Retiring?

It was late in the afternoon and it was chilly in the Ravenclaw common room. January was here. Students were looking at the notice board. Isabell and Olivia, who had just woken up, looked at the board and noticed a familiar blue parchment:

Hello Ravenclaws, 

The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw match will take place on January 13th. There is a new seeker and beater for this match.

New seeker instead of Amelia Clearwater: Olivia Dragonheart 

New beater instead of Cho Chang: Padma Patil

Be ready,

Rolanda Hooch

Olivia and Padma gaped at the parchment. Every first-year student in Ravenclaw was staring at them, cheering for them. Isabell was cheering the loudest.

‘WOOHOO OLIVIA!’ 

‘B-but, I don’t have a broom-’

‘WHATEVER!’ Isabell yelled, ‘You’re instead of Amelia!’

Amelia, who was looking from the small library, was smiling slightly, but was sad that Isabell didn’t care about her much. Olivia was peering at Amelia from the corner of her eye. She, too, grinned for only a fraction of a second. The parchment said that Amelia was sick and it said that Cho was too tired, but Olivia knew that Amelia wasn’t sick at all.

‘BUT WHERE WILL I GET A BROOM?’ Padma said, her body shaking.

‘Dunno,’ replied Roger Davies, who seemed a little worried. ‘What will we do without Amelia and Cho-?’

‘HEY! THAT WAS OFFENSIVE! OLIVIA ISN’T THAT BAD-’ yelled Isabell.

Roger looked sympathetic, yet quite surprised by Isabell’s behaviour.

‘B- but... we never did have a chance to actually ride a broom during the flying lessons-’ muttered Olivia. ‘All we did was that we were trying to make our broom obey us!’

‘Sh-she doesn’t even know proper Quidditch words!’ Roger looked as though he was on the verge of tears.

‘Wait a minute-’ Albert began. ‘THAT DAY WOULD BE MY BIRTHDAY!’

‘What a coincidence!’ Olivia said, smiling, trying not to freak out.

Amelia was grinning now, she was very happy for some reason.

‘Albert!’ She whisper-shouted.

‘Huh?’ Albert said, who was shocked and scared that Amelia was talking to him.

‘Can you give this new broom to Olivia?’ asked Amelia, handing Albert a wrapped broom, and still whispering. 

‘Why would you do this after you- unless it is a curse, are you gonna harm Oli-’

‘Look, just give her already,’ Amelia interrupted him. ‘And don’t tell her it was from me, please.’

Albert glared at Amelia. 

‘OI! Look what I found! It says it’s for… Olivia! It doesn’t say from whom though... Looks like a broom-’

Albert looked at Amelia, who gave a thumbs-up. Olivia and Isabell didn’t see the thumbs-up because they were too busy hurrying over to Albert.

‘Wait! Cho gave this to Padma too!’ Amelia whisper-called out to Albert as he took the other wrapped broom. 

‘OH LOOK!’ I found this… for Padma! It’s from Cho!’

‘WHAT?’ Padma said, grabbing the wrapped broom. 

She unwrapped it excitedly. Olivia was looking suspiciously at Amelia, but Amelia looked away when Olivia caught her eye. Isabell still didn’t notice anything.

‘What are you looking at?’ Isabell questioned Olivia.

‘Huh? Oh… nope, nothing, I just thought I saw Twilight scratching the couch,’ Olivia shrugged.

‘But Twilight is there,’ Isabell said confusedly, pointing at Twilight who was lazily lying by the library. 

‘Anyways, let’s open my new broom,’ said Olivia excitedly. 

Under the neat wrapping, was a Nimbus 2000. It was the older edition of the Nimbus 2001. 

‘That’s the same broom Harry’s got though,’ said Roger, peering at the polished broom. ‘Amelia had a better one.’

‘What! Who would buy such an expensive broom for you?’ asked Isabell, staring at the broom in admiration.

‘Dunno-’ Olivia said, though she had a hunch of who would have bought it.

Amelia tried not to make contact, but some students stared at her in suspicion.

‘Hmph, oh my… of course… your parents, they bought it! Oh! I’ve just remembered! They died! Good for them. They wouldn’t want to watch their only pathetic daughter-’

Isabell glared at Amelia in anger.

‘SHUT UP!’

‘Isabell, it’s alright, it’s what you will expect from her. Besides, she’s sick, leave her alone,’ said Olivia, grinning, as she held Isabell’s strong wrist, to prevent her from storming over to Amelia. 

Albert stared at Amelia thoughtfully and she gave him another thumbs-up. 

It was Charms to end the day. They had learnt a new charm. ’Wingardium Leviosa’. It levitates things and people.

‘Now I would like to thank Professor Flitwick for teaching us this. I could use it on Amelia,’ Isabell said, smirking, while they were walking down the corridor. ‘I could make her zoom around.’

‘But you won’t,’  Olivia said, and before Isabell could interrupt, she continued. ‘Teachers walk in the corridors, students would witness it and you would probably have detention from… Snape.’

‘Oh, why does he have to be in our business?’ Isabell said, groaning.

‘He’s a teacher. A rude, mean, greasy black-haired one, but still, a teacher.’

‘I totally agree,’ laughed Isabell. ‘Greasy black-haired, nice one.’ 

‘However, I don’t,’ said a cold voice.

‘Oh dear,’ Isabell said, frightened.

Indeed, it was Snape, standing behind them, looking pale and his pitch black hair greasier than ever.

‘Detention would do just fine, this time you would... Actually, let’s keep it a surprise,’ Snape’s pale lips curled. 

‘I GOT 2 DETENTIONS ALREADY THIS YEAR! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GIVE ME ONE MORE!’ yelled Isabell. 

‘You could have a fourth detention, including this one, I am free,’ said Snape as he walked to the dungeons.

‘Now I really hate him,’ Isabell groaned.

‘Don’t worry, your dad told me it was fine, you won’t get in trouble, as he knew Snape pretty well.’

‘Thank god.’