The Quidditch Pitch - Oliver Wood Love Story

I'm Here

Weeks had passed and Serena’s condition hadn’t improved. Oliver came back every evening to visit her and talk to her. Serena didn’t know why he did this. Maybe he’d hoped that talking to her would somehow get through to her or that she’d wake up to the sound of his voice.

Serena would sit on the edge of her bed, next to her body, and listen as Oliver talked about his day. He was particularly excited about the Quidditch match coming up in a few days. Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff was a very important game for them.

Serena’s friends visited often, just not as often as Oliver. They’d sit beside her for a couple of minutes, leave some flowers on her bedside table, chat with each other, and then leave.

The Slytherin team had stopped showing up. Serena figured that Marcus had taken over her position and the team had forgotten all about her. Sometimes Serena would wander the castle and look out at the Quidditch pitch and watch her team as they practiced at dusk. One evening, she attempted to leave the castle, but she soon found out that the further she was away from her body, the weaker she got. She realized that she needed to be close.

Serena’s parents had shown up once. They talked with Madam Pomfrey, placed some flowers on her bedside table and then rushed back off to the Ministry. Deep down it hurt Serena when her parents were like that. She felt as if they didn’t even care for her. She could die, and they probably wouldn’t even notice.

Saturday morning rolled around, and Serena watched as a bunch of happy students made their way down to the Quidditch pitch. She wished that she could join them and wish Oliver luck, but she knew she couldn’t.

Serena’s thoughts were interrupted when Madam Pomfrey came bursting through the doors with Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall. There were two female students on stretchers and Serena recognized them both. It was Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater. They had both been petrified.

“Oh no,” whispered Serena as she rushed over to them. Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall laid them both down on a bed.

“The Headmaster will be here shortly,” said Professor McGonagall. “I’ll head down to the pitch. I’m afraid we’ll have to cancel the match.”

“What does this mean?” asked Madam Pomfrey.

“It means the monster is still walking about the school,” said McGonagall. “The Headmaster will announce further instructions. I’m afraid that unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught…it is likely the school will be closed.”

McGonagall left the hospital wing in a hurry. Serena wanted to follow her but knew she couldn’t leave the castle.

About twenty minutes later, McGonagall returned with Harry and Ron. Serena looked outside of the doors and saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team headed back to their common rooms with Oliver leading them. Serena sprinted over towards him.

“I have no idea what this is about,” he said to Fred and George. “But, they better reschedule.”

“It must be important,” said Fred. “They have never cancelled a match before.”

Serena followed them through the portrait hole, and for the first time she was inside of the Gryffindor common room. She wished that she could tell Oliver what was happening. She wanted to hug him and kiss him and tell him he doesn’t have to feel this way anymore. But, she couldn’t. She stood silently next to him and watched as Professor McGonagall entered the common room. Professor Snape hadn’t ever entered the Slytherin common room before, so this struck her as unusual.

“All students will return to their House common rooms by six o’clock in the evening,” said McGonagall as she read a scroll of parchment. Serena assumed it was orders of Dumbledore. “No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities.”