212) "Baby Harpies" Team

My sister had been honest in expressing her desire for us to be united again, really... very united. She decided to accompany me to many of the places I went, we ate next to each other whenever we had the chance, and she constantly asked me questions about my life at Hogwarts: what I was doing, what I was planning. I wouldn't say she became clingy, but going from our conflict to seeing her behave like a mother who was watching over and caring for me at all times was... strange.

I knew she wasn't being completely honest about some things. Her questions seemed to have a purpose, especially since she had also talked to the girls about me. She was hiding something, and although I discreetly tried to find out, I didn't want to be invasive. I liked how things were going compared to before, and I didn't want to risk going back to conflict.

Even so, it wasn't too annoying. Spending time with Ginny and Luna was exciting, especially because it gave me the chance to show them everything I knew about the castle, the secret passages, and the people who lived there.

On the other hand, I was trying to maintain an appearance of normalcy at school. I attended classes, except for Lockhart's, just like last year; I wouldn't waste my time on that useless subject. I spent a lot of time in the library, and when I wasn't there, I was in the den or the nest.

Speaking of the nest, I now had schedules; yes, you couldn't just go at any time anymore. What I promised my sister and Cho was something I was going to fulfill. I discreetly passed the information around all the houses about an important event in The Nest, intended for all the girls interested in Quidditch.

The meeting turned into a series of private interviews with each of those who came. I had them come in one by one, asking them questions and then establishing a [blood pact]. This pact committed them to join a new Quidditch team that would train to become professionals and to keep all the group's secrets, or, if they didn't want to commit, they would lose their memory of the meeting... but would receive ice cream in return.

I needed to form a Quidditch team, but one that could keep secrets, and my magic was perfect for that. If they accepted the pact, they wouldn't be able to reveal anything about our training, plans, or about how I would improve them as players. If they refused, they would simply believe they had come for a free ice cream.

The event lasted three days, and in the end, I managed to gather several people interested in joining. Many wanted to apply for Quidditch, but with only 7 spots on the team, many would be left out or become substitutes who might never play. In the end, almost 30 people managed to pass my strict exam, although I suspect that number will decrease for a simple reason: not all of them have enough talent for this sport, and when they find out, they'll probably decide to leave.

I recognized several familiar faces in this new group. In Gryffindor, besides Ginny, there were Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and seven other girls. From Ravenclaw, I had Cho and four others. From Slytherin, there was Tracey, who seemed more interested in proving herself than in playing seriously, along with three other girls. From Hufflepuff, there were eight girls. It was a diverse group, with different ages, although most were in their fifth year or younger.

I organized practice schedules and promised them some surprises if they showed a good attitude in the first days. They weren't a bad group, and with the creation of these spaces, quite cordial relationships formed. There were no issues with them following my instructions, which focused more on flying techniques and physical training than on Quidditch itself. The girls who already played Quidditch seemed to lose interest in these additional trainings, thinking it would be too much effort and would only take up their time. But then I presented the surprise.

"I hope you like your surprise," I said, levitating a group of long boxes in front of them. "These will be your new training tools."

They all showed curiosity, and their eyes widened with a mix of surprise and disappointment. The boxes contained brooms, many of them, all completely new. The problem was that they recognized the model: Silver Arrows, an old broom that, due to its impeccable condition, looked like a collector's treasure. While receiving new brooms would have made them smile, upon seeing the model, they all sighed dejectedly. They knew they wouldn't be able to use them in a match without being the laughingstock. The Silver Arrows were known for their speed... in their time. But their other characteristics left much to be desired. The girls thought that, not knowing much about Quidditch, I had been tricked by some sly seller, but they were very wrong.

"Don't make those faces, why don't you try them out?" I said with a cheeky smile.

The girls didn't know how to tell me that I had been deceived, so they remained silent. Ginny was the first to step forward, took one of the brooms, and the others followed her lead. After all, it was a gift, and it would be rude not to accept it or at least try it. Some of the more experienced ones noticed something unusual when they mounted, but it was when they started to fly that the surprise was confirmed for everyone.

There were a few near-accidents due to the brooms' sudden acceleration, but fortunately, as fast as they accelerated, they also slowed down. Noticing the peculiar nature of the brooms, the girls began to fly enthusiastically, whether in a straight line or through the obstacle course, excited as if it were their first time flying.

After several laps, they all returned to me, hovering a meter off the ground, with inquisitive looks.

"Red, how did you do it?"

"My mother had a Silver Arrow, and it doesn't compare to this at all."

"Did you modify the brooms?!"

"How did you get so many?"

"How much did you spend? Where did you buy them?"

The girls bombarded me with questions, intrigued and excited, some even worried about my expenses. I just smiled, calmed them down, and waited for them to quiet down to explain.

"Here's the thing: these are not Silver Arrows."

"???" They looked at me confused, until one of them had an idea.

"Ohhh! Is it a new model? Or maybe one that never went on sale?" she said excitedly, thinking it might be an even more valuable collector's item.

"No. What I mean is that these brooms only look like a Silver Arrow, but they are completely different." I clarified, making all of them look at the brooms between their legs, even more confused.

"Why?" asked one, voicing the doubt they all shared.

"We don't want others to know we have new brooms that aren't even on the market, right?" I said, causing all of them to widen their eyes in surprise. "I have a friend who got us these brooms. He's our sponsor."

"Do we have a sponsor?!" asked Alicia Spinnet, astonished. Most of the girls, if not all, thought this was just a small school club; they never imagined we would actually have a sponsor. Suddenly, everything seemed much more serious.

"That's right. Although this sponsor will remain anonymous. He sponsors us in terms of equipment: brooms, uniforms, practice materials, and things like that. He can provide us with tools that are not only up to market standards but better. However, he can't help us with things like publicity, training techniques, or organizing matches. His support is limited to physical resources." (Red)

"It's… AWESOME!" shouted one of the girls.

The atmosphere grew loud; everyone was excited. The mere fact of having a sponsor elevated the team's spirits sky-high. What seemed like just another activity turned into something of greater significance, a giant step toward becoming professional Quidditch players. Although, with that came increased pressure and responsibility. Having sponsors meant this was no longer just a game.

"Girls, now we have new brooms, the best that exist. And not only that, but I'm also arranging a place for us to train: a real Quidditch pitch. But it will take some time," I informed them, seeing the excitement on their faces.

"Really?"

"A real stadium?"

"Where?"

"That's a secret. It's actually under construction, and we just need to sort out a few funding details. If all goes well, in a few months to mid-year, it should be ready for us to use. For now, you'll have to make do with this place," I said, while some of them couldn't hide their overflowing excitement. "By the way, I also have a deal with 'The Albion Dragons,' a restaurant/bar in Diagon Alley. They already know who you are, and you will receive free food and drink, up to a certain limit. In the future, we might have to promote them.

My words were dynamite. Everything I said dismantled the expectations they had about this group. I had achieved much more than they ever imagined. When I mentioned I would make them professionals, they thought it would only be training to improve their skills, a reinforcement group for school players. But what I did was truly prepare them to be professional players. Sponsorships, promotions, a stadium to practice… they were one step away from starting a career in Quidditch without even having finished school. In fact, they could almost consider themselves a real team.

"Well, girls, stop dreaming and get ready to reach those clouds. We need to start training. I want to see how these girls become true monsters of the skies in no time. I have high expectations for you; I hope you meet them. Today is for you to get used to your new brooms: fly, practice, play among yourselves, whatever you want. But tomorrow, get ready to sweat and suffer. Understood?" I said firmly.

"Yes!" several shouted, as they soared on their brooms, excited.

I was about to leave when Angelina crossed in front of me, pausing for a second to put her hand on my shoulder.

"Forgive me, Red. I doubted you. I thought this would just be a game for you, but you shut me up. Thanks for all this," she said solemnly and sincerely.

"You don't have to. Although you might want to thank Ginny; I'm doing all this to fulfill her wishes and dreams." (Red)

"Then I'll have to talk to her. Who knows, maybe if I tell her some of my ambitions, they'll rub off on her, and we can all enjoy them," she joked, winking at me.

"Alright, I expect good performance from everyone. I really want you to surpass any professional." (Red)

"That we will try," said Angelina as she flew back to the group, which had already started an improvised match.

I smiled as I left the nest, heading toward the den. Inside, I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of what Angelina would look like naked; her body would surely be filled with muscles. The idea of that chocolate beauty made me swallow, but I quickly dismissed the thought to refocus.

Those brooms I acquired weren't cheap, but it was worth it. They really are superior to what's currently on the market because I asked Merk to give me a combination of the strengths of all available brooms while retaining the appearance of the Silver Arrows. Speed, acceleration, braking, maneuverability, comfort, stability… They are extraordinary. Until the Firebolt comes out, nothing will surpass them, and when the time comes, I'll also get brooms with those features.

The stadium was also costly. The [fief] can be divided into separate spaces, so access from one place to another is not possible without my permission. I'm building a Quidditch stadium in one of those subspaces and plan to take the team there. Although it won't be an ordinary stadium, it will be very... peculiar.

Yes, I'm spending a lot, but I'm also balancing my resources. Business is going well, the fief keeps growing and producing more, the bank interests, and most importantly, the production of gold thanks to the power of the philosopher's stone. I've reached a strange balance of continuous growth. Spending on Ginny's desires doesn't seem wrong to me, especially after seeing the sparkle in her eyes when I showed her everything I acquired. She wants to be a harpy, so during this preparation period, we might consider the team as the "baby harpies."

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4th Additional Chapter

Hey guys! I hope you're doing well. I wanted to let you know that from now on, I will be reducing one additional chapter of Red, as publishing five chapters a week takes up a lot of my time. The series will continue as usual if donations persist, but with one less chapter, as follows:

Red: 4 chapters per week max (including the free one)

Riuz: 2 chapters per week max (including the free one)

Additionally, I will be publishing some chapters of my new original book, Monstervania. If you're interested, feel free to check it out! It's not a fanfic, or at least not a typical one.

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