Prologue

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Margaret Smallwood was one of the best quidditch players Hogwarts had ever seen. She was the Seeker for the Gryffindor team and was excelling in practically every class she took. The only competition she had, both academically and in quidditch, was Oliver Wood. 

DISCLAIMER 

I do not own anything Harry Potter or Hogwarts related, except for Maggie Smallwood. 

I understand that some small details and character traits are a bit altered, and I'm sorry for this. Understand that f I do change something, I'm only doing it for the sake of the story and I promise not to change anything too drastically.

Lastly, I'm from the south, so please excuse and southern tidbits (y'all, etc.) I'll try super hard to avoid them.


PROLOGUE

I climbed up the stairs to board the Hogwarts Express, nearly tripping and falling on my face. I heard a few snorts and giggles from the stupid Slytherins, but I chose to ignore them and continue walking to the compartment of the train that my friends had saved. We had rode in the same compartment every year, so it was a somewhat unspoken rule to every student that it was ours. I walked down the isle, saying quick hellos to acquaintances and waving to some obviously nervous first years.  I  almost ran directly into the trolley filled with sweets and drinks, but I managed to avoid collision and I slid into my compartment.

Normally, the whole Gryffindor quidditch team sits together on any and all train rides to further discuss game plans and the game, as we all share a mutual passion for the game, we all plan to play even after Hogwarts. When I looked around the compartment, it was completely empty except for Oliver Wood, the team captain. Wood and I used to be pretty close friends, but it had been harsh between us considering that he got captain over me. I wasn't going to let that get in the way of my game play or anything, but it bothered me because the position seemed to just fall into his lap, even though I worked my arse off to be considered for the role.

"Mags," Wood said in his thick Scottish accent. I rolled my eyes, since I wasn't facing him, and continued to put my trunk and bags in the overhead compartment.

"It's Maggie, Wood. We've been over this," I said with a frustrated sigh. My trunk wasn't fitting in the compartment and I was pushing with all my might to make it fit. 

"How was your holiday? Did you practice any?"

"It was fine, and yes I practiced whenever I had the moment."

"Mags?"

"What now?"

"I'm sorry. About your parents I mean," I sighed as soon as he said this. My parents were muggles, and they had been involved in a pretty terrible plan crash at the beginning of the summer. My father had died on impact, but my mother was strong enough to hang on until a few days after the accident, but she too had died. It hit me really hard, I didn't have any siblings and it seemed as if my parents were the only people that I had. Not a lot of wizards had heard about the accident, I assumed the only reason Oliver knew was because his mother is a muggle.

"Oh. Um, thanks," I said, turning around and plopping down onto the seats.

I opened my mouth to say something else, but the door to the compartment slid open, revealing Fred and George Weasley.

"Hello, Wood. Hello roommate," George said, smiling at Wood, then at me. The Weasleys had taken me in after the accident, as me and the twins had been friends ever since we met. They were a great family, so loving and comforting; I'm so thankful for them. We had arrived all together, but the only reason I had gotten onto the train before Fred and George was because I didn't lolly gag along the way to the platform and I had said a quicker goodbye to Molly and Arthur.

"Roommate?" Wood ask, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. I nodded and quickly explained my living situation to him. 

After a few more minutes, the rest of the team, including Katie, Angelina, and Alicia, and we chatted nonstop for the rest of the ride.

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Once we arrived at Hogwarts, I smiled the biggest I think I ever had. I love Hogwarts so much, to the point where it hurts when I'm not here. I was so ready to just dive into my schoolwork and quidditch and forget the sadness and wallowing I had done all summer. I was ready to get down to business, it was my fifth year and I did have to consider doing some serious quidditch playing if I wanted to get signed by Puddlemere United, my favorite quidditch team. I straightened out my uniform and pulled my hair, which was orangish red in color and pin-straight, into a loose ponytail as I followed the rest of the team out of the compartment. We didn't have to worry about carrying our luggage into the castle, because as soon as the train arrives on campus, a charm sends it all to our rooms. 

When I stepped off the train, I took a deep breath and looked around. I was smiling ear to ear, and my mood just got about a million times better. We walked into the castle and to the great hall, chatting casually and joking around. We took our seats at the Gryffindor table, with Wood and Alicia on either side of me and Fred, George, and Katie sitting across from us. The sorting occurred, with Harry Potter and Fred and George's brother Ron being sorted into our house, causing our table to erupt in cheers. After the sorting, a great feast of just about every food you could possibly think of popped on the table in front of us. 

"Maggie, did Wood tell you about the practice tomorrow?" Katie asked me with a smile on her face as she bit into a huge turkey leg.

"No, he didn't. But I assumed we would start practice fairly early in the year. What time is it at? Noon?One? I have Potions at 1:30 and classes for the rest of the day, so I can't do afternoons," I sad, piling food onto my plate as the team laughed at me. I looked at them, extremely confused, and then looked at Wood.

"It's at 6:30. In the morning," Wood said, causing me to nearly spit out the pumpkin juice I had just taken a sip out of. 

"Are you kidding me? Oliver Wood, that is not acceptable," I said, throwing a dinner roll at his head as the rest of the team laughed. 

The rest of dinner contained us discussing how we were going to cream Slytherin this year, and then we all headed up to bed early so we could be ready for the impossibly early practice tomorrow.


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Sorry for the boring start, but please please give this story a chance. I have high hopes for the future, but in order to continue on with it, I need you all to read and comment and give me ideas or tell me what I could improve on. I encourage any and all typed of feedback!

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