Chapter 15: Quidditch Tryouts
Harry woke up the next day, trying to remember a few things. What the day was, and what was happening today. Morning Amnesia, I hate it. Life's way to keep you from waking up kicking and screaming. He got out of bed and started putting on his school robes, and saw a note on his nightstand.
Harry-
Don't forget that we have Quidditch Tryouts today. They've been put off long enough.
Ron
He's right. God, when was it when I first scheduled them? He charmed his tie, and walked out of the door. As he reached the common room, he saw a disheveled Hermione sitting on the couch, crying. He immediately walked over to her.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry wrapped his arms around her, in the same fashion that he had hours before.
"I just owled my p-parents. I'm scared of their response."
"Shh," Harry said, rubbing her arm, "they won't do anything harsh. They love you. While they may not give you the answers you need, you know that they won't do anything to harm you."
"That's the thing, I don't know. I don't know if my sister left on her own, or if they chucked her out of the house. I just don't know."
They stayed there for a few minutes, until they heard some shouting from behind the statue.
"Harry! Come on! Tryouts are in fifteen minutes!"
Harry sighed softly, not wanting to leave Hermione by herself, giving her the comfort she wanted, and clearly needed. She put a hand on his cheek, and brought his forehead to her lips.
"Go, I'll be fine." Hermione said as she pulled away.
"Are you sure? I can post-"
"I think that we all agree that they've been put off long enough."
He lowered his head. She's right you know.
Yeah, but she needs me right now.
No, go with Ron.
"Go with Ron. I'll be fine."
"Are you-"
"I'm sure, Harry,"
Harry looked away, clearly pointing out that he did not want to leave her in this emotional state. Hermione saw this and grinned. He really doesn't want to leave. Wow, any girl in the world would want this to happen to them.
"Harry, you first scheduled these in the middle of last month, the game is a couple days after the ball. You need to get new team members. You've already helped me enough, now you need to help your silly little game."
"Bu-"
"No 'buts', Harry. Just go." She kissed his forehead one more time, "Go, before I use a banishing charm on you."
He sighed again, but grinned this time, "Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
"Never, let me plan something that involves Quidditch the day after one of our dates."
"Deal." she said, smiling. He kissed her on the top of her head, and walked out of the statue. He and Ron ran to the locker room, and put on their Quidditch robes as fast as they could. They walked out to see about fifty people standing in the middle of the Quidditch Field.
Harry walked over to them, "You all know why you are here and what you want to be a part of, so I won't go on with a long speech about how it is such an honor to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and get right to the tryouts.
For those trying out for the position of Chaser, in teams of three, you will go up against our Keeper, Ron Weasley, and shoot twenty shots. Then, those of you who are good enough will face off against our old Beaters, Misters Fred and George Weasley, who have made time out of their busy schedule to be here. They will shot Bludgers at you while you try to score goals.
For those who want to be beaters, you will face off against our old Chasers, Mrs. Angelina Weasley, Ms. Alicia Spinnet, and Mrs. Katie Wood, as well as our old Keeper, Katie's husband, Mr. Oliver Wood. You will send Bludgers at the Chasers, trying to prevent them from scoring a goal. Again, those of you who are good enough will face off against Fred and George after they are done with the Chasers, doing what you were doing before, with you protecting the Angelina, Alicia, and Katie.
Now, Oliver Wood has brought the Chasers and Beaters down from the Puddlemere United Quidditch team to help me analyze you people so this practice can run as smoothly and as quickly as possible.
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Chaser tryouts are on the north side hoops, Beater tryouts are on the south side. Now, first up, for chaser, we have Allison Arriton, Andrew Atkin, and Atley Jackson. Go over to the north end of the field. For Beater, we have Allison Coleman and Avi Arad."
The group started to split. Three people went to the north side of the field, and started shooting their goals, passing the quaffle, and doing evasion maneuvers to try and outsmart Ron. Two others went to the other side, preventing the goals from happening. Harry kept naming off names from both of the lists.
"Brandon Bixby, Chris Bixby, and Carl Peltier!"
"Barry Mcgraw, Dean Thomas!"
Harry looked at the Puddlemere players. The Chasers kept shaking their heads. No one was making a lot of shots. On the Beaters side however, one of the Beaters was nodding his head. Harry walked over to him.
"Which one are you watching?"
"Dean Thomas, Mr. Potter."
"Please, call me Harry."
"Alright, Harry. Dean is doing well. He's only let a few goals in, and saved the other kid a couple of times."
"Move him to the next round."
"Ok. One down."
"Colin Creevey, Dennis Creevey, and Ginny Weasley."
"Edwin Monroe and Her-"
"Right here! Sorry I'm late, Harry!"
"Her- Her- Hermione!"
"Yeah, that's me."
"I thought you didn't like flying?"
"Well, the end of last year kind of killed that fear, that, and having to train on the roof of a castle."
"I bet." Harry said, his face still grinning slightly, "Do you have a broom?"
"Yeah! My parents sent me a Nimbus 2000 a couple of weeks ago, and I've been getting a feel for it."
"Alright, get on up there, and make sure you block as many shots as you can."
"Ok."
She mounted her broom and took off at incredible speed. He looked down the field at Ron to see that his broom was hovering in midair, and he was lying on the ground. Harry ran over to him as quickly as he could. And the first words that came out of his mouth were, "Is that Hermione?"
"Yeah, that was her."
"She HATES flying."
"Apparently, she's changed. She has a Nimbus 2000."
"You're joking."
"No, now get back into the air." Harry said, helping Ron to his feet. He looked over, to see nothing was getting past Hermione, who hit the Bludger into the chaser holding the quaffle every time. The Puddlemere player that was observing her was looking at her with admiration.
"What's going on?"
"It seems we have another person going to the next round, Harry."
"Hermione?"
"Yep. She has saved the other kid over half a dozen times. She is going into the next round."
"Do it." Harry said, looking over at two people smiling at the other end. I'm glad this is the only time I have to direct tryouts. I'm not going to be running back and forth this entire time.
"Accio Firebolt!" The broom came into his hand in an instant. He flew low, and landed next to the two smiling chasers.
"Colin Creevey and Ginny Weasley."
"Well, I kind of expected Ginny to do well."
"Why's that?"
"Charlie Weasley, Fred and George Weasley, Ron Weasley, need me to name anymore?" Harry said with a grin on his face.
"No, you got them all… I think."
"Heh, well, put them into the next round."
"You got it."
A lone man in a Stealth Camouflage stood in the middle of the destroyed Village of Arrsburg, looking at the charred remains of what had been civilization. He looked at the books that were strewn across the ground forming words he didn't want to see.
"The Green Flame Torch will be mine." the man whispered to himself. He pulled out a cell phone, and a stick of gum. He opened the gum, and put it in his mouth. He then took out his wand and muttered a charm, aiming it at the phone. He heard the sounds of dialing in a strange tone that few would recognize.
"Zalrot here, report your status Dubrino."
"Sir, we've got a problem."
"What is it?"
"Voldemort has the first piece, the second is inside his reach but he doesn't know it, and the third piece is still in its hiding spot, but it's only a matter of time before he finds that one."
"Are you going to move it?"
"No one but a pureblood or the Heir of Abendale can touch it."
"What about the full map that Merlin created?"
"You basically have to die to get anywhere close to it, so there are no worries about that."
"Good point."
"Sir, we're going to have to speed up the boy's training. He's going to need to be able to control his powers."
"I've been asking permission from the wench's father, but he doesn't think I should interfere. The wench is presenting a problem."
"Just present this to her father, and he will let you take over."
"Hopefully. The boy's mind is being overpowered by his heart, and the wench is letting it happen. I cannot have that."
"Why-"
"Do not question me. I will not explain myself to someone of lower rank."
"Yes, sir."
"Get a hold of a man I call Zero 1. He's the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Agency in the U.S. He needs to be briefed in whatever happens in the U.K."
"May I-"
"Don't ask questions, just follow orders. You will find this man living in Maryland. His last name is Ryan. His Wife's name is Cathy."
Dubrino sighed, "Yes, sir."
"Zalrot, out." A click on the other end of the line said that Zalrot had ended the conversation. He looked out, seeing all of the ruins, and sighed again. How did I let myself get sucked into all of Zalrot's bullshit? Prophecy of the Shadow, heh, if it's true, I'll eat myself.
Wormtail paced his little cell in Azkaban, looking out the small window in his door. Across the hall, he could see Lucius Malfoy doing handstand push-ups on the wall. I didn't know he was in here.
"Hey, Lucius!" Lucius stopped, and flipped over. A tired and worn man with now dirty blonde hair stepped up to the window.
"What do you want, Rat-boy?"
"Help."
"On what? Getting out of here? Fat chance."
"No, my mission."
"And what, may I ask, is that?"
"To get the Dementors on our side."
"Oh, the job that was supposed to go to me. Why should I?"
"You want out of here, right? Their allegiance to our master is the only way."
"So you think."
"Fine, be trapped in this hellhole if you want. I'm just going to say this, when January comes around, you'll be sorry you hadn't helped!"
"Why's that? Because master will kill me because I was caught? Or that I DIDN'T give the ministry any information? Or the fact that I went to this god-forsaken rock instead of running and hiding like the sniveling little rat that you are?" Wormtail looked at the man who was once his friend, "Heh, pathetic. If you knew the truth, you'd be screaming for your mother by nightfall."
"Oh yeah?"
"Do what you want, because I will not help you." Lucius said, as a small owl flew through his window with a note bearing the Order of the Phoenix seal on it.
Harry looked over the twenty students who were left for the second round of tryouts. There was a wide variety of sizes and shapes. The thing that surprised him the most was Hermione showing up to the tryouts.
He had walked up to her after the first round ended and the whole group took a break for lunch.
"Hermione, are you sure about this?"
"Of course I am."
"Look, Quidditch is a dangerous sport-"
"And fighting Voldemort isn't as dangerous or even more? Please, Harry, I appreciate you looking out for me, but I think that a game of Quidditch is a walk in the park compared to last year."
"But-"
"Harry, you're not going to change my mind on this, so stop. Please?"
Harry sighed, "I just don't want to see you hurt, that's all."
"I know you don't. But I've been hurt worse than a Quidditch injury."
"I-"
"Harry, I know what you are trying to do, but stop. I've made up my mind, and there is nothing you can do to change it."
Harry just looked at her one last time, "alright, I know when to give up."
"Good." Hermione said, beaming at him.
That was fifteen minutes ago. Now Harry stood in front of all of them.
"Alright, you guys get chow?" They all nodded, "Now you will go through the second round of tryouts, and after that, five of you will be put in the regular circulation team, and another five of you will be put on the back up squad, which will take over in case of injury or graduation. Understood?" They nodded again. Ron stepped up.
"Now, the Chaser round two's are up first on the north end of the field. We meet there in two minutes." They all nodded, and got their brooms ready for the next round. Harry walked over to Hermione again.
"Harry, if you're com-"
"Trust me, I've given up on trying to persuade you to not do this. I just want to wish you some good luck." Harry said, before kissing her softly on the forehead. Everyone was stretching on the ground, trying to get their flying speed up, or jogging around the pitch. Unbeknownst to them, the only three people who were not training, were watching them with great intent.
Ron, Leah and Ginny were standing off to the side of the pitch, looking at Harry and Hermione with great interest. Ginny was grinning broadly at the two of them, looking at what she called, her work of art.
"Yep, to the ball they go."
"You know, Ginny, I don't like carrying on with this plan. It makes my friends angry with me, and I don't want to see that happen."
"Ron, when we get to the end of this, the plan will be able to stop full tilt. But for now, just until the ball, we will continue."
"But why? They're together, we know that!"
"But, just to be safe. I've seen relationships last days, even hours. Do, this is just a precaution. If you want to bail out, well, I won't let you."
"Why not?"
"Because it's all for the greater good, that's why. This is the happiest I've seen Harry in a long time. As long as Harry's with her, Harry is happy. Don't you want to see that?"
"Of- Whoa! We'll talk about this later."
"Sure."
"One way or another, this war is going to end." Two people were walking down a long hallway in a large temple.
"Yes, Nikki, I know."
"We need to make sure that the way it ends means victory for the light. This new information that Zalrot has brought us is not exactly comforting, Joshua."
"I know. I don't want to have her stop training the boy, but we can't pull her. If she stopped, the boy would lose the feeling he has for the training now. I know how Zalrot works, and I know that Voldemort draws nearer to the torch. But for now, let Cho train him."
"Josh, I give you a month. If the boy hasn't gone any farther, then you will pull her, or I will pull her myself."
"Alright. Just so you know, a woman should never tell a man what to do."
"Stop living in the past. I do not answer to your every beck and call." she said, walking off.
Harry was standing with the three Puddlemere Chasers, looking towards the sky. Ginny and Colin were flying at high speeds, passing the quaffle between each other and Michael Myers, who didn't exactly look happy to be there.
"How are they doing?"
"Michael has only scored about five out of his nineteen, but Colin and Ginny are right on the money. Nineteen out of nineteen for both of them."
"Make that twenty for Colin and Ginny, and five for Michael."
"Alright. So it seems that those two are the best so far?"
"Yeah, it does. Only ones with perfect scores."
"Alright. Ginny! Colin! Michael! You're finished!" The three people flew to the ground.
"How did I do Harry?" Colin asked, his left sleeve sliding up a little. Harry thought he saw something burned into it, but decided a moment later that he had imagined it.
"Can't tell you until we're all finished." Colin stalked off, curious about his results.
Hours later, Harry and Ron stood in the Common Room, looking at the announcements board. Harry was holding a sheet of paper in his hands, which held the results of the Quidditch Tryouts. He waved his wand and it stuck to the board. The entirety of the Gryffindor Common room stood behind him, with bated breath, waiting for Harry to leave.
He and Ron went their separate ways. Harry out of the Portrait Hole, Ron up the boy's staircase. The entire common room charged the room sounding like thunder. There were screams of triumph that were heard amongst the crowd and Hermione had to quiet them down to read it aloud to the entire room.
"Gryffindor Circulation Team Chasers:
1. Ginny Weasley
2. Colin Creevey
3. Leah York
Gryffindor Backup Team Chasers:
1. Mark Brunell
2. Chris Bixby
3. Nicholas Puntos
Gryffindor Circulation Team Beaters:
1. Hermione Granger
2. Dean Thomas
Gryffindor Backup Team Beaters:
1. Seamus Finnegan
2. Palos Margera
Thank you for participating, we all hope you cheer for us this season."
Hermione ran into the Prefect Common Room a few minutes later to see Harry doing some homework on a desk in the Common Room.
"See how good you were?" he said, not looking up from his paper. She went behind him, wrapped her arms around his neck and started raining kisses on his cheek.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Cho looked down at the scene that was laying before her eyes. Too long have they danced around this. Finally, all that foolishness comes to an end. Her mind said, before taking a necklace from the neckline of her robes. It had a wolf's head, and a ruby underneath it. She kissed the stone softly, and stuffed it back into her robes.
A black man wearing nothing but Mandinka clothing walked in front of her.
"You know, in this place, we don't prey to an animal wench. We prey on the animals."
"Zalrot, I'm not afraid of you."
"Oh, but you should be. I should be the first thing you fear. Because if your mother and father didn't like to have you around, I could end your life without a second thought. Women in my day had more respect for men."
"Women in your day had no respect for themselves!"
"Silence!" Zalrot said, slapping her across the face, "I will not be spoken to in that way. I may be of lower rank than you, but I still know more than you. You are corrupting the boy, and I will not stand for it."
"Love will not get him killed."
"But things clouding his mind will. I will give you a month to progress his training, if he has not improved, you will be pulled from your position."
"My mother and father will not like this."
"Your mother and father authorized this. Good day." Zalrot said, starting to walk of, "hopefully, when we meet again, you will have learned how to talk to a man."