A/N: Ok, so this is my first stab at writing fanfiction. I've been really chicken to post anything, so I really hope that it doesn't suck. As you can probably tell, more chapters will be forthcoming, hopefully on some sort of a schedule. Reviews are appreciated. And now for the disclamer: If I owned anything but the ideas in my head, I would definitely not have to work for a living!

A Very Brave Owl

Basil was a very brave owl. Any owl owned by the entrepreneurs Weasley and Weasley must be a very brave owl indeed. At this moment he was on an important mission from his masters and their friends. He was to infiltrate the Puddlemere United Quidditch practice and deliver the letter he carried. He was told to deliver this to Oliver Wood, wherever he was, immediately.

Basil couldn't see why there was such a hurry that he has to risk life and wing just to deliver a short note, but being a brave owl he swooped into the open top of the stadium. He flew as fast as he could to the shining brass rings and tried very hard not to look like a bludger. What strong, brave, not-a-bludger Basil did not know is that he was that letter could not wait to be delivered, not even for a minute.

Oliver Wood was having a good day. He was bobbing in front of Quidditch hoops as the starting keeper for Puddlemere United. He was just waiting for the starting chasers to steal back the quaffle in the usual end-of-practice reserve vs. starters scrimmage. He keeps for the reserves and the reserve keeper is with the starters. The reserves were playing well so he didn't have much to do. A bored keeper is a happy keeper. But never forgetting his captain days, Wood constantly scanned the pitch to see how everyone was playing and where they could improve. It was on one of these scans that he noticed that there were THREE bludgers on the pitch.

One, two, three, Oliver thought. Definitely three on the pitch and one's headed straight for me. Being a keeper, Oliver instinctively caught what was flying at him. Half a second later, Oliver had processed this was NOT a bludger and was staring at poor Basil like he was a freak of nature, why on earth would an owl try to deliver a letter on a quidditch pitch?

"Coach, COACH!" Puddlemere's coach looked over to see his keeper signaling for a water break. As the team descended, they wandered over to see why the Oliver Wood, of all people, was calling for disruption of practice.

"Wood, why are you clutching an owl?" inquired chaser and team captain, Clifton Cloudman.

"Dunno, the barmy thing just flew at me while I was on the pitch" Oliver reached for the owl's pouch and extracted the letter it had. He opened the scroll and quickly read the contents. Everyone watched as a look of shock and fear flitted across his face, only to be replaced by anger. Tossing his broom to Cliff he said, "I have to go" and apparated away.

"What in the hell" the coach murmured to himself as he picked up the parchment that was dropped. A look of sad understanding settled on his face as he read:

Katie's been cursed and is in St. Mungos. Not sure if she'll make it.

Oliver, get here soon,

Angelina