A Riddle to be Told (Hermione x Male Reader)

Chapter 5: Quidditch & Christmas

  An electrifying game, Quidditch. The players whizz above you in the stands, sending harsh gusts warping around your head, blowing your hair backward. The stands were packed full of excited students and Professors - this game in particular was busy, bearing in mind it was the first of the Quidditch season. It was Harry Potter's first game too. 

     The match was between Slytherin vs Gryffindor. Tom stood in the Slytherin stands, wrapped in his green scarf within the November chill, remaining quiet and composed. He wished for Slytherin to win, of course - but not enough to shout and scream like the others. He wandered how the vocal chords of Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, or Goyle could still function. They'd been shouting at the players the whole game so far. 

     Tom, however, only cared to look at Harry. He'd been told by Draco that he was a seeker,  and so Tom kept an eye out for the snitch. He couldn't find it - and neither could Harry or Slytherin's own seeker, as they kept circling from above, doing nothing in particular.

    That was until Harry's broom started to jerk harshly from beneath him. Tom frowned, as Harry's broom began to jerk even more. So much so, that Lee Jordan - the commentator for the match - took notice of it too.

     'and what is Potter doing?! he'll need to get back on his broom if he wants to find the snitch. Gryffindor are up twenty points, and so now would be a great time to find it!' he said. 

     All this did was draw more attention to Harry as his broom began to thrash more fiercely than before. Tom scanned the stands around him, noticing Snape performing an obvious jinx to Harry's broom. So it was Snape. The boy left his place in the Slytherin stands, climbing down the stairs and into the Professor's stand. He didn't know particularly what he'd do to Snape, but he couldn't imagine it'd be fun for the slimy git.

    However, seemingly he wasn't the only one with this idea. There stood Hermione with a jar of bluebell flames setting Snape's robes on fire. A great scream up occurred, sending other Professors hurtling down around the stands. The two locked eyes, as they snuck back out the Professor's stands.

      'Harry Potter's back on track it seems! and he looks like he's spotted the snitch!' shouted Lee Jordan.

    Once they were safely out, Tom turned to Hermione; 'it was Snape. You saw him perform that jinx on Harry didn't you'. 

     'Me and Hagrid did, yes'. Tom frowned; 'Hagrid? the Gatekeeper?'.

      'Yes, Hagrid. Goodbye, Tom' Hermione said, rather sassily as she left for the Gryffindor stands. Tom stood there, rather stumped at what he had done wrong. 

     Not that the boy kept on it for long, as he eventually made it back to the Slytherin stands, where there was pandemonium once again. Though, this time, it was because of outrage. 

     'Potter swallowed the snitch! he didn't catch it!' they shouted. 

     'what happened, Draco?' Tom asked.

     'Potter swallowed the snitch, meaning he didn't catch it. Bloody referee thinks he did.'   

   Tom frowned deeply at the Slytherin loss, but was glad for Harry's triumph. He knew not if what Harry had done was illegal in Quidditch's rules, or not; but he was still glad, if not a bit angry at Slytherin's failure. Hermione would be smug, for sure. 

     He eventually caught the 'golden trio' as they had been named, leaving the stands toward the Gatekeeper's hut. 

     'Harry!' he called. They turned to the boy, as Tom patted Harry on the back. 'Well done for winning - though I don't like Slytherin losing'.