The Welshman
by Hyena Cub
Rating: PG-13 for violence, language, and death, especially later on.
Genre: Harry Potter

--

CHAPTER 9: Bats and Bludgers

The next few days were quiet. The five of us served our detentions (lines: 'I must not pummel other students'), Arcturus served several detentions helping Mr Hummel clean the entire castle, and we all got ready to enjoy the Halloween feast.

I remembered when I first came to Hogwarts, I was disappointed that there was no trick-or-treating. At eleven I guessed I was getting old for it, but I loved doing it…I loved going out among the houses, seeing all the scary decorations, seeing all the other kids' costumes, going door-to-door dressed up as different things…. Even in third year I felt that pang of regret; at least Hogwarts could have a costume party! That would be fun.

Still, the Hogwarts Halloween feast was fun enough. The choir sang scary songs, and the decorations were really impressive: live bats fluttering above everything, jack-o-lanterns hovering every few feet in the air, black and purple banners hanging from the walls, and pumpkins bigger than I was tall in every corner, carved into scary, twisted shapes. I grinned up at everything as I walked into the Great Hall on Halloween night.

Peter wasn't at the Gryffindor table when I got there; neither was Arcturus. Faolan and Ke'koa looked annoyed. 'Where's Arcturus?' I asked as I sat down. I knew where Peter was; he was up front with the rest of the choir.

'Detention,' said Peter disgustedly. 'Old Melville said he couldn't come to the feast unless he finished polishing all the trophies in that trophy room…he's been at it all day.'

Sudden rage boiled in my brain, making my entire face feel hot, and I pounding a fist on the table. 'That miserable old cow!' It wasn't enough giving him way more days of detentions, but to make him miss the Halloween fest! That was just wrong. 'Is it me, or is she more haggy than normal this year? Arcturus shouldn't've got so much detention when the other Slytherins hardly got any. That's not on!'

'I know, mate,' said Ke'koa. 'You've seen her in Charms – she screams at one of us every other day. Maybe she's going through the change.'

I snickered, but Faolan frowned. 'She's not that old, is she? Thirty or so?'

Ke'koa chuckled; Faolan sometimes had a way of taking things very literally. 'Probably not,' he said. 'It was just the point. She's acting like she's got the bloody change. Er, so to speak.'

Faolan blinked, then started laughing. I cocked my head a bit, running Ke'koa's words through my head, and got it: 'bloody' change. 'That's gross,' I said, laughing.

'Well, she deserves it,' said Ke'koa darkly, glaring up at the staff table. She was sitting near the end, as usual, talking with Professor Forrester. Hummel the caretaker wasn't there; he was probably standing over Arcturus with a whip or something up in the trophy room.

'Yeah,' I said. 'She does. Hey…let's send her some Liquorice Snaps.'

'Oo, good idea!' agreed Ke'koa. 'We can order some from Honeydukes.'

Liquorice Snaps weren't my favourite sweet by far; for one, I couldn't stand liquorice or anything that tasted remotely like it. Second, those sweets were only for people who like pain! I tried one only once, not knowing what it was. I bit it, and it bit back! The stupid things have teeth, and they use them! And if you don't eat them fast enough, they'll come to life in your hand and bite your fingers. Definitely the sort of gift I would get someone I disliked.

'Though with our luck,' said Ke'koa, 'she likes those.'

She probably did. They were vicious, like her. 'Maybe she doesn't like Miller as Headmaster,' I said, looking at the new head of Hogwarts.

'Maybe,' said Faolan doubtfully. 'I dunno, though. They seem friendly enough whenever I see 'em. What do you think of Miller?'

I shrugged. 'I don't really know him. I've maybe said two words to him.'

'He's all right,' said Ke'koa. 'I had him in Muggle Studies for a bit. He sorta keeps to himself, really. He's polite and fair and doesn't lose his temper easily. But he doesn't really talk with the students, either. Not like Blake.'

Faolan leaned forward so that he could speak quietly. 'The Prophet's not said a word about what really happened to Ryan, has it?' he asked quietly.

'I shook my head. 'No. No, not yet. When I get home for Christmas, I can talk to Mum then…maybe she has more information.'

We stopped talking then, because the choir had begun to sing, staring with 'Toil and Trouble', a Hogwarts tradition. Also one of my favourite songs. The feast appeared, and as everyone ate, the choir sang several creepy songs. When they were done, the students dispersed to their House tables, and Peter joined with us.

'Well done, mate!' said Faolan with a grin as my cousin sat down. 'As usual.'

'Thanks,' laughed Peter, grabbing himself a plate of food. 'But I'm starving, now. It's torture, having to stand up there and sing with the smells from this feast tempting me!'

'But you make the ultimate sacrifice for our entertainment,' I said. 'Thanks, mate. You're the best.'

Peter's mouth was full of roast potatoes, so he simply made a 'think nothing of it' gesture with his hand. When he was able to speak again, he asked if Arcturus was over with the Slytherins, and Faolan explained about Arcturus's detention.

Peter used a few choice words to describe Professor Melville. Peter rarely swore, but when he did, he was good at it. You wouldn't think so to look at him; he was usually so mild-mannered. 'So he's not gonna make it here at all?'

'I nearly didn't,' growled a voice behind us, and I turned around to look. Arcturus stood there, looking extremely vexed, and absolutely exhausted. I moved aside to give him room to sit, which he did, looking a little shaky. His arms were trembling, and he looked sweaty and tired.

'Lemme guess,' said Ke'koa. 'That git tried to keep you there all evening.'

'Right in one,' said Arcturus wearily, grabbing himself a chicken leg. 'Blimey I thought I was gonna be there all bloody night. Hummel didn't want to let me go, but he couldn't find anything else for me to clean, and I'd done a good enough job that he couldn't really complain. I've been working for hours.'

'We'll get Melville back,' I vowed, getting Arcturus a plate of food. He seemed a bit too tired to bother. 'And the twins. We'll figure something out.'

Arcturus nodded in vague appreciation and began to eat. Once he got some food in him, he perked up a little, and said he'd skipped lunch to get the bloody job done. 'I could eat an entire hippogriff.'

'You'll have to settle for cow,' said Faolan, nodding at the platter of steaks.

'Good enough,' said Arcturus, spearing one.

'Hey,' said Faolan suddenly. 'You've got your first Quidditch game tomorrow, haven't you? Tomorrow evening?'

I blinked, a sudden flutter in my stomach at the reminder. I did have my first Quidditch game tomorrow! How could I have forgotten? Aldora had only been half-frantic about it all week as usual. 'Er, yeah,' I said nervously. 'I forgot. How could I forget?'

'It's Halloween,' said Faolan in when he obviously fancied a spooky voice. 'It's made you forget…soon you won't remember anything, not even your first name!'

'How's that different than normal?' asked Ke'koa, and everyone laughed, including me.

'You're one to talk,' I said, after he dodged my attempt to smack him upside the head from across the table. 'Who was it who could only stare blankly in Charms class the other day when Melville asked you what the Levitation Charm incantation was?'

'Not I,' said Ke'koa loftily, waving a pompous hand. 'You've mistaken me for someone else.'

'Oh, great,' said Arcturus with a grin. 'Now he's twins.'

'As if the Moors weren't enough,' chimed in Faolan.

'Now you've done it!' exclaimed Ke'koa in a fit of mock pique. 'You've grossly insulted my character, sir! A duel, to regain my honor! Dawn, tomorrow!'

By that time, the whole rest of us were laughing; no one else I'd ever met could pull off that smarmy line with a straight face. It wasn't until Faolan humbly apologized that Ke'koa kindly consented to call off the duel.

The rest of Halloween supper passed pleasantly enough, and dessert was as good as always. The ghosts of the castle glided in and did some formation flying, and a few of them acted out their deaths. The Gryffindor ghost, Sir Nicholas de-Mimsy Porpington re-enacted his botched beheading, to the disgust of several girls and Ke'koa, who decided it was safer to watch the opposite wall instead of the almost-beheading.

Finally, everyone began to leave the Great Halls in small groups, and my mind returned to Quidditch. I suddenly wished I hadn't eaten quite so much, because I was nervous about the match, and my stomach began doing uneasy somersaults. And with a full load of feast inside it, it wasn't any fun. 'Listen,' I said. 'I'm gonna go see Mr Jacey about an anti-nausea potion.'

'Bit too much Halloween cheer?' asked Ke'koa with a grin.

'Something like that,' I said, grimacing as my stomach made a gurgling sound and lurched to the side. 'Anyway, see you tomorrow, Arcturus…see the rest of you lot in a bit.'

'Take is easy, mate,' said Arcturus, as he headed down the stairs towards the dungeons.

Mr Jacey was nice enough when I went up for the potion, and even guessed why I was feeling queasy. 'Your first game tomorrow, isn't it, Calen?' he asked as he went to his cupboard for the vial.

'Yeah,' I said. 'I'm not afraid of getting hurt or anything, but I'm gonna be playing in front of loads of people. What if I mess up? What if I hit the Bludger at a teammate instead of the Moor twins?' At Jacey's upraised brow, I hastily added, 'Or the other Slytherins?'

Mr Jacey finally laughed, shaking his head and coming over with a little vial. 'You'll be fine, Calen,' he said. 'You get used to pre-match jitters. And once you're up there in the air, with the wind blowing your hair back from your face, your Beater's bat in your hand, you won't much notice the spectators. Just remember the love of the game.'

I looked at Mr Jacey with something like amazement as I slowly took the vial he gave me. 'Er…did you play Quidditch by any chance?' It never occurred to me that teachers were once students, too, and did the same activities we did.

'I did,' said Mr Jacey, obviously amused by my astonishment. 'I played Keeper from my fourth-year on to my seventh.'

I laughed, pleased at this revelation, and wondered how many other teachers had been Quidditch players. 'Wicked.' I took the tiny cork out of the vial and downed the contents, sighing with relief as my nausea vanished. 'What house did you play for?'

'Hufflepuff,' said Mr Jacey. He looked around furtively, as if someone might be listening, then added in an undertone, 'So I'll be rooting for Gryffindor tomorrow.'

The comment touched me, and I grinned at the Healer. 'Thanks…and don't worry, I won't tell anyone.' Teachers weren't supposed to take sides in sports, after all, though most did. Especially the heads of House. 'Well, thanks for the potion, Mr Jacey.'

'You're welcome. And if you come to me after the match with grievous injuries--!'

I held up my hands in a placating gesture. 'I won't break any bones, promise…but if you played Quidditch, how come you get so angry about injuries, anyway?'

Mr Jacey chuckled as he began nudging me towards the door. I took the hint and set the empty vial on a nearby table and headed out. 'Because my Healer instincts are stronger than my Quidditch instincts. Go on, you'll be wanting a good night's sleep.'

I had to admit it made sense. 'Night, Mr Jacey.' I gave him a wave as I headed down to corridor towards the nearest staircase. So My Jacey had played Quidditch! I'd have to ask Professor Blake if he had, also…I bet he had! I could see him as being a Chaser or Seeker.

When I got up to Gryffindor Tower, the Fat Lady was giving me a stern look. 'Bit late, aren't you? Cutting it a bit close?'

'What?' I said indignantly. 'I'm not late for curfew, am I?'

'No,' the Fat Lady admitted. 'But you're close.'

I rolled my eyes. 'I had to go to see Mr Jacey.' The Fat Lady sometimes got in moods and told people off for stupid things…least that's how I saw it. 'Alpha Orionis.'

Still glaring at me, the Fat Lady grudgingly opened the portrait hole for me and I climbed through, feeling exasperated. I wondered if portraits still had a time of the month.

When I told my friends Jacey had played Quidditch, most of them were surprised. Peter seemed not to be all that shocked. 'Well, the teachers were once students, too,' he said reasonably. 'It makes sense some of them must have played Quidditch.'

'I guess,' I said. 'I just never thought about it. Anyway…I'm gonna get some sleep. Tomorrow's classes are gonna be horrible to get through!'

'Hey!' called Rory from the bunk across the room. 'Good luck, Weasley!'

I grinned back at him. 'You too! But don't get hurt tomorrow. Jacey threatened me about that….'

Rory laughed, shaking his head. 'I'll keep that in mind…if you do your job tomorrow I won't have to worry about it.'

I snorted, sending a dismissive wave his way, and began dressing in my pyjamas. He had a point, though.

It was a while before I was able to get to sleep, even though the other boys were being quiet enough. I was both nervous and excited, which was never good for a good night's sleep, but at least I had a free class tomorrow morning. It was Runes for the third-years, which I didn't take.

--

I didn't focus very well the next day, still brooding about my imminent doom. The Quidditch match…yes, I was thinking about it as my imminent doom. I wasn't the only one, either. Everyone was hyped up or tense about the match.

As usual, the Slytherins and Gryffindors were rather at each other's throats. Several of Gryffindor's players were dodging hexes in the corridor, especially those who were new this year, like Rory, Sekhmet, and me. Cuthbert Moor aimed a Banishing Charm at me, knocking me head over heels, then ran before I could retaliate, the cowardly git.

At lunch, Sekhmet told me that she'd punched a Slytherin third-year boy who had tried to jinx her from behind, and Rory Brennan had had to dodge a hex from some Slytherin sixth-year girl who I think played Chaser. Aldora had been harassed all day, but she was far more used to it, and had ignored them all.

By suppertime, I was so nervous I could barely eat. I managed a bite of toast, but that was about it.

Arcturus, meanwhile, was predicting a spectacular win on Slytherin's part. When Ke'koa teased him about it, accusing him of treason, Arcturus only laughed. 'Friendships are friendships, my dear friend, but this is Quidditch!' he proclaimed, and it was enough to pull me out of my anxious daze.

'Figures,' I snorted in amusement, though I wasn't too surprised. Arcturus was loyal to his house, if not most of its students. And that was fine with me. Too bad more Slytherins weren't like him.

'Though,' Arcturus added, 'If you can take out the Moor twins, I won't cry all night or anything.'

'All right,' said Ke'koa with a grin. 'Now I can forgive you.'

'Hey you lot!' called Aldora halfway through supper. She was standing up, waving her hand to get the attention of her team. 'Finish up then get your stuff!'

'This is it,' I said, my stomach twisting horribly. I stood up, trying not to look as terrified as I felt.

'Aw, you'll be fine,' said Faolan.

'Yeah,' said Peter. 'You'll have a huge cheering section.'

'We'll even hex some of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs into cheering for you,' Ke'koa added, and I laughed.

'Thanks…you're real mates,' I said. 'Well…wish me luck!'

'Good luck,' said Arcturus with a sly wink. 'You'll need it. I'll be nice when I commentate on you.'

'Thanks,' I said wryly as I left the table, following Aldora's tall figure out towards the Entrance Hall. The rest of the team had left their meals also, heading for Gryffindor Tower to change into their robes. I had taken to keeping my Beater's bat in the changing rooms, but like the others I preferred to keep my Quidditch clothing in my dorm, because it was usually freezing in the changing rooms. It was much nicer to dress in front of a blazing fire.

When I was appropriately clad, I grabbed my broom and joined the rest of the team in heading downstairs. I walked next to Sekhmet, who grinned excitedly; she didn't look a bit nervous, and I envied her. There was Carey Henderson, a sixth-year boy who'd gotten the third Chaser position; he'd been on the team the last two years. Aldora and Rory were the other two Chasers, and Rory was looking as nervous as I was. Hannah Henderson, our Keeper didn't seem too nervous, but then she was generally a really calm person. Evin Quigley, our Seeker, only looked focused and determined, but he'd played Seeker ever since I'd been at Hogwarts, and from what I'd heard had played it since he was in second year.

As we walked down the stairs and through the corridors, people shouted last bits of advice, encouragement, or spite, depending on what house they were in. I flipped the V at a few people, and Sekhmet stuck out her tongue at a few more.

The grounds were crispy, the dying grass crunching under our boots. The air was chilly and clear, with a bright sun overhead and a hint of winter in the wind. I was glad to gain the relative warmth of the changing room as we all piled in and sat on the benches in the main area, in front of the chalkboard Aldora used to outline our playing strategies.

'All right,' said Aldora. 'I know we've got a lot of new players this year, but we've put together a good, strong team. We play well in practice, we work well….' She glanced at the other two Chasers, since Chasers more than anyone needed good teamwork skills. 'Just…remember what we've practiced day in and day out and you should be fine.'

'We won't let you down, Aldora,' said Rory with a nervous grin. 'Slytherin won't know what hit them.'

'Sure they will,' said Sekhmet. 'A whole lot of Bludgers!'

Everyone laughed at that, and I rolled my eyes, grinning. 'Can't you give me some of your confidence?' I asked her. 'You've got more than any modest person needs.'

The rest of the team laughed again, and Sekhmet shrugged good-naturedly. At least she admitted she could be arrogant.

All of a sudden, I began hearing tromping feet overhead and knew that all the students were piling up into the stands. My heart turned over so that it was upside down, I would have sworn to it. And it didn't right itself. 'Great,' I muttered.

'All right,' said Aldora, the old, familiar glint of excitement in her eyes. Quidditch was nearly her entire life 'It's time, then. Let's show Slytherin what we're made of!'

There was a resounding, 'YEAH!' from the entire team, even me. Aldora had a way of inciting everyone to do their best, and stirring their enthusiasm. My heart was still upside down, but I was eager to get out there all the same. Yelling and whooping, we ran out of the locker rooms, ready for war.