Headstrong

Chapter 11

Over the next few days, her friends and Harry tried to find out where she disappeared to. She had gone back to her room a few times, because it was a place where she could calm down and truly be herself without anyone finding out.

She had found a book about magical creatures and phoenixes and was reading up on them to help her when her abilities started to appear. 

By the time the weekend came, she would have been pleased to have a relaxing time, but on Saturday morning, she was awoken by a tapping at the window.

She groaned and walked to the window and let in an owl. She grabbed the letter that was tied to its leg and started to read.

Amanda,
Wake up the other girls and come down to the Quidditch pitch. We are having practice now.
I would have come and woken you guys up myself, but I couldn't get past the stairs. So get changed quickly into your robes, we will be expecting you and the girls right away.
Oliver

Amanda woke up Angelina and Alicia, opened her trunk and found her Quidditch robes. She waited for the others to get changed, then the three girls walked down the stairs.

They found Fred and George waiting for them, so the five of them walked down to the pitch together.

Fred and George could see how exhausted Amanda was, and it reminded them of the time they had carried her and her brother to the Quidditch pitch. They were about to offer Amanda a piggy-back when she suddenly raced off, and the four had to try and catch up to her.

When they reached the "Get-Ready" room, they were panting, but one look at Amanda told them that she was still barely awake.

"Why...would you...do that?" George panted.

"I was trying...to wake up." Amanda yawned.

Finally, after everybody had arrived, Wood started to drone on about new tactics, but everybody just fell asleep from boredom and exhaustion.

...

When the group could finally leave the change rooms, the sun was already out.

The children leapt into the air and were feeling very pleased when they were interrupted by a clicking noise. Amanda groaned as she saw Colin Creevey taking pictures of the team.

She looked down below and sighed once she saw the Slytherin Quidditch team.

She soared down to the ground and dismounted. She noticed Draco behind the captain and had to refrain from slapping her head. As they all stood there, Amanda noticed once more that there were no girls on the Slytherin team, which seemed to rely on brute strength.

"-but I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practise today on the Quidditch pitch, owing to the need to train their new Seeker." Amanda heard Marcus Flint say.

She sighed. The conversation carried on, and Amanda saw the team's new brooms, but she did not care, deciding to take a lap around the pitch to prevent herself from running forward and punching the boy.

When she flew back to the ground, Ron was blasted back by his broken wand, and started to vomit up slugs.

Amanda landed, immediately walking up to Flint and punching him in the nose. It immediately started to bleed, and Flint was angry.

As Harry and Hermione started to lead Ron away, Flint looked at Amanda, anger in his eyes. Amanda had heard the horrid thing Hermione was called, and she was fed up with their Slytherin attitude. 

Flint swung his arm at her and she ducked. She dropped and kicked out, making Flint fall onto his back. She backed away quickly, just as Flint stood up and launched himself at her.

Amanda punched his gut, but he retaliated, wrenching her arm back, and Amanda swore he may have dislocated it. She punched back, and leapt into the air, swinging away from him.

Flint grabbed her ankle and smacked her into the ground. Amanda was just about to get up again when Angelina and Alicia held her back, while Fred and Oliver tried to hold back Flint. George had raced off to the castle to alert the teachers about what was happening.

Amanda looked up at her friends, and slowly started to close her eyes from the pain that she had gotten when she was slammed into the ground.

Soon, three teachers marched forward. Professor McGonagall was in front, and she was terrifying in her anger. Professor Snape followed closely behind, followed swiftly by Madam Pomfrey.

"Miss Potter, how dare you start a fight with another student!" Minerva yelled, nostrils flared.

"Professor, the Slytherins started it, you see, they came on demanding the pitch when we had booked it, then they called Hermione Granger something horrible, and Amanda was just trying to defend her friends you see-"

"QUIET! Oliver, I do not need an explanation. Flint, you will have detention with me for the next five nights. Amanda, you will have detention with either Professor Snape or Professor Lockhart for the next seven. That will be fifty points from both of your houses, and I expect an explanation from both of you. Follow me to my office, now."

Amanda groaned, slowly nodded, then clutched her head, and slowly lost consciousness.

Alicia nearly shrieked when she saw that Amanda was unconscious. Madam Pomfrey quickly checked her, healing the bruises that were already showing, and noticing a lot of blood sprouting from one of her shoulders. There was a terrible graze on her forehead, and Madam Pomfrey conjured a stretcher that the twins lifted her onto.

The three teachers walked away, floating Amanda on her stretcher, and Minerva dragging Flint behind.

The Professors spoke with Flint, and when Amanda had woken, she told them everything from her point of view. Severus made a point in his head to make sure she had all his detentions with him, and not Lockhart, because he could see the stress Lockhart was causing her.

Amanda was told she would have to stay the night in the Hospital Wing, so she nodded and fell asleep.