Magic? || Years 1-5

The Quidditch Match: Year 1

Amisty was tense all through the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, entirely uncomfortable with the content.

They were learning the different ways to treat werewolf bites, and though she wasn't one, it still was a subject she would have to tread lightly on. That is, until the topic of conversation transferred to Harry's upcoming Quidditch match.

"I'm going to play. If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them... it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win," Harry murmured, a slight grin peeking at the corners of his mouth.

"Just as long as we're not wiping you off the field," Hermione replied, earning a very well hidden laugh from Amisty, which was soon frozen by a frigid brown glare.

-=+=-

Hermione and Amisty sat in the stands of the Quidditch field, the black haired girls foot tapping with anticipation.

Ron and Neville were seated nearby.

"Now, don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Amisty picked up Hermione's soft mumble, her eyes catching the red haired boy slip his wand up his sleeve.

"I know. Don't nag." Ron grumbled.

The green eyed girl changed her point of focus to the field ahead of her.

"I've never seen Snape look so mean. Look -- they're off. Ouch!" Ron whirled around, face to face with the platinum haired twat from Slytherin.

"Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there." he smirked at his goons flanking him, "Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"

Amisty's jaw clenched, and she pinched her wrist with her fingernails and bit her tongue.

Ron didn't reply, and his temper was kept very calculated.

Hermione watched Harry with a stare that never left his broom. As much as Amisty was trying to focus on the game, her ears still picked up Malfoy's snide comments.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team? It's the people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents," That earned a cringe from Amisty. "Then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money -- you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

Okay that wasn't right. That was just plain cruel.

Neville was plenty smart, and a small flash of pride surged through Amisty as he spun around to counter the insult with his own.

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy."

There goes that pride, it ignited, flickered, and then went out the second the three idiots lost their composure and erupted into a fit of laughter.

Internally, to spare Neville, she groaned.

"You tell him, Neville." Ron gave his friend some encouragement, even though he wasn't looking back at him.

"Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something," He goaded on.

"I'm warning you, Malfoy -- one more word --" Ron snarled, before being interrupted by Hermione.

"Ron! Harry --"

"What? Where?"

Amisty's heart lept to her chest as she watched Harry shoot to the ground, robes flowing in the wind as he sped downwards.

Hermione leapt to her feet, all her attention caught up in the game.

"You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!" Draco pestered.

Ron's nerves snapped, and by the time Amisty had opened her mouth for a comeback, he had already tackled Malfoy to the ground.

Neville, although pausing for a second, joined in.

"Come on, Harry!" Hermione yelled, quickly joined by Amisty.

"You can do it!" Amisty screeched, leaping to her feet.

The two girls watched in shock as Harry sped past Professor Snape, before angling back upwards, the Golden Snitch enclosed in his palm.

"YEAAAAAAAAAH!" Amisty cheered, jumping up and down ecstatically.

"Ron! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor is in the lead!" Hermione thundered, embracing Parvati Patil in front of her.

"We won! We won! We won! Hahahahaha!" Amisty shouted triumphantly, "Take that Malfoy!" She spat, meeting the blonde haired boy nose to nose.

Throughout the chaos, Neville and Ron had been separated from the three troublemakers.

A grin spread across her face as she noticed the purple-blue bruise already forming around his eye.

"I would advise you stop gloating," He threatened, grey eyes turning stormy.

"Or what? You're gonna call your father, complain to him that a measly little girl made fun of his son? Ohhh nooo, good luck with thaaaaa-" She started, before getting dragged away by Hermione.

"Nope, you are not going to start another fight. Especially with those two behind him looking ready to kill you in a flash," The brown eyed girl scolded, her grip remaining steady even as Amisty struggled trying to finish her insults.

"Aw c'mon! You always have to ruin my fun!" She whined jokingly, glaring at her friend in mock anger.

"I'm not watching you lose brain cells to people who aren't worth it." She replied, a slight glow in her eyes.

"I wouldn't lose any brain cells to them. I could take them all down, no problem!" Amisty countered, faking a few punches to emphasize her point.

"You keep telling yourself that. Let's go to the common room to celebrate, we did win after all," Hermione rolled her eyes, bouncing on her heels.

"Yeah!"

-=+=-

Amisty, Hermione, and Ron were on their way back to the Gryffindor common room, still buzzing with excitement from the game.

That is, until Harry rounded the corner, his face pale.

"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione exclaimed, her voice raising a few octaves at the end of her sentence.

"I can't believe you did that, it was amazing!" Amisty butted in, jumping slightly as she struggled to keep her composure.

"We won! You won! We won!" Ron celebrated, slapping Harry on the back, "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle single-handed! He's still out cold but Madame Pomfrey says he'll be alright -- talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room, we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens."

"Never mind that now. Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this," He replied, setting off to find a classroom.

They exchanged confused glances before heading after him. It didn't take long for them to find one in the twisting corridors of the castle. Harry checked for Peeves before he shut the door behind them.

"We were right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy -- and he said something about Quirrell's hocus-pocus -- I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through --" Harry relayed, eyes wide.

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Hermione exclaimed, her tone anxious.

"We may as well give up now," Amisty groaned dramatically, dropping her head into her hands.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday." Ron sighed in defeat.