Chapter Text
Percy looked like he was in a very very bad mood, standing next to one of the school brooms and Oliver directly next to him, vibrating with excitement and looking absolutely thrilled. Percy shot him a distasteful look, asking himself how one could be so excited over something as mundane as flying on a broom when the time could be spent studying.
Madame Hooch looked over the group she was supposed to teach today, her yellow eyes roaming over them like the dangerous gaze of a hawk and Percy shrunk in on himself, which was not difficult, his wizards head still poking out and making him noticeable though.
Oliver tried to reassure his friend, slinging an arm around him and whispering: “C’mon Perce, don’t look like that, you look like a rat that’s about to be eaten by a hawk!”
Percy hissed back: “No jabs at Scabbers!”, patting his robe pocket absentmindedly, shooting Oliver a mild glare. Oliver sighed, shaking his head: “No, I’m talking about you! You look and act like prey! Come on! Puff yourself up! Show how self assured you are!”
“But I’m not!” Oliver’s attempt didn’t really work out, but he sighed, trying his best to do what Oliver told him to do and not look like ‘prey’, whatever that meant. His posture was ramrod straight, looking at Madame Hooch with a serious gaze, which made Oliver bury his face in his hands. “You really suck at this, mate….”
Percy bristled, glaring at Oliver and telling him: “Would you kindly shut up?! What am I supposed to do, drop dead?! I don’t even want to be here!!” Oliver chuckled helplessly: “I think dropping dead would be your best bet now! You know, like a possum!”
“What in the name of Merlin is a possum?!” Seems like Oliver’s analogy didn’t exactly work out in his favour sadly. Seems like Percy didn’t know a whole lot about muggel animals, not that he could blame him. He was so focused on studying, it didn’t seem like he was spending his time with anything else. That’s why it was obvious to Flitwick, even on the first day, that Percy was already far ahead, given that he could almost effortlessly cast an impressive Lumos spell in the first lesson. Hopefully he would help Oliver, who had only quidditch in his head and wasn’t really paying attention at all. But this was his metier! Here he could shine and show Percy what he was capable of!
Madame Hooch told them how they would be able to summon their broom into their hand, Oliver nodding along with a grin. Oliver’s father was quidditch obsessed and often taught Oliver at home, so he already knew how to do this, mumbling Madame Hooches words under his breath, waiting with excitement for when they could start.
Of course, Oliver was the first that was able to do it. He just needed to say the word and the broom basically jump into his palm, a grin forming on his face and Madame Hooch nodding in his direction, seeming pleased. After that there wasn’t a whole lot else he had to do, instead watching Percy struggle with his broom with interest.
He chuckled when the broom didn’t show any indication of moving, Percy’s frustration rising with every time he instructed the broom to go up, to no avail. Oliver snorted when he looked at Percy’s face. The poor guy looked like he was this close to leaning down, picking the broom up and breaking it in the middle. His hat fell down once more from the one time he shook his head in frustration, his flaming locks now free to flow wherever they desired, which seemed to be everywhere apparently.
“Percy, you need to sound stern but not like you’re gonna use it as firewood!” Laughed Oliver, trying to demonstrate it to him, setting his broom down and doing it again. Percy observed Oliver, then tried to do the same thing. His broom only rolled a bit, but it was certainly an improvement.
It took another 10 minutes and Percy still couldn’t do it, his frustration very obvious. He took this far harder than he should, given that a Hufflepuff across from Percy couldn’t yet do it either. Finally he seemed to use the right voice as he instructed “Up!” And the broom shot into his hand. Percy startled, almost letting go, his fingers enclosing around the wood at exactly the right time, a sigh of relief escaping the redhead as he finally relaxed a tiny bit, even if he was still grumpy.
Oliver grinned at him, jabbing him in the side with his own broom, which made Percy almost whack him over the head with his broom, but he changed his mind at the last second, trying to control himself. Don’t get angry, he’s just trying to help. But Percy had to admit, he really wanted to leave. He didn’t like flying. He didn’t have a particular reason for it apart from the fact that his whole family was obsessed with quidditch while he viewed it as a waste of time.
He always preferred reading instead. But that wasn’t viewed very highly in his family apparently.
Percy didn’t even hear how Madame Hooch instructed them to now sit on their brooms, his body did it automatically while his mind was somewhere else entirely. Why was his family so obsessed with such a pointless sport? Why was Oliver like that too? Why could he never wake their curiosity with the books he was reading? Why was it always quidditch? Why was it always him the twins played pranks on? They coloured his hair so many times already, made him throw up his food, cause him to only speak in animal noises for hours, made him slip around like he was on eyes, dunked his head in a sink with a charmed brush so it kept brushing Percy’s face with soap. Why was he the butt of every joke?
Percy yelped when suddenly a gloved hand was on his shoulder, grabbing him a bit too tightly and causing him to jump in the air, flying for few seconds before landing again, a bit harder than necessary. Madame Hooch looked down on him, before nodding: “Good technique, Mr. Weasley. 5 points for Gryffindor.”
Percy thought for a moment he misheard, looking around in complete confusion, only now realizing that it was Madame Hooch that put her hand on his shoulder. Percy looked like he just ate a Bertie Botts bean with pepper flavour, looking over to Oliver who flashed him a thumbs up, probably not realizing that Percy just had the scare of his life. Oliver quickly jumped in the air, hovered for a bit and then landed back down, causing him to earn 5 points for Gryffindor too. Percy still looked scared and confused, but Oliver put an arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer: “Bloody good job, mate! Why didn’t ya tell me ya can already hover?”
“Because I can’t! Madame Hooch startled me, that’s the only reason I could do anything that resembled flying!” Oliver’s mouth took on an ‘O’ shape as he finally understood what prompted Percy to suddenly start flying, then laughing silently. “You had your head in the clouds?! Seriously?”
Percy’s ears took on a hue, curse his pale Weasley skin, defending himself with a shaking voice: “O-Of course not! She is just sneaking around I couldn’t hear her!”
“Are you serious? I thought you were focusing or something. She called you 3 times before she put her hand on you, mate.” Percy was starting to get embarrassed beyond relief, a light blush on his face as he hid his freckled face in his hands, trying to cool down so he wouldn’t take off like he did a few seconds before. Magic mixed with emotions was never a good thing, it could power powerful things but you couldn’t control it at the same time…
Percy tried for the remaining flying lesson to not attract any attention to himself, the last thing he needed was to stick out negatively or shoot into the sky like a one of Fred and Georges bottle rockets they shot at him sometimes. Wood on the other hand was fully in his element, showing off all his skills he already learned, hovering, he could even fly well enough. Oliver told Percy about his quidditch crazy dad and how early he got Oliver into the quidditch fever two, the two of them training since he could walk. That was around the time Charlie and Percy read books together. Percy was learning to read very early, earlier than any of the other Weaslings, he remembered his mother crying when he read a book to her.
Thankfully the rest of the flying lesson went by pretty unsuccessful. Some Slytherin’s were glaring at him, but otherwise he got by just fine, putting his hat back on. But Percy probably broke a world record, because never did someone run faster away from a lesson than he did when Madame Hooch dismissed them all, Oliver struggling to catch up with Percy despite having longer legs than him. Hopefully he would stay taller, otherwise Percy might just outrun him.
“Perce! Wait mate! Bloody hell, Perce! stop!” Percy did intent to quickly head into the castle, skip having something to eat altogether and just head to potions, but Oliver tackled him to the side and the two of them rolled down the hill together, gathering so much momentum that they couldn’t stop, their helpless yelling the only thing audible until they finally made it to the ground, both of them needing a second to gather their thoughts and intestines, just to make sure they were all still in the right place.
Percy burped but thankfully didn’t throw up, though he was feeling dizzy, his state not improving when he realized he didn’t wear his glasses. They must have fallen off. Percy tried to find his glasses, touching the ground around him and squinting, trying to locate them but being unable to do so. He ran a hand through his hair, realizing that he lost his head too. Again.
“W-Wood….do you see my g-glasses…?” He put a fist to his mouth and burped again, his stomach hasn’t quite recovered yet it seems. Oliver didn’t answer, typical.
But then someone held their hand out and offered Percy his glasses. Percy, being very dizzy, naturally assumed that Oliver grew 8 feet and had found his glasses. He took the spectacles and thanked the person with a quick: “Thanks Wood.” Next to him was a squeak audible, but Percy ignored it, putting on his glasses and being relieved that they didn’t break. He didn’t know the spell to repair them just yet and his family couldn’t afford new glasses.
He then looked over to the person that found his glasses, immediately craning his neck and promptly realizing that the person in front of him was not Oliver, unless he actually grew eight feet during their tumbling and grew a full beard, which was highly unlikely. Percy’s eyes widened and looked to the side he heard the squeak from, concluding that it came from Wood, seeing that his friend had scooted a few feet backwards, looking at the giant in front of them with wide eyes.
Percy gulped, his first instinct to do the same thing as Oliver did and scoot away from the giant in front of him, but then remembering he had seen this guy before. Two times. Once when they arrived at Hogwarts, he took them with the boats to the castle so they could prepare for the opening ceremony. And he was sitting at the teachers table, eating and occasionally looking over the students with a happy glint in his eyes.
Percy stammered, swallowing to try and get the lump out of his throat before finally managing to speak: “Thank- uh….thank you sir…?” He was trying his best, Oliver looking at him like he just challenged Dumbledore to a duel.
The giant chuckled, assuring Percy: “It’s fine boy. You two took quite the tumble. I’m sorry for staring, but it was fun to watch.”
Percy could imagine. He glared at Oliver, who shrugged as if it wasn’t his fault that happened, then looking back at the big guy and finally remembering: “You took us to Hogwarts with the boat!” How could Oliver forget, he and Percy even shared a boat with him. They were kind of a weight balance since the giant was sitting in the back and they at the front, at least as much at the front as possible to not sit on the lap of the giant.
The giant helped the two of them up, grabbing each with one hand and hoisting them up like they were little kittens, the two children a bit wobbly on their legs.
“I’m Rubeus Hagrid. I take care of the wild animals around Hogwarts. But enough about me. Who are you two?”
“I’m Oliver Wood! I want to become a quidditch player!” Oliver immediately introduced himself with a grin, as if he wasn’t terrified a minute ago, jabbin his thumb into Percy’s arm as he introduced him: “And that is Percy Weasley. He’s a nerd, but we’re still friends.”
Percy was not very happy on being introduced that way but before he could scold Oliver, Hagrid looked down at the two of them, smiling: “Another Weasley, ey? Yer kind’s just everywhere. Nice ta meet ya two. Ya fancy some tea before ya go back ta the castle?”
Percy was inclined to say no, he really was, but they still had time before potions would begin and he should probably clean his glasses before he even thought about presenting himself in the castle where all teachers and classmates could see him.
Oliver certainly seemed enthusiastic, quick to accept for Percy, grabbing the redhead in a headlock and quickly answering: “We’d love to! Thanks a lot for the question! C’mon Perce!”
How did he get into this situation-
But, against all odds, Percy had to admit that he had a good time. Hagrid was very gentle despite being a giant that could probably break them like a twig. He had a comfortable little hut, offered them a seat and asked them what tea they wanted and then they just talked the whole time, about different creatures, about hogwarts and the houses, the house cup, how Percy and Oliver tumbled down the hill, about the different teachers. A fire was crackling softly in the fireplace and Hagrid even showed them the Niffler he was currently taking care of. The creatures looked a bit like a mole, looking at them curiously. After the two got to feed him it got a bit closer to them.
“Ye two are quite good at that! Who knows, maybe ye two can help me sometimes with all these critters, I would be thankful!” Oliver grinned, already accepting and guaranteeing that he would come and visit more often and he also already promised that Percy wouldn’t have a choice, he would be dragged along anyway. Now, at first Percy planned to never return, he had a lot of studying to do after all, but he had to admit….that it was comfortable here...and it can be quiet….so maybe he could study while Oliver and Hagrid took care of the creatures….so Percy agreed, making Hagrid beam and Oliver cheer.
The two stayed at Hagrids for a bit more time, before Percy suddenly jumped up with a horrible realization, yelling at Oliver that they were late for potions. Hagrid and Oliver both jumped at that, Oliver’s eyes widening in horror. The last person he wanted to be late to was Snape. “Oh, Merlin, bloody hurry up, mate! We’ve got no time to lose!”
Percy pointed his wand at Oliver and said: “Wingardium Leviosa!” And suddenly Oliver was floating a few inches over the ground, making him yelp in surprise while floating helplessly. Percy picked his hat up and said his goodbyes to Hagrid before storming out, the giant smiling as he waved at them. “I enjoyed our meeting Hagrid, I hope that we can meet again!” And after that the door slammed shut, he could see Percy sprinting down the path and then up the hill to get to the castle in time, Oliver floating behind him. These two were something special, Hagrid could feel that. And he as glad to have them as friends.