Hyacinth Potter Reading the Books

|♡|Quidditch|♡|

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QUIDDITCH

The Quidditch fans (aka: Sirius, James, Fred, George) were busy squealing like little girls.

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 beaver skin boots. The Quidditch season had begun.

On Saturday, Hyacinth would be playing in her 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 Hyacinth play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Hyacinth should be kept, well, secret. But the news that she was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Hyacinth didn't know which was worse - people telling her she'd be brilliant or people telling her they'd be running around underneath her holding a mattress.

It was really lucky that Hyacinth now had Hermione as a friend. She didn't know how she'd managed to have time to do her homework without her with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Wood was making them do. She had also lent her Quidditch through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read, even though she didn't like using the broom.

Hyacinth 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; Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and the most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them; 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 Hyacinth and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it.

The day before Hyacinth's first Quidditch match the three 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. Hyacinth noticed at once that Snape was limping. Hyacinth, 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, Potter?"

It was Quidditch Through the Ages. Hyacinth 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,"

"That was never a rule." Lily said while frowning.

Hyacinth 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.

Hyacinth then hit his head.

"Why!" Ron whined.

"I only did that because you were mean, and yes, Professor Snape isn't the best teacher, but you shouldn't be mean to them." Hyacinth lectured Ron.

"Well done, he deserved it!" Lily said approvingly towards Hyacinth.

The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Hyacinth, Ron, and Hermione sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Ron's Charms homework for him, while Hyacinth was busy checking hers to see if she left anything out or if it was perfect. She would never let Ron copy ("How will you learn?"), but by asking her to read it through, Ron got the right answers anyway. Hyacinth felt restless. She wanted to do something to take her mind off her nerves about tomorrow as she was worried about how she would manage without throwing up. Why should she be afraid of Snape? Getting up, she told Ron and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.