The Weasley of Slytherin: The Philosopher's Stone

Chapter 14: The First Match

As we entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost.

Hagrid could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots.

The Quidditch season had begun.

On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship.

I was torn about this, course I wanted to support Harry, but then again I was also a Slytherin, and I wanted to win the house cup.

Rona and I were a few of the only people to see Harry play because Wood had decided that, as their secret weapon, Harry should be kept, well, secret. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow. A few people were telling him he'd be great, and then others, like me, told him we'd be carrying a mattress in case he fell.

It was nice having Hermione as our friend now, as she was a big help when it came to homework, more so for Ron and Harry, but she'd also helped me out on a few occasions.

It was also nice that Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry Ron and I had saved her from the mountain troll, and it was a good thing as well as I'd started to help the twins out more with their... "activities."

The day before Harry's first Quidditch match the four of us were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar.

"I mean it's cool and all." I said to her as we were standing with our backs to it, getting warm. "But I mean if you can pick it up and put it in a jar how much can it actually burn?"

"That's not the point of it." Hermione said to me. "It's to keep us warm."

"Yeah but what good is a fire that can't burn anything?" I asked her.

It was just then that Snape crossed the yard. I noticed almost at once that Snape was limping, and by the look on Harry's face he noticed it too.

We moved closer together to block the fire from view; as I wasn't quite sure it would be allowed. Unfortunately, something about our guilty faces caught Snape's eye. He limped over, to us apparently not noticing the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell us off anyway.

"What's that you've got there, Potter?"

Harry pulled a book out of his robes, it was called Quidditch through the ages, showing it to Snape.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

"Since when weren't they allowed sir? I thought school books were allowed anywhere on school grounds." I asked him innocently.

Snape looked me up and down, before staring at me. I calmly returned his gaze. "I do not appreciate your cheek Weasley. I hold my students to a higher standard than. Other. Houses." He said his gaze moving over to the other three, before taking the book from Harry.

"He's just made that rule up," Harry muttered angrily as Snape limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"Maybe he tripped over his ego." I said glaring at him darkly.

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," said Ron bitterly.

The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening, and it didn't help much that I was there. Most people left me alone, but a lot of them still glared at me, muttering under their breath.