"Well that was exciting!" Gwenog and Minerva turned to the Edwards' who were staring in horror at the other end of the pitch. Jack was pointing with outstretched fingers while Audrey had a hand to her mouth in horror. Minerva whipped round in time to see Cat diving at breakneck speed towards the falling cannons keeper. He was tumbling through the air as he fell the hundred feet towards the ground. Cat was flat against her broom moving faster than she'd done even in the match one arm outstretched like a seeker. When she caught him a mere meter above the ground she realised he weighed a lot more than a snitch as the weight pulled her straight off the broom. There was a sickening crack as the boy hit the ground and thump as the smaller form of Cat landed on top of him. Jack and Audrey immediately raced for the elevator, Jack shouldering Quidditch fans out of the way and Audrey following in his slip stream, neither bothering to apologise in their haste. With McGonagall's help they reached the pitch a few seconds later and were running over to where a mediwizard was attending to the two children. Cat was mercifully on her feet supporting her wrist that was at a sickening angle holding back tears and trying to put on a brave face. The mediwizard finished waving his wand over the boy just as Jack and Audrey drew up.
"Oh my god your arm." Jack said upon seeing her and tenderly took it from her he winced as she breathed in sharply at the contact. Audrey immediately who turned to the Mediwizard who was helping the boy to his feet he looked slightly green around the gills but otherwise appeared to be fine.
"There you go lass, right let's take a look at that," he said gently taking her arm from Jack. "Hrmn compound fracture," confirming Jack suspicions. "Not to worry we'll have this sorted in a jiffy." To the amazement of both parents he moved his wand down her forearm and it visibly snapped back in to place eliciting a sharp hiss or pain from Cat. "There you go, good as new, you've been very brave little lady. Now no jumping off you broom in future alright?" She nodded smiling through her tears and Audrey enveloped her in a hug. Jack thanked the mediwizard who brushed it off and told him to remind her to be more careful. Jack was amazed that was a really bad break and should have taken a month at least to mend but now Cat was rolling her wrist and appeared to no longer be in pain. Audrey however fixed Jack with an 'we'll talk later look that had Jack gulping.'
McGonagall was stood at the edge of the pitch paying attention to the Edwards's but also listening in on a three-way conversation between Gwenog, Carlton Cole the former Tornadoes captain and the Chudley Cannons coach. It seemed Gwenog was attempting to get contact details for Blythe Parkin, the cannons seeker and a couple of players from the Tornadoes. The cannons coach was a veteran and had already convinced Parkin to sign a developmental contract with them so if Gwenog wanted her for her harpies she'd have to buy her or wait five years to make her an offer. Carlton was refusing to play-ball, offering contact details for male seventh years on his team rather than the female fourth and second years that Gwenog was asking after. McGonagall was pleased with Cole's integrity, but she suspected he would try and do what the cannons had done and sign them a soon as they turn seventeen. For the time being she had bigger worries. Cat was glowing, it wasn't obvious or even visible but it was there and it spiked occasionally catching attention and in the case of that Cannons keeper when she had smiled at him it had reduced the poor boys brain to mush. She had only seen veela at international Quidditch matches but it was simple enough to recognise the signs, Cat was growing older and more beautiful and some of that veela magic from her heritage was becoming manifest. She worried for Cat, she had only just begun to make friends and this could change everything. 'Albus what were you thinking?' she wondered to herself as she saw the Cannons boy left standing in a smiling daze as Cat shook his hand and said 'well played'.
"Time to go Edwards's?" Minerva asked forcing a smile, and then turned to Cat, who had walked over. "Have you got all your stuff?"
"No my trunk's still in my cabin. I'll just go and get it." Cat replied. Jack offered to help her carry it and she led him by the hand from the pitch towards the training ground and the bunks. Audrey and Minerva stood in slightly awkward silence for a while before Audrey broke the silence.
"What's going on Minerva?" Audrey blurted out still watching her daughter's retreating back, practically skipping hand in hand with Jack. She couldn't help but notice a boy about two years older literally stop and turn to stare as she walked past him towards the tunnel. Her eyes narrowed at the boy but Cat didn't appear to notice the attention as she was too busy chatting with Jack. Minerva heaved a sigh before turning to Audrey.
"I don't really know what to say to you Audrey. I think that very soon I and your family will need to have a talk and have some things explained to you. I promise that I will not leave this long." She attempted to reassure Audrey who looked suspiciously back. Minerva's soft Scottish voice had normally been the source of comfort and help to Audrey over the last twelve years but now all it did was increase her fears that something was wrong. "I will say this that there is more about Catherine is more special than you think at the moment, as hard as that might be to believe." Despite Audrey's questioning while they waited McGonagall refused to be budged on the topic. It hurt her to worry Audrey like this but there was another she had in mind who would be far better suited to helping with this.
THE TORNADOES GET CANNONED!
Baby Cannons steal away win against Tiny-nadoes 250*-230
*=(snitch capture)
Angus Cuffe, Chief Sports Correspondent, Prophet on Sunday
Once again the highlight of the year for fans of the Chudley Cannons came before the professional season got started. In a dramatic match that will no doubt vastly overshadow the rest of the Cannons season, audiences at the Twister Stadium were treated to spectacular play by both teams. It is the twenty-second time the summer youth camps from these two rivals have met and there was a clear, but friendly rivalry present between the two teams. The conditions were perfect for Quidditch on a nearly windless afternoon with nice cloud cover keeping the sun out of players eyes a fact for which Arnold Vobler, the Cannons coach, was extremely grateful when his team grabbed the snitch mere seconds after going 130 points down. As the score line might suggest the Tornadoes youth team (Tiny-nadoes) had a marginal advantage in their chasers, although the scoreboard really does not reflect the tense battle between the two teams in the first hour when either team really could have gained the upper hand. Without the pressure of points deciding a championship these school age players really let rip with as much skill and flair as they could muster and the couple of thousand passionate Quidditch fans voiced their delight at the quality of the free flowing and competitive Quidditch the likes of which we rarely see other than in cup finals. The popularity of youth Quidditch during the summer breaks has grown dramatically and it was easy to see why on Saturday. There was a galaxy of future stars on display and my editor would be displeased with me if I wrote about them all. The three that really stood out for me in this game had a real impact and played with maturity and skill far beyond their years or experience. Blythe Parkin the Cannons seeker, who won the game for her side with a dazzling snitch catch fending off the more than capable attention of her opposite number. The girl has quite foolishly some would argue chosen to sign a development contract with the Cannons prior to the match where the rest of Quidditch Britain was treated to her skill. Her flying would put almost every other seeker in Britain to shame and Gwenog Jones, Coach/Captain of the Holyhead Harpies looked very disgruntled that she wouldn't be able to approach the seventeen year old for at least three years. She will in this correspondents opinion be the best seeker that the Cannons have had in half a century when she leaves school next summer. The other two players of particular interest in this game were both chasers playing for the Tornadoes. Angelina Johnson 14 and Cat(herine) Edwards 11, maybe years away from being able to play professionally but I can think of a few teams that will be desperate to get them to sign developmental contracts in a few years. Johnson lead the line against the Cannons and proved to be a fantastic all-rounder doubling as both playmaker and chief tackler coming up against a cannons chasing line of boys all at least two years older and with a couple of stone on her to boot. She was a defensive brick wall that the Cannons three were regularly frustrated by. Her career I have no doubt will be watched with great interest by any team that may be in need of a utility chaser. The real star for the Tornadoes came in the surprising form of the youngest player on the pitch. Catherine Edwards also of Hogwarts who will be starting her second year come September proved once and for all that size is no guarantee of skill as a chaser. Her nimble and agile flying combined with raw speed and acceleration proved too much for the Cannons defence. Of the twenty three goals the Tornadoes inflicted upon their opponents she was responsible in some way for twenty-two of them! According to sources inside Hogwarts Edwards' a muggle-born had never even ridden a broom before last year. With this much raw talent I personally cannot wait to see what she will be able to do in six years. There is no doubt that Parkin saved the cannons bacon as what turned out to be a hard fought victory could easily have been a crushing defeat if it had come a few minutes late. Watch this space ladies and gentlemen, the future of English Quidditch looks bright if these three future stars have anything to say about it.
Albus Dumbledore set the paper down atop the green leather surface of his desk and regarded Minerva and Severus over his half-moon spectacles for a moment before speaking.
"I'm afraid that my old brain may be a little behind Minerva, you suggested this camp as a confidence boost and to help her make some friends? It seems that she has certainly gained in confidence and you said she seemed to have gained a good rapport with the Gryffindor players present. Excuse me if I fail to spot the problem. The attention from this article will surely only increase the respect for her from her school friends and boost her confidence in her interactions." Severus snorted in annoyance, but Minerva remained grim faced and answered cooly.
"I'm afraid I have made an error in judgement Albus, confidence she sorely lacked it is true, but at the same time I do not think attention is a good idea at all. If I am correct she will have far too much of that this coming year at any rate." Severus looked puzzled, but Albus had an inkling of what Minerva was getting at.
"Surely while she is friendly with the Potter-boy she will be hardly noticed?" Severus grumbled.
"I'm afraid not. She seems to be growing into her powers faster than Olympe suggested she would." Dumbledore sat back in his throne and steepled his fingers in front of his flowing silver beard.
"She had an aura I take it?"
"The poor boy playing keeper was so affected he fell of his broom when she smiled at him." Severus couldn't help but chuckle while Minerva gave him a withering glare.
"What do you suggest we do? We discussed this years ago, we all decided while Britain is not as accepting of half-magicals as France we needed to keep her here to keep an eye on her." Severus reminded Minerva who shifted uncomfortably at the memory of how these two had apparently mapped out the girls entire future before she'd even discovered who Cat's father was. Dumbledore had sat in quiet thought for a moment only barely concentrating on what his teachers were saying. He spoke finally with an air of finality.
"Schooling her at Hogwarts is without a doubt still the best option, it is true there will perhaps be more attention on her here than at Beauxbatons where Maxine informs me there is a part-veela student. However we should see this as an opportunity as well." He said smiling slightly, "I will liaise with Madame Maxime to discuss the arrangements they have made to cater for their student and we will see what can be implemented here to smooth over any issues." Severus snorted again, he did not see this ending any way other than badly, and Dumbledore guessed by the thinness of McGonagall's lips she was not optimistic either.
"She will need help Albus, this student at Beauxbatons is half veela?" Minerva asked.
"A quarter I believe, I do not think she will be able to be of much support to Miss Edwards however. She is as I understand it only fourteen herself and does not speak much English. If I understand your reasoning Minerva I may have a solution. Her mother Apolline is a half veela and a fluent English speaker, not to mention being a lovely person."
"You've met her then?" Minerva raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I was introduced by her husband. You may remember Monsieur Jean-Luc Delacour from the French embassy?" Minerva started in surprise. "I thought it would be a good idea to pick her brain over what to expect before Miss Edwards arrived at Hogwarts. With your agreement I will invite her to come and have a chat with Mrs Edwards and Catherine."
Minerva left Dumbledore's office ten minutes later a little less anxious but still very concerned. She had seen the effect that veela had on men and was immensely worried about the effect Catherine could potentially have upon the hormonal teenage boys at a time when she would be herself vulnerable and emotional. This situation would require delicate handling and she was not sure that they would be able to cope. In the deepest darkest recesses of her mind Minerva could not help but compare her to her father. Audrey and Jack, she knew, had had a far greater impact on her character, but Riddle had fathered her and from what Minerva could tell his magical ability was still present in her. As unlikely as it seemed there may be more of Voldemort in her than they saw now. Minerva couldn't bear to believe it but she would do everything in her power to ensure it wasn't true anyway. That girl almost felt like a daughter, or perhaps a niece to her after all these years and she was damned if she was going to let anyone or anything hurt the girl that she had come to care for so much in the last twelve years.
Cat woke up from the dream as normal sweating and teary. She had started marking nights she had the dream on her calendar but as yet could see no pattern in its occurrence. It was not always the same in its ending, but the fall from a height followed by the terrifying battle stayed the same each time. In the dream it was terrifying but in her waking hours she found herself oddly unaffected now as if the dreams were happening to someone else. She glanced at the clock perched on top of her wardrobe and saw it was a quarter to seven in the morning. She knew what day it was but was for once a little underwhelmed. Examining this slight apathy she wondered where it came from. It was her birthday and she was turning twelve. Cat was one of the youngest in her year and most people assumed she'd already had her birthday. She perked up a little as she sniffed the smells of breakfast wafting up from downstairs. Today was going to be good though. She was having a party, she knew that her parents were hoping to surprise her but her mother request to borrow her owl kind of gave the game away. Not wanting to give away that she was awake Cat tiptoed across the hall to the bathroom and locked the door. By the side of the linen cupboard there was a full length mirror which Cat turned to look at herself in. On the side of the cupboard were ten marks, the earliest made on her second birthday, the latest one year ago. She felt strangely nostalgic seeing her life reduced to a line of pencil dashes with dates written in next to them. She guessed from her reflection in the mirror that she was at least an inch taller than the last mark but the glass slightly distorted it and she wouldn't know for sure until her dad measured her later as had become the tradition on her birthday. Turning back to look in the mirror she tried to see how or what had changed since last year. Her silver blonde hair had been trimmed last week and only hung a little past her shoulders, with a fringe that she had thought was nice before but was less sure of the more she looked at it. There didn't seem to be any clue in her facial features as to where the time had gone. She locked the bathroom door and stripped off preparing for her shower. Turning again she studied lower this time and saw the difference a year had made. Her body was growing and changing. Some of the other girls she shared a dorm with in Gryffindor were a little more advanced than Cat, Lavender Brown in particular had grown a lot up top and they had all giggled at her needing to wear bras last year. Standing in the mirror now Cat worried that she would need one two now. She flushed with embarrassment at the thought and couldn't understand why they had to stick out so much. They just looked weird and according to Lavender boys looked at them strangely and frankly Cat couldn't imagine anything worse. But there they were, a visible sign that she was what her mother kept calling her; young woman! She realised she was crying a little bit and wondered why the thought of not being a child any more made her so sad. After her shower she got dressed into a purple summer dress that had been laid out on her bed. She ignored the leggings next to it and put on a pair of running shorts underneath, it was her birthday and she just didn't feel like doing as her mum told her today. She then immediately felt guilty and wondered if this was the start of a stroppy teenage phase that her dad kept warning her would start soon. Cat's melancholy disintegrated as she sat down for breakfast as she saw her plate and couldn't help but giggle. A pancake sat on her plate with two poached eggs for eyes, a sausage for a nose and bacon making a smiling face with what was either a tongue sticking out or the bacon just wouldn't behave. Jack and Audrey sang happy birthday to her as she sat down and Jack winked obviously at Audrey who rolled her eyes and turned to regard her daughter.
"Catherine, your father and I have a little surprise for you. We know how much you love Quidditch and that you are getting quite good at it."
"Pretty damn amazing from what I could tell." Jack interrupted beaming at Cat who smiled shyly.
"Yes, well…" Audrey had lost the argument about banning Cat from Quidditch a week before and still wasn't sure that they ought to be encouraging such a dangerous hobby. "We have decided that your father should take you to Diagon Alley to buy you a broomstick for the year coming." Cat's face split into an enormous grin and she jumped up, knocking her chair back to run round the table to hug her mum. But then she pulled back and looked worried.
"But Mum broomsticks are really expensive. Are you sure it's such a good idea?" The look of concern in Catherine's face made up Audrey's still slightly conflicted mind. Her daughter was more worried about the cost to her parents than getting the present that they all knew she really wanted. That settled it she would have a broomstick.
"Don't be silly darling, we can afford it. Right Jack?" Audrey was relieved to see that Jack's face showed no hint of worry or hesitation before he replied.
"Absolutely honey, don't be silly Cat it's your birthday present let us worry about the cost."
So it was that an hour later Cat and her father were striding down Diagon Alley towards Quality Quidditch Supplies. She had grabbed and a light blue cloak she'd got for Christmas and her dad had dressed in a three-piece suit. She saw what he meant about looking less out of place like that. Admittedly most wizards were wearing a cloak as well and often some kind of hat but he didn't look all that different this time compared to his normal attire of sports teachers' tracksuit and polo shirts. A little brass bell above the door tinkled as the two entered the shop, Jack wasn't sure but it sounded like it was ringing the tune of 'You'll never walk alone.' Could the owner of the shop be a Liverpool fan? He really wanted one now marvelling that a little bell could play a whole tune. He walked into Cat who had stopped by the left hand wall of the shop that was completely covered in Broomsticks arranged by size. It came as no surprise to Jack, glancing at the prices, that the most expensive broomsticks were at eye height while the cheaper ones were higher up where you would have to get the shop keeper to come and get you one. They were chained to the racks he noticed by what looked like silver snakes. Knowing the magical world he would not have been surprised if they bit anyone trying to nick one.
"So darling which one do you want?" he asked turning to Cat who was biting her lip and looking up and down the racks sceptically. She shifted uncomfortably and couldn't help but do the mental calculation every time she read a price. She saw the Nimbus 2000 like the one Harry had and her eyebrows rose in horror as she read the price. It had a big red half price sign in front of it which meant it was currently five hundred galleons. Assuming the exchange rate hadn't changed much in a year, that meant the broomstick was over four thousand pounds. She looked further up but still couldn't see one for less than a hundred galleons. She turned to see her dad was talking to the shop assistant whose brow was furrowed and was motioning towards a sign further down the shop saying 'second hand'. Jack shook his head before asking another question. The shop keeper rubbed the back of his neck and walked a little closer. Cat at last heard what they were saying.
"… competitive players tend to prefer racing brooms these days rather than your sort of average travellers. That really narrows it down to Comet, Cleansweep oh and Nimbus of course but those come at competitive prices." The shop keeper explained gesturing to the different models. Jack glanced at Cat and saw that she was looking out of the door. Her shoulders had drooped a little and he guessed she was worried about the cost as well. He turned back to the shop assistant and caused Cat to whip round in shock at his question.
"So which broom is the one that every player wishes they could have?" he stared at the man who glanced up and down Jack and looked a little taken aback by the question.
"Well Nimbus have just launched their new flagship which is generating a lot of interest after the success of the 2000 last year." The shop-assistant led them over to a podium at the front of a shop where a mannequin wearing England Quidditch robes held a sleek-looking broomstick with silver bristles with red leather wrapping the handle. "They're great for players who need lots of speed and combined with decent manoeuvrability. It's ideal for seekers but it's acceleration means that most professional teams are buying them for their whole squads ready for the new season. We've even had an order for seven for the Slytherin quidditch team at Hogwarts." Cat gasped at that revelation, thinking about the predominantly CLeansweep six's that the Gryffindor team rode.
"Is the new one much better than last year's model?" Jack asked glancing at the gold plaque displaying the name and price.
"Well it cuts a whole second off the acceleration to sixty and it's pushed the top speed up by around twenty miles an hour so you will definitely notice a difference, however the Nimbus 2000 is still one of the leading brooms on the market and none of the other makes have brought out anything as highly rated yet." Jack had heard enough. He thanked the man and lead Cat out of the shop and marched towards Gringotts. Cat jogged along to keep up with his longer stride not quite sure what he was doing but couldn't help feeling a little excited as he was heading in the direction of the bank.
"Dad what are we doing?" She asked as they walked into the lobby past the goblin guards and the fancy bronze doors.
"We are going to buy you a broomstick he answered simply.
"But dad they're all so expensive." She said looking worried.
"Oh they're not so bad." He replied shrugging off her concerns and marched up to a teller who had just finished with a witch in front of them. "Good morning I'd like to change Muggle currency to Galleons please." He stated handing over his credit card to the goblin.
"Key please." It held out a hand without so much as looking up at the pair. Jack turned to Cat remembering that Audrey had told her to get it before they left. Cat passed it over to her father who handed it to the Goblin. It glanced at both sides of the key before swiping the credit card along something that Jack couldn't see. "How many Galleons?" it asked with what looked a little like a sneer as it finally looked at Jack.
"One thousand please." He answered, and was proud of himself for not squeaking when he said it.
"NO!" Cat yelled and then looked abashed. Both the Goblin and Jack looked at her and she immediately flushed with embarrassment. Steeling her nerves she looked her dad in the eye and continued; "no dad you can't spend eight thousand on a broom for me." She fixed him with her hardest stare, and Jack couldn't help but chuckle at the near perfect impression of Audrey.
"Actually I can, it's your birthday and you need a good broom."
"Maybe but not an international class racing broom." She stubbornly replied a little embarrassed as people in the queues around them were watching their discussion. "Look dad why don't I pay for it and you get me something else, there's plenty of money in my vault." She saw the slight smile leave her dad's face and be replaced with a hard expression that hurt Cat and she knew she'd hurt his feelings.
"No darling I am buying you a broom for your birthday and I will not have my daughter going to school riding a broom that's worse than her opponents." He turned to the Goblin and nodded. Cat ran out of Gringotts before he could say or do anything. A minute later he left with a magic purse that he was told had a thousand of those big gold coins in it and his credit card was eight thousand pounds down. He found Cat standing by the till in Quality Quidditch Supplies looking both apprehensive and triumphant. He realised the leather booklet in her hand was her bank draft book and the parchment on the counter was a draft for a thousand galleons. He couldn't decide if he was angry or not with her. It was a little bit funny that she had disobeyed him on this.
"I'm sorry dad but it's too much money." Cat looked up at her dad who looked as close to furious as she thought she'd ever seen him but she knew that she couldn't have let him spend that money on her. She attempted to convey how much she loved him and how sorry she was. After a few moments his expression softened a little and he turned to the shop assistant.
"These brooms need accessories right? Well I want one of each."
A few minutes later Cat and her dad left the shop laden with packages. Jack had spent seventy galleons on a broom care kit and a full set of England Quidditch robes. While he was getting those for her, the shop assistant had measured Cat up and got her a broomstick. She had chosen to get one in the silver and red of the England team like the mannequin, but unfortunately they had only had one which was a few sizes too big for her. Jack had asked her to choose a different colour scheme but she refused saying that it was perfect as she could grow into it in a couple of years. She was beaming as she walked down the street clutching the long thin item in its black leather bag with Nimbus 2001 written in curly silver writing.
AN: As you know I am shamelessly stealing from the great JK Rowling to make up for my own lack of imagination. This chapter felt a bit fillery, which is a shame because I like to try and move the plot on with each chapter but c'est la vie. I hope you enjoy and would love to hear your opinions. Reviews are to me are like oxygen to a drowning man, just a hint ;)