✓ | Constellations; Fred Weasley [Book One]

Chapter 7

Quidditch

The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he got inside were getting wilder and wilder. Even Venus had a few theories of her own, such as a certain werewolf letting him inside, but she did not dare tell anybody. The girl knew she was being closely watched as well. The teachers and even Hope hardly tried to hide it as they always found excuses to walk along corridors with her. She tried not to complain since she knew Harry had it worse than her, with the teachers and Percy constantly fussing over him. While Venus knew it was probably for her safety, she could not help but feel more anxious.

To top it all, even Minnie called her to her office, trying to convince the young girl not to break school rules since it may put her in more danger. Venus only told her that she would try. She only wished for someone to explain to her why Black was after her too. 

The Gryffindor match was coming up and the twins got more busy in Quidditch practice, which meant Venus was left more often on her own since Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, did not allow her to watch the team practice. She was a Ravenclaw after all. During the time she had to herself, she made more theories about why Black would be after her, the most probable one being about the possibility that her parents fought in the First Wizarding War. Of course, she was told that her mother died giving birth to her and her father, in an accident, but she did not trust her aunt at all. She could not trust the woman who refused to even tell her, her mother's full name. For the first time in her life, Venus felt like she barely knew anything at all. She pushed herself to think harder, maybe there was a hint somewhere that she may have missed. Suddenly all of the adults in her life seemed suspicious. They were all hiding something from her, and Venus could not trust anyone.

The day of the match finally came and as always, Venus was going to support the twins who were Beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The weather outside was absolutely stormy but everyone knew that Quidditch matches are not cancelled for things as trivial as thunderstorms. The whole team seemed quite nervous as they made their way to the stadium. Venus wrapped Fred's Gryffindor scarf, that he lent her a year ago and which she still has not returned, tighter around her neck before going over to the Weasley twins.

"Goodluck, you two."

"Thanks Vee," they said simultaneously.

"Is that my scarf?" Fred asked. 

"Of course it is. Who else's would it be? I'm just showing my support," the girl told him as she fiddled with the ends of the scarf.

"Hey Vee!" It was Cedric Diggory, Seeker for the Hufflepuff team, who called her. A few feet away from the trio, was Cedric with his team, waving at the said girl. Venus sent two thumbs up to the twins before making her way to her Hufflepuff friend.

"Hi Ced," Venus greeted him.

"You're rooting for the Gryffindors then?"

"Ced, I always support the Gryffindors, well unless Ravenclaw is playing, but goodluck."

"Thanks Vee," Cedric smiled at her.

Quidditch was never Venus' thing. She only went to the matches because she felt like it was her duty to support her friends or her house. Currently, she was sitting down, alongside Grace who quickly used the Impervius charm to keep them both dry as it was raining heavily. More than the twins, she was especially worried for Harry. The boy seemed a bit lost as he was staring at the top, empty row of seats in the stands. Venus suddenly stood up and tried to get a look at what he saw. There was an enormous shaggy black dog sitting motionlessly. Venus blinked and just like that, it was gone.

While Venus was wondering what was a huge black dog doing on school grounds, Harry was suddenly falling from the skies. She felt nauseous as she realised that the boy was plummeting down to his potential death. The last time Venus was so scared for him was when he went down to the Chamber of Secrets and nearly got himself killed. Her feet felt as if they were glued in place, but her brain worked quickly. Wand at the ready, she muttered the slowing charm to slow his momentum as Harry was falling, breathing a sigh of relief once he was safely on the ground. She hurried down the wooden stairs to the fallen boy who was being taken care of by Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey. That was how Venus found herself in the Hospital Wing, gripping Fred's hand so tight that he though it might fall off while waiting for Harry to wake up. The Gryffindor team, who were spattered in mud and Ron and Hermione were there too.

"Harry! How're you feeling?" It was Fred who first noticed that the boy had woken up.

"What happened?" Harry sat up so suddenly they all gasped.

"You fell off," Fred told him, "must've been, what, fifty feet?"

"We thought you'd died." It was Alicia, one of the Gryffindor Chasers who had spoken up.

"But the match... What happened? Are we getting a replay?" When no one replied, Harry let the horrible truth sink in.

"We didn't lose?"

"Diggory got the Snitch," George said,"just after you fell. He didn't realise what happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a re-match. But they won fair and square. Even Wood admits it."

"Where is Wood?" Harry asked.

"Still in the showers," Fred said, "We think he's trying to drown himself."

Harry put his face to his knees. The latter looked so disappointed in himself.

"C'mon Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before," Fred tried to comfort him.

"There had to be one time you didn't get it," George said.

Venus was so lost in her thoughts that she zoned out of the conversation that the others were having, which was mainly about Quidditch.

"Venus? Vee!" It was Harry who broke her train of thoughts.

"Hey Harry," she moved closer to him. She had not noticed when the others had left, leaving only her with Harry.

"Feeling any better?" The boy only grimaced at that.

"Why were you so distracted, Harry? Was it because of that dog?"

"You saw it too? All this time, Professor Trelawney has been making me think it was the Grim, a death omen or something."

"The Grim? Well considering I'm in danger because of Black, it be as well be that but I doubt it. It's probably just a dog though."

"It's not just any dog Vee. I swear that dog has been following me. I saw it the day I ran away from the Dursleys. I've seen it twice now and both times were near death experiences."

That statement made Venus uncomfortable; Harry seemed a bit too unaffected when he said it, which was probably because he was used to being in such situations.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but I'm scared Vee. Is it going to haunt me until I die?" Venus seemed to realise that no matter how many near death situations he had been in, Harry was still only a thirteen year old boy.

"I'm sure it's not like that. You'll be okay. I'll look into it, alright? Just be careful Harry."