Whispers of Oliver Wood traveled around the Great Hall as everyone sat down, ready for the sorting ceremony.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" A sixth year Ravenclaw girl asked her friend.

"How old is he now?" Said a fourth year Hufflepuff.

"How do I look?" Sneered a fifth year Slytherin.

Hermione scoffed at every single one of them.

"Can you believe these mindless dolts?" Hermione asked Ron and Harry.

Harry looked around, "No."

Ron shrugged. "They acted like this for Viktor Krum and Cedric Diggory...may he rest in peace."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Can you believe how they're fawning over him already? And he's not even here!"

"Yet," said Lavender Brown, brushing her hair as she took a seat beside Hermione. Parvati Patil slid in next to her, applying liberal amounts of eye makeup.

"He's twenty-one years old, a famous Quidditch star and apparently very handsome. I DOUBT he's single. And he won't even look twice at any of them."

"Might look twice at you," said Dean Thomas, winking suggestively.

She blushed very red and turned away.

"Weren't you and he pretty friendly back when he was at school?" Ron asked her.

"Not really," said Hermione. "We hardly spoke."

"Yes, but he almost kissed you when you performed that little charm on Harry's glasses so they'd repel water. Won them the match, that did." Stated Ron firmly.

Hermione shrugged, saying she didn't really care. Professor McGonagall brought in a stool and plopped the battered sorting hat upon it.

The sorting began after the hat's song. Professor McGonagall called "Aaron, Blake" and a plump little boy scuttled onto the stool. Blake Aaron joined Ravenclaw as "Bristal, Krystal" was sorted into Slytherin.

"Krystal Bristal?" Hermione laughed. "What odd parents."

Harry nodded his agreement. The sorting continued sorting "Evans, Ryan" into Gryffindor, "Jakson, Petrella" into Hufflepuff and "Vine, Dione" into Slytherin.

Finally, Dumbledore stood up for his annual beginning of year speech.

"Welcome! As most of you know, our flying instructor and Quidditch referee, Madame Hooch, retired last year. However, we found a quite suitable replacement for one year only. Fresh from playing Keeper for the fantastic Chudley Cannons, please welcome Mr. Oliver Wood!"

The Hall erupted in applause and screams from the girls. Until now, Hermione hadn't noticed that Oliver was there. But as a tall boy with short brown hair and beaming brown eyes stood up at the head table, she finally realized why girls were swooning over him. He smiled at everyone and her mind went completely blank. It was as if he had performed a spell on her.

Her heart began racing faster and faster, her face was red, her breath was slowing. She put a hand to her heart. She could no longer hear the deafening applause all around her. She could hear only her own heart beating. She couldn't see anyone around her either, but could only see him. Standing up there, looking like a God. A small smile spread across her lips and she finally understood.

She understood how you can judge someone by how they look. She understood how you could fall in love at first sight. She understood why her summer had gone the way it had. She understood how a crush can make you feel like you're going to die...die if they don't feel the same way.

When he sat down finally, still smiling, her breath returned to normal and her heart slowed. She felt sure, though, that her face was still quite red. Why was he having such an affect on her? It was just Oliver Wood. The old captain and Keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Just Oliver who had made good grades, but who's only love was The Game.

Yet, to Hermione, he wasn't just anything. He was Oliver Wood. Someone who she really wanted to get to know again. Someone who made her feel like she was made of nothing but jello.

The feelings she had were apparently felt by the rest of the female population of the school. If the red faces of all her classmates were any indication, that is.

"Oh. My. God." Parvati panted as the plates around them filled with food. The boys began to dig in but the girls just stared at their plates, entranced.

"Oh. My. God." Lavender echoed. "He is SO HOT!" She shook her head in awe.

"Wow," said Hermione quietly. She was staring at him at the head table where he was gesticulating and talking animatedly to Professor Flitwick.

"What's with you?" Seamus asked them, shoving food into his mouth.

"Nothing," all three girls said at once. Then they began to giggle like hyenas on lithium.

When the Hall was starting to empty out, Hermione heard a voice so wonderful and whimsical that she thought her heart might stop.

"Harry! How are you doing!?" Oliver Wood was striding up to them.

Harry grinned, "Hey Oliver! Welcome back!"

"Thanks!" Oliver clapped Ron on the back. "Heard you're the new Keeper. Congrats."

"Thanks," beamed Ron.

"How are your brothers? Still causing trouble I suppose." Oliver grinned at Ron and Harry.

"Yeah, they've got their own joke shop now. In Diagon Alley."

"Brilliant! Haven't been there in ages. I'll have to check it out though. Pay them a visit."

Lavender, Parvati and Hermione were all staring at Oliver, their mouths hanging open. They looked like dead fish. Any minute now, one of them was going to drool.

Oliver didn't seem to notice this, not yet anyway. Apparently he had no idea of the affect he had on girls.

"So how are you feeling, Oliver?" Harry asked, standing up next to Oliver. Ron stood as well.

"Good, slow recovery. I really wanted to go back for this season, but the doctors said I should take a year off. I was pretty upset at first...you know how I am when it comes to Quidditch...but coming back here will be good...at least I'll still be on the pitch!"

Harry nodded. Oliver was just as he remembered. Completely and utterly in love with Quidditch...slightly eccentric really.

Hermione was still staring as Oliver chatted with Harry and Ron. He still had a smile in place. As long as that smile was there, Hermione felt she might never wake from her trance.

Oliver finally looked around at them. His eyes fell on Hermione and he grinned at her. "You going to introduce me to this lovely new girl?" He asked Harry and Ron. She closed her mouth abruptly.

"She's not new, Oliver. You remember Hermione," said Ron. "She put that charm on Harry's glasses during the game so he could see."

Oliver looked at Hermione, the memory suddenly dawning on him. "Hermione Granger?"

Hermione nodded slightly.

"Wow! You've certainly changed!" He gave her a winning smile.

She melted, "Hi."

He laughed a little, "Hi." They looked at each other for a minute. Lavender, Parvati, Ron and Harry were all staring at them. Wood took his eyes off Hermione and looked at Harry and Ron again. "Well, I best be off. Got a lot to do tomorrow. I'll see you." He waved to them and strolled off. He glanced back at Hermione before leaving, but no one saw.

"You went all melty," said Ron as he, Hermione and Harry went to Care of Magical Creatures the next morning.

"Did not," replied Hermione, shifting her backpack. "And melty is NOT a word."

A bunch of fifth year Ravenclaw boys passed them, all giving Hermione the once over.

"Wow," whispered Harry, "everyone is checking you out."

"Oh shut up, Harry," said Hermione. She started walking faster.

"You did. You went completely jell-oed like an idiot." Ron said, ignoring Harry's statement completely.

"Like you did with Fleur?" Hermione countered, stopping in her tracks to glare at him.

"Are you saying that Wood is the equivalent of a part veela?" Ron asked, looking appalled.

"No. It's just........You know how you acted completely odd around Fleur? Well, that's how girls act around Oliver. He just....does something to you. But it's not just physical because I would never like someone because they were handsome." She gave Ron a warning look. It seemed like he was going to cough Lockhart again. "With Oliver, it's much more. He's very good looking, yes, but he's also a nice guy."

Ron gave her a very confused look, but didn't reply.

"Don't you mean, Professor Wood?" Draco Malfoy was walking behind them. He'd obviously been listening to the whole conversation. "You really shouldn't be calling a teacher by his first name, Granger." Draco stepped up in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. Hagrid was watching them from outside his hut where the rest of the class was assembling.

Draco let his eyes wander, giving Hermione the 'once over' and not bothering to care if she noticed or not. "If you want something done...feel free to call me." He winked at her and then strolled off looking very conceded.

Hermione shook her head at his retreating back. "Jerk. I should sue for sexual harassment."

"What's sexual harassment?" Ron asked as he made his way to the rest of the class.

"Oh nevermind," whispered Hermione. They had finally reached the group. Ron and Harry took places towards the front but Hermione walked toward Parvati and Lavender, the lithium hyenas.

"I wouldn't mind Oliver sexually harassing me," giggled Parvati.

"Me either," agreed Lavender. "What about you Hermione?"

Hermione did not answer. But Lavender and Parvati, although not so smart in matters of school, were very smart in matters of the heart. So they could guess, by Hermione's rather red face, how she really felt.

|