The Shafiq Legacy (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

competition

In the late afternoon of August, the sun shone on a large manor set upon a grassy hill. The cool wind blew through the trees and leaves rustled. A high-pitched shriek echoed through the halls as a tall, wiry young boy sprinted away from his sister, carrying a small broomstick.

"Give it back!" the petite girl screamed, tugging the broom but to no avail.

"No way. It's mine now." He smirked and lifted it above his head. Her hands slipped and she fell to the ground, sharply inhaling when her knees hit the marble floors.

"C'mon, Aiden!" She pleaded, getting up off the floor and hopping to try to reach it. Her short brown hair bounced into her face.

"You don't even deserve it. Why would Father get you a new broom when I still only have my Silver Arrow?"

"Because I aced my French Test and my Archery exam, unlike you!" His pale green eyes narrowed and he began to walk away. Her mind raced rapidly, trying to find a way to secure her broom. "Wait! What if I won it from you?"

"How?" He turned around, intrigued.

"In Quidditch. 1 v 1 and if I win I get my broom," She bartered.

"And what's in it for me?"

"You get to keep my broom."

"I already get to keep your broom." He turned to walk away but she grabbed his arm.

"I'll do your homework for a week," She wagered and he took a moment to consider it.

"I could use the free time... Alright, Briar. If you can beat me on my broom then you can have yours back, but if you lose, you do my homework for a week?" He stuck out his hand for her to shake and she accepted it, nodding. "Meet me in the backyard in 10." Briar suited up, strapping on her leather Quidditch gear over top of her jumpsuit. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and slid on her helmet. She grabbed Aiden's Silver Arrow from his room and pushed open the door. Sunlight blinded her as she stepped out. Aiden and Oliver stood, waiting for her under a large sturdy oak tree. "Let's do this."

Briar swung her leg over the broom and kicked off. She rose into the air, ready to play. As Oliver tossed the Quaffle in the air, the world slowed down. She leaned forward and her broom sped towards it. Aiden raced for it as well. She extended her arm, about to make contact with the Quaffle when the bristles of Aiden's broom whacked it away. It soared past her and into the hoop.

"Woohoo!" He cheered and Oliver retrieved the Quaffle. "1 to 0!"Oliver set it again and Aiden zoomed past her, chucking it into the hoop. This continued until he won, 10 to 0. As she sunk to the dead grass-covered ground, he cheered and strutted away. "Have fun doing my homework."

—

As Briar wrote an essay on the goblin revolution, she glanced out the window. Her brothers flew around on their brooms, zooming through the sky like agile birds. Her grip tightened around her quill and her eyes narrowed. She shoved away her essay and grabbed Aiden's broom, plus his spare Quaffle, from under her bed. Sneaking out the door, she crept into the forest and found a large clearing. The long grass swished around her knees. Large pine trees encircled the area, obscuring the view of her house and the village down below. I'm safe here. She stepped over her broom and gripped it tightly. She pushed off the grass, hovering 4 meters off the ground.

Briar placed her feet on the holds and leaned right, drifting in a small circle. Soon, it grew bigger and bigger until she was circling the whole clearing. The wind blew through her hair and whistled in her ears. She jerked up and did a full loop-de-loop. A feeling of pride swelled inside her and she let out a loud cheer. She smiled from ear to ear as she swooped down and her stomach dropped. She flew for what felt like hours but soon the sun began to set below the hill. Briar landed and ran up to the house, placing the quidditch supplies back.

This continued for a few weeks. She set up a quaffle hoop in the clearing and began practicing shooting goals. She practiced sharp turns and dives. She studied all the famous quidditch moves the Wronski Feint, Parkin's Pincer, and Finborough Flick to name a few. Soon, Briar was ready. Aiden was partway through a game of chess with Valyn when she stepped through the doorway. She stomped her combat boots on the hardwood floor. He looked up and she smirked. Soon, Briar was ready. Aiden was playing chess with Valyn when she stepped through the doorway, stomping her combat boots on the hardwood floor. He looked up and she smirked.

"I challenge you to a rematch!" Aiden looked confused for a moment but then smiled.

"I do have a lot of homework. Fine, same deal?" He extended his hand for her to shake and she accepted, nodding. "See you in the backyard." She equipped all her quidditch gear and met Aiden and Valyn outside.

He sighed. "Let's get this over with." He mounted his broom and Briar followed suit. They kicked off and the game began. She lunged for the Quaffle, grasping it as she shot towards the goal. She chucked it through the hoop and cheered.

"Woohoo!"

"Score 1 to Briar!" Valyn announced, sitting slouched against a tree. She tossed him the Quaffle and he set it. She swerved around Aiden and snatched the Quaffle out of his hands. He dove for her but missed and she threw the ball in the goal. "Score 2 to Briar!" Aiden's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed. The score ended at 10 to 4 in Briar's favor.

"You cheated!" He growled.

"Stop being such a sore loser." She poked his nose. "Now hand over the broom." He placed the broomstick in her palm and grumbled as he walked away. Elated from her victory, Briar sprinted up the stairs to her father's office. She pushed through the dark wood doors. "Father, guess what?"

Her father, a tall man with a long nose and jet black hair, glared as he looked up from a mound of papers.

"Oh, sorry." She mumbled, realizing she had broken her father's rule; 'No bothering me when I'm working'. "I won!"

"Excuse me?"

She lifted the broomstick proudly in the air, beaming from ear to ear. "I won it from Aiden in a Quidditch match. I bested him 10 to 4!"

"Do you need something? I'm working." He asked, and Briar's heart sunk.

"No, Father. I'm fine." She quietly closed the door behind herself as she slunk back. She sighed and made her way to her bedroom when she flopped onto her sheets. What would it take to get his attention?