CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
TEAM TRYOUTS
Harry had learned the times for tryouts throughout the week through Professor McGonagall and seeing as he wasn't in detention he decided it would be best to make appearances with the team on the pitch. Hermione went to the stands to watch from her normal seat and was joined by Colin Creevey and his brother Dennis. She watched tentatively as Harry joined the rest of the team and her heart sank when Ron seemed to be ignoring him other than giving him a few short orders.
"Don't worry about anything just play the part of a chaser until we're done." Ron said in his best business-like manner. "The rest of you will head out to the pitch when called and we'll see how you do." He then took his Cleansweep and headed quickly for the goals. Harry sort of felt like his Uncle Vernon was giving orders through an imperius curse controlled Ron.
He noted that Ginny didn't ignore him but didn't show any form of emotion towards him. It was obvious that she'd been moved from the seeker position to chaser, however. The team only needed two more chasers and according to Kirke, they had already gone through the majority of hopefuls and had only two more to tryout.
Geoffrey Hooper, a third year who had tried out for keeper last time, was trying to get onto the team again. If Harry remembered right this guy flew well but Angelina didn't like the way he whined.
Harry and Ginny rose in the air with Hooper and the two beaters were doing their best to send the bludger his way. Hooper dodged and swerved like the best of them and barreled at Ron with abandon. Ginny passed him the quaffle and he pulled off a double feint that caught Ron off guard.
Impressive ... Harry thought. He decided not to congratulate him on his goal because he didn't want Ron to get angry. They flew around quite a bit with Hooper trying this and that, working Slytherin style moves to knock him off his broom but he hung in there and was able to score twice more against their keeper which was saying a lot.
"Ok, Hooper. That's enough. Why don't you have a seat so we can test out our other candidate here?" Ron called from the goal posts.
Harry followed the hopeful down and checked him over for any bad injuries. "We did hit you kind of hard up there. I just wanted to make sure you were ok."
"Thanks, Harry." Geoffrey said. "I'm fine. You'd make a pretty good chaser if you wanted to."
Harry smiled. "Thanks."
"Hey, Natalie, you're up!" Ginny called to a small girl who was waiting patiently by the trunk that held all the Quidditch balls.
The small girl looked up with a grim face and mounted her broom. She shot into position with a grace that surprised the others.
This girl is going to be good ... Harry thought as he joined the others in the air once more.
Natalie was fast and agile even on one of the old school brooms. She gave Ginny a run for her money as she ducked, rolled, and flew like she'd flown her entire life. Harry was the only one of the team to keep up with her and he suspected that it was only due to the speed of his Firebolt.
The team pushed McDonald through all the same maneuvers as they did for Hooper and she seemed to shine. She missed her first run at the goal but her successive runs proved her to be a natural choice for the team.
"Well, that's the end of the tryouts it seems." Ron said as he rejoined the rest of the team on the pitch. "I'll post the results on the notice board by the end of the week."
Ginny had been checking Natalie over for any serious damage but was happy to find nothing wrong. "You're a pretty good flyer, Natalie." She said with a beaming smile. "I think you'll be one of the team soon, so make sure you're ready for practice, my brother is going to be a slave-driver, and I can promise you that."
Harry congratulated both of them on their flying ability and goals they had scored as he struggled to get the bludger back in its place in the trunk. "I think you've both done really well. Some of the best flying I've seen." He was saying as he finally got the restraint in place.
"Thanks, Harry. That means a lot to me." Natalie was saying as she blushed. "I hope I was good enough."
"I think you did rather well." Kirke said as he walked over to help carry the trunk back.
Harry couldn't help but glance at Ron and Ginny as he and Andrew took the equipment back to the shed. Neither seemed interested in talking to him at the moment but he could tell that Ron was keeping his cool, at least where the team was concerned.
He glanced quickly to his right at a shadow he thought he had seen but the only thing he could see was the bushes next to the castle's wall. "I'll see you guys in the common room later, ok? I have to check something out. Be right back."
His teammates smiled and waved their goodbyes as he headed for the bushes. I wonder what that was. He thought. He peered into the shadows and caught sight of a furry creature sitting under the bushes. It seemed to be watching him intently. Harry decided it would be best to take out his wand in case it was something dangerous and brought it up before him.
A streak of orange fur pounced on a mouse that was scurrying behind Harry and chased it into a hole not far away.
"Crookshanks! Don't scare me like that!" Harry said as he picked up the squirming cat. He laughed and scratched behind the cat's ears before letting him go again. He admired how the cat hadn't let its eyes leave the spot where the mouse had disappeared and then headed to the locker room to wash up before heading back to the tower with Hermione.
I really wish Ron had let me finish what I was trying to say the other night ... He was thinking when Hermione caught him at the doorway.
"How do you think the tryouts went?" She asked with a smile as he slipped his arm around her waist.
"Well, these two seemed to do well." He offered as they made their way back to the school. "I didn't see the other hopefuls the other night though and Ron said these were the last two to tryout."
Hermione laughed. "Well, it seems that Dennis and Colin tried out last night. They told me about it while you tested the other two tonight." She was having a hard time containing her giggles. "It seems neither of them is really good at flying. Dennis ended up scoring a goal with himself instead of the quaffle and Colin had a hard time with thinking in three-dimensions and ended up all over the pitch."
Harry laughed. "They should stick with photography, just as long as it isn't of me! Still, I'm glad I missed last night's tryouts. It was hard having to deal with Ron and Ginny tonight." He sighed. "I wish he would have listened to me the other night instead of storming off before I had finished."
"He did, Harry, there's nothing we can do about it right now. You know he always jumps to conclusions without hearing all the facts. I didn't think you'd end your friendship, you're like brothers ..." Hermione comforted him with a quick squeeze. "You'll get a chance to talk again and things will right themselves."
"I hope you're right, Hermione. I hope you're right. I don't want to have the same thing happen with Ron that happened with Sirius. Not being able to say goodbye or to right things before something happens ..." He caught himself before he finished the sentence and sighed again. "That's something I don't want to think about right now."
Hermione nodded as she wiped a tear from her cheek. "I don't want that either, Harry."
They finished their walk in silence, content that they had each other and hoping that their friend would soon return to them.
The next day raced by quickly. Charms was the most eventful class of the day when Neville attempted to add wings to Trevor and the poor toad ended up rocketing around the room like a bumblebee. Professor Flitwick had a terrible time ducking the flying amphibian but finally caught it in a levitating pillow.
Ron had started a new schedule of not being in the same place as Harry for more than a few minutes if he could help it and every time Harry thought that he might get the courage up to talk to his wayward friend, Ron would disappear somewhere.
Hermione had been with him throughout much of the day aside from her Arithmancy class and they ended up spending a lot of time in the library or in the room of requirement researching spells.
"It says here that the killing curse was meant to be a mind altering spell. Much in the same way that you thought it might work." She was pacing with a large book propped open in her arms. "The only thing I can tell is that the curse can be physically blocked. That means that the only counter-curse would be a physical object strong enough to withstand the power behind the spell."
Harry pursed his lips in thought as he rubbed his temples. "What I can remember from the curse is the green light, of course, but there was a whoosh of air that accompanied it. Almost like there was something invisible hidden in the light."
Hermione nodded. "I can't see how something that shows so much devastation could not show marks on the body, unless there is something to that whoosh of air you just pointed out. If it were something like a ghost ..."
Harry snapped his head up. "I'm late! I've got to get to transformation practice again. Do you want to come along or do you want to continue our research?"
Hermione glanced at him for a second before looking back at the book. "I think I'll stay and do some more research. I'll see you back at the common room in a few hours?"
"That's fine." Harry replied as he laid his hands on her shoulders then kissed her on the top of the head. "Let me know what you find out?"
"I sure will." She said absently as she scanned another book. "See you in a bit."
Harry grabbed his books and left the room in a mad dash to not be late. He got to the designated classroom and entered to find his professor marking papers from earlier classes. "Sorry I'm late, Professor McGonagall." He apologized as he set his bag on a nearby desk.
"Not to worry, Mr. Potter." McGonagall said after finishing of the last paper in the stack. "It gave me some time to catch up with grading assignments."
Harry nodded. "What's on the agenda tonight?"
"Well, we're going to go through transformation some more. Then we're going to test the strength of your wings to see if you'll be ready to start flying lessons soon."
Harry smiled widely. "I'm ready whenever you are, Professor."
She smiled and motioned for him to begin his metamorphosis practice. He did rather well and after an hour of practice she started him on quick transformations.
"We need to make sure that you can transform at the drop of a hat, so to speak. It will come in handy if you have to slip into disguise or hide from pursuers." She explained.
The next hour was spent timing the transformation speed that Harry could safely handle and through the practice he was able to morph quickly.
"Those are good times, Harry, but we'll need to work on them. You will need to drill yourself for practice between sessions now. By next session I want the time cut in half."
Harry nodded as a knock came at the door.
"Ah, that should be Madam Hooch." She announced. "Please come in, Rolanda."
The school flying teacher entered the room and shut the door quickly behind her. "Good evening." She said briskly as she crossed the room. "Is young Mr. Potter ready to see if he can fly as well with wings as he does with broom?" She said with a smile and a twinkle in her yellow eyes.
"Yes I am, Madam Hooch." He said with a smile as he remembered his first year and how quickly he took to the broom.
"Alright, now switch over to your owl form and we'll test your wing strength." She said without pause.
Harry transformed into his avian form to a whistle of admiration from his flying teacher and Quidditch referee. "A very handsome bird indeed." She said appreciatively while reaching into her robes. She withdrew a strange harness that she placed on him. It looked like a mass of rubber bands and leather. It didn't feel too comfortable since it trapped his wings against his body.
"Now, I want you to slowly stretch your wings. The strength harness will help us determine if you need special weight training to improve your overall musculature."
Harry did as he was told and found it very difficult to stretch his wings out at all. He admitted that he had never been a particularly strong person physically, but didn't think it would matter much in his owl form.
"I can see that you are trying as hard as you can so this does confirm that we'll need to put you on a special weight training schedule." She nimbly removed the harness and helped massage his tired wing muscles. "It's very important to be physically fit, not just in your bird form, but in your human form as well. There are many forces that affect the flight of birds and having a well-developed set of muscles will go a long way to helping you maintain control in the air." She seemed to be an old pro at this and Harry was starting to truly appreciate the amount of experience he had surrounding him.
"Thanks for the assessment, Rolanda." McGonagall put in as she instructed Harry to return to his normal self.
"What kind of weight training will I have to undertake, Madam Hooch?" Harry asked after his beak had retreated and his nose returned to its normal place.
"I'll work up a timetable for you to follow for the next few months. Don't worry," Madam Hooch said as Harry's face began to fall, "You'll be able to practice gliding soon enough. It doesn't require a lot of muscle to hold your wings straight and you'll need to practice controlling your primary feathers so you'll be able to turn while in the air. I'll have it for you this Friday afternoon and leave it with Minerva."
Harry nodded as a smile began to stretch across his face. "Thank you both for the help. I would be lost without it."
The two older women nodded at him and smiled. "We'll see if you feel that way after your training cycle begins, Harry." Madam Hooch said with a laugh as she turned and left the room.
"Do you have everything ready for tomorrow night, Harry?" McGonagall asked after a moment.
Harry nodded. "I don't think she suspects a thing. Thanks for giving us permission to use the astronomy tower after hours and for giving me the night off so that I could surprise her. Is the hour window still open for my trip to Diagon Alley?"
McGonagall laughed softly. "You're welcome, Harry, she is a lucky girl. And yes. You'll be able to go by Floo. Tonks will be waiting for you. You have only an hour, don't be late!"
Harry blushed as he smiled. "I'm the lucky one." He said sheepishly. "And I won't be late, I promise."
"We're done for the night. We'll see each other again Friday night at the astronomy tower. We want to keep things under the cover of darkness to keep things secret from the rest of the school." McGonagall instructed. "I'd like you to study the way birds wings work and you are to spend an hour a day from now until we're finished stretching your wings. You'll get better instructions from Madam Hooch, of course, but we can at least limber you up before the harder training comes into focus."
"Alright, Professor McGonagall, I'll see you next time and thanks again." He stepped into the hall and made his way to the kitchens. After tickling the pear, he stepped into the warm room and scanned the place.
"Dobby, how are you doing?" He called to his diminutive friend.
"Mr. Potter, Sir! Dobby is very glad to see you, he is!" Dobby said as he adjusted his stack of hats and rushed over to greet his friend. "What brings Mr. Potter to the kitchens tonight, Sir?"
Harry laughed at the comical sight. Dobby had been wearing all the socks he had ever been given and Ron's sweater was still too big for him, even after several shrinking charms had been cast on it. "I just came down to ask a favor for tomorrow night." He said.
Dobby got excited. "I can't believe that a wizard actually wants Dobby to do a favor for him." The house elf broke down in tears. "I'll do anything for you, Sir, anything!"
Harry grabbed a stool and offered one to Dobby who again was happy that Harry thought so much of him to offer him a seat. Harry started laying out his plan for Thursday evening. "Do you think you could make one that is about this size with these words on it?" He asked as he handed a piece of parchment to his friend. "I'd also like a good three course dinner for two waiting at the top of the astronomy tower." He finished.
"It will be an honor, Mr. Potter, Sir." Dobby beamed. "What time should I make sure she should be there?"
"Around seventeen thirty if that's alright. I know you have to cook dinner for the rest of the students and staff. Thanks for doing this for me." He clapped his bat-eared friend on the shoulder. "You'll need to head her off before she gets to the common room and give her the box after you get her to the prefect's bathroom. Then get her to the tower by that time."
"Leave it to me, Sir!" Dobby said with a salute. "Everything will be waiting for you tomorrow, Sir."
Harry laughed. "Thanks a lot, Dobby. I owe you one. I'll have that box for you tomorrow afternoon."
Dobby broke down in tears again. "A wizard owes me a favor!"
Harry laughed again and got up to leave. "Have a good night, Dobby." He waved and stepped out into the hall.
She is going to be so surprised. I hope her mum hasn't said anything to her ... He thought with excitement as he made his way up to the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione was asleep on the couch when Harry got back to the tower. She was curled up at one end with a rather large book, The Mysteries of Astral Projection, as her pillow.
Harry chuckled softly and sat at the other end of the sofa. He pulled a blanket off the back and covered his girlfriend.
"Hmm?" She looked around with sleep in her eyes and blinked drowsily at Harry. "What time is it?" She asked as she stretched.
"About twenty-two. I didn't mean to wake you." He replied with a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting, I decided to see how Dobby was doing before I came back here."
She stifled a yawn as she re-adjusted so that she was using Harry's thigh as a pillow instead of the book. She snuggled against him. "How is he doing? Is he still getting paid to work here?"
Harry laughed. "As far as I know he is. He also seems to still enjoy every sock and hat that you'd knitted." He placed his hand on her shoulder.
"That's good." She yawned as she dozed back to sleep.
He sat in the darkened room enjoying her company. He watched her sleep for a time, occasionally stroking her hair and watching the content smile spread on her face. I miss Ron. He said silently to himself. I'm going to have to make amends and try to get him to listen one of these days, and sometime soon. He sat in silence staring at the ceiling with his sleeping girlfriend curled against his leg. He started to doze off and caught himself.
"Hermione, it's time to go to bed." He gently shook her awake.
"Hmm?" She asked as she took a deep, sleepy breath. "Ok, I'm going, I'm going." She rubbed her eyes and got to her feet.
Harry stood with her and they hugged for a few moments before going separate ways to their respective dormitories. "Goodnight." He said softly over his shoulder and smiled as he heard her echo "Goodnight." Harry changed once he got to his bed and fell asleep without a second thought.