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限定词是在名词词组中对名词中心词起特指、类指以及表示确定数量和非确定数量等限定作用的词类。名词词组除有词汇意义外，还有其所指意义，是特指还是类指（即泛指一类人或物〕；是有确定的数量，还是没有确定的数量。能在名词词组中表示这种所指意义的词类就是限定词。
限定词基本信息
（article） （DEFINITE ARTICLE），（INDEFINITE ARTICLE），（ZERO ARTICLE)
性的限定词（POSSESSIVE PRONOUN DETERMINER），my，your，his，her，our，your，their，its.
（GENITIVE NOUN），John's，my friend's.
指示限定词（DEMONSTRATIVE DETERMINATIVE），this，that，these，those，such.
关系限定词（RELATIVE DETERMINATIVE)，whose，which.
疑问限定词（INTERROGATIVE DETERMINATIVE），what，which，whose.
不定限定词（INDEFINITE DETERMINATIVE），no，some，any，each，every，enough，either，neither，all，both，half，several，many，much，(a) few，(a) little，other，another.
（numeral） （CARDINAL NUMERAL) 和（ORDINAL NUMERAL)
词（MULTIPLICATIVE NUMERAL) 和分数词（FRACTIONAL NUMERAL)
（QUANTIFIER) a lot of，lots of，plenty of，a great deal of，a good deal of，a large amountof，a small amount of，a quantity of，a great number of，a good number of 等。
限定词分类搭配
按照限定词与限定词的相互搭配关系，限定词可分为前位限定词(pre-determinative）、中位限定词（central determinative）和后位限定词（post-determinative）。
限定词的相互搭配关系为：前位+中位+后位
在这三类限定词中，前位限定词与前位限定词以及中位限定词与中位限定词是相互排斥的，后位限定词与后位限定词之间虽不排斥但有搭配限制。
限定词中位限定词
中位限定词包括：
冠词：a(n)，the
指示代词：this，that，these，those
形容词性物主代词：my，your，his，her，our，etc
名词属格：Jim’s，my mother’s
：some，any，no，every，each，either，neither，enough，etc
：what(ever)，which(ever)，whose，etc
限定词前位限定词
前位限定词包括：
all，both， double，twice，three times，
one-third，two-fifths，
what，such，(a / an）等。
限定词后位限定词
后位限定词包括：
one，two，three， first，second，third，
next，last，other，another，
many，much，(a) few，(a) little，fewer，(the) fewest，less，(the) least，more，most；
several，plenty of，a lot of，lots of，a great / large / good number of，a great / good deal of，a large / such等。
限定词特点
从形式上看，大多数属于封闭性词类，并且具有相应的代词。
从位置上看，在名词短语中，它们位于形容词之前。
从功能上看，它们对其后的名词起限定作用。
从用法上看，在名词短语中，大多数限定词是相互的，而形容词的使用从理论上说是没有数量限制的。
限定词搭配关系
限定词与名词词组中心词之间有着某种固定的搭配关系；如果名词之前带有两个或两个以上的限定词，则限定词与限定词之间也有某种固定的搭配关系。
限定词与三类名词的搭配关系
限定词的选择决定于随后的名词的类别，是单数名词、，还是。
1〕能与三类名词搭配的限定词
有些限定词如the，some，any，no，other，whose以及my，your等物主限定词和名词属格（John's，my friend's〕等能与三类名词搭配。
2〕只能与单数名词搭配的限定词
有些限定词如a(n)，one，another，each，every，either，neither，many a，such a 等只能与单数名词搭配。
3） 只能与复数名词搭配的限定词
有些限定词如both，two，three，another two / three，many，(a) few，several，these，those，a (great) number of等只能与复数名词搭配。
4） 只能与不可数名词搭配的限定词
有些限定词如a (little) bit of，a great amount of，a great deal of，(a) little，much等只能与不可数名词搭配。
5〕能与单、复数名词搭配的限定词
有些限定词如the first，the second，the last，the next等既可与单数名词搭配，也可与复数名词搭配。
6〕能与单数名词和不可数名词搭配的限定词
有些限定词如this，that，(the) least等能与单数名词和不可数名词搭配。
7〕能与复数名词和不可数名词搭配的限定词
还有些限定词如a lot of，lots of，enough，more，most，such，other等可与复数名词和不可数名词搭配。
不定量限定词less原先只与不可数名词搭配，但在现代英语中，less既可与不可数名词也可与复数名词搭配。
限定词与限定词之间的搭配关系
以上讲的是限定词与三类名词的搭配关系。除上述搭配关系外，限定词与限定词之间还存在着一定的搭配关系。在名词词组中心词之前如果有两个或两个以上限定词出现时，就会产生限定词的先后顺序问题。按其不同的搭配位置，限定词可分为：
1〕中位、前位、后位限定词
按照限定词与限定词之间不同搭配位置，限定词可分为中位限定词（CENTRAL DETERMINER〕、前位限定词（PREDETERMINER〕和后位限定词（POSTDETERMINER〕。
a) 中位限定词包括a(n)，the， this，that，these， my，your， Merry's，my friend's; some，any，no，every，each，either，neither， what(ever)，which(ever)，whose等
b) 前位限定词包括all，both， double，twice，three times， one-third，two-fifths， what，such，(a / an）等
c) 后位限定词包括one，two，three， first，second，third， next，last，other，another， many，much，(a) few，(a) little，fewer，(the) fewest，less，(the) least，more， several，plenty of，a lot of，lots of，a great / large / good number of，a great / good deal of，a large / such等
2） 三类限定词的搭配关系
如果一个名词词组带有上述三类限定词，其搭配关系总是按照&前位－－中位－－后位&的顺序排列。
all前the中four后teachers.　　all前your中three后books.　　all前these中last后few后days.
如果只有上述两类限定词，其搭配关系仍按上述顺序
half前his中lecture.　　those中last后few后months.　　several后hundred后guests.　　all前other后students.　　such前a中misfortune.　　some中such后alloy.
限定词互相排斥
中位限定词之间和前位限定词之间是互相排斥的，即一个名词中心词之前不可并用两个中位限定词或两个前位限定词。所以，&我的那本书&不是* my that book而是that book of mine，因为my和that同是中位限定词，不可同时并列。但后位限定词的使用却不受此限。
个别限定词有跨类现象，如such既属于前位限定词，又可归入后位限定词。由于它只是在such a...和such an...这样的搭配中属于前位限定词，而在与其他限定词（some，any，no，all，few，another，other，many，one，two，etc）搭配时，such则是后位限定词，一律放在上述这些限定词的后面，如some such，any such，nosuch，few such，one such等，因此把它归入后位限定词。
限定词用法介绍
下面介绍一些限定词（包括相应的不定代词〕的某些习惯用法问题。
（1〕many，much，a lot of，lots of，plenty of
表示&多&的意思，可用many，much，a lot of，lots of，plenty of等。但是many，much常用于否定句和疑问句，而a lot of等则常用于肯定句。　　I haven't seen many English films. 多数英文电影我没看过。many修饰可数名词　　I haven't done much work today. 我还没有做多少活呢。much修饰不可数名词　　many / much常用于否定句和疑问句并不是绝对的，尤其是在下列场合many / much也常用于肯定句：
a) 用于whether / if引导的宾语分句中。　　I doubt whether / if there'll be many people at the show on this rainy day. 我怀疑在这个雨天里会有很多人看表演。
b) 用于由&how / too / so / as+ many / much (+中心词）& 构成的名词词组中。　　He took so many boxes with him that he had to call a taxi. 他身边带着太多的箱子，不得不叫计程车。
c) 用于在句首作主语以及在&存在句&中作实义主语的名词词组中。　　Many people would like to take holidays abroad. 许多人喜欢去国外度假。
2） (a) few，(a)little
表示&少&的意思，可用（a) few，(a) little，既可用作限定词，也可用作不定代词。a few，a little表示&少量&，带有肯定意义。　　Here are a few more books on this subject. 在他的课题上有少量的书。
few / little 若不与a 连用则表示－否－定－意义，相当于not many / much，not enough。　　I have very few (chocolates) left. 我剩下不多的巧克力。
little 的比较级和最高级是less 和least，通常只能用与不可数名词搭配，但在当代英语中也有用less与复数搭配的。　　If only there were less holes in the roof. 如果房顶仅是少量洞。
3） some，any
要表示&一些&的意思，可用some，any。some 是肯定词（ASSERTⅣE WORD〕，常用于肯定句；any是非肯定词（NONASSERTⅣE WORD〕，常用于否定句或疑问句。　　I seldom get any sleep these days.
any也常用于条件分句以及带有否定含义的句子中：　　I forgot to ask for any change. 我忘了要一些零钱。
当some与单数可数名词搭配时，some相当于a certain（&某一&〕的含义；而any与单数可数名词搭配，则相当于 eery（&任何一个&〕的含义　　Any child could answer that question. 任何一个孩子都可以回答这个问题。
4） all，both，every，each，either，neither，any
这一类词，除every只能作限定词外，都是既可作限定词，也可作不定代词。
any boy / any (one) of the (three or more) boys，
a) 表示&全体&，可用all 和both，但all表示三个或三个以上人或物的&全体&，而both则表示两个人或物的&全体&。　　All the four applicants are below the average. 所有这四位申请者都在平均数以下。　　如果要表示&全体都不&的意思，当&全体&为三个或更多的人或物时，通常用none。　　None of the students failed the examination. 没有一个学生考试失败。　　如果要表示两个人或物&都不&，通常要用neither:　　Neither student / Neither (one) of the (two) cars was made in Japan. 两辆车没有一辆产自日本。
b) 表示全体中的&每个&，如果这个&全体&包含三个或更多的人或物，通常用every。　　Every student in the class took part in the performance. 这个班的每个学生都是这个表演的一部分。　　如果这个&全体&包含两个或两个以上的人或物，便可以用each　　Each / Every side of the square was crowded with people. 广场的边上挤满了人。　　every 与each 的区别还在于every 指许多人或物中的&每个&，侧重在全体，近乎all的含义：　　Every student failed the examination. = All the students failed the examination. 所有的学生都考试失败。
c) 表示全体中的&任何一个&，也要看这个&全体&是包含三个或更多，还是只包含两个。当&全体&包含三个或三个以上，要表示其中任何一个须用any。　　Any (= Every) child would know that. 每个孩子都知道这个。　　当&全体&只包含两个时，要表示其中任何一个须用either。　　We have two copies left. Keep either (copy) for the file. 我们有两份考贝剩下，为文件保持其中的一份。
但在on either side，on either end等固定词组中有时可以兼指两个。　　There are stairways at either end of the corridor. 走廊的两头都有楼梯。
限定词典型特例
类指和特指
冠词（ARTICLE）是最典型的限定词。
1 类指和特指
冠词的表意功能可以归纳为二种，即类指（GENERIC REFERENCE）和特指（SPECIFIC REFERENCE）。冠词是虚词，本身不能单独使用，也没有词义，它用在名词的前面，帮助指明名词的含义。英语中的冠词有三种，一种是定冠词（the Definite Article）（定冠词the与指示代词this，that同源，有“那（这）个”的意思，但较弱，可以和一个名词连用，来表示某个或某些特定的人或东西。）；另一种是不定冠词（the Indefinite Article）（不定冠词a (an）与数词one 同源，是&一个&的意思。a用于辅音音素前，一般读作[e]，而an则用于元音音素前，一般读做[en]。）； 零冠词zero Article）。
限定词类指
类指是表示类别，也就是泛指一类人或物。不论是定冠词还是不定冠词和零冠词都具有这种功能。比如定冠词与单数可数名词搭配，往往可起类指的作用，常用于正式语体。
Galileo claimed that he had invented the telescope.声称他发明了望远镜。
定冠词与某些形容词或分词连用，表示类别或抽象概念，也是一种类指用法。
The rich get richer，and the poor get children. 有钱的更有钱，穷人得了孩子。
用不定冠词与单数可数名词搭配也可表示类别
An ox is a useful animal. 公牛是一个有用的动物。
用零冠词与复数可数名词或不可数名词搭配，同样可以表示一类的人或物
Unity is strength.。
限定词特指
特指不同于类指，它不是泛指一类人或物，而是特指一类人或物中的具体对象。这里有两种情况：一种是非常明确地指出何人或何物，这叫做&确定特指&（DEFINETE SPECIFIC REFERENCE
He bought a house. I've been to the house. 他买了幢房子。我去过那幢房子。指上文提到过的人或事。
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Part 1 of the
Published:Words:30607Chapters:1/1Kudos:543Bookmarks:Hits:25004
The boys attend Hogwarts. Liam is the Gryffindor Quidditch captain, Harry is a beater.Louis and Zayn are Slytherins. Niall is a Hufflepuff. There is a misunderstanding, and there are shenanigans in the Room of Requirement. Also,
lot of Quidditch matches.
Liam says, “Don’t repeat that. I’m not meant to have favourites.” Harry claps him on the back, grasping his shoulder and bringing him in for a hug. “Noted for blackmail,” Louis assures him, nodding once. Liam smiles at him like he doesn't believe him.
So, this is both my first 1D fic, and my longest ever fic.Comments are much appreciated :) Happy reading!
Potions class is always a hit and miss subject, Louis feels.He’s meant to be good at it, because it’s Slytherin’s unofficial favourite subject, but Louis would much rather be practicing Charms, which seems a thousand times more interesting.Potions can sometimes be fun, though, like when they’re attempting something pretty routine and less supervised and he can sabotage Harry Styles’ potions by adding Eye of Newt. It’s like his speciality or something.- Harry always looks down at his cauldron, filled with bogey-green liquid instead of maroon with the most genuinely confused expression, and it’s all Louis can do not to collapse in a fit of giggles-Today, however, they’re meant to be creating a poison antidote, and much to Louis’ dismay, he’s paired up with Harry, who smiles at him slowly, which seems to be how he does everything. While Louis takes school pretty casually, he does actually want to do well in his NEWTs, which means he shouldn’t sabotage their potion just to watch Harry’s hilariously puzzled expression.“You’re rubbish at potions, you know.” He tells Harry earnestly as Harry joins him behind their cauldron.Harry frowns. “No ‘m not.” He has his hands in the pockets of his pants and he’s looking at the blackboard at the front of the room instead of Louis.“You are though,” Louis insists, standing close to him, “You always get your potions wrong.”“I fix them though,” Harry shrugs. He has a point. He would have failed weeks ago if he’d been unable to correct them from Louis’ sabotaging.“If you’re that good, how come you get them wrong to begin with?”Harry shrugs noncommittally. It’s infuriating. Louis ponders briefly shoving the Eye of Newt in Harry’s book bag instead.From the front of the room, the professor waves his wand the stick of chalk rises to the air, writing the ingredients on the board without help. “If you’ll turn your books to page seven hundred and ninety four...” There is a scuffling as the class rummages through their bags and then flips their books through to the correct page, “You may begin.”Louis immediately heads to the store room to collect the ingredients they’ll need for their potion. There are some things they’ll need that he hasn’t used much before, and it looks like it’s a reasonably complicated potion.When he gets back Harry’s reading the instructions, cauldron already heated up, knife and cutting board out. He takes the Sopophorous Bean off of the small pile Louis has stacked up, and begins cutting it. He seems to know what he’s doing- the beans are fairly tough and resist when you try to cut them, but Harry seems to have some sort of technique. Louis is impressed. No wonder he’s not managed to hinder Harry’s potions too badly. They work mostly in silence for the rest of the lesson, save for the occasional ‘could you pass the...’ It goes quickly for a lesson where Louis isn’t having fun by mucking around with the temperature of other people’s potions when the professor’s back is turned.They finish their potion and stand hands on hips looking appreciatively at it. It’s the exact shade of murky brown mixed through with yellow and green described in the book, and looks a bit like cat vomit. It’s fantastic.They’re graded and dismissed, and Louis is picking up his book bag off the floor when Harry pats him companionably on the shoulder and says, “See, works better without Eye of Newt.”Louis’s turns his head sharply to look at him, horrified. Harry just twitches his eyebrows upward twice and smirks.Fucking Gryffindors. & & Liam isn’t quite sure how he got made a Gryffindor. He doesn’t really feel particularly brave, and surely his biggest trait, the one most likely for him to be sorted by, would be his loyalty. He’d do anything for his friends.But somehow Niall got made a Hufflepuff instead of Liam. It’s probably his penchant for food. Is that a Hufflepuff thing? Liam thinks it is.Either way, Liam dons his red embellished robes with Harry, and they sit at the Gryffindor table, year in, year out.The Great Hall is always packed late during breakfast time. Students rush in last minute to grab a bite of food and linger after the dong for their first lesson has rung. He and Harry’ve made it down on time this morning, and they’re able to eat their food at a leisurely pace. Niall comes and sits with them, which is pretty usual.“Did you finish your homework last night?” Liam asks them, from the opposite side of the table, shovelling some scrambled eggs into his mouth.“Mosd ‘f i’,” Niall replies through a sandwich of bacon and chips. Liam frowns at him, “Wha’!?” He swallows his mouthful and continues, “I’ll do it during lunch!”He’s not going to. Liam can tell.“’m done.” Harry replies, “Had to write up a report in potions.”Liam nods. He had the same homework for potions as Harry. He’d have preferred to be grouped up with Harry for their lesson, but their professor liked to mix things up a bit. Instead, Liam’d been paired up with a moody Ravenclaw named Adam and Harry’d been paired up with Louis, an energetic but misbehaving Slytherin. Probably Liam had got the better deal.“Mmn, you got Tomlinson, right?” Niall asks. He’s washing down his sandwich with a full glass of pumpkin juice.“Yup,”“How’d you know?” Liam asks.“Oh, I’m friends with Zayn. He’s Louis’ friend, another Slytherin. You know Zayn, remember, he’s the one with the-“ he puts down his pumpkin juice and waves his hand in front of his face several times. “you know, face.”“The one with the face.” Harry deadpans. Niall frowns at him, annoyed and Harry smirks. “You’d know him if you saw him. Anyway, he told me. I don’t think Louis likes you, Harry.”“I think the Eye of Newt I find in my half completed potions every class would agree with you. Seriously, I don’t even know where he gets it.”Liam splutters. “Harry, you’ve got to tell professor Brown about that. You can’t let him just sabotage your potions and do nothing about it!”Harry shrugs. “I told him I know that he does it, during last lesson. He’ll stop, I reckon.” Liam raises an eyebrow, sceptical. “Well, I told him in a roundabout way.” Harry amends. Liam goes to speak again but Niall cuts him off.“Li, it’s really Harry’s choice what he does. He’s managed to fix his potions every time, and besides, it’s not just him that Louis torments. He keeps mucking up the temperatures on Perrie’s cauldron too.”“But-“ Liam starts, but the two of them stare him down. “Fine.”“I just really don’t care about that git Louis bloody Tomlinson and his stupid pranks, Li.” Harry says, and Liam knows that’s the conversation is over for now.Liam shrugs and eats a spoonful of his baked beans. From somewhere down the table across from them, Liam hears a few raised voices, but doesn’t think anything of it until he sees Harry and Niall, look down the table over Liam’s shoulder to see what the noise is about, their expressions turning to frowns.“Hello lads,” Someone says behind Liam. He turns around and Louis Tomlinson is standing there. “And you, Styles.”Harry puts his fork down and raises an eyebrow, “Tomlinson, what do you want?”Louis laughs without humour, “Always such a brave little Gryffindor lad, calling people names behind their backs.”Liam frowns for a moment until he remembers what Harry’d just said about him. Louis must have heard.“Yeah, well, I only speak the truth... honourable Gryffindor and all.” Harry says. Niall looks between the two of them and takes a spoonful of spaghetti off Harry’s plate.Louis smirks and crosses his arms in front of him. Liam says, “Look, Louis, leave him alone.” Louis looks down at him, assesses him and looks back at Harry, smirk widening.“Oh, your puppy dog fights for you too?”Liam frowns. “That’s enough.” Harry says. “Just ‘cause you got no friends doesn’t mean you can to insult mine.”He pushes his chair back and stands up. Liam watches his fingers drift toward his pocket where his wand is hidden, fingers twitching. It’s almost like one of those old Muggle Western tele programme that Liam’s dad watches. Around them, a group of students is gathering, itching for a fight. Liam looks toward the staff table, where a few professors are sitting. They haven’t seemed to notice the kerfuffle yet, but it’s only a matter of time. The question is which will happen first.Louis’ own hand twitches toward his pocket, and he’s first to pull his wand out. He points it at Harry, who pauses, deer in the headlights, hand half way in his pocket to his own wand. “Don’t move,” Louis says smugly, holding his wand loosely in his hand, the other on his hip.Someone that Liam vaguely recognises pushes his way through the crowd and ends up at Louis’ arm. He’s wearing green embellished robes too. “Louis,” he says, “don’t.”Louis pushes him off, “He’s a dick, Zayn.”Oh, Zayn. So that’s what Niall meant about the face.“Fucking twat,” Harry says under his breath. Liam groans, this isn’t the start to his morning he wanted. He looks over to the staff table again, where one of the professors is frowning and making her way over. She’s taking her time, though.Liam looks back to Louis again, who has definitely heard Harry. “You’re so infuriating!” He shouts, and Liam can tell what’s going to happen before it happens. His body seems to move on its own accord as he stands up and turns to push Louis away as Louis says “Flipendo!”The spell hits Liam square on the chest, and the last thing he hears before he blacks out is the Professor’s yelling.-Liam wakes up in the hospital wing and it takes him a good few moments to remember what happened. The ache in his body kicks in a second later. Harry and Niall are sitting by his side, and they smile when he looks up. Harry has several tiny bandages over his eyebrow, but otherwise he looks fine, albeit a little worried.To Liam’s surprise, Zayn is also sitting with them. When Liam looks at him he gives him a bit of a sheepish look.“Erm.” Liam says to the silent room, “What happened?”Harry leans over and puts his hands in Liam’s hair, rubbing his head. “You took a spell for me, Li.” He sounds kind of awed. “Thank you.”Liam leans into the touch, closing his eyes.“T’was nothing.” He says. He opens his eyes and Niall grins at him from the seat next to Harry’s.“You enjoying that?” He smiles, “perhaps you are a wee bit of a puppy, hey?”Harry frowns at him over his arm which is stroking Liam’s forehead. “Hey. He’s a good friend! Unlike you, stealing food from my plate while that Slytherin was badmouthing me!” he pauses and glances at Zayn, “no offence Zayn.”“It’s cool, mate.”Niall scoffs. “I was hungry and it was entertaining. Everyone else was watching!”Liam grabs Harry’s hand off his head and clasps it between his on his chest. He frowns at the lot of them. “Are you going to tell me what happened? And what is Zayn doing here? What happened to Louis?” He looks over at Zayn, “No offence Zayn.”“Nah, it’s cool.”“You got knocked out, mate,” Harry helpfully supplies. Liam give him his best ‘no shit,’ face, and Harry shrugs apologetically, “right, well, you were knocked back onto the table! It was fantastic. Niall got food all over him. Well, you did too but you didn’t react so it wasn’t as funny.“Anyway, so there you were, sprawled on the table, lifeless! And then Professor Cole disarmed Louis, which was a major help, let me tell you, I guess she didn’t realise I wanted to jinx him, so then I did-““-Obligatory comment about how you hurt my friend, yada yada. Shame on you etcetera,” Zayn butts in, and he and Harry high-five over Liam’s bed.“I mean, it wasn’t as hardcore as the spell he got on you, I didn’t really want to hurt him but embarrass him. But anyway, so then Professor Cole disarmed me, too, all the while yelling at me, and then we got taken down here, and I’m in detention for the next few weeks. You’re going to need a substitute beater, on another, unrelated note.” He grins. Niall rolls his eyes.“Alright,” says Liam, taking it all in. “But what did you do to Louis, and where is he now? Also what about your eyebrow?”“He’s in here,” Zayn supplies. He nods over to one of the beds with closed curtains. “He didn’t want anyone to see him.” Zayn scratches his eyebrow, obviously trying to hold back a laugh, “That was a brilliant spell though, mate. I really have to congratulate that. Transfiguration is one of my favourites, you know?”Harry nods and they make pleased eyes at each other over Liam, again. Ugh, he feels like a third wheel in his own hospital room. “Ugh,” he says. He feels a little woozy. What does a bloke have to do to get some sympathy and pain relief? “My everything aches.” He tells them.Harry makes soothing noises and begins to rub his forehead again. “Your eyebrow?” Liam asks.Harry rubs his head with his spare hand and looks at Zayn, grinning.“That was me,” Zayn says. “I figure I had to at least pretend to defend Lou. Even if he was being a bit of a tosser.” He grins. “So now me and Harry’ll be in detention together! With Lou!”“God, will anyone be on the Quidditch teams?” Liam asks.“I can play!” Niall suggests.They all gape at him. “Fuck no,” Liam says eventually. Harry laughs and Niall frowns.“Well. This has been an interesting day, then.” Harry says, “All before lunch time! And you worried we wouldn’t get anything done, Liam!” Liam rolls his eyes. He supposes the day could be worse. He hasn’t been hit in the balls at all, which is unusual really.“And we’ve learnt something, too!” Niall supplies. Liam stares at him. “You no longer have to worry why you were put in Gryffindor, you brave attack dog, you!”Harry says, “My hero!” batting his eyelashes and attempting to hug Liam while Liam pushes him away- gently, because he still hurts. Liam pretends to vomit on Harry’s shoulder when he finally gets his hug.“How is this my life?” Liam ponders.“I hear you, mate.” Niall says. He flicks Harry’s arse where Harry’s leaning over Liam, sticking it in Niall’s face. Liam gives him the thumbs up over Harry’s back.“I hope you know when I’m feeling better I’m going to give you all a stern talking to.” Liam says.Harry nods into his shoulder. “I’m counting on it.”“That’s our Liam,” Niall agrees. & & It’s bloody torture, it is, Louis bemoans as he sits in the detention room with Zayn and Harry. They’re seated in an old classroom with a few other students. Louis is sitting next to Zayn, but Zayn keeps passing notes to Harry and his friend Taylor and grinning.Never has he hated a Gryffindor more.They’re meant to be doing their homework in this time, but Louis keeps getting distracted and doodling pictures of Harry Styles, Mr Gryffindor Douche himself, being transfigured into a rat. He’s starting to get the details of the fur in when Zayn leans over and pokes him with his quill.“You know he isn’t that bad” he whispers. He looks over Lou’s shoulder at the doodle and nods. “Nice picture. Needs more sass though.”“Oh come off it, just because you’re a deluded Styles fan-girl doesn’t mean we all are.” Louis whispers back.Zayn pokes him again. “Do your homework,” he says. It’s not a very convincing argument. Louis nods but goes back to doodling. He pulls his wand out and charms the little Harry-Rat to move, skittering around his page in 2D, sniffing the few words he’s written as homework.As he’s watching it, something hits him in the head. It’s a bewitched paper plane, and it flutters in his hand as he holds it. He looks around the room to see where it came from, and catches Harry’s eye. Harry nods his head at him, face straight. He mouths ‘open it.’ Louis ducks his head, scowling.He opens it anyway, holding it down as it tries to fly off. Inside, Harry has written ‘I’d forgotten how ugly you looked without the ears, want me to transfigure them again? It won’t even cost you.’ Louis’ face heats up, and he frowns. Fucking Harry.He writes ‘Fuck You,’ on the paper, but it doesn’t seem to cut out exactly how he feels. He replicates the Harry-Rat he’d drawn on his homework on the plane, charming it to enthusiastically flip off whoever reads the paper. It’s pretty good work, he reckons. Zayn’s given him a few art lessons so he isn’t completely rubbish. He folds the plane back up again and enchants it to fly back to Harry, planting itself firmly in his hair. Louis looks down at his parchment and continues his homework.A few minutes later he’s hit in the head with the plane again. He doesn’t bother looking up, he knows who it’s from. Zayn pokes him with his Quill again but Louis ignores it.He opens up the parchment plane and reads Harry’s reply.‘In your dreams perhaps’ is Harry’s reply. It’s not the most creative nor original reply, and Louis scoffs quietly. He looks up to see whether or not the professor supervising the detention is watching, but he’s leant back on his chair, mouth parted and snoring slightly. Louis looks back to the note. As well as the words, Harry’s bewitched the Harry-Rat to strangle a little caricature of Louis with rabbit ears that Harry’s added.Louis raises an eyebrow at the page and then turns around to glance at Harry. Harry’s watching him already, and he smirks a satisfied little smirk when he catches Louis eye. Harry’s friend Taylor is watching them too, a little amused smile as she looks between the two of them. Louis scowls at them and turns around again.Louis wonders if he should apologise to Harry’s friend Liam. He’d not meant to hit him with the spell. To be fair, Liam had jumped in the way. Gryffindors and their bloody need to play the hero. Louis adds a little puppy dog pleading the Harry Rat to stop strangling the tiny Louis with bunny ears. He adds a speech bubble ‘Don’t hurt Louis, he’s so handsome and cunning!’ He folds up the parchment plane and sends it back. He hears Harry receive it, as he lets out a surprised gasp of laughter.Louis glances at the professor to make sure he hasn’t woken up. He’s still snoring faintly. Louis lets himself chuckle a little inwardly, and figures he might as well do some of his homework, so he flips through the pages in his text book and begins to write down the twelve uses of dragons’ blood.He’s gotten a good few paragraphs out by the time he gets Harry’s parchment plane reply to the head. He hastily opens it up and reads the response. He lets out a little “Ouch,” upon reading it. Inside is a picture of the little rabbit eared Louis pulling out a wand and zapping the puppy dog, where it falls to the floor, little ‘x’s for eyes.“What?” Zayn whispers fiercely. “What are you doing? Let me see the note.” He reaches over and tugs at the plane, but Louis holds on to it.“Sod off, get your own parchment plane.” He tells him.“I thought you hated Harry,” Zayn whispers, “Why are you sending him notes of friendship and love?”“They are violent depictions of how I am going to end him, you twat. And I don’t hate him, per say, I just hate all that he stands for.”Zayn scoffs. “You really are an idiot, aren’t you.” He lets go of the note. Louis immediately yanks it close to his chest.The professor lets out a particularly loud snore, and the boys look over at him in horror. He doesn’t wake up, and they relax.
Louis turns to face Zayn and says, “Leave me alone you giant traitor.”He hears Harry snigger and realises he’s spoken a little too loudly. He makes eye contact with Harry accidentally and drops his head, cheeks colouring.“Oh,” Zayn says. “So that’s what this is all about.”“Fuck off.” Louis insists, “What are you on?”“Heh,” is his only response, before Zayn goes back to his writing.Louis hunches over his homework and admires the charm spells on the parchment plane. & & Harry loves Quidditch. Always has, always will. He’s a hardcore Puddlemere United fan, and he plays on the Gryffindor house team as a beater. He loves it.Which is why missing out on playing for two weeks is torture. He almost regrets retaliating against Louis, transfiguring his ears into oversized rabbit ears. Almost.After lessons, Harry, Liam and Niall make their way down to the Quidditch pitch to watch the team play. They’ve got a substitute beater because Harry’s banned temporarily. Liam leaves them at the stands and down to the field, as he’s the captain. Harry and Niall wave him off and sit in spots in the stands. It’s quite eerie, really, the empty Quidditch stands. Usually whenever Harry sees them it’s from the air, and they’re full.He sighs meaningfully and Niall pats him on the back. “Calm down, trigger finger, you’ll get back to beating balls soon enough.”Harry frowns at Niall and attempts to hit him in the crotch. Niall pushes him away, laughing. They sit down and watch the teams warm up. Both Hufflepuff and Gryffindor are sharing the pitch, playing a bit of a scratch match as preparation for their match on the weekend. Harry’s not looking forward to it. He doesn’t have that much faith in the replacement beater, a bloke named Nick that they’d roped in last minute. Liam’s great, he really is, but he could’ve chosen someone completely rubbish just because they’d asked nicely.“Oh quit your internal self flattery,” Niall says, watching the group. “Can’t wait till we beat you on Saturday.” He side eyes Harry, trying not to show that he’s grinning.“Wow, Nialler, want to put your money where your mouth is?” He nudges Niall. On the ground, Liam blows a whistle and the Gryffindor team mounts their brooms and they fly gracefully into the air. Liam yells something that Harry can’t quite make out, but he’s heard it so many times he knows what it is. The team starts their laps around the field, ducking and weaving between the goals and the stands.“Sure,” Niall says easily, “I bet you four galleons that Hufflepuff wins.”Harry scoffs, “Gryffindor won’t let missing their best player stop them! You’re on.”They grin at each other fiercely, and shake on it, pulling each other into a bro hug.-The game finishes after about forty five minutes, when the Snitch is caught. Gryffindor wins, but only because they’d caught the snitch, earning them an extra 150 points. Hufflepuff had been ahead by points before that, and the seekers had been quite close, Perrie catching the snitch ahead of Tom by just a hair.Harry runs down to the pitch, leaving Niall training behind. Liam calls a huddle and they’re all grouped around each other when Harry reaches the ground. He runs up and joins the circle, looping his arms around Louis’ waist and over Leigh-Ann’s shoulder.Liam glances around outside the circle guiltily, like he’s worried that someone will see Harry within a 100 kilometre radius of Quidditch and sentence him to more ban time. Harry grins at him and bops his jaw with a loose fist.“Calm down Liam.” He says. The worried expression on Liam’s face falls slowly and is replaces with his ‘game face.’ Harry loves Liam’s game face. It means that they’ve got a damn good chance to win this match, and also it’s kind of hilarious to look at and snigger at with Niall.“Right then, team,” Liam starts, and he begins to give them the plays he’s planned for the match, as well as improvements he’s noticed they need.Harry looks around the little huddle in at the faces of his team mates. They’re all staring at Liam, hanging on to his words, and he feels so proud of them. They’re going to win! They have to.Harry’s smiling at the faces in the circle when he notices that his replacement, Nick, is staring right back at him. He grins at Harry when he catches his eye. Harry smiles back, then nods his head in Liam’s direction, in a ‘pay attention’ type of way. Nick winks at him and then does as he’s told.Huh, Harry thinks. After Liam’s finished with his pep talk, Harry corners Nick as he’s gulping down water from his water bottle. “Hey,” Harry says.Nick looks at him, swallows his mouth and says, “Hi.”“So,” Harry nods at him, and boy is this super awkward, “Harry Styles. You’re my replacement.”Nick grins. “That I am,” He puts his bottle back into his backpack and slings it over his shoulder. “Nick Grimshaw.” They begin walking toward the entrance of the pitch, where the rest of the team is already headed. Liam and Niall are walking together, and they look back at Harry and grin smugly. Harry flips them off, and they turn around, laughing.“Well, I mean,” Harry continues, “Temporary replacement. Of course I’m coming back in two weeks, so you’re only on for this one game.”“Ah, of course, ‘Harry Styles: pretty much a big deal,’ yeah?” He’s grinning, and he knows that Nick’s teasing him, but he is pretty much a big deal, so. “We’ll see, we’ll see.”“Best beater in years, I’m told.” He grins at Nick.Nick grins back, “Right, until me?”Harry raises his eyebrows. “Those are some mighty big shoes you’re trying to steal, Nick, if you’re so amazing, how come I didn’t see you at the tryouts, yeah?”“I was sick, sadly.” Nick shakes his head, “Prank gone wrong, you know the deal. Nasty stuff, you don’t want details.”“No, I’m sure I know what you mean. Let’s just skip that conversation.”They chat all the way up to the castle, and along the way Harry learns that Nick’s a seventh year, from Manchester, and is a half blood, magic on his mum’s side. It’s a relaxed, easy conversation for someone Harry has literally just met.When they reach the Gryffindor tower, they pause in the common room. It’s not late enough for Harry to get to sleep, and Niall and Liam are sitting in some armchairs by the fire, so he says goodbye to Nick, promising to talk to him later about running through some Beater drills.They have an awkward ‘do we shake or?’ moment where they can’t decide whether they’re fist bumping or shaking hands, but they end up grasping hands and then one-shoulder hug, before Nick turns for the boy’s dorm stairs.Niall pats the beanbag on the floor near the two of them, and Harry plops down in it. “You lads looked good on the field down there, don’t forget about me,” Harry tells Liam.Liam and Niall just stare at him, smug grins on their face.Harry blinks. “What?” He ask them. He taps his face, wondering if there is something of it. “What!?”“You seem to get on fairly well with Nick,” Liam comments. He looks like he’s holding back a laugh.Harry frowns, confused. He looks to Niall for help, but Niall just winks at him and makes a kissy face.“What!?” Harry repeats, exasperated, because seriously, what? “I do- oh.” Oh. “Oh my god,” Harry says. Niall and Liam begin stop bothering to hide their laughter and let out a serious of choked loud guffaws. Harry burries his face in his hands.
Oh my god.
-The first Quidditch game of the season is always packed out. The stands are full of students wearing the house colours of Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, the two competing teams. Zayn’s in the seating places traditionally reserved for Slytherin supporters, but because their team isn’t playing, they’re all mostly wearing the yellow and black of Hufflepuff, considered the lesser of two evils.Zayn and Louis, however, are decked out in red and gold paraphernalia that Zayn had borrowed off of Liam and Niall, the latter who had it for when Hufflepuff wasn’t playing and he wanted to support his friends. Zayn had tried to convince Louis to ask Harry if he could borrow something of his, but Louis had stuck up his nose and blatantly refused, spewing several profanities.They’re getting a lot of flak from the rest of the Slytherins for their get up, and while it’s friendly teasing, it’s getting pretty old pretty quick.“You wanna head over to the Gryffindor stands and pretend to be dirty lions?” Zayn asks, nudging Louis in the side with his elbow. Louis grins at him and nods, and because Louis is Louis, Zayn has an inkling that he’s got something mischievous planned. “You better not be planning revenge or anything.”Louis waves a hand in a dismissive manner. “If I was going to do that, I would have already.” Zayn raises an eyebrow, but he shrugs his shoulders and the two of them move through the yellow and black crowd to the stairs and pathways to the Gryffindor stands, on the other side of the pitch.It takes them a good five minutes. By the time they get there, all of the players have flown in from the sides and are hovering in the air while the captains stand on the ground and shake hands.Zayn and Louis find a couple of seats with a good view and sit down, clutching their Gryffindor scarves around them. It’s cold this high up.
Liam, the Gryffindor captain and Zayn’s friend, dwarfs the Hufflepuff captain, a slender girl with purple hair named Perrie who Zayn briefly dated in their fourth year. Liam and she smile at each other and shake hands, and the Professor umpiring the match announces that the game has started with a whistle.The two of them leap on their brooms and zoom into the air. Zayn watches, enthralled. They’re all really amazing to watch. Zayn almost doesn’t notice as a familiar mop of hair bops past and takes the empty seat to his right.Louis taps Zayn’s arm on his other side. Zayn tears his eyes from the game and looks at him. The expression on Louis face is urgent and hilarious. He makes eyes behind Zayn, and Zayn turns to see where he is looking.Harry’s sitting behind Zayn, and Zayn turns back to grin mischievously at Louis. Louis mouths ‘Abort! Abort!’ to Zayn, but of course he ignores him.“Harry!” Zayn says, ignoring Louis’ facepalm “Fancy seeing you here. How’s the face?”Harry looks at the two of them, confusion flitters across his face for a split moment, before he grins. “What the bloody hell are you two doing here? And what are you wearing!?”Zayn laughs, “Quite obviously we are showing our house pride.” Louis facepalms again.“Let it be known that I had no choice in this,” he says.Harry raises an eyebrow, “Sure you didn’t. Where did you get the getup, anyway?”“Liam, actually.” Zayn says, “And Niall. We were going to ask you but we couldn’t because we’re not on speaking terms.”Louis hits Zayn upside the head. Zayn turns to glare at him and smooths his hair back down. He supposes that he deserved that though.“Oh, we’re not?” Harry says, smirking behind Zayn to Louis. Louis turns and concentrates very hard on the game. Harry laughs.“How’s not playing going for you?” Zayn asks.Harry shrugs. “I miss it, but I’ll be back by next game. Our sub isn’t too bad- I took him out for some drills before, but it’s going to be a close game. I bet Niall four galleons on Gryffindor though, so I hope we win.”“Oh god, one of you isn’t going to be happy.” Zayn laughs. Louis laughs despite himself. He doesn’t look like he’s planning on setting Harry on fire, so everything seems to be going well.Harry laughs as he watches the game. Gryffindor scores a goal, and Harry leaps to his feet with the rest of the Gryffindor around them, cheering for the Goal Liam’s scored. Belatedly, Zayn and Louis jump up too, but don’t cheer so enthusiastically. Zayn doesn’t really do cheering, and Louis is doing this thing where he pretends to be cool while in Harry’s presence.They watch the game in companionable silence (save for the cheering) for a while, watching as the two teams go, tying almost consistently throughout the game. Gryffindor is just slightly gaining a winning margin when the commentator announces that the Hufflepuff seeker, Perrie, has spotted the Snitch and is moving in.Harry stands up and runs to the edge of the stands to yell up into the sky.“God, he takes this seriously,” Louis says to Zayn. Zayn raises an eyebrow.“You don’t have to pretend to hate him, Lou, I know that you don’t.” Louis makes an affronted snorting noise but Zayn ignores him in favour of watching the game.Perrie shoots across the sky, speeding after something that Zayn can’t see. One of the Gryffindor beaters, Zayn’s pretty sure that it’s Harry’s substitute, hits a Bludger toward Perrie, but he misses slightly and it shoots over her shoulder, missing her helmet by centimetres. She looks up as it whizzes past, startled, but continues on.Harry swears loudly.The Gryffindor seeker is catching up to Perrie, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going to be able to get there in time. Zayn scans the teams, the most of them watching as the seekers race to the finish. Liam, however rushes past the Hufflepuff’s Chasers, who are only partially paying attention, to score a goal. The Quaffle flies through the Keeper’s hoop and to the grass below. Liam spins around on his broom, shouting at the group around him who are staring as Perrie reaches out- and manages to grab the snitch.A loud roar erupts from the Gryffindor sounds, a collective yell of disappointment and defeat. It’s nothing compared to the cheer of victory that erupts from the opposite stand. Hufflepuff wins!“Fuck,” says Harry, where he’s pressed against the barrier.The cheer continues even as the players fly down to the ground. On his way down, Liam flies past their stand and hovers next to where Harry is standing.“Fuck,” they say in unison. They exchange a fist bump, and Liam continues down on his way to the floor.“Bet you wish we’d donned the yellow and black, yeah?” Louis asks Zayn, grinning.“Yes,” Harry says, turning around, “We so needed your support. I reckon we’d have done better if you had, Tomlinson.” Harry barges past them, making sure to elbow Louis on his way down the stairs.“You’re so good with words,” Zayn tells him.“Sod off,” says Louis, unhappily. & & The party in the Hufflepuff common room is huge. When Niall arrives half an hour after the game’s started, it’s spilling out the door.He enters the room and finds Perrie sitting on a couch with people sitting around her, listening to her recount their win. When she sees him, she stops mid word and says, “Niall! You’ve ditched your hoes to hang with your bros!” Niall laughs and leans in for a hug.“Yeah, well, losing parties aren’t as fun as winning parties, you know. Plus, Harry bet me four galleons that Gryffindor’d win and I had to collect.” The people around them cheer. Most of them seem pretty drunk.“Well done!” Perrie crows, “That’s what I like to hear! HUFFLEPUFF! HUFFLEPUFF!” she begins chanting. Everyone begins to join in. It’s so loud and euphoric, and it’s only the first game of the season.It’s awesome. Ed’s smuggled in some pints and offers Niall one, which he takes without hesitation. He swings an arm around Ed’s shoulder and drinks his beer.Fuck yes!The night continues on, pretty much that. Fuck yes!-The next morning isn’t so much a ‘fuck yes’ but an ‘I think I am dying.’ Niall is so hung over he can’t figure out how to open his eyes for a good two minutes.“What is happening to me?” He asks the quiet common room where he is passed out on a couch. Someone grunts from on the floor next to him.“Shut up,” someone else moans from an arm chair.Niall hesitantly moves to his feet, making sure not to stand on anyone as he rises. There are several cheetos mushed into his shirt and hair, and he can’t even remember cheetos so it must have been a good night. “What’s the time?” he asks no one in particular.“Noon?” someone guesses from the floor.Niall shrugs, good enough. He walks down the corridor to where his dorm is and changes into something a little cleaner- a hooded jumper and a pair of loose jeans. He runs a hand through his hair to get rid of the cheetos, but there isn’t much he can do with that without a shower, and he needs food before he can face one.He pulls on some shoes and heads out the common room door and down the stairs into the school proper. It’s too bright, and he pulls his hood over his head and begins shuffling like a zombie up to the Great Hall, hoping that Lunch is being served.He’s on his way through bottom of the grand stair case to the Great Hall when he notices that Harry and Liam are on one of the stair cases down above him. As he’s watching, Liam spots Niall and he bops Harry’s arm, pointing Niall out to him. They say something that Niall can’t hear, and Niall waits for them to catch up.“Niall!” Harry says, too loudly and enthusiastically. He grins evilly at Niall, who frowns and gives him a half hearted slap around the face.
Liam pulls Niall in to a side hug, nestling him under his arm.“You look like death,” he says, but quietly.“Gee thanks,” Niall mumbles.“I’ve got to harass you, Nialler, it’s payback for the four galleons.” He pokes Niall’s side, and Niall presses himself closer into Liam’s hug to get away. Liam slaps Harry’s hand away.“You made that bet, Harry. It’s your own fault.”Harry pokes his tongue out, but he stops attempting to poke Niall.They reach the great hall and take a seat at the Hufflepuff table as it’s mostly empty, all of the partiers from the winning house still asleep or recovering. Harry mumbles unhappily as they seat. He always gets a bit this way after losing a Quidditch game, but usually it dies away after a day or two. Until then, Niall expects him to be a little sore.Niall takes a bowl of bacon and leek soup, pulls it close to himself, eating slowly. Liam and Harry chat over him as they eat, but his head hurts too much to offer much up.“What happened to your hair?” Harry asks suddenly. Niall feels a hand run through his dirty hair, before it pulls back sharply, “Merlin’s beard, did you cook nachos in there or something?”Niall shrugs, “I woke up covered in cheeotos.” He looks up at the two of them, and they’ve got twin expressions of fondness on their faces.“You’re so disgusting sometimes.”Niall shrugs. “Hey, just because you’re sore losers.”Harry scowls and goes back to his chicken. Liam laughs but he punches Niall’s shoulder a little harder than he usually would in response.-Later that evening, when Niall’s managed to get the food out of his hair with a good long shower, they meet down at the Great Lake to eat their dinner. Liam’s stocked a picnic bag he’d found in the Room of Requirement full of food from the kitchens that the House Elves had enthusiastically thrust upon them, and told Niall and Harry to meet him at their usual tree by the lake.Liam joins them and sits down on the picnic rug. “I think we may die if we eat all of that,” Harry tells him, looking in the basket. Liam gives him a guilty little grin and glances over his shoulder.“What?” Harry asks, following his gaze. “Oh no, you didn’t-““Hey guys,” Someone says from behind Niall, who looks up. He grins when he sees Zayn and Louis.“Hey,” says Niall, scooting over so there is room on the rug next to him for them to sit. Niall watches Harry as Louis sits down on the rug as far away from him as he can. It doesn’t work for him well though, as they end up on opposite sides of the circle, facing each other.Niall whispers to Zayn who is sitting next to him, “Talk about some unresolved sexual tension.” Zayn chuckles.Louis gives them both a death glare from next to Zayn. Niall grins at him and fishes out some bread roles from the basket and bites into one. “Bre’ hruhll?” He asks Zayn, waving the other roll in the air.Zayn shrugs and takes the roll. From his right, Harry hit him in the arm, but it only hurts a little bit. Niall smiles through the bread at him.“Gross.” Says Harry. & & Louis doesn’t know how he’s managed to fall in with a bunch of Gryffindors, of all people. Zayn chooses friends weirdly. He’d already been friends with the Hufflepuff, Niall, but it seems that the fight over breakfast the other week really endeared the other two to Zayn, for whatever reason.Either way, Louis finds himself hanging around with them more, to his dismay. “I don’t know why you like these Gryffindors so much,” he tells Zayn as they make their way down to the Gryffindor’s Quidditch practice. Harry’s two week ban had been lifted, Zayn’d told him, and they’re celebrating after practice. Louis’ got a thermos of tea clutched tightly to himself, it’s too cold out.Zayn shrugs, “They’re nice lads. Don’t pretend you don’t like them.” Louis frowns. Of course he doesn’t. Harry’d transfigured his ears into rabbit ears that time, and that was just unforgivable.When they reach the Quidditch pitch, they spot Niall in the stands near the entrance. “Hey,” he says, “I’m glad you could come.” He pats the seats next to him and they sit.“Glad to be invited,” smiles Zayn, and Louis tries not to vomit from the friendship, yuck. They watch the Gryffindor team members shoot around in the sky above them, throwing the Quaffle back and forth, attempting to shoot goals, which are mostly blocked by the Gryffindor Keeper, Matt.Louis spots Harry, holding a Beater’s bat, swinging it about his head dangerously and laughing at Liam, who seems to be berating him. Liam blows his whistle and Harry ignores him, flying a circle around him.Ugh, does that guy ever stop? Louis sips his tea and ponders.Liam tugs on his helmet and points toward the sky. Louis follows his finger, and Harry shoots off into the sky in that direction. It’s a bludger, and Harry hits it away from the Chasers as they practice their goals. He’s a pretty good shot- the bludger soars in a large arc over the stands. Louis whistles appreciatively and Zayn grins at him.“They’re good, yeah?” He asks. Niall scoffs.“Didn’t stop ‘em from losing last match though.”Zayn laughs, “Can’t wait till you guys lose to Slytherin!”“Oh, yeah?” Niall smacks his chest and makes a gang sign, grinning.Toward the staircase comes footsteps. Louis looks over and spots the substitute beater from the last match. He’s out of breath but he runs up and plonks down in one of the seats behind them. His hair is puffed up at the top, and Louis wonders if it’s styled that way or if it was the
cold wind.“Hey Niall,” he says, “lads,”“Hey Nick,” Niall replies. “This is Zayn and Louis. Zayn and Louis, Nick.” They all nod at each other.“Oh, Slytherin spies come to see our secrets, hey?” Nick asks, leaning forward so he’s between Zayn and Niall’s seats.“Sure,” Louis replies, “We’re getting a good lesson on what not to do.”Nick laughs good naturedly. “Sure thing. I’ve come to watch the team. It sucks that I’m not a permanent member, but it’s kinda cool to stand in anyway. Harry’s really good, yeah? I wouldn’t have gotten his position even if I had tried out.”The group of them nod in friendly agreement, Harry is kind of really good at hitting things at people. Louis sure knows- well, spells, anyway. He rubs his ear absently. Zayn notices the movement and chuckles. Louis glares at him and drinks more of his tea to avoid talking to Zayn.“Plus,” Nick continues, wriggling his eyebrows, “He’s pretty fit, yeah.”Louis splutters, spitting tea into the air in front of him. The wind blows and it splashes back onto his face. Zayn lets out a delighted laugh and claps him on the back. “Gee, I wouldn’t know, I haven’t really been looking.” Zayn grins wickedly, “But Louis might’ve. Louis?”Louis scowls at him and wipes the tea off his face with his scarf. “Yeah, perhaps objectively he’s an attractive lad.” Niall and Zayn laugh at him. He doesn't even know what they’re talking about. He doesn’t like Gryffindors, on principle. Of course he wouldn’t be attracted to Harry in any way. That’s ridiculous.Nick seems to miss the joke between them because he says, “Oh good. I was hoping he was single. I’ll have to ask him to help me on another training session.” They all stare at Nick, who grins and waggles his eyebrows. Niall blinks, shrugs and looks back to the sky, where the sun is setting. Zayn turns to look at Louis with a curious look on his face.“What?” Louis whispers sharply.Zayn shrugs, nothing, but he’s got a smirk on his lips.“Oh, come off it,” Louis whispers.In the sky, Liam blows his whistle again and the team begin their descent to the ground. Louis and the lads start walking down the stairs to entrance to meet them.“Hey Harry! Hey team!” says Nick, the first to reach the ground. Louis follows him and stands with his hands in his pockets.Harry looks between them confused, as the rest of the guys follow out the stairs. “You lot look like you’re having a good party.” Harry comments.Niall and Nick laugh. Zayn shrugs. Louis scowls at the ceiling. He accidentally makes eye contact with Harry, who winks at him.They being their way back to the castle, and night has fallen. On the way, Nick begins chatting to John, the other beater, about different batting techniques. Harry catches up with Louis and wiggles his nose. “Hey bunny boy, now’s our chance to escape!”“Excuse me?” Louis asks, frowning. Harry links his arm though Louis, and Louis half-heartedly tries to shrug him off.“C’mon,” Liam says on Louis’ other side. “We’ve got to go now,” he says. Louis raises an eyebrow and glances at Zayn, who shrugs. Louis allows himself to be dragged off with the bunch of them- Harry, Liam, Niall and himself and Zayn. They make their way off the path and through the lawns to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.“Where are we going?” Asks Zayn, sounding worried.“Relax,” Niall says, draping his arm over Zayn’s shoulder and smacking a kiss onto his cheek. Zayn wipes his cheek but doesn't otherwise react. “We’re not going into the Forest.”They reach a particularly large tree a few metres from the Forest, and Louis hesitates. He’s pretty sure he recognises this tree as the one that whomps you if you get too close. “This better not be some dumbass prank.” He tells Niall.Liam appears affronted, “We would never do that,” He kneels down near the edge of the tree, close enough that the branches begin to twitch ominously. He mutters a spell, ‘Wingardium Leviosa’ and enchants a small discarded twig to fly underneath the branches and toward the trunk. Immediately, the tree animates, flailing it’s limbs madly, attacking the floating twig but missing as it zooms nimbly though the gaps and taps a small knot at the base of the trunk.And with that, the tree immediately stills. Liam stands up and walks over to the trunk, his first few steps hesitant as he makes sure the tree is indeed stopped. Harry and Niall follow, gesturing for Zayn and Louis to do the same. Liam kneels again and crawls underneath the tree’s exposed roots, and Louis glances at Zayn. The both of them share a ‘what the fuck’ look, but continue on. Harry follows Liam into the hole, and Niall stops and gestures for them to go before him.“Why are we crawling into a hole together?” Zayn asks. “I promise you I’m not mud wrestling.”“Zayn hates getting dirty.” Louis helpfully supplies.“Ugh,” Niall comments. “Get in the damn tunnel already. He pokes Zayn with his wand, and Zayn gingerly pushes it aside. He glares at Niall but follows Harry into the hole, trying but failing to keep the dirt off himself. “And you too, Louis.”Louis frowns, “You’re awfully insistent I crawl into that death hole.” He comments.“Just shut up.” Niall says. Louis shrugs and crawls after Zayn. He figures if Zayn trusts them enough to crawl into a dirty hole... well, that has to count for something. He kneels down and then crawls hesitantly into the hole, until he feels a foot on his arse, and Niall’s kicking him further into the tunnel. He loses his footing and slides down the hole where he lands against Zayn heavily.“Agh!” Zayn says. Louis rolls off him.Niall pushes past them as he crawls into the tunnel and Zayn and Louis get to their feet. Zayn dusts himself off with a spell. Louis pulls out his wand and says “Lumos,” illuminating the patch of air around him. They’re in a tunnel alright, and it’s quite claustrophobic. Louis lets himself shudder a little.“Dont worry,” says Niall, “We’ll be out pretty soon.”“Where? What is this place?” Zayn asks. Louis nods. Niall gestures at them for continue walking, and they follow Harry and Liam down the tunnel.“Harry found it, actually.”“How? Does he just crawl around through caves all day?” Louis asks, scoffing. “He is a rat!” Ahead of them, Harry says “I heard that!”Louis allows himself an indulgent smile, as the light doesn't really illuminate his face and Zayn can’t make fun of what he doesn't know about.Ahead of them, Louis can see the silhouettes of Liam and Harry stop, and then begin to walk up some small dirt steps. “Here we are,” says Liam. He opens a trap door, and the tunnel is flooded with moonlight. They all follow him up through the hole and find themselves in a small lounge room.Louis looks around them. The windows are boarded up and there is a chair wedged under the door handle. The wallpaper is ripped and the rugs are tattered, but clearly some effort has been made to make the place comfortable- there are several comfy looking arm chairs and beanbags set up around the dark fireplace, as well as a few Quidditch magazines and snack wrappers littering the floor.“Is this your crazy love dungeon?” Louis asks them, eyebrow raised. “It isn’t a very good crazy love dungeon.”Liam bops him on the jaw softly, and Louis whacks Liam back a little harder than necessary. He remembers the picture of tiny caricature Louis hitting the puppy and immediately feels guilty. He awkwardly pats where he hit, smoothing down Liam’s shirt.“This is the Shrieking Shack,” Harry tells them proudly. “It’s haunted!” Louis and Zayn exchange a glance. “Isn’t it great!?”“Flipping fantastic,” Louis says dryly.Zayn says, “Yeah, it’s cool.” But he sounds kind of earnest. Louis restrains himself from hitting him upside the head. “But where exactly is it? Is it in the Forest?”“Nah, it’s just down from Hogsmeade.” Harry shrugs.“Anyway, this isn’t where we’re going.” Liam adds, “We thought we’d go grab a Butter Beer at the Three Broomsticks to celebrate our best Beater’s return!” He immediately looks guilty, “Don’t repeat that. I’m not meant to have favourites.” Harry claps him on the back, grasping his shoulder and bringing him in for a hug.“Noted for blackmail,” Louis assures him, nodding once. Liam smiles at him like he doesn't believe him.Harry removes the chair from under the door and unlocks it with an Alohomora. They all make their way out the door after him, spilling into the moon light.They are indeed in Hogsmeade. Louis finds himself surprised as they make their way up the steep slope to the village centre. Louis is glad he’s got his scarf and jacket, because it’s windy and cold in the night air. They make their way down the streets, dodging glances as they’re not meant to be outside of school grounds without express permission.They reach the Three Broomsticks and enter, immediately warmed up by the crackling fire and low chatter. A few people look up when they enter, but they look away almost immediately, uninterested. They chip in their money and give it to Liam and Niall, who go up to the bar while they take some seats.“Excited to be playing again?” Grins Zayn at Harry as they sit down.Harry returns his grin, “Of course! I love Quidditch, you know? And Nick’s alright, but...” he trails off, like he’s just realised he’s about to sound very arrogant.“But you’re just super super fab, right?” Louis asks, and he kicks himself a second later. He’s not guilty for being a jerk to Harry, of course, it’s just he doesn't want to ruin Zayn’s new friendships, even if it is with a Hufflepuff and two Gryffindors.To Louis’ surprise, Harry laughs instead of his usual pissed scowl Louis usually receives. “I am super fab, yeah.” Louis stares at him, mouth slightly agape.“Gryffindors.” He says, shaking his head, but he smiles.Harry smiles too, and this is really too weird for Louis. Luckily, Niall and Liam return with their Butter Beers, and pass them around the table. Louis gratefully sips his, looking away from Harry.“Thanks guys,” Harry tells the boys.They all sip their drinks, chatting about the practice and how the next match, Ravenclaw against Slytherin, is going to go.“You’re seeming pretty friendly with Nick,” Liam grins at Harry over the table. Louis frowns and sips his drink. He remembers what Nick had said back at the stands, and he wonders if Harry is interested in Nick. Harry just shrugs and sips his drink.“Yeah, he’s a good guy.” Is Harry’s only response. Niall laughs a little, knocking his shoulder against Harry’s companionably. Harry lifts his arm and puts it around Niall’s shoulder in response.“What’s the deal with you and Nick anyway?” Louis finds himself asking. The table stares at him. He makes a confused expression.“Did you just directly ask Harry a question?” Niall asks.“You just talked, voluntarily, to a Gryffindor.” Zayn says, acting disgusted, “Without prompting!” He mimes being sick.“And Harry for that matter. The worst of all Gryffindors.” Liam continues, grinning. Harry has the decency to look vaguely sheepish, but he’s smiling at them.Louis frowns at them. “Sod off,” he tells them. Liam leans over and ruffle’s Louis hair, and he doesn't know when it was that he became a person who got his hair ruffled. By anyone, let alone a Gryffindor.Louis hits his hand away. “You’re all douche bags.” He glares at them each in turn, but they just grin at him. He ducks his head, pauses and says, “Ugh. Look. I guess-”“Yes?” Liam asks, smiling like he’s coaxing Louis to say more instead of just interrupting.Louis raises his eyebrows at him and continues, “I guess that not all Gryffindors-““Oh my god, he’s going to say it.