𝐀𝐈𝐌 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐘┊ᴴᵃʳʳʸ ᴾᵒᵗᵗᵉʳ

19 ✦ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊

Over the next few weeks, Crystal and Harry spent a lot of time dodging out of sight whenever they saw Gilderoy Lockhart coming down a corridor.

Harder to avoid was Colin Creevey, who seemed to have memorized their schedules.

He once caught up with Harry and requested for a picture again as last time Harry ran away as soon as he saw Lockhart. Harry gave in to Colin when Crystal told him to comply to the boy's sincere request.

Hedwig was still angry with Harry about the disastrous car journey. On the contrary, Cash was all buddy with Crystal again since the day when she coincidentally passed by him when he was flying past them. And this was how it went in flashback:

"Cash!" Crystal shouted and Cash halted in midair, flapping it's wing, "Catch!"

She tossed a sickle up in the air. Cash immediately zoomed forward, the sickle landed in his pouch. The tiny owl did a swirl in the air and swooped down to nuzzled his head on Crystal's shoulder that made her chuckle.

"We're good now," Crystal raised her fist which Cash bumped with his claws in return, "See you!"

"You just had to give a coin to woo him?" Harry said unbelievably when she told them.

"An increment with Sickle though," said Crystal.

"The owl mean money otherwise no deal." said Ron and chortled. "Why would that bird need money though?"

So that's how Cash and Crystal made up which made Harry burn with envy. He thought what if he gave Hedwig a Galleon too, or some nice food.

✰✰✰✰✰✰

Harry was quite glad to reach the weekend. He, Crystal, Ron, and Hermione were planning to visit Hagrid on Saturday morning.

Harry, however, was shaken awake several hours earlier than he would have liked by none other than, Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Whassamatter?" said Harry groggily.

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

Harry squinted at the window. There was a thin mist hanging across the pink-and-gold sky.

"Oliver," Harry croaked. "It's the crack of dawn."

"Exactly," said Wood. He was a tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm.

"It's part of our new training program. Come on, grab your broom, and let's go," said Wood heartily. "None of the other teams have started training yet; we're going to be first off the mark this year -"

Yawning and shivering slightly, Harry climbed out of bed and tried to find his Quidditch robes.

"Good man," said Wood. "Meet you on the field in fifteen minutes."

When he'd found his scarlet team robes and pulled on his cloak for warmth, Harry scribbled a note to Ron explaining where he'd gone and went down the spiral staircase to the common room, his Nimbus Two Thousand on his shoulder.

He had just reached the portrait hole when there was a clatter behind him and Colin Creevey came dashing down the spiral staircase, his camera swinging madly around his neck and something clutched in his hand.

"I heard someone saying your name on the stairs, Harry! Look what I've got here! I've had it developed, I wanted to show you - and Crystal but boys can't go in the girls dorm -"