Figure Flying
by foggygoggles
Welcome to my newest story! I just watched two movies on figure skating, and I thought, hey, wouldn't it be cool if there was a competition like figure skating in the wizarding world? So, low and behold - FIGURE FLYING! Read and enjoy.
"All right, Gin, do the cast squat-on and the flyaway, but cut the kip; you just don't need it to win this competition," said Kenneth Bagman as he clapped his star figure-flyer on the back.
Ginny Weasley rolled her eyes. "I'm not cutting the kip," she replied as she pulled on her leather gloves.
"You'll win it without it," replied Kenneth.
"Ken," smirked Ginny. She bent down to tie her specially designed aero-dynamic sneakers and added, "It's not worth winning if you don't have to fight for it."
Her coach shook his head but grinned. "Fine then, but don't come crying to me when you've fallen fifty feet from the air and have dirt on your arse."
She stuck out her tongue and flounced away towards the entrance of the pitch. Figure flying was her life. It was still a new sport, of course, but ever since Glynnis Griffiths of the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch Team did a back flip on her broom, the wizarding world had become crazed with the new sport of figure flying. The next thing anyone knew, up and coming Quidditch players had started creating contests on who could pull off a more impressive routine.
Ginny herself had won the Gold Trophy in the 2001 World Championships of Figure Flying. She was training to be a gymnast as a child but once she realized she could combine both of her favorite sports - Gymnastics and Quidditch - she immediately got into figure flying. "She's a natural," boasted Kenneth Bagman the first time he had seen her fly. He had signed her on for sponsorship the very same day.
"And now performing will be last competition's champion, Ginevra Weasley!" cried the commentator. Ginny smiled and flew out into the pitch. She waved to all of her fans and then waited for her music to start.
"Weasley's been the only one to use Celestina Warbeck's songs as her music," commented the other commentator. "What's this song again?"
"'You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me'," replied the first commentator.
"Well, I hope Miss Weasley charms the hearts of the crowds with her routine!"
Ginny blocked everyone's voices from her head and just listened to the music. As Celestina started singing, Ginny flew forward, crouching low onto the broom. In one quick motion, she performed a regular Quidditch move - the Sloth Grip Roll. She unlatched her legs from the broom and, tightening her grip on the broom, pushed herself up until her shoulders were a little past the broom. Urging the broom forward, she began to sway back and forth until she cast her legs upon the broom and swung up and around the broom.
"Three - four - FIVE times!" cried the commentator as the crowd screamed in delight. "Five casts in a row!"
Ginny pulled herself up onto the broom and moved her butt down to the edge of the broom. After forcing the broom to fly in a straight line, she confidently stood up on her broom and braced herself for an aerial cartwheel. She pushed off her front leg and kicked her back leg as hard as she could while swinging her arms down by her side. As her feet graced the broom once more, she lifted her chest up to achieve better balance.
"And now the kip," muttered Ginny to herself. She lowered herself down on her broom until she was only hanging by her hands and piked her feet squarely on the handle. She began to arch up as she rode up for front support. Five thousand fans saw as Ginny Weasley lifted her hands, kipped from the broom, and missed her broom on the way down. Five thousand fans saw Ginny Weasley plummet to the ground. Five thousand fans saw Ginny Weasley lay on the soft green grass.
"Why isn't she moving?" someone yelled as Kenneth ran out into the field. Ginny began to moan and pulled her knee towards her. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she clutched her knee to her chest.
"Oh Merlin," cursed Kenneth as he neared her. "We need Healers!"
Ginny opened her mouth to speak. She muttered, "What's my score?" before blacking out.
"You fractured your patella and femoral condyles, Miss Weasley," reported Healer Johnson as he walked into the room at St. Mungo's. "It's not too bad, though, so we should have you up and walking in a month or so."
Everyone in the room flinched. Both of Ginny's parents and all six of her brothers had come to visit Ginny in the hospital. Kenneth was still there; Ginny was his star flyer after all. They flinched again as they caught sight of Ginny's grim face. "That's not what I asked."
"I know, Miss Weasley, but you should be grateful that you'll be able to walk with that knee," replied the Healer.
"You have to walk before you can fly, dear," said Ginny's mother warmly.
"I don't want to walk, Mum; I want to fly," Ginny said icily.
"We'll see how you do in the next month, Ginny, and then we'll talk about the European Championships," said Ken.
"No, we won't talk," said Ginny. "I will be in it."
It was three months later and Ginny was back on her broom. Her knee had healed fine, but a month of bed rest had done nothing to help Ginny's figure-flying skills.
"Damn it, Ken! My kip is all wrong!" shouted Ginny as she flew to the ground and jumped off her broom angrily.
"Ginny, I don't expect anything great from you," said Ken, trying to reassure her.
"I expect greatness from me!" yelled Ginny. "How can I compete in the singles if I can't even get my kip right?" She sighed and fell to the ground, curling her knees to her chest. "Ken..."
"Ginny, I know you want the Singles Gold Trophy, but.. why not try for the Pairs Gold?" piped Ken. "You don't have to have a kip or even a cast for the Pairs."
Ginny looked up. "Pairs?" She bit her lip. "I'll think about it."
Ten thousand kilometres away, Draco Malfoy was screaming at an old wizard in a purple velvet hat.
"What do you mean I'm let go?" he yelled. "I'm the BEST damn Quidditch player in Europe!"
"I believe the Bigonville Bombers said you're too unreliable for their team," the old man, who was Draco's manager, said calmly.
"Unreliable? MERLIN. Miss three measly practices and suddenly, you're unreliable!" Draco yelled.
"And the Heidelberg Harriers agree, and will not sign you," added Mr. Smith, "As the same with the Quiberon Quafflepunchers and the Tutshill Tornados."
"What am I supposed to do, Smith?" gritted Draco. "I can't - I won't - quit Quidditch."
Mr. Smith smirked and began to walk away. "Perhaps you could look into different forms of Quidditch."
Draco looked befuddled for a minute for finally realizing what Smith had insinuated at. "Oh no, Smith! NEVER!"