Light in the Darkness

Chapter 2: Quidditch and Revelations

Fred and George were glowing with pride. It was all over the Gryffindor Common room and the Weasley twins liked to think that they were cause of such incredible events. Hermione Granger punched Malfoy! It was magnificent. All day long people were looking for Malfoy just to catch a glimpse of the bruise Hermione had left there.

And then Hermione did the unthinkable. She left class. She had talked back to a professor. She was like a new creature, a completely different person. A rebel in the making.

And Fred and George were taking all the credit.

The next morning, Hermione was sitting with Harry and Ron in the Great Hall. Fred took the seat beside Hermione while George sat across from them. "Wow Hermione," Fred began, "I didn't know we had such a good influence on you." She frowned in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione returned.

"You punched Malfoy!" exclaimed George.

"And then you skived class!"

"We knew you had it in you-"

"And we're very glad we were able to help you reach your full potential." Hermione smiled a little at that.

"Everything I said and did was completely justified," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "And you all better beat them in the Quidditch Final. I couldn't bare it if Malfoy won."

"You and us both, Granger," George huffed.

"But we are going to win, right Harry?" Fred murmured. Harry simply nodded.

"But Harry remember-"

"Not to catch the snitch unless we're up by fifty points," finished Harry. "Oliver told me six times last night."

-----

The Quidditch Match was the only thing anyone would talk about in the weeks following. There was so much noise in the Gryffindor Common Room that Hermione found it nearly impossible to do her work there. The team was certain that Oliver would have a heart attack if they didn't win this game.

The night before the game, Fred and George were in the Common Room, being louder, more exuberant, and telling more jokes than normal. They could feel the pressure hanging down on them. They had to win, they just had to.

"Team! Bed!" shouted Oliver. Hermione wished Harry and Ron a good night before approaching Fred and George.

"Good luck tomorrow," she said. They smirked down at her.

"Thanks, Granger," they answered before climbing up to their dormitory. Hermione did the same.

The tension was high the next morning. Hermione was sitting with Ron, Hagrid, and Neville. None of them spoke in anticipation. Hermione had admire the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff efforts to support Gryffindor. They were holding up banners and waving scarlett flags.

Finally, the teams emerged onto the field. "And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a few good years--"

The "boos" issued from the Slytherins drowned out Lee's commentary.

"And here comes the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill--"

Hermione couldn't hear what Lee was saying, as the Slytherins "booed" Lee out again. Although, Hermione did agree somewhat with what Lee had said. Aside from Malfoy, the entire team was enormous.