章节_59

uld answer, professor fliteared at

malfoys elbow.

”n, i hope, boys?” he squeaked.

”potters bee a broomstick, professor,” said malfoy

quickly.

”yes, yes, thats right,” said professor flitwig

at harry. ”prall told me all about the special

ces, potter. and what model is it?”

”a nimbus two thousand, sit,” said harry, fighting not to laugh

at the look of horror on malfoys fad its really thanks to

malfoy here that ive got it,” he added.

harry aairs, sm their laughter at

malfoys e and . ”well, its true,” harry

chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, ”if he

hadnt stolen nevilles remembrall i wouleam....”

”so i suppose you think thats a reward f rules?” came

an angry voi just behind them. hermioomping up the

stairs, looking disapprovingly at the pa harrys hand.

”i thought you werent speaking to us?” said harry.

”yes, dont stop now,” said ron, ”its doing us so much good.”

hermione marched away with her he air.

harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind ohat

day. it kept wao the dormitory where his ick

was lying under his bed, off to the quidditch field

where hed be learning to play that ed his dinner

that evening without notig what he was eating, and then rushed

upstairs with ron to uwo thousand at last.

”whed, as the broomstick rolled onto harrys

bedspread.

even harry, who khing about the different brooms, thought

it looked wonderful. sleek and shiny, with a mahoga

had a long tail of raight twigs and nimbus two thousand

written iop.

as seven ocloearer, harry left the d set off

ioward the quidditch field. held never beehe

stadium before. hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the

field so that the spectath enough to see what was going

oher end of the field were three goldeh hoops

ohey reminded harry of the little plastic sticks muggle

blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty

feet high.

too eager to fly again to wait for wood, harry mounted his

broomstid ki the ground. what a feeling -- he

swooped in and out of the goal posts and then sped up and down the

field. the nimbus two thousand turned wherever he wa his

lightest touch.

”hey, potter, e down!

oliver wood had arrived. fie was g a large wooden crate

under his arm. harry lao him.

”very nice,” said wood, his eyes glinti magall

meant... you really are a natural. im just going to teach you

the rules this evening, then youll be joiice three

times a week.”

he opee. inside were four different-sized balls.

”right,” said wood. ”now, quidditch is easy enough to uand,

even if its o play. there are seven players on each

side. three of them are called chasers.”

”three chasers,” harry repeated, as wood took ht red

ball about the size of a soccer ball.

”this balls called the quaffle,” said wood. ”the chasers

throw the quaffle to each other and try ahrough one of

the hoops toal. teime the quaffle goes

through ohe hoops. follow me?”

”the chasers throw the quaffle and put it through the hoops

to score,” harry recited. ”so -- thats sort of like basketball on

broomsticks with six hoops, isnt it?”

”whats basketball?” said wood curiously. ”never mind,” said

harry quickly.

”now, theres another player on each side whos called the

keeper -im keeper fryffindor. i have to fly around our hoops

and stop the other team fr.”

”three chasers, one keeper,” said harry, who was determined

to remember it all. ”and they play w