Chapter 1:
Five people stood in the center of the abandoned Chudley Cannons Stadium bored out of their minds. It was the middle of the night, and it was freezing.
Rose Weasley was fussing with her watch. It was one of those hi-tech ones that you can use to access pretty much everything. Her job as junior British ambassador kept her pretty busy. She didn't have time for a late night family meeting. She showed up anyway, because that's just what family does, show up when needed.
Fred & Roxanne Weasley were talking Quidditch. Roxanne was a professional player for the HolyHead Harpies, although she was only a reserve. Fred didn't really follow Quidditch, he just liked to rile up his little sister. So right now he was stating that Puddlemere is the best in the league, just to get a reaction out of her.
Albus, just call me Al, Potter was having a hard time staying awake. He just came back from a six-months long job in Dubai. Cursebreakers didn't just work in Egypt. Someone stumbled upon hidden tombs in Dubai and Al and his team were sent out to investigate. It took Al's team a full month before the even found the place. All Al wanted to do was sleep in his own bed. It had been so long since he last saw it he had forgotten what it looked like.
Lily Potter wasn't bothered by the cold. She didn't care that her brother dragged her out of bed to meet here and was now late. Lily had just broken up with her boyfriend of eight months and was looking for something new. She was painting her nails with glow-in-the-dark polish and contemplating her next article for her magazine Scandal. It started out as a Hogwarts gossip rag, but by the time Lily was in her fifth year the magazine went national. It was no longer a magazine about who got caught making out past curfew in a broom cupboard. The thing that separated it from Witch Weekly or even the Daily Prophet is that everything in the magazine was 100% true.
There was a faint pop and two people appeared in the center of the stadium.
"No wonder you're late" Fred called to his best friend, "spending extra time with the missus. Hey, Blossom, looking gorgeous as always."
Blossom Potter blushed to the roots of her strawberry blonde hair and allowed herself to be kissed on the cheek by Fred.
"So what do you guys think?" James asked gesturing around to the stadium.
"About what?" Al asked sleepily just as Rose said, "Oh, James you didn't."
"You guys are now looking at the new owners of Chudley Cannon Stadium!" James exclaimed.
"You brought the Cannons? Why?" Roxanne asked with narrow eyes.
James shook his head. "No, much to Uncle Ron's displeasure the Cannons are dead and gone. Blossom and I brought the stadium. We're going to turn it into a Blitzball stadium. It's going to be so awesome. That's why we were a bit late, had to finalize some papers. But yep, this baby is all ours."
"You and your obsession with that game" Al muttered.
"James, what the hell is Blitzball?" Rose asked.
James looked around and noticed everyone but Al and Blossom had blank looks on their faces. James grinned. "Okay so imagine this: a giant water orb floating in mid air. Twelve people, two teams. A goalie, two defenders, two passers, and a main attacker per team. One ball. Stadium full of screaming fans."
James still got blank looks.
"Underwater Quidditch, with no bludger, or snitch" Al explained.
"No bludger?" Roxanne said, "But that's the best part. That's what makes Quidditch such a contact sport." It didn't take a genius to know that Roxanne is a beater.
"Hey, Blitzball is a contact sport. You can tackle your opponent if they have the ball. Plus there's magic. You can poison your opponent, put them to sleep, drain their stamina. It's going to be so awesome."
"So you want to build a Blitzball stadium? Why'd you have to drag us out here to tell us that?" Rose asked.
"I'm glad you asked" James said, "I'm going to hire you all. In order to get this place up and running I'm going to need Fred's design and carpentry skills to build the stadium. Rose & Al, you are going to going to do the research and spells to make the giant ball of water. You have to make it so the water doesn't get out, but the players can get it. Lily, you're in charge with media and PR. Blossom says she wants to help with media too, so you guys can be work together."
"What about me?" Roxanne asked through a yawn.
"Since you're the only current profession athlete in the family I'm counting on you for logistics. You can test it for me once everything is up and ready. Help with the rules. It's not going to be 100% like Blitzball. Then once it's all ready we'll rope in Lucy so she can come up with uniforms. I'm fully expecting this to get full coverage in your magazine, Lils. Welcome to the evolution my friends, we are creating a new Wizarding sport."
"I'm in" Fred said.
James smiled, he knew he could always count on his best friend.
"I don't know" Rose said. "I'm awfully busy."
"You hate your job, Rose" Lily pointed out. "This sounds like it will be fun. Besides you need a break. You work non-stop. I think you should do it. I'm in."
"As long as it doesn't interrupt my Quidditch practice, I'm in. in fact this might help my skills and I can finally get promoted to a team regular" Roxanne added.
Al sighed, "I'll help. But this is my first vacation since I started work two years ago. I'm about to spend this whole next week sleeping. Contact me any time after that."
Rose was still torn. "This is big, I'm going to need more information. When are you trying to get all of this done by?"
"I want the league to start in the summer."
Rose blinked.
"Summer of next year?"
"No, this summer."
"But James, that's only five months away!"
"Then we better get started."
"Impossible. You have officially lost it" Rose said throwing her hands up into the air.
"Come on Rose, this has been my dream since I was ten. I've worked literally half my life to make this happen. It is a paid job and I promise you'll have more fun here than at that boring desk job you work at the ministry."
Rose frowned. Her job wasn't that boring, and she did get out of the official occasionally. It just wasn't what Rose had expected she would do with her life.
"I'll see about making time for this on my schedule."
"Yes. now it's time to go back to my place for the celebration dinner!"
James and Blossom Potter lived in an upscale manor in Cambridgeshire. The place was like a tiny castle complete with a huge wall that surrounded the property, 3.5 acres of land, a huge walkway with statues and a fountain.
This was Rose's first time visiting and she was impressed. The building was old, like fourteenth century old, but she could tell there were places where it was upgraded throughout the centuries.
Al, who was in no mood for an impromptu party headed straight up to one of the empty guest rooms and promptly fell asleep.
Blossom tossed a few pizzas in ovens, and opened up the liquor cabinet and started making drinks, while James lead their guest into the game room.
"This is awesome, why is this my first time in this room?" Roxy asked as they entered the game room.
A television took up the whole east wall. Plush chairs were littered throughout the room along with a fireplace and a white fur carpet. The chairs were the kind that vibrated and had cup holders.
They all made themselves comfortable as James turned on the TV. A paused video game was on the screen.
"This is Blitzball. So, who wants to be the first to play?" James held a controller up.
*Potter Manor is loosely based upon Northborough Manor.