Quidditch Fun
"Dragons," Harry had said. "The first test is dragons."
The memory rolled through Cedric's head. He found Harry Potter as someone he'd like to be friends with. If it was another time, when they weren't competitors, he knew they'd get along just fine. He'd told him of the dragons. It was just enough so when he left the competitor's tent he had an idea what was he was going to face, he had time to prepare mentally and was ready. When he saw the dragon he already knew what to do, what spells to use, how he could reach his goal and live to tell about it.
They had their eggs now but had no idea what to do to them to get the promised clue for the second test. He'd tried enough times to cast revealing charms now to know every particle of the metal thing and not a glimmer as to what was inside. The screeching sounds it gave off when opened had driven him half crazy trying to figure out what the racket meant. And did no good at all, not a clue.
Now he saw Harry walking down to the Great Hall with some Gryffindors around him. He wanted to thank him for telling him about the first test. It was the only reason he didn't freeze up in terror at the sight of the dragon in the ring.
"Harry," he called out and watched him turn around. He walked close and held out his hand. "I wanted to thank you. You told me about the dragons. I'll never forget it. I just want to say how much I appreciate you doing that. You didn't have to, you know."
Harry gave a half grin and said, "Actually I did have to. I knew, Madame Maxine knew, she was with Hagrid when he showed me and I reckon Krum knew. It was only fair to let you know."
Cedric grinned. "They all knew then," he said. "Well, anyway, thanks."
"You're welcome," Harry said.
"You know, I wish we were playing Quidditch this year. I loved playing, even against you," Cedric said.
"Yeah, me too," Harry answered. "Flying is the best thing about the Wizarding world for me. No matter what else happens I can always hop on a broom and let the rest of the world go away as I climb up over the trees."
"You think, you know, you and me, you think we could go flying some time?"
Cedric asked.
"That's brilliant," Harry said excitedly. "Yeah. I've been so wrapped up in this egg thing I haven't been on a broom in weeks. When can we get together?"
"How about Saturday?" Cedric asked. "Nothing going on except homework."
"Definitely. Saturday at the Quidditch pitch. See you there." Harry was grinning.
"You went to the Quidditch World Cup too. I thought Krum was amazing,"
Cedric said. "Maybe he'd like to go for a fly too."
"Yeah. I'll never forget him getting the Snitch and losing the game. He did it for his team I reckon, losing with honor," Harry said.
"My dad was screaming when he did it," Cedric said with a laugh. "It was the finest bit of sportsmanship he'd ever seen, that's what he said after the match. He thought it would go down in history as a lesson to everyone. If you are going to lose,
make it spectacular and own it with all your heart. Dad's like that a lot. He always thinks of the meaning of things and how they are looked at later."
"I wonder. Does Beau Baton have Quidditch players here?" Harry said. "Maybe some of them would like to fly with us. And Krum too. It'll be good to be in the air again with other players. It should be interesting to see how they fly.".
"I'll ask," Cedric said. "That Delacour, I can talk to her. You think you can talk to Krum?"
Harry got a worried look. "I don't know. Karkaroff keeps a tight rein on the Durmstrangs. I don't think they can cut their food without him hovering over them to tell them what to do and how to do it."
Cedric gave a laugh. "I've seen that in him. Makes Professor Snape look like a teddy bear."
"Well, I better get going or they'll be out here looking for me," Harry said.
"Slytherins could get to me is what they think."
Cedric held out his hand. "Thanks again for telling me about the dragons, Harry.
Good luck on the next test."
Harry shook and strode off to the Gryffindor table, his spirits raised with the thought of flying again. And if he could fly with Krum, now that would be a real treat.
Two days later Cedric met up with Harry to tell him, "It's on for Saturday after breakfast. Fleur said one of their seekers is with their group. Someone called John Marie. Funny name. French, you know," and he grinned at the joke. "See you there. I wonder what brand of broom he rides. Don't know anything about French Quidditch."
"Krum rides a Hungarian broom. Don't know the name but in the World Cup it was fast as lightning and could turn so hard I don't know how it didn't snap in two,"
Harry said.
"You have your Firebolt so that should impress him," Cedric said.
"And yours is just as fast," Harry said. "See you tomorrow."
Cedric and Harry met up outside the Quidditch pitch with a few others from their houses. Moments later Victor Krum and entourage came up with Draco Malfoy following him. Cho Chang had a small group of Ravenclaws around her and right behind was a group of Beau Batons dressed in blue. A girl, a rather attractive girl, was leading them with a broom over her shoulder.
"Where's that John guy you said was from Beau Baton?" Harry asked.
"Maybe one of them in their group. Having a girl bringing his broom for him ... his girlfriend? Nice touch, don't you think?" Cedric said with a wicked grin.
All of them gathered at the gate leading inside to the pitch. Cedric tried not to frown at Malfoy and his Nimbus 2001 but it took effort. Still, he was a Seeker. That had to be a good point for him though likely the only good point.
He opened the gate and they all filed in, looking around the familiar scene of grass, the goal hoops, the seats and memories flooded his brain of practices and matches. He grinned happily at the mental pictures.
When they were all inside he turned. "We thought a bit of flying would be a good idea what with Quidditch cancelled for the Tournament. This is just for fun and to get some flying in," he said keeping his eyes on Krum and not Malfoy. Hopefully he'd join in the spirit of things and, well, not be a pain.
Angelina, chaser for Gryffindor, came up next to Cedric with a large bag hanging from her hand. She gave him a nod and told the group, "I have an uncle that plays a Muggle game called gulfing or something like that. Anyway, he gave me these gulfing balls. They're nearly the same size as the snitch. I thought you might like to play catch."
All the Seekers mounted up. Angelina grabbed a handful of balls and tossed them high, raised her wand and they all shot up in the air in every direction. Brooms rose in whooshes of air to give chase. She grabbed another handful and gave a toss,
wanding them high and fast and stood there watching as Seekers went into full on Quidditch mode.
Harry and Cedric tore through the air after one of the balls, turning to face each other as the wind whipped their hair and clothes, grinning like mad men. Cedric snatched the ball out of the air and looked around, pointing a finger left and they were off again. This time Harry got the ball by cutting a turn so tight Cedric thought his shoes were going to fly right off.
Each holding a ball and smiling broadly they arced over into a steep dive, daring each other to hold it just that split second too long to plow into the grass of the pitch.
They didn't, both pulling out of the dive a mere meter above the ground. The yelling group of fans clapped and cheered at the flying then were watching the sky as the other Seekers raced around.
After catching a second ball each, Harry and Diggory dove toward the group of watchers and dropped their balls in their direction. Both of them hit the ground but they were the last to do so. When the other Seekers dropped their balls, someone in the crowd would flick a wand, the ball would shoot off with Seekers haring after them
Someone suggested a target and a barrel appeared on the grass, marked with a bullseye. More cheers as each one whanged into the barrel. When the balls had been returned, Angelina and Ron both tossed a handful high, students raising their wands to send them in all directions, height and speed. Whooshes of air sounded as all six Seekers tore off after them again.
Draco had started in one direction but turned toward Harry and began chasing the same ball. They looked at each other then leaned over their brooms to accelerate,
bumping a few times as they chased the ball. When they were close Draco angled away then charged back, hitting Harry hard and making him spin around, gripping the handle of his broom frantically. He gave a laugh and headed for the ball without a challenge.
However, when he was just a few meters from it, Victor Krum bashed into him.
Hard. Draco yelled and fell sideways before recovering.
"Why'd you do that?" he yelled at Krum.
"This is not competition. Only fun. Play for fun. If not, I will target you," Victor said. The look on his face was one of serious intent mixed with anger.
He went on to say, "I invited you as Seeker. Play for fun. I will not be embarrassed by you."
Draco tried to retort but Krum charged him again, his face looking very angry now. Draco backed off then flew hard toward the ball, Krum following closely. Just as Draco reached to grab the ball, Krum smacked into the tail of his broom, making Draco grab his broomstick tightly just to hang on as he skidded through the air.
"Do not be a fool," Krum said. "Here, we are equals. Play as equal." He gave one last look at Draco and turned hard, the air fairly snapping with the tightness and speed of it.
After quite a few more chases they all were lined up on the ground, Cedric looking at the Beau Baton seeker with dawning knowledge. Everyone had grins on except Draco who remained sullen.
Angelina spoke up. "That looked to be a good warm up. How'd the gulfing balls work for you?" She got six smiles in answer. "Ah, so they worked. Glad to hear it. Now,
does everyone know who everyone else is?"
The hogwarts seekers knew each other, of course so Angelina pointed, saying,
"We have Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory, Cho Chang and Draco Malfoy from Hogwarts. I think every Quidditch player in the world knows Victor Krum for Durmstrang. Finally, we have Jeanne Marie from Beau Baton." The Beau Baton girl waved her hand, smiling.
She held back for a moment to make sure every name got associated with the right player and said, "Now. I thought a few races would be fun. First off I thought we'd do seven circuits around the pitch. Everyone find your own level so you don't interfere with each other. Does that sound good?"
Krum spoke up to say, "Maybe not just seekers. Maybe anyone with a broom would like to fly."
As he made the suggestion, from around the end of the pitch Madame Hooch appeared on her Cleansweep. "What's all this then?" she asked.
Angelina, looking guilty, replied, "We just wanted to have some flying time."
Madame Hooch said, "Sounds like a fine idea. I heard you wanted to have a race. I might have some suggestions, if you're willing."
All of the students gazed at her then nods went around the crowd. "We had a training exercise when I was a student. More of an obstacle course, really. Maybe that would be a good way to spend a lovely Saturday morning."
She put her feet on the ground and looked around for a moment then took out her wand. Seconds later seven long ribbons were standing upright in a staggered line between the goal posts. "Fly between each ribbon, go around the goal posts once then back through the ribbons in the opposite direction. I always liked this exercise."
Heads nodded around the group. "Good then," she said. "Angelina, what would you think of having the Seekers go first then everyone else have a go?"
"That's brilliant," Angelina said. "Okay everyone, once around the goal posts then between the ribbons then around the goal posts again. If you touch a ribbon you have to stop and go around it proper. Maybe three circuits? Yes, three sounds good for starters."
She strode down to one set of posts and called out, "Line up," and six Seekers lined up. "Once around the posts then through the ribbons. Do that three times.
Ready?"
Six heads nodded, all of them on their brooms and itching to fly. "Three, two,
one. Go!"
They all launched like arrows, heading down the pitch and tearing the air itself when they made the first turn. Harry and Krum were first around by half a broom length,
the others bunched up behind them as they flew in blurs around the second set of posts. Harry and Krum entered the ribbon line neck and neck but the small Jeanne Marie was above them and catching up. Cho Chang and Cedric were twisting hard with each turn, Draco catching up to them.
"Look at that," Angelina said. "Harry's got a very fast broom but that Beau Baton girl is lighter and accelerates faster. Even Draco's catching up to Krum now. Weight and experience versus raw speed. Oh, I wish I was out there with them."
The various groups cheered on their flyer loudly, the Durmstrangs urging Krum on as he'd fallen behind Harry in the ribbons then yelling as he edged in front of him on the hard turns around the posts. Beau Batons yelled support for Jeanne Marie, almost laying flat on her broom as she rounded the second post a handsbreadth ahead of Harry and Krum.
Madame Hooch was hollering her head off, cheering them all on and shouting suggestions on how to fly faster and tighter on turns. Angelina and Ron were screaming encouragement to Harry, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs cheering just as loud for their Seekers.
Finally they all came to the final post sprint, Jeanne Marie leading by a broom length after the ribbons with Harry and Draco hot on her twigs. It was too close to call,
Jeanne Marie losing distance with her slower broom, Harry, Draco and Jeanne ripping past so fast they were just blurs to the eye. A split second later Cedric, Cho and Krum crossed the line so close and so fast no one on the ground was sure which of them crossed first.
Madame Hooch turned to Angelina. "I'm not sure who won that one."
Angelina said, "I think it was Jeanne Marie."
"Let's go and congratulate them for a fantastic race," Madame Hooch said.
The Seekers all landed with huge smiles, well, Draco looked a bit unhappy, but it had been a spectacle of the highest order. The racers stood together looking at Angelina for a judgement and she reached out to shake hands with Jeanne Marie.
"We have a winner, I think," she said. "Actually, it was so close and you flew so fast I'm not altogether sure who crossed first but I will say that was awesome to watch."
Madame Hooch came over to say, "That was most impressive. You are all highly skilled flyers. How about we let the others have a go. Anyone not having a broom I'll summon one for them."
Everyone that had come to see the flying found they had a broom to ride (school issue brooms) and lined up. Madame hooch stepped up to say, "Three rounds. There's almost twenty of you so spread out vertically. Ready?"
She waited until they were lined up at different levels and said, "One, two, three.
Go!" Now the Seekers were yelling and cheering, calling out suggestions and having a grand time watching the race. Madame Hooch was looking over the race, yelling as loud as any student, shouting encouragement to all the flyers.
They finished in a longer line, a dozen broom lengths apart from front to back, all looking like they'd just had the time of their lives, hair and clothes totally mussed up with huge smiles on every face.
Madame Hooch moved to Angelina to ask, "What's next?"
"I don't know, really," she replied.
"How abut we change the ribbons to horizontal," Madame Hooch said. "That will challenge them. The older, heavier students will be at a disadvantage while maneuvering but faster on the sprints. Should even things out. What do you think?
Seekers first or everyone at once?"
Angelina grinned. "Seekers first. They'll put on a good show," she said.
Madame Hooch waved her wand and the ribbons rotated to horizontal but at different levels. The Seekers got wide eyed seeing it then started talking to each other.
"Over one and under the next," Madame Hooch said. "Angelina, send six balls up and hover them fifty meters up. Seekers, catch a ball and hit this before going under the first ribbon." She flicked her wand and a meter square cloth appeared, waving a few meters off the ground away from the first ribbon, enough to allow for a good bit of acceleration.
"We'll send more up, catch one and hit the cloth then through the ribbons again three times," Madame Hooch said. "Angelina. Give them the start."
"Ready?" Angelina called out and wanded the six balls high in the air to hover there. "Three, two, one. Go!"
They all took off, flew over and under ribbons and soared high, each catching a ball and tossing them at the cloth before going through the ribbons again. Three times they went through, their flight being cheered on by all watching. Every thump of a ball hitting the waving cloth brought on cheers from everyone. Once again the older flyers fell a little behind the younger and smaller flyers in the ribbons, catching up on the flight upwards, Krum diving so fast several people cried out but he leveled out less than a broom length above the ground, hit the cloth target and tore through the ribbon maze.
The other flyers took on the course, the Seekers cheering them on loudly,
sounding sad when a ball missed the waving cloth then cheering again when they caught another high above the pitch.
When all were on the ground again Krum walked toward the small Beau Baton Seeker. "You fly very well. I hope to see you in a match sometime. It will be a challenge for me."
The girl blushed. "Merci, Monsieur Krum. I have wanted to meet you ever since the world cup."
"Keep flying that good and we'll play in the World Cup together," he told her and bowed.
Jeanne Marie laughed at the praise and the promise, turning to her fellow Beau Batons and pumping her fist in the air.
Krum approached Draco to say, "You fly well also. For me it is training, training,
training. I flew only for fun today. You see now we are all equal in the air?"
Draco was silent then nodded his head and shook Krum's hand. "Maybe I'll see you the next World Cup. On England's team."
"Maybe," Krum said evenly and turned to talk to the others in the crowd.
Madame Hooch got close to Angelina to tell her, "I think a trip around the lake would be a good way to end the morning's flying. Follow the leader. You lead and do barrel rolls, you know how, correct?"
"I do," Angelina said with a grin.
"If you keep them close together it will look like a spiral of brooms," she told her.
"After that, use your imagination. I'll be watching from above for safety so be imaginative."
"Thanks," Angelina said.
"Okay everyone," Angelina called out. "Last flight is around the lake. Follow the leader."
They all took off from the Quidditch pitch in a line, blue Beau Batons interspersed with red robed Durmstrangs, Hogwarts houses mixed together. When they were over the lake Angelina pulled up and swerved, turning over as she rolled and coming upright. She looked back to see a spiral of flyers following her and did one barrel roll after the other, cruising around the lake. Half way around she stopped her maneuver and went into a series of turns, back and forth over the water. Behind her was a line weaving quite beautifully through the air. Finally she told Jeanne, the nearest flyer, to move to one side and copy her. Jeanne flew outwards as did Angelina then she climbed a little and flew back to the other side of the line. The first trial wasn't all that good but Jeanne figured it out and they all weaved back forth, crossing in front and behind each other in syncopation as they flew around the lake.
It was so much fun she led them around the lake again, doing barrel rolls again but turning to fly through the middle of the spiral of brooms, going right into an upward spiral of brooms, tightening them up in a circle again then bursting upwards and arcing over at the top. Everyone got the idea and arced over in different directions to make a flying fountain.
Jeanne Marie took the lead to send them into a climbing spiral then rolled over and outside the formation, turning up inside the spiral a couple times to top out and dive to the water, signaling another flyer to take the lead
By now they were so attuned the leader could use hand signals to guide them,
each one coming up with new maneuvers that evolved into spectacular and beautiful patterns of flying brooms before everyone lined up and Angelina led them back to the pitch, Madame Hooch landing beside her as she settled on the ground. The rest of the flight settled on the ground behind her, looking to her for direction with happy excitement. "That was the best flying I've ever seen," she told them and cheers broke out.
"Let's just goof off on our brooms for a bit," she told them. "Lunch in the Great Hall in an hour. You were all wonderful at flying today. I hope you had as much fun as I did. And thanks to Madame Hooch from some real challenging flying."
Everyone yelled and clapped, turning to each other with grins, handshakes and hugs before flying off around the pitch, tossing gulfing balls around, racing through the ribbons then grabbing them to reproduce some of the lake patterns with ribbons fluttering behind. No one saw Houses or school colors now, just flyers cooperating for the sheer enjoyment of flying. Madame Hooch was right in amongst them, joining and suggesting fun things to do. There was nothing better than simply messing about on brooms.
As they were finishing the last round of the lake, far up in the highest tower of the castle Madame Maxine let her breath out and said, "Magnifique. Splendides. Superb."
Dumbledore looked down at the brooms gathering on the pitch and said, "And here we thought we could promote cooperation by competition. They are wiser than we are, coming together just for the sake of being on a broom. If I were a few years younger I'd like to be flying with them. We should promote it as a recreational activity amongst our students, don't you think? Perhaps organize excursions just for fun or broom dances in the air like we just saw. It would be spectacular."