Get your head in the game (open)

[PHOEBE ABBOTT]

Since the accident that one fateful Quidditch match, Phoebe had barely touched a broomstick, even in her flying classes (which as you can imagine was quite a problem). After months of gazing at the Quidditch pitch from afar and letting regret consume her, she finally put her foot down. It was an ordinary weekend, she wasn’t even sure if the pitch would be free, but she stormed out of her dormitory without giving herself time to think, the fire in her step carrying her to the pitch with a broom from the shed in her hand.

Part of her was hoping the pitch would be in use, but it was deserted. Swallowing hard, she held her hand over her broomstick and shouted, “Up!”. The broomstick shot up into her hand and her fist closed around it. If she had to go back to basics, that is what she would do. The tricky part was getting up in the air. She sat on her broomstick for a long time, not daring to kick off from the grass. “Oh come on!” she yelled in frustration. She thought about her dream of becoming a Quidditch player. Advanced Flying classes had been an absolute disaster with this new fear of flying, and if she wanted a single chance of getting back on the Gryffindor team she had better work for it. She kicked off.

For a second, one wonderful second, she was free. She was only a few feet off the ground but her heart soared miles higher. That is, until she looked down, panicked, and crashed into the grass. She was physically fine but kicking herself on the inside. Hearing footsteps on the muddy grass, she groaned inwardly. Anyone who saw the Quidditch match would know she fell off her broom, but having someone see how incompetent she now was at flying would just destroy her.

Open

[LOTTIE CADWALLADER]

Lottie was going to the Quidditch Pitch to do some flying. She didn't really need to practice much. Well, of course she could always practice. But this was more of a recreational fly rather than trying to practice hard to be better at Quidditch.

She saw that someone else was already there and flying when she walked into the stadium, broom in hand. She smiled up at her when she saw that it was Phoebe. She was glad that she was flying again. After the fiasco last term, Lottie had been really worried for her and Phoebe even quit the team too, which sucked. Just when Lottie had joined! But now she was flying again. Lottie hoped that meant that Phoebe might want to re-join the team.

But then she was on the ground.

Oh, no! Lottie was instantly very worried for her friend and ran towards her at full speed, still carrying her broomstick as well. But when she got to her, Lottie threw it to the ground beside her and knelt down to where Phoebe was. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Can you move?" She looked at her but nothing looked broken or wildly out of place. She hoped that Phoebe would be okay. Just when she was trying out flying again too! Lottie was afraid to touch her or help her up in case something was really hurt and she would make it worse so she just waited for Phoebe to tell her how she was.

PHOEBE ABBOTT

[PHOEBE ABBOTT]

Turning around, Phoebe saw her friend Lottie (who was now in the same year as her), kneeling beside her. “Oh hi Lottie! Don’t worry, I’m okay,” said Phoebe, a little pink in the face. “Just trying to get back on a broomstick,” she explained as she got up. “I’m a little rusty though,” she grinned. She was very glad it was Lottie who saw her fall off and not someone else who might judge her abilities.

“I’d like to get back on the team for next year. Might not happen, but you know, worth a shot.” she said. “How are you finding being on the team?” Phoebe asked. She hoped Lottie was enjoying it. Although Phoebe herself had some mishaps with Quidditch, it truly was a marvellous sport.
LOTTIE CADWALLADER

[LOTTIE CADWALLADER]

Lottie got up when Phoebe did. "Oh, good. I wasn't sure." Sometimes a fall could be walked off, sometimes a quick healing was needed, but sometimes it was a lot worse. One never knew what the outcome would be before it happened. "Oh, you'll get there, don't worry." Lottie had confidence in her friend that she could get back on that horse (or broomstick) and be great once more.

"Oh, really? That's so exciting! I'd love to play with you!" It took Lottie so long to join, but it wasn't that she didn't have the ability. It was only a matter of choice. She didn't want it to seem like something she felt she had to do because of her parents both being professional players. But after long enough, she realized it was something she wanted to do and shouldn't hold herself back because of what others might think her motivation was. Though she was sure that she didn't want to do it as a career, but barely any who played in school actually went pro anyway.

"I love it, honestly. I kind of regret taking so long to decide to try out. But maybe I wouldn't have liked it so much if I tried right away, I don't know." Perhaps all the time of her wanting to play but not letting herself play made it all the more exciting to finally be on the team. Or maybe she just loved it and that was the only reason.

PHOEBE ABBOTT

[PHOEBE ABBOTT]

Phoebe smiled at Lottie’s encouragement. Hearing someone else being confident in her abilities felt really good. It was often that push she needed to become confident in herself. “Thanks, I really hope so” she said. It was true. Phoebe had been hoping for a very long time, but now that she was actually doing something about it, she thought things might change.

”I’d love to play with you too! It’ll be so much fun,” she said. Truth be told, she couldn’t think of anything else she wanted more than to fly again. She could soar up to the skies and have a ball (quite literally) playing Quidditch, and having a friend on her team would make it that much better. She was a bit worried that she might have to play a different position on the team if her old seeker spot was taken, but she would think about that later.

”That’s great to hear! I’m super happy that you’re on the team” said Phoebe. “Mm, maybe,” she nodded slowly. “But maybe you just needed a bit of time to work out that you really wanted to do it” she said. “Anyway, you’re in it now, that’s the most important thing,” she grinned. She had all the faith in the world that her friend could play Quidditch if she wanted to, and she knew that it was going to be much more fun with Lottie on the team. Phoebe swung a leg back over her broomstick. “Would you like to fly with me for a bit? I’m not very good anymore but hopefully I’ll remember how to do it once I get started.” she said, thinking it might be fun.
LOTTIE CADWALLADER

[LOTTIE CADWALLADER]

It was already spring so Phoebe probably wouldn't be joining this term but hopefully would be trying out next term. "I'm sure you'll get in. You were once before!" They just had to get the fear of what happened out of Phoebe and she would be fine.

"Yeah, I think so," Lottie agreed. That was the burden of famous parents. She had to be sure what she wanted to do was for herself and not for them. "That's true! And it didn't take me too long to figure out. There's someone on the team who just joined as a seventh year. Sucks she only got to play this year." Lottie sure was glad it didn't take her that long to figure out. She still had 5 years on the team if she managed to stay on it the whole time!

"Absolutely! Do you want to grab a Quaffle and toss it around or just fly?" Lottie was good with either. She would just be happy to fly around with her friend regardless of what she chose.

PHOEBE ABBOTT

[PHOEBE ABBOTT]

“Thanks! I’ll give it my best shot,” said Phoebe, smiling. Lottie was right, if she had earned her place on the team before she could earn it again. It was still Spring, she had plenty of time to practice and work her way up to being a good flier again.

“Yeah, you picked up flying really quickly,” she said. It was true, despite her age Lottie was really quite a good flier. “Oh really? That’s cool,” said Phoebe. She couldn’t remember anyone joining Quidditch for or first time as a seventh year while she had been at Hogwarts. It was quite comforting in a way. She had always felt a kind of pressure to achieve everything she wanted as soon as possible, but she loved the idea that no matter how old she got, she still had time to learn whatever she wanted to learn.

Phoebe grinned, but cringed internally a little as she remembered her attempt at getting on a broom just before. “Maybe we could start with flying, then add the Quaffle in later once I work things out a bit more?” she suggested. She would rather not embarrass herself by falling off her broom again while trying to handle a Quaffle as well.
LOTTIE CADWALLADER

[LOTTIE CADWALLADER]

"Probably helps I've been watching pro games all my life," Lottie admitted, though she hung her down a bit at that. The whole reason she didn't want to join was because she didn't want people to think it was because of her parents. So she didn't like talking about it a lot, though she knew it was no secret. Both her parents were professionals and everyone knew it, even if most of their careers were in the USA. But they did both attend Hogwarts and had careers in the national league in Britain first. Ava had been in the Chudley Cannons as Chaser before moving to the USA.

"Sure, sounds good!" Lottie mounted her broom then, but didn't take off until Phoebe was ready. She didn't want her to do things too quickly and fall again or feel overwhelmed about it. It was definitely smarter to make sure that she felt more comfortable with flying again first before adding a Quaffle to the equation.

PHOEBE ABBOTT

[PHOEBE ABBOTT]

Phoebe thought for a second. “I mean yeah, being able to see that stuff is great, but you’re the one who put the work in to get as good as you are.” she said. Phoebe knew Lottie’s parents were Quidditch players, and thought that was pretty awesome, but she knew they weren’t the reason she was good.

“Thanks,” she said, meaning it. It meant a lot to her that she had a friend who was willing to help her get back to where she once was. She smiled at Lottie as she swung her leg over the broom. Breathing in and out deeply, she wondered what had changed. Flying had always seemed so natural to her, and that excited first year who took to the broom so quickly was still inside her somewhere, she just had to dig around to find it, that’s all. “Okay,” she said, trying not to sound nervous. Oh come on Phoebe, she thought. She just had to do it,

Without thinking, she kicked off. It soon felt wobbly and terrifying, but there was a second where she felt free. Turning around to Lottie, she said “Y’know, I’m feeling optimistic about this one.”
LOTTIE CADWALLADER