The recruitment was a real success, all the girls managed to call at least two of each of the Luna Nova girls to start, which gave a total of 26 girls able to the first witchcraft class being made in a more official way, as it used to be before 1999, since the classes made for the 13 initial girls were more for a self defense training than really a complete class. With that on the next day there would be 39 witches to attend the class, even the initial ones would be present for the moment, everything for the moment of this first class to be as perfect as possible.
Due to the recruitment already finished in the morning, Croix and Chariot called the thirteen girls to go to the new skateboarding track that was temporarily closed, all this to start the mysterious game that is making them so excited, with the arrival of the afternoon they are all called after lunch to the skateboarding track after it was closed, The other eleven were arriving and there were some brooms supported on the wall, an open arena where were the spaces of the skateboard ramps where in each side has a goal that is a very precise circular space.
" Woah! That's like quadribol " Akko said.
" No, by the nine lesbian witches that game is pretty bad " Diana said.
" No way, it makes no sense to have something that makes you win the game just by picking it up, it annuls all the effort of the game, not to mention how everyone plays as if it were the most normal thing in the world, in reality everyone would focus on getting that little thing " Hellene said.
" I already understood that you two don't like HP " Akko said.
" Stop arguing and let's play, me and them will come in to play with you, just to even the teams up " said Laura taking a ball in hand.
" And how do you play that thing? " asks the youngest daughter.
" It is football, but with magic and flying on the broomstick, we do not use our wands, it is a body game, more interesting, we are flying and throwing ourselves against each other, the goal is to throw the ball into the goal circle, that is basically it " McLaren said.
" Laura McLaren Cavendish, that's just the superficial, let me explain the rules to them more clearly, because there's not just the main ball, you can't even explain how the Broom Ball works " Bernadette said.
" I don't know, but my team beat yours in 1987 " said the Irishwoman.
" You and Rose were war tanks, no one could take you two down " said the older Cavendish.
" Are you calling me fat? " said the older redhead.
" I remember when you used to steal the doughnuts from the teachers' room, you and Rose, but let's explain to them how to play Broom Ball " said the one with long platinum hair.
With that it was shown a board explaining the Broom Ball rule, the same way Laura had said, the main rules involve not using a magic wand, but the shock of the own body or the extra balls that come in the game, the main one is a bigger ball of 1kg that is very heavy, while the others are smaller balls of 200g, two of which are used to hit the other player, a ball that the player who is holding it serves as a shield, flying out as soon as the player is hit and going flying randomly across the field, which requires one of the players to take the protection of being hit, keeping possession of the ball. Which can end up getting loose from the player as soon as the girl is hit, and the match no longer has a point limit, but with the time limit being around 30 minutes of play, when they still had official matches.
The whole explanation of the game was made by Bernadette and Chariot, who are very impressed with how interesting it is just by the description that was made about the game and with that they were already preparing themselves.
" Well now that you know how to play Broom Ball, let's make two teams, Chariot will stay here to keep the rules and be the judge, in case one of you steals, there will be two teams with eight players each, besides my sweetheart is pregnant, she can not force herself in a game like this, I remember it was very physical " said Croix.
" There were nine of us at the time we played, they divided the nine players from each team into our class teams, Laura was on the red team and I was on the blue team, we called other teams, I wasn't very good at Broom Ball, but my little freckle was the best player " said the older Cavendish.
" Just one question " Amanda said.
" You can talk " said the Italian woman.
" Can I hit the ball by hitting it with my broom? " O'Neill asks.
" That's one of the most common Broom Ball tactics, you think the game is with the hands? This here is not that thing Americans call football " McLaren said.
" Then let's play! " Said the excited American girl.
" You pick your team and I'll pick mine," said the Irish woman slapping her wife on the butt.
With that the two were choosing, separating the two teams. Separated between Laura and Bernadette that stayed as the main players, leaving Croix to be the last one to be chosen since she is older and already played some of the times, before all the game started.
Laura's team: Akko, Amanda, Hellene, Constanze, Lotte, Rita, Hannah,
Bernadette's team: Diana, Jasminka, Sucy, Marianne, Abigail, Barbara, Croix
With the determined teams they go for the field, with a coin they go taking out who starts the game around a field where they lighted some lights in the walls and ceiling, shining with a transparent green, as if it was like a virtual wall of a game, being able to see from the outside.
Laura's team was the one that ended up starting, they chose the main ball, while Bernadette's team chose the field.
" Let's go! " Said Chariot announcing and whistling for the game to start.
Laura throws the ball backwards passing to Amanda who already hits the ball with her broom, where Akko flies towards the front, but soon Diana throws a ball towards Kagari who dodges, who throws the ball down, but ends up having possession stolen by Marianne by which she crashes hitting head on with her girlfriend falling off her broom and dropping the ball.
" This is your doing Laura, using the body as a weapon, our girl learning these things " Bernadette said.
" Good girl! " Laura said.
" Are you OK, love? " said Hellene, worried.
" Damn Hellene, you're a tank, girl," Marianne said, getting up from the ground, grabbing an attack ball and going to throw it at her girlfriend.
At the moment she dodges but then she collides with her mother and her sister who hit with their bodies towards the witch who released the ball, and Jasminka catches it and starts to fly towards the goal, what ends up with her managing to hold all the impact but until arriving near the area, she didn't manage after feeling two blows and Laura's impact she ended up falling from the broom, she was using the ball as a shield which bounced quickly all over the corner.
" Wow lassie, you are strong huh, not even I at my peak having that ball could hold that much " McLaren said scratching the back of her head.
Akko catches the ball and passes it to Hellene, in a moment of distraction of Bernadette's team, and then the youngest McLaren throws the ball and hits hard the broom of Amanda, who appears to rebound, but Bernadette appears to defend from a certain goal, hitting the ball with her broom, which ended up rebounding with speed, which Laura took the opportunity to grab right on the spot, just in time Marianne throws the ball at the older McLaren, hitting her and making the ball fall, which ends up leaving the middle free as they didn't have many witches who keep staring, even making a break.
" I had forgotten how crazy this game was, it's a shame we can't take part isn't it Charlie, otherwise I'd be kicking ass, soon you'll see how rusty I still am at Broom Ball " said Chariot watching the game as I went to watch it all excited.
They all went towards the ball that was bouncing on the ground, who got there first was Lotte, who hit it with her broom and it was hit by Bernadette, who passed it to Diana who caught the ball trying to hold it and move forward passing the ball, only that Hellene hit it with her broom when she hit it again.
" You won't get past here," said the younger McLaren.
" Yes! Come on Hellene, let's mash these cabbage heads " said the older one.
" Cabbage heads Laura? Let's see if the rust heads can play yet " Said the older Cavendish rebounding the ball.
In this hour Akko takes advantage of the Cavendish's argument, goes with the ball dominion, managing to pass to her friends until hitting simply the first goal and thus the game gave the first point to Laura's team.
So much that the four were surprised with the sound that gave score.
" What the fuck! " Diana said.
" That's it! Take that lassies! " said Hellene.
" Suck it here Bernadette! " Said McLaren pointing to her crotch.
" Laura! We are in the middle of the children " said Cavendish scolding her wife almost hitting her with the broom.
And with that the game started again, with Diana who was getting the possession of the ball, trying to pass to the other side, but the pass was intercepted by Hellene who was trying to follow, until the ball got out of their hands, with the hit of a ball thrown by Abigail, going to Croix who was still a bit confused with the game.
" Ahhh now it's come to me " said the excited Meridies who was dodging every throw made by the others besides the onslaughts.
But she was soon hit by Laura who threw herself with the weight falling on top of the Italian who managed to pass to Bernadette who went flying towards the rivals' field, only at that time Akko gives a beautiful body move to the older Cavendish, making the ball fall and with that came Amanda catching underneath, throwing upwards in a pass that would go to Rita but was intercepted by Diana who held the ball.
" Woah! I haven't even got it and they're already trying to take this thing from me " said Diana, who had already passed the ball to Marianne in a discreet way, since Sucy had also passed by and with that the focus stayed on both of them.
" That's why it's called Broom Ball, playing grabbing the ball is risky and stupid, it's more worth hitting with the brooms " McLaren Mum said.
" I realised that you have to play with your broomstick or you'll get hurt," said the Scot, already thinking of a plan to distract her mother by talking to her while she watched Marianne and Sucy arrive at the other goal.
Then it was already too late, Bernadette's team tied the game 1 to 1 for both sides, this way starting again, the game after the celebration of the team, the possession of the ball stayed with Laura's team, she passed the ball to Hellene that passed backwards, giving to Akko, that held and behind her were Lotte and Rita, she pretended to pass for the two and later she was flying for front, the others were being distracted with the two, that were being hit, but without the ball, until Diana hits in Kagari that for almost doesn't give a goal, she ends falling of the broom and the ball goes sort of leaving of her hand.
" Damn it! " Atsuko said.
In this hour Amanda appears, she rebounds the ball and with that she hits almost in the goal, beating well in the post that ends up rebounding by the arena, in this hour who catches the ball is Bernadette she tries to advance more for front flying with everything, passes until Marianne, after she passes to Croix, and they stay in this exchange of passes, until in the middle of the arena the ball is intercepted by a touch of Laura that caught under the ball throwing it up and being the moment in which Hellene gives one more push with the broom, hitting to go with everything in direction to the other field. And with that the second goal of Laura's team is scored.
" Good lassie! " Said the older McLaren.
" Take that! " said the younger one.
" I didn't expect that one, it caught us off guard," said Bernadette.
" I'm starting to remember how I used to play Broom Ball, I'm getting the hang of it again " Cavendish's wife said.
With that the game was restarted again the possession of the ball was with the platinum haired team, that was already thinking in a starting strategy, once one of them was with the defense ball in hands, what would be perfect for what they are planning.
As soon as they start the older one touches the ball to her daughter, she goes flying forward and ends up being hit by releasing the ball and with that goes to Marianne, who catches it on time continuing to advance, but she feels the impact of her mother"in"law's body releasing the ball that ends up going to Jasminka's hands that when catching it on hands goes holding. Antonenko advances more through the field reaching the area even hit she was more immune, ending up throwing the ball that ends up entering the goal tying the match again.
" Yes, the tactic worked! " said Bernadette celebrating.
" This lass is a war tank, you having her on the team helps a lot," Laura said.
" Rose was just like her, remember how she advanced the arena to the other side without any problem... Good times those were... " Said the older Cavendish.
" Tell me about it, I used to love playing Broom Ball, especially after the matches that always had something extra, didn't I, my little cabbage? " McLaren winked at her wife.
" Let's see that extra thing when the game is over " Said the wife giving the ball away.
The game restarted and it was the same intensity that every Broom Ball game ends up being, one mess after another, the match got tighter and tighter, with goals all around as the other girls got the hang of how to participate in a game like that.
A while later...
The game arrived to the end with a score of 5 to 7, having the victory of Laura's team that was beginning to gain more confidence and dynamics of game, mainly because of the oldest one remember well how was to play Broom Ball. It was a good minutes of game, goals for all the side, confusions, falls, but all there had fun when giving a break for rest.
" So what did you think of the Broom Ball?" asks the older McLaren.
" This is too cool, I've never seen this game, why haven't you shown it to us before? Then maybe me and Diana would be on the same level as you two " Hellene said.
" We won't make it more unbalanced than it already was, we can play more often if you like, especially after we tell everyone about the truth," said Chariot.
" I loved Broom Ball, I never imagined that playing with a ball and a broom, flying around was this much fun," Akko said.
" Then I want to play against you too " Du Nord said.
" When Charlie is born love, then you can play, this ball here is too heavy even for us, who will say if it hits your belly " said Croix stroking her wife's belly.
" Well then anyway thanks for your help in calling more people to the classes tomorrow, you guys who saved our day, maybe more often we can play, even back home, there is a Broom Ball arena at Cavendish mansion " said the Irish.
" Woah! Really? " The two impressed daughters say.
" This game is ancient, it exists since the beginning of the witches' era, it's as old as witches competing against each other in broom races, it was one of the most practiced sports in Luna Nova, we even had a league between schools of witchcraft, with mini championships of Broom Ball, we even have trophies, from 88 to 90 we were the greatest champions of Broom Ball of the British league, before it dissolved along with the whole structure of magic and witchcraft in the world " said the melancholic McLaren.
" That is why we are fighting so hard for the restoration of magic, these cultists took away a whole wonderful reality that we used to live in, but soon justice will bring it all back, I know that our efforts here will not be in vain " Bernadette said putting her hand on her wife's shoulder.
After the game they were all sort of chatting, amused by Laura's stories about Broom Ball, she was telling a lot about those years, besides Croix and Chariot tidying up the whole skate track that had changed into a Broom Ball arena, since they still had to hide about the magic at least for that time.
Broom Ball, a game that was practiced by witches when magic was still commonplace in the world, was a moment of relaxation between the girls, as well as a way for them to understand more about what they are fighting so hard for.
See you, Broom Ball witches...