A Slytherin Black Sheep

Edana never quite understood how she could go from being a social outcast one moment, then another accepted without question or hesitation. She could only speculate that the goodwill and relief brought by Voldemort’s defeat had something to do with it. Part of her wanted to rail at the others for their treatment of her, but she feared another rejection. It was hard to be alone all the time in the midst of hundreds of people.

She soon had more to occupy her thoughts than her changed status amongst her housemates: the first Quidditch match of the season and Edana’s first game as a member of the team was rapidly approaching. She practiced hard day and night and became almost obsessive about polishing her broom. Two days before the match she had to fight back tears when she missed a shot in practice.

Aileen, the team’s Keeper, noticed her state and sought her out after practice to reassure her by telling her about own pre-game habits. “Everyone has their little rituals to increase their chances of winning. I always brush the trail of my broom against the center goalpost. It seems innocuous enough, but it flattens the top layer of twigs in the tail.”

Edana, too had read numerous Quidditch biographies. Enough to know what Aileen was really doing. “It makes your broom more aerodynamic.”

“There are a thousand ways to maximize your performance without resorting to cheating. When you play with an edge, it bolsters your confidence. Try it.”

“But isn’t cheating Slytherin tradition?”

“Yes, but not one we should practice with great regularity. Every time a person cheats and gets away with it, their guard is lowered a tad. Sooner or later they get brazen and are caught. I prefer to play smart.” Aileen said with a smile.

“How is your revenge against Prosser going?” Edana asked, curious.

Aileen’s face darkened at the mention of Miranda. Edana immediately regretted asking the question, but not having a time turner handy, there no way to rewind time and unask it. Aileen had hoped to be Head Girl but the position went to a Ravenclaw named Miranda Prosser. For reasons Aileen would never delve into, she and Miranda never got on, and she promised to even the score.

Aileen cleared her throat and fussed with an imaginary thread on the hem of her robes while she sought an appropriate answer.

“Haven’t really come up with anything suitable yet.” Aileen said after a long minute, ceasing to worry the hem of her robes.

Edana decided to steer the conversation back into safer territory. “Broom tail against goal post, eh. Any advice that would work for a chaser?”

“Ever read anything about Catriona McCormick?”

Edana smiled thinking of all the articles and biographies she had ever read about the famous chaser. There was hardly a word written about her that Edana had not come across. “Of course.”

“What did she always do before a game?” Aileen prompted.

“Rub dirt on her hands before putting her gloves on. Helped her grip the Quaffle better.” The younger girl answered.

“Why not try that?”

“I will, thank you for the idea.”

“Feel better?”

* * * * *

The day of the annual Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor dawned cold and windy. Edana shivered in her uniform despite the warming charms worked into the emerald green material. She hoped the wind would not adversely affect her performance in the match. As the newest chaser, she knew she would be under the greatest scrutiny.

“Listen up team,” Captain and Beater Hugo Ryan barked as the team assembled. “I just found out that Gryffindor has replaced their Seeker.”

The team felt as though they swallowed ice cubes. The Slytherin Seeker, Joshua Harker, looked ill. He had prepared to play against Gryffindor’s usual Seeker Peter Taggert. Introducing a new Seeker who may have seen him fly but whom Harker may have never even glimpsed on a broom made him uneasy. Quidditch teams did not replace players casually, and never just before a match.

“What happened to Taggert? Who are they playing as Seeker?” Harker asked.

“Taggert was injured in practice last night. They’re using some second year, Charlie Weasley.” Ryan replied. “Skinny kid, red hair, freckles. Can’t miss him.”

“Weasley?” Edana squeaked. She had heard rumors about how good he was.

“You know something Rosier?” Ryan demanded.

Edana swallowed hard. Her nervousness had not dissolved, and having six pairs of anxious eyes fixed on her did not help matters. “I’ve seen him fly before in class. He’s really good. Especially at turns and dives.”

“Well, Weasley may be good on a broom but he still new to the game. Harker has the experience.” Ryan announced.

“I’m new too.” Edana muttered under her breath. “Thanks for your reassurance.”

* * * * *

Three quarters of the crowd wore red, waved red flags and screamed themselves hoarse at the appearance of the Gryffindor team. Edana thought the stadium looked like a bizarre Christmas display. She focused on the quarter of the crowd in arrayed varying hues of green. She easily spotted Professor Snape, who wore dark green and appeared unaffected by the cold, and her classmates. Alex, Kali, Braedan, Dru and Malina were huddled around a banner with a silver Slytherin serpent that had a Quaffle in its mouth.

“And the Slytherins: Halcyon, Moonflower, Preston, Rosier, Ryan, Travers...and Harker!” Emilia Stanton, the Hufflepuff announcer cried as the team crossed the field. Most of the crowd booed and hissed. Edana could just pick out Illiana and was relieved to note that although she wore red, she was not booing or hissing.

Madam Hootch signaled for the team captains to come forward.

“I want a fair game from the both of them,” she said as she fixed each player with her hawk like eyes. With a final warning glare at the team captains, she watched their brief hand shake. As soon as the two captains jumped apart, Hootch let the balls loose and threw up the Quaffle. The Golden Snitch quickly darted out of site.

Stanton began her commentary on the match. “And the Quaffle is taken up by Bones of Gryffindor, she passes to teammate Davis...intercepted by Moonflower of Slytherin ...Moonflower racing for the goal posts.”

As the two seekers started circling the field like a pair of predatory birds, Selene Moonflower was speeding toward the Gryfindor Keeper with the Quaffle under her arm and a determined expression on her face when her broom handle was struck by a Bludger. She dropped the Quaffle.

“Nice play by the Gryffindor beater. Moonflower drops the Quaffle, picked up by Davis of Gryffindor.”

Edana flew toward Davis. She noticed the Gryffindor girl’s grip was loose, it was easy to take the Quaffle from her. She swung around toward the Slytherin goal post.

“Quaffle taken by Chaser Rosier, nice play by Slytherin. A new addition to the Slytherin team, but not the only player facing their first match today. Gryffindor is fielding a brand new Seeker - Charlie Weasley.”

The Gryffindor Keeper moved from a waiting stance into a double eight loop in anticipation of having to fend Edana’s attempt to score off. Edana shifted to the left and flew lower as she drew closer. Then as the Keeper moved to match her approach, she changed her course and threw the Quaffle. It sailed through the goal hoop unhindered to the cheers of the Slytherins and the groans of the rest of the school.

Edana could not contain her relief and delight and punched the air in triumph. She had been terrified that she would not be able to score a goal and Ryan would have her removed from the team.

The announcer, however, could not conceal her disappointment at this turn in the match. “Rosier gets the Quaffle by Keeper Halsey. Halsey’s Nimbus 1000 is no match for Rosier’s Cleansweep 5. Slytherin scores.”

The match was far from over. “Slytherin in possession. Halcyon passes to Rosier - nice catch there- and Rosier loops back toward goal. Pass to Moonflower, nice swerve there around the Gryffindor beater. Excellent coordination between the Slytherin chasers. Moonflower SCORES!”

Edana grinned at the announcer’s compliment. Slytherin was twenty points up. She raised her hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun as she picked out Harker, still circling above, seeking the golden snitch.

This time it was the Gryffindors who gained hold of the Quaffle. Stanton again abandoned her purported neutrality and betrayed her excitement at this development. “Chaser Davis of Gryffindor is hurtling toward the goal posts, will she get past the keeper? Yes! She got past Keeper Travers!”

This time it was the Slytherin’s turn to boo and hiss. Davis smirked. Edana caught a glimpse of Aileen’s determined face and almost pitied her. Travers had a long memory and did not forgive a slight or perceived slight easily. She had an uncanny ability to reek revenge either by herself or by proxy. In addition, she also dated one of the Slytherin beaters. Edana was therefore not surprised to see a bludger aimed at Davis. The Gryffindor was almost unseated, but managed to stay on her broom. The Quaffle was taken up by Slytherin Allison Halcyon.

“Slytherin 20, Gryffindor 10. Still no sign of the Quaffle, Slytherin in possession. Halcyon steaming toward the goal - she drops the Quaffle, nice play by the Gryffindor beaters - Quaffle picked up by Chaser Rosier.”

Edana picked up speed and swung around two Gryffindor chasers.

“Rosier of Slytherin racing toward the goal posts.”

WHAM!. Edana felt something slam into her, she caught a glimpse of something red as she tried to simultaneously correct her position and retain her grip on the Quaffle.

It was too late. “Gryffindor has the snitch! Gryffindor wins, 160 to 20!”

“Bugger.” Edana muttered as she set down on the field. A glance at the faces of the rest of the team showed that they shared her depression at the outcome of the match. On the other side of the pitch the Gryffindors were congratulating their new Seeker. Edana hoped they suffocated him.

In the locker room, the team sat quietly on benches while their captain paced back and forth.

“Match only lasted seven minutes.” Ryan fumed, throwing down his broom. “Seven minutes!”

Harker stood up, glared at Ryan, and disappeared back into his dormitory. He was not seen again until he had to go to class the following Monday.

Edana wandered into her dormitory and reached into her bag for a book. The one she pulled out was Charms and Counter Charms Used by the Ancient Egyptians by Professor R. L. Mustee was among he books she had checked out of the library for a History of Magic essay due this week. Even though she had more than enough to write the essay, Edana found herself drawn to ancient Egypt. Hoping to loose herself in the pages of her book she sat on her bed, petted her cat Shadow after he hopped into her lap, and read.

* * * * *

The next day after her Potions lesson, Edana found herself pulled into an alcove by the new Gryffindor Seeker, Charlie Weasley.

“What do you want?” She hissed, still annoyed at the outcome of her first match and the brief collision. Her side was still sore and having her arm pulled did not help the situation.

Weasley flushed until his face matched his hair and stared at his shoes. “I wanted to apologize for knocking into you during the match yesterday.”

“Oh.” Edana found herself saying. She could not believe who stupid she sounded. Was that really her speaking? It sounded so far away and like someone altogether different. Why did she feel so strange?

“I need to go,” Charlie said, blushing harder. “ I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. All’s fair in love and Quidditch.”

Charlie looked up from his shoes and favored her with a lopsided grin. Edana felt her heart skip a beat and her own face redden. He was really quite attractive. Especially when he was blushing.

“I guess I’ll see you around.” Charlie stammered.

It took all of Edana’s self control to form a coherent reply. “Yes, of course.”

She watched him turn a corner and disappear from. He was very attractive.

This chapter has ended