.

"She's so dumb, I swear." He snickered. "It's such a simple spell! She can't make a feather levitate, really?" Malfoy sneered. "No wonder she's hardly got any friends." He smirked.