Never Is Our Always

They've been sighted! 3

(Minnie pov)

"Does it hurt terribly, Draco?" Pansy questions a bandaged up Draco Malloy.

While a few of us sat around the Gryffindor table as we studied for our study period, I felt better than last night and I didn't really recall anything happening.

"It comes and it goes." I hear Draco answer Pansy from behind as Ron and I watch them in disgust.

"Still, I consider myself lucky. Madam Pomfrey said another minute and I could've lost my arm. I can't do homework for weeks."

"Listen to the idiot." Ron said, turning back to Harry and Hermione. "He's really laying it on thick, isn't he?"

"What even happened?" I ask.

"The git got slashed on the arm by Buckbeak," Ron answers.

"Oh, ouch," I mumbled. Buckbeak was a beautiful hippogriff, a silvery grey and white feathered creature who was slightly sassy... but was all and all beautiful.

"At least Hagrid didn't get fired," Harry said, sipping his cup.

"I hear Draco's father's furious," Hermione said. "We haven't heard the end of this."

"They've been sighted! They've been sighted!" Seamus ran in and shoved the Daily prophet on to the table and we lean over to look at the paper between Seamus' hands.

"Who?" We all ask Seamus.

"Sirius Black and Hassan Greenwood!" I felt Lee touch my shoulder as my body seized and I gulped.

"Dufftown? That's not far from here." Hermione said.

"You don't think they'd come to Hogwarts, do you?" Neville asks us all.

"With dementors at every entrance?" I ask.

"Dementors?" Seamus starts. "They slipped past them once. Who's to say they won't do it again?" Seamus asks us and then we made eye contact as I felt the life drain out of my body.

"That's right. Black and Greenwood could be anywhere. It's like trying to catch smoke. Like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands." Bem told us ominously and we all stare at him in horror.

"Way to scare us even more, Bem," I say and he smiles.

"You're welcome," he replies and I deadpanned at him.

-

(Third person)

The Quidditch season was approaching, and Oliver called a meeting on Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season.

Now that he's in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his six fellow team members along with his best friend, Alice, in the chilly locker rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch field.

(Minnie pov)

"This is our last chance- my last chance to win the Quidditch Cup," he told us, striding up and down in front of the team and I. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it."

"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world- injuries, then the tournament getting called off last year." Oliver swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat.

"But we also know we've got the best- ruddy- team- in- the- school," he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye. "We've got three superb Chasers."

Oliver pointed at Alicia, Angelina, and Katie.

"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," Fred and George said together, pretending to blush.