Learn From the History

Chapter 5: Quidditch

"Hey, Tom," Alex greeted his friend who was sitting in his usual corner of the library. Tom looked up from the book was reading and raised his eyebrow when he saw Alex stood beside him.

"I thought you are in the Quidditch tryout?"

Alex shook his head. "They want someone who can stay in the team for a longer time. Besides, they can hardly cooperate with me."

"You fly well," said Tom. "You can be a good seeker."

Alex shrugged and dropped himself in the seat next to Tom. He frowned. "Studying again?"

Tom smiled. "It's something you ought to do more."

Alex groaned and decided to change the subject. "What do you have later?"

"Transfiguration," Tom answered with dislike.

Alex raised his eyebrow. "Your transfiguration is the top in your year." 'So as Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charm, Potions and near every other subjects.' Alex added to himself.

"Dumbledore never like me as much as the other teachers did. And I hate the look he gave me, it looks as if it can see through me and read my mind," answered Tom before he buried himself in the book again.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Bookworm," he muttered.

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After that meeting in the opening feast, Tom and Alex had become quite close. Though the friendship was still tentative, Tom had become more comfortable with the presence of his new companion.

Despite the fact that Tom spent most of him time in the library, Alex was quite fond of the boy. He was smart, with a trait most Slytherins possessed- cunning. But he was also a good friend. Once he got familiar with you, he would be warmer and not so cold. The boy was still quite close to himself though, he had been alone for a long time, and it was hard for him to trust another person so easily.

Tom never spoke of his life in the orphanage, most of the time they would just speak about schoolwork and their classes. Sometimes Tom would also fill in some common knowledge about the wizarding world for Alex to, as Tom put it, survive in Slytherin.

In Alex opinion, Tom was too mature for his age. But as Alex recalled what he saw in his "dreams", he found that the maturity was not a surprise at all. Sadly, Tom must learn to be independent in his early age, he must do everything on his own and no childish behavior was allowed. This was his way to survive in the orphanage.

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Tom was right, Alex did fly well.

When the captain of the Slytherin house team announced the date of the Quidditch tryout, Alex immediately found his interest in Quidditch and demanded Tom to explain more about it. As Tom never had much interest in that sport, he soon lost his patience at the complicated rule of Quidditch and Alex's numerous questions.

After gaining the permission of the flying professor, Tom simply just drugged Alex onto a broom and that effectively shut the mouth of his friend.

Surprisingly, Alex flew remarkably well. Once he kicked off from the ground and looked down from the broom, he felt joy and familiarity. He knew how to control a broom. Alex flew around the Quidditch pitch; he felt the wind sweeping beside him as he drove up and down with top speed. Alex grinned as he flew; he was glad that he finally found something he was familiar with.

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In 1^st of October, the whole school was all sitting in the stands around the Quidditch pitch, waiting for the first match of the year- Slytherin versus Ravenclaw.

The flying teacher whistled. Players of both team kicked off the ground and the game began.

The game was quite exciting; both team players flew from one end to another in top speed.

While Alex was cheering for his house along with the other Slytherins, he looked around and frowned. 'It's like that again.'

Suddenly, the Slytherin seeker dived and reached out for the tiny shinning object a few feet before him. The Ravenclaw seeker saw that but it was too late; the Slytherin seeker pulled up his broom and the golden snitch was safely clenched in his hand.

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"Tom, why do the other houses hate Slytherin so much?"

Tom raised his eyebrow. "Why do you suddenly ask that?"

They were sitting in their usual corner of the Slytherin common room. The room was noisier than usual, mostly due to their victory that morning.

"Well, remember the time when I was sorted? When the sorting hat called out 'Slytherin', the other three houses looked at me as if I've cursed them with Cruciatus before. I was not sure if it's because of me or the house. Until today's match, something similar happened again. The Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were cheering for Ravenclaw, they were not happy to see us win at all."

"Don't bother about them. They dislike us for many different reasons, the tales about how bad and how evil Slytherins are told by their parents for one. And Slytherins' dislike of half blood and mudblood for another."

Alex groaned. He buried his head in his hand, "We're onto that again?"

Tom chuckled at his friend's reaction. Alex was not at all approved by the idea that pureblood was superior and the others shouldn't have the right to learn magic.

"We hate them, it's just normal for them to act this way."

Alex looked at him thoughtfully. "Why do you hate them then, Tom?" he asked quietly. "You're not a ... pureblood." He hesitated before saying the word, knowing Tom did not like the mention of it.

Tom stared at the ground. "I don't hate them, I guess. It's just their muggle-loving attitude that I hat," he said slowly. "But I definitely hate muggles." Tom raised his head and met Alex's gaze.

Alex nearly gaped at what he saw.

Hatred.

Tom's eyes were filled with hatred, extreme hatred. But there was more, deep inside the eyes Alex also saw sadness, and sorrow.

Alex only had on thought in mind. 'He is dangerous.' Alex had no idea what the muggles had done to his friend except from what he saw in his visions. But one thing was clear, Tom needed help.

No one else in the room saw this, and Alex probably was the one who understand Tom's situation most. Alex knew it was up to him to help the boy before it was too late, before Tom went into a road which had no return.