Quidditch

Everyone halted in their tracks, their mouths agape at the dazzling display of magic.

"You're going to land in so much hot water, mate," Michael warned.

"No one's going to catch on," Ben retorted confidently.

"Yeah, maybe not with the roses, but what about the peach tree?" Michael pressed with concern in his voice. He was quite familiar with Ben's peculiarities as well as his capabilities. Others, however, seemed a little sceptical.

"They won't find it either; it's tucked away on my private island, remember?" Ben replied with a mischievous grin.

"Sure, Ben, and I'm a pixie," Michael scoffed.

"That's utter nonsense," Hermione interjected, her scepticism evident in her folded arms. She refused to believe that Ben could successfully cast a fourth-year herbology spell. "You probably botched the spell and killed the tree."

Marietta wanted to nod in agreement, but the memory of her recent punishment was still fresh in her mind.

"Nice to know you have such faith in me, Hermione," Ben quipped, though inwardly he couldn't deny her point. He had indeed botched the spell, but the tree wasn't dead, just temporarily dormant from magical exhaustion.

"I believe in you, Ben," Cho spoke up softly, her voice barely audible over the rustling of the roses she'd plucked from the bush. But everyone heard her and gave her a questioning look.

Blushing under the sudden attention, she quickly added, "I-I mean, you did really well back there. I've n-never managed to cast a Shield Charm, let alone s-stun anything." A sharp jab to her side from Marietta cut off her rambling.

Now everyone's questioning eyes turned towards Ben, Michael staring at him with a wide grin, while others with a mixture of confusion and intrigue.

"Uh, thanks, Cho. Anyway, since there's enough of us here, how about some Quidditch? Great, I'll be right back," Ben suggested before briskly disappearing into the barn shed, closing the door behind him.

"What was that about?" Ron asked with a confused look, but the only two people who could answer were busy appreciating nature.

"Wow, the grass here is really lush," said Marietta with her head down.

"Yeah, and the trees so - big, it's amazing," said Cho staring intently at the old oak tree.

The others just exchanged confused looks among themselves. Fortunately, Ben soon returned with eight rickety broomsticks floating behind him.

"Alright, grab your pick and let's get this party started," he exclaimed, lining up the broomsticks in front of them. Ben had taken up the hobby of fixing broken things, as he found it oddly satisfying to watch.

It had nothing to do with the fact that refurbished items fetched higher prices in the shop.

"Wha, you expect this junk to fly?" questioned Michael, eyeing a broomstick that resembled a hybrid of a comet and a Cleansweep.

"Oh, it'll fly. I've repaired it myself. Now, hop on," Ben reassured, mounting a broomstick himself.

"You did what? That sounds terribly risky," Hermione interjected.

"Oh calm down, Hermione. These old brooms are quite reliable and very easy to repair. You can find all the required charms right here in 'Build a Broom: Dummy Edition'," he said, tossing a book to her, and she immediately started flicking through its pages.

"Well, I still think it's dangerous, and besides, I prefer my feet firmly on the ground," Hermione insisted.

"I'm not sitting on this junk either," added Marietta, giving a broomstick a sceptical prod with her foot.

"Alright, suit yourselves, Hermione. You can stay right there and cheer for us," he said, gesturing towards the bench beneath the old oak tree.

"You can join her too, Marietta. And since you're so loud and obnoxious, you'll make a great commentator," he added, tossing the two extra broomsticks aside.

With the two dissenters out of the picture, Ben turned to the remaining group members, who were already mounted on their broomsticks.

"Bloody hell, these are a lot more comfortable than they look," exclaimed Ron, pleasantly surprised.

"That would be the new cushioning charms I applied to them," said Ben proudly. "But that's where the improvements end. The breaking charms on these brooms are still quite terrible, and they're not as manoeuvrable either, so keep that in mind," he cautioned, his tone turning serious as the others nodded in understanding.

Ben transfigured some firewood into two small goal rings and then cast 'Engorgio' to enlarge them. With the makeshift goals in place, they were ready to play Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw.

"Wait a minute, Ginny doesn't know how to play. She doesn't even know how to fly yet," Ron protested, noting the unevenness of the teams.

"Well, I think she has a lot of potential," Ben said, knowing that she was quite talented.

"You can have her if you think she's so good then," said Ron.

"Don't mind if I do," replied Ben, swapping Michael for Ginny.

"I feel betrayed, cast aside for a girl. Oh, how it hurts my soul—" began Michael, but Ben cut him off.

"Shut it, Michael," Ben said, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Here, you can ride this, Ginny," said Ben, offering her his old Nimbus broom, knowing it was easier to handle than the others. He refrained from using his new Comet 260, as that would just make his opponents cry in despair.

With Ginny equipped and ready, the game could finally commence. However, there was just one problem, as Harry pointed out,

"Um, won't we need at least a Quaffle?" he asked.

"Indeed, we will," replied Ben, pulling out his pointed hat from his robes, and then the Quaffle from the hat.

"Show off," Ron whispered to Harry.

Ben threw the ball into the air, signalling the start of the match. Without Bludgers or a Snitch, the game transformed into a makeshift form of handball on broomsticks, a variation that Ben found far more sensible than traditional Quidditch.

Ben played keeper, which made it quite difficult for the opposing team to score, as he easily covered the entire goal. 

The opposing team proved formidable as well, with Ron guarding their goal and Harry and Michael acting as chasers, giving Ginny and Cho a tough time.

In a strategic move towards the end of the game, Ben decided to leave the goal open to join the offensive, coordinating with the chasers to secure a final victory before they were called in for lunch.

Ben offered to let them keep the brooms since he had a good time. Harry and Cho politely declined, having their own brooms, while Ron and Michael gladly accepted. Ginny also declined, as she wasn't allowed to own one yet.

"Keep it safe for me," she said to Ben, not as reserved and shy after playing together for hours.

After having a hearty lunch, they all went to feed the baby rabbits and the Girls all went crazy. Ben didn't blame them. The baby rabbits were very cute. Cho wanted to take one home with her but sadly her mother had a no pet policy. Hermione said she was more of a cat person and Marietta was, as always, too stuck up to ask for anything from Ben.

Ginny cradled a charming little ginger rabbit that perfectly matched her hair shade, and Ben decided to let her keep it. 

Soon after, Michael left through the Floo, followed by Cho with Madam Edgecombe and Marietta. Ben accompanied the trio to the front of the house where he called Hermione a Knight Bus, which she seemed grateful for, unaware of the whacky ride ahead of her.

"Hey, can I have a quick word with ya, alone?" Ben asked Harry, beckoning him to the side of the house.

-End of Chapter-

Dun-dun-dun...What's the lad be cookin' up now? Tune in for the next episode of DragonbornZ to find out!"