Nationalism in the team

// THIS IS AN OLD CHAPTER. THE NEW CHAPTERS ARE IN VOLUME 2. YOU CAN READ THESE CHAPTERS IF YOU WANT SOME INSIGHT ON WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN LATER BUT SOME EVENTS CAN BE DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE OLD AND NEW CHAPTERS.

This Saturday, I will finally be able to reconnect with the sport. I put on a jersey in the color of the horned snakes' team. It's been so long since the last time I played, almost a year without sitting on a broom.

Yesterday evening, after my heated discussion with Samael, he agreed to go talk to the headmaster. I hope he will keep his word but, in any case, he seemed to be smiling when he got up in the morning.

The captain of the team arrives with a rather tough boy. She is dressed in the same protective gear, but her brown hair is gathered in a ponytail at the back of her head. She has somewhat round facial features and a small scar on her right cheek. She is rather pretty even if she is clearly not at the level of Daphne or Lana.

"Well, welcome to the Horned Snake Quidditch team selections. I'm your captain, Angela Sipher, for those who don't know me. Okay, we're not going to rest for a hundred years. You're going to have a series of test which will serve to determine which role will suit you best within the team and if you are going to be one of the main players or a substitute. " Angela doesn't speak for hours, she gets straight to the point. I like it, I hope we will become friends if we play in the same team. "We will start with batting exercises, then a penalty shootout exercise where you will alternate between shooter and keeper, then there will be an obstacle course and a speed race. On your brooms!"

We get on all our brooms; I had to leave my firebolt in my room. We have to all use the same brooms during games to avoid a material advantage that could be unfair to the students of the integration program who do not have the same financial means as the others.

We all pass one after the other, the aim of the exercise is to hit as many bludgers as possible. Most of us manage to dodge and return the bludger. For my part, they did not even manage to get me to move from my position. I stayed still the entire time, and just sent them back when they got too close.

For the penalty test, well let's say it's not really my thing. I have enough strength to send the quaffle into any goal from the other side of the field, but I'm sorely lacking in precision. I only put five out of ten in the goals; all the others missed. On the other hand, when I was a keeper, not a single ball got into my goals. My reflexes combined with my supernatural senses make me see the quaffles in slow motion. The same goes for the obstacle course where I slalomed without slowing down and without even hitting an obstacle. Which leaves us the speed contest.

"Well, there is only one final event left. You are going to line up, the goal is to get to the yard outside the front door first. I will also be racing to make sure you play fair. The first one I catch trying to knock a competitor off their broom can say goodbye to their place in the team. "

I get into position and wait for the kick-off with the others. As soon as I hear the sound of the horn on the captain's belt, I kick the ground, flying at full speed towards the front door. I only had about ten meters left when I felt someone nudge me and take the lead. I watch in disbelief as the team captain breaks her own rules. I come second with a tenth of a second ahead of the third and I rush straight towards her.

"What's your problem?! You wanted to knock me off my broom?"

"I don't know what you're complaining about rosbeef. Does being worse than a purebred American bothering you?"

"What did you call me?"

"Rosbeef, are you deaf too? Now go line up with the others or get out of here." I take back what I said. I want nothing to do with that degenerate redneck. If she hadn't pushed me, I would have beaten her down.

I return to the row with the others. I'm waiting to see her verdict even though I'm not really hopeful now. She comes back after a few minutes with what seems to be team compositions.

"So, we'll start with the substitute team. Seeker, Lucas Safewood. Keeper, Max Ironsong. Beaters, Stephan Marshall and Richy Washington. And finally, the chasers, Sarah Harrison, Lea Patterson, and Laure Patterson." The selected are a bit disappointed but I can see that they are happy to have been selected even if it is only for the reserve team. "Well now that we've dealt with the best of the not-so-good, it's time to attack those who will represent us for this year's season. Main team seeker and captain, Angela Sipher. The goals will be guarded by the Rosbeef face, Sean Bones. Our beaters will be Buck Jones and Bart Kevins. I want to see less of our opponents' ball joints shattered this year guys. And our chasers are Lidia Crest, Ludovik Rodvik, and Henry Lightwool. " Keeper?! But I never applied for the keeper position?

"Sorry, you must be making a mistake. I applied for a seeker position or a chaser. I never asked to play keeper."

"Look, it already gave me a headache to give the main position to a pudding eater like you. But the problem is, neither of those badgers managed to score a single point when you were keeping goals. Seeing as I love winning above all else, I will make the effort to put up with your presence if it's as a keeper. If you're not ok with my decision, you're free to leave. There are a lot of guys ready to take your place. " What a fucking viper, I wonder how a bitch like her did become the captain.

"Fine, I'll keep your stupid goals."

"That's what I want to hear. Okay, guys, I remind you that we have a series of championship wins to keep. Last year we lost one of our games against wampus cat because of their seeker. It will not happen again this year. We have training every Saturday, here at eight in the morning, I will not accept any delays. The game schedule will be posted in the common room, the first game of the season is February 1 as usual, and our first game is February 21. Don't forget to let your parents know as the games are open to the public. Buck and Bart, since you are in your final year, don't forget to give your maximum in each game, there could be a recruiter for the national team in the stands. That's all for today, go back to the dormitory and rest, see you in the dining hall. "

But what the hell is this addicted to victory bitch. Fortunately, I feel like most of the other team members aren't like her. I approach one of the chasers, Lidia Crest. A very tall girl, about six feet tall, with long curly brown hair and a fairly slender face. Maybe she can tell me what's wrong with that crazy Angela.

"Hey hi. Can you tell me what's wrong with this girl?" Lidia looks at me taken aback.

"You're talking to me ?"

"Uh yes. Can't see who else I could be talking to?"

"It's just everyone says you don't speak to anyone except some students." This social hermit story again?

"No, it's just that I rarely take the first step. But when I feel like talking to someone, like right now, it's okay. Don't hesitate to say it around you because I believe there is a big misunderstanding. " I laugh lightly, and Lidia seems more at ease.

"It's okay. But on the other hand, I don't know what you mean, Angela is as usual."

"You mean her bitchy side is her normal side? Well, I don't think I will get an easy time with her."

"Oh, she's not like that usually but as soon as we talk about Quidditch she gets really serious."

"I see, thanks for the information."

She goes away to join her friends and go to the refectory. I follow them from a distance as I go in the same direction. I see them discussing among themselves then they turn to look at me. I wave at them and give them my best smile, but they turn and continue on their way, laughing. It's definitely not a good day.

I take two trays of food; Samael must have forgotten to eat. He's probably working at the menagerie like every weekend. I find him near Styx's enclosure, I hear him pestering from here.

~ I'm warning you, human, touch my head once more and I'll make you my lunch. ~ Styx hisses so loudly that nearby animals move away in fear. The breeders have taken away the crystal that was used to shrink him. He must now measure within five meters. Samael is scratching the top of his head and presumably confuses the high-pitched sound emanating from Styx with a purr.

"I wouldn't do this if I were you." Samael turns to me laughing, most of the bruises he received yesterday have already left with an episkey.

"I've never seen such a pacifist rank XXXXX creature. It must be nice to have one all to yourself. Do you think you could get me one?"

"Not really, I have a special derogation as a descendant of Slytherin who speaks Parseltongue. You couldn't get a basilisk to obey yourself for more than two minutes without this skill."

"And couldn't you teach me? It's like a foreign language, right?"

I don't think that's possible. Although Ron still managed to open the Chamber of Secrets in the movies so maybe it is possible to learn some sentences.

"Um I'm not sure but it cost nothing to give it a try. Do you know Angela Sipher?" He seems to be choking on the piece of bread he had soaked in his tomato soup.

"Yeah, the girl who takes Quidditch way too seriously. She wanted to go out with me last year to, I quote, father an exceptional Quidditch player. A little nutty but not mean."

"Speak for yourself, the first thing she did when she saw me was call me a Rosbeef. She even cheated during the trials because she was about to lose the speed race."

"Um, today was your selection. What position are you in?"

"Keeper, whereas I applied for a seeker or a chaser. Now I'm going to have to stick to the goals."

"It's not that bad, if she gives you the goals then she must be confident in your skills as a keeper or she would have given it to someone else."

"Yeah, though, I would have preferred the seeker position." I whistle loudly and wait a few seconds to see Filberg come flying in. He has almost reached his adult height. He lands on Styx's back, who says nothing, and begins to eat the bread on my plate, singing with joy. "By the way, now that I think about it, what are you doing in Styx's pen. I thought I was the only one who could get in with the breeders?"

"Oh, I just said you gave me permission and they didn't say anything." Hmm, if I want to avoid an accident, I should probably have a discussion with the breeders to tell them that I have to tell them in person who can enter the pen before they let a student in, and it ends badly.

"Ok, you can enter the pen but avoid doing it when I'm not around. Styx was about to bite you before I got there." Samael turns to the giant snake which runs its tongue over his lips, looking carnivorous, and he turns as pale as a sheet of paper. "Have you spoken to the headmaster?" Filberg, who has just finished my piece of bread, flies off to return to what he was doing, leaving one of his feathers that I pick up to draw on the ground with the tip. I should have a writing quill made with one of them, it would look good on my desk.

"Yes, he said he was going to check where it came from."

"That's good. We'll get to the bottom of the story soon enough. Are you going to the dueling club this afternoon?"

He smiles provocatively and crackles his fists. I presume that's a yes.