Raising Hope {Fred Weasley}

No Pads, No Helmets.... Just Balls

"What do I do with this, Daddy?" Hope said looking at the bat in her hand before glancing up at her father.

"You hold it up to your mouth and play a song with it..." Fred replied sarcastically until George hit him in the stomach. George crouched down and lowered himself to his niece's eye level.

"This is a bat, Hope, and it's your job as a Beater to use it, to hit all the bludgers away yourself and your team when you're out on the pitch."

Hope eyed the bat carefully. "This is going to be able to hit a bludger and not break?' she questioned.

"Of course." George smiled. 

"Well, not this one exactly." The father said as he walked over and picked up a ball. "But we're not playing with bludgers today or your mother would kill me. Today, this bat should do because we're only using a regular ball. And all you have to do is hit it, that's all. We're not even mounting brooms today. You'll learn that later. Your Aunt Ginny wanted to show you that herself."

Hope stood with her father and uncle in the homemade quidditch pitch, one early Sunday morning as everyone arrived to the Burrow for a nice breakfast. Ever since Hope had shown an interest in becoming a Beater, her father was not about to waste any time in training her to become the best Beater she could be.

And of course, Uncle George wanted in on the fun.

"So when you hit the bludger, Hope, you want to aim it towards the other team. Preferably the Chasers or the Keeper. It keeps the Chasers from scoring and keeps the Keeper from blocking any scoring from your team."

"Won't that hurt them because they don't have bats?" Hope asked.

"Exactly." The twins said with grins.

Hope smiled. "Wicked. I'm in."

George and Fred took turns tossing the ball to Hope trying to let her hit it. It was a hit or miss trial by trial, but she enjoyed it greatly whenever she got a hit in. It fueled her to try harder and harder to hit the ball back to them. 

Finally, her hard work would pay off.

At one point, Uncle George threw the ball in Hope's direction and she watched it sail towards her. As soon as it was close enough, she swung the bat as hard as she could striking the ball but while her aim was good, it was a little too good.

George fell to the ground in pain holding himself, as Hope grimaced, watching the grown man roll back and forth on the ground in pain.

"I'm sorry Uncle George!" she said running over and kneeling down beside her uncle who was red in the face, tears near his eyes.

Fred made a face before patting his brother on the back lightly.

"It's okay, Hope." George squeaked. "No harm done. It was...a good shot. Really good. Well done."

Hope watched as George picked himself up off the ground and went to leave back inside the Burrow. She turned to her father.

"I feel bad." she told him.

"Don't...that was just amazing!" Fred said once his brother was out of ear shot and picked her up into his arms. "I'm so proud of you. You have a great arm!"

"But Uncle George-"

"Oh he'll be fine! That's what magic is for. Now let's see if you can do it again!"

"Okay!"

Eleanor and Judith looked down at the twins that were sitting on the sofa inside the Burrow, tending to their injuries while Hope stood before them with a frown.

"I didn't mean to hurt them, Mummy." Hope told Eleanor.

"Oh sweets, you're fine. If anything, it just shows how good you are. You took down two full grown men." Eleanor smiled before pulling her daughter into a hug.

"I don't know about the full grown men part..." Judith said. "But even I'm impressed, Hope. You're a natural apparently. I can't wait to see your first quidditch game."

Hope smiled brightly.

"The question lies, who are you going to be beating for?" Eleanor asked. "Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin?"

"As if my daughter is going to be in Slytherin." Fred scoffed from where he sat.

"It's very possible." Eleanor said crossing her arms. "And regardless of whatever house she gets in, we'll be there for the first game!"

She kicked the bottom of Fred's shoe.

"Yes, Dear." Fred said quickly before he turned to George.

Hope watched as the two mouthed "Gryffindor" to one another.

"Could you imagine..a Weasley in Slytherin?" George snorted. "If that happens, I'll shave all my hair off."

Fred looked over to him.

 "I'll hold you to that."

"Go right ahead."