Dean had decided that his West wall would be something that would be totally unexpected. He’d been doing all the expected wizarding world paintings, including the front and back of Harry and Ginny’s book. That last was earning him three knuts a copy, after his 25 galleon advance was reached. He’d been informed to expect a check in early September, as they’d passed that on the first day.
So he’d carefully created a full football pitch, and started to populate the field. There was nobody but Ron Weasley to put in Gryffindor goal. He preferred a 3-5-2 formation, which put him and Hermione as the Center Forwards. He made the ball rocketing from Hermonie’s foot towards the goal. He was the other Forward. His Offensive Midfielder was Lavender, her hand raised as she was likely to do when Gryffindor scored. The closest Wing Back was Seamus, just because he could paint Seamus better than Parvati who had the other slot. In Defensive Midfielder was Neville with Ginny Weasley, her cheeks redden. Back as his Center Backs, were the trio of Sally-Anne, Harry, and Katie Bell. The later was aged down a bit.
It had taken a while to decide who to add to the Gryffindor Nine, as his class was called. Ginny was obvious, but Katie had helped him with his Tranfiguration Homework once, so that had broken the tie of the Gryffindor Chasers.
The Slytherins in opposition, well he only had to detail a few. Goyle in goal, his expression of surprise, remembered from when Lavender had managed to do a hat trick in a 5 on 5 game, perfectly portrayed, as if he knew there was no way to stop what he was sure was soon going to be known as Rocket Granger’s foot. If he could convince Hermione to play, it would be his secret weapon. Both Draco and Parkinson filled two close in Slytherins, and Crabb was a fourth that you could identify. The rest were left lacking in detail, ready to be filled in when he came home from the Autumn term.
He’d been greatly surprised when his Hogwarts letter had included a badge, proclaiming him “Gryffindor Youth Captain.” It had a football at the base of the shield below the classic Copperplate Gothic font title. A supplemental letter had informed him of the rules, schedule, and who the other two Football Captains, as well as the fact that Oliver Wood were be continuing as Quidditch Captain. The games would be on the Quidditch pitch, and Madam Hooch had apparently arranged several fields for practice. Plus there was the challenge 5 on 5 pitch that Hagrid was to run.
Hagrid was a good ad-hoc referee, if you couldn’t get Hillard or Haywood. Dean had refereed a couple matches, too. It had taken both him and Hillard to do the First Year Slyterin vs Second Year Slytherin match. And when Victoria Malfoy had decided that her dorm mates needed to challenge the Gryffindor Chasers with Fred and George on the ground, he’d ended up somehow commentating on that one, in lieu of Lee.
Dean took another look in the mirror above his dresser, before mixing just a little darker paint for the last highlights of his hair. Taking just a few light strokes with a fan brush, carefully highlighting were his hair was slicked to his forehead, he judged that he was at a good stopping point for the Summer. After all, tomorrow he would be getting on the Hogwarts Express again, and he hadn’t finished packing.