Quidditch. A most silly sport I would never find. Only people with passive regenerative abilities would ever love something as dangerous like that. Like people who cuddled lions, or rubbed the backs of crocodiles, or went into the depths of the jungle to look for new dangerous species. No, perhaps accusing the wizards of being odd was wrong. Humanity itself had wrong people within it; those foolish fools who'd risk their necks and head into the most dangerous realms yet to be explored for no other reason than to bring back to the light of civilization their discoveries.
Still, as I stood on the Ravenclaw seat and watched Amanda fly, I reckoned the girl was having the time of her life flying in the air without a care in the world. Well, barring when she willfully went close to the bludgers' paths while aiming for the quaffle. I winced as I saw an impact, bringing both hands to cover my eyes as the telltale sound of bludger hitting flesh echoed in the air, followed by the cheers of some students.
My eyes refocused on the action, the fluttering of the Quidditch robes and the gleaming every now and then of the Snitch flying by too quickly for me to pin its general location. The match continued for a good half an hour with points being scored by both sides. If Hufflepuff won, Megan and Wayne would keep a smug look on their faces and Amanda would be intolerable, and if the opposite happened, Amanda would act smug and the two Hufflepuffs would be intolerable for a while.
A bludger nearly struck Amanda straight on the face, but she avoided it with nimble grace at the last possible second. My heart leaped in my chest. What the hell was Cho Chang doing? She had a Golden Snitch to catch, damn it all! The sooner she caught it, the sooner my impending heart attack could be staved off.
How difficult could it be? If they put me on a broomstick, I'd be able to-and there it was, the Seeker of Hufflepuff aiming for it. Cho Chang rushed behind him, trying to catch up. As they both descended with swift, unrelenting speed towards a small golden glimmer of something, I held my heart in my throat. They crashed against one another, and the snitch was lost.
I groaned together with the rest of the crowd. Though my reason for groaning and theirs was largely different, at least from what I could gather. I wanted the match to end quickly, one way or the other, and they wanted it to be over with their own team's victory.
The match went on for a few more agonizing minutes, which felt likes hours. Finally the light was seen, and Cho Chang got the Snitch. I triumphantly hollered while clapping my hands, my poor heart beating happily in turn that the extreme anxiousness it had felt would soon be over.
The flyers descended, touching the ground and then hugging one before bringing their seeker in triumph. I clapped and waved in Amanda's direction, happy for her. She had signed a couple of points herself, so she should receive her own applause. In a matter of minutes, the spectators began to disperse, and I went together with them towards the exit.
We'd be having a party in the Ravenclaw common room, I suspected, and that meant that if I wanted some peace and quiet I'd have to go elsewhere. At the same time, it wasn't like I wouldn't congratulate Amanda on a well-played match.
I was quite willing to suffer through some discomfort for the sake of my friends' happy smiles.
I swung by the kitchens on the way back though, if nothing else to get some treats sent up for the party in question. I could suffer discomfort, but at my terms, and my terms involved something to drink in order to celebrate.
Thus there I was, happily making my way back up for the Ravenclaw tower, when I came across the Hufflepuffs sourly returning to their common rooms.
"Hey-" I said raising a hand. I did have a brilliant idea about how to make things go better-
"No thank you," a random Hufflepuff answered, "We don't want the Quidditch cup removed."
I blinked, and made a small 'oh' in reply. "But-"
"No, we don't want everyone to win the Quidditch cup," another Hufflepuff said. "Thank you very much, but kindly don't."
I watched them walk me by until in the end only I remained in the emptiness of the hallway outside the kitchen, and quietly began to ponder if, perhaps, I actually should do something about the Quidditch cup too, just to spite everyone saying I shouldn't.
Then I shrugged, and took to the dead center of the stairs. I tapped my wand against my clothes, and felt the rush of the air press against my face as I rocketed upwards. Once I reached the correct floor, I used another charm to send me to rocket forward. It wasn't flying as much as getting thrown at an acceptable speed up and then straight ahead, but it was still a good enough substitute.
Apparition classes would begin after Christmas, and I was looking forward to them.
What I wasn't looking forward to was the inevitable attempt at revenge by Crabbe. He wasn't the smartest tool in the box, the brightest bulb, but that didn't mean he wasn't a threat. He could throw the Unforgivables, after all.
I could wait for him to come at me, but that would be counter-productive.
Problems needed to be uprooted, firmly too, before they could grow to the size of giant Acromantulas' colonies. I would have used the Room of Requirements to get inside the Gryffindors' common room, but that was unfortunately out of the question since someone was busy using it. This meant I had to take another route.
Thus, I smiled at the Fat Lady, "You look positively wonderful this fine evening, my fair lady," I gave her a small nod of the head, and she giggled. "Coincidentally, as a Prefect, do I get the chance of stepping in?"
"Oh, you charmer," she winked at me, "You know I can't let you in without the password. Prefect or not."
"Alas my fair lady, then I'll simply chat with you," I suavely continued. "Tell me, has Filch been using that new oil repairer I got him on you yet? Or is that new polish a wonderful trait I missed until now?"
The Fat Lady giggled, and shook her head ever so slightly.
"You jest, you silly Raven. I cannot still allow you entrance without the password, no matter the lavish praise."
"Well then, what about kitchen recipes? I was told by a couple of portraits down that you were a lover of good food," my eyes twinkled, a genuine smile stretching on my face, "Do you perhaps have some recipes you can share? I'm working on a cookbook."
The Fat Lady remained quiet, ever so briefly, and then brightly smiled. Half an hour later, someone stepped up on the floor, gave one look at the serene me scribbling under the Fat Lady's attention, and then gave the password with barely a shrug.
A few minutes after the boy had gone, I gingerly finished scribbling a recipe and then grinned. "Quid Agis?" I said, the password making the Fat Lady roll her eyes at my wits and moving aside.
I stepped inside the Gryffindors' Room with barely a thought. "Hello there," I said to the closest Gryffindor, who turned to look at me with a puzzled expression, which soon melted into a small grin. "Charms lessons, right?" I pointed a finger at him, and he gave me a nod in reply. "You've seen Mister Potter around?"
"He's snogging with Romilda in a broom closet somewhere," the boy answered.
I blinked.
I blinked at that information, and then narrowed my eyes.
"Thank you for the information," I said amiably, before stepping out of the common room and snapping my fingers. I wanted to play this by the rules, but how could I have forgotten?
There was a soft pop, and a House Elf appeared from the corner. "Mister Umbrus wants a coffee thermos, Mister Sir?" he asked demurely, a coffee thermos in his hands.
"That too, Oddment," I said with a beaming smile, accepting the offer, "Mister Potter, could you perhaps find him and tell me where he is? But without him noticing you, if possible. I fear for his safety."
And Romilda would get the sternest talking to the history of this world would ever see.
Oddment smiled brightly, happy to be of service and with extra work, and popped away. I waited, ever so patiently, for a few more minutes. The House Elf then returned, "Mister Umbrus sir, he's on the third floor in the second broom closet to the right of the west staircase, Mister Sir."
"Thank you, Oddment," I said as politely as I could, the House Elf smiled brightly at the praise, and then disappeared once more back to the kitchens.
I marched back down, the thunder and the fury of the very gods already rippling across my face as I found the broom closet in question, and gently proceeded to knock.
There was a gasp. "Open," I said amiably.
There was silence.
"Very well," I said.
I knocked again. This time, the door cleaved in countless fragments of wood, flowing like water in the air and to the side. Like a gingerly tender snake, it fluttered across my wrist and then slithered away across my shoulders, a boa-constrictor of wood gleaming with greenish eyes being the finished product.
In front of me, Miss Romilda Vane stood like the cat being discovered with a paw in the larder and a canary in its mouth. Harry Potter looked mightily angry, rather than embarrassed. "Mate!" he yelled, "I'm busy!"
There were traces of lipstick near his lips; Romilda's lipstick, to be more precise.
"Yes," I said with a nod. "Apologies, but it's urgent. I'll leave you to it, but I need the Marauder's Map first."
He quickly grabbed hold of it from his robes and threw it in my direction, "There! Now leave me alone with my love-" I then sighed, and stunned both dunderheads into a Stupefied silence.
Shaking the combined heads of myself and the wooden snake, I levitated them both and brought one in the infirmary, and the other in for detention.
The snake-like form of what had once been the door of the broom closet splintered apart, resuming its normal doorway status not a second later.
Stupid silly sub-plots. Just because Hermione was busy elsewhere and thus couldn't notice Romilda Vane's plot of getting Harry to drink a Love Potion...tendrils of time, stop snapping elsewhere with angry mouths.
Everything will work out fine. No one will die.
No one will die, neither this year, nor the next.
I will protect them all.
What do you mean Hagrid's not coming back, Dumbledore!?