The Order of Mischief I

2.9

The November chill crept through the thin sweaters of most students that failed to wrap themselves up warmly. But the cold did nothing to silence the excitement that students felt as the first quidditch game was set to occur on the weekend.

Unsurprisingly, the Hogwarts professors encouraged the patriotism that the houses felt, while they warned everyone to stay wrapped up as the games took place. The first quidditch match of the year was exhilarating to everyone, regardless of which team was playing. However, it also meant that many players were pulled out of their lessons to practice ahead of their first game. These training sessions were mainly to help build the confidence of the new players, and to polish up their skills ahead of their first game.

But none of the week's excitement could shake away the anxiety the players began dreading as soon as Friday dawned. Their nerves felt heavier as the afternoon fought its way to the present. The lessons that would usually take place after lunch were cancelled to make room for the games to be played in broad daylight.

"Are you okay?" Phoebe Stevens asked Anya Zion, as they both geared up in their match clothes. Phoebe had noticed that her best friend stopped talking in the morning. Instead, Anya seemed to be on edge, constantly fidgeting with whatever was at hand. And now, the hour was yet to come, and she seemed as though she had just witnessed a murder.

Anya nodded hesitantly, "It is just the nerves. I will be fine."

Phoebe stared at her for a long minute, before continuing to dress herself in the keeper's attire. She secured her armour-like vest and helmet, while tucking her wand into her bedside drawer. Phoebe felt anxious about the games as well, but she did a much better job at swallowing the fizzing sensation in her stomach than her best friend did, clearly.

"Are you ready?" Anya asked, tying her hair up in a neat bun. Phoebe nodded as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. The girls had picked up their brooms and walked down the stairs to the Ravenclaw common room. Their housemates stared at them and nodded curtly.

"We are going to go out there and have fun playing," Amelia Alves assured her teammates. She was a sixth year students, one who was also the Ravenclaw house captain and a Hogwarts prefect. She easily had one of the best grades in the house and was known for her great leadership skills. And one thing that frequently surprised her professors and non-Ravenclaw friends was how competitive she could get over quidditch.

Amelia began with a long speech about teamwork and keeping an eye on each other. She wanted them to do their best and for each player to be able to help one another. And although Amelia was against foul play in every match, she was known for letting her peers occasionally play aggressively, so long as they maintained good relations with their opponents afterwards. She ended her speech by welcoming and assuring the newcomers into the game, particularly the second-year students. As soon as her speech ended, she released her teammates and sent them on their way to the Great Hall, to eat a light snack before retreating to the quidditch pitch.

"Stevens!" Amelia called out, waiting for Phoebe to stop walking. The young girl looked at Anya who nodded to her, before leaving her best friend with the house captain.

"Yes?" Phoebe awkwardly asked, approaching the taller girl.

Amelia placed a hand on her shoulder and asked, "Are you sure you are okay with being our keeper? I can always switch you out with someone else."

Phoebe's blood pumped quickly through her body, and she could not help but feel the sting of betrayal. Her own house captain had no faith in her. She responded with, "Why can I not be a keeper?"

Amelia shook her head, "It is not that you cannot be our keeper. It is just that you are so young and the other players are older. We may be nice to each other, but our opponents may not be. You could get hurt easily."