The Girl Who Lived

Quidditch Delight

Oh, he's just so bloody infuriating," Hermione commented heatedly to Harriet and her companions as she came to their table in the library on the day before the first Quidditch match. She sat down rather heavily in the chair across from Dean.

"Malfoy keeps picking on Gryffindors, Ron and Neville in particular. A bunch of us have been complaining to McGonagall, asking her to do something about it, but she can't unless she catches him and his two side-kicks in the act." She exhaled menacingly, blowing her frizzy hair from her face.

"I bet it will stop pretty soon," Harriet responded with a sly smile, "especially if he keeps picking at Ron." She and Blaise exchanged a knowing glance.

"Why do you say that?" Dean asked, looking up from his Defence homework.

"Since Fred and George will beat the stuffing out of him if he doesn't," Blaise answered with a grin. "Either that or they'll start a prank war."

Everyone laughed at the thought.

"Can you imagine what a dandy Malfoy would look like if he were all funny coloured and feathered?" Terry asked between laughs, referring to an incident earlier in the week where the twins had accidentally turned one of the Hufflepuff fourth-years into a purple, dancing Pegasus.

Hermione actually smirked. "Maybe he'll sing and dance as well. Oh, he could do show-tunes."

The others were prevented from further comment as a rather irate Ron Weasley stomped over to their table.

"Hello, Ron," Blaise stated pleasantly. "And how are you on this fine day?"

The only reply he received was an angry mumble as Ron dropped his bag heavily onto the table and threw himself into the seat across from Seamus.

"That good, eh?" Blaise continued like he had received an actual response, "And what has you in such a splendid mood?"

Ron growled out something that none of the others really heard. He flung his bag open, pulling out a random book.

"I take it that you ran into Malfoy then?" Harriet asked, inserting herself in the conversation.

Ron shook his head, ripping open his Charms text.

Gavin questioned with surprise, "You didn't?"

"No," the redhead ground out, also fishing out a quill and some parchment. He put the tip on the parchment, only to growl in frustration when he realised that there was no ink.

Hermione looked at him in confusion. "Well, what's the matter then?"

"Was it Percy?" Dean asked, thinking about Ron's irritating older brother.

"No."

"Then what's the problem?" Harriet enquired with slight annoyance.

"Wood," Ron replied simply, his anger beginning to lessen.

Blaise looked stumped. "Come again?"

"It's Wood... Oliver Wood. He's the Quidditch Captain, you know. He took me aside earlier to ask me if the rumours about Draco as the new Slytherin's Seeker are true," Ron responded with a matter-of-fact voice, glancing at Blaise. "You knew it, didn't you?"

Harriet and Blaise exchanged another look but didn't answer.

Ron fingered his ink bottle. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Well, what's the problem then?" Hermione queried, turning back to her homework.

"The problem?" Ron repeated incredulously. "I'll tell you what the problem is. He wanted me to spy on the Slytherin team!"

Hermione looked up in surprise. "I'm sure that he didn't mean it that way, Ronald. He just asked since we're friends with Blaise."

"I know that's why he asked me," Ron interrupted. "He knows that we're friends. He believed that I would know if the rumours were true, but that's not the point. He asked when he shouldn't have, and then, he asked me to question Harriet about Blaise and the other Slytherin team members."

"He did?" Harriet asked.

"Yes! He came straight out and asked." Ron raked a hand through his hair. "I told him that I didn't know and that I wasn't going to harass the Slytherins for him."

"And what did he do?" Blaise inquired, tilting his head to the side.

Ron sheepishly looked at the tabletop. "Well, he sorta stormed off in a huff after that. He was muttering that we needed every advantage we could get, even if it meant spying on the other teams, and about how the other members of the House needed to get in the Quidditch spirit."

Gavin laughed. "As if you aren't the most Quidditch-minded individual on the planet already, but thanks for sticking up for Slytherins, though. I don't think that many other people would."

"Yes, thank you," Harriet stated truthfully.

Ron blushed. "Yeah, well... it's nothing. Wood was just being... Wood. He's a bit obsessed really. Fred and George complain about him all the time. He does know his stuff, though," the redhead added in a wistful voice.

"But still," Blaise inserted, "thanks. It means a lot."

The other Gryffindors too nodded in agreement.

Ron flushed even more. "Right then..." He hesitated before adding, "Well, I hope you understand it when I say that I hope you do well tomorrow but don't catch the Snitch, at least for Harriet's sake." He grinned at her.

Harriet smiled back.
_____________________________________________