Anne was nearly vibrating with her excitement. She was going to the Quidditch World Cup! If that wasn't enough, she was going to enjoy it from a private box with Ned's friends. This was every Christmas and birthday and Ned coming home from Hogwarts day all at once and it was just too much for one little bouncing body to handle. As if her brother wasn't already the most amazing wizard, his friends were so amazing and they played quidditch, too!
She'd peppered Miss Bell and Miss Potts with questions and then meeting Miss Bixby a player and the sister of the Rufus Bixby was overwhelming. Anne had a million questions for the gathered friends, but the game began and she couldn't bother with the manners of polite conversation. "Bixby! Bixby! Bixby and Robins!" Anne squealed with delight. She loved chasers, they went so fast, but beaters were her favorite. How much fun would that be to fly and get to smack bludgers at people?
"Do a lot of knees get smashed at Hogwarts?" Even to her, this was getting violent. A possible answer was delayed when Miss Thompsett - and half the screaming stadium - drew attention to a bludger that was far too close to the stands. "NED!" Anne shrieked, grabbing her brother around the waist, ready to hit the ground with him. The bludger passed their box, crashing somewhere that was blocked by Ned's body, but she heard it. Merlin, she heard it.
Tears jumping to her eyes, the shock of a close bludger more frightening than anything, but now there was screaming. Looking around Ned, but holding tight to him, Anne couldn't make sense of what she was seeing. This didn't happen, not to spectators. "We have to help them." It was out of her mouth before she thought better of it. "Ned, we have to help."
She'd peppered Miss Bell and Miss Potts with questions and then meeting Miss Bixby a player and the sister of the Rufus Bixby was overwhelming. Anne had a million questions for the gathered friends, but the game began and she couldn't bother with the manners of polite conversation. "Bixby! Bixby! Bixby and Robins!" Anne squealed with delight. She loved chasers, they went so fast, but beaters were her favorite. How much fun would that be to fly and get to smack bludgers at people?
"Do a lot of knees get smashed at Hogwarts?" Even to her, this was getting violent. A possible answer was delayed when Miss Thompsett - and half the screaming stadium - drew attention to a bludger that was far too close to the stands. "NED!" Anne shrieked, grabbing her brother around the waist, ready to hit the ground with him. The bludger passed their box, crashing somewhere that was blocked by Ned's body, but she heard it. Merlin, she heard it.
Tears jumping to her eyes, the shock of a close bludger more frightening than anything, but now there was screaming. Looking around Ned, but holding tight to him, Anne couldn't make sense of what she was seeing. This didn't happen, not to spectators. "We have to help them." It was out of her mouth before she thought better of it. "Ned, we have to help."
![[Image: rOjzpw3.png]](https://i.imgur.com/rOjzpw3.png)