Today was shaping up to be a very good day. It was a Sunday, which meant there weren't any classes. Peony had finished any lingering work for her classes the day before- so that she would be able to sit in the common room today and listen to the Harpies / Cannons match on the wireless. The Holyhead Harpies were Peony's favorite quidditch team. She wore one of her Harpies jersey's every time she listened to their match. She was a superstitious quidditch fanatic, and fully believed her own actions could affect the outcome of their matches.

She must have been behaving thus far. Her team had now won both of their matches. The first against Puddlemere United, and they'd just defeated not even ten minutes ago. After listening to a little of the post-match banter, she turned off the wireless and stood up, stretching. "Great match!" she said to nobody in particular. Most people had learned to leave Peony alone if she was listening to a Harpies match. If they lost and you had disrupted her game rituals- well, then you were fully to blame for their bad form on the pitch.

Speaking of quidditch...

Peony spotted fellow sixth year, prefect, and quidditch team member Joshua Harcroft sitting on the other side of the common room. Noni had never been one to actually play quidditch. The sport was a little to rough for her tastes, and the very idea of getting beaten down by a bludger was enough to turn her off. She enjoyed flying- she had a broom built for travel rather than sport that she liked to take out when she had a chance- but that about the extent of it. Even so, she was a huge supporter of her house team and tried to do her best to show her house pride and encourage her housemates (and other schoolmates) to cheer for her team when they had a match.

She hadn't heard much this year about Gryffindor quidditch. She knew the first match was going to be in October- not even a month away- so Peony thought she might ask Josh a little about how the team was doing. "Hey there, Josh!" she greeted with a smile. plopping down on a nearby chair. "Enjoying your weekend? Ready to get back to the grind tomorrow?"

Josh had been relaxing in the Common Room, half-listening to the Harpies/cannons match audible on the Wireless, and getting some studying done. Specifically, he was reading ahead in Transfiguration. While he was immersed in his textbook, however, he heard someone greeting him. Looking up, he saw Peony, one of his housemates. "Hi Peony. Yeah, it's been a pretty good weekend. Wonder what our teachers have for us this week." Josh said, smiling. peony was a friend, although they occasionally clashed over differing views on certain things.

"Shame it's over, though," Noni commented- still talking about the weekend. She liked classes most of the time, homework wasn't as bad now as it had been when she was younger, but she still wished she had more freedom. Next year would be even worse. The whole year would be geared toward passing her NEWTs. Peony would be surprised if she had time to do anything other than study for her seventh year at Hogwarts.

As far as what the professors had in store... "Oh, you know, the usual. Boring lectures, practical application, death, dismemberment," she grinned and waved her hand dismissively. "Of course, the last two might only be par for the defense course."

"So how's the quidditch team looking this year?" Noni asked. "I'm ready for the first match! Wish it was sooner, but I guess you guys need time to practice. It's much better to watch you guys play than it is to listen to matches on the wireless. Seeing the action and all. I got some new face paints for the year, hoping to round up a lot of house spirit for the stands. My dad got me a great hat that looks like a lion, fuzzy and everything."

Josh groaned when Peony asked about the Quidditch team. "Honestly? I don't know. Most of the team are rookies, so it'll probably be a tough year. Still, I'm used to training a new partner, so hopefully the Bludgers won't cause much trouble." Josh said, after glancing around in case anyone was listening in. Josh was hionestly concerned about this year, thouhg the new blood coming through looked like they'd do well, the odds were 50-50 on almost completely new teams. Some succeeded their first year, others had spectacular failures. Most, however, did  eventually achieve success.

"We lost some good players when the seventh years graduated," Peony agreed. "But rookies are better than not having enough kids to fill up the team. We probably won't be the only team with a lot of work to do. Slytherin lost their captain to the pro league, so they might have a hard time rebuilding." She hoped they would have a hard time rebuilding. The only teams she would root for were ... well... anyone but Slytherin.

But she had confidence in Harcroft's capabilities as a player. "You'll do fine, training up somebody new," Peony assured Josh. "Must be hard work, though, to be a prefect and try to keep up with quidditch and your studies and all the clubs you're in. Sometimes I think they don't give us kids enough credit for all the hard work we put in while we're at Hogwarts." Of course, Peony didn't do as much hard work as some. She was in a few clubs, but that was easy enough to manage on top of classes.

"If it wasn't such a rough sport, I'd try out. But I don't think I could handle a bludger to the face." Peony got along well enough with guys, and was a quidditch fan, but it didn't change the fact that she was a girly-girl at heart. Getting injured or doing something so dangerous didn't really appeal to her. She'd much rather watch good looking men do the work from a safe place in the stands.

"Yeah, but Slytherin lost one player. We lost almost all of ours. It'll  be harder to rebuild from that. And thanks for the compliment, but it's not that simple. I also need to train them enough so they can eventually train my replacement, unless my replacement is one of the second-string beaters. It's tough, but I'll likely manage.  It's going to be tough for me for now though, I've got the Triwizard to worry about too." Josh replied, rubbing his eyes. "and show me the beater that aims for the face and I'll show you an idiot. Bludgers weigh as much as a small person[1], hitting a bludger at someone's head is a very good way to kill them. You aim for the chest, and even then, you usually are fairly careful. Not to mention hitting someone in the head is damn difficult at range."

1.	A solid iron Bludger would weigh just over 67 kilograms, so roughly the weight of a 3rd or 4th year. Which makes it fairly impressive that Harry never gets more than a broken bone from Bludgers, since that amount of weight traveling at 150 MPH could kill.

"Teams take hits sometimes," Peony told him. "Even pro teams, and they always bounce back. If you guys train hard enough, you'll show up strong for your first match- I have no doubt about it. Dedication is key throughout all of this," she said. Peony had followed quidditch long enough to know, and it wouldn't be the first time since she'd been at Hogwarts that a house team had to practically rebuild itself after the seventh years had graduated. They'd be fine with a couple of experienced players on hand to guide the younger ones into victory.

She hadn't considered, though, that Josh was also trying to balance being a champion on top of everything else. "You can manage. You're a talented wizard, and you're repsonsible. You're a prefect two years running for a reason, you know. And the goblet doesn't spit just any name out. It knows what it's doing." At least, she assumed that it did. That was what the whole tournament was based off of, anyway.

"I dunno- it wouldn't surprise me to see some beaters aiming to hurt. Makes sense to me, tactically- put someone out of the game, force second string to come in, make their team weaker. Even so, rogue bludgers can do a lot of damage if a beater doesn't get to them. I prefer quidditch from the stands, not on a broom." She hadn't played a whole of quidditch, yet she still had faith in her claim.

"But if you need any help with the tournament stuff, or with quidditch- I'll help out in any way that I can. My schedule isn't nearly as busy this year since I'm taking fewer classes. I'm still doing Orchestra and Hogwarts Players, but I'm not in charge of the clubs so it's mostly just showing up when I need to."

"Yeah, a beater aims to hurt, but the trick is to avoid causing the other player an injury serious enough to cause lasting damage. Hit for the head, and that player can be brain-damaged, or worse, killed. No Beater wants to be known for killing an opposing player. Not to mention, you also don't want to injure the other player seriously enough they have to give up Quidditch." Josh said passionately, he hated the stereotype of beaters just trying to pound other players into the ground. It was one reason he disliked Weidman, since he was one of the most violent Beaters around. "And yeah rogue bludgers can cause a lot of damage, but that's the reason the balls are either kept strictly locked away or are checked before the game. Quidditch is pretty safe these days."

"I hope its 'pretty safe'" Nicholas was draped over an armchair where he had been transfiguring different objects and eavesdropping.  As he spoke a mug had changed back into a plate.  "I would hate to be cheering you on, only to watch a bludger you hit send some poor second year plummeting."  He made a whistling noise and then followed an imaginary quidditch player fall before smacking the chair.  "Never good."  He said shaking his head.  "That said, certain sixth or seventh years, I might keep cheering while they plummeted."

Peony wasn't sure that quidditch was very safe at all. "I'm sure you don't, Josh, but others might. I guess every beater is different based on his personality, you know? You're a really nice guy, and you are very honorable and that shows in how you play. But not everyone is going to be like that. I don't want to trust all the other teams to be chock full of guys like you, Harcroft. Because that would be unrealistic."

She covered her mouth, suppressing a giggle when Nicholas spoke up. It would be awful to see a second year get destroyed by a bludger that Harcroft lobbed at them, but the way Nicholas said it amused her. Especially when he added there were some sixth and seventh years he wouldn't mind watching get  hurt. "I can name a few myself, Nicholas. But I'd feel bad if they actually got hurt, you know? Just gotta stay positive and remember that what goesa round comes around, yeah? When they graduate they'll get a slap in the face by life."

"You going out for quidditch then, Nick?" she asked. "You could probably handle a beater's bat with Harcroft. Maybe make a go at chaser. I'll be cheering you on! I'm the biggest house quiddy fan there is. I was telling Harcroft I got a new hat for the games. Looks like a lion. Pretty fierce thing."

"OK, I'm not going to argue the point. Mots beaters do avoid potentially lethal hits, however." Josh said, ignoring Bevans's statement except to send a cold look at him.  It was nothing to joke about, and indeed, was an occasional nightmare. "Not with that attitude, he wouldn't make a good beater. You never try to make another player fall off their broom. Any personal problems get left in the changing rooms." Josh said, his face fierce.

"Why wait for life to deliver a slap when a bludger is only too happy to oblige."  Nicholas said to Peony, with a grin that said he only partially meant it.  More to rile Josh up.  "Oh I would never want to play on a team.  A pick up game here and there is good fun.  But a team, no way.  Way to serious." When Josh then said he wouldn't make a good beater and that personal problems shouldn't be taken on the field he just laughed.  "I don't know Josh, I've watched plenty of games, I think you are one of the few leaving your personal problems in the changing rooms.  Too much Gryffindor chivalry and not enough Gryffindor grrrr, I'd say."

"Peony, I think I'll just come cheer with you.  Sounds fun, as long as your hat doesn't try to bite me or anything."

"I think it speaks for your character that you leave personal problems behind once you hit the pitch, Josh. But I agree with Nick- I don't really think that everyone else is going to see it that way. House rivalry and what not. Not everyone's as good of a person as to be able to drop that without a second thought." Peony knew she wasn't. But, then again, Peony's sense of house rivalry wasn't quite as intense as others. She had friends from all the Hogwarts houses. Though she generally disliked Slytherin, she always gave them a chance to prove her wrong if they were capable of it.

"Naw- I don't think it will bite you. It's not charmed to do that. It makes a massive roar, though! It'll be intimidating as hell when I put it on in the stands. Maybe I'll sound it off if any opponents fly too close to our stands, yeah?" she suggested to both of the boys. "Wouldn't be hurting them at all, just possibly distracting them?" Then again, her hat probably wasn't the first thing set to roar like a lion at the opposition.

"Well, as far as I know, none of the current players take issues onto the field. I will admit though that players that do that do exist. They are generally known as EX-quidditch players, though." Josh said, somewhat miffed that Peony appeared to be dismissing his arguments. "Bevans, I think you'll find out that you are wrong about most players leaving issues behind, and would appreciate it if you would stop trying to rile me up."

Nicholas just stared at Josh, quidditch wasn't something he followed closely but Nicholas knew enough and wasn't really sure if Josh was deluded or just living in a world where everything was all rainbows and  snidgets.  "Come on, Harcroft, the game has what like 800 fouls.  Seems to me that plenty of professional quidditch players have taken their issues on the field."

"And that one beater for the falcons, the one that got out of Azkaban to play.   He is crazy, and is still playing, and seems to have plenty of issues he takes onto the field."  He smiled and held up his hands, "But I would never try to rile you up Josh, why would you ever think that?"

"So Peony, will we be able to hear the hat over your...cheering?" Nicholas asked the Gryffindor girl while trying to keep a straight face, and hoping that she wouldn't change the enchantment to actually bite him during one of the games.  Merlin knows he would be tempted to.