Chapter 15 - Quidditch Practice
"Wow," Ron sighed, at the broomsticks.
Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand One Bata James 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.
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.
The triplets 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 Ones turned wherever he wanted
at his lightest touch.
"Hey, Potters, come down!" Said Felix who had just 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 Lupin 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, with Rob and Rod
"Felix, 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.
"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."
"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. "And they play with the Quaffle sending them through the hoops." 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." Pointing at the two identical balls, jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle. They seemed to be straining to escape the straps holding them inside the box, and head for any of the boys.
"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. 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 us. Seekers are general small little guys.
And I do not have to worry about the Quaffle or the Bludgers unless they crack my head open." Said Lewis.
Felix 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 Felix, "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." Said Oliver.
"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, Harry, Lil Arthur, and Lewis were up in the air, Wood throwing the golf balls as hard as he could in every direction for the Triplets to catch.
Lewis did not miss a single one, and Felix was delighted.
After half an hour, night had really fallen and
they couldn't carry on.
"That Quidditch cup could have our name on it this year,"
said Felix 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 become a teacher. I just wish you were only on my team, and I did not have to share you." Said Oliver.
"You know my mirrors are good to, getting us part time is better then not getting us at all." Said Lewis.
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. 4
