Meles Malfoy

After dinner was over, Hufflepuff descended en-masse to the Sett and took up seats around the main table. Draco (much to his chagrin) found himself in between Justin and Susan and was just about discreetly to move to a different chair when Webley called the meeting to order.

"I'd like to welcome everyone back for a new year at Hufflepuff and give a special welcome to our newest students." At this point, he paused for some polite applause.

"OK. On to business," continued Webley. "I'd like to introduce the other prefects: Sue McGregor, in seventh year like me. From sixth year: James Naughtie and Sarah Montague and from fifth year we are joined by Robin Lustig and Claire Bolderson. The prefects are there to help and they report directly to Sue, myself and Professor Sprout.

"How can you report directly to three people?" Draco thought to himself with a smirk.

Webley Continued, "Here at Hufflepuff, we demand, first and foremost, fair play from all our members. It is only through teamwork that we can be strong and only by playing by treating everyone fairly that we can work as a team." At this point, Webley paused to let his words sink in before continuing, "This method has paid off very well for us in the past and we are constantly in the running for the House and Quidditch Cups."

"But Father said that they rarely win," thought Draco.

"Teamwork," continued Webley, "has always been important here at Hufflepuff and any older student with free time on their hands is obliged to help younger students with any schoolwork. However, younger students are not given an easy ride and are expected, in turn, to perform various small services for the older students."

At this, most of the first year, especially Draco, looked scandalised and began muttering amongst themselves. "Don't worry too much though," said Sue, rescuing her colleague, "it's only fairly basic stuff like fetching books from the library or getting us extra quills and parchment, things that the elves don't do."

Draco had to use the combined influence of several hundred years of Black and Malfoy pedigree to avoid returning the grin that Justin had aimed at him at the mere mention of house elves.

"Oh, and another thing, you don't need to do anything for anyone below sixth year, apart from prefects," supplied Webley, trying to curry favour with the first years and avoiding the dirty looks of most of the fifth. "Alright, on to more pleasant matters. Quidditch!"

At this, most of the house began chatting excitedly with their neighbours. It was because of this that Draco was slightly unnerved by Justin (who had so far been annoyingly enthusiastic about wizarding life) who was distinctly nonplussed by the talk of Quidditch "Everyone loves Quidditch even muggle-borns and he must have heard people taking about it on the train and today at lunch," he thought.

"You don't seem to be that interested in Quidditch. Don't you like sport?" he asked as if not liking sports was just about as unnatural as things got.

"Gosh, I absolutely love sport. I was on the first XV back in Prep. and I play cricket, squash, hockey and I even cox my father's eight when they're stuck for someone," replied Justin to Draco who clearly hadn't a clue what Justin had just said.

"Why do muggle sports have numbers instead of names?" thought Draco. "Surely nothing that some muggle thought up is better than Quidditch. Quidditch is unique!" Draco had raised his voice and attracted several other interested students to the conversation.

"I'm sure that Quidditch is unique," replied Justin. "But quite a lot of schools have their own sports. There's Eton Fives and Uppingham Fives, Codgeball and Twinge. Besides, I haven't seen it played yet but I don't suppose Quidditch should be too difficult to understand."

At the mention of more muggle sports with even more ridiculous names and numbers, Draco becme increasingly annoyed, Justin's constant comparisons of everying magical with everything muggle was very irritating for him.

"Anyway!" shouted Webley above everyone's conversation and quieting the house instantly. "Could the remaining members from last year please stand up and call out their names? And then I think the captain has a few things to say."

At this, a number of older students rose and gave their names and positions in turn.

"Peter Stringer: Seeker;"

"Brian O'Driscoll: Chaser;"

"Catherine Duddy: Beater"

"Sinead Jennings: Chaser;"

"Geordan Murphy: Beater;"

"Sam Lynch: Chaser and captain."

"This year we are reverting back to our old Comets after last year's MGV Rafales. "Who could forget those?" began Sam causing most of the house to groan at the memory, including Draco who had read of the unreliability of French made brooms in "Which Broomstick?"

"Apart from that, our prospects are looking pretty good this year. Our team is almost totally intact from last year's second place in the cup and we only need to recruit a new Keeper. Trials will start in the second week. One final thing, this year we will be asking for non team member's help with training. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, do you seriously expect anyone to sign up to be bludger fodder?" piped up someone, making everybody laugh.

"No, nothing like that," replied Sam laughing with everyone else. "We need people to go up against the chaser to find the snitch, against the chasers to get the quaffle, shoot goals against the keeper when he or she is appointed and if anyone is brave enough, play bludgers with Geordy and Cat. It's part of my new idea to break up the game into 3 seperate games played at once on the same pitch..."

"Alright," interrupted Webley, sensing that few people would want to hear a lecture on Quidditch tactics. "If anyone has any questions, now is the time... Fletchley?"

"It's Finch-Fletchley. Are first years allowed on the Quidditch team?"

"Typical, doesn't even know how to play and already he wants on the team. Seems touchy about his name though," thought Draco to himself.

"There hasn't been a first year on a house team since... well, since a bloody long time, but you could be the one to buck the trend Mr. Finch-Fletchley," answered Webley, causing Justin to blush slightly and provoked a few good natured chuckles from the team members. "I'm sure that Lynch won't have a problem with anyone helping out with the training if they're up to it."

"It could get you on the team next year if you're any good," agreed Lynch.

As the meeting broke up, the Hufflepuffs rose from the table to find that refreshments had been laid out on the coffee tables behind them.

Draco found himself drawn into a Quidditch conversation with the other first year boys. Zach sneered slightly when Draco spoke of his Comet 260, but Draco managed to impress Ernie and Justin with his story about how he once got spotted by a muggle aircraft that Justin said must have been a helicopter.

Draco was telling everyone how his father said that it would be a crime if he wasn't chosen for the house team, when it struck him that his father had meant a different team in a different house and fell silent. His silence didn't last long as Justin was quite eager for an explanation of the rules and tactics of Quidditch. Draco still didn't see why Justin insisted on comparing Quidditch with his muggle sports and said. "But you simply can't compare Quidditch with anything muggle because muggle sports are played on two dimensions and not three."

Zach agreed with Draco but Ernie took Justin's side with a rather high handed argument that, "We may actually have a lot to learn from muggle sports. You never know."

The discussion went on quite late that evening.