The snow had started melting around Hogwarts.
That meant that the quidditch pitch was open for action.
It also meant that no one wanted to fly around in the cold wind.
This was precisely why Arthur, Lucian and Cedric were at the quidditch pitch.
They had to drag Teddy along because he needed some physical activity.
The boy had been reading the book Arthur gave him for Christmas, continuously, for days now.
“Are you guys really sure about this?” asked Penny Caplan, captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, “This doesn’t actually seem safe?”
“Captain, you have to trust us.” Cedric said in a reassuring voice.
Penny looked at Cedric and nodded.
“I would trust you more if the girls were also here.” She remarked while looking around, “Where are they anyways?”
“They’re painting their nails.” Arthur said.
Penny looked at Arthur and stared silently.
Arthur curiously stared back at the girl and waited for what she had to say.
He sure as hell didn’t expect her to start with, “Are you serious?”
“That’s not a funny joke to make.” Penny continued in a lecturing tone.
Arthur was more confused than anything about what exactly the joke was supposed to be.
“But they are painting their nails.” Arthur said explaining himself as seriously as possible, “Juniper Hunt ordered some color changing polish by mail that transform into the color of your choice.”
“Juniper?
The second year?” She asked still not believing Arthur, “But they’re expensive.”
“That’s why all the girls are gathered in the common room.” Cedric said trying to reassure her.
After that, Penny stayed silent for some time and then handed the bludger to Lucian, “Cedric, I’m leaving you in charge. Pack up when you’re done. I’m going to be in the common room.”
The four boys watched their captain hastily exit the quidditch pitch.
Arthur thought she was treating them unfairly.
She clearly trusted Cedric more than him.
He took out a small notebook from his pocket and a small pencil.
He noted in it, to tattle about her to the proper authorities.
And by that he meant that he would make the head boy write a letter to her mother.
Satisfied with his plan Arthur focused back on the field.
Feeling the mood out Arthur asked the question on everybody’s mind, “Should we also go watch it? If all the girls are watching it then it must be impressive.”
“We would have to hand the keys to the next house on the list.” Lucian said holding the bludger tightly, “Which one is on it?”
Cedric looked at the chart in his hand, scrunched up his face and said, “Slytherin.”
“Never mind then.” Arthur said, “Let’s start.” Arthur signaled Lucian to release the bludger.
The next thing he knew he was on the ground and couldn’t breathe.
There is a specific spot in between your chest and your stomach where if you get hit it causes the diaphragm to go into a spasm.
Apparently, the bludger decided that Arthur deserved to be hit exactly there.
Arthur was on his knees while facing the ground and trying to breathe, while holding back his saliva, when he heard Lucian say, “Arthur we’re training to dodge. Don’t be lazy.” Get faster updates on novelping.com.
It was only because he was currently struggling, that Arthur didn’t curse out loud.
Forget about dodging, this kid was getting a good punch…as soon as he could recover.
…
The Hufflepuff common room was lit up with the afternoon sunlight casting a golden hue over it.
The sunlight made the room feel even more comfortable than it already was.
The room had already cleared out because some girls had moved to the great hall ‘to show everyone some color’.
Flora on the other hand had prepared something special for the group.
Arthur tore off a big chunk of the garlic naan and wrapped it around the juicy butter chicken.
He carefully put the combination inside his mouth trying to avoid the cut on his lip.
He didn’t succeed.
Quickly swallowing his food he took another piece of naan and started again.
“Slow down.” Flora said wincing at the same time as Arthur, “There’s enough to go around.”
“No.” Arthur replied while chewing and continued eating his food.
Cedric entered the common room while bringing a jug of water from the kitchen and enough cups to go around.
He filled the cups which Arthur didn’t hesitate on.
He took his and drank it all in one gulp.
“You need more?” Cedric asked signaling with the jug.
Arthur silently stared at his face for a while and just got back to the delicious food before him.
Anna finally couldn’t keep quiet and asked, “What happened out there?”
Everyone turned to Arthur for the answer but he just kept eating.
Cedric seeing the awkward situation couldn’t help but speak, “Arthur had this idea that cushions were not threatening enough so we went to the field. We tried dodging with the Bludgers but they got hurt.”
Looking at the calm explanation coming from a clean and wound free face Arthur finally couldn’t resist the urge to speak, “By they you mean Teddy and me. The bludger is defective and should be burned. The thing only targeted us and left them alone.”
“Hey! We had to dodge some too.” Lucian said with his mouthful of the food.
“Teddy has a black eye and I cut my lips and got a nose bleed.” Arthur said to everyone, “You guys can’t look at their clean faces and tell me it was fair.” Teddy nodded to show his support from his spot on the floor.
Arthur thought that was a reasonable argument.
He had presented the dilemma and provided the evidence.
But Anna chose to chime in with a, “Maybe you just suck at Quidditch.”
Arthur couldn’t hold back anymore.
He picked up a cushion and threw it at her face.
Since Anna was sitting in the armrest of the couch she fell over to the ground.
Watching the little girl angrily get up and start looking around Arthur could already see the cushion fight coming.
Flora could see it too, because she started frantically packing the food back up.
It was clearly good thinking because Arthur grabbed a couple of cushions and jumped at Lucian.
He would make sure to get some good whacks in. This story is hosted at g.com.
The kid deserved it.
…
“Episkey!” Tonks said as he waved her wand at Arthurs lip.
It had become swollen after Anna got a good hit in.
Seeing his predicament they both agreed to continue the fight some other time.
They both agreed that none of them had won, but Arthur had a slight suspicion that she was going around spreading rumors about her victory.
He thought so because she was currently pointing at him and giggling with a second year.
Lucian didn’t count, he just deserved it.
“What were you thinking?” Tonks said patting his head.
Arthur pulled his focus back and shook off her arm.
“I was thinking of getting some quality training.” Arthur said, “The Bludgers seemed like a good idea.”
Tonks hummed and started to look at Teddy, “The Bludgers would be good training if you were on a broom and could move in all directions.” She said, “They are enchanted to find players and put them in awkward positions. Teddy, I can’t do anything about your eye, maybe you should go visit Madam Pomfrey.”
Teddy took that information in and nodded.
Arthur and Tonks watched as the kid stood up and went to a couch near the fireplace.
There, he took out a book from somewhere on the couch and sat down to read.
Arthur and Tonks looked at each other and came to a silent understanding that the kid was pretty weird.
Arthur continued on his topic, “I know what the bludgers do. I asked around everywhere and even read a book on it. That’s why I thought it would be good training.”
“Thought?”
“Good point.” Arthur conceded, “I still think it is good training. If we can manage to dodge that thing we can dodge anything.”
“Why dodge? Why not use magic?”
“Because the last time I was on a magical fight I kept dropping my wand.
All I managed to cast was maybe one spell, during the whole fight.” Arthur explained, “I’m thinking that if I can dodge some things then I can truly be useful.
That way your Sneakoscope will also come in handy.”
Tonks took some time to consider his point and said, “You’re a pretty weird kid yourself. It gets hard to see that sometimes but you’re the only first year I know that trains this hard imagining dangerous scenarios.”
Arthur could understand her point.
But he had his reasons too.
It was hard knowing that everyone was carrying around a weapon with them and some of those people also thought him to be less than human.
One of his classes was even literally named ‘Defense Against the Dart Arts.’ He wouldn’t share his ideas though.
He felt safer when everyone around him was normal.
Hopefully they would never need to think how he thought.
Arthur pulled his focus back as Tonks continued, “Speaking of Christmas presents I have some complaints about mine.”
“You didn’t like it?”
“I loved the idea. Makes my falls safer. I would like it even more if it was black.”
As inconsiderate as it was commenting on someone’s fashion sense, Arthur couldn’t help it, “Tonks, Are you Goth or Punk?”
“What’s that?”