The Hogwarts Express brought the students back to the castle on the third of January, and the very next morning, Owen had the whole Ravenclaw team gathered for a strategy meeting.
Ravenclaw vs Slytherin was only a week away, and after their match with Gryffindor, it was no secret that Slytherin had the fastest team this year, thanks to their Nimbus 2001s.
Owen's genius brain had already figured out that since they couldn't compete in terms of equipment, strategy was their only option.
It was quite impressive for a wizard to possess basic common sense.
Unfortunately, it also meant hours of listening to Owen's not-so-clever strategies as he drew diagrams, arrows, and plans nobody was going to follow anyway.
"…so if Edgar blocks their left Chaser here, and Tobias cuts in from behind, we can force the Quaffle into the centre—"
Almost everyone on the team was on the verge of falling asleep. If it hadn't been six in the morning in the middle of Winter, they'd have left long ago to actually practise.
And Owen was so fond of hearing his own voice that he wouldn't have even noticed.
Ben, Marianne, and Cho were sitting at the back, quietly exchanging Christmas stories.
'Thank Merlin for the Muffliato Charm,' Ben thought.
Without it, he'd have had to whisper, and he hated whispering.
'What even is whispering? Who invented it? Voldemort?'
'Nah, has to be the work of Snakeinati. No other explanation.'
Unfortunately, not everyone was smart enough to prepare one.
Owen was halfway through drawing another set of arrows on his board when Roger Davies leaned towards Eleanor Whitmore.
"Did you hear? Sweetwater All-Stars vs. Quiberon Quafflepunchers has been going on for five days now."
"Hear? I was there on the first day. Why did school have to start so soon?" Eleanor sighed, staring blankly at the board, half asleep.
Roger suddenly grabbed her shoulders and shook her mid-yawn.
"You were there? With whom? And why didn't you take me?" he asked, completely forgetting to whisper.
"Davies," Owen said sharply, clearing his throat. "Instead of worrying about who she went with, how about you pay attention to me?"
At the ominous look Owen gave him, Roger quickly let go and started nodding like Sir Cluck Norris.
"Yes, Captain."
"She went with Owen, didn't she?" Ben murmured, sitting right behind them.
"Yup. He probably spent every last Sickle on those tickets," Cho said, resting her chin on her hand.
"Simp," Ben muttered.
"Hey!" Marianne slapped his arm. "That's romantic."
Ben stared at her for a while. "What's wrong with you? Did you eat something weird down there in Wales?"
"Tch. I just think it'd be sweet if they finally got together. He's been chasing her for years," she said.
"Sweet? Please. We all know that's never going to happen," Ben replied. "Owen the Captain and all, but he's definitely not her type."
"Oh?" Marianne said. "And since when are you an expert?"
"I'm not. But anyone can see, she's all about those pretty boys. Just look at her dating history."
"Like who?" Marianne asked.
Ben thought for a moment. "That Ravenclaw bloke in your year. He's got really Messy hair and a brooding look."
"Timothy Chalmers," Cho said instantly.
"…Right." Ben blinked, trying to remember another name.
"And the Hufflepuff prefect. Fifth year. One with that 'perfect smile'."
"Leonard Caprius."
"And that Gryffindor one last year," Ben added. "The short one, that never shuts up."
"Tom Boland."
Marianne sighed. "Alright, I get it. And Cedric Diggory, too."
"He doesn't count," Ben said. " Cedric's not just pretty, and everyone likes him."
"But she did date him," Cho replied.
Ben slowly turned to her. "…You've really been keeping tabs, huh?"
She shrugged, smiling. "Yeah. They're kind of my type too."
Marianne snorted.
Ben shook his head. "Witches."
"So," Marianne said lightly, "does that mean you're her type too?"
Ben narrowed his eyes. "You did not just call me a pretty boy."
"What if I did?" she smirked.
"Take it back. Right now."
"As if."
"Ben, you're the prettiest pretty boy that's ever walked these halls," Cho added, joining Marianne in Ben's slander.
"What? I'm clearly the manliest man you lot have ever laid eyes on. What's wrong with you two?"
"'Manliest man', with luscious locks like that?" Marianne burst out laughing.
"Locks? Open your eyes, Fawcett. This is a mane. A man's mane." Ben said, running his fingers through his hair, puffing it up.
"A what? Hahaha—" She started laughing, banging loudly on the wall with her fist.
"Even Muffliato won't save you if you keep banging on the walls," Ben muttered. "Owen's going to hear."
And he did.
"Can you lot take this seriously?" Owen snapped. "We only stand a chance if you follow my plan exactly!"
"Bah. Plan, plan, plan. All I need is a Bludger," Tobias finally roared, grabbing his bat and heading for the door.
"I'm with him… this time," Edgar said, following Tobias out. Roger hesitated only a second before going after him, and the rest quickly followed suit.
Owen might have been the captain, but let's be honest, in the real world, the one holding the stick makes the rules. Right now, that was Tobias. And no one was keen to argue with him. Not if they valued their face.
Owen was left standing alone beside his board.
Ben paused on his way out and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Sorry, mate. But he's the man. And my gut's telling me to follow him." He shrugged lightly. "Besides, my mane and I have things to prove this time."
And prove he did.
Against Hufflepuff, Ben had held back.
Against Slytherin?
Not a chance.
-
High above the pitch, Lee Jordan's voice rang out through the stands.
"AND...oh my...Merlin's socks! Benedict Brown has just obliterated another Nimbus..."
Graham Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, spun wildly as his broom snapped in half mid-air, landing with a satisfying thud.
"That's the third one!" Lee shouted. "That is the third broom he's turned into firewood today! Someone call the Aurors, cause this is a crime scene!"
Professor McGonagall could be heard coughing pointedly beside him.
"Ahem. Mr Jordan."
"Sorry, Professor," Lee said quickly. "Just calling it like I see it."
Down on the pitch, Draco had gone an alarming shade of red.
"You—You did that on purpose!" he snapped, pointing furiously at Ben, but from a safe distance. "You're cheating!"
Ben slowed his Comet 260 broomstick and turned slightly, hovering in place.
"It's called Beating, Malfoy," he said lazily, eying him sideways. "You might want to look it up sometime."
"You can't just destroy our brooms!"
Draco's voice cracked as he shouted it, drawing a few amused giggles from the Ravenclaw team.
"I can," Ben replied calmly. "And I just did. Repeatedly, if I may add."
For a moment, Draco seemed too stunned to speak.
Then his face twisted with outrage.
"My father will hear about this!"
Ben tilted his head, as if contemplating that for a bit.
"Good," he said at last. "Tell him I said hello."
That stopped Draco cold.
His mouth opened, but he didn't know what to say.
"W—What?"
Ben leaned forward slightly on his broom, which made Draco glide backwards, but he couldn't go too far as Tobias was flying behind him, waving his bat menachingly.
The colour drained from Draco's face so quickly it was almost impressive.
"S-stay back! My father—" He stammered, and
"—will hear about this? I heard you the first time." Ben cut him off, suddenly speeding his broom to get close to him.
"In fact, when you go crying to your daddy, like the snotty little boy you are, be sure to ask him if he wants his diary back as well."
He stumbled back a step.
"You—You're insane!"
"No," Ben replied with a nice smile. "I'm Ben." And with that, he flashed by him, making Draco almost fall off his broom in panic.
Up in the commentary box, Lee Jordan's voice exploded across the stadium.
"AND MALFOY appears to be having a complete emotional collapse on the pitch! Ladies and gentlemen, remember— Daddy's money can buy you the best broom in Britain, but it still can't buy you any balls!"
Professor McGonagall's chair scraped sharply.
"Mr Jordan!"
"Sorry, Professor," Lee said quickly. "That one slipped out."
Ten minutes later, with seven super-fast broomsticks lying broken on the field and the whole Slytherin team off the field, Ben finally pointed the Snitch to Elenor so the game could end.
He had other shit to do now...
-To be Continued...
Phew, we're back at Hogwarts, baby. It's fun to be back. Next up, Ben's about to face Lucious Malfoy, probably.
Check out P@treon/DreamyApe to find out.