1pm
On the pitch outside a changing room

It was a dreary day, cloudy, not sunny. But that was per the normal really, it was rarely that sunny about Hogwarts really was it? Luckily it wasn't windy like yesterday morning was, however today was just cloudy, sadly it wasn't the warmest but it was still a nice day regardless.

Akira was extremely excited, yesterday had been her birthday! And today was their chance to celebrate it! Well, she could of had a party yesterday, she did certainly celebrate it but she left out any parties. She knew what she wanted to do! It was better to be patient for the day, so then she can celebrate it today. When she had the full day off and her plans wouldn't be ruined by having to be late at night. She had a special plan!

She had the best birthday plans! Quidditch! She had gotten to the Broom cupboard and retrieved as many she could carry, including magically carry along with her. Also taking a ball with her, not a quaffle, as she didn't have one of her own, she didn't want to risk the quidditch supplies, Bludgers were scary and too hard to control, but she did bring another ball and some bats! It works, it does! Just enchant it to stay level and have people knock the ball at others with bats, no need for it to chase you! It was everything for a mock quidditch game!

She even brought food and drink! She got things for sandwiches, several fizzies...water. Oh and some cakes! And sweets...and chocolates...It may be really soft birthday party foods but she was happy! She had been looking forwards to pulling this off, she invited a few people she knew, although not sure how many will show up, she hoped some showed up. Would be a waste of cake if only she got it! She made good chocolate banana cake!

She thinks she got the last thing set up and sighed, she was so excited! This also served as great practice of flying and Quidditch, she was hoping to run for the team next year, and her mum seemed supporting! Both mum and her sister had pooled together, her poor Kūki yesterday having to carry in her gift, she finally had a real broom of her own! And it was good! Double great!

Akira happily and quickly jumped onto her Cleansweep Eleven and flew up into the pitch, her oversized hoodie puffing up somewhat as the air billowed through it before she flew back down to earth again, careful as to not disrupt her laid out food. Before looking towards the entrance to see who was to come. She had told several people right? Sure she thinks pretty sure she did.

Tim was a little jealous of Akira’s Cleansweep Eleven, even though it was a broom which had been on the market for longer than either of them had been alive. He only had a Bluebottle, which had been his late mother’s when they were little. His older brother, Ambrose, had been first in line to receive any broom, and his accident-prone Hogwarts years had meant no broom had survived to be handed down to Tim.

The Bluebottle was alright, but the anti-burglar buzzer had the occasional tendency to go off if you tried to dive too sharply. As such, he would follow Akira at a much more steady pace when he flew. But for now, he remained two feet on the ground.

“Nice!” He admired, yelling over the breeze, “you look good on it.” He gave her a double thumbs up.

The ball she’d brought instead of a quaffle was far too tempting, and Tim tossed it into the air, using his knees and toes to keep it up off the ground for a moment. Having been brought up with Muggle friends at primary school, he knew enough about football to look like an expert to those unfamiliar with it, but in reality, wasn’t anything to write home about.

It wasn’t long until they were joined by others, and Tim kicked the ball up into the air and bounced it off his head before giving a casual wave.
“Birthday girl is up - is on her way,” he corrected himself, as Akira swept towards them on her new broom. “You might want to hear her plans before you tuck in,” nobody wanted to hurl on the quidditch pitch.

Meredith did not examine her motives closely. Because if she did she would not be going. She was a sixth year. This was a second year's party. In Ravenclaw. Meredith was friends with other houses. Of course. She was not that kind of Slytherin. She should have been hitting her books. Studying hard. NEWTS were only fifteen months away!

But this second year was useful. She was known as sweets girl to some Slytherins. You heard her pockets rustle with wrappers. She was a walking sweet shop. Meredith imagined Akira Hericho's school trunk was just full of sweet packets. No books. No clothes. She must have an account with Honeyduke. A future career in confectionery. Or in false teeth.

Meredith did not ordinarily come to a party on time. But today it was clearly her turn. She had even brought her broom. It did not get lots of use now. Not at Hogwarts. But she still brought it. She wore some of her more muggle clothes. Sneakers. Pale blue jeans. Grey t-shirt. Loose knit mustard cardigan. And a flying cloak. Safety first.

"I might want to charm my teeth too." Said Meredith to Tim Pepper. His big brother Ambrose had been in Meredith's classes until that year. The birthday spread made her teeth ache just to look.

"Is that Akira or a shooting star?" Meredith yelled to the birthday girl. She could be nice. Slytherins could be nice. There was little reason to dislike Akira.

Akira smiled happily and zoomed about the pitch a bit more, she had to break in the new broom after all before she went back and they started anything else. Best to bond with the broom before doing anything else with it, learn how it flies before being hit in the head by several balls. She didn't want anyone, least of all herself, to break their neck during her birthday. Especially as it means trouble with the staff in the end!

She flew herself back down to the others with a happy squeal of delight as she landed. She should try out for the Quidditch team next year! She could do so well with it! She wasn't sure what brooms they typically used in the house teams but she was fairly certain they were just the ones she's currently...borrowed for this.

"Tim!" She said excitedly. "Do you want to try it out?" She asked happily, she didn't mind if he did want to try, after all it would be fun and she sort of already told him the plan, so he didn't need to listen too much, and it was Tim! She doubted he could break her broom, although if he did...she thinks the broom has insurance...Tim would likely know more, especially with him knowing not to buy property in may...

She turned around to those who had arrived with an eager smile. "Ooh ok! So I have a plan! We can play a makeshift Quidditch match! We have a football we can use as a Quaffle, some bats. And if we enchant a basketball I brought, we can make it hover and only move when hit!"

She bounced on the heels of her feet, almost rocking forwards and backwards as she gave out the plans. This might be the coolest second year party, scratch that, the coolest birthday party! Ever done in Hogwarts!

"I guess." Said Meredith. Agreeing. "You do not want a real bludger to the face on your birthday." Meredith brought her fist to Akira's face. Burst her fingers out. Pretending. It had happened to Meredith once. The healer had put her teeth back in. When she ate ice cream those teeth ached the most. "Where is it? I can fix that." She looked at the others.

“Tim! Do you want to try it out?” Akira was breathless with the speed as she arrived.

“Sure - please, but maybe later, people are here.” Tim gestured to the group[1] forming for her birthday celebration. Akira launched straight into her explanation of what her plans were for the game, bouncing on her feet with excitement. Tim couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.

“Where is it? I can fix that.” Meredith, an older Slytherin and a prefect offered her assistance with charming the balls. Tim was sure that between him and Akira they would have been fine but it was nice that others were willing to help.

“Oh, it’s over here, catch.” Tim scooped to pick up the basketball and tossed it to Meredith. “Who wants to be beater?”

1.	I’m just going to pretend there’s NPCs

“Is that easier?” A quieter voice piped up from beside the table groaning with sweet birthday food. “I don’t want to fall off and ruin the fun because I’m not very good on a broom yet.” Aoide blushed, “Is it easier than catching?” She didn’t have her own broom, and was quietly envious of Akira being a second year and allowed to have her own at school. She had brought the least wonky school broom she could find after the others were borrowed.

"Thanks." Meredith caught the ball. Tossed it in the air. Feeling the weight. "Can you catch with one hand?" Asked Meredith. Thew the ball at Aoide. If she could then she could chase. If not then beater. "What does birthday gal want to be?"

Akira leaned forwards on her feet, smiling happily at the discourse, yes they were down for Quidditich! Or Cheap Quidditich! Cheap Akira Quidditch? Akidduiditch? Was that a word? It sounded like it should be no matter what.

Tim handed the older girl the ball, then a younger girl spoke up, she wasn’t quite sure on either their names but that didn’t matter! Everyone was welcome, or else Akira had to eat all the food. Hogwarts would not survive that.

“Beater would likely be easier, its using the bat to knock the ball at others, and stopping it from hititng your own team.” Beater wasn’t so much an easier role in the main game she reckoned, but in this it would be easier, and fun, its just hitting people!

Then the older girl asked what role she wanted, she gave it a thought. “Hhhm, I think Chaser would be fine for me.” She said happily.

“I’ll be a keeper then, since I’ll never keep up with your new broom,” Tim offered, “Choose an end Aki.”

The others organised themselves into the two teams, and soon enough they were off the ground and in the air on their brooms. Tim kicked off from the floor on the Bluebottle, heading for the trio of goal hoops at one end. The table of ridiculously sweet birthday foods shrank beneath them as they ascended.

It might be March but it was still brisk up in the wind. Tim tugged at his jumper, and tucked in his Ravenclaw scarf, glad he’d brought some gloves up with him. Charms were all well and good, but sometimes the simplest things worked best. Someone tossed the football, and the basketball was struck with a resounding thwmp! followed by a “Sorry!”

Tim laughed at a distance, their voices echoing around the empty stands.
“I want to live long enough to eat cake, alright - keep that basketball away from me!”

“Can you catch with one hand?”

Aoide didn’t have time to answer as the ball came straight at her from the bigger girl. Aoide squeaked in alarm and threw her hands up to her face to protect herself firstly and attempt to catch it.

“Beater would likely be easier, it’s using the bat to knock the ball at others, and stopping it from hitting your own team.” Akira advised and Aoide fumbled the ball, nodding earnestly.

“Right, yeah, that sounds easier than catching. I don’t want to fall off onto the cake, but I guess it would be a soft landing.” Aoide giggled, keen to make friends and be a good guest.

With a few false starts, Aoide was eventually in the air on her borrowed school broom, clutching it with both hands. The beater bat was tucked tightly under her elbow as she wobbled.

“Gosh! You all go up so high!” Aoide trembled, not used to the height of quidditch as a beginner. She circled slowly as the others tossed the balls around to test them. Gradually she got her balance and just in time as the basketball came hurling at her! Aoide squeaked shrilly, flailing her beater bat in defence. The basketball rebounded off the tip of her broom as she did, and it bucked.

“Merlin’s underpants!!” Aoide shrieked, clinging onto the broom for dear life.

Merry laughed at Aoide's shrieks. The basket ball bounced off in a random direction. Merry caught the football quaffle and zipped close past Akira on purpose. Holding herself close to her broom for speed. She headed in Tim's direction. Looking to her team for back up.

Akira smiled and had been chasing the ball about, she was a chaser after all, what else was she meant to do really but chase the ball? Although she broke off pursuit from the Slytherin to fly towards Aoide, she was struggling and as much as she wanted to steal the point and showboat how good her broom was, and prove she was the better player after all. The other girl needed the help.

She zipped over to Aoide and leaned off her own broom to help steady the girl.

"Okay, keep your legs somewhat wrapped around the back, you can keep them crossed over eachother to help hold on. I won't let you fall okay?"

She smiled gently as she attempted to help the girl get a better hold onto the broom, she didn't want any injuries, especially the first year! She was the older girl in this situation! Which was terrifying to think of...

It was clear nobody would be hurrying to recruit them for professional quidditch, Tim thought as Aoide shrieked and the balls bounced all over. Then suddenly the older Slytherin girl whipped past Akira, carrying the football. Tim’s stomach lurched as he remembered he was keeper and he wasn’t just a spectator of a Ravenclaw game. Meredith Misslethorpe seemed to have a nice broom, but that hardly surprised Tim with who her dad was.

“Oh heck, oh heck…”

The football soared through the air, and Tim swung the old Bluebottle’s tail, hoping to deflect it from the hoops, and rather wishing he was on grass with jumpers for goalposts instead. He would probably have a better chance at defending it with his feet in that situation.

“Damn, you’re quick!” He shook his head and pushed the broom into a dive to go and fetch the football which was plummeting towards earth at a slower than usual pace.

Aoide managed to hang on to the school broom, and then suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere Akira was there on her fancy new broom, offering advice. The first year Hufflepuff’s cheeks burned at being the centre of attention suddenly.

“I’ve just not been this high yet!” Aoide admitted. “Madam Hooch… oh there, that’s better.” The broom had righted properly and with reassurance close by, Aoide sorted her grip. “Phew, I think I’ve got it - thanks.” She was a little bashful. A ripple of clapping came from the other end of the pitch where Aoide saw Tim diving for the football.

“Oh, they’ve scored. Don’t worry about me! You go score for us on your new broom!” Aoide insisted.