Fractured

Quidditch Club

To walk within the lines
Would make my life so boring
I want to know that I
Have been to the extreme
So knock me off my feet
Come on now give it to me
Anything to make me feel alive

- Anything But Ordinary - Avril Lavigne

Chapter Five
Quidditch Club

There was a large field of grass behind the school which was regularly transfigured to fit the children's sporting needs. Rose joined the other children there after Camp finished, ready for Quidditch Club.

It was a mixed club, and they played a modified version on the ground. They had to use softer balls, as muggle bones were more susceptible to breakage. It was hard work, running up and down the pitch rather than flying, but it worked well.

George Weasley strode onto the field, his black coach's robes flapping in the summer breeze.

'Good afternoon! Who wants to volunteer to set up the goalposts?'

A few hands went up, and he gave them miniature versions of the goals. They were the size of the sticks Nova used to blow bubbles with, and looked much the same. The children ran to opposite ends of the pitch. They planted the sticks in glowing patches of grass that George had marked out for them.

When they returned to the group, George flicked his wand and the posts grew upwards several feet. They stopped once they reached the height of a child-sized basketball hoop, though the rings were vertical rather than horizontal.

'Alright, let's start with a warm up. Everybody spread out and we'll stretch.'

George led them through a series of stretches and warm-up exercises. Rose was starting to feel a little hot in her turquoise robes. She pushed her sleeves up as she jogged on the spot. Her braids bounced as she moved.

'Good job! Ok, quick water break and we'll start on skills training.'

Rose grabbed her water bottle from where it lay in the grass. She drank quickly, and threw it down next to her plastic bat. She ran back to the Quidditch pitch.

Rose loved Quidditch. Ever since she was a small child she lived, breathed and slept Quidditch. Her Nimbus 5001 was her most prized possession. Draco had signed her up for her local Quidditch Club as soon as she was old enough. She trained twice a week there, and once a week at school. The children at her other club used to make fun of her for playing alongside muggles. They claimed it wasn't real Quidditch without brooms. They soon stopped laughing when they discovered she was faster, more aware of everything around her, and had better stamina than the rest. Several of the children had asked their parents to let them join the school's club, even though they weren't pupils there.

George instructed them to pair off, and told each pair to grab a quaffle. They then stood in two straight lines, opposite their partner. Rose grinned as she faced her friend, Lucy.

Lucy was a blonde-haired muggle in Rose's year. She joined the school in January, after her little brother started exhibiting magic over Christmas. She quickly embraced the magical world. Quidditch was her new favourite sport, though it pained her to not be able to fly. They had tried once at The Burrow, but Rose's Nimbus had remained as motionless as a sweeping brush in her hand.

'Start passing the quaffle back and forth,' George told them. 'Start slowly. Focus on your throwing and catching. Grab the quaffle in both hands and pull it back to your chest before throwing it back.'

Lucy threw the quaffle to Rose, who caught it easily and tossed it back. Lucy was a skilled Chaser, having played something she called 'Netball' at her muggle school. Lucy had tried to explain it to Rose once, but Rose couldn't understand the fun of only one ball in play.