See Madam Hooch for Details
Ginny Weasley re-read the sign twice, a thought taking root
in her head. Katie Bell was out with an
injury she received over the summer.
Gryffindor needed a new Chaser.
She should do it. She could do it;
she had had experience enough playing with her brothers for the past fifteen
years. Biting her lip, she decided to
meet Madam Hooch.
****
"Well, Ginny. I
certainly am surprised. Never thought
you would have any interest in Quidditch, other than as a spectator," Madam
Hooch looked over at the young redhead sitting across from her in her office.
"To be honest, Madam Hooch, I think I could be a good
Chaser. I just need the chance," Ginny
replied, inwardly rolling her eyes. Why
did it always seem as if no one ever have any faith in her?
"Well, of course it will be up to the co-captains and the
rest of the Gryffindor team, which shouldn't be too difficult, considering that
three of them are your brothers."
Ginny's heart plummeted.
Her brothers would most likely have a fit, when they saw that she'd
signed up. They'd be her biggest
obstacle to get past.
"Well, there's nothing left to do but wish you good luck and
we'll see you on the pitch Friday for tryouts," Madam Hooch said, shuffling
papers on her desk and looking at Ginny expectantly.
"There's uh, one more thing, Madam. Could you possibly not mention this
to my brothers? They seem to be a bit
overprotective when it comes to me," Ginny asked, holding her breath. Overprotective was an understatement. Those gits are always doing something to
annoy her; such as insist that they know her whereabouts at all times. They'd been like that ever since Voldemort's
return to power. Her parents were even
worse, making her owl them at least twice a week. Ginny supposed it was because of what happened during her first
year, when the Dark Lord had used her to re-open the Chamber of Secrets, but
she had grown up so much since then.
If Madam Hooch was surprised at her question, she hid her expression well. "Uh, sure, Ginny. I won't say a word."
Ginny finally smiled.
"Thanks, Madam."
********************
That night in the Gryffindor common room, the students were
in an uproar. "We've got to get
a new Chaser!" shouted Fred angrily at the room in general.
"Cheer up, Fred," said his twin George. "Madam Hooch already said we had one
person who was interested."
"ONE! And she
wouldn't even tell us who it was!" their brother Ron joined in, his face
getting redder by the minute. "Said the
person wanted to remain anonymous until the tryouts! WHO IS IT!?" He bellowed this out to the rest of the students,
who each looked at each other questioningly.
Ginny sat huddled up in her favorite nook under the girls'
dormitory stairs, secretly smiling to herself.
Fred and George were both Co-Captains and the Beaters of the team, while
their younger brother Ron was Keeper.
The twins were in their final year at Hogwarts, and were desperate to
keep up the Gryffindor Team's winning streak.
Thee large, shining gold cups sat on either side of the mantelpiece in
the common room, one from last year when the Quidditch tournament had been
reinstated, another from Ginny's second year, and the last one was a tribute to
when Ginny's oldest brother Charlie was on the team.
Just then, another's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Well, whoever it is," Harry Potter said
reasonably, "They've got a pretty good chance of getting on the team, since no
one else has signed up to try out."
Ginny could almost imagine the eager look in his sparkling green eyes,
(she couldn't see him from her nook), wondering who could've signed up for the
team anonymously.
Oooh, I just can't wait to see the expression on Harry's
face when he sees it's the little mouse he's practically ignored for the past
four years trying out to be on his perfect Quidditch team, she grinned to
herself. Dear God, I'm sorry Katie
got hurt this summer in Scandinavia, but Thank You so much.
Ginny had been in love with Harry Potter ever since she'd
first seen him, standing on the platform at King's Cross Station, fear and
nervousness etched on his face as he walked aboard to start his first year at
Hogwarts. She was only ten years old,
but Ginny's perfect memory could recall that day in an instant. She knew all about him, every kid in the
wizarding world did, but she just somehow knew that she'd meet him one
day. A child fantasy to be sure, but
Ginny's hopes were not unfounded when it turned out that her brother Ron was
actually best friends with him.
That first summer he'd spent at The Burrow, Ginny never spoke to him at
all, just kept on peeking out at him from behind closed doors, or out of open
windows, blushing furiously every time he so much as spared her a second
glance. And that's all she'd ever
gotten from him, second glances.
Well, except for the time when he'd saved me from the Chamber of
Secrets, she amended quickly. And
the time that Fred and George sent him that awful Valentine and timed it just
so it would appear that she'd done it.
Oh, but she got those two back for that little stunt by placing a curse
on their room so that everything was turned upside-down for a week.
Her thoughts settling back on Harry, Ginny knew he'd have to
recognize her as something more than his best friend's sister if she got on the
team. And Ginny was doing her best to
make sure she got on the team.
