Quidditch Training

[Nathanial O'Thickleberry]

SET 25th August

There was clearing, just outside of the Hogsmeade Nate had been using it to train all summer.  After all he couldn’t afford the fancy field times on his meagre salary.   In this clearing Nate had set up a little area of excercises for himself.  

Some barrels which were charmed to be overly heavy to allow him to work on his general strength, some ropes strung up so that he could do chin ups and work on his arms and shoulders. A few other barrels where laid out on the ground to be pushed with brute strength.  He had a series of charmed hoops which he would use for broom drills. It was sort of his haven when the pressure of life got too much on him.  As time had gone on more and more of his quidditch colleagues had joined him in the clearing, as well as a few of the more ambitious senior Hogwarts students, who clearly wanted to make professional.  The set up often led to pick up games of quidditch, which was nice.  It was an experience were the usual team loyalties were set aside in favour of just the fun of the game.  

He had just laid out the last of the equipment, and a few bottles of his mother blackberry lemonade were laid out under a tree, with a cooling charm in operation to keep them drinkable in the stifling heat of the summer.  His mother had sent a small malt cake as well – the woman was a saint, despite the fact that they didn’t have much she still wanted to impress his friends as though he was still a small boy.  

There was a rustling at the edge of the clearing and looked up as the first of the quidditchers arrived.  Nate greeted with a wave.

  

[Philander Reid]

Andy rather enjoyed the informal practices that his teammate had arranged. There were always snacks involved, which truly helped to make the experience complete. He'd convinced a handful of other players to attend with him just by promising them O'Thickleberry's mother's treats at the end of it.

Already dressed in his quidditch robes, he walked through the clearing with his broom slung over his shoulder and his keeper gloves tucked under his arm. With his free hand, he waved at his team's seeker, "Nice day for it, isn't it? And what's your mum sent along this time?" He sniffed the air and swept a careful eye over toward the table beneath the tree.