Well, that's helpful.

Yeah.

Speaking of helpful, does she want to learn to do a spin? Helps if the bludger's coming for your head...

Yes.

The Beaters both grin.

Trick flying time! Some of these are probably really dangerous if you're not over an anti-fall charm, but, hey, might as well take advantage of it.

Definitely.

The two hours of practice pass unfairly fast, though Ellie definitely gets put through her paces.

This might turn out to be fun.

Her teammates certainly agree.

Anathema seems to have had fun, too - the captain likes her style, apparently, and thinks she's decent enough at most of the positions they can train her up, but Sam's still unsure if Flitwick will clear her. "I didn't do nearly as well with the Seeker stuff as you, though," she says. "Sam says I'm more cut out to be a Chaser or Beater..."

"See what he says, I guess. Otherwise you could probably make it next year."

"Yeah, probably. That feels so far away, though."

"I bet you could still come to practices."

"Watching you fly's fun, if nothing else. And yeah maybe they'll let me practice some even if I'm not in games."

Smile.

"Dinner?"

"Yeah. I'm getting pretty hungry..."

To dinner, then.

Dinner!

They don't get word by Sunday's practice if Professor Flitwick has cleared Anathema for Quidditch or not, but captain Sam brings along an extra broom for Anathema anyways and has her help with Ellie's bludger training by defending Ellie while she chases the Snitch (which doubles as her own Beater training) (apparently one of the Chasers is also new this year - Damian Lee, second year - so Sam's focusing a lot on drilling him, too, and is less available for Seeker training than she'd usually be). Sam also makes reading recommendations for them, mostly on Quidditch's rules, fouls, penalties, and the like - "Don't bother with strategy guides," she advises them. "They're all a load of dung."

The next week is Mabon week - which means an entire seven days free of classes or sports practice. Mabon itself is on Monday, September the twenty third - the main celebration begins at sunrise right after seven in the morning, but there's stuff ongoing most of the day, if Ellie's interested. (The main thing that affects all the students is that the default Great Hall food and decorations are themed for the holiday - spice cakes and mulled cider, baked apples, roasted squash, hearty breads...).

Ellie is not super interested in the holiday qua holiday, but the food variety is nice and so is the free time. She needs to get further ahead than she thought she did, with the Quidditch practice taking up extra time.

Anathema's actually super interested in the holiday - though she's trying to pretend that's because it's strange and new, and not because it's a big part of her own culture she's never properly gotten to participate in. She's been making a few more friends than just Ellie over the last week (though none of them are as good as Ellie), so she's fine if Ellie wants to sit out some or even all of the holiday stuff...

She'll participate in some holiday stuff. A reasonable quantity of holiday stuff. A few hours' worth.

She laughs, delighted, and leans against Ellie briefly. "I won't bother waking you for all the morning ceremonies and stuff, and that's really the most time consuming... But you could make a wreath with me, maybe? I think the older students are doing all the early harvest dollies, there's not that many sorts of fields here... And there's divination games, those might not take too long and they sound fun. And at sunset some of us are walking into the near bit of the Forest to tell the old stories - Professor McGonagall's taking us, so it'll be safe - but that's probably the thing that'll take the longest, we're gonna stay up really late I bet..."

"Wreathes and stories, how about?"

She beams. "Okay! Those sound like the best parts, anyways." Giggle. "And if we both make wreaths we can trade them - getting a wreath from someone makes the luck better."

"Better luck is good."

"Yeah. They're supposed to help the hearth and help bring good and bountiful harvests - so I'm gonna hang mine on my headboard, so my thoughts are bountiful."

"I think you already have pretty bountiful thoughts."