Never Jump Off a Flying Broomstick

The rain hadn't stopped in three days. Everything felt wet, but no one could hear the downpour as they sat in the dungeons during Potions class. Elizabeth sat with Ron as they worked on a new potion assigned by Professor Snape.

"It's almost Halloween, what prank are we going to do?" Malfoy asked off handedly as he stirred his cauldron.

"Aren't pranks something you do for April Fools day?" Hermione responded snootily.

"People expect pranks on April Fool's day," Lindsay explained. "Besides, haven't you ever heard of mischief night?" Getting only blank stares in response Lindsay said, "Oh my god," as she rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, there was an explosion from one of the cauldrons towards the back. A girl sat in her seat, eyes wide, hair standing straight up and singed, and her cauldron smoking more than a Rastafarian.

"Miss O'Connor," Snape bellowed. "Ten points from Gryffindor!"

"But Professor Snape, it wasn't my fault," Kaitlin babbled. Elizabeth felt sorry for the girl. She had met her closer to the beginning of school, the star of the choir but not highly ranked in Potions class.

"Another five points from Gryffindor!" he said, lips curling back in a sneer.

The Gryffindor students just looked at each other and knew exactly who would be the victim of their prank. "No," said Draco. "You don't mean -." Seeing all of their determined faces he conceded with an exasperated sigh. "You Gryffindors all think the same anyway. No imagination to speak of."

Several pranks had to be tried before they found one that was foolproof. Snape found the Cornish pixie hidden in his desk drawer before havoc could be wreaked. Hermione was given the formidable task of research. She was the only student trusted enough by Madame Pince to have a pass to the restricted section of the library all of the time, a fact Lindsay and Draco found too enticing to let slide until Elizabeth reminded them of how much they needed that pass.

Halloween that year was on a Friday, the hall decorated with candy and jack-o-lanterns. A person could cut the tension with a knife as the group of students sat down for the feast. I wonder how you would do that, Elizabeth thought in an anxious delirium, her hands shaking with excitement. Ron was apparently unfazed as he shoveled a small mountain of food onto his plate.

"How can you eat at a time like this?" she asked him.

"I eat when I'm nervous." When she raised an eyebrow to this, he explained, "Fast metabolism. I can eat a lot and not gain anything."Well that's not fair, she thought.

At eight o'clock, all of them looked over to the Slytherin table where Draco stood up and left the hall. Five minutes later, just as scheduled, Snape was seen walking into the hall through the side entrance by the teachers' table, only instead of his usual night black robes, he was wearing a pink chiffon dress. Quickly Harry stood up and took a picture with the camera Hermione had given him for his birthday before Snape walked back out. Laughter erupted within the hall, many of the students in tears of joy. The teachers all seemed in shock, mouths hanging open. Elizabeth would almost have said that Dumbledore looked pleased. Elizabeth could see Professor McGonagall trying to stifle a laugh.

When Professor Snape walked back into the hall wearing his normal robes, a hush fall over the tables and McGonagall said, "Severus, I never knew you got into the holiday spirit." Seeing his blank look in response, all of the students' tables burst into laughter again.

After the feast, the gang, as they now referred to themselves since it was easier than mentioning them all by name, went back to the Three Broomsticks for a celebration. This time things were slightly more under control than last time, the main difference being that they were all sitting calmly at a booth instead of helping Harry untangle himself in the back room.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.

"We're not finished yet. Part two of the 'master plan' goes into affect tomorrow morning. Harry, you got the film developed?" Lindsay said, looking towards Harry.

"Just a minute," Hermione interrupted. She handed Harry a piece of paper with writing all over it. "This is a spell you need to do before you send out the pictures."

"A round for the table," Ron yelled to the bartender. The rest of the night was spent "pissing the night away", except for Harry, who still had one more important job to do.

"What do you mean it's really me?" Snape said he next day at the teachers' table, his voice hushed almost to a whisper. That's how you can tell he's really angry, Elizabeth thought as she eavesdropped.

"Now Severus," Professor Dumbledore said, "We tested the pictures with as many different spells as there are, and I'm afraid they all came back positive. It's really you in this," he said, holding out a picture of Snape in his dress, smiling and waving at the person looking at it.

It had been a brilliant idea, thought Elizabeth, to have every owl in the school deliver a copy of the picture that morning at breakfast. Snape had certainly not been thrilled, and Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief when Hermione told her about the extra spell she'd given Harry.

Back in the common room, Hermione explained, "It was really quite simple. All I had to do was make a shadow in the likeness of Snape and put it in my Aunt Delores's favorite dress. The extra spell was to prevent the teachers from finding who took the picture and from finding out it was only a shadow in the hall last night."

Ron was beaming as he sat next to Elizabeth. "This was like revenge for every point he has ever taken off of Gryffindor."

It took almost two weeks for the talk about Snape to die down. Eventually it did though, and life went back to normal. Despite the cool October weather outside, inside the Divination classroom, it was stifling. Lindsay and Elizabeth were goofing off as usual when Professor Trelawney came over to them, her many bracelets jingling as she walked.
"Girls, I trust that you've been practicing reading your tealeaves?"

They both nodded, trying to stifle a laugh. "Of course, Professor Trelawney, but I seem to be having a bit of trouble reading these, could you help?" Lindsay asked as she held her teacup up to the professor.

Obviously pleased she could show off, Professor Trelawney held the teacup saying, "Well let's see." She peered into the bottom of the cup for several minutes before she looked up, her brows furrowed, obviously displeased. "It says that whose tealeaves these are is pregnant."

Almost without meaning to, Elizabeth looked from Lindsay to Draco. "Why, thank you, Professor," Lindsay said curtly. "When my doctor told me, I just couldn't believe him, but now I can rest assured." At this, Professor Trelawney walked away with her famous look of displeasure.

"Are you really?" Elizabeth asked Lindsay nervously.

"Of course not! Do you think I'd be stupid enough to let something like that happen?" Seeing Elizabeth look skeptical she added, glaring at Professor Trelawney, "We haven't gone past second. Besides, if we did, I would always use a proper contraceptive when Draco and I"- at this point Professor Trelawney coughed loudly, giving Lindsay the evil eye and cutting her off. Elizabeth and Lindsay practically fell over laughing.

Getting evil looks from the rest of the class as well now, Elizabeth peered into the bottom of her own teacup. Picking up her book, she tried to decipher the meaning of her tealeaves. Well if this isn't just a little ridiculous, she thought.

"What do they say?" Lindsay asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Apparantly, someone's going to visit soon, someone famous. There's a broom here too," Elizabeth said, turning her head to see if she saw anything different.

"Are you sure it's not a stork?" Lindsay asked sarcastically. "Maybe it's more information about the baby I'm not having," she turned and almost yelled at Professor Trelawney. Another glare of the evil eye silenced them and they went back to making false predictions about hair loss and who would win the upcoming Quidditch match.

The match was Gryffindor against Ravenclaw. The day turned out to be perfect for flying: warm for November and low wind, not a cloud in the sky. Harry became quiet before the game, and Ron eating three times as much as he normally would. As the team flew out above the pitch however, all their fears were destroyed. Elizabeth could tell they were going to win.

The match started, and Elizabeth flew down the length of the field towards the Ravenclaw keeper. Alicia tossed the Quaffle to one of the Beaters who then sent it flying through the air towards Elizabeth. Catching it, she threw it into one of the rings.

"Ten points for Gryffindor!" The crowd went wild.

After the third goal she'd scored, a blur flew past Elizabeth. By the mess of black hair, she guessed it was Harry going after the snitch. Another blur went past, but this time it was a bludger going straight after Harry. She was about to call out to him when a large thwack was heard throughout the stadium. Flying almost vertical to the ground, Elizabeth raced to Harry as he fell.

Hearing, "Ten points for Ravenclaw!" she realized that a team couldn't win unless their seeker caught the snitch, and at the moment, their team didn't have a seeker.
Grabbing Harry and almost being crushed by his weight, she pulled him onto her broom and flew back up into the air. Where is it, she thought, anxiously. Where is it? There!
She had never flown so fast in her life. Colors began to blend together and soon the sky and the ground became one.

"Harry," she shouted to the unconscious boy she was holding on to desperately. "Harry, you have to wake up!" She heard a garbled reply. "We need you to catch the snitch!"

"But Aunt Petunia," he moaned. "I don't want to wear Dudley's old socks."

Dear Lord, Elizabeth thought, rolling her eyes. "Harry, you won't have to wear Dudley's socks," she said sweetly.

"Really?" he garbled, starting to drool a little.

"Yes really," she said. "But only if you catch this snitch for me, all right?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," he slurred. His glazed eyes searched the sky for a moment before focusing on the golden blur they were trailing after. Taking hold of Harry's hand, she helped him to extend his arm. When she felt the muscles in his arm tense, she came to an abrupt halt in the air.

The crowd was silent, and then they began to murmur. It felt like forever before a confused Lee Jordan stammered, "And Gryffindor has caught the snitch. Gryffindor wins." It was strange, Elizabeth thought, that instead of cheering the stands were talking, utterly confused by what had happened.

Landing, Elizabeth was soon surrounded by the Gryffindor team. Ron was smiling and laughing as he began to kiss her all over her face. "Brilliant," he shouted. "Bloody brilliant!"

Madame Hootch walked over, separating the team. "Miss de Moll," she said. Elizabeth turned to face her. "That was an intelligent and daring Quidditch move. Congratulations." Finally, the rest of the crowd went up in cheers.

There was a lot of backslapping and handshaking before Elizabeth was able to make it back to the Gryffindor Common room. Even Draco grudgingly admitted she had played a good game. Food was brought up from the kitchens and a party was thrown in honor of the Gryffindor team. Harry did eventually regain full consciousness and didn't care how they won so long as they did.

It was while they were all sitting around the common room that a guy with short dark brown hair came up to them and said, "Hey, Harry, Ron. How are you?"

Harry tried to stand up and fell back onto the couch. "Wood? I didn't know you were here today."

Wood smiled. "Thought I'd drop by and see how Gryffindor was doing this season." He turned and looked at Elizabeth. "That was an amazing play you pulled today."

"Thanks," Elizabeth said, trying not to blush and turning crimson despite her efforts.

Continuing, he said, "Actually, one of the main reasons I'm here is because Hassan Mostafa, the Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch is looking for new players to recruit for some of the professional teams. He's going to be stopping by soon and checking out the teams here. You interested?" he asked Harry.

"Definitely," Harry said, trying to nod and finding it difficult with the bandage wrapped around the cut on his head from the bludger.

"Good. I'll be going around with him, so I'll make sure he gets a chance to talk with you," turning to Elizabeth he added, "and you too. I know the United Reserve Team would be thrilled to have a player like you."

Once she had thanked Wood and he had left, Elizabeth looked over at Ron. He needs to learn how to be social, she thought. He was already challenging Harry to a game of chess.

"You're only challenging me because I'm handicapped," Harry said, pushing the bandage up as it slid down his forehead.

"It's my act of charity for the week," Ron said, laughing.

The rest of the night was spent drinking butterbeer and pigging out on junk food as they all watched Ron's chess pieces destroy Harry's.

It was strange for Elizabeth not to celebrate Thanksgiving later that November. She tried to explain what it was, but when Hermione started talking about how the pilgrims subjected the Native Americans to forced labor, Lindsay told her to stop trying.

"I'll make you a Thanksgiving dinner," said Ron as he put his arm around her waist.

"Thanks," said Elizabeth. "But the idea of you trying to cook scares me more than seeing Snape in a dress again."

"Fine, then," he said. "You'll just have to miss out on the best food ever made." Looking at Harry, Ron asked, "Quidditch practice later?"

Harry nodded. When Wood had left, he had given Harry a new broom. The Ravenwing was the fastest one ever made, and Harry couldn't wait to try it out.
As they continued to eat, an owl flew down and dropped a letter in front of Elizabeth. Picking it up, and wiping scrambled eggs off the envelope, she opened it.

"It's a letter from my parents, wishing me a happy thanksgiving," she told the others.

"Is it really that big of a deal that you're missing it?" Lindsay asked.

"No, not really. I just miss spending the holiday with my family." Seeing every look at her strangely, Elizabeth said, defensively, "What? I happen to like my parents!"

"Well you're the only one," said Lindsay.

"I happen to love my parents," Draco said in a hurt tone.

"And why's that Malfoy? They take you on family bonding trips to Azkaban?" Ron had to dodge a flying spoon aimed at his head after saying that. When the utensils had stopped flying Ron asked, "Is anyone up for Hogsmeade today?

While they were all in one of the stores it began to snow outside and the temperature dropped dramatically. Ron bought Elizabeth a hat when her ears turned bright red. After the first person stared, Elizabeth didn't make anything of it, but after the tenth she looked at her reflection in one of the store windows. The hat turned into different animal ears every five seconds.

"You thought you were so sneaky," said Elizabeth as she molded a snowball in her gloved hands.

"Now, now, Elizabeth," Ron tried to coax her. "Let's not be hasty."

"Oh I don't know Ron," she said. "I think this is as good a time as any."

After a snowball fight and some minor public snogging, the two continued on their way to the Three Broomsticks where everyone else was waiting.