A Quidditch Scrimmage

It was late on the Saturday morning that marked the end of the first week of school. The Hufflepuffs were having one of their usual in-house scrimmage matches. These games were held at the very beginning of the year, before school quidditch had started up and before anyone had too much homework. The gorgeous weather might also have been a plus.

Susan Bones was barrelling down the field, quaffle in hand, when she was cut off by Eloise Midgeon innocently flying by, at a leisurely pace. Susan was forced into a tailspin to avoid her, thus dropping the quaffle. Eloise snatched the ball out of the air as soon as it was free and, after a bit of fumbling, tucked it firmly into the crook of her arm, and sped off towards the opposite side of the Quidditch pitch

"That was a foul! YOU CHEATER!" Susan screamed after her.

"No it wasn't!" Eloise yelled back, dodging players on her way.

"Not technically!" added Zacharias who was flying parallel to her. "She didn't make any sudden course changes for the purpose of blocking you. If anyone committed a foul, it was you Bones! Almost crashing into her like that!"

"You need to review the rule book Sus! I'd been on that course for at least twenty yards!" Eloise laughed, violently bodychecking Hannah, almost sending her off her broom.

"I had to change courses to avoid Smith!" said Bones, now in hot pursuit. "You planned it that way! CHEATERS! THE BOTH OF YOU! "

"We followed the letter of the law!"

"But not the spirit of it!"

Eloise ignored Susan's latest comment in favour of flying directly towards Rebecca, who was covering the goals. At the last second, she dipped underneath her, hooking her elbow onto Becca's broom to give herself a bit more momentum as she gently threw the ball through the center hoop, that was no more than a couple feet away. The move also served the purpose of hindering Rebecca's movement, which lead to a beautiful score. Unfortunately, Eloise had nothing to slow her down so she crashed painfully into the goal a moment later, winding herself.

Rebecca looked down at her exasperated before quickly grabbing the neck of her robes to steady her. "You know, you're the only person I know that can manage to injure themselves almost every time they decide to play a friendly game of quidditch, without bulgers."

A few faint gasps was all she got in reply. Eloise was now steadying her broom with her knees while hugging the goal ring for dear life, trying rather desperately to get her breath back.

"If you don't call that a foul, I don't know what is!" fumed Susan, who was hovering nearby.

"Eloise didn't grab hold of the Keeper's broom, she merely got tangled up, accidentally hooking her elbow over the broom," commented Zacharias.

"That not what the rules mean and you know it! Erniiiee!!"

"I'm afraid the move was perfectly legal," Macmillan smiled bemusedly. "I don't know how you do it Eloise. Get you and Zacharias together and you play the dirtiest game of quidditch I've ever seen, and it's always within the rules."

"They're a stain to Hufflepuff honour!" screeched Susan. "Thank Merlin, Midgeon isn't on the house team! She'd destroy our reputation in two seconds flat! She'd make the Slytherins look rule abiding and gentle!"

Eloise, still coughing weakly, stuck her tongue out at Susan, eliciting a rise from the congregating players.

"I can't throw, can't catch," she wheezed. "And my flying isn't exactly the greatest either. How else do you expect me to pose you a challenge? Think of it this way, I'm helping you practice before you go up against the Slytherins."

"You may all laugh," said Bones darkly. "What about that time she knocked Ernie clean off his broom by stopping in mid air? Letting him nearly impale himself on the end of her broom?"

"I was stuck using the old school brooms back then, what else was I supposed to come up with? Besides which, we were only ten feet from the ground when I did, nothing bad would of happened."

Macmillian stepped in to diffuse the situation. "Susan, relax. All I got was a bruise- three years ago. Now what would you say to accompanying me to lunch?"

Luckily, Susan accepted with a blush, and everyone went their separate way, leaving the three friends alone.

"Eloise, I think you can let go of the post now."

Midgeon merely whimpered, tightening her hold.

"Oh! In the name of Urdrich the Unclean! I'll help you down," said Becca, gently prying off her arm from the goal and passing it around her shoulder. "That really was a rather stupid move."

"I scored on you though, didn't I?" hissed Midgeon painfully through gritting teeth.

"Yes, you did. You are aware that Zaharias helps you find dumb though effective ways to circumvent the rules, just because you're the only one daft enough to actually follow through?"

"Oi! I resent that accusation," muttered Smith. He was ignored.

"I'm the one who came up with that one. We never do anything terribly dangerous. It's more fun to play rough! You should try it!" said Eloise enthusiastically, before wincing and gently touching her rapidly bruising stomach. "I think I'll go see Madam Pomfrey before it gets any worse. I'll see you two at lunch."

"You sure you'll be ok? You don't want me to come with you?"

"Yes, dear Becca hen," she said waving them off. "It's just a bruise. I'll live."

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Half way to the hospital wing, Eloise was forced to admit that she was suffering from injuries far more serious than a simple bruise and was regretting turning Rebecca's offer down. Hobbling down the corridors, nearly doubled over, she hoped that someone would pass by if she happened to faint, sissy as it may have sounded. She had begun coughing blood and her sense of hearing had kind of zoned out. If she were to guess, she would venture that these were not exactly good signs.

Madam Pomfrey was helping Professor Snape take note of the state of the Medi-potions when the doors of the Hospital wing swung open and Eloise Midgeon came tumbling through. She was dressed in an old Hufflepuff quidditch uniform, the yellow of the robes clashing with the blood spattered front.

"Good gracious child! What have you done to yourself this time!?" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed.

Eloise teetered across the floor, concentrating all of her energies into not collapsing. "Qui..quiddi..ditch mam."

Madam Pomfrey grabbed a pair of hospital robes and helped her stumble across the floor. "Quidditch! I assume it's one of those in-house Hufflepuff matches. No one there to supervise! They should be banned! Irresponsible heads of houses, I'll be sure to have a talk with professor Sprout. The injuries keep getting worse every year"

Eloise sat heavily down on the closet hospital cot and began to undress; any modicum of modesty she might once have possessed having deserted her in the face of pain.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head in a huff before casting diagnostic charms over her. "Heavy bruising to the stomach, cracked rib and slight damage to several internal organs. Why you children insist on playing such dangerous games, I will never know."

"How else are we to obtain the pleasure of seeing you?" Eloise rasped.

Pomfrey healed her rib with a spell and gave her a potion to drink – which she quickly downed, plugging her nose - before pausing to examine her. "I recognize an attempt to butter me up for what it is. What do you want this time, Miss Midgeon?"

Eloise, now feeling much better, smiled far from disconcerted. "I want to learn magical healing."

"Then I suggest you apply for an internship at St. Mungoes after your graduation."

"I want you to teach me," she stated.

"That's quite impossible. I'm far too busy s it is, furthermore, it would be considered favouritism. Though you have found yourself in my Hospital wing at least once during the first week of school for six years running, this does not entitle you to privileges denied to the student population. Besides which, Merlin knows what you'd attempt on your own! No, no it's much safer if you wait until after Hogwarts."

Alright, thought Eloise contemplatively, if asking strait out didn't work, time to try the pathetic tear jerker plea and a few threats. "Please ma'm, in these unsettled times I'd like to learn a useful skill. Some of my friends were in the DA, but I'm no fighter. This would be one of the few ways I could contribute. I am going to learn, whether you deign to teach me or not. I'd of course feel more secure with some qualified supervision, but if I'm forced to do without…"

Madam Pomfrey looked at her with a smoldering glare.

Eloise was getting desperate; you did not want to be in the hands of a mad Mediwitch. "I'll help you with the paper work. I'll scrub all of the bed pans and any other dirty work you might want to have done. Pleeease…." Eloise begged.

"Oh, all right!" Madam Pomfrey relented. "But only to stop you from doing more harm to yourself. Cursing off one's nose indeed!"

Midgeon was left to savor her victory as the school nurse left to get a jar of lotion for her bruises.

She hummed contentedly, swinging her legs back and forth. Looking around in anticipation, she suddenly noticed that she was being observed by Professor Snape. With an undignified squeak, she toppled over the other side of the cot.

That was embarrassing, she thought pressing her hand to her flaming cheeks, she hoped he hadn't been there all along. Was he there when she had begun to disrobe in the middle of the room? Bah, he was an old man, nothing he hadn't seen before.

Suddenly she lifted her head in alarm. That whole schpeel about helping out the war efforts, while insignificant to Madam Pomfrey, could be dangerous information in the hand of a spy. No, she was being ridiculous, her profile was low enough that no one cared.

Cautiously, she peeked over the edge of the cot. The professor was still peering in her direction, looking decidedly amused. Snape, amused; how disturbing.

Eloise cleared her throat and stood up straitening her hospital robes. "Sorry Professor," she said nonchalantly. "Hadn't seen you there." She sat back down.

Snape, instead of going back to whatever he had been doing, continued to scrutinize her.

Eloise had heard complaints about the professor's disconcerting glare, but she had never been subject to it herself, being sufficiently talented to avoid notice during potions class. She fidgeted uncomfortably, wondering what the hell was his problem. Since the opening feast, he had seemed to study her - rather as if he were examining a rare deformation of moonstock. Eloise desperately thought back. Had he gotten through her occlumency shields? Surely she would have noticed. But she lacked formal training and he was good enough to fool You-Know-Who. Had he thus discovered her use of the Dark Arts? Her partnership with Zabini? Had Zabini betrayed her? Whichever way she chose to look at it, the outcome was not good. Bloody hell! Would that creep look away!

As soon as Pomfrey came with the lotion and they had set up a time for lessons, Eloise tripped out of the infirmary in search of her Slytherin informer. Zabini either knew the causes of this disturbing new development, or he would damned well find out.

Another chapter comes to a close. So what do you all think? Any good? Did the quidditch scene play out well or was it just confusing? I have the impression that Madam Pomfrey isn't quite in character. I'd welcome any suggestions for improvement.

SO REVIEW!!! …plz?...