Colin and Liam, twins and third year Ravenclaws, decided to enjoy the sunshine of a September afternoon in the broad grassy court, rather than head directly for the common room after magical creatures. Aidan, of course, was with them — he was their very best and oldest friend — and two of the girls came along as well: Padma Patil and Morag MacDougall. The boys cast themselves down on the grass while the girls sat on the low stone wall. All five were in a boisterous mood as they joked about what they'd do if they ever met a dragon in the great hall.
A group of fifth year Ravenclaws sitting at the table behind the low wall looked over towards the younger students, giggling occasionally. While three Slytherin girls, Daphne Greengrass, Indigo Carrow and Morgant Weasley, sat further along the wall, huddled deep in conversation about two of their house mates, the Carrow twins, who were quietly studying on the grass across from the Ravenclaws. Every now and then, they'd cast scornful glances at the boys if they made too much noise for their liking.
A curious sight passed by then. A riderless broom glode past, and it had rolls of parchment tucked into its bristles. Morag gave her wand a deft swish and flick, floating one of the parchments over towards herself. "Must be a notice!"
Aidan tried to kick it, but missed. Colin found a pebble and threw it at the floating notice. "Ow! Ow!" he yelled. The Carrows narrowed their eyes at him for disturbing them overly dramatic yowling. "That paper whacked me with the pebble I threw at it!"
The girls only shook their heads knowingly, while the older Ravenclaws laughed.
"Oh! It's for quidditch try-outs!" cried Morag. The older Ravenclaws took an in interest and came over to settle along the wall as well. "Tryouts for all house teams are this Saturday! I think I'll try out this year! I can kick a ball as well as anyone." The others laughed as Padma explained how quidditch works. "Oops! Wrong sport! I thought the batty thing was for cricket! Oh well," she sighed. "I guess I can just watch from the stands."
"Say, McCoire!" called one of the fifth years. "Why don't you try out?"
"Me!?" cried Liam, sitting up suddenly.
"I don't think he means you, Liam," said Colin, trying not to laugh too hard.
"Why not? I can fly a broom!" he retorted.
"I don't think it's the flying that's got Davies's worried, Liam," said Aidan. He and Colin sat up too, so they could see their older house mates properly. "It's just that every time you do get flying, you know, you always end up nosing right into the ground." The three Slytherin girls on the wall moved closer to better see what was going to happen. Flora and Hestia Carrow turned more furiously to their books, trying to ignore the loud Ravanclaws.
"Or a tree," said Colin.
"Right you are, chief! And then there was time he flew straight into MacGonagall's office."
"Right? The window wasn't even open that time!" said Colin.
"And don't forget the time, Liam, when you nosed right into Hooch's broom and knocked her off!"
Liam had turned red. "How can I forget, with you two reminding me?"
Davies and his crew laughed hard. "Liam, I think maybe it's best if you stick to the books! I meant Colin. He's a fair flyer, from what I've heard."
"He's a brilliant flyer!" said Morag.
"The dog's own bollocks!" added Aidan.
"You should try out, Colin! Parvati is always talking about how Gryffindor mops the floor with our team," added Padma.
"Whisht! All of you! I don't fly much better than Liam! We're not cut out for broomwork. Anyways, quidditch? Psh!"
"What do you mean 'psh', McCoire?" demanded O'Neill. He was one of Ravenclaw's beaters. "Don't you lot play quidditch up in the Highlands? Or are you afraid your kilts will blow off in the wind?" O'Neill looked like he couldn't conceive of a wizard anywhere that didn't either play or follow quidditch.
"No, we don't! Anyway, I don't know how to play. It's a sissy game. I'd rather spend an afternoon over tea talking about potions with old Snape." Colin noticed that everyone else had frozen. Uh oh, he thought. This can't be good.
WHAPPP!
A sheaf of parchments crashed down on Colin's head. "Detention, McCoire. Eight o'clock." Professor Snape's sour and derisive voice floated down to Colin's ears from high above.
"Drat. I've got a bad feeling about this, Liam," he whispered.
"As well you should. Consider your prayers answered. It just so happens that the first year Gryffindors have already managed to bake liquified flobberworm jelly to the bottoms of their cauldrons, however: this is a most fortunate turn of events for you."
"I'm sure I don't follow, sir?" said Colin.
"Obviously. You shall serve detention this evening in the potions classroom where you shall clean every single cauldron. With a toothbrush. During which time we shall discuss the expectations for your performance in potions this term."
Liam held his hands to his face, desperate to contain his laughter. A couple unfortunate snurks and snorts escaped as Professor Snape turned away.
Just as Liam let out a sigh of relief, Professor Snape stopped and cocked his head as if listening to some voice. He called over his shoulder: "Liam McCoire! You will write 9 inches of parchment on the uses of congealed and burnt flobberworm jelly. Due tomorrow."
The fifth years broke out it gales of laughter as their young house mates received their sentences. At last Davies laughed himself out. Liam looked like he was already outlining his essay on overcooked flobberworms. Colin, on the other hand, was absolutely crestfallen.
"Colin," said the older boy. "Don't looks so dour! Tell you what: you explain to my satisfaction why you lot don't play quidditch, and promise to come to try outs Saturday, and I'll help you with your little situation this evening."
"You will!? Thank you sir!" cried Colin.
Davies beamed. He loved the younger students. When they called him 'sir', they actually meant it!
"Well, you know what cabers are, right?" said Colin. Liam perked up as well, he knew where this story was going. Camanack was their favourite sport. Twelve lads on a side each standing on a long enchanted log called a caber would whack a carved wooden ball around on these long curved wooden sticks trying to smash it through a small round goal, kind of like a quidditch post but nowhere near as big around. A rough game, camanack, especially if you get smashed by an out of control caber!
Daphne and Indigo listened to the tale with rapt interest, trying to sneak glances at Liam and Colin as he recounted the story. Morgant had lost interest as soon as the word 'quidditch' was mentioned and had instead been engaged in a death match staring contest with Hestia Carrow. Hestia could stare with the best of them. Morgant was pretty sure both of them were part basilisk. She had despised the twins ever since their first day at Hogwarts. The way they dismissed and disrespected their cousin was shameful. Fortunately, she'd learned a trick or two from Aunt Molly and was about to bring Hestia to her metaphorical knees with a manoeuvre she called 'snake strikes mouse'.
"Liam's fearless at camanack!" said Colin. "His caber flying is brilliant and he can almost score a goal! Why, during our last game before coming back to school, he just about took my head off with his last shot at goal." Colin laughed, nudging Liam playfully: "Poor Angus, though. He's our cousin; he couldn't walk right for fortnight! Didn't cry or wail, either."
"A head injury will do that, you know," said Padma. She really liked quidditch, but this camanack sounded brutal.
Colin and Liam gave each other a comical look. "Aye, er. You see the thing is, Angus wasn't exactly hit in the head. Liam smashed the ball right into Angus's crotch so hard it knocked him off his caber and drove both him and the ball right through the goal hoop! His eyes were still crossed when we left for London."
Davies and O'Neill looked to each other in amazement. "McCoire, are you telling us you — both of you — can broomsurf?" Colin shrugged. Liam gave them a blank look. Neither had ever heard of the term.
"Well, lads," said Davies. "I'm impressed. Why didn't you say you could broomsurf before? Anyway, come down to the quidditch pitch Saturday. Both of you are trying out! Oh — Colin, meet me in the common room alcove before dinner. There is some advanced magic I'll teach you. Bring a toothbrush!" The fifth years got up to head in for lunch.
Colin looked at Liam. They both seemed dejected. "I still think is a sissy game," said Colin.
"I don't know what Davies expects me to do. I can't walk the broom the whole game, can I?" asked Colin.
"You two —" Whatever Padma was going to say was interrupted by a screech from near the low wall opposite.
Morgant had just executed her move on Hestia with a graceful leap from the wall and, robes billowing out behind her, she rushed the intervening distance like a hunting cat where she now crouched forehead to forehead, nose to nose with Hestia. Flora had squeaked in fright when she did this, not knowing what Morgant might be capable of. Usually Aunt Molly would have a spirtle or a cleaver or something in her hand as she did the stare thing. So Morgant improvised. She'd learnt a little Parseltongue from Ron who presumably learned it from Harry. So she began hissing nonsense at Hestia. The poor girl began to shiver uncontrollably before screeching and running back into the castle in tears.
Flora became enraged and looked like she might try and kill Morgant right there. Flora leapt up and aimed a kick right at her face, but she ducked just in time, dropping her younger house mate with a quick jab at her achilles. She stood up and dusted off her robes.
Aidan watched enraptured. "God, I could love a Slytherin girl like that! That was the dog's bloody bullocks and all. Bloody brilliant! — if she weren't Slytherin, I'd say she should try out for the team. Colin, you're so lucky with your Indigo! She's a fierce one, too. Another veritable Amazon when it comes to truly terrorising tactical manoeuvres."
A sudden gasp from behind Morag caused the others to turn. No one had noticed that Indigo Carrow and Daphne Greengrass were even there. Indigo was blushing the brightest red imaginable while Daphne looked on her friend with amusement and not a little pride. As the bell rang for lunch, she snuck a quick glance towards Liam, who returned it with a barely perceptible nod. Aidan, Padma and Morag were getting their satchels ready to go back in. None of the other students who had been lounging on the lawn noticed anything unusual. Even Colin and Aidan didn't catch on. Only Indigo noticed the exchange. The three Slytherin girls turned to walk arm in arm into the castle.
Liam gave his brother a friendly whack to the back of his head. "Come on you! You can stare at Indigo all you like once we're inside!" And with that the five Ravenclaw third years inserted themselves into the group of students queuing up to head towards the great hall for lunch.