In Between Two Worlds (HP/PJO Crossover)

Chapter 49: Mudbloods and Murmurs.

I was shaken awake by Angie. And that's saying something coming from a child of Apollo. It's hard to wake us up before we wake up.

"Whassamatter?" said I groggily.

"Quidditch practice!" she said. "Come on!"

"Angie, it's the crack of dawn." I looked out the window as I heard the heavy metal rock. "I'm sorry. It is right now."

"Wood's orders." She said.

"Remind me to punch him when I'm awake."

<<>>|<<>>|<<>>

Fred and George were sitting, puffy-eyed and touslehaired, against the wall and looked like they were about to fall asleep. I walked over and sat in the spot they saved me in between them. Angie and Katie were yawning side by side opposite them.

"There you are, Harry, what kept you?" said Wood briskly a few minutes later. "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference..."

Wood was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in differentcolored inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars. As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Fred's head drooped right onto my shoulder and he began to snore.

The first board took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third under that one. I sank into a stupor as Wood droned on and on. But unfortunately my dad was into his music today so he was playing it louder than normal.

"So," said Wood, at long last, jerking me from a wistful fantasy about what I could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle. "Is that clear? Any questions?"

"I've got a question, Oliver," said George, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?"

Wood wasn't pleased.

"Now, listen here, you lot," he said, glowering at us all. "We should have won the Quidditch cup last year. We're easily the best team. But unfortunately -owing to circumstances beyond our control - "

Harry shifted guiltily in his seat. We had been a player short and we suffered our worst defeat in three hundred years.

Wood took a moment to regain control of himself. Our last defeat was clearly still torturing him.

"So this year, we train harder than ever before .... Okay, let's go and put our new theories into practice!" Wood shouted, seizing his broomstick and leading the way out of the locker rooms. Stifflegged and still yawning, we followed.

We had been in the locker room so long that the sun was up completely now, although remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium. As we walked onto the field, I saw Ron, Bailey, and Hermione sitting in the stands.

"Aren't you finished yet?" called Ron incredulously.

"Haven't even started," said Harry, "Wood's been teaching us new moves."

I mounted my broomstick and kicked at the ground, soaring up into the air. The cool morning air whipped my face, waking me far more effectively than Wood's long talk. It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch field. I soared right around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George.

"What's that funny clicking noise?" called Fred as we hurtled around the corner.

I looked into the stands. Colin was sitting in one of the highest seats, his camera raised, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium.