The quidditch stands were a monument to just how popular the sport was.
Arthur were seated at the stands watching the quidditch tryouts.
Of the others only Lucian was missing.
He was currently busy writing letters to his parents.
The boy had forgotten to write one previously and was trying his best to catch up.
No one was thinking about it though, they were all trying to ignore Cedric.
“The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. The balls that are jet black and slightly smaller than the red Quaffle are called Bludgers. They rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That’s why you have two Beaters on each team. The Bludgers have never killed anyone at Hogwarts. We’ve had a couple of broken jaws but nothing worse than that. I don’t think we’ll win the Quidditch cup this year. They say Charlie Weasley can seriously play for England…”
“Cedric. Can I say something?” Arthur asked interrupting the boy.
He couldn’t let the boy start with all the Quidditch talk.
While it was a pleasure hearing someone be excited about their passion, this was clearly too much.
“Is it about how the Hufflepuff team could win the cup if they just let me play?”
“No. It’s about the fact that you’ve already told us this five times including at breakfast today.”
“Did I really? Even about this new kid named Victor Crum. He’s supposedly this genius seek…”
“Cedric, he’s politely telling you to shut up.” Anna finally snapped putting an end to their civil conversation.
She had no qualms about being rude.
“You’d make a perfect chaser given your small stature and aggressive nature…” She had clearly failed.
Cedric would keep talking till he had nothing else left to say.
…
The quidditch tryouts were an event most students knew about.
Arthur didn’t know how other houses conducted it but Hufflepuffs made an event of it.
Except for the ones trying to join the team from the second year, everyone else was in the stands watching the tryouts.
They wouldn’t be Hufflepuffs is they didn’t bring food to a group event.
Flora, who had gotten increasingly comfortable with the Hogwarts kitchen, had prepared French fries for everyone in a huge bucket.
Arthur took a bite of the hot fries and watched people trying to fly in increasingly impressive ways.
The seniors had informed them that you could join the team reserve even in the first year if you were talented enough.
The first years couldn’t play, but they could help the team out and sit in the meetings and practices.
Cedric taking advantage of the opportunity had already completed his trial earlier that day.
As far as Arthur could describe, Quidditch was like a jumble of muggle sports.
It had hoops like basketball, goal keepers like football, sticks like hockey and was a team sport.
Combine that with everyone riding what were essentially flying superbikes and the inherent violence, it was no wonder everyone was interested in it.
Arthur found the rules too confusing to play.
The fact that Cedric mentioned about anyone not dying till today playing Quidditch made him even more reluctant.
With how his luck was going, he’d end up on the history books for sure.
He liked riding the broom and going fast, that was enough for a lifetime.
“Is that onion dip?” Arthur asked pulling his focus back to the food.
Before anyone could say anything, they were interrupted by Tonks extending her hand into the French fries.
“No problem. I know how to share” ,she said as she grabbed a handful and took out her wand.
She took out a piece of paper from her pocket and tapped it with her wand.
The paper turned into a small bowl where she deposited her fries.
Arthur recognized a professional when he saw one.
He would have respected her too, if she hadn’t just taken the really big piece that he had been eying.
“So, You guys planning to do anything about the snakes?” Tonks asked as she started to stuff her mouth.
“What do you mean?” Patricia asked with confusion in her voice.
Tonks didn’t bother to answer the question and instead looked at each and every one of them.
Her eyes stopped on Arthur as he said to Patricia, “She means that punching the bullies, didn’t work.”
After a brief pause he continued, “I do have a plan but I don’t know how effective it will be.”
“Talk to me.” Tonks said while getting comfortable in her seat.
Looking at everyone paying attention to him, he continued, “Well I thought about walking only in groups from now on.
They clearly couldn’t fight even when they outnumbered us.” Pausing he looked at Tonks for her opinion who gave it instantly, “What if they use magic?
Never trust a snake to play fair.
In my experience they always know some nasty curses.”
Satisfied with the what she had said, he grinned and said back, “That’s where you come in. Who better to teach us not to get hurt that a clumsy Metamorphmagus?”
Tonks choked on her fries.
Whether it was from surprise or eating too fast, they would never find out.
…
The Hufflepuff common room was empty making it the perfect place to learn a few spells.
Tonks stood in front of seven curious pair of innocent eyes and said without any nervousness, “What charms has Professor Flitwick taught you?”
“Why charms? Why not transfiguration?” Anna couldn’t help but ask.
“Cause Transfiguration can’t be applied effectively in a short period and I’m not sticking around teaching you.” Tonks replied, “What charms?”
“We learned the wand lighting charm, the summoning charm and the repairing charm.” Cedric said summing up their progress.
“Anything else?” Tonks asked looking at the group helplessly.
“Anyone learn anything useful at home?” she asked to receive blank stares in return, “Right…Let’s see, Did you guys win the fist fight?”
“More or less.” Arthur said.
Though most of the credit went to Anna just jumping in their faces.
The little gremlin was vicious and small causing Slytherins to hesitate hitting her.
She took advantage of the fact and kept hitting them, not that it hurt much but it was the action that counted.
To the credit to the Slytherins, even they wouldn’t hurt a small child.
It only goes to show just how vicious Voldemort was.
“Good we’re going to focus on that.
You’re going to have to assume that the snakes know at least one vicious curse.
They always get a head start from somewhere.
I think it’s Snape teaching them.” She said, “Gryffindors have a theory that they learn it all from home but if that was the case they wouldn’t be so breathtakingly stupid…
Getting back to the topic.
If you want to fight someone at close range the first thing you need to do is learn how to avoid their spells.”
“Like dodge?” Arthur asked going along with her rhythm.
“Dodge.
Block.
Honestly whatever works.” Tonks said, “But for you guys dodging will be more suitable.”
“How do we practice it?” Arthur asked.
Grinning Tonks took out her wand and said, “Just try not to get hit. Flipendo.” Arthur was sent flying to the couch, thankfully full of cushions.
He hurriedly got up to see everyone running around trying their best to dodge the singular spell their senior was raining down on them.
Arthur tried to stand up properly while Tonks started laughing maniacally.
“Flipendo.” He was sent flying back to the couch again, this time somehow face first.
…
“Why are you guys bruised?” Fred asked Arthur and Cedric when they arrived outside the greenhouse.
“They thought it would be a good idea to run towards a crazy spellcaster.” Anna replied while looking fresh and healthy, a stark difference from the boys.
Tonks was clearly compensating the girls for the horrible suffering women had endured throughout history.
In their defense, running towards a crazy spellcaster was a good idea.
They had even managed to find the perfect moment simultaneously and independently.
Tonks had tripped on a cushion, which they had both anticipated because she was Tonks.
Since the purpose of the training was to close the distance with the attacker, they properly charged her.
In her panic about being on the loosing side of a training session with a bunch of first years, Tonks got a little carried away.
She flung them directly up, towards the ceiling.
Even considering the low height of the Hufflepuff common room, it was clearly overkill.
Arthur had been genuinely scared for his life.
Dying in the Hufflepuff common room because of a panicking teenager, was not a thought he had ever even considered before that day.
It just goes to show that in Hogwarts, there was something new to learn everyday.
“Let’s finish this quick” Anna said putting her gloves, “We still have to finish dinner before detention if we want to sleep in time.”
Arthur and Cedric looked at each other and sighed.
They were just grateful for the fact that the twins hadn’t mocked them.
“Should we start with puns?” George said as he followed Anna.
“I don’t know.
Let’s try and compose a poem.” Fred said in response, “I’ll start.
There was a crazy witch.”
“The boys had an itch.”
“Anna, what rhymes with itch?”
“Ditch, glitch, switch….”