Disclaimer : These characters belong to J.K. Rowling, though I wish they are mine. There's a quidditch tournament in the U.S.A. and one of the Hogwarts teams gets to go.
Albus paces their family room. The front door opens into the kitchen, which is open to the family room. The bedroom is on the right. Albus watches the kitchen desperately. He knows he should have told Minerva about the trip, but he had just never been able to get it out. The door finally opens, and Minerva glides in, her robes gliding behind her. She walks into the bedroom without even a glance in Albus's directions. "Minerva, can we talk?" Albus calls from the family room. Minerva appears in the doorway. "So now you want to talk, huh? You couldn't talk before, huh?" Albus winces at her words. "Minnie, please." She looses her cool at this and her anger takes over. "No, Albus. How could you do this?" She yells at him. He makes to say something, but she keeps yelling. "We've together for years Albus, and I've never kept anything from you. Why did I have to learn that you're leaving infront of the whole school? Why couldn't you have atleast told me when we were alone, so that I could find out first? "Minnie, please, relax. I just couldn't tell you. I didn't want you to get upset." "And learning about this infront of everybody is any better?! I can't believe you." "I couldn't pass it up. It's such a good opportunity for the students. Not even just the quidditch, you know the magic is different over there. I couldn't pass it up." Minerva can't argue with this, so she takes a different route. "Yes, and this quidditch thing, it would have been nice to know that the tournament starts in 3 weeks a little earlier. My team doesn't have a keeper or a captain, and I want them to win more than anything. It gives the other houses a huge advantage!" "And I'm really sorry for that. Do you have a captain?" Minerva glares at him. "The team voted for Harry, but he's a little young. I'm worried about him not knowing what to do, added stress." Albus makes to move a step closer to her. "Harry will be fine. He's been through more in his life than anone int his school, more than most of the teachers." Minerva takes a step back and her anger returns. "No, Albus. You're not gonna get me off track. Potter is beyond the point. The point is that you're leaving me." Tears start to roll down her cheeks. "It's basicly the same affect as leaving me." Minerva breaks down. It's been years since she has yelled like this, especialy not at Albus. She folds into Albus's arms and her fears and worries come rushing to the front of her mind as sobs. "I"m sorry, I'm sorry. I just couldn't tell you. I don't know how I'm going to live for a whole school year without you!" "Albus, I'm sorry I got so mad. It's just, we've never been apart for half this amount of time. I don't know what I'm gonna do coming home at night to an empty apartment and waking up in an empty bed."
Albus looks at her. He brushes his fingers across her soft cheek, then kisses her gently.
"Minnie, we've still got a couple months and it will only be for a few months. Tell you what, we'll go away this summer for a vacation. Where ever you want." Minnie smiles at him. "I love you." "I love you too." *****************************************************************"Wow, I still can't belive you're captain. I mean, wow!" Ron says at lunch the next day. Harry gives him an exasperated look. That is all he's said since finding out last night. But, then again, Hermione wasn't being much better. "Harry, I think you should go about this as a wonderful learning experience, not a chance to play quidditch." Hermione said. Ron gives her an exasperated look. Harry, sick of all this, is thankful when he sees Professor McGonagall coming his way. "Potter, team captains are meeting with Professor Dumbledore. Please come with me." Harry says good bye to Ron and Hermione and follows Minerva to an empty class room. Harry's the last of the 4 captains to arrive so he comes in quietly and sits next to Professor McGonagall. "As you all know," Professor Dumbledore starts, giving Harry a small smile, "the quidditch championship is going to have to be quick and early this year. Are all your teams ready?" The other three captains nodded. "Yes, we will be," Harry says when its his turn to answer. At his response, Professor McGonagall grins. "So," Albus continues, "the first games will be in two weeks. I know it goes against tradition, but there's going to have to be one game Saturday and one Sunday. You all have the next week off. The next week you play. Next week off, then the final week you all play. It's the only fair way to do it." Harry tries not to show his panic at the thought of the first game being in two weeks. He's greatful when Professor McGonagall tell him to stay after so they can talk. "Harry, will the team be ready?" She asks anxiously. Harry knows she wants the team to win just as much as he does. Harry nods. "All of our returning players are over fifth year, so they'll all be in good shape. Plus, I'm planning on running pretty hard practices. The problem is that we don't have a keeper." Professor McGonagall paces the room. Harry watches her go back and forth, back and forth for 5 minutes before she sighs and sits down. "Well, what I can do is get you out of some of your classes so you can go to first year flying lessons. But it's doubtful you'll find anyone there. You're going to have to put up signs and hold tryouts, though it goes against Hogwarts traditon. Players always just are seen, not tried out, but there's not enough time." "Okay, when's the first flying lesson?" Harry asks. "This afternoon. What do you have?" "Divination," Harry answers. Minerva doesn't try hard to hide her scorn. "Well, I can get you out of that. It's nothing terribly important." Harry grins at her. "Thanks, Professor McGonagall." "Hey, it's all for the team. I expect you to win, it's a great opportunity." Harry gets up and walks out onto the grounds. Harry watches the first years argue over broomsticks while waiting for Madam Hooch. When she arrives, Harry walks up to her. "I know Potter. Professor McGonagall's already told me you are going to be here. Just watch and if you need to see anyone specialy, just pull them aside." Harry nods and walks around the greens, watching the first years try to call there brooms to their hands. After and hour, Harry is becoming depressed. Not one student could even lift up their broom, none-the-less fly and stop quidditch balls at the same time. The class ends and Harry greatfuly calls his own Firebolt to him and flies high into the air. The young Gryffindors watch in amazement as he does loops and twirls and dives. It feels wonderful to be in the air again. All summer Harry couldn't play. The Dursley's had taken his broom away from him. "Harry! Harry! Get down, these first years' jaws are gonna be stuck to the ground in a minute," calls George from the ground. Harry does a spectacular dive and lands perfectly infront of the team who has all gathered in the grounds, grinning. "Ready for our first practice?" Harry asks. The minute he gets it out he knows it was a stupid idea for the Weasley twins go wooping and hollering down the hill to the quidditch field. Alicia, Katie, Angelina, and Harry run after them. By the time they get to the changing rooms, they're all out of breath and laughing so hard that Harry thinks he's going to die. "Okay, team, sit down. Now, Oliver was a great captain, and I'm not even going to try to live up to his long speaches, so lets go play some quidditch!" The practice is magnificent. The team flies perfectly in sync with each other. They do drills that they could barely do at the end of last year flawlessly. At the end of practice, Harry grins at his team. "All we need is a tiny bit of rust taken off and a keeper, and we'll be fine. Lets all go get some sleep, early practice tomorrow morning. Before sunrise." "Harry . . ." everyone groans at him. "I don't choose practice times. That's Professor McGonagall's job." ****************************************************************
"You found anyone yet, Harry?" Hermione asks as they make their way to Herbology. "No," Harry sighs, "None of the first years can even mount their brooms yet." "Don't worry, you'll find someone," Hermione tells him. "Yeah, maybe today," Ron adds. "Yeah, maybe," Harry says as he breaks off from them and heads over to Madam Hooch's class. The beginning of the lesson was much the same as usual. But Harry's eye caught someone towards the back of the group. He was playing with his broomstick, not listening to Madam Hooch. Harry watchee as the boy calles his broomstick to him and it stops at perfect mounting height. The boy looks up and scowels at Harry. Harry notices that this boy has never been to a lesson before. Harry turns away and walks up the field, but still keeps a close eye on the boy. Finally, the first years were beginning to fly. The boy flies high and makes quick swerves and dodges in the air like a pro. Harry makes his way to go talk to the boy, but then he notices Professor McGonagall walking towards them, looking furious. "Mr. Callahan, what do you think you are doing? Come with me this instant." Professor McGonagall yells at the boy, who is looking terrified. Harry hurries after them as the march up the hill and into the castle. "Professor, can I please have a word with you?" Harry asks, panting, when he catches up to them. "Just a minute Potter, after I return Mr. Callahan to his class." "No, that's what I need to talk to you about," Harry tells her quickly. Minerva gives him a puzzled look, but lead them into a deserted classroom to their left. Callahan stand in a corner while Harry and Professor McGonagall have a hurried, whispered conversation. "What is it you want, Potter?" "I was watching this boy fly, I think he might be our new keeper." "What?" Professor McGonagall asks, amazed. "Well, I don't know. Can we go down and watch him fly? Please . . ." Professor McGonagall looks at the boy with an uncertain eye but relents to Harry's pleading. "What's your name?" Harry asks the boy as they make their way back out to the fields, following Professor McGonagall. "Andrew Callahan, but you can call me Andy. You're Harry Potter, aren't you?" Andy asks nervously. Harry smiles and shakes his hand. "Yes, I am." "Where are you taking me?" "Um, I'm the Gryffindor quidditch captain and the team needs a keeper. Do you know anything about quidditch?" Andy gives him and embarrased look. "Um, no. They canceled the tournament last year, and I'm a muggle . . ." Harry just stares at him. "Last year?" "Yeah, that's why I'm in trouble. I'm a second year but I wanted to fly so I kinda skipped class to join the first years." Harry laughs. "Well, lets see your flying." Harry stands next to Professor McGonagall which is the only thing that keeps him from not jumping up and down. Andy can really fly! "Professor, he looks really good." Minerva still looks doubtful. "He's quite a rulebreaker, I'm not sure if you'll have time to train him. He's quite young." Harry watches while Andy makes another flip and Harry just knows that he's the one. "Professor, remember how you said that usually players just come to us, well I've got this really big feeling that he's the one." Minerva looks down at Harry and smiles. "Well, then, we've got ourselves a keeper." Harry grins back and calls Andy down. He tells him the good news. they spend the lunch time together discussing the rules of quidditch, since Andy doesn't know any of them. After a week of practice, Andy fits in perfectly and is well liked by the rest of the team. Harry smiles to himself as he falls asleep Thursday night before the first match. Thanks for reading my fanfic. Hope you enjoyed. For more fanfics and continuation of this one go to www.members.aol.com/marajs19. Thank you!