The Chaser's Heart

Year 3: The Commentator

The rest of the weekend was far less eventful than Saturday morning. I did my homework, went for my morning run on Sunday, and then caught up with all the gossip from the first couple weeks of school with Penny and Rowan.

Apart from a curt nod in the common room, Skye didn't really acknowledge me, and that was fine. I was a bit disappointed that the only reason I'd been asked to play was because Amari was ill. It had been fun while it lasted and I had to keep in mind that there was still an opening on the house team. It could go to anyone and I knew my chances were better this year than they were the year before.

I went to my regular classes during the week, but I felt different. I'd actually played my first Quidditch Friendly, and had been invited by none other than Skye Parkin, daughter of Ethan Parkin, Quidditch legend. The whole family were Quidditch legends. Even without her heritage, Skye was a force to be reckoned with on the Quidditch pitch all on her own. I considered it an honour to have played on her team.

'Oi, Knight!'

I looked up from my roast beef and mashed potatoes on Thursday evening. It was Paulina Markov, a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team in her fifth-year and the girl who had fractured my shoulder on Saturday.

'Alright, Markov?' I nodded to her.

'Yeah, you?' She asked, taking a seat beside me. She was taller than me and had short brown hair and an upturned nose. She reminded me a bit of a pixie, it worked in her favour, she was quick and light on the Quidditch pitch. Except when she had rammed into my shoulder.

'Alright,' I shrugged.

'Sorry about your shoulder,' she said earnestly. 'Got a bit carried away.'

'It's alright,' I assured her. 'It only took about four seconds for Madam Pomfrey to mend it.'

'Was it broken?' She asked, sounding horrified.

'Just a small crack, no big deal,' I told her.

'Blimey, I'm sorry, it was meant to be a Quidditch Friendly!'

'It's fine, seriously,' I assured her with a weak smile.

'Listen, Cox has dropped out of the team, some codswallop about Gobstones Club,' she explained, rolling her eyes. 'I was wondering if you'd be keen to join us.'

'Oh,' I said. I had all but accepted the fact that my Quidditch Friendly career was over. I hadn't considered that another team may have wanted to pick me up. 'Yeah, alright, cheers Markov.'

'Brilliant!' She grinned. 'We play at eleven on Saturday, so long as the match before is over by then.'

'Right, thanks,' I told her.

'See you,' she stood up and walked back up the Great Hall.

'What d'you think, Rowan?' I turned to my best friend with a grin. 'Will you come and watch me this weekend?'

'I didn't know you were playing last weekend!' She laughed.

'It all happened rather quickly,' I said. 'Blimey, this is incredible. Charlie Weasley's on that team, he's supposed to be brilliant. And Fletcher Green... I wonder who we're playing. I ought to have asked before she left.'

I looked back up the Hall, but Paulina had gone.

'There'll be no Quidditch unless we stay on top of our homework,' Rowan said.

I groaned.

'There'll be plenty of time for homework,' I rolled my eyes at her.

'All the same, you promised you'd come to the library with me tonight,' she reminded me.