Chapter 26 - Quidditch Practice

People in this Chapter.

Lewis James Potter, Harry James Potter, Ronald Weasley,
Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom,
Oliver Wood, Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe,
Gregory Goyle, Filius Flitwick, Hermione Granger

Malfoy could not believe his eyes when he saw that Harry and Lewis were still at Hogwarts the next day,
looking tired but perfectly cheerful.

Indeed, by the next morning the three thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure,
and they were quite keen to have another one.

Neville showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.

All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual,
everyone's attention was caught at once by a long,
thick package carried by six large screech owls.
The twins where just as just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of them.

Knocking his bacon to the floor.
They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.
Lewis ripped open the letter first, which was lucky,
because it said:

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.

It contains both your new Nimbus Two Thousand,
but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick, or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.

Professor McGonagall

Lewis handed the note to Harry and they both had difficulty hiding their glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously.
"We've never even touched one."

They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years have not allowed them."

Ron couldn't resist it, but before Ron could say any thang Lewis gave them both a look, but Ron said it anyway.
"It's not any old broom…" he started but Lewis again give him a look that said no.

"What would you know about brooms," Malfoy snapped back.
"I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow. "Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.

"The Potter Twins' been sent a broomstick, Professor,"
said Malfoy quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick,
beaming at the Twins. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potters. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand," said Ron and Harry,
fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face.

"And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it,"
he added.

They headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion. "Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase.

"If he hadn't stolen Nev's Remembrall We wouldn't be on the team..." Started Lewis.

"So, I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them.
Hermione was stomping up the stairs,
looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.

"Hermione you know you being mad at me is
making no difference at all. If you don't want to be
our friend that your choice fine.
Just don't get an attitude with me." Said Lewis and walked off.

Hermione marched away.

They had a lot of trouble keeping their minds on their lessons that day. They kept wandering up to the dormitory where their new broomsticks was lying under Harry's bed,
or straying off to the Quidditch field where they would be learning to play that night. They all bolted his dinner that evening without noticing what he was eating,
and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.

"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomsticks rolled
onto Harry's bedspread.

Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written
in gold near the top.

As seven o'clock drew nearer, the Brotherhood left the castle and set off in the dusk toward the Quidditch field.
The Twins had never been inside the stadium before.
Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the field so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Harry of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through,
except that they were fifty feet high.

Lewis sat down and asked Ron, "Do you want to try my new broom out?"

The twins mounted their broomstick and kicked off from the ground. What a feeling – they swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the field.
The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted
at his lightest touch.

"Hey, Potters, come down!" Said Oliver had arrived and was carrying a large wooden crate under his arm.
They landed next to him. "Very nice," said Wood, his eyes glinting. "I see what McGonagall meant... you really are a natural. I am just going to teach you the rules this evening,
then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."

"One second please, Ron come here." Said Lewis.
"Ron do you want a go on my broom?"

"Sure." Said Ron and flew off.

"Oliver, you know we know the rules, right?" Said Lewis.

"Yes, but never hearts to make sure." Said Oliver.

He opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.

"Harry this is neat, this ball called the Quaffle the three chasers deal with them, one of which is you," said Lewis.
"The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal.
Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through
one of the hoops."

"So, I and two other chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Harry recited. "So - that's sort of like basketball on broomsticks with six hoops, isn't it?"

"But think more like soccer since there Goalies." Said Lewis.
"The keeper stays in front of the hoops."

"That me." Said Wood.

"Three Chasers," said Harry, who was determined to remember it all. "And they play with the Quaffle.
Okay, got that. So, what are they for?" He pointed at the three balls left inside the box.

"These two balls there are a danger they are called Bludgers,
and they do what there named for." He showed Harry two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. Harry noticed that they seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box.

"The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players
off their brooms. That is why you have two Beaters on each team Ron's brothers said that their position so it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try and knock them toward the other team. So, think you've got all that?"

"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle.
The Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team,"
Harry reeled off.

"Very good," said Lewis. "It is almost like we play this in our backyard, with our brothers."

"Er have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Harry asked,
hoping he sounded offhand.

"Never at Hogwarts. We have had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that." Said Oliver.

"Now, the last member of the team is the Seeker.
That's me. And I do not have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers unless they crack my head open." Said Lewis.

"Don't worry, the Weasleys are more than a match for the Bludgers – I mean, they're like a pair of human Bludgers themselves." Wood reached into the crate and took out the fourth and last ball. Compared with the Quaffle and the Bludgers, it was tiny, about the size of a large walnut.
It was bright gold and had little fluttering silver wings.

"This," said Wood, "is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It is very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it.
You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers,
Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points,
so they nearly always win."

"That's why Seekers get fouled so much.
A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught,
so it can go on for ages I think the record is three months,
they had to keep bringing on substitutes so the players could get some sleep. "Well, that's it – any questions?"

Harry shook his head. He understood what he had to do all right, it was doing it that was going to be the problem.

"We won't practice with the Snitch yet," said Wood,
carefully shutting it back inside the crate, "it's too dark,
we might lose it. Let's try you out with a few of these."

He pulled a bag of ordinary golf balls out of his pocket and a few minutes later, he and Lewis were up in the air,
Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for Lewis to catch.

Lewis did not miss a single one, and Wood was delighted.
After half an hour, night had really fallen and
they couldn't carry on.

"That Quidditch cup have our name on it this year,"
said Wood happily as they trudged back up to the castle.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you turn out better than
Charlie Weasley, and he could have played for England if he hadn't gone off chasing dragons."

Perhaps it was because they were now so busy,
what with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but they could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months.

pg. 8