For the Quidditch League Fanfiction Challenge
Round 3: Word Restricted Team Pride
Holyhead Harpies: Chaser 3
Prompts: 15 (word) cosmos, 14 (quote) "Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud,"- Maya Angelou, 8 (colour) lilac, (word restriction) 1251-1500
Word Count: 1499, using wordcounter dot net, as I have no word counting programmes on my laptop.
An extra-special thanks to my beautiful beta's: Ever and Chloe xx
Star Chaser
The first time Horace saw Ginny fly was when she was in her seventh year at Hogwarts. She was the star Chaser of the Gryffindor team. She was everyone's dream Captain, and everyone came to her for Quidditch advice.
He watched her, contemplating her skills, and waited for the right time to confront her.
After Gryffindor won the match, Ginny was approached by the Head of Slytherin. "Have you ever thought about playing Quidditch?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm already playing Quidditch." Ginny glanced back at her team, who were waiting for her.
Slughorn waved off the hovering students. They scarpered, some of them shooting Ginny sympathetic looks over their shoulders. She faced her professor, watching him curiously to witness his next move. "I meant professionally," he said, observing her.
"Sir?" she asked. "What do you mean?"
"You're good at Quidditch, Miss Weasley. Brilliant, in fact. You could easily play professionally."
"I'm flattered, sir," Ginny replied, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "But there must be more to it than that, surely?"
Slughorn scratched his balding head, thinking about how to word his next statement. "One of the Chasers for the Holyhead Harpies is leaving the team soon. I was going to tell the Captain about you."
"Sir, what happens if she thinks I'm too young?" Ginny lounged back in her chair, picking at her lilac nail varnish.
"There is no such thing as being too young in Quidditch, Miss Weasley."
Slughorn had invited her along to the Three Broomsticks one weekend to meet with Gwenog Jones—Captain of the Holyhead Harpies. The goal was to set her up with a private tryout in order for her to become a Chaser.
Rather suddenly, a woman fell into the chair opposite them, grinning at Slughorn. "Hello," she said, still smiling. "It's nice to see you again, Professor Slughorn." She turned to face Ginny, a polite smile on her lips. "You must be Miss Ginevra Weasley. I've heard a lot about you; Horace thinks you're a star!"
"It's just Ginny," she said. "It's great to meet you, Miss Jones."
"Just call me Gwen—everyone else does, although that may be because the last person to call me Gwenog lost a few teeth." Gwen grinned, wider this time, showing off her own crooked teeth. "I'm sure we'll get on just fine."
Ginny beamed back. "I hope we will, Gwen." She knew not to call her Gwenog—if she hated that name it would be rude to. Ginny herself happened to know what it was like to hate what people called you. After all, the last person to properly call her Ginevra received a great Bat-Bogey Hex their way.
"Miss Weasley hates her name too," Slughorn said. "The last time someone called her that she hexed them!"
Ginny turned to glance at him, annoyed. Silence overtook them, until the topic became serious. Gwen leant forward. "Why should you, Miss Weasley, become a new Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, when there are more experienced potentials out there in the universe?"
"Well"—Ginny paused to think, biting her lilac fingernails. She had paused for too long, however, as Slughorn piped up.
"Miss Weasley is incredibly good at Quidditch, and—"
"I believe I was asking Ginny, not you." Gwen nodded, gesturing for Ginny to start.
"Well… I'm extremely passionate about the sport, Miss. I also believe that I'm quite skilled in the art of Quidditch—I've been practicing since I was a child. I had to steal my brothers' brooms because there wasn't enough money for my own..."
"You've got spirit, kid." Gwen smirked. "I like it. I'll send you an owl with the date and time of your tryout, Ginny."
"Thank you," Ginny said, her voice cracking in gratitude.
"Think nothing of it, dear."
Ginny grinned back at Gwen, her smile so wide that her cheeks hurt, but that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the fact that she had got into the team. Her, Ginevra Weasley, a blood-traitor who grew up in a family with only a few Sickles to spare.
Ginny stood with her Potions professor, broomstick in her hand. "I'll try not to break a leg," she said. Slughorn furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding the reference to the Muggles' form of 'good luck'.
"Miss Weasley, you're up!" Gwen called.
Ginny dodged Bludgers that were hurtling past her, grabbing Quaffles that flew towards her at high speeds. She threw the Quaffle into the hoops that were guarded by the Captain, scoring nine out of the ten goals she shot.
As she flew down to the ground, Ginny was greeted by her Potions professor, who was now bursting with happiness. "You were amazing!" he said.
"You really were," Gwen agreed, flying down to join them. "Expect a reply in a few weeks. Well done, Ginny."
"May I have tickets to your first game?" Slughorn asked as they walked away. "I would love to cheer you on."
A few weeks after she got her results—a definite yes—Ginny broke up for the summer holidays, and she was training with her new team every day. The first time she met the Harpies they were slightly cautious around her, as she was only eighteen. They spent less time near her, as they were unsure about how to joke with her like they did with the rest of the team. However, she was soon accepted when they saw her fly for the first time.
Her favourite part of the stadium was the changing room. "It even has its own bed—for if a member gets tired," Gwen had told her, before directing her into the room.
"What's that?" Ginny had asked, pointing at the quote—'Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud'—which was framed on a small table.
"That? That is the 'Quote of the Day Frame'. Every day, the quote changes. The Seeker made it. We all contribute quotes."
"It sounds great," Ginny had said, glancing at the quote one last time before looking around the rest of the room. It had reminded her of Slughorn, and how he had offered her this rainbow in the grey cloud of life.
Her first ever match was against Pride of Portree.
'You'll be fine," one of the other Chasers, Valmai Morgan, stated. "Pride are the worst team in the League. We'll easily beat them."
Ginny smiled nervously, and followed the team out of the changing room. Today the quote in the frame was: 'Why should they win the game when every team in the cosmos is better than them'—courtesy of Gwen.
"And here comes our only all-girl team!" the commentator exclaimed. "Please welcome: Jones, Smith, Higgs, Goyle, Griffiths, Morgan, and the newest addition to the team, Ginevra Weasley!"
The cheer was enormous. Ginny looked through the crowd, spotting her brothers all holding up a green banner with her name on it. Next to them, her boyfriend, Harry, sat, waving a flag with the Harpies' logo on it. Luna sat beside Hermione, one of them reading and the other knitting something in bright colours whilst wearing her notorious lion hat.
The commentator proceeded to list the Pride players, the referee said something about not too many deaths, and they were off. The Harpies immediately got the Quaffle, and the trio of Chasers worked together to get it to the goalposts before the Keeper knew what had happened.
As the game wore on, the Harpies scored more and more points. The first foul was courtesy of Pride when one of their Chasers lost control of the Quaffle and threw it at the Harpies' Seeker's head. They argued with the referee needlessly, but eventually Ginny took the penalty, and got the Quaffle in the middle hoop, scoring the goal.
The Harpies' Seeker spotted the Snitch first, and she raced after it before Pride's Seeker knew what was happening. The Seeker for Pride trailed after her, but she had already wrapped her fingers around the small ball before they were even halfway there.
The Holyhead Stadium erupted into a mass of celebration as the Harpies won 310-30. Their names were cheered, and everyone in the team had a smile on their face.
As the season progressed, they continued to climb the leaderboard. The higher they climbed, the more Slughorn demanded from her. Halfway into the season, she'd simply had enough.
"Please may I have front row tickets to the next game, Ginny?" he asked.
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "No."
"No?" His eyes widened in disbelief.
"No. I'm tired of you using me, sir. I have given you exclusive seats, behind-the-scene tours, and everything else possible. Yet you still demand more."
"I got you on to the team in the first place!"
"No, you didn't," she said, glaring at him. "I got on to the team with hard work and skill!"
"You wouldn't've had the opportunity to meet Gwen without me!"
"I would've! You're not my teacher anymore."
She sent him one last look of distaste before apparating away. He was not her rainbow.
Well there we go! My second fic as a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies! I am not sure about this one, I am not really a fan of writing Ginny.
Much love to all and everyone (?). I hope your days go as well as Ginny's did :)
~Buttercat