The Red Rose That Has Green Thorns

We got ready kind of slowly, to tell the truth. I know it was because each and every one of us were second-guessing ourselves, once more wondering if we really deserved to be here. And I knew that each of us would tell ourselves that of course we were, we were chosen especially because we are the Quidditch players. The best of the Hogwarts bests. It didn’t help us make up our minds, though. Only victory could really do that.

“Does everyone have the uniform on?” Scorpius’ voice asked from the guy’s “side” of the changing room. It was really the main area, and the girls went to the other side of a row of lockers.

“Just about there,” Olivia called back to him before I could open my mouth. She was nervously straightening the hoods on all of our black Quidditch uniforms unnecessarily.

“Come back over here when you are. We’re all done.”

Lily made a noise of agreement as Olivia finished with her hood and tugged Lily’s ponytail tighter, then her own. Martha was fidgeting a little, watching Olivia with big eyes. It was as if Martha was afraid that Olivia was going to try to put her very short hair up in a ponytail - which would be quite impossible, unless they were little pigtails.

“Let’s go,” I said, before Olivia could fuss over me and my apparel. “We’ve got just a few minutes to sort out game plans. A strategy.”

“You’re - you’re absolutely right,” Olivia agreed, dropping her hands from their nervous movements and following me back into the main area.

“Rose,” Scorpius said as soon as he saw me, “do you have any ideas? For a strategy? Ideas or suggestions, or something?”

I beckoned for him to follow me to a corner, and he came over.

“What about, for the first ten or so minutes, we let Martha be the primary chaser? She’s the youngest, so they’re not likely to expect that of us - they’ll think we’d pick Olivia, because she’s older and more experienced, and because we obviously will want to win. So we’ll make it seem that way. Right? When Lily or Martha get the Quaffle as they move up the field, they’ll pass to Olivia. She’ll pass back to them after a bit, mostly between Lily and herself. When they get within scoring range, whoever has the Quaffle will fly toward the hoop farthest from Martha, and then do a short and quick pass to Martha who will, if all goes well, score.”

I said all of this in a rush, in hushed tones. He thought about the idea for several moments, a few times opening his mouth, but closing it again.

“And when the other team finds out?”

“We will hopefully be fifty points up and able to enact the regular plays they’re used to using, with minimal problems, giving Zack time to catch the snitch…hopefully before Louis.”

“There’s a lot of hopefully’s in your plan,” Scorpius remarked dryly.

“Quidditch strategies are very imprecise things,” I retorted.

“Well, I like the idea,” Scorpius nodded, glancing at the chasers, “it’s got merit. But I’ve got a few suggestions…”

We talked in whispers for a few minutes more, then returned to the center of the room. Everyone looked up at us expectantly, and I sincerely hoped that the plans we’d thrown together in two minutes’ time would work out in the end.

“Martha,” Scorpius began, “how do you feel about being our star player early on?”

“How so?” Martha asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Smart girl, that one,” I remarked. “Asking ‘how so’ before giving a straight answer.”

“Indeed,” Scorpius rolled his eyes at me. “Here is our strategy - at least, until we’re found out. Olivia!” Scorpius directed his attention to the girl. “As the oldest and probably most experienced, you’re more likely to be our primary chaser, right?”

“I suppose so…?” Olivia said, making it sound more like a question than a statement.

“That’s what they’ll be expecting - at least, that’s what we’re hoping for. In which case, Martha will be our lead scorer. To start with. It doesn’t matter who gets the quaffle up the field, as long as Martha doesn’t have it when you get to the hoops. And Martha, if you do have it and you’re getting close, pass it off to Olivia. When whoever has the quaffle, between Lily and Olivia, reaches the goalposts, you’ll pass it - quickly, mind - to Martha, who should be at the farthest hoop from yourself. If you’re successful, Martha will then score.” Scorpius explained promptly, using his wand to draw a quick little demonstration on the chalkboard.

“We’ll be using this tactic until we’re found out, and then Olivia will choose the next strategy for the chasers,” I told them, meeting their eyes. “As she’s more knowledgeable in chaser strategies than Scorpius or myself.”

“I already know,” Olivia said suddenly. “When we figure out that they know our strategy, we’ll pretend we don’t know. We’ll act like it’s still Martha, and pass it to her in the scoring zone. Martha can pull a feint then, and pass it to whichever one of us - meaning Lily or myself - is nearer. It’s a bit imprecise, but it’s better than calling a time out for strategy planning, because they’d know we were changing it up if we pulled that.”

“That should work,” Hugh said, thinking. “And in the long run, it might work if you turned back to Martha as the primary chaser. As in, if we’ve been playing for upwards of, say, three hours. It won’t work for as long as it will in the beginning, but it might get us some points.”

“And Rose,” Zack cut in, his eyes serious, “you might want to watch out for the same tactics. They might try to use our strategy against us - or they might just try to pull a feint and make you think they’re using our own strategy against us.”

“Good points,” Scorpius said softly to me.

“What did you expect?” I anwered. “We’re Quidditch players. We play to win!”

I said the rest loudly, causing my brother to make a loud whoop of agreement, and my cousin to cheer.

“Let’s make sure our strategy is drilled into your heads, shall we?” Scorpius said, erasing his chalk diagram and readying his wand to show another example. I sat on a bench beside Hugo to watch.

The example when as such: Hugo knocked the quaffle from Al’s grasp with a well-aimed bludger, and Lily comes underneath to catch it. She immediately passed off to Olivia, who used a sloth grip roll to avoid a bludger, and tossed it off to Martha. Martha flew a bit farther up the pitch and, as Jacob Buford caught up to her, passed it back to Olivia. Olivia passed to Lily, who then finished the trek up the field and went for the leftmost hoop. When she was inches away, she passed to Martha, who put the quaffle through the rightmost hoop, scoring.

Scorpius went through three more fast-paced scenarios before we heard the booming voice over all the grounds again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, in just mere moments, the Hogwarts versus Hogwarts match of our Quidditch Exhibition will begin. Entering right now, from the Northern side of the pitch, is our White team! Who is this first? Ah, this is keeper Matt Jacobs, of Hufflepuff! Next, like a bullet, is seeker Louis Weasley, of Ravenclaw! And look at that boy fly! Next out are Molly Weasley, of Ravenclaw, Jacob Buford of Hufflepuff, and Albus Potter, of Gryffindor! Those are the White team’s chasers, folks! And last but not least, we have Mark Heston, of Slytherin house, and Fred Weasley, of Gryffindor, as beaters!”

“It’s your turn now,” a voice said from the doorway. Grinning at us, with a little half-grin, was Oliver Wood. “Hurry up, now. Don’t want to keep them waiting, do you?”

“Dad!” Olivia said, shocked.

He grinned and mocked, “Olivia!”

“Dad, what are you doing here--”

“I’m here to watch the game. Now get out there, they’re waiting!”

I suppressed a chuckle, dragging Zack with me. “We’re going in the same order, so as not to confuse the poor announcer! C’mon, Zack, use your legs! That’s why you have them! Nice to see you, Uncle Oliver! Hope you enjoy the game, and don’t be surprised if we win!”
Hugh and Lily, of course, cheered, and Hugh shook hands with Oliver when he walked by him, and Lily gave him a hug. Olivia gave her father a hug, then hurried after, to catch up to Martha and Lily.

“Good luck!” Oliver called after us, and we headed out onto the pitch.

“Thanks!” I called as I mounted my broom and, in a burst of speed, flew into the open with Zack behind me and the others following.

“Aaand…here we have Hogwarts’ Black team! First out was obviously a Weasley or Potter - ah, it’s Rose Weasley, of Gryffindor, and the Black team’s keeper! Next after her is Zachary Zabini, of Slytherin, seeker. And those three blurs, ladies and gentlemen, were chasers Olivia Wood, Ravenclaw, Martha Smethley, Hufflepuff, and Lily Potter, of Gryffindor. Look at them go! Following them are Hugo Weasley, of Gryffindor, and Scorpius Malfoy, of Slytherin. There are your Hogwarts teams!”

There were cheers, and what sounded like a magically enhanced muggle foghorn bellowed Louis’ name. That’s one thing Ravenclaws were good for, I thought with a chuckle.

“Are we ready to begin the game?” The announcer said loudly over all of the cheering, causing an even greater eruption of screams and foghorns and chants.