Ace and Luka

3. Ace

Quidditch practice was one of the things I greatly looked forward to. Spencer, being the captain/best keeper ever/Gryffindor’s hero/school studmuffin/grand wizard role model/whatever else he was classified as, wanted the Gryffindor team to practice every other day. Being all those things, people listened to him. When I got out onto the field he was squinting his dark eyes in the slight breeze as his deep brown hair blew in the wind as well. It made him look very epic, it made me want to take a picture and sell it to one of his crazy admirers. To make it even more stereotypic-hero he gave me a slight nod as I entered the pitch.

Passing Spencer, I saw Rin and Serb smacking a small rock to one another with their clubs. They were the beaters of the squad, and great at it too. Serb was more of the timid, calm type that was always smiling with her framed blonde hair and freckles. But oh man, when she got on the field she was a power machine.. Rin was an odd person, no doubt. I remember when I first met her when I was stupid and young. I commented on how she was short. Yes, I know, it sounds mean, but it just came up in conversation. She nearly blasted me halfway across the field with her shouting and threats. She was short, hardly over five feet actually. Very short for a fifteen year old. Rin was very tomboyish and cynical, with a knack for beating things. People thought it was crazy that she was a beater. She was even better than Serb, though. Her skinny little arms could hit a bludger waaaaay across the field and hit the target the size of a Knut if she wanted to. They still weren’t who I was looking for.

Keel was next.. He was the crazy one. Yes indeed, more so than myself. Well, I suppose that’s not fair, he was more random than crazy, and I was crazier than him. Once we were in detention together and he was having a dream while sleeping with his head on a book. The way he described it, he had long arms. Like four foot long arms. And they swayed to and fro as he skipped. That’s right, skipped. But he didn’t skip through just anything, he skipped through posies. And posies and posies and posies and posies and posies and posies and posies and posies and posies and posies and posies and posies ect. Then he saw a flock of chocolate crows, and hey, how bout that? They were flying directly for his mouth! He woke up when the book slid out from under his head and he hit his head on the desk. The next thing I heard from him he was saying ‘Dang, I wanted to eat those birds…’ Yep. Keel was a bit coo coo in the head area.

I said hello, and passed the Chaser. Next came Fisher. Another Chaser. As usual, she was being her hidden mysterious self and sat with her back against one of the tall watching towers with her legs halfway bent. Her elbows rested on her knees and her chin met her chest. Of course, she had one of those long stringy pieces of grass in her mouth. One of those ones that make people look cool when they chew on the end of them. I always wondered where she got all of them. She even had one in her mouth during games. Fisher was awesome. She seemed quiet but get to be close friends with her and you find out she’s really sarcastic, humorous, and cruelly caring. Kinda like me!

Finally, I came across my favorite of the team. Kaz. Or Kazzy, Kazzikins, Kazul, Kazak, or anything else I called him. He had long black hair that covered his bright green eyes. They weren’t freak show green like Skinks, but a nice green. Friendly green, if you’d like to befriend a color. Kazzy was practically silent to anyone, much like Fisher at first. Really, he was radical. He rebelled against every school rule, and discovered the original rotating broom closet that turned into another hallway. Soon after the word got around and it was sealed off. But it was cool while it lasted. Kazzy was the last chaser on the team, but definitely not the worst. I couldn’t tell you the worst of the three if you asked, but Kazzy was probably the best. He was a maniac on his broom, like, seriously. He went crazy and it almost always ended up as a benefit for Gryffindor.

“Kazzy!” I exclaimed, giving noise to the silent pitch. Running up to him, I tackled him, but he was too quick. Again, he slid out of the way, and again, my face met the grass. I propped myself up by the elbows and turned to glare at him. “I’ll get you one day…” He was amused by this.

“Not when you’re as loud as you are,” he replied with a grin. This was true the four-hundred-and-fifty-sixth time he said it. I never really picked up on it, though. Kazzy and Fisher were placed first as my favorites. Second was Keel. That’s self explanatory. I suppose Spencer could pass as second too. Because he was great ol’ fun to bother, and took everything too seriously. The beaters were third. Rin because she scared me. Serb, because of her freckles…

“Ace! Quit fooling around! We’ve got work to do!” snapped Spencer once I was standing again. Grumbling, Kazzy and I stalked over to him. Fisher hopped down from her place up above, Keel enthusiastically hopped up. Serb gave one last hit of the pebble to Rin who slammed it out of sight. Then she slung the club over her shoulder and strutted proudly to where the team gathered in a circle..

“Alright, today we’ll be working on the formations for a Chaser, everyone else watch closely, because you’ll have to ensure they work out this way.” Not me. I just sat there till the snitch showed up! Kazzy, Keel, and Fisher dragged their brooms to the center of the pitch and took off. Serb, Rin, and I headed towards the seats. “Ace, you come too; we’ll need an enemy chaser.” I groaned.

“Oh come on! You’re completely unfair!” I argued.

“Respect your elders.” Oh, if he wasn’t two months older than me… The sad thing was that was his idea of a joke. I sighed and took off on my Nimbus 2001. Spencer would pay for this, and Fisher and Kazzy would help me.

Turns out, I got hit in the face with the Quaffle, twice, almost run over by Keel, which I don’t know is possible on a broom, rammed into by Fisher, and nudged into the stadium walls by Kazzy, which resulted in my falling off my broom and landing in the grass.

“Now Spencer, why is it you no longer want a seeker?” I asked, lying on the grass. I swear, if one little bristle on my broom was out of place I’d kick that keeper’s gorgeous butt so hard he’d fly off his broom and his beautiful self would fly through all three of those goal hoops at once, don’t ask how, and he’d head straight into the fan girls’ clubhouse where they would tie him up and never let him play Quidditch unless he took his shirt off… And no one wants to see that! Which means they would no longer like him, and he’d be forced to retreat straight to the showers every game instead of signing autographs and taking pictures.

“You make it seem like it’s a hard thing to replace you.” What did he say?! I sat bolt right up and glared the sharpest daggers in the world at him. I saw Rin and Serb flinch out of the corner of my eyes. Rin, flinching. Fisher stayed perfectly still, waiting for her chance to run for the hills. Kazzy attempted sneaking towards the sidelines.

“Dude…no…” Was Keel’s response as he shook his head as to say ‘Nice knowin’ ya!’. Spencer seemed to regret his words. Good. I took no time in standing up and pointing directly up at him.

“You!” I shouted, though everyone probably knew who I was speaking to. “Get down here…NOW!” My index finger flew to the grass beside me. Cautiously and hesitantly, he moved his way down from the hoops. It would’ve been easier if I was taller than him, but I stared him down, and I stared him down good.

“You think you’re so funny, don’t you?” I asked, after a few seconds he didn’t reply. “Answer me!” I barked.

“Yes!” he stammered out, shrinking slightly. I snapped, hoping I would summon Fisher or Kazzy. None of them came, I hadn’t expected it.

“Well, tell me one thing mister ‘I’m the Gryffindor Quidditch captain!’” I ordered, doing little mocking hand motions. “Who, of all the people you have ever met, actually laughed when you said something incredibly stupid!”

“N-No one…” he said quietly.

“Then repeat after me!” I put my hands on my hips and began pacing in front of him. “I say nothing but incredibly stupid things, and shall hereby give all means of respect and loyalty to Ace Weasley, as she will kick your gorgeous butt so hard you’d fly off your broom and your beautiful self would fly through all three of those goal hoops at once, don’t ask how, and you’d head straight into the fan girls’ clubhouse where they would tie you up and never let you play Quidditch unless you took your shirt off…” I stopped right in front of him and glared. “And no one wants to see that…” Unfortunately, my fun came to an end when none other than Luka rushed onto the field waving her arms with papers flying everywhere. “How the hell did you write so many notes that fast?” She ignored me, as usual.

“Ace, get over here, NOW! I discovered something! It’s really important, hurry! Sorry Spencer, she just has to come!”

“No no, don’t apologize to him!” I glared, “And lucky for you, I have to leave. But for the record, are we being funny by saying Ace can’t play Quidditch?” He shook his head vigorously. I almost wished there had been fan girls in the stands watching. Luka towed me away as I waved goodbye to Kazzy, Fisher, Keel, Rin, and Serb. Damn those freckles…