18 Grab my Bludger

"Quidditch

The greatest sport in the wizarding world. It is played by flying on broomsticks, in an oval stadium with stands around the edges. On each side of the pitch there are three rings, so six in all. These rings are the goals. The Chasers, three per team, must take the Quaffle, a red leather ball, to the opposing team rings and shoot at one of them to score ten points. To do this, the Chasers must pass the Quaffle back and forth across the field, avoiding the opposing Chasers as well as the Bludgers, rather aggressive flying iron balls, that the Beaters throw at them. The Beaters are two per team and are the players who hit the Bludgers with their bats, either to send them into the face of the opposing players or to protect their Chasers partners. Once they have reached the rings without too much damage, the Chasers can score.

Of course, the rings are not left undefended. A Keeper is positioned there to catch any Quaffle thrown towards the rings and return the ball to one of his teammates. He is the only player who usually doesn't move too much from his position, but without him the opposing team has a full opportunity to raise their score, if they can shoot properly of course.

And then comes the last player who is of capital importance, the Seeker.This player is usually the fastest of the team, as well as the one with the best reflexes and the best eyesight... or has good glasses at least. The Seeker must capture the Golden Snitch. It is a walnut-sized gold-coloured sphere with silver wings that the two Seekers of each team must capture before the other. But catching this snitch is not easy. It is the fastest ball, capable of travelling the whole field at a prodigious speed. That's why a Seeker must be just as fast or even faster. The one of the two Seekers who catches it immediately wins his team one hundred and fifty points and also ends the match. As long as the Golden Snitch is not caught, the game continues."

"Eh? The game didn't stop until that ball is caught?" asked Dudley after earring Terry explanation.

"Yes.... Or at least the two Team Captains decide to end the match on mutual agreement but it's rare as one of them must declare forfeit." explained Terry.

"What a strange game..." said Duldey pensively.

"And a game where twenty-two players wearing shorts must kick a ball into a big square net isn't?" said Jenna, smiling.

"If you take it from that point of view... I guess it must be the pitch, right?" softly replied Dudley.

Rising up in front of the trio was a large oval field, as Terry had described it. Walking towards the pitch, Dudley, Jenna and Terry could see other Hufflepuffs walking towards the stadium, no doubt to see who would be selected to become the new Quidditch players representing their house. Dudley also saw others students, mostly older and from other houses, made their way to the stadium. As he got closer to the pitch, Dudley became more and more interested in the game.

When they reached the foot of the stands, the trio caught the other students' eyes, some of whom gave fearful gasps as Dudley arrived. Rolling his eyes as usual, the tall blond man made his way through the crowd of students without too much difficulty as they made places for him, walking back in fear. Climbing into the platform followed by Jenna and Terry, with the auburn-haired girl excusing herself as they passed, the trio managed to find a spot among the available seats in the front row. Again, this was easy, considering how much the other Hufflepuffs shunned Dudley to make room for him. The tall blond boy even found his fun. That's when he felt the poking of an elbow on his waist.

"What was that for?" asked Dudley to Terry who rubbed her elbow.

"You took too much fun from it" criticised Terry.

"Could you at least let me have that, after these two weeks?" pleaded Dudley, smiling.

"Nope or you built bad habits" replied the girl.

"Yes Mom." said Dudley nonchalantly.

Terry sighed from exasperation while Dudley grinned.

Soon after their stand was filled with other students, Dudley, Jenna and Terry could see other students dressed in much more elaborate yellow-black robes coming onto the Quidditch pitch. Dudley counted four, two girls and two boys. The two girls were the same height and both had brown hair. From a distance they could be mistaken for sisters. One of the boys, shorter than the other and certainly younger, had a face with chiselled features and dark hair. The taller boy had dishevelled blond hair and a square face with a crooked nose, which had probably been badly broken.

The blond boy walked towards the stands and took a quick look at the spectators. Dudley noticed that the blond player had a patch on his dress that the others did not, deducing that he must be the team captain.

"Hello everyone and thank you for coming... Yes, you too, spies from other houses... Yes, yes I see you! No need to hide" exclaimed the team captain with a big smile showing a perfect and surprisingly white set of teeth.

"As some of you already know, I am Frederich Franjeux, but you can simply call me Captain Freddy" smiled Freddy.

Saluting the assembly, Freddy turned to his teammates and began to introduce them as well.

"I don't need to introduce you.... although I do anyway... our lovely Chasers and teammates who are the envy of the other houses: Heidi Macavoy and Tamsin Applebee! The Badger's Sisters," Freddy exclaimed in a theatrical tone.

"We're not sisters!" the two exasperated girls shouted.

Freddy ignored their remark and turned to the other young man, drawing some gasps of admiration from the female students.

"And of course you all recognize him, the best Seeker at Hogwarts, our star player and newly promoted Vice-Captain! I don't have to introduce him anymore ladies... but yes I still do... CEDRIIIIIIIIIC DIGGORYYYYY!!!!" Freddy shouted in an excited tone.

"CEDRIC!!!!"

As soon his name was spread, Cedric's fangirls screamed his name in the stands, jumping from their seat to applaud her idol. Dudley was taken by surprise watching their behaviour, almost falling from his seat by the uproar. Facing the acclamation, the dark-haired boy gave the audience an awkward smile while waving to his public.

"They already made him Vice-Captain!" exclaimed Terry slightly amazed.

"You know him?" asked Dudley intriguing.

"I do… His name is Cedric Digory and he is in his fourth year. He is actually quite famous among the Hufflepuff and also the other house. He has excellent grades, always willing to help people, even those from other houses, and has an innate talent for broom flying... And is quite handsome..." said Terry, blushing slightly.

Dudley picked up on the comment with a faint eyebrow raise, but Jenna couldn't help but giggle.

"He was already the Seeker of the Hufflepuff team in his second year and quickly became the best Seeker of all Hogwarts. And now he is chosen to be Vice-Captain! Which means that next year he'll be the Captain. Usually team captains are selected from at least the sixth years. This proves that Franjeux has full confidence in him."

"Hmmm… He seems like a nice guy" commented Jenna watching the selection continuing.

Freddy Franjeux waited for the crowd to calm down from its Cedric hysteria, though with a strange sense of satisfaction, before clapping his hands three times, finally demanding the attention.

"Good, good, good... I see that everyone is thrilled, it's perfect! Today is a great day, the day of the selection of our new players. As you know our latest Beaters, Clarence and Ted... may Morgana take them... have decided to resign from the team after just one year with us. Not that they were very effective last year, but still we could expect more fair play from them... Or at least some motivation. But no matter! It's up to us to succeed and put together a great team that will mark Hogwarts Quidditch for years to come... or at least get us out of our famous last place that has lasted for way, way, way... too long," Freddy blurted out as he spoke the last words through his teeth.

The last sentences spoken by Freddy made some people in the tribune sighed bitterly while others in the corner laughed quietly, but not enough to not be heard.

"Wait. Hufflepuff isn't only last in the Houses Competition but also in Quidditch too?" said Dudley a bit disappointed.

"Yes… Hufflepuff always found a way to be last" replied Terry bitterly.

"Didn't you just say we have the best Seeker of all Hogwarts in our team. How does Hufflepuff end up last with him?" asked Dudley.

"Well… A good Seeker often means one hundred and fifty points for his team, but if the other team scores more than that, this simply means ending the match in defeat." said Terry.

For once, Dudley was so startled that he opened his eyes in disbelief.

"They're being scored over fifteen times a game? But they're not a team anymore, they're a sieve!" exclaimed Dudley.

The young man's remark did not go unnoticed by the audience, some of whom even gave him murderous glares. The others from the other houses, and also Jenna, couldn't take it anymore and burst out in laughter, holding their ribs. Neither did Freddy miss the young man's comment and frowned grimly.

Terry, red-faced with embarrassment, began to apologise around her while Dudley defied all the staring competition he encountered, with flying colours. On the pitch, the two players gave the tall blond a sharp look while Cedric did his best to hold back the laughter in his throat. Freddy, regaining his composure, began to demand attention again

"Cough, Cough, .... Yes thank you big blondie... We can say that last year we were real sieves. Without our dear Cedric to save our face, we would have reached the top of the loser's podium. But what can we do when our two Beaters.... bloody Clarence and Ted.... weren't really effective and there isn't a single Hufflepuff with enough balls to protect our bloody rings like a real bloody Keeper could do...." Freddy exclaimed breathlessly.

Seeing the Captain behave like this, Dudley was again surprised. Obviously, the Hufflepuff team seemed to have some problems last year.

"Cough, cough...Cough... But I digress, I digress! Today is a big day, because today is the day our new team members are selected. Fresh and proud to play for our great team. And who knows, maybe we'll finally get some real Beaters and a good Keeper this year '' Freddy continued a little too eagerly.

The Captain, who was exhaling as if he had run a sprint, was comforted by a smiling Cedric while the girls sighed in discouragement.

Returning to the stand, Dudley was intrigued by what Freddy had just said.

"Terry... What happened last year with our house team?" questioned Dudley, curious.

"I don't know the whole story, but last year's team was not very strong defensively. And for good reason, unfortunately. Our Beaters were… well… Let's say they were almost nonexistent and as no new players were capable enough to defend the rings, it was Franjeux who posted himself before the rings, even though he plays Chaser normally. Because of the lack of defence provided by the Beaters, Franjeux became the Quidditch player who had been hit by the most Bulgers in the last hundred years," Terry replied darkly.

"Why? How many times was he hit?" Dudley asked, puzzled.

"If I remember correctly... Two hundred and thirty-three times... And over a hundred of which were in one match" said Terry with a slightly tragic tone.

"Pfffft!"

Terry's answer took Dudley's breath away and he almost spat. The number given was so inconceivable that it seemed impossible. Dudley turned his gaze to the Team Captain and revised his level of respect for the young man with the broken nose.

"Well, is everyone settled? I think we've kept you waiting long enough. It's time for us to welcome our promising young recruits and perhaps new teammates. Ladies, if you could?"

The two girls looked into each other's eyes, before Tasmin sighed and headed for the changing rooms to find the new recruits. Freddy and Cedric Digory, standing next to him, waited together, the Captain continuously smiling. Gradually, as time passed, Freddy's smile turned into a grimace as he saw his teammate returning... with only three people.

"Hmmm.... Tasmin, darling, where are the other recruits?" asked Freddy the vein in his temple bulging.

"All the recruits are here. And don't call me darling." replied the girl, nonchalantly.

There was a long silence on the field, both among the player and the spectators. The recruits, holding their broomsticks in their hands, began to feel uncomfortable not knowing what to do.

"Bloody Gorgon and Barnacles!" Freddy exclaimed, making the whole assembly jump.

The reaction was swift as the 'spies' from the other houses burst out laughing once more while the others remained silent, still looking downcast.

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter... three players is all we need in the end. Three good players... it's perfect, perfect" said Freddy, who started pacing.

"Good good good, my young green sprouts from our dear house. What position do you play?" asked Freddy with a stiff smile on his face.

"Chaser"

"Chaser"

"Chaser"

As soon as the young people had answered, there was again a long silence which seemed heavier than the previous one. Freddy this time did not swear. The Team Captain merely pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger before taking a deep breath.

"Okay, okay, okay,... Kay, kay, kay...All is good, all is good," Freddy said, frowning and clapping his hands.

"You, you and you... you're going to show us what you're worth on your sticks. We'll talk about your positions later. Tasmin, Heidi... will you take our new recruits through our usual little exercises, please? I have to talk to Cedric," said Freddy, livid.

Franjeux looked away from the new recruits while exhaling heavily. Cedric, his vice-captain, did his best to reassure him while the girls, Heidi and Tasmin, nonchalantly looked after the new recruits to determine their level on a broom and at Quidditch.

"Not one... Not a single Keeper among them... My last year Cedric... My last year spent collecting Bludgers in the face, again..."

"It's going to be okay Freddy... A little practice and everything will be fine... They just need a little help... Maybe one of them will be a good Keeper or an excellent Beater... They'll be fine."

"You, there... Show me how you hold your broom... Not like that... try to be more flexible... Catch the Quaffle with more precision and without losing it... Heidi, how is it going on your side?"

"No, you're holding the bat upside down!... No, more swing, less strength, .... That's not a hit, that's a flick... Ask me when we're back in the common house, Tasmin".

A poor spectacle unfolded before the eyes of the spectators in the stands, as the audience watched a desperate Quidditch team. The new players didn't seem to be very skilful, while the Badger Sisters tried to see if any of them had the skills to be Beater or Keeper. No luck. Franjeux on the field had lost his smile and even looked a bit older, while Cedric tried, without success, to remotivate him.

In the stands, the spies from the other houses continued to laugh and began to pack up their things before heading for the exit. Even some of the Hufflepuffs in the booths couldn't take it anymore and decided to go home. There were only a few people left in the audience, scattered around the seats. Dudley, Terry and Jenna remained, still watching the rest of the selection, if you could call it that. Of the three, Terry was the most dejected. As he continued to watch the players train, a question nagged at Dudley since he saw the new recruits arrive.

"Terry? I was wondering… Why are there only three new recruits? I thought the sport was quite famous." asked Dudley, frowning.

"In the Wizarding World, Quidditch is extremely famous. But most of the Hufflepuff are from Muggle parents or mixed. Not many as ever play Quidditch if you compare them to pureblood. Even less flying on a broomstick. Most of them learn flying at Hogwarts, making them behind the others. And those of us who are good enough with a broom are usually older than average and don't have enough experience to play Quidditch like the other teams. Not to mention that a flying broom is quite expensive and few can afford one. Of course the school still lends brooms to the players, but they are mostly old and worn out and not very efficient. And even if they are good enough on a broom and have a decent one, new players prefer to play Chaser rather than another position as it is the simplest of the four roles. Also, I think the team's beating last year, as well as Franjeux's numerous fractures, must have made a lot of people less willing to play for our team," sighed Terry, in disappointment.

Dudley listened to her friend's reasoning, finally understanding the situation of their Quidditch team when suddenly just as Terry finished her explanation, a heavy thump was heard followed by a shout.

"NO IDIOT! NOT LIKE THAT! WATCH OUT!" shouted Tasmin in horror.

The last people in the stands only had time to turn around to see an iron ball hurtling towards them. Few realised what had happened, as one of the new recruits lost his balance on his broom during a Beater practice and inadvertently sent the Bludger into the crowd. The iron ball flew at full speed, almost as fast as a Golden Snitch, towards the stands and more precisely towards the face of a young girl with blonde curls and a round face. Frozen in place, the small girl watched the Bludger get closer to her by the seconds. The poor girl was unable to move, as the iron ball grew bigger and bigger before her eyes. The only reaction she had was to close her eyes and pray that the blow was not too painful.

A few seconds later, the girl still kept her eyes closed but nothing happened.

"Hep? You're okay?" asked a deep voice close to the girl.

Except for the voice that had just spoken, a heavy silence reigned in the stands. This quietness startled the young girl, who gradually opened her eyes. There was neither Bludger nor a Quidditch pitch in front of her. All that was in her line of sight was the figure of a tall, blond, blue-eyed, broad-shouldered boy, holding an iron ball in his hand that didn't move an inch.