Lili liked Professor Flitwick. He was a funny little man, emphasis on the little. She found it funny that he had to stand on a stack of books just to be higher than the class. They were learning the levitation spell, which didn't seem too hard.
Flitwick was explaining how to do it. "Now don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing. Swish and flick. Swish and flick."
Lili's first few attempts didn't go well, with the feather in front of her not even moving. It frustrated her a bit, and Flitwick seemed to notice many of the students struggling.
"And enunciate!" He continued. "Never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest." Lili really concentrated, making another attempt to get the feather to float. When she couldn't, she frowned with a huff. "Oh, well done! Everyone see here. Miss Granger's done it!"
--
"Do you like Halloween, Ced?" Lili asked, shoving a piece of cut-up pork into her mouth.
"I suppose. It's not terrible. Much more fun when I was a child. You start becoming 'too old' for candy quite quickly. You?"
"I don't really know, to be honest. We celebrate Halloween as much as we celebrate Christmas: we don't. God, I don't remember ever getting a Christmas present. To be expected I suppose, with my family."
Cedric was about to say something more before Professor Quirrell burst into the hall. "TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! Thought you ought to know..." And with that, he fainted.
And then there was terror. While many students screamed, Lili simply hid behind Cedric. She knew he wouldn't be much of a defense against a troll, but in a moment of panic he was the closest safety she had. The hall went silent with pops from Dumbledore's wand, purple smoke trailing from it.
"Everyone will please not panic. Prefects, lead your Houses back to the dormitories. Teachers, follow me to the dungeons."
--
The Hufflepuffs made it to their dormitories quite quickly, having the closest common room in the kitchens. Lili and Cedric sat in front of the fireplace, mugs of hot cocoa in their hands.
"Do you get things like this happen all the time?" Lili asked. "The troll, I mean."
"No, actually. I'm surprised it was even able to get into the school. They're huge things, you know. Wouldn't have thought it could fit through the doorways."
"I suppose there's a lot of strange things that are going to happen in years to come."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, Harry Potter of course. He's the Chosen One. Bad things are bound to happen for years to come."
--
Lili pushed through the other students, making her way towards Cedric in the Hufflepuff section. It was the first Quidditch match of the year, and Lili was excited. She'd never been to a Quidditch match, and all she knew about the sport was what she'd read in books.
She squeezed in next to Cedric, who looked excited for the game. "Lili! Do you know how exciting this match is?" He had to yell to be heard.
"No. Not really."
"It's Gryffindor vs. Slytherin! They have the biggest rivalry of all the houses!"
"Who should I be rooting for?"
"Gryffindor, of course!"
Lili looked down at the game, watching as the balls were released.
Lee Jordan could be heard over the crowd through the announcer. "Quaffle's up...and straight off taken by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor. What an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too, I might add..."
Lili watched the action, not really understanding what was going on. Beside her, Cedric was cheering loudly for the Gryffindor team. His cheers were infectious, and soon she was cheering along with him. Harry's broom soon goes haywire, causing Lili to stop cheering and watch him. She saw George circling below, likely ready to catch Harry should he fall.
When Harry's broom stopped acting weird, he started to chase after what Lili assumed to be the Snitch. The Slytherin Seeker went after it as well, and it wasn't obvious who would get it. Then Harry crashed to the ground, rolling over and putting his hand over his mouth as if he would vomit. With a cough, he spat the Snitch out of his mouth and held it up. The crowd roared, and Gryffindor had won the match.
--
"That was bloody amazing!" Cedric cried as he and Lili walked to the bottom of the Quidditch pitch. He wanted to congratulate the Gryffindor team on their win. Lili couldn't help but giggle at his excitement.
"I'll have to take your word for it, Ced. Still don't really know how the game works."
"I'll have to teach you then. Or maybe George could teach you!" He gave Lili a nudge, and she nudged him back.
"Leave off! Like I said, it's just a stupid little crush."
"If you say so, Lil."
"Ceddy!" They heard, and Fred suddenly ran towards them.
"Fred! That was an amazing game! Those Slytherins deserved to go down."
"You know, you're very competitive for a Hufflepuff," Lili laughed, a huge smile on her face.
George soon joined the trio. "Enjoy the game, Lili?"
"I think so? I've never really understood how the game works. This was the first game I've ever seen, actually."
"Well then, I suppose I better teach you. Then you could know what's happening whenever I win!"
Lili blushed at George's comment, and she avoided Cedric's eyes. "I'd like that, actually."
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