Special delivery - Nimbus 2000

Harry's new broom arrives - I imagined that since the Gryffindor Quidditch team's latest trainee was supposed to be a surprise for the other houses, and with significant wizard type expertise available to Professor McGonagall and friends, it should have been possible to find a spell which cloaked the arrival of Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand - or at least magicked it straight under Harry's bed in the dorm tower - avoiding prying eyes.   

But No!  That's far too simple.

Instead - the broom not only arrives in the public owl post - but arrives in a broomstick shaped package flown in by SIX large Screech Owls - not exactly a stealthy arrival.

So it was just as well that Professor McGonagall attached a helpful covering letter, explaining "DO NOT OPEN THE (Broomstick shaped) PARCEL AT THE TABLE" - it contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, I don't want everyone knowing you've got a broomstick - or they'll all want one.

That's alright then.

Harry's first team training introduces three balls - a huge football sized Quaffle to chuck through hoops - some little black balls with a mean streak designed to put you off your stride or knock the unwary off their broomsticks, and one they didn't get to play with - the golden snitch - a flying ball with wings that the seeker (That's Harry?), has to catch to get a hundred and fifty points - simples.  (I'm sure it will make sense when I get used to it).

Halloween arrived and brought baked pumpkin, - fine if you like the taste of pumpkin - but personally - having tried pumpkin pie once, (very sickly - mainly sugar with added vegetables - Yuk!)..  I now use pumpkins for their intended purpose - which is carving, generally a toothy grin and triangular holes for the nose and eyes - then stick a night-light candle inside to look suitably spooky for Halloween.

Ron upsets Hermione by loudly telling all within earshot (including Hermione herself, - Ooops!), that she is a nightmare - cue Hermione flouncing off to the ladies loo, just before it's announced that there's a troll on the loose in the dungeons.  

Harry and Ron find - and defeat - the12 foot mountain troll in the ladies.  - Ron nearly loses his wand up the Troll's nose - but manages to pull it out (covered in Troll bogies - which he wipes on the troll's trousers).  Hermione is rescued - but the noise of their troll battle - (ending when the troll is levitated by a sneaky spell, knocking himself out on his own club), alerts Prof McGonagall, Snape and Quirrell - Asked what on earth they were doing - Hermione tells a little white lie and says it was her fault - she went looking for the troll on her own - and gets fined 5 Gryffindor house points for being stupid enough to go hunting trolls, but Harry and Ron get 10 Gryffindor house points back for defeating the troll.   

Last but not least - they are all friends now - as the book says 'there are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other - and knocking out a 12 foot mountain troll is one of them'.   I'll have to remember that handy tip for making friends.  Now where did I put that 12 foot mountain troll?  I know it's here somewhere....