Quote:
Originally Posted by
BanaBatGirl 
"Kaiden, come with me," she grabbed his elbow to get his attention and then led him and the other two boys into a nearby compartment, which was thankfully empty. The Headmistress gestured that West, Mo, and Kaiden should have a seat, and closed the door to the compartment while she did.
Now. How to say this.... best to just launch into it. She took a breath and made eye contact with all three of them. No more polite smiles and cookies to soften the blow.
"Boys, Quidditch has been cancelled at Hogwarts this school year. We have had a very serious threat on the school and on the youth playing the sport, so I am saddened to report that we no longer require your services as House Captains. I have to respectfully request that you turn your badges in to your Heads of House upon your arrival to the school."
There was a pause, during which the Headmistress reached into her pocket and produced a shiny, golden Hufflepuff Prefect badge. "Mr. Yarborough, we did have an opening in leadership in your House," since his Prefect and Head Boy had graduated, "and Professor Hadley has requested that I give you this. If you will accept, of course. My sincerest apologies to you, Mr. Odessa, and you, Mr. Branxton, that we do not have positions for you as well."
Kaiden too? Okay so maybe nobody had died then, that was good. But what was this about? West watched the headmistress and then...
"Wh-what?" Quidditch cancelled? What did... what? He turned a stricken look on Mo. Cancelled? Quidditch? At Hogwarts? No Quidditch at Hogwarts? None? Who... what? But he'd turned down two offers of full time professional contracts to come back! For Quidditch! At Hogwarts! For his
team! No Quidditch. Merlin. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't put words together to ask about this 'threat' because his entire world was crashing down.
..... turn his badge
in? West didn't much care about there not being any other positions, to him Quidditch was the only one that mattered. And it mattered
so much. He was vaguely aware of Truebridge giving Kaiden a prefect badge but he couldn't focus on that. No chance of redemption after the sour end to the previous season. No chance of proving himself, or regaining the respect of his teammates....
West's expression was lost, his fingers were curling protectively around the Slytherin Captain badge he wore. It meant so much to him and to have it taken away... to turn it
in... West Odessa may have been the tallest boy in school, and one of the most outwardly confident students at Hogwarts, but right in that moment he looked very much the kicked puppy.
"I..." He swallowed roughly,
"Can't we.... k-keep them?" Even if they couldn't wear them anymore... taking them away would be like it never happened. West scrubbed at his face, and with a supreme effort, he squared his shoulders.
"If there's... if there's anything I can d-do, Professor, just let me know." West said quietly, and put on a brave face.
Merlin, this was even worse than breaking up with Alice.