Harry's Unknown Power (A Father and Son fanfic) Book 2

Chapter 7: Quidditch Practice and Belching Slugs

Harry spent several days avoiding Lockhart. He would dodge out of sight and hide whenever he saw Lockhart coming down the corridor. Harder to avoid though, was Colin Creevey. He seemed to have memorized Harry's schedule! He somehow always manages to find Harry and say, "Alright, Harry?" six or seven times a day! It annoyed Harry to no end! To top it all off, Ron's wand was still malfunctioning! On Friday morning, during Charms class, Ron's wand shot out of his hand and hits Professor Flitwick right between the eyes, creating a large, pulsating green boil where the spell struck him. So, with one thing or another, Harry was very happy and relieved to reach the weekends. Saturday morning, Harry was shaken awake by Oliver Wood, who was the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Harry looks around and sees Oliver standing by his bed. Harry rubs his eyes and yawns as he said, "Oliver, it's too early." Oliver said, "Exactly, it's part of a whole new Quidditch program. Come on. Grab your broomstick and let's go. None of the other teams have started training yet. We're going to be the first off the mark this year." Harry yawns as he gets out of bed and looks for his Quidditch robes. Oliver said, "Good man. I'll meet you on the field in 15 minutes." Oliver leaves and heads to the Quidditch pitch. Harry finds his Quidditch robes and puts them on. He writes a note to Ron, letting him know where he went, then grabs his Nimbus 2000 and heads down to the common. He carries his broomstick over his shoulder as he reaches the entrance of the common room. Just as he was about to leave, he hears a clatter behind him. He turns around to see the source of the clatter, only to see Colin Creevey running down the stairs, his camera swinging wildly around his neck. He had something in his hand. He said, "Look! I've got the photo developed and made 3 copies! I'll be sending one to my dad along with other photos I took! I'm going to send them after breakfast! Here's a copy for you and for Professor Snape! Can you give it to him when you see him?" Harry takes the 2 photos. The photos were of him and Snape. It showed Harry smiling, as Snape looks proudly at him. Then they both look at Harry and waved. Harry smiles and pockets the two photos. Harry said, "Yeah, I'll make sure he gets it. Thanks." Colin grins, then pulls out the 3rd copy and said, "Would you sign this one, before I send it to dad?" Harry said, "No Colin, I can't. Sorry, but I'm in a hurry. I've got Quidditch practice." Harry climbs through the portrait hole, hoping to get away from Colin, but Colin climbs through and follows him as he said, "Oh, wow! Wait for me! I've never watched a Quidditch game before!" Harry quickly said, "It'll be really boring, Colin." Colin was too excited to listen. He said as he followed Harry, "You were the youngest House player in a hundred years, weren't you, Harry? You must be brilliant. I've never flown one. Is it easy? Is that your own broomstick? Is that the best one there is?" Harry sighs, he didn't know how to get rid of him. It was like having a talking parrot, only worse. Colin said, "I don't really understand Quidditch. Is it true there are four balls? And two of them fly around trying to knock people off their brooms?" Harry feels resigned as he said, "Yes, Colin." Harry then proceeds to explain to Colin about Quidditch. He said, "They're called Bludgers. There are two Beaters on each team who carry clubs to beat the Bludgers away from our side and send them to the opposite team. Fred and George Weasley are the Gryffindor Beaters."

Colin looks at Harry in awe as he said, "What are the other 2 balls for?" Harry sighs as he said, "The quaffle, the slightly bigger red one, is the one you use to scores goals. There are three Chasers on each team that throw the Quaffle to each other. They try and get it through the goal posts at the end of the pitch, the three long poles with hoops on the end. There's a Keeper, too. They guards the goal posts." Colin said, "What about the 4th ball?" Harry said, "The 4th ball is the Golden Snitch. It's very small and very fast. It's difficult to catch, but that's what the Seeker's got to do, because a game of Quidditch doesn't end until the Snitch has been caught. And whichever team's Seeker gets the Snitch earns his team an extra hundred and fifty points. That's it really." Colin said, "You're the Gryffindor Seeker, aren't you?" Harry said, "Yes." As they left the castle and started across the grass. Colin didn't stop there. He continued to question Harry all the way down the lawn to the Quidditch pitch. Harry shook him off when he reached the changing rooms. Colin calls after him, "I'll go and get a good seat, Harry!" Colin heads to the stands to watch Harry practice. The rest were already there. Oliver was the only one looking wide awake. The rest of the team looked ready to fall asleep again. Fred and George were sitting there puffy-eyed and tousle-haired, next to a 4th year named Alicia Spinnet who was nodding off against the wall behind her. Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson were sitting side by side, yawning, as they sat across from Alicia. Oliver spots Harry and said, "There you are, Harry, what kept you?" Harry sits down as Oliver starts his speech and shows them a diagram of the Quidditch pitch. He said, "Now, I want a quick word with all of you, before we get on the field, because I spent the entire summer creating a whole new training program. I really think it will help us win. We're gonna train earlier, harder and longer." Oliver taps the diagram and launches into a speech about his new tactics. Fred's head droops right onto Alicia's shoulder and begins to snore. The first board took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third board under that one. Harry sank into a stupor as Oliver went on and on. Harry was fantasizing about what he could be eating for breakfast at this very moment, up at the castle, when Oliver startles him out of his stupor as he said, "So, is that clear? Any questions?" George, who had woken up with a start, said, "I've got a question, Oliver. Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?" Oliver wasn't please as he said, "Now, listen here, you lot. We should have won the Quidditch Cup last year. We're easily the best team in this school. Unfortunately, owing to circumstances beyond our control...." Oliver takes a moment to calm down. Harry feels guilty as he shifts in his seat. He had been unconscious in the hospital wing for the final match of the previous year, meaning that his team was player short. They had suffered their worst defeat in three hundred years. Oliver continues, "So this year, we train harder than ever before." His team nods in agreement, still looking tired. Oliver shouts, "Okay, let's go and put our new theories into practice!" He grabs his broomstick and leads the way out of the locker rooms. Stiff-legged and still yawning, his team followed. They had been in the locker room for so long, that the sun was completely up now. As Harry walks onto the field, he saw Ron and Hermione sitting in the stands. Ron looks incredulously at Harry, "Aren't you finished yet?" Harry said, as he looks jealously at the toast and marmalade that Ron and Hermione were holding, "We haven't even started yet. Oliver has been teaching us new moves." He mounts his broomstick and kicks off of the ground. He soars high up into the air. The cool morning air whipping at his face. It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch pitch. He soars around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George.