Harry Potter and the Magical Tours

With the end of the year drawing closer, Harry kept looking forward to a sequence of events which all would have qualified as a milestone in the Hogwarts year but, by accident, were separated only by days. In retrospect, he would realize there had been more events than planned, and that even the planned ones failed to meet his expections.

The first item on his agenda was the Quidditch match Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff. This would be the first match of the season, also the first match for the new Gryffindor team. As it turned out, the match listed only second in the order of events.

Some days earlier, Viktor invited all four Quidditch teams to a meeting in the Great Hall. During the previous weekend, Viktor had joined the Quidditch Council, a congregation under the auspices of the Department of Magical Games and Sports in the Ministry of Magic. What he brought back was new information affecting all teams and players.

For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Harry and Cho attended the same meeting without sitting side by side. The evening's topic was Quidditch, an issue in which they were competitors, so the girl at Harry's side was Rahewa.

"There are quite some changes," began Viktor, "and among the most significant ones is the new emphasis on fair play."

"What's new with that?" asked Nigel Humphries, a Slytherin Beater. "We put emphasis on fair play as hard as a club on a Bludger, don't we?"

Viktor grinned. "Well - a club on a Bludger is no problem, while we all know a lot of other techniques to stop the other side from scoring."

"So what's new then?" called Bobby Gillinshaw, the Ravenclaw captain. "More penalties? Do they count differently?"

"Penalties are the same as before," replied Viktor, "they are given by the referee, after a foul bad enough to be punished. What's new is first that there might be more penalties, because the referees are ordered to punish fouls quicker than before. And then, there are the cards."

Some students, familiar with Muggle sports, already knew what Viktor was about to say, while Shorty Sloper, captain of the Hufflepuff team and called Shorty because he was by far the biggest of all Quidditch players, looked blank.

"Cards? ... Do we play cards for a penalty?"

"No," said Viktor, "there's only one person playing cards, and that's the referee. And he won't play them for a penalty but afterwards - while not always."

Harry asked, "Same as in football?"

Viktor didn't know football.

"If the foul was particularly bad," explained Harry, "the referee shows the fouling player a yellow card. That's a warning. And if the same player does it again, the second time it's the red card, which means he's ordered off the game."

Viktor nodded. "Yes - exactly that's the new rule."

The words raised an uproar in the round. Ron called, "What kind of nonsense is this - how can you play Quidditch with just one Beater, or no Seeker at all?"

Viktor let the shouting fade before answering all the questions. "If a team loses a Chaser or Beater through a red card," he said, "it will have a hard time to win - that's why the new rule will truly emphasize fair play. If a Seeker or a Keeper is ordered off the game - actually, that's much less likely to happen since these players do fouls considerably less often ..."

New protest, while eight of the twenty-eight students sat calmly, grinning, at least looking satisfied - initially nine, until Harry became aware that he no longer was suspected of playing consistently fair.

"... anyway, in that case, the team has to assign a Beater or a Chaser to the void position."

"That's ridiculous!" shouted Adrian Pucey, captain of the Slytherin team.

Viktor kept calm. "Just to let you know, the full rule is that a player who's been sent off stays excluded for two more games. That's only feasable for professional teams, which can afford more than seven players, while for us here at Hogwarts, it doesn't work. But the cards will be ready starting with the first match in our season."

Deirdre Redmond, Chaser of the Hufflepuff team and their only girl, couldn't agree. "Why can't we run this season with the old rules? Let's put the new ones at the beginning of the next year!"

"No." Viktor couldn't agree to that. "The leagues will play these rules starting as of January. Rather than changing rules in the middle of our game series, we'll establish them starting with the first game - same rules for everybody."

---

There was a minority of people who seemed happy with these rules. For Harry, more emphasis on fair play sounded like an improvement - but once more, he remembered that his perspective was somewhat outdated. Beater in the heat of the fight - maybe he would think differently.

Terry Boot, Ravenclaw Beater, looked angry. "What else is new?"

Viktor grinned. "There have been many votes to change the scoring rules. One party said a Snitch should count two hundred rather than hundred-and-fifty ..."

Katie shot up. "What a stupid idea! Isn't it enough that it counts fifteen times as much as - "

Viktor interrupted her. "Save it - there was another party who wanted to reduce it to hundred ..."

Cho shot up, glaring. "Don't tell me they came through with this crap!"

Viktor had fun. "Calm down, all of you. The ratio of scores remains unchanged."

Harry was up. "The ratio - and what has changed?" Viktor's expression told him that during the council, something terrible had happened to the Quidditch rules.

"People realized - ten points for a Quaffle hit, and hundred-and-fifty points for a Snitch, that's nonsense. One point for a Quaffle and fifteen for a Snitch do the same."

The tumult boiled worse than with the cards rule. Alicia yelled, "One bloody point? One?? You get kicked, and shot, and then you score - all this for just one point?"

Ron called, "It's true - cutting a zero at the end doesn't change anything!"

"Yes it does!" Chris Curlington, Chaser in the Slytherin team, stood for many others when he shouted, "With the counting you're right - but it feels totally different."

Heated discussions broke out between groups of players, within teams, across teams, without clear frontiers recognizable in the Great Hall.

"LISTEN, FOLKS!"

Heads were turning to Viktor.

"Before you spend all your energy on this new rule which doesn't change a bit, except for the impressive numbers, hear me to the end."

"Oh no!" groaned Frank Shapiro, Hufflepuff Beater. "It gets still worse!"

Silence fell over the hall. Now people looked at Viktor with great consternation.

"For a particular match," he said, "the counting is as explained - one per Quaffle, fifteen for the Snitch, and winner is the team with more points at the end. But then it comes: in a tournament like ours, the winner gets three points per game won. And the winner of the tournament is the team with the most win points."

Miranda Pincus, the new Ravenclaw Keeper, looked flabbergasted. "What's the difference?"

Next second, twenty other students tried to show her examples in which there was quite a difference - with two games won barely versus one lost high, or vice versa, or with the same results only attached to different houses.

Then some team members realized that there were a few questions left open, while those with knowledge of Muggle sports could already predict the details.

"What if two teams have equally much?"

Viktor nodded. "Then the game points count as before - but only then."

"What if even that number is the same?"

"Then the direct competition determines the winner."

"What if a match ends with a draw?"

Viktor looked around. "Does anyone remember a game with a draw?"

"Sure." Ron, of course, and his answer came immediately. "Italy against Egypt in eighteenhundred and ninety-four - semifinals."

"Okay." Viktor's expression showed awe in the face of true determination. "Then both teams get one point."

"And what happened to the third point?"

"Nothing." Viktor shrugged. "It's given only to winners."

---

While the discussion in the hall started again, Harry saw Ron heading toward the exit, saw him return shortly afterwards, parchments and quill in hand. Watching further, he saw Ron flipping through the parchments, writing something down. A minute later, Ron stopped writing, looked around. "OY! LISTEN!"

He had their attention.

"I just calculated the last three tournaments here at Hogwarts with the new rules - three points for the winner. I can tell you, the winner would have been the same in all three years."

"Never!" "Show me!"

Next moment, Ron was surrounded by his captain colleagues, who seemed less fluent with numbers, tables, and primary versus secondary point values. Then Isidor Goldsmith, Hufflepuff Chaser, wanted to see an example in which the old rules would have seen a different winner than the new ones.

"Okay," said Viktor, "assume in the first - " He stopped. "Ron - please do it. With your example, nobody will be surprised if the Gryffindors are the winning team."

Cho grinned. "In your example, Viktor, everybody would be surprised if it came out any different."

Viktor looked self-conscious.

Ron called quickly, "A referee has to be unbiased only during the match - and Viktor is such a referee, as you all know."

Even Cho nodded, while not bothering to stop her grin.

"Now listen," called Ron. "Imagine Gryffindor beats Hufflepuff and Slytherin, but both of them with the smallest possible result - ten points more."

Protest from these two houses, more protest because Ron was still using the old scoring rules.

"Do you want an example, yes or no? Well then, shut up and listen Ravenclaw does the same, except both times pretty high - say, two hundred points in each match. And then comes the match Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw."

Harry noticed that Ron used this seasons's pairing in his example, only that the results still had to be achieved, hopefully better than in the example.

"With the old rules," continued Ron, "Gryffindor could as well stop immediately - it's simply unrealistic to win by three hundred and ninety points, against a team that has already won two games. But with the new rules, the winner of that match is the winner of the tournament - it's like the final in the cup."

After some more discussion, Viktor declared the official part finished, and suggested to go and win fair, rather than playing games on paper.

Cho came over from the Ravenclaw team, looked at Ron. "A nice example you had there - and so elegantly left open for the outcome."

"Of course." Ron stared back. "What's the sense in destroying someone's dreams? In the match, it'll be soon enough."

"How right you are." Cho turned to Harry. "What's your comment?"

"The winner takes it all - and I'm looking forward to a real cup final."

"Very diplomatic. Don't tell me you'd feel sorry if we got smashed in our first match against Slytherin."

Harry obeyed.

Cho noticed it and grinned. "Clever Potter ..." She turned to the youngest member in the Gryffindor team. "What do you think, Rahewa?"

The coal-black eyes looked at Cho, looked away. "It doesn't matter what I think."

"Even so - if it's no secret, I'd like to hear your comment."

The same eyes looked again, this time holding their focus. "I think we'll meet again - up in the air."

* * *

The first match of the season would be played the next day. In the evening, Ron gathered his team in Gryffindor Tower. A few other Gryffindors had to be sent off first - this meeting had to be members only.

"Okay," began Ron when the last grumbling outsider had found the way outside, "I'm not going to hold a pre-match speech as Oliver did - although I never heard it directly. It would be nonsense, with me a team member as young as Ginny, Rahewa, and Wynton." He grinned. "To be honest - I'm quite nervous, because this is my first game, and a lot of people will watch, and one of them will be Janine. So this is just a time together in favour of the team spirit."

"Then where's the difference?" asked Katie. "Oliver did his speeches for exactly the same reason - he was as nervous as a virgin in the first ..."

Harry interrupted just in time. "Katie! ... There's no doubt you're cool and everything, but could you adjust your language to the complete team?"

Katie giggled. "Sorry - but you see, I'm nervous too ... And it doesn't feel to me as if Rahewa's ears would burn much from hearing what I said."

Regarding the visible evidence, this was true - only Wynton's ears seemed to have suffered a bit.

Ron said, "While on the subject of losing something ..."

Harry shook his head in mock desperation, while Rahewa barely suppressed a giggle.

"... there's a bit of speech I'd like to say ... This isn't from nervousness, it's just a realistic view of our situation." At this moment, Ron looked cool, competent - a true Quidditch captain.

"We're the cup holder," he continued, "and that simply means, we can't score better than the last time, although it was three years ago. The best we can do is reach the same result again - that's how it looks from the outside, and so far it's a bit unfair toward the rookies in the team, me included. But look at it from the inside. There are just two of us who'll continue where they've stopped three years ago - for all others, including Harry, it's something totally new ... So, with this in mind, there's no reason to freeze in tension - we're going to play our first season together, and at the end, we'll see where we've placed ourselves."

Alicia smiled at him. "Let me tell you, Ron - you're doing a hell of a job as our captain. Oliver never managed a speech as good as that."

Ron blushed. "That's of course flattery, but right now I don't mind."

Katie looked at Ginny. "Two Weasleys in the team - that's a good-luck charm no other team can offer. I think you stepped into a big pair of shoes, Ginny, but I'm pretty sure - in a while they'll fit."

Ginny looked at her ankles. "I take your words metaphorically - there's no need for my feet to grow still bigger."

Harry studied Rahewa's face, a calm mask not showing any emotion. She sensed his gaze and shot a quick glance, then looked away.

"When I was in your situation," he said, "I felt awful ... Had birds in the stomach, and that's why I couldn't eat breakfast at all and not much during lunch. That's how it was six years ago."

Ginny did him the favour to prompt. "And today?"

"Today I'm an oldtimer in the team - and nothing has changed. It's not because of the changed position - I'll be sick until the moment we're up in the air."

Alicia turned to Wynton. "So you're the only man without nerves in the team."

Wynton smiled, to be addressed as a man.

"What's your secret, Wynton?" Alicia seemed genuinely curious.

The fifth-year shrugged. "It's no secret. You know, I try not to care about the match, the score, and all the other factors. All I see is that Quaffle which comes closer. If it can't be stopped - if it's simply impossible, I don't care much - after all, it's not my job to do miracles. Only if it could have been held but I failed - that's driving me nuts. In this sense, there isn't too much difference between a training and a match for me."

Ron had listened. "Sounds fascinating ... Tomorrow evening, I'll ask you whether you'd still say the same."

Wynton laughed. "Yeah - that thought crossed my mind, too."

* * *

Harry's confession the evening before had been hardly an overstatement. The only difference - he knew he had to eat during breakfast, and he managed a bit. Glancing around, he saw that none of the other team members did much better.

In the afternoon, he used his time in the training hall for simple exercises - stretching, bending, slowly, carefully, performing a ritual of perfect movements. Then he sat down and crossed his legs for the lotus position, to sit and meditate.

Not far away, Ginny did the same.

Then it was time.

Dressed in the scarlet robes of the Gryffindor house, they walked to the Quidditch pitch, saw the Hufflepuff team ahead - yellow robes with black stripes, in the darkness creating the impression of body parts badly assembled together.

The stadium looked full. Students and teachers from Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang - and quite some parents, probably as a result of the portkey link station in Hogsmeade.

A well-known figure grinned at them. "All right, Gryffindor - make sure I'll have to talk about you most of the time!"

It was Lee Jordan, the commentator for the match - there had been nobody in Hogwarts who didn't feel it most appropriate to take the opportunity, with Lee as far apart as a step through the Durmstrang link. Lee's special mix of comments - about the game but also about players, particularly female ones, counted as a tradition to be kept.

Shorty Sloper, the Hufflepuff captain, grinned. "In case you haven't noticed, Lee - we also have a girl in our team. So if your remarks will concentrate too long on the other Chasers, I'll claim you prejudiced."

Lee Jordan looked at Deirdre Redmond while answering. "I'm not blind, Shorty - I noticed this particular improvement of your team immediately." Then his glance fell on Rahewa. "Although she has to compete against a majority of four, while I'm ready to admit - she's well equipped for this competition."

Shorty Sloper beamed, only his youngest Chaser seemed to swallow on the method how Lee was warming up for his own task.

Ron shook hands with his captain colleague. He looked dwarfed by Shorty's appearance, otherwise calm, a thin smile in his face.

Viktor had the Quaffle ready. "Three ... Two ... One ..." The shrill blow of his whistle broke the moment of silence in the wide round. The match was running.

---

Within seconds, Harry knew that Gryffindor had been caught off balance, and he himself was part of the problem. His orientation was poor, he felt unable to catch the rhythm, and his inner eye was confusing him more than it helped.

Hufflepuff scored the first time before the game was a minute old.

Harry felt stunned, his teammates also - Hufflepuff scored again.

Harry had trouble synchronizing with Ron. They were fighting as two isolated Beaters - no match for Don Prentiss and Frank Shapiro in the Hufflepuff team, who seemed to have inherited the twins' role.

Lee's comments added to Harry's confusion. In previous matches, as a Seeker running above the Chasers and Beaters, these comments had been a second source of information - Harry's eyes scanning the air while his ears listened to the description of the playing below. Now, it took him a moment to learn that Lee's words came too late for his own role as a Beater.

"... Lewis is driving the Quaffle, holds it close to himself, but here comes Katie and - no, he's passed to Deirdre, and she has open course, except for Harry, and Harry is waiting, and now Ron has sent him a Bludger, and all he has to do is to hit it properly, then this Irish girl will take a bad ... here it comes, his club's ready - and ... Oh no, what's he doing? Deirdre's through, and Wynton's the last hope, only - score! Score for Hufflepuff - Deirdre's second point ... Hufflepuff leads five to zero!"

Harry felt burning anger, and shame, and frustration. The Bludger sent from Ron had come perfectly, he had hit it perfectly - to avoid Deirdre, more exactly, to send it so she could dodge without losing the Quaffle.

Sending a Bludger at such a short distance, right into the stomach of a player, a girl in particular - he had seen no way of doing that.

Ron closed in on him, anger in the face. "Harry - what are you trying to do? Either you play Beater or you stop right away!! ... Got it?"

Harry nodded, his ears feeling as if glowing in the dark.

Katie wasn't angry, she was furious. "You bloody fool! Can't you keep your mind at Quidditch?" She was so mad, lacking concentration for a moment, that the Bludger sent by Frank Shapiro hit her at the left shoulder, from a very short distance.

With a cry of pain and fury, Katie crossed the short distance and threw her fist into Frank's face.

Harry heard the whistle, saw Viktor shoot upward, reaching Katie, showing her the yellow card.

Lee's voice was at the edge of skipping. "The first warning ever in Hogwarts, and it's taken by Katie ... As experienced as she is in this team, which still has to gain some game practice, she seems infected by the trouble of their teammates - Now she's furious, and while she looks definitely gorgeous in this state, it won't do her playing much good ... But here comes Isidor for the penalty, a cool mind if any, and that's the only way to master Wynton, the only one who's keeping his nerves in the Gryffindor team, provided he has ... No, there wasn't any chance, Isidor's done a masterpiece of penalty ... Hufflepuff leads six to zero against the cupholder ... Ladies and gentlemen, if we don't see a small miracle, the cup will find a new place pretty soon."

Ron called for a time-out.

Down at the ground, he looked from one to the other. "Okay, folks ... We've lost our first game, without ever getting the feet into the air ..."

"Huh?" Alicia stared at him in bewilderment.

"... now comes our second. The good news is, the others didn't get any win points so far - the bad news is, they're still six points in the lead. But aside from that - " Ron looked fierce, "TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN - two minutes from now we'll be in a Quidditch match!"

He glared at Harry. "You'll shoot Bludgers - and you'll do it together with me ..."

He glared at three of the four girls. "... you'll hit Quaffles, for a change ..."

He stared at Wynton. "... you'll start thinking every Quaffle can be held ..."

He looked softer at the youngest team member. "... and if these jerks can't manage - me included, that is - you're our last hope, Rahewa."

Another glare in the round. "Did I express myself clearly?"

Katie saluted. "Yessir, cap'n, sir!"

It rose a memory in Harry - of a scene in the Entrance Hall, returning from a patrol with Cho, meeting Almyra there ... He giggled. Before Ron could react, he said, "Stand easy."

With Katie's foot stepping forward, Harry felt the tension fall off his mind, grinned. "All right, captain. Losing my first game as a Beater was a great experience, which has formed my character a lot. Now it can't be any worse - let's go."

---

They were up again - a different team.

Hufflepuff had the first run. Lewis Finckley was driving the Quaffle, approaching a block formed by Alicia and Ginny. Harry saw Deirdre flying in parallel to Lewis, saw the pattern, knew what would happen, when Lewis would send the Quaffle, reached the next Bludger, stopped it only, positioned again behind the slowly moving black ball ...

Lewis' arm turned back.

Harry hit the Bludger, feeling the impact of his club, feeling the rightness of the spot he'd hit, feeling the truth in this pattern of bodies and balls, all of them at different speed.

The Quaffle sailed toward Deirdre, her arm was up ... Next instant, she fell sidewards and rolled around her Firebolt - the only method to avoid Harry's Bludger.

Katie caught the Quaffle, pushed forward.

"... Gryffindor in possession, which so far hasn't meant anything, but now it seems Harry has found his style as a Beater - alternating between a mad dog with a Bludger when the other side's running, and a cavalier not leaving from the side of his lady with the Quaffle ... which now is Ginny, only here comes Isidor - oops, that was close, and now the air's free, except there come Don and Frank, waiting for them, playing ping-pong with a Bludger ..."

Suddenly, Harry's skill in balance, in aikido, in kenjutsu worked together with his inner eye. He saw the movements, the players on their Firebolts and the balls appeared like planets on predictable courses - funny, he'd never been that good in Astronomy, one of the reasons why he dropped it ... Frank and Don, Don and Frank, the Bludger now here, which meant by the time he'd be there it would be in Don's reach, and he himself in front of Ginny, and Frank's club was hissing through the air, only it was the shadow strategy, he'd known eons before, and now the Bludger came, met his own club, miraculously attracted with the proper spot, whooshed forward, aiming toward Shorty, quite a target, really, who tried to dodge it and be ready for the Quaffle, except that Ginny passed to Alicia whose arm was up, had the Quaffle, about to shoot with all force, suddenly losing all power, gently touching the red ball - which trundled between the Hufflepuff goalposts, just out of reach for Shorty with his long arms.

"... SCORE! SCORE! SCORE! ... Gryffindor has scored for the first time - Alicia has found the memory how to drive a Keeper mad ... Hufflepuff still leads six to one ... Well, it's a beginning."

The spell was broken.

The Gryffindors felt it, and the Hufflepuffs felt it, showing effect. Minutes later, the score was six to four.

The Hufflepuffs learned quickly. They learned it was no good sending a Bludger toward the attacking Gryffindor Chaser while that girl was escorted by Harry. These Bludgers never found their target, were sent another direction with a frightening accuracy and speed.

Ron had sensed it, too. Whenever possible, he sent his Bludgers to Harry, rather than attacking a Hufflepuff player by himself. Ron wasn't up to this level of kendo in the air, while his excellent overview and position play earned him the proper amount of black balls which, a moment later, turned to buzzing hornets with a nasty sting.

Then Ron collided with Deirdre while she was driving the Quaffle. With some good-will, one could say it was not on purpose, in particular since Ron, in the last instant, had brought his club out of the way.

This saved him from another yellow card. But of course it was a penalty.

---

"... Isidor has the Quaffle, clearly Hufflepuff's choice when it comes to penalties ... Now he's coming, not too fast, has all the time of the world, and now he's - no, a feint, and here - Wynton hasn't moved, takes the Quaffle like a Christmas present, and now he's bowing as if to say, thank you, Isidor ... The score remains at six to five for Hufflepuff."

Wynton's sneering gesture drove the Hufflepuffs wild.

They were pressing harder, playing faster, as if waking up from a trance. In addition, they had realized it was more advantageous to sent Bludgers anywhere except close to a Gryffindor Beater.

Unfortunately for them, Wynton had taken Ron's remark literally.

For the next minutes, there was a constant power play toward the Gryffindor goal, Lee crying himself hoarse about the hundred percent chances smashed to zilch by Wynton's slow arms.

Another attack, held by Wynton. This time, his arms hadn't been slow at all.

Another attack, stopped in the middle by Katie intercepting the Quaffle, sending it toward Ginny, who was running the counter at full force.

Harry stood too far behind to escort her. He was pushing as hard as possible, swearing at this slow Firebolt, why couldn't he use his Steel Wing - that would be acceleration ...

Ginny had left the Hufflepuff Chasers behind, only Don still in her way.

Harry saw the pattern, saw it coming, saw it happen. The Bludger, sent by Frank, reached Don, was hit in the exact angle, crossed the short distance to Ginny who was an instant too slow, or too big a target, hit her at the uppermost part of her forehead, bounced off.

Harry was hopelessly out of reach, though not helpless. Already diving, toward the level where his Firebolt would meet the course of a falling body, he felt the blackening in Ginny's presence, sent a fierce jolt of power and energy - "STAY AWAKE!" - felt it arrive, felt her respond, sent another wave, saw her body staggering, her hands gripping the broomstick, close to unconsciousness, with a last wave regaining a bit of balance, enough to hold, to inhale deeply, to shake her head, to issue a choked moaning, and touch down quickly, only to vomit on the ground.

Viktor's whistle made Harry aware of what he'd missed while supporting Ginny with waves from mind and soul.

Katie had reached Don, had planted her right fist on his eye, then her left on his nose, which now was bleeding heavily.

Katie ignored the red card held into her face, was shouting at Viktor. "Didn't you see what he did? Sending a Bludger toward her head at such short distance ... That's no Quidditch, that's murder ... Take that card away! You know what you can do with your card? You can use it to ..."

Ron reached her, suffocating the rest of the sentence. However, the final insult toward the referee wouldn't have made it any worse - Katie had seen the red card, her own words giving proof.

Ron argued with Viktor, to no avail.

"He didn't violate the rules," replied Viktor. "He's a Beater, and he used a Bludger - that's perfectly okay. And even if not, Katie's not supposed to use her fists in his face ... No, and that's the end of this discussion ... No! One word more, and you'll see the yellow card - and five seconds later, you'll see the red!"

Harry had reached Ron, used his hand to save Ginny's brother from his first warning.

This done, he turned to Don, looking cold. "I apologize for Katie - such a cruel act of unfairness, while you kept so perfectly to the rules. A true Hufflepuff - never a foul, Heaven forbid ..."

Don added another kind of red to the colours in his face, while Viktor eyed suspiciously toward Harry. However, Quidditch rules were very clear about what exactly was an insult, failed to notice them in polite words, somehow missing the point entirely ...

Shorty Sloper called for a time-out, to get Don's nose-bleeding under control.

---

Ron used the opportunity to set a new Gryffindor record - never before in a game had Oliver Wood made three speeches in, or before, the same match.

"Katie," he said, "I can't blame you, I'm lucky you were closer than I. For the others - no more fouls, no - more - fouls ... We can't afford it - which doesn't mean you shouldn't be as nasty as you can get. Rahewa, do me a favour - get that Snitch, and get it fast, because they'll slaughter us."

Then Ron turned to his sister. "Can you play, Ginny?"

"Don't ask me, because you won't like the answer." Ginny's hand touched the growing egg on her forehead, causing another moan.

Harry knelt before her. "Wait a second ... Your concussion is beyond my reach, but there's no need for this devil's horn." A moment later, the swelling started to fade.

"Thanks." Ginny glanced at him. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Yep ... I wasn't completely sure whether I'd have been there to catch you."

"It was like a bucket of cold water ... Still - thanks again."

Viktor's whistle signaled the end of the time-out.

In spite of their superior number, the Hufflepuffs seemed quite respectful, still feeling some guilt. And more than ever before, they did what they could to keep the Bludgers away from Harry. The effect created something like a game of Chasers against Chasers, and this was probably the best strategy, whether on purpose or by accident.

Harry changed from a Beater to a Chaser, except that he was chasing Bludgers, simultaneously scanning the air for a golden spot. There hadn't been any trace of the Snitch so far.

"... and poor Wynton is beaten again - Lewis scores for Hufflepuff ... Hufflepuff leads sixteen to five."

Harry saw Rahewa dive down, followed by Billy Chadwick, the Hufflepuff Seeker. Next moment, she bolted upward, driving a narrow arc. A feint, or the Snitch had disappeared again. Either way, Harry hadn't seen it.

"... Hufflepuff leads twenty to five ... With their next score, there'll be no doubt left about the outcome of this game in which the new rules have played such an important - What's that? The two Seekers side by side - there!! The Snitch - and that girl can accelerate faster, lightweight that she is - another example how well proportioned can have many meanings ..."

Eyes were looking upward, watching the race across the nightly sky.

Harry sensed another movement, pushed instinctively forward, reached Alicia, who had used the moment of disconcentration to catch the Quaffle, to run a last, desperate attack toward the Hufflepuff goal, to send the Quaffle toward Ginny who was speeding up, course free toward Shorty ...

The game would end when the Snitch touched ground ...

"... girl's in the lead by a half broomstick, and if the Snitch doesn't change course now, it's - but there, LOOK THERE, LOOK THERE, it's through - the Quaffle has passed Shorty, Ginny has scored for Gryffindor, and that point counts, that point counts, that's the point which makes the ... SHE'S GOT IT! SHE'S GOT IT! Rahewa's coming down, no she's crashing down, will never be able to - there she is! She's down, hammers the snitch into the ground, and the game is over! IT'S OVER - GRYFFINDOR'S DONE A MIRACLE - a second of watching too long, and Alicia's seen a chance where none has been, and has used it, and Gryffindor scores six to twenty, and Rahewa Lightfoot is the match winner, scoring fifteen, makes twenty-one to twenty for Gryffindor!"

Katie managed first in reaching Rahewa, took her, wheeled her around, held her, had to protect her a moment later when the other figures in the scarlet robes dropped from the sky to fall over this growing heap of bodies, cheering, yelling in triumph.

"Leave her alive! We'll need her again!"

Ron and Harry sobered up sufficiently to grab Rahewa, to put her on their shoulders, marching side by side through the Quidditch pit, one arm holding a leg, the other waving, fists up, followed, flanked, preceded by the other teammates, savouring the tumultous concerto from the large circle.

---

Coming back, they found Shorty Sloper blocking the path, to congratulate them. "My respects to a lucky team, Ron - and if it wasn't luck, we can blame only ourselves."

Next was Janine, storming across the pitch to catch Ron. If not for his sense of responsibility as a captain, she would have taken him off the team even without a red card.

Hermione came next. "Splendid, Harry - not in the beginning, but afterwards."

He grinned. "Yeah - although, next time I might come with my own Bludgers, or with another strategy."

Then he saw Cho and Almyra coming over.

Cho smiled. "Harry - I know you're famous for a bad start - there was no need to show me again." Then she used the trouble around to kiss him, to hug him, and to stir some thoughts other than Quidditch in Harry's whirling mind.

Almyra used the time to congratulate Rahewa, then came back, beaming. "You really have a way with a club and a Bludger, Harry - but something else has impressed me still more."

He knew what she was talking about, surprising him. "Did you feel it?"

"Not really - certainly not like Ginny. It was - I knew what was going on, and I saw how you started even before it happened ... For someone else, it could have looked a bit frightening."

He grinned. "Who cares about someone else?"

In a few minutes, the Gryffindors would celebrate their winning together with some guests, from other houses like Cho and Almyra, from another school like Janine, even with non-students like Viktor. But first, using a classroom to be alone, Ron gathered his team for a short summary.

"We've got our first three points," he said. "And we've learned some things today."

"Yes," said Harry. "we have a true Seeker ... We suspected it, and today we know."

The fire which had burned in the dark eyes down at the Quidditch pit gleamed up again.

Ron nodded. "And at the other end of the line, we have a flawless Keeper who can teach a Chaser crew the fear of God."

Wynton blushed. "Well ... I felt challenged."

They had to laugh at that.

Katie looked at Harry. "What happened to you after the break? Until then, it was a real mess, while afterwards, you taught them the fear of the Bludger. The twins were respected a lot, but after a while, they really got scared to see you coming close to a Bludger."

"It came together - that's all. To quote Cho, my problem is a bad start."

Ginny wasn't the only one not even trying to suppress a suggestive grin. "If that's the common pattern, at least we can hope this start counts for the entire tournament."

Harry felt pretty sure about that.

Ron said, "If the other teams try the same - I mean taking the Bludgers out of the game, we have to be prepared with a counter strategy."

"Not necessarily," replied Katie. "At the least, then it's a game of Chasers only - and with our crew complete, we are good enough to stand against any other." She grinned ruefully. "I've learned my lesson - it was very impressive to see the effect of the new rules."

"Okay," said Ron, "then there's only one point left on my list." He looked at his sister. "Red cards are just one way to diminish a team - suicide attacks are another."

Ginny protested. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"That's a comforting thought ... All right - anything else?"

"Yes," said Alicia. "Please don't take it personally, Ron, but - I wouldn't mind if the second match does not end as predicted in your example some days ago."

Ron smiled. "Me either. We suffered from the new rules, but we also benefitted - you can't get more than three points. All we have to do is win two more matches."

Harry laughed. "Ron - that's the first time you've sounded like Oliver."

They walked back to Gryffindor Tower, were welcomed with applause, from the other Gryffindors and from the guests.

Cho smiled archly. "Somebody had to get these three points - you took them, which I like better than the other way around, and you did it in the most economic way."

Harry smiled back. "No more competition. This evening, you're just a guest to celebrate three points - and there's nothing wrong with them."

She had a look in her eyes. "Right - it's a magical number, we have to celebrate that somehow."

"That's why we're here, isn't it?"

"Well ..." This particular look grew stronger. "I wasn't necessarily thinking of this evening, and maybe in a more private round - " her eyes were sparkling, "and three was certainly not the number of people I had in mind."

* * *

The next big event would be the Hogwarts Christmas Ball, the first in the program of the three united schools and also the milestone at the end of term - Christmas vacation started right after the ball evening. For Harry, this vacation would be a premiere - the first to be spent at home since he'd been at Hogwarts.

The organization of the Hogwarts ball lay in the hands of Fleur as the responsible teacher - a natural choice, as everybody agreed. For Fleur, so the common thinking went, it should be a piece of cake, what with her skill, and her experience, and considering how much every male in Hogwarts was pleased to do her a favour. Basically correct, sure, except ...

Fleur came to Harry, looking worried. "I have to ask you another favour, 'arry."

He bowed, not raising much relief in Fleur's face. She said, "You answer's a bit unclear, my friend - has this been a French bowing, an English bowing, or a Japanese bowing?"

The question caught him off balance. "I didn't decide in advance. What are the differences?"

"If it's a French bowing, it means forget it, although very politely so ... If it's an English bowing, it means yes, since the clenched teeth are hidden while bowing."

Harry laughed. "And if it's a Japanese one?"

"Then it means I'm hearing you, and you better prepare yourself by thinking over your request in advance. That's why I think it's been a Japanese one."

Smiling, Harry bowed again.

Fleur looked almost desperate. "Alors ... I'm trapped, and you have to help me out."

In Harry's face, astonishment made room for determination. "who do I have to teach manners?"

Now Fleur looked truly embarrassed. "If it were that simple. As you know, the ball is open for fourth-years and up, due to the limited space. Even so - now with the Durmstrang people, it'll be tight," she could grin, "although there's nothing wrong with that."

"I know - about both, I mean."

"Fine, because pretty soon someone will come to you and ask you for a way to bend this rule, and now guess who that'll be?"

"Oh ..." Harry felt trapped.

Following the old principle that misery needs company, Fleur seemed quite satisfied, seeing his reaction. She said, "I told her, no way, but of course I know my younger sister, and how her mind is ticking ... So, 'arry, just have the kindness not to open a back door, okay? That's all I'm asking."

All? It was unbearably much.

Gabrielle stood before him. "You're my hero, 'arry ... You must find a way!"

"Gabrielle, I'm a hero of honour ... I can't bend the rules for my own advantage, or yours, which is the same."

Gabrielle no longer stood before him. She was on him, touching him, his face, his shoulders, but otherwise in a way an eleven-year-old shouldn't know. After a moment, he felt dizziness ...

"Stop that! Now!"

"Pardon, 'arry. It wasn't on purpose - er, I mean, not completely ..."

The quarter-Veela at his neck changed to a miserable-looking eleven-year-old, and somehow, the effect seemed worse than before. "Gabrielle," said Harry, "sit down and let me think."

She did - very quickly so.

Gabrielle wasn't allowed to join the ball, because she was a first-year, and the ball opened its doors only for fourth-years and up. This had to be a Zen riddle - finding the solution for the impossible.

Think again. Fact: the ball was open for fourth-years and older. Fact: Gabrielle had to be at the ball - yes, take it as a fact, to speed up things. Conclusion: Gabrielle had to be a fourth-year, which was utter nonsense.

Harry looked into her face. This was a mistake, because ...

No - hadn't been a mistake, because under the highest pressure, he found his best ideas. And now he saw the flaw in his facts collection, and remembered something he'd read some time ago, and ...

His gaze at her gained focus. "You want to dance, right?"

Stupid question, but without any other hero around ... Gabrielle nodded.

She also confirmed, yes of course Chloé would be happy, only it had seemed too much to ask Harry for that, but if he saw a way, oooh, he was a true hero, up to his reputation, and she'd known in advance ...

Yes, she was ready to do her share.

Yes, she could follow someone's command, if that was reasonable.

She wasn't sure, but she would ask, and if the answer was no, she would find a way to alter it, felt quite sure about that.

Harry wasn't sure either, had little doubt in one case, little more in the other. "And no word to Fleur," he instructed Gabrielle, "unless I tell you otherwise ... Let me handle this."

A beaming. "But yes, 'arry ..." A hug, and a kiss, not caring who might watch, then Gabrielle hurried away.

---

Watched had, among others, Cho. She came over.

"Those Veela are full of tricks. Doing it in full public - now really, Harry - "

"I'll explain it to you later - just don't tell Fleur, okay?"

He was in a hurry, because - someone else had also watched, and he had seen an expression in a face, and this face belonged to someone who played an important role in his plot, a key role, to be precise. He met her outside. "Rahewa, can we have a walk?"

A nod. The dark eyes didn't come into his view.

"Let's follow the lakeside."

After a while, he stopped, pointed. "It was down there, two years ago ..."

Rahewa listened to his story of the second task in the Triwizard Tournament. By the time he'd finished, she could look at him, and did so, not looking anywhere else.

"Now Gabrielle has a problem," he explained, "and since I'm her hero, she expects me to solve it ..."

Did these black eyes show some contempt?

"... and I have an idea. If it works, it's ... Well, let's see - Rahewa, you're a Cree, that's all I know. I don't know anything about Crees and other American Indians, only I've read ..."

Rahewa listened again, then nodded, yes, he was right.

Yes, of course she knew. Every ...

Yes, that would be like a dream come true. These weren't her words, only her eyes.

No, she had no obvious candidate.

Harry knew someone, found the idea enticing, because of the houses and so.

Rahewa smiled on that, suddenly resembling very much another eleven-year-old.

After talking with his candidate, finding blank terror first, reluctant attention then, hesitant agreement at the end, Harry made a visit to prepare for his own contribution.

Professor Sprout listened to his explanation, then smiled. "You see, Mr Potter - you never know what something's good for, even Herbology ... Although I have to admit, this isn't part of the regular program - after all, who might need something like that?"

Harry did, and the witch showed him how it was done.

Then he went to Fleur, told her that for some reason, after the first half hour into the ball, he would need about ten minutes.

Fleur looked expectant, but quickly realized that she would learn no more, not today, and agreed. "It's even nicer that way, 'arry - I can recite the ball's organization in my sleep, and now there's a surprise even for me. I hope it's a nice one."

Harry smiled. "You bet."

For the last prerequisites, he had to ask Rahewa again, had to lend her a network ticket for portkey links, wanted to pay for the items, was rejected, wanted to pay at least for the others, only hitting solid rock, giving up on that.

Two days before the ball, Rahewa found him, guided him with beaming eyes to a box. He looked in, his nostrils widening at the fine smell. The items were brand new, soft, delicate, very genuine.

Officially in preparation for the booking of seats, he asked Ginny about her state of things.

She smiled. "Yes of course - two seats, please."

Harry wrote. "Two seats ... for Ginny and ..." He looked up, a question in his face.

She grinned. "Are those seats named, Harry?"

He shrugged. "Dunno ... Could be, couldn't it?"

"Never! But to cover this burning gap in your knowledge - I've found a partner, nothing special, so to speak, actually quite common in a certain way ..."

Harry stared at her. "Awfully good to know that, really, because who cares about the details?"

"Well - I guess now I've put you on a totally wrong trap. So, before you draw a face seeing him, and he wouldn't know why - it's Wynton."

"Really? That's a nice idea."

"Yes - I thought so, too. And he thought the same."

Looking from Wynton's perspective, any other reaction would have taken Harry much by surprise. From Ginny's words, he could imagine the scene - Wynton in desperate search for - well, at least in search for a partner, and then this show-stopper of a girl coming along and asking him, maybe in the midst of a Quidditch discussion ... Harry remembered Katie's remark about a slow hand.

With all this settled, it was high time to get his own preparation finished. In contrast to the previous year, he could do it almost by himself, had to ask for Kenzo's help in just one detail. Done ... The ball could come.