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Dumbledore's Army - Still Flying by Karaley Dargen, muggle girl marauder, minnabird, the opaleye

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The hallway was silent as they waited, wondering when their turn would come. Ginny appeared from the doorway and squeezed Neville’s hand as she staggered to the bench. At least she could walk without assistance. That wasn’t always the case lately. Neville stiffened as his name was called and started toward Alecto’s office. Sympathetic eyes fixed on the back of his head, because none of them were under any delusions about how their rebellion would be dealt with. He took a deep breath before entering and hoped that with so many students waiting, they wouldn’t spend long with each one.

A hand grabbed him by the back of the neck as the door slammed shut behind him. He was thrown into a chair, cold chains snaking themselves around his arms and legs until he could barely move. Neville looked up into the menacing eyes of Alecto Carrow and, before she could say a word, smiled.

–Hello, Professor. May I have a cup of tea, by any chance? I’m parched.”

–SHUT IT,” screeched her brother, Amycus.

–Now, now,” said Alecto. –Only one person in this room is going to be screaming when we’re done.”

Raising her wand, she stepped towards him. Neville felt his heartbeat quicken, but he was far too used to this procedure by now to let them sense any discomfort on his part. What he did worry about were all the others. Even though they hadn’t caught everyone who was involved, there still hadn’t been this many people in trouble at once since the start of the year. This certainly wasn’t the outcome he had been hoping for.

–Let’s get this interview started, shall we?” Alecto said, standing so close to Neville that he had to breathe in the thick air of must around her. –Crucio!” she screamed.

***

–Look at them,” Ginny said, nodding towards a huddled group of sombre-eyed first years. –Can you imagine what it must be like, first year here and it’s like this? I wish they’d been able to see the real Hogwarts.”

Neville tried to remember what it had been like to be eleven. Hogwarts had been a wonder - full of surprises and a thousand ways to get lost, of course, but always better than his Gran’s house, with stuffy relatives always looking for signs of magic. –Halloween’ll be coming up soon,” he muttered. –No chance there’ll be a proper feast, I suppose.”

–Knowing the Carrows, we’ll have to force-feed the first-years tarantulas or whatever we made in Potions,” she muttered darkly.

Neville continued to look over at the younger students. They were standing by the common room fire, passing around what looked like Chocolate Frog cards. Someone must have managed to smuggle them in.

–They’re missing out on so much,” he said. –And not just the important stuff like defence, either. The fun things, the things that make Hogwarts really magical.”

–Like Quidditch,” replied Ginny. –The Quidditch season should be starting soon. I didn’t realise how empty Hogwarts would feel without it.”

"It must be worse for you," Neville replied, glancing wistfully into the dark beyond the windows. "All the training and preparation... I only ever watched, and still I really miss it."

Ginny fiddled with the corner of a pillow for a moment, then suddenly looked up. "I don't think it is worse for the players, actually. Quidditch means a lot to the people here. And - can you imagine looking forward to Hogwarts, and watching your first proper Quidditch game, and then you arrive to... well, to this?"

She chucked the pillow at an armchair and hugged her knees.

–I hate this,” she said dully.

***

Neville tried to walk with some semblance of dignity when he was released from Alecto’s office, but it was hard with every bone in his body aching. Only when he reached Ginny’s side did he allow himself to collapse with a sigh of relief.

–They’re really determined to find out who else was involved,” Neville murmured.

Ginny nodded. –At least the first years escaped,” she said, her voice a whisper. –Now we just have to hope no one here talks.”

***

Neville spent a lot of time wandering the corridors these days.

Perhaps it was another form of rebellion, another way to prove to the Carrows that they didn’t own him, that he was free no matter how hard they tried to control him. But really, Neville just needed to be reminded of the Hogwarts he grew up in and why the fight had to go on.

So, it wasn’t really a surprise when he found himself standing before the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy in the seventh floor corridor. As the memories of Dumbledore’s Army flooded his turbulent mind, he began to pace.

–We need to get our spirits up,” he thought.

Once past the tapestry.

"We need to get our spirits up."

Twice past the tapestry.

"We need to get our spirits up."

He held his breath as he looked up at the wall. Sure enough, there was a door. But it was small, like one of the rooms where Filch kept his mops and buckets. Neville didn't know what he had been expecting. His thoughts had still been on the conversation with Ginny, and his instructions to the room had been rather vague. Maybe there just hadn't been enough to work with.

Tentatively, he pushed down the door handle.

With a loud clattering of wood on stone, several somethings fell out of the apparent cupboard. Neville threw up his arms instinctively and managed to catch a few more, with the result that his nose was now rather sore but he had prevented more noise.

He realised, tardily, that the Room of Requirement had given him broomsticks. Four lay on the floor, three more were in his arms, and it looked like the same amount had remained in the room. Enough to outfit two Quidditch teams.

He grinned, suddenly understanding what the Room wanted him to do.

***

The dungeon where they were all being held was cold and damp, and there was an incessant dripping noise that was beginning to drive Neville mad. A pained shriek echoed throughout the dungeon and Ginny flinched beside him. He leaned back against the wall, fists clenched.

–Come on, Demelza,” he whispered to himself. –Just hold on a little longer.”

–She shouldn’t have to hold out,” said Ginny, raising her voice and looking around at everyone. –We need to stop ignoring the elephant in the room. Someone snitched on us.”

–Yeah,” agreed Seamus, loudly. –And we all know who it was!”

–Do we?” asked Summerby.

Seamus raised his eyebrows. –It’s obvious, isn’t it? Look around! Which house doesn’t have anyone sitting around in this dungeon right now?”

Neville felt his heart sink. This was worse than being tortured. They weren’t supposed to fight and suspect each other like that. Surely, the Carrows hadn’t planned to divide them this way, but if they went on like this, they’d make a good job of it themselves.

–Just because there aren’t any Slytherins here doesn’t mean that it’s their fault,” Neville said cautiously.

–Oh come on,” Ginny replied. –Look at the facts, Neville.”

***

Neville shoved the brooms back into the cupboard and watched the door seal itself. Hurrying back to the common room to tell Ginny, excitement at the thought of reclaiming Hogwarts from the Carrows, however briefly, and right under their noses threatened to overwhelm him. It was better than any Cheering Charm, but the last thing he needed was for the Carrows or one of their snitches to wonder what he was up to, so Neville continued along the corridor, looking down at his feet all the while until the portrait appeared.

–Phoenix,” he said quietly to the Fat Lady’s portrait.

Once he was inside the portrait hole, he allowed himself to smile. He spotted Ginny immediately, in one of the good chairs near the fire, and joined her there.

–Ginny,” he whispered excitedly. –I’ve got an idea. To give the first years a taste of the real Hogwarts.”

Ginny’s eyes lit up and she leaned forward as she asked, –What is it?”

–Quidditch game, in the Room of Requirement. It’ll produce brooms and everything.”

–Neville, that’s brilliant!” Ginny exclaimed, then clamped a hand over her mouth, barely covering her grin. –Oh, but we’ll have to be careful,” she added.

"I know," Neville replied. "But I think lots of people would be up for it, and it could also be a great way of showing them that Dumbledore's Army isn't going to give up that easily."

"We might be able to use the old D.A. coins," Ginny mused. "But not a lot of the original members who are still at Hogwarts have ever played Quidditch..."

There was a short pause as she counted in her head.

"But there are lots of students who have played - we might even be able to recruit some of them for the D.A.!"

***

–That doesn’t prove anything. The D.A. was found out and there were no Slytherins involved,” Neville said.

–Then what else could have happened?” Ginny asked quickly. –Think about it, Neville, you have to admit that it’s the only explanation that makes sense.”

–Not necessarily,” Susan said, looking up. –Didn’t you see how happy Astoria was to play? She’s never had the chance before, so why would she ruin it? She told me that she did try out for her house team two years ago and her father sent an owl telling her that she’d better not do it again.”

–Vaisey, then,” Ginny snapped, holding Susan’s gaze challengingly.

–All right,” Neville broke in, –that’s enough. Can we at least talk about this calmly and not fight about it? Can’t you see they win if we’re all fighting?”

Ginny looked away from Susan, though it was clear the anger hadn’t gone out of her. –I still think it was one of them,” she muttered. –We can’t trust them.”

***

Neville and Ginny had talked to the other members of the D.A., who had in turn promised to talk to Quidditch players they trusted. Ginny had recruited five Gryffindors besides herself and Neville.

During breakfast two days later, Parvati slipped onto the bench next to them.

"Hi Ginny," she said casually, picking a piece of toast from a stack and buttering it. She then threw a quick glance around and lowered her voice. "So, Padma tells me that Hannah gathered up quite a bunch of people in Hufflepuff. She's not flying herself, but there's Summerby and Cadwaller, and Susan Bones, and a few people who are really keen to watch."

Ginny considered for a moment. "I've never seen Susan fly, is she any good?"

"I suppose so." Parvati shrugged. "But there's someone else..."

–Who?” Ginny asked quietly as she glanced around the room.

When Parvati didn’t answer immediately, Ginny began to ask again, but before she could finish her question, she felt Parvati kick her foot under the table. She looked up and saw Alecto staring down at her from the staff table. Alecto whispered something to her brother and then his gaze fell on Ginny as well.

Ginny looked around the room again and took a sip of pumpkin juice before saying in a whisper, –I’ll leave now. Wait five minutes and then meet us in the common room, okay?”

The common room was dead silent, Ginny, Parvati and Neville its only occupants.

–So who is it? This other person?” Ginny asked.

–Hear me out,” Parvati said (bad way to start, Neville thought, noticing Ginny’s wariness). –He misses Quidditch as much as we do, and he’s nice, and I trust him.”

Ginny’s voice was hard. –And what’s the catch?”

–He’s a Slytherin,” Parvati said quickly. –But he’s not like the rest of them, I promise.”

–Absolutely not!” Ginny’s voice was shockingly loud to Neville’s ears.

–Just think it over,” Parvati pleaded. –At least let the rest of the D.A. decide.”

"So, assuming I agree to this," Ginny said, scowling, "who is this Slytherin? Because I swear, I'm not flying with Malfoy!"

"You won't have to fly with anyone. There will be two teams, remember? We can just put him on the other team," Neville interjected.

He nodded at Parvati, who went on, "It's Jonathan Vaisey, and like I said, he's really all right. He's been on the Slytherin team before, and he's really decent. He doesn't care much for the Carrows at all, and would rather just have everything back to the way it was - including Quidditch. So?"

Neville nodded.

–I think we can trust him. This is about rebelling against the Carrows, right? And doing something we enjoy? If another student who loves Quidditch just as much as Ginny wants to join in and happens to be a Slytherin, then aren’t we just as bad as the rest of them if we don’t let him play?”

Ginny continued to scowl.

–I still don’t like it,” she said. –But if you trust him and he’s not on my team, then…” She shrugged.

Parvati beamed.

–I don’t think you realise how much this is going to mean to him.”

–I really hope you’re right, Parvati,” Ginny said.

–I know I am,” she replied, smiling. –You’ll see.”

–Okay, we’ll figure out a time and then we can start letting the rest of the D.A. know. They’ll spread the word around. You’ll tell Vaisey then, Parvati?” Neville asked and she nodded. –Just be really careful, okay? I don’t want you getting into trouble.”

–I know. I will be, and don’t worry, he can keep a secret. We’d better get to class before we’re late and in detention. You can’t afford that with how badly they’ve been on your case lately, Neville.”

***

Demelza reappeared, clutching her side and walking gingerly, a rapidly swelling bruise around her left eye. She eased herself onto the bench next to Lavender, not speaking.

It was clear Alecto hadn’t got what she wanted, because she came out and called, –Bones, in here.”

Susan stood, her hands clenching at her sides, clearly terrified. No one dared speak, only watch in silence as she entered Alecto’s office.

–It’s them we should be angry with,” Neville said. –They’re the reason we did this in the first place, and they’re the reason we need to stick together now more than ever.”

–Maybe there are some people I don’t want to stick together with,” Ginny began again.

–Maybe there are some people we shouldn’t trust from now on.” Seamus got up from the bench. –This was just a Quidditch match, and look how much we’re paying for trying to boost our morale. Imagine they caught us doing something really important with the D.A.”

Ginny frowned slightly as Seamus talked about Quidditch as though it didn’t really matter, but as he finished, she nodded. Trying to sit up straight, but flinching as she did, Ginny went on.

–Stop being so fair and noble, Neville! We need to find out who did this. Seamus is right; if we’re going to continue the rebellion then we can’t surround ourselves with people who aren’t trustworthy.”

–But don’t you see-”

–Neville!” interrupted Lavender who was tending to Demelza. –Look around you. I think we can agree that none of us are responsible and of all the people who got away, who could it be but the Slytherins? Luna? Michael? Jimmy Peakes? As if they'd snitch.”

–And the younger students would be too scared to go near the Carrows,” said Terry.

–So it had to be Vaisey or Greengrass,” Terry concluded. –But which one? Even though Susan thinks Greengrass wouldn’t snitch, look at how she got involved in the first place. She threatened to go to the Carrows if we didn’t let her play.”

–But what would be the point in that?” Neville asked. –She already knew, so if she wanted to tell, she could have done it anyway. Why ask to play unless she really wanted to? I think you’re wrong about her, Terry.”

***

The chief organisers met the day before the match to review their plans one last time.

–Have we got the teams nailed down?” Neville asked first thing.

Ginny and Paul Summerby, who were acting as captains, both nodded.

–I’ve got Mark, Seamus and Demelza for Chasers, Jack and Padma as Beaters, Susan as Keeper, and me as Seeker,” Ginny said.

–I’m Seeker as well,” Paul said. –Vaisey, Iwan and Terry as Chasers, Jimmy and Ritchie as Beaters, and you as Keeper.”

–Okay, so there’s that settled,” Neville said. ”What about security? Have you got your plans in place?”

Michael nodded.

–Some of us will be outside around the place, keeping lookout from all access points to the seventh floor corridor. Parvati is in charge of the first years and other spectators inside the Room of Requirement and the rest of us will have our coins on us at all times.”

–Yes,” said Parvati. –And Ernie is doing the commentary, so he’ll be able to notify us all as soon as something comes through on the coin.”

There was a loud clatter and everyone jumped.

–Just my quill,” said Neville, leaning down to pick it up from the floor. –Parvati, does anyone else need to be told about the match?”

–No, everyone who should know already does. We’re ready.”

–Good,” he said, watching the group begin to leave the room in twos and threes to avoid arousing any suspicion. –Be careful heading back. They’ve been prowling around the entrance to the common room more often, and it’s getting close to curfew.”

–Aren’t you coming back now?” she asked.

–In a minute. I need to return a book to Professor Sprout, and then I’ll be there.” Neville headed down the stairs as quickly as he could without running.

As Neville walked through the corridors, he tried not to think about the possibilities of what might happen if they were caught. They were planning for the eventuality, of course, but there was always the possibility that they might not be alerted fast enough, might not get out in time, might be caught between the Room and their common rooms, might somehow be found out later…

But wasn’t it worth the risk? Didn’t he repeatedly get put in detention for mouthing off, all in the name of raising morale? Wasn’t a secret Quidditch game right in line with that philosophy?

He wasn’t just risking himself this time, though. There were innocent first-years involved.

But he thought back to that evening with Ginny when the topic of Quidditch had been first brought up, and the memory of the glum, hopeless faces around the common room. They could pull this off. He knew it.

–Longbottom.”

Neville stopped, instinctively slipping behind a suit of armour.

–In here.”

He recognised that voice. Zacharias Smith. Neville moved out from behind the armour and walked into the classroom.

Smith was waiting for him, leaning against the desk at the front of the room.

–What’re you doing?”

–What do you mean, what am I doing?” Neville asked.

–Not just you,” Zacharias replied. –I mean the whole D.A. lot. You’re up to something, aren’t you?”

Neville quickly pulled the door shut behind him and hissed, –Careful, Smith, you know that the Carrows have their ears all over the place.”

He considered the other for a moment. Almost everyone from the D.A. who was still around would be part of this, but they had all agreed about Zacharias Smith.

–And no, we’re not up to anything right now. I’ll let you know when we have a plan.”

Smith looked as if he was going to argue further, but Neville cut him off. –I promise you, if there’s anything you need to know, I’ll tell you, or one of the others will.” Smith continued to glare, but Neville had stood up to far worse people than Zacharias Smith.

–Fine,” Smith said, and left without another word. Neville breathed a sigh of relief. That was one hurdle cleared, at any rate. But if Smith had noticed something was up, other eyes might have seen it as well, and that was worrying. They’d have to be more careful.

***

Neville paced back and forth in the dungeon, trying to remain calm. He needed to be strong for everyone else, and with Susan’s screams echoing around the stone walls, his leadership was more important than ever. They needed to stick together. If one of them cracked, then…

–I can’t do this,” said Ginny, interrupting his thoughts. –I can’t just sit here and listen to this. We need to do something, give them false information.”

There was a loud bang and silence descended upon them all. The sudden absence of Susan’s pained cries was even worse.

–The only thing I want to do right now is hex some Slytherins,” Seamus said savagely. –Vaisey and Greengrass deserve it. We trusted them and now look what’s happened. They need to pay for whatever is happening to Susan right now. Look at Ginny, and Demelza, and you, for that matter, Neville! How may times have you been hauled in here after some Slytherin snitched on you for something? I’d do it in a heartbeat, punishment or not. It would be worth whatever the Carrows did to me.”

–Seamus-” Neville started, but he was cut off by another scream.

He clenched his fists at the sound, took a deep breath, and decided to change course.

–Let’s forget who we think did what. What matters right now is to minimise the damage and get us out of here. Ginny, what kind of false information are you thinking about? We can’t give them any names...”

–They know we were playing Quidditch,” Summerby said. The broomsticks that they hadn’t been able to get rid of in time were leaning against one of the corners, tied together with a spell. –And they know we must have been fourteen for that.”

–Unless...,” started Lavender. –What if we were just practising? You know, say it wasn’t a real match. We could say we found a few old brooms and decided to have a little fun.”

–Yeah. We’ll still be punished but it might throw them off finding out who else was involved,” replied Demelza who was still leaning heavily on Lavender.

Terry, Paul and Neville all nodded, grimacing as another torturous, almost inhuman sound echoed around the dungeons but Ginny and Seamus remained silent.

–What are they doing to her?” spat Ginny.

Seamus looked ready to punch a wall.

–Lying to protect the others is all well and good, but that doesn’t change what they’ve already done to us because the Slytherins betrayed us,” he growled. –We need to make them regret it. They need to know that they can’t get away with this.”

–We’re at war,” Hannah said, speaking up from the end of the bench. –They can’t have it both ways. Either they’re on our side or they’re with the Death Eaters.” Her mouth twisted. –They made their choice, and now look what’s happened.”

As if to punctuate this statement, another scream echoed in the silence.

***

Neville spent the day of the match going through everything in his head. They had two full teams with Ginny and Paul as captains. Parvati was going to be in the Room of Requirement to look after the first years and evacuate them in case the Carrows found out about the match. Neville had made use of the previous afternoon by practising giving the Room instructions, and had managed to create four exits that led to places near the respective common rooms. Michael Corner was in charge of patrolling the corridors in shifts with some of the other D.A. members.

Everything was in place and ready, but that didn’t stop Neville from tapping his quill nervously against his thigh during his classes. He even found himself biting his nails during lunch, a habit he had not indulged in since fourth year, until he caught the eye of a Slytherin girl who gave him a sly smile. That seemed to bring him to his senses and he immediately dropped his hand back onto the table.

When the time finally came for the Gryffindor group to leave for the Room of Requirement, the tension in the common room was almost tangible. Everyone invited to the game was watching as Neville and Ginny stood and left the common room. They would follow, in drips and drabs, over the next half-hour or so, so as not to raise suspicion: first years and a few older students who Neville and Ginny were considering approaching to join the D.A. Only people who could be discreet - by this point it was pretty clear who talked and who didn’t.

When they arrived before the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, Neville concentrated on an indoor Quidditch pitch with stands that would fit thirty and all the necessary equipment.

He was glad now that he had taken the time to practise this beforehand - otherwise he might have been too nervous to get it right at the crucial moment. Ginny stood next to the tapestry, her gaze flickering between Neville as he started pacing past the hidden door, and the two ends of the corridor. They had had lookouts in front of the staffroom before making their way upstairs, and the Carrows were safely away seven floors below. Everything was going just as they had planned.

After what seemed like ages, Neville completed his final pace. They both looked up.

The door in the wall was small and unassuming. Ginny shrugged and walked forwards, pulling the handle and stepping into the Room of Requirement. Neville followed behind closely.

He closed the door and turned around to face the pitch, letting out a loud whoop. The room had expanded until it was just as large as the real Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. A vast stand lined the pitch along the right side of the room, with a rather imposing commentator’s box and a score board of golden brown wood on the left.

Ginny flung herself down upon the grass with a blissful smile.

–This is perfect,” she said, turning that smile on Neville.

–Thanks!” he said. –The equipment should be under the stands; it was last time.” He ran across the pitch and found the large trunk where he had expected it to be.

–Here,” he said, unlatching it and opening it once he had brought it over.

–Cleansweep Sixes!” Ginny exclaimed. –These are really decent brooms.” They dug the broomsticks out, counting fifteen (–One for the referee, I expect,” Ginny said; it hadn’t occurred to Neville, but he supposed ‘necessary equipment’ covered that) before they uncovered the balls, strapped to the bottom.

–Wow,” sounded a voice from behind them, and they spun around to see Seamus and Parvati standing in the entrance.

–There’s actual grass here!” Seamus exclaimed. –This is brilliant. Neville, you’re a genius!”

Parvati looked around at the stands. –Plenty of room for everyone,” she said. –So, where are those emergency exits?”

–I don’t really think we’ll need them.” Ginny beamed. –This is going to be so perfect!”

Neville grinned. –Well, I hope you’re right, Ginny. But just in case... come on, I’ll show you where they are. You just have to make sure that everyone gets out in time.”

He led them over to the commentator’s box, where four wide doors were evenly spaced across the wall behind it, each with a house crest carved into the wood.

–Just make sure everyone knows where they are when they get here,” said Neville. –The doors each lead to a different part of the castle near each Common Room.”

–Great,” said Parvati. –I’ll tell the younger students when they get here.”

–Looks like some of them are here already,” said Ginny, pointing over to the main entrance. Parvati moved towards the other Gryffindors, herding them over to the stands.

People slowly trickled in: Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Within a few minutes, most of the players had arrived, but there was no sign of their solitary Slytherin yet.

The last of the spectators were arriving when Vaisey finally appeared, looking none too pleased. The reason became apparent when a second figure appeared in the doorway behind him.

–What’s he playing at?” Ginny hissed.

–I don’t know,” Neville said, frowning. It was the Slytherin girl who’d smiled him at lunch earlier - Amelia? Fifth year, he thought.

She should definitely not be here. What in the world has possessed Vaisey?

Neville looked at Parvati, now sitting on the stands with the first years. She had vouched for Vaisey, and Neville had readily believed her. But they had agreed that they couldn’t trust the other Slytherins, and here Vaisey was, with this girl...

–What the hell, Vaisey?” Ginny interrupted Neville’s thoughts. –I knew we shouldn’t have let you in on this. We had an agreement!”

–I didn’t want to bring her here,” Vaisey started through clenched teeth.

Ginny squared her jaw, her hand dangerously close to her wand. –What’s she doing here then? Why did you tell her about the match?”

The Slytherin girl laughed and Ginny turned to her with a look so fearsome that Neville had the urge to step back, or cast a Shield Charm at least.

–He didn’t tell me anything,” she said. –I overheard him and that silly Patil whispering in the library yesterday. Well, they weren’t just whispering.”

Neville groaned.

–Look,” said Vaisey, desperately. –I didn’t have a choice. Astoria was threatening to tell the Carrows unless I brought her along. What was I supposed to do?”

–Oh, I don’t know,” said Ginny. –How about keeping your mouth shut in the first place, you twit.”

I wasn’t yelling about it,” Vaisey said, annoyance clear in his voice, –I just didn’t realise she was there.”

–And here I thought you Slytherins were supposed to be cunning and sly, and all that, but how stupid do you have to be not to at least check who is around before you start blabbing? Unless you two are supposed to distract us until the Carrows get here and round us all up,” Ginny said, accusingly. –That’s it, isn’t it? I knew we couldn’t trust you, Vaisey! I wonder if anyone here is good with memory charms,” Ginny said, threateningly.

–If I wanted you to get caught, trust me, you’d be in the dungeons already. I just want to fly, like the rest of you, and I’m not stupid enough to think that you’d let me if I just asked.” Astoria’s tone was victorious, as though her participating in the match was settled. This only seemed to infuriate Ginny further.

–Oh yes?” she asked. –And why’s that?”

The other girl raised her eyebrows. –I thought you’d understand, since you play yourself. Slytherin girls don’t play for their house. I tried out once, and had to bear the consequences for weeks.”

Ginny seemed to struggle with this, her nostrils flaring and wand half-raised.

–Fine,” she hissed. –But you’re not on my team and if anything happens, anything at all, we know who to hold responsible.” She looked at Vaisey. –You, too.”

Vaisey held up his hands with a scowl.

–Whatever. I’m just here to play Quidditch.”

Astoria grinned, looking around. She pointed over at the pile of Cleansweep Sixes lying on the pitch.

–Ha. You’d think we’d get something better than those.”

–Scared you won’t win unless you’re on the Firebolt daddy gave you?” retorted Ginny.

–Bring it on, Weasley.”

Paul stepped forward then. –Right,” he rapped out, business-like, –who wants to give up their spot and join security?”

His team members looked at each other uneasily, and Neville was about to volunteer when Terry called out, –I will.”

–Good. Iwan, I know I can trust you to play your best no matter who you’re playing with. Vaisey, you’re housemates, you should get along. Jimmy and Ritchie, I’d better not catch you slacking off on her protection. We can’t afford injuries, especially not to a Slytherin. The Carrows would take it personally.”

That taken care of, Paul nodded to Ginny.

–I’ll let Ernie know,” Neville said, and made his way towards the commentator’s box. He was glad that Paul had reacted in such a practical manner. That was Ginny’s one great weakness - although there was only one thing they could do, she let her prejudices and principles get in the way.

Just before he reached the box, he heard her hurrying up behind him.

–I’m glad I could get away from them.” She pulled a face. –I swear, if anything happens, I’m going to strangle them both personally.”

–Let’s just hope nothing happens in the first place,” Neville muttered.

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