A/N: Keeper of the Tutshill Tornados. Round 3 story.
Prompt: Tornado(s)
Word count chosen: 2551-2750.
End word count: 2648.
Since joining Hogwarts, Colin McCreavey had been desperately trying to get on to the school newspaper, but with no success.
Every day, he had gone out with his camera, hoping to scoop a juicy exclusive that would guarantee him a place as a permanent journalist, but no one would give him the time of day, let alone discuss anything with him. It was beginning to seem quite hopeless.
After another week of rejections, he skulked back to the Gryffindor common room. It was becoming obvious that he was never going to make it; so he figured it was time to hang up his camera for good. The only thing was, he had no idea what he could do next. He'd spent so long aspiring to join the likes of Rita Skeeter ( only less trashy ) it was all he knew.
He sat on his bed staring down at his camera and note pad. As the tears rolled down his cheeks, he couldn't help but wonder where he had gone wrong- nobody else seemed to have trouble, so what was it he was doing wrong?
A surge of anger rose up in him "It's not me that's the problem! It's the rest of them in this place- Go away Colin, Not now Colin, PUT THE CAMERA AWAY COLIN!"
Out of nowhere, his sudden burst of rage reached its peak. He grabbed his note pad, and launched it with all his might at the door.
Just at that moment, Harry was making his way in. As he opened the door, he spotted the thick white object hurtling towards his face, and just about managed to move his head before it collided.
"What the..."
He then noticed a wide eyed Colin looking at him, his mouth agape.
"Oh, I'm sorry Harry, I didn't know anyone was coming!"
Harry was about to have a go at him about the dangers of throwing things in fits of temper, when he noticed the tear stains on his cheeks, and decided that this probably wasn't the best time for a lecture.
"Don't worry about it. Pretty good shot! If I hadn't dodged, it would have been square in the forehead. Put me on the floor good and proper no doubt" he joked, trying to make light of what was fast becoming an uncomfortable moment.
Colin didn't say a word. He just sat back down, and tried his best not to look at him.
Putting his bag down, Harry made an attempt at small talk. Spotting the camera, he decided that was as good as any place to start.
"How's the journalism thing going Colin? Getting any juicy stories?"
"Not exactly. In fact, nothing at all. I'm not good enough for anyone to talk to, let alone give me anything worth reporting on." Colin replied, trying not to sound as bitter as he felt.
He hadn't exactly succeeded. The bitterness had rung out like a church bell chiming.
Harry felt a twinge of guilt. He himself had been just as bad- there had been numerous occasions Colin had tried to start conversation with him that didn't involve either the camera or the note pad, and he'd rebuffed in him favour of more desirable people to talk to.
His first instinct was to look for an excuse to have to leave, but his conscience wouldn't allow him to think of anything that would pass for a valid reason. Steeling himself, he sat down on the bed opposite him.
"What do you mean? I'm sure you've got loads of stuff you can report on! There always seems to be something going on around here." he offered, trying his best to sound reassuring.
Colin let out a slight snort of derision. "Yeah, sure- provided you're the only person to write about it."
Sensing that Harry was looking uncomfortable, and might leave on him, Colin tried to swallow down the pill of bitterness he was currently chewing. He took a deep breath, slowly counted to ten in his head, and hoped that he could recover things before he blew it completely.
"Sorry Harry, I shouldn't be angry with you. I'm just finding it so hard to make it on to the school paper. Everything I try just falls flat- either someone else has already written about it, or it's not worth writing about. I'm just about ready to hang my camera up, and give up on the whole thing... I just don't know what else to do now- it's all I've ever wanted to be. I'm no good at anything else."
It was the first proper conversation Harry had actually ever had with Colin, and at that moment, he was able to look past the annoying fan- boy part of him, and see him for who he was: just another young man searching for who and what he really is. It made him feel even worse knowing he had pretty much dismissed him at every turn.
"poor kid" he thought to himself.
He didn't know quite what to say, but felt inclined to want to help him. It seemed to him it was the least he could do.
"what sort of thing would you have to write about to get featured? I don't really know much about the journalism thing- I've never really paid much attention to the school paper"
Colin sat staring momentarily, dumbfounded. It wasn't the fact that the most famous name in the Wizarding world was taking an interest- it was more the fact that someone was actually having a proper conversation with him. It was almost a surreal moment.
Shaking himself mentally, Colin mused on it. The answer had to be somewhere in sight.
"This is what I guess is the difficult part: finding something that people would actually find interesting enough to want to read about. It would have to be an exclusive that nobody else had. A subject that everyone would find fascinating."
A flash of inspiration hit Harry like a bolt of lightning. Smiling to himself, he knew how he could help the poor kid out.
"Colin, grab your note pad- you're about to get an exclusive interview with the youngest seeker in Hogwarts history..."
Colin sat and stared at him. He wasn't sure if he had heard him correctly- or if Harry was even serious.
"You're going to give me an exclusive interview? Are you sure? You've never-"
Harry got up, walked to the doorway, picked up the notepad, and handed it to the awe struck lad.
"Colin, you have fifteen minutes before I have to get to potions. Make it good, and make it fast."
Locking the door so as not to be interrupted, Harry sat down and made himself comfortable. He just hoped it would be enough time ( and that Colin could pull a rabbit out of his hat, so to speak.)
Harry wondered momentarily what line of questioning he was about to get- he hoped it wouldn't be the usual "what has it been like growing up without your parents?" stuff. He hated that- there was more to his life than that, but braced himself for it regardless. He couldn't have been more wrong or pleasantly surprised.
As Colin got himself prepared, Harry watched the expression on his face change. The wide eyed star struck look disappeared, and was replaced by a look of focus Harry had never seen in anyone.
"Harry. Firstly, let me thank you for sparing me some of your time to answer a few questions. I know how busy you are." He began.
With slight amusement, Harry played along.
" No problem, it's a pleasure."
"So, the first thing our readers would like to know is, exactly what does it take to become a good seeker? Flying skills aside, are there any pre requisites that determine the position?"
Harry hadn't expected such a pointed question. It actually impressed him.
"As you said, flying skills and speed are definitely important, but I would say the most important part is targeting. The golden snitch has a diameter of 25 centimetres, and flies at speeds of up to 45 miles an hour. Keeping focused on something that small and fast is no easy task. You have to be aware of your surroundings, whilst not losing sight of it. It's ironically, about having really good eyesight."
Writing feverishly, Colin wasted no time on moving on to his next question.
"Your broomstick, the ' Fire bolt ' is cited to be one of the fastest broomsticks currently available. The statistics state that it' capable of speeds of up to 170 miles per hour. How difficult is it to manoeuvre at speeds of that nature? And how do factors like wind affect its handling?"
Harry's respect for Colin was increasing at a speed of knots. He had expected questions about his tragic past, love life, and all the usual garbage that the Rita Skeeter types would ask. This line of questioning went way above his expectations. Even he didn't know what speeds his broom was able to reach.
"The Fire bolt is indeed incredibly fast. As much as the makers have tried their best to make it as aero- dynamic as possible, wind speed does have an adverse effect. The trick is to use your hips to guide it. You almost need to use them like steering a motorbike, and make sure that you lean the body into the turns as much as you can. Timing is also paramount- too early, and it will try to throw you off sideways. Too late, and your heading for a nasty crash landing."
Without looking up, hand still moving an incredible speed, Colin was already moving on to his next question.
"Do you see yourself playing Quidditch after you graduate? You certainly have the necessary skills to make it into the pro rankings- Is it something you have considered?"
This question almost stumped Harry completely. He had to think about it quite quickly. He didn't really think all that much about the future- he was too intent on surviving long enough to get there.
"I can't say for certain whether my future lies in Quidditch- I would like to think that one day I will be good enough as a player to make it into the professional ranks, but nobody knows for sure what is around the corner. Maybe I will get lucky enough to be approached by a squad after I leave here, but watch this space, I guess "
Again, hand not stopping, Colin was on to his next question.
"There have been rumours circulating that there is already a professional team looking to recruit you- the "tornados" have vowed, that if Hogwarts team can maintain their reign of victory, they will look to sign you after you graduate. We have been unbeaten in our last eight games against other schools. How do you respond to this? And what are your predictions for the next game?
This question really did throw Harry- He hadn't actually heard about this piece of news. He had no idea how to respond.
" I really don't know on that one. We have been very lucky over the last few seasons, and had some fantastic games. The teams we have faced so far have got some phenomenally good players, and I think sometimes, luck does play a part in determining the outcome of a game. If I am approached, I would be delighted to play for them. It would be an honour."
Colin decided now was the time to really throw in the trickier questions.
"In your last game against the Slytherins, Draco Malfoy almost beat you to the snitch. If he hadn't crashed, he might have beaten you, and the Slytherins would have won that game. Did the defeat that almost was drive you to train harder?"
Harry had no idea where that question had come from. It was no secret that he and Malfoy weren't exactly on the friendliest of terms, but had no idea that they were supposed to be rivals in every sense. He had no idea how to answer without sparking further dissent between their houses.
"What happened to Draco was just rotten luck. Any player can be caught off guard, and end up in the dirt. As I said earlier, there are a lot of factors that can affect what happens when your up there flying at such speeds. He is a gifted player, and I wish him a speedy recovery."
Colin nearly paused. He was smart enough to realise what Harry was doing, and respected the answer ( even if it was a little too safe )
Harry wasted no time in finishing answering before Colin could fire any more questions his way.
"As for the training aspect, we are training whenever our schedules allow us to. It's vitally important for teams to get in as much practice time as possible. It helps a team to really gel together and bond, so we can learn each others' style and techniques, and lean to work together as one cohesive unit. It's what team work is really all about."
Colin made his last few notes, then looked down at his watch. His fifteen minutes was reaching the end. He looked up at Harry, and smiled.
"Sorry about the quick fire questions: had to get as many in as I could."
Harry nodded. "That's alright. You actually really impressed me! I didn't realise you knew that much about Quidditch- maybe if the journalism doesn't work out, you could try out for a squad yourself."
Colin looked down at his note pad, and smiled.
" Nah. Haven't got the physique for it, let alone a fast enough broom. But with this little beauty, I have a feeling i won't need to explore options for a little while."
Harry shook his hand, wished him the best of luck, and hurried off to potions. He now had a new found level of respect for him, and really hoped that their brief time in the common room had helped as much as he hoped it would.
He needn't have worried. Exactly one week later, as he went into the great hall for breakfast, every person at every table had a copy of the school newspaper in hand. He wondered if there was something going on, as there was virtual silence across the entire hall. Whatever it was certainly had silenced the din that normally echoed around the great hall.
As he approached his table, he found a copy had been left there for him. The front page was nothing exciting- another picture of Cornelius fudge and an article about the ministry. He looked over at Ron, and spotted what was captivating everyone so much. Opening his own newspaper, he turned to page 5, where he found it.
"Quidditch Quick fire! an interview with Harry Potter: Hogwarts youngest seeker"
By Colin McCreavey.
Harry read the article, and marvelled at the professional way Colin had pieced it together. The way it had been written was like something he would have expected to see in Quidditch monthly- not an amateur piece written by a second year student of Hogwarts. It only added to his new found level of respect for a boy, that less than a week ago he would have had no time for. Knowing that he had helped gave him a slight sense of pride and satisfaction.
He looked up the table towards Colin, and smiled. He mouthed "You're in then? " Colin grinned broadly and nodded. At that moment, he really wanted to leap across the table, and hug Harry, but in his new position as a journalist for the school newspaper, he had to keep a certain level of composure and dignity about him. resisting the temptation, he responded in a far simpler way. He winked, and mouthed " Thanks. I owe you one."