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Written for; Can You Make It To The End; Round 3 - Katie Bell

Daddy's Girl

She remembers the first time she watched a quidditch game; sitting atop her father's shoulders as she shouted and cheered for the chasers. She remembers chattering excitedly for hours afterwards, her dad grinning at her as she told him all about the match, never mind that he'd been there to watch it with her.

She remembers him listening to the commentaries on the old radio in the bedroom as he got ill, his grin getting tired as she cheered from the chair beside his bed. He made sure to always stay awake until the end of the game, no matter how weak he was feeling.

She remembers wondering if she'll ever be able to watch Quidditch without breaking down in tears over his memory as she stands by her mother's side, watching with horror as his body is lowered into the ground in a brown casket.

She remembers learning to fly a broom at his knee, a child lock installed so that she cannot get too far. The very thought of getting on a broom is enough to make her feel sick. Her mother offers to write to Hogwarts, to ask them to leave her out of flying lessons but she says no. The last thing she wants is someone asking her why she refuses to take the flying lessons with everyone else.

And then she's at Hogwarts, and there's quidditch, and broomsticks and chattering excited students everywhere she looks. It's time for the first game of the year. She feels sick. Her friends pull her along and she feels suffocated by the crowds as she takes her first step onto the pitch.

She remembers her dad's smile and it makes her want to scream at the injustice of it all.

And then she dreams. She dreams of her dad, of him telling her not to abandon her first love. Of him telling her to love him and love quidditch, and to remember him happily when she flies, to remember him when she becomes a chaser like she always swore to him she would.

And she remembers, just like he told her too. Through her years as a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, she remembers him. She thanks him after every match, she promises him in every dream, she's going to do this for him, with him in her heart, her very own mascot to carry forever.

And she remembers him on the very first professional game. As the Seeker catches the snitch, she happens to glance on the crowd and there, right in the middle, is her dad. Cheering, proud as punch as he watches her, his eyes alight with tears as he nods at her.

When she blinks, he's gone, but she knows, as long as she has quidditch, she'll always have her dad.

Her dad gave her quidditch, and for Katie, it will always be her first love, just as he was. As long as she can sit on her broom and catch the quaffle when it's thrown her way, she'll always be her daddy's girl.