Quidditch

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by p-k-b-

by p-k-b-

McGonagall gave the three friends the day off in order to learn a little about Quidditch. Harry and Oliver walked ahead of the two girls, carrying a large wooden chest which they dumped on the grass before Oliver turned to the three first year with a smile on his face.

"Quidditch is easy enough to understand." He said, kneeling down to open the chest which contained a variety of balls. "Each team has seven players: one keeper, two beaters, three chasers - that's you girls -, and one seeker. That's you." He finished, looking at Harry.
"There are three kinds of balls," he explained, pulling one of them out of the chest. "This is the Quaffle. The chasers handle the Quaffle and try to put it through one of those hoops." He pointed to the three hoops stood at either side of the arena. "The keeper - that's me - defends the hoops. With me so far?" Poppy and Ellie nodded enthusiastically, while Harry smiled awkwardly.

"What are those ones?" Ellie asked, gesturing to the two writhing balls that were restricted by rattling chains.

"You girls had better take these," he informed, handing the girls a baton each. "Harry, you stand back." Harry obeyed, distancing himself from the group. Oliver knelt down and released one of the restless balls, sending it flying through the air at incredible speed. It flew off over a roof, totally disappearing for a few seconds. The girls then heard it whistling its way back. "Careful now, it's coming back." Oliver warned as the ball came hurtling back straight towards Poppy. She instinctively bashed it with the baton to stop it from hitting her square in the face. The ball went flying past the buildings and straight past a statue. "Not bad, Roberts. You'd make a fair beater." Poppy smiled shyly at the compliment, making Ellie nudge her and wiggle her eyebrows. The familiar whistle is heard, and seconds later the ball comes shooting back yet again.

"I got it!!" Ellie yelled as she dove for the ball, catching it as it collided with her chest, knocking the wind out of her. She wrestled with it for a while, praying for someone to come and help her. Poppy merely laughed uncontrollably, clutching her stomach as it began to hurt. After yet more struggling and writhing, she managed to force it back into its rightful place in the chest, Oliver immediately locking it back in its chains, helping the girl back to her feet.

"Well done, Persephone." Oliver smiled at the now dishevelled and panting girl who gave him a nod of thanks.

"What was that?!" Poppy exclaimed, the first years all clutching their stomachs from laughing - even Ellie.

"Awesome was what it was!" She laughed, only causing their laughter to get even louder, Oliver chuckling at the ecstatic children.

"Alright, alright, joke's over now," he rolled his eyes playfully, "that was a Bludger. Nasty little buggers. But Harry, the only thing I want you to worry about..." he pulled the last ball out of the chest. "...is this." The ball was very small and dainty and it was a beautiful gold colour.

"I like this ball." Harry remarked, taking the ball from Oliver. He looked at it in awe.

"Ah, you like it now. But just wait. It's wicked fast and damn near impossible to see." As he said this, two slim golden wings lifted from its sides, and it raised from Harry's hand. The first years watched intently as it flitted back and forth, here and there, tricking their eyes and making them go dizzy.

"What does he do with it?" Poppy asked.

"He catches it. Before the other team's seeker." Oliver answered, "Catch this, Potter, and the game's over. You catch this, and we win."

"One of a wizard's most rudimentary skills is levitation, or the ability to make objects fly!" Flitwick began as he scanned the class. "Do we all have our feathers?" He asked, and the class nodded. "Good, now don't forget the nice wrist movement we've been practicing. The swish and flick. Good. Oh, and enunciate! Wingardium leviosa! Off you go then!" Ellie and Poppy were sat with Hermione and Ron, listening intently to Flitwick.

"Wingardium leviosa! Wingardium leviosa!" Ron demanded impatiently, flailing his wand frantically. Poppy and Ellie both sniggered at his futile attempts.

"Stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop! You're going to take someone's eye out!" Hermione grabbed Ron's arm. "And besides, you're saying it wrong. It's levi-o-sa, not levio-sar!"

"You do it then, if you're so clever!" Ron said smugly, folding his arms. Ellie and Poppy exchanged an amused glance. They both know that Hermione is an incredible witch, even at her young age. Hermione smirked and cleared her throat.

"Wingardium leviosa." She announced, and the feather gently lifts off of the desk, floating effortlessly towards the ceiling.

"Oh-ho! Miss Granger's done it. Well done! Well done!" Flitwick cheered, earning a sulky scowl from Ron. The three girls chuckled at the ginger. Poppy and Ellie then realised they hadn't even attempted the spell yet. They looked at each other as if asking something. They remembered reading something about non-verbal spells, when wizards can cast spells without physically saying the word.

Wingardium leviosa, the girls closed their eyes and say the words in their minds. When they opened their eyes, they saw both feathers drifting upwards, just as Hermione's had. When they looked around, they noticed the gaping mouths and wide eyes all focused on them.

"...what?" Ellie asked, brushing the incident off as if it had been nothing. Poppy laughed at this.

"Extraordinary..." Flitwick remarked quietly, looking with complete and utter fascination at the girls.

"Ellie! Poppy! Where did you learn to do non-verbal sp-" Hermione was cut off by a startling bang sending soot and ash flying in all directions. Everyone turned to look to the source of the noise, seeing Harry and Seamus with blackened faces - Seamus looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

"I think we're going to need another feather, sir." Harry stated, making Ellie and Poppy burst into laughter.

The class was soon dismissed and Poppy, Ellie and Hermione were walking through the courtyard, a few feet behing Harry and Ron. "Way to show that ginger plonker, Hermione." Poppy laughed as she walked with her two best friends.

"Yeah, did you see his face?" Ellie said, a chuckle escaping her lips.

"Thank you, girls." Hermione smiled, a blush appearing on her cheeks. All of the girls were laughing until...

"She's a nut case, I'm telling you, no wonder she hasn't got any friends." Ellie and Poppy looked to see Hermione walking ahead, shoving Ron out the way.

"WHAT THE HELL RON?!" Poppy screamed earning a few strange looks, especially off of the twins. Their hair was a fiery shade of red.

"YEAH, how can you be so insensitive spreading lies about her like that?" Ellie had a slightly more relaxed approach but you could see the anger in her eyes. "And besides, you may want to rethink what you said because me and Poppy happen to be her friends." And with that, the girls ran off to find Hermione.