Chapter 47 - First Quidditch Match

Saturday morning, the Great Hall is abuzz as especially Slytherin and Gryffindor glare at each other from their respective table. The more excited members have their faces painted in the house colors and make alpha animal-like gestures to each other from across the Great Hall such as pounding on their chest and so forth. Ignoring the rivalry, Rowan eats her sausages and eggs as she mutters, something about how the ketchup is missing.

"I've been reading Quidditch Through the Ages and did you know there are more than 700 ways to commit a foul?" Terry Greenwood excitedly exclaimed.

"Really?" Severus muttered. "Maybe I should read it too."

"Mm, I'll lend it to you once I'm done," Terry happily said.

Severus and Terry continue to eagerly chat about Quidditch as Wilkes takes a seat next to Rowan. "Do I detect a lack of Slytherin spirit in thine youthful face?" Wilkes said as Rowan glanced up to only wince at seeing Wilkes's face painted in Slytherin colors, green and silver.

"Aren't you a Perfect?" Rowan grumbled as she eyed his brightly colored face. "You're supposed to be setting an example."

"And I am by showing my house spirit!" Wilkes gleefully said. "Besides as long as I remain civil, none of the professors will say anything."

Rowan rolls her eyes and mutters, "Lucky."

"Ah, do I detect a lack of Quidditch team spirit?" Wilkes wickedly cackled.

Tactfully changing the subject, Rowan asked, "Why aren't you eating with the 5th years?"

"Because, they're still getting ready," Wilkes drily commented.

Rowan snorts as Wilkes's eyes gleam at spotting fellow yearlings. "Fellow friends, we have an unbeliever among us!" Wilkes loudly shouted.

Rowan instantly bolts leaving her food tray behind half-eaten, but not before accidentally brushing past Terry. Before she doesn't get very far as a rather large, Slytherin 5th year easily catches Rowan and carries her back. Sitting her firmly back down, the Slytherin 5th years surround Wilkes and Rowan.

"What's this I hear about there being an unbeliever in our house?" Said, the burly figure that had caught Rowan.

Just like at the Salem Witch Trials, Wilkes pointed and jeered, "There she is an unbeliever!"

Rowan's face darkens as Terry seriously whispers to Severus. "Apparently unbelievers must be taught to believe in the Slytherin house spirit."

"Why do you doubt our great house?" The burly 5th year rumbled as the other fanatical 5th years eye Rowan like a cannibalistic tribe would eye a human as food.

"I do not doubt," Rowan hastily said. "I merely asked, where all the 5th years were, and Wilkes shouted that strange remark out."

"We are not convinced," the 5th year said as the other surrounding 5th years grunt in agreement.

Rowan hastily parroted Terry's comment and says, "I know that there are 700 ways to commit a foul in Quidditch."

"Yes, but that does not mean you are a believer," the burly 5th year grumbled.

Rowan reaches into her pocket and pulls out a Slytherin banner and cheering device. "I am just keeping my emotions in check to be suddenly released at the match," Rowan solemnly lied.

Terry's eyes widen as he suddenly recognizes the items and hastily pats his pockets to find that his cheering items are gone. His eyes further widen as he gapes and wondered just when Rowan had the time to flinch them away? But most especially, given the fact that Severus has been sitting between them the entire time!

"A Believer!" The 5th years cried out as Wilkes joined them and followed them over to chant and glare at the Gryffindors from further down the table.

"Cultists," Rowan grumbled to herself as she subtly handed the stolen items back to Terry, who quickly takes them back like a worried mother, who had her baby stolen.

Severus eyes widen in shock as he says, "Wait, those are Terry's?"

"Yup," Rowan shamelessly replied.

"How-," Severus indignantly sputtered, "-just when did you borrow them?!"

Rowan cheekily smiles back and doesn't reply as Terry protectively puts his items way keeping a wary eye on Rowan. Terry knew Rowan must have taken them, when she bumped into him. But how?! It was only a matter of seconds and he didn't even feel anything!? A rather disturbing mystery that Terry did not care to repeat.

At 10:30, the students trickle out to the Quidditch stands as the students gather to watch the match that is to start at eleven. Rowan lazily yawns as she follows Terry and Severus outside into the chilly overcast sky. It wasn't that she didn't like sports, it's just that she found them slightly tedious at times to watch except for football and not the American variety. And it wasn't though as she hated Quidditch she just couldn't trust a sport where enchanted items could theoretically attack anyone including the spectators.

Rowan takes a seat at the edge of the stands out of paranoia in case she needs to jump and still survive the fall without breaking both legs. Severus and Terry didn't care very much for Rowan's choice and went further up towards the upper-middle for a better view of the field. Leaving her alone, which suited her just fine and watched the stands slowly fill up.

Some minutes later, Bethany, Silvia, and Tiffany scurry up the stands and sit next to Severus and Terry. "Where's Rowan?" Tiffany curiously asked as she cranked her neck in search.

"Somewhere down there," Terry pointed to the lower edge of the stands that were filled with Slytherins.

"Yeah, but why?" Tiffany said rather bewildered. "These are such good seats!"

Severus and Terry share a look as Severus drily says, "It's my sister, we're talking about. What I mean to say is that despite the fact that we're twins even I don't know half of what goes on in her head."

"This morning, I think I heard her mumbling something about sporting hazards," Silvia commented.

"Same here," Bethany said in agreement.

They turn to stare at Terry, who already has his Binoculars out. "What?!" Terry said as they all gave him a dark look for not paying attention.

"I was paying attention!" Terry protested. "Fine, I think the truth of the matter is that Rowan doesn't like Quidditch very much.

They all let out horrified gasps as Terry continues, "I mean, you have to remember that Rowan dislikes flying as she has a fear of falling. I think watching Quidditch makes her all queasy to be perfectly honest." Terry turns to Severus and says, "Am I right or wrong?"

"You're probably right," Severus quietly said as he recalled Rowan's pale face on the day of their first flying lessons. Seeing Severus so readily agree, the rest of them quiet down as they grab their binoculars as the 5th years loudly arrive with a massive emerald, silver banner that had an enchanted emerald serpent that moved on its own. The Gryffindor's weren't one to be quiet either as they rose up on their end of the field and held up their banners with orange lions that roared loudly on a crimson background. Needless to say, blood was boiling for both sides for their legendary rivalry spanned for hundreds of years since the very founding of Hogwarts.