We Will Rock You

If Hugo hadn't been skipping Transfiguration to snog Mary Hardings under the Quidditch stands that particular Friday morning he would never have overheard the conversation. And if he had never heard the conversation, he wouldn't have warned Al. And if he hadn't warned Al, Gryffindor might possibly have lost the match.

So really, Hugo thought as he headed up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room a little while later, he had done the right thing by skipping class. To be sure, if his mother ever found out, a howler would be delivered before you could say 'unfair' but there was no reason why she should ever find out. Ro wasn't the sort of sister to tell tales. In fact, she positively encouraged as much rule breaking as possible.

...

Rose Weasley was the school bookie. She ran a large empire that dealt mostly in galleons but also in certain contraband items and secrets. If you were broke you could place bets in favours, the bigger the favour, the more it was worth. Ro had established this rather odd role back in her third year when it had just been her friends and family wanting a flutter on quidditch matches, duels and dating. Rose, being a Weasley to her core, had turned it into something much more profitable. She was the bedrock of gambling inside Hogwarts. She would give you odds on anything and always managed to squirrel away a tidy profit for herself. A transaction fee, as it were.

But all that was about to change. In a little under a month Rose would be waving goodbye to Hogwarts and striving out into the real world. Exams were finished. School was done. There was just time to make sure she went out with a bang.

...

Hugo caught up with his cousin just as Al was leaving the Gryffindor common room, already dressed in his quidditch robes. In a few hours he would never wear these robes again, never again soar around the quidditch pitch clad in scarlet and gold, eyes desperately scanning for the tiny golden snitch as below him the crowd cheered and booed in turn. His final match. His final chance to beat Slytherin once and for all.

If they managed to beat Ravenclaw out on the pitch today, and by a margin of more than a hundred and ninety points, then the cup was theirs. If they won by even a single point less, Slytherin would take the cup and Al didn't think he could bear that. Malfoy's smug face swam into view.

"Hey Al," Hugo said as he jogged slightly to catch up with his cousin, "Running late?"

Al shrugged, "A bit I guess. I was going over some last minute plays in the dormitory."

"I overheard something yesterday that you might be interested in," Hugo said as he jumped the trick step second from the bottom and continued downwards towards the next floor. "Ro's got a bet on."

"Ro's always got a bet on," Al said carelessly as he too jumped the trick step. "Usually more than one."

"Well this one seems pretty serious. She's actually putting up gold."

Al's interest was piqued, "How much money are we talking about?"

"A substantial amount," Hugo replied as they crossed the Entrance Hall and headed out into the warm sunshine. "More money than I would care to wager over a single quidditch match."

"High stakes indeed then."

"And that's not all. She's not just betting money. She's stumped up a bottle of Veritaserum against twenty-four hours worth of Felix Felicis - I have no idea where she got hold of that - and whoever loses has to drink it. If she loses, she's gonna lose big."

"Ro wouldn't have made the bet if she didn't have a backup plan. She usually has something in the contract. After all, she has been doing this since she was thirteen."

Hugo shook his head. "That's just it, there was no contract - they shook on it instead and you know that that makes it binding."

"Damn," Al grimaced, "I'd forgotten she put that binding charm on her hand."

"Anyway, I just thought I'd warn you," Hugo grinned, "So, you know, you don't fall off your broom when the stadium erupts. If I know my sister she'll have something up her sleeve." They entered the quidditch pitch which was beginning to fill up with spectators and parted ways, Al towards the changing room and Hugo to the stands.

"By the way," Al called out over his shoulder, "Who did she make the bet with?"

"Scorpius Malfoy." Hugo called back and vanished from view into the chattering crowds.

...

Scorpius Malfoy was, by nature, ambitious, clever and confident. He was everything that a Slytherin should be. But he also had a good sense of humour and a softer side that made him popular among all four houses. Today though, he was all Slytherin and he wracked his brain, trying to work out what angle Ro was going to play. The bet they had made the previous morning had seemed like a good idea at the time but know he wasn't so sure. She had been awfully confident when they had shaken hands. Too confident. She was planning something.

By eleven o'clock the stands were packed, a clear divide between the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors at one end of the pitch and the Ravenclaws and Slytherins at the other. Scorpius picked up his binoculars and scanned the sea of scarlet and gold clad spectators. He found Rose seated in the very centre of the front row of seat, surrounded by her many friends.

Ro had the sort of face that needed only confidence to make it truly beautiful, and confidence she had. She stood out from the crowd to him as easily as if she had stood dancing in her seat. Her head was thrown back in a laugh at something her cousin was saying to her and Scorpius felt his stomach lurch.

...

Albus rocket upwards the moment Professor Wood released the quaffle. The red ball was immediately snatched from the air by his sister who passed to Clary Simpson who passed to Nat Holgate who passed back to Lily. The tell-tale whine behind him told him that a bludger was heading his way and he dropped ten feet to avoid it before circling back and rising again, scanning left and right for the tiny golden ball.

"-Potter with the quaffle, passes to Holgate, intercepted by Davies of Ravenclaw, nasty bludger attack from Weasley - that'll hurt - Potter snatches the quaffle, just the keeper to beat, Waters stretches, misses - GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"

Al did a loop the loop to let out his euphoria and yelled: "Nice bludger work" to Roxanne who punched the air in response.

His euphoria though, didn't last. Ravenclaw were stubbornly keeping the score almost even. By the time they had been playing an hour they had scored thirteen times and the bright sun was making his eyes hurt. A cheer from the crowds told him that Ravenclaw had scored again, giving them a lead of only ten points. Even if he caught the snitch they would still be thirty point down. Twice now he had needed to feign seeing the snitch at the other end of the pitch to distract the Ravenclaw seeker from catching the glittering ball.

The stands below had grown silent too. The snitch had disappeared again so Al looked down. He was low enough to make out Ro quite easily. He watched as she stood up and climbed onto her seat then raised her wand and pointed it towards her mouth.

...

STOMP STOMP CLAP!

The noise echoed around the pitch as loud as a backfiring wand.

STOMP STOMP CLAP!

People were standing up, craning their necks to see who was making the noise. Scorpius froze as, magically magnified to a thousand times its normal volume, Rose Weasley's voice bellowed around the stadium.

"Buddy you're a boy make a big noise

Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day

You got mud on yo' face

You big disgrace

Kickin' your can all over the place!"

And then, half screaming, half shouting the entirety of Gryffindor house rose as one to their feet and bellowed:

"We will, we will Rock You

We will, we will Rock You!"

STOMP STOMP CLAP!

The Hufflepuffs had joined in to and above the stomping and pounding of feet and hands, Ro's voice, louder still was singing:

"Buddy you're a young man hard man

Shoutin' in the street gonna take on the world some day

You got blood on yo' face

You big disgrace

Wavin' your banner all over the place!"

Davies had dropped the quaffle in confusion as the noise swelled again and Lily snatched it up. Jessica Waters, the keeper didn't even seem to realise that Lily had scored six times in succession.

"That- that - brilliant cheating slime ball," Scorpius gasped the crowd began to bellow 'We will, we will rock you!' at the top of their lungs. "How on earth did Ro do this?"

STOMP STOMP CLAP!

"Scorp? Scorp what do we do? We're losing!" Tansy Hardgrave had pushed her way over from the Ravenclaw stands. "If Potter gets the snitch now it's over - they've won!"

"Oh she's good." Damien said from beside Scorpius, "You've got to give it to her, this is amazing!"

"I thought she'd streak or something, nothing like this!" Scorpius shook his head in disbelief, I can't believe she did this just to win our bet!"

STOMP STOMP CLAP!

"Well it's not won yet!" Damien yelled.

"I've got it," Scorpius roared then put two fingers in his mouth and gave a piercing whistle. "Follow my lead," he yelled and pointed his wand at his throat. "Sonorus."

STOMP STOMP CLAP!

"Buddy you're an old man poor man

Pleadin' with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day

You got mud on yo' face

You big disgrace

Somebody better put you back into your place!"

Ro was stood on the barrier that ran along the edge of the pitch to stop the spectators from getting onto the grass. She was still singing, stomping her booted feet and bringing her hands together over her head.

STOMP STOMP CLAP!

"WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?" Scorpius bawled.

"WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!" The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs yelled back.

STOMP STOMP CLAP!

The Ravenclaw were joining in now.

"WOOF WOOF, WOOF, WOOF!"

STOMP STOMP CLAP!

"WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?"

"I don't believe this," Al muttered to himself, "The world's gone mad."

And then he saw it, a tiny flutter of gold. The rest of the players were in disarray, staring down opened mouthed at the bedlam that was happening below.

Albus dived.

Less than a foot from the ground he pulled up sharply, the snitch clasped in a sweaty fist.

The stands erupted. Rose toppled off the top of the barrier and landed in a heap on the pitch but she was up in a second and racing towards her cousin. Gryffindors were pouring onto the pitch from every direction, lifting the team onto their shoulders.

"Hey, hey Ro!" Al yelled and Fred and Roxanne were lifted into the shoulders of several burly sixth years on either side of him. "Thank you!"

She beamed at him and, lifting her wand to her throat once again, muttered: "Quitus."

"Go on," Damien pushed Scorpius forwards, "Time to pay up."

They met in the very centre of the pitch, surrounded by cheering and the occasional 'We will rock you.'

"I guess you won." Scorpius said, grinning at her. He pushed his hands into his pockets.

"I guess I did." She was beaming still, her whole face alight.

"So when should I pay up?" He met her eyes and despite himself felt a laugh working its way up his throat.

"I've got a better idea." Ro Weasley said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Oh and what's that the?" He said, leaning forwards slightly.

"We call it quits and you kiss me instead."

Scorpius was more than happy to oblige.

...

A little OOC I know but still very fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it. Review and let me know!

Disclaimer: As always, only the plot belongs to me. We Will Rock You belongs to Queen and Who Let The Dogs Out belongs to Baha Men.