Elisabeth followed Oliver, already clad in his uniform, onto the
pitch. Anna and Will followed behind, chattering excitedly and Harry,
trying to hold his broomstick, put his shoes on and walk at the same time,
brought up the rear.
"Harry!" Oliver's voice boomed across the pitch, "time for you to meet the rest of the team!"
"These are our Chasers, Josephine Lauriea," he pointed to a tiny, lithe woman. "This is Vera Hatchet," he pointed next to a thin blue-eyed blond, "and this is Mike Venden." He pointed lastly to a tall burly young man. "These are our Beaters, Richard White," he gestured to a severe looking older man, "and the boy-wonder, Kris Svenson." He pointed to the last, unbelievably cute, blue-eyed blond player. Elisabeth caught Anna's eye and they giggled.
Harry went around and shook all the players' hands. "The boy-wonder eh?"
Kris shrugged, "The boy who lived was taken."
Harry laughed, "You go to Hogwarts Kris?"
"Yes, my father wanted me to go to school in Stockholm, where he grew up, but my mother wouldn't send me that far away. So I start fifth year now and I'm far away from home anyway." He laughed.
"I imagine you've got quite the fan club back at school."
He laughed again, "Probably children of your fan club."
Harry grinned and glanced at Anna and Elisabeth, who were whispering excitedly, "Be prepared to admit two more."
"Right on."
"But be warned, you do anything to make my daughter cry and bludgers will be the last thing on your mind."
"I've only had two girlfriends and the one left crying was me."
"Let me guess. You spend too much time playing Quidditch?
The young man sighed, "Bringing in money isn't good enough anymore."
Harry laughed, "Wait till you have kids."
"Okay! Enough chit-chat!"
"This coming from Oliver Wood?" Harry leaned over and spoke to Kris.
"The first time I practised with these guys Oliver spent so much time going over the moves that we didn't get on to the pitch at all."
"Okay! This is what we're going to do-"
"Half an hour later."
"The sun will set before we get onto our brooms."
"Do I have to separate you two?"
"No sir, Mister Wood, sir." Harry and Kris replied in perfect unison.
"Ha-ha. Very funny. Now, what we're going to do is release the snitch- "
"Release the snitch? Has that ever been done before?"
"Put on your protective goggles."
"MAN THE CANNONS! THE SNITCH HAS BEEN RELEASED!"
"GENTLEMEN! IF I COULD HAVE YOU ATTENTION FOR A MOMENT!"
"Right sir."
"Of course it won't happen again."
"We would never do anything to jeopardize the team."
"You have our-"
"JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!"
"Right."
"Okay, this is what we're going to do. I want Harry, Josephine and I as one team. Mike, Rich and Vera as the other. We won't release the bludgers, we'll just see what Harry's got."
"What about me?"
"What about you?"
"I hauled ass all the way out here to be told I'm not going to play?"
"You can't afford to mouth off to me."
"Technically you can't afford to mouth off to him, Oliver, especially not with the World Cup next summer."
Oliver looked at Kris who shrugged, "Whatever, do what you like, I want playing time though."
Oliver nodded. "You four go up into the stands then." They nodded and went up the stands.
Elisabeth marveled at all of it. The velvety feel of the sand on the pitch, the tall goal posts, three on each end. It was amazing.
"You three know the rules and all that?" Kris asked when they reached the top of the stands.
They nodded, Daniel and William had explained the gorier part of the game but Anna and Moira had told her the basic rules.
"You don't look like a beater." Will said skeptically.
"You don't look like your dad."
"How do you know what my dad looks like?"
"He's the son of the Minister for Magic, everyone knows what he looks like. So you play Quidditch?" he asked, looking at them.
"I've never even been on a broom." Elisabeth said softly.
"Never?"
"Never."
"You just wait, when Wood gets the rest of them off the pitch I'll show you. I can't believe you've never played Quidditch."
"What House are you in?" Elisabeth asked.
"Gryffindor. The hat was going to put me in Hufflepuff, then it realised that I was lazy. And then it was going to put me in Ravenclaw, but it realised I wasn't very witty. So it decided to put me in Slytherin but my mum's mum is a Muggle so by default alone I'm a Gryffindor." He laughed.
"They'll probably need a separate house for me. Loser house, for people with no friends and no brain."
"What about us?" Will asked.
"Yeah, and Daniel and Moira?"
"What about him?" Will asked pointing to Kris.
"I've been downgraded to him have I? No, I wouldn't worry; the worst thing that can happen is you'll end up in Slytherin. If the didn't make another house when I started they won't make another one for you." He smiled, "I mean it. I am the worlds biggest loser."
"You said you have a fan club."
"I do, but no friends, people would prefer to look at me out of the corner of their eye and pretend they know me. My first girlfriend broke up with me because I read to much, play Quidditch to often, and don't want to cheat on exams."
"Damn. That must suck."
"What?"
"Being such a loser."
"Shut up Will!"
"Yeah, just because you don't know how to read and can't mount a broom let alone fly one."
"I was on the pee-wee public Quidditch team last year!"
"Will, buddy," Anna said, patting him on the back, "Christopher Creevey was on the pee-wee public Quidditch team. And he's eight. And his last name is Creevey. 'Nuff said."
"Oh shut up-look! They're taking off."
Elisabeth leaned forward, watching the players mount their brooms. A tiny winged ball was let out. Elisabeth followed it with her eyes for a moment and turned her attention back to the players. She watched her father push off from the pitch, "Oh my word!" she gasped, Anna glanced at her from the corner of her eye and smiled. Elisabeth watched as her father wove in and out of the other players, he shot ahead of them and grabbed the snitch. Less than five minutes.
They four of them left the stands and returned to the pitch.
"I haven't been on a broom for thirteen years." Wood mimicked, smiling.
"I haven't." Harry wheezed, "It was a helluva lot easier when I was fifteen."
Elisabeth paused for a moment, trying to imagine her father at fifteen. She couldn't.
"Didn't they cancel the inter-house game when you were fifteen?"
"That was only for three months."
"Hey Harry!"
"Er-yeah?"
"I'm going to take your kid up, teach her how to fly, yes?"
"Be my guest. Is it okay with her?"
Elisabeth nodded vigorously.
"Okay, now what I want you to do is stand next to the broom and say up-"
"Harry!" Oliver's voice boomed across the pitch, "time for you to meet the rest of the team!"
"These are our Chasers, Josephine Lauriea," he pointed to a tiny, lithe woman. "This is Vera Hatchet," he pointed next to a thin blue-eyed blond, "and this is Mike Venden." He pointed lastly to a tall burly young man. "These are our Beaters, Richard White," he gestured to a severe looking older man, "and the boy-wonder, Kris Svenson." He pointed to the last, unbelievably cute, blue-eyed blond player. Elisabeth caught Anna's eye and they giggled.
Harry went around and shook all the players' hands. "The boy-wonder eh?"
Kris shrugged, "The boy who lived was taken."
Harry laughed, "You go to Hogwarts Kris?"
"Yes, my father wanted me to go to school in Stockholm, where he grew up, but my mother wouldn't send me that far away. So I start fifth year now and I'm far away from home anyway." He laughed.
"I imagine you've got quite the fan club back at school."
He laughed again, "Probably children of your fan club."
Harry grinned and glanced at Anna and Elisabeth, who were whispering excitedly, "Be prepared to admit two more."
"Right on."
"But be warned, you do anything to make my daughter cry and bludgers will be the last thing on your mind."
"I've only had two girlfriends and the one left crying was me."
"Let me guess. You spend too much time playing Quidditch?
The young man sighed, "Bringing in money isn't good enough anymore."
Harry laughed, "Wait till you have kids."
"Okay! Enough chit-chat!"
"This coming from Oliver Wood?" Harry leaned over and spoke to Kris.
"The first time I practised with these guys Oliver spent so much time going over the moves that we didn't get on to the pitch at all."
"Okay! This is what we're going to do-"
"Half an hour later."
"The sun will set before we get onto our brooms."
"Do I have to separate you two?"
"No sir, Mister Wood, sir." Harry and Kris replied in perfect unison.
"Ha-ha. Very funny. Now, what we're going to do is release the snitch- "
"Release the snitch? Has that ever been done before?"
"Put on your protective goggles."
"MAN THE CANNONS! THE SNITCH HAS BEEN RELEASED!"
"GENTLEMEN! IF I COULD HAVE YOU ATTENTION FOR A MOMENT!"
"Right sir."
"Of course it won't happen again."
"We would never do anything to jeopardize the team."
"You have our-"
"JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!"
"Right."
"Okay, this is what we're going to do. I want Harry, Josephine and I as one team. Mike, Rich and Vera as the other. We won't release the bludgers, we'll just see what Harry's got."
"What about me?"
"What about you?"
"I hauled ass all the way out here to be told I'm not going to play?"
"You can't afford to mouth off to me."
"Technically you can't afford to mouth off to him, Oliver, especially not with the World Cup next summer."
Oliver looked at Kris who shrugged, "Whatever, do what you like, I want playing time though."
Oliver nodded. "You four go up into the stands then." They nodded and went up the stands.
Elisabeth marveled at all of it. The velvety feel of the sand on the pitch, the tall goal posts, three on each end. It was amazing.
"You three know the rules and all that?" Kris asked when they reached the top of the stands.
They nodded, Daniel and William had explained the gorier part of the game but Anna and Moira had told her the basic rules.
"You don't look like a beater." Will said skeptically.
"You don't look like your dad."
"How do you know what my dad looks like?"
"He's the son of the Minister for Magic, everyone knows what he looks like. So you play Quidditch?" he asked, looking at them.
"I've never even been on a broom." Elisabeth said softly.
"Never?"
"Never."
"You just wait, when Wood gets the rest of them off the pitch I'll show you. I can't believe you've never played Quidditch."
"What House are you in?" Elisabeth asked.
"Gryffindor. The hat was going to put me in Hufflepuff, then it realised that I was lazy. And then it was going to put me in Ravenclaw, but it realised I wasn't very witty. So it decided to put me in Slytherin but my mum's mum is a Muggle so by default alone I'm a Gryffindor." He laughed.
"They'll probably need a separate house for me. Loser house, for people with no friends and no brain."
"What about us?" Will asked.
"Yeah, and Daniel and Moira?"
"What about him?" Will asked pointing to Kris.
"I've been downgraded to him have I? No, I wouldn't worry; the worst thing that can happen is you'll end up in Slytherin. If the didn't make another house when I started they won't make another one for you." He smiled, "I mean it. I am the worlds biggest loser."
"You said you have a fan club."
"I do, but no friends, people would prefer to look at me out of the corner of their eye and pretend they know me. My first girlfriend broke up with me because I read to much, play Quidditch to often, and don't want to cheat on exams."
"Damn. That must suck."
"What?"
"Being such a loser."
"Shut up Will!"
"Yeah, just because you don't know how to read and can't mount a broom let alone fly one."
"I was on the pee-wee public Quidditch team last year!"
"Will, buddy," Anna said, patting him on the back, "Christopher Creevey was on the pee-wee public Quidditch team. And he's eight. And his last name is Creevey. 'Nuff said."
"Oh shut up-look! They're taking off."
Elisabeth leaned forward, watching the players mount their brooms. A tiny winged ball was let out. Elisabeth followed it with her eyes for a moment and turned her attention back to the players. She watched her father push off from the pitch, "Oh my word!" she gasped, Anna glanced at her from the corner of her eye and smiled. Elisabeth watched as her father wove in and out of the other players, he shot ahead of them and grabbed the snitch. Less than five minutes.
They four of them left the stands and returned to the pitch.
"I haven't been on a broom for thirteen years." Wood mimicked, smiling.
"I haven't." Harry wheezed, "It was a helluva lot easier when I was fifteen."
Elisabeth paused for a moment, trying to imagine her father at fifteen. She couldn't.
"Didn't they cancel the inter-house game when you were fifteen?"
"That was only for three months."
"Hey Harry!"
"Er-yeah?"
"I'm going to take your kid up, teach her how to fly, yes?"
"Be my guest. Is it okay with her?"
Elisabeth nodded vigorously.
"Okay, now what I want you to do is stand next to the broom and say up-"