Chapter 18: Quiddich And Confrontations
"WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD, ITS TIME FOR YOU TO GET OUT OF BED! WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD, ITS TIME FOR YOU TO GET OUT OF BED!"
It took Ellie a moment to realize that the loud, annoying and chipper voice was coming from the clock on Hermione's bed side table. She groggily glanced at the clock and saw that it was 9:00am.
Just as Ellie's urge to throw the clock out the window was at its peak, Hermione emerged from the tightly shut velvet curtains, and tapped the clock once with her wand. The annoying voice ceased immediately. Hermione looked fully refreshed and rested, while Ellie felt like she could use several more hours of sleep.
"Come on Ellie, it's time to get up." Hermione said brightly.
Ellie groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Suddenly Ellie felt a cool breeze rush over her entire body. She opened one eye and saw the bed sheets hovering five feet above her. Hermione was standing next to the bed with her wand drawn out.
"Hurry up or we'll miss breakfast."
"Alright, I'm up!" Ellie said as she sat up and slowly dragged her feet over the side of the bed.
With out warning, the airborne bed sheets fell from the sky, completely covering Ellie.
She could just make out Hermione's poor attempts at muffling her snickering.
"It's not funny." Ellie said, un-amused.
"I'll wait for you down stairs." Hermione said with a chuckle in her voice.
Ellie then heard the sound of the dormitory door open and close.
She quietly sat on the edge of the bed, the bed sheets still draped over her.
"God, I hate mornings!" Ellie grumbled to herself.
Ellie was still rubbing the sleep out of her eye when she reached the common room. She found Hermione waiting for her at the bottom of the staircase.
"Harry and Ron have already gone down to the great hall." Hermione informed her as they passed through the portrait door. "Their quiddich practices usually go a bit long, so I thought I'd show you the lake and greenhouses before we head down to the quiddich pitch."
"Sounds good to me." Ellie said with a small yawn.
When they reached the Gryffindor table, Harry and Ron had already finished eating.
"Sorry to eat and run on you two, but we gotta get down to the pitch before Katie kills us." Ron said standing from his seat.
"Did the rest of the team already leave?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, they left about five minutes ago. We're running behind schedule because someone," Ron gestured towards Harry, "slept in."
Ellie glanced at Harry, who was staring down at his breakfast plate, half asleep.
"Just so you know I'm going to give Ellie a tour of the greenhouses and lake before we watch your practice." Hermione informed Ron and Harry.
"Well, you won't miss much by the time we get changed, and sit through Katie's grueling pep talk." Ron replied unenthusiastically.
"Come on mate, we better get going." He said, prodding a very drowsy Harry in the arm.
Harry slowly stood up, and gave Ellie a small smile before following Ron out of the great hall.
Ellie was thankful that she was sitting down when this happened, because her knees would have collapse from beneath her had she been standing.
Once breakfast was over, Hermione lead Ellie outside to the first stop on the tour, the greenhouses. The warm humid air was a drastic change from the cold February wind that was blowing outside. Ellie was amazed at all the strange looking plants and flowers, as Hermione told her the names of each plant, and what magical properties they held.
At first glance of the very calm lake, Ellie thought it looked like a large dark grey mirror. After a few moments of gazing into the deep water Hermione began to lead the way to the quiddich pitch. As they got closer to the pitch, Ellie could just make out tiny objects flying over the high stands. She had heard Harry talk about the thrill and freedom of flying on a broomstick, but it was just another one of the many sights she would have to first see before believing.
Three players, dressed in bright scarlet robes zoomed by overhead, as Ellie and Hermione sat down in the front row of the stands. The swiftness and agility of the Gryffindor quiddich team was truly an amazing sight. Ellie had a moment to watch in awe before Hermione began to explain each of the player's positions, and the purpose of the three different balls.
"Harry, as you know, is the seeker. His job is to find the golden snitch, which is a walnut sized ball with wings. When he catches it the game is over and his team is awarded 150 points. Those two holding the bats, Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper," Hermione pointed to each player, "are beaters. Their job is to hit the bludgers, the two wild brown balls, away from their team mates, and towards the opposing team. Honestly, they're not very good, but they're doing better than last year."
Ellie watched Jack Sloper try to redirect a bludger away from Ginny Weasley, but he completely missed. It was a good thing that Ginny was paying attention, or she would have been hit directly in the head.
"Now, those three passing the red ball," Hermione pointed again, "Katie Bell, Natalie McDonald and Ron's sister Ginny, are the chasers, and that red ball is called the quaffle. Their job is to throw the quaffle into the other team's hoops for 10 points. Ron is the keeper, whose job is to stop the quaffle from getting through the hoops. He's improved a lot since last year." Hermione said proudly. "Do you have any questions about the game?" She asked Ellie.
Ellie just shook her head. She had tuned out Hermione's ramblings long ago, and was transfixed at the sight of Harry circling around the pitch on his broom. He looked so focused and content soaring through the sky. It was the glint in Harry's eye that told Ellie that flying was his ultimate passion.
Suddenly Harry went into a sharp forty-five degree dive at full speed towards the center of the pitch. His left arm was outstretched, as if he was trying to reach for something that was just in front of him, but Ellie couldn't see what it was.
Harry's hand snapped closed, and he pulled out of the dive just five feet above the field, with a triumphant grin on his face.
Ellie continued to watch Harry as he flew over to where she and Hermione were sitting. Harry dismounted his broom, and walked over to Ellie with his left hand still closed.
"This is what the golden snitch looks like." Harry said, slowly opening his hand.
Ellie stared curiously down at the small golden ball that rested in Harry's palm.
"It's beautiful." Ellie gasped.
Suddenly the snitch unfurled its thin delicate wings, hovered above Harry's hand for a second, circled once around Ellie's head and zoomed out of sight. The rapid movement of the snitch reminded Ellie of a hummingbird.
"Would you like to go for a ride?" Harry asked, motioning towards his broom.
"Really?" Ellie asked in disbelief.
"Sure! When else will you ever get a chance to fly on a broomstick?" Harry smiled.
"Alright!" Ellie exclaimed excitedly. She began to imagine what Jo's reaction would be when she told her that she took a ride on a real flying broomstick.
But, before Ellie even had a chance to touch the broom, a cruel, drawling voice shouted, "Potter, you're not actually going to let that filthy, unwanted Muggle lay her filthy hand on your Firebolt, are you?!"
Ellie turned to see Draco Malfoy leading six large Slytherins onto the pitch. All of them were dressed in green practice robes, and carried their brooms over their shoulders.
"Actually Malfoy, I was going to let her ride it." Harry sneered back.
At that moment, Ellie realized that the Gryffindor quiddich team had stopped practicing, and were now standing behind her and Harry.
"That's very disappointing Potter." Malfoy said coldly. "And I thought you couldn't sink any lower than constantly hanging around the Mudblood."
Suddenly, Ellie felt someone trying to push her out of the way to take a shot at Malfoy. She turned around to see Ron being held back by both beaters, and all three chasers. The Slytherin team burst into malicious laughter.
When Ellie turned back around, she found Malfoy only five inches away from her face.
"Back off Malfoy!" Harry yelled, taking out his wand.
"Hasn't anyone told you that Muggles aren't welcomed at Hogwarts?" Malfoy spat at Ellie, ignoring Harry's warning.
"Hasn't anyone told you that you look stupid with slicked back hair?" Ellie spat back with out blinking.
Now it was the Gryffindors' time to burst into laughter.
Enraged at the fact that he'd just been insulted by a Muggle, Malfoy drew out his wand, but Harry was ready for him.
The two boys stared each other down, their wands pointing at each other's chest.
"Always playing the hero, aren't you Potter?" Malfoy snarled.
"And you're always playing the pompous git, aren't you Malfoy?" Harry retorted.
"What are you guys doing here anyways? We booked the quiddich pitch first." Ginny told the Slytherin team.
"You only booked the pitch from 9-11:30am. We have the pitch booked from 11:30am-2:30pm, and its 11:45am now. So that means that the pitch is ours." One of the Slytherins replied.
"Wow, you must have given yourself a headache trying to think up that logical answer." Ginny commented.
Soon every single player on both the Gryffindor, and Slytherin teams had their wands out and pointing at the opposing team. Even Hermione had her wand pointed at the Slytherins, making Ellie feel very left out.
"Come on guys. I think its best if we keep them in one piece for our next game." Katie Bell said from the back of the group. "That way we can humiliate them in front of the entire school."
It was a while before the Gryffindors reluctantly withdrew their wands, and left the quiddich pitch.