Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Hermione X Self Insert)

Chapter 11 - Facts and Feathers

Outside in the courtyard, Oliver Wood and Harry were carrying a trunk. They put it down, before Oliver turned to Harry, explaining the basics of Quidditch.

"Quidditch is easy enough to understand." He said. "Each team has seven players: three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and a seeker. That's you. There are three kinds of balls."

He held up a red one. "This one's called the Quaffle. Now, the chasers handle the Quaffle and try to put it through one of those three hoops." Oliver pointed to the hoops in the Quidditch pitch in the distance. "The keeper–that's me–defends the hoops. With me so far?"

Harry nodded. "Yep. I have to ask, though. What are these?" He gestured to two squirming balls that were chained down.

"You better take this." Oliver advised, handing Harry a small bat. He bent down and released one ball. With an angry growl, it flew off into the air.

"Careful now, it's coming back." Oliver warned. The next moment, the ball came whizzing down at terrific speed. Harry swung, and the bat connected with the ball, which soared off through a statue, surprisingly without damaging it.

"Eh, not bad, Potter, you'd make a fair beater." Oliver said with a grin, before looking back up at the sky. "Uh-oh."

The ball was coming back down yet again. This time, Oliver deftly caught it, trying to get it back in the box. Once he had succeeded, he turned back to Harry, out of breath.

"What is that thing?" Harry asked, slightly frightened.

"Bludger." Oliver replied, panting. "Nasty little buggers. But you are the seeker, and the only thing I want you to worry about is this, the Golden Snitch." He handed Harry a golden ball the size of a walnut.

Harry was fascinated. "I like this one!" He said to Oliver, who grinned.

"Ah, you like it now. Just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see." He replied.

"What do I do with it?" Harry inquired.

"You catch it... before the other team's seeker." Oliver said simply. "You catch this, the game is over. You catch this, Potter, and we win."

The ball fluttered out two delicate silvery wings and jumped into the air, Harry eyeing it closely.

"Whoa." Harry was amazed.

Later on, the students were seated in Charms class, taught by Professor Filius Flitwick. They were grouped into pairs: Harry with Seamus, Ron with Hermione, and Dayton with Lavender Brown, another Gryffindor student.

Flitwick was quite short, being half-goblin, and he had to stand on a stack of books to make up for his stature and to see the class.

"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make objects fly." He explained. "Uh, do you all have your feathers?"

Hermione raised hers.

"Good." Flitwick said. "Now, uh, don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practising, hmm? The swish and flick. Everyone."

"The swish and flick." The class, including Flitwick, repeated.

"Good. And enunciate. Wingardium Leviosa." Flitwick finished. "Off you go, then."

The class began to do as instructed.

"Wingardrium Levriosar," Ron tried, waving his wand several times in rapid succession. Hermione took notice and put her hand on his arm, signalling for him to stop.

"Stop, stop, stop. You're going to take someone's eye out." She said. "Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Levi-o-sa, not Levio-sar."

"You do it then if you're so clever." Ron challenged. "Go on, go on."

Hermione straightened up and swished her wand.

"Wingardium Leviosa." She said. The feather suddenly lifted up, as if an invisible breeze had caught it.

Dayton, watching from across the room, copied Hermione's actions. His feather did the same.

Flitwick was amazed. "Oh, well done!" He said, clasping his hands together in admiration. "See here, everyone! Miss Granger and Mr. Cahill have done it! Oh, splendid!"

Ron put his arms flat on his stack of books and rested his head upon them, dejectedly.

Meanwhile, Seamus was trying to make the spell work for himself.

"Wingard Levosa." He said, mispronouncing the spell.

Suddenly, an almighty explosion flashed. Flitwick gasped, as Ron and Hermione turned to the source of the explosion. They saw that Seamus was charred again with his feather now smouldering to ashes.

"I think we're going to need another feather over here, Professor." Harry said with wide eyes.

Later, Harry, Ron and Dayton were walking through a courtyard with other students all around.

"It's Levi-o-sa, not Levio-sar." Ron said, mocking Hermione's bossy voice. "She's a nightmare, honestly. No wonder she hasn't got any friends!"

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you, man." Dayton cut in. "She was only trying to help, so just give it a break. She's a nice person once you get to know her."

Suddenly, Hermione rushed past the three boys, hugging her books and sniffling in tears.

"I think she heard you." Harry said.

Hermione disappeared into the crowd, deeply hurt by Ron's words.

Dayton shot a withering look at Ron. "Now look what you did, Weasley!" He exclaimed, before taking off after her.