Pictures of Innocence

Ludo Bagman swept his wavy blond hair out of his eyes and urged his broom faster, turning around an old birch tree. He reached out as he went past, and brushed the smooth bark with his fingertips. He grinned and doubled back towards the lake, which was at the back of the estate. He was skimming over the lake when a voice came booming over the grounds.

"Ludo, they are here."

Ludo sighed. Ever since the Department of Experimental Charms had developed the '"Sonorus"' spell, his mother had been using it every day to call him in from his Quidditch practice. Now that he could hear her, he had no excuse for staying out longer.

"NOW, Ludovic!"

Her voice rippled the lake and Ludo grimaced. No use even trying to pretend he didn't hear her now. He turned his broom towards the family manor. Ludo landed in the back garden and ran through the back door, into the kitchen and upstairs into the living room.

His mother was sitting on the couch, her long blue robes catching his eye immediately. He had bought them for her two years ago and she only wore them for special occasions. His attention, however, quickly turned to the two men sitting across the room.

One was young and clean shaven with light brown hair. The other was old and grizzled. The older man held a pipe in one hand, and a cane in the other. Both were dressed in the standard grey robes of ministry officials. Ludo's heart jumped.

One of the men, the younger and kinder looking of the two, stood up and bowed to Ludo.

"My name is Percy Smithers. I am the recruiter for the Wimbourne Wasps. And this...," Percy said indicating the man still sitting in the chair and avidly puffing on his pipe, "is Connor Diggins, Head of the Department for Magical Games and Sports."

Ludo felt his jaw drop. He bowed to them both. "S...sirs," he said, bowing again. Percy smiled, but Diggins just grunted and continued to puff on his pipe.

"We are here to inform you, Mr. Bagman, that you have been selected to fulfill the position of beater on our reserve team," said Percy, beaming.

"M...me?" Ludo stammered.

"Yes, we have noticed your unique talent on the Quidditch field."

"But there are loads of people better than me."

"Yeah boy, there are. But we've seen you fly and you're damn good," Diggins spoke up, pipe clenched between his teeth.

Percy nodded, "Well, that's one way to put it."

He smiled at Diggins who growled, "Just get on with it. We don't have all day."

"Oh yes." Percy reached into his robes and pulled out a thick envelope. "Training starts on the 23^rd. A ministry car will pick you up if you do not wish to apparate."

Ludo bowed. "Thank you, sirs, Thank you." Percy smiled, took his cloak and hat from Mrs. Bagman and disapparated.

Diggins looked Ludo fiercely in the eye. He pulled his pipe out of his mouth and growled, looking him up and down as if gauging Ludo's ability. Then he smiled. "You're a damn good flier from what I saw of you out there by the lake. Continue to fly like that and we may one day see you on the National Team and in the Quidditch World Cup." And with that, Diggins disapparated.

Ludo stood frozen to the spot. His mother stood up and hugged him.

"Congratulations," she said happily. "It seems that your dream has finally come true."

Ludo smiled and broke away.

"I think I will go to my room," he said quietly. He turned and walked up the wooden back stairs that led to the upstairs hallway. He walked past his father's empty room and into his own.

His walls were plastered with posters of various Quidditch teams. The huge one in front of his bed was of the 1964 Quidditch World Cup held in Austria. Ludo stopped to stare at it. The game had lasted two day's and had been one of the most exciting events he had ever witnessed. Even now, ten years later, he hadn't forgotten a minute of it.

On another wall, Ludo's first broomstick was mounted. In a trunk below the broom was all his current Quidditch gear. And on top of his desk was a box that held his most prized possession. Ludo picked it up and sat down on his bed. He had received it on his sixteenth birthday, shortly before his father had died. He undid the clips and opened it up. A red quaffle sat in the bottom of the box, which was much bigger than it looked. On either side, held down by thick leather straps, were two bludgers. Both were struggling to get out. And inside the gold brass doors set in the lid was the golden snitch. Ludo smiled, remembering his days as a seeker.

He was about to close the case when a photograph hidden underneath the quaffle caught his eye. He lifted up the medium sized ball and pulled out the picture. It was taken when he was thirteen. He was on his broom, a Silver Arrow, arm outstretched and inches away from the snitch. It was a muggle photograph, as his father had been a muggle.

Ludo remembered the time well. It had been one of the last times he had played as a seeker. After he was thirteen, puberty had hit and he had grown tall and muscular. Awkward for a seeker. So he had switched his focus and became a beater, a more suitable position.

He put the photograph back underneath the quaffle and shut the box.