Gryffindor Gets a New Beater
Cole brought his Quidditch Through the Ages to the match to go over the rules. Lilith rolled her eyes secretly as he mentioned random game rules that she already knew. “Are you seriously studying in a Quidditch match? I’m about to throw that book at Moon’s face.” Slytherin was in the lead, one more match won by Slytherin meant Gryffindor’s defeat.
Cole hugged his book defensively. “Rude." He rolled his eyes. "Would you please just bug off.” He said and she glared at him with delicate anger. “Well, you keep talking to me, I’m trying loads to keep an eye on the game.”
“Alright. Just stop staring at me as if you’ll break my pretty nose.” He ran his hand through his hair nervously, puckering his lips towards the Quidditch field in the hopes that she would stop looking at him as if she was close to murdering him. He hated seeing her jaws so tense, it scared him out of his wits.
On the middle of the match, with Gryffindor players playing with grim faces, Midge Riverson hit a Bludger towards Moon. He was distracted with scouting for the Snitch but his eyes darted to its direction and avoided it smoothly, earning a “That was really close—how unfortunate—he could have escaped classes if he took the hit.” from Lilith which Cole hit her arm for.
The commentator Johnny Pleamoore from Hufflepuff agreed from the other side of the field, “OHHH NO! LOOKS LIKE RIVERSON MISSED! PITY, MOON COULD HAVE AVOIDED CLASSES. I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT BLUDGER ANY DAY TO AVOID PROFESSOR QUIGLEY. KIDDING PROFESSOR! I LOOOVE YOU!” He moved away from the mic and gagged. People who saw buzzed with laughter, but Professor Quigley doesn’t seem too happy about the joke. Professor Andaires, who was the head of Hufflepuff and his mentor grimaced beside him.
The Bludger did not change its course, however, it careened towards the bleachers where Lilith and Cole and other students sat. Cole, who was immersed in the game, suddenly came into the realization that it wasn’t meant for Moon. It was for him and Lilith. Midge Riverson’s trying to get back at them. Lilith noticed. Her heart plummeted and glanced at Cole who had just slammed his Quidditch Through the Ages shut and stared in shock, unable to move.
Moon noticed, but the ball was too far away for him to catch. He tried, nonetheless, speeding up and forgetting about the snitch. Everyone who saw must have held their breaths for the moist in the air felt like it was suspended.
“THAT WAS A SCORE FOR SLYTHERIN! JAIME FRENCH EVERYONE! MY GIRL!" Johnny Pleamore boomed. "THE CHASER OF THE GRYFFINDOR TEAM MUST NOT BE IN GOOD TERMS, BECAUSE THEY AREN’T LOOKING GOOD RIGHT NOW, EXCEPT FOR AREDA OF COURSE—alright, alright I’m sorry Professor Andaires, I was only kidding. UH-OH, RIVERSON’S BLUDGER HAVEN’T CHANGED ITS COURSE, I BET YOU MALFOY WILL BEAT RIVERSON IF THAT HIT HER AND MCCORNELL.”
“Fuck, fuck.” Lilith patted her robes for her wand and quickly remembered that she had used it as a bookmark for her Transfiguration book that she was reading before she’s gone to the pitch—the book was left back in her dormitory. Her eyes darted around, Moon was on his way to save her and Cole but he’s still too far away. For a quick second, Lilith blamed her contentment that she wouldn’t encounter anything dangerous today. “I’m a fool. AND THAT’S A FOUL MIDGE!” She shouted as she fished for Cole’s thick book on his lap, her spine straightened, the cold air hit her lungs, she held the book tight, each and every miniscule muscle strained. She stood up and she hit the Bludger with every strength she could muster.
There was an unimaginable explosion of sound it made and an unimaginable silence that followed. She looked at her hand, and before her was the precious Quidditch Through the Ages which had broken in half, three fourths of the pages inside were now flying around where they sat. All she saw was the Bludger whizzing through the other side of the stand and dropping to the ground. No one took it, even when it took flight to look for its next target.
Suddenly, there was a loud cussing noises from George followed by the whole Gryffindor team. Everybody else sat in complete shock. “You have got to be mental!” She shouted, dropping on the ground with her broom and helmet. She motioned for Madame Maison for a timeout and fished Lilith out the stands. “Oh come on, Cole doesn’t need your reassurance. HE’S FINE, GET DOWN HERE NOW!”
Lilith seethed at her friend, with her hands still cupping Cole’s ashen face. “He’s in shock!”
“I don’t care! I need a Beater now!”
Midge Riverson looked grumpy, “Er...what?”
“I meant, get the hell out of here before I strangle you.” She barked at her. “GET IN HERE MALFOY, WE’RE WINNING THIS YEAR!” Riverson glared at them all and stomped angrily away.
“BY MERLIN’S BEARD DID YOU SEE THAT PLAY? SHE HIT A BLUDGER WITH A BOOK! IT’S A FOUL FROM RIVERSON BUT NO ONE CALLED IT. WE KNEW YOU WERE A GRYFFINDOR WHEN YOU WERE A STUDENT MADAME MAISON. OOPS, I’m only joking Professor, I enjoy this job too much—LOOKS LIKE TEAM CAP IS BEGGING MADAM MAISON TO GET MALFOY ON THE TEAM. I HEARD SHE AVOIDED TRYING OUT BECAUSE SHE WAS SCARED OF TEAM CAP.”
Lilith intended a glower at him from the playing field. Johnny Pleamore was very sure he felt a knife hit him.
“Madam Maison says go.” Team Cap, breathlessly said, hoping off her broomstick eight meters away from the ground.
“Alright, but I don’t have any playing gear.” She was wearing her robes, the broken book was still in her hands and she doesn’t have her broom.
Magnus nodded and waved to Moon. He knew Moon always have spare things on his locker. “She needs to borrow your gear.” He said and Moon nodded at once. Magnus asked his boyfriend to get her broom from their dormitory.
“Good luck,” Moon said, with every bit of bitterness he could put into words.
“ALRIGHT FOLKS, SEEMS LIKE THEY GOT HER TO WEAR A SLYTHERIN JERSEY TEMPORARILY SO SHE CAN PLAY. OH NO, DID YOU SEE THAT GLARE FROM MOON? THEY WOULD MAKE A CUTE COUPLE WOULDN’T THEY? STAY TUNED TO SEE IF THEY WILL CONTINUE BEING FRIENDS!” Unfortunately, Moon shall not beat commentators and he just continued walking.
“I’m not giving you a briefing, Malfoy.” Team Cap said sternly. “Read the room and act as you see fit. Hit their Seeker if you must. We will win this game.”
She nodded and Theron Birch saw his fellow Beater muster a smirk. Chill crept up his spine.
Cole watched Lilith in amazement as she fixed her hair in a tight ponytail while flying fast on her broom without her hands holding on. A week ago, she had gotten angry at Moon and George’s rift with being competitive but as soon as she was declared fit to play, her whole demeanor changed. Her ambition to win shrouded her.
“Isn’t that your friend?” A girl’s voice asked him, taking the spot next to him.
“Yes,” he answered, his eyes still looking at the flying players of Slytherin, who were having a debate mid-air. Moon especially was burning with anger, his shouts are almost audible from where Cole and the girl sat.
“I guess you’re pretty close. She protected you from that Bludger on time. It nearly killed you.” He nodded at that, he was conscious of that fact. “Did you notice how she played?” She pointed at Lilith. “Bludgers are hard to manipulate and a lot of beaters use their paddles as shield and not a bat.”
Cole remembered how Riverson played, she too, was a strong beater but not functional enough. “She’s strong,” the girl kept talking with her eyes glinting with interest.
“Do you play, yourself?”
“No, I’m an avid fan.”
The game did not end very soon, and Lilith didn’t have mercy either. Slytherin Chasers Hannah Ameliard, Pia Swakhaggle and Dean Matterhand unfortunately all chose their lives over scoring and they couldn’t hold on to the Quaffle long enough to score because Lilith always throw the ball at them. Occasionally, she would try to knock Moon of his broom but he was also fast as she is strong. Though he would soon enough have to stop and look. He shouted in frustration as Gryffindor kept gaining points.
Eventually, Gryffindor won. They kept scoring that when Moon had the Snitch, Slytherin still came short on the scores.
“GRYFFINDOR WINS! NEXT MATCH WILL DETERMINE THE FIRST HOUSE WHICH WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE TRIWIZARD—WAIT THAT’S CLASSIFIED INFORMATION Professor I am soo, so so sorry.” He got on his knees and begged Professor Andaires who stood tall behind him with her remarkably straight hat and shoulder length hair. “A point from Gryffindor and a month of detention for you, young man!” She said with an index finger pointed in the air.
Cole watched Lilith in amazement as she folded her hair back into her usual ponytail. There was not an air of pride about her, but not from her so to say. Her teammates hooted and pounded their chest for her but she just waved them off with a smile so awkward it was almost attractive. Limelight was most obviously not made for her.
“I’m Hera Williamson, by the way.” The girl beside Cole let an air of relief when Gryffindor won and stuck her hand out awkwardly as she eyed the people around them who were panicking because of Johnny’s unsolicited and surprising announcement.
“Cole McCornell, nice to meet you.” They shook hands, he finally looked at Hera. “Are you a transferee?” He asked, noticing her dangling porcupine earrings.
“Yes. From Beauxbatons, I’m sorted in Hufflepuff.”
Cole looked at her silky brown hair and her ever-present pout, she looked very elegant, very eye-catching. He wanted to make friends but noticed something else at the corner of his eyes, Lilith was greeted by Professor Porta, Professor Maximus and Professor Quigley on her way to the changing tent, her eyes on the ground and her smile is no longer on her face. All of a sudden he felt that his friends needed him there because from the way Moon dropped his broom on the ground. There was something going on. Moon ran towards Lilith and George with worry in his eyes.
Cole looked at Hera one last time and tapped one of her earrings with a smile. “I have to go, sorry!” He sped off without looking back, bumped to a million of people, almost tripped and finally plopped next at Lilith’s shoulder. Hera was left with no seatmate.