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" THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING —"
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It was the day of the first Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match of the season, and the Gryffindor team was seated at the breakfast table. Fred and George anxiously ate the platter of scrambled eggs and bacon before them.
Betelgeuse glanced at them with a bored expression. "Stop chewing so loudly!" She ordered.
"We can't help it, Bel!" They chorused. "Why are we so nervous?" They added at once looking at each other.
"You will be fine," she tried to reassure them, "now, finish eating!"
Lee was seated with them, next to Angelina. He tried to wrap his arm around her. She shrugged him off. "Well, I tried."
"Just wait for the beginning of the game, then you will be able to use all your new moves," Betelgeuse said, smirking. Angelina groaned. Lee wrapped his arm around Betelgeuse's shoulders, she stiffened, but let him.
"Lee, I see you moved on from Angelina. Does this mean she's free?" George asked, gesturing to Lee and Betelgeuse.
Angelina interjected, "she is not interested, Weasley."
"I have not moved on. I'm still heartbroken," Lee said with dramatics.
"Are you using me, Jordan?" Betelgeuse asked the boy, eyeing him with amusement.
Lee looked confused. "I think we are over," the Black continued stoically.
Lee pretended to be distraught, clutching his chest. "My first girlfriend and we're over within less than five minutes!"
Betelgeuse rolled her eyes. "More like one minute."
"Bel and you were dating?" Fred leaned forward, trying not to look interested.
"It was amazing while it lasted," Lee responded. Betelgeuse shook her head.
They all quickly finished their breakfast and made their way to the Gryffindor Changing Room. There Oliver Wood would give his speech before heading out to the pitch at any moment now. Betelgeuse could hear the roaring of the crowd on the stands as Lee Jordan entertained the mass of people.
Wood cleared his throat to gain the attention of the team.
"Alright, lads," he began.
"And lassies," Angelina spoke, pointing to herself, Betelgeuse and Katie.
"And lassies," Wood agreed. "This is it."
"The big one," Fred interrupted.
"The one we've all been waiting for," George added. Betelgeuse snickered between the two beaters, receiving a glare from Wood.
"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told Harry. "We were on the team last year."
"Think about me," Betelgeuse scoffed.
"Poor Ms Black," Fred pouted.
"Shut up, you two," replied Wood. "Betelgeuse don't encourage them!"
The girl gave him an innocent smile.
"This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it." He glared at them. "Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."
Fred and George followed Betelgeuse out of the tent, between them stood a worried Harry. "Nervous, Potter?" She asked out of the blue, without turning to the boy.
"A little," Harry admitted.
"You should be," Betelgeuse said, now turning with a broad smile to the first-year. She saw his eyes widen and his grip on the broom handle tighten. Then, as it came, her smile vanished, replaced by a solemn look. "Remember what I said, Potter." She mounted her broom and zoomed out onto the enormous pitch as students cheered from the stands.
She sped around the pitch, relinquishing in the adrenaline rush she always experienced before a game. She was quickly flanked by the twins, as they heard Lee address the crowd.
"Hello! And Welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game Slytherin versus Gryffindor!"
Betelgeuse could imagine Professor McGonagall watching him like a hawk.
They soon took their positions in the air in a circle. Betelgeuse was in the middle of Katie and Angelina. The Black girl turned her head up, meeting the green eyes of Harry. She nodded to him, then turned her attention to Madam Hooch. "Now, I want a nice clean game," she looked around, fixing her yellow eyes on Flint, the Slytherin Captain, "from all of you!" She gave a loud blast on her silver whistle, before releasing the Quaffle in the air.
"The Quaffle is released, and the game begins!" Lee shouted in the microphone. Betelgeuse dived in the scrum of players, retrieving the Quaffle nimbly.
"Nice snatch of the Quaffle by Gryffindor Chaser Betelgeuse Black!" She heard Lee yell as she zoomed across the pitch. She passed to Katie, who threw the Quaffle back in time for Betelgeuse to shoot it into the highest hoop.
"BETELGEUSE BLACK SCORES! Ten points to Gryffindor. Fantastic player she is, and she was my fake girlfriend for five minutes, much to the dismay of our beater Fred Weasley. Welp! Let me go back to the game if you don't want to witness my murder at the hands of Professor McGonagall."
The Slytherin chaser Adrian Pucey stole the ball from Katie's grasp. As he passed it to Montague, the latter shoved Katie off towards the drapes of one of the towers. Betelgeuse fixed the smirking Montague with an icy glare, mouthing 'you are dead'; he gulped as she knocked the Quaffle from his hands and passed it to Angelina.
"Angelina Johnson scores! Ten points for Gryffindor. What a woman she is, and rather —"
"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall reprimanded.
"Sorry, Professor! And she is really belting along there, a neat pass to Katie Bell, a good find of Oliver Wood this year, — back to Johnson and — no, Slytherin had taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes — look at how fast he flies, he is going to sc— no, nice save from Gryffindor keeper Oliver Wood! Gryffindor takes the Quaffle — that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and — OUCH — that must have hurt."
Betelgeuse saw a Bludger whack Katie on the back of her head.
They had decided to play dirty, then.
She saw Adrian Pucey speed off towards the Gryffindor hoops before being blocked by a Bludger sent his way by George.
Angelina took the Quaffle racing through the Quidditch pitch, Betelgeuse flanked her waiting for the girl to pass it. Angelina noticed the Black and feigned to throw the Quaffle, instead she sped ahead and scored.
"Another ten points to Gryffindor!"
Betelgeuse was watching the game unfold before her eyes, Slytherin was playing dirty as never before. She was concentrated on Harry when she heard a shout of outrage coming from the stands. She quickly snapped her head and saw Oliver spiral down towards the ground, as a smirking Flint passed back the bat to his beater.
One by one, the Gryffindor players fell while Slytherin managed to score multiple times. Betelgeuse could see from her position in the air Angelina, Katie and Oliver watch the game, shouting against the Slytherins.
She was the only chaser on the team still standing, and the twins flanked her, trying to prevent her fall. She studied the game and decided that the only thing possible was defending the Gryffindor hoops.
A movement ahead caught her attention, Harry was struggling with his broom. She narrowed her eyes when the broom was able to throw off Harry; he was forced to grasp the handle with one hand.
"What the hell is happening?" Fred shouted, whacking a Bludger.
She saw Harry stop struggling with his broom before chasing Terence Higgs, the Slytherin seeker, chase after the snitch. Betelgeuse followed with her eyes the two seekers race side by side, they have dived towards the ground when Flint sent a Bludger their way, nearly knocking Harry off his broom.
"So — after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating—"
"JORDAN!"
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul —"
"Jordan, I'm warning you —"
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor seeker which could happen to anyone, I'm sure." Lee continued before diverting his eyes from McGonagall, "FOUL! DISGUSTING FOUL!" Lee had abandoned his neutral commentary, he was yelling, trying to prevent McGonagall to snatch the microphone from his hands. "You dirty little cheater!"
Higgs desisted since they were getting too close to the ground, Harry reached his hand out to try to catch the golden ball. Every other player forgot about the game; they were all following the spectacled boy as he neared dangerously the ground.
He went too far, Betelgeuse saw him topple off the broom with a yelp, tumbling to the ground. She sped towards him, she got off the broom in time to see the younger boy clutch his stomach like he was about to be sick. Instead, a pop of gold fell out of his mouth and landed on his hands.
"He's got the snitch! HARRY POTTER RECEIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY POINTS FOR CATCHING THE SNITCH!" Lee shouted, shaking Professor McGonagall's shoulders with glee.
"Gryffindor wins," Madam Hooch blew the whistle, signalling the end of the game.
Betelgeuse was still watching Harry with blatant astonishment in her mercury eyes as he raised the Snitch in the air. The crowd and the Gryffindor team cheered in victory, running towards the two.
Betelgeuse spoke, "that was a reckless move, Potter."
The boy flashed her a smile. "I just did what I was told, be courageous, as a true Gryffindor."
Betelgeuse gifted him one of her rare blinding smiles, as they turned to meet the running crowd.
☆☆☆
"So, Bel, uh, tomorrow is Saturday," Fred began, as they were making their way to Transfiguration. They were strangely early for class, so Betelgeuse, Fred and George sat at their usual desk. It was a tight fit, Professor McGonagall had urged them often to split since the desk was for two. They always refused.
"Yes, Fred," she responded as she eyed Professor McGonagall enter the class.
"And we can go to Hogsmeade with a signed permission," George added.
"Yes, George," Betelgeuse gave the same reply to him.
"So, we were wondering, yes —," Fred began, scratching his neck as he sent a glance to his twin.
"— How will you be able to —," George said with a vague tone.
"Come to Hogsmeade since I do not have anyone that can firm my slip?" Betelgeuse finished with an unbothered tone. The twins nodded as they met her eyes. "I have a signed slip," she said flatly.
"How?" George inquired, puzzled.
"My legal guardian signed it at the beginning of the year."
"What? You have a legal guardian?!" Fred asked.
Betelgeuse huffed. "Of course, how could I not?"
"But — who?" George inquired with raised eyebrows. He watched Professor McGonagall try not to eavesdrop, busing herself with stacks of papers on her desk.
"Andromeda Tonks, she is my first cousin once removed. I call her aunt, it is much simpler and Dromeda likes it." She shrugged. Betelgeuse saw Professor McGonagall still in her movement for a millisecond.
The twins were surprised, they had never considered this part of Betelgeuse's life. "But Bel, you don't live with her," Fred replied.
"No, Freddie. Now, can we change the topic? This is becoming tedious," she rebuked stiffly.
Fred understood her discomfort swiftly and did what she asked. "Oi, do you know anyone who can teach me how to play the trumpet?"
Betelgeuse was grateful for the distraction, but she did not understand his question.
George asked, "why?"
"I just want to wander around the Slytherin Dungeons and annoy the snakes," Fred replied, earning a glare from McGonagall.
"Technically you do not need to know how to play it, Fred," Betelgeuse added carefully.
Fred watched her as if she had revealed a grand secret. "You have opened my eyes, Bel!"
"You will do no such a thing, Mr Weasley!" Professor McGonagall interjected. She eyed them suspiciously and asked, "why are you three so early for my class?"
"Ah yes, Minnie. I wanted to ask permission for the Restricted Section. I would like to write an essay for extra credits on Animagi, after yesterday lecture. I dragged these two with me because if I had not, they would not have shown to the class," Betelgeuse replied smoothly, smiling.
Professor McGonagall watched the girl intently, thinking about how strikingly she reminded of the previous Blacks she had as students. She resembled her father in appearance and countenance, but when she was in the presence of the Weasley twins she was a carbon copy of her uncle in behaviour.
"I will write you a signed permission at the end of the class, Ms Black," professor McGonagall replied, secretly happy that a so brilliant student had an interest in her class.
Betelgeuse nodded. "Thank you, Minnie."
Professor McGonagall did not even try to correct the Black heir. It was useless.
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