Renouncing Magic's Child

"Theeeeeeeey're OFF!" ... It was Quidditch as Harry had never seen it played before.

"There's nothing like the first time you watch a professional match," Charlie said.

"I don't know," Krum said with a smirk, "the first time you play in a professional match is pretty good too."

He was pressing his Omnioculars so hard ... Harry spun the slow dial on the right of his Omnioculars again,

"You're going to miss it!" Sirius said, shaking his head. "What in slow motion after the game. They record the whole game for you so you can watch it back."

pressed the play-by-play button... crowd pounded against his eardrums.

Sirius sighed. Although he had to admit that he was impressed that his godson had turned this into a learning opportunity, even if it was to improve his quidditch knowledge.

HAWKSHEAD ATTACKING FORMATION... bearing down upon the Bulgarians.

Ginny grinned. Harry had taught her and the chasers that formation in Ginny's fifth year.

PORSKOFF PLOY ... Levski, soaring beneath, caught it -

"Nice!" Young Charlie called.

"TROY SCORES!" ... "Ten zero to Ireland!"

Seamus and his younger self cheered loudly.

"What?" ... "But Levski's got the Quaffle!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Told you so."

"Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed... Troy did a lap of honor around the field.

Young Hermione looked at her older self in shock. Was she actually enjoying this?

Harry looked quickly over the top of his Omnioculars ... the veela were watching them sulkily.

Fleur and her grandmother laughed at the veela's reaction.

Furious with himself ... applause from the green-clad supporters.

"Vey definitely deserved to vin," Viktor said.

The match became still faster, but more brutal.

"It wouldn't be quidditch if it wasn't a little violent," Oliver said.

Volkov and Vulchanov, ... and score Bulgaria's first goal.

Seamus cursed loudly, drawing the attention of his head of house. "Sorry Professor," he said with a cheeky grin.

"Fingers in your ears!" ... he wanted to keep his mind on the game.

"Good plan," Remus said chuckling.

After a few seconds ... possession of the Quaffle.

Those that hadn't attended the match were playing close attention. The rest were almost as excited.

"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova - oh I say!" roared Bagman.

"WHAT?" several people called. "What happened?"

One hundred thousand wizards gasped... jumped from airplanes without parachutes.

"Have they seen the snitch?" young Charlie asked.

"Hope not," Fred said.

"It would be a bit," George said.

"Rubbish if the match was," Fred continued.

"Over already," George finished.

Harry followed their descent ... "They're going to crash!" screamed Hermione next to Harry.

Everyone in the chamber seemed to hold their breath.

She was half right... A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.

"That was amazing," Seamus admitted.

"Fool!" ... "Krum was feinting!"

"Feinting isn't a foul, dad," Charlie said with a grin.

"It should be," Mr Weasley muttered.

"It's time-out!" ... examine Aidan Lynch!"

"Will he be alright?" Mr Granger asked. "Will they substitute him?"

"No substitutions in Quidditch," Harry said with a shrug.

"He'll be okay, he only got ploughed!" ... "Which is what Krum was after, of course. . . . "

Krum nodded. It was better for his opponent to get hurt instead of himself.

Harry hastily pressed the replay ... WRONSKI DEFENSIVE FEINT -

"I was furious that Quidditch was cancelled that year," Harry muttered. "I really wanted to try the Wronski Feint."

Mrs Weasley looked like she might be sick.

DANGEROUS SEEKER DIVERSION ... Krum hadn't seen the Snitch at all, he was just making Lynch copy him.

"And that's allowed?" Mrs Granger asked her husband.

"Apparently," he said with a shrug. He was seriously wondering how easily he could get tickets to a quidditch match.

Harry had never seen anyone fly like that ... unsupported and weightless.

Krum felt rather smug at the praise. Potter was a brilliant flyer too.

Harry turned his Omnioculars back to normal ... look for the Snitch without interference.

"Wise move," Charlie said.

Lynch got to his feet at last ... a skill unrivaled by anything Harry had seen so far.

"They vere the superior team," Krum muttered.

After fifteen more fast and furious minutes ... the game was starting to get dirtier.

"That's quidditch for you," Oliver said.

As Mullet shot toward the goal posts yet again ... told him it had been a foul.

"What did he do?" Young Ron asked.

"And Mostafa takes ... it's a penalty to Ireland!"

"Cobbing is a pretty common foul," Harry told his younger self.

Young Harry thought this game was insanely dangerous. He could hardly believe his older self played it. Although he wouldn't be adverse to giving it a try.

The leprechauns, who had risen angrily ... "HA, HA, HA!"

Seamus laughed, along with all the younger kids.

The veela on the other side ... "Look at the referee!" she said, giggling.

Sirius frowned. He wished he could actually see this. Perhaps he could convince Harry to share the memory in a pensieve later.

Harry looked down at the field ... smoothing his mustache excitedly.

"'ow embarrassing," young Fleur said with a giggle.

"Now, we can't have that!" ... "Somebody slap the referee!"

"Slap him?" Mrs Granger asked in bewilderment. Did wixen kind really not understand the definition of assault? Surely, there was a less violent way to deal with this particular situation.

A mediwizard came ... kicked Mostafa hard in the shins.

Mrs Granger tutted. Apparently not.

Mostafa seemed to come to himself ... looking mutinous.

"Oh dear," Isabeau Lemaire, Fleur's grandmother, said. "They will not like that."

"And unless I'm much mistaken, ... Oh this could turn nasty. . .

"So, he should," Seamus said. "They're interfering in the match."

It did ... arguing furiously with him,

Krum sighed. He'd been furious with his team members for this. They should have been scoring goals instead of wasting time on the veela.

gesticulating toward the leprechauns ... he gave two short blasts on his whistle.

"идиоти," Krum muttered.

"Two penalties for Ireland!" ... and Troy takes the Quaffle. . . "

Young Ron was on the edge of his seat while young Hermione rolled her eyes. This was so silly.

Play now reached a level of ferocity ... acting without mercy:

Fred and George listened eagerly, hoping for tips.

Volkov and Vulchanov ... violently through the air.

Fred and George exchanged a look. Well, they wouldn't do that.

Dimitrov shot straight ... nearly knocking her off her broom.

"FOUL!" Young Oliver shouted angrily.

"Foul!" ... "Dimitrov skins Moran - deliberately flying to collide there -

Krum rolled his eyes. If they hadn't fouled so much, they might actually stood a chance. Instead they were practically giving goals away with all these penalties.

and it's got to be another penalty ... a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field.

Sirius chuckled much to Mrs Weasley's ire. That just made him laugh harder.

At this, the veela lost control ... handfuls of fire at the leprechauns.

"They can do that?" Mr Granger asked, blinking rapidly.

"We are very powerful," Isabeau said.

Watching through his Omnioculars ... remotely beautiful now.

Fleur laughed, her voice chiming. 

On the contrary ... bursting from their shoulders -

Both Mr Grangers stared at the book. They hoped they never came across a woman like that.

"And that, boys," ... "is why you should never go for looks alone!"

Lucius snorted. Even ugly women had tempers... Personally, he thought it was better to just keep your witch happy. Much safer.

Ministry wizards were flooding  ... Quaffie changed hands with the speed of a bullet.

"I completely forgot about the game while watching what was happening on the pitch," Hermione said.

"You and me both," Ron muttered.

"Levski - Dimitrov - Moran - Troy - Mullet - Ivanova - Moran again - Moran - MORAN SCORES!"

Everyone cheered. Even Krum. He didn't think his team mates deserved to win.

But the cheers of the Irish supporters ... now Dimitrov -

Amelia made a note to restrict the mascots access to the pitch.

The Irish Beater Quigley swung ... It hit him full in the face.

"Ouch," young Charlie said, grimacing.

There was a deafening groan ... Hassan Mostafa didn't blow his whistle.

"Bloody hell," Sirius groaned. That wasn't fair.

He had become distracted ... set his broom tail alight.

"Shouldn't that be an automatic forfeit?" Hermione asked. She'd been reading up on quidditch ever since first year when Harry had joined the house team.

"If one of the team had done it, or one of the supporters," Harry said. "I'm not sure there's a rule about mascots."

"There's not," Charlie agreed. "There really should be."

Harry wanted someone to realize that Krum was injured;

"Thank you, Heir Potter," Krum said bowing his head.

even though he was supporting Ireland ... he can't play like that, look at him -"

"Still caught the snitch," Krum said with a side smirk.

"Look at Lynch!" ... Look at him go!"

"He nearly got it too," Krum complained.

Half the crowd seemed to have realized ... Harry had no idea;

"I couldn't," Krum admitted.

there were flecks of blood flying ... "They're going to crash!" shrieked Hermione.

Several of the girls screamed.

"They're not!" ... "Lynch is!" yelled Harry.

Krum grinned at Harry. He really should go pro.

And he was right ... stampeded by a horde of angry veela.

"FOUL!" Seamus roared. "Mascots shouldn't be allowed to attack players."

"Again, there's no rule against it," Charlie said.

"Bloody well should be," Arthur countered, causing his wife to glare at him for his language.

"The Snitch... Krum's got it - it's all over!" shouted Harry.

"WOW!" several of the kids cried out, cheering excitably. Even if they were disappointed the match was over.

Krum, his red robes ... a glint of gold in his hand.

"Better to lose by ten points than three-hundred-and-twenty," Viktor said and Harry definitely agreed with him.

The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 ... erupted into screams of delight.

"Math really isn't their strong point," Hermione said with a sigh.

"No one was paying attention to the score, Hermione," Harry said. "They were too busy watching the action."

"IRELAND WINS!" ... I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

"We were," George said bitterly.

"What did he catch the Snitch for?" ... hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"

Krum glared at Ron. He really had no choice. It was either he catch it or Lynch.

"He knew they were never going to catch up!" ... end it on his terms, that's all...

Krum nodded at Harry. At least he understood. His team mates hadn't been anywhere near as understanding.

"He was very brave, wasn't he?" ... "He looks a terrible mess. . . . "

Krum blushed. It was strange hearing a girl he'd once dated watching him play. Not bad exactly. Especially because she wasn't fangirling. Just strange.

Harry put his Omnioculars ... refused to let them mop him up.

"My team were not happy," Krum said.

His team members were around him ... though looking dispirited and forlorn.

"It was a good game," Charlie said with a grin.

"Vell, ve fought bravely," ... me mime everything all day!"

Everyone laughed at Fudge's stupidity.

"Veil, it vos very funny," said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging.

"Good prank!" Sirius grinned.

"And as the Irish team ... brought into the Top Box!" roared Bagman.

Harry grimaced. This was the only thing about being in the top box. He wondered just how many people had spotted him there. He could only hope they were all too distracted by the players to see him.

Harry's eyes were suddenly dazzled ... using sign language all day for nothing.

Again everyone laughed. He really was a bit of a fool.

"Let's have a really loud hand ... seven defeated Bulgarian players.

Krum grimaced. This was his least favourite part of being a professional quidditch player. He hated the attention.

The crowd below was applauding appreciatively ... Omniocular lenses flashing and winking in their direction.

Kingsley frowned. Potter wasn't safe there.

One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the rows ... He was still holding the Snitch.

"I kept it," Krum said. "Kept everyone I caught during the world cup."

Harry noticed that he seemed much less coordinated ... gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar.

Krum didn't meet anyone's eye. He found the attention highly embarrassing.

And then came the Irish team... Harry's hands were numb with clapping.

"Once in a life time experience," Mr Weasley said cheerfully.

At last, when the Irish team ... "Quietus."

Is that it then?" young Ron said. "Are you heading back to Hogwarts?"

Harry almost laughed. He wished that had been it.

"They'll be talking about this one for years," ... their hands outstretched.

Mrs Weasley tutted loudly before sighing and saying that lunch should be waiting for them. Since she hadn't gone to make lunch, no doubt the house elves would have done it for them.