Lumos (Ravenclaw Pride: Book One)

Chapter 19: The Fight

-Lucy Phoenix-

It was a near-perfect day: blue sky interrupted by a few clouds, bright sun, and roaring spectators in the stands.

Peter led his friends down the path to one of the three Ravenclaw-decorated stands. They started climbing the narrow wooden stairs up to the benches.

The trio only sat there for 10 minutes before all the benches in the Quidditch field were filled with excited students and staff. Across from where she sat, Lucy saw Draco waving at her from one of the Slytherin stands. He may have winked, but it was hard to tell from Lucy's distance.

Lucy, in reply, waved at him while she gave him her dimpled smile. Meghan stifled a giggle which Lucy ignored, still waving dreamily.

Peter was immersed in a conversation with Hermione, who sat to the very end of the Gryffindor stand. Peter and Hermione were both leaning over the side as wind snapped the banners below them violently.

Madam Hooch marched into the field and introduced the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams, who walked out. The captains shook hands stiffly. Harry, the Gryffindor Seeker, stood out clearly as the shortest person on the field. Lucy, knowing how Draco felt about the boy, was slightly relishing in the fact Harry looked like he was about to throw up.

Madam Hooch released the Golden Snitch and, with a blow of her whistle, the game began. Lucy had been to a couple Quidditch games with her father before and loved the alarming rate of the intense sport. Her eyes chased the Beaters as they zoomed by.

The Slytherin Beaters took their jobs very seriously, batting the blood-thirsty Bludgers back and forth until they nailed a Gryffindor Chaser in the shoulder. The Chaser stumbled but regained his balance.

Lucy watched the game as it went on until suddenly, Harry, who was midair on his broom, began jerking back and forth recklessly.

"What's happening up there?" Lucy leaned towards Meghan.

"Probably doesn't know how to handle a Nimbus," Meghan snickered. "Fastest broom on the market, you know."

Lucy took some guilty pleasure as well—Meghan had told her how Harry had apparently been rude to Draco on their first day here. He was rude for no reason!

"He's jinxed," Peter interjected with a frown, leaning in closely. "Hermione and I figured it out in seconds."

"Glad to have you joining us again," Meghan said pointedly, raising an eyebrow. Peter gave her a scathing look.

"You two are extremely calm for people who are about to see an eleven year old fall to his death," Peter's head whipped back to Harry.

The crowd gasped collectively as he slipped off sideways and clung to his broom with two hands.

Meghan stifled a sound of triumph, earning her a glare from Peter.

"He would deserve it," Lucy sassed, crossing her arms like Meghan.

Peter shook his head disdainfully at them and turned back to talk to Hermione, both their heads shooting back and forth to Harry. Lucy hardly noticed him as he rushed away across the bench and down the stairs of the tower.

Lucy and Meghan watched in amusement as the broom bucked fervently and one of Harry's hands slipped.

They "ooh"ed with the spectators and then giggled to each other.

Just when it seemed like Harry was about to let go, a stand on the other side of the Quidditch pitch erupted in a tumult. Harry's broom stilled and he was able to scramble back on.

"Aw..." Meghan huffed, disappointed.

Peter sat back down in his seat a minute later, breathing heavily but not speaking to them. The three of them watched the game in silence until Harry toppled to the grass, his arm having just missed grasping the Snitch.

Meghan stood, laughing and clapping—Slytherin had the game in the bag with Gryffindor down a Seeker. But Harry stood, his hands clutching his stomach. He lurched and caught a golden fluttering ball as it fell from his mouth.

"Gryffindor wins!" Lee Jordan, the commentator, shouted.

Lucy booed loudly and Meghan dropped back her seat in a huff as Peter stood up, cheering.

As the stands cleared out, Lucy and Meghan caught up to Peter. "Where'd you go halfway through?" Lucy asked. Peter gave them a frustrated look and rushed forward to talk to Hermione.

"What's with him?" Meghan asked. Lucy just shrugged, feeling a twinge of regret in her stomach.

*****

Days passed and Peter had been ignoring both Meghan and Lucy. It would seem he was hanging out more with Gryffindors then his... well... best friends. The more Lucy thought about it, the worse she felt. Did she do something wrong? Did Peter not like them anymore?

Peter was her closest friend besides Meghan. It was almost two weeks before Meghan had concluded why Peter was mad.

"The Quidditch match! He was so mad at us when we said that we hoped Potter would fall off his broom. It's that Hermione girl. She's got him thinking that Potter is a good person. A good person doesn't turn down friendship before you get to know a them." Meghan said disdainfully.

Lucy nodded absently, not fully understanding.

Just as they were about to turn, someone hurled into them and sent them sprawling. Peter apologized and tried to get up. Lucy pulled him back down, "You're not leaving until we figure this out."

He glared at the two of them.

"I have nothing to say to you. You hoped a kid, your age, would fall from a broom in the middle of a Quidditch match."

"He was rude to Draco. He wouldn't even get to know him before deciding he was awful." Lucy almost yelled.

"And you're doing the same to him! You judged him before you personally got to know him," Peter snarled.

Meghan gasped. Lucy felt her face flushing. Shock overtook Meghan's features.

"We really did do that..." Lucy said quietly, feeling ashamed. "I'm so sorry."

"Tell that to Potter yourself," Peter glared.

Meghan's quiet voice rose up, "I can't. Not anymore."

Peter's eyes flashed and turned to her. "Why not? Maintaining your familial status more important?"

Meghan flinched and said, "My parents have people watching my brother and I. We will be punished if either of us are caught with a Mudblood or Blood-Traitor. If we were caught being friendly to them... I've had trouble convincing my parents Lucy's a pureblood. Potter is becoming the poster child for blood traitors. My brother and I could have our minds wiped to forget you guys if they found out."

Peter mumbled a shocked apology and Lucy gasped nervously.

Meghan shook her head clearing her thoughts and smiled, "it's ok. I'm sure you guys would come up with a way to get our memories back. Tell Potter that I'm glad he didn't fall," Meghan said lowering her eyes.

"I will," Peter met her eyes with a sheepish smile. "And I'm sorry for handling the situation as stupidly as I did. I... I was mad and fed up with being teased."

"Guys, I can't stand us fighting," Lucy shouted, pulling Peter and Meghan into a hug. Peter stiffened, but then hugged back tightly.

The fight was over.