Chapter 3

Don't give a woman advice. One should never give a woman anything she can't wear in the evening.

Oscar Wilde

The next morning saw a sleepy Aussie in front of his door. Quietly mumbling greeting to the other, the two boys set off for pitch 5. Harry had opted for wearing grey sweatpants, the grey t-shirt, and the issued blank runners. Will wore black EQA shorts, the grey shirt, and black runners. The colour of the lettering on each piece of clothing was different depending on your scarf colour. Harry had all white lettering and Will had red.

Arriving at the pitch, they discovered O'Reilly, Malfoy, Blackcastle and Canon waiting. O'Reilly and Malfoy seemed to be in deep conversation. Well O'Reilly seemed like she in was a deep conversation, she was gesturing wildly with arms and she looked to be in the middle of an exciting story. Malfoy's back was to them, so Harry couldn't see his face, but he was sure the blond wasn't saying a word. The two females were talking, but theirs seemed more like a share conversation. The girls were also wearing sweatpants and t-shirts. Canon had yellow lettering while Blackcastle had blue. Malfoy seemed to mirror O'Reilly, as they were both wearing black shorts and a grey hoodie. O'Reilly had black letters, which confused Harry a little, since that was Malfoy's colour.

Will and Harry just stood near each other as they waited. Both were too tired to talk, and knew if they sat down they would probably fall asleep. Harry was staring into space when O'Reilly's voice brought him back.

"Holy dancing dragons, that's hilarious." Following the direction of her gaze, Harry turned to see a giant pink bird. Harry joined in the laughter of the others at the sight of a very angry seeker standing in the middle of the pitch covered in pink feathers.

Once everyone seemed to settle down enough, O'Reilly spoke. "Well Schmidt, I guess for today we can change your colour to pink, but tomorrow you're back to green. Now let's stretch were going for a run."

O'Reilly made sure their muscles were stretched before she had them begin laps. She led the line in a slow jog to start and then sped up. She had them do five laps, before she slowed down again. They followed her to the centre of the pitch, where the jogged in place for a few minutes. She had them slow down, and when they stopped, she made them "Shake it out" before instructing them to do jumping jacks. The torturous PT went on for an hour and a half before she had them cool down, and shipped off to shower.

They were allowed half an hour to shower and change for their first class, before breakfast started. Harry stayed close to Will the entire morning, and chose to sit next to him at a square table for breakfast. Even though he only met the Aussie the day before, Harry already, saw him as a good friend. Their talk the night before revealed countless stories of their separate pranking adventures, and allowed them to make a list of possible things to do to Schmidt, and everyone else. Neither acknowledged the unspoken agreement to leave Malfoy alone, but it hardly seemed important.

Will was brainstorming possible ideas to use against the keepers, when Harry saw Malfoy enter. He was walking with Zabini, and was wearing another set of PT gear. Zabini was wearing quidditch robes, so Harry assumed he had pitch practice first thing. Both boys grabbed a tray and food before sitting at a deserted round table. They ate and only exchanged a few comments before Malfoy stood and left the cafeteria. Zabini finished a few minutes after, and left when another group of students in quidditch robes approached him.

Harry felt Will nudge his shoulder, and he followed the boy to the trash, and out. They had discovered they shared the same class 'Reflex Training', and they made their way to pitch twelve. They were wearing quidditch robes, and had their brooms ready for whatever was waiting for them. Arriving at the pitch, they spotted Ben Hubble there with a tennis racket and a box of tennis balls.

"You can put your brooms to the side, you won't need them today." Following his directions the deposited their brooms and returned to the centre of the pitch.

"Okay, we are here to up your reflex time. I will have you both stand in the square behind you. I will hit these tennis balls at you. Slow a first, then I will speed up. Your goal is to avoid being hit, while avoiding each other. If you touch, or are hit, than a colour spot will form. The more colour you have on you, at the end, the more laps I will make you run." Nodding that the understood, the two boys entered the square.

They spent the two-hour long class jumping, diving, dodging, and falling. After the first ten minutes, they picked up that Hubble was hitting the balls in the same pattern, and dodged them easier. Seeing that they caught on -Hubble sped up and was sending the balls at them faster. He maintained the same pattern, but every so often increased the speed. At the forty-minute mark, Hubble switched it up and summoned a machine that shot the balls instead. Eighty minutes in, he had the machine switch to randomly shooting at them. In the end, both boys were tired, bruised, and looking like mutli-coloured heaps on the ground. Hubble ordered them to run ten laps, before moving onto their next class.

After 'Reflexes' Will and Harry slowly walked over to the teaching building for 'Physiotherapy'. The class was designed for them to have physiotherapy and learn to administer it. Today they were just going in for massages to help their muscles. According to one of the physiotherapists, O'Reilly had kept a very detailed report on all the seekers. She catalogued their personal and school training, and assessed their level of fitness. Based off the schedule she made for them, she stressed to the physiotherapist, that both boys would need something for their sore and aching bodies.

Lunch arrived and both boys sat with the other seekers, minus Malfoy. Schmidt was still covered in pink feathers, and refusing to talk to anyone, but the girls were open to discuss their morning classes. Blackcastle was paired with Malfoy, and explained how they had spent the morning swimming and doing water aerobics with Lamarre. Canon and Schmidt were in the classroom all morning in 'Quidditch History' and 'Quidditch Strategies' with Oscar Hubble, and Thana.

Blackcastle told everyone that Malfoy was quiet, and seemed entirely focussed on their exercises. She had tried to engage him in conversation on their break-time, but he only stared at her until she was uncomfortable enough to leave. After she just avoided talking to him and left as quick as possible. When they asked if she knew why he wasn't at lunch, she admitted to passing O'Reilly on her way out of building with the pools. Schmidt expressed his opinion, that they were having an affair, and Canon sighed and commented that the entire thing was romantic. Harry found her to be excessively girly for his tastes.

Seeing the depressed look on Schmidt's face all lunch, Harry decided to talk to him later. Sure, he had been rude, and said some unpleasant things about O'Reilly, but he had to endure the ridicule of the other students for the pink feathers. Harry figured he probably learned his lesson by now. Before he could speak to the German boy, Schmidt stood up and left the table. Not knowing what to do, Harry grabbed Will's arm and dragged him out so they could shower and change before 'Nutrition and Health' class. After all, he could always find Schmidt after class to speak with him.

When Dinner rolled around, Harry was ready to sleep. He didn't have any energy left after the first day of classes, and since the academy didn't believe in homework, he had the evening free. Will was in no better shape than Harry was, since they shared all their classes that day. Harry was looking forward to Healing, because then it wouldn't be another morning of nothing but fitness.

Harry was eating at a sedate pace when the seat next to him was occupied. He was slightly shocked to see the now featherless Schmidt beside him.

"Hey Schmidt, how was your afternoon?" he asked politely.

"Sven," was the response.

"Eh?"

"You can call me Sven." The other boy told him.

"Well Sven, it's nice to meet you I'm Harry." Harry found some strength to raise his hand for the boy to shake. After Sven shook his hand, he went to include Will, when he noticed the Aussie asleep on the table. "Well that's Will; he's much more interesting when awake."

Sven chuckled a little. "Harry, how vos your day?"

"Exhausting. Very, very exhausting. Yours?"

"it vos long. I love quidditch, but I don't think I hast never learned so much history about it in a day." Harry gave the boy a small smile. They compared classes for a few minutes, before they were interrupted.

"Potter," that familiar drawl spoke from behind him. At Hogwarts, just hearing it sent him temper spiking, but here it made something flutter in his stomach. Harry tried to identify the feeling, but couldn't decide it if was the thrill of competition or dread.

"Malfoy."

"I came to return your scarf." Harry turned towards the blond, and saw him holding the stolen material. Harry gave a nod and went to reach for it before Malfoy pulled it back. "Tsk tsk Potter, I took it off, so let me put it back on." Harry was too tired to argue, so he glared as a response.

Malfoy seemed to take the silence as acceptance when he stepped forward. He calmly took Harry's arm in one hand while the other slowly wrapped the scarf around his wrist. Harry felt his skin burn where Malfoy touched him, but not in a bad way. When the blond was finished he dropped his arm and stepped back, accidently bumping into Sven. Malfoy turned muttered an insincere apology, before stepping away from the duo. Seeing him just standing there, Harry spoke up.

"Malfoy was there anything else you needed?"

"Actually yes, two cups of hot cocoa." He drawled.

"Well why are you telling me? I already did your favour, and I have my scarf." Harry pointed out. The smug smirk on Malfoy's face didn't disappear at all, and it worried Harry.

"Why Potter, who said I was telling you?" Malfoy's smirk only grew when he raised his hand to show them a green scarf. Harry and Sven both looked down to see the empty wrist of the German seeker.

"Well Schmidt, two hot cocoa's and your favour is done." Malfoy didn't wait for a response before he turned and left the two boys. He sat at a table that held O'Reilly and Zabini who seemed to be having a great time laughing with each other and gesturing about.

"How does he do that?" Harry whispered.

"No clue. I should go." Sven didn't wait for a response before he got up and left.

Harry watched as Sven gathered two cups of cocoa and dropped them off. When the other boy left, Harry turned towards Will and starting poking him. "Will . . ." poke "Will time to wake up." Poke, poke.

"McVean! The dingoes are eating your broom!" Will suddenly jerked out of his nap and started frantically looking around.

"Wah..." he managed to groan. Harry turned to see who woke his friend, and saw O'Reilly. He kept staring as the QM took the seat beside him and settled in as if it were an everyday thing.

"Good to see you awake McVean, we need to talk." She started. Harry noted the serious expression on her face, and recalled the only time he had seen that particular expression was when she took offense the Sven insulting Malfoy, and challenged everyone. Harry was scared for his friend.

"G'day Highness QM." Will managed to say after shaking his head and focussing on O'Reilly.

"Tomorrow after your Healing classes, report to me straightaway. I'll be at Pool 4."

"Sure. . ." O'Reilly nodded before addressing Harry.

"Potter, you got a letter." She tossed the letter at him before standing. "See ya later Skippy, Potter." Harry watched as she skipped back to her table. As soon as she sat down she latched onto her cup. In Harry's opinion she was definately one weird girl.

"Who sent the letter?" Will asked.

"Hmm. . . oh well I think it's from Ron and Hermione." Harry replied.

"The two you were telling me about last night?"

"Yeah." Harry responded while he broke the letters seal and began.

Dear Harry,

How was your first day? I know you got there yesterday, but you didn't start classes until today. You will have to tell me all about it. What do you learn? How are the classes run, do you have textbooks, do you need me to make a homework schedule for you this year? I know you did extremely well last year balancing quidditch and homework, but now everything is different.

Oi mate! Just ignore her. I can't believe Malfoy managed to beat five seekers. He must have cheated or something, I mean you used to beat him all the time. That Quidditch Master Riley or whatever must have set it up.

Just ignore Ron. He clearly does not understand that Malfoy can win without cheating. Plus I don't think O'Reilly would risk her position, that she probably spent years working towards, just so one person can win at a silly game. Ron still rants on and on about Malfoy. Honestly when will he ever grow up?

Mione just doesn't understand the game. Malfoy must have cheated some way. It's not natural for one person to beat five seekers. Ronald! Anyways mate, we just wanted to write to you, and make sure you tell us all about your first day of training.

Love, Hermione and Ron!

"Did they say anything interesting?" Will asked.

"Hermione wants to know if I need a homework schedule and Ron is adamant that Malfoy somehow cheated at the snitch game last night. Another than that they want to know how the first day was."

"Tell them it was full or medieval torturers and sadists." Harry laughed at his friend as they gathered their trays to leave. Harry could write Ron and Hermione tomorrow, when his body wasn't screaming in pain.

Day 1

Next Chapter: The first week of O'Reilly torture

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